For those who are curious about how apartment looks like in Sapporo, I have added a little bit more photos.
The following photos are of the living room and the kitchen area. Please don’t mind the mess in the room!
I live in Shiroishi-ku, Higashi Sapporo.
 

My Living Room


The kitchen and dining area

Just conducted another video conference session yesterday (Friday). It was somewhat better than the first, and maybe also not as good. What am I blabbering about..?!
Well the good thing is there’s all the students from 2E6 from Pei Hwa secondary school to welcome the 4 Japanese students from Atsubetsu-kita. What a riot! Hahaha
Below is the video snippet from the session.


The not so good part about it is that we’re using basic equipments. The iMac in the Singapore school was not hooked up to any good speakers. And here in Japan I am just using the in-built microphone on my powerbook. So there was a lot of miscommunication due to unclear audio.
The next session I’ll make sure I’ll get an adaptor for a microphone. I’ll borrow a mic from the broadcasting room in the school.
3rd and last session for this year before I head off to visit elementary schools next month!

Tags: video conference, skype

Yeah… so I found out today, after I asked casually whether teachers are ranked in Japan’s school system.
I don’t wish to bore readers with my rant and complaints about the teaching career in Singapore. Those of you who have been through it or is currently going through it will know about EPMS and work review and what it actually does to the teaching career and the kind of environment it creates in the staff room.
Japan is trying out that very same system, currently employed by the corporate world, THIS YEAR.
I was shocked.
I told the teachers what the situation is like currently in Singapore after so many years of ranking teachers.
Of course there are positive points about this idea IF its carried out well and unbiased.
The world is of course not really that fair. But that’s not the point.
 
Anyway, I found out the teachers’ union in Japan is trying to fight this decision by the government.
But judging by the fact that they are trying out this ranking system already for a year; I think it’ll just quietly be implemented without anyone raising an objection… Much like the the public sectors in Singapore.
Well…
I wished the Japanese teachers “Good Luck!”

Had 2 periods today. It’s great to have time to myself. 
Today was the San nensei’s examination day. So Friday’s schedule is used for today.
Was bored after school. I didn’t want to spend the whole 3 hours in the staffroom all by myself so I toured to every class. The students were all busy preparing for the school festival this October the 3rd. Every class are putting up something for the event. Planetarium, big flower float, a play, dance, a big scale model of the school and lots more!
Well too bad I won’t be in the school then. I’ll be visiting various elementary schools in October.

Woke up at 3 plus. Drank a glass of water for sahur.
Prepared another postcard, tested out the genius playlist creator on iTunes then went back to sleep at 5am.
 
I seriously think having the Internet is stealing lots of time from me. I kind of miss the few weeks prior when I had no Internet. I did physical excercises like pushups and crunches then. Now I rarely do it! Crap!
 
Well anyway iTunes “genius” feature is brilliant! I’m a lazy person. I gave up on creating my favorite playlists a long time ago. I usually turn on the shuffle mode and when a song that plays next doesn’t suit the mood that i am in after listening to the first, I’ll just press next. But it does get a little bothersome but it’s something that I have to live with. 
 
With the genius I no longer have to!
Apple sure knows how to set make our lives so much easier. That’s what technology should be about. Making lives easier and better. Not more difficult or cumbersome.
 
You know I feel that once people get used to better services they wouldn’t settle for anything less. This will only set the standards higher and forces developers to be more innovative. Most developers I know especially those who just graduate and most of them from the “microsoft camp” tend to create software that screams “I’m so cool because I can make this bloated application with so many features, if you don’t know how to use this application you are stupid. Stop living in this world”. 
 
I can spot an arrogant and dumb developer just from their application they produce. 
 
Anyway I’m in the bus and I’m almost approaching my stop..
 
Later then.

I was so tired and sleepy today. I think it’s because I didn’t sleep properly yesterday night. But everything went well.
After the last period of lesson, Mr Izumi and Mr Wajima helped me out in the computer lab as I set up the mac and video camera for the video conferencing session. 
There was a big tv screen I could connect the PowerBook to but alas couldn’t get the Internet working properly due to the ip address settings. Argh. Good thing was I managed to get the wireless connection working so Mr Wajima suggested to use the teachers room. But I thought it might be noisy. So we moved to a room just across the corridor. No good. The wifi strength can’t reach so far. So the last resort was the teachers room. 
There was a slight problem connecting the canon video camera to my mac but luckily it was able to be detected and properly connected ready to go!
We’ve got 3 boys from class 3-3; mr Hashimoto’s home room students. They are very excited to speak face to face with students from Singapore.
I introduced the Japanese teachers of English Mr Izumi and Mr Wajima to Miss Pamela Seet from Singapore. 
After that both Japanese and Singapore students introduced themselves to each other. 
They asked questions and laughter was all around. Especially when the Singapore students asked “have you eaten durian before?” to which the boys answered they haven’t. So I gave them a durian candy to try. 
They did “scissor paper stone” to decide who’ll get to eat the ’smelly’ candy. Both singapore and Japanese students laughed when they saw his reactions! He can’t even swallow!
The girl from Singapore asked if he liked it. The candy still I his mouth and with much difficult he managed to give a thumbs up and utter “it’s nice..” after which he gestured for the tissue paper to spit out the candy on. 
The 3 Japanese students asked their Singapore counterparts whether they liked it. They gave a resounding “YES!” the 3 students were shocked and uterred “ehhh!” loudly. Then they said “how could you eat this??” It is stinky!”
HAHAHA
It was really fun. The students as well as the teachers enjoyed themselves.
I’m glad the session went well. No, I think it went great! I believe this experience will give students both in Japan and Singapore the opportunity to interact, share ideas, and basically have a cultural exchange using the English language as a medium of communication. The accessibility of the Internet as well as the ease of use of software like skype which I used is totally indispensable. It  enables schools to provide the opportunity for students to meet people around their age from another country when they otherwise would not be able to in their whole lifetime maybe.    
Well this session of cultural exchange will be on every Wednesday in this school as long as I’m there and the students in Singapore are not on holiday

I woke up at 3am. But snoozed till 430am. That means no sahur and 18 hours without food and drink for me. Nice. 
Anyway, I got to record a video of the sunrise. As I was observing the sun as it slowly peeks above the many low buildings, I noticed that I can see the mountains outlining the horizon!
All these while I didn’t even see it! Maybe it’s because of the rainy and dark cloudy weather that masked the view. 
On the train now. Still thinking of the new iPod touch with Nike+ built in, and speakers. Hmmm contemplating of selling my current 16gb iPod touch recently upgraded to version 2.0, with 1 year++ of AppleCare. Hmm…

Wow. Dreamt of my dad asking me what time sahur ends and suddenly was woken up by a grunting voice. It was 310am. I had about 20 minutes to eat before sahur is over. 
Made scrambled eggs, slap it on a slice of bread, tore some lettuce, put a slice of cheese, mayonnaise and salmon sprinkles. Egg sandwich. 
That's all until 6 pm today. 
Didn't go back to sleep. Prayed, watched the sun rise at 510am, took my time to pack my stuff and managed to write a postcard to my sister. 
I didn't get to jog to the station today
And I reached the bus station at 710am. The next bus doesnt leave the station until 725am.
School was good. The video went ok. It became a karaoke singing session in class! The teacher said music and songs are good ways for students to learn English. 
Managed to test out video conferencing with pamela in her school in Singapore. So the first trial will be tomorow. 
3 students from my school in japan will interact with 3 students from Singapore real-time.
I wonder how this will pan out. 
I was asked to help mark some worksheets. It's about time. I feel so sleepy from nothing much to do for 2 weeks running already. This is seriously a welcome change. 
There's a welcome party this Friday at shin Sapporo area. The good news is the school will be paying for my share. Wow I feel so grateful. They said because I am one of the special guests, the others being the new principal and the trainee teachers.  
Well I'm in the train now and about to reach my stop. I'll probably reach home at 6 pm just right to break fast. I'm famished!

The sun is shining but the whole apartment feels cold. Woke up early at 550 but got up at 615.
 
End up jogging to the subway station again. 
School was good because I have one period only. 
Today I was invited by mrs Akiyama to sit in a microscope lesson on cells for the first graders. She knew I was a science teacher back in singapore. We talked in a mish mash of Japanese and English when we were at the tea ceremony club on the first week of school. 
 
The lab is smaller than the one at my previous school in Singapore. It’s somewhat cozier hahaha. We were looking at plant cells, chloroplasts and guard cells. I asked her what chloroplasts are in Japanese. She said midori, or so I thought if she understood what indicated to her by my rough sketch hahaha. 
 
So the rest of the time I used to plan a listening activity for ms hara’s class this whole week. Credit goes to the BBC. 
I’ll use my iPod to hook up to the tv set in the classrooms tomorrow. 
Which means I’ve got to buy the cable later after work. Bic camera here I come.
 
P.S. I did go to Otaru yesterday! Picture will be up soon!

My first time cooking!
Take a look

I bought lots of spices, fish vegetables for the week.
Need to cut down on eating out so on Sunday, 2 days after I arrived in Sapporo I started cooking. I guess I have to thank my mom because I’ve seen her cook and I actually asked why she did whatever she does in the kitchen. I also had a hand in helping out but htat was when I was very very young. She showed me how to cook fried rice. That lesson came in really handy now!




lots of ingredients and spices not photographed. But you get the idea.


The following photos are in chronological order.
My first dish!
17 August





For dinner. Not too bad actually. I could eat it. The carrot are a bit tough. I’ll learn from this.



18 August: Fried rice for breakfast. A bit band though. Next time will be better.


18 August: Dinner. Wanted to cook prata...but decided not to because I don't have the recipe for it. Ended up frying prawn fritters...looking more like tiny pancakes to me. But I was hungry so..



19 August: Dinner. i like this dinner. Fried egg, prawns and crab stick, anchovies, carrots and potato and green leafy vegetables. I like it.



21 August: Breakfast
Chocolate and blueberry jam spread on 2 thick slices of bread respectively. Loaf of bread here are cut in thick slices. Unlike those from Singapore.


22 August: Breakfast.
Egg and salad sandwich for breakfast. Its good.



23 August: lunch
Rice with unagi (eel), slices of salmon, prawns, anchovies, spring onions an seaweed crumbs. nice even though the unagi is a bit burnt at the top. Will take note of that the next time I cook unagi. There’s also strips of salmon meat. Very nice!



23 August: Dinner.
Dinner. Unagi slice. The unagi looks better now! Fried breaded prawns, Egg sunny side up, slice of salmon. I like the salmon. Sprinkles of fried anchovies, tomatoes, onions and negi (spring onions). My verdict. Best dinner so far.


24 August: Lunch.
I wanted to cook something else besides rice with dishes. I remembered how the cook did the okonomiyaki in front of me at a restaurant. So I decided to try. So here is the process!



Okonomiyaki and rice with salmon sprinkles wrapped in seaweed. The rice (gohan) was ok. I need to improve my skill on making sushi or onigiri.
I actually failed this day. So the rice cake ended up looking like that in the picture. But the okonomiyaki is good! Even though I didn’t put the okonomiyaki sauce. I didn’t buy it because I couldn’t remember if there was any to be put on.



24 August: Dinner
Tofu dish with tomato and egg white scrambled in it. Nice. Not complete without rice below.



My complete dinner. With potato wedges. I like this dinner.


25 August. Lunch and dinner.
Okay. Right about this day, 1 week after I started cooking, I felt that time would be better spent if I were to cook a larger portion so that I don’t have to cook twice in a day.
So, I decided to cook half a pot of vegetable soup with tofu. Big Mistake. I just remembered back in high school that I can’t really gauge how nice things would taste if it is to be cooked for a serving for 2 or more people. So this soup you see in this photo above tasted too peppery and garlicky. It lacks something that would make soup taste nice. Maybe chicken stock or anchovies. But I did put some anchovies inside. Maybe its not that same with anchovie stock powder.



But the dinner is not all that bad. I had salmon and crab meat. So those saved the dish.


26 August: Dinner
Rice, unagi (very nice) fried breaded prawn (nice) and fried mish mash of vegetables, egg, prawn, crab meat and anchovies


27 August: Dinner
okonomiyaki 3rd edition! I found out that okonomiyaki sauce contains sake (rice wine) So I don't use. It taste nice without it so its all good.



30 August: Dinner
Tofu dish with vegetables, egg, prawn, and anchovies and chopped chicken franks (hot dog).



31 August: Dinner.
The fried chicken tastes so good. I can't remember how I marinated it. Bought the chicken meat at a halal store/restaurant run by a javanese family. The store is 4 blocks awaay from the Hokkaido University and 1 block away from the newy inaugurated mosque in sapporo.



1 September: Dinner.
Fried egg, crab stick and vegetables. By this time I don't know what else to cook so I cook to eat for survival hahaha



3 September: Dinner
Chopped chicken franks and anchovies, wrapped in omelette, tuna (really good with the seasoning) and vegetables.


Yeah. I can cook.

Life's good. Really. Right now its so much different from work back home.
Anyway Friday I have 3 periods of team teaching.
First 2 periods are free because the main teacher has to go for a course in Moral Ed. in another school.
So now I will take this time to upload photos of my cooking!

Wow... I survived 5 periods straight with 1 hour lunch break in between.
Feel like puking now because got no food in tummy. Oh well, I have to endure.

So I had an early Sahur.
Had it at 1130pm yesterday night. So I had no food and drink from maybe midnight till 6:04pm today.
How long is that..I'm too lazy to calculate. Just do the fast. Period.

Anyway right now I feel really sick like throwing up. Maybe because of no food in me. It doesn't help when this morning I had to run to the subway station. I think I too about 8 minutes from apartment to subway station.

I woke up late again! Woke up at 620am. Damn.

Left the apartment at 645, carrying the 3 bags of recyclable trash down to the "Gomi" (trash area).

And I managed to reach the station at 658 am. 2 minutes to cool down before the train comes.

Well I just finished 4 period of lessons. Now is lunch time. I have 1 more period of lesson to go.

I can survive!

Wow, its been weeks since I arrived in Sapporo. Maybe I will write the entries based on the actual days. This takes a lot of recalling power, so some details may not be complete. But nonetheless let the pictures do the talking, if there're any in the post!