Japan 2017

PLEASE NOTE : I have not had the chance to watermark all of my photos, and it will take me a great deal of time, as I published this and my other blogs between 2010-2017. I ask you to respect my property. Feel free to use them as long as you credit me as follows:  Photo by Jody McBrien, learningtheworld.org . Thank you. I taught my first class on Monday, April 10, Global Issues in Education. My students were very nice, and they spoke good English. We laughed when I spoke with them in Japanese for a while, then finished in Japanese with "demo skoshi dake des!" (I know just a little). I asked them to help me know how much reading to give them, as my mentor suggested that I cut back on assignments. I think I may have cut back too much. I will trust them to tell me; one already completed the assignment and told me he can do more. He will meet with me next week, as he plans his undergrad capstone project to be something to do with refugees. On Tuesday afternoon I meet with Qi...

PLEASE NOTE : I have not had the chance to watermark all of my photos, and it will take me a great deal of time, as I published this and my other blogs between 2010-2017. I ask you to respect my property. Feel free to use them as long as you credit me as follows:  Photo by Jody McBrien, learningtheworld.org . Thank you. April 14, 2017 Today we headed off into downtown where we found tori gates and lines of cherry trees leading up to Kenchoji Temple, the oldest Zen temple in Kamakura, founded in 1253. The main street At Kenjoji  The Sanmon Main Gate Then we walked a good deal farther to find a trail head for a 2K trek through the woods and over a mountain. Halfway there was a beautiful park where families were playing and enjoying their hanami (picnics under the cherry trees).  The trail was up and down with lots of steep climbing, so we were pretty tired by the time we got back to the airbnb. You can do it, Superma...

PLEASE NOTE : I have not had the chance to watermark all of my photos, and it will take me a great deal of time, as I published this and my other blogs between 2010-2017. I ask you to respect my property. Feel free to use them as long as you credit me as follows:  Photo by Jody McBrien, learningtheworld.org . Thank you. Today, April 13, we left on a long weekend excursion - first to Kamakura, and then onto a place still unknown to Dick. Kamakura is the original capital of Japan, home to the shoguns in the 12th and 13th centuries, and established as the political center of Japan by shogun Minamoto Yurimoto in 1192. There are many temples and shrines, at least 30. We found our way (with kind help - any local seeing people looking lost tends to come up to help!) from Hachioji changing trains in Yokohama. Our airbnb host gave excellent directions for catching a bus from there. For a much better price than I hotel, we have an entire apartment to ourselves in a great location. ...

PLEASE NOTE : I have not had the chance to watermark all of my photos, and it will take me a great deal of time, as I published this and my other blogs between 2010-2017. I ask you to respect my property. Feel free to use them as long as you credit me as follows:  Photo by Jody McBrien, learningtheworld.org . Thank you. Yes, well, Dick didn't know where this was either, so I surprised him on Saturday, April 15, with a train trip to this town very near Mt. Fuji. I chose to get us there because the weather promised to be sunny. People can go to this town and never see Fuji-san, in spite of how it dominates the landscape on clear days. We arrived at the Royal Hotel Kawaguchiko in the morning and were told to come back at 3pm (nothing royal about this place, but it's very near two popular attractions). So we headed off to take the boat ride on the lake, where we got good photos of Fuji. It was becoming hazy, and the top of the volcano became shrouded in clouds, but the photos ...

PLEASE NOTE : I have not had the chance to watermark all of my photos, and it will take me a great deal of time, as I published this and my other blogs between 2010-2017. I ask you to respect my property. Feel free to use them as long as you credit me as follows:  Photo by Jody McBrien, learningtheworld.org . Thank you. Week of April 16 After our adventures in Kamakura and near Fuji-san, we've been staying close to "home," and making it more homey. We went to Don Qui's (Don Quixote's - a kind of Japanese Super Walmart, I hate to say) to get an additional pad to put under our futons and some more supportive pillows. Those were fun to bring back on the bus along with groceries! I have not enjoyed a real springtime in many years, so it has been a joy to watch nature progress. In the short three weeks that we have been here, we have watched trees go from barren to blossoms to green leaves. Though it is sad to see the cherry blossoms depart, Soka seems to unders...