Radio E-I-G-O, my weekly show broadcast over the whole of Taisha Jr. High, won’t be on the air tomorrow as this first week back after break is not a regualr school week, but I thought I’d post about doing the show.
(eigo is the Japanese word for English in case you don’t understand the call letters)
I’ll start off by saying how much fun it is for me to play music for my Jr. High kids each week on my “radio” show. Basically I get to take over the school PA system for about 15 minutes every Wednesday and play any music I like and speak English with the whole student body listening. I’ve played a wide gamut of songs so far, usually grouped around some vague theme, but sometimes inspiration strikes and I find a song that fits some event that just passed or is about to happen. 15 minutes isn’t really any time at all - usually I get about 3 songs in with some of my blather between songs. I do my best “DJ” voice and probably talk way too fast for my students to follow along, but I do slow down at times to emphasize certain words making it a quasi-learning experience. Mostly I just enjoy exposing them to some western pop music. Some of them know the current bands, but most of them don’t at all - no real knowledge of any U.S. or U.K. rock or pop stars except for karaoke staples like The Beatles, The Carpenters, and Queen. There is a thriving J-Pop scene here, but much of it is horribly bland boy-band pop or Britney-style teen Divas singing to the same backing tracks and melodies all the time. I can’t really criticize Japanese music too much because I haven’t listened to enough to really form an opinion, but I don’t think I’ll be spending too much of my money on Japanese music CDs.
Here’s some of the tracks I played in 2004:
Playlist for Wed. Oct. 27th (First show)
Surfin’ USA (The Beach Boys)
Going to California (Led Zeppelin)
Santa Monica (Everclear)
She (Elvis Costello)
Playlist for Show #2 (Nov. 2nd, 2004)
Gettin’ in the Mood (The Brian Setzer Orchestra)
What a Wonderful World (Sam Cooke)
Playlist for Show #3 (Nov. 9th, 2004)
Lean on Me (Bill Withers)
Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World (Iz)
Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel) {Billy Joel}
Playlist for Show #4 (Nov. 17th, 2004)
Should I Stay or Should I Go? (The Clash)
Waterfalls (TLC)
Vertigo (U2)
Land of a Thousand Dances (The Commitments)
Playlist for Show #5 (Nov. 24th, 2004)
We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions (Queen)
A Place Called Home (Kim Richey)
The Thanksgiving Song (Adam Sandler)
Playlist for Show #6 (Dec. 1st, 2004)
Subterranean Homesick Blues (Bob Dylan)
Blinded by the Light (Bruce Springsteen)
It’s the End of the World As We Know It {And I Feel Fine} (R.E.M.)
New York, New York (Ryan Adams)
Playlist for Show #7 (Dec. 14th, 2004)
This show dedicated to Lennon & Ishitobi-sensei
In My Life (The Beatles)
Imagine (John Lennon)
Purple Haze (Jimi Hendrix)
Little Wing (Jimi Hendrix)
A few things discourage me about the process - I really have no idea how much the kids are enjoying the program or how much they even listen. The program is on during their lunch time while they eat in their individual homerooms (there is no cafeteria at my JH). But when I’ve eaten with my students in their homerooms, the volume on the speaker that plays the music they listen to on other days, which they select or suggest, is often too low to really hear above the clatter of lunch trays and chopsticks.
It’s hard to control this volume from the PA control room, since it can sound loud down there, but be barely audible upstairs in the classrooms.
The sound system itself is old and really can’t handle anything with too much bass or heavy drumming - it just distorts and sounds terrible, so where’s the benefit of that? It’s a mono system with one speaker in each classroom, so the sound it compressed into one channel, which greatly diminishes some songs. But I personally have fun each week deciding which songs to play and working out my patter between songs, so for that alone it’s worth it to me. I hope the kids are listening and enjoying the show too, cuz in the end I am doing it for their benefit.
I’m thinking of trying to start offering dedications, so a student could request a song for a friend or a teacher, but I haven’t quite worked it out yet. I sometimes dedicate a song to a student I know, like my speech contest girls, and I hear they get all red-faced and embarrassed when I say their name over the PA, so that’s cool.
I gave each member of my JH Kendo team a “Jam CD” for a holiday gift. It took me a while to burn 21 CDs and copy the jacket inserts, but I think it was worth it cuz they all really liked the gift - I’ll find out this week if they liked the songs I chose. I also gave out burned CDs to a few of the teachers I like and my supervisor - once again my awesome Apple laptop comes through like a trooper and iTunes makes it so easy to assemble playlists and burn CDs - I love it!
Music is such a big part of youth culture in the States - I’m curious to learn how much of a role it plays in the lives of my rural students here in Taisha. I’ll keep you posted. So until next time, keep your feet on the ground, but keep reaching for the stars.
Radio EIGO signing off.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Trivia - Tuesday, Jan 11th
This one goes out to HC.
Which screen legend appeared with Olivia Newton-John in Xanadu?
A. Bette Davis
B. Bing Crosby
C. Gene Kelly
D. Fred Astaire
Yesterday's Answer: A. Jake
Which screen legend appeared with Olivia Newton-John in Xanadu?
A. Bette Davis
B. Bing Crosby
C. Gene Kelly
D. Fred Astaire
Yesterday's Answer: A. Jake
Monday, January 10, 2005
Recap for November 2004
OK - I’m gonna update y’all on a few of the happenings from the last two months of 2004 that I haven’t mentioned yet. These entries are as much for me, so a year from now I can remember what I was doing back in 2004.
So we’ll start with random happenings from November.
On the 11th and 12th I attended the 2-day Mid Year Seminar for all Shimane ALTs. It was workshops and seminars, and while some of it was helpful, much of it was time that could have been better spent. I did get this nifty lesson plan book, that I contributed to, so that was good. I also learned how to play a Japanese card game called karuta. And I got to see a bunch of the JETs from other parts of Shimane that I rarely see, so that was nice. Since the event took place in Hirata, which is only about 45 minutes away by car, Lisa, Rusty and I carpooled, so I missed out on the poker game that night at the lodge where everyone from farther away was staying. I really miss playing cards, especially poker.
That Saturday, the 13th, was the speech contest for three of my san nen sei girls. I’ve already posted a pic of us holding the trophy from last year. My girls all did well, but not perfect, so they came in 2nd overall as a team. None got individual prizes, which was disappointing, but they all had fun practicing, and I feel like i know the three of them better than just about any of my other 9th graders. I’ll be a bit sad in April at graduation to see some of them move on to High School, as just as I’m getting to know many of them they’ll be gone.
Thursday, the 18th, was the other speech contest in Gotsu. I was supposed to accompany two girls, one 8th grader and one 9th grader, but the 9th grader had been very sick for about a week, so she couldn’t go. One of my JTEs (Ms. Hama) and I boarded the southbound JR train in Izumo with my ni nen sei, Asuka. It was about a two-hour train ride down to Gotsu, where we congregated at Gotsu Sr. High, where Koren is the ALT. I was very happy with Asuka’s performance, as this contest featured longer pieces, and Asuka’s selection, about a young hemophiliac with HIV, was a difficult piece that she recited well. But alas, no prize for her either. I’m hoping that despite the passing of Ishitobi-sensei, who was the JTE that really pushed students to enter these contests, that my school will continue to enter these contests. I really enjoy helping the students prepare, and practices are a great way for me to get to know some of my students beyond the classroom.
Friday the 19th was International Day at Sada Jr. High, a school where a JET friend, Rob, is the ALT. Since I’m simply “American,” which I guess isn’t very exotic, I was asked to run the room where the teams of students came to play Baseball Trivia. Now this is not trivia questions about the game of baseball, but rather random questions that I asked two competitors, facing off “Family Feud” style, in English on a variety of topics. But if they got the question right they rolled a dice and that determined if they got a single, double, triple, home run or an out. So two teams competed to score runs and be the winner. It was great fun and well suited to my abilities - but my voice was hoarse by the end of the day from all the talking and cheering and shouting. Some of the other, more exotic ALTs held mini seminars on their home countries, so the kids got to learn about Ireland, Scotland, Romania, Hawaii, and Finland. And at the break after lunch I got to teach the kids how to play competitive four-square, one of my all-time favorite playground games. Rob put on a great event for his school of about 100 kids, and I hope to go back next year.
Sunday, November 21st, was a fun day and night. My local shrine, IzumoTaisha, was having a big festival for the arrival of the Gods in Shimane, which happens every November. The shrine priests started out down on the beach, welcoming the Gods ashore and then walked through my town up to the shrine, where they did some more rituals involving prays and parades. Lots of people turned out and it was a festive atmosphere only dampened a bit by the intermittent rain and encroaching cold. I walked from my aparto to the shrine with two ALTs who arrived to check it all out, Emily (U.S.) and Rebecca (U.K.). We saw other JETs at the shrine, and I felt a bit sheepish, since it’s my town but I don’t really know it all that well in terms of where to park, what was going on, or where to go for food when it was all done. There isn’t much in Taisha, and much of the shops, bars, and restaurants are barely signposted - you just have to know they’re there. I’m getting better at knowing my way around, but when the weather warms up I really need to just take some time and have a good walk ‘round the whole town.
That Tuesday, the 23rd, was a holiday for the Japanese version of Thanksgiving, where they celebrate the harvest. So I took the Monday off to have a 4-day weekend, which was nice. After a short 3-day work week, it was the weekend already and that Sunday, the 28th, I was invited by my smallest shoogakkoo (Usagi Elementary) to their town festival. So I got a ride with my Jr. High school Kocho Sensei (Principal) and we arrived in Usagi at about 9 am for food and dancing and presentations by the 8 students of Usagi Sho. It was great fun, and I even sampled some of the local delicacies, like tasty, homemade Udon noodles, although I passed on the “squid pancakes” they offered. I also got to see the local community and some of the students perform a ritual dance involving rhythmic drumming and Oni (demon gods) costumes and waving sticks around. Some of the older women in the audience were tearing up during the performance, but I have to admit that the relevance was lost on me.
The next day, Monday the 29th, was a busy day as I had to head by bus up to my 2nd smallest shoogakkoo, Hinomisaki, and teach some classes in the morning. In the afternoon, my supervisor, Utani-san, came and picked me up in a cramped BoE car, and we headed into Izumo for an opinion sharing session with the JET PAs (prefectural advisors). Basically it was just a shoot-the-shit table discussion with about a dozen of the other local ALTs and CIRs. Our supervisors had their own meeting upstairs. I really wish I could get some feedback, positive and negative, from my superiors and teachers, but none is offered. I would like to think that means I’m doing a good job, but I think that Japanese modesty would prevent many of my co-workers from ever saying anything negative, even if it were warranted.
So that was the parts of November 2004, not already covered in other previous posts, in brief synopsis. I’ll post a similar synopsis for December soon.
-Jason
So we’ll start with random happenings from November.
On the 11th and 12th I attended the 2-day Mid Year Seminar for all Shimane ALTs. It was workshops and seminars, and while some of it was helpful, much of it was time that could have been better spent. I did get this nifty lesson plan book, that I contributed to, so that was good. I also learned how to play a Japanese card game called karuta. And I got to see a bunch of the JETs from other parts of Shimane that I rarely see, so that was nice. Since the event took place in Hirata, which is only about 45 minutes away by car, Lisa, Rusty and I carpooled, so I missed out on the poker game that night at the lodge where everyone from farther away was staying. I really miss playing cards, especially poker.
That Saturday, the 13th, was the speech contest for three of my san nen sei girls. I’ve already posted a pic of us holding the trophy from last year. My girls all did well, but not perfect, so they came in 2nd overall as a team. None got individual prizes, which was disappointing, but they all had fun practicing, and I feel like i know the three of them better than just about any of my other 9th graders. I’ll be a bit sad in April at graduation to see some of them move on to High School, as just as I’m getting to know many of them they’ll be gone.
Thursday, the 18th, was the other speech contest in Gotsu. I was supposed to accompany two girls, one 8th grader and one 9th grader, but the 9th grader had been very sick for about a week, so she couldn’t go. One of my JTEs (Ms. Hama) and I boarded the southbound JR train in Izumo with my ni nen sei, Asuka. It was about a two-hour train ride down to Gotsu, where we congregated at Gotsu Sr. High, where Koren is the ALT. I was very happy with Asuka’s performance, as this contest featured longer pieces, and Asuka’s selection, about a young hemophiliac with HIV, was a difficult piece that she recited well. But alas, no prize for her either. I’m hoping that despite the passing of Ishitobi-sensei, who was the JTE that really pushed students to enter these contests, that my school will continue to enter these contests. I really enjoy helping the students prepare, and practices are a great way for me to get to know some of my students beyond the classroom.
Friday the 19th was International Day at Sada Jr. High, a school where a JET friend, Rob, is the ALT. Since I’m simply “American,” which I guess isn’t very exotic, I was asked to run the room where the teams of students came to play Baseball Trivia. Now this is not trivia questions about the game of baseball, but rather random questions that I asked two competitors, facing off “Family Feud” style, in English on a variety of topics. But if they got the question right they rolled a dice and that determined if they got a single, double, triple, home run or an out. So two teams competed to score runs and be the winner. It was great fun and well suited to my abilities - but my voice was hoarse by the end of the day from all the talking and cheering and shouting. Some of the other, more exotic ALTs held mini seminars on their home countries, so the kids got to learn about Ireland, Scotland, Romania, Hawaii, and Finland. And at the break after lunch I got to teach the kids how to play competitive four-square, one of my all-time favorite playground games. Rob put on a great event for his school of about 100 kids, and I hope to go back next year.
Sunday, November 21st, was a fun day and night. My local shrine, IzumoTaisha, was having a big festival for the arrival of the Gods in Shimane, which happens every November. The shrine priests started out down on the beach, welcoming the Gods ashore and then walked through my town up to the shrine, where they did some more rituals involving prays and parades. Lots of people turned out and it was a festive atmosphere only dampened a bit by the intermittent rain and encroaching cold. I walked from my aparto to the shrine with two ALTs who arrived to check it all out, Emily (U.S.) and Rebecca (U.K.). We saw other JETs at the shrine, and I felt a bit sheepish, since it’s my town but I don’t really know it all that well in terms of where to park, what was going on, or where to go for food when it was all done. There isn’t much in Taisha, and much of the shops, bars, and restaurants are barely signposted - you just have to know they’re there. I’m getting better at knowing my way around, but when the weather warms up I really need to just take some time and have a good walk ‘round the whole town.
That Tuesday, the 23rd, was a holiday for the Japanese version of Thanksgiving, where they celebrate the harvest. So I took the Monday off to have a 4-day weekend, which was nice. After a short 3-day work week, it was the weekend already and that Sunday, the 28th, I was invited by my smallest shoogakkoo (Usagi Elementary) to their town festival. So I got a ride with my Jr. High school Kocho Sensei (Principal) and we arrived in Usagi at about 9 am for food and dancing and presentations by the 8 students of Usagi Sho. It was great fun, and I even sampled some of the local delicacies, like tasty, homemade Udon noodles, although I passed on the “squid pancakes” they offered. I also got to see the local community and some of the students perform a ritual dance involving rhythmic drumming and Oni (demon gods) costumes and waving sticks around. Some of the older women in the audience were tearing up during the performance, but I have to admit that the relevance was lost on me.
The next day, Monday the 29th, was a busy day as I had to head by bus up to my 2nd smallest shoogakkoo, Hinomisaki, and teach some classes in the morning. In the afternoon, my supervisor, Utani-san, came and picked me up in a cramped BoE car, and we headed into Izumo for an opinion sharing session with the JET PAs (prefectural advisors). Basically it was just a shoot-the-shit table discussion with about a dozen of the other local ALTs and CIRs. Our supervisors had their own meeting upstairs. I really wish I could get some feedback, positive and negative, from my superiors and teachers, but none is offered. I would like to think that means I’m doing a good job, but I think that Japanese modesty would prevent many of my co-workers from ever saying anything negative, even if it were warranted.
So that was the parts of November 2004, not already covered in other previous posts, in brief synopsis. I’ll post a similar synopsis for December soon.
-Jason
Trivia - Monday, Jan 10th
Melrose Placewas actually a spin-off of 90210. Which Melrose character served as the link between the two?
A. Jake
B. Amanda
C. Billy
D. Jo
Yesterday's Answer: "Streets of Philadelphia"
A. Jake
B. Amanda
C. Billy
D. Jo
Yesterday's Answer: "Streets of Philadelphia"
Saturday, January 08, 2005
Trivia - Sat & Sun, Jan 8 & 9
Bruce Springsteen's video for which Oscar-winning song featured him singing live to a pre-recorded backing track?
Yesterday's Answer: The College of William and Mary
Yesterday's Answer: The College of William and Mary
Friday, January 07, 2005
Trivia - Friday, Jan 7th
Jon Stewart killed time playing soccer at which southern college?
Yesterday's Answer: Gary Coleman
Yesterday's Answer: Gary Coleman
IzumoTaisha - New Year's 2005
IzumoTaisha - New Year's 2005
Originally uploaded by Jason In Japan.
Some of the crowds attending my local shrine on Jan. 2nd. That's not snow on the tree on the right - it's little white slips of paper with wishes on them tied to the branches and trunk. Souvenir stand in left background is selling cards and trinkets meant to bring good luck in the coming year.
I was there at dusk which was nice, but it was still super crowded. Many vendors and stalls along the long walk up to the shrine were selling food, so I had some tasty chicken thingies and a passable hotdog-on-a-stick.
SouthWest entrance at IzumoTaisha
SouthWest entrance at IzumoTaisha
Originally uploaded by Jason In Japan.
This is the most crowded I've seen my local shrine. Large rope in background is good luck if you can toss a coin into the coils and make it stick. Woman in foreground is carrying an arrow with a bell attached that many people had - not sure what it signifies.
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Trivia - Thursday, Jan 6th
Which former child star is portrayed in the 2003 hit musical Avenue Q?
Yesterday's Answer: Paul Schaffer
Yesterday's Answer: Paul Schaffer
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Trivia - Wednesday, Jan 5th
Which talk show bandleader wrote the '80s anthem It's Raining Men?
No multiple choice on this one, but it's fairly easy if you think about it a bit.
Yesterday's answer: D. New Order
No multiple choice on this one, but it's fairly easy if you think about it a bit.
Yesterday's answer: D. New Order
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Trivia - Tuesday, Jan 4th
The surviving members of Joy Division went on to form what seminal '80s dance group?
A. Depeche Mode
B. Bronski Beat
C. General Public
D. New Order
Yesterday's Answer: B. London School of Economics
A. Depeche Mode
B. Bronski Beat
C. General Public
D. New Order
Yesterday's Answer: B. London School of Economics
Monday, January 03, 2005
Non-Japan ramblings
I've had some free time lately, since school doesn't start up again until Jan. 11th.
So I've been tooling around the net and doing some reading. I know I need to update this-here blog with stories from December - I'll get to it this week.
One thing I stumbled across over at the Oni Press community board was a discussion of the new "Sin City" movie.
Sin City is a comic book written and drawn by comics legend Frank Miller, who wrote the famous Batman mini series "The Dark Knight Returns." I'm a huge fan of Frank's work and "Sin City" in particular.
Robert Rodriguez, director of the Spy Kids films and the El Mariachi trilogy, is co-directing a live-action "Sin City" film along with Frank. I've been excited about seeing this film ever since it was announced. But I was BLOWN AWAY by the stills from the film, following Frank's awesome art style so closely. You can see them here. They are really quite something.
But then I was checking out all the nifty new trailers at the awesome Apple trailers page and I saw a link for a Sin City trailer. The movie looks incredible!!! Check out the trailer here.
It's so satisfying as a fan of something to see it adapted with care and an eye toward perserving the original impact of the source material. Wether it be a play, a book, a musical, a comic, a true story, a video game - whatever you're a fan of - if you see it made into a movie you want it done right - and "Sin City" looks like they're doing it right. I can't wait to see it.
2005 is shaping up to be quite a "Jason" year at the movies. The third and final Star Wars movie, a new Batman movie, the Sin City movie, an Elektra movie, a Fantastic Four movie - lots of cool fanboy flicks to keep me happy.
But just clicking on trailer titles I also stumbled across the following trailer for a new movie by the director of "Bend it Like Beckham." It's called "Bride & Prejudice." The movie itself seems like a silly Bollywood-meets-Hollywood bit of fluff, but the lead actress is the most beautiful woman I've seen in ages. She's incredibly gorgeous! Check out the trailer here.
I've got a bit of an Indian fixation going at the moment since I just finished reading Jhumpa Lahiri's first novel, "The Namesake," which is about Indian immigrants to America. Fantastic book! I really related to much of it, even though my parents immigrated from England, so I never was seen as an outsider based simply on my looks or surname. Together with her superb collection of short stories ("Interpreter of Maladies"), Lahiri is now an author I'll anxiously await news of each new book.
Speaking of good books, I'm about a third of the way into "The Da Vinci Code" and I must admit it's a compelling read - quite the page turner. I've heard that Tom Hanks has been cast in the lead role for the movie version that should start filming this year. I'll be curious who they get for the female lead.
Anyway, hope you're all having a good New Year so far. More Japan content soon.
-Jason
So I've been tooling around the net and doing some reading. I know I need to update this-here blog with stories from December - I'll get to it this week.
One thing I stumbled across over at the Oni Press community board was a discussion of the new "Sin City" movie.
Sin City is a comic book written and drawn by comics legend Frank Miller, who wrote the famous Batman mini series "The Dark Knight Returns." I'm a huge fan of Frank's work and "Sin City" in particular.
Robert Rodriguez, director of the Spy Kids films and the El Mariachi trilogy, is co-directing a live-action "Sin City" film along with Frank. I've been excited about seeing this film ever since it was announced. But I was BLOWN AWAY by the stills from the film, following Frank's awesome art style so closely. You can see them here. They are really quite something.
But then I was checking out all the nifty new trailers at the awesome Apple trailers page and I saw a link for a Sin City trailer. The movie looks incredible!!! Check out the trailer here.
It's so satisfying as a fan of something to see it adapted with care and an eye toward perserving the original impact of the source material. Wether it be a play, a book, a musical, a comic, a true story, a video game - whatever you're a fan of - if you see it made into a movie you want it done right - and "Sin City" looks like they're doing it right. I can't wait to see it.
2005 is shaping up to be quite a "Jason" year at the movies. The third and final Star Wars movie, a new Batman movie, the Sin City movie, an Elektra movie, a Fantastic Four movie - lots of cool fanboy flicks to keep me happy.
But just clicking on trailer titles I also stumbled across the following trailer for a new movie by the director of "Bend it Like Beckham." It's called "Bride & Prejudice." The movie itself seems like a silly Bollywood-meets-Hollywood bit of fluff, but the lead actress is the most beautiful woman I've seen in ages. She's incredibly gorgeous! Check out the trailer here.
I've got a bit of an Indian fixation going at the moment since I just finished reading Jhumpa Lahiri's first novel, "The Namesake," which is about Indian immigrants to America. Fantastic book! I really related to much of it, even though my parents immigrated from England, so I never was seen as an outsider based simply on my looks or surname. Together with her superb collection of short stories ("Interpreter of Maladies"), Lahiri is now an author I'll anxiously await news of each new book.
Speaking of good books, I'm about a third of the way into "The Da Vinci Code" and I must admit it's a compelling read - quite the page turner. I've heard that Tom Hanks has been cast in the lead role for the movie version that should start filming this year. I'll be curious who they get for the female lead.
Anyway, hope you're all having a good New Year so far. More Japan content soon.
-Jason
Trivia - Monday, Jan 3rd
What school did Mick Jagger attend before turning his attention to music?
A. New York University
B. London School of Economics
C. Oxford
D. City and Guilds of London Art School
Yesterday's Answer: C. David Bowie
A. New York University
B. London School of Economics
C. Oxford
D. City and Guilds of London Art School
Yesterday's Answer: C. David Bowie
Something new for 2005
Here's an added bonus for all my loyal readers.... (the sound of crickets) You are out there, right?
Anyway, I got quite a few calendars for Xmas this year. Which is cool, cuz I love calendars. I never have enough places to put all the calendars I buy and get as gifts each year.
This year I got three nifty desk page-a-day type calendars. One will go on my desk by my laptop at home; one will go on my desk at school, and I don't yet know where I'll put the third.
One of these calendars is made by Entertainment Weekly magazine and has a Pop Culture Quiz question for every weekday and one question for Saturday & Sunday combined.
So I thought I'd just type in each day's question and then post the answer the following day.
Feel free to post your guess at the answer in the comments section. If you just can't wait for an answer, feel free to email me. My email is jasoninjapan(at)msn(dot)com
On to the inaugural question:
Luther Vandross' big break came in 1975 when he sang backup vocals for which pop legend?
A. Rod Stewart
B. Carly Simon
C. David Bowie
D. Eric Clapton
I'll admit this one had me stumped, and here I'm supposed to be some guru of Pop Culture knowledge. Anyway, I'm not making these questions up, so I make no claim that they'll be enlightening or easy or particularly interesting, but over the course of the year, they should be fun.
-Jason
Anyway, I got quite a few calendars for Xmas this year. Which is cool, cuz I love calendars. I never have enough places to put all the calendars I buy and get as gifts each year.
This year I got three nifty desk page-a-day type calendars. One will go on my desk by my laptop at home; one will go on my desk at school, and I don't yet know where I'll put the third.
One of these calendars is made by Entertainment Weekly magazine and has a Pop Culture Quiz question for every weekday and one question for Saturday & Sunday combined.
So I thought I'd just type in each day's question and then post the answer the following day.
Feel free to post your guess at the answer in the comments section. If you just can't wait for an answer, feel free to email me. My email is jasoninjapan(at)msn(dot)com
On to the inaugural question:
Luther Vandross' big break came in 1975 when he sang backup vocals for which pop legend?
A. Rod Stewart
B. Carly Simon
C. David Bowie
D. Eric Clapton
I'll admit this one had me stumped, and here I'm supposed to be some guru of Pop Culture knowledge. Anyway, I'm not making these questions up, so I make no claim that they'll be enlightening or easy or particularly interesting, but over the course of the year, they should be fun.
-Jason
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Snow in front of my aparto
Snow in front of my aparto
Originally uploaded by Jason In Japan.
We had snow for New Year's. Not much was still around the following afternoon, but it's still all new to me.
New Years in Japan
Here's some info about the New Year's holiday as observed in Japan that I gathered off the web.
I'm off to my local shrine tomorrow to take part in various festivities - don't know how much I'll be partaking in the food mentioned below, but you never know.
Hope your New Year's was great.
It's only been one day into 2005 and I've already experienced a first of sorts. It snowed in Taisha tonight and a thin blanket is currently covering the ground. Having grown up in Texas and Southern California, I've never really lived in snow, although we did get the occsional bit in Dallas when I was a boy (more icce than snow). So having to get around and deal with snow is all new to me. And boy is it cold! Lord knows what my heating bill will be for December and January, but it's freezing in my apartment, so I'm willing to spend the extra to keep all my bits from falling off.
On to the info:
January 1st to 3rd are shougatsu (New Year's holidays) in Japan. These are the most important holidays in Japan. People say to each other "ake-mashite-omedetou-gozaimasu" (Happy new year) whenever they see at the first time in the new year.
Japanese people eat special dishes called osechi ryouri during shogatsu. Osechi ryouri is packed in a Jubako box, which has several layers. The foods are colorful and artistically presented. Each dish has a particular meaning. For example, prawns for long life, kuromame (cooked sweet black beans) for health, kazunoko (herring roe) for fertility, tazukuri (teriyaki taste small sardines) for a good harvest, kurikinton (sweet chestnuts and mashed sweet potato) for happiness, and more. It's also traditional to eat mochi (rice cake) dishes on New Year's Days.
It is traditional for Japanese people to visit to a shrine or a temple during New Year's Days. People pray for safety, health and good fortune. The first visit to a temple or shrine in a year is called Hatsumoude. It is not a very religious event but rather a custom. You can go any shrine or temple near you for Hatsumoude. Many well-known temples and shrines are extremely crowded. For example, Tokyo Meiji Jinguu, Kanagawa Kawasaki Taisya, Chiba Naritasan, Nagoya Atsuta Jinguu are very popular and expect a couple million visitors during New Year's Days each year. If you want to visit one of the famous shrines or temples, be aware of pickpockets.
Since most businesses are closed during the first three days of the year, the streets tend to be quiet except for those near shrines and temples. Nowadays, it is common for many department stores to hold New Year's special sales at this time. So, you see many shoppers in the street too.
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The only thing that's affected me so far as far as business being closed is that the banks are closed and they don't refill the ATMs, so if you didn't get money before the 1st, you're out of luck until the morning of the 4th. Luckily I was warned and remembered to get some.
My local shrine (IzumoTaisha) is one of the most crowded in Shimane at this time. They expect 2 to 3 million visitors over the course of the three New Year's holidays. That's an amazing amount of people in my tiny town, so I'm gonna go check it all out tomorrow.
-Jason
I'm off to my local shrine tomorrow to take part in various festivities - don't know how much I'll be partaking in the food mentioned below, but you never know.
Hope your New Year's was great.
It's only been one day into 2005 and I've already experienced a first of sorts. It snowed in Taisha tonight and a thin blanket is currently covering the ground. Having grown up in Texas and Southern California, I've never really lived in snow, although we did get the occsional bit in Dallas when I was a boy (more icce than snow). So having to get around and deal with snow is all new to me. And boy is it cold! Lord knows what my heating bill will be for December and January, but it's freezing in my apartment, so I'm willing to spend the extra to keep all my bits from falling off.
On to the info:
January 1st to 3rd are shougatsu (New Year's holidays) in Japan. These are the most important holidays in Japan. People say to each other "ake-mashite-omedetou-gozaimasu" (Happy new year) whenever they see at the first time in the new year.
Japanese people eat special dishes called osechi ryouri during shogatsu. Osechi ryouri is packed in a Jubako box, which has several layers. The foods are colorful and artistically presented. Each dish has a particular meaning. For example, prawns for long life, kuromame (cooked sweet black beans) for health, kazunoko (herring roe) for fertility, tazukuri (teriyaki taste small sardines) for a good harvest, kurikinton (sweet chestnuts and mashed sweet potato) for happiness, and more. It's also traditional to eat mochi (rice cake) dishes on New Year's Days.
It is traditional for Japanese people to visit to a shrine or a temple during New Year's Days. People pray for safety, health and good fortune. The first visit to a temple or shrine in a year is called Hatsumoude. It is not a very religious event but rather a custom. You can go any shrine or temple near you for Hatsumoude. Many well-known temples and shrines are extremely crowded. For example, Tokyo Meiji Jinguu, Kanagawa Kawasaki Taisya, Chiba Naritasan, Nagoya Atsuta Jinguu are very popular and expect a couple million visitors during New Year's Days each year. If you want to visit one of the famous shrines or temples, be aware of pickpockets.
Since most businesses are closed during the first three days of the year, the streets tend to be quiet except for those near shrines and temples. Nowadays, it is common for many department stores to hold New Year's special sales at this time. So, you see many shoppers in the street too.
>>>>>
The only thing that's affected me so far as far as business being closed is that the banks are closed and they don't refill the ATMs, so if you didn't get money before the 1st, you're out of luck until the morning of the 4th. Luckily I was warned and remembered to get some.
My local shrine (IzumoTaisha) is one of the most crowded in Shimane at this time. They expect 2 to 3 million visitors over the course of the three New Year's holidays. That's an amazing amount of people in my tiny town, so I'm gonna go check it all out tomorrow.
-Jason
Saturday, January 01, 2005
Matthew & Me - Iwami Silver Mine site
Matthew & Me - Iwami Silver Mine site
Originally uploaded by Jason In Japan.
Matt & me along a path to the original silver mine entrance at Iwami. Iwami is up in the mountains a bit, near Mt. Sanbe. Had a good day walking around the site, but all the signs describing what we were seeing were in Japanese, so we had to guess most of the time. Despite the cold, it turned out to be a nice day after the sun came out.
J&M at IzumoTaisha
J&M at IzumoTaisha
Originally uploaded by Jason In Japan.
My friends, Jodi and Matthew, who visited just after Xmas. They live out on a small island in the Oki Islands named Chibu. They had fun hanging out on the "mainland" and we had a good time doing some sightseeing around Shimane despite the overcast weather and the cold.
Long walk up to IzumoTaisha
Long walk up to IzumoTaisha
Originally uploaded by Jason In Japan.
At a large torii (gate) on the scenic walk up to the Izumo Grand shrine in my town. 12-27-04
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