English language school in the heart of the Japanese Alps, and English language learners sharing their experiences online. Teachers post regular items about teaching, learning tools, events in the school, their day to day experiences living & working in a foreign country. Students post on whatever takes their fancy - book reports, festivals in home towns, postcards from business trips etc. A little Brit of England in the guts of Japan!
Today is my last day in Australia. I just had a big bbq lunch cooked by uncle Mike. I was hungry - this morning I was jumping through the surf and swimming in the pool. It is 32 degrees!
I have had an amazing time here, and can't fit it all on a postcard!
Qantas will take me home to freeing Matsumoto tonight - no more football or cricket or sliding in the garden :(
Our great northern venues in Yamagata & Fukushima have been co-operating with each other since adopting Cambridge exams, and last weekend the fine tradition continued. MY English Schools in Yamagata are very keen on Cambridge Young Learners, and it was a pleasure to deliver examiner training to their staff on Saturday.
The following day, we had a whole day of Professional Development, which included opportunities to practice & hone our interlocution skills with volunteer candidates. This puts examiners under 'real' exam pressures and is invaluable experience - helps me identify possible areas that need fine-tuning or showcase good habits. The volunteer candidates can enjoy two or three 'practice' goes for free, to help get them in the mood for the actual exams which will be taking place in November (details below). I'd like to thank Ryan's school & staff for their help in organising the weekend, and for all their hard work.
I actually enjoyed the long drive, as the nights' on the expressway coincided with live commentary on the cricket between England & Australia in London...meaningless for most people I know, but blissfully enjoyable for me, and made the 1,100km slip by relatively quickly - just like the Aussie innings!
While you were away holiday (or more accurately, while we were flitting over our Christmas & New Year break!), I have been listening to a lot of cricket; and not just any old cricket...The Ashes...
Obviously, living in a heathen, uncricketing, country like Japan (please bid for the World Cup?!) is a bit of a nuisance. Can't watch it on "Sky Perfect" which I guess is fair enough, given ice hockey, high school rugby, Giro Italia >300 are all much more popular sports (hint - I am being very sarcastic). Can't listen to the very traditional, & incomparable Test Match Special (TMS) from the BBC hosted these days by 'Aggers' (Jonathon Agnew), nor tune in to (ABC) Radio Australia's commentary with Jim Maxwell - because I do not live in either Australia for The ABC or The UK for The BBC. If I lived in one or the other I'd either be there or watching it on the telly 24/! This is about the most annoying thing about trying to watch or access 'my' sport these days - not living in the only place I wouldn't actually need a TV or PC or iPhone.
Wikipedia image - TMS
If your PC is detected as being 'not in the UK' then you can't listen to live sports from the BBC.
Ditto that for any other sport from any other country from their national provider eg ABC in Australia.
Now, there is a way to watch events 'streaming', which is very hit & miss - I recommends myp2p
You will need to download & install certain 'players' - the software to put the jigsaw together (and I recommend more than one, 'just in case') - check out the software tab on the site?
Another way to enjoy your sport is to 'do the ostrich' - hide your head in the sand with your fingers in your ears and avoid the scores! Find a stream to the game you missed at Diwana (register - no tricks at all) but beware any spoiler who tells you the score before you can watch. iPhone users remember, you can save a video to your phone and watch eg on the train. If a friend calls you before you have watched a game, don't answer!
This winter, England's cricket team has been touring Australia. The two countries compete over 5 Test Matches (each match a five-day game) to win 'The Ashes'. It is cricket's Holy Grail - and in my lifetime it has usually been about as achievable - ie impossible. Australia have been a dominant team for so long. Twelve hours ago, England ripped the heart out of the Aussies winning the game at The Sydney Cricket Ground. Not just winning...stomping up & down on them ruthlessly as the Aussies capitulated pathetically. HA! Grin grin I am smiling so much my face hurts!
To be perfectly honest I got to work early this morning. New Luna, new parking places, new classrooms, let Naomi-sensei in, turn on the heaters (-5 when he arrived)....NO! So I could tune in and listen to Test Match Sofa and catch the moment, for the first time in 24 years, England WON the Ashes in Australia. Yes, the last time England did this I was three three!
Over the holidays I have been cleaning, painting, and carpeting our lovely new premises.
Apparently there was a bit of drama in Los Angeles yesterday as well, something about a baseball match? Did Japan win something important? If it was in America, wasn't America supposed to win?
G'day everybody!
