Friday, August 31, 2007
So please go and have a butchers at that. So far is it just a few photographs but perhaps when I have more time I will write more!
Craig
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Sorry couldn't decide which picture I liked the best.
Craig
Friday, July 27, 2007
Anyway back to the party, I gave my speech and then was presented with a traditional Okinawan piece of clothing the name of which has escaped my mind which bore the kanji for ‘Umin chu’ meaning ‘sea person’. It is a fairly ubiquitous brand of tourist apparel in Okinawa. I was very happy with it though! After the party was karaoke with the younger male teachers and boy did we rock out! It was all high energy stuff; much enthusiastic kampai-ing (cheers-ing), jumping on the chairs and screaming out hearts out. My voice was instantly croak as the previous night has seen a pretty heavy karaoke sesh too. We stopped when a couple of teachers passed out, one of whom we had to carry home. Good times.
At the moment I am working (in the loosest sense of the word) at the Board of Education. The guys here are a bit old and self important but nice chaps. I saved their bacon by finding out that the new ALT is not arriving on the 8th as they though but on the 1st of August. So me agreeing to stay later was rather in vain but that is ok, another week in Okinawa is no bad thing.
That is by the by though. Time to talk about my character flaw(s)! Last night was the primary (elementary) school end of term / goodbye party. Now I should mention that most, or probably all of the ALTs seem to be getting presents from their schools when they leave, maybe, actually maybe I am just assuming that, but a certain person I know is getting HEAPs of presents. So I was (greedily?) expecting something from this party. You see unlike the JHS teachers I have always got on well with the elementary school teachers, they have been nice to me and I have been nice to them. Also unlike the JHS where I don’t think I ever felt I got a lesson down perfectly (except for my English conversation club but the aim of the game there was fun rather than serious English learning) I felt most weeks that I hit the nail on the head. I have a sneaky suspicion you could do almost anything at the elementary school, make faces at the kid for 45 minutes, and they would love it! But I felt my lessons were good.
So.. where was I, ah yes! Well the party (actually a barbeque) was perfect. The perfect Okinawan party, at the beach; lovely weather, beautiful sunset, great food and cold beer (Orion of course). And children playing in the water to complete the scene. Later we had speeches and played some party games which were great fun. It couldn’t have been a better night, kocho sensei said nice things about me in his closing speech and then it was time to pack up and go home. And I react (internally only! I didn’t let it show!) like a horrible spoilt child. To my shame today I was quite upset about not getting a present which is horrible and materialistic and know. My only consolation is that I didn’t let it show. Like I said we (I and the teachers) have always got on great, they would always come to speak to me and give me candy (way to anyones heart). They invited me to their field trips, parties, barbeques and to dinner parties at their houses. The Vice-principle has his endearing habit of giving me fresh laid eggs from the school hens, on my last day they all applauded as I left and the head master gave me a hearty hug. So I had all that, which surely means more than a present, which is just a thing. So why was I such a materialistic wretch and acting like a spoilt child! Meh, well there we go. I suppose we all (I hope it is not just me) have feelings and impulses we know are wrong and we can choose not to act on them. It is something uniquely human to not act purely on the basis of our feelings? Actually I don’t think so but it is probably quite special in the animal kingdom. Here is to higher brain functions! Hip Hip!
Sorry for two such a long post in quick succession! I promise a post of just pictures next but I need to pop back to the JHS to do that. Until next time!
Until next time!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Once on the road I immediately feel better as I was on my way to go kayaking with two of my oldest friends, Richard and Gavin! At that moment life was good! I must admit that picking up my final paycheck along the way helped too ;). It did definitely help having my buddies there, going home to an empty house would perhaps have been quite depressing.
I feel this post is quite long enough, there followed after that my teachers party and the finally big JET party on the main island both of which were splendid fun and of course bittersweet as it was the last time I would see many of the fantastic folks I have had the much appreciated opportunity to meet here. I also haven’t writing about the music festivals we went to either! Expect another blog shortly, this time with pictures!
OK back to trying to get my affairs in order before I leave this country!
Friday, July 20, 2007
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Hello Mr.Grasshopper pretending to be a leaf! It is cunning
Me with my story contest kid and another student and a couple of ex-students.
The happy recipients of Juhi yum dinner.
A mud slug! I found a bunch of these slugs living along side the hermit crabs and mud skippers in the mangrove mud. What a GREAT animal!
What an awesome sky ne! I like clouds in general.
A lizard.
A startled Frog.
A little grasshopper pretending to be a piece of moss, what a life!
Jumping in to water! Enormous fun!
Living as a foreigner in
Well anyway when I got back to Izena my cat (named Poopee by my Kids) was gone! I felt pretty bad for the following days, I left my door open and would wonder around calling Poopee Poopee, probably to the consternation of my neighbours. It turned out fine as one of the kids of a neighbouring house had taken it in so that made me feel better. I went and petted it to make sure it was Poopee and then left, they will hopefully take better care of it than me! While I was feeling bad I realized that being an atheist robs me off an easy way to assuage my guilt. I had done a thoughtless, callous thing and there was no way to rectify it. If I believed in a God I could repent and pray/beg for forgiveness and hope I get it. At least the repenting to a higher power would ease my conscience. And if I believed in Karma then receiving the bad Karma that would result from my bad deed would sort of balance out the bad deed. At least that is how I see it, the resulting bad Karma is like punishment, so when you have received the punishment you have a moral clean slate again, otherwise what is the point in the punishment? Anyway I was happy that it was taken in. The cat had followed the little girl to school (where I saw it) and the mother came to collect in and took it off in a box. So I think they are a nice family.
So anyway since then I have had another good night on Izena with my rugby loving friend Chuu. We watched
I am excited to go see some rugby in Murrayfield (Scottish national stadium), hopefully I can catch the
I entered a English language story contest with one of my students this Saturday and then afterwards Juhi cooked I and the other story contest ALTs a wunderbar Indian dinner and after that settled in our appreciative stomachs we went off to burn off our calories by singing out little hearts out. Ah Karaoke I shall miss you!
My friends Richard and Gavin arrive in
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
The next type of Japanese meal I shall showcase is Bento. This is a boxed lunch as you can see.
This example of a bento is the one you can buy on my island. Many of the labourers and fisher men eat them as they are cheap and convenient and pretty tasty. The one on my island is pretty basic, one gets allot more variety on the mainland. I get the impression it is also a pretty important skill for Japanese mums to be able to make really cute bentos for their kids (for school picnics etc.) with vegetables cut into animals shapes and things like that. I think the contents of this one are fairly obvious. Note the pickled plum (umeboshi) in the middle of the rice to look like the Japanese flag, cute.....or not. The green stuff in the top right corner is goya, a bitter gourd, which is a very okinawan veg. but has gained popularity throughout Japan. It is very bitter but very good none the less! I plan to take some seeds back with me ;).
And now it is time for todays kyuushoku! Yeah!
Cherio!
Friday, June 15, 2007
Evening all. I hope you are all well fed and feeling perky.
I don’t have an awful lot to write, this will just be a quick update. Biggest news, I am a licensed submariner now. Yes that’s right I, Kelly, Yas and Alice all successfully completed the padi openwater scuba diving course under the watchful eye of Diving Dave. It was pretty good fun, quite a relaxing activity even, well relaxing in as much as anything can be relaxing when you are constantly coming in close proximity with colourful and weirdly formed creature which may or may not be deadly and of course the fact that your life depends on some evidently much used scuba gear rented from some slightly unhinged looking Japanese chaps. Luckily the one of the pipes (on one of the girls scuba units) exploded when we were on land not under the ocean. At the time it didn’t unduly perturb us but in hindsight, THAT’S KINDA WORRYING! Anyway, the main thing is we survived. Kelly was the star of the day, persevering with a set of ears which were determined not to equalize. She had to abandon our second dive of the day after a long but unsuccessful battle to equalize her ears. If perhaps you don’t know, if you descend just a few meters your ears with get very, very painful due to the water pressure on them. To counter this one must blow through ones sinuses to apply equal air pressure from the inside of your ear, this is equalizing. Sometimes for a raft of reasons it may not work. Well, the story ended happily as Kelly bravely sallied forth again and this time got the better of her uncooperative lugs. The wealth of the underwater environment in
http://www.mcbi.org/what/dscstatement.htm
http://www.oceana.org/north-america/what-we-do/stop-destructive-trawling/deep-sea-corals/
In a related matter the recent capture of an intact and complete colossal (as opposed to giant) squid was not as a result of intrepid scientists who had finally obtained one of these elusive animals but rather a sign of how commercial fishing is plundering new ecosystems (having exhausted shallower ones) deeper and deeper in the ocean.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6385071.stm
My better shoudou offerings from this wednesday.
The top one means water and the lower one means heaven/air/sky.
One is a frigid bird.........the other is a penguin - HAH!
This last picture is a poster I saw in a train station in Tokyo. Miss Diaze (however it's spelt) is pretty big in Japan as of now, with several TV adverts and at least one HUGE (side of a building covering) poster in Akihabara. Apologies for the lame tag line, and 'bird' is the British-slang meaning which is a woman (like Americans would say chick).
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
I have put the pictures up in the wrong order sorry but I cannae be bo'ered deining it again.
So here are the Indians in Nakijin resplendent in their full regalia.
The deadly sword fighters face off, these fellows were fan-taby-dosy!
One of the 4 (?) classic dances of India, this being the Mulipur one.
I with my lower lever english conversation club, just a random pic.
The drummers performing their high energy routine at Izena primary school.
The sword fighters in action!
What an unexpectedly eventful week on Izena! First the
I am going to give as objective an account of the events as I can manage so don’t be too harsh on the Okinawans. Remember this place,
Right, well, disclaimer aside on with the tale. The first I heard of the Indians was when the Kyotosensei of the primary school told me that some Indians were coming to the school that day at
So! Back to the Indians, I am not sure what I was expecting but what ensued blew me away! There were about 15 or so Indians and their performances where stupendous! First a high energy drum performance, followed by an even more high energy and blindingly fast sword kata/dance. It was two chaps with bucklers and swords against a sole fighter wielding dual swords. The strokes and parries came so incredibly fast it was almost just a blur of action, I was amazed they didn’t hurt each other. The martial art is called Malipur Thaing Ta I think. Needless to say my children were also blown away. Then an Indian woman performed a beautiful solo dance and as the grand finale all the Indians started dancing. Then they invited (grabbed) the students to join the dance and then everyone. In a few minutes everyone was dancing in a number of big circles. I think the dance was supposed to form one large circle but there were too many people and it was kind of messy for a while before it formed into 3 or 4 concentric rings, one within the other (is that what concentric means?). I was in the centre ring and it was pretty cool. Afterwards my children were quite evidently hugely impressed and were trying to emulate some of the drumming and sword fighting moves. I hung around to speak to the Indians after all the students had been herded off, of course they spoke perfect English and we chatted for a while until their bus came and they had to go.
As I was walking to the shop I was passed by Yoshiaki and a car load of Indians, “My house, party!” he shouts. Alright I think. But first I shop and go for a run so I rock up late. In fact I was relaxing in the cooling breeze of my air-con when I get a ‘haiaku kite!’ email from Yoshi, mmm they really want me to come.
When I arrive I first wonder where the Indians are for around the table in the garden are a few Japanese and a noticeable lack of Indians. I sit down and receive my awamori. I am disappointed by the apparent lack of any food, usually parties have food! I hadn’t had dinner! There is some small talk and then I ask, so…..where are the Indians. Yoshiaki makes a face, “cards,” he says and motions to his house. Ahhhh, I remember how many Indians do not drink alcohol. I mention this to Yoshiaki and he makes a pained, exasperated expression. At this point two of the Indian women appear, Yoshiaki san motions for me to call them over. I hesitate because I remember from the reading up I did for my trip to India that it is commonly not considered appropriate for a woman to talk to strange men. But I yield and call them over, they come and sit down and my fears are confirmed when the first thing she asks me is, “are you a bachelor?”
I groan inwardly and tell her no but I have a girlfriend! She then tells me “I have a baby.”
'Great' I think, but after that they don’t seem to mind talking to a strange man and are perfectly polite and nice. They call over the other Indians and soon they are all sitting outside too. Yatta (woohoo!) I think. However it is apparent there no communication going on between the Japanese and Indians, none of the Japanese present spoke much English and the Indians did not speak any Japanese. I am happily talking to the drummers when an older lady comes out and sits next to me. She is introduced as the group leader so I give her a combined bow and namashite (or rather my approximation of the Indian greeting) and we chat. She has been going on cultural exchange trips like these for a number of years, her first trip was in 1984 to
The Indians politely agree and apologize as there won’t be very much. The Japanese graciously accept this. Soon the food is brought out and boy is it spicy! I forget what it is called but it is essentially chilly mooshed up with potato. It came as a side to some rice and Dahl. Later the Indians tell me the super spicy food was hotter than currys and something they eat when they want something extra spicy, where they getting a little revenge on the Okinawans? Next the emboldened Okinawans ask the Indians to do some performances, so we are treated to another incredible sword dance and several songs. The singer has a beautiful voice and it was pretty special. The Indians ask the favour to be returned and after a period a sanshin is produced. I get the feeling the Okinawans are a little shy and perhaps overawed, as the singing was a little lackluster and not up to their usual standard. One song is sung and then the Indians ask for “iiya sasa please!” So Yoshi starts belting out the Orion beer song. Now this is a song to dance to. The vice head of the BOE motions me to dance but I tell him no I am shy, I expect them to start dancing soon as they often do to this song. But nothing happens. I see that the Indians are literally squirming in their seats with a barely suppressed desire to dance. So I pop up and begin doing the Okinawan dance (kajashi?), all the Indians immediately join in and try to copy the dance. Still the Japanese won’t join in, so I eventually grab Kamiyama and pull him up and he in turn drags up one of the PTE members. 'Yes!' I think, 'now we are cooking!' But no, after a short while the two Okinawans retire and it is left to me and the Indians to dance out the song, which we do with verve and pip. I can’t help thinking that it is a bit funny that only the Indians guests and a resident foreigner are the only ones willing to do dance an Okinawan dance to Okinawan music. Meh. Like I said they were probably shy they usually dance. I count that as a blunder by the way. So you remember the hosts requesting the guests food? That was around
Luckily I have the luxury of not giving two hoots about my face and quite enjoying unpredictable circumstances. Ah yes, the wife of the PTE head did come and try to talk to the Indians and between my Japanese and her English we managed quite well. The Indians, I think, appreciated her efforts.
So the scene was set for stage two. The Indians told me they were going to be performing in Nakijin the following day so as I would be going to
I shared the same ferry ride with the Indians to the big island. When they first saw me in my lycra cycling get up I think they were a big shocked, these was definitely some hard, verging on staring, looking but they soon relaxed. They were very cute and wanted lots of pics with me. I must admit here I am rather fold of the way Indians use English, one of my favourites from the ferry ride was;
“I vant to snap with you.” To which I readily replied “OK! Lets Snap!”
He of course mean; “I want to take a picture with you,” in bog standard boring old plain English.
My Bike ride was quite pleasant and I and Kelly picked up some pineapples and flowers as a gift for the Indians. Kelly (being attentive -unlike me- to that sort of thing) remembered how when we arrived in
Well, as usual my blog entry is getting horrendously long, I appear to be unable to write with brevity and I apologize. If you have made it this far you are near the end! Promise! The performance at Nakijin was splendid with much fancier costumes and a few new acts including one of the 4(?) classic dances of
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Well….I am done my exams. Now I feel I have mountains of free time! It is great, although it won’t last and I will be looking for something to do with myself. I think though spending more time at school and with my kids would be a good call. The week in
Here I am studying at the British Council, a quiet study friendly haven in the midst of the Hussle and Bustle of Tokyo.
But this picture better sums up how I spent my time in Tokyo, namely studying in Cafes, this was my favourite cafe in Ginza.
ON my first night I went out on and innocent stroll to find dinner and got caught up in a crowd taking part in a festival! It was ages before I managed to escape, it was quite the adventure!
A view of Senso-ji temple in asakusa during the festival.
Curse my slow camera reflexes, my pictures do not do justice to the weird and wonderful people I saw, but you can get an idea by what you can see of this girl.
Some dodgy looking Japanese boys trying to chat up some school girls, tut tut!
Here is what a cool Japanese couple look like, note the man is as dressed up as the girl and the high waist of the dress, very now in Japan. Their tans mark them out as shibuya peeps or just wanna be shibuya peeps I think.
I sat the exams at the British council, there were two other people sitting my first exam and only one other sitting my second exam. The British Council is an interesting place. It seems to be a veritable little British propaganda outfit. The lobby area is filled with colourful, funky seats and countless pamflits and booklets promoting the
Another thing about
Mr Vuitton is clearly a fan of the school of though which believes pears to be THE panacea. The pears were all real btw.Here is what Ginza people look like, rather respectable and inoffensive desu ne. Just so you don't think all Tokyoites dress all crazy.
I wasn't the only people watcher!
French maid anyone? The picture below is of the enterance to a cos-play cafe. Where Japanese girls dress up as cute maid or even anime characters for the pleasure of the customer (mostly suit wearing Japanese men it seemed). I didn't go in as they had lots of signs prohibiting photographs but I got this sneaky one from the elevator, its not very good but you can see her frilly maid outfit! It is in Akihabara if you are interested...
I mostly resisted shopping in
I told you! Don’t laugh!
Anyway I have seen the ceramic pots in
I smiled my appreciation being at a loss for suitable words and began to browse. The choice was impossible. Perhaps I should explain. I like brushes. I really like brushes. I paint watercolours but I think I like the paint and brushes (and their interaction of course) more than I do the actual paintings that result. If I have one pet hate, on thing that gets to me, and I might remind you am a very easy going chap, it is people who don’t look after brushes! Please do not mishandle or otherwise abuse a brush in front of me! There is a chance I value that brush more highly than you! (You better hope that was a joke!) So I delayed the problem by asking for the simple things I needed, the bamboo rolling mat and the felt mat (for under the paper). I didn’t know the words but I described them suitably and just what I need was swiftly produced. I returned to the brushes and finally selected one. I reverently picked it up and carefully carried it in both hands to the shop-keep. He, also being a man who loves brushes took it equally reverently in both hands and carefully packed my purchases after which I paid and left happy and at peace with the world. So much so that when I was eating in Macdonalds (all I could justify after all my expenses that day…..that and I couldn’t resists the tamago (egg) double mac with bacon!) I left my drink and fries unfinished to give my seat to a couple who would have been otherwise seatless. Boy! Some of that shodou stuff was expensive though, a wee block of ink for 2man ($200)! My brush was not at the top of the range by any-means but still cost me 5000 yen ($50), there were ones that went up to 1man ($100) and there were also large ones hanging unpriced in a glass cabinet, I didn’t ask my much they cost!
Back in Okinawa:
What could be a better welcome back to Izena than some fresh hot sazai!
The Kobe students dancing to samisen music.
So that was
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
OK, here we go!
Me being taught to foxtrot by my lovely Cuz who happens to be an amazing dancer! I sucked btw.And they are married! (These pics ain't in any particular order).
The rumbustious Aussies, full of mirth and ..... other stuff.
Ah-hah! My shodou! Here is where I started the lesson. This Character is DO and has an earthy meaning it seems to me.
And here is where I got to! Two hours later! I was pretty pleased with my efforts. I wonder if to the western eye it will seem much different?
Ah, back to the wedding, the couples first dance.
My uncle and the piper. Who knew there was a bag piping society in Albuqerque!
I and my mother, shortly before the wedding ceremony I think.
The beautiful wedded couple and some random in the middle.
The mountains over Telluride glowing pink as the sun sets.
So it appears I have been back in Okinawa for about a week now. Of course it now seems like I never went on my little holiday, brain seamlessly stitching the pre America timeline to the post America timeline. Why is it always like that with holidays? And while in America it did not feel like I had not seen my Mum for almost two years, maybe we expect something to have changed and when there isn't a change our grey matter just assumes it cant really have been that long? It was a fantastic trip, a few days spent before the wedding in Albuqerque which has a cute little old town, all adobe pueblo style buildings and a fairly old church built by the Spanish. We also took the works longest tramway up to the top of the Sandia mountains which look over Albuquerque. Initially I must admit America kind of depressed me. I am not sure why because no-one can claim the buildings and such in Okinawa are anything less than hideous but everything seems very ugly to me. I generally find modern buildings ugly, they are creations determined by economy and function. Gone are the days when near every building was a work of art. We are very lucky in Britain to have beautiful Victorian buildings with carved stone relief work and such like. Although modern buildings are much easier to live in of course. There are many stunning modern buildings but they tend to be the exceptions. I am aware it is my personal taste and probably a fairly european one to find old beautiful but there ya go! So it offended me when I went to a run to find asphalt roads with rough edges (not neatly finished) going to ugly little houses each with two or three huge gleaming and no-doupt polluting motor vehicles parked outside. Anyway. The wedding was perfect, really perfect. It was beautiful and moving and most importantly everyone has a really good time, much helped by a group of rumbustious, gregorian Aussies who has come across for the wedding. If you don't know my dear cousin (Amerikan-jin) has married an Australian chap who is in my humble opinion a fine fellow indeed! But I cannot go into great detail otherwise I will never finish this post and it will be hugely long (I have to leave space for any possible rants).
Directly after the wedding I attended the Aussies last HURRAH on the mean street of Albuqeruque. It was some thing going on, apperently called 'spring crawl', one of the two nights a year Albuqerque is happening. I have never seen so many police at one time! Mounted police too! Entire side-street packed with police vans and cars! What did they think was going to happen? People can't go out and have a good time without a massive police presence? The bouncer of the bar we wound up in cheerfully told us someone has been shot in front of the bar last night.....maybe the police are needed?
After the wedding we drive upto my America family's home in the little (but growing) mountain town of Durango, Colorado. Almost immediately I was reminded of why I do really like America, the nature/wilderness! It is fantastic! As we drove out of the city along the Rio Grande there were beautiful adobe house set amongst elegant riverwood and cottonwood trees with their lively green spring leaves. From there on it got better and better. I love the crazy rock colours and formations that fill New Mexico. As we hit Colorado (I guess we were too busy looking at the scenery to see it coming!) thing immediately got greener and we could see towering snow topped mountains brooding in the distance wreathed in a mantle of raging storm clouds and lighting.
We stayed in Durango for a day or two, it is a lovely town, and although it has grown it maintians it charm. The centre is easily navigated on foot and much to my relief and pleasure they buildings were pleasant on the eye. The town has a very western feel which I like, the two old hotels on Main street (the General Palmer and the Strater) have fantastic Saloon bars. One can also buy John Wayne toilet paper in the gift shops printed with the slogan 'it's rough and it's tough and it doesnt take shit off anyone.' Please excuse me for the language. Durango is at about 6000 feet and early one morning I took it upon myself to go for a run. BAD IDEA. I ran straight up a hill that took about 20 minutes to crest. WORSE IDEA! I managed to run for another ten minutes after the hill before I had to sit down. My lungs were really burning, it was verging in painful. My lungs never approached feeling this bad during a whole marathon at sea level. Altitude training, man that must work!
Then we drove to an even higher town of Telluride which a drop of at John Waynes fav. cafe in the town of Ridgeway and cresting Molas pass (10910 feet). Molas pass is famous as the spot where I succumbed to the lovely, fresh, packable, shiny, white snow and hit my mum with a snowball at a good 15-20 metres distance! And caught it on video ;)). Telluride is also a great little town although quite a bit more up-market that Durango. It was hearted to find that the orgional local community is still going strong and fighting to save their valley floor from being developed by an evil defence company owning San Diegan. The mountains were stunning and the place had a very Alpine feel, really a great place to live. I can't wait to see Austria!
Since I have been back in Okinawa it has mostly been study study. It is cram time now. I did find time to do to a spa kind of place with Kelly. I think you call it a spa at least. It has lots of various types of pools of salt water with various water jets and bubbles going on, pretty fun. I couldn't work out the system in the changing room and didn't bring my towel into the shower room and had to walk back all wet to my locker leaving puddles everywhere but meh, these things happen. On Sunday I and Kelly went to a play put on by Izena people on the mainland. This is the play I mentioned a while back, the one I had to turn down a part in due to nerdy study reasons. I almost regretted it then! The play was marvellous! Very polished and professional looking and in a snazzy new theatre that was only completed this year. They poor souls did three back to back performances on the sunday and every one was packed to the rafters. Admittedly allot of Izenians went (Izena must have been empty) and I am guessing all their relatives who live on the main island went too but still it was a good show. They were selling t-shirts and cds and books on the play, it was quite the commercial operation! They also had a pamphlet showing Izena's various produce and stalls outside selling it. Pretty good marketing operation I thought! Ok I must go study now, boy I can't wait until these exams are over.
PS. I finally made a Shodo class and it was great! I learned most in those 2 hours than I have for weeks from the book I baught. It is not something one can really learn from a book I feel.