2008/09/15

2008 August 18 Monday and 19 Tuesday.


It's back to school for me an my students today.

Even though the public schools don't open until Wednesday, all of my elementary school and junior high school students came to my classroom today and yesterday.

Some of them don't even live in Kagura or Kamui, so they had to make a special trip to get here. Thank you so much.

On Monday from 13:00 until 14:30 I had a class with the 神楽公民館で英会話を楽しむ会, for the first time in 4 weeks.

The students had a lot to talk about, and so did I.

One of the young ladies told us about a trip that she and her husband took to MEXICO.

She also brought along 3 photo booklets with lots of really nice photos.

I felt very nostalgic when I heard her story and looked at the photographs, because I myself have also taken this same trip when I was about 16 years old.
Of course, I was traveling with my parents and my skinny little sister at that time, but I remember that vacation very well.

The route we took was to fly down to Mexico City and stay there for 2 nights.

In Mexico City, we got to see the very impressive pyramids built by the Aztec Civilization.

After that, we went to the Yucatan Peninsula and looked around at the various pyramids of the Maya Civilization at various places.

I distinctly remember skin diving with a mask and snorkel off of the coast at Merida and other locations.

I will never forget how clear the sea water was.

It was like entering a whole new world, as soon as I put my head underwater.

The young woman and her husband who went to Mexico during this year's summer vacation really enjoyed their time there.

She told the class how much she loved Mexican Food (me too) and that she loved TEQUILA as well!!!

She said that she had purchased 3 bottles of tequila and brought them back to Japan with her .

I have to admit, I used to love tequila also.

The really good authentic tequila is very delicious, and easy to drink. Therein lies the danger.

Tequila is at least 40% alcohol, and some folks say that it has an extra hypnotic effect as well.

In other words, it is easy to drink too much, too fast.

Behavior which can lead to a loss of memory, and odd behavior in public places.

I haven't drank any tequila in about 10 years, and have no plans to try it again, anytime, ever. Unless,........

On Tuesday, there were two new persons who came to take a look at my classroom.

Both of them have a definite goal in mind for their personal lives, when it comes to being able to speak English freely, and accurately.

MOTIVATION is the KEY word here, because motivation gives birth to ENTHUSIASM and enthusiasm gives ENERGY to DOING, and doing creates RESULTS.

In Japanese, they call it SeiSeki 成績. RESULTS.

Literally, the "the becoming, piles up upon itself"

That is how I read these two Kanji when used in this combination.

Even dust, can pile up to become a mountain, is another way to say it.