This Week's Question - 50 Ralphers, Baby!

Since starting this blog, I've devoted a few posts to Japan's Kibo lab modules and the Space Shuttle missions involved in transporting the components.  This week's question stays on this topic.  Here's the question, and you need to answer all three parts to get THIRTY RALPHERS!

After STS-124, there will be one more Space Shuttle mission to bring the final components of Kibo to the International Space Station.  What is the mission number (STS-###) of this shuttle flight?  Next, what is one of the Kibo components that will be transported?  Finally, what is the name of the Japanese astronaut who will be returning from the ISS when the Shuttle comes back to Florida?

If you can answer all three of these questions, you will earn 30 Ralphers.  For each part you get right, you will get ten.  Here's a bonus question that will get you 20 more if you can answer it correctly: 

Who was the first Japanese astronaut to travel on a Space Shuttle?

Good luck!  All answers are due before the end of the school day on Thursday!

I Must Be Addicted to the Stuff

Dinner tonight:

• Gorgeous Wife= California Pizza Kitchen Frozen Margarita Pizza
  
• The Baby = Morning Star Vegetarian Non-Quite-Chicken Nuggets
  
• Ralph-Sensei = RAW FISH!!!!!
  

I don't know what's come over me.  Ever since my first time trying Sushi and Sashimi at Hatsuhana, I've been craving the real deal.  I used to enjoy a good California roll once in a while, but now I LOVE raw Sushi.  We were at Publix getting groceries tonight and Gorgeous Wife said to go get whatever I wanted for dinner.  When I saw that the Sushi chef was at her station making it fresh, I already knew the answer: Marina Combo!

The two pink and white things are salmon, the two darker ones are 

tuna, the shrimpy-looking thing is shrimp, and the other thing is eel.

All described by Gorgeous Wife as "fish chunks."

It was great.  If you ever go to the Rock Springs Publix in Apopka, the Sushi chef is usually there from 4-7pm from what I can tell, and she'll make anything to order.  

*    *    *

One of the great things about living in Central Florida (and there are many) is being so close to the Kennedy Space Center.  In an earlier post, I wrote about Japanese astronaut Takao Doi and JAXA, and the Kibo module that they were delivering to the international space station.  Today on CFN 13 I saw that NASA was rolling Space Shuttle Discovery over to the Vehicle Assembly Building to get ready for mission STS-124.  This mission will transport another piece of Kibo into space, and JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide will be aboard the orbiter.

Can you believe Akihiko Hoshide is almost 40?  He looks 22!  

Another argument for exercising and enjoying a little Sushi once in a while.

The Shuttle launch is expected to take place on Saturday, May 31, so I won't be able to take my class outside to watch.  We will do some activities on the day before the launch that will educate them about this mission, so hopefully they will remember to go outside and watch the launch themselves.  The mission is expected to last 13 days, so I will be in Japan for the last three or four days that the Discovery crew is working on the shuttle. I'm looking forward to seeing how the Japanese news media covers the mission and shuttle return.  I'm sure that there will be great interest in the mission, as it is Japan's greatest contribution to the International Space Station to date.

During my visit to Japan I will be staying with a Japanese family in their home for a weekend.  The JFMF Basics book suggests that I bring a gift that represents my region with me.  I thought about this a lot, and at first I was thinking about getting something cool from Disney World, but they already have two Disney parks in Japan.  However, no one else in the world launches Space Shuttles besides Central Florida!  So I acquired these mission patches for the two Kibo missions so far and a general ISS patch.  I don't yet know how I'll use them, but they will figure into my gift somehow.  

As soon as I prepare my gift, I'll post it!

Ralphadelphia Students: 

New question coming tomorrow!

I know you're out there...

I have ESP you know... and I can feel you reading this blog right now... Houston, Texas...Sebring, Florida...Charlotte, North Carolina... Cordova, Tennessee...Ocala, Florida...Ripley, Tennessee...I can picture you in my mind!

Muhuhahahahahahahaha!

Just kidding.  Do you see that little Site Meter box in the upper right hand corner of my blog?  It's just underneath the title bar... there, that's it.  That thing not only acts as a counter, but it records IP addresses and gives me the locations of my visitors, how  they found me and how long they looked at the site.  Don't ask me how it works, I'm not some techno-dude from Weird Science!  

I've already communicated with someone in Houston and someone in Tennessee, and let me tell you, it is a breath of fresh air to actually be able to make contact with another person who is going through this process!  If you're going in June and want to make contact, feel free to post a comment to this blog, I'll be happy to respond, or email you if you provide that info!  As they sing in good ol' Liverpool, "You'll never walk alone..."

Now it's time to find out who is getting paid for this week's question:

• JT said the answer was Mitsukoshi.  He gets 20 Ralphers!
  
• Cayla said Mitsukoshi was founded in 1673.  She gets 30 Ralphers!
  

Great job!  You guys were the only brave souls to answer the question right.  Everyone else who posted, great job trying! Ten Ralphers for your efforts!

The Tokyo Headquarters of Mitsukoshi Department Stores

(Way bigger than the Epcot branch!)

This week's question

Gomena-sai!  I apologize, it's been so long since I've posted.  This has been a very busy week for my class and me, with the remainder of parent conferences, the St. Augustine field trip, Field Day, and the PTA Get Movin' night all coming on the same week. Whew!  

In addition to all of that, there really hasn't been much Japan trip news.  Actually, now that I think of it, I did get my business cards made and printed.  I went to the Japan pavilion at Epcot for help with the translation (they were wonderful, as alway), and Staples printed them for me-- 1,000 cards for about $50!  Here's the card:

I'm hoping to post a question for you guys to answer at least once per week, and if at all possible it will be related to to our area somehow.  This question is another one where you will need to look to Disney World for your answer:

Many businesses in Japan have very long histories, and some have existed longer than the United States!  One of these is the department store at the Japan pavilion at Epcot.  While there are many branches of this store throughout asia and Europe, the Epcot location is the only branch of this department store in the Americas.  What is the name of the department store? And for an extra ten Ralphers: In what year was the store founded?

If you can answer this question before the end of school on Wednesday, you get twenty Ralphers!  Good Luck!  

How do you write "Ralph-Sensei" in Japanese?

This morning I jumped on the JFMF teacher website to see if there was any new information about the trip.  Only the 2007 information has been available since the beginning of last week.  I was happy to see that it has been updated for the 2008 group!  

There are a lot of details about where the prefecture groups will be going.  I've learned that while staying in Tokyo I will be at the Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka. I visited their website and it looks like it will be one of the nice hotels I've ever visited!  

The travel guide I've been reading, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides: Japan, has this to say about the hotel:  

"...you will see on the right the gleaming white Akasaka Prince Hotel, designed by Tange Kenzo.  The open lobby has white marble floors and interior walls, while the exterior wall is glass."  

Check out the blooming Sakura trees in front

of the Prince Hotel!

I've looked at the room plans for this place, and every room is designed to offer travelers a panoramic view of Tokyo.  The architect of this building, Tange Kenzo, also designed the Metropolitan Offices of Tokyo, which are earthquake proof.  In every online JFMF journal I read, the participants experience an earthquake.  I hope that the hotel is earthquake proof too!

Another thing that I read in JFMF Basics, the program participant guide, is that I'm going to need a business card to present to most of the people that I meet.  In Japan the business card, or meishi, is an extension of the person who gives it to you. When you meet someone and they present you with their meishi it is good manners to study the card to learn the person's name and status and then put the card in front of you (if sitting down) or carefully into a business card case.  Don't write on the card, fold it, shove it in a pocket or leave it somewhere, because these actions are seen as signs of disrespect to the person who offered the card. 

Nice card!  I'd like to get my name

written in calligraphy like that!

I've started designing my business card, and I emailed a few places on the internet to see how much it would cost to get the cards printed or at least translated.  One place wanted $99 to translate the card and send me a file.  The printing was really expensive, $169 for 250 and over $200 for 500 cards.  I called the brand-spankin' new Staples right here in Apopka and asked them.  They said they couldn't do the translating but that they take whatever card I designed and print me 1000 for 54 bucks, full color! So I decided to try to translate the necessary information myself and here's what I came up with:

Orange County Public Schools = オレンジ・カウンティーの公立学校

Classroom Teacher = 教室教師

Scott Ralph = スコツト ラルフ

Apopka Elementary School: アパプカ 小学校

My plan is to take the mock up of my business card over to the Japan pavilion at Epcot and ask some of the people who work there if I got it right.  I probably named myself "Village Idiot," but that's not far from the truth sometimes!  If there's anyone who reads Japanese out there, please let me know if I got this right! 

The Answer to this Week's Question

Thanks everyone for sending your answers to this week's question.  We had a lot of correct answers this week, and I'm glad that you guys stepped up to the challenge!  The "official answers" are as follows:

• Urayasu is the sister city of Orlando, and both cities are home to Disney parks.
  
• Hideki Matsuzaki is the mayor of Urayasu.
  

Urayasu, in the prefecture of Chiba, is a very new city.  There are some cities in Japan that are more than a thousand years old, but Urayasu was founded in 1981.  That means it's even younger than your crusty ol' teacher!  Urayasu is best known for being the home of the Tokyo Disney Resort, making it one of the top tourist destinations in all of Japan, much like Walt Disney World makes Orlando one of the top tourist destinations in the United States. 

I don't know if I'll have the chance to visit Urayasu while in Japan unless I go to DisneySea, but I sure hope I get the chance!  Make sure to check the blog every Monday morning until the end of the school year for the next Japan question!

People who correctly named Orlando's sister city:

• Charles F.
  
• Julimar W.
  
• Juvon T.
  
• J.T. B.
  

People who named the sister city AND the mayor:

• Cayla D.
  
• Eva M.
  
• Jazmin A.
  
• Brandon M.
  
• Alexander H.
  
• Jared G.
  
• Breanna H.
  
• Jackie R.
  

Again, great job everyone!

Time to earn some Ralphers!

Okay Ralphadelphia students!  Time to earn some quick classroom cash.  Post a reply to the question below and if you're correct, you get twenty Ralphers!  

Please only post a comment ONCE... it won't show up until I publish it and I'm not publishing any answers until Wednesday night.  You may use whatever resources you'd like to answer the question -- except other students!  No copying/helping allowed.  You CAN use your parents.  That way you will both learn something!

Here's the question:

Apopka is considered part of the greater Orlando metropolitan area, and Orlando has a sister city in Japan.  What is the name of that sister city, and what does it have in common with Orlando?  TWENTY EXTRA RALPHERS if you can tell me the name of this city's mayor!

You can't tell me in class, you can only post! If you try to ask me if your answer is correct in class, or show me what you came up with, your answer will be INVALIDATED!

Good luck, and here's a hint for you:

Paaaappppppeeeerrrrwoooooooorrrrkkkkk...

Still filling out... typing...mailing...scanning photos...copying...getting physicals...

but it's cool.  I got to write in one blank that I'd like to visit Hiroshima or Hokkaido.  We'll see if it happens!

Paperwork

Today I came back from a couple of days at SeaWorld with the family to find a packet of info from JFMF in my mailbox.   There's a lot of paperwork to be done, and I got started on it right away.  

The only thing I could complete today was my travel registration.  It's weird to say it was exciting filling out a form online, but listing my local airport and requesting my "Dairy Vegetarian Meal" made this trip seem closer!  There are deadlines to meet between now and then so there will be plenty to do to make the time fly until June 8th.  Other JFMF journals have listed the fact that sometime before the trip, the JFMF will get a listserv going so that the participants will be able to contact each other via email before the trip.  I'll be looking forward to this, because I'm going to want to find people to go do things with during my one free day in Tokyo.  There are a couple of things I've been considering:

• Kyoto. This is a place I'd love to visit.  The capital of Japan from the 700s until the late 1860s, Kyoto is the seventh largest city in Japan and one of the most beautiful. Downside: two-and-a-half hours each way taking the Shinkansen from what I hear.  Not so sure I want to spend five hours on a train a week after spending eleven on a plane. 
• Tokyo DisneySea. My wife and I love going to DisneyWorld here at home in Florida, and I've been to Disneyland Paris back when it first opened and was known as EuroDisney.  I think I'd enjoy visiting a unique park unlike the ones I know so well.  Plus, I hear there's a different version of the Tower of Terror there.  Downside: being from Central Florida, am I really going to spend my one day in Japan hanging out at a Disney park?
• Just walking around looking for cool stuff.  Possibly cheapest option, unless I find cool stuff... then may turn into most expensive. Downside: get lost in the streets of Tokyo forever... chopped in half by samurai... squashed by a sumo... possibilities are endless, but no risk no return, right?

One thing's for sure, I definitely want to go to a Yomiuri Giants baseball game at the Tokyo Dome some night after workshops and visits are complete!  Also, "Linda Linda" at Karaoke!