Like it's '82

It may not be Miller Time, but it certainly is Suntory Times over here after learning that the Brewers made the playoffs for the first time in my lifetime. I may be a half a world away, but let it be known that a thunderous yell went out over Tokushima City this morning.


checking the scores...


HEYYYY!!!


DROUGHT OVER.

On foreign policy and international exchange

Of all the titles and claims I thought I might hold in my time in Japan, I never imagined that "Guinness World Record holder" might be one them. That's just what I am, however, after joining my touch rugby team and hundreds of others today in creating the world's largest single indigo dyed cloth. Here's what 836 meters of indigo-soaked diplomacy looks like:


tying the cloth


soaking it up


the gang with their freshly dyed cloth


Gaki signs one of his squares


all stretched out


in the Shimbun

Inside edition

Fresh from my brain and fingers...

Saturday, September 27
Ingrid's International Dance Resolution Party Take 9
Set 2

1. John Legend - Green Light (Feat. Andre 3000) (4:46)
2. Mark Ronson - Amy (feat. Kenna) (3:32)
3. Nadia Oh - Got Your Number (3:06)
4. MGMT - Electric Feel (3:49)
5. Michael Jackson - Don't Stop Till You Get Enough (6:05)
6. Sam Sparro - Too Many Questions (3:56)
7. Gym Class Heroes Feat. Patrick Stump - Clothes Off (3:55)
8. Modest Mouse - Dashboard (4:07)
9. Lupe Fiasco - Superstar (feat. Matthew Santos) (4:51)
10. Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity (3:45)
11. Kanye West - Good Life (feat. T-Pain) (3:28)
12. Rihanna - Disturbia (3:59)
13. The Knife - Heartbeats (3:54)
14. Chromeo - Fancy Footwork (3:20)
15. The Ting Tings - Shut Up And Let Me Go (2:53)

On teaching English

Every so often someone asks me what it's like to teach English to Japanese students. The answer, as one might expect, is not a simple one. I usually tell them about the frustrations of teaching a mandatory subject to students who may never use the subject matter itself. Sometimes, I give anecdotes about the failings of English instruction in Japan and provide for the inquisitor statistics that show how the country lags behind almost all other Asian nations in English proficiency. And other times, I simply tell them that it's a generally enjoyable occupation and that I hope that the students simply take something away from their classes.

But usually, I just tell them it's tricky, and then I show them this:

Saka

I can't think of a better place to have spent this weekend than on three fields of beautiful green sandwiched between ocean and mountains for the semiannual Awaji ALT soccer tournament. Our team may have come up short on wins, but we put in a great effort and a good time was had by all. Here's a look at the action:


blue skies on Awaji-shima


protecting the goal


taking in the action from the sidelines


still smiling after a tough defeat


Hiro gets tended to by our youngest fan


Team Tokushima

Athletes giving back

With so much written about scandal and unsportsmanlike behavior in professional sports, it's always refreshing to come across something like this. Here's to the good guys who still give back. From Yahoo! Sports:

Super Bowl winner to raffle off ring for charity

By Chris Chase

It seems that every few months there's a story about a down-on-his-luck former athlete who's selling a championship ring in order to earn a few extra bucks. This is not one of those stories.

Former New England Patriots safety Je'Rod Cherry is raffling off his championship ring from Super Bowl XXXVI to raise money for exploited children in Asia and Africa. He decided to do so after he and his wife attended a conference at his church in Ohio and saw children there raise $96,000 for an orphanage in Cambodia.

After that event, Cherry knew he wanted to help the cause, but was unsure how to do so until a young girl jokingly mentioned that he should raise money by selling his Super Bowl ring. Cherry liked the idea and decided that raffling the ring would be an effective way to raise money and awareness toward the plight of abused and neglected children in other parts of the world.

The former backup safety and special teams player says he cherishes the ring, one of two he won in New England, but knows it will be put to better use in this way. How refreshing.

A raffle ticket costs $2, with a five-ticket minimum. Cherry preferred a raffle to an auction so that everyday fans would have a shot at owning a piece of history. The 142-diamond ring features the Patriots logo atop the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Order made

A really cool video from one of my favorite Japanese bands, RADWIMPS.

R & R in Takamatsu

Took the slow train two hours north yesterday to get out and cleanse my palette, catch up on some reading, and take some very "Japanese" photos. Here's the lot:


the bridge to nowhere


koi


another quiet teahouse

Even more musicians doing cool stuff

Earlier in the year I posted about and applauded Radiohead and The Raconteurs' inventive approaches to releasing their latest albums. Now, with a new record on the way in only a few weeks time, the Gallagher brothers and Oasis are stepping up to take the crown for creative self-promotion. This according to RollingStone.com:

"Tomorrow Oasis will teach a crew of 30 New York City street musicians songs from their new album Dig Out Your Soul. After their lesson, the buskers (who all have gigs in subway and train stations as part of a Metropolitan Transit Authority program) will fan out across the city and perform three songs — “The Turning,” “Bag it Up” and “(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady” — for the first time, as well as single “The Shock of the Lightning.” Oasis are encouraging fans to film the performances and post them on a dedicated YouTube channel — they’re also making sheet music for the tunes available as of the 16th online so fans can strum along at home."

For a band that's pissed off their fan base to the point of violence, I'd say that's a pretty cool publicity stunt.

Hard-hitting journalism

Today in my sixth grade class I taught the students of Sako Elementary about using the question structure "Do you like _____?" The following is a conversation between a male student and myself, exactly as it happened.

Student: Excuse me, Jeff. Do you like dog?
Me: Yes, I like dog very much.
Student: Oh. One more question...
Me: Ok.
Student: Do you like sex?

If Charles Gibson isn't willing to ask Sarah Palin the tough questions later this week, I think I just found someone who is.

Daily dose of green

I received this highly personalized (read: chain) email from Al Gore today, and I think it's information that should probably be shared with all. Please feel free to pass it along:

Dear Jeff,

I need your help. Will you make a call?

Congress will consider energy legislation this week. Of course, the oil industry is pushing its "drill, drill" slogan with all its might -- and some are hoping to use this for political advantage.

Meanwhile, tax credits for investments in solar and wind power have not been extended, and the growing renewables business that just made America the largest producer of wind power in the world, is on the verge of shutting down huge planned projects all over the country.

Billions in private investment, thousands of megawatts of new, clean energy, and more than 100,000 new jobs expected for 2009 will be lost.

We face a stark choice: subsidize old, dirty energy or invest in new, clean energy. This should be easy, but the influence of the oil lobby is deep -- they've already spent more than $100 million in lobbying and advertising this year. Please call your members of Congress now and tell them to pass legislation that will Repower America.

Click here to find out how to call.

Washington is being diverted by all the political noise around "drill, drill" away from what really will make a difference -- building a new, clean energy future. Projects in the pipeline that will power millions of homes will be canceled, setting us back for years, if Congress doesn't do the right thing now. Congress needs to hear from all of us.

Click here to make a quick call today.

Thank you so much,

Al Gore

www.wecansolveit.org

Also, please take a look at this list of 5 Amazing Green Cities from howstuffworks to see what people around the world are doing to make our planet a little greener.

Funny stuff

Did some catching up on the TV ads from back home today, and if this isn't the funniest campaign going, I need to get back soon. Just one of many:

Food for thought

A friend in education sent this my way last week, courtesy of the We Campaign. She suggested it as a good conversation starter for classes, but I figured I might as well take it the big public classroom instead.



My goal for this week: stop sleeping with the air conditioning on. What's yours?

Playing catch-up

Ignorant of the release of their new album Only By The Night on September 23, I took Kings of Leon's third disc for a spin down along the southern coast this past weekend and fell in love all over again. Because of the Times may be the bands's most polished effort to date, but it's certainly no worse for it. The Wikipedia entry for the group cites their influences as "[a] religious upbringing and Jack Daniels," and that somehow makes sense only after listening. Yes, Kings is made up of three brothers and their cousin of the same surname, and yes, the band takes it's moniker from the Followill brothers' Pentacostal preacher father, but that's not the interesting part. As with any good artist, the true interest lies in the sounds themselves - in this case, a southern-fried quartet quietly making the best rock music in America. Give it a try.

key tracks: Knocked Up, True Love Way, Fans, Arizona