salad for breakfast?

Looking back over my latest blog entries, I feel like I've haven't been as detailed due to lack of sleep and just mental & physical exhaustion. This morning began with breakfast at our hotel. Before we went to sleep last night, we had to tell the front desk what time we wanted to eat breakfast and what type of breakfast we would like to have: western or japanese. Our breakfast is Tokyo was buffet, with both types & a wide range of food available, so I always combined the two. However, I chose to have the Japanese breakfast this morning because I'm trying to take in as much Japanese culture as possible. The western style breakfast consisted of coffee or tea, eggs, salad, rice and toast. Salad for breakfast? Exactly what I was thinking. The Japanese breakfast that I had today was a very elaborate meal (as they all are) and the presentation of every meal always warrants a photo, and included grilled salmon, salad, pasta, miso soup and rice. There are always "extra" things on the tray that I taste but I cannot get used to the pickled sour plum. Check out the photo of my breakfast today.

After eating, we boarded the bus yet again, and headed to a panel discussion with some parents of students that attend school in Kamisu City. One thing that interested me was the fact that bullying is common in Japanese schools. Hardin County implemented a bullying program this year that I hope to share with the Japanese schools that we visit this week. Talking with the parents also gives us a chance to compare the schools in the US as there are 16 teachers in my group who come from all types of schools...Mark teaches at a Juvenile Correction facility that he calls the "gated community" and has students as old as 20! We are learning from each other and from the Japanese people as well, which makes this such a unique experience.