Chevy Chase comes to town
I haven't seen him yet, but I've a good feeling he's living close to me, just down the road.
It started snowing proper yesterday, and still the roads here are coated with a thick layer. Last night was really pretty. I attended a singing session with local JETs at Santa Monica, the best karaoke in town. Outside, on the way to fetch more alcohol, the streets were covered with about 8-10 inches, and the bright neon lights from the karaoke plaza made the whole scene worthy of a few shots. I didn't have my camera though.
I think the basic line in the sand for a good photo, on a personal level at least, is whether you make an aesthetic improvement on the real. If your shot looks as pretty, or prettier than when you were looking at that space, object, or whatever in real life then you've not wasted your time. It might not be a fantastic shot, but you've not wasted your time.
I've wasted my time with photography this week so I've only words to give you. And I'm not feeling too handy with them either. I have parents week next week, when the parents of the kids who I teach come to watch the little blighters run around and take the piss out of me in Japanese. I'm not looking forward to it, but I'll stick by my golden rule of not giving a shit. If I actually give a shit I'll fold under the pressure. I'll stroll in there with a million dollar grin on my face and give them what I can.
That reminds me, yesterday one of the managers told me I have a million dollar smile. And if I use it enough next week there'll be nothing to worry about. I'd rather deliver an educational lesson with a grin on my face though.
I'm getting a kick out of life these days. I think it's something to do with being busy. I used to get a kick out of life on JET, but not in the office. I hated that office, but loved life outside it. These days the office I work in is pretty funny. I work with a couple of funny guys, I teach lots of really funny kids and my view of Japan isn't so jaded as it used to be. I've got this one five year old kid who comes into class every week and starts running around in a circle. He wouldn't stop if I didn't clinch him and sit him down. He doesn't really learn jack, but he makes me laugh all the time. He's in a class with three other girls and they don't like him. His colouring book is a complete mess because he never obeys the lines of what he's supposed to be colouring, and that completely splits me up. And he's always the first one to start crying when he loses at games. The girls just sit there staring at him like he's nuts. In a complete world of his own, and I suppose I'm a bit jealous. I taught him the difference between a cheetah and a tiger, and now whenever I show him a picture of a cheetah he shouts "Cheetahspots". Personally, I think it's hilarious.
Three weeks in a row, when the class was over he ran out of the door too quick and tripped over the door frame and started roaring all the way down the hallway. Three weeks in a row. His favourite part of the class is the warm up where I throw a big bunch of little picture cards all over the floor and shout the words. The kids have to pick up the right one and shout it back. He just runs around in a circle.
I'll be up at the wall today, and I'll be packing my camera so I might have something for folks to look at later.
Waiting for assistance at JTB.
It started snowing proper yesterday, and still the roads here are coated with a thick layer. Last night was really pretty. I attended a singing session with local JETs at Santa Monica, the best karaoke in town. Outside, on the way to fetch more alcohol, the streets were covered with about 8-10 inches, and the bright neon lights from the karaoke plaza made the whole scene worthy of a few shots. I didn't have my camera though.
I think the basic line in the sand for a good photo, on a personal level at least, is whether you make an aesthetic improvement on the real. If your shot looks as pretty, or prettier than when you were looking at that space, object, or whatever in real life then you've not wasted your time. It might not be a fantastic shot, but you've not wasted your time.
I've wasted my time with photography this week so I've only words to give you. And I'm not feeling too handy with them either. I have parents week next week, when the parents of the kids who I teach come to watch the little blighters run around and take the piss out of me in Japanese. I'm not looking forward to it, but I'll stick by my golden rule of not giving a shit. If I actually give a shit I'll fold under the pressure. I'll stroll in there with a million dollar grin on my face and give them what I can.
That reminds me, yesterday one of the managers told me I have a million dollar smile. And if I use it enough next week there'll be nothing to worry about. I'd rather deliver an educational lesson with a grin on my face though.
I'm getting a kick out of life these days. I think it's something to do with being busy. I used to get a kick out of life on JET, but not in the office. I hated that office, but loved life outside it. These days the office I work in is pretty funny. I work with a couple of funny guys, I teach lots of really funny kids and my view of Japan isn't so jaded as it used to be. I've got this one five year old kid who comes into class every week and starts running around in a circle. He wouldn't stop if I didn't clinch him and sit him down. He doesn't really learn jack, but he makes me laugh all the time. He's in a class with three other girls and they don't like him. His colouring book is a complete mess because he never obeys the lines of what he's supposed to be colouring, and that completely splits me up. And he's always the first one to start crying when he loses at games. The girls just sit there staring at him like he's nuts. In a complete world of his own, and I suppose I'm a bit jealous. I taught him the difference between a cheetah and a tiger, and now whenever I show him a picture of a cheetah he shouts "Cheetahspots". Personally, I think it's hilarious.
Three weeks in a row, when the class was over he ran out of the door too quick and tripped over the door frame and started roaring all the way down the hallway. Three weeks in a row. His favourite part of the class is the warm up where I throw a big bunch of little picture cards all over the floor and shout the words. The kids have to pick up the right one and shout it back. He just runs around in a circle.
I'll be up at the wall today, and I'll be packing my camera so I might have something for folks to look at later.
Waiting for assistance at JTB.
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