michael lambe

Beautiful day today, bright, sunny, warm… The hills were a shimmering green, the sky a perfect blue, and as the day cooled into night you could hear the frogs chorally burping in the rice paddies that they (the Japanese - not the frogs) somehow manage to squeeze in between office blocks and fast food restaurants.

This week, as the students have to face their mid-term tests next week, we (the eikaiwa teachers) are giving them “jishu” or “self-study” time during our classes - which basically means they can do what they want. Every time I announce this in class, I am greeted by a round of applause. It’s great for me because I don’t have to prepare a thing and I can just wander round the class chatting with any students who don’t feel like studying anything. Some of the third years told me this morning, that I was a dead-ringer for Super Mario and were really pleased when I said “Mama Mia!” I had a look in the mirror later and found myself seeing myself through their eyes: “Yes, my eyes are big and round! My nose is prominent!” I may have been here too long…

Anyway, today’s interesting links are this: http://tokyoblog.livejournal.com/ - I actually stayed in this place! It was many moons ago though, 1998 or 9 maybe, with a young gentleman, a roving player in fact, by the name of Jonathan Bond. Key memories for me are the porn video being played over the reception desk (such a novel use for a bicycle!) and the constant reverberations of burps, farts and snores throughout the night from the capsules about me.
Oh happy days of youth!

And this: http://www.firstsecondbooks.net/LCtrailer/QTlrg.html - Trailers for books! What a great idea!

And this is something we can all relate to: http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail152.html
…up to a point.

And Kumar sent me this: http://board.spawn.com/forums/showthread.php?t=209328&page=1&pp=35 … and it scared me.