tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178838632024-03-07T16:25:44.442+09:00Craig in Japancraiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.comBlogger149125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-68141352401770130072007-04-15T12:05:00.000+09:002007-04-15T12:28:24.181+09:00The Last PostThis will be my last post on blogger.com. I've had a lot of trouble posting on the site from work, which is where I seem to spend most of my time. However, I've started a new blog, <a href="http://web.mac.com/craigsweet1/iWeb/Site%203/The%20Reluctant%20Blogger/The%20Reluctant%20Blogger.html">The Reluctant Blogger</a>, as part of my homepage, <a href="http://web.mac.com/craigsweet1">Craig in Japan</a>, at .mac. Hope to see you there.craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-42891725510767452702007-02-27T20:01:00.000+09:002007-02-27T20:02:08.754+09:00Birthday Musings<div>iPod morning commute music: The Doors, Perception box set, 2006<br /><br />It's been awhile since I've posted, so I'll just mention that I've been listening to this box set pretty much exclusively for the past week. Basically, it's all 6 of The Doors studio albums, remixed and including bonus tracks. Each album is accompanied by a DVD with a 5.1 Surround mix of the album, some video content, pictures, etc.<br /><br />Thus far, I've only listened to the albums. I don't have a 5.1 Surround system in my home, but it's on my shopping list.<br /><br />The Doors are probably the last of the great 60s bands which I needed to invest in. I've had their 2-disc greatest hits for years, and my brother sent me Morrison Hotel as a Christmas gift some time back. In a way, it was fortunate that I didn't have more of their music, as I would have never bought this terrific box set if I had...Perception is pretty costly.<br /><br />I turned 53 last week, on the 24th, and feel pretty good about it. I have been reflecting on aging recently. I mentioned to my friend Dave a few weeks ago that I haven't gone down stairs two steps at a time for years. I think it started when I first got bifocals back in my early 40s: I found it hard to focus going down stairs, and slowed way down to avoid disaster. And then there were the two times I dislocated my shoulder running down wet stairs at my local train station, my feet slipping out from under me while I was holding on the the handrail trying to catch a departing train. I honestly can't remember if I was taking two stairs at a time then, but those accidents certainly put a damper on my desire to rush down stairs.</div> <div> </div> <div>But the more I think about it, the more I realize I don't want to fear this. Maybe this is the same knee-jerk reaction to aging that causes me to want to drive a fast sports car, preferably a convertible. I think we believe that if we can still face danger, we can somehow remain younger. Once we cave in to fear, we cave in to aging.</div> <div> </div> <div>So I've started practicing, slowly, taking two stairs at a time. It's cheaper than the car.</div>craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-46799802020393314962007-02-11T19:40:00.000+09:002007-02-07T08:56:27.355+09:00Japanese Foundation DayiPod morning commute music: N/A, but on our Costco commute, my wife and I listened to: Lindsey Buckingham, Out of the Cradle (1992), and on the way home his latest, Under the Skin (2006).<br /><br />I thought it would be fun to compare these two CD's, considering the 14-year hiatus between them. I liked them both, but Kaoru felt his voice was stronger and clearer on Out of the Cradle. I thought this was simply because of the way he chose to record his voice on Under the Skin, which used a lot of echo (something my daughter pointed out the first time she heard the CD). I obviously recommend both of them.<br /><br />When I first started working at my school 22 years ago, I asked one of the Japanese history teachers how old Japan was. Well, it turns out that he had no idea, or rather, that no one has any idea to the age of Japan. Unlike the States, which we know was founded in 1776, Japan just WAS. It would be as if asking the indigenous Native Americans how old their nation is. So today is Japanese Foundations Day, and we still have no idea how old Japan really is.<br /><br />The last couple of days have been all about the Senior High Entrance Exam, and all I can say is thank God is over! Friday I arrived at 8:00 a.m. and didn't leave until 7:30 p.m.; Saturday it was 9:30 till 4:00. And we still have to wait to find out how many students actually sign up.<br /><br />Today was centered around our mythical Trip to Costco, where we really had to buy such essential goods as coffee beans and Listerine. Such is my life. No wonder almost no one reads this blog!craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-54935309303794598492007-02-06T12:58:00.001+09:002007-02-06T12:58:47.930+09:00After the Super BowliPod morning commute music: Prince, Purple Rain (1984)<br /><br />Actually, I'm cheating here. Today, I didn't listen to music, just slept on the ride in. But I did listen to Purple Rain at the end of last week, on my evening commute, without realizing that Prince was going to play the half-time show at the Super Bowl (here in Japan, I'm lucky to know when the Super Bowl is on...extra details like who provides the half-time entertainment sometimes passes me by). Anyway, he opened the show with Let's Go Crazy, the first track from the CD, and closed with Purple Rain (fitting, given the weather). It was a great show, and Purple Rain remains his finest album.<br /><br />I watched yesterday's Super Bowl in school, missing the opening kickoff return for a touchdown (I was taking care of a class during our morning service) and the third quarter (teaching my one class of the day). It was a sloppy game, but I enjoyed it. Still, nothing like the Fiesta Bowl over New Years between Boise State and Oklahoma. THAT was a game!<br /><br />Our senior high entrance exam is being held on this Friday and Saturday. We had to take in too many students after the junior high entrance exam, six full classes instead of the usual five, and I'm hoping that doesn't happen at the senior high level as well. It would be hard to cover the extra class with the part-time foreign staff that we have, and it's pretty late to be looking for someone new. Friday will be a busy day, Saturday not so much but it could be long due to the teachers' meeting concerning who we invite to become students.<br /><br />I found out last Friday that I'll be one of three escort teachers going to the UK this spring with our students. I'm actually excited about it. Last year I really got to know the British students when they came to visit our school, and am looking forward to seeing them again. Also, it will be my second time to visit the UK with this program (or should I write programme?), so I have the schemata down pat. It will also be great to see my mentor, Evelyn (the missionary who hired me all those years ago) when we visit York, where she's now living.craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-18904906854756056752007-02-01T22:42:00.000+09:002007-02-01T23:01:09.772+09:00Feelin' Alright<span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">iPod</span> morning commute music: Gene <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Pitney</span>, Ultimate Anthology (1995)<br /><br />1964 was probably the first year I really listened to rock 'n' roll (<span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">WABC</span> out of NYC, with Cousin Brucie and Herb Oscar Anderson). I was 10 years old. The Beatles ruled, but Gene <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Pitney</span> was also way cool with his hit It Hurts to be in Love.<br /><br />It was sad when he died last April at the age of 66. I'd bought this CD several years before, and well I guess it isn't considered the best collection ("What? Not Ultimate???), it has served me fine. <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Pitney</span> was graced with a tenor voice and the ability to hit over-the-top emotional peaks, comparable to his peer, Roy Orbison. His talent is missed.<br /><br />I decided to self-medicate myself with aspirin today, and have felt fine since morning. What this means is not clear, but I will continue to take aspirin for at least tomorrow.<br /><br />Today we found out our new year groups at school. I'm with the Senior High Two (juniors) year group again next year, which means I get to go on the school trip to Hokkaido again next fall. Joy! Joy!<br /><br />Sorry for the short entry, but it's late and I'm sleepy. Hopefully I'll have more to say in my next post.craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-46002607050241738912007-01-31T16:21:00.000+09:002007-01-31T16:22:08.942+09:00Wednesday and Still Not 100%iPod morning commute music: America, Here and Now (disc 1); 2007<br /><br />For years, I have been trashing the band America, primarily because of the lyrical content of their (in)famous song A Horse with No Name. I have refused to even consider that I might be wrong. I have quoted Rolling Stone Album Guide's pans of ALL their albums. Then this album rolled in, highlighted in my All Music Guide weekly e-mail of new releases.<br /><br />All Music Guide's basic view is that this band has been treated unfairly by critics and people like me, and they wrote a compelling review of this release, produced by James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins) and Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne). Included as a bonus disc is a live performance from 2005 covering all the songs on their 1975 greatest hits release Hits.<br /><br />Well, I guess I was wrong. The new stuff is good, and the old stuff is good. It is, of course, soft rock, not my favorite genre, but one that I certainly listen to often enough. I'm even considering picking up Rhino's 2006 double CD greatest hits collection The Definitive Pop Collection.<br /><br />That said, A Horse with No Name still suffers from insipid lyrics.<br /><br />This has been a bad week for me. Last Thursday, I came down with severe stomach cramps, coupled with a fever. I ended up taking Friday off work and going to the doctor, who had no real idea why I had the cramps since I had none of the other classic accompanying symptoms (vomiting or diarrhea). The medicine he prescribed did take care of the cramps, but not completely: They are still there, lingering like lechers in alleyways. Awful.<br /><br />Yesterday was our annual high school choral contest. This is a choral competition between the classes in each year group. Each year group is given a hymn which each class must perform, and then the students choose one other, popular song. The students choose conductors and pianists, and practice completely on their own, before and after school, during lunch breaks, and any other time they can find to work together. It actually is a cool competition, one of three between classes in year groups. The first is Sports Day, where classes compete in various races and games against each other. The second is the Cultural Festival, where students create performances. My memory is we didn't have these types of in-school competitions between classes, not individuals.<br /><br />Tomorrow, we teachers find out which year group we'll be attached to. I should also find out if I will be escorting to England this year. Hopefully, there will be no unpleasant surprises.craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-17080962175287900682007-01-24T12:00:00.000+09:002007-01-24T12:21:57.449+09:00ResidencyiPod morning commute music: The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stadium Arcadium (disc 1); 2006<br /><br />This is new music for me. I confess to not really having paid attention to this band, but from what I've heard, I like this double CD. Rolling Stone put it at #2 on their top 50 albums of 2006, after Dylan's Modern Times, but allmusic.com pretty much pans it. This will require further study on my part.<br /><br />The big news is that my son, Tatsu, was finally granted Washington State residency by The Evergreen State College (where I graduated from back in 1977). We've known since last summer that he would probably be granted residency since I had maintained my Washington State Drivers License and Voter Registration during all the years I've lived in Japan. This meant that I'm considered a Washington State resident, living temporarily abroad (a bit of a stretch, maybe, but thank God I maintained my ties to the state), and therefore my residency passes to my children. However, until yesterday Tatsu's residency status was still labeled "Disputed". No more.<br /><br />Now he can move forward in his plans to enroll Fall term. Supposidly, the school will be waiving a lot of credits due to his IB Diploma (up to 45), and he's been granted an academic scholarship towards his first year tuition, so things are working out nicely. I'm just sorry we couldn't have resolved the residency problem in time for Fall 2006.craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-34932804041510084262007-01-21T18:36:00.000+09:002007-01-21T19:04:35.318+09:00Yesterday, Today and TomorrowiPod morning commute music: Lucinda Williams (1988)<br /><br />Technically not commute music, since I don't commute on Sunday, but I did listen to it in the wee hours after midnight (see below), and played a couple of songs for my daughter this morning. This great album is essential if for no other reason than Passionate Kisses, my all time favorite Lucinda Williams song. I suppose Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (1998) is a stronger album (and certainly the one which propelled her, finally, into stardom), but this self-titled second album is the one I tend to put on most (I have 5 of her studio CD's). Also a highlight on the disc: Changed the Locks.<br /><br />Yesterday's teacher's meeting didn't start until after 9:00 p.m., and finished around 11:00. I could get trains most of the way home, but had to take a taxi from Kawanishi to Nissei Chuo, where my car was parked. Fortunately, the school will pay the fare, around $35. I got home, finally, at 1:00 a.m., pretty much shattered.<br /><br />Today we went to see Scorsese's The Departed, which opened yesterday here in Japan. I saw the film, unedited, on my flight back from Seattle on the 4th, but knew at the time I had to see it on the big screen. What a film! The acting is great, the directing even better, but probably the most impressive aspect of the film for me is the editing; just superb. Leonardo DiCaprio has grown exponentially with each appearance in a Scorsese film (Gangs of New York and The Aviator before), with this performance cementing his reputation as Scorsese's new DiNero. Matt Damon is also great, and Jack Nicholsan is just awesome as the villain. Vera Farmiga, an actor I wasn't familiar with, also does a fine job in this highly recommended film.<br /><br />Tomorrow is the second round of the junior high entrance exam, but hopefully the meeting will be a LOT shorter.craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-40214947910714315112007-01-20T20:44:00.001+09:002007-01-20T20:46:58.459+09:00Into the NightiPod morning commute music: Rodrigo y Gabriela (2006)<br /><br />I'm not big on world music (a shame, since I live in Asia), but I am big on great guitar playing. This duo met in a metal band in Mexico City, but ended up going acoustic and busking in, of all places, Ireland. Rodrigo plays lead, Gabriela rhythm. Flamenco is the obvious influence, but they really defy categorization. The video clips on their website rodgab.com (found under 'media' on their menu bar at the top of the site) are probably the best introduction to their music. You will then be searching for the CD. Exciting stuff. Also, see the review at allmusic.com, linked below:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:ltcibkd9fakz" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:ltcibkd9fakz</a><br /><br />Today is my school's junior high entrance exam. It is really hard to explain this aspect of the Japanese school system, but basically you have two groups of students who take the test. The first group are students who say our school is their first choice, and they are given special treatment, meaning they can enter with lower test scores (tests subjects are Japanese, Math, Science and Social Studies) than those in the second group, who are taking the exam as a back-up in case they fail the exam for their preferred school. The second group usually represents the better students, who are hoping to get into a high level public school (as opposed to private schools like mine). The tests are administered in the morning, marked and the data entered into the computer in the afternoon, after which the administration examines the results and determine which students from both groups will be invited to attend our school. Determining how many of the first group will accept our invitation is not so hard, since almost all of them really do want to come here. The problem is determining how many of the better students applying here as a back-up will actually end up here: maybe 10% of those invited, say, so if you want 10 students from this group, you have to invite 100. Then we have a teachers meeting to decide if we will accept the administration's recommendations. We are waiting for that meeting to start. It is now 8:00 p.m. We had to be here by 7:50 a.m. for our morning service (Christian school). It's been a long day, extending into the night.<br /><br />My co-worker Bob and I brought DVDs and munchies in anticipation of all this. We watched one of the classics that Bob brought, The Naked Gun, and a Sheryl Crow video DVD. Good stuff. Ate potato chips, cheese, crackers, along with the food provided by the school.<br /><br />In the hours when we weren't working, eating, or watching TV, I got some serious work done on the TOEIC reading book, which made me feel good. Meanwhile, it 8:10, with no meeting in sight. It's going to be one long, long night.craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-20258814448437318012007-01-16T15:06:00.001+09:002007-01-16T15:06:53.100+09:00Just Another TuesdayiPod morning commute music: Oasis, Stop the Clocks (disc 1); 2006<br /><br />It was interesting when I went back to Seattle for Christmas and showed my brother, the rock musician in the family, this double-CD greatest hits package. He asked if they really had that many hits. Granted, this 18-song set includes B-sides and album tracks, but the answer is that, yes, Oasis had that many hits. I don't know if it's just my brother, or if Americans in general missed how good Oasis was, and continues to be: Their last release, 2005's Don't Believe the Truth, is the best new album they've put out since 1995's masterpiece (What's the Story) Morning Glory? The bottom line is that this is a great overview of the band. Recommended.<br /><br />This past weekend was lazy in the mornings, productive in the afternoons. On Saturday, I met with my TOEIC series co-author, who's elderly father has been ill. We've really fallen behind on our schedule, but who can fault her with what she's been through over the last couple of months, and I didn't help anything by going back to the States over the holidays. Fortunately, we both recognize what we need to do (work really, really hard, sacrificing all our free time to finishing the book) which begs an answer to the question: So what are doing writing your blog?<br /><br />Sunday afternoon, my wife and I went to Costco as we needed to change over to our snow tires and make important food purchases like, er, pepperoni pizza and cheesecake.<br /><br />Monday was back to work. Our Language Laboratory assistant/saviour, Sae, noticed that I had scheduled one too many lessons for one of my seventh grade classes as I somehow overlooked a minor thing like A NATIONAL HOLIDAY.... Another week off to a brilliant start.<br /><br />And today, Tuesday, was back into the heart of teaching, four sophomore classes, two advanced (smart) and two standard (not).<br /><br />I'm still working through the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. As Gib commented on my last post, these ratings are really arbitrary. I've noticed the tendency which he also pointed out towards newer releases surpassing classic releases (fair enough, if done in a rational way). The book itself is a fun read, and I'm actually learning things (example: Dusty Springfield never sang a note in Memphis on her seminal album Dusty in Memphis: all her vocals were recorded in New York and added to the instrumental tracks. I guess she was too much in awe to actually record in the Memphis studio!).<br /><br />Now, it would probably be a good time to start at least thinking about the TOEIC book!craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-45691001292593010492007-01-12T15:13:00.000+09:002007-01-12T15:45:55.941+09:00Old FriendsiPod evening commute music: The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)<br /><br />One of my Christmas gifts from my brother was Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (or something like that). #1 was Sgt. Pepper's, and no true rock fan can deny that it is a great album. It was the first Beatles' album that I bought with my own money (a paper route). It is not my favorite album by the band: I think I listen to Rubber Soul and Revolver more often. However, the importance of the album lies in the direction it moved music, the multi-tracking, the psychedelia, the idea of a group recording without performing live. Rock became art.<br /><br />Last Monday, I searched around and found the phone number of one of my old college roomates, a great friend, and the person who recruited me to Japan all those years ago. Eric and I have been out of touch for several years, and he wrote to one of our mutual friends in Japan asking about me and asking him to pass on his current address to me. Hence, my phone call.<br /><br />Eric and I have one of those friendships that are like a pair of really comfortable, well-worn slippers that always feel good when you slip them on. Though much of our conversation was catch-up, none of it sounded as though we hadn't talked for years, but rather that we had just talked last week. I know it is not an original thought, but I've always felt that to be a test of true friendship: Easy conversation after long absences.<br /><br />It was a great conversation, and I know we'll work hard to ensure the absences are fewer, and shorter in length.craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-59761292241641330272007-01-06T14:09:00.000+09:002007-01-06T14:10:12.703+09:00Home From the Holidays and a New Years ResolutioniPod morning commute music: N/A<br /><br />Flew back to Japan yesterday, and got home about 9:00 p.m. I had a good holiday, but it was also good to get back to the States. My goal for the visit was to ensure that my parents and son had the best Christmas and New Years possible, and I think I helped.<br /><br />It was good to see how my son has adjusted to life in the States, and on Vashon Island in particular. He's well-liked at work, has made friends (including several with whom he can play music), and is continueing his art. Now we just need to clear up the residency questions before he starts school in the fall.<br /><br />It is hard to watch my parents age. My mother has lost a lot of her vision, and tests have confirmed that, in the past, she has suffered one or more small strokes which affected her vision. I was able to go with my parents for my mother's doctor appointment, and got a much better picture of what's going on. My father's showing his age as well, slowing way down. My brother and I had a good chance to visit and talk about them, and what could be in store in the future. As always, I feel bad that the burden falls unfairly on his shoulders.<br /><br />I was able to do some cooking for everyone, but I had to be careful not to try to dictate to my parents what to eat: they actually LIKE eating cereal for breakfast and dinner! Still, I managed, in part, a big batch of chilli, a turkey for Christmas day, a ham for the extended family's Christmas party, and spaghetti and meatballs from scratch. I also baked a pecan pie.<br /><br />I also got to attend a couple of Sonics basketball games curtesy of my friends Nan and Will (one of which was on New Years Eve with my son). They won both games, and maybe were the only games they won while I was there! I also saw a lot of televised games, especially the Fiesta Bowl, probably the most exciting football game I've ever watched.<br /><br />I also had some quality (drinking and visiting) time with my friend Craig B. I'm lucky to have such a long-time buddy living so near on Island. The fact that he looks in on both my parents and my son means so much to me.<br /><br />But now it's back to work. Today I had to be in for a meeting at 10, and then found out we have a major student problem in my year group, so it looks like I'll be here until late this afternoon or early evening. Not the best news considering the jet lag, but what the hell! You play, you pay, and I have no real problem with that. I'll slog my way through the day, and will have tomorrow (Sunday) and Monday off. Life shifts back into low gear on Tuesday, and high gear (actual classes!) on Friday.<br /><br />Finally, that resolution: I resolve to blog at least 3 times per week in 2007.<br /><br />Happy New Years, everybody!craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-4514457990518346182006-12-13T12:48:00.000+09:002006-12-13T12:50:39.370+09:00The Too Busy to Blog Blogger's Blues (try saying that 3 times fast)iPod morning commute music: The Allman Brothers, Eat a Peach (1972)<br /><br />What can I say? I graduated from high school in 1972, and the Allman Brothers Band was the hottest group in America. Duane Allman died in 1971, and this album was sort of a tribute to him, and his great guitar work. It is excellent all the way through.<br /><br />One thing I learned from one of the many British music mags my friend Ian passed onto me was that it was Duane who came up with the killer riff for Derek and the Dominoes classic Layla (he played on the album as a guest). I also highly recommend the Allman Brothers classic 1971 release At Fillmore East [live], expanded in 1992 and issued as The Fillmore Concerts [live].<br /><br />OK, I've gotten more than a little grief over the fact that I haven't been the best of bloggers of late. Thank you all for checking in on me. Basically, final exam season hit, and hit hard, bringing (almost) to an end one of the busiest terms I'm had since my rookie year here at the school. The seniors have all finished up (no classes third term), so I lose (in the best sense of the word) 6 of my 17 classes next term. That should free me up a little, and allow me to be a more consistent blogger.<br /><br />I'll be leaving in 8 days for my 2-week visit to the States from Christmas with my parents and son. I hope the trip goes well. My mother's health has not been so good, mainly vision problems, so I think it's important that I get back for the visit. It is hard leaving my wife and daughter during the holidays, but they will be able to celebrate Japanese New Year (the most important of Japanese holidays) with my wife's family.<br /><br />So a crazy term is coming to a relatively calm end. We put the Christmas tree last Sunday, so things are looking Christmasy in the home. I just hope the holidays turn out to be just that...holidays.<br /><br />More later.craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-65075271948528840282006-11-15T16:30:00.000+09:002006-11-15T16:32:10.162+09:00The Cautious BloggeriPod morning commute music: N/A...I was exhausted, so I slept all the way in.<br /><br />Two days ago, I spent quite a bit of time writing a blog, only to be unable to post it. Finally, the damn thing timed out, and I couldn't recover it. So this will be a short post.<br /><br />The textbook I chose to use this year came with free software that was to enable me to create online activities for the students to use. Cool, I thought. Unfortunately, the program is so limited (it's a 'Light' version of the full program they want me to buy) that I can't really utilize it, which has me pretty ticked off. I'm in the middle of trying to solve the problem, dealing with both the software company and the publisher (who's sales rep wasn't aware of the severe limitations of the program). We'll see what happens.<br /><br />On Sunday, my friend John popped over from Kobe on his motorcycle, and hour and a half journey on a cold and, around my house, rainy day. Being British, the first thing he asked for was tea. We had a good, but short, visit. I first met John at the 2005 JALT Conference, where they were selling some mean Margarettas. He, Brendon (who first turned me onto this blog site) and I drank our fair share between presentations. This year, met up again at JALT, and had a particularly good time at a publishers' dinner.<br /><br />My son just wrote to let me know that Thanksgiving is a paid holiday for him (the grocery store he's working in is close that day). Lucky kid.<br /><br />Let's see if this posts.<br /><br />OK, it didn't. Let's try again.craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-1163047065838149342006-11-09T13:29:00.000+09:002006-11-09T18:03:53.063+09:00Post Election EuphoriaiPod morning commute music: Creedence Clearwater Revival, various albums, songs shuffled<br /><br />The is, in my opinion, no band that was more American than CCR. John Fogerty wrote songs that were snapshots of my country in the late '60s, early '70s (and still does today, as a solo artist). In the song, Green River, he sings (forgive me if I don't get everything right here), "Old Cody Jr. took me over, said, 'You're gonna find the world is smoulderin', and if you get lost, come on home to Green River.'" <br /><br />America just came home. Having taken back both Houses of Congress in 2006, we now need to prepare to take back the Presidency in 2008. The world is smouldering, and we need to put out the fires. <br /><br />The change has begun.craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-1162877009921322102006-11-07T14:22:00.000+09:002006-11-09T18:03:52.459+09:00The Infrequent BloggeriPod morning commute music: Fleetwood Mac, Tusk [expanded edition] (1979/2004)<br /><br />After listening to Lindsey Buckingham's latest (Under the Skin), I decided I need to go back to Fleetwood Mac's Tusk and have another listen. Like everyone else in America, I owned Rumors, but for some reason I never bought Tusk. Maybe it was the hype (the first $1,000,000 album), the length (2 record set), or the title cut which, for some reason I can no longer remember, I didn't like. Regardless, this is a great CD. Remastered, it also has the album version of Stevie Nicks' song Sara (I according to allmusic.com, the original CD had the shortened single version in order to squeeze everything onto 1 CD). The 2nd CD is mostly outakes, demos, etc., but there's enough interesting stuff to keep someone like me listening.<br /><br />Sorry I haven't been blogging. It's just been a busy time. The same excuses I've used in the past entries still hold true. Fortunately, the elections are upon us tomorrow, so I will take a break from Democrats Abroad Japan for a couple of months as I prepare for final exams and work on the first draft of the second TOEIC book, which we need to complete by Christmas.<br /><br />This weekend, I gave a talk at the Japan Association of Language Teachers' (JALT) conference in Kitakyushu. It was the first time for me to present at an international conference. My collegue, Keiji, and I talked about what the Osaka Private Schools English Teaching Association is doing to affect change from the prefectural level. It went well, but unfortunately we were given a horrible presentation time (lunchtime, on the last day), and it was poorly attended. I think we'll try to come back next year and give a presentation on the same basic theme, and hope for more people.<br /><br />Big news: I'll be returning to Seattle by myself to spend Christmas with my son, my parents, and the rest of my US based family. Unfortunately, Kaoru and Alisa can't make it. I'll be arriving in Seattle on Dec. 21st, and will return to Japan on Jan. 4th. If any of my friends are able to drop by Vashon for a visit, let me know, but the main point is to visit my family, so I doubt I'll be getting out of the Seattle area this trip.craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-1160713841652302912006-10-13T13:18:00.000+09:002006-11-09T18:03:52.027+09:00Blogging BluesiPod morning commute music: Lindsey Buckingham, Under the Skin (2006)<br /><br />Lindsey Buckingham was the guitarist for Fleetwood Mac during their heyday in the late '70s early '80s. He is also a topnotch singer/songwriter. However, he hasn't put out much music as a solo artist, only 4 albums in 25 years, and this is only his second album since leaving the band (the first, 1992's Out of the Cradle, is excellent, though not many people seem to know about it). <br /><br />Under the Skin is mainly acoustic. Buckingham plays almost all the tracks himself. He uses a lot of echo effects on his vocals, which my daughter finds distracting. Myself, it is an album I love. His original material is great, but so are his covers, especially his version of the Stones' I am Waiting, off of Aftermath. The guitar work seems almost classical; certainly this isn't your typical rock album. Highly recommended.<br /><br />A couple of days ago I wrote a long blog expanding on the trip to Hokkaido I took. For some reason, it wouldn't publish, and I actually lost the damn thing. It is very frustrating to lose writing (Microsoft, are you listening? Word crashes WAY too often, and almost always during those rare moments when I forget to say every two minutes!).<br /><br />So here is my short little entry for today. With luck, it will publish.craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-1160461329373567582006-10-10T15:21:00.000+09:002006-11-09T18:03:51.845+09:00Back from HokkaidoiPod morning commute music: Bruce Springsteen, Devils and Dust (2005)<br /><br />Another one of Springsteen's quiet, acoustic albums, like Nebraska and Ghost of Tom Joad, not as good as the former, but I like it much better than the latter. It's not one of his albums that I play often. For me, the Springsteen of Rosalita is the one I like to listen to, when his music was fun. That said, I own everything he's done in one form or another, and all of it is interesting. Devils and Dust is, for the most part, somber stuff, but coming into school for the first time in a week had me in a pretty somber mood. Very good music.<br /><br />Hokkaido came off without a problem. As I think I wrote earlier, I always have a better time once I'm on the trip than I imagine I will. The oddest thing that happened to me was on the last day, in the seaside city of Otaru. Everyone had 3 hours of free time to sightsee, shop and eat lunch before taking the busses to the airport to fly home. Each teacher was assigned an area of the town to go to at 2:30 to make sure the students got back to the busses on time. I had to search out students at a huge music box museum/store. I got there early, and was looking at their collection of antique music boxes (of which I knew absolutely nothing about), when I ran across one manufactured by the Regina Music Box Company out of Rahway, N.J., which was a city quite near to where I lived before moving west at the age of 12. My family always caught the train into New York City from Rahway. Anyway, I was shocked to see anything from N.J. in this museum, and I wrote down the name of the company to check it out on the Internet when I got home. It turns out it was (still is, though they went out of business years and years ago) a very famous company, with its music boxes still selling on eBay for thousands of dollars apiece. I also learned a bit about the history of music boxes along the way. Actually, it is a much more interesting topic than I ever expected.craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-1159418219296567182006-09-28T13:36:00.000+09:002006-11-09T18:03:51.104+09:00Hokkaido on the HorizoniPod morning commute music: Pat Metheny, Bright Size Life (1975)<br /><br />I was surprised to find this on my iPod, but surprises are what you get when you let your 18 year old son program it for you. This is Pat Metheny's debut album, and it is excellent jazz, with Metheny on guitar and Jaco Pastorius on bass. I believe that I saw Metheny live at my first college back in the mid-seventies, but I really hadn't paid much attention to him. Obviously, that was a mistake! <br /><br />The adjustment to the new language labs is getting better, but just when 1 thing begins to mellow around here, something else comes along to get you back on edge. Next Tuesday I have to go to Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan, with our senior high two (juniors) students for 3 nights and 4 days. These short trips are really busy, and it isn't that fun to be with students (or responsible for students) all the time. That said, I usually have an okay time once I'm actually there, but it's still not something I look forward to.<br /><br />My son got his Washington State Driver's License yesterday, so the primary goals of his gap year (job and license) have been reached. Next up is to finish the university application process and find out if they really will grant him state residency.craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-1158304375207566592006-09-15T16:10:00.000+09:002006-11-09T18:03:50.632+09:00Yesterday's Blog TodayiPod morning commute music: Bob Dylan, Modern Times (2006)<br /><br />Again. I actually have listened to other stuff since the last time I posted, but the Dylan keeps pulling me in. The more I listen to it, the more I like it.<br /><br />This IS getting stupid. I'm so busy at work I don't have time to post, and I'm so tired at night I don't feel like doing anything other than watching TV. Things are getting better at work, though: I'm about two weeks ahead of myself in planning.<br /><br />Our TV went belly up last Saturday, so Kaoru and I had to buy a new one. With the move to complete high definition TV coming in 2011 here in Japan, it only made sense to but an HD TV. We ended up getting a nice one, a Hitachi Woo 37" Plasma with a built in 250 GB HDD. What the hell? We figure this TV will be with us for the next 10 to 15 years, so we went with a good one. It is cool.<br /><br />Tatsu finally started working at the local Thriftway. I suspect it is strange for him to go from the life of a student to the life of a worker, Monday through Friday, 40 hours a week. I think it is a good job for him, though. The pay is above minimum wage, it's a union job, so he can eventually get health coverage (his Japanese insurance only covers the minimum overseas), and he can get to meet a lot of the local people. Also, when he goes to college, he can always look for part-time work in a grocery store.<br /><br />For some reason, I couldn't publish this yesterday, so I copied and pasted it into a Word document and am trying again today. Hope it works.craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-1157685774923017902006-09-08T12:04:00.000+09:002006-11-09T18:03:50.402+09:00There is an LL in the Word HELLiPod morning commute music: Bob Dylan, Modern Times (2006)<br /><br />A great album, unless you don't like Dylan, and then you will hate it. It's actually been my morning commute music for the last week or so. I'm listening to it at least once a day. This fits right in with his last two CD's, Time Out of Mind (1997) and Love and Theft (2001). Every song is cool. Way cool. Buy it. Unless you don't like Dylan.<br /><br />Posting has become difficult since the advent of our new Computer Aided Language Labs (CALL's) in action. On top of the learning curve and trying to get the part-time teachers trained and able to use the machines, the software seems to be full of bugs. Programs close all on their own! Others open in their place! Virtual tape recorders suddenly start playing for no reason! It is awful...teachers keep having to stop their lessons to bring back the student software programs (the entire class loses programs all at once).<br /><br />When things work, the LL's are great, but they aren't working very well very often.<br /><br />Tatsu is doing better in the States. He just landed a job at a Thriftway grocery store, which was the job he wanted (and I wanted him to get...there are grocery stores in every college town, and it would make a good part-time job when he is in university). Hopefully, things will continue to look up for him.<br /><br />Sorry this is so short, but it's lunch time and I'm starving.craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-1156840688243302342006-08-29T17:10:00.000+09:002006-11-09T18:03:50.149+09:00Keeping in TouchiPod morning commute music: N/A<br /><br />With my son, Tatsu, living in the States with my elderly parents, I was hoping to figure out better ways to keep in touch. Certainly phone calls have gotten cheaper since we got broadband and IP service, but still it costs money. When we bought Tatsu a computer for his graduation present, the fact that it came with a built-in camera for video conferencing intrigued me. My friend, Tom, now in Australia, and I messed around a little with CUSeeMe when it first came out, but my ISDN just wasn't good enough for decent quality. We all remember the herky-jerky movements from those days. <br /><br />I decided that we should check out iChat, Mac's conferencing program. While I didn't have a camera, I figured we could just set it up for telephone chat. It turned out that Tatsu could actually send out video from his end to our computer, which was so cool I ended up heading straight for Osaka (a 90 minute journey 1-way) to pick up an iSight camera for my eMac (I know, there are WAY cheaper cameras on the market, but I just love the simplicity of Mac products, and it looks pretty cool, too!). Once we got it up and running it sort of took on a life of its own. <br /><br />It was like having Tatsu in another room in the house. We basically ran it for 3 hours straight that first day, but we weren't nailed down in front of our computers. We wandered in and out, take breaks, whatever. It was cool.<br /><br />Today was even better. Alisa was home in the morning, and when she and her brother started talking I left the room. In the hallway it sounded like Tatsu was in the study with Alisa! Weird in a good way.<br /><br />So I went the next step and downloaded Skype's beta version of their Mac video conferencing software. This way, I figure, I can communicate with those living in the Windows world. Skype is certainly not as good as iChat; the motion is jerkier, and there's a longer delay in the audio, but hey, it's free and works pretty damn well for that price.<br /><br />So, I'm up and running for any iChatting of Skyping any of my friends would like to do. It looks like a much better way of keeping in touch.craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-1156468778134218412006-08-25T08:52:00.000+09:002006-11-09T18:03:49.904+09:00shave and a haircut, two bitsiPod morning commute music: Graham Parker: Passion is no Ordinary Word, The Graham Parker Anthology, Disc 1 (1993)<br /><br />Yesterday morning's commute music, actually. I first got turned on to Graham Parker (and the Rumour, back then) in 1979, with his superb album Squeezing Out Sparks. But for some reason, that's as far as I went with his catalogue until this 2 disc anthology came out. My vinyl collection in the States had vanished by then, so the anthology became my sole Parker CDs, and they were revelatory! I prefer the earlier stuff found on disc 1, but the later stuff is cool, too. I finally replaced Squeezing Out Sparks with Arista's 1996 re-mastered CD which included, on the same disc, a live version of the same album, in the same order, referred to as 'Live Sparks'. <br /><br />Today I don't have to go to work, as only the senior students have lessons, and I don't teach them on Fridays. Monday I'll need to go in, but Tuesday should be off as well. The rest of the students return on Wednesday, and from then on it's business as usual.<br /><br />Yesterday I went for a haircut at the cheap barber located near Tenma Station on the JR Loop Line. On Thursdays, they charge only ¥1,800 (at yesterday's exchange rate) for a haircut, shampoo, mini-massage and and shave. As I've written before, I really enjoy this full treatment; yesterday, I was in the barber chair for over an hour. What's amazing to me is how in America this doesn't really exist. The emphasis is on speed, get it cut and get out ASAP. I know of no one in the States who has EVER had a shave at a barber shop. It's a shame, really, that this ritual, the shave and the haircut, is virtually nonexistent anymore.<br /><br />Two bits, BTW, equals 25 cents. An old football cheer went like this: "2 bits, 4 bits, 6 bits, a dollar; all for Belvidere stand up and holler!"<br /><br />I wonder if Americans still know what 2 bits are?craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-1156345642378593432006-08-23T23:35:00.000+09:002006-11-09T18:03:49.670+09:00Teaching AgainiPod morning commute music: Elvis Costello, King of America, 1986<br /><br />There really was no reason why I chose this classic this morning. I was actually feeling more like listening to Dylan, but this jumped out at me as I was scrolling down the playlists. Cool stuff, and a real harbringer for the kind of vocals Elvis would end up giving us today, the Burt Bacherach side of him. <br /><br />Today we had first lessons for our senior students. We weren't able to use the new LL's yet, so my co-worker in charge of the year group, Bob, suggested a writing task. We brainstormed and he made a cool worksheet based on the results. What I like about the task is that it utilizes, on one sheet of paper, the basic writing process: Pre-writing, Writing, Evaluation, Re-writing. Obviously, we're talking about paragraph writing, not an extended essay! Spread out over two classes, it looks like it should work. Today we did the pre-writing task (a mind map) and the 1st draft of a paragraph based on 1 of 3 topics.<br /><br />Also at work today: Someone drank my opened Diet Pepsi! I drank about a third of the bottle between lessons and put it back in the fridge. When I came down after my second lesson finished, I couldn't find my drink. I thought I was going mad, forgetting where I put it, so I searched around for it. "Hmm, did I forget to put it back?" Finally found it in the trash can next to the sink in the break room. Whoever drank it didn't even bother to recycle it in the Pet Bottle Bin! Unbelievable that anyone would stoop so low.<br /><br />After work, I met with Jo, my co-author for the TOEIC books, to discuss the second book. We need to finish it by the end of the year. I'm sure we'll manage, but it will make for a tough autumn. We have no choice, as the book we've finished (on the listening component of the test) is pretty worthless without its companion volume (on the reading component). To sell the first, we need the second.<br /><br />Once we get this initial set published, we can then concentrate on getting the second level written in 2007, then the third level in 2008. It is a pace that can be reached.<br /><br />Tomorrow I only have one class, 6th period, meaning I can sleep in. Always good news.craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17883863.post-1155800027190493592006-08-17T15:47:00.000+09:002006-11-09T18:03:49.495+09:00Back in the Land of WaiPod morning commute music: Bob Dylan, Highway 61 Revisited, 1965<br /><br />Without a doubt one of Dylan's (and Rock 'n' Roll's) greatest albums, the one where he went electric for good (or at least until after his motorcycle accident), the album opens with Rolling Stone magazine's #1 greatest rock song ever recorded, Like a Rolling Stone. I'm reading Greil Marcus' book, Like a Rolling Stone, Bob Dylan at the Crossroads, so it seemed like a logical choice.<br /><br />I got back home from the States late Tuesday night, back into the heat and humidity of the Land of Wa (as opposed to the cool, beautiful summer of the State of WA). It was a busy 3 weeks. Good but frustrating news was that Tatsu should be considered a Washington State resident since I should be considered a Washington State resident ("should" because we still have to wait for the paperwork to be approved). It turns out I was basically right all along: By keeping my WA driver's license and voter registration at my parents' address, I retained my residency. Tatsu still will take a year off, and will probably attend my first college, The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA, though Western Washington University in Bellingham is still an option. The problem is that Western won't give much credit for Tatsu's IB Diploma, while Evergreen looks like they'll give a lot (45 credits, though again we won't know until the paperwork goes through).<br /><br />Along with Tatsu's university dramas, he was/is learning how to drive. Our friend, Holly B., is a certified Drivers' Ed teacher and is giving him free lessons. Kaoru and I basically just let him drive us around everywhere, giving him chances to practice. His longest road trip was to Ellensburg, where we stayed with another friend, Mitch W. Had a chance in the 'Burg to visit a whole slew of the family who lived across the street from us. Tatsu's driving is getting very good, and hopefully he'll take his driving test at the end of August in North Bend, where my brother Mark lives.<br /><br />Cliff and Holly from Alaska came to Vashon for a few days to visit. They were pretty stressed out over trying to plan back to back weddings for both their children, but I think we helped to relax them (all the Costco beer, wine and food that they brought with them contributed greatly to that cause). We also met my late friend Bob K.'s sister and fiancee for lunch and had a BBQ party at my cousin Juila's and her husband, Craig's place, where we got to see my ailing but improving Aunt Vera and my other cousin, Stacia, whom we hadn't seen for several years.<br /><br />Nan W. took us to see a Seattle Storm (women's basketball) game. My friend since high school, Nan is an artist who has helped Tatsu over the years with her advice and guidance, and who recommended Evergreen's art program as one to be considered. Before the game, we made signs which, when put together, read "WE'RE STORMIN' MAD! Save our teams!" protesting the potential move of both the Storm and the Sonic to Oklahoma, and which got us on TV for a moment of glory. <br /><br />Craig B., Holly's husband and one of my oldest and best friends (since 1972, when we were both 18 and in our first year at Evergreen) sailed back from Lopez Island to Vashon Island following a Latitudes and Attitudes party on Lopez. It was my first long sailing trip, and aside from hurting my ribs in a fall, damn near getting sick in the Straits, and getting the worst sunburn I've had in recent (20 years!) memory, I had a great time.<br /><br />But mostly it was about family: My mom and dad both turn 80 this year; Kaoru, taking care of them while she was there; my brother Mark and I sharing wine on his back deck at night; long conversations with his wife Ann after Mark went to bed; Alisa, off to the Global Young Leaders Conference; Tatsu, staying behind with my folks for a year, realizing he will need to cook for them. It was hard to say goodbye to Tatsu when he and Mark saw me off at the airport. He turned 18 at the end of July, but it is difficult to acknowledge a child becoming a man. Our last few days together were spent with me trying to be a daddy one last time, to show or teach something to my son one last time, to try to make him see how much I love him one last time before flying back to the heat and humidity of Wa.craiginjapanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10367727011477254613noreply@blogger.com0