Salaryman night on the town AND Pot Head teachers

Salaryman night on the town...
Adam and Joe go Tokyo...decide to interview drunken salarymen! It's a hoot!

Clip from BBC3 show Adam and Joe go Tokyo: episode 6. Adam explores Japan's drinking culture by going on a night out, Salaryman style, ending up in a capsule hotel.

Adam and Joe go Tokyo: Host Bar

Clip from BBC3 show Adam and Joe go Tokyo in which Adam and Joe try their hands at being hosts in a host bar, with predictable total lack of success.

Adam and Joe go Tokyo - Top 5 Japanese insults

Clip from BBC series Adam and Joe Go Tokyo, in which Adam and Joe look at the top 5 Japanese insults


Caught this on the Marmot's Hole a little earlier...interesting read.
Enlightening Foreigners, One Pothead English Teacher at a Time
Hey, pothead English teachers — don’t ever say Korean prosecutors don’t care about you.

MBC reports that with “foreign drug crimes” skyrocketing recently, the Incheon Prosecutor’s Office has held a program aimed at educating and enlightening foreigners about Korea’s drug laws.

Said Min Gyeong-cheol, an Incheon prosecutor, “During investigations, I could experience a lot that [foreigners] are smoking drugs like marijuana because they can’t sense the differences between Korea’s legal culture and the legal culture of their own countries. So in this case, punishments are important, too, but so is explaining sufficiently the differences in legal culture.”

The lecture was attended by some 100 foreigners. According to MBC, foreign English teachers showed much interest in the punishment laws for drug offenses, with which they were, reportedly, unaware. Said a Canadian English teacher, “In Canada, if we smoke marijuana, we just get fined, but in Korea, the punishment is much harsher, with jail sentences of up to five years.”

See that, prosecutors are enlightening Canukistanis already!

MBC concludes, “There are some 16,000 foreign English teachers in Korea. The number of foreign teachers is expected to increase even more in the future with the reinvigoration of English education, so in order to stop the spread of drugs, it appears the strengthening of immigration screening of foreigners and educating foreigners before hand about drugs will be needed even more.”

Oh, Yonhap ran this story, too. According to the Yonhap story, some 100 foreign English teachers were invited to the lecture, which dealt with, well, Korean drug law, criminal action procedures and the “evils of drugs.”

Incheon Prosecutors Office has no immediate plans to hold the lecture again, although they may if they feel it helpful.See original at the Marmot's Hole

Knife-wielding teacher steals schoolboys underpants

Wow...this story is MESSED!

Knife-wielding teacher robs schoolboys of their briefs
A suburban Tokyo elementary school teacher who held a group of junior high schoolboys at knifepoint and them robbed them of such things as their underpants was arrested on Monday, police said.

Takayuki Yamamoto, 26, a teacher at Hamura Municipal Hamura Nishi Elementary School, was arrested for robbery resulting in injury.

The teacher from the Tokyo suburb of Akishima admits to the allegations.

"I did it," he said.

Police said Yamamoto approached a group of eight first-year junior high schoolboys who were in an elementary school yard in Akishima on the night of Jan. 20. He pulled out a knife and thrust it toward the pupils, demanding to know what they were doing in the elementary school when they were junior high pupils.

He then demanded that six of the boys take off their trousers and underpants, some of which he pocketed, along with two mobile phones and about 5,000 yen in cash, police said, adding that Yamamoto had also later used one of the phones to make prank calls to the home of one of the schoolboys.

Yamamoto also injured one of the boys by nicking his chin with the knife, police said.

Two of the eight boys Yamamoto cornered fled, stopping a car and calling for the police. Yamamoto later fled the scene, but left his glasses in the schoolyard, giving investigators a clue that allowed them to track him down.

Hamura Nishi Principal Toru Utsunomiya was shocked by the arrest of his sixth grade teacher, who was in his fourth year of working at the school.

"It's extremely regrettable and we want to do what we can to make sure something like this doesn't happen again," Utsunomiya said.
See original (Mainichi Daily News)...

Kidnapped Canadians in North Korea, Turkeys and the ABC's

Tonight was a night of firsts. A night for NOT doing school work even though it was a Sunday AND a night for cooking my first turkey. Ok...what was the special occasion???? Nothing...my friend Anne just had the idea a few weeks ago that a crew of us should get together, pool our resources and make a nice "festive" turkey dinner. Well, tonight we did and it was BANG ON!!! I didn't cook it alone...we all fumbled through the event together...none of us had truley independent turkey cooking knowledge, but together, we got the job done.
What a turkey,......

My buddy Roddy carved the dead sucker while Mai looked on....

Now the turkey has been consumed, the wine drunk.....it's back to Teacher's College world. The world of the B.Ed guy continues.....


In non turkey related news....

I saw this on Marmot's Hole this evening...
North Korea Releases Kidnapped Canadian Citizen
SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Yonhap) -- A Korean-Canadian pastor has been released after being detained for more than two months in North Korea, a U.S. government-funded radio station reported Sunday.

Minister Kim Jae-yeol was released last week from detention in North Korea and is heading for Seoul, the Voice of America (VOA) reported. original...


BUT...in the Land Of "Unqualifies Teachers"....what the Hell makes a "Qualified" teacher anyway?? It seemsto change all the time. Is a "qualifies" teacher a person with a B.Ed? A TESOL or TEFL certification (often from fly-by-night "schools"), a weekend course online? Does anyone know?
53% of Foreign Tutors Lack Teaching Degrees
More than half of foreign teachers at elementary and secondary schools have no English teaching certificates. Of 3,808 native English-speaking teachers, 2,002, or 53 percent, didn't have teaching certificates such as TESOL and TEFL as of September 2007, according to the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, Sunday.

TESOL is short for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and TEFL means Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Among 1,806 foreign nationals who hold English teaching certificates, 532 teachers had teaching licenses from their countries, 1,134 had TESOL or TEFL and 140 had both.

``Native English speakers holding English teaching certificates are most preferred and applicants need to have an education major or teaching experience of more than one year if they want to work with us,'' said Kelly H. Ye, coordinator in recruiting native English speaking teachers at Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE).

However, schools, in practice, have difficulty hiring certificate-holding teachers. Currently, Korean elementary and secondary schools are hiring foreigners as teachers aides, as this is legal, for English conversation classes. Native English-speaking nationals with a bachelor's degree or above can apply for English teaching or E-2 visa.

By region, South Gyeongsang Province had the highest ratio of ``licensed teachers,'' with 60 percent. The province had 163 foreign nationals with teaching certificates out of 270. Following South Gyeongsang were Gwangju and South Jolla Province with 57 percent.

In Seoul, 54 percent had certificates while the ratio fell to 47 percent in Gyeonggi Province.

Ulsan City had the lowest ratio of licensed native English teachers with 23 percent and Daejeon City also showed a low ratio with 26 percent.

Korea has seen a growing number of foreign English teachers and accordingly the number of foreigners forging their degrees to get E-2 visas is also increasing, according to the Korea Immigration Service. A total of 692 foreigners with fabricated degrees were caught as of August 2007.

Meanwhile, top educators in 15 cities and provinces requested President-elect Lee Myung-bak to ease English teaching visa regulations that restricts foreign English teachers by national in a meeting with Lee at the Lotte Hotel in central Seoul, last Friday.

Regarding this, an SMOE official said they can secure more qualified teachers by expanding English teaching visas to more countries. ``If Asian teachers are allowed at schools, we can also place those teachers in math and science classes for English immersion programs planned by the incoming government,'' said Choi Chun-ok, the supervisor in charge of recruiting foreign teachers at SMOE.
Original...

No shit! If the only requirement for someone to be an English teacher is a 3-4 year degree in any subject...of course these folks aren't "registered" teachers. ALSO...if you only offer "real" teacher crap wages compared to their native countries...what doyou expect! I can remember a few years ago when public schools were offfereing "non-qualified"teachers 2,000,000 a month and those with an actual B.Ed 2,100,000 a month....no wonder "qualified" folks did't want the gigs...ah well...maybe times are a changin...

OK...enough of the rants...I love this little ad ditty...
I thin kit would be a great tune to teach little kids their "ABC's"...ignoring the "Zellers" part at the end of course. ALSO...if they aren't in Canada or Canadian they wouldn't get the reference anyway. ALSO...if their young enough to be just learning their "ABC"S" I doubt the whole "Zellers' thing would have much of an impact on their lives anyway^^



Way to stir the bee's nest Mr. President-Elect Lee....
English-Only Classes
fresh debate has erupted over President-elect Lee Myung-bak's drive for English-immersion education for secondary schools. Korean teachers of English, parents and scholars are divided over the plan calling for classes to be conducted in English. The debate began immediately after the Presidential Transition Committee announced Thursday that all English classes in high schools will be given in English from 2010.

Under the plan, high school teachers will be also required to give a few classes, including science and math, in English. Obviously, such measures reflect Lee's strong will to help students significantly improve their English proficiency in an era of globalization. In reality, high school graduates lack English-speaking skills even though they have learned English for six years in school. The problem can be attributed to the education environment focusing too much on taking college entrance exams. Read More...



TokyoCooney eats raw chicken in Japan...nuff said!!!

What a Wild Wall - Beijing, China

I came across something I wrote several years ago. I've been to China a few times, but this was a story about my first trip there. I had been teaching in Ilsan, Korea and this was my first second trip, using Korea as my "base of operations." I stumbled across it this eveing on Bootsnall.com; a great travel website.

What a Wild Wall - Beijing, China
The first thing that struck me as I deplaned in Beijing was the cold. It was not the mild form of cold I had been dealing with all winter in South Korea, but a bitter, bone-chilling frigidness. I arrived in the central Beijing area and planned to spend my Christmas morning looking for accommodations and something to eat.

I would be in Beijing for four days before my friends from South Korea were to meet me. I would travel with them or another four days. During my time alone, I saw many of the "must see" major tourist destinations. I toured the "disappointing" National Museum of History, Tianamen Square, The Great Hall of the People, The Forbidden City; equipped with its very own Starbucks, and the breathtaking White Cloud Temple. The White Cloud Temple was once the center for Taoism in Northern China. Founded in AD739, it is an elaborate series of passages and corridors. The light dusting of snow on everything gave it a surreal fantasy-like feeling.

My three friends arrived on the morning of the 29th. I met them at the International Hotel and brought them back to our guesthouse off Wangfujing Dajie. As a group we toured several more sites of the next few days including; the Temple of Heaven, the Silk Market, Panjiayuan Market, the Summer Palace and the circus-like Lama Temple with its hordes of tourists. We were all most excited about seeing the Great Wall.

One of the most famous landmarks in the world, the Great Wall was originally constructed during the Quin Dynasty. It's purpose was to keep out bands of plundering nomads and bandits. The Wall stretches from Jaiyuguan in Eastern China to the Gobi Desert. Today many parts of the wall frequented by tourists have a Disney-like feel, with restaurants, souvenir shops and more kitsch than you can shake a stick at. This was everything we wanted to avoid when seeing the Wall.

Aaron and I began planning the "ideal" area to see. After pouring over guidebooks and a little debating, we came to an agreement on the area we would visit. Simatai is more than 100km outside of Beijing. It is a rural area and truly off the beaten path. The decision to see this area was only a small portion of the battle. Getting there would be a strange adventure in itself.

After a quick breakfast, Aaron, Laz, Hoa and I piled into a small taxi. We made our way to the central bus terminal in northern Beijing. Dongzhimen Bus Station is a sprawling and confusing area, spread over several blocks. We slowly made our way through the maze of narrow streets, buildings, buses and a sea of people. We were attempting to find a minibus to Miyun. What followed was confusion, panic and a lot of running. Eventually we found our bus. It was more than an hour to Miyun, but the bus was warm and that was more than enough to make us happy.

Once we arrived in the town of Miyun we had to hire either a taxi or a minibus to Simitai. A group of taxi drivers was milling about on a sidewalk, waiting for travelers to employ their services. We bargained and argued and eventually a driver agreed to the 100 Yuan that we were willing to pay. We also collected two more travelers, a couple teaching English in Japan. The six of us wedged ourselves into the microscopic white van and prepared for the 75-minute drive to the wall. The taxi had no heater so being crammed together was actually beneficial. We all suffered from icy cold feet though.

The countryside we drove through was beautiful. Small farming villages popped up along the way. These villages were a stark contrast to the flashy streets of Central Beijing or the Hutongs that surround them. It looked as if life in these villages had not changed in hundreds of years. Read More...

Haeundae Beach and Guinness Records???

Stop the Presses!!! Well, maybe not. Since I used to live a stone's throw from Haeundae Beach, I thought this was an interesting, yet VERY sad bit of news.

Haeundae Beach to Bid for Parasol Record at Guinness
In summer, sand is hardly seen at Haeundae Beach in Busan as most of it is covered by numerous colorful parasols. Officials will apply for a listing in the Guinness World Records for the largest number of parasols on a beach.

Haeundae Ward Office plans to seek the registration this summer together with the Korea Record Institute, the agency responsible for arranging registration for Koreans.

The number of parasols set up on the 1.5-kilometer beach stood at 12,000 during the peak season last summer.

The ward office said it has recently asked the institute whether the cluster of parasols could be listed as a world record. In response, the institute said, ``very likely.''

Beaches in other countries do not have such scenes of parasols, so the Guinness World Records does not have a category concerning the number of parasols on a beach yet.

``Setting up parasols like that is very unique in Korea. The Guinness World Records registers an item that shows a unique culture. The parasol is also worth applying,'' Kim Deok-eun, president of the institute, said.

He said, for example, a Korean singer has been registered for performing ``pansori'' (Korean traditional narrative songs) for more than nine hours.

Following this positive perspective, the Haeundae office plans to apply for the world record in August after counting the exact number of parasols with the institute.

``We decided to apply to promote tourism at Haeundae. We will hold a large-scale event in which vacationers can participate and make a record number of parasols,'' a ward office official said.

The beach began to be covered with parasols in the early 1990s. They are available for 5,000 won for a day. Original...


I personally think that would be a rather dubous record. I think "The Least Realxing Beach in the World" would be slighlty more fitting! Here's a picture I took at Haeundae Beach the summer I was living in Busan (well, I was actually there for a year and a half...my only summer season though).

That's what it is really like there in July and August...tight man-shorts and all!!!


Here's a little vid to give things there another perspective.




Can YouTube make it in Korea?? Apparently, many are skeptical...


English education reforms mean good business for tutors
Contrary to its stated aim, the incoming administration’s education reform plan cheered the private education business yesterday, while some students, parents and teachers could not hide their frustration over the changes, particularly the emphasis on practical English-language education.

In an attempt to free Korea’s youngsters from the notoriously competitive battle to enter universities, the transition team of President-elect Lee Myung-bak announced Tuesday its three-stage measure to overhaul education policy. By 2013, universities will be given complete independence in choosing their freshmen. The plan also aims to reinforce public education while lowering parental spending on private tutoring. Read More...


And...in the spirit of Giant Vegtables and all things strange on TV in Asia. I came across this the other day on Japanprobe.

Big Daikon Video

BTW....a Daikon is type of Chinese raddish popular in Japan.

Man Beaten to Death for Refusing to Drink

Shit...this brings the whole concept of Korea's "drinking culture" and "culture of conformity" to a ridiculous new high!!!

Man Beaten to Death for Refusing to Drink

Police arrested two construction workers on suspicion of beating their coworker to death for refusing to drink.

Gwanak Police in southern Seoul said Tuesday that the two offenders, identified only as Lee (42) and Chung (52), beat their colleague Chang (47) to death at another coworker's house in Shillim-dong, Seoul, Saturday.

The two beat the man because Chang refused to go out drinking with them, police officials said. They said their crime was unintentional.

According to the police, the two had beaten Chang habitually, who was mentally challenged. His ill health could have contributed to his death. See original...


Here's a very interesting read from the Marmot's Hole!
How Fucked Up is Korea’s English Teaching Racket?

This is fucked up — meet Mark Thomas, a Briton who next month will graduate from the English education department of Hanguk University of Foreign Studies. The Hankyoreh reports that Thomas — who has completed his practicals and will become the first foreigner to graduate from a Korean teaching program — spotted an ad on the Seoul Department of Education homepage last December looking for native speaking English teachers. He applied, even taking an interview.

For Christmas, he returned to Britain full of hope. Then came the news. Seoul Department of Education told him he fulfilled the requirements to become a teacher, but — sit down for this — the Immigration Bureau would NOT give him a visa.

Why, you ask?

Because current E-2 regulations state that you must have graduated from a university in an English-speaking nation to be eligible for a visa. Poor Mr. Thomas, however, attended university in Korea.

As Thomas rightly pointed out, had he attended university overseas, he could have obtained an E-2 visa regardless of his major, but since he studied in Korea, he could not get a visa, despite majoring in English education.

Thomas came to Korea in 2002 after meeting some Korean exchange students at his church in southern England. He studied Korean at HUFS’ Korean program for two years, and then entered the university proper in 2004. He’s currently in Korea, or at least until the end of February, when his visa expires. He said he’d get another job in Korea for now, but he’d continue to work to achieve his goal of becoming a teacher.
See original story...


Immigration Office Plans to Ease Visa Rule
A top visa policymaker said Tuesday that Seoul plans to give English teaching or E-2 visas to foreigners whose countries adopt English as an official language.

``We’ve already decided to expand the recipients (of E-2 visas),’’ Choo Kyu-ho, commissioner of Korea Immigration Service, told The Korea Times, Tuesday. ``I think the supply of (foreign English teachers) should increase to meet growing demand in a reasonable way.’’

Choo said that he can’t specify when non-native English speakers will be allowed the visa because the change requires approval of related government offices.

He plans to discuss the issue at a meeting with related ministries before June.Read More...


Here's a recent letter to the editor in the Korea Times about the same subject. I have to admit that I agree with those who think that non-native English speakers with solid solid English language abilities should be allowed to teach Esl. Obviously, English being their second language as well, they understand the process of learning and teaching more than most young, newly university graduated native speakers.
Asian English Teachers



I have to admit that I just found this story a little odd...

Japan wants to fly paper plane from International Space Station to earth
KASHIWA, Chiba -- An experiment to test whether a paper plane thrown from space could reach earth was successfully carried out at the University of Tokyo's Kashiwa campus on Thursday.

A special paper plane modeled on the Space Shuttle and designed to withstand high temperatures was found to be able to endure a mach 7 high-velocity air stream for 10 seconds.

The test was jointly carried out by the University of Tokyo and the Japan folded paper plane association. Participants are aiming to launch a flight of the paper plane from the International Space Station in November this year. Read More...


Firms urged to do more to help foreigners adapt to Japanese society
NAGOYA -- Local governments in central Honshu unveiled a charter on Monday urging companies to help foreign workers adapt to Japanese society, officials said.

The Aichi, Gifu and Mie prefectural governments as well as the Nagoya Municipal Government have worked out the charter in cooperation with local business organizations including the Chubu Economic Federation.

The six-point charter urges companies in the region to improve working conditions for foreign workers, provide them with opportunities to deepen their understanding of Japanese culture and customs and help them and their families to integrate themselves into regional communities. Read More...

Arrest warrant issued for Busan ESL teacher....

Well, this is hot off the presses and it's more crappy news for those who make their living teaching English in Korea; specifically Busan...Haeundae. More negative press about an ESL teacher. I have a feeling this one could get ugly!

An ESL teacher stands accused of doing some horrible things to some students...read more here...

There is more also at the Marmot's Hole....

Arrest Warrant Issued for Suspected Kiwi Pedophile
January 17, 2008 – 11:04 am
Yonhap reports that police in Busan have applied for an arrest warrant for a 37-year-old New Zealander suspected of habitually molesting a 7-year-girl at his hagwon in Haeundae-gu. According to police, the Kiwi, identified as “T,” moved the alleged victim’s chair to a corner of the classroom so he could molest her without the other children in the class knowing. The mother called the police, who the picked up “T” for questioning. “T” is reportedly denying the charges.



U.S. Still Rates S.Korea as Sex Tourism Destination
The U.S. Congressional Research Service still rates South Korea as a major Asian destination for organized sex tours in a recent report entitled "Trafficking in Persons: U.S. Policy and Issues for Congress.”

Since the prostitution crackdown laws went into effect on Sept. 23, 2004, Korea says, brothels have been closed down, organized prostitution for foreign tourists has to all intents and purposes eradicated, and ordinary prostitution has been outlawed and drastically reduced. All this is corroborated by objective data. The latest classification by the CRS is therefore a blow for the Korean government, highlighting the need to disseminate accurate information to improve the national image.

In the report issued last week, the CRS lists South Korea as a primary Asian destination for organized sex tours, alongside the Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong. By citing Indonesia and Taiwan as secondary destinations for organized sex tours, the report suggests prostitution in South Korea is more serious than in these two countries.

An official with the South Korean Embassy in Washington said, "We're making all-out efforts to present accurate information on Korea to politicians, government officials, academics and experts in the U.S. It is sometimes possible that accurate information on the reality in Korea is not delivered. We'll take a proper countermeasure after finding out the truth first."

According to the CRS report, U.S. President George W. Bush on Oct. 18, 2007 issued sanctions against North Korea, Burma, Cuba, Iran, Syria, and Venezuela, which the U.S. State Department had categorized, in its own human trafficking report, as Tier 3countries for failing to address the problem of trafficking for forced labor.
Chosun


Here's some info from the Korea Herald about expat living...Websites to help make your life easier


A little something about the ongoing drama at see with the Sea Shepard's two members being heald on a Japanese whaling ship....
Sea Shepherd 'hostages' pawns, pirates?


If you have a car at your disposal...and live in Japan of course!
Ranking Japan's most scenic skylines

Nova Scotia Top 10...and more "Enlgish" teachers from Asia

Some of you my as, "Why the Hell is there a video about the Canadian province of Nova Scotia on your blog?" Well, the answer is simple. I was born and raised there. I no longer live in Nova Scotia, but will always love the place.

A brave initiative by Rodney MacDonald, Nova Scotia's Conservative top dog. The Premier rode the wave of popularity provided by the smashing reviews of the recent Hollywood hit 'Juno' and its Halifax-based star: Ellen Page. Ellen appeared on David Letterman on January 3, 2008, and spoke a bit about Nova Scotia, prompting Letterman to announce that he would like to visit some day.

And so, the Nova Scotia Provincial leader decided to send Letterman a more 'official' invitation.

Nova Scotia Rodney MacDonald Top 10 to David Letterman



Here's a little something likely to chap a few asses!!!!
Japan May Require Foreign Residents to Know Japanese



Looks like Seoul's tighter laws on handing out E2 (language instructor) visas are causing a lot more problems than they forsaw. Therefore, they are looking to other sources to fill their "English Teacher" needs. The gov't is talking about using teachers from other Asian countries (India, Singapore), who are capable English speakers to teach. I hope they are paid fairly...somehow I doubt they'll get 2-2.5 million a month in salary!

btw...I love the title of this article about the subject in the Korea Times. "Seoul Schools May Hire More Enlgish Teachers"...that's right..."Enlgish" teachers...petty of me...I know...typos are in papers everyday, but the subject of this article made it more amusing.


And more from the man who has WAY too much time on his hands. Here he makes a flute out of both broccoli and carrots!

It Hurts to be a Hagwon Owner...boohoo

I was checkin out the Marmot's Hole this eveining and came across this. I have to admit that there is no way I can feel any compassion...as they say, "What comes around, goes around."

Feel the Pain of Hagwon Owners
The new visa regs have put hagwon owners in a tight spot, with a growing shortage of teachers forcing teacher wages up and forcing school to cut classes. A representative of the Korea Hagwon Association told the JoongAng Ilbo that its members “can no longer bear the rising labor cost.” My happiness at news of suffering hagwon owners is tempered only by news that recruiting agencies — the people who brought you The Blacklist (they’ve deleted the personal information, BTW) — are raising their commissions, too. Marmot's Hole


I suppose here's an answer to the hagwon owner's problems.


Wow...here's a guy with WAY too much time on his hands...he made a panflute from carrots and celery!!!!



More death throws from what was Nova...then g.communication...then g.comm (A tale of pain and getting screwed as an ESL teacher in Japan!)
Read More on Let's Japan.org


The comment section on the Korea Times article is the most entertaining aspect of the whole thing...the title; "Some Foreigners Bash Korea Unjustly, Unfairly"...Again...check out the comments...a fun read ^^

Classroom Frustrations...and booze-filled fish

I've been frustrated in a classroom before. I've even been to the point where I wanted to pull my own hair out, but never anyone else's!

Teacher slaps whole class of elementary school students in face
MainichiYOKOHAMA -- An elementary school teacher is in hot water for hitting all the children in her class after misbehavior from only a handful of students, school officials have admitted.

The school authorities offered deep apologies to the students and their parents over the incident.

"I was desperate to start the class. I did a terrible thing," the 54-year-old teacher was quoted as telling her bosses.

The incident occurred during a fifth-grade class at the Yokohama Municipal Yamata Elementary School in Tsuzuki-ku on Tuesday, in which students were supposed to observe plants growing on school grounds. However, despite the teacher announcing the start of the lesson, some of the children kept on playing instead -- prompting the infuriated instructor to line all the students up and slap them in the face, even though most of them were not at fault.

The teacher was working as the class's substitute homeroom teacher, while the regular teacher is on maternity leave.


Naked Festival Poster Too Racy for Japanese Railway

A Japanese rail company has refused to display posters advertising a 1,000-year-old "naked festival" held at a temple in northern Japan, saying the design is too extreme.

The festival at Kokuseki temple in Iwate Prefecture is one of several held around Japan in which men dressed only in "fundoshi" loincloths, which barely cover the genitals, take part in purification rituals and wrestle for possession of wooden charms.

The poster shows a hairy-chested man in the foreground, with rear views of other naked men in the background.

"The overall design is rather extreme, said Kaichi Yamazaki, spokesman for the Morioka branch of JR East, which refused to display the posters.

We just want passengers to be able to use the station in a pleasant atmosphere," he added. "We do not mean to be negative about the people in the photographs, or about the festival itself," he added.

Domestic media said the company had said displaying the poster would amount to sexual harassment.

Tokyo's subways briefly ordered parts of a poster of a naked and heavily pregnant Britney Spears to be covered up in 2006 because it was considered "too stimulating," but quickly reversed the decision.

Posters featuring photographs and manga drawings of scantily clad young women are, however, commonplace on trains. Reuters

The "hairy naked man" poster that's all the buzz in Tokyo!


Here's a funny little vid....
A doctor who can't use chopsticks?? Look out!



Like a fish out of water, carp struggle to drink sake in strange ceremony

TONAMI, Toyama -- Some people are said to drink like a fish, but in a recent event here it was the fish that were getting their fill of alcohol.

The fish were the drinkers in a strange ceremony dating back to the Edo Period in which lively carp are made to consume a large dose of sake as they symbolically take on people's calamities. After drinking the sake, the fish are released into a river.

A total of 62 people who this year were set to reach an age said to require care against calamities -- 25 and 42 for men and 19 and 33 for women -- took part in the Jan. 7 ceremony, praying for things such as long life and academic achievement.

During the event, which involved proceedings at a Shinto shrine, carp were captured by men wearing traditional crest-bearing garments, and a woman dressed in a kimono poured a bottle of sacred sake into the mouths of the fish before they were released into the river.

Filled up with sake, the carp at first turned belly-up on the surface of the water. But they soon recovered and swam off. Mainichi...

IKEA bliss...

What's a guy to do? Today I was in "nesting" Heaven...the Ottawa branch of IKEA on Iris Street. Mai had never been to a proper IKEA store...you know...the kind with the huge furniture showrooms and the funky cafeteria with the Swedish meatballs! So, today...to IKEA we went. It was very cool, but unfortunately we really couldn't buy too much. So many cool things for homeowners to buy, but unfortunately Mai and I aren't homeowners and I'll actually be out of my current apartment in four months. Once this semester is over, I'll be sayin "Sayanora" to Ottawa and off to Japan. I'd love to drag some IKEA bookshelves and desks ith me, but I'm afraid the shipping fees will be way too much.

Speaking of our trip to IKEA today...we hoped the 96 bus from Hurdaman Station, close to our apartment and met the nicest bus driver. Both Mai and I have agreed that lately we've been havin a great deal of luck with really friendly helpful and nice OC Transpo drivers in the last week or two. Sometimes they can be pretty surly, but as of late, they've been quite the opposite.

On the topic of IKEA...check this out. An American comedian is apparently living in a New Jersey IKEA for a week andusing it as a vehicle to reach fame and fortune.


Mark Lives in IKEA

In this vid, Mark moves into IKEA. I agree with the cashier; it is a weird idea, but some people will do a lot to be noticed!

Marks First Night in IKEA


There are many more on Mark Malkoff's youtube site.


Mai and I certainly didn't have this kind of fun at the store this afternoon in Ottawa, but it was cool notheless...I ate meatballs!

Jenga Extreme? Sad, but true...

"It's a birds. No! It's a plane!...No...It's Jenga Extreme!!!" This is what some people do over the Xmas Holidays when it's really cold outside. I remember playing Jenga a few years ago at my first ESL school in Korea. My students always wanted to play, but I usually didn't allow it. Obviously, if you're playing Jenga as an ESL game, you're really grasping for straws. I suppose it's great for those who haven't done prep work or simply don't care. I'd say it would be great for hungover teachers, but the sound of all those little wooden blocks hitting the table is LOUD and will also scare the crap out of you....not a good combination for a dehydrated brain!


This is me....in deep concentration. The night before New Year's Eve...barley and hops-based substances may have been involved. btw...I sucked! We played four games and I was directly responsible for the tower crashing THREE times...boo hoo....


Mai...flexing her "Jenga Extreme" muscle...

Here we go...BAD hair andclothing styles...
An early 90's Jenga TV spot...ENJOY


This is a post to lighten up an otherwise heavy week. Heavy as in this semster will be much more intense than last semester. Lots of "theoretical" classes versus the more "practical" ones from last term. I suppose the balance is necessary in order to make me a well-rounded kinda teacher, but some of the educational psychology readings and assignments coming down the pipe are intense.

Hmm...let the games begin....."Jenga!"

Let's Ski to North Korea...and Fingerprinting Mayors!

Can two American skiers make it across the border to North Korea?? Is there good powder in the Hermit Kingdom?

I came across this vid originally on Tripfilms.

Skirting the North Korean Border

This isn't a normal ski destination...looks interesting!



"I feel like a rock star"...this is a quote from Ottawa mayor Larry O'Brien as he was fingerprinted and booked by the Ontario Provincial Police in Kanata yesterday. What a BIZARRE thing to say! I can remeber that a few weeks ago he was daring the OPP to charge him on charges of "so called corruption and attempted bribery." The next day they charged him. His reply...."I feel relieved." What the hell is up with that???


Ottawa mayor booked, photographed, fingerprinted on influence-peddling charges


OTTAWA - Mayor Larry O'Brien faced a throng of media as he appeared at provincial police detachment in suburban Kanata to be processed on two influence-peddling charges.

O'Brien, 58, was booked, photographed and fingerprinted on charges alleging that he tried to persuade an opponent to drop out of the 2006 race for mayor.

O'Brien joked that he felt "like a rock star" as about two dozen media members met him outside the detachment.

He said "it's obviously not a comfortable feeling" to face charges he offered rival Terry Kilrea a position on the National Parole Board if he dropped out of the 2006 municipal election.

O'Brien has denied he did anything wrong and has said he intends to plead not guilty to the charges.

His first court date is Wednesday.(January 9th) See original...

Robots, White Trash and Ottawa Fog

The January thaw as it's called has arrived in Canada's capital city and it's damn wet. All this week temps are hovering around the 10c mark which is a bit of a climatic rollercoaster ride considering it was close to -30c just a week ago! So, it looks like there'll be no skating on the Rideau Canal this week or the next few. I'm hoping the Canal will be frozen so Mai and I have a chance to do some skating before she heads back to Japan.


What's this?? It's the view from my apartment window this afternoon. Normally there's a nice view of Ottawa, but today the fog was thicker than pea soup. What wonderful winter weather we have.


Normally a beautiful site, here's the locks at the Rideau Canal beside the Chateau Laurier Hotel this afternoon. Sure doesn't feel like Winter.


I was going through some of the piles of old footage I have on my laptop and came across this little snipit this afternoon. I took it when I was in Shibuya in Tokyo last Spring. I thought it was mildly amusing.

The little "robot flagman" at the construction site was just weird. The "White Trash Charm Japan" jewelry shop in Rypongi was also a nice hoot. Gotta love Japlish!!


Well, back to school nice and early tomorrow morning. It's going to be rough waking up at 6:30am after such a long and relaxing vacation. Lots of new courses and projetcs on their way, all designed to make me a better teacher I suppose. Sounds like a few of them will be pretty cool and a few others...well, I'm just not sure at all what to expect.

Tim Horton's and the Wedding Ajumma

This is gold!!!! My buddy Gino sent this to me...the magic happens about 42 seconds into the video!!!

This gives all new meaning to the term "rudeness."

As any Canadian knows, Tim Horton's coffee is an almost ubiquitous sign of Canadiana. Everywhere you go; especially on the East Coast of in Ontario, Timmies are everywhere. Since I've come back to Canada, I always get a kick out of the strange places I see empty Timmie's cups lyin around. If you ever venture into a Walmart or Canadian Tire you're bound to find at least half a dozen empty cups scattered throughout the isles...laid where the drinker finished them!

Everyday as I hit the bus stop by my apartment I see what appears to be a Tim Horton's cup farm...


It grows on a daily basis...soon there might actually be a Tim Horton's on the spot where the bus stop now is.


Of course, it being a weekend, it's common to see the signs of a good time. Here we go....oneof Nova Scotia's finest....Alexander Keith's!

Bottom Biting Bug (Oshiri Kajiri Mushi)

Strange as strange may be!!!!! Things are often weird and out of sorts when living and teaching abroad. I always found it odd (and so did every other native speaking teacher in either Korea or Japan) about kid's fascination with poo and all things poo-like.

Well....there's a new song that has been all the rage in Japan for awhile now. It's a hit with kindergarten kids across Japan and is about a bug that enjoys biting people's butts!! That's right; a Bottom Biting Bug or Oshiri Kajiri Mushi as it's known in Japan.

The Bottom Biting Bug (Oshiri Kajiri Mushi) Subtitled



btw...in absolutely non Asian related news....Team Canada just beat Sweden 3-2, 3:36 into overtime to win the World Junior Hockey Championships in Pardubice, Czech Republic.

Canada's Claude Giroux celebrates his goal against Sweden with teammate Brad Marchand.

Way to go Team Canada!!! Congrats....you deserve it ^^

Japan Vlogs and Vacation farewells....

Semester two begins soon. New classes and a few new instructors. I suppose one of the classes that initially caused the most anxiety for me at the beginning of last term was Mathematics. My childhood memories of Math class had left me traumatized....or so I thought. I realized that I really don't dislike Math, I just didn't have teachers who taught it well. Much to my surprise, I enjoyed my Math class last term and really liked teaching it to my 3rd graders for 5 weeks as well.

Today some of my friends in the Teacher Education department will get together for a "Hello, how was your New Year/Let's have a fewpints before it begins again" party. Good chance to catch up on everyone's holidays. These things are usually pot-luck style and Mai usually makes some killer food to bring. Think she's making gyoza (Japanese dumplings) to bring today....yummy!!!

Mai and I have been talking about my upcoming move to Japan (after graduation of course) and I've been watching a lot of vlogs of foreigners living in Japan on YouTube. While watching some, I came across this funny Australian tv commercial...check it out.

Ad - When a Japanese Baby is Born

"Holy Stereotypes Batman!!"...made me giggle though.

So, back on the topic of cool vlogs about Life in Japan....here are a few I've been watching a lot of.

TokyoCooney...this guy is an aspiring comedian and writer living in ...well...Tokyo. He's from the States. I've been following his vlogs for more than a year now...good stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/tokyocooney

Softypapa...is a foreigner married to a Japanese woman living in the countryside of Japan. His videos are a very different take on life in japan. Most vlogs I see are from foreigners living in the heart of big cities like Tokyo and Osaka. Softypapa's vids are a refreshing change.
http://www.youtube.com/softypapa

Zenhill...is an Australian living outside of Osaka. His wife is Japanese and has a newborn son in Osaka. His vlogs have a mix of humour, practical knowledge and other cool elements.
http://www.youtube.com/zenhill

There are lots of other interesting vlogs about Life in Japan and I'll post some more sometime later on.

Canadian New Years....with some galbi thrown in!

Well, the New Year is here and the vacation is has almost come to an end. What’s been going on? I suppose a damn lot to put it simply. I’m officially half-way through my course and half-way to becoming a certified primary school teacher. It’s been a tough go of things since I began school. In the beginning I was wondering what all of the fuss was about. I seemed to have plenty of free-time and little to study, but things quickly snowballed. My practice teaching was tougher than I imagined. After 5 years of teaching relatively well-behaved kids in Korea, I was thrown into the fray with a 3rd grade class in one of Ottawa’s Beacon Schools. It was challenging, but in the end everything worked out well and I’m certainly the better teacher for it. The kids I taught, while chatty and uber-energetic, were very cool!

Rough semester done, solid grades and an amazing time teaching 3rd grade in ottawa, it was time for a nice little break. Mai and I spent Christmas with my folks for a week and my waist grew by several centimeters...the sign of a truly Canadian Christmas. I've come to quickly realize, after spending my first winter in Ottawa, that a truly Cnadian Christmas...at least an Ottawa one is friggin cold!! Wow...this place seems to have the same temperature as Yellowknife...actually...it often does!

For New Years, Mai and I ventured to London...Ontario. Our magical VIA experience, with crying babies across the aisle had a happy ending when Tom and Amity whisked us away from Union Station to London. The four of us met in Korea and were going to have a "quasi-Korean" themed New Years. We stopped in Korea Town in Toronto and picked up supplies for a feed of New Years galbi at Tom's place. Tom and Amity supplied the Korean bbq cook plate and Mai and I supplied the Baek saeju.


Tom cookin up a storm of galbi...in the confines of his Canadian apartment. Tom's funky litle Korean cooker was compliments of Amity. I believe she picked it up at a korean market in Columbus, OH.

After a few days and enough booze to kill a small herd of cattle, the four of us were off to Toronto. it was the last stop before Mai and I were to head back to the "Siberia-Like" atmosphere of Ottawa. Our tour guides (Tom and Amity) decided that it would be in the best interest of us, as well as the rest of humanity for us to visit the Steamwhistle Brewery in downtown Toronto. It's beside the CN Tower and the Rogers Centre. It was a great call on their part. A quick tour and four glasses of fabulous pilsner later, we were on our way.


A gaggle of former English and Japanese teachers enjoy the wonderful sudes at the Steamwhistle Brewery.

Here is a pile of Steamwhislte kegs on the production floor of the brewery. It's basically a "pile of heaven." Damn fine beer and in large quantities.


Tom used some of his savvy photography skills and snapped a few neat pics of Mai and myself outside Steamwhistle. EeEkkk...there appears to be a CN Tower in the background.

Ok...time in London and Toronto was finished. Back on the train for the trip to "Siberia-like" Ottawa. An annoying first-year Ottawa U student sat across from us and talked non-stop for more than four hours. A nice businessman sat beside her and somehow tolerated her babbling. I thought Mai was going to leap over me and quickly put an end to the girl's nattering. It was quite possible since two days earlier we watched the new Johnny Depp flick, Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Luckily Mai didn't have a razor on her at the time!!

So, we got back to Ottawa and walked home. It's about a 15 minute walk from the train station...no problem. WRONG! IT WAS COOOLLLLD!!! Painful cold. Got home and checked online...with the windchill....-29C. Ahh well...tis life in the Great White North.

Tonight we ventured downtown to look at the lights. The NCC (National Capital Commission) lights up Ottawa for the Holiday Season. From December6-January 6, there are beautiful lights throughout the downtown area, on the museums and of course the Parliament Buildings. With only 2 nights left to see them we needed to take a gander...well worth the trip.


Here's the canada Post building on the corner of Sparks Street across from Darcy Magee's pub. It certainly looked ship-shape.


Mai stood here infron of the Parliament Buildings. They looked great. They are illuminated with massive white snowflakes and lots of other groovy little lights.


The Fairmont hotel...aka...Chateau Laurier looked awesome as usual. Whenever I look at the hotel it reminds me of some sort of Bavarian castle. Why can I imagine it full of drunken German monks for some reason?


On our way home, we stopped on the bridge between the National Arts Centee and the Rideau Centre to take a look at the Rideau Canal. At night it looks great. Check it out for yourself.

Just a few more days left and the last term of my teacher education programs gets underway. I suppose things will be the same way as last semester; start off slow and then snowball into a world of assignments, stress and this time teaching a junior grade for 5 weeks...wither grade 4, 5 or 6...not sure yet. I plan to keep folks posted about my life in Ottawa on a more regular basis now. This is definitely a cool little city to live in and a lot of interesting thngs to do and see. Oh yeah...and it's really cold too!!