Thoughts on Japan

DONATE HERE - Red Cross

We got this email from our good friend Steve today.  He works in the heart of Tokyo at an international school.  Hopefully it will give a little different perspective than what you are seeing between updates of Charlie Sheen's diet.

Hi Beck and Isaac,
It is eerily quiet today, Sunday afternoon. I just went for a bike ride, I have never seen the streets so empty, even on a Sunday. There is a feeling of anxiety here, with some folks predicting further quakes possible. 

Friday at 2:45 I had a little guy in my office. He was drawing me a picture on the marker board. It started shaking, rocking, and for a few seconds I thought shit, this is it. I grabbed the boy, squeezed him and I under the desk, and books stated falling. No announcement yet to clear the building. I thought, seriously, as soon as I hear a big crash I'm heading for the door. 

My office is on the 1st floor. 4 floors of steel and concrete above me, I thought my chances would be good to get this little guy out to the track, and if things start collapsing, we are not in the best place. 

Soon after, the 2 minutes of rocking felt like 20, but an announcement was made from the main office to clear the building. All students had helmets, everyone exited the site, we stayed with them on the turf for two hours. 

Most kids went home on the buses at 4:30, I was at school until midnight waiting for parents to come get their kids. Most walked, or took buses, which were crawling along, and at midnight there were still thousands of people, walking quietly, but trying to get home. Trains were all down. All roads were pretty much blocked a few hours after the quake hit, two of our teachers started walking to be with family, they figured three hours of hoofin to get to their wife and kids. 

I'm fine, one day I just pray it doesn't explode here in Tokyo, it will be devastating. My thoughts and prayers are with the people up north, and the nuclear plants are leaking, a few of them anyway. 

You take care, I miss you guys to, wonder when I'll see you again. One day perhaps, sooner than later I hope. 

Love to both of you, and you can share this email with friends if they want one Tokyo guy getting thru the EQ in Tokyo. Bye for now.

A few more thoughts.  Twitter became real to me last year during the #redshirt protests in Bangkok.  It was a fast way to get raw information without the filter of media.  The #tsunami in Japan has shown, again, the power that is in social media.

We found some of the best coverage on the earthquake and tsunami was not CNN, BBC or Fox "News".  We actually turned to Aljazeera.  I hope that they let us back in Texas having admitted this publicly.

The counselor at our school is from Sendai, the town in Japan closest to the epicenter of the quake.  She has let us know that her family is all OK.  Working internationally makes the world feel very small. 

iBeck

DONATE HERE - Red Cross

Blueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Oh soooo lonesome for you!  Why can't you be blueee over meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee?!  Yes, that is LeAnn Rimes' hit 1996 song "Blue" and, yes, I was singing as I wrote, and you wish you could have heard it.  Except you, Dad.  Anyway, I guess a "Blue" reference is a bit random.....unless this blog is about something blue like the Blue Mountains!  Woahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!  I just BLUE your mind!  Get it?  Cause I spelled "blew" like the color "blue"?  It's clever.

                                                                   Nice bangs, LeAnn!

Ok moving on.  Isaac said my homework was actually to contribute to this family by writing a blog.  I guess cooking and replacing the toilet paper roll and cutting him up a mango today (which if you haven't tried before is VERY labor intensive) isn't enough!  Just kidding baby, I love cutting your mangoes for you.  No, that's not a euphemism, Mom!  Jeez, you're so immature.

                                        

Alright, so my blog topic is our trip in Australia to the beautiful Blue Mountains.  We took the train to the blue mountains from Sydney.  Since we knew we were going to "mountains" we were totally prepared for the change of climate from our time in the hot Port Douglas region.  Just kidding, we showed up in shorts and thongs.  Isaac was also wearing flip flops.  Luckliy it was sunny when we arrived.  Oh wait, it was actually raining and about 40 degrees outside.  We decided to eat dinner when we got off the train to warm our hearts and bodies.  We chose an authentic Australian restaurant we like to call "Subway".  Isaac got in an argument with the guy at the counter about whether or not Subways outside of America have mustard.  He obviously didn't know of Isaac's extensive Subway restaurant touring all over Asia.  In case you were wondering, Subways in Malaysia, Japan, and Korea all have mustard available.

After we got kicked out of, er I mean left Subway, we walked to our hostel which was one of the largest hostels I've ever stayed in.  It was pretty nice with a big fireplace in the living room area and tons of games and books and stuff to entertain people.  Unfortunately, Isaac and I had to sleep in separate rooms because all of the double rooms were fully booked.  As fate would have it, there was a snorer in my room.  Snorers, please PLEASE don't stay in shared rooms in hostels!  Or put a bag over your head or something so we don't have to hear you destroying your lungs or doing whatever it is that snoring does.  Have some courtesy!

After a sleepless night, Isaac and I headed to a nice long hike and borrowed some fleece jackets from the hostel.  I guess we weren't the only idiots who had shown up to the place without warm clothes.  We hiked all day and saw some cool birds and waterfalls.  See pictures below:

Leeches love Isaac!

This is the steepest train track in the world!

After hiking we went to a restaurant that reminded me of the Keebler elf tree.  We didn't have any cookies but I did get a delicious hot cocoa while there and a butt cramp from sitting on a stool for an hour.  No, Mom, that's not a euphemism either!

That night the snorer was gone so I had a nice, peaceful sleep.  We went for a morning hike the next day and I spotted some Aggies in the distance.  Those are people who went to Texas A&M, not animals.  Sometimes I wonder if there's a difference.  Joking!  Gig'em Aggies!  WHOOP!  I don't know if I'm allowed to say that.  Translation for all non-Aggies: "Great job team!  Loud noises!".  Isaac was pretty excited to see some ladies from Texas A&M, and they were excited when he stopped bothering them.  Actually, they seemed to enjoy the conversation, as did I.  I liked the part where I didn't know what anyone was talking about.  I guess now I know how my students feel when I talk.

We thought about trying to chase kangaroos after our hike but would have had to take our big backpacks with us so we didn't go.  I was unable to fulfill my lifelong dream of riding a kangaroo.  *sigh  Next time!

We left the Blue Mountains and headed back to the final 5 days of our trip in Sydney. More info on that to come!  Oh wait...this is vacation in reverse, so you can go read about that now!

The 3rd Semi-Annual Cutting of the Curls

I don't get hair cuts in Asia.  It is one of the problems with having curly hair. (The other problems are in order: fending off overly aggressive women, keeping a hat on my head, and being mistaken for Bill Walton or Napoleon Dynamite).

When I first moved overseas, my hair was pretty out of control.  Stupidly, I did not get it cut before leaving for Korea.  I could have let it grow longer, but I wanted to look professional for the first day of school.

With that in mind, I walked to what appeared to be a reputable hair salon.  I quickly knew I was in trouble.  After getting me in the chair and giggling with the other ladies in the shop, my 'stylist' scrunched my hair and said, "Perm?"

"Ha.  No. Ha," I responded nervously. "It's natural."

"Oh, natural perm."

Uh oh.  Needless to say, this was not my best haircut.  That was the last haircut I paid for in Asia.  Basically, I get one or two cuts in the summer and then let it grow to ridiculous afro proportions during the year.  At some point, I get tired of it and shave it all off.  The two years I lived in Korea, the school did a fundraiser for mission trips to let a kid shave my head in the style of their choice. (The First Semi-Annual)  After a one year hiatus, we decided to bring it back this year.  All proceeds from the fund raiser go to a school in Laos.  As part of the deal, I have to keep this 'do for a week.

Ready to go.

Anticipation building.

Now we're having fun.

Becky might be enjoying this a little too much.

Some of the damage.

This is the kid that won.  He was too scared to actually cut my hair, so he asked Becky to do it for him.  He directed Becky (who is photo-bombing this picture).

So what did the administration think of this?  I'll let them speak for themselves.

Mr. Mike - Principal and inspiration.

Ms. Sue - Asst. Principal

How did Becky do?  What would you have done?

Yooooouuuuuuuu, your room is on fire.

Here is a reference for the title of this blog in case you need it.

I was teaching my grade 8 English class yesterday when all of the sudden, a student gasped, shouted something unintelligible and pointed out the window in the back of the classroom.  "What is it," I asked them as I made my way to see what all the commotion was about.  I was greeted with this.

The beginning.

The middle.

The end.

I immediately sent all my kids to the office so that they could alert the principals and sound the fire alarm.  Considering how contained the fire was, and that the entire school is made of concrete, I was not too concerned.  I stayed in the room and waited for the fire extinguisher to be brought in.

The school was evacuated, though.  We have had probably five accidental fire drills this year, so at least we finally had a real one this time.

Sydney

This is our vacation in reverse.  Last stop, Sydney.  And what a great city it is.  I don't know if you will ever meet someone who didn't think Sydney was a great town. (Thats quality use of the double negative there.)  Our experience was magnified because we were there at the height of Sydney tourism, New Years.  The city was packed with people and the energy was awesome leading up to and right after the turn of the calendar.

The highlight had to be the fireworks.  Sydney is one of the first major cities in the world to celebrate the New Year, and they don't hold back.  I made sure to thank all the Aussies I know for spending their tax dollars to entertain me.  The fireworks are shot off of barges all up and down the harbor, but the best seats are overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The city did a great job of publicizing all the different watching spots, so we scouted out a few places that looked good.

Naively, we thought that we would go to the botanical gardens in the morning, get some lunch, and then make our way to one of the watching spots.  This plan was quickly squashed when we saw the cue (line) formed to get into Mrs. Maquarie's Point, our first choice.  We were also told that the gardens were closed.  Hmmmm.

Fortunately, I have a lot of practice working without any semblance of a plan.  We made our way to Circular Quay and hopped on a ferry headed for Luna Park and McMahons Point.  As you can see below, we made a good choice.

Of course, getting this great spot meant that we were hanging out here for about 10 hours.  Good thing we brought sunscreen.  Too bad we forgot the sunscreen at the hotel.  Thats where our incredible good looks came through again.  Actually, people don't usually pity the beautiful, so what happened next must have been an exception to the rule.  Whilst standing around (a garbage can), looking for a place to plop ourselves, but also happy to be under the shade of a big tree, a nice gentleman came up to us and invited us to join him on his and his family's tarp.  With a tent overhead!  Jackpot!

John and Leslie, an awesome couple from America who had recently relocated to Sydney, had the best spot in the whole area, and they had shade.  Not to mention, sitting for 10 hours straight can get a little boring, so getting to know some new folks is always fun.

Becky helping the family take down the tent.  I encouraged.

Finally, the sun fell and the show started.  We took video so you could enjoy, because everyone loves watching videos of fireworks.  Enjoy anyway.

I audibly gasped multiple times, in a 'I'm watching Aggie sports" sort of way.  Yes, this was better than the Cotton Bowl (stupid Arkansas).

Anything Else?


What else is there after that.  Lots more actually.  Manly Beach, Bondi Beach, the botanical gardens, museums, steak, Sydney Opera House, and just checking out the different parts of town.

Here is some of that in picture form.

The bridge is ominous.  You catch glimpses of it throughout the city.

You know what's 'Same Same'...our shorts.  

Bondi Beach.  I loved it.  Packed to the gills.  

The sky-writers were out.  We saw two proposals and this evangelism.

Lorikeets in the botanical gardens.

Pulling into Manly.  Another awesome beach just a short walk after getting off the ferry here.

With that, we left Sydney and headed back to Bangkok.  Thankfully, this is our vacation in reverse, so there are still two more parts to come.

Love iBeck

iBeck's Favorite Things (about Australia)

Oprah decided to visit Australia about two weeks before Becky and I did.  In honor of her, I give you iBeck's Favorite Things (about Australia).

1. Male Tramp Stamps - Becky spotted one of these bold tattoos early in the trip and had a hard time keeping her excitement to herself.  I could do nothing but express my unconditional approval.  I would put the over/under on the number that we spotted at five.  That also equals the total number of male lower back tattoos I have seen in my life.

Sadly, this is not my picture.  I have no excuse for not capturing the glory that was witnessed.  This will have to do.

2. Language - Stubbies (Bottled Beer), Stubbie Holder (Coozie), Jumper (Fleece/Jacket), How ya going, guys? (How ya doing), G'day, Mate, and adding the letter y/ies to every word like Chrissie (Christmas), Sunnies (Sunglasses), Esky (cooler), Good onya (good job), Pom/Pommy (Englishman),

3. Burger King is Hungry Jack's and McDonalds is Macca's. Enough said.

4. Commercial from the retail store Rivers. This either consisted of showing sales with hard-core death metal in the background or the most monotoned voice announcer of all time tell us why we need to go to Rivers.  Our favorite line explaining the glory of all the shirts on sale, "Some have pockets, some don't, it all depends really."

This is easily the most expressive Rivers commercial, but its the only one I could find.  Also, please don't be confused by these low prices, this is the WalMart of Aussie retail.

5. The Ashes.  Who knew cricket could be so interesting?  Well, no one apparently.  That didn't stop me from seriously getting interested in the biggest sporting event in Aussie.  The Ashes are four 5-day cricket test matches between the Pommy Bastards from the England and the boys in the Baggy Green.  They play every other year and alternate between the UK and Australia.  We were there in time to watch the last two tests, which saw Australia embarrassed by the Poms.

Is it sad that I could literally name five guys on the Aussie national team right now?  I could literally write several pages on Australian cricket.  I am pretty sure that most Australians couldn't do that.  This confirms what most already knew, I have a sports sickness.  The positive is that this is great knowledge to have now that I am moving to a commonwealth country.  I can't wait to make Becky go to five day cricket tests with me!

6. Sunrise and the lack of filter. Sunrise is the Good Morning America or Today Show of Oz.  There were plenty of things we liked about this show.  First was the QVC like shopping experience you get every 10 minutes or so.  They stopped the news and kicked it to one of the Sunrise people who were hawking some gadget or another.  It was seriously like flipping channels between Matt Lauer and Ron Popeil...but without having to change channels!

The other part that we loved about this show was the complete lack of filter.  This can best be explained by an interview with a plastic surgeon who was on to talk about plastic surgery becoming an increasingly popular gift for Christmas.  When the doctor made this proclamation, the host immediately said, "That's not true!"  He basically called the guy a quack the entire segment and ended by saying," Thank you 'doctor.'"  He literally made air-quotes when he said "doctor!"  How awesome is that?

7. Beer.  XXXX, Victoria Bitter, Coopers, Toohey's, Cascade, Hahn Super Dry, Pure Blonde all available in a schooner.

8. Tank Tops.  Did you know that tank tops are back in! Woooooooooo!  Everyone in Australia is going to the beach.  Always.

9. Steak! Bring me my steak!  Oz is expensive.  There is one exception and that is steak.  I don't think either of us actually got meat-sweats, but it wasn't for lack of trying.  Steak is not a part of the everyday Thai diet, so we tried to make up for lost time.  

10. Hospitality.  Our Aussie friends all nervously asked if people were nice on our visit which leads me to think that we were actually being made fun of to our faces most of the trip.  We were treated great by just about everyone, especially the Coopers.  Jason, Jenene, Harper and Promise all got up early and drove to the airport to pick us up when we first touched down.  They took us to brekky (breakfast) and then took us right back to the airport since we only had an hour between flights.

Then, because we had an overnight layover in Gold Coast before going back to Bangkok, Jason picked us up, took us back to their place and gave us a bed, shower and more breakfast.  What a great way to bookend our trip!

Harper, Becky, Isaac, Jason, Promise and Jenene taking the picture.

How did we do?  Did we miss anything or grossly exaggerate something?  What are your favorite things about Australia?

iBeck 

*Disclaimer - I had to ask the internets if Oprah's Favorite Things was real to make sure this post title would make sense.

Time for something New (Delhi)

Hey there blog readers.  Can we be serious for a moment?  This won't take long.

Becky and I spent last Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday at a job fair here in Bangkok.  This was the second international teaching fair for both of us, but this time we came equipped with a special weapon: experience.  These fairs are generally gut-wrenching interview after gut-wrenching interview.  I think they are kind of fun, although Becky would disagree with me on that.  What is certain is that there is plenty of stress and decision making involved.

So even though I love suspense, I will lead you on no further.  Becky and I feel really blessed to be heading to what we think is one of the best schools in the world.  We are moving to New Delhi, India to work at the American Embassy School.  We are looking forward to working long hours, being challenged all the time and generally seeing a ton of professional growth.  Should be a good time.  We are looking forward to finishing strong here in Thailand.

I wish this was my drawing...its from dawpa2000's  flickr photostream.

Whew!  Glad that is over.  I had to be serious for almost two straight days.  What I really want to talk about here is what I think when I hear the word 'India'.

I can't help but think of the backwards Seinfeld episode.  In the episode, the cast all go to India for a wedding, but they don't really want to go.  Elaine only goes because she thinks the bride doesn't want her there.  To test if this is true, she goes to see the parents of the bride.  When she finds out that the parents discourage her to go, she of course then books the tickets, because that's the type of person Elaine is.

(Notice: "ONE HOUR EARLIER" Elaine is at Pinter's parents house)

ELAINE: Hi. Mr. and Mrs. Ranawat?

ZUBIN: Please, call us Usha and Zubin.

ELAINE: Oh. Well, Usha..

ZUBIN: I'm Zubin.

ELAINE: (Shrugging it off) Anyway, your son is marrying my friend, Sue Ellen Mischke..

USHA: You're not going to the wedding, are you?

ELAINE: Well..

USHA: Don't go. India is a dreadful, dreadful place.

ZUBIN: You know, it's the only country that still has the plague? I mean, the plague! Please!

USHA: Here's the registry. Send her a gift, and be glad you did not have to go.

ELAINE: (Soaking it in) Right. Don't go. Send a gift. I think I understand.

ZUBIN: If I had to go to India, I wouldn't go to the bathroom the entire trip.

ELAINE: (Leaving) That's fantastic.

ZUBIN: And I'm not so crazy about Manhattan, either.

(Scene ends)


My favorite part: The bit about the plague.  I am pretty sure that India is going to rock our world! Should be an adventure, and who doesn't love an adventure?

Citation: This script comes from www.seinfeldscripts.com

Edit: Becky will be teaching High School IB History (exact position yet to be determined) and I will be teaching 7th grade MYP Humanities (geography).