Japan


	One of our Third Grade teachers, Mrs. Tammy Jones, is a Fulbright winner. For three weeks during November and December she's traveling in Japan, learning about education there. She is sending emails and pictures to her class. Come along for the trip. Share in her experiences.

	Monday, November 21, 2005 6:28 am I arrived at Chicago's O'Hare airport early on Sunday and was surprised to meet other Fulbright teachers wearing their hanging name tags. About 150 of us, from the Midwest and east coast, flew on the same plane from Chicago to San Francisco. We were greeted at the airport by members of the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund program and taken to the hotel for an afternoon of meetings. Dinner was delicious and our evening ended around 9:30 pm (which was 11:30 pm Chicago time). We are up early, and packing for our 12 hour flight to Tokyo. I have my 10 pages of step-by-step how to use the computer notes, so I am ready. Tammy Haggerty Jones Mrs. Jones to my students :)

11/22/05 This e-mail will make a great lesson about elapsed time, jet lag,

and much needed sleep!  We left San Francisco at 10:00am on Monday,

November 21 (12 noon Chicago time).  Our flight left at 1:00pm (3:00 pm

Chicago time)and took 11 1/2 hours to reach Tokyo.  We landed in Tokyo at

12:30am on what should have been Tuesday morning, but instead it was Tuesday

evening at 4:30pm.  We then had to proceed to baggage claim, quarantine,

customs, and immigration.  We took the bus to the Tokyo Prince Hotel (passed

Disney Tokyo on the way)and arrived at 7:45pm.  Forty Japanese college

students were waiting to take us out to dinner in groups of 4 and 5.  I

called my husband at 8:00pm Tokyo time to tell him that I was here safely,

and woke him up. It was 5:00 am Chicago time.  It is now 10:56pm Tokyo time

and you are all awake at school and at work and I am sooooooo ready for bed.

Tomorrow we begin our first day of touring.  I am so excited!

	Wednesday, November 23- We had a busy and exciting day today. Our first stop was to the Diet, Japan's Parliament Building. Today was a National Holiday - Labor Day, so many of the buildings were closed. We had a private showing of the Diet building. We then went to Asakusa Buddhist Temple and open market. We had tempura, rice, pickled diakon, and miso soup for lunch, and a mandarin orange for dessert (I was in the vegetarian private room with 5 other people). Our group returned to the hotel for a private lesson about Kyogen and Kabuki. A group of us took the Tokyo subway (challenging and successful) in the evening to a trendy area of Tokyo. We found the 100 Yen store and were quite pleased with our purchases. Dinner was a welcome event. We were the only Americans in the restaurant. I used my phrase book to ask if the meal was vegetarian, and it was. My chopstick talent is emerging and the server kindly brought me a fork. It is now 10:20 pm Tokyo time, which means 7:20 am on Tuesday for you.



	November 24 - Subject: Thanksgiving and Fish Market photo We went to the Fish Market at 5 am Thanksgiving morning. There were men running around with rickshaws carrying large tuna ready for auction. We saw lobster, eel, octopus, squid, and a bunch of creatures I didn't recognize. The Fulbright staff prepared a lovely Thanksgiving dinner for our group,along with traditional Japanese treats. The Fulbright staff prepared a lovely Thanksgiving dinner for our group, along with traditional Japanese treats.