Upon entering the final week of my stint here in Hokkaido for Language School I am happily surprised that it has gone as well as it has. We are nearing the end of the text, "Japanese in 45 Hours" and my Japanese teacher has reccommended that I continue when I get back to Ichikawa with the sequel and with weekly language sessions. OMF's Language Advisor will find someone suitable to teach me.
We've had some more snow over the weekend, so what else is new? It would be great to visit here in the summer, I think, just to see the contrast.
I am looking forward to getting back to familiar old Ichikawa.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Let it Snow
Or as my Japanese teacher says, Yuki, Yuki, Yuki. I must say it beats rain and grey ice, hands down.
Last week during the lull in the snow, it seemed that snow plows and snow blowers were working all over town. We had two plows on our street, moving the snow around, then a big scoop and a continuing line of dumptrucks finally hauling it away...somewhere.
The snow has begun again. Not a big blizzard of it, but softly, constantly, hour after hour.
Yuki, Yuki, Yuki.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Yuki Matsuri 2009
Each February the city of Sapporo hosts a Snow Festival in Odori Park in the heart of the city. Many snow and ice sculptures are erected and visitors are directed to view them by walking around the park in a counterclockwise pattern.
The festival lasts only one week. The weather this week has hovered right around freezing during the day time hours so the snow around the park went from slush to packed to ice. I was grateful for my strap on cleats and my ski pole. I walked in a surefooted manner while those around me slithered and slid.
Pictures of the festival are running on the slide show to the left. If you want a better look you can visit my public album at picasaweb.google.com and search for Yuki Matsuri 2009.
The festival lasts only one week. The weather this week has hovered right around freezing during the day time hours so the snow around the park went from slush to packed to ice. I was grateful for my strap on cleats and my ski pole. I walked in a surefooted manner while those around me slithered and slid.
Pictures of the festival are running on the slide show to the left. If you want a better look you can visit my public album at picasaweb.google.com and search for Yuki Matsuri 2009.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Attitude Adjustment
This winter thing turns out to be not as bad as I anticipated. Walking home today just after noon it was snowing hard. I couldn't see to the end of the block and the wind was strong. I was glad to get home (it was a 25 minute walk) and kept thinking that I should have put my scarf on differently and the other gloves would have been better as I walked, but it was in no way life threatening or even totally miserable, it was just snow and when I got home I could have a nice hot lunch and it's Friday so tomorrow is a free day.
Actually, tomorrow my hosts at the Guest Home, have offered to take me with them to the Snow Festival, a must see event in this part of the world. I do need to study a bit, but my teacher at language school is fun and even though she says things like, 'memorize this," she laughs with me at my frequent missteps. Each day I want to do better, and remember more.
I'm sure Ichikawa will seem balmy when I return at the end of the month, and spring will be just around the corner, but my month in Sapporo will probably not be a nightmare to be forgotten; more like an opportunity to experience an even wider world and to learn even at my advanced age that occasional challenges to our comfort zones can be enjoyable.
Actually, tomorrow my hosts at the Guest Home, have offered to take me with them to the Snow Festival, a must see event in this part of the world. I do need to study a bit, but my teacher at language school is fun and even though she says things like, 'memorize this," she laughs with me at my frequent missteps. Each day I want to do better, and remember more.
I'm sure Ichikawa will seem balmy when I return at the end of the month, and spring will be just around the corner, but my month in Sapporo will probably not be a nightmare to be forgotten; more like an opportunity to experience an even wider world and to learn even at my advanced age that occasional challenges to our comfort zones can be enjoyable.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
School Daze
The school thing, so far anyway, is not that bad at all. Takahashi sensei is really quite kind and even when I'm suffering from a total lack of brain activity, she is patient. I mean to tell you that on occasion I will be searching for a character and absolutely nothing comes to mind. Ah well!
We're doing a course called "Japanese in 45 hours" and it seems to have a nice combination of conversation, writing and survival situations. Four weeks here is all I have. I must say though, they ring a bell at the end of each session and for all the world it sounds to me like someone should say, "Gentlemen, go to your corners."
We're doing a course called "Japanese in 45 hours" and it seems to have a nice combination of conversation, writing and survival situations. Four weeks here is all I have. I must say though, they ring a bell at the end of each session and for all the world it sounds to me like someone should say, "Gentlemen, go to your corners."
Sunday, February 1, 2009
I don't think we're in Ichikawa anymore, Toto
It wasn't a tornado, it was a Skymark jet, but the differences are about as stark as the ones between Kansas and the Emerald city. I am now in Sapporo, Japan which is on the Northern Island of the four major Japanese islands. You may remember the Winter Olympics being held here. I will be here four weeks doing some Japanese language study at the OMF Japanese Language School.
It has been cold since my arrival and very icy on the sidewalks where not all the snow was removed before last week's rains. It has been snowing lightly today and this seems to make the sidewalks less slippery. So at this point with a 20 minute (in good weather) walk each way to school and back I'm all for a little more snow.
It has been cold since my arrival and very icy on the sidewalks where not all the snow was removed before last week's rains. It has been snowing lightly today and this seems to make the sidewalks less slippery. So at this point with a 20 minute (in good weather) walk each way to school and back I'm all for a little more snow.
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