Emi & I my 39th birthday

Ah, 39, makes 40 looks that much closer! The missus and I dropped our kids off to rehearse for their dance routine and then, we had a small date! WOOOHOOOO! I was able to pursuade her to go to Starbucks and get some coffee milkshakes, though the white chocolate pudding one had sold out the day before. Buggers! Anyway, I made do with a cookies and cream one. That and some scones. Emi went for chocolate chip, I went for blueberry. Funny part was we shared with each other. I gave my wife a nice bit with juicy blueberrys, she gave me a bit of hers sans choclate! We laughed and I then picked out one chip. The blueberry one was much better as it was moist. The chocolate chip one was dry. Emi's makes better ones with butter at home. I've influenced her with foods from Nova Scotia. Can't wait to go home someday to hit up Tim Hortons and every little B&B that makes good scoff in the morning.

This is Ian's karate group. He still is waiting for his uniform to arrive. This was actually taken on Friday night. He's a tough little fellow, but we forgot that feeding him too late just before bed makes him tummy upset. Can we say upchuck everyone?

On Sunday morning, my birthday, Ian and Leena had a dance display at the community hall that is used for dance practice. They did the same dance which was performed at their recital back in March. The kids do look cute dressed as devils.

It's always easy to spot my kids mixed in with Japanese ones as my kids do not look Japanese despite their mother being Japanese!

Leena centre stage, or floor I should say.

This was the group which performed. The kids did their routine, then it was the young adults doing a jazz routine, then it was finished off with a group of preteen and teenage girls in ballerina dresses doing a small ballet display. All in all, it was a fun little event.

After we had our pizza and ice-cream supper for my birthday (thank you hunny bunny for letting me get Dominos again) I wanted to take some shots of the kids and I in our kilts. We then went outside to walk in the neighborhood and play some kick ball. I had to go back inside to take in the laundry but Ian still wanted to play with his older sister. I took this shot from our bedroom balcony. I have some others my wife took on our digital camera which I will post once I upload them to my home computer system.

Duh, darn picture went sideways

I was going to send this to Sport Kilt, guess I should now then eh?

  

The Battle of the Cedars, May 1776

My weekend never feels fulfilled unless I can do a wargame. I had a solo game as Ian wanted to play with his Legos and with his older sister.

This scenario basically consists of an American collumn advancing towards Montreal in 1776. The force consisted of 8 companies British Light Infantry, 2 companies of 1st Battn Royal Highland Emigrants, 3 companies of Kings Royal Yorkers, a band of Mohawks, 2 companies of Jagers and 2 mounted companies of Queen's Rangers attacking a New England collumn consisting of Knowlton's Rangers, Dearborn Light Infantry, 1st Contential Regiment, and various militia companies.

I`m calm, I`m at peace, I`m enlightened

Following the Mohawk and Queen's Rangers deployment in a wood and meadow, the Jagers took post in an outcrop of rocks which bordered the small river the rebels would cross.

From their experience in the French and Indian War, the men who made up the riflemen companies of the Americans deployed in the forest to screen their advancing militia. The riflemen comprised companies from Knowlton's Rangers, 13th Pennsylvannia Rifles, and further back with some veterans of Dunn's Rangers and Partridge's Ranger companies.

The American militia collumn advancing towards the river unaware that in the wood to their front await the main British force sent to stop them.

The main British force waits inside a small wood waiting to pounce on the rebels. Most of the troops here are Light Infantry companies from the Quebec garrison, and some Loyalist provincial troops.

The Light Infantry charge out of the woods to fire into the rebels.

Surprisingly, the rebels did not flee with great amaze and wonder. Their morale held and their officers were able to form a line.

The initial militia companies stay on their side of the river, ready to take on the 1st Battn Royal Highland Emigrants (in their new Highland Uniforms). Just after this shot was taken, the British fired a devastating volley into the militia which then caused them to break and run!

On the American right, the rifles fired into the advancing Mohawks until only a small band was left. The mounted Queen's Rangers then rode along the river bank to flank what was left of the patriot rifles. The rebel ranger companies could see the writing on the wall and quickly covered the retreat of the militia. Canada was saved from another invasion.

  

Bike ride on a Sunday

It was such a nice day, that we all rode our bikes to a local park. My wife led the way for a bit.

I`m calm, I`m at peace, I`m enlightened

Ian then remembered where the park was so he was then in the lead.

Leena was definetly enjoying the ride.

Once we got to the park, we walked around and Emi and the kids rode the horses and other animals.

Then they were playing on this concrete slide.

Leena needed a little help going back up from Mummy. All went well until Leena slipped and scrapped her leg which made her howl as it began to bleed. Not matter, Mum and Dad had water to rinse and band aids to apply. Ian kept on tossing sand on the slide to continue his romp.

As I arrived I saw this sign and took this as a last shot. It's amazing to see that the warning sign now has more than just Japanese. This sign in English read "Operating Security Camera" to which the other languages used include Arabic, Chinese and Korean. Talk about racial profiling! It seems these language groups may be criminals in the minds of this neighborhood.

  

Teaching English in Japan, the return of not proofreading

Creamy powder Creap. So I guess that this jar of milk powder must be a jerk huh? It tastes alright.

Golden week 3

Our oldest daughter is in the Kendo club of her Junior high school. This shot was taken in the city gym. It was a city kendo championship. She came 4th in the city. Pretty good.

On the final Sunday, we went to a park in our city of Kamagaya which has a really neat playground. All this stuff is like a large obstacle course for kids and adults who aren't too heavy. My wife and daughter went first.

Over the bridge they go. Ian then joined in.

he really liked the zipline.

Watch out for the mud!

Go down the cool slide.

Climb up into the tower.

Then come back down.

Then go again on the zipline.

Then Leena gave it a go. Good on her.

A week later, we went there again for mother's day. The funny thing is, the kids wore the same clothes. so the pictures would be the same!

We then went home and Ian and I had another skirmish game. This time, it was an English raid during the Dunbar campaign. Ian built up this farm himself. However, he put all his fences inside the farm, I guess to keep the animals seperate from the defenders. He also left his wagons with supplies outside his wall, and left a big gaping hole in his defences by the windmill.

As the English charged into the farm, the Moss riders came forth to smash into them. Unfortunately for them, the English shot them down.

While the Scots horse tried to halt the English left flank, their archers tried to flank their right. The other English block took a gamble and marched right by them. Two companies of English muskeeters eliminated them. Eventually the pikes smashed into the Scots pikes and through push, drove the Scots off. The English had one small gun which they used to fire at the wagons, destroying one, before shooting up the Highlanders who came charging out of the farm. While the cannon and shot kept them at bay, the pikemen dropped their pikes, stole one wagon and filled it with as much plunder as they could. The game ended when the English drove off with a wagon full of supplies, but lost 1/3 of their attacking force. The Scots lost all their shot in attempting to repell the raid.

Golden week vol. 2

A birds eyes view of my yard and where I can set up my bbq.

My yard is a bit cramped, but just great for 6 people to sit around by the gate and eat some good bbq.

My oldest daughter tends to the food as my wife gets something to eat while my Scottish buddy contemplates life.

This was the first time I did Tandoori Chicken on the grill and I must say, I'll be doing that again.

More shots to follow.

I`m calm, I`m at peace, I`m enlightened

  

Myself with Ian and my oldest daughter Arisa

Ian, Leena, Arisa cooking marshmellows

Ian and I in our bbq clothes. The RA t-shirt is an early birthday present to myself.

Ian enjoying cooking marshmellows.

Another wonderful EFL lesson in Japan

English in the Japanese classroom version 2.

Ah yes, once again, a funny vocabulary drill exercise. This year, the junior high school textbook Sunshine was revised. Each grade level has a new revised text. This article covers the Second year book.

The first unit covers the aspect of the students returning back to school after their spring holidays.

The vocabulary which the teacher used consisted of was/science/were/at home/all day/hour/anywhere/hot/Seoul/exciting/Korea/wasn’t/the Korean Folk Village/farmer/band/dance

I just find it very funny how the teacher doesn’t double check how the words are sequenced.

So as I’m going through the word list in front of the students, I read them off and find myself in a fit of giggles.

I mean Was Science at home?

Were at home all day.

Anywhere?

Hot Seoul, exciting Korea.

Korea wasn’t the Korean Folk Village.

(Really, then why the hell is the name the Korean folk village if it wasn’t Korean?)

Farmer band dance, (which to be fair, is a traditional Korean cultural music group. Not to be confused with a country hoe down in the midwest.

So the dialogue works like this.

Ms. Wood: Did you go anywhere, Yuki?

Yuki: I went to Korea with my family in early April. We visited the Korean Folk Village near Seoul.

Ms. Wood: What did you see there?

Yuki: We saw the farmer’s band dance.

Ms. Wood: Oh, did you? How was it?

Yuki: It was really good. Their music and dances were exciting.

Ms. Wood: Did you try any traditional Korean dishes?

Yuki: Yes. They were hot but really good. I enjoyed them very much.

After we had gone through these, I then told the students my experiences when I was an English teacher in Korea from 1996-99. For me, the answer to the “traditional Korean dishes” question caused many students to freak out when I told them I had eaten Dogmeat soup twice. I explained that for me it was ok, as I don’t like dogs. And it’s not like I was eating fluffy.

As well, on one of my mountain hikes, I came across some Korean shamanism. Mugyo is the Korean term which wikipedia uses the quaint term eclectic to refer to it. Nothing makes you stand up and take notice like some old lady (who would be a shaman,) standing in a mountain clearing screaming her head off while banging a gong with a pig’s leg!

Then there was the pigs head worship. This was where a pig had been slaughtered, then the head was cleaned up, and was placed on it’s own altar whereby people would stuff money notes into the pigs snout and mouth. They would then give offerings of soju. Different, but I wouldn’t say strange. When I checked wikipedia, the current policy in Korea is to try and give Korean shamans into mental health professions, or help.