I don't usually do recommendations, but since we are planning a "healing" or "Real Japan" kind of retreat,
I thought I'd introduce my good friend who will be hosting the event in June.
Akai Nobue lives up the Noh River valley in a beautiful, European-styled "pension," or Lodge. Actually,
her place is part restaurant, part meeting place, part concert hall, part beer hall, and yoga/calligraphy studio.
The food is excellent. All natural, mostly macrobiotic. And most importantly, delicious.
The surroundings are beautiful. You can really see the seasons change with regular visits. Look up the valley
and see Hiuchi san and other beautiful mountains. Look the other way to see rice fields with a river running through.
Finally, and the real reason for visiting, is Akai san herself. She, by herself, has been running this establishment for years, while also serving until recently on the City Council of Noh. She is the most positive person I have ever met, mixing stories, advice and anecdotes with great coffee, tea, and usually something tasty from the oven.
Her website is here:
www.akainobue.com
A typical "Weekend Yoga" course starts on a Saturday afternoon, begins with introductions and "ice breaking," then shiatsu massage (lit. "Finger Pressure," like acupuncture with fingers.) Then a walk up to the onsen hot springs a few hundred meters up the valley. After a delicious dinner there may be a concert, debate, or just good, real talk. At night there is a meditation session.
The next day begins early with shouji (cleaning: discipline for the mind) and a morning walk or jog up the river. After breakfast and a short rest, there is morning yoga and massage, followed by cooking (and eating!) of the day's harvest.
When we get together I'd like to add some "Tarot Reading" or "Spirit Readings" just for fun. We really could build the program ourselves and do what WE wanted to do.
Finally, please comment on what you think a FAIR price would be for this experience. (1 night, 2 days, 3 meals, 2 Yoga classes, card readings, cooking class, meditation, onsen, etc....
Thanks for your feedback and let's have a great event!
Charlie.
4/28/2007
4/18/2007
Steve Wrote a Book!!
Well, it finally happened.
My best friend in high school is a published author. I, alas, am not. Yet. And only if you don't count blog publishing.
Steve Martin was, in short, the funniest guy in high school. It probably helped that that OTHER Steve Martin was at the peak of his Saturday NIght Live appearences at that time, but Steve was funny. Still is.
We were originally introduced by a mutual friend through the role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons. Yes, I had a D&D stage. We ate Doritos and Dr. Pepper and fought with our imaginary characters of Elves and Dwarves. OK, I had a kind of geeky stage. Possibly still in it.
Anyway, little did I know that Steve was honing his fantasy imagination skills as we were playing. Since graduating from Pepperdine in Malibu, he became a minister involved with young people. Apparently, as a counsellor and swim coach, he learned a lot about kids. The jacket of his book, The Brand Medallion
says that he and his wife have 3 sons, and are "living the adventure..." I am sure his sons, the oldest which has graduated high school, have taught him a thing or two, too, as does my 2 year old.
Well, aside from the "High school reunion" aspects of this story, there are two more relevant points.
1. The book itself is great! Although Steve says he wrote about Christian themes, never once does he sound "preachy." It is the story of a teenaged adventurer who learns about himself, and the power of words, in a new land that he discovers. This is a book that I wish was translated in Japanese for my students. The issues are self-confidence, self-esteem and self-mastery, with sub themes of honesty, trust and companionship. Geez (hope I can write that, Steve), these are exactly the same things we work on at I CAN, the free school I work at. As important as the themes, though, is that the story is just a good read, exciting at the right times, moving, full of good teenage dialogue, well-described and also fun. Though I started the book because it was my buddy's first book, I finished it because I really wanted to find out what happened to Cael and his crew.
2. The second learning point is how Steve told me he wrote the manuscript. How? With discipline. A schedule that he stuck to without fail. I hope it will be OK with Steve if I quote from his email:
"I began in June, 2004 by reading extensively in that genre, taking notes on various fiction styles, and developing characters. I would say I spent about three months on that part. Then in September I began going to the library a couple of times a week to design a story outline. It was probably a sermon writing hazard, but I wanted to know where the story was going before I jumped in. The original layout was 22 chapters with 10-12 "key idea" bullet points for each.
"The key for my writing was just consistency. Along the way I added a couple of chapters, bringing the final book to 25 chapters. And although I took a couple of weeks off from writing fatigue, I managed to finish the rough draft at the end of June -- a little over a year from when I started."
See what you can do in a year?
Steve did not "manifest" his book, or dream about writing it someday (that's my department). What he did and what makes him successful in this project is that he DID THE WORK.
What a novel idea.
My best friend in high school is a published author. I, alas, am not. Yet. And only if you don't count blog publishing.
Steve Martin was, in short, the funniest guy in high school. It probably helped that that OTHER Steve Martin was at the peak of his Saturday NIght Live appearences at that time, but Steve was funny. Still is.
We were originally introduced by a mutual friend through the role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons. Yes, I had a D&D stage. We ate Doritos and Dr. Pepper and fought with our imaginary characters of Elves and Dwarves. OK, I had a kind of geeky stage. Possibly still in it.
Anyway, little did I know that Steve was honing his fantasy imagination skills as we were playing. Since graduating from Pepperdine in Malibu, he became a minister involved with young people. Apparently, as a counsellor and swim coach, he learned a lot about kids. The jacket of his book, The Brand Medallion
says that he and his wife have 3 sons, and are "living the adventure..." I am sure his sons, the oldest which has graduated high school, have taught him a thing or two, too, as does my 2 year old.Well, aside from the "High school reunion" aspects of this story, there are two more relevant points.
1. The book itself is great! Although Steve says he wrote about Christian themes, never once does he sound "preachy." It is the story of a teenaged adventurer who learns about himself, and the power of words, in a new land that he discovers. This is a book that I wish was translated in Japanese for my students. The issues are self-confidence, self-esteem and self-mastery, with sub themes of honesty, trust and companionship. Geez (hope I can write that, Steve), these are exactly the same things we work on at I CAN, the free school I work at. As important as the themes, though, is that the story is just a good read, exciting at the right times, moving, full of good teenage dialogue, well-described and also fun. Though I started the book because it was my buddy's first book, I finished it because I really wanted to find out what happened to Cael and his crew.
2. The second learning point is how Steve told me he wrote the manuscript. How? With discipline. A schedule that he stuck to without fail. I hope it will be OK with Steve if I quote from his email:
"I began in June, 2004 by reading extensively in that genre, taking notes on various fiction styles, and developing characters. I would say I spent about three months on that part. Then in September I began going to the library a couple of times a week to design a story outline. It was probably a sermon writing hazard, but I wanted to know where the story was going before I jumped in. The original layout was 22 chapters with 10-12 "key idea" bullet points for each.
"The key for my writing was just consistency. Along the way I added a couple of chapters, bringing the final book to 25 chapters. And although I took a couple of weeks off from writing fatigue, I managed to finish the rough draft at the end of June -- a little over a year from when I started."
See what you can do in a year?
Steve did not "manifest" his book, or dream about writing it someday (that's my department). What he did and what makes him successful in this project is that he DID THE WORK.
What a novel idea.
4/14/2007
Peter Payne, from San Diego to Japan
There is a company that I have been watching here in Japan since before this blog even started. A guy in Gunma, the neighboring prefecture to Niigata, has set up an import/export business of all things Japanese. And in the last year or so, it looks like he has expanded his business to include wholesaling.
With a quick look at his site at J-List! which includes adult-themed goods or J-Box, which is strictly PG, you can order from America (or anywhere -- this is the internet!) T-shirts and study aids, Pocky and Black Black gum and even bikini model photo books.
This is a business that I would have like to have started myself. Someday, I suppose I might meet Mr. Peter Payne, and compare notes between Seal Beach and San Diego, Niigata and Gumna, our respective Japanese wives, and the like. Kind of interesting, and worth a check if you are interested in some wacky (for lack of a better word) Japanese products.
With a quick look at his site at J-List! which includes adult-themed goods or J-Box, which is strictly PG, you can order from America (or anywhere -- this is the internet!) T-shirts and study aids, Pocky and Black Black gum and even bikini model photo books.
This is a business that I would have like to have started myself. Someday, I suppose I might meet Mr. Peter Payne, and compare notes between Seal Beach and San Diego, Niigata and Gumna, our respective Japanese wives, and the like. Kind of interesting, and worth a check if you are interested in some wacky (for lack of a better word) Japanese products.
4/13/2007
"Favorite Sakura Festival Food"
The cherry blossoms are in full bloom in Takada, in the southern part of Niigata prefecture, where I live and work. Two years ago my mother and sister came in April, hoping to catch "full bloom" but had to leave a few days before the flowers opened. This year, there was quite a stir caused in Japan because the incredibly mild winter (see Inconvenient Truth) was wreaking havoc on the national cherry blossom bloom predictions.
But this week, as you can see, is beautiful. Rows upon rows of cherry blossom trees that remind me of pink popcorn or cotton candy. At least the cotton candy (candy floss for Brits, 'Tralians and Kiwis) can be had at the food stalls that are just as important (or moreso) than the flowers themselves. The Japanese have a saying, "Hana yori Dango," literally, "Dumplings rather than Flowers," which shows the preference for eating and drinking at the festival. Actually, some think the cherry blossoms are merely an(other) excuse for loosen-the-tie eating and drinking to excess.
When I took the Day Program members of Free School I CAN to the park, we were all having a wonderful time until a well intentioned (?) grandmother came up and started interrogating us as to why we weren't "In School." While I patiently explained that we were members of an alternative school, she literally could not understand what that might be, and walked off muttering something about "compulsory education."
In Japan, compulsory education is mandatory until the age of 15 (vs. 18 in the US, at least in California). However, for those kids who can't or choose not to go to "regular" school, there are few options. Homeschooling is just getting started here. Free schools are seen as playhouses for selfish kids who "can't cope."
Our mission at I CAN is to give kids a safe, fun, friendly environment for kids to learn some of those coping skills. Whether they choose to apply them at school or not is not as important as the fact that they are growing into confident, happy kids, who look forward to getting up in the morning!
3/08/2007
Freeschool Seminar + Charles Burke = Breakthrough?
I went to Tokyo for the National Freeschool Management seminar in February, hosted by Okuchi Keiko and her staff at Tokyo Shure. It was THE conference I had been waiting 10 years or so to attend.
One of the messages that came through loud and clear was that, while at regular schools, students are graded on what they can DO, free schools focus simply on BE-ing. In Japanese, that is "SURU" yori "IRU". Being rather than doing.
So how does I CAN fit into all this? With a name like I CAN, we certainly have SOME emphasis on DOING. I believe that the human body is made for movement. We gain in confidence by succeeding, eventually, in DOING what we set out to do. That is efficacy, and is also closely tied to self esteem.
Then, on a call with my friend and mentor Charles Burke, he said something similar. He said, (paraphrasing) "so many things we learn how to do are merely techniques (things to DO). We can learn the techniques of time management, or money management, or communication techniques and DO them. But not much of that sticks until we change who we ARE.
Hmm. Be and Do. Do and Be. I am reminded of the old joke:
Socrates: To Be is to Do
Plato: To Do is to Be
Sinatra: Do-be-do-be-dooo
Junior High school jokes aside, I think there is something to be learned here.
Maybe Free Schools do the "Inside work" that prepare kids and young adults for the Doing of school and work and society at large...?
Something like that? Comments please.
By the way, Freeschool network's page is here:
www.freeschoolnetwork.jp (in Japanese）
Tokyo Shure's page is here:
http://www.shure.or.jp (some English）
and Charles Burke's blog is here:
http://www.bullseye-living.com
One of the messages that came through loud and clear was that, while at regular schools, students are graded on what they can DO, free schools focus simply on BE-ing. In Japanese, that is "SURU" yori "IRU". Being rather than doing.
So how does I CAN fit into all this? With a name like I CAN, we certainly have SOME emphasis on DOING. I believe that the human body is made for movement. We gain in confidence by succeeding, eventually, in DOING what we set out to do. That is efficacy, and is also closely tied to self esteem.
Then, on a call with my friend and mentor Charles Burke, he said something similar. He said, (paraphrasing) "so many things we learn how to do are merely techniques (things to DO). We can learn the techniques of time management, or money management, or communication techniques and DO them. But not much of that sticks until we change who we ARE.
Hmm. Be and Do. Do and Be. I am reminded of the old joke:
Socrates: To Be is to Do
Plato: To Do is to Be
Sinatra: Do-be-do-be-dooo
Junior High school jokes aside, I think there is something to be learned here.
Maybe Free Schools do the "Inside work" that prepare kids and young adults for the Doing of school and work and society at large...?
Something like that? Comments please.
By the way, Freeschool network's page is here:
www.freeschoolnetwork.jp (in Japanese）
Tokyo Shure's page is here:
http://www.shure.or.jp (some English）
and Charles Burke's blog is here:
http://www.bullseye-living.com
12/28/2006
Just 360 or so days ago...
Just 360 or so days ago I started this blog with an article about resolutions and goal-setting.
One year later, it's time to take stock, and see how we did.
I have got in the habit with the kids at the free school to review and make a list of the biggest PERSONAL news stories of the past year. Younger kids seem to write all ten entries from last weekend. Anything further back is just distant past.
Most people seem to come up with 5 or 6 events, but I've found the real reflection happens with entries 7, 8, 9 and 10. What really happened last year?
For me, and now with a family of 4 I say, "us," it was a year of being pregnant. After spending New Years in Las Vegas, we learned early in the year that Emiko was pregnant. That news colored the rest of the year, obviously...
Aside from getting some administrative things done (permanent residence permit: Japan's Green Card) and staying close to home, I also started being coached, took a trip to the Philippines, was visited by mom (she came bearing diapers) and of course, celebrated the birth of Elinor Cullen Stratton on September 16th.
While bringing new life into the world certainly "counts," there were other goals that didn't get met.
Discussing that with my "coach," I was advised that there are some mechanical goals that just take grit and hard work, others were more "open" and could be met in unexpected ways by the universe, ala Law of Attraction. For instance, if I am working on an audio project, it will take some recording and editing. But asking the question, "How ELSE might this work?" opens us up to new solutions and ways of "getting things done."
I include here a picture of my still new family, which gives me more pride and happiness than I've ever known.
7/27/2006
Law of Attraction and Letting Go
Just want to give you an interesting story about "letting go" of results.
As you may know I had been working on getting kids to come on a study exchange trip to the Philippines this summer.
With that and another camp to organize, I had been feeling some strain from trying to recruit participants.
I felt the peak of my frustration when I asked my morning elementary boys, "Are you ready for the camp?" and they said, "What camp?" or at best, "dunno yet."
Well, obviously they were not as commited to the project as I was.
The Philippine group is a bit older, but no less non-commital.
Me: "So, have you decided if you're going to go?"
Them: "Not yet."
Repeat above conversation daily for 14 days.
Me: "What information do you need to help you decide?"
Them: "Dunno."
Well, I finally got sick of pulling them where they didn't want to go, so I just "released" it.
It was up to them, about the camp, and about the Philippines. I had "promoted" all I could, and the ball was in their court.
However, for the Philippine trip I wrote as a To Do List Topper: "The five members for the Philippine trip have been decided, and I am relieved and excited."
Then I just let it go. I admit there was a bit of "Screw 'em" sentiment when I un-invested from the outcome, but it was a conscious removing of energy from the result.
SO, the first thing that happened was that I felt a LOT better, immediately!
Lighter, kind of, but with a sense of anticipation, like that there-is-something- good-waiting-in-the-mail kind of feeling.
For the first time in two weeks the bounce in my step returned, and I mean, THAT day.
Then I got a phone call from an old student, who said she wanted to come on the trip. I had invited her days before, just on an inkling.
The other boys started to show some initiative and decision-making
ability to actually commit to going or not going.
So three days later, we ARE going to the Philippines next month, and though one boy is still negotiating with his father, we got enough members (five counting me) to make the trip feasible.
The camp in the mountains was cancelled, but we all seemed the better for it.
The younger boys don't feel "pressured," to do something they are not really sure about, and I have an extra weekend to polish that grant application!
It really does seem that things work out for the best.
And I think I am starting to get this "letting go" business.
As you may know I had been working on getting kids to come on a study exchange trip to the Philippines this summer.
With that and another camp to organize, I had been feeling some strain from trying to recruit participants.
I felt the peak of my frustration when I asked my morning elementary boys, "Are you ready for the camp?" and they said, "What camp?" or at best, "dunno yet."
Well, obviously they were not as commited to the project as I was.
The Philippine group is a bit older, but no less non-commital.
Me: "So, have you decided if you're going to go?"
Them: "Not yet."
Repeat above conversation daily for 14 days.
Me: "What information do you need to help you decide?"
Them: "Dunno."
Well, I finally got sick of pulling them where they didn't want to go, so I just "released" it.
It was up to them, about the camp, and about the Philippines. I had "promoted" all I could, and the ball was in their court.
However, for the Philippine trip I wrote as a To Do List Topper: "The five members for the Philippine trip have been decided, and I am relieved and excited."
Then I just let it go. I admit there was a bit of "Screw 'em" sentiment when I un-invested from the outcome, but it was a conscious removing of energy from the result.
SO, the first thing that happened was that I felt a LOT better, immediately!
Lighter, kind of, but with a sense of anticipation, like that there-is-something- good-waiting-in-the-mail kind of feeling.
For the first time in two weeks the bounce in my step returned, and I mean, THAT day.
Then I got a phone call from an old student, who said she wanted to come on the trip. I had invited her days before, just on an inkling.
The other boys started to show some initiative and decision-making
ability to actually commit to going or not going.
So three days later, we ARE going to the Philippines next month, and though one boy is still negotiating with his father, we got enough members (five counting me) to make the trip feasible.
The camp in the mountains was cancelled, but we all seemed the better for it.
The younger boys don't feel "pressured," to do something they are not really sure about, and I have an extra weekend to polish that grant application!
It really does seem that things work out for the best.
And I think I am starting to get this "letting go" business.
3/03/2006
The Most Important Thing to do Right Now
I thought my readers (mom?) might get something out of this article
from another guy named Charlie, who lives in Japan. That's the name
of the blog, anyway....
Though I haven't met this Charlie, or even know if he goes by Charles,
his submission struck a chord as I was racing around in my car,
hurried, not having enough family time, just trying to check things
off on my 'TO DO' list.
Maybe some of the most important TO DO's can't be checked off on a list.
Enjoy.
________________
Do you have the feeling you're fully appreciating your life RIGHT
NOW, or are you somehow failing to treasure the richness of all
you have in the moment? Living a life of gratitude is a challenge
that I think most all of us face.
Three years ago the eight year old daughter of a friend died in a
freak accident at school. My friend was devastated and I could
not think of any wise words that might console him.
As the weeks rolled by my friend slipped into an ever deeper
sense of despair, and nothing anyone said seemed to lift his
spirit.
After a few months time he went out of town on a business trip,
and on the train ride back home he engaged in a conversation with
the woman sitting next to him. The woman sat there and nodded her
head often as my friend talked about the death of his daughter.
He reported to me that he had the sense of talking and talking
and talking, until he finally felt like he had nothing more to
say.
As my friend came to a natural state of rest, the woman nodded
her head one more time as she took a deep breath, and then said
the following,
"I can very much feel your pain, and I understand that the loss
of your child must be devastating."
"At the same time," she said, "I wonder if your pain would not be
lessened if you celebrated the life of your daughter."
"You told me about your daughter's sense of awe the first time
you took her to the ocean, and how you carried her in your arms
as you waded out into the water."
"You also spoke about the many times she sat on your lap and told
you about the magical adventures she had during the course of her
day."
"Perhaps the sweetest story you shared was how you told your
daughter every night how much you loved her as you tucked her
into bed."
"I am wondering," the woman said, "What is it that leads you to
believe that you and your daughter did not live a glorious
fulfilling life together?"
"Is it because she died at eight years old and not at eighty?
Certainly it would seem that the quality of one's life is not
tied to the length of one's life."
"I would suggest that you and your daughter did perhaps live a
full and complete life together. She just didn't live as long as
you had hoped for and expected."
As the train neared the station the woman continued speaking.
"I am fifty two years old, and in looking back on my life I don't
feel I have shared with anyone, the depth of experience and love
you and your daughter had together."
"On one hand this makes me deeply sad. On the other hand, it
helps me to realize that with the time I have left, I can indeed
strive to live a complete and fulfilling life."
"This is the realization that your experience has helped me to
understand, and for this wonderful gift I thank you deeply."
The woman smiled as she stood up, preparing to exit the train.
"None of us know how long we have to live. We don't seem to have
all that much control over the length of our life."
"The quality of our life on the other hand, we can indeed ensure
on a daily basis. It is never too soon to begin to enjoy and
fully appreciate the life we do have, right here and now."
To the readers of this article I gently suggest you consider how
you want to live your life, in order to ensure that your time on
earth is fulfilling and complete.
(c) Charlie Badenhop,
2006.
About the author:
Charlie Badenhop is the originator of Seishindo, an Aikido instructor, NLP trainer, and Ericksonian Hypnotherapist. Benefit from Charlie's thought-provoking ideas and various self help and self hypnosis practices by subscribing to his complimentary newsletter "Pure Heart, Simple Mind" at http://www.seishindo.org/
from another guy named Charlie, who lives in Japan. That's the name
of the blog, anyway....
Though I haven't met this Charlie, or even know if he goes by Charles,
his submission struck a chord as I was racing around in my car,
hurried, not having enough family time, just trying to check things
off on my 'TO DO' list.
Maybe some of the most important TO DO's can't be checked off on a list.
Enjoy.
________________
Do you have the feeling you're fully appreciating your life RIGHT
NOW, or are you somehow failing to treasure the richness of all
you have in the moment? Living a life of gratitude is a challenge
that I think most all of us face.
Three years ago the eight year old daughter of a friend died in a
freak accident at school. My friend was devastated and I could
not think of any wise words that might console him.
As the weeks rolled by my friend slipped into an ever deeper
sense of despair, and nothing anyone said seemed to lift his
spirit.
After a few months time he went out of town on a business trip,
and on the train ride back home he engaged in a conversation with
the woman sitting next to him. The woman sat there and nodded her
head often as my friend talked about the death of his daughter.
He reported to me that he had the sense of talking and talking
and talking, until he finally felt like he had nothing more to
say.
As my friend came to a natural state of rest, the woman nodded
her head one more time as she took a deep breath, and then said
the following,
"I can very much feel your pain, and I understand that the loss
of your child must be devastating."
"At the same time," she said, "I wonder if your pain would not be
lessened if you celebrated the life of your daughter."
"You told me about your daughter's sense of awe the first time
you took her to the ocean, and how you carried her in your arms
as you waded out into the water."
"You also spoke about the many times she sat on your lap and told
you about the magical adventures she had during the course of her
day."
"Perhaps the sweetest story you shared was how you told your
daughter every night how much you loved her as you tucked her
into bed."
"I am wondering," the woman said, "What is it that leads you to
believe that you and your daughter did not live a glorious
fulfilling life together?"
"Is it because she died at eight years old and not at eighty?
Certainly it would seem that the quality of one's life is not
tied to the length of one's life."
"I would suggest that you and your daughter did perhaps live a
full and complete life together. She just didn't live as long as
you had hoped for and expected."
As the train neared the station the woman continued speaking.
"I am fifty two years old, and in looking back on my life I don't
feel I have shared with anyone, the depth of experience and love
you and your daughter had together."
"On one hand this makes me deeply sad. On the other hand, it
helps me to realize that with the time I have left, I can indeed
strive to live a complete and fulfilling life."
"This is the realization that your experience has helped me to
understand, and for this wonderful gift I thank you deeply."
The woman smiled as she stood up, preparing to exit the train.
"None of us know how long we have to live. We don't seem to have
all that much control over the length of our life."
"The quality of our life on the other hand, we can indeed ensure
on a daily basis. It is never too soon to begin to enjoy and
fully appreciate the life we do have, right here and now."
To the readers of this article I gently suggest you consider how
you want to live your life, in order to ensure that your time on
earth is fulfilling and complete.
(c) Charlie Badenhop,
2006.
About the author:
Charlie Badenhop is the originator of Seishindo, an Aikido instructor, NLP trainer, and Ericksonian Hypnotherapist. Benefit from Charlie's thought-provoking ideas and various self help and self
2/18/2006
Top 10 Ways How to Improve your English (from my students)
I promised English learning tips on this blog, so here goes:
Actually, this is a list compiled by two of my star students (who have since retired to get ready for their college entrance exams!) Isn't it ironic and sad that studying EIKAIWA or English conversation is seen as mutually exclusive from doing well on your tests? Sigh!##
Anyway, here's the list, which I thought was pretty darn good:
Top Ten Ways to Improve Your English (in no particular order)
--Check unknown words in the dictionary and mark them
--Listen to CDs to check correct pronunciatioin
--Watch foreign movies in English like Star Wars (Friday, Saturday on Japanese TV)
--Be interested in the culture of English-speaking countries
--Take English proficiency tests (the STEP test) to motivate yourself
--Have friends who also study English (you can share knowledge)
--Go to English conversation classes (like Able, in Joetsu, Niigata)
--Write English sentences and have them checked by your English teacher, and get a penpal
--Talk to the ALT (Assistant {Native} Language Teacher) at school -- it's free!
If anyone would like to add to this list, please do!
Also, thanks to Tomohiro and Ken for this EXCELLENT list. Good luck on your exams!
(I also teach at ABLE English Conversation Club. Our website is:
http://www.able-speak.jp/
check out the games corner for kids, even if you're a native speaker!)
Actually, this is a list compiled by two of my star students (who have since retired to get ready for their college entrance exams!) Isn't it ironic and sad that studying EIKAIWA or English conversation is seen as mutually exclusive from doing well on your tests? Sigh!##
Anyway, here's the list, which I thought was pretty darn good:
Top Ten Ways to Improve Your English (in no particular order)
--Check unknown words in the dictionary and mark them
--Listen to CDs to check correct pronunciatioin
--Watch foreign movies in English like Star Wars (Friday, Saturday on Japanese TV)
--Be interested in the culture of English-speaking countries
--Take English proficiency tests (the STEP test) to motivate yourself
--Have friends who also study English (you can share knowledge)
--Go to English conversation classes (like Able, in Joetsu, Niigata)
--Write English sentences and have them checked by your English teacher, and get a penpal
--Talk to the ALT (Assistant {Native} Language Teacher) at school -- it's free!
If anyone would like to add to this list, please do!
Also, thanks to Tomohiro and Ken for this EXCELLENT list. Good luck on your exams!
(I also teach at ABLE English Conversation Club. Our website is:
http://www.able-speak.jp/
check out the games corner for kids, even if you're a native speaker!)
1/28/2006
Where did all the resolutions go?
Just one month into the new year, and if you're like me, you probably are not yet one-twelfth of the way through with achieving your goals for 2006. In fact, I wonder how many 'resolutions' are still standing on January 31st?
I've read it and you've read it I'm sure. The key to any long-term or grand scale goal achieving is moving ahead in small, consistent increments. The Japanese call that ﾒKaizenﾓ.
There is also a wonderful Japanese expression for the ﾒfast-out-of-the- starting-blocks-but-no-finishﾓ style of action which describes so many of our self-improvement efforts: ﾒMikka Bouzu.ﾓ This literally means ﾒThree day skinhead,ﾓ but really refers to the hairstyle (not-hair style?) of temple monks. I imagine many a repentant person has knocked on the temple gates with burning enthusiasm, just to see that feeling fade in less than a week.
I suppose it is a commentary on those well-intentioned souls (all of us?) whose best intentions last but a few days. My Ab-flex (remember those?) went from being used (for about three days, exactly) to a rack to dry clothes on in less than a month. I was happy to finally give it away to a friend, I believe at around New Year's resolution time. I wonder if he is drying towls on it yet, or tried to sell it on ebay.
The point is that it is very easy to let yourself go back to your old, unhelpful habits. How do you stay on track? Here are my top five suggestions:
・Keep your goals where you can see them! (We all know this, butﾉ)
・Tell people about what you are trying to do (if you choose carefully, those around you can be your best supporters)
・Get a 'goals coach' or accountability coach to help you stay honest
・Send yourself emails to get yourself fired up. (You don't need any fancy autoresponder, just schedule your email delivery for the future)
・Small steps, small rewards (again, we know this, right?) Finishing a small goal on the way to a bigger one can keep us motivated. You know the best way to eat an elephant, don't you? One bite at a time!
I've read it and you've read it I'm sure. The key to any long-term or grand scale goal achieving is moving ahead in small, consistent increments. The Japanese call that ﾒKaizenﾓ.
There is also a wonderful Japanese expression for the ﾒfast-out-of-the- starting-blocks-but-no-finishﾓ style of action which describes so many of our self-improvement efforts: ﾒMikka Bouzu.ﾓ This literally means ﾒThree day skinhead,ﾓ but really refers to the hairstyle (not-hair style?) of temple monks. I imagine many a repentant person has knocked on the temple gates with burning enthusiasm, just to see that feeling fade in less than a week.
I suppose it is a commentary on those well-intentioned souls (all of us?) whose best intentions last but a few days. My Ab-flex (remember those?) went from being used (for about three days, exactly) to a rack to dry clothes on in less than a month. I was happy to finally give it away to a friend, I believe at around New Year's resolution time. I wonder if he is drying towls on it yet, or tried to sell it on ebay.
The point is that it is very easy to let yourself go back to your old, unhelpful habits. How do you stay on track? Here are my top five suggestions:
・Keep your goals where you can see them! (We all know this, butﾉ)
・Tell people about what you are trying to do (if you choose carefully, those around you can be your best supporters)
・Get a 'goals coach' or accountability coach to help you stay honest
・Send yourself emails to get yourself fired up. (You don't need any fancy autoresponder, just schedule your email delivery for the future)
・Small steps, small rewards (again, we know this, right?) Finishing a small goal on the way to a bigger one can keep us motivated. You know the best way to eat an elephant, don't you? One bite at a time!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
