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I keep meaning to post this picture because its become one of my favorites. I took it from my grandmother’s backyard when I was home this summer. Recently wind farms are popping up all over the island and I was pretty excited about seeing this one near her house. I’m not sure why I’m so fascinated by them but I do know I took far too many pictures of them this summer.

The fact that the first week of November in Tokyo was still warm enough for shorts and tees has me very worried, so the more of these the better if you ask me.

amazing….

A present from a student’s grandmother.It’s a kind of indoor coat/robe worn in the winter. I’ve never met her grandmother, but she MADE this for me.MADE!WOW!Thank you Nagi’s grandmother!!! It’s truly one of the most amazing presents I have ever received from a student. I hope I can thank her in person someday.

ETJ

This weekend was the annual ETJ (English Teachers in Japan) expo and book fair in Tokyo. We took Super Simple Songs to the book fair and had a great time meeting new people, and finally put some faces to some names.

English teaching in Japan is going through a rough period with the collapse of Nova and so many questions and speculation over what will become of the whole industry in the coming months/years. My hope is that it will get better and its events like ETJ that leave me believing it will.

It’s great seeing so many dedicated teachers sacrificing their weekends to get out and participate in workshops and see presentations to improve their skills and give their students the best possible language education they can. I was lucky enough to be able to take in a few presentations and left with some great ideas for my own classes and can’t wait to try them out. I’m really looking forward to next year’s ETJ and hopefully Super Simple Songs will be there again.

And a HUGE thank you to everyone who stopped by the table and had a look at what we do!

thanks Carmen….

 

Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno’t mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!