The Checks

You and Me - The Checks


Hi, there!!

This is a New Zealand rock band formed in 2002, named 'the checks', and this song got them become a smash hit band, so just check it out later on.
According to the wiki on this band, they had only a gig in Tokyo as a part of their world tour in few years ago. You may know or have heard this band before...

By the way, the reason I'm writing on this band is that I went to their gig with my kiwi mates last late night. They mainly used to perform in England when they were still in early days of their debut, and after several years, they ended up to relocate to where they grew up.
Actually, I didn't know exactly any songs released by them until the last night live finished. That's why I was a bit uneasy that I could catch the atmosphere of the site, but I didn't need to worry about it at all since I was in high temper thanks to too much beer before went in.

The happiest thing last night was that the site was packed with full of teens mainly girls and they just turned me on during the period. Honestly I couldn't concentrate on what they performed on the stage as I was glued to hot girls over there!!





「The Checks」

　これを聞いて「あ、あのバンドか！」とわかるこのブログ読者はいないでしょう。自分も知りませんでした、昨日まで。笑 けどウィキぺディアには一回東京でライブしてるみたいやけど・・。

　彼らはＮＺ出身のロックバンド。知り合いの人達とせっかくの機会なのでこっちのバンドのライブを見に行ってきた。活動は主にイギリス中心やったらしいけど、今はNZを中心に人気があるみたい。上の動画は彼らのヒット曲。
　１曲も聴いたことないバンドのライブなんか行くの初めてやったからどうなるかなと思ったけど案外楽しめた。一緒に行ったNZ人二人も年齢は結構上やけど気さくで、話しやすいしよかった。ビールはかなり飲まされたが・・・。笑
　
　会場自体１０００人規模くらいのところやったからなんともいえんけど、比較的若い年代のファンが多かったし、まぁみんな可愛かったね。途中バンド見ずに隣の女の子ばっか気にしてる時間帯あったし。笑　けど良いリフレッシュになりました。いやぁしかし、ますますLinkin Parkのライブ行きたくなってきたなぁ・・・。


　



　

Difference of kids that exists between Japanese and others.

Hi, mates.

Recently, I've been at a primary school as a soccer coach once a week, so I've had an opportunity to be exposed to local kids more than before. And I also feel that they have different characters depend on what nationality they have such as Europe, Africa and Asia.

As you know, The primary school in NZ is where all kids have different backgrounds study and learn a lot of things to be getting mature at the same place. Personally, I think the ethnic society in a school helps greatly to iron out the prejudice of race that I've felt in my oversea life.

However, I can see clearly their various characters from what they react to my soccer session.
For example, Generally, Islanders don't know about shyness in comparison to others.I think all islander kids in my session are really active and assertive. If I would say a negative point, it's sometimes hard for us to control them as they have too much energy to be given out.
On the other hand, Asian kids are really reserved to other kids especially Indian and Pakistan kids. I think Japanese and Chinese are not that shy. But they apt to gather into the same ethnic group. Europeans are in a way interesting because they each have various type of characters as they are the largest community in this country. Some kids are so keen on soccer, but some others are not so much as they seem to be just participated it by their parents.

Anyway, I have only one session in a week with these kids and it's also a only one hour session, but it's so rich and substantial time for me. I feel so much fatigue over my body every time I finish a session at the school, but I always have something new to discover from the pitch.

well, I'd better buy a camera to leave this memory with these kids. otherwise I'm going to be definitely sorry!!





　
　ども！

　最近はこっちの小学校でサッカーコーチをしたり、より現地の子に教える機会が増えてきている。そこで感じるのが、日本の子どもとその他の違い。とりあえずこっちは色んな人種の子どもがいる。ヨーロッパ系・アジア系・アフリカ系など。

　こっちの小学校はそんな色々と違った背景を持った子どもが同じ場所で生活する場所でもあり、人種による偏見が薄れてくるのは嬉しいこと。
　けど、サッカーを通じてやっぱりそれぞれ性格が見え隠れするのも事実。例えば、Islanderと呼ばれる島国の子ども達（ＮＺはサモア・フィジー・トンガなどからの移民が多い）は元々体がでかいので、練習でも他を圧倒する。性格も結構血の気が多いのか、すぐにケンカし、そうなると結構殴り合いに発展することも。笑

　インドやパキスタン系は彼ら同じ国同士で集まる傾向が強いかな。あまり積極的ではなく、グループの輪になかなか入ってこようとしない。日本や中国系もその傾向は強いように思う。ヨーロッパ系は一番比率でいうと多いので、やっぱり色んな子がいてる。積極的で活発な子もいれば、いかにも親に参加させられました的な顔で参加してる子も。笑

　彼らと過ごす週１度のたった１時間だけのクラスは本当に中身の濃い１時間になる。毎回違った発見があるし、終わったの後の疲労感も半端ないけど、そこには間違いなく充実感がある。
　
　ほんまにカメラ買わないとあかんな。こんなことできてる今を形に残しておかないと一生後悔しかねへん。笑
　
　撮ったらその内ブログにも載せますね！

Suntan

Hi, man!! How have you been??

I recently realized that I had a massive suntan over my whole body!!I've naturally had a suntanned body since when I was a kid as I was really active to play especially outside. And now I've still been playing and coaching kids mainly outside as a work, so it sounds really wholesome, but where I've lived now is not Japan. This is where is located immediately beneath the ozone hole. The ozone hole is one of issues on the global warming that a massive hole in ozone layer was discovered.

That's why The people in AUS and NZ etc don't make light of the protection of the ultraviolet Shorten UV in Japan. However I don't care anything of it. I don't use sunglasses and suncream when I hang out. I know it's not good...

Perhaps, Skin cancer is most likely cause of death for me, haha. Maybe I shouldn't make any laugh about this. I need to consider of it more seriously.






　どうでもいいけど、最近肌が焼けすぎて黒すぎる自分に気づいた！

　全身真っ黒。元々地黒やったけど肌が焼けてさらにすごいことに。笑　毎日外でする仕事やから健康的といえばそうやけど、こっちは紫外線量がオゾンホールのおかげで日本と比べ物にならんから（なんと７倍！）、日焼け防止にサングラス・日焼け止めクリームなどは必需品。ですが、オーストラリア・ＮＺともう３年以上も滞在しているにもかかわらず、なんの対策もしていない自分。笑

　
　おそらく、自分に起こる一番可能性の高い死因は「皮膚ガン」で間違いないでしょう。笑

Wellington Phoenix at Eden Park

Hi,guys.

Today I went to support Wellington Phoenix in Australia pro-league at Eden park which is the biggest park in NZ. Phoenix is the only one team has formally joined in A-league from NZ. They played at Eden Park for the first time today, apparently.

I thought the speed of the game is way slower than other national leagues I usually watch such as J-league. They were less speed but more physical,powerful and plucky at contact. As if they have little fear of the risk of injuries. During the game I was thinking of if a A-league team takes on a J-league team, who is going to win... I just wonder if physical can overcome technical.

On the other hand, I caught some players blew easy plays and lost a ball easily in a high pressure area of the field, but I knew after this game they may well make such easy mistakes as the both teams in this game now have been in the lower table.
And they also have been facing with a financial crisis as a team. According to a newspaper, Phoenix didn't secure the good enough numbers in their squads due to beyond their budget.

Most of the leagues in the world has struggled with the same problem. It's bad news for footballers!!!






　

　今日はＡリーグ（オーストラリアプロリーグ）の試合観戦へ。

　ＮＺからも１チームだけこのＡリーグに加盟しているチームがある。それがウェリントンフェニックスというチームで、今日はオークランドで試合があったので見てきました。
　印象はまず、フィジカル前面のサッカー。笑　対戦チームもフェニックスも今年は低迷してるみたいやから仕方ないかもやけど、球際はやっぱりこっちのサッカーらしくガシャガシャやってました。ゲームスピード（攻守の切り替え）はやっぱりＪリーグよりもかなり遅いけど、いざ試合をしたらどういう展開になるのかなぁなんて考えながらみてました。

　結構簡単なミスやボールを失ったりもしてたし、なんとなく下位チーム同士ってのが伺えた。あとはどこのチームも財政的に苦しいみたいで、ロクに選手と契約できてない状況だって新聞で書いてたなぁ・・。

　けど、実際みてみて思うところもたくさんあったし、次のチャレンジに向けてテンション上げていきます！！

What is the professional....??

What is the professional?? What is to become the professional of a field?? What is a professional soccer player??

It's just a play for money? It's to just keep playing for a club who you think you can improve a lot from?? Playing without compromise?? Believing in yourself all the time???

What is it???

I've been considering deeply about it recently since I watched a documentary video of a soccer player.
Soccer is obviously No1 sports in the world. There are millions of talents in this world and they always spark each other to catapult to stardom. As a matter of course, there are some different elements to win the race which are invisible stuffs such as lucks and politics. So, having only a perfect skill is not sometimes good enough unfortunately.

I don't know the vital of what I want to say now, but that's a blog, right??


Anyway, what I now have to do is just believe in myself all the time no matter what happen to me. If something like ordeals come up on the way to goals, most of people should feel a bit wobbly about all they have done so far for their goals. Of course I do like I wonder if I might not do in the right way to the goal or If I'm really good enough to play in the professional level.. something like that. But I need believe in myself somehow anytime. like I now play in NZ, but I will be able to play for such a great club next year or the year after!!

You might make fun of my words.. I might make a fool of myself with dreaming, but I don't really care of what someone think of me cuz I've known that they just come around after I made it.

It's about time to move on, I'm ready for it now!!







　最近ある動画を見て思った。プロって何だろう？？って。

　ただお金をもらってプレーすること？お金ではなく自分がうまくなれると思ったクラブでプレーし続けること？？妥協しないこと？？？自分を信じ続けること？？？？

　さぁなんだろう？？

　
　サッカーの世界、一番世界で競技人口が多いスポーツ。星屑のように散りばめられた才能が色んなところでひしめき合い、競争している。そこには実力だけではない、目に見えない要素もたくさんある。うまければのし上がれる世界ではないのかもしれない。

　何が言いたいのか結局自分でもわからんけど、それがブログでしょ？？笑

　とりあえず今やっている事、毎日続けている事を続ける。自分を信じる。時々、何かを目指しているときにうまく行かない事があれば、自分を疑ってしまうことってあるよね？おれがやってることは果たして正しいのか？自分には成功するだけの度量（実力）が本当にあるのかって。でもそこを自分で信じてやる。今はＮＺでプレーしているけど、来年・再来年はすごいところでやってるんだと！

　今ブログを見てる人は笑うかもしれない、バカにするかもしれない。「へっ、その年でそんな所でやってて何ほざいてんねん」って。けど自分が本当に何かを成し遂げたら、そんな彼らの反応は１８０℃変わるのも知っている。そんな彼らの今の反応を直接見れない海外にいるのは反っていいかもしれないね。

　さぁやるよ！準備は整いつつあるからね！！
　

I knew it, I knew it!!!

Hello, how are you??

I just want to talk about what I did at a primary school today. I today went to a school for coaching of soccer to kids. I already knew that it would be so hard to make it well as I had known that the huge numbers of kids would turn up my soccer lesson that was more than I expected. The problem was that all kids joined today didn't bring their own balls as I told them that if kids have their own balls at home, just bring it that means if kids who doesn't have a ball can't bring it.I should've told them that all kids has to be with their own balls because I already knew I didn't have enough ball for kids.

That's why I couldn't provide one ball to each kid. The number of balls I got today was obviously short to kids that it might have been only a half numbers against kids. So I was really upset in the first 15mins, to be honest I didn't know what to do, so what I did to them was just let them kick some balls around in the square pitch set up by corns.
　
Luckily, most of kids were really docile. If I had some naughty and disruptive kids to the others, I must've been dead for sure. But I somehow tried to manage them to have an enjoyable time through kicking a ball. I think they were happy with us thanks to all supports I got from some teachers who work at the school, and next session will be a lot better for sure, though, I met with a bit setback today. I am really willing to dedicate myself 100% to this job.

And some day, I hope some of this kids will have a same dream as mine that become a professional soccer player and hopefully we meet each other in J-league that I'm as a coach and they are as of course a player.
Anyway, I would just like them to have something can be crazy about. It's not like a one-off event. It ends till the end of the life. I can say living in dream is not easy, but the tough life makes you great.

My dream is still keep going, so I'd like to help them to discover the same thing as I've had already.





　つか、最近ふと思う、英語と日本語で書き続けてきたこのブログ、一体何人の人が英語の方も読んでくれてんのかなぁ？って。実際ちょっと日本文と違うんやけど、まぁ興味ある人はどうぞ。文法間違いは忠告ください。笑

　ともあれ、今日ついに行ってきました。こっちの地元小学校にサッカーコーチとして訪問を。いやぁ、予想の３倍ほどの人数で訳３５人！！しかも年齢は１年～６年まで多岐に渡って一人じゃ手に負えないからここの学校で働いている先生方に助けてもらってなんとか無事終了してきました。
　しかし、課題は一杯でした。おれ自身は１，２，３年生を中心に２０人ほどをみてたんやけどまぁそんないっぺんにまとまる訳もなく、しかも一人一つボールがないモンやからなかなかやりたいことができず最初の１５分くらいは頭真っ白で何やったかあんま覚えてない。笑　結局２つグループに分けて、片方はこっちの先生にやってほしいことを伝えてお任せして進行。
　最後はゲームで締めましたが、まぁ大変でした。持っていった大量のコーンやマーカーも結局足らず、ほんまに予想外のことばっかりの連続。でも、中盤から子ども達のペースも掴めて徐々に修正できて、その辺は普段個人的にやっているサッカースクールの経験が生きてきましたね。
　しかしこっちの学校はたくさんの人種の子ども達がいる。アジア、アフリカ、ヨーロッパ系、中には女の子もいて、ボールが体に当たってすぐ泣き出してしまったり・・。けどボールを持たせれば結局はどこで生まれたなんて関係ない。ゴールに向かってボールを蹴る、走る。点が入れば喜び、負ければ悔しがる。ほんとにシンプルなこと。

　最後にはみんな「楽しかった」と言ってくれたのが一番嬉しかったですね。あとは担当の先生ともっと話し合って毎週毎週改善しながら良いセッションにもっともっとしていきたいです。

Guy Fawkes Day

Hi, Everybody!!

Recently, I've suffered from the noise of fireworks throughout Auckland. The noise came from out of window has kept me distracting to get sleep for last 4 days due to like the festival called Bonfire Night from Guy Fawkes Day that has been acknowledged in UK.
If you find out the further details of the day, please google it. hehe

Surprisingly, it's not allow us to purchase fireworks at any shops except for only 4 days of Guy Fawkes Days in a year. That's why, the massive sets of fireworks are sold like hot cakes during the days, and we can also see some guys in the city who sell it on the truck.
Last night when I was hanging around the town with my mates, I saw some boys on the big square in the mid of the town who was setting heaps of rockets off against the clock tower!! That was on the verge of a fire on it.
According to the news, hundreds of fires break out in NZ every year for only this 4 days. I just wonder why the government doesn't make any action on this affair... I guess it should be abolished clearly.

In Japan, we normally go and see fireworks at hot spots and buy it to do with friends in summer, but it's known as a summer seasonal tradition in UK. Although there is a direct correlation between UK and NZ about it, that tradition has been inherited to NZ at the moment.

However, I was reminded again that there are so many kind of quirky cultures and customs which I haven't touched yet in this world.







ども！！今日はＮＺの花火についてのお話。

　日本でいうと花火は夏の風物詩ですが、イギリスなどでは秋から冬の風物詩として知られています。ここＮＺでも、その風習自体に関係性はないものの、それに習って同じ時期に花火週間が訪れます。
　というのも、ここＮＺでは１年のうちに花火を購入できるのはたった４日間のみ！笑　それが１１月２日～５日までで、これを「Guy Fawkes Day」といいます。この日に関して興味がある方はまたご自分でお調べください。笑

　まぁ「Bonfire night」というお祭りですね。この間だけは店頭に大量の花火が並びます。そして毎晩昼から真夜中まで花火が至るところで打ち上げられてます。ほんまに寝れないです。笑

　街には車で花火売りの人も商売してるし、中心街に行けば広場ででっかい時計塔に花火向けるわ、あちこち見境なくロケット花火は手打ちロケット売ってるわで危ないってたらありゃしない。この数日間でＮＺ中で火災が何百件も毎年起こるみたい・・・。（だったら止めろよ・・・。）けど、子どもから大人まで色んな場所で楽しんでやってる。季節も今は春～夏だから日本人の自分に季節的にも違和感はないしね。
　
　しかし、世界には色んな文化や習慣があるんだなぁと思った今日この頃でした！

Coaching at a primary school

Hi, good evening guys.

I will probably start coaching at a primary school near my house where some kids in my soccer school on every Sunday go. And I had a meeting on this activity after school wit PE teacher yesterday and we discussed how we do recruit kids want to play and how I do coach them that if we do coaching in a strict manner or just for fun.

Actually, when I first went to the primary school without an appointment last week, I was turned away at the reception immediately. So I somehow asked a receptionist to get a contact with PE teacher through email for an appointment.

To be honest, I was really wondering what is a PE teacher here like. I just visualized it like a typical Japanese PE teacher who can imagine a strict and lose his temper easily. It's hard to explain what is it like anyway... But there was nothing same as what I thought when I saw the teacher. He was really casual and frank.
Fortunately, he was really interested in a offer I proposed and the story went ahead in leaps and bounds. As the result, I will be able to probably launch the first session at the school on next Tuesday.

I hadn't been any local schools here until I visited the primary school yesterday, but I felt like being a primary school in Japan. After the meeting on that day, The PE teacher guided me around the school like a play ground where the lesson will be held and inside school such as classes at lunch time. They were as energetic and powerful as students in Japan.

I was encouraged by them and cheered me up!! THANKS!!!






こんばんはです！

　この前、話したけどこっちの小学校でサッカーコーチをするという話。今日その学校の体育の先生に連絡を入れ、ミーティングを行ってきた。どのように生徒に募集をかけるのか、どうやってコーチングを進めていくのかなどなど。
　最初はなんのアポもなく学校をフラっと訪れたもんやから、いきなり受付で門前払いくらったけど。笑　そんときに誰に連絡を取ればいいのか、その人の連絡先を聞いて連絡した結果、今回のミーティングができたというわけ。

　ちょっと話す前は、こっちの体育教師ってどんなんかわからんけど、日本の体育教師をなんとなくイメージしてたから緊張してたけど、会ってみるとまぁ軽い感じの兄ちゃんって感じでした。（失礼やけど笑）なんか服装もネルシャツにタイトなパンツって感じで、いかにもその辺に歩いてる雰囲気やった！笑

　話もトントンと進み、かなり興味を持ってくれて早速来週から開始できそうです。

　けど、こっちの小学校はじめて見学したけど、日本も海外もあんま雰囲気はかわらんなぁってのが印象。みな元気に走り回ってたし、おれまで元気になったよ。

　しかし、しっかりサッカーコーチできるかはまだまだ不安もあるね。おれのいう事聞いてくれるでしょうか・・・。不安もあるけどまた新しい経験ができる！そう思うと楽しみで仕方ない！！あとはやるしかない！！！