情報を発信したい人、情報を受け取りたい人、友達とつながりを持ちたい人など、SNSにはいろいろな使い方があると思います。そこで得られる情報が真実かどうか、ファクトチェックするスキルを身に付ける大切さを生徒と話し合うこともあります。

個人的にはSNSを使わないのですが、友人がよく動画や写真（主に食べ物関係や動物関係）を送ってくれます。そのなかには「これって本当に？？CGじゃないの？？」と思ってしまうほどよくできたものもあります。最近見たものの一つが、教会で歌われているゴスペル音楽に合わせて踊っているように見えるフクロウの動画です。とてもかわいいので、興味のある方はぜひ見てみてください。

https://mobile.twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/1489248056755118082?s=29

Ice cream is delicious, I think we can all agree. Gelato is a lot like ice cream, and it’s also very delicious. If I had to choose between the two, though, I think I’d say that gelato is my favorite, although that might just be because I so rarely get to eat it. I certainly didn’t expect an opportunity to arise while visiting a random café in Japan, yet somehow here we are now!

My friends and I happened by this cute little café in Omi-Hachiman awhile back. My attention had been caught by the yuzu tree and the chalkboard menu out front advertising yuzu chiffon. If you can’t tell, I have a profound weakness for all things yuzu. When we went into the café, however, my attention was then captured by the gelato case. There were quite a few flavors, many of them new to me in gelato form. Sadly, there wasn’t any yuzu gelato, but there was matcha! I love matcha, but I’d never had it in gelato form before, so I was very excited.

And I wasn’t disappointed when the waitress brought it to our table, either. It was fantastic. Cold, smooth, matcha-y, and sitting on a bed of frosted flakes, of all things. Like a deconstructed ice cream cone. It was perfection. I loved every bite. Matcha + gelato isn’t exactly the most conventional combination, but I can confidently say that it’s a winning one.

私が初めてアメリカに行ったのは中学２年生の夏のサマースクールでした。

友人に誘われて参加しました。初めての海外だったこともあり、いろいろなことに驚き、たくさんカルチャーショックを受けたのを覚えています。

その一つに、お金（お札）の扱い方があります。

日本では多くの場合、お札は一つ折りにされているか折り目がないものが多いと思います。三つ折りや四つ折りされていたであろうものもありますが、折り目がつかないようにきちんと財布に入れる人がほとんどでしょう。しかしアメリカでは、お釣りで帰ってきたお札（特に１ドル札）がくしゃくしゃになっていたことが何度もありました。とても細かなことかもしれませんが、日本であれほどまでに疲れ果てているお札を見たことがなかったためにとても驚きました。

日本は他国と比べてお金の扱いが丁寧なのだと気づきました。

また、新札の100ドル札を支払いで出した際に本物かどうか光に透かして確かめられたり、蛍光ペンで線を引かれたことがありました。

不自然なほどの綺麗な新札は偽物ではないかと疑われることもあるようです。

今思えばくしゃくしゃになったお札は、多くの場所で使用された本物の証のようなものなのでしょうか。

Hey y’all!

I am sad to say that I have recently lost my family dog, Dude. Although his passing is incredibly sad, he was over 14 years old. That is about 98 years old in dog years. Crazy! I know. Dude enjoyed many things such as sleeping, sitting, laying in the sun and eating. I will miss Dude greatly. Make sure you hug your cat, dog, bird, goldfish, etc. extra hard tonight to let them know that they are very much appreciated and loved. 

See y’all in class!

Japan may not have The Great Lakes, but she does have a pretty great lake of her own: Lake Biwa. Lake Biwa is the largest lake in Japan, and you can see it from space, nestled in central Japan near Kyoto and many other very famous cities. I’ve been to the lake a few times, and it’s always breathtaking. It’s kind of shocking to see this flat lake hemmed in by towering mountains so close to the shore. Lake Biwa is a place of contrasts, and I’m here for it.

On the particular trip pictured below, we summited a small mountain via cable car, which is always a treat. At the top of the mountain, we were treated to this amazing view. Not pictured was the small colony of shockingly tame wild cats that are quite happy to be fed, pet, and pampered by any and all visiting tourists. Or the love temple haha. If you aren’t recognizing all these little details, I’ll just say it out loud: this trip was to Omi-Hachiman. The lead-up to the ropeway was also lined with all these old-timey Japanese buildings housing famous wagashi shops, a pickled goods shop, souvenir shops, cafes, restaurants, micro-breweries, and so much more. It’s a really cool place. The part that most captures my attention, though, is that view at the top of the mountain. When I think back on that trip, I always fall into the memory of the brisk wind, the looming mountains, the breathtaking vistas… I can feel my heart slowing as I settle into my happy place.

Travelling is so much fun, especially when you can spend your time perched on mountain tops admiring the natural geography of a place. Such a venture is always worthwhile, in my opinion. Go see Japan, go see the world, go see everything. You won’t regret it.