Great Teacher Onizuka

Recently I randomly bumped into watching a show in Youtube called “Great Teacher Onizuka” or Just GTO for short (watching it in Japanese with English subtitles) and it’s one of the more enjoyable and influential shows I’ve ever seen. It was great for learning Japanese, but really it didn’t need to be helpful for learning the language to be enjoyable. It’s just a really great show. It’s got an all-encompassing theme of how to be a great teacher, good lead actor with various minor characters, has subplots and comedic moments, and things that relate to real-life events. Basically, each episode this former gangster-turned teacher Onizuka Sensei (Mr. Onizuka) helps out a student in his misbehaved 2-4 high school class and teaches real life lessons rather than the pure academia that is thrust on high schoolers in Japan (and probably many other countries, for that matter). It’s like a nice blend of Karate Kid (Onizuka befriends his students) and Boston Public (show about teachers) in Japanese. Spoiler Alert: My favorite storyline was about a ditzy girl who was controlled by the “Mean Girls” faction of the class who talked to herself through a toy duck (perhaps a metaphor about being an ugly duckling but there were no Sparknotes to help me with the interpretation of certain themes) but then (at the urging of Onizuka Sensei) entered into a talent pageant where she discovered that she had to like herself more in order to respect herself, eventually going to a talent academy and appearing on TV, going onto bigger and better things. That’s gotta be one of the best feelings of being a teacher/parent, when your protégé/child who you believe in and have invested a lot of time/effort/emotional energy actually achieves his her potential. Just great.

Basically the highlight of my day for about a week and a half. Couldn’t wait to finish my work day to get home and watch it.

1.)    TV shows back in the day (even, I guess in foreign mediums) have their deficiencies but also have their charms. Because they didn’t worry about special effects, cinematography, and the latest gadgets of moviemaking/TV-making, they focused on things they could control, like, say….the plot???? Really I think that’s something modern TV shows can work on, although I understand their motivations: TV shows have to get picked up by television programs and make it through their pilot, and the main factors in doing so are usually 1.) what the audience wants, 2.) what big-name actors/actresses can we get people to get excited about a show, and 3.) what wild and crazy things can we do to separate ourselves from every other TV show? Notice that plot isn’t really in there; TV shows just aren’t made to tell a good story anymore, IMO (with rare exceptions of Breaking Bad, etc.)

2.)    When was the last great TV show about teachers? Glee? I don’t think that counts. Boston Public?  Didn’t really watch that show. Veronica Mars? I guess the American audience is tired of real life and is in a very fantasy-driven, vampires-dragons-zombies-magical powers stretch (See popular shows True Blood, Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, Once Upon a Time, and commercial success of Harry Potter, Hunger Games type movies)

3.)    I’ve always considered becoming a teacher, and this show really gave me insight into whether I should pursue that in the future or not. Obviously very dramatized, and didn’t really depict the day-to-day grind of what a teacher is like (in fact, Onizuka Sensei is often skipping class and doing things OTHER than teaching) but the effect on student’s lives and perception of adults rings true throughout the series and emphasizes the value of teaching, especially the value of a good teacher who can relate to his students.

4.)    I perceived this too when I was in high school, and now that my sister is in high school I’m reminded sometimes of this fact, but it’s tough to be a high schooler. People in high school are mean. The high school hierarchy is dominated by young adults who have the desire to become adults and do adult things but do not have the social ability to cope with all situations and haven’t developed the maturity to know what is right or wrong. Also, one’s self identity is often overly proportionate to how one fits into the social setting, where one or two bullies/”cool kids” have way too much control over others’ lives (whereas adults can just shrug it off and ignore people who they don’t like being around, high schoolers have to be in the same setting and attend the same classes and be around the same people all the time, as if it was a prison). Some kids are just downright mean, not necessarily because they are awful people but because that is the accepted way to deal with other people, or they are asserting social power without cognizance of its effect on others. Possibly the most difficult time in one’s life, and it’s really helpful if there is someone older who has gone through that (like Onizuka in the TV series) who can give helpful advice without inserting their own desires/ambitions for the child (like parents).

5.)    For those learning Japanese, this series was a great way to hone listening skills, especially casual conversation going at the normal rate of conversation for most Japanese. It is pretty fast, and I had to rewind several areas to get a good read on the exact words they were using, and even then I sometimes only picked up a few key words in a sentence, but it was definitely helpful, especially confirming that the colloquial terms and one-word phrases that one learns in textbooks actually are used by Japanese speakers (at least they did in 1998, when this TV series was one of the most-watched TV series in all of Japan). Also, it gave me a great lesson that I have to learn the conjugations of verbs, where I had skipped a lot of the tenses and conjugations of the verbs because I was lazy and felt like I could do it later, listening confirmed that you have to have knowledge of these tenses or else you don’t understand what people are saying, or what they are referring to. It’s just like English, French, Spanish, all these romance languages (but not Chinese, where it’s not especially important): there’s a reason all these language schools teach the conjugations and drill them home.

Anyway, happy viewing! 

Fantasize on, 

Robert Yan 

Bargain Hunting

I learned from an early age to try to save money, be frugal, get a deal when you can, and the values of hard work. I don’t like splurging for things, I try to keep costs under control, and feel good about myself when I feel like I’ve saved myself some money. The most important catalyst to my bargain-hunting (spendthrift ways, Scroogey lifestyle, whatever you want to call it) is this thought: How much I have to work in order to recooperate the cost of whatever I’m buying. Usually that scares me out of buying anything over $100 (unless it’s like, paying taxes or something) and definitely gives me pause to buy things I don’t really need, especially at this early stage of my career and when my student loans haven’t been completely paid off yet.

I’m actually very surprised now that I’m an adult how many expenditures there are in one’s life, and I’m still single! (imagine starting a family and haven’t to spend for yourself AND other people!) Not even speaking of the discretionary expenses in my life like fantasy sports, dodgeball, charity donations, etc., there’s still the fixed matter of rent, car insurance, transportation costs (gas, train fare, etc.) food, health insurance, doctor visits, education costs, utility fees, etc., etc. That already takes a huge cut out of one’s budget, not to mention things most people have to have like pets, newspapers, internet, cell phones, TV, all of that. Without getting some bargains, these costs just become too much! So without further ado, here are Robert’s Excellent sources of every day bargain hunting:

Food: It may not seem like it, but if you only pay $5 for the same sandwich at a food truck or grocery store that you would have paid $10 at a fancy restaurant, that $5 adds up for 3 meals a day, 21 meals a week, that could be $100 per week!

Airline tickets: book early; compare. Lotsa choices here, I suggest booking through Southwest or any airlines that let you change flights without a cancellation fee because you can book as early as you want, so book it even if you have doubts whether you will actually make that trip because you can always cancel later and select another flight. What these bargains don’t have in frequency (like food) they make up in savings per time: you could save hundreds of dollars. THAT adds up.

Be nice to your parents: believe or not, can save a lot of money from 1.) living near your parents and 2.) visiting them often, which requires you to be on good terms with them. Parents aren’t like (even the closest of ) friends; they’ll always forgive you, they’ll always loan you money, they’ll always cook you food, they’ll always let you sleep in your old room, they’ll always let you do laundry. Maybe I’ve lucked out on these aspects of parenting, but I’m pretty sure that’s universal. Sure, there’s some trade-offs like you gotta actually talk to them and be cordial, but a small price to pay.

Tickets to shows/sports games:  don’t get the most expensive seats. Most stadiums are worth going to just for the experience of having been once to an iconic ballpark or being able to say “I’ve been there,” and then every time after that you can just watch on TV. The VIP seats aren’t all that much better and you’re still watching the same game. I can’t say the same about music performances or rock concerts other than orchestra concerts, and I can assure you definitely that you can hear pretty much the same classical music whether you’re high in the rafters or down next to the stage. You don’t really want to be too close when I’m playing a musical instrument, neither. Just trust me.

Bananas and water: bananas are like 30 cents each. They’re much better filling-wise than Oreos, chips, pretzels, protein bars, milk shakes, granola bars, cereal, dried seaweed, and any other kind of snack that you can think of, and probably less expensive. In that sense bananas replace a lot of high-priced time waster foods that aren’t part of your 3 meals a day and prevents you from wanting those things by making you less hungry. Water replaces a huge supply of liquids like energy drinks, Gatorade, tea, coffee, lattes, protein shakes, juice, but it is very efficient, does the job better than any of those other things, and can be bought in bulk at a very low rate. Obviously if everyone adhered to the Robert Yan Bargain Hunting Code of Ethics, Nabisco, Starbucks, and several other Fortune 500 companies would go bankrupt, but on the flip side a lot of common people would have more money lining their pockets and… not go bankrupt.

Bargain hunting is huge in fantasy football drafts, ESPECIALLY in an auction league (literally have to squeeze pennies, not waste a dollar). My strategy in auction drafts has always been to be a price enforcer, and I’ve never gone into a draft thinking I will NEVER draft that guy under any circumstances or I HAVE to draft a certain player regardless of the circumstances; I always keep an open mind and have a bottom price set for almost all players where if that player is going less than that, I’ll always bid another dollar just because that player’s going way too cheap. That is definitely a great way to get bargains in auction drafts, when guys are going too cheap just because their perceived value by the general market (or the people in your league) has fallen so low that it is much lower than their actual value.

Like most years, finding bargains involves a mix of 1.) avoiding players who are too “hyped,” 2.) finding players who have solid skills and track record but have gotten the perceived “boring” tag, 3.) understanding that you may be wrong sometimes but eventually if you pick bargains long enough you’ll save money in the long run, and 4.) my old tried and true, finding guys on less “public teams” or flashy rosters. (My “Portland Trail Blazers” or “Tampa Rays” rule).

1.)    LeSean McCoy: of all the rock-solid QB’s, this guy was a top-3 consensus pick last year and has the same talent surrounding him coming back, with no injury risk and still youth (he’s actually younger than CJ Spiller).  

2.)    Roddy White/Andre Johnson: disrespected because of their perceived advanced age, these guys are some of the best catchers of the ball I have seen and modern-day “locks.” Roddy White has NEVER missed a game since he started his career and Andre Johnson is a lock every year of a 100-catch, 1300-yard rate. And they’re the No. 10 and 11 wideouts in the preseason behind…….Randall Cobb?

3.)    Whenever Matthew Berry or other fantasy football analysts start “falling in love” with  a player and touting them relentlessly, I know it’s time to grab other guys that they don’t talk about. I actually do take note of guys who frequently appear on “Fantasy Focus” podcasts or offseason trade chatter, just because any kind of news about a player tends to raise their public awareness, and the more the public is aware about a player (not even good news, just any kind of news) their stock goes up. That’s why I go for the “non-mentioned” guys. No news is good news; they just quietly go about their business putting up the numbers. Tony Romo is that guy for QB’s this year. Eli Manning is that guy. A small blip last year doesn’t take away all the 4000 yard, 30-TD seasons he had before.

4.)    Jason Witten: proven production, proven quarterback, proven system, proven ability to catch like 90 passes and 1000 yards. Just go with what works; don’t fix what ain’t broke.

5.)    Ryan Mathews: so many people hate him it’s become personal/emotional/unhealthy. He’s still the “bellcow” back in an OK offense who’s still young and has shown breakaway and catching ability. It’s like when a stock has dropped 200% on the stock market, or a March 2009-type buying opportunity: his stock’s never gonna be lower.

FFantasize on, 

Robert Yan  

It's Not Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Never saw the show that inspired this post, btw. 

This is my 4^th week in Philadelphia now and it’s been quite a ride. I work in downtown Philadelphia, so it’s a lot like downtown LA or a lot of other downtowns I’ve been through: the mornings are bustling with businesspeople and white-collar workers commuting to work (I walk to work from my temporary apartment and there’s actually a lot of foot traffic, I feel like I need a honk or turn signal sometimes to indicate my intentions). There’s a nice statue of William Penn overlooking the city like the iconic religious figure in Rio de Janiero overlooking the city (a quick Google search indicates that it’s Christ the Redeemder), and there are really nice parts of the city, like the historic Franklin Square and Museum strip,  comparable to D.C.’s National Mall area (except the museums aren’t free).

It really hasn’t been as hot as I expected…..I figured I’d been spoilt in LA for 5 years so living in other cities during the summer would be brutally insufferable, but it’s been relatively good, not too much humidity, not too many 90+ days. Maybe it just speaks to the extreme weather patterns in Chicago that I remember as a youth.

The problem is, and I feel like a lot of cities are like this (a quick train ride through parts of Baltimore confirmed this) is that outside the city center large areas are……. What’s the word? --- dilapidated. Old buildings that look like they’re crumbling or survived multiple earthquakes, dark allies that are very dirty and unkempt, whole neighborhoods that just do not look pleasant to live in.

The great thing about Philadelphia though is its proximity to other cities. A quick train ride down to Baltimore/Washington, D.C., and almost equidistant to NYC, very close to Jersey/Atlantic City and even a reasonable distance from Toronto/Pittsburgh.

As is my tradition I visited the conjoining universities that are located in Philly, UPenn and Drexel, adjacent to each other. Very east coasty; I could have seen myself living there. One visit I would not recommend unless you’re mentally and physically prepared for it is a bike trip to Valley Forge. Certainly a worthy place to visit and brimming with history and landmarks, but not something you need to take a 20-mile bike ride to go to. Big mistake; the scenery was nice for about 3 miles but then it just turned into old country roads; I was sore the next day. Nah. You also got plenty of stuff to do in the city, like the huge LOVE sign (almost forgot that this was the City of Brotherly Love), the rebuilt Lincoln Financial Field home of the Eagles (nice modern stadium and a sleeper team to rebound in the NFL) and the Liberty Bill/Constitution Hall, which are brief reminders that this city relies heavily on tourist attractions involving Revolution War and Founding Father days, including a large reverence towards Benjamin Franklin. Man that guy shows up everywhere, including random guys dressed like him in the street.

Why are there so many horseback carriage rides offered? Don’t get that. Seems really princess-y and old relic-y especially in the modern day of Iphones and Ipads.

Meanwhile during the 3 weeks I’ve been here, lots going on in fantasy baseball, and a lot of unheralded guys making it feel like “The Summer of Esteban Loaiza,” or “The Summer of Rondell White,” guys we never hear from again.

Oldie but Goodie: Alfonso Soriano had a week that was out of this world after he got traded back to the Yankees, channeling the early 2000’s Alfonso Soriano  and batting .600 with like 5 HR’s and 18 RBI’s in a 4 game stretch in mid-August. Maybe he just likes playing for the Yankees.

The Post-Hype prospect: Andrew Cashner is now 2.45 and 1.03 in his last 5 starts. The man can throw a fastball.

The “Who is this guy?” R. Grossman: No, not Rex Grossman, Robbie Grossman, hitting .342 with 16-4-18-4 in his last 30 games  for the Team where Fantasy production goes to die Houston, almost as good as Will Venable, .380-18-7-13-6, good for 4^th in the whole fantasy world in the last month. Wow.

Finally, meet the  “Rosses,”: Tyson Ross, Ross Ohlendorf, Cody Ross, and Ross Detweiler. Tyson has been an excellent pitcher for the last month or so, Ross Ohlendorf is an Ivy League grad who has some great matchups left in the National League East, Cody and Detwiler are on the DL but almost make solid contributions when healthy.

I know fantasy football is coming. The Fantasy Football Zoo or some other form of prognostication will be here soon. Stay tuned! 

Fantasize on, 

Robert Yan