Learning a second language and learning to swim are two things that have provided me with unlimited benefits. These days teaching is all about teaching for life, and these two things are pretty good examples of just that. I’m so grateful for having the opportunity to do both. First, I swam 10k this week. First …
On a local swimming pool’s website it says the wearing of a swim cap is ‘common sense’. Japan: We pray for a quick recovery from the novel coronavirus. Also Japan: *actually goes through with a domestic tourism campaign called ‘Go to’. Nek minnit: record numbers of infections. 🙁 The lack of leadership in Japan (that …
Uketamo has a long, long history. There’s a little known mountain region in northern Japan called the Dewa Sanzan that has been used as training ground for the Yamabushi, monks who train in the austerities in the mountains, for over 1,000 years. Although the Dewa Sanzan comprises of only three mountains, currently Mt. Haguro, Mt. …
Last night we had a bit of a mishap that turned out fine in the end. We had decided to go for a walk, and when we stepped outside, we could hear the slight pitter patter of rain on the carport roof. We thought it would be alright if it’s just slightly spitting. Also, when …
The 500m rule. Those older Japanese dudes must be on to something. To have one of the longest life expectancies in the world they must be doing something right, right? I’ve seen a lot of them addicted to alcohol and cigarettes, which is a bit worrying to be honest, but the guys I see constantly …
I’ve been using this one path to get to and from the pool on my bike for a few years now. The other day, I saw an older guy biking in the same direction, but he kept on going straight, and I went over the bridge, as per usual. Well, about 3 or 4 minutes …
So we climbed Mt. Chokai today. And we climbed. And we climbed. But we didn’t get to the top. Part way up, my friend wasn’t feeling the greatest so we turned back. But it still feels like we climbed the whole mountain. We were at it for at least 6 hours, so I guess it …
Tomorrow I’ll be making the most out of a bad situation, well kinda. It could be worse, but I’ll be climbing Mt. Chokai for the first time in about 7 years. Last year I climbed Gassan four times, went to Yudono at least five times, and Haguro probably more than 20 times, which left no …
Now this is a good one. Why? Because it makes you think. Why? Because you have to have some reason for doing things. Why? Well I guess you could do things for the sake of doing them. Why? Because it’s fun or feels good. Why? Because you learn new things when you do learn things. …
Over the past few days I’ve had some of my zoom classes recorded in the name of improving online classes in general. While I’m all for it, and I think it’s great to watch yourself teach (or do anything creative) so you can be more critical of your own performance, doing so too much can …
