CLICK HERE

Anthony Bayerl

My new buddy Anthony (kudos to Tbird) is an up & coming

[insert positive adjective] singer/songwriter from Minnesota. he is

a really swell guy w/ lots of talent so i thought

i'd name-drop on my blog. we also share the same birthday,

so he MUST be pretty cool.

click on the link above to check out a few of his tunes. he may only be a one-man show right now, but his poetic lyrics, studly stage presence and genuine character is a powerful winning combination.

best of luck Anthony ~ i know you can do it ~ never give up!

11.25.06

haPPy thAnkSgiviNG!

My family hosted several of my students for a fantastic evening of ethnic cuisine and traditional turkey fixings. The food was SO delicious (especially for me as I did not get my annual dose of turkey and stuffing last year)! The students really enjoyed the evening -- sharing food, culture and custom with us all. I was really proud of them and so happy to share the special feast with them!
Here's our 20 pound turkey: Before (above) & After (below)

One great big happy family! :)
My students dig in to these foreign, but tasty, treats. Green bean casserole, turkey and gravy and pumpkin pie were their favorites. They didn't care for the stuffing and squash --- too bad --- more leftovers for me!
The students that joined us, from left to right:

Isha (Nepal), Chandra (Nepal), Mio (Japan) & Ruben (Nepal)

dEliCIouS!

OK, so I must admit, I didn't cook the feast that is pictured below. I helped out as much as I could--tofu is the mOsT forgiving ingredient for a rookie chef like myself. The real expert chef is Xiaoyang. She is pictured with her special dishes below: mabo tofu (my favorite chinese/japanese dish), a szechuan pork dish and a tomato/mushroom/soy sauce combo of a salad. the distinct flavors were scrumptuous and reminiscent of the many meals of 'unknown' spices and textures in both China and Japan. Among many things, I learned that the pork dish is not 'snake' or 'worm' meat like I had wrongly assumed it to be in China. the texture takes some getting used to, but indeed, they are narrow strips of pork that curl into these u-shaped chunks after frying...i kinda miss trying new-scary-first-time-for-everything types of foods. Huge thanks to Xiaoyang (and Shinobu) for their cooking talents! The meal was faNTasTiC!
The conversation is always interesting with us...comparing linguistic and educational systems in Xiaoyang's native China and Shinobu's ideas about Japan's way of doing things...well sometimes I feel like I have just as much to learn from these women as I do my professors @ school! I am so lucky to have such a diverse group of friends who, although unknowingly, are challenging me to think outside the box. Thanks for sharing your worldly perspectives with me!
douxie!

ありがとうございました

しのぶさんごちそおさまでした！おやくどんとやきそば！

だいすき！　よくできました！

おいしかった！どうもありがとうございます！

flashbacks

just one moment in time,...

and yet i seem to remember every one of them.

sigh,...in looking at this picture i see that look of lost, unihinited, sense of wonder,...and i want that back. life is settling down here in minnesota and im feeling ready for a change again. apparently this is in my nature, i just can't settle down, settle for less. i want to be challenged, intrigued and engaged each day - like i was in japan. when does this reverse culture shock end?

THANK YOU Shukunohe 2-A!

Dear Shukunohe 2A ladies,

ありがとうございました！ It was so nice to hear from you! I was surprised! Your letter made me VERY happy! :)

えきでんいつですか　　がんばってね！ ぶんかさいどおですか さしんがありますか　おねがいします。。。：）
I miss you ladies! I enjoyed teaching you and I learned so much from you! I will never forget you! You will always have a special place in my heart :)

いまはとてもいぞがし！だいがっこういんはむざかしーでもたのしかった！日本さみしかった。。。たぶん、わたしはたねいちいきますーー８月？？？！

Let's keep in touch! I hope to see you soon! I will mail you a letter SOON! I hope Yonezawa-sensei will show you this email! :) Good luck! Do your best!

あきらめないでください ！！！

check this out:

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow