. . . with Awaji Island. My family and I spent a week there last week. Despite my roots, I think I might be an "island boy" at heart. For me, there's something exciting about being in a place where civilization is on the other side of the water.
Writing that sentence, I realize that my British business partner, Gaz, would make the same comment about my roots. In other words, the U.K. represents "civilization" and the U.S. represents the wild, untamed, barbarian world.
But it was wonderful to wake up each morning and see Kobe across the strait. And the nighttime lights, too, were special. However, the main thing was just having a week together with my family. It has been a long time since we could spend that much dedicated time together. I explored the island everyday for about 3 hours, taking as many back roads as I could. It was special. I can't wait to go back there.
Anyway, there are only a few hours left in this year. I hope that it was a good year for everyone and that 2015 brings even more happiness for all of us! 
Thanks for reading!!
Robert 
Well, the content is not new -- many of the ideas are things we often use in our Intercultural Communications seminars. But the target audience is a bit unusual. I'll be working with ALC Kiddy Kat English. These are people who are very interested in helping children learn how to speak English. My topic is going to be "Developing an Eigo-de no Jinkaku." I hope that I can advise parents and teachers of young children how to encourage the kids to express themselves confidently and effectively in English, even when they do not yet control the language that well. 