God, I Hate Cleaning

iPod morning commute music: N/A

I did pick up The Byrds: Untitled/Unreleased (1970). Actually, it was just "Untitled" back then; the "Unreleased" is a bonus disc of, you guessed it, unreleased material. The original release was a double album, with the first record live recordings, and the second record studio stuff. Only Roger McGuinn remains from the founding members, but the rest of the band is very good, particularly Clarence White on lead guitar. The live stuff is, for the most part, classic Byrds, and therefore suffers without the vocals of Gene Clark and David Crosby, but the 15 minute version of Eight Miles High is pretty cool, though the extended bass/drum duet in the middle wore on me a bit. I haven't heard the unreleased disc yet. Maybe tomorrow as we head to the in-laws.

On Sunday, students and teachers from our sister school in England arrive for a two-week stay. I spent today cleaning out the study so the teacher I'm hosting has a room to himself. We have a futon couch in the living room, but I just assume he would rather have the privacy of the study, which doubles as our junk room. The junk now moves up to the bedroom. Cleaning is finished except for vacuuming. God, I hate cleaning.

The worst news finally arrived concerning my son and university: he isn't classified as a Washington State resident, which means no matter where he would go to university in the States, he would be considered a non-resident. And since he went to an international school in Japan, which is not recognized by the Japanese government, he would be considered an international student in Japan, not a Japanese student. It looks like he'll be taking a year off to work in the States and gain residency.

Finally, I have been appointed national co-chair for voter registration for Democrats Abroad Japan. We're hoping to register 12,000 Democrats to vote in this year's election.

A Kind of Vacation

iPod morning commute music: N/A (vacation mode, sort of)

However, I did make a recent CD purchase of note: The New York Dolls, Rock 'n Roll (1994)

As I mentioned when I wrote about Bowie, I was never into the image glam rock at the time it was popular (nor punk, for that matter), and missed some great music on the first time round because of it. This is just another example of a really cool band that I never gave a chance! Punk before punk was invented, it is all cool music, rough and dirty. I'm glad to finally be listening to it.

I've spent the last two days working on teaching schedules for the part-time teachers and myself. Missing the first week of school means I'm forced to miss a few days of vacation (I'll miss more once the British kids and teachers arrive). I think I'll be able to finish up all the necessary prep tomorrow at school.

Tatsu and I went to see the movie Crash the other day. I have to admit, this is my kind of film. Excellent performances all the way around, and superb editing (for which it won an Academy Award).

World Champions

iPod morning commute music: N/A

Today I came into town with my wife and daughter. I don't know, it just seems rude to me to listen to music when with other people (unless they are doing the same). I feel the same about text messaging. I don't think reading is rude, though, so there's probably some generational prejudice in my way of thinking.

I came in today thinking it would be my last day, but actually, tomorrow is. Oh, well, I got the English Communication Handbook printed and stapled, with only two typos that I can see. I blame Word for one, though. We used to refer to our subject as OC (Oral Communication), but it's been changed to EC. My first draft used OC throughout, so I ran a Find and Replace: change OC to EC. Unfortunately, the damn program isn't case sensitive, so it replaced ANY OC to EC. I caught all but one; 'located' now reads 'lECcated'. Anyway, too late to fix it now, except for the saved file.

Yesterday, my daughter and I watched the final game of the World Baseball Classic, Japan VS Cuba. It was a great game, and everyone who loves baseball here is thrilled that Japan won 10-6, becoming truly the World Champions. I agree with an NY Times article I read in today's International Herald Tribune: MLB needs to rename the World Series, or as I like to call it, the World Serious. And Team USA should take a closer look to see real teamwork.

Closing Ceremonies

iPod morning commute music: The Byrds, Box Set, disc 3 (1990)

Same view as my last post, on disc 1 (I listened to disc 2 on the way home that night). Great music by a great band.

Yesterday (Sunday) saw some welcomed resolution to a family problem. Having talked to both my brother and my parents, and think everyone concerned feels better. Without going into detail, the problem centered on whether my son should enter university or take some time off and work. A major problem is that he may not be able to enter as a state resident, and financial aid turned out to be unavailable. While we're still not sure which way things will turn out, we now feel that whatever happens will be okay in the long run.

We had our closing ceremonies for the students today. For most, the school year is at an end. A few students need to take make-up tests later this week, and I'll have to come in for one last meeting on Wednesday (tomorrow is a national holiday), but it feels like closure. Wednesday I'll need to clean my desk and pack things up in boxes as I'll be moved to a new section of the teachers` room.

I also finished up the handbook for English Communication teachers at our school. It's basically 10 pages of stuff you need to know to do well at this job. I hope it will be helpful.

Kaoru is on the second day of a three-day conference on Japanese teaching at her school. She says its very useful, but I know how tiring 6 hours of workshops can be.

Finally, tonight I'm going out for dinner at the Chinese restaurant I went to in, I think, February: about $25 for all you can eat and drink in a 2-hour time period. Not a good way to lose weight

A Rare Saturday Post

iPod morning commute music: The Byrds Box Set, disc 1 (1990)

The Byrds were one of the great bands to come out of the '60s, and this 4-disc box set is probably the best way to hear them (though 1968's Sweetheart of the Rodeo should be in any comprehensive rock collection). Folk, folk rock, rock 'n' roll, psychedelic rock, country rock: The Byrds touched on all of these genres. A great box set.

It has been a tough week, full of meetings and tension. On Thursday I was able to stay home, but my Internet provider was down, which meant my phone wasn't working either. I wanted to call my brother to talk over some family problems, but couldn't. In the end, I watched Japan lose to South Korea in the international baseball series being held right now. I thought Japan was out, but then Mexico beat the USA team (of All Stars!) to allow Japan to slip in through the back door. My family was pleased, and frankly I didn't mind too much. I think the Americans assumed they would win, so maybe it's a good thing to be humbled.

Last night, the English Department at my school had a farewell dinner for a teacher who is retiring. It's the first time in three years for us to all go out together. We went to a restaurant where we had a farewell dinner back in 1990, an infamous affair due to food poisoning, which everyone who ate the raw oysters came down with. It was strange to realize that only a handful of us there last night were at the 1990 dinner; so many have retired in the last 16 years. I am now the second oldest teacher in the department!

One final note: my 3-year contract expires this year, and I was just told today that my new contract, which I will sign on Monday, will be permanent. Nothing really changes, but it will be nice never having to renew the contract again. Now if I can just figure out how to get them to include a clause giving me Saturdays off....

Winter Returns

iPod morning commute music: The Blue Box: The Best of Blue Note, disc 1 (1997)

As those into jazz already know, Blue Note records is one of the pioneers in jazz recordings. This 4-CD box set is a generous overview of their recording history, beginning in 1939 and running through the '90s. Cool, cool stuff, and good for a person like me who likes jazz but doesn't know jazz.

We had the graduation church service today. The students were restless, a bit talkative. Afterwards, I went to school and had to rework our native teachers' teaching schedule for next year. Information I should have received in December was given to me for the first time today: forcing the rewrite. Sigh.

Winter has returned. It was snowing at my place both yesterday and today, with the roads a bit icy this morning. Having come of age in Eastern Washington, I learned to drive in snow, so it doesn't bother me too much. Still, slipping and sliding down the road is never pleasant.

I think I can leave early today. Like now. Sayonara!

Monday: Graduation Week

iPod morning commute music: N/A

This morning I just wasn't in the mood for music. Part of the reason is I am reading a great book that my parents sent me for my birthday: All the King's Men (restored edition) by Robert Penn Warren. For some reason, I find it hard to read literature and listen to music at the same time. For the last couple of weeks I had this problem reading Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and I can see All the King's Men will present the same problem. Great literature, great writing in general, demands full attention if you want full reward.

Today is a day for meetings and tying up loose ends here at work. Tomorrow, the graduating 9th graders have a special graduation church service in the morning, with the graduation ceremony itself on Wednesday. Then emphasis will shift towards preparation for the new Japanese school year which starts in April. I'll be especially busy for the next few days as I need to finish my prep before the British students and teachers visit for almost 2 weeks, from the 2nd through the 14th of April. I'll be hosting one of the teachers and helping to escort the group around Japan.

Finally, I need to mail in my absentee ballot for Tuesday's local election (school levy) after the teachers' meeting coming up at 2:00.

Sunday: Where did the Week Go? and Voter Registration Information

iPod morning commute music: N/A

Here I am, at home on Sunday afternoon. It was one helluva week. Tests began on Saturday the 4th, with both of my levels (9th and 10th grades) falling on Monday. While on paper I was on a half-day schedule, the reality was pretty much full days. I did cook more meals than usual, making sloppy joes on Monday, when I also started some beef stew, which we could just add the veggies for Tuesday's meal. I also made chili from scratch, with chunks of beef instead of hamburger. Last night, Kaoru and I made a Paprika Chicken together.

I got the tests all marked and grades recorded, attended umpteen meetings, and finally got the time to go through the new voters Assistance Guide (I am the Vice Chair in charge of voter registration, Democrats Abroad Japan-Kansai, motto: "I'm so liberal I even register Republicans"), my overview reported below.

The main reason I failed to post last week is that the computers at work were all being used all the time for legitimate school work! Hogging by blogging would NOT have been appropriate nor appreciated by my co-workers. My home computer is pretty much being used by other members of the family as the second trimester winds down at the international school. But hey, it was a pretty boring week, and this week promises to be the same.

The following is US voter registration information. If anyone reading this in Japan isn't registered to vote and needs assistance, please leave a comment including (for once, though I hate making a practice of this) your e-mail address. If you live in the Osaka area, I can meet with you and help you through the process.

******************************************************************************************************************************

I finally had a chance to sit down and read over the 2006-7 Voting Assistance Guide (VAG). A lot of improvements have been made since the 2004 version.

First off, it appears that overseas voters from EVERY state and territory can register to vote, though a few still require a notary (available at the Osaka Consulate) and one, Alaska, requires photocopied proof of residency. Second, the Federal Post Card
Application (FPCA) has been greatly simplified, especially the section (now at the top of the form) identifying what category of overseas voter you are. However, individual states and territories still require varied information to fill out the rest of the form; you wouldn't want to help someone fill out an FPCA without being able to consult with the VAG.

Most states and territories now allow you to send in your FPCA by fax (and a couple by e-mail), some will fax you your absentee ballot, and a few will allow you to return the ballot by fax as well. Anyone who wants and is allowed to fax in either the FPCA or ballot can use this toll-free Japanese number: 00531-1-20833.

As I've mentioned before, most states and territories require annual filing of the FPCA, and the VAG recommends this even though a single filing should now be good for two years (hence the 2006-2007 in its title). Many states and territories provide ways to apply for permanent registration through the VAG, but this greatly varies from state to state, and even if
permanently registered, the voter will still need to submit the FPCA to get a ballot.

I've also checked out (but not thoroughly) the Democratic Party's voter registration site below:

http://www.democrats.org/registertovote

It appears that when choosing your 'state' in the drop-down menu, overseas voters should choose 'living abroad'. It then directs you to a page stating that if you don't have a legal residence in the States, you should use the FPCA, NOT their website, and give you the following link to the Federal Voting Assistance Program.

http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/onlinefpca.html

Been here/done this two years ago: this is NOT a user-friendly site. You can click to fill out an on-line form to be printed out and sent in if you don't have access to the FPCA, but they advise you to check out the VAG (linked) before you write anything.

Hopefully, Democrats Abroad or some other group will create a better way to register on-line, though it doesn't appear there will be any way to submit the forms on-line; they'll probably need to be printed out and mailed in or faxed, if allowed. If anyone out there knows of such a site, please let me know.

Finally, all of the following upcoming primary elections allow you to fax in your FPCA.

MIDTERM ELECTIONS: UPCOMING PRIMARIES
April 11: California Special Primary to fill the seat
vacated by Randy Cunningham. (Registration Deadline
March 27)
May 2: Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio
May 9: Nebraska, West Virginia
May 15: Kentucky, Oregon, Pennsylvania
May 23: Arkansas, Idaho

Not Just a Blogger Anymore...

iPod morning commute music: Talking Heads, Popular Favorites 1976-1992: Sand in the Vaseline, 1992 (disc 2)

Talking Heads was a band I missed the first time around. Their debut album came out in 1977, the same year I graduated from my first college. I didn't have much money and tended to listen to the music I loved from the '60s: The Beatles, Stones, and Dylan. Then, after two years of working as a landscaper/gardener (NOT a good job in Western Washington's 9-month rainy season!), I went back to school, graduated as a teacher, subbed (NOT a good job anywhere ever!) and finally wound up here in late 1983. But good music has a way of finding me eventually. In the case of Talking Heads, my co-worker Bob turned me on to this 2-disc greatest hits set. I was hooked immediately, and bought it within the week. Really cool music that fits so perfectly with New York's punk club CBGB's scene (The Ramones, Patti Smith, Television, Blondie). This is still the only Talking Heads I own. It may be enough.

This week has been dominated with trying to decide on who to hire as our new part-time teacher. As I've written before, every candidate had so many strong points that it was nearly impossible to decide, but decide we did, and are hoping we really made the right decision. I think we did.

I taught my last class of this Japanese school year today. Tomorrow, final exams begin. It feels like heading home.

Finally, this is my 70th post on Craig in Japan. It seems a nice, round number, a good post to announce that the TOEIC textbook I co-authored, Basic Listening Strategies for the TOEIC Test, was just published by Kenkyusha, a famous textbook publisher here in Japan. It isn't even listed on their web site yet. The book looks great, and it really is a kick to see my name on the cover! So, I'm not just a blogger anymore. I'm also an author.

Wednesday Already!

iPod morning commute music: Steely Dan, Citizen Steely Dan, disc 2 (1993)
Steely Dan was one of the great bands of the '70s, but I didn't have any of their CDs in my collection at the time this box set was released. Basically, this set is just everything they every recorded in chronological order, which means if you own any of their music already, you would never want to buy this. For me, however, it was a perfect purchase, and another example of music Tatsu put on my iPod when he reprogrammed it.

Not much to report. I've only got three classes left before final exams start (and this is the end of the Japanese school year, which runs from April through March as I'm sure anyone reading this already knows). It's time to shift thinking to next year, i.e. April, and start really looking at how I want to stream my lessons to meet the needs of the ability grouped students. Of course, the end of year paperwork will be a pain, but I won't really need to think about that until after the exams finish next week. Oh, yeah, the Junior High Graduation is something else coming up, but again not till the middle of the month.

I do have some decisions to make about increasing my involvement with Democrats Abroad Japan on a national level, but I'm taking a low-keyed approach on that one. They're looking for a National Chairperson for Voter Registration (I'm the regional chairperson for voter registration here in the Kansai). I'm just not sure what extra responsibilities go with the position, so it's wait and see the job description. It is nice to know, however, that our regional chairperson thinks I might be a good candidate for the position.

Lunchtime!