Sightseeing in Hokkaido

   I don't really consider myself to be a tourist when I'm walking around Shinkotoni or anywhere in Kita ward for that matter.  I will admit to feeling out of place on the other side of town though. Hiragishi, Makomanai, and Toyohira are just names to me.  Hokkaido is a rather large island compared to where I grew up and even after 20 years here, I occasionally find a place that has somehow eluded me.  Last weekend, I went to one of those places.

   Orofure Pass is a road that goes through some of the most scenic points I've ever been to in Hokkaido.  It is a winding, dangerous road that is closed during the winter months, at least during the night. I think Horohoro mountain, Shiratakidake, and Mt. Orofure are the mountains it  goes through from Lake Toya to Noboribetsu.  I started in Noboribetsu and went toward Lake Toya in the afternoon which, unfortunately, left me looking directly into the setting sun. I definitely think starting from Noboribetsu and heading toward Lake Toya in the morning will give you the optimal light for viewing the magnificent beauty of Hokkaido.

Touristly,

Pat

The Far East

There's a snowstorm on for today in Hokkaido!!

I'm just a local boy from the Big Island.  I'd never had any fancy Far Eastern medicine before and although I wasn't actively doubting the efficacy of it, I honestly didn't have any high hopes for the minuscule sesame seed-sized pellet with a profound bitter aftertaste.  I popped my first dose last Saturday and to this day (exactly 7 and a half days later) the symptoms of breathlessness, rapid heart rate and an inability to climb even a single flight of stairs smoothly have ceased to appear!

I probably got about 3 or 4 hours of sleep last night.
I woke up at 4 o'clock this morning.
I hiked up a relatively small peak (1 hour?).

Here's the verdict...

I could do it and I'm still felling pretty normal.  A little tired, for sure, but not what it has been like for me lately.  Is it safe to say it?     ...I'm back... (I think).

♪　Kyushin ~♪~ Kyushin  ♪

Far Easternly,
Pat

Middle of Winter

Long time no post,

Happy New Year !!!

Summer came and went; autumn stuck around a while before winter crept in and took a firm foothold in the Northernmost Island of Japan.  Shoveling the classroom out from the encroaching frozen whiteness has become a serious task requiring the strategic planning of a general leading troops against an all too powerful enemy.  As I write this the snow continues to come down and the yardstick dips out of sight when I try to measure the accumulation on the top of my garage.  My true love is not to shovel or scrape the frozen precipitation to less obtrusive areas but to seek it out at it's deepest and steepest points, strap on the board, and race down over the surface while hooting pleasurably.

This year has been another year of heavy snow.  Both shoveling it and driving in it has proven challenging.  I complained about the snow to my mother on her birthday the day before yesterday and she seemed to misunderstand me and consoled me about becoming disillusioned with my job.

Allow me to climb upon the soap box.

I love my job.  I love sharing the learning experience with everyone at English Island. I love the challenge.  Learning English or becoming able to speak and use English (or any foreign language) is an extremely difficult concept.  It's hard and sometimes even painful.  Often times, in order to succeed, the learner must change his view of the world.  After twenty years of experience in teaching I don't believe in the "簡単に身につく" or "聞き流す" The companies who make these claims would like you to believe that it is possible to learn English painlessly.  At English Island we'd like you to learn how to understand and use English effectively, but first I want the people who attend lessons here to love learning and to love breaking down personal barriers and exploring new horizons.  Learning English is not only difficult, it is fun and rewarding as well.

Hope to see you soon.

Philosophically,

Pat