Blogs from Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan, Asia - page 2

23/08/2012 Re-set my alarm this morning to allow an extra 15 minutes. So weary this first week back at school. At school, Kaori’s daughters played with the Pandas: the Pandas LOVE having these big girls to play with them! This morning after practicing our Christmas songs during Mat Time (the Pandas requested to sing Bugs and Beetles without my help, and they remembered all the moves!), we made clown masks, but the kids referred to them as Grandpa masks. We stuck crazy things to the head of the mask to act as hair or a hat. Cate dropped by the school and lent me basically all the gear I need to climb Mt Fuji. Like many a foolish tourist, I was just going to wing it, but after reading some actual accounts online, and some people ... read more

Monday 16/07/12 I had expected to have to get up and clean the apartment this morning, but with everything sorted last night, I got up to have a relaxing morning before popping over to Kazumi’s to go to Mari’s shop to buy a Yukata. We picked up Dominica and Cate and Mikio, and drove to Mari’s other shop the other side of the city. There were so many antique kimono and antique yukata, the colours were delicious to the eye. I picked out two yukata with butterflies on them, one dark purpley blue, the other a bright blue. I couldn’t decide! They both looked fantastic. The bright blue went really well with my eyes, but didn’t seem as formal, although it did seem more summery. The dark blue/purple looked more mature, and made the bright red ... read more

Saturday 21/07/2012 We were up at 5.15am and on the bus at 6.02am. Surprisingly, there were quite a few people on the first bus into the city of all ages. Arrived in the city at 6.30am and had time to have a Japanese Macca’s breakfast: I had a chicken muffin, and Tristan some monstrosity about four times the size of my measly muffin. We got on the bus, expecting to pay, but didn’t have to, and slept for about an hour before the bus stopped to refuel, we got off and there was a lady with a little stand and tickets there for us to purchase. It was then a further hour on to Fuji Q, the huge bus only had about 8 people on it! When we arrived, Tristan realised that shorts and a t-shirt ... read more

Thursday 12/07/2012 This morning for Mat Time, I skipped the awful Taiso routine and went straight into songs. By the time the last bus gets changed, I only have 15minutes for Mat Time, and this is only three times a week. So, I have 45minutes a week to teach five songs for the Christmas concert, whereas the Music teacher gets two half hour lessons a week with groups of 7 or 8 kids to teach one song. Not to mention that I’d also like to teach some other things to the kids apart from songs! The kids love Baby Face, though it has taken longer to grow on them than Never Smile at a Crocodile. I just get them to listen to Crocodile Rock during the day and at lunch time, and they absolutely love singing ... read more

Sunday 15/07/2012 It was up and at ‘em this morning and out the door to catch the bus to the city. As I walked down the road I saw one leaving, so it was half an hour to the next (weekend timetable), so I walked back up the street to get a notebook and take some casual happy-snaps along the way. At the bus stop a girl and her little brother had a little giggle at me before we all got on the bus. The bus was freezing cold: it says it is at a constant temperature of 25degrees, but I’m sure it was much colder. My skin was prickling after being in the sweltering humidity. Got off at Shin-Shizuoka Station and walke my way down ‘Gofukucho’ the unfortunately named shopping strip street, and popped into ... read more