join me tonight for a chat about JET, Japan and anything else that comes up.
Click Here for my Blog TV channel.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Great vid on arguing with Japanese people
Made by my pal Hiko and some of his friends. With English and Japanese subtitles.
Enjoy!
-Jason
Enjoy!
-Jason
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
May Grand Sumo Tournament has started
Sumo has started once again, and even tho I'm currently living in California, I still watch sumo daily via a cable channel I pay for here called TV Japan.
I'll have highlights and commentary on my all-Sumo channel on YouTube - JasonsinJapan.
Just click on the video below to be taken to my YouTube main channel page for sumo.
Enjoy!
-Jason
I'll have highlights and commentary on my all-Sumo channel on YouTube - JasonsinJapan.
Just click on the video below to be taken to my YouTube main channel page for sumo.
Enjoy!
-Jason
Friday, May 07, 2010
money vs happiness
I've got a good job now in California. I make decent money, my co-workers are generally cool people, the office is nice and conveniently located, and the work itself is fairly easy.
But it doesn't excite me - it doesn't challenge me very often - it's very repetitive. I don't wake up excited about going to work - I do it out of duty and obligation, instead of any desire to contribute to the greater good.
I know some of you are saying, "You're making good money at a decent job - why complain?"
Because I had a job for 5 years that I really ENJOYED and I was pretty good at doing.
And I take the train most days to work and I can see the drones making their way to their offices each day to punch the clock and put in their hours so they can afford a new iPad and go out on the weekends. I don't want to become one of those drones.
Which is why I'm going to give up a much better paying job in a city I really like to move back to Japan and work for less money in a city where I won't know anyone.
If my 5 years on JET taught me one thing about myself, it's that I really love teaching. I like the day to day challenge of it - the quest to find a better way to involve and interest your students in their lessons - the ever-changing variety - the school atmosphere in Japan with large school events and it's own brand of school spirit. And I enjoy teaching English.
Perhaps not as much as I would if I could teach history, which is a subject closer to my heart, but with English it's easier in a way to notice real progress in your students. At the end of the year you can tell if they learned anything and are able to communicate at a higher level than when they started.
So I'll be giving up job security in California for the unpredictable and sometimes frustrating job of teaching English in Japan - and I can't wait! :)
-Jason
But it doesn't excite me - it doesn't challenge me very often - it's very repetitive. I don't wake up excited about going to work - I do it out of duty and obligation, instead of any desire to contribute to the greater good.
I know some of you are saying, "You're making good money at a decent job - why complain?"
Because I had a job for 5 years that I really ENJOYED and I was pretty good at doing.
And I take the train most days to work and I can see the drones making their way to their offices each day to punch the clock and put in their hours so they can afford a new iPad and go out on the weekends. I don't want to become one of those drones.
Which is why I'm going to give up a much better paying job in a city I really like to move back to Japan and work for less money in a city where I won't know anyone.
If my 5 years on JET taught me one thing about myself, it's that I really love teaching. I like the day to day challenge of it - the quest to find a better way to involve and interest your students in their lessons - the ever-changing variety - the school atmosphere in Japan with large school events and it's own brand of school spirit. And I enjoy teaching English.
Perhaps not as much as I would if I could teach history, which is a subject closer to my heart, but with English it's easier in a way to notice real progress in your students. At the end of the year you can tell if they learned anything and are able to communicate at a higher level than when they started.
So I'll be giving up job security in California for the unpredictable and sometimes frustrating job of teaching English in Japan - and I can't wait! :)
-Jason
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Blog TV April 24 & 25
I'll be on Blog TV tomorrow at 8pm PST and most likely again on Sunday at Noon.
Swing by for a chat if you can.
Swing by for a chat if you can.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
What's your favorite Japanese food?
My buddy in Kobe, Japan - BusanKevin - made a collab video featuring a bunch of YouTube pals talking about their favorite Japanese food.
I'm in there toward the end of the video. I mention Pocky - which is my favorite Japanese snack, but if I were in Japan when he made this request, my guess is I would have gone out to a restaurant and filmed me eating something like Japanese curry or okonomiyaki or yakisoba - some of my favorite Japanese dishes.
What Japanese food do you like?
I'm in there toward the end of the video. I mention Pocky - which is my favorite Japanese snack, but if I were in Japan when he made this request, my guess is I would have gone out to a restaurant and filmed me eating something like Japanese curry or okonomiyaki or yakisoba - some of my favorite Japanese dishes.
What Japanese food do you like?
Monday, March 29, 2010
Yokozuna Hakuho v maegashira #4 Tosayutaka
Yokozuna Hakuho v maegashira #4 Tosayutaka
Originally uploaded by Jason In Japan.
I uploaded about 40 pics to my Flickr site from Day 10 of the Osaka Grand Sumo Tournament. Click on the picture above to see more.
HD video from that day is available on my all-SUMO YouTube channel - http://www.youtube.com/JasonsinJapan
Enjoy!
-Jason
Friday, March 26, 2010
computers translating Japanese to English
I got the cutest email from a former student this past week.
I saw her at graduation and we exchanged emails - if you're lucky as an ALT you'll have students like her that are eager to continue using their English and communicating with you even tho you are no longer their teacher.
But her email shows a little lack of confidence on her part in regards to her English ability. Many of my kids use an online translation program when sending me email, because they don't want to make mistakes in their English.
What they don't realize is how bad most translating programs are, as you'll see in a moment.
This example isn't actually that bad - I can read and understand what she was trying to say.
Here is the email:
Hi ! Jason !
It passed the high school.
I am very indebted to you.
Speaking with you was very happy.
Your smile was loved.
It never forgets.
Thank you for a lot of memories.
It is you bright and it will exist in the future.
You are loved.
ps.
Tennis works hard.
It assists in Jayson from Japan.
It doesn't forget.
Thank you up to now.
Moreover, it E-mails.
*******
Knowing a little about Japanese, you can clearly see sentences where she wrote a typical Japanese sentence and the translation program turns it into readable but stiff English that no native speaker would ever say.
For example, a typical phrase used in messages of thanks is "ima made arigatou gozaimasu" which the computer turned into "Thank you up to now." Not bad, but my guess is most native speakers would say something more like "Thanks for all your help in the past" or "I really appreciate all the help you've given me."
And the computer often inserts "it" if the Japanese omits a subject such as I or me.
Anyway - it was a cute email, and students like this one are the reason I went back to see them all graduate.
-Jason
I saw her at graduation and we exchanged emails - if you're lucky as an ALT you'll have students like her that are eager to continue using their English and communicating with you even tho you are no longer their teacher.
But her email shows a little lack of confidence on her part in regards to her English ability. Many of my kids use an online translation program when sending me email, because they don't want to make mistakes in their English.
What they don't realize is how bad most translating programs are, as you'll see in a moment.
This example isn't actually that bad - I can read and understand what she was trying to say.
Here is the email:
Hi ! Jason !
It passed the high school.
I am very indebted to you.
Speaking with you was very happy.
Your smile was loved.
It never forgets.
Thank you for a lot of memories.
It is you bright and it will exist in the future.
You are loved.
ps.
Tennis works hard.
It assists in Jayson from Japan.
It doesn't forget.
Thank you up to now.
Moreover, it E-mails.
*******
Knowing a little about Japanese, you can clearly see sentences where she wrote a typical Japanese sentence and the translation program turns it into readable but stiff English that no native speaker would ever say.
For example, a typical phrase used in messages of thanks is "ima made arigatou gozaimasu" which the computer turned into "Thank you up to now." Not bad, but my guess is most native speakers would say something more like "Thanks for all your help in the past" or "I really appreciate all the help you've given me."
And the computer often inserts "it" if the Japanese omits a subject such as I or me.
Anyway - it was a cute email, and students like this one are the reason I went back to see them all graduate.
-Jason
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Adachi Museum of Art
Adachi Museum of Art - 6.jpg
Originally uploaded by Jason In Japan.
Hey Gang -
I posted about 30 pictures to my Flickr site I took last Sunday at the Adachi Museum of Art, near Matsue in Shimane.
The Adachi Museum is very famous for its gardens, constantly rated among the best in all Japan.
I got my camera back from the camera store, where they were able to replace/fix the shutter button (cost - $100) in about a week.
So it was nice to have my new Nikon Coolpix L110 with me at the museum. I'm still getting used to all the settings, etc., but I was able to take some nice shots. Click on the picture above to be taken to my Flickr site.
Below is one of SIX short movies I shot at the museum using my new Nikon, which shoots HD movies in 720p.
So if you click on the movie to watch it on YouTube, you can select to view it in HD and it looks pretty good. You can also click around to see the other 5 parts.
-Jason
Monday, March 15, 2010
Snowing! Snowing!
We've had really crazy weather since I've been back in Japan - even a full blown snow storm one day, which I capture here.
-Jason
Monday, March 08, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
JapanJuku.com - My new Website
Hello All -
Well - this blog is nearing its end. Not that it's going away - I plan on keeping it here as an archive, and for anything I want to post that doesn't fit my new website.
What's that you say - you don't know about my new website??
Well head on over to JapanJuku.com and check it out!
Here is a little video introduction I made for the site:
I've been helped a lot with the site by my web guru friend from Finland - Linus. I don't have the computer skills to put all the code together, etc.
We've got a lot more to do to make it a great resource for people wanting to know about living and working in Japan, but it's a good start and over the course of the next 4 or 5 months, I hope to make it a helpful site for everyone interested in JET and Japan.
I'll still post here occasionally and use it for posting fun videos I find on YouTube, but text posts will most likely move to the blog I'm starting at JapanJuku.com
So head over to the site, join in on the forums, and thanks to everyone that has been reading this blog, which has chronicled my life in Japan since 2004.
Thanks!
-Jason
And here is a video I made with my Dad, John, announcing the debut of JapanJuku.
Well - this blog is nearing its end. Not that it's going away - I plan on keeping it here as an archive, and for anything I want to post that doesn't fit my new website.
What's that you say - you don't know about my new website??
Well head on over to JapanJuku.com and check it out!
Here is a little video introduction I made for the site:
I've been helped a lot with the site by my web guru friend from Finland - Linus. I don't have the computer skills to put all the code together, etc.
We've got a lot more to do to make it a great resource for people wanting to know about living and working in Japan, but it's a good start and over the course of the next 4 or 5 months, I hope to make it a helpful site for everyone interested in JET and Japan.
I'll still post here occasionally and use it for posting fun videos I find on YouTube, but text posts will most likely move to the blog I'm starting at JapanJuku.com
So head over to the site, join in on the forums, and thanks to everyone that has been reading this blog, which has chronicled my life in Japan since 2004.
Thanks!
-Jason
And here is a video I made with my Dad, John, announcing the debut of JapanJuku.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Valentine's Day in Japan
I used to get a lot of "giri-choco" and special presents from my kids/students when I was teaching in Japan.
Almost always homemade, the cakes and chocolate were always delicious!
-Jason
I was on TV! (Subtitled)
A fun vid from a fellow J-vlogger from America named Samantha.
Well done on the singing Sammi!
With subtitles for those that don't speak Japanese.
-Jason
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Blog TV twice this weekend
Blog TV tonight at 8pm PST and tomorrow (Sunday the 14th) at noon PST.
-Jason
-Jason
Monday, February 08, 2010
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Asashoryu retires and leaves SUMO - Feb. 4, 2010
The big news from the world of Sumo.
I'm stunned and disappointed, but not entirely shocked, since this seems like the culmination of many transgressions over the yokozuna's career.
But the sport will miss him this year, and I will miss him as well.
-Jasonryu
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine and Matchmaking (Izumo City, Matsue City Shimane)
A short, 3-minute video in English, with nice views of my former home-town - Taisha in Shimane.
I'll be heading back to Shimane in March to attend graduation ceremonies and visit friends and students. I'm very excited to be going back.
-Jason
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Britt, Mom, & Lynda at the entrance to the San Diego Zoo
Britt, Mom, & Lynda at the entrance
Originally uploaded by Jason In Japan.
I joined my sister, niece and Mom for a trip to the San Diego Zoo in early January.
It's been about 3 years since I'd been to the Zoo - I went with my Mom and Dad during a trip home from Japan in 2007.
San Diego has a wonderful zoo, with great exhibits and lots of animals. And we had a wonderful day - it wasn't too crowded and the weather was fantastic.
Click on either picture here to see a few more from the day.
I also shot lots of video and will edit all the footage together soon for a video on my YouTube channel.
-Jason
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