Stony Plain and Shikoai

Shikoai is a small town located in central Hakkiado. I have been there twice twice before, once in 1997 and again in 2000, so I don't feel as if I'm decending into a completely foreign experience. Basically, Alberta and Hakkiado, in an effort to make the world just a bit smaller, started a fruitful twining relationship between eachother's towns. Stony Plain has been fortunate enough to be twined with the freindly town of Shikoai (pop. around 6000). I will soon been leaving (Sept. 4 actually) to become one of Shikoai's two english teachers. I will be directly contracted to the Shikoai Board of Education which means several things. I will not be tied to anyone school, the contract states I could be teaching High School , Junior High, elementary, kindergarden, other teachers or town employees. As rare as it is for a blog to post rumor, word from Shikoai is that I will propbably be facing off with elementery or junior high school students. For many years I have wanted to return to Japan so if work I must to that end I will (I still think I received the better half for such an opportunity). I would like to express my thanks for all the help and support from my parents, extended family and family-friends.

Some things I wish to accomplish with my stay in Japan is making sure I represent Stony Plain well and ensure my students learn thier studies. I will also try very hard to resurrect my old Japanese skills and improve on them with constant practice. An added goal for myself is to try to produce some form of creativity and write. Write about what? Well, that is getting ahead of myself and so is this post. I still have months left until I leave for Japan so read on...