Friends at IAMSE

This is none other than the famous Dr. Ron Hardin, pioneer of the OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) that many of you will be taking next year.





Dr. Matthew Gwee is the Dean of National University of Singapore's medical school.





My classmates in the ESME course (Essential Skills in Medical Education) were from countries all over the world, including Canada, the USA, Kenya, the Sudan, England, Australia and more!

Bikes everywhere!

It was great to see all of the people riding bikes in Leiden and Amsterdam. Whole families were pedaling along. But you really had to be careful not to be run over by a cyclist. A young doctor at Leiden University joked that they should be called "suicyclists." Get it?

TBL in Japan goes to Holland

Dear Students, I introduced what we've been doing in our classes with TBL. You may see some familiar faces on this poster. You all went to Leiden with me! -- at least you were all in my heart.

FT

Conference in Holland

Hi Everyone,

I know it's been a long time. Sorry! I've been going to a lot of conferences and learning a lot. This is Leids Universitair Medisch Centrum (LUMC), or the Leiden University Hospital. I went to Leiden in the Netherlands for the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE). You may wonder why an English teacher would visit a science educators conference. That's easy! I teach "scientific" English AND I wanted to meet the experts in using team-based learning (TBL). I think that TBL has been a real lifesaver for our classes and I wanted to get a chance to talk to some real professionals in the field. It was great! I learned a lot and made some great friends. I can't wait to try what I've learned!

FT

Happy Birthday Dear Daughter!!

Today my daughter is 17 years old! Time flies when you're having fun--and raising her has really been fun. I am very proud of her and I get all emotional when I think about her growing up and moving away.

Today on my way to work I was listening to a song I gave her when she graduated from Jr. High School. The words of the song make me all teary eyed.

The song:

Find Your Wings by Mark Harris

It's only for a moment you are mine to hold
The plans that heaven has for you
Will all too soon unfold
So many different prayers I'll pray
For all that you might do
But most of all I'll want to know
You're walking in the truth

And if I never told you,
I want you to know
As I watch you grow

I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage
To dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
So let my love give you roots
And help you find your wings

May passion be the wind
That leads you through your days
And may conviction keep you strong
Guide you on your way
May there be many moments
That make your life so sweet
Oh, but more than memories

I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage
To dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
So let my love give you roots
And help you find your wings

It's not living if you don't reach for the sky
I'll have tears as you take off
But I'll cheer as you fly

I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage
To dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
So let my love give you roots
And help you find your wings

I hope the same for all of my students! Reach for the sky and let me see you fly.

FT

Speaking English when you can.

About a week ago I had an opportunity to get together with several friends and acquaintances for dinner. The purpose of the party was for me to introduce some of my English speaking friends to others who enjoy speaking English. It was a very enjoyable evening.

One of the things that is great about this city is that there are a lot of people with amazing talents, including English speaking talents. For many years I lived in a rural area of Kumamoto prefecture and never had any opportunities to speak English with anyone but my own family. It was a great time for me to improve my Japanese skills, but I did miss using my own language. Now I am surrounded by talented English speakers and it's great!

Sometimes my friends or students lament their lack of opportunity to speak English while living in Japan. They seem to think that the only chance they'll have to improve their English skills is if they go abroad to an English speaking country. I'd like to counter that argument with another one. What about the scores of people right here who also want to improve their English skills? Why can't we take every opportunity we have to use English and just go for it?

The dinner party I attended last week was a perfect example. Of the almost 20 attendees, there were 15 Japanese members. Actually, all of the non-Japanese members were able to speak Japanese, but we all made a point of speaking English.

I'd like to see more people taking advantage of every chance they have to speak English or any other language they are learning. You don't have to go abroad, you just have to be courageous. Give it a try. It's fun!

FT

Brand New Medical Students

Today I got to give a tour of campus to a group of the new medical students. They're all so cute! It's fun to be reminded of how exciting it was to be a first year student and learning my own way around the campus. I hope they never lose the enthusiasm they have now. Even though I know they'll have rough times through their six years of study here, I suspect that if they think back on the excitement and enthusiasm they felt as new students, they'll be able to make it through alright.
FT

Another taste sensation from Korea

Today I'm feeling especially blessed. Another friend also came by to give me a treat as a souvenir from Korea. They are caramels, but I can't quite place the flavor. The name is written in Korean, so . . . I'm guessing, though, that it might be ginseng. Yum!

Seaweed Chocolate?!

A friend just gave me a seaweed chocolate as a souvenir from Korea. Wow! I thought we had some pretty weird edibles here in Japan, but this takes the cake! And, I must admit, it was actually quite tasty. A new taste sensation-seaweed chocolate!

QT

QT is the abbreviation for the Kyushu University Toastmasters club. We had a great meeting tonight. We meet the second and fourth Friday of each month at 19:00, so if you're interested in joining or observing, come on by.

Tonight we had one speaker who has been a member of various Toastmasters International clubs for over 40 years. He was an excellent, confident public speaker. It made me think of how great we will all be as we continue to practice, improve, and hone our public speaking skills.

I'm looking forward to seeing some of you at a meeting someday!

FT