Alex's LA/SS/D Blog

Japan Blog

2010-03-12T10:30:00.001-08:00

I am approaching year three of teaching English in the Japanese city of Tokushima. I am watching the city grow and expand its industries greatly, and the administration, economic activity, cultural and educational facilities have made the state prosperous. I am greatly enjoying the warm climate, fertile soil, and the ocean of Tokushima. One of my students is not able to speak fluent English now, with a few others close behind; I will try to keep you updated of my adventures and teachings here in the beautiful state of Tokushima.

Awa Odori

Last night we had the Awa Odori dance festival, my favorite event here in Tokushima. I am amazed that this festival has been dated back to 400 years ago. It was a blast.

School Lunches

I found the way they did school lunches exceeding strange. I wish we had more range and differenciation in our American school lunches. I appreciate their use of other other types of silverware such as sporks and chops sticks. I find that the simple usage of rice is inspiring as they can eat so simple foods, and all stay so strong. But how do they stuff everything in their mouth, like that? Strange... They ate their lunches in something called a "bento box"- although i was familliar with it, it was still amazing to be able to see. I took pictures around the lunch room with my camera that I brought here to show you guys back home!
A Typical Japanese Bento Box ------------> (above)

Textbooks

I looked at the Japanese textbooks and was appualed. Living in the Japanese culture, it seemed a bit more normal, but how could they only be showing things from one point of view? I pointed it out to one of my favorite students and he had no idea what I was talking about... I guess things are taught differently here in Japan.

Fall of Maya

2009-11-10T11:40:00.000-08:00

I believe the fall of the Maya was because of malnutrition, anemia, and starvation. I think what happened was that every year the crops became lesser and lesser just like it quoted in the text on the website we looked at, and then people wanted to get more food so they would farm more and over-farm the lands. This ruined the soil and many starved to death and then many others got anemia caused by the malnutrition of lack of iron because of everyone over-farming. Everyone then lost their rulers and people almost didn't know what to do.

Inca Artwork

2009-10-22T11:21:00.001-07:00

This is a sculpture called tenon-head. It was built by the Chavin Tribe. Heads that were like this used to hang around a temple. They are thought to represent stages of drug-induced human-to-feline shamanic transformation.

This Paracas art was considered best of all ancient cultures. the They used vicuña wool or cotton; harmonious and with many colors, animal designs, anthropomorphous and geometric, some included feathers.

This piece of Nazca artwork was made in 400 A.C. in Lima, Peru. This tribe left evidence of their life by their brightly colored pottery.

This is a collection of artwork from the Moche Empire. They made a lot of pottery in different shapes to represent some different parts of their culture.

This was a piece of artwork from the Chimu tribe. All their artwork was dark and gloomy. This piece of artwork represents a ceremonial knife with the handle in the form of the human figure and various beaked animals.

This is a very unique sculpture from the Chancay tribe. It represents a sitting feline.

This Inca artwork was used in ceremonial sacrifices of some pre Inca cultures in the Peruvian Coastal Region.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX732RZ8Jpo- Please go to this link for some traditional Inca music!

2009-10-22T11:21:00.000-07:00