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Inside
this Issue:
- Words by me
- Words and
a photo by Tracy
- How to Kill
Time - Part 2 by Brad
- A Computer
Tip by Craig
- Meet Larry
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Hey There All,
This will be the last newsletter from me for a while, as its
time to pass the reins to the new PnP Committee. I have had
a lot of
fun writing and assembling this newsletter, and I would
advise anyone to give it a go.
Before we get too far into this newsletter, I want to congratulate
Dan on his recent appointment to the ADoP position. I have
great faith in his abilities, and I have been lucky enough
to get to know
him both at the lunch table and on the train. And that is
where you really get to know someone, take it from me.
That will do for words from me for a while. We have another
top ten list this month, a far more entertaining way to
fill in the front
page than listening to me.
Here we go:
TOP TEN ESL TEXTBOOKS, A list compiled by David Axon.
The following list is not only a bit of fun, but my own
small tribute to those working tirelessly to push the
boundaries of ESL teaching
with their own innovative texts. What follows is by
no means
an exhaustive list.
- Miscommunication in Business
- Never Really Getting Ahead (I did think of another name
for this one, but people told me it would never get past
the censors
on the grounds of bad taste)
- Lack of Business Opportunities
- Business Misadventures 1 and 2
- New - but still not much - Interchanged 1?
- The So-so Grammar Book
- Trying to Understand and Use English Grammar
- Talk About It (Not funny unless you ask a Canadian to
say it)
- No Real Impact Topics
- Lots of Qs but not many As.
So there you go. Don't forget to
pencil in the Halloween party on your calendars? It is a blast
. The last two years have
seen some great costumes, and some even better intoxication!
I am sure
that this year we can go better on both counts! It'll be
coming up in a month or so, look to your Social Committee for
news about
it. Also remember, that you are paying for these parties,
so you may as well get something back for your hard-earned,
and have some
fun too!
Chris
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Great Getaways - Review of Waraji Minshuku (Amagiyugashima,
Izu) - by Tracy
Ahh... the smell of Oden in 7-11 and Autumn Beer in the fridge
reminds us that fall has (nearly) come. As August has given way
to September,
and September is giving way to October, I have nearly recovered
from ..... The Visit. But seriously - my mom's visit was a pleasure
and I got to see parts of Japan that I hadn't seen yet. Wanting
to show my family the rural side of Japan I took them to a small,
simple minshuku (a very simple Japanese inn) in Amagi-yu-gashima
in the Izu Peninsula called the Waraji Minshuku. This out of
the way place re-introduced me to the wonderful hospitality that
I
didn't know I had been missing.
The Waraji Minshuku is about an hour and a half by car from
the Numazu Interchage, or a short bus ride from Shuzenji station.
The
Waraji, which is owned and run by a friendly middle-aged couple,
is nestled into the countryside and perched on the edge of a
beautiful river, with great views from the rooms. But don't let
appearances
fool you - not only are the owners very friendly, but the food
(dinner and breakfast is included in the price) is fabulous.
You can choose to have a special meal, which costs a little more,
or
the regular meals - we took the regular dinner and breakfast,
which was Japanese-style fare, but in large portions and more
exquisitely
delicious than anything I'd had before. Even the natto was good
at this place! Special meals include inoshishi (wild boar, which
is famous around Amagiyugashima) and shika-sashi (raw deer meat).
The owner's hobby is hunting, and the English website declares
that the owner has a gun-license and "will try to shoot animals
to eat". Itadakimasu!
Speaking of hunting - be prepared when you enter Waraji, for
on display in the lodge-like lobby is Bambi. Or, at least, Bambi's
twin; not to mention the adult deer head mounted on the wall,
and various birds on display. Do not let this deter you. The
Waraji
is a truly authentic, Japanese place, and it is a great way to
get re-acquainted with the warmth of rural Japan. While the owners
do not speak much English, they speak very "foreigner friendly"
Japanese, and they have an English website.
Price:7,900 yen per person, includes meals
Phone: 0558-85-2345
Website: http://www5a.biglobe.ne.jp/~waraji/
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Driver’s
test from Hell! (Part 2) - by Bradley Anderson
Being a big chicken, I took the bus from Numazu North station.
Finally, you get to the Center. Paperwork in hand, you go to the
reception area which is open only from 9:00-10:30 and give someone
your paperwork. He will thoroughly check it over, doing the same
thing that the police lady did. Then after 10:30 he will interview
you about the history of how you got your previous license.
Then you wait, again to take the written test. It's a ten question
T/F test that seems like it should be easy to ace. You need seven
correct answers to pass. If you passed, they will do an eye test
and explain the driving course. We should count ourselves lucky
as the Japanese applicants have a much more difficult, comprehensive
test and a more difficult driving course. Then you go to lunch
and
wait again until 1:30 when they call you down for the driving
test.
 THE DRIVING TEST: It is a bit intimidating and despite the
easy course, I was a bit nervous. There are some tips that
I got from two very
informative people that helped me through the test. And here
are some of those tips for you:
1. DO NOT cop an attitude, display any kind of pride or confidence,
nor ask any 'why' questions. Definitely don't laugh or joke
around at all.
2. DO accept everything the staff/instructors/testers say like you
are thoroughly interested, and have never heard it before.
3. If anything is explained in qualitative terms ('as fast as you
want'), then err way on the side of caution.
4. If anything is explained in quantitative terms (i.e. 40kph, 1
meter, 'at the line', 3rd gear, etc.), remember/follow it exactly.
5. When coming to a stop, especially when turning left, edge over
towards the left a bit so as to no allow any sneaky scooters get
by. (Really)
6. When it comes to driving you'll be OK. It is supposedly on a
point system, which they will explain. I think you start with 100
points, and lose 5-10 for various mistakes such as not turning your
head enough to look over your shoulder, backing up to make a tight
corner, etc. Some mistakes are instant fail, such as hitting any
of the imaginary obstacles, or dropping a wheel off the road.
7. Do everything slowly, unflustered but not too confident, and
exaggerate safety points, like mirror adjusting and using, looking
and stopping, etc.
So that's about it kids. Once you've passed the driving test
(you won't know right away) you get your picture taken, wait
a bit, and
then watch a 20 minute English video on driving safely (or sa-fu-ty
do-rai-ba) as they are so fond of saying here. You'll turn in
the video and get your brand, spankin' new license. Congratulations!
It only took a day. By the way, this whole process only applies
to
Americans. Those Canadians and Australians have an agreement
with Japan that allows them to skip the whole testing procedure.
Lucky
I guess. Sorry if I scared you for nothing.
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Log On - XP Security - by Craig
 Here is a security tip for XP
users. Windows XP has two types of accounts and you can create as
many accounts as you like. The two types are Administrator
and User.
A computer running XP always has at least one administrator
account. Administrator accounts have many privileges not available
to ordinary
user accounts. It is common for people to simply log on as
an administrator when using the computer for everyday use,
such as surfing the internet.
This is not recommended because if you are connected to the
internet and someone hacks into your computer they too get
full access to
your system and can do a lot of damage. It is safer to create
a user account for everyday use while using the administrator
account only
for occasional administration tasks. Using this technique,
if someone hacks into your computer they will only have user
privileges which
minimizes the damage they can do. Of course, using a user account
doesn't prevent hackers from getting access to your computer.
It only reduces the damage they can do. For protection against
hackers,
viruses and so on, you should use anti-virus and firewall software,
such as Norton Internet Securities.
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MEET LARRY:
Larry Wiebe
I like to think of Larry as FIA's version of the Godfather. Don't
ask me why, I am not really sure. But it could be his impressive
physical presence, or it could be the power he exudes just standing
on the train platform slowly fanning himself . Or maybe it was
the fact that he was watching "The Sopranos" when I bugged him
for this
interview. Here he is:
Hometown: Abbortsford, B.C., Canada. "Raspberry Capital
of the World"
Hobbies and Interests: I live vicariously through
Conor and David. (So what are their hobbies? - Ed.)
Best thing in Japan: Summer Festivals, Ume-Shu.
Worst thing in Japan: The government, low door frames.
Best restaurant in Japan: Outback or Kua'aina. Hey, I'm a carnivore!
Favorite Japanese word: "Takadanobaba"
Favorite movie: Lately anything starring Philip Seymour Hoffman
or directed by Wes Anderson.
Favorite music: Van Morrison, The Hives, Del Amitri, Pat Metheny.
Personal Goal: Save as much money as Andrew Lynch.
 One book to have on a deserted island: "A Confederacy of Dunces"
by John Kennedy Toole.
Most embarrassing moment in Japan: I tripped once.
Person I admire the most: This man in my hometown. Ask me about
it.
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Outtro:
Short and Sweet. Thanks to those who have contributed during
my tenure as the "Editor" and to those who have read this fine
publication.
All the best to people in new jobs, and to people joining committees
for the first time. Please keep the submissions coming, and
look out for a new place to send them!
All the best,
Cheers, Chris
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