Getting ready to go to Brazil

I started ordering the food I'll be taking to Brazil in August. 

Disney World Internship

I was at Narita Airport on Saturday to see two of my students off. They are now in California and in two weeks will be flying to Orlando, Florida for their 6-month internship. 

Spelman, Morehouse and Leeward

Our Intensive Japanese Language and Culture 3-week course ended on June 14. I hope the students returned home with rich experiences and lots of stories to tell friends and family. 

Former students

Last week I was fortunate to meet three former students here on campus. I hadn't seen one of them for 12 years. He called to say he wanted to return a DVD he had borrowed years ago and showed up in my office with his wife and daughter! I forgot to take a photo of them...

Misa and Kamiyu spent the day here at JIU last Monday. They chose to have dinner at Yutaka. I guess former students miss that place. 

Students from Taipei at JIU

A group of students from our sister institution in Taipei visited our Tokyo Kioicho campus last week. This is a photo of their tour to our fossil gallery. It's an amazing gallery and if you haven't been--please do make the time. 

Saying good-bye to Araki-san

They decided to move to China and left Japan last week. I'm sad I won't be able to see them very often anymore, and I hope they'll stay in the field of education and come to Japan regularly. 

Open Campus & Dinner

Lots of students helped us with the Open Campus session on May 25 and I thanked everyone with an early dinner at Yutaka. 

More cake later in May

To be honest, I think I gained more than 2kg in May after eating all the great sweets and cake that my students and former students brought to my office. These are my students in graduate school. They surprised me when I had already forgotten I had turned "25" on May 16. I feel very, very lucky I have such loving students. 

A surprise gift: an autograph

If you are Brazilian, you can immediately recognize the person on the cover: Mauricio de Souza. He is the author of my favorite comic book Chico Bento. Maira tells me that she had the opportunity to meet with him last year and got this signed copy for me! What a great surprise. 

A watermelon year

Here are photos of some of the gifts I received on my birthday. I am so very sorry I haven't taken photos of them all including the photo of the delicious "Kotaro" watermelon.

Lunch with friends. 

A tea break at Starbucks with colleagues, friends and students--all unplanned .

Beautiful flowers from Yuigen. 

Sour dough--so good.

Mild salt--addictive!

I actually got more than one bottle, but don't want anyone to "misunderstand" the gift. 

Sazae-san.

Have not cooked yet...

Watermelon from the same company from two different people. 

Inden.