This could have been Bob’s fate… August 13, 2010

While exploring various neighborhoods around Tokyo following my month of mayhem in the USA, I stumbled into an arcade to take advantage of the air conditioning. The arcade, located a stone’s throw from the famed “Senso-ji” temple, had a UFO catcher that may well outdo the “schoolgirl panties” urban legend: Live upalupas. For a mere [...]

That’s more like it June 7, 2010

The only downside to perfect weather is spending the whole day in a window-less office.

Butt out of my desk May 21, 2010

This morning, I discovered that my desk was being used to store not lesson plans or writing utensils, but Ziploc-bagged cigarette butts found being smoked my students. Some bags even contain gum or mints that students were trying to use to cover their tracks. Each bag is logged with the perpetrator’s class number, because punishment [...]

Love Hotels: A 5-step guide March 8, 2010

In Japan, most young couples still live with their parents. So where are they supposed to have sex? In the local Love Hotel, of course. Here is a 5-step guide to your first Love Hotel experience. 1. Choose a Love Hotel. Generally, the name, location, and presentation make it easy to differentiate a LH from [...]

My first zine piece: Musings on pot leaf pen cases February 2, 2010

After being in Japan for six months, I finally buckled down and wrote something (other than a lesson plan or blog entry). HAJET (Hokkaido’s branch of JET) has a great e-zine, titled the Polestar, and the editor contacted me about contributing in light of my background as a (wannabe) journalist. It was easy to zone [...]

Axolotl, aka ウーパールーパー, aka my new pet January 19, 2010

So, folks, it happened. I had my mid-first-year-on-JET crisis. But I didn’t run out to buy a red convertible sports car… Nope. My impulse buy was only 8000 yen and it involves a living creature. A very, very weird living creature. It’s winter. Hokkaido is cold and lonely, and I needed some companionship. My friend [...]

To live and die in Kitami: The end of my favorite restaurant January 14, 2010

This week has been difficult in multiple ways. First of all, my office sent me to volunteer at the local daycare center. I absolutely adore children, but I was thrown into the job without any knowledge of what it entailed… The boss literally dropped me off on the doorstep and said, “Ganbatte!” Couple that with [...]

I’ve got Seoul but I’m not a soldier January 14, 2010

The best thing about being a teacher, aside from the fact that we enlighten young minds, is the myriad vacation time… I had no idea how many national holidays Japan has! I spent late November roughing it in South Korea, thanks to a generous friend from La Salle and some amazing couchsurfers. The food was [...]

School lunch that I actually enjoy: Installment #2 December 16, 2009

Meatball curry and naan. So far, the best school lunch this year. Oishii!

The Colonel conquers Christmas November 17, 2009

I know, it’s not even Thanksgiving yet, and I’m writing about Christmas. Well, too bad. Even in Japan, the songs are playing and the lights are being hung. But, there is a major discrepancy… When I think of Christmas dinner in America, I think of a big ass turkey and/or ham with all the trimmings, [...]