Current mood:	productive
Current music:	Beethoven - 9th symphony.mp3

winter sports!
Once a week for about 2 hours I teach English to this guy named, Mr. Sasaki. We've been at it for about 3 or 4 months now, and his communication skills have really improved drastically within that short timeframe. Specifically, his is grammar and listening skills.

What sparked his interesting improving his English skills is quite interesting. He works for an organization that is currently preparing for an upcoming nordic championship to be held here in Sapporo in 2007. This tournament, the FIS Nordic World Ski Championship has been traditionally held in Europe. This upcoming event is the first time that the championship will be held outside of Europe. Sapporo, and surrounding mountains, is so well known for its superb ski conditions that Sapporo is being honored with this event.

Anyways, Sasaki works as a personnel manager (staff and athletes), so he will be required to communicate with many foreigners. In fact, starting this next year, a manager from Belgium will be acquiring a desk right next to Sasaki and this guy from Belgium doesn't speak any Japanese - at all. So it's interesting for me, because Sasaki really wants to learn to communicate in English and tries very hard. In 2007, maybe Mizuho and I (picture from this year's Sapporo marathon) can snag a seat at one of the Sapporo ski jump events ;) <----cool link!

But one thing I do find it a bit ironic that a German speaking person is coming to Japan, so Sasaki seeks an English speaker to help him out ;) Yay for international standards or something!