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Higo Blog　has an excellent post on Janken better known as Paper Scissors Stone and links to a history of the game.

Further link: Japanese games

Technorati Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English, Japanese, Game, Janken

I had an awful day today. I was teaching at my second worst school but worse than that the subject was Months. I hate teaching Months. Its no fun. For anyone, seven new English words in 45 minutes is more than enough but there are 12 months in the year which follow no pattern whatsoever.

When teaching English, my lesson strategy is to bombard them with the words in flashcard form and then play a game from the excellent Genki English site to get the words in their memory. This works fine with seven target words but there`s 12 months and it`s no fun saying, “OK this is January. Can you say January? San Hai (all together now) JANUARY. OK The next one is February. Can you say February….?” 12 times over and over again. They hated it.

When I learnt the months in French when I was 12, we had the amazing “Quelle est la date de ton anniversaire?” song which I can still remember now and I`m sure others who took no further interest in modern languages would still be able to sing it. Unfortunately I don`t feel confident enough to sing songs in front of 30 students and I`m sure they`d not want to sing it either. Anyone know any ideas how to teach the Months in English without songs and still make it interesting?

Technorati Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English, Teaching

This is a fish on a building which seems to be there for no discernible reason. The Japanese says “chanto” which I believe means properly.

Technorati Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English

This is an exhibition of the 6th graders` (11-12 year olds) paintings at the worst school I teach at. These kids are from Tsuruhashi in Osaka which is the Korean area of Osaka. The district rather than the Korean children themselves is known as being dificult. The kids are lovely apart from when I start teaching when they completely ignore me and chatter indiscriminately and/or fight amongst themselves.

It was with this in mind I was shown by their teacher to the hall where they had an exhibition of the students` works. In my opinion it was to be shown that although they were difficult, they were capable of artistic expression and I was captivated. These are copies of famous Japanese works of art done by them. Far better than I could ever have done at eleven or now.

Technorati Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English, Tsuruhashi, Korea, Art, Japanese

Woman praying at street-side shrine.

Technorati Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English, Shrine

Danjiri riders in Kishiwada.

Danjiri
More danjiri

Technorati Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English, Danjiri, Kishiwada, Matsuri

This is probably years old but I saw this Pokemon Nintendo Gameboy Advance in a game shop which struck me.

Technorati Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English, Pikachu, Nintendo, Pokemon, Handheld

I wasn`t sure what to make of this graffiti I spied in Osaka. A cross between the Queen on a postage stamp and a beard.

Technorati Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English

It`s easy to see why teenagers find having a baby so exciting. It makes you feel like a grown up. Along with smoking and swearing、having a baby is seen as an adult activity. If you do this you must be mature. I`ve told my friends, “In eight months I`m going be a dad. Yeah it`s great isn`t it? Ah, Thank you very much.”

Nevermind that in one stroke I`ve produced a spawn which will leech off me for at least 18 years restricting my financial and personal freedoms. Maybe it`s the kick up the arse I`ve always needed. I`ll have to get a proper full-time job with some sort of career path and structure. Well I say that having a baby will mean changes yet I haven`t done anything about it whilst knowing of the egg for almost a month.

Starting a new job so late and in a foreign country, will I get paternity leave? Will I be stuck in class discussing George Bush`s election win whilst Reiko is screaming in agony releasing the egg? These are grown up questions if not posed by a grown-up.

Technorati Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English, Pregnancy, Baby

I was dragged along by Reiko to In Her Shoes yesterday which has just been released in Japan. I didn`t think that much of the movie but what struck me was the appalling ability of the seemingly cosmopolitan cast to use chopsticks correctly. They were being used with the dexterity of a two year old. Being held at the bottom end of the sticks with a gap at the maximum stretch of 1cm. (Thanks to Jacke for the picture.

And who orders three octopuses and three sea urchin for sushi meal? Where`s the tuna, salmon or prawn? Or have I just got uneducated tastes?

This was by a person (a lawyer) who frequented a Japanese restaurant enough to know the names of the dishes in Japanese and who asked for certain dishes that weren`t even on the menu and then who ate those said items so badly?

This thing bothers me for some unexplainable reason. I use chopsticks everyday and even though I know anyone using chopsticks in the company of a Japanese person will be praised for their skill even if they have noodles trailing down their shirt, I know I use chopsticks well. This is of course thanks to my teacher (Reiko) who guided me from said noodles trailing down my shirt with hand cramp level to the dizzying heights I have attained.

Wikipedia has a section on How to use chopsticks correctly. I suggest they read it.

Technorati Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English, Chopsticks, In Her Shoes