TEIJG - Teaching English in Japan

Woke Up to Snow

2012-02-28T21:16:00.000-08:00

Imagine that.....there is snow on my car. Oh and the power went out in the middle of a Netflix movie the night before (@-@)

English Teacher Busted for Drugs in Fukuoka JHS

2012-02-27T16:01:00.003-08:00

This is why we always say stay away from the drugs in Japan!! The Japanese police don't tolerate the use of illegal drugs at all. There are no soft drugs and hard drugs here, they are all treated the same!

県警によると、シルバーマン容疑者が大麻を所持しているとの情報提供があり、同日、自宅を家宅捜索したところ、机の上に乾燥大麻があったという。 According to the pref. police, there was a tip that Silverman was in possession of pot, and a search of his place conducted on the same day, there was some dried pot found on his desk.

Bowling in Japan

2012-02-26T18:10:00.001-08:00

So, the family and I, with a friends family as well, went bowling yesterday. I think this is the second or third time in 10 years that I have been bowling, and 1 or 2 of those times was in Japan. Some interesting things about bowling in Japan.

1. There is an automatic shoe dispenser.
2. Membership cards for everyone. We couldn't use one card to cover the entire group.
3. It cost about 1000 yen.
4. We had to buy a drink.
5. Bowling with a 4 year old kid is funny!
6. I suck at bowling, but had a blast.

Here are some pictures from a Japanese bowling alley. Enjoy!

Box Town was packed! There is a discount supermarket that is always packed here. People love the place so we had to fight for parking.

Let's go bowling!

The automatic shoe dispenser (@_@)

Japanese rental bowling shoes

The console.

Over head computer score boards. Pretty easy to use even if you don't know much Japanese.

That's our lane!

Japanese Bowling Alley

A little out of focus, but you get the idea (^_^)

Super Print Club "Purikura"

New Old Public Phone

2012-02-26T16:28:00.000-08:00

Yes....you can still find the odd public phone around. As you know these days most people have i-phones and other kinds of mobile phones. The days of the public phone are numbered, but you can still see a few around and they are mainly for the benefit of the older generation. This one is a new phone out near Eric's train station. You can use a card or coins, also this phone can be used for international calls.

Added a "Latest Episode Player"

2012-02-24T17:19:00.002-08:00

::: TEIJG Site Update :::

If you look at the side bar to the right you will see a new audio player. I added this so you can get to the latest episode easily. Let me know if you want more than one episode and I will add them.

Thanks,
Eric "The Yank"

Eikaiwa Text Books

2012-02-23T02:53:00.001-08:00

Was going through my stack of English Books and I thought I would snap a picture of the "usual suspects" that you might have to use if you teach in Japan. I keep these around for private lessons and sometimes to get ideas about examples for my JHS classes.

Trash Bags in Japan a Ripoff!!

2012-02-22T04:22:00.001-08:00

10 trash bags for 525 Yen!! What a ripoff!! To make matters worse you have to buy special bags for your area, or they wont pick them up. It seems like a scam to me, but I am sure there is a "reason"...

Japanese Dolls - Ohinasama

2012-02-20T15:46:00.000-08:00

Karatsu Castle

2012-02-19T23:59:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of Karatsu Castle, which is about an hour west of Fukuoka City. You can get there pretty easily by train. The inside is a museum inside with lots of historical Samurai type stuff. It's much better than the Fukuoka Castle ruins, that's for sure!

Japan Picture: No Digging Here

2012-02-19T20:07:00.002-08:00

Anthony snapped this picture the other day. It basically says "Don't Dig Here, There Are Phone Lines Here!".

TEIJG - 059: "The AKB48 Handshake "

2012-02-16T23:53:00.000-08:00

Episode 59 of the Teaching English in Japan Podcast
Hosts: Anthony "The Crank" & Eric "The Yank".

[Download Podcast MP3]

In this episode "The Yank" and "The Crank" catch you up on their crazy lives in Japan. The Crank updates us on his visit to Australia. The Yank updates us on life as an ALT at a Japanese Junior High School. We also talk a little about AKB48 and other things happening in Japan.
Show Notes:
√ Missing Student√ Chalkboards√ AKB48 - Come on the Hands
√ AKB48 - Mom and the JHS Student
√ Anthony's Thoughts of Australia
√ School year almost finished, Job hunt is on
√ KPop Group "Girls Generation" makes debut in American on Letterman Show

KFC in Japan - The Fried Chicken Sandwich

2012-02-16T22:07:00.001-08:00

Check out the Chicken Fillet Double. I don't know if they have this thing outside of Japan, but it looks pretty awesome. I was afraid to order it, but I foresee myself getting one soon. I went for the seasoned chicken to the left of it.

This KFC is in a mall here in Fukuoka. Thought you might want to see what one looks like here in Japan so I snapped a quick picture while we ate.

FAQ: What is Omiyage?

2012-02-15T19:56:00.000-08:00

What is Omiyage? Omiyage is a souvenir that you give or receive after a trip somewhere. The Beer and the "Wagon Wheel Choco Coated Marshmallow & Jam" are omiyage from Anthony brought back from Australia.

Japanese Manga: One Piece

2012-02-15T01:16:00.000-08:00

If you ask a student what their favoriet manga is you will most likely get the answer "One Piece". One Piece is a comic about pirates, basically. You can see it just about everywhere in Japan!

I used to ask the question what is your favorite manga, but these days I am sick of getting the same answer. With students it's almost always "One Piece". The students probably read other comics but at the time my guess is that is the only title they can think of. You can find it on YouTube if you want to check it out. Here is one of the many videos you can find.

Japan FAQ: "What's a Kei Car?"

2012-02-15T01:00:00.001-08:00

This is an example of a modern "Kei Car". You can tell it's a kei car by the yellow license plate. The engine size is 660cc. Here is a quote from Wikipedia on exactly what a kei car is.

Kei car, K-car, or keijidōsha (軽自動車^?, lit. "light automobile") (pronounced [keːdʑidoːɕa]), is a Japanese category of small vehicles, including passenger cars, vans, and pickup trucks. They are designed to comply with Japanese government tax and insurance regulations, and in most rural areas are exempted from the requirement to certify that adequate parking is available for the vehicle.^[1]^[2]^[3] This especially advantaged class of cars was developed to promote popular motorization in the post war era. While successful in Japan, the genre is generally too specialized and too small to be profitable in export markets.

Modern Kei Cars are actually pretty roomy. They don't usually feel underpowered since most of the driving you will be doing in Japan is either in traffic or on single lane roads. I myself like the turbo or super charged kei cars for that extra "get-up-and-go".

Girls Buy the Chocolate in Japan!

2012-02-13T15:48:00.000-08:00

Did you know that for Valentines Day in Japan the girls buy the sweets for the boys? Well, that's exactly what happens! But don't worry girls, the boys don't get away without buying you something special. That's what White Day is for. White day is about a month away. It's the perfect balance for the sweets industry, yeah? They get your money!! LOL

PS. Look what they just started selling in Japan! That's right you can now get Reese's Pieces here in Japan rather easily. It's still nearly impossible to get Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in Japan though. They can be found, but it aint easy!! I usually just settle with a chocolate bar and a small jar of peanut butter when I need a fix....

Talk to you soon,
Eric "The Yank"

FAQ - "Do You Need a Degree to Teach in Japan?"

2012-02-13T05:29:00.000-08:00

I decided to do a little driving podcast to answer a question from a couple listeners. I answer the very popular question: "Do you need a degree to teach in Japan?".

I am driving from Itoshima to Fukuoka City via the expressways.

New Episode on the Way!!

2012-02-12T20:17:00.000-08:00

"The Crank" just got back from Australia and we think that Friday will be a good day to podcast. Hopefully nothing comes up and we can put out an episode this week.

So far everything looks good on our schedules.

Club Activities in Japanese Schools - Bukatsu

2012-02-11T01:11:00.000-08:00

Snapped a quick picture of the club activities storage lockers. This is where the students store all the necessary equipment for their clubs. Just thought you might want to know.

"Bukatsu" = Club Activities (For example, baseball, soccer, volleyball, tennis, etc.)

Cool Things About Living in Japan - Nintendo Family Computer (NES)

2012-02-10T01:07:00.000-08:00

All I can say is... "BAM"!! One of the best things about living in Japan is all the cool used stuff you can find. My good friend had one of these laying around and gave it to me! That's right, I said GAVE it to me. This is an original Nintendo Family Computer (We called it the NES in America, and it looked way different). The game you see there is Super Mario Brothers 3. I will get some video footage of the system and some game play once I get the right connector for my Sony HD TV.

New App by "The Yank" - Japanese Emoji

2012-02-07T20:00:00.000-08:00

An iPhone app I made just went live in the Apple iTunes App Store. First of all, It's FREE as in BEER, so get over there and download it!! Basically it's 100+ Japanese style Emoji (Text Emoticons) that you can copy and paste into Facebook, Twitter, SMS, Text messages, email, iMessage, Google+, or anywhere else you can think of.

[Emoticons & Smileys Text]

I made this app because I was sick of making those crazily elaborate Emoji's. I wanted to be able to select them from a list and just copy to the clipboard and paste wherever I wanted. This is the result. I am still collecting cool text emoticons that I come across and will update the app later with more.

Thanks,

Eric "The Yank"

Link to app

Japanese Apartment: The Gas Stove

2012-02-03T19:36:00.000-08:00

Here is a video tour of the stove in my Japanese apartment. In the video you can see that it has 2 burners, and a fish cooking broiler type thing. Stove`s DO NOT usually come with the apartments, and neither do the lights for that matter. The cheapest place to get these is at places like Mr. Max. There are super fancy (and expensive) ones and this model here is the basic two burner style. You can also get single burner stoves too.

Japanese Apartment: Digital Water Heater

2012-02-03T15:55:00.000-08:00

[On]

One of the biggest differences between Japanese apartments and houses and their American counterparts is the water heating system. There is no big water heater tank that stores hot water. There is no "always on" broiler to keep the water ready to go.

[Off]

Japanese houses and apartments use an "inline" water heating system. What I mean by this is that the water passes through fire to heat it. I am not actually sure what is more Eco or efficient, they are both just a little different.

The most important thing to remember is to turn these things "On" and "Off"!! As an American I don't know how many times I have gone into the shower without turning on the water heater here in Japan. My reaction is usually "*#&$()*@, I forgot to turn on the water heater!!"

If you watch the Jackie Chan movie Karate Kid you will see the American actress wondering why her shower doesn't have hot water....That's exactly how a lot of first time foreigners in Japan react....LOL

Here is the external unit. This is where the "FIRE" is! I will try to get a photo or video at night when it is turned on, and post it later.

It Cold Outside and Inside!

2012-02-01T20:13:00.001-08:00

Today is probably the coldest day so far at my junior high school!! I have two Kairo's in my pocket, and haven't taken my jacket off all day. The only warm place in the school is in the teachers office and the main office, where they have the heaters going strong.

English Teacher Tool Kit

2012-01-30T20:23:00.001-08:00

Cough drops from 7-11. Winter is here and getting through a day of classes with a cold and sore throat is all about pain relief! Luckily they are selling good cough drops at convenience stores now, before you would have to buy them at drug stores. If you want to get cold medicine your still better off hitting up the drug store or the doctors office.

Is Driving in Japan Expensive?

2012-01-29T04:01:00.000-08:00

Is driving in Japan expensive? Well let see if I can answer this question for you.

Gas is currently 138 yen a liter (1 US gallon = 3.78541178 liters)
Parking is at least 100 yen an hour (off peak)
Vehicle inspection is like 100,000 yen every two years
Road tax is like 25,000 + a year. (depending on the car)
Highway and expressway tolls are expensive.

Does that answer your question?

If I were to answer this question directly I would say: "Yes, but I wouldn't give up driving in Japan. There are too many cool places off the beaten path that you can enjoy!"

PS. No that's not my car, but DAM it is NICE!!

Underground Bicycle Parking in Japan

2012-01-29T02:45:00.000-08:00

Japan has some of the coolest parking places for bicycles, cars, and motorcycles. This underground parking lot of bicycles and scooters is right next to a subway station. Some of these underground parking areas have a motor assisted ramp to help you get your bike up to ground level. Some of the more snazzy ones are 100% automated, which means your bike is parked by robots.

What's Up With the Japanese Girls with Loose Socks?

2012-01-27T15:52:00.000-08:00

One of the more unique fashion styles in Japan is the "Loose Socks" style. Loose socks are usually worn by female high school students when they are hanging out, usually outside of school. Most schools don't allow the school girls to wear them during the school day, but of course there are exceptions at some schools.

[Image Credit: Colodio]

At first look you might think, "What the heck are they wearing, leg warmers?". Well, at least that's what I thought at first.

[Image Credit: Colodio]

Why do Japanese girls wear loose socks? Well the best answer I got was that with their school uniform skirt hiked up and the big loose socks on it gave their legs the appearance of being long and skinny. Kind of like a tall model. I guess if you think about it, this fashion does give an optical illusion of longer and skinnier legs.

[Image Credit: sainz]

This fashion has also hit the Cosplay scene as it is often seen in manga and anime.

Another thing I learned from an old girl friend of mine that liked to wear them even several years after she finished high school, is that there is a special glue for loose socks. This "special" glue helps them stay exactly where the wearer wants. I laughed when I heard this!! The things girls will do for their fashion...

McDonalds in Japan: Las Vegas Burger

2012-01-26T20:24:00.001-08:00

Checking out the new Las Vegas Burger at McDonalds. Notice the 100 and 120 yen menu in the picture next to the "Big America" burger Picture. You can get a lot of good food (might not be healthy of course) for cheap. A lot of students usually hit up McDonalds to hang out and get a cheap meal.

The burger alone was like 400 yen so just decided to go with the set. I got the "M Size" fried potato and the "L Size" cola.

The "Las Vegas Burger" at McDonalds in Japan.

A closer look at the toppings. It has sour cream and the "stuff" on top is beef, green and red peppers, and other misc. stuff.

All in all I have to say that I liked the Las Vegas Burger. It's a welcome change from the usual Big Mac or Quarter Pounder. I actually like the fact that McDonalds Japan is doing these themed burgers.

Drying Clothes in Japan: The Coin Laundry

2012-01-26T04:29:00.000-08:00

There is only one thing I hate more than folding clothes, and that is hanging clothes out to dry. I think it's the biggest waste of time! First you wash them, then you separate the wet mass of twisted clothes, and finally you have to hang them. After they dry you have take them down, fold them, and then put them away. To me this is the biggest waste of time of all things in my book of time wasters! I don't know if you can feel it but I say this with the biggest passion in my voice!

So, in Japan they are washers, but most people don't have dryers, and if they do they are washer/dryer combinations that can dry like 3 T-shirts. Japanese people are just used to hanging clothes, and "The Yank" here isn't. I have had a washer and a full sized drying since I can remember, so this is one old dog that doesn't want to learn new tricks!

Luckily there are coin laundromats here in Japan too, and I make good use of them! I rarely if even use the washers there. I usually do 1-3 loads of clothes in the washer and jump in my car and head to the coin laundry. Even before I had a car or scooter, I would load up my big back pack and ride over to the coin laundry.

The going rate for coin laundry's in Japan is about 100 yen for 10 minutes. I usually dry a big load for about 40 minutes of so. Four hundred yen to get a nice big load of laundry dry in about 40 minutes. Talk about a time savings compared to hanging clothes.

Getting US TV Shows in Japan

2012-01-24T18:38:00.001-08:00

One of my biggest irritations is when companies geo-block their content. Geo-Blocking is when the company restricts their content based on your location. For example, Netflix wont let people outside of America subscribe to their service. Of course it's not really Netflix fault, you can blame that on Hollywood. Netflix isn't the only service that is blocked. There are games, streaming services like Hulu, and even some content on YouTube is blocked.

So, how do we get around this you might ask? There are two options that I know of: proxies and VPN's (virtual private networks). I haven't really had any luck with proxies, so I will talk about what I know.

There are VPN services out there that charge you a little bit of cash to give you an IP address in the country you desire. I happen to use StrongVPN, and I haven't had any issues with most sites. Netflix and Hulu work with no problem. Some of the TV network sites work and some don't with VPN's. I haven't really worried too much about the ones that don't. I am sure if I messed around with the settings enough, I could figure it out, but there is more than enough content on Netflix and Hulu to keep me busy.

Basically all you have to do is sign up for a VPN service, set up a VPN connection in Windows, Mac, or on your smartphone. Connect to the VPN before you try to get to Netflix or Hulu, and you are in business. Of course you have to pay for Netflix, but there is a free one month trial out there. I have a US credit card with a US address and it works like a charm. My buddy has a Japanese credit card with a Japanese address and it works too. So, it doesn't appear that Netflix cares about your billing address, only the IP address.

Parking in Japan

2012-01-23T20:18:00.000-08:00

Parking in Japan is almost never free, and usually will cost you a pretty penny. At first I used to be irritated by the price of parking but now I know it's just the way it goes if you wanna drive in Japan.

The interesting thing is there are all kinds of payed parking spots. Here are a couple picture I took to show you.

I didn't originally take this picture because of the "pop up gate thing". It was more for the rare Honda Turbo II City, but then I was looking for pictures of parking lots and I pulled this one out.

Again another interesting car parked in Japan that aslo shows the types of paid parking spots. Most of these spots cost like 100 yen for 30 minutes during none peak times. You gotta be careful to check the prices in high traffic areas or popular areas!! It can be 400 yen for 15 minutes!! After 8:00pm it's often 100 yen per hour, so that's not too bad.

Pocket Warmers - "Kairo"

2012-01-22T23:04:00.001-08:00

Staying warm in Japanese classrooms is really difficult seeing as there is no heat, no insulation, and really big windows. One of the ways ALT`s (Assistant Language Teachers), JTE`s, and students stay warm is with these little things. They are called "Kairo" カイロ or basically pocket warmers. Luckily they are really cheap and available everywhere.

Gunte - The White Cotton Gloves from Japan

2012-01-22T16:11:00.001-08:00

"Gunte" are this white knit gloves you see in the picture above. Basically, they are work gloves that are used for anything you can think of. From beach clean ups to taxi drivers driving gloves. They are really cheap and are usually sold in multi-packs. You can also get them at your local 7/11 or any other convenience store for that matter. The better deals are had at hardware stores or at work clothes shops.

TEIJG-058

2012-01-20T20:05:00.000-08:00

Episode 58 of TEIJG (Teaching English in Japan Guide Podcast)
Hosts: Anthony "The Crank"
Eric "The Yank"

Right Click to Download

Show Notes:
*Email From a Fan
*Best and Worst things that happened to you in Japan.
*Spent $50 on Mexican food
*No cool hair for you JHS students
*ALT Tool Kit 2012
*Teacher Power Naps
*Bolt the windows shut (1/2 way)
*"Sensei, where should we takes notes in our notebooks?"
*Opening Ceremony (aisatsu, cleaning)
*Ekiden Taiki (Marathon Relay Race)
*Less than 3 months to go!!
*How big is your chin chin?
*Ayu getting divorced
*Condensation

Support:
Dream Host - Websites and domain names
Paypal Donations
J-list - Buy something from Japan

Tour of a Japanese Junior High School: The Entrance

2012-01-19T04:54:00.001-08:00

I think it's about time for me (The Yank) to give you a tour of a Japanese Junior High School. Over the next few weeks or so, depending on my ability to get good pictures, I will introduce you to a J-JHS.

This is one of the students entrances. It's the first grade students one. Each grade has their own entrance at the current school I work at. Japanese JHS's are three grades: first, second, and third. Where I went to school in the USA we continued the count 7th and 8th and we only had 2 years of Junior High School. Japan starts the count over for both JHS and High Schools.

The students put their "outside" shoes in spots with their names and the put on their "Uwagutsu" or sometimes they are called "Uwabaki". Basically indoor shoes that are white with an accented color based on their grade. They also write their family name and student number on them.

For gym class students have another pair of shoes that they only wear in the gym, and of course a PE uniform too.

Related Japanese Vocabulary:

1st Year Student - Ichi Nen Sei 一年生

2nd Year Student - Ni Nen Sei　二年生

3rd Year Student - San Nen Sei　三年生

Junior High School - Chuu Ga Ko 中学校

Note: I will try to get some pictures of the indoor shoes (Uwagutsu) soon and update the post.

Lock The Windows!!

2012-01-18T18:35:00.000-08:00

Recently at my school they have been installing brackets on the siding windows. Not on both sides so we cant escape, just on one side. I am not sure of the actual reason, but my guess is to keep kids from messing around with the windows.

So what do you think?

Toilets in Japanese Schools: Heaven and Hell

2012-01-17T20:44:00.000-08:00

For some reason toilets are some what a recurring theme on the TEIJG podcast and blog. So, I decided it was my duty to give an update to the "toilet situation" in my current school in Japan. I am working very hard to get video and pictures. Just think of it as one of those news program expose', LOL.

When I say "Heaven" I refer to a normal sit down style toilet. While you may have seen videos with all the fancy butt washers and heated seats, let's face reality. You are or will be in an old concrete school! The chances of you having a fancy toilet, might not be so good.

The reality is that you might have one of those "squatters" or as Anthony "The Crank" lies to call them...the porcelain bobsled.

Your Mission If You So Choose To Accept it: Eric "The Yank". Your mission is to document the current status of toilets in Japanese JHS's. This is to show future teachers what they can expect when they come to Japan.

Tips for TEIJG:

1. Look for the toilets near the office. They are usually for guests, so sometimes you might get lucky with a brand new toilet.

2. Look for handicapped bathrooms. Japan was a little slow to change but recently you will see more and more. A "Heavenly" toilet is usually waiting behind the door. Or course make sure you give the right of way to people that really need it!!

3. Hit up 7/11 on the way to school. They usually have nice clean modern toilets.

4. Don't eat Coco Ichiban Curry the day before school!! LOL

5. Make sure there is toilet paper before you sit!

6. The "Squatter" takes a special technique. If in doubt just take off your pants and hang them on the hook. (@_@)

***This post will be updated with pictures and video very shortly, so come back soon***

Now That's a Salad!!

2012-01-11T19:58:00.000-08:00

The Cranks New Smart Phone

2012-01-07T22:35:00.000-08:00

Anthony "The Crank" finally upgraded his Japanese feature phone (aka old ass phone) to a brand new Sharp Smartphone powered by Android.

This buggah is big and full featured. The biggest problem so far I am guessing is that the battery dies pretty quickly compared to normal feature phones.

As soon as we get organized you will start to see pictures on the site coming directly from Anthony's new phone :-)

Things in Japan 11 - Bay Blade Toy Video

2012-01-07T18:36:00.000-08:00

Went to a new mall here in Fukuoka called Konoha Mall. It's a pretty nice mall and will probably head there from time to time. My son will probably want to go there more often since there is a hobby store. On this occasion I bought him a new Bay Blade toy. Here is a video to show you what they are if you don't know already. Enjoy!Thanks for watching,Eric "The Yank"

New Years Food in Japan

2012-01-03T04:55:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures from my New Years brunch with the in-laws at a local Japanese restaurant. Will talk about the experience in the next podcast, so stay tuned :-) Enjoy,Eric "The Yank"

TEIJG 057 - Last Episode of 2011

2011-12-30T23:46:00.000-08:00

Episode 57 of the Teaching English in Japan Podcast

Hosts:
Anthony "The Crank" Oliver
Eric "The Yank" Timmer

Show Notes:
-Osoji (Big Clean)
-Osechi
-Otoshidama (New Years money for kids)
-Visit 3 Shrines
-Ozoni mochi soup
-Kohaku (Red and White New Years singing competition)
-Japanese Stars starting YouTube Channels
-AKB48 Producer interview
-AKB48 has 94 members
-New Japanese Soccer uniforms
-Got some Vegemite
-New Years travel 40,000 on one day from Narita Airport
-Stand up bars
-Kazunoko (Yellow fish eggs thing Anthony was talking about)
-OC = Over Cute

Download Episode 57

Episode 56 - Christmas in Japan

2011-12-25T21:44:00.000-08:00

Christmas in Japan

Site News:
I am moving the site to blogger so you will see some changes
in the near future. The URL will still be www.teijg.com but the move will
take some time so some things wont be on the site during the transition.
I have posted the most recent 10 episodes on the new site already but the
archives will take some time. Will double post for a bit until the
move is finished http://teijg.blogspot.com/

Eric`s news:
-I am on the Slow Carb Diet
-No more kyushoku - School lunch
-Black Coffee and Soda Water

J-News:
-It`s cold!! Low 2 high 5
-Kim Jong Il Died and now his overweight possibly psyco son is leader
-New Japanese National Soccer Team Uniform to debut TV around new years
-PSP Vita is out and it`s awesome.

Teaching News:
-Last Day of Class Dec 21st
-Closing Ceremony Dec 22nd
-Back To work January 11th - 22 days off

Christmas in Japan:
-Xmas Cake

-Xmas Eve means a dash to the love hotels. There are often lines of cars
waiting too!!??
-Illuminations Not Xmas Lights

-Everything is open Xmas Day, pretty much
-Always some kind of Xmas TV Variety programming
-Banks Closing so get some money!!

New Years in Japan:
-Kohaku
-Otoshidama
-Osechi
-Ozoni

Busan, Korea Pictures

2011-12-23T22:05:00.003-08:00

Here are some of the pictures from my trip to Busan, South Korea. These very taken in November 2011. We only stayed for a weekend, but had a blast. Going to go to Busan again soon for sure!!

Kuru Kuru Sushi

2011-12-23T22:05:00.001-08:00

Went to a new Kuru Kuru Sushi (kaiten zushi) place that had some funky new electronics and touch screen ordering.

Winter in Japan Means Kerosine Pumps

2011-12-23T22:04:00.005-08:00

You know winter is coming when you start to see these in your local supermarket. They are used to pump kerosine into your heater.

Alcohol Comes in a Carton in Japan

2011-12-23T22:04:00.003-08:00

As long as I have been in Japan, I still can’t get used to seeing alcohol in a carton.

TEIJG Episode 054

2011-12-23T22:04:00.001-08:00

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

TEIJG Episode 054

Show Notes:
Sports Wealth Online
Eric’s Outsourcing His New App
R32 Media
Furikomi Cards To Transfer Money To the Same Source Multiple Times
10,000 Free Tickets to Japan
Old Cars Making a Comeback
Teacher Observations
Flu Season – You Don’t Get Paid For Sick Days
Cough Drops
Cold Medicine
Go Home You Got A Fever!
YouME Town Shopping Center
Nomikai
Old Dude on The Motorcycle
Turn In That License
Upside Down Plane
Canal City 2
New Subway

TEIJG Episode 53

2011-12-23T22:03:00.003-08:00

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The Teaching English in Japan Podcast Episode 53

“The Yank” is flying solo on this episode, so it`s short and sweet

Show Notes:

Pre-School Sports Day (Undokai)
Unannounced School Events
Don`t Forget You Get Paid Monthly in Japan
Furikomi – Bank Transfers in Japan
JHS Internship Week
Reports and Paperwork
Student Forgot Their Notebook
English Teacher Stress

Thanks for listening!
TEIJG

We Love Yakiniku Nabeshima!

2011-12-23T22:03:00.001-08:00

Nabeshima’s All-You-Can-Eat Menu. The price and quality is hard to beat which is why we always go there! It’s a chain in Fukuoka, but I am not sure if it’s in other parts of Japan. If not, I am sure there are other similar deals to be had.

Getting down to business! 2 hour time limit, which is plenty of time to eat your fill.

Cooking up some yakiniku! You get to cook it how you like it, and it’s just fun!

Cant forget the sauces. The clear one is lemon based, and the other one is traditional yakiniku sauce which is awesome, especially if you put extra garlic!

Things From Japan Episode 1~6

2011-12-23T22:02:00.003-08:00

Been doing some YouTube videos recently but haven’t really been posting them on the blog, so here they are. You should subscribe to this channel as well because I am posting videos here on a weekly basis.
Episode 1: Raayu ラー油
Episode 2: Instant Curry
Episode 3: Electronics
Episode 4: Manga Shonen Jump
Episode 5: 500 Yen Piggy Bank
Episode 6: Peanut Butter

Cheap Food at Sukiya

2011-12-23T22:02:00.001-08:00

If you are in Japan you have to stop by Sukiya!! This place has cheap but delicious food that will fill you up. This picture is curry and hamburger steak with cheese for a topping. I don’t remember the price but you cant get anything close to as good as this for the price!

Thanks for checking out the blog,
Eric “The Yank”

TEIJG Episode 52

2011-12-23T22:01:00.001-08:00

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

TEIJG Episode 52

Show Notes:
Opening Ceremony
Weather Change
Noisy Motorcyle
Wedding Jobs
Fashion
Danny Choo
Ugly Fruit
Job Contracts
Old Cars
Single Mom Teacher
SNSD “Girls Generation” Wikipedia

Posted in Podcast

TEIJG - Episode 51

2011-12-23T21:59:00.000-08:00

We answer questions about moving to Japan to study Japanese.Non Teaching JobsBankingTravelMeeting PeopleThanks to Scott for the questions and for picking up a copy of our eBook!

TEIJG - Episode 50

2011-12-23T21:55:00.000-08:00

Episode 50 of the Teaching English in Japan Podcast.The Last Stand

Driving in a Japanese Neighborhood – Video

2011-12-23T21:48:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick video of my driving through my small town. The streets are tight and even more difficult when you are trying to hold your iPhone, take video, and drive at the same time.

TEIJG - Episode 55

2011-12-23T21:40:00.001-08:00

The Teaching English in Japan Podcast - Episode 55

Hosted by: Eric “The Yank” & Anthony “The Crank”

Produced by:Eric Timmer

Support: If you are in the market for website hosting or a domain name, we recommend using DreamHost. They are a great company, and we have hosted numerous sites with them for many years. DreamHost is Awesome!

Show Notes:
Bus BluesThanks for the donation!
It’s getting colder
Low English scoresClub activities getting in the way
Your English is Terrible
Busan (Pusan),
South KoreaEat Your Kimchi [website] [YouTube Channel]
Bonenkai (Forget the year party)
4 days of stomach flu
Busan Video 1 (Yakiniku)
Busan Video 2 (Driving around the city)
English Game Idea

Download

We Are Moving In!!

2011-12-23T21:19:00.001-08:00

We are moving our site to here!

Lots of stuff to be done but stay tuned :-)