Savannah Bananas

2025年07月7日

Do you like baseball? Do you like the circus? If yes, then maybe the Savannah Bananas are for you.  The Savannah Bananas are a professional baseball team renowned for their unique blend of high-energy entertainment and unconventional “Banana Ball” rules. Founded in 2016, they initially played in the collegiate summer Coastal Plain League, winning three championships before transitioning in 2023 to exclusively playing exhibition games under their distinct format.

“Banana Ball” aims to make baseball faster and more exciting. Key rules include a two-hour time limit, no stepping out of the batter’s box, no bunting, batters being able to steal first base, and “walks” becoming sprints where the batter runs the bases until every defensive player touches the ball. Perhaps most famously, if a fan catches a foul ball, it’s an out!

Beyond the rules, Bananas games are a spectacle. Players and coaches perform choreographed dances, the umpire often breaks into dance moves, and music is a constant presence. With a devoted fan base, a long season ticket waiting list, and a massive social media following, the Savannah Bananas have successfully reimagined the baseball experience, prioritizing fun and fan engagement above all else.

Rick

Hawaii- a little piece of heaven.

2025年07月4日

Well, not for the native Hawaiians. Not anymore anyway (actually, there is no “heaven” per se as anyone not delusional knows but let’s just use that expression anyway).  It’s a tale, like so many others, of a once beautiful and peaceful land that was irrevocably altered by Western contact. By the greed of those in the West, namely Western Europeans, the UK and their ugly, repulsive cousins in the US.

 

Hawaii, once a lush paradise untouched by foreign hands, thrived for centuries as a self-sufficient and spiritually rich society. When British Captain James Cook arrived in 1778, he encountered a flourishing civilization with deep cultural traditions, sustainable agriculture, and a harmonious relationship with nature. However, Cook’s arrival marked the beginning of devastation. European explorers, traders, and whalers flooded the islands, bringing diseases like syphilis, tuberculosis, smallpox, and measles. With no immunity, the native Hawaiian population plummeted from an estimated 400,000 to 1,000,000 before Cook’s arrival to fewer than 40,000 by 1890, in just a little over a century! That’s like Japan’s population falling from the current 123 million to 12.3 million in 110 years.

 

This kind of tragic fate was not unique to Hawaii; indigenous peoples across the Pacific faced similar destruction as a result of being “discovered” (Saipan, Guam, Fiji, Tahiti, New Zealand, etc.). Yet despite this sad history, Hawaii remained an independent kingdom until 1893, when American and European businessmen, backed by US troops, overthrew Queen Liliʻuokalani. She was imprisoned, then forced to abdicate on January 24, 1893, paving the way for illegal annexation of the islands by the United States in July, 1898.

 

The theft of Hawaii reveals a despicable example of U.S. expansionism, marking it as a profoundly imperialistic nation, as this wasn’t the only such event in the United States’ short existence. Indeed, the list of countries where the US had interfered or tried to achieve regime change in the last three centuries is nearly endless. Wikipedia, while not an authoritative source, has a 17,500-word article about this very topic, a bit wordy but very eye-opening piece.

 

The hypocrisy is staggering. The U.S. prides itself on democracy and human rights while building its empire through conquest and deceit (of course don’t forget slavery). Today’s foreign policy rhetoric about spreading “freedom” and “democracy” is pure propaganda—a continuation of 19th-century imperialism masked in noble language. From Central America to Iraq to Libya to Syria to Afghanistan, the pattern remains: destabilization, regime change, and resource exploitation. The U.S. has not changed – it only hides its greed behind lofty words. So, whenever you meet an American never assume he is “coming in piece”, he is not. To paraphrase Malcolm X: “never trust the blue-eyed devil”. If you disagree just ask the natives of Hawaii of their experience. If you can still find one…                        Alex

English Cafe Topic ～ イングリッシュ・カフェ7月のトピック

2025年07月4日

「イングリッシュ・カフェ」クラスは

毎回身近な話題を通して文化や習慣について英語で話し合います。

コーディネーターの外国人講師が適切な英語表現をアドバイスしてくれます。

7月の各週のトピックは次のようになります。

2025　JULY

【Monday : Erik】

7th:  What is your/your family’s favorite fast food chain and why?

14th:  What was the most popular movie in your teenage years?

28st:  n recent years, there have been many reports of UFO sightings. What do you think about
extraterrestrial life?

Trooping the Colour

2025年06月27日

Trooping the Colour is a traditional British military ceremony and parade held annually on the second Saturday of June in London to celebrate the official birthday of the British monarch

The history: The ceremony is believed to have originated in the 17th century and has been held annually since 1760, with some exceptions during wartime or national emergencies.

The purpose: It serves as a formal celebration of the monarch’s birthday and a display of the bond between the military and the sovereign.

The Colours: The term “Trooping the Colour” refers to the regiment’s flag, which is paraded during the ceremony. Each regiment takes turns trooping their Colour each year.

 

The parade: Over 1400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians come together each June in a great display of military precision, horsemanship and fanfare to mark the Sovereign’s official birthday.

Trooping the Colour is a significant part of the British royal calendar and a showcase of military tradition and pageantry.

The streets are lined with crowds waving flags as the parade moves from Buckingham Palace and down The Mall to Horse Guard’s Parade, alongside Members of the Royal Family on horseback and in carriages.The display closes with an RAF fly-past, watched by Members of the Royal Family from Buckingham Palace balcony

Richard

English Cafe Topic ～ イングリッシュ・カフェ6月のトピック

2025年06月20日

「イングリッシュ・カフェ」クラスは

毎回身近な話題を通して文化や習慣について英語で話し合います。

コーディネーターの外国人講師が適切な英語表現をアドバイスしてくれます。

6月の各週のトピックは次のようになります。

2025　JUNE

【Monday : Erik】

2th:  How do you protect your personal data?

9th:  What do you think about capturing and killing animals such as bears and racoons?

16st:  What are your thoughts on using non-school personal for leading school club activities?

23th:  Will letter and card culture come to an end?

30th:  What are you looking forward to in the second half of this year?

Learning from Language Mistakes

2025年06月16日

When we use language, whether it is in writing or speaking, there exists the possibility for us to make mistakes. This is an inevitable fact of life, and while these language mistakes can sometimes create problems, the question arises, what was learned from the mistake? As for me, I have been an active participant in countless language mistakes that have produced learning moments. In this blog I will share three of these that were especially memorable for me. They come from different points in my life and involve different languages.

The fan is doing what?

When I was in junior high school, my parents had one of their friends over who, we came to learn, had the tendency of using incorrect words. It was summer, and we had a stand fan moving the air. This woman proceeded to ask my parents, “Where did you get that ovulating fan?” I did not notice anything odd about this, but my parents’ wry smiles and quick glance at each other told me that something was off. After the woman left, the conversation turned to the ovulating fan, and I learned that the fan was not ovulating but instead it was oscillating. Due to this woman’s mistake, I learned very clearly the difference between ovulating and oscillating.

You’re already married?

In high school I studied Spanish, and my teacher took any students who wanted to go down to Mexico for real life language practice. I went my first year with 10 other students and our first night in Mexico, we went out to a restaurant. The waitress was friendly and was engaging us in simple conversation. She asked me how I was to which I replied, “Estoy casado.” She smiled and congratulated me and asked if I had children. The other students and my teacher started laughing and of course I turned red with embarrassment. My teacher then explained that I had said that I was married (estoy casado) and that I probably had wanted to say that I was tired, “Estoy cansado.” While embarrassing at the moment, I have not repeated this mistake and clearly know that tired is ‘cansado’ and married is ‘casado’.

I’ve made that mistake for over 10 years.

My last example happened just a couple years ago. Being an English teacher in Japan, I have, at times over my 15 plus years teaching here, had to remind students not to write their names using the Japanese writing systems. I would confidently say, “Please write your name in romanji” all the while oblivious to the fact that I was making a mistake. In an elementary school class I told a student, “Please write your name in romanji” only to have another student boldly say, “Not romanji, romaji.” I was taken back and clarified with her what she had said and learned that I had been mispronouncing ‘romaji’ all those years and no one had ever corrected me up until then. In in English, ‘romanize’ is used hence my saying ‘romanji’. Needless to say, I have learned from this and now say “Please write your name in romaji.”

Mistakes of all sorts are part of life, but when we take time to learn from them, we grow and become better because of them. There is a saying, “A mistake is only a mistake if you don’t learn from it.” What mistakes have you learned from?     Erik

NATIONAL DONALD DUCK DAY

2025年06月9日

Who is your favorite Disney character? Donald Duck Day on June 9 celebrates the birthday of the funny animated cartoon character known as Donald Duck. Making his first screen debut on June 9, 1934, in The Wise Little Hen, Donald Duck has become an iconic symbol in animation and in homes, alike.

Usually wearing a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie, Donald Duck is most famous for his semi-intelligible speech along with his mischievous and irritable personality. Known for his quick temper, Donald Duck seems to quack his way through loads of bad luck. Yet, despite his hot temper, Donald Duck is a loving character with a good heart.

The Donald Duck character has graced screen and print since 1934. He has appeared in over 190 films and countless comic strips and books, more than any other Disney character. He has appeared in more films than any other Disney character. In fact, Donald Duck was also declared in 2002 by TV Guide as one of the 50 greatest cartoon characters of all time. His ‘acting’ career has earned him Academy Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Who knew a duck could be so famous?

5 WAYS TO CELEBRATE DONALD DUCK DAY

  • Wish Donald Duck a Happy Birthday! Host a Donald Duck impersonation contest.
  • Bake Donald Duck-shaped cookies.
  • Watch episodes of Donald Duck cartoons.
  • Play Donald Duck trivia games.
  • Share your love for Donald Duck on social media using the hashtag #DonaldDuckDay.

Rick

The Myth of the Tiananmen Square “Massacre”: Unraveling Western Propaganda

2025年06月4日

The events of June 4, 1989, what the Western media dubbed the Tiananmen Square Massacre, has been etched into history as a symbol of Chinese oppression.

 

In Western reports thousands, according to a BBC report as late as 2017 up to 10,000, demonstrating students were killed by Chinese armed forces on that square in Beijing. Nobody has challenged the reported events, they were accepted at face value, just because they appeared in “trustworthy, “vetted”, “dependable” news media outlets.

Yet, upon closer examination, the narrative peddled by outlets like the BBC and New York Times crumbles under scrutiny. There is no photographic evidence of mass killings on the square—no images of machine-gunned students, bodies crushed by tanks, or bayoneted protesters as claimed.

Eyewitnesses present that night tell a different story.

Australian diplomat Gregory Clark, a Spanish TVE television crew, a Reuters correspondent, and Taiwan-born writer Hou Dejian were all on the square and reported no massacre. They described a tense standoff, not a bloodbath. Indeed, even in the US Embassy cables, released by Wikileaks in 2011, there is no report of any massacre at all, quite the opposite.

(WikiLeaks: Public Library of US Diplomacy / Latin American Diplomat’s Eyewitness Account of June 3-4 Events on Tiananmen Square):

“They were able to enter and leave the square several times and were not harassed by troops. Remaining with students by the monument to the People’s heroes until the final withdrawal, the diplomat said there were no mass shootings of students in the square or at the monument.”

 In 2009, James Miles, who was the BBC correspondent in Beijing at the time, admitted that he had ‘conveyed the wrong ‘impression’ and that there was no massacre on Tiananmen Square. Protesters who were still in the square when the army reached it were allowed to leave after negotiations with martial law troops. There was no Tiananmen Square massacre…”

 Wrong “impression” he says? Let me translate that: he lied.

The night before, the Chinese government dispatched busloads of unarmed soldiers to peacefully persuade students to disperse. These soldiers were met with violence: protesters attacked the buses with Molotov cocktails, setting dozens of vehicles ablaze. Photographic evidence from that chaos—easily found via a quick Google image search—shows burnt-out buses and the charred bodies of soldiers who were beaten, lynched, and killed.

Tragically, some protesters were killed the next day, away from the square, as soldiers sought revenge for their fallen comrades. This was not a premeditated slaughter but a response to the prior night’s brutality.

 

And what about the legendary “Tankman’?

Well, he was no “hero”, no “brave student” who stood up to oppression and single handedly stopped the column of mighty tanks of the Chinese Army. According to the man who took the photo, Jeff Widener of AP, the true story is very different. The photo was taken June 5, not June 4. The tanks were going away from, not towards, the direction of the Square. They were blocked not by a student but by a man with a shopping bag crossing the street who had chosen to play chicken with the departing tanks.

In conclusion, the Tiananmen Square Massacre is a myth. All we are “remembering” are British and American lies, fabricated to suit Cold War-era agendas. It’s time to separate fact from fiction.

Tiananmen square remains the classic example of the shallowness and bias in most Western media reporting, especially about China, and of governmental black information operations seeking to control those media. It is a stark warning not to blindly believe headlights screaming about atrocities, especially from state-controlled medias. It’s important to approach reported events with a balanced perspective and to rely on various sources for accurate information.

It’s crucial to consider multiple sources and perspectives when forming an understanding of important historical events.                                                                                                         Alex

【夏期講座のご案内】

2025年05月26日

 

The National Trust Norfolk

2025年05月26日

The National Trust is committed to promoting and preserving those places of natural beauty and historic interest for which it has the privilege to be responsible for the benefit of the nation, for everyone for ever. The following beautiful locations are National Trust places to see great spring blossom in Norfolk.

Inspired by the Japanese tradition of ‘Hanami’, the National Trust is encouraging people to stop and appreciate the white and pink blooms that are popping up around us at this time of year.

Between March and May, the National Trust wants people to share their photos on social media with the hashtag #BlossomWatch as dedicated blossom events take place across the country.

Here’s where you can see some of the best displays of blossom at National Trust venues in Norfolk.

Blickling Estate

At the stately home near Aylsham, blossoms can be found throughout the blackthorn and hawthorn hedgerows.

 

At the stately home near Aylsham, blossoms can be found throughout the blackthorn and hawthorn hedgerows.

Visitors can explore spring themes within the house’s collection until 24th May, as well as follow a new swallow-themed family trail and make paper blossoms at an origami station.

Felbrigg Estate

Tulips and cherry trees will be in bloom within the walled garden of Fellbrig Hall this spring.

Located near Cromer, the hall is one of East Anglia’s most elegant country houses, with an estate comprising of 520 acres.

The fruit trees that line the walls will have apricot and peach blossoms in March, plums and pears in April and apples in May.

 

Sheringham Park

 

 

Flowering rhododendrons and azaleas are a favourite for visitors each year at Sheringham Park.

From late April to early June, climbing the gazebo tower will give an amazing view of the colourful canopy below.

 

Earlier in the spring, 15 magnolia varieties and some of the largest Pieris in the country can be spotted in bloom.

The park also has a ‘handkerchief tree’ (Davidia Involucrata) which is named for its white leaves that appear to flutter like handkerchiefs in the breeze.

Oxburgh Estate

The National Trust has worked to re-establish the original orchard at Oxburgh Hall where visitors can find fruit trees from around East Anglia, including heritage varieties from Norfolk.

The peak time to see these trees blossom is late March through April when the orchard is also surrounded by a wildflower meadow.

As part of the Sakura Cherry Tree Project, the Japanese government donated over 20 cherry trees to the Oxburgh Estate. The trees, which were planted in 2022, will blossom again this spring.

In Japanese culture, the cherry blossom represents both new beginnings and the fragility of life.

Richard