If it ain't family, I ain't sure
love is love, war is war
they want theirs, they want yours
"I got lots of love for my crew that is"
love is love, war is war

for the love of God
for the love of cats scrambling to beat the odds
hustling and ducking in between the laws
for the love of my family, the streets are ours
the DJ's ripping these beats apart
we got prefer spread love, like Peter Tosh
(with magic) classic, we prove that sh*t
"I got lots of love for my crew that is"

-Dilated Peoples "Love and War"


Students, fellow teachers, and Japanese staff... they made my job great.

Pics from my last few days of work and my "sayonara" party.



The Ashiya school's welcome desk. Lord Neil-sworth (head teacher, my boss, and guitar playing wiseman) is on the left. Our current manager Megumi is hiding ninja-style behind the sign. Taken on Friday... my second to last day.




At the Itami school front desk with one of my favorite students, Daisuke. Mechanical engineer on the weekdays, 3rd degree kyudo (Japanese archery) practioner on the weekends.




My "good" kids class at Itami aren't they a bunch of cute lil' heartbreakers? Meccha kawaii da yo. Call me "Papa Gar".




Another favorite student - Noboru. Serious movie buff.




My last real lesson was teaching these two guys - Kouhei & Ryosuke. One is a ground infantryman in a 80mm mortar squad in the J-GSDF who loves books; the other is a brainy junior high student who loves baseball (fielder). I'll leave it to you guys to figure out which is which.


.:.


Party time at the yakitori restaurant & karaoke joint... (Sunday).




Chisato, recent new staff and artist on the left; Birgitta, self-crowned princess of Scotland on the right. Yeah, I work with royalty! haha. Bir is my scotch / whiskey / bourbon drinking buddy... she's tough.




Numero uno homie Sel and Tiffany. What are they both are saying to me?:

Stop taking your stupid pictures and let's eat some yakitori.




The Holy Revolutionary Army of Ashiya. Setting brown and yellow people free in an area near you.




Ashiya past, present, and future. Ai(Pod) on top; Mako-potamus on the right; and Chisato on the left.




Don, another renegade Canadian, and OG Ashiya teacher came late. It was all good though... he's got a great sense of humor.




Gar and Yuko, ex-Ashiya staff, sports nut, and super nice girl. She works at the multimedia center now doing tech support.




K-a-r-a-o-k-e. What's next?




Sel rock'n some MJ (pre-white Michael Jackson).




Look, I got fillings! Mako can do karaoke. Gar can... ummm, take pictures.




Ai and Gar - another ex-Ashiya staffer, she now works in the publishing section of the company. If it wasn't for Ai's help, I would have never been able to meet my host family and I'd still be living in crappy company housing. She's friendly, kind, smart, beautiful, likes books, likes to write, cooks gyoza, and...

...is single?!!! WHAT?!?!!?!

I don't get it either.




Garretto... nande kaeru?

(curled lip of impending melancholy)



.:.


Going off to Hong Kong for five days. See ya next Monday!
posted by G at 11:04 PM   |

in?scrip?tion (n-skrip-shun)n.
1. The act or an instance of inscribing.
2. Something, such as the wording on a coin, medal, monument, or seal, that is inscribed.
3. A short, signed message in a book or on a photograph given as a gift.
4. The usually informal dedication of an artistic work.
5. Jeremiah 31:33