PA & MA IN HACH

19TH OCT - 25TH OCT

Time really flies! Before i know it, Pa & Ma came and they left! Was looking foward to their visit ever since they decided on their US tour. Picked them up at Hach station ard 645pm on 19th Oct. They had a long trip, all the way from Singapore to US and now Japan. Mama had many stories to tell about her interesting encounters during their US tour. I brought them to a restaurant located below the station for dinner. Pa & Ma were sooo sick of American food so they were happy to have some Asian food! I ordered some rice, miso soup and some meat. We decided to try the local cuisine so I ordered horse meat too! It looked like beef but was very tough…We also had hotate (scallop)　[ほたて] . After dinner we caught the train to Konakano and dragged all the luggages back to my small apartment. Once we reached my home, Mama unloaded stuff that they brought for me… Interestingly, they even brought toiletries, tissue boxes & toilet paper rolls that they have collected from hotels during their US trip! They thought I would definitely need these stuff so they have been collecting them at each hotel they stayed in the US! Haha, I have such cute parents! They were really exhausted from traveling so soon enough, they went to sleep. I let them have my bed in the loft while I slept on the mattress on my carpet in the living/dining room. ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz….Was sleeping soundly until I was woken up by really loud snoring… Alas, it’s Papa’s signature snoring that I missed for 2 months! It was sooo loud that I couldn’t sleep… :(

The next day, we woke up early to have breakfast (kaya bread! Yummy!) before setting off to Hach station to catch the bus to Lake Towada. We met up with Jaslyn’s 2 friends, Lay Lian & Ooi Ling, who were also on a holiday here. They came from Gerard’s house and now they also wanna go Lake Towada to sight-see. Since we were going the samw direction, we went together. The bus ride was 2 hours. Enjoyed really beautiful scenery along the way. Also passed by Oirase Gorge… There were many old people strolling along Oirase Gorge who were taking photos with really professional-looking cameras (complete with tripod stands)! Wow, is this what old jap folks do when they retire?
Soon we reached the Lake but we were early for check-in to our hotel. Thus we had lunch first, then went to sit on the boat cruise around the lake. Was pretty chilling at the Lake! Mama did not wear enough thick clothes so she was freezing… Papa felt fine... Maybe coz he has lots of fat to insulate him from the cold! Haha! We took a leisurely stroll along the lake and enjoyed the foliage, what the Japanese term as kouyou ［紅葉］. Such a beautiful word…
After we checked into the ryoukan［旅館］, Kor Kor and Wendy still haven’t arrived. We were all very worried that they might have missed the last bus from Hach… However we were relieved that they finally arrived later. The hotel staff helped by fetching them from the bus terminal coz I told them we were expecting my brother to come via bus. So thank God they made it. Then we happily had a family dinner together – Japanese style! The food was good! Needless to say, the presentation was absolutely beautiful... The next day, we did some shopping before heading back to Hach. Kor Kor & Wendy had one more night to stay in Lake Towada so I bade them farewell.

Next morning, I brought Papa and Mama to Hokuryo’s Culture Festival. Murakami sensei decided to issue me a taxi ticket instead of making us take a bus to Hokuryo as he said it would be tough on my parents since they are old. Hee how nice!
When we reached, Ito Kochosensei was very hospitable. He let us sit just beside him, as the VIPs! There were performances put up by students of all the three grades. It started with a “Momotaro” play in English by the 1^st graders, followed by a presentation of Good Job week by the 2^nd graders and lastly various performances like dances & plays by the stars of the Culture Festival today – the 3^rd graders. It was their last Culture Festival so many of them were moved to tears! I always wondered why Japanese students seem to cry so easily… Anyway, it was very enjoyable. Papa and Mama got to talk to some 1^st graders and they seem happy to engage in a conversation with them. Some 3rd graders also brought us around on a school tour where many students' works were exhibited in classrooms.
After the performances ended, we left Hokuryo for Cino by taxi. Then we went shopping around Downtown and headed to Lapia to buy groceries for dinner. We bought sushi, sashimi and crabs! They all tasted really fresh! I was stuffed! I was lucky man coz usually I will not have such a sumptuous meal!

The next day, I decided to bring Papa & Mama to Hasshoku Center since it would be too cold to visit Tanesashi Coast or Kabushima.. However I didn’t know there was a direct bus to go to Hasshoku Center from Muikamachi bus-stop so we took a train to Nagashirogane train station and walked there. Unfortunately it started raining and the wind was especially strong today. Poor Mama looks like she was freezing… I felt quite bad. Papa seem ok though. Maybe coz he has lots of fats to keep him warm?!? Haha..
We had a warm meal at Hasshoku Center and Mama started her dried goods shopping. Papa tried out his bargaining skills there and I became quite irritated. Told him people in Japan don’t have the habit of bargaining… Plus this is an indoor market but not a flea market. I managed to buy a nice handbag that costs only 500yen! Very cute! We took a bus back to downtown then we went to Piado by Nanbu bus. Chanced upon 2 Hokuryo students at Jyuusannichimachi bus-stop and we took the same bus. Shopped at Piado for some time before walking to Lapia to buy dinner again. Had　yet another sumptuous dinner!
Had to work today but luckily I was assigned to visit Shimamori JHS. Shimachuu JHS’s JTE, Ms Nakamura is always well-prepared in her lessons and shows great enthusiasm during classes. Thus it’s a joy whenever I get to go Shimachuu. This time, Papa and Mama tagged along to do a school visit. When we reached, Shimachuu’s staff gave us a warm welcome. Ms Nakamura explained the day’s lesson and I was pleasantly surprised that she involved Papa & Mama into the lesson plans for all the classes. I thought having Papa & Mama at the school would cause a hindrance but she cleverly incorporated them into the lessons. I was really grateful as Papa and Mama had lots of fun interacting with the students, like answering questions about Singapore and giving out stickers as rewards for class participation! Furthermore, Papa & Mama were invited to stay for lunch as well!
Later at night, Papa told me that if JET would not mind hiring a 60 year old man, he would apply to be an ALT! Haha!

The next day, it was time for Papa & Mama to return to Singapore. I walked them to Konakano station, carrying bags and bags of stuff that Mama bought. Heh, was a gd trip for them and I can finally sleep soundly tonight... hee hee

CHORUS CONTEST

14th October

Actually I was quite disappointed when I learned that i would not be able to attend my semi-base sch's chorus contest as it's gonna be held on the 21 Oct, next Saturday. On that day, I'll still be in Lake Towada with my parents! However, Murakami sensei suggested that he can make a request to Odate JHS to allow me to attend their chorus contest instead, since I do visit that school too. Permission granted! Murakami sensei asked me to bring Claire along as her semi-base sch's chorus contest was already over.

Claire & I took a ride to Odate JHS fr Murakami sensei as he was gonna go to Odate as a parent to support his son, who is in second grade. Hmm the contest was v interesting. Every student had to sing or play a musical instrument. Can see that the first grade students were not as strong as the 2nd and 3rd students. But it was still gd efffort!

BBQ IN NANGO

8th Oct 2006

It kept raining non-stop so a few of us were wondering if our office BBQ was still on... but Kosei san confirmed that we are still going ahead as planned. Murakami sensei fetched the gals from Universe while Kosei san picked up the guys. Soon we arrived in Nango, a place where the jazz festival is held. Then of course we started to BBQ! It was in fact a great day to have a BBQ as it was so cold. Brrr..... I didn't have anything thick enough to keep me warm so Murakami sensei lent me one of his winter jackets. The heat from the BBQ pit kept us warm though...
Russell brought his home-made satay. Ohhh, it was simply delicious! How nostalgic! Joel also brought some beef patties. There was even a machine that could heat up sake (Japanese wine). I tried a bit of it... V strong & not v tasty leh...Still prefer ice wine!

We were lucky that day too coz there was some sort of performance held in an auditorium right beside the BBQ pits. So we all went in to watch. There were dance performances as well as taiko performances. I really enjoyed the taiko performance. The performers look like JHS age & they were so full of energy when they beat the drums. Even the gals look so cool! V impressive! かっこういい！

CULTURE DAY IN AOMORI

6th Oct 2006

We were back in Aomori! This time it was only a 1 day seminar on Japan's culture. All the ALTs (seniors included) and the CIRs had to attend. Russell & I took Q's car there. Q arranged to meet at Kathryn's house so that she can follow Joel's car because we were all unsure of the directions there. Half-way through, we lost sight of Joel's car so we went on our own on Route 40. Q has never taken this route before but we just followed the road signs, hoping they are correct... We travelled on many small roads that went through hills... but there wasn't many signs to assure us that we were on the right track. But the scenery was so good! It was misty & cold but we saw many beautiful trees that had red/orange leaves, flowing streams & fields... It was such a scenic route that we didn't mind missing the toll road. In the end, we reached just minutes after Joel & company! It was worth it after all!

The whole seminar started at 1pm, with my first seminar being "Surviving Winter". Boy do I need this course man! It's been raining quite heavily lately... Very soon it will be my very first winter in Japan! Got some useful tips from the presenter & headed off to the next workshop of Taiko (Japanese drums). Taiko was so fun! The teachers taught us a 4 beat sequence from their performance & let all of us have a go at the drums. I can still remember the sequence now! Next was Kogin embroidery. It was interesting but I got more & more confused when i try to copy the pattern on the paper while sewing. The last workshop was Aikido. It was really enjoyable! I partnered Veronica & we ended up executing the movements like dance moves! The old teacher was very helpful in correcting us. Later I was even chosen to be his "victim" to show what we should do when someone grabs your hand. I learnt a few cool moves! Haha, maybe I can try it on someone one day!

After the seminars ended, we hopped into Q's car again & went to the foreign food store & had dinner at a Vietnamese-Thai restaurant in town. The food and comapny was great!

CHURCH

God really blesses! I can testify for that! Before I came to Japan, I tried to search online for churches in Hach. I only found one link in English & I wasn't even sure whether it is near the area where I stay. I also didn't know what to expect from a church in Japan. I heard horror stories of churches that allowed their members to believe in Christanity & another religion like Shinto or Buddhism! So I prayed hard that God will provide me with a orthodox church & asked my family & church members to keep me in prayer too.

Well, He certainly led me to a church! I nearly got lost the first time I travelled to Hachinohe Christ Church. However by His Grace, I found the church & attended service there. The pastor,Kurakazu sensei has two daughters, Shinobu & Yurika who are both very fluent in English because they have studied abroad before. Thus they could translate things that I couldn't understand in the sermon that was delivered in Japanese. The two sisters also brought me shopping in Jusco & gave me a ride back. I'm sure God sent these angels to help me out...

Other people in church have also been very friendly. There's the ever-energetic Mari-chan who is my new playmate during lunch, the nice old lady who owns a truly beautiful Japanese garden, the generous lady who owns a bakery in Hach & the many other ladies who bothered to make gaijin like me feel at home.

The service style is quite similar to Barker Road Methodist Church. The songs that are usually sung during worship are also, to my surprise, quite modern songs like Hillsong songs. I feel very comfortable in this church. Thank you God!

COOKING

13 Sept 2006

I don't cook in Singapore. The last time I cooked a decent meal by myself was when I was in Secondary School! That was when I had to take Food & Nutrition as a GCE 'O' Level subject. It wasn't because I liked cooking then but I chose it as my 8th subject for a peace of mind. Most students in my school took 8 'O' level subjects, of which 6 would be used to gauge the total aggregate. That means 2 subjects are like back-up ones. For my class, only students who were really good in Maths could take A Maths, so the rest had the option of taking Art or Food & Nutrition or simply be contented with 7 subjects (means only 1 back-up subject!). Obviously I'm not one of the brainy ones who could do solve Trigonometry problem sums in 3 seconds so I had to chose between Art and Food & Nutrition. I enjoyed Art until the day when we were told to paint a banana during Art lesson. I just couldn't get the right colour! So Food & Nutrition was the last option. I did enjoy cooking in Food & Nutrition classes though because I get to eat after that! Haha! I think it's also because I had so much fun cooking with my classmates.

So it's been a long time.. I shall not count my occasional baking of little cakes & cookies as real cooking... Ever since I came to Hach, I've been cooking almost everyday. Most of the time, it's just simple Chinese fare consisting of stir-fried meat, veggies & plain rice. When I'm lazy I cook pasta or noodles.

But today I decided to cook something reminiscent of Singapore... Yes, Bak Kut Teh!!!! Plus it"s easy to make so it shouldn't take very long... Asked some ALTs over so that they can also share my joy. Bought pork ribs from the supermarket but they were all pretty long so I had to chop them into smaller pieces.. Alas, after struggling with my pathetic knife for ten minutes, I gave up & simply threw the pork ribs into the soup.

Apart from the fact that some of the ALTs had to use their hands to eat the pork ribs, my Bak Khut Teh turned out quite well! Yeah, so happy!

HIKING AT MT HAKKODA

23 Sept 2006

Since we didn't get to hike that day (I mean 18th Sept as it was raining cats & dogs so it was changed to the potluck party), Mrs Takahashi invited me to hike on Autumn Equinox Day instead. I was really looking forward to it because I heard Mount Hakkoda is very beautiful! Wade came along as Mrs Takahashi said I can invite anybody else who is interested to come.

Mrs Takahashi came to pick us up at my house at 94oam, then her husband drove all the way to a cable car place where we had to take a skyrail up Mt Hakkoda. The view was breath-taking! We stopped for lunch at a really scenic place at Mt Hakkoda. Mr Takahashi owns a shop selling outdoor sports wear & equipment so he came prepared with a small gas burner & kettle, so we could have instant cup noodles for lunch. The scenery was beautiful! Some leaves have already started changing colours... How nice... I will never get to see this in Singapore. A pity we did not have the time, if not we could have hiked even further...

We left Mt Hakkoda ard late afternoon, drove past Oirase Gorge & Lake Towada and headed towards Christ's Tomb. Didn't know we were going to that place but well since today's schedule was planned by the Takahashis, I'll just go along with it. Saw the fake tomb and just read the fable for fun.

By the time we got home, it was evening time. Well, I'm glad I didn't miss this outing! It was really enjoyable! The Takahashis are really hospitable... Always so willing to invite us for any outings... and always offering to drive us.. Such nice folks :)

MOMOISHI TOWN FESTIVAL

16th Sept 2006

Took a bus to Oirase to meet up with Felicia & Crystal. Felicia's Assistant kacho (section chief) invited us to his house for lunch just before the matsuri (festival ) started. Wow, what a spread... I love Japanese home-cooked food. The servings are huge & everything tastes so good! What's more, it's healthy! This Assistant kacho has a very hyper dog as a pet. It looks like a cross-breed sausage dog. SO cute! It's name is Mari-chan. Very greedy though.. Kept comin close to us coz she wants to eat our food.

After lunch we started to pull the float. Got to know some Japanese ladies & children. They are all so decked out. So pretty! The boys look really cute too! The floats are fully automated but the children, especially the young boys, use all their might to pull the floats as if the floats depended on their strength to move. Haha, so cute! The whole procession ended close to evening time. Then we were invited to have a small meal at a tent near to Assistant kacho's house. There, I made friends with Assistant kacho's daugther. We played games like the "thumb pressing" game and janken. Then Gerard (fr Ichinohe) & his wife, Jaslyn came & joined us. Then we all went to the bazaar that was nearby. Wow, they sell lots of Japanese food, as well as many toys & games. Assistant kacho's daugther was so excited! All of us ate so much that night! We had tako balls, Doraemon cakes, ramen, yakitori etc.
Gerard, Jaslyn & I all crashed at Felicia's house after the long day.

17th Sept 2006
Accompanied Felicia to a church in Rokunohe. Her church in Singapore, FCBC helped her look for churches near Oirase so here we were. We were warmly welcomed by a nice old lady & her daughter, Makiko. It turns out that Makiko works in Megumi kindergarten (the kindergarten beside my church) & knows my churchmate Yurika! What a small world! Haha After service, Makiko kindly gave Felicia & I a ride to Jusco where we were supposed to meet Gerard & comapny. Felicia, Gerard, Jaslyn & Crystal will go back to Oirase to attend the second night of the matsuri. This time, as spectators. I did not stay coz I had to attend Choja JHS's enkai at downtown Hach tonight. Took a ride fr Crystal across the bridge that separates Hach from Oirase and managed to catch a city bus that sent me straight back to Sakaemachi. Yeah, I love boarding city buses coz I get to use my bus pass so I don't need to worry about paying bus fares. heh heh...

Met Tanaka sensei outside Sakurano & she brought me to the izakaya where the party was held. I was sitted just beside the principal as I was an important guest! Wow! The food was great! Managed to chat with the principal, some teachers and even one Choja alumini student who is now a university grad in Hirosaki. Left after the dinner coz was feeling too tired to stay out late. The rest went for karaoke, as usual. I went home & began to prepare the dish for tomorrow's potluck party at Mrs Takahashi's friend's house. Accidentally cut my left index finger while chopping the carrots... Arghhh..

18th Sept 2006

Gerard & Jaslyn took a bus fr Oirase & reached my house promptly before 10am. Gerard said the festival yesterday was very different fr the traditional one on the 16th... Too bad I missed it! Mrs Takahashi gave us a ride and soon we arrived at her friend's house. It was an international lunch as there was Japanese food, western food, Indian food & Italian food. Really yummy! We had a great time chatting about Singapore & various other stuff.. They were particularly interested in Singapore food. Seems like I must try to learn to cook some Singapore food!

After lunch I brought Gerard & Jaslyn shopping at Home Center Sunday & Ito Yokado. I finally bought my dustbin!

MISAWA AIR SHOW

10 Sept 2006

Went to the Misawa air show early in the morning today. Could do so coz I stayed over at Felicia's house the night before. We took a bus from Oirase to Misawa. Actually we were unsure where to get off but we passed by a place that was super crowded so we figured out that must be where the air show was. We had to walk a distance into the air base. Wow, apparently there are food stalls selling all sorts of authentic American food. Wow, feel like having a Rootbeer float in a frosty mug! There used to be A&W fast food restaurants in Singapore but they all closed down (much to my disappointment!) coz they were losing their customers to McDonald's. But I'm a fan of curly fries & Rootbeer float! It was ultra hot today.. I was perspiring non-stop. Crystal joined us later.

The base is very big... and there were hundreds of food stalls there. Somehow all the Japanese people were so well-prepared. They came with mats, umbrellas, hats, stools & some even brought small ladders and binouculars! Of course they also brought food in pretty small boxes for the whole family. I had chilli dog for lunch & lots of water coz of dehydration... Watched many air demonstrations but couldn't get a decent video of it coz it's too far away. It looks like a bird on my video cam mode on my camera.

About 1+pm, we decided to leave the base coz we saw everything it had to offer so we rushed to catch the bus. Actually we were not even sure where the bus-stop was. Luckily we managed to find it on time & so we hopped onto the bus & headed for Jusco to take a rest in air-con comfort. By the time we left Jusco, it was pouring... What strange weather! Wasn't it blazing hot just a few hrs ago?

HACHINOHE SPEECH CONTEST

8th Sept 2006

The Hachinohe JHS Speech Contest was held in BOE today. I met up with the students participating from Hokuryo & Shimamori. They were all pretty nervous. I assured them it would be ok so just relax! The contest was divided into 2 categories, recitation & essay. For the recitation, there were many students who recited " Something for Joey" & "The Mountain that Loved A Bird". Russell, being one of the judges, was so sick of these 2 stories that he said he would strangle anyone who recited that story again..Haha. Many of the students did very well. There were some who were still struggling with their 'r's and 'l's, some cracked under pressure and cried, some forgot their speech but on the whole, the standard of English was pretty high.

In the end, before the anouncement of the results, all the new ALTs had to give a speech. Even though we all prepared our speeches beforehand, I was still very nervous. Sitting on the stage waiting for my turn, I could understand how much pressure the participants had to bear with. And as expected, I fumbled over my words & forgot momentarily what I wanted to convey during my speech... Argh... Why does that always happen to me?


Anyway, the male student from Hokuryo won first prize in the recitation catergory and one of the male students from Shimamori won second prize for the essay catergory. Am soo happy for them! Well of course, good effort from all the others who didn't get a prize!

JAPANESE CLASS & CELLPHONE

29 Aug 2006

Attended my first Japanese language class today at Sougyo Fukushi Kaikan. Russell, Joel, Veronica, Claire & I all shared a taxi there. We had an orientation, played games and chatted with many other learners of Jap language. There were not only JETs but also some ladies from Misawa who are married to Americans. After the orientation we were each accessed by Japanese native speakers & assigned to our classes according to different learning levels. Realised I have forgotten a lot of grammar that I learnt previously so this would be a good time to discipline myself to study hard. Besides, I really need to start studying coz JLPT exam is just 2 mths away!

1 Sept 2006









Claire and I went to Mrs Takahashi Kaoru's house for lunch today. She invited us as we were all sitting near her during the International Relations welcome lunch that day. She attempted to teach us how to make Japanese food. Of course we didn't do the cooking. We were just helpers but it was fun! There was sooo much food!

After lunch Claire & I met the other ALTs at Yamada Denki to buy our cell phones. We all took up Docomo's family plan to take advantage of the cheap rate so Russell became my 'brother'!

WELCOME LUNCH & SHIRAHAMA BEACH

26th Aug 2006

Hachinohe International Relations organised a welcome lunch for us at Baikingu so we all went. It was buffet style teppanyaki and was pretty cheap. Somehow, Japanese people do not eat a lot... I went for several helpings.. Hee, typical Singaporean eh? There was ice-cream too! Yummy!

After lunch, I finally went to the beach! Since Wade & I stay close to each other, we took a train from Konakano train station and met the rest at the beach. Yes, I got to see the Pacific Ocean! It's beautiful! The waves were pretty high and there were quite a few guys surfing. Reminds me of Aussie's beaches... The weather was perfect for a day out at the beach. We burried Ricky in the sand just for fun! Everybody had a great time!

OFFICE ENKAI

25th Aug 2006

We had an office enkai at Same in Downtown. It was really fun coz people who usually look really serious in office became super friendly & chatty! Haha, alchohol really changes people. Had a yummy Japanese-style dinner... There was a good variety of different Japanese cuisine. We all had to stand up & give a short speech.


After the dinner, we headed to a karaoke place where they provide costumes for their patrons! Really funny ones like cow & monkey suits! We had a good time singing silly songs & just letting our hair down for the night. Guess this is also a good time to allow Murakami sensei to relax..

He admitted that he was initially pretty stressed out when he realised he has to be in charge of 7 new ALTs. He said he treats us like his kids! A very caring father indeed!

CEREMONIES

23rd Aug 2006

This morning I misplaced my keys just before I was leaving the house and I really freaked out! Prayed very hard that God will help me find it‚… Plus I was running late‚… In the end, found it on top of the fridge! Aiya! So silly‚… I put it there coz I had originally wanted to put out my non-combustible rubbish last night but eventually abandoned the idea as it started to rain‚… Aiyo, as a result, I rushed out of house & scratched my brand new black dress shoes‚… Then after I left my apartment, I suddenly remembered I need to pack in another omiyage (present ) for the Superintendent for our greeting visit later.. So I went back, grabbed the small gifts, then rushed to the office.

My base school‚’s English teacher, Ms Hosoyama, came to BOE today & I was being introduced to her. She seems v nice coz she chatted quite freely with me. She told me what to expect tomorrow when I go for Hokuryo‚’s school opening ceremony. Yeah am quite excited abt tomorrow!

In the afternoon after lunch, we went to the city office to greet the Mayor & Superintendant. Had to do a whole series of Japanese introductions to various people. Only ended up giving the small omiyage superintendent. The Mayor was too busy‚…But everybody is polite & nice. The radio station BeFm, wanted to interview us so Mr Murakami chose Wade & I to be the interviewees. I keep fumbling over my Japanese words‚….So paiseh‚…

After that we went back to the office & we were all presented with our official contract. Soon it was knock-off time! Yeah! Home sweet home!

24^th Aug 2006

For some reason or another, I kept waking up. Once at 5am, then at 630am & then 7am‚… I had a nightmare‚… I dreamt that I lost my way when I was traveling to Hokuryo‚…so I was really desperate‚… Used a public phone to call Murakami sensei for help‚… What a horrible dream! Finally woke up at 715am, washed up, changed, put on my make-up & ate breakfast. Decided to leave the house five min earlier to wait for the taxi. Realised the taxi was already waiting for me downstairs! Wow! Great! Chatted with the friendly taxi-driver a bit along the way‚…

Reached Hokuryo at abt 815am. That‚’s fast! Entered & changed into my indoor shoes & went up the staircase.. Saw the entrance of the teacher‚’s room when I went up one flight of staircase but alas, I forgot the name of the teacher that I met yesterday! Was searching for the piece of paper that bears the teacher‚’s name when someone saw me & said “Ohaiyo gozaimasu”. Oh no, I‚’ve been noticed so I had no choice but to go fwd & intro myself. Luckily, the teacher came to the door and she promptly introduced me to the staff. After which I did a self intro in Japanese. Then I was shown to my seat, complete with a desktop.

After some time, I had a meeting with the principal. He is a humorous guy and is oh-so-friendly! He brought me to the gymnasium where school assembly is held. The opening school ceremony started and the principal gave a speech. Later he introduced me & I was invited up on stage to give a speech in English. I was really nervous because I spoke in front of the whole school. But it turned out well! After that I went back to the staff room & a few students took the initiative to come to the staff room especially to say 'Hello' to me in English. I’m soooo amazed that they are so friendly! Then the teacher explained today’s lessons plan to me. I’ll be visiting two 3^rd grade classes today.

At both classes I did the same thing. Greetings, my self inro with posters, then students in groups of 4 or 5 showed me various rooms in the school & explained them in English‚…It was hilarious! Many of them had difficulty trying to explain in English what kind of room it is for‚…but they are all pretty genki (lively) so it was fun. One group was showing me a rock-statue right outside entrance. No matter how much I ask them abt the symbolism of the rock & what does it say etc, the student only replied

“Stone‚… ". Haha so cute!

Then after the second lesson, the teacher & I went back to the second class to have school lunch with the students. Chatted a bit with the students. Before I can finish my food, it was time to pack up. Wow, the students can really eat fast! The two participants who are going to take part in the speech contest came to look for me. So I helped them with their pronunciation in their speeches.

I left Hokuryo via taxi to the city office as I had to collect my Alien Registration card, together with Russell & Maeta san. She helped us with the procedures & brought us to open a bank account at Aomori Bank. Ha, I got my Snoopy bank book finally! Then we returned to the office. Seems like everyone else had a good time in their school ceremonies.

25^th Aug 2006

I went to Shimamori JHS today. We were all sooo nice to me. I was pleasantly surprised that I was allocated a personalised shoe locker that bore my name. Wow! The teacher, Ms Nakamura was v friendly. I did self-introductions & played a Q&A games with the students. It was really fun! It is a very small school. For each grade, there's only one class but the students were so responsive & eager to learn. After that they held a welcome reception for me in the school library. It was actually a formal reception with the principal giving a speech! I also had to give a simple speech and they presented me with a a bouquet of flowers! So touched...