Pumpkin Pie.

I really miss my mom's pumpkin pie. After we gutted our pumpkins and baked the seeds, she'd take the choicest pulp and make her pies. Then we were able to carve them. Japanese pumpkins (more like gourds) are too sweet for my taste and I haven't met anyone locally who can make a good pie (the secret ingredient is nutmeg).

So the closest thing I got to actual pumpkins today were some characters created by my 3rd and 4th Grades. Today's school has a low enrollment, 12-18 kids per class so I could spend a little more time with them. Therefore: pumpkin pics!

The 3rd graders didn't have quite as much time and they were on the bus before I could get a look at their drawings. I did get a few though. I particularly like the first one of the smoker!

Grade 5 didn't have much time to create a great work of art but here are the best of the bunch.

Grade 6 had all morning to finish their masterpieces and the proof is in the pudding. The last one is my favourite, pretty sophisticated for an 11-year old!

Finishing up our アジアの妖怪たち (Asian Yokaitachi = Friends of the Yokai) we have トッカビ (Tokkabi from the Korean Peninsula), 山しょう (San-shou from China), 馬化 (Baka from China), 羅刹 (Rasetsu from India), カリーナ (Karina from Arabia) and  ランプの精 (Spirit of the Lamp also from Arabia.)

I'm not sure what the Rasetsu is but this video has something to do with it.



So that's it for Asia, coming up now is 悪魔誕生 (the Devil) and a chapter on European Yokai...Stay tuned!

Pi Gurai!

Today, 22/7 is approximately pi so here are some odd tunes about math. (Click for other tunes.)

Einstein helps the Tiny Tooners.

Finally, one of the best ever Donald Ducks as he enters Mathmagic Land! 

Mid-March Madness!

I've been neglecting my public yet again and will do so again tonight. Thus just a quick linkage to several old posts & a few scammed pics instead of originality.

This pterasaur exhibit looks incredible. It's at the FDM (Fukui Dinosaur Museum: 福井市大手3丁目17番1号、3-17-1,Ohte,Fukui City,Fukui,JAPAN) and if I can figure out how to get there, I will someday.













March 14th was of course White Day and I gave all my female colleagues and a few students some Hello Kitty or Stitch Marshmallows in honour of the holiday's original nomenclature, "Marshmallow Day".

Of course 3.14 is also the Pastry Holiday known as Pi Day, a day to wax algorithmically about circles and eat Pie.

March 15th is the date of JC's demise and "Beware the Ides of March" was a line I delivered in my Theatrical Debut in Grade 8 when we put on "Julius Caesar". I wanted to play Mark Anthony or Brutus but due to my petit stature was relegated to the role of "Soothsayer".
"Beware the Ides of March" (repeated twice).
Caesar than chimed in with, "You there, the Ides of March have come."
I replied, "Aye Caesar, but not gone..."
I only had three lines but it was Oscar-worthy material.

This date has a slightly less bloody holiday but is certainly far more bizarre! 豊年祭 (Hounen Matsuri) is a Phallic PhFestival that really has to be seen to believed! I'll see it one day. (If you click this link, you'll be intrigued but it's not entirely SFW unless you work in a Dildo Factory.)

We're up to March 16th today and it's nothing special except that I've started my annual St. Patrick's Day lessons in preparation for tomorrow!
Slainte!

Wackier Witchy Wednesday.

Last week, I mentioned the works of 角野 栄子 Kadono Eiko who is the author of 魔女の宅急便 (Majo no Takkyūbin or Kiki's Delivery Service). As a follow-up to that, here are a few stills from Ghibli's Magical Masterpiece.

Such lovely stuff but a few too many panty shots of Kiki as she is straddling her broom for my taste.



I pass a witch everyday on my way to work, so I decided to stop and photograph her. Peco-chan was shy at first but succumbed and in thanks, I bought some of her wares from Fujiya.

I picked up a pumpkin pie appropriately shaped as a Jack-o' Lantern's face. It was okay, but it was made from a Japanese pumpkin and was thus a little too sweet for my taste.

Today we had an usually beautiful sunset and I snapped a pic of it before dusk disappeared. It is purty but I feared that it was just the prelude to an alien invasion...Michael Bay style!

Finally, I missed this movie when it came out and it seems like I didn't miss much.