NHK Enkai

End of year gathering for my NHK class last night was a lot of fun, with everyone over indulging suitably.



The China Trip Bar was a good choice of venue, as the food was good and the nomihodai a good deal - without the hassle you can sometimes get. Takeshi, Masa & I got stuck into the draft lager while the girlies ordered the usual bizarre range of chu-hi's, sours, teas, etc.

Takako dropped by to add glamour but couldn't stay because she has a test today - ambitions of a job in Singapore sounds very worthwhile!



Our old classmate Machiko was also able to join us with her lovely son Ryotaro, who spent the evening on my knee eating & getting tickled. Well-behaved children are a pleasure & especially invited to the pre-school!

No more classes this year for NHK (Luna is open until the 22nd) so Merry Christmas Ayaka, Chisato, Teruki, Masa, Takeshi, Toshimasa, Miyako, and Hana-chan. Thank you for being such a pleasant group to teach.

Postcard from...Singapore

Hello Jim,

I'm having sooo much fun in Singapore :)

I drank Singapore Sling at the Raffles Hotel last night. I really like to be here!

See you in Matsumoto.

Love ya,  Takako

Takako getting famous

Unfortunately the image processing in my iPhone rather over did it, so this is a bit hard to read. It is even harder if you can't read Japanese :) It is an article in the local paper about the help available to non-Japanese visitors to our fair city.

One of our old students from my NHK class quit working in a dull bank in Tokyo recently, coming 'home' to Matsumoto and found a much more interesting position working for the city, in the Tourist Information office.

Takako's English is great, and she has just the right kind of personality to help 'lost' foreigners. Although she is a local girl, she is having to learn a lot about the city on the job! Whenever I am passing the office, on Honmachi dori (approaching the castle, left side os the street) I like to drop in and pull her leg.

Gambatte Takako! Great to know visitors are in good hands!

Star struck

You know, just once in a while, I find myself lost for words!

Yesterday evening was one of those occasions, when an all-time favourite ex-student stuck her head around the door of my classroom at NHK. We were in the middle of something, but the wheels fell of pretty quick with an impromptu interrogation!

• When did she get back? 
• What happened to the 'you beaut' job in Ginza? 
• Still with the boyfriend? 
• What are you doing now?

Takako could charm the birds out of the trees, and invariably does. She has been recruited to front up Matsumoto's city tourism office near the castle. Which genius did that? Needs saluting! Takako is an absolute gem, and having her represent this city is superb!

Ah. Sorry class - kind of lost my focus there for once.

Takako's leaving party

Once again we are saying goodbye to a favourite student :(

Takako has been in my class at NHK for the last two years and has been very popular with her co-learners. She hasn't always been able to come, with work commitments and a busy social schedule, and her homework book mysteriously vanished ages ago, but she has consistently done very well in class and added a bit of sparkle.

Last night, her classmates went to Rakura for a meal and a few drinks to say goodbye & wish her well as she heads off to Sydney. With a bit of luck, she'll catch up with my brother Mike & mate Greg. The food was fairly ordinary (the cod was about as bland as it could possibly be!) but the drinks kept coming to wash it down. Kouichi was throwing down the sake...

As you can see everyone had a great evening, and a quick 'second party' at one of Teruki's friend's bar finished us off nicely. Thanks to all for making Takako's sayonara lots of fun. Let's wait for her to blog her from Downunder?!