MEC Year-end party

Again, Picts of the year-end party. This time I'd like to post the MEC's party, which holds annually at Izakaya in Sannnomiya.We had a new regular member named Bobby. He is a Korean-American and now he lives in Gakuentoshi. He stays as the missionary of church around there right now. And we also have three Taiwanese guests. They are Univ-students at Ryutu Univ.
we could enjoyed ourselves very much.

Bobby and three Taiwanese students

Regular members（they try to talk in English during party, What a insanity！）
P.S　My computer has some kind of trouble, so I could not update for a while because of this trouble. This party held almost one week ago.Sorry to be late to post.

The days of Year--end parties.

In December, Usually everybody has busy time to attend the year-end parties. This week I already had three of it. School's party last week,Akashi ESS's party on Saturday and Myodani Time Reading(MTR)'s party on Sunday. And I have one more to join. These always give really hard times for our stomach. School's party(no pict) was a very gorgeous one. It was held at the beautiful FrencAh-style restrant in Shin-kobe, close to the KITANO club.We could enjoyed scenic night-view of Sannomiya from there.
At the Akashi's party, we held it at the Akashi Castle Hotel. They served us the shabu-shabu.(sliced meat bowl),And happily, we could enjoy it with All-We Can-Eat style. Take a look at the picture.You can see the beef,chiken and poke meat on the dishes . I actually struggled to eat as much as possible.

Myodani Time Reading's party on Sunday

They look happy (Akashi ESS Party)

　　　　　　 WOW！

My Elder Sib

On last Sunday, my second son Akira and me visited my elder sibling' house.We have visited there once. And it was almost 20years ago when they bought their Condo. I found out still rooms are clean, neat and cozy. This time, my son and me visited them for asking of my son's guarantor. He has to pay back his scholarship's money from next April. For that,he needs two guarantors. Me and someone under 65 year-old relatives.He is not the only relative for us, but he lives Nishinomiya,Kotoen.And he is my elder brother. So we asked him to be his guarantor. He is 2 years older than me. (58 years old). My younger sister is living in Fukui pref to far to go.

Anyway I'd like to express my gratitude of his kindness for my son. Thank you very much.

Wind From the North

Finally Kogarashi No1 came to here Suzurandai in Kobe. I heard students complain a lot. They say "めっちゃ　さむ！(It's extreamly cold)" 　I put a picture of the maple trees at Kouhoku HS. It has already changed color.Now youcan see the red leaves of them and they has started to fall. In Chemistry room, I started using the gas heater to warm up. At my house,I don't set it not yet. But Suzurandai is cool enough. Along the road to Kitasuzuranndai. Gingo trees turned beautifully yellow. Seasons always change in a rapid speed.

Scarecraw?

Most of the paddle field around my house have finished their harvest.It is rare to see the paddle field around my house recently, but some of them still survive. Over there, Today, I found very impressive scarecrows. Take a look at pictures. These crafts are made of woods or straws. It was really coooool to see, coz they are so well created. As if they were alive.I don't know when those creatures were set in. But it was so impressive that I pulled over my car to the road shoulder and took pictures in the morning just on the way to the school. The weather was so clear and those creatures are very alive. It was really good start of the day.

Two horses

A Big Elephant

The Akashi Civic Center Festival

Opening Ceremony

Maczy Demonstrated our class

We had a Circle Fes at the Civic center of Akashi.As usual, we ,Akashi ESS did a demonstration class. Most of attendants are our members, but a few attendants were guests. We could enjoy ourselves .

Sports Fes.

On 27th September,We had a sports Festival (sports game day) at Kouhoku HS.
This time, I did a conductor of brass band club. Because members of the band were so small ,so the usual conductor had to play his musical instrument(Trombone) to make a bigger and finer sound. As a result, I conducted the band at the Opening Ceremony and sports-club team marching. I really enjoyed it. 26 years ago, I was in charge of Brass Band Club at Sumahigashi HS. So those days, I played a conductor. I don't feel any difficulty. Yes it was a happy experience after a long blank.

At the Sports club marching I Feel happy to conduct

Tom at Akashi ESS

(Same topic is posted at Akashi ESS blog)

Today, we welcomed Tom.He came as a substitute instructor of Abel. Abel is now in Perth. He is taking a break after long stay here in Japan as JET. So his friend Tom came for us. Tom said to teach here is extremely happy because motivation of members is quite high.(Is it true?) Anyway, he enjoyed himself teaching at Akashi ESS. I 'm very glad to heat that.
Tom and Beginner's Class

He is explaining a Hammock sleep.

Middle and Advanced Class

Sorry, Ryu( Anxiety & Relief)

I'd like to introduce my pet. But here in Japan, it's embarrassing to say I keep a pet,because he is mostly chained outside house. He is treated as the watchdog like many Japanese dogs treated,far from to say pet. But still I would like to say he is a one of my family members. Now he became 11years old. His delicacy of hearing is almost gone away. Even if I would come near him and call out loud, he never noticed me whatever I say when I was behind him.

He is always sitting besides my car in the morning ,very close to my car,so I always have to drive him away for his safety, but on Sunday, I was a little bit absent-mind and careless. When I started my car, I heard his screaming and roaring. I was in panic to hear his roaring, because I thought I accidentally ran over him. Fortunately he was not ran over,maybe he was snagged by my car, his left-hind leg is damaged and blooded. So I took him to the vet. It was not serious injured like bone fracture, but the doc said to be cured perfectly at least one week is required. He got a shot of painkiller and antibiotics. and I got a medicine for one week.

Today, he is fine and have no problem for walking. Sorry Ryu, I 'll take care and this will never happen again, I promise.

Poor Ryu
His injured leg

56 years old

Yesterday, I became a 56 years old. Hahaha.. What a age I gain！ When I still enjoyed youth,I felt a 50 years old guy was too old. Now becoming such an age, I feel a little bit dizzy. I know that it is embarrassing to say I am and feel still young. As a matter of fact, 56 years old is not young, it's too matured age. But honestly,I m not matured. I have to gain more and more knowledge, I should learn many unknown subjects. There's many ways to follow just front of me.Nothing has changed from 20years or 30years ago. Only outlooks has changed dramtically. Take a look at my pics of my younth and now. Of courese It has a big diffrence, But never BEFORE and AFTER.
It is going to be matured and Still going to be matured.
(pics wiil be soon posted)

Higashi-hachibuse Highland

These are picts of the HIGASHI-HACHIBUSE HIGHLAND. The climate of there is so comfortable,especially night-time, It was cool enough to sleep,we had to shut the window to prevent from catching the cold. The most impressive one I have to mention is the beautiful night sky. So many stars we could see,I could follow the milky way.Compared with the day I was small,milky way is faint enough to see,but still I could follow it. Students were happy enough to not only touch the beauty of there but also did a lot of practice as much as they could.

Sports-Gym Addiction

From tomorrow,I have to go to Higashi-Hachibuse Summer training Camp of Soft-Tennis club. It's 2-stay and 3-day small trip. I just go there as a chaperon. And club-students are very decent and enthusiastic in gaining tennis skill, So this training camp would not be a tough job to do. Rather I can enjoy being there and feel the cool air of high-land,see the beautiful stars in the night and touch the scenic landscape of there.
But for two days, I will not be able to go to Gym.This would be extremely tough for me right now. This summer Holidays ,I go Gym almost everyday,6 days a week pace,because no big plan to go out. For this long and constant excises of there, as a result, I finally fell into the addiction of the sweating and refreshing after running,biking and swimming. Yes, over there,I spend for around 2 and half hours each single time.This is rather addiction. I feel something dripping in my brain, maybe dopamine or something-else. I feel happiness and ecstasy. Hahaha......... Maybe I cannot escape for a while. But,happily I gain the decreasing of 5cm waist. Before going there, my waist-size was 81cm around,NOW 76cm． Incredible,Isn't it? I'd like to upgrade my naked and belly photo.(Maybe you'll reject it,so I won't. but it's yours choice. I'm ready .Hahahahahaha.........)

New Encounter

After the farewell, there's always new encounter. In Akashi ESS, We welcomed Maczy . His real name is "Brendan Maguire" He is a Australian from Perth city. He came Japan four year ago( if my memory is correct).
Now, ALT in at Akashi HS. He likes sports and Music. Very attractive char actor and lifestyle.

Welcome Maczy. Let's keep a good friendship from now on.
Brendon and middle and advanced class

Party,party,and party.

This week,Three parties were on schedule. Two of those were farewell parties and another was regular party of summer.

First Party (the 24th of July, Tuesday)
This is a Farewell party for kristin. She was a instructor of akashi ESS. The following pictures shows how it proceed. And you can catch the the atmosphere of it.
I have enjoyed myself so much her teaching (or maybe I can say I enjoyed her performing,sometimes her dancing during her class.) Last September, She came just after the graduation of UCLA, so she had a university student's atmosphere at that time , still she has it now. yes, I always felt from her a typical American Californian University student. That was amazingly happy and cheerful. It is a "Don't worry, Be happy" style character. I like the way she showed us in every moment. So, when I was informed that she was leaving Japan this summer, I tremendously shocked.
Again and again, I have to say Goodbye and plan the Farewell party. Just 3 month's before, We had a party for Neil 's farewell. Again We set it. But planning and organizing party had always saved me so far,Because during the party, I always busy enough , eventually I cannot have a time to be emotional. That saved me over and over times from having a feeling of cry.

とはいえ、別れは寂しいね。　Good-bye kristin. Keep your a happy and charming smile.
OK. enjoy yourself the following picts.

She plays a Violin with a amazing skill.

Beginner's and First class

Middle and Advanced class
With Abel...
Everybody is busy for eating
Anpo-sensei looks very happy
小学生？


Second party (the 25th of July,Wednesday)

This party is a Ｒegular Summer Party of MEC(Mukoh's English Club・向英語クラブ).Every year, we hold this party before the summer break. Since this club has almost 40 years history member's average age is around 65 years- old. Take a look at the member's head, Grey or partially or totally bold.(Wow.....) Happily this time,we could invite Kristin and Shu-san. Definitely two ladies encouraged old guys literally.

What a contrast！　Beasts and beauties. KristinThird Party(the 27th of July,Friday)

This is a Farewell party for Olen (Miss Kwek).

Talking about Olen, there are so many memories and stuffs to describe. Sports gym,Simanami-kaido,Shokusai-kan,MacDonald,Daiei. kakogawa-church.etc

Except Shimanami,most of stuffs are daily chores. In Shokusai-kan, she always bought Apples or Oranges. After shopping, each time she reported me how cheap or how expensive they were. In Daiey super market,she was always enthusiastic to buy salmon.Next day she always told me how it was delicious or how she loves salmon. In sports gym,she surprisingly ran almost 1.5 hours to lose weight and finally she succeeded. Now she is dramatically slim. In MacDonald,she always told me how she loves Jesus and talked a lot about Steve or her mother. and so on and on.(なつかしいね。）

Happily she will stay Japan for a while, but not school.

Tom and Olen at Umenohana -restaurant
Umenohana dishes
Attendants (mostly EL teachers)

Goodbye Olen. Take care。

Summer break starts

Today,finally summer break starts. This gives me a great joy every year,Of course I have to go to school almost every day for the many school chores, but compared with usual days, summer break is extremely superb. because there is no class.Only I have most is couples of supplementary lessones and club chores. I can enjoy more free time.that's why I love summer break very very much.


But at the same time, Unhappy moment also comes. The contract of Jet program is expired during this summer vacation. And this year,Olen,one of our ALTs already decide to expire her contract by august from KOUHOKU HS. She is going to study Japanese Language for a while in Japan. So she will stay Japan as for one month. I 'll be able to see her if I try, but I will not see her everyday like today or yesterday.
So far I have experienced many partings with ALTs. And I wrote about that once in my blog before. Again, the time comes, it is so sad to say Goodbye again.

Olen,my son and me at Shimanami

One more parting, I have to mention. is Kristin. She is JA(Japanese American) and she was a instructor of Akashi ESS from last year. I enjoyed her American English and her cheerful teaching style very very much. Her English is so familiar to me. So her leaving is also very shocking to me.

Kristin and me at Akashi ESS

This Tuesday, we will have a farewell party for Kristin in Akashi ESS, and This Friday,We will have it for Olen in Sannnomiya. Yes , of course,I like a party very very much.(でも、ちょっと寂しいね。）
　

From Neil

This is a mail from Neil,I got this mail after I send him congratulations mail to him. You can see the same mail at the AKASHI ESS Blog. But for the convenience of the ESS members, I put his mail in my blog. and you can read the translation of his mail at the AKASHI ESS blog. Enjoy reading！


Hello Mr Anpo!! (Please print and let the people at Akashi see this! Yoroshiku!) Thank you for your congratualtions!! I'm sorry that I haven't been in contact earlier - I've been extremely busy ... as you know! Here's my news since I got back to the UK. Please pass it on to the ladies and gents at Akashi ESS!!

My sister had her baby on April 4th. It was a girl and her name is Jennifer! She's beautiful (just like her uncle Neil!!!!) - I got a job! I secretly started to appply for it when I was still in Japan and got a first interview on April 4th (the day my niece, Jennifer, was born - good luck, hey!) I had two interviews for the job in London - the first one with two interviewers and the second one with five people inrterviewing me!!! Scary!!! And after I'd passed both of them I had to have a medical examination ... all together the interview process took about six weeks!! But, I made it and from June 5th I started the training course to be a JAL Cabin Crew! I was so happy that I got the job, because it was the first (and only) job I applied for! The training course consists of 5 weeks in London and then six weeks in Tokyo. At the moment I'm on week 3 in London. I go to Tokyo to train at the JAL Training Centre at Haneda Airport in July 13th. Still a long way to go, but I should be flying as a cabin crew from the end of August. I am in the 'London Base European Crew Department of Japan Airlines'. That means that I will fly between and , so somewhere in Europe to Japan and back - in many different combinations! I should be going to Japan at least three times each month!! It's the perfect job for me! Again, please tell everyone at ESS that I'm sorry that I haven't been in contact. Especially those people who sent me individual e-mails and letters - thank you, by the way! In May my father got quite sick and had to spend a while in hospital too. It was all very 'taihen' and although I wanted to send you all emails, I couldn't. I'll 'gambaru' from now on!! Please send my best wishes to everyone. I'll be in contact again soon - and, you never know, maybe I will serve one of the Akashi ESS members on a flight to Europe some day!! I'll try my best to get you into business class!!!!!!!!!!!

Dewa, yoroshiku onegaishimasu! Mata-ne! Neil \(^o^)/

Father's day(And my dad's history story)

How beautiful I was！(The baby is me) My dad(when he was around 50 years old)

In his thirty's( Amano hashidate is same view)

Surprisingly,We pose in a same way,see up and below.(It's really a gene.)

Last Sunday was Father's Day,So I visited my parents home with a small souvenir for my dad. It was manjyu(お饅頭） and he likes it very very much.He likes something sweet, that helped his life, I’ll tell his story later. He is going to 88-years old on this coming birthday(25th November). It was very luck that Toshi came back to my home for fixing up his computer trouble, so we went together to visit them. Akira was busy for his thesis for Univ,this time he couldn't come with us.

Ok. I would like to tell about my Dad's story, He was born in kanzaki-tyou,hyogo pref in 1919. The year WWⅠ was over. From that age Japan started to put their foot for Mainland China to occupy and get some benefit from there. My dad had to go to Manchuria when he became 20 for the infantary army.　He stayed there(in Hokusi,北支、he said)　for a couple years. There was no tough fight for a while, but to prevent Russian invasion,they had to stay there.He said it was extreamly cold there in winter.

Anyway,when Japan's war stuatuion turned bad dramtically, his army had to go to Phillipine.So his army moved to Taiwan at first. Before shipping to Mindanao in phillipine, he suffered a crucial diareahh, probably because he ate lots of bananas there.(Since in manchuria, he had never eaten such tropical sweet fruits.)Eventually he was hospitalised. Then after a few months later,War was over with no conditional surrender of Japan. Then he heared his army which shipped to Mindanao was tortally destroyed and ended up almost no survivors from his army. he could survived because he ate many bananas.

He still said Banana saved his life. banana is a lifesaver for him. Yes , if Taiwan banana is not here on earth, my existence is not here either. I love bananas, too.

But after caming back to Japan, it was extrmly tough days for him. No food, No residence.But he could get a job in Gas Company somehow,and met my mother.....

Now he enjoys his days with my mother. I hope he could enjoy his life more and more.