Monthly Archive for December, 2006

Happy Winter Solstice

Published on December 20, 2006 in ESL and Education. 1 Comment

It’s that time again. Thanks to Earth’s crazy tilt of 23.5 degrees, the northern hemisphere is at the part of Earth’s orbit where we are tilted away from the Sun. This means that the Sun doesn’t get very high in the sky at noon. Scientists call this the Winter Solstice, but most people just call it winter.

This week at Tayama Junior high, I did a small presentation on the seasons before we started to play some Christmas games. I asked the students when Christmas was and what the importance of December 21(22nd in Japan) was. They knew that Christmas was on the 25th, but had no clue about the 22nd. I then explained to them about the solstice and how Earth’s tilt causes the seasons. They seemed flabbergasted. I’m glad I got the chance to explain this, because I feel it’s important to show that many holidays like Christmas are based around the solstice, and that our very concepts of time are based around this important astronomical information.

I’m not really sure if they got everything I was talking about, but some of them seemed interested. I also got them to learn the word solstice. And to me, that was worth it. If you are stuck thinking up a good Christmas lesson, you may wish to try this in your Junior high or High School classes. From here on in, the days can only get longer. Happy solstice.

I got much of the info for this article from this Space.com article. However, I actually planned the lesson a week before they published it. . Oh, I forgot to mention that the Japanese use the word 冬至(touji) when they refer to the winter solstice. It means “winter” “arrive”.

Homeward Bound

Published on December 19, 2006 in Personal. 0 Comments

On Saturday I’m doing something I haven’t done in a very long time.

I’m going home.

I’m not sure why I waited three years to return. All I know is that now is the time. I will be staying in Vermont for eight days and then flying to Edmonton for eight days. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous about this.

What has changed in three years? How have I changed in three years?

Honestly, I thought I could make a home for myself in Japan. My entire family moved away from Edmonton three years ago and made lives for themselves. Japan was supposed to be my place. Why is it not working out the way I wanted it to?

Is it something about Japan? Is it something about me?

In addition to all of this, I got my contract renewed today. It is good until April of 2008. I will be coming back to Japan for another year. What will it be like? Should I still try to make this a home? Or should I abandon this effort and return to Canada when 2008 comes around. There are many perplexing questions I have to deal with, and there doesn’t seem to be an easy way to attack them. One thing is certain, however. On Saturday, I am going home.

Sentinel

Published on December 15, 2006 in Hachimantai. 0 Comments

Winter has come to Hachimantai. Mount Iwate has a wonderful snow peak and the temperature regularly dips below zero. Soon the ski season will start, and people will make their way to the ski resorts. My house is near the APPI and Hachimantai ski resorts.

The only down side I can see with all of this is that when the temperature is -5 outside, it’s zero in my house. Without those sweet sweet kerosene fumes, I’d be a popsicle. Maybe one day the Japanese will discover central heating and insulation. I’ll continue to hold on to that dream.

How Christmas Came to Japan

Published on December 13, 2006 in Culture and Hachimantai. 0 Comments

That title is a big lie. I have no intention of telling you that story. However, I will share with you the little adventure I had last night. It all started with a bus.

This particular bus was designed to pick up and carry about 30 people to a party. It began its journey in Tayama and finished at the APPI ski resort. I was on that bus. I bet you are wondering why people didn’t just drive themselves to this party. Well, you see, the purpose for this party was to get you as drunk as possible in the shortest amount of time and then get them home so they could puke all over the place. Obviously, if people drove themsevles, they wouldn’t be able to get shitfaced. This is what they call the 忘年会, or the “Forget the year” party. It is an annual tradition of debauchery and sin. This year, they had it on a weekday. A goddamned weekday! My desitny on this night was surely sealed. If you ask me, rather than forgetting the year, it seems as if they are adding to the list for next year.

After we arrive, we are promptly sorted and seated. There is a short opening ceremony and then people start drinking. I’m not talking about the drinking where you have a sip and then talk for a bit. No, this was a simple matter of guzzling beer and sake the way my car consume regular unleaded. By ten o’oclock I was no longer aware of my surrounding, and no one else seemed to be either. Then we getting loaded on another bus that is supposed to take us home. This is what I was supposed to believe.

My friend, who is sitting right next to me, asks me if I want to go drinking. I asked him whether or not that was what we just did. He says it’s time for the second stage. I’m hestitant, saying that I have classes tomorrow. Then he pulls the samurai card. “Don’t you have the samurai spirit?” I’m fairly sure a good samurai wasn’t judged on his ability to puke his guts out, though I could be wrong. So I agree to come and drink some more. Sure, it’s a weekday, but I guess I’ll just have to suck it up and take it like a man.

We get to the snack bar(hostess bar) and are greeted by a couple of attractive women. We sit down and spend to the next few minutes listening to someone kill a microphone. This guy was basically just shouting into the mic and nothing but feeback was coming back. After a few more beers, I decide to take matters into my own hands, and woe them with my rendition of “Hey Jude.” Then it’s back to the beer. We drink hard for another thirty minutes, and then it’s off to the Hormone restaurant where we partake in more beer and various endtrails. I’m not sure why they call it “hormone”, but I think it has something to do with the meat.

After all is said and done, I am ushered in to a taxi, and somehow find my way home. I remember getting up and throwing up, then going back to sleep. Then, I woke up, got dressed, came to school and threw up all over the mens washroom. At the moment, I am nursing a headache and I feel the urge to puke some more. I’ll catch you later.

And that is the story of how Christmas came to Japan.

The Test From Hell!

Published on December 5, 2006 in Language, National and Personal. 0 Comments

When it comes to tests, I’ve pretty much seen it all. I have been through the labs and essays. I’ve survived four hours exams and thirty minute interviews. I even walked away with a University Degree at the simple cost of my soul. Yet no exam in the entire world has frustrated me more than the dreaded Japanese Proficiency Exam(日本語能力試験.) I just wrote the 2nd level test for the third time this past Sunday and I want to scream “bloody murder!” Now I’ll tell you why.

The first and foremost reason why I hate this exam is that it’s very difficult. It keeps getting more difficult every year you take it. Almost like a cold war between exam writers and participants. Every year, I approach the exam site with an arsenal of new grammer and vocabulary. Oh, but the test is ready for me. It constantly finds new ways to confuse the hell out of me and leave me bleeding on the floor. But that is only the worst part. I bet you didn’t know there were other nasty elements to this exam. .

Did you know that the exam only happens once a year? Yes, you have one shot to nail it or you’re screwed. But if that wasn’t bad enough, you also pay 5500 yen to take the damn thing. Oh, and guess what happens if you actually find a way to pass an exam. If you ant to receive the a diploma, you need to send them money for the diploma and the shipping cost. Yes, they are so cheap they won’t even send you a diploma with your results. Also, did want to see how you did on the exam. Too bad! You don’t get your results. You only know if you passed or failed. You can, however buy a copy of the answer for about 1200 yen at the bookstore.

So you can see, I am not a big fan of this exam. Lucky for me, the only reason I take it is to improve my Japanese. I’d be in real trouble if I needed it for a certification of something. To wrap this up, I’m going to go out and call JESS(the organization that administrates the exam) something they need to be called. You are TEST NAZIES. Stop being so damned cheap and extreme about this test! There, I feel much better now.

Nintendo DS destroying all other consoles

Published on December 1, 2006 in Gaming. 0 Comments


If you were to read this story on DS fanboy, then you might think the DS is more in demand than even the Wii and the PS3. Well, I can backup this claim.

On Thursday, I drove over to my local used game store and asked how much I could get for my old DS phat. They quoted me 12000yen. I was a little taken aback. I only paid 11 000yen for it used last year. That means I would be making a 1000yen profit on it.

However, that wasn’t the biggest surprise of the night. That came when I asked how much I could buy a DS lite for. He told me they were currently going used for mere 23 000yen used. To put that into perspective, these things can usually be purchased new for 16800yen.

So basically, if you live in Japan, your odds of getting a Wii or a Playstation 3 are far greater than getting a DS. Good luck! You’ll have me as competition.