Stunning bike trip

Last weekend was a long weekend; we always jump on the opportunity to head out and explore this country. Thanks to the bullet train our range around the country is quite extensive. After work on Friday these weekends always start out with a 20 km ride across the city to the Tokyo station where we catch the bullet train. There, using a series of planters as a screen from the thousands of passengers Flowing by, we disassemble the front wheel of our bikes and squeeze them into bike bags, a requirement to keep from smudging anyone else's clothes in these crowded, massive stations. We sling our bike bags over one shoulder, our panniers over e other shoulder then dive into the crowds and crowds of Tokyo station: 

                                   

A bullet train zipped us to Fukuyama where we spent the night at a "love hotel" on for a very good price (Google Japanese love hotels if you really want the intimate details :-) ). The next morning a quick train trip to Onomichi where we re-assembled our bikes...

                                      

Had a great buffet breakfast at a cycling hotels with bar stools that you could pedal... To get warmed up for your trip.

                                 

A short Japanese themed ferry took us across to Mukaishima Island for the start of the amazing Setouchi Shimanami Kaido bike route.

                                    

This route is over 100 km. Of bike trails that snake across 10 different inland islands.

The first thing that amazed us was THE BRIDGES! 10 of them of all different designs, lengths and sizes:

Each one had a bike path built as part of the bridge...

Sometimes below the bridge...

                                     

The designs were stunning...

With most bridges built very widely with an extra lane (though empty but just in case for the future!) and bike paths on each side of the bridge...

                                   

The bridges would pop up from around the corners of e winding seaside roads. Each bridge had its own bike bridge access road never more than a two percent climb, complete with washroom stations (with hot and cold water and vending machines), street lamps and rest zones with benches and picnic tables overlooking the ocean. 

The bridges provided wonderful vistas of the shipping in the area

                                      

The fishing industry...

And a huge number of ship-building dry docks in many of the coves beneath the bridges.

Each bridge had individual art pieces at the beginning and end the bridge:

                                  

During our three days of exploration went biked over, and under and through bridges at all times of day and well into the evening and delight at the ever changing light playing on the bridges, the islands and the water.

                                      

         

On our second night.... When it was not pouring, Shelley 

                                    

And Dan...

Enjoying the sunset over Sunset beach:

The longest bridge (6.4 km) was particularly impressive with the bike bath engineering which was built with the same precision and effort as the car bridge:

                            

Here you can see the upper layer for cars, the lower path for bikes:

The main bridge for cars, the side bridge for bikes:

                               

The left hand ramp for cars, the right hand ramp for bikes; looked and felt like a bike freeway to us!

Adding to the enjoyment of our trip was to stay in a warm and friendly Air BnB right on the shore of a white sandy beach (tucked behind the tsunami wall of course!) with our very friendly host. 

Our hosts Akira and Rie helped us navigate the uni-lingual ferry system that took us out to some of the more remote islands.

We had the privilege there of seeing a variety of community celebrations of Matsuri, where community members parade their "mikoshi" around the village/neighbourhood as a kind of fall Thanksgiving. 

We ended up at one where the population of men-folk had shrunk to the point that they had trouble managing the heavy mikoshi...

                                   

So they asked us to help!

      

And how would any trip in Japan be possible without at least one magnificent temple? This temple,Kosanji on Ikuchi island was built in the 30s by a rich industrialist who wanted to honour his mother. He became so passionate about the temple that he became a monk and lived there for the rest of his life. The dramatic gates and recreations of temple buildings from throughout Japan were very interesting.

                                              

But it was the little, unobtrusive tunnel entrance that drew us into the depths of the hill...

                                                       
Past some guardian Arhats as the stairs snaked down into the earth....

Only to be confronted clearly by the fact that we had arrived in Hell...

With demons doing all kinds of evil things to humans...

This encouraged us to quickly seek out the upper chambers with their 1000 carved Buddhas to protect us...

Until we finally emerged at the foot of the Mother/Goddess who would save our souls.

For some unknown reason, the top of the temple hill was given over to a famous Japanese artist who imported tons and tons of white marble from Italy to create a....??

dramatic pile of white marble!

We returned to our Tokyo home replete with sounds, sights and smells of the remote islands and the joy of spending three long days on our bikes. 

Back on the work front up-date

This is the part of our blog that reminds us that it is because I work at BSCIS that we are here in Japan having all of these adventures.

So, on the work front things continue to grow, solidify and evolve.

Our cycle of marketing is now happening for the second year. I am speaking to groups of Cram School teachers who heard me last year. I am going to the Study in Canada fair now for the third time. I meet with parents who have heard about our program through friends of theirs who already have a daughter in our program. We are now in a position to talk about how the girls have actually done on their exams and their English assessments. The students have done very well on both their BC and their Japanese exams so this has become one of the key points in our outreach information. Exam results and ultimately what universities students get accepted to are key selling points for Japanese parents. 

Drew is working one of our information tables at two days of school out reach this last weekend.

       

We continue to bring in a whole variety of visitors to give our students an idea about the broad possibilities for them and their future careers. This is Dr. Rebecca Miles, who also happens to be my sister, who came to talk to the classes about her work as a professor, as a multi linguist, and what path led her and her life to where she is now. She is currently heading off to Kerala, India where is she is taking on a seven month research project.

I also always enjoy the opportunities that our students have to enrich their Japanese heritage here at the school. Here is the calligraphy teacher in the calligraphy room along with some of our new JET program teachers and Rebecca and her husband Ward.

        

Naginata, A club activity.

          

Traditional Japanese flower arranging, another club activity choice.

                                     

Now that we have both grade 10 and grade 11 students we are enjoying having both classes work together. Here are the grade ten students sharing the results of their five week homestay in British Columbia with the grade 11 students who asked questions and wrote comments on their projects.

          

       

With our grade 10 students we are constantly looking for ways to engage the students in learning the high-level English vocabulary associated with the curriculum content. Here are some examples of using drama activities to engage in the class novel they are reading.

         

                                    

The students also have the opportunity in their home economics class to enjoy both Western and Japanese cooking.

                                        

We have enjoyed having Philip visit us. Philip is a volunteer from Atlanta Georgia who just graduated from college and is very interested in Japanese life and culture. He works with all classes to help improve their English and is also creating a film for us about the double diploma program.

                                     

This is also the time of year for the annual Rose Festival. I wrote a blog last year about this festival which continues to amaze me. This is an opportunity for our school to open up at stores, invite the neighbors, and celebrate all of the activities that happened here. On both Saturday and Sunday there are at least 2000 people wander around the school, checking out the events, and chatting with teachers and students.

As per last year, one of the highlights is the fashion show. There's a whole section of our school which is dedicated to students who are interested in learning the fashion industry. Half of every day is spent designing, sewing, and learning about the fashion industry. This fashion show is the highlight of their year and also the highlight of the festival. Check out some of the amazing work of these students do.

On a Japanese cultural theme:

                                 

On a flower theme:

                                  

On a Halloween theme:

                                  

On a universe theme:

                                  

On a candy theme:

                                   

On a high-tech you U/V filter theme:

Above and beyond the fashion show, each homeroom had their own theme, and their own activities. Here are some of the grade 10 DD students:

                                   

With me trying out one of their games:

                                   

All of them proud of their Canadian experience that they just came back from:

                                     

The grade 11 students also had their class theme and many more involved in the volunteer club:

                                    

                                     

                                     

Saturday night was, once again, a chance for students to let loose, to relax and to enjoy a variety show that includes a "special" act by the new teachers. So yes, once again, as international staff we took on the challenge of performance before a very kind and enthusiastic audience. Check out the screams!

The show was based on an old Japanese TV show that had the TV personalities trying out tongue-twisters. This year the Japanese staff did 3 Japanese tongue twisters and one English one. We did 3 English tongue twisters and one Japanese one. See what you think:

Dan MCing:

Paddy:

Philip:

It was a hilarious and fun evening!

Everybody had the day off on Monday to recoup from a very busy weekend.

As I do my daily work and work with a whole variety of young and vibrant international staff, I very much have in my heart my father's experience in China. As a young man he chose to volunteer in China during revolution. Here is a new photograph we came up with of him as a 25-year-old in China.

                                              

I value the opportunity to work in a multi cultural environment where all of our cultures come together to make us more full human beings.