Friday, December 26, 2008

Life changing event every 5 years?

At the age of 5, I move from Kyoto to Kagoshima and went to kindergarten. At the age of 10, I met a former Chairman of Kyoto Prefecture Council (deceased) and accompanied him to the Diet Building in Tokyo. He bought me the first suitcase when coming to the US in 1988 and I cannot threw it away because of its sentimental value. At the age of 15, my dad's construction company got bankrupted and got to know what yakuza is (no details here!). I owe my high school Japanese teacher (a famous Haiku poet in Nara now) for getting scholarship! At the age of 20, I joined Kyoto Southern Africa Solidarity Committee (a Kyoto branch of the Japan Anti-Apartheid Committee). The leadership I respected at that time is now CAO (Chief Academic Officer) of a university in Japan. At the age of 25, I came to the United States. At the age of 30, I became full-time lecturer at Miami University in Ohio. At the age of 35, I took students to Japan as an international field trip for the first time with a instructor of College of Lake County (CLC). At the age of 40, I became one of the leadership of Alliance of Associations of Teachers of Japanese (national organization of teachers of Japanese in the US). At the age of 45, I received the national "TEACHER AWARD." What do I want to say? I hope that "meeting with GTS" becomes your life changing something!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Ema will have her sister!

Those who went to study abroad last summer became Ema's Kerai (家来, servant) without being aware of as every participant knows. Ema became 3 years old today and wants to report to you that she will have her sister in May next year! Ema is planning on participating in the study abroad trip to Japan in summer 2009 just like previous one not only as a queen but also as a Japanese language tutor. Christmas/New Year break has just begun and let's have ephemeral fun with GTS and Ema together! There is no prerequisite for 1102/2202/2252, so that many can have fun together in class as well in January 2009, the year of OX!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Fall semester Ended! Grade reported!

With some snow storm, the Fall semester 2008 is ended. Because 1101 Final exam was scheduled for the last slot possible within the exam week, grade calculation took a while and reported to the record office this afternoon. Of 81 original registrants, 18 withdrew and 23 couldn't make it and 37 passed and 3 uncompleted. Of 23 unsuccessful students, 14 disappeared during the semester and could have withdrawn. So 50% of 1101 was somehow survived as predicted at the beginning of the semester. The grade distribution of 37 survivors is: 18 A's, 3 B's, 8 C's, 7 D's and 1 S. Congratulations to survivors! You should feel great even though you barely survived! (Remember, no miracle happened, no bribes worked!) Everyone who didn't disappear in 2201 survived with GTS extra mercifulness. Grade? Let's change the topic! For Waubonsee (WCC) folks, 0f 31 original registrants, only 10 students survived (4 A's, 4 B's 2 C's) and this number is the projected one.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Hallelujah!!! I just cannot stop laughing!

GTS is a loyal listener of WBBM780 for AM and 103.5KISS FM. Every morning on the way to COD, I try to get the latest News from WBBM and get ready for that day. Now is the holiday season and every company tries to catch as many customers as possible by making a "Creative Unique Commercial." People in IL knows a carpet company called "LUNA" (I don't get any commission from them unfortunately) made a recent commercial song in this holiday season and it goes: HalleluNA! HalleluNA! (must be the combination of Hallelujah! and LUNA!) To my Japanese ears, it always sounds "HARERUNA(はれるな)" (Prohibit command form of HARERU (clear up:SORA GA HARERU The sky clears up). So in a so cheerful voice, my car radio says "Don't clear up! Don't clear up!" on the slick road on a very snowy or rainy gloomy day. "No wonder gloomy days don't want to go away because "THE GOD" in this 'Christian'-oriented society is indeed so loyal to HIS people" As a Buddhist with little interest protected by 8 million Shinto deities, it is comical and I do enjoy a little secretly! (There is no intention of insulting any religious groups or thoughts as GTS family always knows!)

Monday, December 8, 2008

Board Recognition of GTS with students!!!

2008 Teacher Award is presented to GTS by the Board of Trustees of COD tonight and all 2201 students had a chance to share that very moment with GTS at the Board meeting! It was great and memorable! I have also learned that some 2201 students will transfer other institutions like DePaul Univ. and North Central College! I will miss quite a few students in Spring! 2202 will become a small class but we will continue to have fun!

AND we were all on this COD offcial broadcasting record!
http://www.cod.edu/adminstr/boardaudio.htm (December 8 meeting)
GTS and family members are at the almost beginning of http://www.cod.edu/adminstr/audio/board_2008_12-08_high.asx

We were all STARs!

Friday, December 5, 2008

20 GTS family members showed up!

Regualr first Friday dinner was really fun with 20 GTS family members. I was glad to see the one from Australia (she returned to the US during her SUMMER break to enjoy cold Chicago!) I remember that I introduced the teacher in Australia that I know and she took her class. Sounds great even though she is struggling with a lot of Kanji! The time when I see all the smiles of my students enjoying the moment here and there around the table is the happiest moment of GTS and I feel so lucky to be their teacher. Some of them will show up at DePaul university in two days to take Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) where we will see with each other. I hope they all pass the test! There was also one student who has applied JET Program (Japanese Governmental Program to dispatch college graduates to assist their English education in local public schools) and I hope I will see him at the interview scheduled in February at Consulate General of Japan at Chicago if he is screened in to become an interviewee. Next dinner will be January 9th (Second Friday of the month)! Oh, I have to make difficult final exams as usual!

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

First Friday of December is coming up!

I hope everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving little break except for 1102 students struggling with て-form of all the verbs we encountered by now. The first Friday of the month is coming up and the hilarious comedy film begins at 4:00pm and monthly JCC dinner gathering will follow. The information is in JCC website linked through GTS homepage on this blog (upper right corner).The first Sunday of December is the day of official Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) worldwide and several GTS family students will take it at DePaul University on Sunday where GTS is one of the head staff. This Thursday night is the final global classroom project in 1100 Honor Seminar and our focus will be Divorce issues and Elderly care issues. The Honor Seminar will be coming back next fall! GTS Spring Break Field Trip to Japan and Summer Study Abroad Japan are now accepting participants, so contact GTS if interested. These programs are open to anyone in the United States with in-district tuition!