The orange paint of very unique, and leaves a strong impresion.
This is a statue of a wild boar
The rope attached to the shrine whch is used to "Wake Up!" the God.
I gave this plant to a student of mine as a house gift. She just moved out of a dormitory and started to live by herself! It must be tough because I know that rent and key money is not cheap in this area...But I think and hope that she will enjoy her new start!! I don`t have a green thumb so I can`t give her any advice, but I hope she takes care of the plant and manages to keep it alive! Good luck!
From the busena terrace hotel! This is a luxurious resort hotel in OKinawa. It`s a little expensive so if you are trying to save money, I don`t recommend it! But it looks beautiful!
"The" Beach in Tottori...My friend took me to this beach for the second time. I was so thankful...It is realy indescribable, truly beautiful and secluded. This year I swam a lot, and even did some snorkeling. Also, I didn`t get sunburnt!! That`s a big plus too. We made a bondfire on the beach at night, did fireworks, listened to the waves and wind, looked out into the ocean, and just simply relaxed...Thanks for taking me Mr. A! I really appreciate it!
This is Mr A`s grandpa! He was a character. He is 94 years old. He stays in a "home" for the elderly usually, but on the holidays he comes back to his real house. I heard a lot about him from Mr. A over the years. Everything Mr. A told me and more was true. The man can drink! We had lunch together, sushi...He is 94, but his mind and humor is on the ball! He was very kind, funny, and sincere. Every time Mr. A or I finished out glass of beer he looked at us and said "Drink." Every time there was no beer on the table he told his daughter or grand-daughter, "Get the beer!" Once his grand-daughter said "There`s no more beer cold.." He instantly relied "Make it cold!!!" He asked me "How old are you?" I said, "31" He smiled and said, "But your head looks 80!" His talk and jokes and conversation was non-stop. It was really fun to meet and talk to him. He is a good man...
My student Ms. M gave me this beer as a souvenir from Egypt! There is a glare in the picture, so you can`t see, but the label is an image of the oldest or biggest (I forget which one...) pyramid in the Egypt. I don`t know the real name, but she called it the "Steps Pyramid." About the beer, it was good!! THANKS!! About her Egypt trip I really wish I could show you more photos, but I can`t download them onto this blog because the are too big...;( She showed me her album and it was amazing! There were many great photos of Egyptian sites and also of her and her friend! They posed like movie stars!!! They were cute!
My friend Ms. N sent me these pics! She went to Awajishima with her family. She goes there every year because her cousins and aunt live there. She said it is very "country"! She prefers the city to the country, so she said it was "just OK." The pic of the pigeons chilling out on the electric wires is pretty cool. And below is the bridge that you have to take to get to the Island if you go by car. If you go by sea, there is a ferry though. Have you ever been to Awajishima?
Which do you like more, red roses or white roses? Flowers and plants are nice and add something to a room. In America, some people keep a vase with flowers in it on the kitchen table all the time. I have a few plants in my classroom, but it is difficult to keep them healthy...Because the sun is very strong in the morning, and I think that the air conditioner and heater are not good for plants too. Do you keep flowers or plants in you house or office?
Ms. Ai sent me this pic from Tokyo. She went there last weekend. On August 6th, 61 years ago, Hiroshima was attacked with an atomic bomb... this work was drawn by Taro Okamoto. Do you know who he is? Do you know his work? His work is on display at Banpaku Park in Osaka. It`s called "The Sun Tower". I put a pic of that on my blog a while back..did you see it? What do you think about the above photo?
And last night I saw a documentary of a man who experienced both Nagazsaki and Hiroshima...I didn`t catch the gentleman`s name, but his story and character was very moving...He said "Heiwa (peace)" is "All for one, and one for all"...
Look at these two cute girls!! They are adorable and look so pretty in their Yukatas!!! I wonder if they went to a summer festival...? There are many summer festivals and firework festivals in Japan. My friend Mr. K looks like a samurai, doesn`t he? And he acts like a samurai too, he is modest and doesn`t talk so much! Speaking of fireworks, there is a BIG festival tonight in Yodogawa. One of my friends lives in that area, so she will have a party and watch the fireworks with her friends from her balcony! No crowds, cool airconditioning! She is lucky! My hometown, Philadelphia also has HUGE fireworks every year for the Fourth of July. Anyway, I hope I can meet these two cute girls one day!!!
Kameda got the Champion`s belt on an atrocious decision. He got knocked down in the first round on a solid right punch. He was dominatd the whole fight. How dd he win? I`ll tell you the answer...it`s called Boxing (=money)! In the sport of Boxing, sometimes crazy things happen. This wasn`t the first time there has been a horrible decision, and it won`t be the last time either. Read here for more: http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/sports/news/20060803p2a00m0sp009000c.html
Some people love him, some people hate him. But you have to admit, he is a character. He is from and grew up in Osaka. He walks the walk and talks the talk. Some call him "Big mouth." Tonight he gets his wish, a World Title fight. If he wins he says he will put the belt around his father`s waist, because his father never attained that goal. Read here for more about Koki Kameda: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/sports/20060802TDY22006.htm
Above at the weigh-in, his opponent, Landaeta, offered Kameda a present: diapers and a pacifier. This is the day after Kameda gave Landaeta a doll at the first day press conference. 
Some people love it, some people hate it. It looks like a snake. It swims in the ocean?river?both? Do you know? Eel is very popular in Japan and there are even "eel farms"!! I like eel over white rice very much! It is delcious, and great when you are tired, because eel helps your STAMINA! In the hot and humid summer like in Osaka, stamina is needed! There is even an "Eel Day" in Japan. Did you know that? In America, eel sushi is very popular too. How about you? Do you like eel?
