by Jen Costanzo | Aug 14, 2007 | Friends, Missions, Travel
We’re back from our whirlwind trip to Tokyo! It was a very full trip, and a lot of fun! We tried something new this time around and bought a special seasonal train pass called the “Seishun Jyuhachi Kippu.” It gave us 5 full-day passes to travel...
by Jen Costanzo | Aug 10, 2007 | Friends, Travel, Vacation
So just how have we been spending our summer vacation? Allow us to take you on a little tour of our summer break! Umi no hi (Marine Day) On Umi no hi (a National holiday in mid-July), we took off on a day-trip with the principal of one of the local elementary...
by Mike Costanzo | Aug 6, 2007 | Culture, Mike
Hontou ni hisashiburi desu ne! It’s been a long time since my last Culinary Adventures (TM) blog–six months, in fact. You might even have been fooled into thinking that maybe I settled down and decided to give up trying all the interesting new foods that...
by Mike Costanzo | Jul 31, 2007 | Culture, Jen, Mike, Video
Mysterious. Enigmatic. Intriguing. Yes, the world of Japanese culture is a vast and funky one, and has muddled the most meticulous minds for millenia. But no longer! We proudly present Japanese Culture: A Guide to the Finer Points by Mike & Jen Costanzo. These two...
by Mike Costanzo | Jul 20, 2007 | Day-to-Day, Teaching
Today was the last day of classes before Tamura City’s summer break, which goes until August 26th or so. Thus, I (Mike) am officially on vacation, but Jen’s Wakakusa classes will run for another week, and resume on the 15th–bummer! 🙁 Over summer...
by Mike Costanzo | Jul 8, 2007 | Faith, Friends, Prayer
We’ve been thinking for a while now that about posting brief update on what God has been doing recently at Koriyama Baptist Church (our “home church”). This church has truly been a blessing to us in ways that we never could have expected. In...
by Mike Costanzo | Jul 4, 2007 | Culture, Faith, Holidays/Special Events
July 7th in Japan is a holiday called Tanabata. Most Americans have never heard of Tanabata, and after a lot of asking around at my school, I’ve come to find out that many Japanese know very little about the true history of the tradition, why certain things are...
by Mike Costanzo | Jun 17, 2007 | Scenery, Travel
Remember when we first arrived in Japan, we got to meet the mayor of Tamura, have sea cucumber sushi on the moon with (ex-)Prime Minister Koizumi, and all that? Well around that time we also met the Chairman of the Tamura City Board of Education, and as a gift he gave...
by Mike Costanzo | May 21, 2007 | Holidays/Special Events, Scenery, Video, Wakakusa
If there’s one thing that Wakakusa English teachers will tell you about this program, it’s that you never know what amazing opportunities will come your way, and this past week was a great example. This Tuesday, 30 delegates from the city of Mansfield ,...
by Mike Costanzo | May 18, 2007 | Engrish
Yes, it’s time once again to revisit the wacky and wonderful world of Engrish. Just cuz’ we haven’t blogged about it in a while, don’t mean that it’s gotten any less goofy! 🙂 We actually found this sticker on our trash can one day. We...
by Mike Costanzo | Apr 22, 2007 | Culture, Day-to-Day, Scenery
At last–they’re finally here!!! Spring has officially come to Funehiki, and the cherry blossoms are at last in full, glorious bloom. Jen and I have been waiting for months for this day to come, and now that it’s here, it feels like a dream come true....
by Mike Costanzo | Mar 30, 2007 | Friends, Missions, Travel
Yesterday Jen and I got back from Adatara Bible Camp, home of the 2007 Fukushima Prefecture Baptist Youth Camp. We went up on Tuesday night and left Thursday afternoon, and every moment was precious to us. The food was great, the scenery was pretty, and the weather...
by Mike Costanzo | Mar 30, 2007 | Jen, Teaching, Wakakusa
Although junior high classes have been over since last Friday, Jen’s Wakakusa English School classes went through this past Tuesday. This made for a crazy few days for our Jen; not only did she have end-of-the-school-year reports to write, but she also had to...
by Jen Costanzo | Mar 22, 2007 | Teaching, Video, Wakakusa
This past Monday, the kindergarten where I sometimes teach English held their annual graduation ceremony. The day found me reflecting wistfully on my own childhood. My own Kindergarten photo is below. Can you tell where I am? (Incidentally, I think you can click on...
by Jen Costanzo | Mar 17, 2007 | Culture, Day-to-Day, Jen
This past Wednesday was a monumental day for a big portion of the Japanese population. It was the day that most of the 3rd year junior high-schoolers found out the results of their high-school entrance exams. These test results determine whether or not they can get...
by Mike Costanzo | Mar 16, 2007 | Holidays/Special Events, Teaching
As we mentioned in our last entry, April is the month of new beginnings, and March is the month of conclusions and endings. Well, it’s also the month for graduation ceremonies, and for us English teachers that means a lot of sad goodbyes. You see, in Japan, you...
by Mike Costanzo | Mar 16, 2007 | Mike, Teaching
Yes, as many of you already know (and the rest of you have already figured out by reading the title line), the Japanese school year is finally drawing to a close. It will resume again in April, the month of new beginnings (and the month where the sakura (cherry...
by Mike Costanzo | Mar 11, 2007 | Mike, Scenery
I’m sure that many of you out there, especially our regular readers, are familiar with the Digicamblog Theorum. It goes something like so: Digital Camera + Thirst For Adventure + Random Opportunity = Good Blog Entry Material. This theorum is, of course, the...
by Mike Costanzo | Mar 3, 2007 | Mike, Teaching
When I (Mike) first arrived at Takine Junior High School (my primary school), I have to admit that I had a hard time fitting in. In fact, for the first couple of months, I didn’t really feel like I connected with anyone (teachers or students), and when I would...
by Jen Costanzo | Feb 28, 2007 | Cooking, Japanese Food
This week I’ve had a cold and just felt sort of “blah.” That’s why today for lunch, I decided I was in the mood for some comfort food. Normally, back home, I opt for Macaroni & Cheese with Tomatoes and Ground Beef. I don’t know if...
