To be able what we are capable of becoming and to achieve what we are capable of achieving is the only end of life.

April 29, 2013
At St. Maur International School Festival
" To be what we are capable of becoming and to achieve what we are capable of achieving is the only end of life."
なりえる人物になって、達成できることを達成することが、人生の唯一の目的である。
Robert Louis Stevenson
Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer, 1850-1894
I came to St. Maur International School to see my wife's student from the Philippines and enjoy some food they may have but end up seeing some of my classmates from 1960's. Tsui, Richard, Willie were my good friends from high school, but I had a chance of meeting Dennis Loh with his wife from Harvard. Their children went to this school when the couple were working for Roche Japan. Dennis was the outstanding student of my high school and went to Harvard Medical School, and  worked as a researcher and later earned his life through self employed finance person; now he came back to Japan with his father and spending time traveling all over Japan. I envy him for doing so. Wish I had time and money to do so.
He attained success through his talent and work.  I still work to be a better instructor. However I am satisfied with what I am doing.  I can not be Dennis and Dennis can not be me. But wish I was talented like him.
What do think of yourself?
gto

Good leadership consists of showing average people how to do the work of superior people.

"Good leadership consists of showing average people how to do the work of superior people."
優れたリーダーとは、平均的な人に、優秀な人の仕事ぶりを示すことである。
John D. Rockefeller
US industrialist and philanthropist
1829-1937
I remember that the admiral in Japan, Yamamoto Isoroku, once mentioned how to lead someone
was to show him, tell him, let him do it, and praise him, then he will do it.
I notice that these days Japanese advanced high schools ask the students to write a paragraph on a certain topic.  It is a nice idea but all his/her life he or she listened to CDs and explanation of teachers, and never read any major books in English nor wrote an essay in the life, how he/she able to write an essay.  I am sure only way to write is to write. We have to write it and ask our fellow young scholars to practice it, too.
Only by doing we can improve.
So my fellow young scholars write, write and speak on any topic you think is appropriate.
gto

It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important.

April 27, 2013
It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important.
昔から私にとっての自明の理は、ささいなことが何よりも極めて重要である、ということ。
from A Case of Identity
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
British Writer, 1859-1930

We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.

April 26, 2013
"We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend."
私たちは皆、この世の荒野を行く旅人であり、その旅で得られる最高の者は、誠実な友である。である。
Robert Louis Stevenson
Scottish Novelist, 1850-1894.
Describe your friend.

Beware of misfit occupation. Consider carefully your natural bent, whether for business or a profession.

April 25, 2013
Dear Friends
Read the message and discuss the message:
"Beware of a misfit occupation.  Consider carefully your natural bent,
whether for business or a profession".
自分に合わない仕事にご用心、生まれつき商売と専門職のどちらに向いているのかを、
慎重に考えよう。
Marshall Field
US department store magnate, 1834-1906
This is a burial of an old soldier who fought World War II, Korean  War, Vietnam War and became a retired colonel  and died at the age of 99.
 He had a solemn burial as supposed to be done by the American government to respect his service to the country. He was a professional officer who climbed from a private of the Army to the position of colonel.
He carried out his career to the very end and fade away as an old soldier (as General MacArthur spoke in front of the Congress).
Hope you will find a right career to carry out through your life.
gto

Riches, like glory or health, have no more beauty or pleasure than their possessor is pleased to lend them.

April 24,2013
"Riches, like glory or health, have no more beauty or pleasure than their possessor is pleased to lend them."
富は、名誉や健康と同じ区、持ち主が思う以上の魅力も喜びもない。
Michel Eyquem de Montaigne
French philosopher and essayist, 1533-1592
Today I was talking with two scholars in N University.  One young New Zealander teaches in law department of M University because he is a barrister and solicitor lawyer but he mentioned like most of his countrymen not interested in religion.  I mentioned my interest in Quakers and a Japanese professor mentioned about the Japanese well known writer, Arishima Takeo went to Haverford University and converted to Christian from Buddhism due to Quakers meeting in the university. I mentioned that the Quakers meditation resembles Japanese Zen. However, being well read scholar the professor told me how Daisetsu Suzuki disagreed with this view from the fact of posture difference between the two. Zen stresses posture whereas the Quakers not; but both stress meditation and silence and that is what I need.
What is your view on Religion?
gto

Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing.

April 23, 2013
"Without ambition one starts nothing.  Without work one finishes nothing."
野望がなければ、何もはじめられない。努力しなければ、何も完成できない。
Ralph E. Emerson
U.S. philosopher, poet, and essayist, 1803-1882
 The picture you see is our Little Saints soccer team won the Yokohama kids soccer championship in 1970's when I was a moderator of the team; and the coach standing in the picture was a very nice man.
We had a long history of a strong soccer team and Mr. Matsumoto, who was our P.E. teacher at that time was very well respected and he was my own teacher when I was in high school but he couldn't run the team because he was studying to be a bone doctor and busy at that time, so I volunteered to take care of the soccer team.  I, myself, was good at soccer in high school and received a certificate from school as an excellent soccer player though I was not in the school soccer team. It took several years to reach to be a strong team but I remember going to Mitsuzawa ground with the team and enjoyed their play.  It was an honor for the school and  we were expecting a stronger  varsity team coming up to high school to win the Kanto Plain's International/Base school  championship.
What was your favorite sport and what do you remember about it?
gto

Through perseverance many people win success out of what seemed destined to be certain failure.

April 22, 2013
"Through perseverance many people win success out of what seemed destined to be certain failure."
忍耐によって多くの人たちは、失敗が運命ずけられるとしか思えない状況を乗り越え，成功を勝ち取るのである。
Benjamin Disraeli
British prime minister and novelist, 1804-1881
Do you have something to comment on this quote.
gto

It's not because things are difficult that we dare not venture. It's because we dare not venture that they are difficult.

April 20, 2013
"It's not because things are difficult that we dare not venture. It's because we dare not venture that they are difficult."
困難だから挑戦しないので絵はない。挑戦しないから、困難なのだ。
Seneca the younger
Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman and dramatist, 4 BC-65 AD.
Recently I have two things to think. One is a pre-school's future in Yokohama and my summer course.
Pre-school wants to start Christian Classic school system based on the American accreditation of Christian school where they would teach classics like Latin or Greek from an elementary level. I think it is a good idea but where are the students.
The second area I am concern is completing my Social Studies credential. It requires a lot of energy to complete it with educated Japanese. I think I would spend three to six months concentrating with educated Japanese from May onward.
What is your challenge for coming months?
gto

Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.

April 19, 2013
Read the quote and discuss it.
”Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well."
人生は、よいカードを持っているかどうかではなく，悪い手をうまく扱うかどうかにかかっている。
Robert Louis Stevenson
Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer, 1850-1894

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

April 19, 2013
There are four countries in the UK called in order of size England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The UK's full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.  People often call the group of countries Britain.  What you shouldn't say"England" if you want to include the three smaller countries.  Even the terms IGIRISU or EIKOKU are disliked by some people, especially from Scotland and Wales, because they seem to suggest England is the same as Britain.  England dominates the others with its bigger size and population, but history of the UK is short compared with the history of the countries separately.
Strictly Great Britain is the land consisting of the countries England, Scotland and Wales.  Northern Ireland, which is at the top of a separate island called Ireland, is politically part of the UK and separate from the country called the Republic of Ireland to its south.
Questions:
What is your own image of the UK?
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the UK, Japan or the USA today?

Start of a new class year in Spring.

April 18,  2013
A start of a new class year is always hard. You don't know what the teacher is expecting. You don't even know
where the room is. I always have the  first period class everyday.  Do you have the first period class everyday?
It is very hard to wake at 6 o'clock and get ready and take a train from Yokohama station before 7 o'clock and reach Tokyo station before 8:30 and change trains and arrive before 9 o'clock and move to another building.  Tokyo is very busy city with more than 10,000,000 people taking the trains in the morning and move to the central part of Tokyo.  Today, many universities are located in the very center of the city.  I sometimes feel what will happen at the time of an earthquake.  I think it is very dangerous and unrealistic to put all these universities in the very center of such a big city.
How do you come to the school?
gto

The road to tomorrow

April 17, 2013
The road to tomorrow may be hard but we have to overcome.
Today I went to Tokyo from early morning but Tokaido line was not running,
so I had to take Toyoko line and change to Hanzoumon line. I took 7:54 Express train
from Yokohama.  It is slower than the Limited Express.  I reached Shibuya around 8:30 and changed to Metro subway to Jinbouchou. It is much easier than going up to Aoyama with Toyoko line but still not easy to transfer  to another subway.  I was surprised to see most of the Express going to Hanzoumon has all
standing cars.
The train ride is not easy as you may think.
How do you come to school?
gto

He always wanted to be a pilot and he is now joining Aviation College in Miyazaki; Dream come True!

April 15, 2013
What is your dream? I think you have your dream.  Now most of you are in universities starting a new life.
Some of you may chose a school of your first choice, some may not but all of  you are moving forward to reach your dream you had when you were young. Hasegawa kun always wanted to be a pilot from his young age.
He lived next to Komaki Nagoya  airport when he was a child. His mother was a cabin attendant of ANA and father has been working in ANA.  He went to Keio University engineering department and a member of the Keio varsity tennis club. He took the test to be an ANA pilot in his graduation but failed.  He took the test to be a pilot of ANA again this year in graduating from the graduate school but did not make it.
He got a job in a major Japanese engineering company but took a chance to be a pilot through the test of Aviation College this year. He passed and he is going to the college. He is a man of courage and determination. He is pursuing his dream of his young age.
What is your dream?
gto

I took a test of Geography in Tokyo.

April 15, 2013
I went up to Tokyo to take a test of geography. I am taking some courses in Tokyo from 2007 to attain a credential or teacher's license on Social Studies. According to the government rule in Japan to attain an additional teacher's license beside the one you already have, like in my case I have an English teacher's license, is to take the required courses and submit the credits to the prefecture-government then you will receive the additional license to teach the courses. I enjoy taking courses, so I may stay longer than expected even finishing required credits.
The reason I did this is with the idea to teach the International Baccalaureate courses starting by Chuo University High School in Yokohama.  It was designed far earlier than recent global high schools emerging in this country.
The test itself may be a difficult topic for many because it is not only from the textbook.
The question was:
"What do you think of recent development taking place by companies and universities in building their building complexes in the central part of Tokyo or major cities in Japan from the view point of disaster relief or security that may take place in time of earthquake with the stand point of  study of geography?"
Please think about the question from my test today and write your view to this topic.
gto

History of Yokohama, Yamate just before 1923 Earthquake

April 12, 2013
Yokohama became a port city due to the opening of Japan to the world.
Commodore Perry with his fleet forced the Japanese government in 1850's to sign
the treaty to open the door to the world, or to the Americans.
Before this, the Japanese government under Tokugawa shogunate had a very small
section of Nagasaki opened to non-Japanese, Dutch. Tokugawa government controlled the trade and any information coming into Japan. Mr. Tachibana, a journalist, mentioned in NHK interview that the Japanese society is still same as the Tokugawa days when it comes to allow a new information coming into Japan.
Do you agree or not to this statement?
gto

Muhammed Ali, a great boxing champion, Sports Hero

April 11, 2013
As a result of his sticking to his strong beliefs, Ali was stripped of his championship title
and for four years was not permitted to fight.  Eventually, his case was heard by the US Supreme
Court, who ruled in Ali's favor.  He could box again and box he did.  His fights against Joe Frazier
and George Foreman are considered epics.  Watch them on YouTube if you get a chance.
Ali was great.
Of course, the entire world now knows that he suffers from Parkinson's disease.  But that has not slowed
him down at all.  Ali still travels the world, and participates in charity events.  He has gone from being controversial and a villain to one of the most respected and beloved men in today.
He is our hero.

Sports Hero: Muhammed Ali

April 10, 2013
Sports Hero: Muhammed Ali
(continued)



Did you know that Ali's name was originally Cassius Clay?
Soon after he wrestled the Heavyweight Championship from mean Sonny Liston in 1964, he converted to Islam and took his new name.  He quoted as saying at the time that Clay had been his slave name--one he refused to keep any longer.  This type of talk was brash and upsetting for many, and made Ali, at the time, one of sports most controversial athletes.  The controversy grew even more in 1967 when Ali refused to be
conscripted into the military to fight in Vietnam.  Ali explained that it was against his religion to participate in an unjust war, and that:"I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong" What courage that took.
(continued)

１９５５年レアルマドリード出身の修道士のもとに無敵の六連勝をした、伝説のセントジョセフカレジが横浜にあった。

April 9, 2013
In 1950's Japan was still poor and destroyed by the war.  People were just living from hand to mouth.
 Americans were all around and Korean War was taking place but Americans were just tired of wars but they don't know more to come, like Vietnam War and others.
St. Joseph was at its peak of existence without any rivals like St. Mary's, ASIJ, or YIS or universities like Sophia or ICU and surprisingly only two students had studied  English in the University of Tokyo during the war. There was a great need of people with English knowledge but no one around. It was win win situation for the school. French suffered the war, so the Order sent Americans and Spaniards to Japan.
One of the Spanish Brothers (teachers) was Brother Zabala who used to be a soccer player of the Spanish National team.
gto

St. Joseph College soccer team with Chilean Sailors from a ship in Yokohama, 1950's

April 8, 2013
A picture of St. Joseph College soccer team playing with the sailors from a Chilean ship.
It was a tradition of St. Joseph College team to play soccer whenever the ships enter the port.
As a young boy I used to watch those games and wanted to play soccer someday.
gto

Picture of Japanese High School Soccer Champion Meisei, Osaka with St. Joseph College international High School Soccer team, sister schools and tie score, 1950's

April8, 2013
This is a picture of Meisei high school, Osaka played soccer in St. Joseph College ground with SJC soccer team.  Meisei was the Japanese Champion in that year. Both schools were under the Catholic Society of Mary and traditionally good at soccer. SJC teacher and coach at that time was Brother Zaballa, SM, former Spanish National team member. Remember Spain was under Franco and just right after the civil war and many good people joined the Order went to mission to Japan suffering  hard time right after the war.
This picture came with an email from Senpais asking us to join Over 60 over 70 soccer games next year.  Many of them are now living in Germany and the USA but will come to Yokohama to play soccer.
gto

私は鳥ではないから、私を捕まえる綱等ない。綿日は主体的な意志を持つ、自由な人間なのだ。 I am no bird;no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.

April 7, 2013
 " I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will."
from Jane Eyre
Charlotte Bronte
About Muhammad Ali
In his heyday, Muhammad Ali was probably the most famous person on earth.
As a young boy growing up on Long Island, NY in the 1960's and 70's, I adored him.
He was handsome, he was articulate, funny, and poetic, and he was an incredible boxer.
He also had great courage, both inside and outside the ring.
(continued)

たいていの人間は逆境に耐えられるが、もし人柄を試したければ、権力を与えてみればいい。

April 6, 2013
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."
Abraham Lincoln

すべてを一度にやることはできないが、何か一つを即座にやることはできる。We cannot do everything at once, but we can do something at once.

April 5, 2013
We cannot do everything at once, but we can do something at once.
Japanese are thinking of changing their constitution, many of the leading politicians are the ghosts of
the pre-war politicians as their sons or grandsons and want to change the constitution received from the great liberal minded people of that time.
Let me write about Beate Sirota Gordon.
An American woman who helped draft Japan's postwar constituion has died.  Beate sirota Gordon was 89 years old.
Gordon lived in Japan with her pianist father, Leo Sirota, for 10 years in the 1920s and 30s.
He moved to the country to teach music.
Gordon later attended college in the United States.
In 1945, shortly after the end of world War II,she worked as an interpreter and translator at the
Allied Forces in Tokyo.
The next year, at the age of 22, Gordon returned

マハトマ ガンデイ：7つの大罪 Seven Deadly Sins according to Mahatma Gandhi

７つの大罪とは、労働無き富、良心なき快楽、人間性なき科学、人格なき知識、
理念なき青磁、道徳なき商業，献身なき礼拝。
Seven Deadly Sins:
Wealth without work;
Pleasure without conscience;
Science without humanity;
Knowledge without character:
Politics without principle;
Commerce without morality;
Worship without sacrifice.
Mahatma Gandhi,
Indian political and spiritual leader.

書物とは、最も物静かで誠実な友人であ、最も親しみやすくて分別のあるカウンセラーであり、最も忍耐強い教師である。

April 2, 2013, Tuesday
書物とは、最も物静かで誠実な友人であり、最も親しみやすく分別のあるカウンセラーであり、最も忍耐強い教師である。
Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of cunselors, and the most patient of teachers
Charles William Eliot
president of Harvard University, 1834-1926

Old soldiers never die、 セントの先輩たち皆,元気

April 1, 2013

明日のために今日の自分自身を保つこと、そして、自分のすべての卵を一つの籠に入れるというう危険を冒さないことが、賢人の証である。
It sis the part of a wise man to keep himself today for tomorrow,
and not to venture all his eggs in one basket.
from DonQuixote
Miguel de Cervantes
Spanish novelist and playwright

The plan of Blog on my part will be educational blogs will be under aiinstitute.blogspot.com, this blog,
Monday through Friday,excluding National Holidays with Japanese titles and short explanations.
I want the students to read them and think and come with short essays from reading.
This will give them what they need in the today's global world.

Blogs on educational questions will be under  gtogloblteacher.blogspot.com.
Hope in the weekends(Sunday)
Blogs on story telling will be under  gtostoryteller.blogspot.com.
Hope in the weekends and holidays(Sunday)

There are other blogs but for later use.
gto


I love sports.  When I was a boy, I mainly played team sports such as baseball, basketball and soccer.  Now I enjoy watching them plus tennis, track and field , golf and boxing.
Sports moves beyond being just a game with the drama and beauty of great athletes and the awesome contest they take part in. people like Michael Jordan and Joe DiMaggio developed hero like status in their day, mainly due to the splendor of  their play and their ability to win championship after championship for their teams.
But there are two athletes in particular who have always been very special to me.  They are Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali.  Both were the greatest of their generation--Robinson in baseball, Ali in boxing.  But it is what they did off the field and out of the ring that makes them so extraordinary, even now, decades later.