Few and Far Between!

When I looked and saw the last time I posted on Jeff's Place, I was surprised to find that it was nearly a year ago. That's probably because this year has been so strange and difficult. Shortly after my previous post (on January 10th), we began to hear about the Corona Virus II, which later became COVID-19. I was a bit shocked, as we all were, to see sights and stories on the Net about what was going on. I had plans to go to America at the end of February. Could I keep my plans? 

As the days progressed, sure enough it began to look bleak. We learned more about the power of the virus and problems that came with the virus. Well, I monitored the situation, and decided to take the chance to go to America via Seoul. There were a few cases in Korea then, hardly any in Japan, and none in the US, so I thought I may be okay. 

I boarded the plane, and there were  many vacant seats from here in Fukuoka to Seoul. I got to Seoul at around 11 and my next flight was at 10 the next morning. Wow, over 12 hours of layover! My goal was to settle in for the night in the transit lounge wearing my mask and gloves with my bags close at hand. I managed to get dinner and several beers and then found a sofa, and claimed it as my own, bearing down for the night with mask, iPhone and podcasts, sleeping with my head on my carry on bag covered by lone coat. Before I knew it it was 7 am and I woke to the bustling of the airport. I grabbed a cup of joe and a quick breakfast and made my way to the gate where I settled in once more. 

On the plane, I saw many a nervous face as we all donned masks and wiped off every thing in sight with alcohol wipes. We flew. We went on. We ate with removing masks for a short time. We made it to the US! After being picked up I went home and spent a great time with Mom; however, while I was in America the cases picked up worldwide, and I was told that if I were to go back to Japan via Seoul that I would have to quarantine for two weeks. Because of this, I cancelled that flight and booked another to go directly to Japan from the US. No need for quarantine. But I didn't know then that I would make it just in the nick of time, as the very next day, the cases shot up rapidly, and travel across global borders was banned.  Wow! How lucky was I!

My Winter Vacation Story!

This winter vacation was very busy for me. I had classes until December 25th - Christmas Day! I was shocked at first, and it was upsetting to have classes then as I usually don't. This year was different, however. But, I didn't mind it that much! My students and I listened to Christmas music and learned the story of Christmas. Then they had to write a 300 word essay about a social issue that they care about, such as global warming, obesity, aging population, economic disparity, gender issues, etc. I allowed them to write the essay while they listened to the Christmas music, and it seemed to be very enjoyable for them. They were able to write 300 words relatively easily. After they finished, they printed out their papers and exchanged them with partners. Their partners were to read them and then give comments and advice on how to make their partners' papers better. The students were able to give comments quickly, but giving advice was a bit harder. This is probably because the students lacked confidence in their own writing.
     After that, my students and I went on a research trip to a small town in Amakusa called Miyajidake. Miyajidake is a small town in the middle of the biggest island in Amakusa - Shimoshima. It is a beautiful place, but unfortunately there is nothing there. The rural area has been suffering from a drop in population for the last decade, and recently nursery and elementary schools have closed as young people move away to larger towns in search of jobs. However, this leaves the town depleted of the energy and vibrancy of young people. The residents there want to change that and invite many people, including foreigners to the area. And this is where we come in...our lab was invited to research the situation to see what could be done to further develop the area. And so this is what we've been doing. More info on this later!