Spring has Arrived!

Hello everyone!!
Just a little update on what has been happening over here. It is officially Cherry Blossom season in Japan, and I have a busy week of blossom sighting ahead of me. Since they only bloom for about 10 days, cherry blossom season is a huge deal here. News reporters are sent out to spot 'the first blossom' and people take time off just to go and watch. I for one am excited and promise to post many pictures.

For those of you who are not aware, our Birthday's are just around the corner, and we decided to celebrate Okinawa style.
That is to say...we are going to Okinawa!!! If you look up images of Ishigaki, Taketomi, and Irimote, you will get an idea. We are going to spend our week Island hopping, resting on beaches, riding buffalo, and hiking through jungles. It promises to be quite the adventure.

This month is sadly a month of goodbyes. We are saying goodbye to Junpe, who is moving back to Tokyo, Yusuku, who is ironically, moving to Canada, and Jeff, who is leaving us for Hiroshima. But we are busy bribing other people to be our friends, so don't you worry. We aren't getting lonely.

Anyways, here are a few pictures of some of my students, as well as my trip to the zoo with Yuki and his parents. My classroom is slowely improving, with help of all my students who I have forced labour from. That is...I made them make a ton of paper flowers. My students range from 1 year old to 9 years old and MOST of them are great. I am going with one student and her Mom to see Cherry blossoms on Tuesday night! Wooo!

Yuki looks terrified because the monkeys were having a fit of some sort. To be honest I was a bit scared myself...

The giant guinea pigs were a lot more subdued. Really smelly though.....

Me, Yuki, and his very nice Mom!

Isn't he cute???

This is another Yuki, also cute and very smart! Here he is enjoying our nice new carpet!!!

Flower Girls!! Erina, on the right, was the one who showed me how to make the flowers. Ayano, on the left, is the one who is taking me to see Cherry Blossoms on Tuesday night. Also, as a side note, Ayano has to be home by 7 every night so she doesn't miss Full House. Hehe.

These are another 2 of my favorite students. Their names are Hugh, and Ewan.

Yes. Hugh like Hugh Grant, and Ewan like Ewan Macgregor.

They are hilarious and I love the fact that they used to cry in the old teachers lessons, yet their Mom tells me they look forward to mine. Plus they have never once cried in my class. Wooo! #1 Sensei!

I think he's cuter than Ewan MacGregor.

Misato and Megu! These two are great. For everything that I teach them in English, they feel it their duty to teach me it in Japanese! I love getting PAID for Japanese lessons. Today I learned my colours!!! Midori ga suki desu!!

Lucky Rika! Because of Schedule changes I got her in a class on her own for the month of March. She's a cutie.

Ok, thats enough for now! There will be more soon!

I miss everyone!!!

Love Tara

Hounen Matsuri

This annual festival is always popular with the foreign crowd.
I invite you to speculate on why that might be.
Be forewarned, this video is not something that everyone will enjoy!

A random barrage of photos to keep everyone up to date

Ok, these pictures help recount the month that you all missed. There was a trip to the zoo with Yasushi and his family; drinks with Yasushi & Nathan & Yusuku & Junpe; A Nonami Karaoke Party (one of the Nova's that I used to work at); and I think that might be it for now....anyways, enjoy!

Final Video Installment From Korean Series

Konnichiwa tomodachitachi.
Hisashiburi desu ne?
(The cool thing is that I can write that in Japanese! I even know about 40 of the approximately 3 billion kanji symbols.)

Finally we have internet again! Our new house is great, and our stay has been made even more enjoyable by the overwhelming generousity of some locals.

Unfortunately, due to our lengthy absinthe from the globalized-interconnected-webology, we have been unable to keep you properly visually updated. You missed out on the videos of Korea (Yes, we know the same video effect can be achieved by scrolling quickly up and down the page of pictures, but it's a fun hobby for The Ian). Since we need to keep this show moving, we're going to save most of the Korea footage for a special edition DVD to be released sometime later this year. You will also miss footage of a local zoo, featuring a variety of Seussian bears that only bear the faintest resemblance to Canadian bears.

Every great film maker goes through that artistic crisis where their work is hated by the popular press, loved by those who don't understand it but want to appear sophisticated, and misunderstood by all. Sadly, poor amateur film makers occasionally go through a similar phase with the added bonus that they themselves don't understand their work.

I give you...
3 Million Buddhas (I'm Guessing)





Well, that's about all from me.

OH, one other thing: Sometime in January all my coworkers decided to start calling me "The Ian". It's the closest thing I've had to a nickname since Anita and AJ called me "Ianly Ian" in highschool. Maybe I can only be described by my name. Words defining themselves rarely help English students ("Come on Hiroshi, you know ...SIMILE...it's like when something acts as a SIMILE. Why can't you get this??? I give up...this is like talking to a brick wall...) no matter how hard I try.

Definitively,
The Ian

We're back!!!!! (online...)

Ok now I know many of you think we have forgotten our blog but its not our fault that we haven't been posting!!
We haven't had internet for about a month and a half now, making it VERY difficult to keep you all up to date! But I promise you all that our new house is AMAZING, my new job is also amazing, and Ichinomiya is sooo much better than Nagoya!

We are currently working on house video and korea video...yes there is still korea stuff. But in the meantime I do have a plethora of pictures for you to peruse!

So, a little run down on what we have been up to as of late.
We moved into our new home with the help of 2 wonderful nihonjin, Yasushi and Junpe. Both have been a world of help and great friends to us this past month. In fact, Yasushi has taken it upon himself to teach us nihon-go (Japanese). He comes over every Sunday night (nichiyoubi) and helps us study. We are making progress!!
Junpe is moving back to Tokyo, which makes us sad, but he has graciously offered to help us around Tokyo anytime we go there!! (Mom and Dad you should be especially grateful, since as it turns out, its a bit of a pain to get from Narita to Tokyo Station!)
Anyways, not long after we moved in we held a small house warming party, and here are some pics from that wonderful evening!










I'm not sure what Yasushi was trying to do to Ian...but it sure was funny!!
The other picture is of the 2 who are leaving us. Junpe (in the stripes) is going back to Tokyo, and Yusuku is moving to Canada...go figure.




Ok. Those are just some of many left to come. February was kind of a 'party' month for us. Many going away parties, welcoming parties, and of course, our housewarming party.

Ichinomiya has been a good move though. It just feels better here.
My school is really great so far. It consists of myself and the owner. He teached the adults and I teach the kids. So far most of the kids have been ok,and the parents are really nice. It also gives me another chance to practise some Japanese!
I have one adult lesson that is awesome though. I ride my bike down the street to this woman's shop (thing like Pier One but privately owned). Anyways, I go to her shop and sit and have coffee with her and 3 of her friends, while I teach them english. Its great!
I'm in the midst of redecorating the room right now (the old teacher left everything in a bit of a disaster) but as soon as things are cleaned up and I going to take some pictures for you all to see.
Alright, this is all for now. I have many more pictures so post so keep checking! You won't have to wait a month this time!!!

I miss everyone LOTS!!!
Tara