Another TPMMH pic

Another TPMMH pic
Originally uploaded by Jason In Japan.

I've decided on my Flickr site that I'm gonna start a new "tag" labeled TPMMH - which stands for "This Picture Makes Me Happy." So search that tag in a few weeks and you'll see a bunch of fun pics from my whole archive of over 2000 pics.

Walking around after lunch a few weeks ago I snapped this pic - it's very easy for me to get group shots like this now - I simply say "shashin" (picture), "issho ni" (together) - and wave my hands like I'm pushing the group together and the kids will form up and pose. Any shyness they have around me went away long ago, and if anything they're more likely to deny my picture request nowadays since they know I take so many over the course of a year.
But they still like me to take their picture, cuz they know I use them - I sometimes put them on display on the wall outside my language lab, I put them in the school newsletter I create, I use them in the year-end movie I make, and I of course add them here to my blog. So they get to see them - and that makes a big difference in their willingness to pose.

In this picture are my sporty 3nen sei - all them are in a sports club except Sayoko, who is in the Chorus Club, but is also a champion baton twirler - so she is sporty too. :)

First row - Miyuki (kendo), Saki (tennis), Momoko (kendo), Rina (tennis)
2nd row - Tomoka (volleyball), Namiko (tennis), Sayoko (chorus)
back row - Kyoko (swimming), Keiko (kendo)

I also posted some pics of my 3rd graders (9th graders) enjoying bento lunches at school. Some days they don't serve the school lunch that everyone eats, so the kids have to bring a lunch from home, called a "bento." So click here for more pics of the kids at lunchtime.



Enjoy!
-Jason