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Ordinary Life - in Fukushima.

3/29/2012

Ordinary Life is a new documentary, by Hokkaido director Taizo Yoshida. I went to the premier of the film at L-Plaza this week.

Ordinary people in Fukushima, who have had an extraordinary year, speak about their experiences and what they think may happen in future. How they live with radiation fears, away from the homes, or how they adapt their lives to strange times. Central to the film are the children of Fukushima and what this all means for them.
At the moment the film is in Japanese, but Yoshida-san is hoping to add English subtitles.

I have offered our services - some of Imagine students are translators and interpreters.

It will be volunteer work, this isn't a money-making chance, but I think it will be a wonderful way to use your English skills to help tell Fukushima's story to the world. Hopefully this documentary will be shown at film festivals and elsewhere.

I've already spoken to several students about this: Satoko, Takami and Takai, and some of the Shin-Sapporo karaoke group - so I will let you know more details next month.

Meanwhile, here is a short preview of the film. You can practice your subtitling skills :-)

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Cherry blossom...

3/26/2012

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Yes, there IS cherry blossom in England! This is Hyde Park In London. A friend took the photo last week. But......no parties under the trees.

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My friend. Sharron.

3/20/2012

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Tonight I sit in Japan and think about my friend Sharron.
Today was her funeral in England. She died 2 weeks ago after suffering with cancer for 4 years.
I saw her 3 years ago? Maybe. It was hard to go and see her while my father and step-mother were sick, in hospital and then dead. She lived about 3 hours away from their home. I'd hoped I would see her this summer when I go to the UK.
But 2 weeks ago I got an email from her friend that she had died.

I couldn't go to her funeral. Grieving at a distance is so strange. Nobody in my life in Japan knew her, so I am sharing her with you.

At Xmas I sent her a perfume flower that I bought at Sapporo Factory. She loved it.
When the cancer charity nurses were preparing her body for the funeral they took the perfume flower from the bedside table and put it in her hands. So, she will take it with her.
Last week I went to Factory. I bought two more. I sent one to her friend Pat. And I kept the other.
Tonight I started the perfume flower, found a nice picture of Sharron and lit a candle.

Sharron was a noisy, funny lady. Very kind and always interested in new experiences. She would say the most outrageous funny things about men - we laughed and laughed.

We met when I was a reporter on a newspaper and she was the media spokesperson for an arts center. Her job was to try and get me to write about her arts center in the newspaper. But she was often TOO honest: "This is a very strange play, I don't think anyone will understand it. Please write something about it so we have a few customers!".
So I did. I loved her honesty.

Later we became friends and we shared a love of theater and cats and alcohol.

When I took Japanese students from Saitama to England for homestays Sharron helped me, meeting them at the airport, guiding them to the sights of the UK and giving them a BIG experience of real English - not polite teacher talk that they got in classrooms in Japan.
My students loved her. She was so open and honest and funny. And kind.

Ahhh. Sharron. Writing this makes me remember so many things about you dear.

I wish you were alive and we could meet again in July.
I wish.

I miss you.

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Better air :-)

3/14/2012

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Imagine's air should be better from now on.
Healthier!

Last month I suddenly had terrible leg spasms in the early morning. About 10 times I couldn't stand, I had great pain in my right thigh.
It was like an earthquake in my leg!

I went to the hospital and had many checks, but the doctor couldn't find any problem with my muscles or bones.

I was very worried.

I did a lot of Internet searches and talked to many students and friends. One common theme emerged: dehydration.
Are you drinking enough water? Are you in dry rooms for hours a day?
I started drinking MUCH more water. I thought about my working environment. I bought this humidifier and a humidity meter.

Imagine is a hard space to heat. The building has bad insulation - so as soon as I turn down/off the heater it gets cold quickly. Yes - I KNOW the room is too hot sometimes!!!
And dry. Normally the humidity is about 60%. But with heating that quickly becomes 30%.
Students usually come for an hour. I often work in this place for 6 or 7 hours.
So I think my body becomes dehydrated. Muscles that are dehydrated have problems. So maybe that was why I had the leg spasms.
Maybe.
Anyway - I will try.

English people NEVER think about lack of air humidity. England is a wet country! We think about damp and clothes or homes getting damp. But not about bodies getting too dry. :-))

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Niseko - the birthday ski trip

3/11/2012

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We went to celebrate my.....51st birthday!.....with skiing at Niseko. It's the first big ski trip I have done since damaging my knee 3 years ago.
The sunshine was wonderful, the snow up the mountain ok, the food......oh my...and onsen...
We stayed at Niseko Kogen Hotel (actually Hirafu Lodge) and today was the hotel's last day of business. It will close and be knocked down because the new owners will build a big new resort.

My knee was strong enough to do a total of 8 hours skiing over 2 days - THAT was a great personal success :-)

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3/11 thru the eyes...and words of kids.

3/6/2012

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My anniversary....

3/3/2012

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Happy 20th Anniversary!

3, March 1992 I came to Japan.
Today is our anniversary! Japan and I.

I arrived from Thailand and only planned to stay 3 weeks. I had a round-the-world ticket back to England. I'd been backpacking round Europe and Asia. Japan was the last country.
At Narita Airport there was a doll display in the Arrival Hall, I really felt I had come to Japan.
I took the SkyLiner to Ueno, and then the Yamanote Line to Ikebukuro and I stayed at a guest house somebody had told me about.

After sleeping most of the afternoon I talked to some of the other foreigners and we went out to dinner nearby - my first kaiten sushi.

In Thailand someone told me that March was job hunting season for English teachers...and the idea grew: I could get a job here and stay away from England and my real job (newspaper reporter) for another year.
So I looked in The Japan Times newspaper every day and started going for job interviews.....after 10 days I got a job at a small English school in Saitama....and my life in Japan grew from there.

Happy Anniversary Japan :-) I love you. xx

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Ordinary Life - in Fukushima.

Cherry blossom...

My friend. Sharron.

Better air :-)

Niseko - the birthday ski trip

3/11 thru the eyes...and words of kids.

My anniversary....

Happy 20th Anniversary!

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