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Kobe Jazz Review: Basin Street

ByTravis Love

The owner of Basin Street, Mr. Tachihiko Kawasaki, once said during a concert that he didn’t really like the song after which he named his bar. “It’s too downbeat,” he said. “I wanted to name the bar after ‘Satin Doll,’ but there’s already a Satin Doll in Kobe.” He may be dissatisfied with the name, but he’s very satisfied with his job. He gets to own the bar, play guitar and drums, and hang out with jazz musicians all the time. If this is what a mid-life crisis gets you, sign me up.

English Sensei Spirit: Omiai Speed Dating
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English Sensei Spirit: Omiai Speed Dating

ByMiriam Truppin-Brown

The goal of the Omiai Speed Dating Game is to give the students a fun, real-world context in which to practice the target grammar, in this case “X is as ~ as Y,” many times in rapid succession, until they are able to do it naturally and fluidly. This game has the added bonus of provoking non-stop giggling, because it asks the students to search among their classmates for a spouse.
Students write three opinion sentences using the target grammar. In this case I asked the students to make value judgments about school and free time, American food and Japanese food, and love and money.

I Heart T-Points: RoboGeisha
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I Heart T-Points: RoboGeisha

ByJ.J. Cappa

There are many ways to study geisha. Middle-aged American women have Memoirs of a Geisha and Oprah. Tourists can dress like geisha in Kyoto for an in-their-shoes experience. The rich and connected can attend legitimate geisha performances. Academics turn to scholarship and classical literature on the topic. Me? I learned everything I need to know about geisha from a film released in 2009 by director Iguchi Noboru (who also makes porn). His film taught me the four tenets of geisha:

Book Discoveries: The Elegance of the Hedgehog
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Book Discoveries: The Elegance of the Hedgehog

ByCaitlin Orr

Translated from French to English, The Elegance of the Hedgehog is a powerful novel that brings two very extraordinary characters to life. Renee Michel is a concierge at an upper-class Parisian apartment complex. She constantly has to conceal her intelligence from the other tenants in her building for fear they may not appreciate her insights and philosophies – especially if they are coming from one of their apartment employees.

4 Comments

  1. Thanks for guessing! This one may be kind of tough, apparently.. if no one gets it by the 15th, we’ll put up another hint!

  2. Hi just found this nice website, though not an ALT would like to chance an answer
    Kanzaki-cho, Shiso-shi and surrounding areas?

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