A postcard from...Akasaka, Tokyo

C.E.M. greets the S.E. team

Thank you to all my students, who are zooming with me today because I 'needed' to be at Yamawaki Junior & Senior High School to conduct speaking exams for Young Learners...

As you can see, I am not alone; it is very hard to find teachers with "free time" on a Thursday morning (or be able to get back to work in time for classes after). So, I was delighted to meet a couple of new faces from Osaka, and familiar faces from Kobe & Yamagata, as well as Kanto 'locals'. Really grateful for the effort made to get here - overnight car drives through the snow, late night shinkansen sprints & early morning commutes - thank you guys!

I am proud also of the diversity in our team - today from South Africa, Singapore, Ireland, New Zealand, the Philippines, China, Syria, Japan, UK & USA. 

 

Postcard from...Mr. & Mrs. Miyazaki

There's nowhere else I want to be...

Dear Luna family,

I hope that you are all keeping well, and looking forward to the weather warming up.

It has been a few weeks since I started my new teaching role in Akasaka, Tokyo. It is an exciting new chapter for myself, and my family. Thank you for all the kindness you showed me before my departure. I will forever cherish the memories I shared with each & every one of you. Which leads me on to some very special news that we would like to share with you all. Rumi, who has been my loving partner for the last 2.5 years, and I got married on March 7th. We are now Mr. & Mrs. Miyazaki. We also have another little bundle of joy to share. Rumi & I are expecting an addition to our family on July 31st. We are not sure whether the baby is a boy or a girl yet, but in the meantime we've given the nickname "Kimi-chan" until we decide on a final name. Any suggestions are welcome of course!

With lots of love, Damian, Rumi & Kimi-chan

Restaurant review - Spice Monster in Akasaka, Tokyo

I noticed this new restaurant in Akasaka because it had an interesting name, and an English menu outside with lamb dishes featuring prominently.

I went in the early evening and it was empty (not usually a good sign) but the waitress jumped into action while I could hear the young chef worrying that he couldn't speak English - but he didn't know I was English even though I was wearing an England rugby shirt! I liked the feel of the place, and I think it would a perfect place for a quiet date - the staff didn't bother me, and the music was quiet.

Spice Monsters - exquisitely tasty

I actually ordered a Black Angus steak, and as I was seated at the counter, I had a bird's eye view as my selection was carefully but quickly spiced & fried, rested, then grilled. Presented to me on a wooden platter with anchovy sauce topped chips (french fries if you like) & an unhealthy but necessary sprinkling of rock salt. Simple is best, but the chef had blended a number of spices into a delicate sauce...which melted with the perfect steak in my mouth. It was fabulous, and exactly what I wanted.

I thoroughly recommend this little restaurant, between Akasaka & Akasaka-Mitsuke stations...actually, within a stone's throw of King's Road School of English. Prices were reasonable, they take credit cards, and in the end I had a good chat with Naoya & Sayumi!

Bishop's Finger

No, I can't think of anything appropriate to add to the name either, but it did rather sum up my feelings on Saturday.

The examining at our venue in Akasaka went well enough, although there were some noise issues which will have to be sorted out before the next session. Tana & I examined Japanese, Swiss, Russian and French candidates at KET & PET levels, a nice variety.

Session also taking place in Nagoya at the same time, so quite a lot of our OEs got the chance to examine again and to implement some of the feedback from last time before they get too rusty.

I enjoyed a couple of pints in The Mermaid with my mate Trevor...so much so the last train home very nearly went without me!

FCE in Tokyo

Today sees the second leg of Cambridge ESOL's FCE exam, which we are running in Tokyo for the first time. We are delighted to be able to do so, with the help of Luke & Kuniko at I.L.C. in Akasaka.

I.L.C. asked us earlier this year where their students could take FCE/CAE/CPE, because the British Council would no longer accept candidates. At the same time, Cambridge ESOL were asking Luna to become a Centre for those exams (also called Upper Main Suite or UMS) on top of what we are already certified for (YLE,KET, PET, FCE, TKT).

So we did the logical thing & combined forces. Wednesday we will run C.A.E. & Thursday C.P.E.
There are 33 candidates taking FCE today, and even in the large room available to us it was a tight squeeze to accommodate everyone. In the past, candidates had to take the speaking part on a different day. This is OK if you live locally, but impossible if you are coming a long way (Nagano? Nagoya? Hokkaido?)...so we are trying this way. Unfortunately, it is impossible to please everyone all the time.

Candidates took four papers - Reading, Writing, Use of English & Listening before the speaking tests to finish. It's a very long day - exhausting. At first candidates looked very nervous, later hot & tired. Our four Oral Examiners (thank you Jennifer, Mark, Phil & Martin) were busy and we justabout managed to finish on schedule.

For me this was a stressful day - preparing for it has taken a lot of my time over the last 3 or 4 months - and to finish it with everyone satisfied and no major problems was a relief. As well as running the exams, I needed to make sure the staff at ILC knew what they were supposed to do & when, what to say in the exam room & how to manage a lot of confidential material. So I was very relieved when we'd finished & the last candidates had left - only two more days of the same again!

(Thank you & sorry to my students whose classes I had to cancel today; I hope you can see the bigger picture - I want you to take the exams in Matsumoto!)

Luna firsts - Niigata & Tokyo

Today Luna International added two new 'venues' for Cambridge ESOL exams under our status as a Centre (Japan's most active).

Alan Morrison owns an English school called Sunshine, in Ojiya-shi, Niigata-ken; Trevor Joseph owns King's Road English School in Akasaka, Tokyo. Neither school has previously held Cambridge ESOL exams before, and naturally both Alan & Trevor were nervous about 'getting it right'. I am delighted to say that both ran really well-organised sessions, under a lot of pressure, and that all candidates today were able to sit their exams in professional & proper circumstances. Well done Alan & Trevor - you both earned a cold beer this evening, and put your schools on the map. Both Alan & Trevor should be very proud of themselves/their schools & students.

Both Sunshine & King's Road deserve a big thank you from me. In Niigata, we need to thank Ayako for her help ushering & Mark Brierley for giving up his day & a long trip from Matsumoto to invigilate & examine. In Akasaka, thanks due to Martin Nuttall for helping make sure the sessionwent smoothly, and to Malcolm Prentice/David Munn for examining a lot of candidates in cramped conditions & under time pressure.

Altogether, 20 candidates took K.E.T. today, and 26 took P.E.T. A lot of candidates came from the two schools hosting the exams today, but also a lot of private candidates from far and wide; high school & university students, housewives, engineers & business people alike sat side-by-side.

Results will be available online within 4 weeks, and candidates will receive their certificates mid-January. I am really excited with today's session for Luna too - first time we have run multiple venues for Lower Main Suite exams. Altogether a very good day!

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