A Brave New Word

Mission & City of San Luis Obispo

2010-01-24T16:09:00.000-08:00

There are times when a trip around the block seems like such an effort and diversion. And there are times when a four-hour roundtrip car ride can seem so relaxing. With relatives visiting from out of town, it was time to drive them back to LA. We decided to meet in San Luis Obispo and share the driving. As a straight shot down Highway 101, San Luis Obispo (or SLO as more people call it) doesn't

Carmel River State Beach

2010-01-23T16:03:00.000-08:00

This video captures that location where my fiancée and I will be married in July. It overlooks Point Lobos State Reserve, where we had our first kiss. Yes, a very romantic spot. The second half of the video contains a special 360º view of the beach, mountains, and lagoon where the Carmel River empties into the Pacific Ocean. It was here that the 1769 Portolo Crespi Expedition erected a cross to

Asilomar State Beach

2010-01-23T15:54:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you need to be safe in the harbor, other times you need to go to the rocky shore. The vital, edgy, and cantankerous shores of Asilomar Beach remind me that at times there's very little cushion for some of life's challenges. But in the midst of challenge lies opportunity. The tide pools swell with foam and waves at high tide and starve from moisture at low. The creatures that live there

Manzanita County Park

2010-01-17T15:41:00.000-08:00

Its seems I've found a new way to pump life into my personal travel blog: taking short videos of my weekend hikes around Monterey. I guess it takes innovation and fresh ideas to keep a blog going, and I've found something that I can enjoy once more.The Winter rain has come to California and I am grateful for it. Yet, after a full week of rainy days, it sure makes to grateful to see the sun again!

Winter Vacation in Yosemite

2010-01-16T19:17:00.000-08:00

For New Year's celebrations, I went up to Yosemite National Park with my fiancee and her friends. We hiked all around the Valley, in Hetch Hetchy, and up at Badger Pass. I was a bit camera shy in 2009, but the first 3 days of 2010 I shot these videos of the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequioas and Hetch Hetchy:

Winter Vacation in LA

2010-01-16T19:12:00.001-08:00

My first trip of winter break was South to LA for Christmas. My brother and I took the new Metro Gold Line into East LA to sample some of the authentic Mexican cuisine. The following video is the result of our efforts:

The Hobart Shakespeareans: Merchant of Venice

2009-09-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of attending the last performance of The Hobart Shakespeareans' The Merchant of Venice at Hobart Elementary School in Los Angeles on Saturday June 13. To appreciate just how much of a treat it was, let me describe the transformation of one classroom into a working theatre.Rafe's classroom is relatively small: there's no windows to the outside, no vaulted ceilings, and cabinets

You betta Belize it!

2009-07-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Internet access has been few and far between and unreliable at times, thus the long period of time between posts.Since my last post, I've had 2 weeks of homestay-immersion-one-on-one language study in San Andres, Guatemala; a visit to the Mayan ruins of Tikal; and a week on the pleasant beaches of Placencia, Belize. Now Gilda and I are on our way to Guatemala City to complete the circle of our

Back in the Tropics

2009-06-16T16:33:00.000-07:00

I wasted no time after school ended for the year. If I was to have a month of travel before my mid-summer training, I had to catch a plane to Guatemala Saturday night when school ended on Friday. Gilda and I drove down to LA, where I would get a cheaper flight. I saw my brother for a few hours before his own trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico. I went to a performance of The Merchant of Venice by the

White Nights

2009-05-27T21:31:00.000-07:00

Its a phenomenon of the Northern Hemisphere's Summer, where the sun hardly sets or rises, but lingers its light to allow all-night revelry and insomnia. I experienced it when I went to St. Petersburg during the Spring and Summer of 1997. And I just had a short experience of it again by watching "White Nights" with Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines. Most films about Russia in the 1980s were

Students' Questions about Russia

2009-04-09T17:28:00.000-07:00

The first school day that I returned from Russia, I had my students write me a letter to get out all the questions they were bursting to ask me. The following questions were asked by my 50 12- and 13-year-olds:Did the Russian students send us anything?Yes, I received a few penpal letters from students before I left. Others will be arriving in the mail, hopefully by May.What fun things did you do

Prekhodit V Gosti (Coming as a Guest)

2009-03-26T23:23:00.000-07:00

In my two visits to Russia, the concept of "coming as a guest" is the essence of building relationships. There's no pretensions or preparations necessary for the event. The humble kitchen with its stools and tiny table, bare floors and walls allows a glimpse into the unvarnished, undaunted Russian Soul. To enjoy coming as a guest, just be yourself, maybe bring some sweets or a drink to share. The

Confetti Taste Testing

2009-03-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

Well, there's not enough hours in the day to experience everything from the Russian countryside AND blog about it, so you'll have to forgive me for not writing more frequently. I'll have to catch up on all the stories I've experienced here when I get back.Yesterday, Tatiana and I went to the market to buy some things for dinner parties we'll be having in the next few days. Inside of the

Knee Deep in the Bank of the Oka

2009-03-08T11:02:00.000-07:00

My host teacher, Tatiana, is a very adventurous woman. Visiting the backyard of Sergei Esenin's home, there are 100 steps to the bank of the Oka River. A scenic patio and beach invite summer visitors to barbeque and sunbathe. Somehow the same invitation does not extend to its winter visitors. 6 inches of ice and snow have piled up on each step, creating a treacherous clavalcade for anyone who

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

2009-03-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Russia! Today we visited the village of Konstantinovo, which features a beautiful monastery and the home of Sergei Esenin, a young writer of the late 19th and early 20th century.Here was a nice photo opportunity to visit with a beautiful horse, Masha, and his furry hatted owner.Russia is cold and windy, but the people are warm and kind!

lost/found

2009-03-05T13:12:00.001-08:00

lost/foundI left my 3-y-o journal on my flight to DC. Thanks 2 God & United airlines for getting it back 2 me b4 I leave!

2009-03-04T09:28:00.001-08:00

Leaving on (another) jet planeIts sunny in Denver, and I've forgotten how dry & thin the mile high air is. Gasp!

2009-03-04T09:08:00.000-08:00

The journey beginsI'm en route to Washington DC for my pre-departure meetings. I slept about 3 hours after repacking zzzz!

Russia here I come

2009-02-28T16:18:00.000-08:00

"It has been a month of buckling down and focused preparation." That's what I wish I could have written now that I am four days away from my next major international trip: a 2.5 week teacher exchange to Russia. I've re-designed my blog in honor of the Russian flag, which I'll be living under from March 6-21. But the onerous task of preparing for a goodwill trip in the middle of a school year,

Throw Away Your Trash - Jamaican Style!

2009-01-26T23:05:00.000-08:00

My closest Peace Corps neighbor, Richard, sent me this link to a music video featuring Mr. Vegas and the students of Point Hill Primary and Junior High School. That's one of the schools where I taught environmental education. I certainly can't take credit for their know-how, but perhaps a seed was planted that others came along and nurtured.Come to think of it, I actually may have known about

Visiting Rafe Esquith, Part IV: The Hobart Shakespeareans

2009-01-05T21:35:00.000-08:00

**If you haven't read the first three installments of this series, scroll down and read those first.After lunch, things were rather open ended. The class received a package from a group of students and professor from Delta State University, somewhere in Mississippi. Once again, the class chorused with an "oohh!" of appreciation as Rafe extracted a bag of candy, an ornament, pennant, and okra

Realizations and Resolutions

2009-01-04T21:46:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it! I've been blogging since 2004? Granted, some of those times have been on life support and others on adrenaline as far as posting frequency goes. But the blog still evolves and serves as a record of my travels, thoughts, fears, and dreams.For the record, this is what I resolve to do in 2009:-Learn to play the guitar well enough to lead songs and teach others-Maintain

Winter Doldrums

2008-12-23T15:54:00.000-08:00

Visiting Rafe Esquith, Part III: Math & Science

2008-12-19T21:34:00.000-08:00

**If you haven't read the first two installments of this series, scroll down and read those first.10:24 ChemistryKeeping in mind that some 5th grade classes may spend the whole day on English and Math, its remarkable that Rafe Esquith's class has already completed their lessons on both of them before the first recess! Here are some highlights from the lesson:-As a continuation from the previous

Visiting Rafe Esquith, Part II

2008-12-19T21:32:00.000-08:00

**Note: if you missed reading the first part of this series, scroll down and read it first for the context, then come back to read this entry.7:59 - 9:35 MathematicsRafe begins class on this Monday gradually, with students getting their materials and desk areas ready for the day. He greets the remaining students as they come in the door, asking about the health and weekend social life of his 10

Visiting Rafe Esquith, Part I

2008-12-18T21:31:00.000-08:00

On Monday, I had the privilege of visiting the classroom of Rafe Esquith, a 5th grade teacher at Hobart Boulevard Elementary School in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles. If you haven't heard of this teacher, its about time that you have. I first learned about him from a 2006 LA Times article announcing his second book, "Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire: Lessons from Room 56." When I finally

A farm in LA?

2008-11-28T17:09:00.001-08:00

You have a Picture Mail from jeffreymattison@pm.sprint.com

2008-11-27T19:02:00.000-08:00

Yum yum Thanksgiving with brother, sister-in-law, and friend Charley. Had pork instead of turkey, sweet potato fries, and pie!

2008-11-26T21:58:00.001-08:00

Well, the experiment is working. 3 posts in a day and I'm finally in LA. We've shopped for turkey day. What is UR fave food?

Padaro

2008-11-26T15:21:00.001-08:00

You have a Picture Mail from jeffreymattison@pm.sprint.com

Road trip

2008-11-26T12:13:00.001-08:00

You have a Picture Mail from jeffreymattison@pm.sprint.com

Barely Breathing

2008-11-11T22:45:00.000-08:00

I have just tumbled out of sync with my blog posting. My days are so full with teaching duties, committees, or a small portion of exercise to attempt a balance, that my reflective presence in cyber-space has gotten the shaft. I have a lot to say and I've thought about it considerably, but for some reason I don't put finger to key.In 2009 I'll be going to Russia in March on a teacher exchange. In

Ensenada Adventures

2008-07-31T20:06:00.000-07:00

Movie theatre in Ensenada. $4 for a ticket!Well the language studies have been continuing had a good pace. Today we learned the imperitive or command form, which is very good for handling a room full of hormonal adolescents. Sientente (sit down)! Trabaje (work)! Afternoon activities have been slightly robotic in drills, but I guess I need the practice.My "social" life outside of class has

Ensenada Un Otra Vez!

2008-07-29T19:00:00.000-07:00

Staying with a Mexican family for a week in Ensenada to study Spanish in an immersion environment. My first impression is that I´m getting a lot of walking done. I live like a mile from the school, and my host mother and sister have given me walking directions to all the places I´m asking about: post office (2.5 miles), tourist district to get post cards (.5 miles), getting exercise and a feel

Coming into the Closet

2008-07-15T22:31:00.001-07:00

As a child, my walk-in closet was a refuge for idle thoughts and possessions. It was the largest closet among my siblings and the only one with a window. Even though I would cloister myself in it for hours on end, I could still look out on the street and have a connection to the world. I can imagine myself around age 11, going through old letters (almost every one I’ve kept) and trinkets kept

First Professional Presentation

2008-04-12T23:38:00.000-07:00

The day of our presentation. We've been eating breakfast at 7, waking at 6. Our room faces East look out over grazing fields for sheep and horses. The fields have been frosted over these past two days, its that cold. Breakfast is big: cereal and fresh fruit salad, tea with jam and bread, ham, sausage, egg, baked beans, baked tomato, and mushrooms. Juice, too. I finish it without being full; its

IATEFL Conference in Exeter, England

2008-04-10T05:52:00.000-07:00

Internet access has been few and far between on my trip. I think it as a benefit because I think everyone needs to decompress and disconnect from the Wired world a few times a year.Since I last posted, I spent a busy day in London seeing the British Museum, The Victoria and Albert Museum, Brixton's Jamaican community, Harrod's Department Store, and the Greenwich Observatory. More details on those

Snowy Arrival

2008-04-06T14:14:00.000-07:00

After 20 hours in transit, I landed at Heathrow airport amidst 4 inches of snowfall and wintery mix. We were delayed in landing because the ground crews were trying to keep up with the first snow of the year: in April! Fortunately my flight was one of the first in, because I would later hear that other flights were cancelled due to congestion.I made my way out to Woking Station where my college

You Make My Day

2008-04-05T01:28:00.000-07:00

Last month, my blog was given the "you make my day" award by Geoffrey Philp, a Jamaican author whom I've met through blogging and from whom I have learned a lot. I believe the original award was conceived (or at least given to Geoffrey) by Lady Roots. The guidelines for the award are:1. Write a post with links to 5 blogs that make your day.2. Acknowledge the post of the award giver.3. Display the

Garrapata State Park

2008-02-16T20:38:00.000-08:00

As promised, with a little delay, here are some photos from last month's outing to the hills over the Pacific Ocean in Big Sur.Here's our hiking group, "the happy trails club" on our first outing of the year. This big log was our point of no return: continue climbing to the peak, or go back through the canyon. Of course we went to the top! And what a view!The misty Big Sur coastline in silhouette

Some thoughts on immigration

2008-02-04T23:33:00.000-08:00

My uncle sent me and 20 other people this video on YouTube. I watched it twice because I was concerned about the bias of what it was telling me. I've spent the past 90 minutes crafting a response to all who were included on the email because I think that one benefit of the Internet is not just the mass and cheap distribution of information, but the democratic discussion of that information.

Double Yikes!!

2008-01-26T23:06:00.000-08:00

Another month has gone by, and no posts from me. I've had some New Year's resolutions to get underway, so perhaps implementing them has put off my weekly reflections on the blog. Also, I've been keeping up a blog for a teacher research project, so that has taken priority whenever I have the time to blog.I returned to Salinas from Chicago on Dec 27. I went to a friend's wedding in Stockton on Dec

Yikes!

2007-12-19T13:08:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in over a month! This hasn't happened to me since I first started my blog seriously in 2005. My humble apologies to my devoted readers, where ever you are! My postings have become fewer and father between because my workload at school has increased. The effort it seems to take to post a visually appealing blog entry with pictures uploaded and an interesting story has seemed

Close Encounters of the Condor Kind

2007-11-12T08:34:00.000-08:00

Gilda and I decided to get out of Salinas for the day and head towards Pinnacles National Monument. It's about 30 miles south of us, in the Gabilan Mountains. The drive through the Salinas Valley is always a liberating one, with wide open views of the sloping Gabilan Mountains on one side and the Santa Lucia Range on the other. Route 146 carried us past vineyards and wineries and into the bubbly

Oh Where Oh Where Have I Gone?

2007-11-06T21:01:00.000-08:00

I have almost been gone from the blog for a month. That's indicative of my work schedule and weekend obligations which have kept me from the blog. To justice to an entry, I feel like I need to upload pictures, set up hyperlinks, and have someplace interesting to write about. Since my trip to Seattle, I've gone to LA for my brother's birthday. That's about it. The soccer season ended at the middle

Wedding and Birthday Bash in Seattle

2007-10-08T22:33:00.001-07:00

At first I was apprehensive about it. My cousin's wedding in Seattle coinciding with my birthday. I don't like to make a big deal out of my birthdays, so I thought my celebratory-loving cousin would try to make a big deal of it. In actuality, it turned out that David and Shelly mentioned it along with a few other birthdays of wedding guests. I wasn't the only one.Seattle was a welcome respite

Greek EFL Teacher beaten by police

2007-09-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

Another blogger that I link to, Teacher Dude BBQ in Greece, just published some pictures of the election campaigns there. He moonlights as a photographer, too. Got quite a talent, so its hard to pin him down as one or the other. Allegedly, he was bruised and scraped by riot police while taking some of his pictures. Please visit him to show your ESL/free press/photography solidarity.His post about

Meet some of my friends

2007-09-14T22:53:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted for a while because I've taken a few trips (Bay Area, Monterey, Santa Cruz) that have pictures waiting to post, but they all require stories that I have to sit down for a while to tell. With my new teaching job, those moments are preciously few. So I'm spending my Friday evening to sit down and tell you about some of my blog friends. This is a "shout out" and "big up" to all

It's on the way to Santa Fe

2007-08-27T20:58:00.000-07:00

In the middle of my move to Monterey, I had to take a trip to Albuquerque. Its an annual retreat that I take, and I haven't missed it for nine years despite living in Africa, the Caribbean, and Japan during that time.This year's trip was another short one, just 36 hours to see a little bit more of the city, attend the meeting, and then fly back to LA. I mostly hung out around the University of

Destination: Monterey

2007-08-09T23:58:00.000-07:00

After a year of searching for a good fitting ESL-teaching job in Long Beach, I've had to face facts that the local school district isn't offering me just that. So I set my sights further afield in California. And I got a nice offer from a school district in Salinas, home of John Steinbeck and the nation's summer vegetables. So it made a good excuse for a road trip. Just as soon as I finished an

3 more days

2007-07-21T09:54:00.001-07:00

Three more days until school is out. I can't wait and neither can the students. August portends many days of relaxation, travel, and reflection on my next steps. Stay tuned for what they can be.

Boots or Wings

2007-06-26T22:54:00.000-07:00

Give me cement bootsso I can grow rootsto this place. And stay.Help me, I want to flythe whirling winds so highabove this ground. And never come down.Boots or wings. Stay or sing.Where can I just do my thing?

Armadillo Alley

2007-06-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

There's something about an alley that makes good neighbors. It's off the street where buildings brace against passing pedestrians, constant cars, and blaring buses. It doesn't have landscaping to pretend to be something it isn't. The alley is where you peek into cluttered garages with layers of trash and trinkets exposed by every coming and going of car and truck. The alley is where laundry is

A ray of hope

2007-06-18T07:13:00.000-07:00

I heard a talk by a former educator, now healer, yesterday with my brother. I've been having a hard time managing my classroom in my urban school. The speaker said that looking for one good thing in each student, and holding to it, could help them to let go of the other labels that have been stuck to them for so long. It's given me hope for the week.

Thanks Dad

2007-06-17T18:56:00.000-07:00

Quiet, calm, pensive, strong, loving, supportive. These are all qualities I think of when I think of my dad. Life hasn't been a easy road for both of us recently. We get through it with each other's support. This picture was taken shortly after my sister passed on and we came home to be together. Behind us is dad's pride and joy: the fish pond and aquatic garden. He loves "projects" especially

Looks and Maps

2007-06-16T10:14:00.001-07:00

Enjoy the new look on my blog. All of the previous elements are still here, but with better formatting and looks. Also, the world map project that I completed as a Peace Corps volunteer in Jamaica has been featured on a website. Please check it out when you get a chance. A permanent link to it is in the "links" section on the sidebar. --->

Give us this day

2007-06-12T22:43:00.001-07:00

I had a nice encounter on the way back from my 3 mile run up and down the LA River bikepath. I noticed a group of 20-somethings and "local" residents milling around the entrance to the bikepath. "Hmm" I wonder what that's about. On my way back, a woman with big, poofy, frizzy hair hollered me down. "Want something to eat? Come on we've got plenty to share!" Lima was her name. She lived under the

Still Here

2007-06-12T06:40:00.001-07:00

I'm still actively posting to my blog. School is so intense and draining at the moment, that blogging is far from my mind. Only 6 more weeks. I've got a trip to Baja to post here. An adventure to Two Harbors on Catalina Island, too. Stay tuned and the pictures and stories won't disappoint!

Mother's Day without Mom

2007-05-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

I don't have any digital photos of my mom. She passed away before the digital age took off. So I've got film prints to scan into my computer. This is one that I keep on my dresser. It's me, mom, and my brother walking to dinner on Mackinac Island in Northern Michigan. I think it was taken in the summer of 1993. I was 15. Craig was 12. For years my mother had been peace broker between the two of

The Chimney Swift

2007-04-22T22:58:00.000-07:00

I was unlocking my bike after church today when I heard a soft “thump” on the sidewalk followed by a rapid sweeping sound. I turned around to find a bird with long wings and the shortest legs trying to get off the ground. I walked up to it, knelt down, and scooped it up gently with my biking gloves. He didn’t panic or try to fly away. Perhaps he was stunned from having flown into the building.

TESOL in Seattle

2007-04-16T21:35:00.000-07:00

I left the dry brown confines of Los Angeles for the lush green shores of Seattle on April 18. In exchange for being able to see green, I wasn't allowed to see the sun for a week. All in all, a pretty good trade. I was in town for the annual TESOL convention, staying with my aunt and uncle in Newcastle. I rode the bus into town every day. I didn't like waiting in the rain at 6:30 am, but the mass

Staying Alive

2007-04-04T07:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm still alive. It's just been an incredibly busy month of travel, late nights, and distance from the computer. Lots to talk about when I get a chuck of time.

Berlin, Germany: June 1, 2003

2007-03-05T22:08:00.000-08:00

June 28, 1997: Minsk, Belarus

2007-02-28T18:14:00.000-08:00

Here's another travel story from my diaries. This one's from my trip to Russia and Belarus on a Sophomore Year Study Abroad. Enjoy!As someone once told me, "the afternoon already knows what the morning has no idea of," today I learned that God's plan is already established and we just need to trust and walk forward in it. I felt that feeling this morning when I arrived in Minsk, it was very

The snake and the field mouse

2007-02-19T22:22:00.000-08:00

As promised, here's a story from my previous travels. It takes place in November, 1999.There's something about realizing one's own mortality in a place, or furthermore on this Earth, that liberates him to try something exotic that he otherwise wouldn't. I realized this as a neophyte Peace Corps volunteer in Benin, West Africa.I was training in Parakou, the gateway to the Sahel region in the North

LA Times Travel & Adventure Show

2007-02-10T18:29:00.000-08:00

Gilda and I went to the Long Beach Convention Center to hear Rick Steves give a talk on travel tips for a "backdoor experience". I've been a fan of Rick and his PBS show "Europe through the Back door" since 1998 when my college roommate and I would watch episodes and wonder who this guy with two first names was.After watching so many episodes, listening to his podcast every week, and travelling

The Critic is "IN"

2007-01-31T22:54:00.000-08:00

Gilda and I saw Freedom Writers tonight. I got in free with my school district paystub. With me paying for Gilda, it was like two for half price. Anywho, I was touched by the movie but felt it ended with more story to tell. Probably what anyone who's read the book before seeing the movie would say. I knew it would be hard to put a very prose-based book (a compendium of 150 students' diary entries

Free Movie for Teachers

2007-01-26T15:53:00.000-08:00

As I was subbing at my favorite school in Long Beach, Birney Elementary, I saw a notice from Erin Gruwell, teacher and editor of "The Freedom Writers Diaries", saying that AMC and Paramount Pictures are making the movie Freedom Writers available free to teacher for a week from Janauary 26-Feb 2. All you need is your k-12 school id or pay stub and ID. Go see the movie. I'll see it this weekend and

Oh no! A Backhoe!

2007-01-19T23:04:00.000-08:00

A babbling brook snapped me out of my test prep study this morning. No, I haven't retreated to the San Bernadino mountains to study for my English teacher credential test. A water pipe burst underneath the alley behind my house. Dirty water was coming up out of every crevice with a connection down under. I could hear Mel the Manager and Rob the guitarist (my neighbors) talking about the causes

New Year, No Post

2007-01-18T22:53:00.000-08:00

With New Year's resolutions, I've tried to be more disciplined in my time use. Unfortuantely for my dwindling blog reading audience, that means that I haven't updated my blog in almost 3 weeks.I'm trying to simplify my life, have less distractions, and finish things that I start instead of starting too many things that I can't finish.I continue to substitute teach in the local schools. Travelling

Freedom Writers

2006-12-30T08:49:00.000-08:00

I don't plug too many movie recommendations on my blog, so you know this one is special. It's actually about the school district where I teach: Long Beach Unified. Set just after the 1993 LA riots, Freedom Writers takes place at Wilson High School. The local paper ran an article about two months ago about students' reactions to the YouTube previews. I agreed with them that the racial tensions at

Merry Christmas

2006-12-25T00:30:00.000-08:00

Just a little note to let you know that I'm still here. At this point, "here" is Kildeer, Illinois, where I'm celebrating Christmas with my family. There's no snow on the ground, but it is markedly colder than SouCal. I'm enjoying being with family and will soon venture to my hometown of Naperville to visit with some old friends. There's something about living out of a suitcase for a week or two

Thanksgiving in Seattle

2006-12-11T22:56:00.000-08:00

Safeco Field, home of Ichiro Suzuki and the Seattle Mariners!I promised Monday updates and pix from my trip to Seattle. It was a wild Thanksgiving week in the Emerald City for my brother, sister-in-law, and me. We expected typical Seattle weather: 40ºF and raining. What we got was 5 days of winter wonderland with rain freezing to snow and sticking! It did wonders for travel around town, but

Getting back in the swing of things

2006-12-10T08:13:00.000-08:00

View from Point Lobos State Park, Carmel, CAPhew! It's been almost a month since my last post! I'm terrible. Bestest Blog of all time may just kick me out of consideration for a link. But sometimes inactivity on the web is a sign of busy activity at the old brick and mortar. Last year I was pretty good at posting at least once a week. I think the secret to doing that is to have a regular day of

The 2016 Olympics: Chicago

2006-11-18T09:24:00.000-08:00

The more I wander, the more Chicago still feels like a home base. My upbringing in its green-lawned suburb of Naperville is always contrasted to the culture and values of each other state or country that I live in. So when I found this blog entry about Chicago's chances for the 2016 Olympics Bid, I got excited about the prospects of my city being all over the world so I could see it where ever I

Going Back to Monterey

2006-11-13T22:06:00.000-08:00

Gilda and I went back to Monterey for the long weekend. It was great to get out of crowded LA (although it was loathe to let us go with heavy traffic on our way out). Monterey was colder, quieter, and less congested by far. Such a welcome relief! The town is a popular vacation spot, but Gilda and I had the distinction of having lived there for two years, so we knew all of the local spots to visit

Getting to know the neighborhood

2006-10-31T10:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween!Just posting some pictures from my immediate neighborhood in Long Beach. It is an historic district, so some homes have been nicely preserved.This is the corner store behind my apartment.Where I do my laundry. Can you get a flavor for the dominant ethnic group in my community?;)One example of the historic homes in the neighborhood. This is where Long Beach began in the 1880s.

Music Influences

2006-10-19T21:35:00.000-07:00

At this point in my life, I can enjoy any kind of music if there's talent and respect in it. I owe this to my sister. She was the first musical influence in my life. My parents didn't listen to too much music. Maybe they had some classical music on reel to reel tapes, but we never listened to background music at home. When Jen started to listen to folk music, I caught on. John Denver, James

Celebrating 100 Posts!

2006-10-09T20:37:00.000-07:00

For some bloggers, 100 posts happens in about 3 weeks of 5 posts a day. For me - thoughtful, reflective, and innovating new features on my blog from cool ideas seen on other blogs - it takes about two years. Do you remember my first post? It seems like such a short time, but the way technologies are accelerating these days on the Internet, 2 years can be the life and demise of many dot coms. My

Where do I go from here?

2006-09-30T23:08:00.000-07:00

I have been struggling since my return from Japan to keep an outsider's view of my home country and maintain the tone of "Brave New Word". It has been a difficult month for me to say the least. Shortly after my Sept 5 post, my sister passed away. I have been busy trying to support my family members, to get a job, move into my apartment, and get into a routine. The past year has been a journey by

Old Mexico

2006-09-05T13:32:00.000-07:00

Another weekend. Another destination. Another Mexico. This time I went to Ensenada in Baja California de Norte, Mexico. Something in me wanted two more days out of the US, so Gilda and I took off on a Thursday afternoon to beat the weekend rush. Of course, LA would not let us go without at least one traffic jam. But Gilda and I were carpooling, so in this picture I think we're sailing by in

New Mexico

2006-09-05T12:10:00.000-07:00

Some people say that the best way to readjust to your own country is to travel again. I would say that this is just postponing the inevitable. But then again, I'm guilty of it too. A week after I arrived in LA, I went to Albuquerque, New Mexico for some church business. I've been going there for an annual conference since 1999, so every year I get to track the changes in the town. I've seen a lot

Hawaiian Respite

2006-08-25T08:58:00.000-07:00

It has been almost 3 weeks since I have arrived back in the USA for good. But I have yet to dedicate a blog entry to what I've done here. Perhaps I am trying to figure out how to keep up this web journal without the obvious prompts of adjusting to another culture. Seeing one's own culture with an outsider's perspective gives valuable insight. Or is it just reverse culture shock? That's what I'm

Hokkaido: a whole nother Japan

2006-08-16T12:33:00.000-07:00

I'm back in the States now. For good. Have been here for a week. I wasn't expecting any readjustment shock, but that's exactly when it hits you. Here's some of my thoughts that I wrote in an email to a friend in Ukraine:Waiting in line for Jamba Juice, I observe a line out the door and employees slacking off behind the counter. My Japanese sense gets me irritated to tell the manager to open

Suzushi Hokkaido

2006-08-03T23:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back from my Hokkaido adventure. It was incredible. The coolest place in Japan during my trip was Eastern Hokkaido, so I planned it right to beat the heat. I was actually cold one day when temperatures dropped below 15 degrees Centigrade like 55 degrees Farenheit?). I'd love to show you pictures, but I'll have to do that when I get my laptop connected to the Internet again. I'm leaving

Fulfillment of a dream

2006-08-01T02:49:00.000-07:00

After almost 24 hours of straight travelling, I have fulfilled a dream: to visit the island of Hokkaido. I've been using Japan's best-kept budget travel secret: the Youth 18 ticket. 5 person-days of unlimited travel on rapid and local trains. It is by far the best way to see the country if you have the time, logistical skills, and interest in the superb train system. Check, check, check all three

Gion Matsuri

2006-07-21T06:29:00.000-07:00

I'm just about to leave for a week in Hokkaido (and 6 days on the train going and coming, phew!) so I wanted to write an entry on Gion Matsuri before I left. Matsuri means "festival" in Japanese. This festival protects the citizens of Kyoto from evil spirits for the year. It was started over 1200 years ago. I'm not sure if the festival has been held 1200 times since the first, but that is still a

Baseball: Japanese Style

2006-07-17T06:09:00.000-07:00

The final day of Chuck's stay, we went to a Hanshin Tigers' baseball game. The Tigers could be seen as the Chicago Cubs of Japanese Baseball: affable, long-suffering, and play in a vintage stadium. Almost all Japanese baseball teams are named after the companies that own them, instead of the city that hosts them. You can either see that as a corporate sell-out or transparency of the nature of

Himeji: soaked

2006-07-13T07:20:00.000-07:00

Day three of Chuck and my trips around the Kansai area. Today we took the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to Himeji, the site of the best preserved feudal castle in Japan. The city (sister city with Phoenix, AZ, complete with an amusement park, zoo, stadium, and about 450,00 people) shows up in the Lonely Planet guide as a small entry only featuring Himeji Castle. But I'm sure to its citizens, Himeji

Kyoto: East Side

2006-07-12T03:57:00.000-07:00

Every other week I go to Kyoto to attend the Christian Science Society, which is located a kilometer up the road from the Imperial Palace. From the train station, it is a 6 km walk that takes about 45 minutes (maybe it's longer, but I've never measured). I often take it so I can walk through the Palace gardens before the church service. After church, sometimes I visit the sites of West Kyoto,

Nara: Revisited

2006-07-11T06:42:00.000-07:00

The first stop that Chuck and I made on our sightseeing tour was Nara, the old capital of Japan. Back in the days of yore, capitals moved with every new emperor. Starting around the 700 CE, Japanese emperors basically said, "I'm tired of all this moving around! Let's just pick a new spot and stay there!" So they did. For at least 100 years. Then they moved to Kyoto. For almost a thousand

Issogashi

2006-06-29T07:34:00.000-07:00

Sorry I missed my weekly posting time. Things have been really busy in school and out of it. My best friend from 1st grade is visiting me for the week, so I've been working ahead to have some free time with him.Even though Japan and USA are out of the World Cup (and few people are staying up late to watch teams that don't represent their country), students and teachers are still tired. Maybe just

Teaching a taste of French in Japanese

2006-06-19T03:56:00.000-07:00

Today I had a personal encounter with the people who are responsible for making such delicious French pastries all over Japan. First let me back up and set the mood that I was in when I made the encounter. I taught swimming lessons to two boys who will be going on the 2nd year students' trip to a wilderness island in the Inland Sea of Japan. The PE teachers needed extra help, so they called in "

Bob Marley: soccer player

2006-06-16T03:35:00.000-07:00

I subscribe to a daily posting of blog entries from the Caribbean. It helps me to keep in touch with my "roots" in Jamaica. Being that I now live in Japan and am in the best position to write a bridge blog for English readers interested in Japanese culture, I normally don't comment on links to other regions. But considering that it's World Cup time, I thought you would enjoy this blog entry from

Keep the customers satisfied

2006-06-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since my last entry and you're dying to see improved quality in the videos. As you all know, it's World Cup time. I've been balancing school preparation with bouts of world cup fever. It's not as bad as Olympic fever, but the symptoms from a loss are more severe. Japan and USA lost on the same day, so we weren't a happy bunch in the faculty room. Some students confided in

Video on a Train to Yokkaichi

2006-06-03T22:53:00.000-07:00

I'm experimenting with posting videos on my blog. This one is from my recent train trip to Mie Prefecture. It's from my digital camera, not my video camera, so the quality isn't that good. Stay tuned for better quality and subjects of video. Genki de!

Japanese Train Nerd

2006-06-02T08:23:00.000-07:00

It looks like my train travels documented in my previous email pale in comparison to this otaku. He has visited over 9,000 train stations in Japan. You can't do that without avoiding friends and work! Check it out!

Train Fares in Japan

2006-05-31T03:47:00.000-07:00

May has been a big month for my blog. I've posted 6 entries, with many pictures. Thanks to Site Meter, I know that 356 different people have visited A Brave New Word. They live in 11 countries! USA, Canada, Japan, Jamaica, Ukraine, Romania, Turkey, Belgium, Thailand, Taiwan, Bolivia, and Poland. I know people in the first 7 (except Canada) so the rest are people just surfing the web and finding

A Whirlwind Tour of Tokyo

2006-05-23T02:28:00.000-07:00

It seems to me that Japan is nothing if not efficient. How many other places can you be in the downtown of one city at noon and then be in the downtown of another city 340 miles away by 2:30 pm? That is the beauty of the bullet train (shinkansen in Japanese). I took the fastest one available from Osaka to Tokyo right after I taught my morning class at KGJH. There was an alumni meeting for MIIS

The Politics of English

2006-05-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Recently I learned a lesson to stay out of political discussions and just learn more about my own profession which has plenty of facets that I can spend my time investigating. But when politics comes to my profession, I suppose I can add my two cents to the conversation.Tonight, President Bush gave his first oval address on a topic besides the war on terror or Iraq. It was on immigration. This is