A couple Pics from Japan:

Here are a couple pics from my trip to Japan.

This first pic is of Odori Park in Sapporo. You can see TV tower with the illumination. It was very beautiful! I enjoyed relaxing there for about an hour while listening to some live music. I could have stayed longer but the music stopped. However, it was a great atsmophere and I really enjoyed being there.

Lost in Translation....
(On the Tokyo Streets)

Well I am back from Japan. It was an ok trip. I spent 3 days in Hokkaido and the rest in Tsukuba. It was an ok trip. The best time I had was of coarse in Hokkaido. But from the whole trip I had about 2 hours in Hokkaido which became the most valuable part of my trip. But I did eat some good food!!

My last night in Tsukuba my colleagues from my company wanted to go to Tokyo. Because I had a drivers license to drive in Japan, they wanted me to take them by the company car from Tsukuba to Akihabara. There is a direct train. However, they had a game they wanted to play. They wanted to try and challenge the streets and expressways of Tokyo without using the GPS in the car. Furthermore, they made a rule that I could not read the map. None of them speak Japanese. Also, they had never been to Tokyo before. So it was a real challenge. I knew it was going to be a late night. I told them we would be getting very lost. But they wanted to have fun and try it.

So, after work at about 6:00pm we left for our journey. I turned the GPS off, opened my diet coke and Fran Chocolate and relaxed in the drivers seat. I started driving and turned where they told me to. Well.... its a long story. But we got very lost in Tokyo. They could not read the signs and they got confused at express numbers and exits. It was very very funny. I was very relaxed drinking my coke. When I finished my coke I stopped at a Lawsons and got another one. I knew it was going to be a very long night. We finally got to Akihabara about 3 hours later. After we got there, we quickly parked the car and went into a couple stores. They then wanted to challenge to get to Shibuya. So, without GPS we challenged to get to Shibuya... This was a challenge we could not pass. We got very lost. I didn't care it was funny. At about 2:00am, my work colleagues decided the game was over. We turned on the GPS and came home. It was a very very interesting night and we drove down some interesting streets and saw a lot of Tokyo. We just don't know what part of Tokyo we were in. But it is a night I will never forget.

I got back last night and couldn't sleep. I had jet lag. Plus there were some issues back in Japan that kept me from being able to relax. I got about 2 hours of sleep and woke up and watched 2 movies during the night. This morning, I put Christmas lights on my house. I have been gone almost all month so no time to do it. My neighbors came out and laughed at me because Christmas is only one week away. We usually do this at the end of November. But better late than never. I got an email today from some friends in Hokkaido saying they wanted to come and have Christmas in Utah with me. I was happy to receive that. So I decided to put up the lights. They are a married couple with one baby girl. It should be fun to show them Utah during the holidays. There is some other people I wish could have come too but I hope next year.

Well... I am starting to feel very sleepy now. But I need to hang in there until its time to go to bed...

I will try to post some pics shortly....

Peace in Sapporo....

I have been in Sapporo now for a few days. It has been so peaceful. I absolutely love this place and in the future I fully intend to live here again. Compared to last week in Mexico this week has been excellent. I think anything compared to last week would be excellent.

Sapporo is a little warmer this year. Actually Utah is coolder. There isn`t a lot of snow yet. But I am sure the snow will come. Odori park is beautiful with its illumination and the air is really fresh and crisp. As my friend Kent Derricott would say, "Kuki ga oishii yo!!!".

Today I am flying to Tokyo and my work will begin. The fun is now over ....heh heh. But it has been good. I will return to Hokkaido again in May. I look forward to it because I will be here longer and have more time to see some old friends. I got to eat some hokke and sapporo ramen, and yaki niku. So I am satisfied..... (Yea I also got to play in susukino a little...heh heh.). I will try and post some pics when I get home.

TRIP FROM HELL!!!!!
I was out last week in Mexico for business. It was a trip from hell.... First my hotel in Monterrey was canceled. I have no idea why someone from my company called my hotel in Monterrey and canceled my hotel. When I find out who it was I will kill them...hehe

I got there late and they told me my room was canceled. Plus... They were booked. So no rooms available. It was 11:30pm. I had no hotel and no money. I could not exchange any money because it was too late. So I had the hotel desk clerk call and find me another hotel. We found one that was 20 minutes away. It was a hotel I have never heard of. Not an international hotel so I was worried. Then I had to get in a Taxi and go to the hotel knowing I had no money to pay the taxi. On the way to the hotel I told the driver I had no money. He stopped and told me to get out! I told him lets find an ATM. So we drove around to some convenience stores and I finally found one. I was able to get money and make my driver happy. Then he finally took me to the hotel.

The hotel was not very nice and I could not trust the water. So it was a bad night. The rest of the trip went ok until it was time to come home. I found out my return airline tickets had the wrong date on them. I was unable to leave Mexico until a day later. So I had to find another hotel in Mexico city and stay the night. I was really upset. I finally got home and now I am sick. I caught something in Mexico and could not return to work...

Its been so crazy.... I fly to Japan in 2 days and I really don't want to get back on another airplane.... but thats life!!
So I hope this trip isn't like the last one..... I can't wait for the holidays... I need a break!!!

Which is correct???

Yesterday, I had a student tell me that another English speaker told him “I can understand” is not a natural expression in English.

Well this may be true. In the United States, I think most people would just say, “I understand”. But “I can understand” is also correct right?

My answer to this situation is this,

I do believe in the United States and maybe some other countries, “I understand” is the most natural way for this expression. However, that does not mean it is the most natural expression in other countries. English is now a global language. Many different countries now speak English and use very different expressions. So who is right and who is wrong?? Everyone is right and wrong. That is not important. The most important thing is can we communicate as a global society? I believe the answer is yes. However, to do this we need to be open to new expressions and understand how different cultures use the language. When students make a big error in grammar or vocabulary usage, I usually quickly point that out. However, small differences in expression usage I do not. This is because it is used, and it is understood in other areas.

However if the expression is one I have never heard or completely wrong, I tell the student this and give them direction for another expression to use. Everyone has their own style of speaking. It’s important to develop that. If a student has an interest in sounding like a native American speaker, I am always happy to help them. I do help students say things and sound as natural as possible. But being able to communicate is the most important part of speaking. I urge all English students to speak. Don’t be shy. Everyone speaks English differently and most importantly, everyone makes mistakes! LIVE and LEARN.

TGIF!!!!!!!!!!

Well its Friday almost 5:00pm. I am at work... oops I should not say that because I should be working. But... I am burned out today and time to go home. Its been a crazy week for me. I have some friends from Japan and Germany staying at my house this week. Its been interesting to have 3 different languages being spoken. Sometimes all 3 languages are being spoken at the same time. So I reflect how far the world as come or changed in the last 60 years. 60 years ago I don't think this kind of thing would occur so much. But I am lucky to have great friends from these two wonderful countries!!
Last night we all went to see a tennis tournament. It was fun and I love tennis so I really enjoyed it. But we didn't get back until late (actually this morning). I had to work today so I have been kind of a zombie. So more coke to keep me going!!! hehe.
Well its 5:00pm now.... TIME TO GO HOME!!!

Happy Halloween!!!

It was a great Halloween this year. I was busy giving candy to kids. But I had a good day. Many people wore costumes at my work. My boss dressed up as a Samurai. I didn't dress up. But I did leave work early to go to one party and hurry and go home to give candy to trick or treaters.
Here are some pictures of some kids who came to my door. Also, you can see a picture of my front door. We usually put pumpkins with faces called "jack-o-lanterns" in front of our door to scare away evil spirits. Many people decorate their homes for Halloween also.