ALT Conference

ALT conferences had just finished. All of the 9 Tokyo JETs had met up - most of us for the first time - and did a presentation each of what we do at our schools. Most were interesting, it was surprising to see how a majority of JETs had real problems with non-responsive classes. There was also a professor from Waseda University who gave us an excellent lecture of how to teach pragmatically colloquial English and academic writing by taking into account the differences in communicative competence. Absolutely first class lecture, and it was practical too - had to get my head around the fact that English in Japan can actually be practical?! I had lost all faith in my Junior High School - and refreshing to hear him speak about the differences between Western and Japanese logic.

Afterwards, we went to the New York Bar 52nd floor of the Park Hyatt Hotel in Shinjuku for a ¥2000 drink and checked out the site that had appeared in the scenes of the movie "Lost in Translation". The view was amazing, and we were just in time to see the moonrise.

For the duration of the conference, we'd gone to eat Mexican fajitas and Italian pizza which both tasted surprising authentic. Afterwards, we dispersed and me and my holmes* snacked at Korean Town and chowed down at Tsuki no Shizuku izakaya. Its not healthy to eat so much food, but its not as if I do it often!

*The consequences of socialising with the American JETs in my town, I seriously can't think of another equivalent right now.

NB: Photos of my Winter holidays in Takayama and North Kyushu will be posted soon. I had a fantastic time ;)