Hokkaido -> Ishikawa, Japan Another long flight down to Komatsu, plus a bus, plus a train, then arriving straight into a meeting with tomorrow’s teachers. Although they have a teachers’ workshop in the afternoon, in the morning they have a “let’s play with English” set of sessions with the local ALTs. Then they want me…

Here’s a little video to show you how easy it is to teach English using the Genki English software with a touch screen plasma TV or digital whiteboard. The idea is to take the stress away from teachers who don’t know how to use a traditional computer. It’s also how the British Council use the…

Up early for a drive through the mountains from Odate in Akita to Aomori airport. Along the way the sign posts were showing the temperature of the roads (vital info in the Winter.) Most of the way it was 17 degrees – in August! At one point it was down to 14 degrees. We also…

Akita, Japan Some people have been wondering why I put “snails” as the first animal in the new “I like animals” song. Surely something more exciting would be better first? Well, if you saw the kids’ almost cinematic reaction to it this morning you’d have seen exactly why snails are the best! What you do…

Japan – Ehime to Akita. Take my advice, don’t ever travel on the last day of the Japanese Obon holidays. It’s like Christmas Eve in the West or Chinese New Year and the airports are packed. Mostly with people who’ve no idea of what to do with check in luggage or metal detectors (we’re allowed…