The Peace Park

hiroshima_2006.04.12_10.jpg hiroshima_2006.04.12_18.jpg hiroshima_2006.04.12_22.jpg

1. Here are some first photos of Hiroshima, taken at the Peace Park.

(more…)

I do love grammar flame wars…

1. From SMH, 26/4/06:

“What’s a ‘flense’?” asks Scott Wilkie of Padstow, in reference to our suggestion on Monday that flensing be mandatory for perpetrators of email scams. Well, it’s a verb, not a noun. An action, a deed, and by all accounts a process that you don’t want to be on the receiving end of under any circumstances.

“Thank you to Paul Roberts for pointing out my error in nominating ‘jubilate’ as a case of unfortunate ‘verbalising’,” writes a contrite Judith Ridge (Column 8, since Monday). “A small dose of public embarrassment is good for the character (I hope). I concede I committed the editor’s first sin of failing to consult the dictionary.” But wait, Judith - not so fast …

“‘Jubilate’ may be in the English dictionary, but it’s no English word,” insists Peter Ronai, of Salem, Oregon, the first of several knights in lexicographical armour to rush to defend Judith’s honour. “For the information of the ‘exasperated’ Paul Roberts,” he writes, “‘jubilate’ is a Latin word, pronounced joo-bil-AH-tay. It’s the imperative form of the verb ‘jubilare’, to rejoice; that is, it’s a command to rejoice. Paul Roberts may not have been too lazy to look it up, but apparently, after he found the word in the dictionary, he was too lazy to read the dictionary’s definition.” As for the Macquarie, what readers have alleged about its tendency to “lift ghastly examples of pre-verbed monstrosities from US sources” has raised the temperature of the debate something ferocious.

Joel Baldwin, of Pyrmont, offers what he thinks is the “final word on the verbing of nouns”, to wit: “Verbing nouns weirds language.” [Actually, weird is an adjective, not a noun: sub.]

Liver Sclerosis, House Remodelling, Mobile Phone Depravation, and other Tragedies.

1. So, feeling less rotten now. All these big Saturday nights is going to be the death of me, I don’t know how many more 5am Sunday morning finishes I can handle. Not the mention the early morning drunken cab rides where the driver doesn’t speak English and I don’t remember what my address is. Street names are the exception here in sunny Japan, which makes navigation fun. Ahh, who am I kidding? Of course I’ll keep getting fucked up on Saturday nights!

2. Saturday nights usually start at a bar called Molly Malone’s, an Irish bar in the middle of Hiroshima. It’s quite a nice bar, they serve good meals, the beer is comparatively cheap and in case of emergencies, they take international credit cards. Molly’s is also going to play all the Japanese World Cup matches, so that’s where I’ll be when we kick Japan all over the field in the opening game! Ace.

(more…)

Brief update

1. Just a quick update from me, I know I’ve been a bit quiet of late. Work has been hectic, and I still don’t have regular internet access at home. I have a phone now, so I can check email and read the news and all that, but I haven’t really had a chance to sit down and write. Next week is Golden Week, which is basically three consecutive national holidays (3rd 4th and 5th of May) and I have that week off, so hopefully I can post during that week. I haven’t really taken very many photos, or even done any sightseeing besides my usual route to work, so no photos as yet.

2. Hiroshima is really nice, the weather’s been a bit weird (for me), bouncing from rain and sunny to cold to hot — but generally fairly pleasant. I have seen quite a number of bars over the last few weeks (all of them with more charm than the average Sydney pub, with exception to the old Century Tavern), and while the beers are expensive it hasn’t been spectacularly damaging on the cash flow; but it is a bit hard on the old liver!

3. Oh, hungover.

4. Stay tuned, more on the way.

Work, Cherry Blossoms and French Maids

1. Today is the 15th day since I’ve been in Japan, and the 12th since I arrived in Hiroshima. My first week of teaching is over, and I have to admit I had a tough week. New job, new apartment, new town, new country, new language; with so many things to deal with all at once it was hard to juggle getting work down (which was important, since it’s my sole source of income, and they are providing my apartment), being a tourist (hey, I am here for a holiday too!) and organising life’s essentials (like food. And stuff.)

2. So far the teaching has been ok — not stellar and there are many things I could improve, but overall the lessons haven’t totally bombed. The lesson planning is taking less time now, but I’ll still need to go in for a few hours today (a Monday, part of my weekend) to organise the week’s lessons. Last week being so busy I was up until 3am on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday planning that week’s lessons, and I’ll be damned if I was going to that this week.

(more…)

Moved in!

1. I guess this is the first milestone of my move, having finally moved into my apartment. It’s not as small as I thought, as long as you didn’t expect a separate bedroom. Sleeping on the futon on the floor is gonna take some getting used to — as is having to fold it up every morning.

2. Actually, the whole cleaning thing is as foreign to me as Japan is. Stop laughing Therese.

3. Life is progressing at a hectic pace as usual. I now have a push bike, which I got for free from the previous tenant… but he also left me four bags of rubbish, and after cleaning and unpacking I’ve now got five bags and a box of rubbish, as well as the old futon to get rid of. That’s a bike well earned.

(more…)

Crap.

1. My 400Gb drive just blew, taking with it 350Gb of DVDs, TV episodes, and other English speaking entertainment. *sob*!

Hiroshima

1. I got into Hiroshima station at 9:50pm Thursday night, and was met by my new co-workers. From there I had my first look at my new workplace, met the other staff, grabbed my stuff and went to my hotel. The next day I started, planning and watching lessons, and getting my first view of my new home.

2. Hiroshima is a beautiful city with wide, tree-lined streets, and it’s not at all crowded. I haven’t had a chance to really have a look around, but I’ll post some pics when I can.

3. I taught my first two lessons yesterday, and both went fairly well. Neither totally bombed, and I’m getting the hang of figuring out whether the students are understanding what I’m saying. So now it’s planning the lessons, which takes a while. Looks like I’ll be working weekends until I get the hang of it.

4. Last night I got my first taste of Hiroshima nightlife, English teacher style. Bloody hell. We started at a bar called Molly Malone’s, an Irish pub that actually looks more Irish than any I’d seen in Sydney. We then moved on to a place called Feedback, which (I think) is run by a couple of Americans and is about the size of my old living room in Glebe. So much smoke in the room my eyes started watering. We ended up in a place called Alcoholiday, run by a Japanese woman who tells all her patrons to fuck off. My kinda place!

5. I’d write more, but I’m totally hungover. And hungry. More later.

From Hong Kong to Tokyo

1. At time of writing it is Thursday 30th of March, 9:16pm Japan time, and I am on board the Shinkasen (the bullet train) from Fukuoka to Hiroshima. It is about half way through the journey, and I expect to be at Hiroshima Central Station at 9:50pm.

2. So much to write about! This has been the first time I’ve had a bit of time that wasn’t taken up by work. My classroom training finished earlier today, and we were shipped off to our respective schools this afternoon. I was on a flight from Tokyo to Fukuoka with a fellow new teacher, and from there I am now travelling by Shinkasen to Hiroshima, where I will be staying at a hotel until my apartment is ready. But more on that later.

(more…)

Hong Kong, Days 2, 3 and 4

1. My second day in was the first chance I had to explore Hong Kong by myself — and it would’ve been great if it wasn’t raining. But I went out anyway, braving the weather for a chance to wander around by myself.

2. My first stop was the Hong Kong Art Museum, hoping the rain would stop later in the day. I checked out the Hong Kong Arts Biennial which had some awesome works on display. My favourites: a sculpture called Karma, a glazed stonework piece where an M16 and ammo and grenades are ripped apart revealing blood and guts, and the gore was etched with faces in agony; and a 3D collage made of photos cut up and pasted together to highlight the detail in the photo, sort of like an exploded diagram of life. Great stuff.

(more…)