Don't let this guy be your life coach

Some call me the gangsta of karate...

Tonight I got in 'trouble' at karate for not having my pants pulled up properly.



My sensei was also not very impressed with the way I answered his question, "What is your dream for karate?" (He was asking what belt level I want to achieve.) I replied, "Well, green is my favorite color, so green." He simply replied, "No, green is not a dream. Brown or Black is a dream."
So I stand corrected...
I still want a green belt.

Tokyo at Christmas

Thought I'd let you guys see how beautiful Tokyo is during the holiday season.

Tokyo Tower (The Japanese LOVE towers. They're in every major city.)


And now the trees...


**Question for you guys: Do you like the smaller pictures, like I've been doing lately, which load quicker or do you prefer the bigger ones that take longer to load? Let me know...or if you don't care, then don't.

2 years--can you believe it?!

That's right. I started my blog 2 years ago today. Granted I haven't been too diligent at writing in it lately, I have written at least once a month. That's gotta count for something.


toothpastefordinner.com

I can't make this stuff up...

Maureen: How old do you think those guys are? The one in the red shirt? He's kind of cute.

Jenn: Umm, those are my old students. I think they're san-nensei (9th grade).*

*insert uncontrollable laughter here

Yurinokidai Halloween 2006

We had our 2nd annual Halloween party in our courtyard this year. We had a blast.

We looked good.


We played 'Pin the wart on the Witch'.


We played 'Musical Pumpkins'.


We had snacks.


We took a group picture. (Notice me in the front laughing with Ryo. I LOVE that kid!)


Me with my cute neighbor who waves and says Konnichiwa to me


Me with the Ito family--Yoko, Kai, and Ryo


Me and yet another adorable kid


Random kid climbing on our fence


And what night would be complete without me taking a picture of myself...

I love my job.

Once a month all the English teachers get together for training. Last month we watched a movie to improve our English listening skills. (Obviously the training is really for the Japanese people, but we still have to go.)



What I learned in training:
1. I'd like to visit that chocolate factory someday.
2. All the chocolate in the world can't give you what you really need: Love from your family.
And most important:
3. Johnny Depp is hotter as Crybaby than as Willy Wonka.

Need proof?

Chiba Lotte Marines

Yep yep--go Chiba!
Ok, so I haven't written in awhile, but I'm going to try and catch up...here we go.
I went to a baseball game with some friends in September (yes, I know...I should have posted these already). Anyway, here are some pictures from the trip.



The Japanese are really into baseball!


The scoreboard


(l to r) Miranda, me, and Maureen


The best part of the baseball game=the keg backpack

Check.this.out.

British twins have different skin color

Texas survey--I couldn't help myself

1. First of all, where in Texas do (did) you live?
Tyler and Houston for a summer

2. What's your favorite place to chill in Texas?
Home or the lake at night

3. Have you ever been on a boat in Lake Travis?
yes--and a tube

4. Do you go camping?
I haven't been in awhile, but yes, I do...and I love it.

5. Do you ever use the word "ya'll"?
I despise this word so much that I almost removed this question so that that word wouldn't have to be on my blog.

6. Have you ever owned a truck?
no--but I had a pretty sweet 4-runner that pulled a truck out of the mud once--ahh, memories

7. Have you ever had heat exhaustion?
no

8. How many Texas snows have you witnessed?
umm, maybe 5 or 6--but they weren't all in Tyler

9. Have you ever ice skated indoors?
is there anywhere else do it?

10. Have you ever squirted one of your parents with a water gun?
yes, and they loved it.

11. Do you prefer the Rockets, Spurs or the Mavs?
Dirk Nowitzki is my hero.

12. Do you like the city or the country?
country

13. Have you ever been sprayed by a skunk?
no

14. Have you ever run over an armadillo?
probably

15. Have you ever been to a Cowboys game?
just once, because I had free tickets

16. Have you ever been to a Stars, Icebats or Aeros game?
yeah, a Stars game with Jim Jackson and the gang

17. Have you ever attended the State Fair of Texas?
nope--only the East Texas State Fair :-)

18. What's your favorite Mexican food restaurant?
Don Juan's

19. Have you ever drank Shiner beer?
of course

21. Have you ever ridden a horse?
yes, but I hated it

22. Were you in 4-H or FFA?
no

23. Which place in Texas has the best scenery/view?
Hard to say, but I've heard West Texas sunsets are the best...that's only hearsay though. Maybe I'll get to see one someday

24. Which grocery store do you shop at?
When I lived in Texas? I prefer Albertson's

25. Have you ever partied in a barn?
no

26. Have you ever partied in a pasture?
not yet...

27. Do you like keg beer?
depends what beer is in the keg

28. Are you Baptist?
no

29. Have you ever been swimming in a river or creek?
yes--those were the days

30. How many presidents do you know lived in Texas?
Eisenhower, LBJ, George H. Bush and George W. Bush

31. Have you ever been on the Comal River?
I don't think so

32. Is your school big?
I don't think so...less than 200 in my graduating class

33. How many times have you been to Houston?
too many to count--and yes, I do like Houston better than Dallas, but Austin beats them both.

34. Who is your favorite Texas country artist?
Patty Griffin

35. Have you ever ridden a mechanical bull?
umm, no

36. Have you ever been to the rodeo?
yeah, and I actually knew a guy that was riding a bull in it

37. Do you own a cowboy hat?
yes, but I only got it to bring to Japan so I could keep up the persona that everyone from Texas owns a cowboy hat

38. Have you ever been to one of Willie's 4th of July picnics?
no, but I bet it'd be pretty sweet

39. Finally, what's your favorite thing about Texas?
Most of the people that I care about are there.

Kamakura

So, these pictures are almost a month old, but I'm finally getting around to posting them. I went to Kamakura with Jon and Miranda. Jon was (sniff, sniff--he's gone now) here visiting and Miranda is another English teacher here. I've wanted to go to Kamakura, so it was good to finally go.

Kamakura is a very popular tourist destination. Sometimes called the Kyoto of Eastern Japan, Kamakura offers numerous temples, shrines and other historical monuments.

(Yes, I just copied that from a website.)

And now what you actually came for: pictures

Jon and I at Daibutsu (The Big Buddha)

With a height of 13.35 meters, it is the second largest Buddha statue in Japan (the largest is located in the Todaiji Temple in Nara).

Buddha's big sandals


Miranda and I washing our hands

This is done before entering Buddhist temples. I honestly don't know the purpose behind it, other than being clean before entering a holy place. If anyone knows more, I'd love to hear it.

In front of a temple we didn't' go in...but probably should have, after seeing someone else's pictures later


I just thought this was pretty

Wax on, wax off

That's right...I'm taking karate (pronounced just like Ross did on Friends).
I've been taking it for a month and I don't hate it yet. I'm hoping to get a green belt, because I like green. I think that'd be nice.




Okay, that's plenty for you to laugh at for now...

My Summer Vacation

At school right now my 3rd year students are writing about their summer vacation. I decided to be a method teacher and join in the fun.

For my summer vacation I did many things.
I saw my family.


I saw my friends.


I helped my mom move to College Station with Jessica and Cory. (No, my parents didn't get a divorce. My mom just has an apartment there for work.)



And helped Cory pick up the mattress off the road after he ran over it.



And took pictures of Cory working really hard...


Went with Lindsey to try on dresses...(don't worry, I didn't post her pick)



Saw two of my favorite girls...


Showed my brother that I'm a complete nerd...as if he needed to be persuaded

Ok, that's enough nostalgia for one day...I need to go outside or something.