Hi friends! Winter is creeping in on Kanazawa, and while that means a drafty apartment, eternally damp clothing, and carrying two umbrellas to work to try and dodge the water streams gushing from the road sprinklers, it also means lots of hot spring visits, yummy winter foods, and New Year's--the one time of year when all Japanese people actually take a break and spend time with their families for a few days. So we don't mind winter, I guess.
Oh, and as a bonus, we're headed to London this year for Christmas! Daniel and I decided that after two Japanese Christmases, we were ready to feel that yuletide spirit again, and what better place than London? Come December 23rd, we'll be sipping mulled wine, munching on mince pies, and reading CS Lewis by the fireplace in a pub where CS Lewis probably sat at some point. Happy Christmas indeed!
As for now though, we are in peak English-teaching season (things just seem a little busier this time of year), so we're keeping busy. My (Jorden's) English club students participated in their annual drama festival a few weeks ago, and they happily took first place for their 30-minute (all English!) original drama, a title they've coveted for the last several years. Here's a picture from after their performance:
And speaking of English club, mine also managed to swing first place in the regional English debate contest back in September (I know!) so we are headed to Shizuoka Prefecture in a few weeks to take on nationals. Now, I can't say we have much of a chance against some of these preparatory schools whose students were quoting Tennyson in diapers, but I mean, I am real proud of my students for wanting to try this, for putting in the practice time, and for already coming as far as they have. This year's topic is nuclear energy, for heaven's sake! And they're trying their best to spout off phrases like "reactor-grade plutonium" with the finest pronunciation they can muster. I'm proud of them. They're a good bunch.
What else? Daniel and I went to Seoul, Korea back in October, and had a blast! Turns out, Seoul is a really cool city. It's lively, modern, clean, friendly, and crazy international! We were impressed not just by the number of English-speakers we encountered, but all sorts of people. We toured the DMZ on our first day there, which was an experience I highly recommend if you ever have the chance. Our tour guide was incredible; she was fun and lively and made lots of inappropriate jokes. She took us to a down-to-earth traditional Korean restaurant where we had some really tasty grub before heading up to the border. The tour was really educational and also a little bit emotional. Afterward, I felt like I somehow had more understanding and also less about the conflict between the North and the South. We were allowed to enter the conference room that sits exactly on the border, and we even took some pictures with the very intimidating South Korean military there. It was cool. Anyway, if you have a chance to go to Korea, go! The people are super fun and friendly, and you can buy some killer egg pastries from street vendors for a buck. YUM! Okay, I think that's about all for now. How about some pictures?
Thanks for reading, everyone!
Oh, and as a bonus, we're headed to London this year for Christmas! Daniel and I decided that after two Japanese Christmases, we were ready to feel that yuletide spirit again, and what better place than London? Come December 23rd, we'll be sipping mulled wine, munching on mince pies, and reading CS Lewis by the fireplace in a pub where CS Lewis probably sat at some point. Happy Christmas indeed!
As for now though, we are in peak English-teaching season (things just seem a little busier this time of year), so we're keeping busy. My (Jorden's) English club students participated in their annual drama festival a few weeks ago, and they happily took first place for their 30-minute (all English!) original drama, a title they've coveted for the last several years. Here's a picture from after their performance:
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| Smiles all around, and yes, there were even some tears shed. |
And speaking of English club, mine also managed to swing first place in the regional English debate contest back in September (I know!) so we are headed to Shizuoka Prefecture in a few weeks to take on nationals. Now, I can't say we have much of a chance against some of these preparatory schools whose students were quoting Tennyson in diapers, but I mean, I am real proud of my students for wanting to try this, for putting in the practice time, and for already coming as far as they have. This year's topic is nuclear energy, for heaven's sake! And they're trying their best to spout off phrases like "reactor-grade plutonium" with the finest pronunciation they can muster. I'm proud of them. They're a good bunch.
What else? Daniel and I went to Seoul, Korea back in October, and had a blast! Turns out, Seoul is a really cool city. It's lively, modern, clean, friendly, and crazy international! We were impressed not just by the number of English-speakers we encountered, but all sorts of people. We toured the DMZ on our first day there, which was an experience I highly recommend if you ever have the chance. Our tour guide was incredible; she was fun and lively and made lots of inappropriate jokes. She took us to a down-to-earth traditional Korean restaurant where we had some really tasty grub before heading up to the border. The tour was really educational and also a little bit emotional. Afterward, I felt like I somehow had more understanding and also less about the conflict between the North and the South. We were allowed to enter the conference room that sits exactly on the border, and we even took some pictures with the very intimidating South Korean military there. It was cool. Anyway, if you have a chance to go to Korea, go! The people are super fun and friendly, and you can buy some killer egg pastries from street vendors for a buck. YUM! Okay, I think that's about all for now. How about some pictures?
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| Enjoying a Bibimbap feast in Seoul. So good! |
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| And there's the lovely Seoul herself! |
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| Touring the older side of the city. |
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| More downtown. |
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| Joint Security Area. |
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| We took a trip to Tokyo for Daniel's birthday. Here's the man, enjoying the (amazing!) view over Shinjuku from our hotel room. |
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| However, I think this was his favorite part. A park with turtles. |
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| Of course, this wasn't bad either. Daniel is now a sword-wielding gent! |
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| We sat at this riverside park a few weeks ago and read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It's become something of a tradition now. |
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| Our Halloween costumes. |
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| And speaking of Halloween, here's one last shot from my English club's Halloween party! They got really into the costumes this year. |
Thanks for reading, everyone!
