12/04/2008
11/28/2008
Sometimes marking tests can be fun.
For example, this gem written by one of my students:
"I think your ring tone is very big! It make me irregular."
Not a function I want on my mobile.
"I think your ring tone is very big! It make me irregular."
Not a function I want on my mobile.
11/17/2008
Plates = Progress
According to gym buddy Jon, "plates" are the 45 lbs/20kg weights used during bench lifting and sundry other activities. These were also a sort of milestone for me.
Let's go back about 4 weeks. Back when I first started lifting, my chest area was woefully underdeveloped. Having broken my wrist when I was younger, I hadn't tried to bench press in at least 15 years. My "enhanced" weight also meant that I rarely, if ever, did push-ups. So it was no surprise to me that when I started that the bar itself consisted of an actual set (versus a mere warm-up to get the blood going), and that 2x 25lb (10kg) was my limit.
I'll travel down a related path for a moment. It's interesting; many thinner people who look at fat people in disdain cry out "Put down the fork!" While this is fundamentally a truism, it's also cruel and cold-hearted advice that doesn't take into account that exercise and mindset are critical factors as well. While some people are content to be fat, I would venture to say that most people are not. Thus the diet fads, all of which promise the moon for little or no effort, at least at first glance.
Thus the problem I think most people face is the same one as I faced: lack of visible, trackable results. Last year, I tried Billy's Bootcamp as a method of losing weight. While I saw results (it is, I still maintain, fairly effective core training), those results were spoiled by poor eating habits. I had fallen into the trap of excusing bad eating by exercising.
This was a recipe for failure, and I think that I ended up rebounding that much harder. It is no surprise that I was fatter. Though my weight hadn't changed, my muscle mass had decreased and my body fat increased.
Getting back on track, like my weight-loss, I've seen progress in lifting weights. My first time benching I couldn't lift the 35 lbs (15kg) plates. Now I can bang out 10 with proper form. The 45s were a dream, but yesterday I did 4 reps clean and 2 more with Jon's help. While the weight itself was hardly noteworthy, it is that PROGRESS, the visible fact that A) I was lifting more, B) I am visibly more cut now, which fuels my desire to continue to work out.
In an tangential, though still oddly related, line it's the same as successful GMing, and perhaps the secret of Blizzard's success with World of Warcraft. Table-top role-players and online gamers NEED to see progress, need to see results, need to feel that the time and effort they are putting into an activity are being validated by results. My fellow blogger Rob warns me of the perils of looking at pictures of the past and being disheartened at a 20-year old physique. As he is a former Marine, I can understand his plight on an academic level. But all my childhood pictures are of me being fat. I can only look at my pictures and grin, as I am more healthy now than I have been in a decade, and possibly for at least 1/2 of my life.
In the end, this isn't a novel or revolutionary idea. Far from it, in hindsight it seems perfectly obvious. But this was an epiphany of sorts for me, and perhaps my first step into a world of better health.
Let's go back about 4 weeks. Back when I first started lifting, my chest area was woefully underdeveloped. Having broken my wrist when I was younger, I hadn't tried to bench press in at least 15 years. My "enhanced" weight also meant that I rarely, if ever, did push-ups. So it was no surprise to me that when I started that the bar itself consisted of an actual set (versus a mere warm-up to get the blood going), and that 2x 25lb (10kg) was my limit.
I'll travel down a related path for a moment. It's interesting; many thinner people who look at fat people in disdain cry out "Put down the fork!" While this is fundamentally a truism, it's also cruel and cold-hearted advice that doesn't take into account that exercise and mindset are critical factors as well. While some people are content to be fat, I would venture to say that most people are not. Thus the diet fads, all of which promise the moon for little or no effort, at least at first glance.
Thus the problem I think most people face is the same one as I faced: lack of visible, trackable results. Last year, I tried Billy's Bootcamp as a method of losing weight. While I saw results (it is, I still maintain, fairly effective core training), those results were spoiled by poor eating habits. I had fallen into the trap of excusing bad eating by exercising.
This was a recipe for failure, and I think that I ended up rebounding that much harder. It is no surprise that I was fatter. Though my weight hadn't changed, my muscle mass had decreased and my body fat increased.
Getting back on track, like my weight-loss, I've seen progress in lifting weights. My first time benching I couldn't lift the 35 lbs (15kg) plates. Now I can bang out 10 with proper form. The 45s were a dream, but yesterday I did 4 reps clean and 2 more with Jon's help. While the weight itself was hardly noteworthy, it is that PROGRESS, the visible fact that A) I was lifting more, B) I am visibly more cut now, which fuels my desire to continue to work out.
In an tangential, though still oddly related, line it's the same as successful GMing, and perhaps the secret of Blizzard's success with World of Warcraft. Table-top role-players and online gamers NEED to see progress, need to see results, need to feel that the time and effort they are putting into an activity are being validated by results. My fellow blogger Rob warns me of the perils of looking at pictures of the past and being disheartened at a 20-year old physique. As he is a former Marine, I can understand his plight on an academic level. But all my childhood pictures are of me being fat. I can only look at my pictures and grin, as I am more healthy now than I have been in a decade, and possibly for at least 1/2 of my life.
In the end, this isn't a novel or revolutionary idea. Far from it, in hindsight it seems perfectly obvious. But this was an epiphany of sorts for me, and perhaps my first step into a world of better health.
11/16/2008
Tennis Circle: The Gasshuku
During the first two years of my JET life in Japan, there were oft-talked about plans to travel to Mt. Aso. Yet somehow these plans never materialized. In my dim recollections from earlier childhood travels, I recalled a barren landscape, full of noxious smelling gas, which at the time served only to aggravate my asthma. (In retrospect, I have high suspicions that this was merely a result of my poor physical fitness. I was after all a lazy lad).
Thus this year, and specifically these last 6 months, it is amusing to me that I have visited this region no less than 3 times.
The morning was gray, and threatened to rain; bad news for people who were to play tennis later. Despite the morning chill, by the time we reached the Fukuma City Hall parking lot it had warmed considerably to a balmy 19 degrees C. I was definitely feeling over-dressed in my boots, vest, and wind-breaker jacket.
We were to travel south in a 3-vehicle convoy. All had navigation equipped, and each car had someone in charge, with a folder containing maps, contact information, schedule, and an envelope with gas/toll money. This was no last-minute jaunt out to the wilds, but a carefully orchestrated operation.
The drive out to the Aso region was enjoyable, but as the sole male passenger in the car, I was soon lost by conversation of the latest happenings in J-Dramaland. Lunch was at a yakiniku restaurant called Aka-Ushi (Red Cow), and at the associated gift shop I purchased a box of Aso-Jersey Milk Caramels. While the lunch was forgettable, the view was breath-taking. Despite living in and around mountains in Fukutsu City, there is something entirely different about the mountains that surround the Aso farming region. The mountains form a ring, and each is inspiring and beautiful. I felt somehow more alive for seeing them.
Soon we arrived at our tennis grounds. In mountain-country it was definitely chillier, and the rain that had threatened us earlier started to fall. Despite this, our mini-tournament would not be postponed, so we gathered our gear and headed to the courts. After a quick warm-up, teams were decided and off we went. The results of my not having practiced for the last 6 weeks were quickly evidenced, and out of 6 teams, we placed last. The tournament is more for fun, but the rain, which alternated from a light sprinkle to a shower, kept me distracted. Prizes were awarded, and though we had an hour left on the courts, we decided to pack up and head for our ryokan.
It's worth noting that I had forgotten my ankle socks at home, so I ended up buying a pair from a convenience store. It was that or play in my hiking socks. Thus it is especially fitting that my prize was a pair of Adidas ankle socks.
Soon we were at our ryokan, and once checked it my room-mates and I quickly changed to our yukatas, and it was off to the baths. Well not quite for me. Given my recent bout with eczema, I had lingering doubts as to whether I ought to partake or not. So instead, I decided to get a massage. There are quite new to me, but are worth every yen.
Dinner was standard ryokan fare: seafood and a variety of Japanese vegetables and tubers. However, this being Kumamoto, I was treated to my first ever basashi. Basashi is raw horse. I am game to try most meats raw, and so I had no qualms about eating this. That said, it seemed a bit gamey for me, and there was a strange aftertaste. I didn't dislike it, but I didn't particularly like it either. I'll have to hold off judgment until I try to quality basashi. Also surprisingly delicious was the salted-backed yamame (or mountain-woman salmon). No doubt some distant salmon cousin, it was 100% salty goodness.
Afterward, we retired to our rooms, but in the meanwhile I decided that I would go and bath. Upon returning I found most of the circle had gathered in my room, and beers and snacks fueled deep conversations about the decline in leadership skills displayed by Japanese people.
That night was uncomfortably passed on futon mattresses, and I woke up with a crick in my neck. After a hearty breakfast consisting of eggs, sausages, rice, bread, and a large salad, I wandered down to the massage chairs for a quick 10 minutes. While they are no replacement for the real deal, it nevertheless worked out the crick and I was back to being a happy camper.
The second day of our trip involved a trip to a water tunnel converted to a community art gallery, the fountainhead of the Shirakawa River, the Aso Farmland Resort, and a visit to the Kikuchi Gorge. Of these, I had visited Kikuchi Ravine before, and it was interesting to compare the place between my visit during the summer and now. I'll say that Kikuchi Glen reminded me a lot of camping in the Algonquin, and I again felt a measure of peace while there. Also notable is that the literature on the various signs, pamphlets, and maps cannot decide on whether it should be called a gorge, ravine, or gully. I did not see any signs for Kikuchi Canyon though.
Tired but satisfied, we returned home to Fukutsu around 7pm. The two days were enjoyable to say the least, and I hope that I am around next year to do it all again.
Pics here, or you can click on the slideshow in the sidebar.
Thus this year, and specifically these last 6 months, it is amusing to me that I have visited this region no less than 3 times.
The morning was gray, and threatened to rain; bad news for people who were to play tennis later. Despite the morning chill, by the time we reached the Fukuma City Hall parking lot it had warmed considerably to a balmy 19 degrees C. I was definitely feeling over-dressed in my boots, vest, and wind-breaker jacket.
We were to travel south in a 3-vehicle convoy. All had navigation equipped, and each car had someone in charge, with a folder containing maps, contact information, schedule, and an envelope with gas/toll money. This was no last-minute jaunt out to the wilds, but a carefully orchestrated operation.
The drive out to the Aso region was enjoyable, but as the sole male passenger in the car, I was soon lost by conversation of the latest happenings in J-Dramaland. Lunch was at a yakiniku restaurant called Aka-Ushi (Red Cow), and at the associated gift shop I purchased a box of Aso-Jersey Milk Caramels. While the lunch was forgettable, the view was breath-taking. Despite living in and around mountains in Fukutsu City, there is something entirely different about the mountains that surround the Aso farming region. The mountains form a ring, and each is inspiring and beautiful. I felt somehow more alive for seeing them.
Soon we arrived at our tennis grounds. In mountain-country it was definitely chillier, and the rain that had threatened us earlier started to fall. Despite this, our mini-tournament would not be postponed, so we gathered our gear and headed to the courts. After a quick warm-up, teams were decided and off we went. The results of my not having practiced for the last 6 weeks were quickly evidenced, and out of 6 teams, we placed last. The tournament is more for fun, but the rain, which alternated from a light sprinkle to a shower, kept me distracted. Prizes were awarded, and though we had an hour left on the courts, we decided to pack up and head for our ryokan.
It's worth noting that I had forgotten my ankle socks at home, so I ended up buying a pair from a convenience store. It was that or play in my hiking socks. Thus it is especially fitting that my prize was a pair of Adidas ankle socks.
Soon we were at our ryokan, and once checked it my room-mates and I quickly changed to our yukatas, and it was off to the baths. Well not quite for me. Given my recent bout with eczema, I had lingering doubts as to whether I ought to partake or not. So instead, I decided to get a massage. There are quite new to me, but are worth every yen.
Dinner was standard ryokan fare: seafood and a variety of Japanese vegetables and tubers. However, this being Kumamoto, I was treated to my first ever basashi. Basashi is raw horse. I am game to try most meats raw, and so I had no qualms about eating this. That said, it seemed a bit gamey for me, and there was a strange aftertaste. I didn't dislike it, but I didn't particularly like it either. I'll have to hold off judgment until I try to quality basashi. Also surprisingly delicious was the salted-backed yamame (or mountain-woman salmon). No doubt some distant salmon cousin, it was 100% salty goodness.
Afterward, we retired to our rooms, but in the meanwhile I decided that I would go and bath. Upon returning I found most of the circle had gathered in my room, and beers and snacks fueled deep conversations about the decline in leadership skills displayed by Japanese people.
That night was uncomfortably passed on futon mattresses, and I woke up with a crick in my neck. After a hearty breakfast consisting of eggs, sausages, rice, bread, and a large salad, I wandered down to the massage chairs for a quick 10 minutes. While they are no replacement for the real deal, it nevertheless worked out the crick and I was back to being a happy camper.
The second day of our trip involved a trip to a water tunnel converted to a community art gallery, the fountainhead of the Shirakawa River, the Aso Farmland Resort, and a visit to the Kikuchi Gorge. Of these, I had visited Kikuchi Ravine before, and it was interesting to compare the place between my visit during the summer and now. I'll say that Kikuchi Glen reminded me a lot of camping in the Algonquin, and I again felt a measure of peace while there. Also notable is that the literature on the various signs, pamphlets, and maps cannot decide on whether it should be called a gorge, ravine, or gully. I did not see any signs for Kikuchi Canyon though.
Tired but satisfied, we returned home to Fukutsu around 7pm. The two days were enjoyable to say the least, and I hope that I am around next year to do it all again.
Pics here, or you can click on the slideshow in the sidebar.
11/13/2008
Perfect DUI Test
While I am certain this is staged, I found it funny nonetheless.
EDIT: Now that I think about it, I'm almost sure this is Super Troopers or something.
EDIT: Now that I think about it, I'm almost sure this is Super Troopers or something.
11/10/2008
Hydrate or die.
OK, maybe not die, but at least slough off some skin in a fit of itching and blood.
Yes blood.
The last 3 weeks or so have seen me suffering from an eczema flare-up. At times better, at times worse, but over the last 2 days it has become particularly alarming.
No one really knows why eczema happens, and there are more treatment options than I care to name. I've tried a lot. The best, but possibly most harmful, was a topical cream called Celestoderm. A powerful cortical steroid, I usually saw good results (less itching, redness) within 24 hours. Sadly, my large jar of it got used up, so I'm left with lesser products.
Moisturizing of course doesn't really help. Anything alcohol or Urea -based will serve to inflame my skin even more. Milder solutions, like Glaxal-base work to stave off dryness (for a while), but do nothing about the ITCHINESS, which at times is unbearable. Scratching that itch feels good. I mean, it REALLY feels good. Euphoric even. Until you stop and notice your hand is stained red.
From blood.
That's where I am now. I have a constantly healing set of scabs on my elbow-pits (?), on my knees and forearms, on my upper calves. As they form, the reduce skin flexibility. They break apart from the surrounding skin and become itchy. I scratch. I bleed. The miserable cycle continues.
Thoroughly nauseating as this post may be, it is part of my daily life, and is notable in the one aspect of my health which seems to have gotten worse since I came to Japan. I have attributed this to the change in seasons...but an epiphany of sorts struck me last night around 11pm.
My eczema had almost disappeared during the late summer. Odd in the sense that increased humidity and heat usually made it worse (due to sweat causing discomfort thence itching etc.). As such, I attributed my worsening to the change in seasons, with autumn bringing in unwanted allergens, then moving into dry winter weather. As I had run out of Celestoderm, I assumed that this was the most logical of explanations.
But that epiphany changed that. During the late summer (that's October over here), I started to drink a lot of water. This was part of my diet routine. Constantly having to process water means your body is in a constant state of metabolism, or at least I think that's how it works. I'll leave the true facts to those more erudite than I.
About a month ago, however, the weather started to get cooler, and I no longer toted my Nalgene bottle with me. It was still hot enough that I didn't need the extra weight when biking, and my dieting was going smoothly.
2 things started to happen, which now seem obvious in hindsight. My weight-loss plateaued, and my eczema started to flare up.
I had intended to visit the doctor, to see what he might prescribe for me. But for now, that's on hold. I need to see if my reasoning holds true, and that by hydrating (that is, drinking at least 2 litres of water every day) my eczema settle down. Call it an experiment.
Yes blood.
The last 3 weeks or so have seen me suffering from an eczema flare-up. At times better, at times worse, but over the last 2 days it has become particularly alarming.
No one really knows why eczema happens, and there are more treatment options than I care to name. I've tried a lot. The best, but possibly most harmful, was a topical cream called Celestoderm. A powerful cortical steroid, I usually saw good results (less itching, redness) within 24 hours. Sadly, my large jar of it got used up, so I'm left with lesser products.
Moisturizing of course doesn't really help. Anything alcohol or Urea -based will serve to inflame my skin even more. Milder solutions, like Glaxal-base work to stave off dryness (for a while), but do nothing about the ITCHINESS, which at times is unbearable. Scratching that itch feels good. I mean, it REALLY feels good. Euphoric even. Until you stop and notice your hand is stained red.
From blood.
That's where I am now. I have a constantly healing set of scabs on my elbow-pits (?), on my knees and forearms, on my upper calves. As they form, the reduce skin flexibility. They break apart from the surrounding skin and become itchy. I scratch. I bleed. The miserable cycle continues.
Thoroughly nauseating as this post may be, it is part of my daily life, and is notable in the one aspect of my health which seems to have gotten worse since I came to Japan. I have attributed this to the change in seasons...but an epiphany of sorts struck me last night around 11pm.
My eczema had almost disappeared during the late summer. Odd in the sense that increased humidity and heat usually made it worse (due to sweat causing discomfort thence itching etc.). As such, I attributed my worsening to the change in seasons, with autumn bringing in unwanted allergens, then moving into dry winter weather. As I had run out of Celestoderm, I assumed that this was the most logical of explanations.
But that epiphany changed that. During the late summer (that's October over here), I started to drink a lot of water. This was part of my diet routine. Constantly having to process water means your body is in a constant state of metabolism, or at least I think that's how it works. I'll leave the true facts to those more erudite than I.
About a month ago, however, the weather started to get cooler, and I no longer toted my Nalgene bottle with me. It was still hot enough that I didn't need the extra weight when biking, and my dieting was going smoothly.
2 things started to happen, which now seem obvious in hindsight. My weight-loss plateaued, and my eczema started to flare up.
I had intended to visit the doctor, to see what he might prescribe for me. But for now, that's on hold. I need to see if my reasoning holds true, and that by hydrating (that is, drinking at least 2 litres of water every day) my eczema settle down. Call it an experiment.
11/07/2008
Obama's Cabinet Leaked to the Press
Had me laughing out loud in the staff room.
Original Link here:
http://www.236.com/blog/w/lee_camp/barack_obamas_notes_on_his_pot_10107.php
Original Link here:
http://www.236.com/blog/w/lee_camp/barack_obamas_notes_on_his_pot_10107.php
11/06/2008
10/31/2008
Mission Accomplished
Gets off a plane and onto the deck of a USN carrier. Service men and women stand at attention. The media, in all their propaganda glory, snap madly away. Coming to the podium with thumbs up:
Mission Accomplished.
OK, so does anyone remember those size 34 GAPs I bought? Well, I can now fit into them quite comfortably. No chaffing, pinching, or squeezing.
I'll need to reassess my goals, because I still feel like a tub of lard.
(OK, not really. But damn if that belly fat isn't hard to get rid of...)
Mission Accomplished.
OK, so does anyone remember those size 34 GAPs I bought? Well, I can now fit into them quite comfortably. No chaffing, pinching, or squeezing.
I'll need to reassess my goals, because I still feel like a tub of lard.
(OK, not really. But damn if that belly fat isn't hard to get rid of...)
10/30/2008
10/28/2008
Random ranting before 8am
Watching the news this morning, I just saw a story of a high school, whose principal, in order to ensure that good hard working students got into his school, denied entry to some examinees despite passing the entrance exam. The reasons were due to bad manners and untidy dress.
Alright, so I do believe that no student should be denied an education, and in an era where Japan is starting to feel the population decline (3 schools near mine are reducing their class numbers from 8 to 6, and the elementary school near my aunt's apartment had a mere 28 1st graders), a school needs to get as many students as possible, for school revenue and possibly government bonuses. From an economic stand point, and an idealistic stand point, the principal's actions don't make sense.
But am I wrong in wondering why the principal is being punished for trying establish standards at his school? Yes, while it is very probable that the students who dressed untidily and had bad manners would grow out of that awkward and rebellious 14th year of life, for many students high school is simply a continuation of junior high school, where they are spoon-fed information without deeper/critical analysis, to be regurgitated during their college/university exams. For many of these students, there will be no noticeable change in environment, save that the subject matter is a little harder.
I remember my entrance into high school. I worried about bullies and being shoved into lockers, but also of getting to choose my courses, and having to manage my own workload. In other words, it was my first steps into the world of adulthood. There was a definite difference is atmosphere from JHS to HS. And with the chance of failure real (and in my case performed in practice), suddenly my own efforts were truly required to ensure I passed.
OK, so that may be a little more ideal than I remember, but the sentiment is true nevertheless. In Japan, smarter students attended higher academic schools. Their chance of failure is real. But the students always have a back up, and it is rare that a student serious about attending high school will fail their back up. So a student is almost guaranteed to progress. So is failure to get into a school of choice truly a roadblock?
Students should be helped. That is indeed one of a teacher's many duties. But it's also a duty to teach students that failure has real consequences. A slacker, extra-academic issues notwithstanding, should not be allowed to pass into the following grade year with an academic history of all failures. Yet due to Japan's obsessive compulsion for group unity, such students are dragged along.
The fundamental problem is this: there is no real penalty for failure in the Japanese education system. A student who fails a test (for which, I will add, the passing grade is 40%) receives no academic penalty other than a stern talking to. Come hell or high water, that student WILL go on to the next grade level with all of his or her schoolmates.
So I personally applaud that principal, who tried to establish standards in his school. A principal who tried to send a message to the parents of the students who passed the paper test but failed the attitude test, that their shoddy and ineffective parenting is not to be tolerated. A principal that said that there both student must be held responsible for not only academic standards, but for social standards as well, and that a parent cannot simply hand a student to a school and expect a teacher to be a surrogate parent.
Sadly, I'm in the minority opinion here.
Alright, so I do believe that no student should be denied an education, and in an era where Japan is starting to feel the population decline (3 schools near mine are reducing their class numbers from 8 to 6, and the elementary school near my aunt's apartment had a mere 28 1st graders), a school needs to get as many students as possible, for school revenue and possibly government bonuses. From an economic stand point, and an idealistic stand point, the principal's actions don't make sense.
But am I wrong in wondering why the principal is being punished for trying establish standards at his school? Yes, while it is very probable that the students who dressed untidily and had bad manners would grow out of that awkward and rebellious 14th year of life, for many students high school is simply a continuation of junior high school, where they are spoon-fed information without deeper/critical analysis, to be regurgitated during their college/university exams. For many of these students, there will be no noticeable change in environment, save that the subject matter is a little harder.
I remember my entrance into high school. I worried about bullies and being shoved into lockers, but also of getting to choose my courses, and having to manage my own workload. In other words, it was my first steps into the world of adulthood. There was a definite difference is atmosphere from JHS to HS. And with the chance of failure real (and in my case performed in practice), suddenly my own efforts were truly required to ensure I passed.
OK, so that may be a little more ideal than I remember, but the sentiment is true nevertheless. In Japan, smarter students attended higher academic schools. Their chance of failure is real. But the students always have a back up, and it is rare that a student serious about attending high school will fail their back up. So a student is almost guaranteed to progress. So is failure to get into a school of choice truly a roadblock?
Students should be helped. That is indeed one of a teacher's many duties. But it's also a duty to teach students that failure has real consequences. A slacker, extra-academic issues notwithstanding, should not be allowed to pass into the following grade year with an academic history of all failures. Yet due to Japan's obsessive compulsion for group unity, such students are dragged along.
The fundamental problem is this: there is no real penalty for failure in the Japanese education system. A student who fails a test (for which, I will add, the passing grade is 40%) receives no academic penalty other than a stern talking to. Come hell or high water, that student WILL go on to the next grade level with all of his or her schoolmates.
So I personally applaud that principal, who tried to establish standards in his school. A principal who tried to send a message to the parents of the students who passed the paper test but failed the attitude test, that their shoddy and ineffective parenting is not to be tolerated. A principal that said that there both student must be held responsible for not only academic standards, but for social standards as well, and that a parent cannot simply hand a student to a school and expect a teacher to be a surrogate parent.
Sadly, I'm in the minority opinion here.
10/27/2008
Days 56-58
This weekend was a busy one for me, and until about 7pm or so, I was feeling pretty shitty and angry. The reason was my semi-annual shopping trip for my mother, to give to my father to bring back home to Canada. But in all honesty, it's a grind I'm used to. I think I was cranky because of hunger or general tiredness.
Or, I was still in a sort of hungover state.
So lets begin on Saturday.
Day 56
10/25 (1106+????) Biking Commute
0700-1200: Bowl of granola cereal with milk, banana, coffee x2
1200-1700: Diced steak lunch (steak, salad, soup, rice
1700-2400: Oh god...too much fucking alcohol.
Knowing I was going on a family trip to Nagasaki the next day, I postponed my freeday to Sunday. Spending a somewhat lazy morning, I had a successful JHS demo class for the kids that visited Genkai for open campus. This was a lot of fun, and kids got into it. A bonus was the 4 kids from the demo class I did at Shingu JHS who were in my class then and again on Saturday. I'm hoping that at least one of them will show up next April.
That night Jon, Jon's friend Ryoko (or Kyoko?), and I went to Bagus for dinner. It wasn't my cheat day, but whatever. Nice conversation, good eats. I hadn't planned on drinking much, but I was pretty nicely toasted by the time we settled our bill.
Afterwards, we went to karaoke with Julie, Rochelle, and another ALT Brad. There, I continued to drink. And drink. And drink.
I don't know what caused me (for the first time in my entire drinking history) to be violently ill. I suspect that it was the really bad gin, or the mixing of different kinds of drinks. What I DO know is that I ended up emptying the contents of that evenings meal on parts of the floor, the urinal, and the toilet of the men's room at the karaoke. My hand got caught in the initial spray, causing some spatter to hit my shirt and pants, as well as my chin. Of course, I felt immediately better thereafter, and feebly attempted to clean up the toilet. I was then sober enough to realize what a mess I had made, and shamefully told the karaoke employees. They seemed resigned. I guess it's something that happens with some degree of frequency.
That said, I'm almost positive I threw up almost everything I had eaten that night. Or if not, a good portion of it. This is because the urinal I threw up in was clogged, probably from food matter. So I can't really estimate my calories for the day.
Yeah. That's not gonna happen again.
Day 57
10/26 (3252...or there abouts) Freeday
0700-1200: Fried Chicken, Grain bar, Pepsi White, Can Coffee
1200-1700: Takoyaki, Pork Yakitori, Softcreme, Boiled Egg, Skittles, Beer
1700-2400: Sashimi, Steak, Chawanmushi, Chicken Nabe, Rice, Fried Chicken, Spicy Fries, Chou Creme
Well, vacations are about eating, and I did this in spades. Still hung-over from my previous night's indiscretions, I trudged my way to Hakata Station, then to my father's hotel. There, we met up with my cousins, who managed to get a $100 parking ticket. Our trip was to Unzen, an onsen south of Nagasaki City. The occasion was the celebration of my grandmother turning 90, and her two sisters (a belated birthday celebration, though I don't know her age, and the successful recovery of the other from a hospitalizing injury). It's rare to see such a family get together, but I had met a number of them before from my trip to Nagasaki last August.
Unzen was nice, but not being able to have a bath in the onsen, my presence there was more perfunctory than anything else. Still it was nice to met and greet, and family get togethers are never a waste of time in my books.
My calorie count is all over the place because it's hard for me to estimate what i had for dinner. I was pretty full, but that's more a result of my smaller stomach. The sashimi was bream, and the nabe was mostly vegetables, tofu, and chicken meatballs. The steak was 6, small strips (10cm x 1 x 1). In all the rice probably had the most calories, and it was a small bowl. I'd estimate about 750, but that's probably a low-ball figure. I returned home later that night (many had elected to stay the night) and upon returning home I went to Ministop to get the meat and potatoes I was craving. Top it off with a Cream-filled Pastry Puff for desert, and there ended a truly, TRULY, freeday for me.
Day 58
10/27 (2516) Walking (4 hours), Weight Training
0700-1200: Pastry, Chicken, Crackers
1200-1700: Balance Bar, Can Coffee, McHamburger x2, McNuggets, Red Bull, BCAA Drink, Weider Protein Jelly
1700-2000: Protein Meal Replacement Shake
Believe it or not, I was STILL feeling the effects of Friday night. I felt a little nauseous as I headed into town for a day of shopping. While the shopping was routine, my tiredness was catching up with me, and I felt sort of cranky all day. The surprise of the day was when I ended up at one my favorite shops to buy my Halloween costume this year. This year I will once again pretend to be a U.S. serviceman (a modern-day Marine, as all my old WW2 stuff is back in Toronto). I purchased a pair of desert MARPAT BDUs, and to my surprise, I fit into the medium size. Considering a large would have been a snug fit 2 monthes ago, that makes me pretty damned happy.
Or, I was still in a sort of hungover state.
So lets begin on Saturday.
Day 56
10/25 (1106+????) Biking Commute
0700-1200: Bowl of granola cereal with milk, banana, coffee x2
1200-1700: Diced steak lunch (steak, salad, soup, rice
1700-2400: Oh god...too much fucking alcohol.
Knowing I was going on a family trip to Nagasaki the next day, I postponed my freeday to Sunday. Spending a somewhat lazy morning, I had a successful JHS demo class for the kids that visited Genkai for open campus. This was a lot of fun, and kids got into it. A bonus was the 4 kids from the demo class I did at Shingu JHS who were in my class then and again on Saturday. I'm hoping that at least one of them will show up next April.
That night Jon, Jon's friend Ryoko (or Kyoko?), and I went to Bagus for dinner. It wasn't my cheat day, but whatever. Nice conversation, good eats. I hadn't planned on drinking much, but I was pretty nicely toasted by the time we settled our bill.
Afterwards, we went to karaoke with Julie, Rochelle, and another ALT Brad. There, I continued to drink. And drink. And drink.
I don't know what caused me (for the first time in my entire drinking history) to be violently ill. I suspect that it was the really bad gin, or the mixing of different kinds of drinks. What I DO know is that I ended up emptying the contents of that evenings meal on parts of the floor, the urinal, and the toilet of the men's room at the karaoke. My hand got caught in the initial spray, causing some spatter to hit my shirt and pants, as well as my chin. Of course, I felt immediately better thereafter, and feebly attempted to clean up the toilet. I was then sober enough to realize what a mess I had made, and shamefully told the karaoke employees. They seemed resigned. I guess it's something that happens with some degree of frequency.
That said, I'm almost positive I threw up almost everything I had eaten that night. Or if not, a good portion of it. This is because the urinal I threw up in was clogged, probably from food matter. So I can't really estimate my calories for the day.
Yeah. That's not gonna happen again.
Day 57
10/26 (3252...or there abouts) Freeday
0700-1200: Fried Chicken, Grain bar, Pepsi White, Can Coffee
1200-1700: Takoyaki, Pork Yakitori, Softcreme, Boiled Egg, Skittles, Beer
1700-2400: Sashimi, Steak, Chawanmushi, Chicken Nabe, Rice, Fried Chicken, Spicy Fries, Chou Creme
Well, vacations are about eating, and I did this in spades. Still hung-over from my previous night's indiscretions, I trudged my way to Hakata Station, then to my father's hotel. There, we met up with my cousins, who managed to get a $100 parking ticket. Our trip was to Unzen, an onsen south of Nagasaki City. The occasion was the celebration of my grandmother turning 90, and her two sisters (a belated birthday celebration, though I don't know her age, and the successful recovery of the other from a hospitalizing injury). It's rare to see such a family get together, but I had met a number of them before from my trip to Nagasaki last August.
Unzen was nice, but not being able to have a bath in the onsen, my presence there was more perfunctory than anything else. Still it was nice to met and greet, and family get togethers are never a waste of time in my books.
My calorie count is all over the place because it's hard for me to estimate what i had for dinner. I was pretty full, but that's more a result of my smaller stomach. The sashimi was bream, and the nabe was mostly vegetables, tofu, and chicken meatballs. The steak was 6, small strips (10cm x 1 x 1). In all the rice probably had the most calories, and it was a small bowl. I'd estimate about 750, but that's probably a low-ball figure. I returned home later that night (many had elected to stay the night) and upon returning home I went to Ministop to get the meat and potatoes I was craving. Top it off with a Cream-filled Pastry Puff for desert, and there ended a truly, TRULY, freeday for me.
Day 58
10/27 (2516) Walking (4 hours), Weight Training
0700-1200: Pastry, Chicken, Crackers
1200-1700: Balance Bar, Can Coffee, McHamburger x2, McNuggets, Red Bull, BCAA Drink, Weider Protein Jelly
1700-2000: Protein Meal Replacement Shake
Believe it or not, I was STILL feeling the effects of Friday night. I felt a little nauseous as I headed into town for a day of shopping. While the shopping was routine, my tiredness was catching up with me, and I felt sort of cranky all day. The surprise of the day was when I ended up at one my favorite shops to buy my Halloween costume this year. This year I will once again pretend to be a U.S. serviceman (a modern-day Marine, as all my old WW2 stuff is back in Toronto). I purchased a pair of desert MARPAT BDUs, and to my surprise, I fit into the medium size. Considering a large would have been a snug fit 2 monthes ago, that makes me pretty damned happy.
10/24/2008
I want to believe.
Stumble Upon has led me to some pretty wacky stuff. Great fodder for story writing/RPG adventure planning.
Check out the 10 most mysterious mysteries of the world here.
P.S. All tremble at the my superior adjectival abilities!!! I dare you come up with something better than "mysterious mysteries"!!!
P.S.S. Please include at least 3 exclamation marks for emphasis.
Check out the 10 most mysterious mysteries of the world here.
P.S. All tremble at the my superior adjectival abilities!!! I dare you come up with something better than "mysterious mysteries"!!!
P.S.S. Please include at least 3 exclamation marks for emphasis.
This week in review (Days 51-55)
Overall, it was a high calorie week. That said, I did work out 4 nights (today will be day 5), and overall, I saw a (slight) reduction in both weight, though no real reduction in body fat.
10/20 (1714) Biking Commute, Weight Training
0700-1200: Scrambled Eggs, Banana, Coffee, Coffee
1200-1700: Kitsune Udon, Kara Age, Calorie Mate
1700-2000: Peanuts, Sirloin Steak, Veggie Juice, Yakult
10/21 (1604) Biking Commute
0700-1200: Banana, Balance Bar, Coffee, Coffee, Soyjoy
1200-1700: Kara Age Curry
1700-2000: Peanuts, Tandoori Chicken, Yakult, Veggie Juice, Saltines
10/22 (1902) Biking Commute, Weight Training
0700-1200: Banana, Coffee, Salmon Onigiri, Beef Onigiri, Coffee
1200-1700: Double Cheeseburger, Medium Fries, Weider Protein Jelly
1700-2000: Protein Shake, Tandoori Chicken, Harusame Soup
10-23 (2510) Biking Commute, Weight Training
0700-1200: Scrambled Eggs, Banana, Coffee, Calorie Mate
1200-1700: Kara Age Curry
1700-2000: Peanuts, Weider Jelly, Protein Shake, Karomatsu Grilled Chicken, Yakult
(Notes: Jon and I decided to eat out, which accounts for the high calorie count)
10-24 (2030) Biking Commute, Weight Training
0700-1200: Banana, Coffee, Coffee, Calorie Mate, Salmon Onigiri
1200-1700: Yakisoba Kara Age Bread, Spicy Sausage Bread, Chocolate, Granola Bar
1700-2000: Protein Shake, Ginger Pork, Veggie Juice, Saltines, Nori
Really, what's adding to my calorie count is the protein shake. 35g of Whey Mix + 180mL of milk makes for about 250 calories. That said, it's 22+6g of protein right after my workout, so that's here to stay.
Tomorrow is the family outing to Unzen Nagasaki, so I'll reserve my free day until then. Pictures (maybe...).
10/20 (1714) Biking Commute, Weight Training
0700-1200: Scrambled Eggs, Banana, Coffee, Coffee
1200-1700: Kitsune Udon, Kara Age, Calorie Mate
1700-2000: Peanuts, Sirloin Steak, Veggie Juice, Yakult
10/21 (1604) Biking Commute
0700-1200: Banana, Balance Bar, Coffee, Coffee, Soyjoy
1200-1700: Kara Age Curry
1700-2000: Peanuts, Tandoori Chicken, Yakult, Veggie Juice, Saltines
10/22 (1902) Biking Commute, Weight Training
0700-1200: Banana, Coffee, Salmon Onigiri, Beef Onigiri, Coffee
1200-1700: Double Cheeseburger, Medium Fries, Weider Protein Jelly
1700-2000: Protein Shake, Tandoori Chicken, Harusame Soup
10-23 (2510) Biking Commute, Weight Training
0700-1200: Scrambled Eggs, Banana, Coffee, Calorie Mate
1200-1700: Kara Age Curry
1700-2000: Peanuts, Weider Jelly, Protein Shake, Karomatsu Grilled Chicken, Yakult
(Notes: Jon and I decided to eat out, which accounts for the high calorie count)
10-24 (2030) Biking Commute, Weight Training
0700-1200: Banana, Coffee, Coffee, Calorie Mate, Salmon Onigiri
1200-1700: Yakisoba Kara Age Bread, Spicy Sausage Bread, Chocolate, Granola Bar
1700-2000: Protein Shake, Ginger Pork, Veggie Juice, Saltines, Nori
Really, what's adding to my calorie count is the protein shake. 35g of Whey Mix + 180mL of milk makes for about 250 calories. That said, it's 22+6g of protein right after my workout, so that's here to stay.
Tomorrow is the family outing to Unzen Nagasaki, so I'll reserve my free day until then. Pictures (maybe...).
10/22/2008
http://www.nowpublic.com/environment/japanese-plant-blogs-and-tells
http://www.nowpublic.com/environment/japanese-plant-blogs-and-tells.
Great. I'm being out-blogged by a plant.
Great. I'm being out-blogged by a plant.
10/19/2008
Day 48-50
Day 48 (1869) Bike Commute (Hard)
0700-1200: Scrambled Eggs, Banana, Coffee, Onigiri, Konyaku Drink
1200-1700: Kitsune Udon, Kara-Age, Soyjoy Bar
1700-2000: Ministop Spicy Fries, Spiced Chicken, Minestrone, Saltines, Nori
Day 49 (3320) Hiking at Houmanzan (approx. 2400-2700 calories burned)
0700-1200: Scrambled Eggs, Ministop Spicy Chicken, Veggie Juice, Coffee, Balance Bar
1200-1700: Peanuts, Yakitori, Hypertonic Water, Amino Vital 2000 drink
1700-2000: Buffet Dinner, Coke
Day 50 (1737) No exercise
0700-1200 Balance bar, saltines
1200-1700 Subuta Lunch, 2 chicken wings, Ministop Kara Age, Peanuts
1700-2000 Tandoori Chicken, Saltines, Nori, Yakult
0700-1200: Scrambled Eggs, Banana, Coffee, Onigiri, Konyaku Drink
1200-1700: Kitsune Udon, Kara-Age, Soyjoy Bar
1700-2000: Ministop Spicy Fries, Spiced Chicken, Minestrone, Saltines, Nori
Day 49 (3320) Hiking at Houmanzan (approx. 2400-2700 calories burned)
0700-1200: Scrambled Eggs, Ministop Spicy Chicken, Veggie Juice, Coffee, Balance Bar
1200-1700: Peanuts, Yakitori, Hypertonic Water, Amino Vital 2000 drink
1700-2000: Buffet Dinner, Coke
Day 50 (1737) No exercise
0700-1200 Balance bar, saltines
1200-1700 Subuta Lunch, 2 chicken wings, Ministop Kara Age, Peanuts
1700-2000 Tandoori Chicken, Saltines, Nori, Yakult
10/18/2008
Houmanzan Redux
Today we climbed Houmanzan, a mountain in Dazaifu City, south of Fukuoka. I did this climb last year, and it almost spelled the end of me. Considering my recent weight loss and new interest in working out, I was stoked to give this another go.
OK, so of the 6 people I went with, I reached the top in 5th position. But a climb that took more than 3 hours to complete last year took me about 100 minutes this year. And having learned from my previous hikes with Patrick Cox, an experienced hiker, I paced myself very well this year and rested a total of about 10 minutes during the climb, mostly in 1-2 minute chunks.
I also sweated like crazy. Almost the entire time up I had hair wet with sweat. The back and shoulder straps of my backpack were soaked. My shirt would have been soaked, but as it's a rock-climbing shirt, it has great sweat-dissipating properties.
But what surprised me even more was the climb down. Going up you mostly just use your thighs and lungs. It's hard, but it's mostly aerobically hard. Going down however, despite having gravity on your side, you use far more of your muscles, as balance is a much greater issue. Rocks at odd angles good steps do not make. And on top of the stabilizing muscles that work themselves to death ensuring you don't fall, there's a lot of wear and tear on your knees, and some degree of mental concentration devoted to not breaking your neck. For me, as well, the constant looking down served only to cramp my shoulders completely.
That said, it was a workout par excellence. I sweated like hell going up, but I sweated much MORE going down. Sweat literally dripped continuously off my nose, or off my forehead only the inside of my glasses. I had deliberately made my backpack a little heavier, toting 1.5 liters of water, my camera bag, sandwich-sized ziploc full of peanuts, 2 small flashlights, and my new Combat Desert Jacket windbreaker. I figure that all in all it weighed about 10 pounds.
According to the various sources I checked, I burned anywhere between 2400-2700 calories today. That made me feel good, because later it was buffet time.
But before we get there, a large portion of the downhill climb was done with a calf muscles on the verge of cramping painfully. Added to this was the knocking of my left knee, twice, on different rocks. Needless to say I'm in a little bit of pain, even now.
After the climb, we headed to an onsen in Futsukaichi City, south and west of Dazaifu, but actually on the JR/Nishitetsu rail lines. Famous for some sort of muddle looking back and the panoramic rotenburo outside baths, I had none of this on account of onsens doing strange and unpleasant things to my skin. Instead, I had 15 minutes of massage as the masseuse kneaded away my cramped shoulders.
Dinner was the onsen's also famous buffet. 1800 yen, and worth every damned penny (or yen, as it were). Here, I probably ate all the calories I burned today.
Pics here, for those interested.
OK, so of the 6 people I went with, I reached the top in 5th position. But a climb that took more than 3 hours to complete last year took me about 100 minutes this year. And having learned from my previous hikes with Patrick Cox, an experienced hiker, I paced myself very well this year and rested a total of about 10 minutes during the climb, mostly in 1-2 minute chunks.
I also sweated like crazy. Almost the entire time up I had hair wet with sweat. The back and shoulder straps of my backpack were soaked. My shirt would have been soaked, but as it's a rock-climbing shirt, it has great sweat-dissipating properties.
But what surprised me even more was the climb down. Going up you mostly just use your thighs and lungs. It's hard, but it's mostly aerobically hard. Going down however, despite having gravity on your side, you use far more of your muscles, as balance is a much greater issue. Rocks at odd angles good steps do not make. And on top of the stabilizing muscles that work themselves to death ensuring you don't fall, there's a lot of wear and tear on your knees, and some degree of mental concentration devoted to not breaking your neck. For me, as well, the constant looking down served only to cramp my shoulders completely.
That said, it was a workout par excellence. I sweated like hell going up, but I sweated much MORE going down. Sweat literally dripped continuously off my nose, or off my forehead only the inside of my glasses. I had deliberately made my backpack a little heavier, toting 1.5 liters of water, my camera bag, sandwich-sized ziploc full of peanuts, 2 small flashlights, and my new Combat Desert Jacket windbreaker. I figure that all in all it weighed about 10 pounds.
According to the various sources I checked, I burned anywhere between 2400-2700 calories today. That made me feel good, because later it was buffet time.
But before we get there, a large portion of the downhill climb was done with a calf muscles on the verge of cramping painfully. Added to this was the knocking of my left knee, twice, on different rocks. Needless to say I'm in a little bit of pain, even now.
After the climb, we headed to an onsen in Futsukaichi City, south and west of Dazaifu, but actually on the JR/Nishitetsu rail lines. Famous for some sort of muddle looking back and the panoramic rotenburo outside baths, I had none of this on account of onsens doing strange and unpleasant things to my skin. Instead, I had 15 minutes of massage as the masseuse kneaded away my cramped shoulders.
Dinner was the onsen's also famous buffet. 1800 yen, and worth every damned penny (or yen, as it were). Here, I probably ate all the calories I burned today.
Pics here, for those interested.
10/16/2008
Day 46/47
10/15 (1854) Bike Commute, Weight Training
0700-1200: Banana, Scrambled Eggs, Coffee x2, Apricot Soyjoy
1200-1700: Italian Hamburg Lunch Set
1700-2000: Peanuts, Tandoori Chicken, Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
10/16 (1652) Bike Commute, Weight Training
0700-1200: Maple Oatmeal, Banana, Coffee x2
1200-1700: Big Mac, Side Salad, Nori,
1700-2000: Spiced Chicken, Ministop Pizza Panini, Yakult
Observation of the day: While the side salad from McDonald's is only 10 calories, the dressing that comes with it (Creamy Roast Sesame) is 115 calories? WHAT THE FUCK MCDONALD'S[DOT]JP? I might as well be eating the fucking fries!
0700-1200: Banana, Scrambled Eggs, Coffee x2, Apricot Soyjoy
1200-1700: Italian Hamburg Lunch Set
1700-2000: Peanuts, Tandoori Chicken, Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
10/16 (1652) Bike Commute, Weight Training
0700-1200: Maple Oatmeal, Banana, Coffee x2
1200-1700: Big Mac, Side Salad, Nori,
1700-2000: Spiced Chicken, Ministop Pizza Panini, Yakult
Observation of the day: While the side salad from McDonald's is only 10 calories, the dressing that comes with it (Creamy Roast Sesame) is 115 calories? WHAT THE FUCK MCDONALD'S[DOT]JP? I might as well be eating the fucking fries!
10/14/2008
Where does he get those wonderful toys?
 |
| From Fujitsu FMV |
 |
| From Fujitsu FMV |
...well, at a little known (or perhaps well known, depending on what circles you travel) used OA store called Kyushu Hard.
OK, lets ignore the Engrish naming conventions for a moment (it's far better then Hard Off anyway). OA stands for Office Automation. In other words, Kyushu Hard is a reseller of used computers, copiers, laminators, projectors, and a plethora of other technological (not-so) wunderkind.
Pictured above is my new (to me) used Fujitsu FMV-7100MT5. Ever since I saw a similar sized item at the store, I have been somewhat in the market for a new ultra-lite notebook. While not as light as the Panasonic Let's Note I was looking at, at 1.2 kg it is a far cry from my 2.8 kg Dell Inspiron 6400. But with the reduced weight come some hefty limitations.
The most noticable of this is the lack of any form of optical drive. No CD, DVD, or even legacy floppy drive. To compensate, there are 2 USB 2.0 ports, plus a built-in LAN port. The OS is, I believe, hard-coded into the BIOS, and as such has no theoretical need for anything like a optical drive. That would never satisfy my computing needs, even for on-the-go computing, but some virtual DVD-Drive mounting software should be more than sufficient. Transferring gigabyte-sized files may prove some sort of problem in the future, but for now this is not a real issue.
The hardest part may be if I have a hard-drive failure. Miniaturization means that instead of a standard 2.5 inch note-book HDD, it has a diminutive 1.8 inch 40GB HDD. Should that fail, a retail replacement could cost upwards of $200 dollars.
Size-wise this is effectively a B5-sized notebook, though in reality a little larger. Roughly, it's 27cm wide, 21.5 cm deep, and about 3.7 cm tall at it's wider end. The screen is a 12.1 TFT LCD, with a max resolution of 1024x768. Processor is a 1.0 GHz Celeron Mobile, with 512 MB of RAM installed.
In it's current vanilla state, it's boot times are impressive, going from off to usable desktop in about 37 seconds. While this will be sure to decline with installed programs, I intend to keep it as clean as possible.
I think the sweetest, and at the same time most galling, aspect is the price. My 4-year-old, admittedly much better though much heavier, Dell is STILL being paid for thanks to a 3 year installment plan. Financing included, that computer (for which I have already had to buy a new, non-OEM battery) will end up costing me some $2200 CAD. My new Lifebook is 5 years old, used, and cost me (assuming 1:1 penny:yen conversion) $280 dollars. Not to mention that I got a free optical mouse and wireless LAN card to boot.
Yeah, pretty happy cat at the moment.
OK, lets include a little coda here:
Day 45
10/14 (1507) Biking Commute, Walking 15 minutes
0700-1200: Coffee x2, Banana, Scrambled Eggs (2), Apple Danish, Yakult
1200-1700: Shrimp Wonton Noodle Soup
1700-2000: Tandoori Chicken, J-Veggies, Veggie Juice, Saltines
Weight: 89.4 kg
Body Fat: 27.7%
Not only did my weight go back down, so did my body fat. Also, I've been over-estimating how much chicken I was eating, and on the days I get my chicken breast from the grocery store, I'm eating about 85 grams, as opposed to the 150 grams I thought.
So yeah, good day!
My students write some funny English.
From the text to be studied:
"Chinese people, due to changing lifestyles and a strong advertising push by some dairy companies, are increasingly choosing milk formula over breastfeeding."
The question on the test:
Why do some young Chinese mothers choose milk formula instead of breastfeeding?
The answer:
Some mothers are choosing milk formula because of advertising push by daily computers.
I chortled mightily.
PS: In defense of the student, this person did quite well. I think it was a momentary lapse of focus (dairy => daiLy, and the class is called Computer/LL).
"Chinese people, due to changing lifestyles and a strong advertising push by some dairy companies, are increasingly choosing milk formula over breastfeeding."
The question on the test:
Why do some young Chinese mothers choose milk formula instead of breastfeeding?
The answer:
Some mothers are choosing milk formula because of advertising push by daily computers.
I chortled mightily.
PS: In defense of the student, this person did quite well. I think it was a momentary lapse of focus (dairy => daiLy, and the class is called Computer/LL).
10/13/2008
Weekend Wrapup
10/10 (1697) Biking Commute
0700-1200: Coffee, Banana, Veggie Juice, Spicy Sausage Bread
1200-1700: Ramen, Kara Age
1700-2000: Kara Age, Veggie Juice, Yakult
10/11 (1790) Weight Training
0700-1200: Scrambled Eggs, Apple Danish, Coffee, Pumpkin Bread, Orange Juice
1200-1700: Salad, Ministop Spicy Chicken, Peanuts, Jumbo Frank
1700-2000: Kara Age, Ministop Fried Chicken.
10/12 (1131+????) Free Day, Biking 15 minutes
0700-1200: Energy Bar, Nikuman, Latte, Can of Pringles (SM)
1200-1700: Salad, Ministop Spicy Chicken
1700-2400: Uhhh, lets not talk about it...
10/13 (1598) Weight Training
0700-1200: -
1200-1700: Ham and Cheese Omelette, Apple Danish, Yakult x2, Energy Bar
1700-2000: Konyaku Ramen, Spicy Chicken
Weight: 91.2 kg
Body Fat: 29.3%
This was a kind of a bad weekend for me. With a little bit of weight gain, and an increase in body fat, I can definitely attribute these to my night of culinary debauchery on Sunday. I'll admit that I've been feeling somewhat complacent, having almost reach my initial goal of -10kg, but this is where the real work starts.
To that end, I'm going to be hitting the gym with Jon 3 times a week. Cleaning up my diet too, which has been somewhat sloppy. Damned Mini-stop and their delicious chickens.
0700-1200: Coffee, Banana, Veggie Juice, Spicy Sausage Bread
1200-1700: Ramen, Kara Age
1700-2000: Kara Age, Veggie Juice, Yakult
10/11 (1790) Weight Training
0700-1200: Scrambled Eggs, Apple Danish, Coffee, Pumpkin Bread, Orange Juice
1200-1700: Salad, Ministop Spicy Chicken, Peanuts, Jumbo Frank
1700-2000: Kara Age, Ministop Fried Chicken.
10/12 (1131+????) Free Day, Biking 15 minutes
0700-1200: Energy Bar, Nikuman, Latte, Can of Pringles (SM)
1200-1700: Salad, Ministop Spicy Chicken
1700-2400: Uhhh, lets not talk about it...
10/13 (1598) Weight Training
0700-1200: -
1200-1700: Ham and Cheese Omelette, Apple Danish, Yakult x2, Energy Bar
1700-2000: Konyaku Ramen, Spicy Chicken
Weight: 91.2 kg
Body Fat: 29.3%
This was a kind of a bad weekend for me. With a little bit of weight gain, and an increase in body fat, I can definitely attribute these to my night of culinary debauchery on Sunday. I'll admit that I've been feeling somewhat complacent, having almost reach my initial goal of -10kg, but this is where the real work starts.
To that end, I'm going to be hitting the gym with Jon 3 times a week. Cleaning up my diet too, which has been somewhat sloppy. Damned Mini-stop and their delicious chickens.
10/09/2008
Day 40 (Ahem! Thanks Rob!)/Random Stuff
With no tennis yesterday, the damage was a little high, but still within acceptable norms.
Food (1838)
0700-1200: Coffee, Banana, Onigiri, Calorie Mate, Grape Konyaku Drink
1200-1700: Steak Lunch (Rice, Miso Soup, Pickles)
1700-2000: Basil Chicken Sandwich, Soup, Yakult.
Exercise: Bike Commute
Also, I almost (again) got hit by a car. I was watching the woman behind the wheel as I approached. I was biking along a main thoroughfare, and she coming in off a side street. She looked right (normal, as Japan runs on opposite roadsides), but failed to look left. Of course I was coming from the left. She had a very surprised look as I passed her, slamming down on my bell. Julie said she had a bewildered look.
Food (1838)
0700-1200: Coffee, Banana, Onigiri, Calorie Mate, Grape Konyaku Drink
1200-1700: Steak Lunch (Rice, Miso Soup, Pickles)
1700-2000: Basil Chicken Sandwich, Soup, Yakult.
Exercise: Bike Commute
Also, I almost (again) got hit by a car. I was watching the woman behind the wheel as I approached. I was biking along a main thoroughfare, and she coming in off a side street. She looked right (normal, as Japan runs on opposite roadsides), but failed to look left. Of course I was coming from the left. She had a very surprised look as I passed her, slamming down on my bell. Julie said she had a bewildered look.
10/08/2008
Day 39
Weight: 90.0 kg
Body Fat %: 28.7%
Food (1540 Cal)
0700-1200: Juice, Coffee, Banana, Hamburger, Coffee, Chocolate
1200-1700: Corn/Tuna Salad, Spicy Popcorn Chicken, Calorie Mate, Candy
1700-2000: Meatball in Tomato Sauce (12), Veggies, Veggie Drink, Yakult
Exercise: Bike Commute
Body Fat %: 28.7%
Food (1540 Cal)
0700-1200: Juice, Coffee, Banana, Hamburger, Coffee, Chocolate
1200-1700: Corn/Tuna Salad, Spicy Popcorn Chicken, Calorie Mate, Candy
1700-2000: Meatball in Tomato Sauce (12), Veggies, Veggie Drink, Yakult
Exercise: Bike Commute
10/06/2008
Plateau
Occupying much of my thoughts lately has been my dieting. I'll happily report that since last week I weighed in at about 93kg (205 lbs) just before I started my gym session. But somewhere along the line, I knew that I would hit a plateau, as my body became used to the lowered food volume I was putting into it.
That plateau has arrived. Yesterday, when I checked my weight, I had lost a measly 800 grams, or about 2 pounds. OK, so that's not that bad. And I was sick last week and didn't diet for 2 nights. But to my ears, these are hollow excuses.
So I've started the "Write down what you eat" diet. Not really a diet per se, but rather a log of what I eat every day, no matter how minuscule. With these come some calorie calculations (precise where they can be, but otherwise a rough estimate using the wonderful internet).
Lets look at damage today:
Breakfast: Banana, Small (70); Salmon Onigiri (191); Bacon Bread (250 [estimate]), 2 cups of coffee (120 [estimate, no-cal sweetener, light powdered creamer])
Lunch: 2 McDonald's Hamburgers (502), Chicken McNuggests (254), Veggie Juice (68)
Dinner (Projected): 150g Chicken Breast, spiced, pan-fried in 2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (215+30+80), small Japanese-style spinach/beans/hijiki (30), Veggie Juice (68), Yakult Drink (67)
CALORIES: 1945
Yeah, the Micky Dees was a bad idea. But that said I can cut 200 calories there pretty easy and still feel full. Also, the extra bread in the morning, when I've already had a banana and an onigiri was extravagant. From this current total, by eliminating the bread, and switching the nuggets for a side salad (about 50 cal including the dressing), I can cut out about 400 calories.
OK, so it's not that I'll be eating this everyday. Some days I WILL be over 2000 cal. Other days, I'll be well under, closer to my 1500 cal/day goal. The point of the diet diary is to keep track of my eating habits, not to meticulously count calories. This helps build up not only a knowledge of how many calories a variety of foods have, but also how to cut out the unnecessary calories and still feel like I've eaten a good amount.
That plateau has arrived. Yesterday, when I checked my weight, I had lost a measly 800 grams, or about 2 pounds. OK, so that's not that bad. And I was sick last week and didn't diet for 2 nights. But to my ears, these are hollow excuses.
So I've started the "Write down what you eat" diet. Not really a diet per se, but rather a log of what I eat every day, no matter how minuscule. With these come some calorie calculations (precise where they can be, but otherwise a rough estimate using the wonderful internet).
Lets look at damage today:
Breakfast: Banana, Small (70); Salmon Onigiri (191); Bacon Bread (250 [estimate]), 2 cups of coffee (120 [estimate, no-cal sweetener, light powdered creamer])
Lunch: 2 McDonald's Hamburgers (502), Chicken McNuggests (254), Veggie Juice (68)
Dinner (Projected): 150g Chicken Breast, spiced, pan-fried in 2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (215+30+80), small Japanese-style spinach/beans/hijiki (30), Veggie Juice (68), Yakult Drink (67)
CALORIES: 1945
Yeah, the Micky Dees was a bad idea. But that said I can cut 200 calories there pretty easy and still feel full. Also, the extra bread in the morning, when I've already had a banana and an onigiri was extravagant. From this current total, by eliminating the bread, and switching the nuggets for a side salad (about 50 cal including the dressing), I can cut out about 400 calories.
OK, so it's not that I'll be eating this everyday. Some days I WILL be over 2000 cal. Other days, I'll be well under, closer to my 1500 cal/day goal. The point of the diet diary is to keep track of my eating habits, not to meticulously count calories. This helps build up not only a knowledge of how many calories a variety of foods have, but also how to cut out the unnecessary calories and still feel like I've eaten a good amount.
9/28/2008
Happy news
The last 4 weeks have been an interesting time for me. I am now on day 23 of my diet. With Saturday as a nominal cheat day, the rest of the time, not including things like enkais or whatnot, I am carefully watching what I eat.
The beginning of the story is some 4 weeks ago, at the welcome party for our new ALT Julie. I had had a pretty wild day until then; our final orientation committee meeting, followed by dinner at Hard Rock Cafe. Julie's welcome party, an enkai held by Jon's school by the younger teachers with Ms. H, a JTE who used to be at Genkai hosting, and wrapping up the night with karaoke.
An off the cuff comment at Julie's party by Mr. K, one of my JTEs, spear-headed the change in my eating habits. He mentioned that I was fatter than when I first arrived in Japan. We laughed at this, but secretly I wondered if it was true. The following day, I borrowed Jon's bathroom scale, and to my surprise and somewhat relief, it seemed that my weight had not changed. In fact, it was exactly the same.
Yet his comment bothered me. Considering that fat weighs less than muscles, it was certainly possible that I had traded muscles mass for fat mass. I was indeed fatter than I when I arrived.
However, this was strange also. I bike to and from school everyday. So I imagine that in the end, I had lost some muscle, gained some fat, but was overall maintaining my weight.
So the answer seemed clear:
If I was able to maintain my weight with a lifestyle that included large dinners, plenty of snacking, and sparse exercise, then it seemed equally possible that by cutting back on my caloric intake and eliminating my snacking, I could lose weight with little impact to the amount I exercise.
4 weeks later, I am glad to announce I was right.
But lets look at what I might have had for a typical day before my diet. For breakfast I would have an onigiri and bread, and drink that down with coffee. Then for lunch I might have a katsudon (ricebowl with breaded pork cutlet), with a side of karaage (fried chicken). Upon returning home, I might snack on a bag of chips before I had dinner of jalapeno chicken tenders with a bowl of rice. After that would probably be a dessert of some kind, say a bowl of ice-cream.
Lets break down the calories here.
Breakfast
onigiri 250
bread 350
coffee 250
Lunch
katsudon 750
karaage 350
Snack
chips 350
Dinner
chicken 500
rice 250
dessert 300
TOTAL 3350
HOLY. FUCK. There is no way I needed that many calories. When you add the sodium, saturated fat, carbs, sugar etc. in all that, I was definitely on the road to something bad. Also, this doesn't take into account days I might hit up McDonald's, or ate candy or something at work.
OK, lets look at my average day now. For breakfast I have a banana at home, then an onigiri at school, with some grape konyaku (a sort of jelly made from the root of a plant, mixed with grapes). For lunch, I'll have that same katsudon. For dinner, I'll have 2 pieces of chicken tenders, with a vegetable juice. As a small hold over for when I feel peckish, a pack of 6 Premium Plus crackers.
Breakfast
banana 100
onigiri 250
konyaku 70
Lunch
tonkatsu 750
Dinner
chicken 500
veg juice 70
saltines 70
TOTAL 1810
Now that's a fuck load better. I am also now very conscious of the aforementioned factors such as fat, carbs, sugar, sodium etc.
So how does all that relate to me? What are the results after 23 day over 4 weeks? What is the happy news?
Before I started this diet, I was 99.6 kg (about 220 lbs). My pants size was a 38. Having gone to the gym today with Jon, I weighed myself and clocked in at 93 kg (205 lbs.).
FUCK YEAH!
While my shirts are still all fitting as they used to, I most notice my weight-loss in my pants size. Where as before I would cinch my belt below my gut, I can now belt it at my waist proper. My belts are now at their shortest hole, and in some cases (like my old 15 year old belt) now loose. Don't get me wrong. I still have a gut. But sucking it in now yields a much better result!
Spurred by my recent weight-loss, I headed to the GAP yesterday, intent on buying a new belt, and determined to get into a pair of 36 waist pants. Picking a pair out, I got into the change room and slipped them on. To my shock, they more that fit. They were loose on the waist! OK, as people in Japan have no ass they were still somewhat snugger than I was used to, but DAMN!
In trepidation, I asked the clerk to bring me a size smaller, a 34. A month ago, I doubt I would even be able to get a size 34 passed my hips.
Not only was I able to get them passed the hips, but I was able to button them up.
Yes, gentle readers. 34. For me, this is a size I have not seen in over 10 years. Needless to say I was blown away. Very fucking happy news indeed.
OK, so the pants I ended up buying are not comfortable. I can button them up, yes, but they restrict my movement and are basically too tight. But I spent my $78 on them anyway. Why? The way I see it, I will put them on at the end of every week and see how they fit. Once I am able to wear them comfortably, I know that I will have reached something approaching a proper weight. I am eagerly looking forward to the day I can wear them to work.
OK, so what's in store for me? Certainly, I will continue my diet. I will admit the 2nd week was the worst, and I was hungry and irritable all week. However, part of my plan includes getting used to less food and pay better attention to what I eat. It would be a Sisyphean task to lose my current goal of 15 kg (33 lbs) only to gain it all back with poor diet and over-eating. But at the same time, I will experience a rapidly diminishing effect from cutting back on calories as my body gets used to this lower caloric intake.
So more exercise is in the books. Once I get below 90 kg, I want to begin to work out more regularly. Goal wise I'm looking to have lost 10 kg. by the end of October, and 15 by the time I get back to Canada for the holidays.
This warrants a new label: Lifestyle.
The beginning of the story is some 4 weeks ago, at the welcome party for our new ALT Julie. I had had a pretty wild day until then; our final orientation committee meeting, followed by dinner at Hard Rock Cafe. Julie's welcome party, an enkai held by Jon's school by the younger teachers with Ms. H, a JTE who used to be at Genkai hosting, and wrapping up the night with karaoke.
An off the cuff comment at Julie's party by Mr. K, one of my JTEs, spear-headed the change in my eating habits. He mentioned that I was fatter than when I first arrived in Japan. We laughed at this, but secretly I wondered if it was true. The following day, I borrowed Jon's bathroom scale, and to my surprise and somewhat relief, it seemed that my weight had not changed. In fact, it was exactly the same.
Yet his comment bothered me. Considering that fat weighs less than muscles, it was certainly possible that I had traded muscles mass for fat mass. I was indeed fatter than I when I arrived.
However, this was strange also. I bike to and from school everyday. So I imagine that in the end, I had lost some muscle, gained some fat, but was overall maintaining my weight.
So the answer seemed clear:
If I was able to maintain my weight with a lifestyle that included large dinners, plenty of snacking, and sparse exercise, then it seemed equally possible that by cutting back on my caloric intake and eliminating my snacking, I could lose weight with little impact to the amount I exercise.
4 weeks later, I am glad to announce I was right.
But lets look at what I might have had for a typical day before my diet. For breakfast I would have an onigiri and bread, and drink that down with coffee. Then for lunch I might have a katsudon (ricebowl with breaded pork cutlet), with a side of karaage (fried chicken). Upon returning home, I might snack on a bag of chips before I had dinner of jalapeno chicken tenders with a bowl of rice. After that would probably be a dessert of some kind, say a bowl of ice-cream.
Lets break down the calories here.
Breakfast
onigiri 250
bread 350
coffee 250
Lunch
katsudon 750
karaage 350
Snack
chips 350
Dinner
chicken 500
rice 250
dessert 300
TOTAL 3350
HOLY. FUCK. There is no way I needed that many calories. When you add the sodium, saturated fat, carbs, sugar etc. in all that, I was definitely on the road to something bad. Also, this doesn't take into account days I might hit up McDonald's, or ate candy or something at work.
OK, lets look at my average day now. For breakfast I have a banana at home, then an onigiri at school, with some grape konyaku (a sort of jelly made from the root of a plant, mixed with grapes). For lunch, I'll have that same katsudon. For dinner, I'll have 2 pieces of chicken tenders, with a vegetable juice. As a small hold over for when I feel peckish, a pack of 6 Premium Plus crackers.
Breakfast
banana 100
onigiri 250
konyaku 70
Lunch
tonkatsu 750
Dinner
chicken 500
veg juice 70
saltines 70
TOTAL 1810
Now that's a fuck load better. I am also now very conscious of the aforementioned factors such as fat, carbs, sugar, sodium etc.
So how does all that relate to me? What are the results after 23 day over 4 weeks? What is the happy news?
Before I started this diet, I was 99.6 kg (about 220 lbs). My pants size was a 38. Having gone to the gym today with Jon, I weighed myself and clocked in at 93 kg (205 lbs.).
FUCK YEAH!
While my shirts are still all fitting as they used to, I most notice my weight-loss in my pants size. Where as before I would cinch my belt below my gut, I can now belt it at my waist proper. My belts are now at their shortest hole, and in some cases (like my old 15 year old belt) now loose. Don't get me wrong. I still have a gut. But sucking it in now yields a much better result!
Spurred by my recent weight-loss, I headed to the GAP yesterday, intent on buying a new belt, and determined to get into a pair of 36 waist pants. Picking a pair out, I got into the change room and slipped them on. To my shock, they more that fit. They were loose on the waist! OK, as people in Japan have no ass they were still somewhat snugger than I was used to, but DAMN!
In trepidation, I asked the clerk to bring me a size smaller, a 34. A month ago, I doubt I would even be able to get a size 34 passed my hips.
Not only was I able to get them passed the hips, but I was able to button them up.
Yes, gentle readers. 34. For me, this is a size I have not seen in over 10 years. Needless to say I was blown away. Very fucking happy news indeed.
OK, so the pants I ended up buying are not comfortable. I can button them up, yes, but they restrict my movement and are basically too tight. But I spent my $78 on them anyway. Why? The way I see it, I will put them on at the end of every week and see how they fit. Once I am able to wear them comfortably, I know that I will have reached something approaching a proper weight. I am eagerly looking forward to the day I can wear them to work.
OK, so what's in store for me? Certainly, I will continue my diet. I will admit the 2nd week was the worst, and I was hungry and irritable all week. However, part of my plan includes getting used to less food and pay better attention to what I eat. It would be a Sisyphean task to lose my current goal of 15 kg (33 lbs) only to gain it all back with poor diet and over-eating. But at the same time, I will experience a rapidly diminishing effect from cutting back on calories as my body gets used to this lower caloric intake.
So more exercise is in the books. Once I get below 90 kg, I want to begin to work out more regularly. Goal wise I'm looking to have lost 10 kg. by the end of October, and 15 by the time I get back to Canada for the holidays.
This warrants a new label: Lifestyle.
9/17/2008
My new other blog.
Just a note for anyone who cares. I've started a new blog, for the occasional burst of creative writing I do. Check it out here.
9/09/2008
Laying down the law...
Yesterday was an interesting day for me, as I had one of my rare opportunities to express my anger at a class of students. And I do mean rare. I can literally count the number of times I've done it in my 2+ years here on one hand. Of those, it's a sad fact that 2 of them have been with this one class.
The class is on the lower end of the academic scale. Japan (or perhaps it's just this school, though I highly doubt it) generally places students into classes where the students have about equal academic ability. Lower homeroom numbers correspond to an overall high achievement in academics. The class in question is on the higher end of that homeroom number scale, and is not surprisingly full of jocks.
(N.B. I am not equating lower academics with high sports ability. Clearly, our world is full of people who are both physically fit and mentally astute. However, for the purposes of this class, while the students may be good at sports, they are poor at academics. So yeah. Jocks.)
I digress. The incident in question happened just after lunch. The funny thing about language classes is that if you don't understand what's going on, and you continue to not understand as the class progresses, there is a tendency to simply shut down. As students in Japan are less than pro-active about anything, really, students tend to shut down a lot. For most of this year, this class has bucked that trend, and during my non-grammar parts at least, they are...lively. A mixed blessing to be sure.
This class was shaping up like any other. I had spend a fair amount of time the day before prepping the class activity (effectively a vocabulary version of Who Want's to be a Millionaire), complete with PowerPoint presentation (with animations!), ABCD answer signs for each group (10), and the borrowing of the projector. While the content was academically based, the presentation was fun.
In a previous class, the activity went off without a hitch. Of course, that time it was with my most well-behaved students, but that's neither here nor there. In general terms, the rowdier my class the better, as long as students are doing the activity.
So when I set everything up, I immediately saw that things would be a lot harder. Where as in the previous class the students had made neat, clearly defined groups, during my jock class I saw clumps of 8-12 students. While they were technically in groups, they had decided to stick near their friends. Repeated requests for them to make who was in what group met with limited success, so in the end I simply decided to run with it.
The rules were explained, and the students (surprisingly) understood the basic concept almost from the get go. We launched into the game, but before we could even finish the first round, the game had started to fall apart. Students sat in their groups chatting and paying little attention. Answer signs were twirled around, making it impossible to see what answer each group was giving. Total Bedlam.
It's a funny thing. When you first come to Japan to teach as an ALT, you want to be all buddy-buddy with the students, and establish a sort of informal, not-teacher/student relationship with them. But as you enter your second year, this model starts to fail, and more and more I think you are required to take on a more teacher-like role. So as time goes by, the amount of bullshit you are willing to take from your students begins to diminish. I have, I think, a high tolerance for bullshit. But I have seen it diminish steadily over the last few years. The question is not one of students acting as drones, but of paying at least a modicum of respect to the teacher. It is not, I think, too much to ask that the students put in at least some level of effort, considering the effort that went into making the lesson.
Of course, this class would have none of that. So, I quietly went over to my JTE, Mr I, and told him that this would not work. He nodded to me in agreement, and suddenly turned to the students.
I had previously dismissed Mr. I, who is a super-nice guy outside of class, as a bit of a walk-over in class. I am happy to say that this is most definitely not the case. He unleashed the beast and opened up on the class with both barrels, and in an instant the class went from rowdy to dead silent. He harangued them for disrespecting me, disrespecting the class, and in a dubious voice asked them if they were really high school students. During this time, I made a show of both shaking my head in disgust and packing away my laptop and the projector. Most of the students were graceful enough to have hang-dog expressions, and after Mr. I had snapped at them to bundle up the answer signs and return them, most of them would hand them not to me but to Mr I. As they meekly returned their desks to their original positions, Mr. I caught my eye again, and I left the class without a word. As I left, and walked past the open window, I made sure to shake my head sadly, conveying the thought, I hope, of 'What a fucking waste.'
Next week, thanks to the ALT monthly meeting, I will not be able to go their class. Mr. I was pleased about this. My absence the following week would only serve to hammer in that I may not ever go back to their class. Gone would be the games and the candy. Gone would be the wacky, idiotic ALT. Of course, this isn't true at all. After all, I'm not paid to not go to class. However, it was a good chance to lay down the law and hopefully do a little attitude adjustment in the kids.
The class is on the lower end of the academic scale. Japan (or perhaps it's just this school, though I highly doubt it) generally places students into classes where the students have about equal academic ability. Lower homeroom numbers correspond to an overall high achievement in academics. The class in question is on the higher end of that homeroom number scale, and is not surprisingly full of jocks.
(N.B. I am not equating lower academics with high sports ability. Clearly, our world is full of people who are both physically fit and mentally astute. However, for the purposes of this class, while the students may be good at sports, they are poor at academics. So yeah. Jocks.)
I digress. The incident in question happened just after lunch. The funny thing about language classes is that if you don't understand what's going on, and you continue to not understand as the class progresses, there is a tendency to simply shut down. As students in Japan are less than pro-active about anything, really, students tend to shut down a lot. For most of this year, this class has bucked that trend, and during my non-grammar parts at least, they are...lively. A mixed blessing to be sure.
This class was shaping up like any other. I had spend a fair amount of time the day before prepping the class activity (effectively a vocabulary version of Who Want's to be a Millionaire), complete with PowerPoint presentation (with animations!), ABCD answer signs for each group (10), and the borrowing of the projector. While the content was academically based, the presentation was fun.
In a previous class, the activity went off without a hitch. Of course, that time it was with my most well-behaved students, but that's neither here nor there. In general terms, the rowdier my class the better, as long as students are doing the activity.
So when I set everything up, I immediately saw that things would be a lot harder. Where as in the previous class the students had made neat, clearly defined groups, during my jock class I saw clumps of 8-12 students. While they were technically in groups, they had decided to stick near their friends. Repeated requests for them to make who was in what group met with limited success, so in the end I simply decided to run with it.
The rules were explained, and the students (surprisingly) understood the basic concept almost from the get go. We launched into the game, but before we could even finish the first round, the game had started to fall apart. Students sat in their groups chatting and paying little attention. Answer signs were twirled around, making it impossible to see what answer each group was giving. Total Bedlam.
It's a funny thing. When you first come to Japan to teach as an ALT, you want to be all buddy-buddy with the students, and establish a sort of informal, not-teacher/student relationship with them. But as you enter your second year, this model starts to fail, and more and more I think you are required to take on a more teacher-like role. So as time goes by, the amount of bullshit you are willing to take from your students begins to diminish. I have, I think, a high tolerance for bullshit. But I have seen it diminish steadily over the last few years. The question is not one of students acting as drones, but of paying at least a modicum of respect to the teacher. It is not, I think, too much to ask that the students put in at least some level of effort, considering the effort that went into making the lesson.
Of course, this class would have none of that. So, I quietly went over to my JTE, Mr I, and told him that this would not work. He nodded to me in agreement, and suddenly turned to the students.
I had previously dismissed Mr. I, who is a super-nice guy outside of class, as a bit of a walk-over in class. I am happy to say that this is most definitely not the case. He unleashed the beast and opened up on the class with both barrels, and in an instant the class went from rowdy to dead silent. He harangued them for disrespecting me, disrespecting the class, and in a dubious voice asked them if they were really high school students. During this time, I made a show of both shaking my head in disgust and packing away my laptop and the projector. Most of the students were graceful enough to have hang-dog expressions, and after Mr. I had snapped at them to bundle up the answer signs and return them, most of them would hand them not to me but to Mr I. As they meekly returned their desks to their original positions, Mr. I caught my eye again, and I left the class without a word. As I left, and walked past the open window, I made sure to shake my head sadly, conveying the thought, I hope, of 'What a fucking waste.'
Next week, thanks to the ALT monthly meeting, I will not be able to go their class. Mr. I was pleased about this. My absence the following week would only serve to hammer in that I may not ever go back to their class. Gone would be the games and the candy. Gone would be the wacky, idiotic ALT. Of course, this isn't true at all. After all, I'm not paid to not go to class. However, it was a good chance to lay down the law and hopefully do a little attitude adjustment in the kids.
9/03/2008
Lazy days of Indian Summer.
It's an odd feeling to be in my 3rd year in Japan. I've been teaching at Genkai for 2 years, and through the magic of the Japanese school year, I'm actually on my 3rd set of students. I suppose there's a certain sense that I'm nesting again, not really going forward, circling for a landing as it where.
I notice this a lot now in the lessons I'm "planning". Gone are the halcyon days where everything was planned head to toe by me, including rules, directions, execution, etc. Instead, I find that these days most of my activities come from outside sources, either the internet or from other ALTs/Teachers.
I think there's a degree of job-familiarity that's involved here. Whereas 2 years ago I didn't know what I was doing, having done this job for a while, I have a good grasp of what works and what doesn't. Of course you still get the occasional flop, but for the most part my lessons are competent.
But that in a sense is leading to boredom. It's harder and harder to come off a class on a high, and as my teaching starts to focus more and more on actual English instruction (versus the staple cultural exposition that our ilk are known for), I find that it's harder and harder to innovate.
Oh still act the jack-ass in class. After all, ALTs should be equal parts teachers and actors. But maybe it's just the heat that does it to me, but I definitely feel lazier.
But NOT when it comes to my diet, so it seems. In another effort to lose weight, I'm while not strictly, but to a degree controlling my evening caloric intake, and watching my meals during lunch and dinner. Dinner is down to about 500 calories, with lunch at about 700. Breakfast is as normal. This, plus a little (and I really do mean a little) more exercise. So far, day 6 today, so we'll see how we do. On a small note, I went from 99.6 kilos to 98 over the course of these few days. That translates into about 3.5 pounds. Not bad for not doing anything other than eating less.
Anyway, not much else to reports, save for my new helmet. Yes, the colour is intentional. I hope to decorate one of the larger surfaces with a big yellow Zeon mark, and a Zeonic Corporation logo somewhere. I love being a geek.
I notice this a lot now in the lessons I'm "planning". Gone are the halcyon days where everything was planned head to toe by me, including rules, directions, execution, etc. Instead, I find that these days most of my activities come from outside sources, either the internet or from other ALTs/Teachers.
I think there's a degree of job-familiarity that's involved here. Whereas 2 years ago I didn't know what I was doing, having done this job for a while, I have a good grasp of what works and what doesn't. Of course you still get the occasional flop, but for the most part my lessons are competent.
But that in a sense is leading to boredom. It's harder and harder to come off a class on a high, and as my teaching starts to focus more and more on actual English instruction (versus the staple cultural exposition that our ilk are known for), I find that it's harder and harder to innovate.
Oh still act the jack-ass in class. After all, ALTs should be equal parts teachers and actors. But maybe it's just the heat that does it to me, but I definitely feel lazier.
But NOT when it comes to my diet, so it seems. In another effort to lose weight, I'm while not strictly, but to a degree controlling my evening caloric intake, and watching my meals during lunch and dinner. Dinner is down to about 500 calories, with lunch at about 700. Breakfast is as normal. This, plus a little (and I really do mean a little) more exercise. So far, day 6 today, so we'll see how we do. On a small note, I went from 99.6 kilos to 98 over the course of these few days. That translates into about 3.5 pounds. Not bad for not doing anything other than eating less.
Anyway, not much else to reports, save for my new helmet. Yes, the colour is intentional. I hope to decorate one of the larger surfaces with a big yellow Zeon mark, and a Zeonic Corporation logo somewhere. I love being a geek.
I may actually have to buy this...
...because Japan definitely has not cured the gun nut in me.
http://gizmodo.com/5044386/its-gun-oclock-so-youd-best-rise-and-shine
http://gizmodo.com/5044386/its-gun-oclock-so-youd-best-rise-and-shine
8/16/2008
The upcoming presidential election...
...should be settled like this:
I would fully endorse an epic, world-shattering Gundam battle betweem Robama and Mechcain.
I would fully endorse an epic, world-shattering Gundam battle betweem Robama and Mechcain.
8/12/2008
Strange days...
It's been a few weeks since I've posted. Yes, the heat is unbearable, and on Monday Fukuoka had the dubious distinction of being the hottest place in Japan. Walking the 12 minutes from the train station to the school literally drenches me in sweat.
One of the new weather watch-words in Japan is Guerrilla Rain. Like its namesake, this Guerrilla Rain appears out of nowhere, rains HARD as hell, and then just as suddenly disappears. When I say hard, I mean like 70-100 mm of rainfall per hour! It's nuts. I was told that last Saturday, the school track field flooded to about 10cm, with random bits of detritus floating around.
So add to that this:
These are pics of a waterspout that formed in the ocean near my school. I am told that such things are unheard of in tihs area. The first pic is of a waterspout that formed north of our school. That was most definitely in the sea. The second pic was shot to the south of our school. There's no water down that way, and that may explain why it didn't completely form. While the clouds themselve are the main focus of that picture, you can see the initial formation of what I think is a tornado. Look just to the left of the electrical tower, and you'll see the cloud just starting to funnel downwards.
All I can say is freaky.
More pics here.
One of the new weather watch-words in Japan is Guerrilla Rain. Like its namesake, this Guerrilla Rain appears out of nowhere, rains HARD as hell, and then just as suddenly disappears. When I say hard, I mean like 70-100 mm of rainfall per hour! It's nuts. I was told that last Saturday, the school track field flooded to about 10cm, with random bits of detritus floating around.
So add to that this:
These are pics of a waterspout that formed in the ocean near my school. I am told that such things are unheard of in tihs area. The first pic is of a waterspout that formed north of our school. That was most definitely in the sea. The second pic was shot to the south of our school. There's no water down that way, and that may explain why it didn't completely form. While the clouds themselve are the main focus of that picture, you can see the initial formation of what I think is a tornado. Look just to the left of the electrical tower, and you'll see the cloud just starting to funnel downwards.All I can say is freaky.
More pics here.
7/27/2008
Farewell...
...and good luck, departing JETs. For those in the JET Programme, the end of July signifies endings and beginnings.
Last night we in Fukuma had out Farewell party for 4 departing JETs. My co-ALT at Genkai, Elaine, who is headed back to school to be a boni fide teacher. Kathy, who's plans are still up in the air but is going home after a long 4 years, Andy, who is staying in Japan and now lives in Nagahama District in Fukuoka City, and Max, a friend of Kathy's from Oita Prefecture, who is also leaving after her 4th year.
I'll leave the documenting of last night to Rob, who is far more blog-savvy than I.
Last night we in Fukuma had out Farewell party for 4 departing JETs. My co-ALT at Genkai, Elaine, who is headed back to school to be a boni fide teacher. Kathy, who's plans are still up in the air but is going home after a long 4 years, Andy, who is staying in Japan and now lives in Nagahama District in Fukuoka City, and Max, a friend of Kathy's from Oita Prefecture, who is also leaving after her 4th year.
I'll leave the documenting of last night to Rob, who is far more blog-savvy than I.
7/08/2008
oh gods...
...the heat! Yes, summertime is finally here. With rainy season (tsuyu) finally over, sunny days are here. It is a true fact that I end up at school drenched every day, and arrive home drenched every day, DESPITE RAINY SEASON BEING OVER!
The merciless heat is compounded by the lack of real air conditioning. Yes, Genkai has air con. Yes, it's on and has been since the beginning of the month. No, it doesn't really make a difference. In another brilliant move, where Japanese bureaucracy (the same bureaucracy that regulates for the most part in all prefectural schools and buildings IN THE PREFECTURE when to turn ON the air con) has decided to pinch pennies in all the wrong places and have the air con running at a balmy 26 degrees.
OK, so the fact that I come from a purportedly "northern" country has something to do with my discomfiture. But 26 degrees + single-pane uninsulated glass + no insulation = a hot fucking room. Why doesn't anyone else see that?
Really, it's not actually all that bad. Instead of sweat poring off of me, I'm relatively dry all day and a simple hand fan moves enough air for me to feel comfortable. But damn it I (and I am not alone in this), would gladly pay into some kind of air con fund and have the air con in the teachers room set to 24 all the time.
The merciless heat is compounded by the lack of real air conditioning. Yes, Genkai has air con. Yes, it's on and has been since the beginning of the month. No, it doesn't really make a difference. In another brilliant move, where Japanese bureaucracy (the same bureaucracy that regulates for the most part in all prefectural schools and buildings IN THE PREFECTURE when to turn ON the air con) has decided to pinch pennies in all the wrong places and have the air con running at a balmy 26 degrees.
OK, so the fact that I come from a purportedly "northern" country has something to do with my discomfiture. But 26 degrees + single-pane uninsulated glass + no insulation = a hot fucking room. Why doesn't anyone else see that?
Really, it's not actually all that bad. Instead of sweat poring off of me, I'm relatively dry all day and a simple hand fan moves enough air for me to feel comfortable. But damn it I (and I am not alone in this), would gladly pay into some kind of air con fund and have the air con in the teachers room set to 24 all the time.
7/06/2008
Beginnings and Ends
I'm always amazed at the subjectivity of time, and how time can seem to crawl or pass at the blink of an eye based on the situation a person experiences. I'm a sense, I'm going through a sort of time-crisis myself, as I consider the last 2 years.
On one hand, I feel like I've been in Japan forever. So much so that I can hardly remember my daily life in Toronto. Not of course that I've forgotten my friends and family there, but rather that I've so acclimatized myself to my life in Japan that at this point any other seems...impossible.
This is of course a slippery slope, and such delusions can lead to heartbreak later. Already, I am starting to feel the pressure of the ending of my next contract year, even though it hasn't begun. Where will I be once August rolls around. Will I be recontracted? Will I have a new job, here in Japan? Or will I go home, kicking and screaming, to a country where I have no appreciable job skills? In a very real sense, I cannot rely on JET to recontract me another year. Budgetary concerns have already seen a reduction in the number of high schools with JET ALTs, in many cases to be replaced by Interac ALTs, and while I have high confidence that Genkai will continue to use and request JET ALTs (the JET Programme continues despite reduced capacity), whether I am included in that as a 4th year hopeful is still up in the air.
And so I feel the crunch very acutely, of really thinking about getting my house into order. While I am technically just as unskilled here in Japan as I am in Canada, I have my English ability, but perhaps more important my Japanese ability, to fall back on. That said, I don't know if I want to continue teaching, and a happy ending for me would see me working somewhere where my bilingual skills would be put to use. Still, hoping for an ideal situation to come along is risky at best, so I need to consider making myself more ELT-worthy. Going for my TESOL certification is definitely on my to do list. A company from Canada runs a week-long seminar in Yokohama. Eventually, I might even consider going back to school for a BEd. in foreign language teaching, though that is indeed getting well ahead of myself. I have lived my life according to my own set of rules, that those include not getting overly worked up about my own future. I feel that I have an indomitable optimism with regards to this. Whether this turns out to be true, or simply the fantasies of an idle mind, remains to be seen.
I didn't mean this to be a rant, but the last few substance based posts have had a similar tenor, a sure sign that at least on some subconscious level, I am sufficiently worried. So that's good, I think.
But to return to the main point, while I feel I've been here in Japan forever, I feel that I have not much time remaining before some real action on my part must be taken. But as well as feeling long, my time in Japan has also felt very brief. To this I point to my co-ALT, or rather her departure.
Elaine will be going home, in just over a month. In about 3 weeks, she will stop being my co-ALT and will be replaced by a new girl. There is of course a certain anxiety I feel, as is usual when new co-workers enter the office, but as well a certain sense of excitement, as this new ALT learns the "wonders" of the environment she'll be working in. The gist of it is this: I cannot believe that it's been 2 years already. Where did this time fly? It feels almost like yesterday that I checked into the doctor's clinic on the 27th-or-some-odd floor of the Keio Plaza Hotel with an asthma attack, my first and lasting memory of arriving in Japan on the JET Programme. At the same time, that seems like a lifetime ago. I remember my initial growing irritation with Elaine distinctly, but also how our work relation mended itself until we were partner's par-excellence, a veritable teaching team here at Genkai. This too is both a distinct memory, but as well something which seems to be very much in the past.
Perhaps it is my growing senecense. Perhaps it is a form of culture-shock. Perhaps the early July heat is rotting my brain. Regardless, this dichotomy of time will haunt me for some time...
If you can guess, Current Mood: Contemplative
On one hand, I feel like I've been in Japan forever. So much so that I can hardly remember my daily life in Toronto. Not of course that I've forgotten my friends and family there, but rather that I've so acclimatized myself to my life in Japan that at this point any other seems...impossible.
This is of course a slippery slope, and such delusions can lead to heartbreak later. Already, I am starting to feel the pressure of the ending of my next contract year, even though it hasn't begun. Where will I be once August rolls around. Will I be recontracted? Will I have a new job, here in Japan? Or will I go home, kicking and screaming, to a country where I have no appreciable job skills? In a very real sense, I cannot rely on JET to recontract me another year. Budgetary concerns have already seen a reduction in the number of high schools with JET ALTs, in many cases to be replaced by Interac ALTs, and while I have high confidence that Genkai will continue to use and request JET ALTs (the JET Programme continues despite reduced capacity), whether I am included in that as a 4th year hopeful is still up in the air.
And so I feel the crunch very acutely, of really thinking about getting my house into order. While I am technically just as unskilled here in Japan as I am in Canada, I have my English ability, but perhaps more important my Japanese ability, to fall back on. That said, I don't know if I want to continue teaching, and a happy ending for me would see me working somewhere where my bilingual skills would be put to use. Still, hoping for an ideal situation to come along is risky at best, so I need to consider making myself more ELT-worthy. Going for my TESOL certification is definitely on my to do list. A company from Canada runs a week-long seminar in Yokohama. Eventually, I might even consider going back to school for a BEd. in foreign language teaching, though that is indeed getting well ahead of myself. I have lived my life according to my own set of rules, that those include not getting overly worked up about my own future. I feel that I have an indomitable optimism with regards to this. Whether this turns out to be true, or simply the fantasies of an idle mind, remains to be seen.
I didn't mean this to be a rant, but the last few substance based posts have had a similar tenor, a sure sign that at least on some subconscious level, I am sufficiently worried. So that's good, I think.
But to return to the main point, while I feel I've been here in Japan forever, I feel that I have not much time remaining before some real action on my part must be taken. But as well as feeling long, my time in Japan has also felt very brief. To this I point to my co-ALT, or rather her departure.
Elaine will be going home, in just over a month. In about 3 weeks, she will stop being my co-ALT and will be replaced by a new girl. There is of course a certain anxiety I feel, as is usual when new co-workers enter the office, but as well a certain sense of excitement, as this new ALT learns the "wonders" of the environment she'll be working in. The gist of it is this: I cannot believe that it's been 2 years already. Where did this time fly? It feels almost like yesterday that I checked into the doctor's clinic on the 27th-or-some-odd floor of the Keio Plaza Hotel with an asthma attack, my first and lasting memory of arriving in Japan on the JET Programme. At the same time, that seems like a lifetime ago. I remember my initial growing irritation with Elaine distinctly, but also how our work relation mended itself until we were partner's par-excellence, a veritable teaching team here at Genkai. This too is both a distinct memory, but as well something which seems to be very much in the past.
Perhaps it is my growing senecense. Perhaps it is a form of culture-shock. Perhaps the early July heat is rotting my brain. Regardless, this dichotomy of time will haunt me for some time...
If you can guess, Current Mood: Contemplative
6/13/2008
Yeesh
2 months since I last posted. Anyhoo new profile pic and album from my recent Kuju trip. Thanks Sandy! (And to a lesser extent Rob for posting his pics from the day, thus reminding me to do the same).
P.S. I'll post more this weekend.
P.P.S. Make that 3 months. Thank goodness I'm not here in Japan to spread my awesome math skills.
P.S. I'll post more this weekend.
P.P.S. Make that 3 months. Thank goodness I'm not here in Japan to spread my awesome math skills.
3/24/2008
Spring time...
...is here in Japan.
Evening, sports fans. Spring break began for me last Wednesday after school. The last day of the school year, and at 4:20 I was out of there. I had after all an enkai to go to. Well, no tales of my drunken shenanigans (revelatory though they were). I woke up the next morning at the crack of noon.
HANGOVER: Enter, stage left.
Actually, thanks to some precautions it wasn't too bad. So, what did I do for the next four days?
hikkikomori
That comes from the combination of two words. The first is hiku, which means to pull away from. In this case, it means to pull away from society at large and social interaction specifically. The second word is komoru, which means to coop oneself up somewhere, in this case at home.
Its actually a social phenomenon that is affecting a number of otaku-types in Japan, and is the harbinger, dare I say, of a very serious pestilence affecting Japanese society in this post-modern world.
But that's not what I'm getting into in this post, so we'll leave it at that.
Indeed, I stayed home for the last four days, and by day four I was itching to go out. I was going to go see a dance recital (gods that makes it sound so lame) done by some of my graduated students, but inclement weather kept me home. Well, they got their ticket money from me, so my appearance was optional.
I did have a plan though, and that plan started to come to fruition today. This week I have all afternoons off (not free mind you. I'm using up my vacation days). So this week I will be organizing and cleaning my apartment. I purchased today a wonderful new bookshelf, which now houses all my magazines, English books, and art books, as well as my 1/100 MG Gundams (and other sundry things). This too was revelatory, because I realized that I have inherited by mother's crazy desire to clean. I nearly had a panic attack when, towards the end of the move, I looked around at the disarray I had created. Well, unlike my mother, I know how to deal with a panic attack. One slug of whiskey later, and I mellowed out, grabbed a trash bag, and gathered all the clutter that was pissing me off.
Well, that's the new shelf. Holy crap I've accumulated a lot of...crap.
Tomorrow I tackle my pantry cupboard, as well as perhaps start sorting through the all the paper in my house.
On an unrelated note, I paid off some more bills, and I came to the realization that, at virtually no impact to my lifestyle here in Japan, I've reduced my consumer debt by a considerable amount. When I first came to Japan, I had something like $2700 debt on one of my Visas alone. All told, I think I had something close to $5000. But as of today, I'm down to under $1800. Total. Spread over 3 cards, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. That makes me pretty damned happy.
And last, but not least, to placate my many gourmet fans, I present tonights dinner (sans the beer, which is only for show).
Evening, sports fans. Spring break began for me last Wednesday after school. The last day of the school year, and at 4:20 I was out of there. I had after all an enkai to go to. Well, no tales of my drunken shenanigans (revelatory though they were). I woke up the next morning at the crack of noon.
HANGOVER: Enter, stage left.
Actually, thanks to some precautions it wasn't too bad. So, what did I do for the next four days?
hikkikomori
That comes from the combination of two words. The first is hiku, which means to pull away from. In this case, it means to pull away from society at large and social interaction specifically. The second word is komoru, which means to coop oneself up somewhere, in this case at home.
Its actually a social phenomenon that is affecting a number of otaku-types in Japan, and is the harbinger, dare I say, of a very serious pestilence affecting Japanese society in this post-modern world.
But that's not what I'm getting into in this post, so we'll leave it at that.
Indeed, I stayed home for the last four days, and by day four I was itching to go out. I was going to go see a dance recital (gods that makes it sound so lame) done by some of my graduated students, but inclement weather kept me home. Well, they got their ticket money from me, so my appearance was optional.
I did have a plan though, and that plan started to come to fruition today. This week I have all afternoons off (not free mind you. I'm using up my vacation days). So this week I will be organizing and cleaning my apartment. I purchased today a wonderful new bookshelf, which now houses all my magazines, English books, and art books, as well as my 1/100 MG Gundams (and other sundry things). This too was revelatory, because I realized that I have inherited by mother's crazy desire to clean. I nearly had a panic attack when, towards the end of the move, I looked around at the disarray I had created. Well, unlike my mother, I know how to deal with a panic attack. One slug of whiskey later, and I mellowed out, grabbed a trash bag, and gathered all the clutter that was pissing me off.
Well, that's the new shelf. Holy crap I've accumulated a lot of...crap.
Tomorrow I tackle my pantry cupboard, as well as perhaps start sorting through the all the paper in my house.
On an unrelated note, I paid off some more bills, and I came to the realization that, at virtually no impact to my lifestyle here in Japan, I've reduced my consumer debt by a considerable amount. When I first came to Japan, I had something like $2700 debt on one of my Visas alone. All told, I think I had something close to $5000. But as of today, I'm down to under $1800. Total. Spread over 3 cards, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. That makes me pretty damned happy.
And last, but not least, to placate my many gourmet fans, I present tonights dinner (sans the beer, which is only for show).
3/07/2008
Mama-mia!
Hot on the heels of my last post, I bring you my next creation. There are many things I miss about Canada, and not least among these is food. While the Americanization of Japan continues apace, luxuries such as Pizza Hut and Burger King remain the purview of the mandarins in Tokyo.
Among the food I really miss though is Mom's cooking. When people ask me here what kind of food I ate at home, while I usually tell them things like katsudon or yudo-fu, I also explain that my mother's repertoire necessarily included a healthy dose of western food. Meatloaf and lasagna were probably my favourite.
This post, unlike my last, demands a certain amount of verbosity, not only because this is the first time I've made lasagna from "scratch" (that is, not kit-bashed), it is also is a sense an homage to my mother's cooking.
So here I will walk you through the lasagna-making process. Unlike my mother's, which is highly nutritious, filled with vegetables and all such manner of goodness, mine is much simpler fare, made with for the most part pre-prepared ingredients.
1 Large pack of minced beef/pork mix.
2 packs of tomato sauce
1 pack of cottage cheese
14 pieces of lasagna pasta
1 pack of shredded Mozzarella
Parmesan cheese
salt
pepper
oregano
garlic paste
tomato paste
First, brown the meat, adding salt and pepper about 1/2 way through the cooking process. Drain fat, and transfer to a bowl. Put the tomato sauce into the pan used to cook the meat, add tomato paste, oregano, garlic paste. Add meat, mix on low heat until even.
Boil lasagna pasta. I did mine in 2 batches. In a Pyrex baking dish, put down a layer of sauce and cottage cheese, then lay down a layer of pasta. Continue in this manner until you've used up the pasta, cutting some into smaller strips to fill out the layers.
Each layer should be perpendicular to the last layer, so as to reinforce the structure of the lasagna. Each layer in mine had both sauce and cottage cheese. Top the lasagna off with the remainder of the sauce, sprinkle Mozzarella and Parmesan.
Bake in an oven at 180 degrees Celcius for 30 minutes. For the last 10 minutes, cover the lasagna in aluminum foil.
And done. I've modified the recipe instructions above after reflection on my meal. First, I left the lasagna uncovered the entire time in the oven, leading the mozzarella cheese to harden into a crust. In future, the aluminum foil should help with that. Also, though the lasagna is solid in the last picture, it collapsed as the pasta slid away. For this, I might try to reduce the pasta sauce a bit (as in let the water content evaporate a little more), and try to spread the cottage cheese a little more evenly.
Also, in a effort to save time, I would do both the sauce and boil the water for the pasta noodles at the same time. I did this today in the order listed, and as a result it ended up taking about an hour to prepare, and a further 30 minutes to bake. Eating was a 20 minute affair (x2 nights, so 40 total). Ideally, I'd like to get something closer to a 1:1 ratio.
Manic.
Among the food I really miss though is Mom's cooking. When people ask me here what kind of food I ate at home, while I usually tell them things like katsudon or yudo-fu, I also explain that my mother's repertoire necessarily included a healthy dose of western food. Meatloaf and lasagna were probably my favourite.
This post, unlike my last, demands a certain amount of verbosity, not only because this is the first time I've made lasagna from "scratch" (that is, not kit-bashed), it is also is a sense an homage to my mother's cooking.
So here I will walk you through the lasagna-making process. Unlike my mother's, which is highly nutritious, filled with vegetables and all such manner of goodness, mine is much simpler fare, made with for the most part pre-prepared ingredients.
1 Large pack of minced beef/pork mix.
2 packs of tomato sauce
1 pack of cottage cheese
14 pieces of lasagna pasta
1 pack of shredded Mozzarella
Parmesan cheese
salt
pepper
oregano
garlic paste
tomato paste
First, brown the meat, adding salt and pepper about 1/2 way through the cooking process. Drain fat, and transfer to a bowl. Put the tomato sauce into the pan used to cook the meat, add tomato paste, oregano, garlic paste. Add meat, mix on low heat until even.
Boil lasagna pasta. I did mine in 2 batches. In a Pyrex baking dish, put down a layer of sauce and cottage cheese, then lay down a layer of pasta. Continue in this manner until you've used up the pasta, cutting some into smaller strips to fill out the layers.
Each layer should be perpendicular to the last layer, so as to reinforce the structure of the lasagna. Each layer in mine had both sauce and cottage cheese. Top the lasagna off with the remainder of the sauce, sprinkle Mozzarella and Parmesan.
Bake in an oven at 180 degrees Celcius for 30 minutes. For the last 10 minutes, cover the lasagna in aluminum foil.
And done. I've modified the recipe instructions above after reflection on my meal. First, I left the lasagna uncovered the entire time in the oven, leading the mozzarella cheese to harden into a crust. In future, the aluminum foil should help with that. Also, though the lasagna is solid in the last picture, it collapsed as the pasta slid away. For this, I might try to reduce the pasta sauce a bit (as in let the water content evaporate a little more), and try to spread the cottage cheese a little more evenly.
Also, in a effort to save time, I would do both the sauce and boil the water for the pasta noodles at the same time. I did this today in the order listed, and as a result it ended up taking about an hour to prepare, and a further 30 minutes to bake. Eating was a 20 minute affair (x2 nights, so 40 total). Ideally, I'd like to get something closer to a 1:1 ratio.
Manic.
3/06/2008
GINOURMOUS SALAD
Ceasar style. This is my dinner tonight. Instructions as follows:
Chicken Tenders
Romaine Lettuce
Croutons
Ceasar dressing.
IF YOU CANNOT FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THIS, YOU ARE ST00PID!!
/ahem
Chicken was cut, marinated with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, coriander.
Did you know that Ceasar salad was actually invented by a Mexican chef? It was not, as some people believe, invented by the Roman Dictator cum Emperor. Such a salad would no doubt have a healthy dose of daggers, blood, and et tu, Brute?
2/28/2008
Shepherd's Pie
...or more correctly, Cottage Pie. Directions as follows:
(Keep in mind that I find cooking a chore)
(Also keep in mind that cooking is an art, not a science, so I'm not listing any measurements. That and I'm lazy.)
Ground Beef (maybe a pound or so)
Frozen mixed vegetables (half a JP bag)
Water
1 cube of beef stock (or gravy mix)
Tomato paste
Mashed Potatoes
Parmesan Cheese
Cook beef. Add water (enough to cover the meat). Add frozen vegetables. Add gravy mix. Add tomato paste. Add spices. Stir, simmer until reduced. Make sure the meat doesn't dry out. Transfer to Pyrex dish, and cover in a layer of mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with parmesan. Dot with butter if so desired. Put in the oven at 120 degrees Celcius for an hour.
2/19/2008
News
If bad things come in threes, I suppose my posting must come in threes too. Not that I have bad news, that is.
In fact, there are 2 news items, in a way inter-related. Lets start with the good news. First, my re-contracting confirmation came in. So my third year is locked and loaded. /emote sigh of relief.
On to the other news. A fellow Fukuoka JET I know was denied re-contracting. When I heard this news, I was thrown for a bit of a loop. In JET circles, re-contracting was a sort of unspoken guarantee, provided that you didn't do something stupid like steal, break laws, get a student pregnant etc. As far as I know, this ALT did none of these things, and was in fact a pretty straight-laced guy.
They say that not knowing can make your fears and imagination run wild. So lets follow my imagination and see where it leads.
On the simplest level, ALTs are subject to a performance review. With the expansion of the JET Programme allowing for a 4th and 5th year, I think there was a thought that re-contracting was similarly an unspoken guarantee. After all, why keep an ALT 3 years if you're just going to get rid of him or her in the 4th year? Presumably a 3rd year ALT has built up enough of a presence/goodwill/connections to weather any possible threat of recontract denial.
Balance that with the warnings we've gotten from our Prefectural Advisor (liaison to the Prefectural Board of Education), that recontracting is NOT guaranteed.
So on the simplest level, the High School was not satisfied enough with this ALT's performance, and is opting to get a new ALT. That sucks, but such things are a reality in other jobs, so why not this one.
The next level up is that the school no longer wants an ALT. Our brand of teaching, while spiritually, and perhaps culturally enlightening, is of dubious value to the realities of the Japanese education system, which prizes rote learning via grammar translation method as a method of learning English. This is turn is forced upon High Schools due to the rigorous university exam system. In the end, the Japanese system trains students to pass exams, and not communicate in a foreign language. Presumably, the JET Programme grew out of a need to address this deficiency. So in end, if a High School wants to focus more on preparing their students for an exam, then it makes sense to cut the position of an under-utilized ALT.
This links to the next level up, in which the JET Programme is instituting budget cuts across the board. A major sign of this was the cancellation of the Kobe Recontracting Conference. Now this is a cut I agree with, because in the end it was essentially a giant paid vacation for 6 or 700 JETs. But JET jobs might be on the cutting block as well. I can see a situation where CLAIR, the organization that oversees the JET Programme, sends requests to the various prefectures to cut X number of positions. The prefectures in turn ask their High Schools to see if any of them can do without an ALT. In this case, ALTs at high academic schools, whose focus is to train students to enter high education, are in the most danger, as their jobs become more and more superfluous and their class hours are gradually converted to classes that focus on grammar.
What we might be seeing is the beginning of the end of the JET Programme. Admittedly this is a worst-case scenario. However, it's not out of the realm of possibility that, in light of private companies that are offering the same service to high-schools for cheaper. Who knows where the JET Programme will be in ten-years time? Leaner and meaner? Or gone the way of the dodo?
In fact, there are 2 news items, in a way inter-related. Lets start with the good news. First, my re-contracting confirmation came in. So my third year is locked and loaded. /emote sigh of relief.
On to the other news. A fellow Fukuoka JET I know was denied re-contracting. When I heard this news, I was thrown for a bit of a loop. In JET circles, re-contracting was a sort of unspoken guarantee, provided that you didn't do something stupid like steal, break laws, get a student pregnant etc. As far as I know, this ALT did none of these things, and was in fact a pretty straight-laced guy.
They say that not knowing can make your fears and imagination run wild. So lets follow my imagination and see where it leads.
On the simplest level, ALTs are subject to a performance review. With the expansion of the JET Programme allowing for a 4th and 5th year, I think there was a thought that re-contracting was similarly an unspoken guarantee. After all, why keep an ALT 3 years if you're just going to get rid of him or her in the 4th year? Presumably a 3rd year ALT has built up enough of a presence/goodwill/connections to weather any possible threat of recontract denial.
Balance that with the warnings we've gotten from our Prefectural Advisor (liaison to the Prefectural Board of Education), that recontracting is NOT guaranteed.
So on the simplest level, the High School was not satisfied enough with this ALT's performance, and is opting to get a new ALT. That sucks, but such things are a reality in other jobs, so why not this one.
The next level up is that the school no longer wants an ALT. Our brand of teaching, while spiritually, and perhaps culturally enlightening, is of dubious value to the realities of the Japanese education system, which prizes rote learning via grammar translation method as a method of learning English. This is turn is forced upon High Schools due to the rigorous university exam system. In the end, the Japanese system trains students to pass exams, and not communicate in a foreign language. Presumably, the JET Programme grew out of a need to address this deficiency. So in end, if a High School wants to focus more on preparing their students for an exam, then it makes sense to cut the position of an under-utilized ALT.
This links to the next level up, in which the JET Programme is instituting budget cuts across the board. A major sign of this was the cancellation of the Kobe Recontracting Conference. Now this is a cut I agree with, because in the end it was essentially a giant paid vacation for 6 or 700 JETs. But JET jobs might be on the cutting block as well. I can see a situation where CLAIR, the organization that oversees the JET Programme, sends requests to the various prefectures to cut X number of positions. The prefectures in turn ask their High Schools to see if any of them can do without an ALT. In this case, ALTs at high academic schools, whose focus is to train students to enter high education, are in the most danger, as their jobs become more and more superfluous and their class hours are gradually converted to classes that focus on grammar.
What we might be seeing is the beginning of the end of the JET Programme. Admittedly this is a worst-case scenario. However, it's not out of the realm of possibility that, in light of private companies that are offering the same service to high-schools for cheaper. Who knows where the JET Programme will be in ten-years time? Leaner and meaner? Or gone the way of the dodo?
2/18/2008
Salmon Muiniere
I think that's spelled right. Three posts in a month. I may beat Nakagawa Shoko yet!
A landmark, because it will represent the first time since coming to Japan of me preparing a fish dinner. And in the aftermath, most definitely not the last.
Delicious. And nutritious. Especially considering my weekend fare...
Directions as follows:
1) Wash and pat dry salmon filets.
2) Salt and pepper to taste.
3) Add what herbs you like (mine was oregano and parsley, what I had in my cupboard).
4) Coat in a light layer of flour.
5) Melt butter in frying pan, medium heat.
6) Fish in. Flip when brown and yummy looking.
7) Reduce heat to low, let cook.
Also new to my repertoire in recent times: Shepherd's Pie (or Cottage Pie for those realists).
P.S.: The tea cup pictured is my Earth Federation tea cup I won at the Gundam Fair at my local Mini-Stop. Carry readers of kanji will be able to read Chikyuu Renpou.
A landmark, because it will represent the first time since coming to Japan of me preparing a fish dinner. And in the aftermath, most definitely not the last.
Delicious. And nutritious. Especially considering my weekend fare...
Directions as follows:
1) Wash and pat dry salmon filets.
2) Salt and pepper to taste.
3) Add what herbs you like (mine was oregano and parsley, what I had in my cupboard).
4) Coat in a light layer of flour.
5) Melt butter in frying pan, medium heat.
6) Fish in. Flip when brown and yummy looking.
7) Reduce heat to low, let cook.
Also new to my repertoire in recent times: Shepherd's Pie (or Cottage Pie for those realists).
P.S.: The tea cup pictured is my Earth Federation tea cup I won at the Gundam Fair at my local Mini-Stop. Carry readers of kanji will be able to read Chikyuu Renpou.
2/12/2008
Hmmm... I wonder...
...if I should indulge my inner geek more, and do something like show pictures of my growing Gundam collection?
OK, lets build some "street cred" first.
These are two pictures drawn with the aforementioned new pen. It's a Tachikawa School G manga illustration pen, suggested to me by fellow JET and artist Chen. I think you'll agree that I've taken a step forward in terms of my drawing.
First pic is a drawing of my character for my D&D game. Pretty happy with it. Second pic is one of an SF soldier in Afghanistan. That was done a lot earlier, thus the lack of any real shading etc.
OK, so now on to the Gundams. I'd for a long while avoided making Master Grades. I had 4 in my initial blitz of making them , but realized that they took up too much space. Sadly, like other Gundam collectors, there's too much geek-chic (ok, otaku-chic then) in some of these. Two I chose, almost purely on looks, are the following.
In the background, in the blue in white is the Gundam RX-93-V2 Hi-V, successor to the stardard RX-93 nu Gundam piloted by Amuro Ray in the OVA Char's Counterattack. Again, bought for looks.
In the foreground, my first Gundam SEED MG. Normally, I avoid all non-UC Gundam like the plague, but this one was just too sweet looking for me to pass up. It's the Strike Gundam with IWSP Pack. No link to a wiki article, cause I just don't care enough about SEED to bother with it. Nestled in between is my ZZ Gundam. Again looks, but less impressive because it is older, and thus less flexible in terms of posing (what you see is basically all it can do).
Anyhow, that's it for now.
EDIT: Blogger/Picasa is being retarded and not letting me show pictures or something, at least on my PC. Might be my internet security. Either way, just click on where the picture should be, and it'll open. Pics, in order more or less described in the post, run upwards.
EDIT2: Heh, figured it out. I was trying to embed a webpage instead of a picture. Also, for nostalgic lulz (at least for me and some of my friends...
My new keitai strap, courtesy of PlayAsia.
OK, lets build some "street cred" first.
These are two pictures drawn with the aforementioned new pen. It's a Tachikawa School G manga illustration pen, suggested to me by fellow JET and artist Chen. I think you'll agree that I've taken a step forward in terms of my drawing.
First pic is a drawing of my character for my D&D game. Pretty happy with it. Second pic is one of an SF soldier in Afghanistan. That was done a lot earlier, thus the lack of any real shading etc.
OK, so now on to the Gundams. I'd for a long while avoided making Master Grades. I had 4 in my initial blitz of making them , but realized that they took up too much space. Sadly, like other Gundam collectors, there's too much geek-chic (ok, otaku-chic then) in some of these. Two I chose, almost purely on looks, are the following.
In the background, in the blue in white is the Gundam RX-93-V2 Hi-V, successor to the stardard RX-93 nu Gundam piloted by Amuro Ray in the OVA Char's Counterattack. Again, bought for looks.
In the foreground, my first Gundam SEED MG. Normally, I avoid all non-UC Gundam like the plague, but this one was just too sweet looking for me to pass up. It's the Strike Gundam with IWSP Pack. No link to a wiki article, cause I just don't care enough about SEED to bother with it. Nestled in between is my ZZ Gundam. Again looks, but less impressive because it is older, and thus less flexible in terms of posing (what you see is basically all it can do).
Anyhow, that's it for now.
EDIT: Blogger/Picasa is being retarded and not letting me show pictures or something, at least on my PC. Might be my internet security. Either way, just click on where the picture should be, and it'll open. Pics, in order more or less described in the post, run upwards.
EDIT2: Heh, figured it out. I was trying to embed a webpage instead of a picture. Also, for nostalgic lulz (at least for me and some of my friends...
My new keitai strap, courtesy of PlayAsia.
2/08/2008
Long time no see...
It's been a long, long time since I've posted. Last entry was some 5 months ago!
Really, I'm not built for blogging. In a definite sense, I notice a definite, visible gap in the way I use the internet and computers in general versus those who literally grew up with them as part of their world. Consider that I remember Commodore 64s, and programming your own game, and when modems came in kilo-bauds. That said, I think I'm probably pretty fluent in computer use, compared to many people my age. But the simple fact is that for me, it's a tool, as opposed to a facet of every day life.
On a more fundamental level, going back to how I am not a blogger or any such thing, I have never been one of those diary keepers. Anyone reading my blog knows that I tend towards mammoth posts. Some people can make 70 entries a day. What they write about, I don't know. How they can make so many posts is a further mystery. I couldn't even keep my school agenda filled, let alone the electronic one I got for one of my birthdays. That daily tracking of my life is something which I just can't seem to do.
I suppose really it's because I only really post when something I think you'd want to hear about pops up in my life. Things like social or cultural commentary I leave to people more socially or politically aware, like my good friend Fukuma Rob (a necessary distinction because I now know 2 Robs).
Herein I suppose lies the problem. Nothing really new is happening in my life. From the far reaches of my blog history, you might recall reading about my particular thoughts on this. So rather than go on another diatribe, I'll just state recap the last few months.
Since September, I've presented (poorly, but just fine for a first go) at the Fukuoka JET Programme Mid-year Seminar. And of course, most of you know I went home for the holidays and spent too much money of clothes. On my return to Japan, I paid for in full a new computer.
This I think, requires some digression. First the specs. 3ghz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, 500G HDD, 512MB Asus 8800GT GPU, SB Audigy sound card, 4 gigs of RAM running Windows XP Pro (ok ok, yes, I know XP doesn't recognize 4 gigs of RAM, so I've got a stick in there doing nothing. But I didn't know about that limitation until I got the PC and checked online. Plus, I can always upgrade to Vista when they release a Service Pack or 2). It's a helluva nice rig, but more incredible to me was the fact that I paid it off COD. In Japan, it is perfectly fine to give a delivery man $1700, and think nothing of it.
OK, back to my life here. I found a gaming group online, and it's been fun as hell. I'm recontracting for another year (my co-ALT is not). I'll probably be volunteering for Fukuoka Orientation. 3rd Semester at school is, as it was last year, very very chill. I've been drawing again, and this time with a new pen introduced to me by my real artist friend Chen. I think my drawing has gone up a notch.
Well, that's it for now. Another 5 months, may pass before I post again...
Really, I'm not built for blogging. In a definite sense, I notice a definite, visible gap in the way I use the internet and computers in general versus those who literally grew up with them as part of their world. Consider that I remember Commodore 64s, and programming your own game, and when modems came in kilo-bauds. That said, I think I'm probably pretty fluent in computer use, compared to many people my age. But the simple fact is that for me, it's a tool, as opposed to a facet of every day life.
On a more fundamental level, going back to how I am not a blogger or any such thing, I have never been one of those diary keepers. Anyone reading my blog knows that I tend towards mammoth posts. Some people can make 70 entries a day. What they write about, I don't know. How they can make so many posts is a further mystery. I couldn't even keep my school agenda filled, let alone the electronic one I got for one of my birthdays. That daily tracking of my life is something which I just can't seem to do.
I suppose really it's because I only really post when something I think you'd want to hear about pops up in my life. Things like social or cultural commentary I leave to people more socially or politically aware, like my good friend Fukuma Rob (a necessary distinction because I now know 2 Robs).
Herein I suppose lies the problem. Nothing really new is happening in my life. From the far reaches of my blog history, you might recall reading about my particular thoughts on this. So rather than go on another diatribe, I'll just state recap the last few months.
Since September, I've presented (poorly, but just fine for a first go) at the Fukuoka JET Programme Mid-year Seminar. And of course, most of you know I went home for the holidays and spent too much money of clothes. On my return to Japan, I paid for in full a new computer.
This I think, requires some digression. First the specs. 3ghz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, 500G HDD, 512MB Asus 8800GT GPU, SB Audigy sound card, 4 gigs of RAM running Windows XP Pro (ok ok, yes, I know XP doesn't recognize 4 gigs of RAM, so I've got a stick in there doing nothing. But I didn't know about that limitation until I got the PC and checked online. Plus, I can always upgrade to Vista when they release a Service Pack or 2). It's a helluva nice rig, but more incredible to me was the fact that I paid it off COD. In Japan, it is perfectly fine to give a delivery man $1700, and think nothing of it.
OK, back to my life here. I found a gaming group online, and it's been fun as hell. I'm recontracting for another year (my co-ALT is not). I'll probably be volunteering for Fukuoka Orientation. 3rd Semester at school is, as it was last year, very very chill. I've been drawing again, and this time with a new pen introduced to me by my real artist friend Chen. I think my drawing has gone up a notch.
Well, that's it for now. Another 5 months, may pass before I post again...
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