I finished the book “Japanese Lessons” by Gail Benjamin yesterday.  It was recommended to me by a colleague (from Suzuki Institute).  The author spent a year in Japan with her family, and describes how the Japanese schools are run (and the differences between the US and Japan).  I found the book to be pretty interesting.  I just spent ten minutes trying to write a summary of my thoughts on the book here, but decided to just delete the whole thing, because I can’t write a summary.  Quick summary:  schools in Japan are very different than schools here, but the answer isn’t in more Math and English classes but in more free time, recess, arts, and leaving the students alone to do their own thing.  Which jives with everything we learn about how children learn–it is NOT in 1 1/2 hour periods studying one thing, sitting still at a desk, and trying to be quiet for hours upon hours.

I played a wedding at the Hyatt Regency Downtown yesterday.  Here is the view from a window (this is the famous St. Louis Arch!)

What a beautiful day it was!  It was not as humid as it had been the past few days, so Chris and I sat outside at a sushi restaurant afterwards…delicious sushi!  (fits in with my Japanese theme, right?)