Living in Japan we get a lot of visitors from home. My sister has visited, my parents, friends from home, friends from university, even friends from other parts of Japan. I love showing people around, being their local guide. Giving my friends and family a tour of the places I love and introducing them to [...]
It’s almost Cherry Blossom Viewing season again and time for the annual Smith’s School of English Kansai Area Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) Party. Cherry Blossom Viewing Parties are common all across Japan as the Cherry Blossom buds open to reveal their oh so delicate and beautiful blossoms. Usually, families, friends or co-workers get together for [...]
February 24, 2010 – 8:33 am
Upon entering an English school, students are greeted with a slew of standard English greetings. From the simple “Hello” and “How are you?” to the more colloquial “What’s new?” or “How ya going mate?”, students are immediately immersed in English. English classrooms are the place for English immersion: the walls have English posters, the book [...]
February 23, 2010 – 3:58 am
In a sport dominated by Europeans, and Russians in particular, it was a huge surprise when the Canadian pair of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir won the gold on February 22nd 2010 in Vancouver. Their win was the first ever by a North American pair, and they also made history as the youngest ever ice dance pairs [...]
February 20, 2010 – 12:55 am
Basketball in Japan?
Sports. I love ‘em. I love to watch sports, I love to play sports.
My hometown, Nanaimo BC Canada is a standard Canadian city- small, homely, and full of sports. Or so I thought. Nanaimo has Junior Hockey, College Baseball, and a slew of minor leagues and high school sports. Now that I live [...]
February 19, 2010 – 5:48 am
With so much news about the Vancouver 2010 winter Olympics, and everyone in my English school talking about them, I thought it would be nice to post about other wonderful goings on in Canada. Below there is a link to a live web cam placed with care and much effort in the den of a [...]
February 17, 2010 – 10:24 pm
For more on Valentine’s Day in Japan (English) CLICK HERE
For more on Valentine’s Day in Japan (日本語) CLICK HERE
Valentine’s day in Japan is so unlike valentine’s day in Canada. For men. In Canada, valentine’s day is a day for men to spend money, stress about preparing just the right gift, dinner, romantic night out. In [...]
February 17, 2010 – 11:41 am
It’s true! A student is going on a trip to Malta next month. In her English lesson last week, she told me she was going to Italy for a week tour. She told me she is going to Malta, which she explained was a small Italian island located just off the tip of the Italian [...]
February 16, 2010 – 7:43 pm
So yesterday Japan finally got their first medal, making it to the podium in 500m men’s speed skating. 2 Japanese olympians stood shoulder to shoulder on the podium, smiling and clutching their hard earned silver and bronze medals. As I am from Canada I was a bit sad because they both had races with Canadians [...]
February 8, 2010 – 10:02 pm
この記事（スミス英会話大津校の講師作）の日本語版はこちら。
When Edward, my younger sister and I were handing out Smith’s School of English Ohtsu (スミス英会話大津校) flyers at JR Ishiyama station (石山駅) in the morning, something fun happened.
Three high school girls passed by me so I said, “Good morning! How are you?” Usually, at least one of them would say “Good morning” back since they [...]