Yes, folks, I did it. I started another blog. Click here to see it.

I got to try taiko (Japanese drums) today. It thrilled my soul. In other news, I have decided the national bird of Japan is either the moth or the dragonfly.

When you wish upon a star In Japan this day, July the 7th, is known (in English) as “The Star Festival.” (Although one of my students definitely wrote that it’s “the day when the cow herd and the love star princess can meet” or something to that effect.) Apparently, on this day a mystical herder of cattle and a princess from a far off land can be together—the only time in the entire year. (Unless, of course, it’s cloudy. Then I guess their rendezvous plans are thwarted). So, to celebrate this momentous occasion, adults and children alike write wishes on small pieces of paper and tie them to trees—hoping the wind will carry their desires to the stars and make them come true. (By the way, I thought this idea was really dumb until I explained Ground Hog Day to a fellow teacher…) So, in our temps to make English grammar relevant to life, during our 8th grade class, we asked the students, “What is your wish today?” They answered, “I want to get _____.” The two most popular responses, ranked according to frequency, were: 1. Money 2. Time These are 8th graders we’re talking about here. I found it an unexpected and slightly somber lesson in the nature of industrialized, work-oriented (obsessed?) culture. Let’s just say I was grateful for the few students who answered, “comics,” and “video games.” On a lighter note: we changed the format of our 9th grade class a bit today, and since students work individually now (as opposed to in groups of 4-6), I was able to work with Ryo more one-on-one. I was nervous about the outcome of the new plan, and sent up a sincere prayer that it would benefit, and not hurt, the class. Praise Go he heard and answered. Tamaki sensei, after class, came up to me and said, “Thank you for working with Ryo today. He even smiled at me during class. That hasn’t happened in a very long time.”