Pucks, Plums and Pictures

We had planned not to sleep in too late but lo and behold we rolled out of bed just after noon and i set straight to making chocolate pancakes for "breakfast." I think i've figured out the right size to chop the chocolate and they turned out really well, if i do say so myself.

We also discovered that Chile had suffered a terrible 8.8 magnitude earthquake and that a tsunami was racing across the Pacific. Every channel on TV had tsunami warnings for up and down the whole coast of Japan. Fortunately, we are not in an area that would be affected. My heart goes out to the people of Chile and Haiti both.

On a lighter note, we ate while we wore our Team Canada Olympic shirts (THANKS MOM!) and watched the recording of Canada vs Slovakia and Slovakia versus Finland. Yay Canada! Both games were fantastic. Sorry Slovakia. Better luck next time around.

Then we headed out to Osaka Castle Park to check out some plum blossoms. One of my students on Friday reminded me that there is a beautiful area near the castle where the city has planted hundreds of different plum trees. So we thought it might be nice to have another Sunday Walkabout.

We took the subway over to Tenmabashi and Ulala showed me where she went to junior and senior high school. Then into the park that surounds Osaka Castle and around the moat (yes, there's a moat) and toward toward the plum blossom zone. I told you there would be more flower pictures. I tend to be shutter-happy on these walkabouts. Just wait til the cherry blossom "pink wave" comes next month.

I took quite a few of pictures and we walked a LOT. After sunset we looped back around and down through Tenmabashi and along the river down to Yodoyagawa, while i took a lot more night pictures. Then we wandered around southward to Hommachi making a big half circle through the back streets looking for a place to have dinner. Being Sunday, though, most of the restaurants in the financial district were closed. It was nice and quiet to walk through downtown and see the towers and the obligatory lobby-art with almost no one else around.

We ended up deciding to have dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe Osaka (to which i, despite living here for over six years, had never been). For the "Hard Rock" Cafe, they sure played a lot of R&B and hip-hop. Meh. We had a great dinner and i even bought a Green Day T-shirt (don't you judge me). Now i'm full and my legs feel like they're going to fall off.

Far too many photos from the day:

































Symian is: plum walked out.
Currently Reading: nada
Currently Listening: R&B at the Hard Rock
Kanji of the Day: 童／ドウ／わらべ

Olympics drawing to a close

So the Olympics are almost over. I was able to watch some of the games and events here in Japan, but by and large the time difference, and me being somewhat busy, meant i mostly read about the results in the newspaper or online. I am very proud of Canada for doing so well at so many events. Though i personally had nothing to do with their success, i am still proud to be from the same place. Way to go, canadian athletes! I will reserve judgement on the opening ceremonies until i see the closing ceremonies. So far it has all seemed very ... Canadian.

Hockey has not finished yet, but it's looking good for Canada. Now, those who know me, know that i don't usually watch hockey. I like it a lot, but i don't really follow the regular NHL. For one, it is never broadcast here in Japan and for two, i don't really follow any sport closely. But during the Olympics, I am Canadian and I like hockey.

Japan has not done so well in the medal count but i am very impressed with the support and interest that my students and friends have shown in watching the Olympics. Japan has often put a great deal of focus onto their athletes and especially when international reputation is on the line. I was talking to one of the staff at my gym and he was saying that he feels Japanese people put far too much pressure on their athletes and that it distracts from the sport aspect. Athletes can do very well (they're already in the Olympics! The world's most honored international sports competition!) but if they don't win the top prize or the gold medal, they often apologize to their supporters in tearful statements on the news and claim they will try harder next time. Olympic athletes do have a lot of pressure, coming from any country, i think. However, i also don't think that athletes from Canada feel the same heavy burden of national image. To some degree they do, but my impression is that it is taken much more seriously here in Japan. The staff member at my gym was saying he didn't no how Mao Asada (the celebrated figure skater) could concentrate with the media constantly speculating about if she would succeed or not. I guess that's what makes her a pro.




Japan has also discovered curling, and that's awesome. It took a team of young, attractive women curlers to bring it into the mainstream (as it is with most things in Japan, sports or otherwise). The students i have talked to about curling, though, have all said that they really enjoyed watching it and may start following it more. Many of them even expressed hope that curling rinks might start opening around Japan. Anyone who has lived here and knows about the crazy proliferation of bowling alleys knows that when the Japanese people lock onto a trend, they go all out. Fingers crossed for curling rinks in all the town centers, eh?

(Japanese Curling Team – L to R: Third – Anna Ohmiya, Skip – Moe Meguro, Alternate – Mayo Yamaura, Second – Mari Motohashi)
Image Source: Getty Images Sport via CNNGO





Symian : thinks Ice Dancing is beautiful, but it isn't a sport.
Currently Reading: ESL/EFL book
Currently Listening:　Current Geek podcast
Kanji of the Day: 農／ノウ

Shogunai Tacos

My friend Matt Duffy is starting his own business! I am a little jealous and extremely happy for him. If you happen to be in Hawaii and have a hankering for a taco, check him out at Shogunai Tacos

He's also a helluva Drum'n'Bass DJ (under the moniker TripleByPass) and got me my start here in the Osaka scene, before he moved out to Hawaii.

Hitting the 本 (books)

One of my biggest goals this year is to bring my Japanese up to a more acceptable level of proficiency. I have been living in Japan for about six and a half years and my skill in the language is not outright terrible - i can get by in most day-to-day situations and simple conversations - but i still often lament the fact that i can't hold more advanced conversations or read a magazine or newspaper. I have been taking lessons steadily (more or less) over the last couple of years and they have helped, but i haven't been much of a student. So this year is the year that i pull up my socks, hit the books, listen to the CDs and podcasts, watch Japanese TV (which is more of a chore than you might think) and seek out opportunities to use the language with family and friends.

My concrete ("SMART") goal is to take the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test). They have change the testing system from four levels with a huge gap in the middle, which was always the ultimate hurdle for those studying Japanese, to five levels with a nice new medium level called N3. That is the level i will shoot for this year. I will take the test once in July with the aim to pass (but unlikely) and mostly just to get experience with the test. Then i will take it again in December with the intent to ace it. The JLPT is run by the Japanese government and, like the TOEIC in English, you can take it as many times as you like. Eventually i also want to take the JETRO test, which is the more prestigious test and the one you should have if you want to do serious business here in Japan.

Someone asked me why i wanted to study since i could get by pretty well already. I didn't have an immediate answer to give him and i had to think about it for quite some time. In the next few years i plan to start a business here, so therein lies my real long-term motivation. But also on a more personal level, my wife is Japanese and i want to be able to communicate with her in her native tongue and also to communicate easily and mostly "barrier-free" with her family. Her English is very good, by the way, so we mostly talk in English. This has been a crutch for me for far too long. I want to be able to read the newspaper and magazines and to watch TV without constantly having to ask my wife to explain little things. So that's what it means to me to be able to speak Japanese.

Language is a mental skill, so it needs brain training and knowledge of how skills are acquired (another hobby of mine). It needs practice but it also needs enjoyment. Any intellectual pursuit does if one wants to retain anything. So far that has been relatively easy. The challenge will be to remain engaged and motivated as the readings get more difficult and the grammar gets tougher. Luckily i have good resources and good support. I will also use my hobbies in conjunction with one another, managing and monitoring my progress by what i've learned about time management, the human brain, NLP and applied linguistics. This gives me more than one access point in which to be interested and will hopefully keep my motivation up. Re-reading this blog post occasionally may also push me. It always helps to write out your goals where you can see and review them.

And i'm told that all good goals need a decent plan to succeed. ("He who fails to plan, plans to fail" and all that cal.)
So as part of the strategy/management process i sat down and mind-mapped out a vague idea of my resources, skills goals for studying. Below is just a rough draft to get the ideas out of my head onto paper. A bit daunting but very helpful.

Wish me luck!

Here's my first draft study Mind Map. Since it is just a draft i haven't included timelines or details. I highly recommend the mind mapping tool for anyone out there who is looking to get organized in business or hobby. Check out Tony Buzan's excellent and accessible books on the technique.



Symian is: going to be "pera-pera" in no time!
Currently Reading: ESL/EFL Teaching - Reading and Writing Skills
Currently Listening: Japanesepod101.com podcast
Kanji of the Day: 地図／ちず／map

A prelude of what is coming:.

Spring is just around the - no, wait. Here it is.



The weather has been incredible here the last couple of days and I snapped these pictures of plum blossoms while out walking about. They are the sign that winter is coming to a close here in Japan (or at least in this part of Japan). They also herald the coming of the rather more celebrated cherry blossoms.

And soon will begin the maddeningly busy season of 花見 parties (hanami - "cherry blossom viewing"), the effort to cram as much fun and enjoyment into the very very brief Spring before the rainy season. But i love these early spring days. When the coat comes off and the the breeze is fresh and brisk but the sun is warm and each moment is a bud on a branch, getting ready to explode with colour.

Symian is: feeling so cheesy he might actually burst into song.
Currently Reading: ESL/EFL Teaching - Reading and Writing Skills
Currently Listening: Grammar Girl podcast
Kanji of the Day: 可能性／かのうせい／potential

The Big Snit

Makes me laugh every time, while still being layered, thought-provoking, and strangely moving. Watched it with Ulala today and it was her first time to watch it. We both rolled on the floor laughing.

Bowling and Book Browsing

This last week kind of flew by me. Nothing much exciting to report, just the rhythm of the days (work sleep work sleep) let the time slip by quickly. The weekend was fun, though. Saturday night Ulala and i had dinner with her family. We ate at a place near Hommachi called Kyo Chabana. You can see the pics below. Not the most appetizing food to look at but it tasted great! No, really! I recommend it highly. Not too pricey, either.

The after we had dinner we went bowling. Yup, bowling. Why did we go bowling? No, it wasn't a 10 year-old's birthday. I don't really know why we went. I guess someone thought it would be fun. Actually, grumpiness aside, it was fun. I discovered that after all these years i still have roughly the score i did back when i was a ten-year old attending bowling birthdays. Terrible. Ah well. We had a nice time and i'll just ignore the scoring system. Much like i do in golf. ; )


On Sunday, after brunch, we headed over to Drunk Bears in Umeda for, of all things, a Mount Allison reunion of sorts. I guess i can't really call it a reunion since i didn't know anyone there. Participants of the exchange program that my canadian university has with Kwansei Gakuin here in Japan. Thank you to Adam Christie for setting that up and to the people that helped him. My wife and i had a nice time and i even ran into two Japanese women who used to live in the same residence as i did.

Then i bought a new suit. A formal, black suit. And while i do look awesome in it, i fear that it is for sad occasions that are on the horizon. Shopping for the suit was an educational experince. The staff that helped us was more helpful than most and she explained all kinds of neat things about cuts, styles, and traditions and superstitions here in Japan. For example, no double hems on funeral suits because of the old superstition that "double" means "twice," and at a funeral you don't want to incur a second tragedy.

After suit shopping we had some time, so we walked around Umeda and stopped in at the bookstore. The plan was to stop briefly and look for French graded readers, which they didn't have. Somehow i ended up leaving with an armful of things to add to my to-read pile. Sheesh. We did meet an inetersting guy, named Greg, who started up a conversation about books and was looking for recommendations and we chatted for a bit about our favorite books. Good times. I recommended Terry Prachett and Neil Gaiman'S "Good Omens" and he recommended an Orson Scott Card book that i hadn't read yet.

Also recommended for all of you out there is to listen to look up and listen to Paul and Storm. Great comedy/novelty duo from the U.S. Very talented and funny. I've been listening recently to their podcast, which is also very funny.


The pictures:

edible looking salad with egg:


inedible looking good that was actually delicious:


the W marks it as having double cheese. Nice.


Automatic bowling shoe dispenser. Yup. It's real. And awesome.


My father-in-law showing us how it's done


Sunday I made french toast and served it with fruit (eating french toast every weekend needs to be balanced with something healthy, i figure).


Sunday afternoon meet-up with Mount Allison people


Some amazing and beautiful little sweets given to us by our sister-in-law.



Symian is: hoping this week will be slower.
Currently Reading: ESL/EFL Teaching - Reading and Writing Skills
Currently Listening: Paul and Storm podcast
Kanji of the Day: 動／ドウ／うご・く／うご・かす

rice balls wrapped in meat (cheese optional)

Artsy artifacts

Here are a couple of the more random pictures i took on Sunday.

I'm on a boat.

This ad came back to me through the magic of Twitter recently. Though i try to avoid posting ads too much, this one always makes me laugh.

Valentine, Yoga, and Wallpaper Walkabout

Last Wednesday I had a very nice pre-Valentine dinner with Ulala at Pepperocino (sp?), just down the street from our place. We like that little Italian place because the prices aren't too bad and the food is excellent. We went on Wednesday because we we figured Valentine'S Day was going to be all full at the restaurant and we had plans for Sunday and didn't know if we'd be able to have a nice, romantic dinner together. And also Wednesday was my night to cook and i ran out of time.

Here's Ulala with our hors d'oeuvres:


Thursday was National Foundation Day here in Japan. People celebrate by taking a day off from work and that's about it. I'm sure someone somewhere celebrates more earnestly. We, however, chose to follow tradition and just stay home for the day. Actually we had planned to go to the Osaka National Gallery of Art and walk about in Umeda, but it was so cold, grey and rainy that a quick trip to the grocery store convinced us that our kotatsu (heated table) and some video games were a far better plan.

On Friday, Ulala gave me this:


If you guessed "Heart Shaped Meat Dumpling" give yourself a pat on the back. It was delicious!

On Saturday we both had to be up far too early. Me for work and Ulala for her day-trip.
Ulala went o Kinosaki with Emi, where she encountered snow, ate a lot of crab, and took this picture:


I was unable to go because i had to work. So to console myself, on the way home i stopped at the giant electronics megastore in Umeda and bought a new printer. Actually we really needed it since the last one met an unfortunate end via my short temper and the concrete floor of our balcony. Meh. The new one is awesome enough that i do not in any way feel guilty. Mostly. And with the points we have earned at the store, i was able to get a really good deal. For those that might care, i got an HP Photosmart Premium C309G. It has wireless capability, so i can hide it away in the other room, out of the way.

And we had planned on going to bed early (after i was told that i shouldn't go out). The reason for this early Saturday night was that Ulala had planned to take me to a yoga class on Sunday. Yup. Yoga. I'm still not sure why i had said yes. I guess i must have been in a good mood at the time. Neither of us have done yoga more than once or twice before. A learning experience to be sure.

So Sunday dragged itself out of bed and us with it around 10-ish and we had a nice breakfast and i tried to hide my grumpiness at having something to actually do on Sunday. And it would be about THREE HOURS. "When i go into downward dog," i thought to myself, "someone kill me." But once we got to the class and it got started, all was well. Turns out it was more of an "Intro to Yoga" session. The teacher explained the concepts of physical yoga, breathing, and meditation (and how they are inseparable) . Though entirely in Japanese, which means that i didn't understand the majority of it. The physical part was fun and not difficult. The breathing part i had to wing from watching and guessing, but i have experience with meditation and breathing. The meditation part was a new style to me. It involved saying "ah" rather loudly and for as long as you could then breathing deeply and repeating the process. Interesting. Not something i will do at home but still a worthwhile experience.

After the class we got a late lunch and decided to go check out some of the places i've been reading about in the Wallpaper* City Guide (Osaka). I have lived here for over 6 years now and there is still so much to see and do. I like to browse through guidebooks and find new or interesting places. The Wallpaper* guide is good because it offers more design-minded places that aren't in most guidebooks. We checked out the Organic Building, and some of the cafes and bookstores in Minami-Senba/Horie/Namba areas. We made a nice four-hour loop, stopping for cheese fondue and cappuccino at various places. We also saw lots of fantastic furniture shops all of which were well out of our price-range.


Some photos from the walkabout:

Namba Hips, with its vertical drop thrill-ride on the face.


The delightful garishness of the Dotonbori


The LVMH Headquarters for Japan (designed by Kengo Kuma)


The Organic Building (designed by Gaetano Pesce)


Millibar (quiet on a Sunday night)


Fondue at Millibar (they have a gallery space on the second floor and a design/art bookstore on the third)


Cafe Mode (designed with a "library/research" theme)


Ulala wondering why there are file boxes on all the tables


I made a mad-monkey face in my cappuccino ...or possibly a ghost monkey...


The chocolate creme brulee was outstanding (as was the coffee once i stopped playing with it).


The end of our loop brought us back to the Louvre-wannabe glass pyramid just outside Namba Hatch (too dark for a decent photo with my little cam)



Symian is: walkabout wearied.
Currently Reading: Wallpaper* City Guide - Osaka
Currently Listening: Paul and Storm podcast
Kanji of the Day: 等／トウ／ひと・しい