Lost In Translation

3/18: Ted Leo And The Pharmacists Live

After arriving in Spokane and celebrating my birthday I met some Spokane friends at the The BLVD to see Ted Leo and The Pharmacists in support of their excellent new release Brutalist Bricks which I was compelled to pick up after the lively and entertaining show. I hadn't heard much by the band before the show but was won over by their versatility and showmanship. 

 

Hiatus

For those not on Facebook you might not know that I've been in Bangkok/Ho CHi Mihn City for the last week. I'm enroute back to Tokyo now, so various posts on my adventures will be forthcoming in the next week.

My 25 Random Things

This is for those few not on Facebook:

1. I was the editor-in chief of my high school paper for two years. I still wonder if journalism was my true calling since I love reporting and writing about subjects that interest me. I just didn’t want to have to work the city council beat in Yakima for 5 years before getting a decent job. The way print media is slowly dying-it looks like I made the right decision. 

2. I have been professionally published in newspapers and magazines. My first paid free-lance publication was a book review of David Mitchell’s debut novel Ghostwritten in The Daily Mainichi News August 12, 2000. I have also published articles in Tokyo Classified (which is now known as Metropolis), The Asahi Evening News, The Japan Times, and Eye-Ai (an English language Japanese culture magazine). 

3. I still publish, but only dry academic pieces about teaching English as a foreign language in small university journals. This year I wrote two separate articles about project based learning.

4. Before moving to Seattle I was signed up for classes at the University of San Diego, but I decided not to enter after my Grandma reneged on helping me with the tuition. I never regretted the decision; I met/established most of my best life-long friends while in college in Seattle.

5. The reason I chose to go on the JET Program was so that I could have a one-year experience abroad. I have been in Japan for more than 11 years now. I have lived longer in Japan than I have in Seattle.

6. Before I came to Japan I filled out an application for the Peace Corps, but I didn’t turn it in because I thought “2 years” was a too long of a commitment to make.

7. Before I got my MA in Education at WWU I tried to get into several English Literature Ph. D programs, but was turned down by them all. However, in a sense I have become a university professor, but, I would much rather be teaching English literature than English language. 

8. I still feel a bit guilty about being a teacher in Japan. I got into teaching as a form of public service and because I love reading and writing and wanted to share that enthusiasm. In some ways I feel my proper place is teaching The Great Gatsby in some inner city high school in America.

9. I have been to 32 countries-mostly in Europe and Asia. I love to travel and love to experience foreign cultures-especially the food culture. I think I need to branch out in my travels: South America, Africa, and the Middle East? My next trip will be to Thailand and Cambodia for a conference in Phnom Penh. I am also contemplating doing a conference in Bangladesh in September.

10. Traveling and living abroad has taught me to be satisfied with fewer possesions and has made me realize how incredibly lucky we are to have been brought up in a wealthy and relatively free country like America.

11. Living abroad ahs made me more patriotic. I frequently have to defend our country over criticism by other foreigners. I always admit that there are things the government does that I do not support, but I point out that America is the best and worst of many things. So I point out the things that make me proud like the constitution, the superior higher education system, the history of dissent seen in people like Thomas Paine and Patrick Henry, and all the great leaders like Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR, etc…

12. I often also have to defend the people of America as well. Some foreigners think that we are a nation of religious yokels. But I tell them that most of my friends have advanced college degrees, passports, have traveled outside America, speak foreign languages, and are deep thinking liberals.

13. I really love to read and learn: books, magazines, websites, journals, menus, everything. I think I average reading about a book a week-usually between 45-50 a year. I never thought I’d be fluent in a foreign language, and I don’t think I’m there yet, but I feel that my speaking ability is getting close.

14. I would love to write a novel someday, but I fear I am more of an expository writer/memoirist rather than a fiction writer. If I ever do write a novel I am sure that one is all I have in me. 

15. In high school I had made plans with friends to buy a bass so we could form a cover band. I am still planning on getting a guitar and learning how to play. Next year…

16. My first rock concert was Quiet Riot/ Lover Boy.

17. I have only had one car accident: a head on collision outside the city of Shannon in Ireland. Mel Marquis was in the passenger seat and was thankfully unharmed.

18. I’ve basically been working since I was 14 with a paper route for The Spokesman Review. I have worked at Chuck E. Cheese, Pier 1 Imports, in a Sony TV factory for a month while in San Diego, Benetton, The Boisere Café, a summer as a construction worker/laborer, Ray’s Boathouse (a restaurant), AAA Emergency Road Service, Bullie’s (a restaurant in Bellingham), a shoe shop in a mall-besides teaching jobs for the last 12 years. Last year I did one wedding as a celebrant in Japan (not my thing).

19. I went to a Catholic grade school and when I was in the fourth grade I pulled a veil off a nun. I still don’t why; she was one of my favorite teachers.

20. When I was 14 or 15, I refused to get confirmed into the Catholic religion. My mother wasn’t too happy. I recently took a religious quiz and it said my beliefs were most in line Buddhism and least in line with Catholicism. I don’t believe in religion. But I don’t think that means I’m not spiritual.

21. I grew 2 inches and gained 20+ pounds between the ages of 18-20. Before that I could dunk a volleyball with one-hand. I think I can still touch the rim though. 

22. During garbage time of a big loss I scored 6 points in less than two minutes in a high school JV basketball game: outscoring the point guard I replaced by 6 points.

23. One of my nicknames in high school was “Dubbage”-because I didn’t smoke it. The others are: “Catfish”, “Night Train”, “Porkchop”, and “LeCoy”. I made up “Catfish” and “Night Train” myself-don’t ask why. I was at Mike Visaya’s house for Thanksgiving and we were hungry before dinner so they fed us pork chops. Nobody calls Mike “Porkchop”-why is that?

24. I have had more friends than family members visit me in Japan.

25. I work at five different universities and when class is in session I teach Monday through Saturday (20-90 minute classes a week) . But I still get about 5 months paid vacation a year. I don’t teach again until April 8th, which is why I have time to write this.

NetTokyo: July 19th

Just thought I'd mention an event put on by a friend of mine that's coming up in Tokyo, NetTokyo:

What is NetTokyo?

  
The biggest summer, Saturday afternoon, network-of-networks networking event for the Japanese and international community in Tokyo. All proceeds donated to charity. With close to 3 million yen raised to date we aim to raise at least 1 million more this year!

We have a great venue and will be working hard to get some amazing raffle prize sponsors over the next month. Mark your calendars and tell your friends.

If you are unable to attend but would like to buy raffle tickets, please make a donation (minimum 5,000 yen) using the bank information on theSponsor Details page and send an email to [email protected] with your contact information and amount of your donation. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Date: Saturday, July 19, 2008

Time: 14:00 (2:00pm) - 18:00 (6:00pm)

Price: 4,000 Yen in advance, 5,000 Yen at the door.
      Includes light meal, one drink ticket and 
      one raffle ticket for great prizes
      100% of profits go to charity
   *Children 12 and under are free

Chuo University

I've picked up a couple of extra classes on Saturdays at Chuo University, which is located less than a half hour from me on the Tama monorail at the Mesei Daigaku/Chuo Daigaku stop. Why black and white? Maybe it's the utilitarian concrete that the buildings are constructed out of that influenced me. It's a well-run program with good students, and best of all, nearby.

Meiji University: School of Global Japanese Studies

This year I am working at a new full-time job at Meiji University at the Izumi Campus near Meidaimae station (Inokashira line and Keio Line). I am a contract teacher in the English department of the brand new Global School of Japanese Studies. This is the first year and it's an exciting opportunity to put an imprint on a new program. I have taken many pictures due to rainy weather and a busy schedule (the one above was taken a while ago when there were still cherry blossoms around). So far I've been really impressed with the high ability and enthusiasm of my students.

Snow Day

I missed the first snow this year when I was in Thailand, but it is more than making up for it today.

My First Book

This is my first published book, Score High on the TOEIC Test. About a year ago I was approached by a Toyo Unviersity colleague, Keiichhi Nakabachi, about contributing to a book he was supervising and writing on TOEIC Test Preperation. The book is finally out. I didn't realize that there would be so many contributers, there are six writers and an editior credited for the book. And it just shows what a complicated process publishing a book can be.

Kichijoji Nights

While my Aussie friends Edward and Jeleesan were in Japan, they were staying with our Japanese friends Ritsu and Tomo in their lovely house nearby Inokashira Park in Kichijoji. As a result we spent a couple of evenings in and around their home. Saturday we ate a local sushi restaurant that had extremely fresh and expertly prepared sushi. After that we checked out a funky A Clockwork Orange-inspired bar, The Milk Bar, that I had read about on the internet. The picture above is at Kichijoji station.

It was located in the heart of the entertainment district and, as you can see in the picture below, had a very original interior-complete with A Clockwork Orange being played on the TV screen above the bar.

The following night we had a dinner party at Tomo and Ritsu's house, and they prepared some lovely food (see below) and provided some tasty wines.

Here are the dinner attendees from left to right: Ritsu, Tomo, Edward, Sayuri, Tony, and Jeleesan.

Intyatyambo Community Project Benefit

The Intyatyambo Community Project (ICP) benefit Tuesday the 13th was a great success. Thanks to all the folks who made it down to see Dr. Ruth, Superfunction, and Ernest play at What the Dickens. The picture above is of Superfunction featuring my mate Marcus Pittman on sax. There were well over 100 people in attendance, not sure of the amount of money raised, but it looks like a significant amount.