Learning by Doing

Weighing babies isn't so easy when you only have an adult scale.

Let's get it clean!

Everything looks good here.

Befriended.

Try to sit still while he takes your temperature.

Let me see . . .

Prayers from Nicaragua for Japan

On the day after the big earthquake, 8 students joined me on a service-learning trip to Nicaragua. We visited small mountain villages that didn't have access to medical clinics and medicine. The volunteer spirit of those 8 students made a big impression on the lives of everyone we met.

An amazing thing to me in Nicaragua was that even in the poor villages, people who had gotten word of Japan's sorrow were praying for a swift recovery for Japan. It was very humbling to hear people who live in the humblest of circumstances praying for Japan.

March 11, 2011: A day we will never forget

On the day of my son's 9th grade graduation, a 9.0 earthquake followed by tsunamis devastated the Tohoku region of Japan. Little did we know that at the very time that we sat in my son's jr. high classroom celebrating, thousands of people were losing their lives in the worst natural disaster Japan has faced since the 1923 great Kanto earthquake.

We sadly watch the news everyday and continue to pray for healing for Japan.

FT

Lots going on at home too!

Also through October and November, we've been busy at home.

My daughter competed in two English speech contests to tell about her experience working with the homeless in Kitakyushu City two summers ago. She did very well!!


We had a guest from the USA for 5 days followed by a guest from England for 2 weeks (green shirt--he became the middle child in our family;).

My lovely Mother-in-law has been living with us and has really been helpful as she enjoys life with us in this busy season. She has given our guests a chance to try communicating in Japanese and they've done a great job!


And on Nov. 23rd, we ate Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends.

I love this season--it's busy, but filled with good food and family gatherings.

FT

A very busy October and November! Global Medicine

So many things have happened in the last 2 months that I didn't have time to blog. The best thing is that I met my new 2nd year students and they are GREAT!

In our Global Medicine/Scientific English I class, we've had so many excellent guest lecturers. These photos show one of our classes with a special guest. They hail from Germany, the USA, Nicaragua, and Japan.

The cute photos of students shows them looking through telescopes made of paper. The size of the telescope depends on how many experiences they have had to see poverty. If they have seen poverty only on TV, they have a small scope. If they've seen it in person, they get a bit bigger scope. And if they have worked with people living in poverty or experienced poverty themselves, they have an even larger scope. This is how our guest speaker, Tanya Amador Executive Director of NPO Corner of Love, explained to them about our different perceptions of poverty.

KGK BBQ at Yoshinogari

My husband and I hosted a KGK barbecue at Yoshinogari historical park recently.  It was a great group of people from Saga, Fukuoka and Tokyo colleges.  We discovered that it is VERY HOT to have a barbecue in August at midday in Kyushu!! Yikes!!  But we cooled down afterward at our house with some music and cool desserts.^^

Beautiful Battle Ground

Yes. I know that "Battle Ground" doesn't sound very beautiful. But "Battle Ground" really is a beautiful place in my home state of Washington. It's the name of the city where I grew up. You can find out more about Battle Ground here http://www.cityofbg.org/

However you won't see pictures of the house I grew up in on that website, so I've provided a few here. One of the things I am always most impressed by when I go home is the smell of the trees. Such a beautiful sweet fragrance. Also, the sky seems so far away when I'm home. I think it's because the trees are so tall. I have never seen trees so tall anywhere that I've lived in Kyushu. I often go home in August, so another real shock to the system is the total climate difference between Kyushu and Battle Ground. It is usually cool (in the 20's) and the humidity is very low in the summer. The temperature dropped a few times when we were there this year and my Dad had to build a fire in the wood-stove to keep us warm. (see the photo of the stack of firewood)

As the photos suggest, my childhood home is a very peaceful place. I can always relax there. It's my "resort." The place I go to feel most relaxed, comfortable, and at peace.

FT

Mom and Dad

My Dad turned 70 this summer and my son and I were able to be with him on his special day. Do you appreciate your parents, dear students? I hope so! Whether you have a Mom and Dad, or just a Mom or just a Dad--you have been blessed with someone who has watched over you and worked for you all of your life.

My parents are a treasure to me, and even though I have lived an ocean away from them for most of my life, I know that their love has seen me through every step of my way. The older I get, the more I become like them. You'll probably notice this about yourselves someday too. Maybe you don't like the idea of becoming like your parents, but most of us are destined to do so. That doesn't mean that you can't be you--unique and different from them in many ways. Just do your best to carry on the best traits you've received from them and add in those things that are uniquely yours. That's what I hope for my own children. If there is anything that is good about me, I hope it will be passed on to them--but mostly, I hope they will surpass me in everything and become better people than I.

So, Mom--thanks for the sense of humor! Dad, thanks for the strength and wisdom! I hope that I  can carry those things on and pass them to my kids.^^

Love,
FT

KGK goes international

Our leader, Tsugeru, has been doing double duty for our KGK group lately. Not only is he leading us, but he's leading us in ENGLISH! Wow!

We have been blessed with members from Zambia, the Congo, and the US lately. So, if you're interested in joining our discussions on Monday evenings from 18:00-19:00--please come! KGK is open to everyone and we look forward to seeing you there.

Follow the KGK link for more information about KGK throughout Japan.

Johns Hopkins Simulation Center

I recently attended the Association of Simulated Patient Educators (ASPE) in Baltimore. It was a great conference and I learned a lot. In particular I learned many things about training simulated patients so I can train English speaking SPs to work with our students here.

I had the chance to tour the Johns Hopkins medical school simulation center while in Baltimore. WOW! It is really amazing. It is a 5 million dollar facility that costs 1 million dollars a year to run. There are rooms that simulate real hospital rooms, operating rooms, and ICUs. As you can see in these photos, there are high tech mannequins that students can use for training their skills in almost anything.

The simulation center also employs many simulated patients (actors) who can act out anything from a headache to a heart attack. The simulated patients help students to learn communication and physical exam skills. After a simulation, the SPs become teachers as they provide feedback and help the students to reflect on what they did well and what may need improvement.

FT