Ojika Experience

I've started a website for the cultural experience business I'm starting on Ojika island in Japan.

Check it out!  It has a blog component where I will be posting on Ojika related topics!

www.gotoexperience.com

日食 SOLAR ECLIPSE

Wednesday (水曜日) there will be a SOLAR ECLIPSE (日食) in Japan.

Here in Ojika, the moon will not fully cover the sun. The sun will be 90-95% covered by the moon during the peak at about 10:50 am.
If the sky is clear, we will be able to see an amazing event! If it is cloudy, it will just seem like it is becoming night again!

Just remember, don't look directly at the sun!

Summer break is here!

A lot has happened since the last post!

The American PTP students came, and the American PTP students went home! It was a very busy time but very fun too! Did you see any of them around Ojika? Did you practice your English with them?

Tomorrow, summer vacation begins for the students of Ojika! What will you do during summer vacation? Will you go swimming, read books, study, play sports, travel, or just relax?

Whatever you do, have a great time!

THE FLU!!!

Wow! Hokusho Nishi High School has been hit hard by the flu. Today, 35 students are home sick. That is more than 1/3 of the school! So far, only 1 teacher has gotten sick.

Classes were cancelled yesterday to give students a chance to recover, and last Friday's picnic was cancelled also. Many club activities have not practiced for several days.

Take care everyone!

Welcome Back!!

This week, the new school year starts!

How was your spring vacation? 春休みはどう？

Too short?　短いすぎる？

It's time to return to classes, so let's have a good time together and enjoy the new school year!

Spring Vacation

Today is the last day before the two week spring vacation! Since tomorrow is also the first day of Spring, here is a simple English poem for you...

I Meant To Do My Work Today

by Richard Le Gallienne

I meant to do my work today,

But a brown bird sang in the apple tree,

And a butterfly flitted across the field,

And all the leaves were calling me.

And the wind went sighing over the land,

Tossing the grasses to and fro,

And a rainbow held out its shining hand--

So what could I do but laugh and go?

Hokusho Nishi Graduation Photos (北松西高校 卒業式の写真)

Here are some photos from the Hokusho Nishi Graduation!
Congratulations!
卒業式 おめでとう！

Graduation

Today is Graduation Day for the 3rd grade students at Hokusho Nishi High School!

Congratulations to all of them!

It is interesting to see the differences between American graduation and Japanese graduation. Many of the mothers were dressed in Kimonos, and the fathers wore suits. The ceremony was very formal and rigid.

In America, the ceremonies are definitely more relaxed, and a bit less formal.

It was very fun to take part in.

Spring Wind

Today Haru Ichiban 春一番, the first winds of Spring, came to Ojika. So the new song will be "Spring Wind" by Greg Brown.






Here are the words to the song...

I lived awhile without you,
darn near half my life.
I no longer see our unborn children,
born to you my unwed wife.
But yesterday I had a vision,
beneath the tree where we once talked,
of an old couple burning
their love letters so their children
won't be shocked.

[chorus:]
Love calls like the wild birds--
it's another day.
A Spring wind blew my list of
things to do...away.

My friends are gettin older,
so I guess I must be too.
Without their loving kindness,
I don't know what I'd do.
Oh the wine bottle's half empty--
the money's all spent.
And we're a cross between our parents
and hippies in a tent.

[repeat chorus]


In a mucked up lovely river,
I cast my little fly.
I look at that river and smell it
and it makes me wanna cry.
Oh to clean our dirty planet,
now there's a noble wish,
and I'm puttin my shoulder to the wheel
'cause I wanna catch some fish.

[repeat chorus]


Children go to sleep now--
you know it's gettin' late.
I know you don't like to miss nothin'
and school ain't that great.
Oh, I'll dance with you when you're happy,
and hold you when you're sad,
and hope you know how glad I am,
just to be you're Dad.

[repeat chorus]

Darlin' it's been a hard go
but I think we'll be okay.
I know I say that all the time
like everything else I say.
Oh, I've been gone so often,
but every time I miss you,
and I don't really know nothin',
Except I like to kiss you.

[repeat chorus]

Book Time With Brett # 3

BOOK TIME WITH BRETT # 3!!!

Date: Saturday, January 17th　土曜日、１月１７日

Time: 10:30 am　　午前　１０：３０

Place: Ojika Library 　小値賀　図書館


The library will be changing buildings, so this is the last "Book Time" until April! Don't miss it!

New Year's Eve temple bell

New Year's Eve temple Bell - It is rung 108 times on New Year's Eve!

Music of the Week 週刊音楽 Tom Waits

Tom Waits (トム　ウェイツ）

Ｂｉｇ　ｉｎ　Ｊａｐａｎ

I got the style but not the grace
I got the clothes but not the face
I got the bread but not the butter
I got the wind but not the shutter


But Im big in japan Im big in japan but heh Im big in japan


I got the house but not the deed
I got the horn but not the reed
I got the cards but not the luck
I got the wheel but not the truck


But heh Im big in japan Im big in japan Im big in japan


I got the moon I got the cheese
I got the whole damn nation on its knees
I got the rooster I got the crow
I got the ebb I got the flow


I got the powder but not the gun
I got the dog but not the bun
I got the clouds but not the sky
I got the stripes but not the tie


But heh Im big in japan Im big in japan Im big in japan


Heh ho they love the way I do it
Heh ho theres really nothing to it

I got the moon I got the cheese

I got the whole damn nation on their knees
I got the rooster I got the crow
I got the ebb I got the flow


I got the sizzle but not the steak
I got the boat but not the lake
I got the sheets but not the bed
I got the jam but not the bread


But heh Im big in japan Im big in japan Im big in japan
Im big in japan, Im big in japan

Music of the Week! 週刊音楽

The Music of the week is "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, pt.1" by The Flaming Lips.

Enjoy!

Here are the words to the song:

Her name is Yoshimi - she's a black belt in karate
Working for the city - she has to discipline her body -
Cause she knows that it's demanding to defeat these
Evil machines - I know she can beat them -

Oh Yoshimi
They don't believe me
But you won't let those
Robots defeat me
Oh Yoshimi
They don't believe me
But you won't let those
Robots eat me

Those evil natured robots - they're programmed to
Destroy us - She's gotta be strong to fight them -
So she's taking lots of vitamins - cause she knows that
It'd be tragic if those evil robots win - I know
She can beat them -

Making Tofu on Ooshima Island

On December 11th, the Ooshima elementary students and several others, including some handicapped adults, made tofu by hand.

This video shows our teacher. Watch how fast she is!

No Car Day （ノーマイカーデー ）

December 10th, 11th, and 12th (12月　１０-１１-１２日） are　No Car Days （ノーマイカーデー ）.

Please try not to use your car these days!(あなたの車を使用しないでください!) Ride your bike! Walk! It is good for our planet!(私たちの惑星に良いです！) It is good for your health!(それはあなたの健康に良いです！)

I hope you will see that you can use your car much less!

Winter (冬) in Minnesota (ミんネソタ)

Here is a video of nordic skiing on a very snowy day in Duluth, Minnesota from last year. This video is from December 23, 2007 (２００７年１２月２３日） For any Ojika people who think that the weather has been cold recently, imagine being in Minnesota!
The current Duluth temperature is -8 Centigrade.　 ダルツの温度はいま　-8　です。

Volleyball Tournament

Last night, the Ojika educational staff all got together for a short volleyball tournament. There were 3 teams: elementary staff, junior high staff, and high school/board of education staff.

The high school team lost both games. We took 3rd place. The elementary team won 1 game and took 2nd place. The junior high team won 3 games and took 1st place.

The teachers enjoyed getting together for some fun at a busy time of year!!

October （１０月） 2008 Population of Ojika

Look at the population from October 2008. Ojika gained 2 people!

日本語の地区別人口はクリークします。

Weekly Music 週刊音楽 チャリー パー

This week's music is by Charlie Parr. The song is called "1922." He is my favorite musician. He plays regularly in Duluth, Minnesota. Listen and enjoy him play some great American Folk music!

Press the PLAY button to the right ----------->>>

The Ojika Update Test Post

The Ojika Update 2008/11/18
English language newsletter from Ojika-cho, Japan.
Issue # 1

What`s up, Ojika?!

Upcoming events in Ojika.

Book Time with Brett – Saturday, November 22nd from 10:30~.
Brett will read 3 books this time. The books will be: Frederick, Guri and Gura and the Giant Egg, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Ojika harvest/labor festival. Sunday, November 30th. The location is the town sports center. There will be many fun activities. Sushi rolling, food stalls, and a performance by the Ojika Power Rangers will all happen this day! There is also a drawing for great prizes, don’t miss it!

Basic Eikaiwa – Every Thursday at 7:30pm there is a free English conversation class. It meets in the community center. Please come and practice your English!

Advanced Eikaiwa – Every Friday at 1:30 pm there is a free advanced English conversation class. It meets at Hokusho Nishi High School.



EIKEN SPEAKING EXAMS

Recently 4 junior high students took the 3rd grade Eiken English speaking test. They all passed! Their names are: Hatsune Kondo, Saori Hirata, Yuuka, and Ayumi. Great Job! They are looking forward to passing the pre-2nd exam, which is high school level. Good Luck!




FOR YOUR INFORMATION

Ojika Junior High has many English childrens books. Maybe close to 40! Students in Brett’s Eikaiwa classes can borrow them! Brett will be making a list of the books so you can know what is available. If there is one you want to borrow, please ask him and he will get it for you. These books are donations from a former Ojika Junior High student! ***FIND HER NAME***


News from America
Americans elected Senator Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States of America on November 4th. Barack Obama does not become the president until January 20th, when President George Bush is finished. Woo Hoo!


Word List:

Upcoming – まもなく
Harvest - 収穫　　　しゅうかく
Festival – 祭り　　まつり
Performance - 動作
Available – 手に入れられる
To borrow – 借りる
Donation – 寄付
Former – 前者の