I have started Judo, once again. This picture is from last year, when I first started judo after school with the kids. I took a whole year off from learning judo, but now that our English speech contests are over I have time to learn again. Plus we have a new judo teacher his name is Idani Sensei. The sensei in this picture is Muira Sensei. Idani Sensei is much younger and more my size, so it has been easier to learn the moves. I will let you know how the progress comes along. It is quite difficult the training, but I am enjoying it so far and the kids get a real kick out of me trying to learn judo.

It has been quite sometime, since I wrote on here. Because I have been so busy in Japan my first year working. However, this week I was given a break from work to go Kenshukan, which is a Japanese language camp in Matsue. I felt like a junior highschool student all over again, with homework every night. Tomorrow is the closing ceremony and I will be busy again. However, I hope be able to write more often.

Minasan mata nei!

Aloha from Shimane, I will be staying for another year:)
I am enjoying my time in Japan,
Shimane is inaka, but life is good.
I really missed Hawaii in the winter:)

I have been so busy, last week I had three teaching demonstrations. It was a lot of work, parents came, the Board of Education came, other teachers came, the Ministry of Education stopped by, oh my! I have really focused on keeping up here as the work pace of Japan can get overwhelming at times, as you must know:)

I went fishing last weekend for Tuna, we caught two big Tuna, but my phone died before I could get a photo. However, the first fish that I caught was a nice sized Tai! Tai is really delicious, one of my favorite fish for sashimi. We fished off the coast of Yamaguchi, by Mishima island, about a 3 hour boat ride from my house. We also caught all sorts of other fish, but I forgot there names;)

In case you were wondering what the Japanese kids eat on a normal basis, this is a pic of a standard school lunch. It is pretty healthy, with your carbs, protein, and veggies. Pretty much all people in Japan are fit, well that is compared to most Americans I would say. They have fairly active lifestyles, long days of work and healthy eating habits, which are starting to have a good effect on me;)

I learned how to make washi paper the other day.
It was a lot of fun, and a little challenging, especially the big pieces.

I will post pics soon, btw I just tried to drop the image in and it did not work. Off to Osaka, then Matsue for Orientation. Life is good here;)

It is so beautiful here! Kite Kudasai

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Tomorrow is the big day, I leave for Tokyo and then head down to Misumi, close to the Hamada port in Shimane prefecture. I will live in a 3-bedroom house next to a small river. I am so excited and happy for this new endeavor. After many years of hard work practicing my Japanese at NACOS, it is all beginning to really pay-off:) Please let me know if you are ever in the region as I get more familiar with things and the area, of course I would love to show anyone around or spend time with friends of NACOS anytime.