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Jonathan Kramer
Born and raised in Miami, Florida, I'm a kindergarten teacher in Seoul, South Korea and I also write for Gadling.com.
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- Feb 14, 12
I’m moving to Seoul, South Korea!
Also, the blog has moved! Click HERE to head over to the new site which has a bunch of information on this move.
- Dec 04, 11
Forgive me for mostly doing a lot of photo only posts lately, that’s primarily because there isn’t a whole lot to do around town right now. Only about a third of the mountain is open for skiing and snowboarding so far and because of this business in general around town is slow for the time being. But that’s soon to change with the holidays coming up. In the meantime, here are some more photos from around Mammoth.
I’d say that the snow out there is a little worse than mediocre. It hasn’t snowed in a few weeks and it has been terribly cold and windy lately (5 F at night and gusts upwards of 100 mph at the mountain summit), so the conditions have only been getting worse.
I went over to my co-worker Anne's house in June Lake (a town of 600, 30 miles north of Mammoth) for a nice dinner before she moved to Wisconsin for med school. This is her great dog Sasha!
I brought a bunch of great caramel apples from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate factory. English Toffee, Orea and Cheesecake flavors.
- Nov 26, 11
(note: Sure it’s been nearly 8 months since I returned from Japan, but this piece just seemed to trickle together very slowly.)
Being that my mother has been an elementary school teacher for over thirty years, my teaching in elementary and middle schools in Japan was ripe for experimental exchange between our students. My mother curated a set of questions from her students for me to ask mine. Some of these questions I was simply able to answer myself, while others are the result of my polling various different students and getting a feel for the best answer. My students really enjoyed knowing they were getting questions from Miami. After I returned to Miami from Fuji City, I came into my mother’s class room and spent time with her students, presenting them with the answers from the Japanese students as well as fielding any new questions they may have had. It was great experience for both the students and myself.
1. “How do you say Good morning in Japanese?“
Ohayou gozaimasu, pronounced phonetically as “Ohio go-zai-mas”
2. “What are the most important things that Mr. Kramer has taught you?“
My students felt that “Hello” and “Thank you” were the most helpful.
3. “What important celebrations are part of Japanese culture? How do you celebrate them?“
The most important holiday on the Japanese calendar is Shogatsu, which are New Years Day celebrations. New Years Eve is not a big party day as it is in much of the western world. Not long after the clock strikes midnight, the people of Japan go to sleep so they can rise early to go to the Shinto temple the next morning. Some of the more clever students responded with “My birthday!”
4. How much time do you spend on homework after school, and on weekends?
Japanese school usually runs from 7:30 AM until 3:20 PM, but more often than not, students come to school early and leave late to participate in club activities (sports, academics, competition practices) often not leaving until 6:00 PM. After that, most all students attend juku, which are cram schools tutoring students in various subjects such as English and math. Juku often goes on until 9:00 PM or even later. Some students will usually study or do homework upon returning home. So the answer to the question is “quite a lot.”
5. How much do you read after school?
Reading is hugely popular in Japan, in my junior high school there were always lines out the library door during recess of kids returning and checking out stacks of books, often 10 or 20 high. Many students will read recreationally between classes, comic books being especially popular, but novels of a wide range of genres are also read. So the answer to the question is, again, “quite a lot.”
6. What do you like the most about your country?
“Peace!” and “sushi” were easily the most popular answers.
7. Do you know enough English that you can flaunt it to other people?
As an indication of the answer, only a select few of my students would even understand what this question means.
8. If you could go anywhere in Japan, where would you go? and why?
Hokkaido and Okinawa are by far the most common answers to this question. These locations are much like Alaska and Hawaii of the US. Hokkaido is the northern most island of Japan, with abundant snowfall and distinct cuisine. The Sapporo Winter Festival is by far the most popular festival in Japan. Okinawa is the southernmost island group in Japan, actually being closer to Taiwan than to main land Japan, and is seen as a tropical paradise.
9. How fast does the bullet train go?
240-300 km/h (149-186 mph)!
10. What kind of sports do you like to play?
Basketball and soccer are by far the most popular sports in my junior high school, with baseball close behind in third. We actually had the number one boys basketball team, number one softball team and number one boys soccer team in Fuji City for the 2010/2011 school year.
11. What is the favorite food in Japan?
As far as Japanese food goes, sushi and various types of fish were popular answers, but the winner, by far, was ramen noodles. Ramen is basically Japanese fast food; cheap, delicious and leagues better than the Cup Noodle we associate ramen with in the States. Outside of Japanese food, McDonald’s is also a big favorite. Some of my students have such an affinity for the Golden Arches that they thought it to be Japanese and called me a liar when I told them it was from America.
12. What is the most popular sport that people like?
Baseball is by far the most popular sport in Japan. Some of my students are under delusions that soccer or basketball are number one, but that’s usually because they play those sports for the school team. Soccer has definitely been gaining popularity in the nation and grows larger with each passing FIFA World Cup.
13. What is the best part of living in Fuji City?
I exclusively received two answers, “views of Mt. Fuji” and “my house.” A testament of the exciting metropolis that Fuji City is.
14. Does Mr. Kramer speak Japanese very well?
“Oh yes, very well, very good.” They are liars.
- Nov 19, 11
Last week the Mammoth Mountain opened up for skiing. Haven’t really been up to much, so I haven’t been taking many pictures, but enjoy nonetheless!
The Twin Lakes in front of Tamarack have frozen over.
It's quite terrifying to stand on a frozen lake.
One of the best perks of working the nightshift at a hotel with a restaurant are the free meals.
Mammoth Mountain is open for business!
Mammoth Mountain Main Lodge area
On the lift
There isn’t a whole lot of snow on the mountain, as such only 4 chair lifts are open out of 23, so the riding isn’t the best, but it’s nice to be out there able to get a few runs in before laundry has to be done.
- Oct 19, 11Tamarack Lodge was built in 1924 by the Foy family from Los Angeles, on whom the Bob Hope movie “The Seven Little Foys” was based. The family used the house as a place to entertain guests from Hollywood. In 1927, Lloyd B. Austin bought the property and would subsequently own it for the next twenty years. It was during this time that cabins started being built, fishermen during the summer and skiiers in the winter. At the time there were no roads to Mammoth Lakes, so all transportation in the winter was via dog sled, snowshoe or ski.Over the decades, the lodge changed owners a number of times. Cross country skiing was added to the resort in the 70s and The Lakefront Restaurant in the 80s. Today the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area owns and operates Tamarack Lodge.As it stands now, Tamarack Lodge has over 30 cabins and over 10 rooms in the lodge. Virtually all of the cabins are unique to each other. There are studio, one, two and three bedroom cabins, all with kitchens, most with fireplaces. One of the biggest attractions to the lodge is The Lakefront restaurant (a lot of people tell me that it’s the best restaurant in town, and I honestly agree with them), which you can find out more about and see a menu by clicking here.Cabin 11 is out premier 3-bedroom cabin.The studio cabins are quite quaint.A 1-bedroom cabin.Cabin 25, a 2-bedroom, is one of my favorites.The interiors of many of the cabins have recently been renovated, a necessity as many of the cabins date back to the early 1950s.Some of the cabins have absolutely fantastic views.Tamarack Lodge is located directly across from the Twin Lakes, which has great fishing and beautiful views.You can even have weddings on the property.It really is a beautiful place and it’s pretty great that this is what I see everyday when I get to work.
- Oct 08, 11
For my days off I drove down to Los Angeles for my friend Roig’s birthday. It’s a five and a half hour drive from Mammoth to L.A., a very beautiful five and a half hour drive.
There just so happened to be a birthday party for my friend Sarah (so many birthdays!). It just so happened to be at the Moonlight Rollerway. It just so happened to be “Organ Night.” (click the video below to view)
It rained almost the entire time I was down there, which was unfortunate, but that very same storm dumped 18 inches of snow down on Mammoth. Almost immediately after I passed the “Welcome to Mammoth Lakes” sign, I was surrounded by snow, in the air and on the ground.
The next morning, I woke up to this sight outside of my bedroom window (click the video below to view)
While it isn’t unusual for it to snow here in October, it won’t be here for long. It’s expected to get up to the 60s this weekend, so it’s doubtful that the snow will be on the ground for much longer.
All this, just as the leaves started to change color.
- Sep 27, 11
On a recent return flight from Miami for my cousin Merrilyn’s wedding, I got bumped off of my flight due to a combination of overbooked and delayed flights. The best part was that I got 300 Delta Dollars out of it. Now, it just so happened that I had been speaking with my friends Jake, Michelle, James and Rebecca about planning a trip to Portland, Oregon, which is where Jake and Michelle live, not long after obtaining said Delta Dollars. It also turned out that that was the going rate for a one-way ticket from Los Angeles to Portland was roughly $300. Booked.
Portland, along with the rest of the Pacific Northwest, is notorious for it’s depressing, overcast and drizzling weather. However, in the summer, the weather is perfect. As Michelle (more or less) said “if it were this clear and beautiful year-round, Portland would be the best city in the world.” The temperature is a perfect mid-70s in the daytime, with nighttime lows in the 50s or 60s. There’s a bit of overcast in the mornings, however it likes to clear out at around noon.
One of the first things I noticed was how amazingly clean the city center was, it can stand toe to toe with the cities of Japan. There are parks and public squares scattered all over downtown, with lots of tree cover in these areas. You can tell the city really comes alive in the summer, with people taking full advantage of the great weather. There are farmers markets, music festivals, beer festivals, people sunbathing and the like.
Food Trucks. I know that they are everywhere in this country now, but Portland is doing it right. There are food trucks everywhere, I can’t imagine you ever being more than a mile from at least 5 food trucks in the city. All over, and especially downtown, there are a ridiculous amount of parking lots that have turned into food courts made up of food carts, as seen above. There are your staple foods, Thai, Asian-fusion, hot-dogs, burgers; but than there are also your unique specialty carts. Traditional japanese festival food, Montreal style poutine, Polish, egg sandwiches, gypsy food and new trucks pop up with different fare all the time.
Portland also serves as a model to any city in regards to public transportation and bike usage. A light-rail, named the Max, runs from the airport to, and throughout much of, downtown. There are bike lanes and paths that can take you safely and quickly from rush hour traffic in the middle of the city to the suburbs, past amusement parks, hotels and wildflowers with amazing views of the city from any of the many bridges that cross the Willamette river, which bisects the city’s east and west sides.
The very first thing I noticed, before the clean and before the food carts, was the green. So green! Trees everywhere! No doubt that is has a lot to do with the constant drizzle the region experiences. But on top of that, the city and its citizens seem to be much more keen to maintaining these green aspects.
Just a short drive outside of Portland in almost any direction will bring you to a lot of beautiful pieces of nature. Jake, James and I went on a camping trip close to the Pacific coast. We took a ninety minute drive, past farms and Paul Bunyon, to Saddle Mountain State Park. In the morning we climbed to the top of the 3,283 foot (1,001 meter) tall Saddle Mountain for some spectacular views. From there it is was only a short drive to Canon Beach on the Pacific coast, where, despite the freezing water there was quite a lot of surfing going on.
30 miles in the other direction of Saddle Mountain is Multnomah Falls, sitting on the south side Columbia River Gorge and is the largest waterfall in Oregon. The sight of the falls isn’t all there is to see in the area, there are also dozens and dozens of miles of hiking trails up in the mountains behind the falls with streams and smaller waterfalls aplenty.
All said, Portland and its surrounding areas are fantastic, fun, delicious and beautiful. There’s a lot more to say about the city, it’s certainly one of my favorites, so check it out yourself. Also, be sure to go into Powell’s Books in downtown, it is the best bookstore I have ever been to.
On the left we have the Portland Cream, official donut of Portland, and on the right an Orange donut. Great!
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Info
- Summary
Gained experience in a wide range of fields such as education, tech support, film, internet marketing and community service. I love working in creative environments with great people and I always look for the best way to get a task completed.
Specialties: 70 words per minute typing ability; Linux, Windows and Mac OS X familiarity; Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint proficiency; as well as Adobe Photoshop, InDesign and Premier; Google Analytics knowledge.Experience- Feb 2012 - PresentKindergarten Teacher / Sogang Language Program
Teaching kindergarten in English to non-native speaking children. In addition to teaching English as a foreign language I have a major role in the supervision and mentoring of the students. In addition to this, after the Kindergarten students go home I teach more advanced elementary aged students.
- Sept 2011 - Dec 2011Front Desk / Tamarack Lodge & Resort
My primary role was to ensure that our guests had an amazing experience that exceeded their expectations from start to finish. Being a part of a small staff, my duties were plenty. I checked guests in and out, took reservations for the hotel and restaurant, set up and maintained the continental breakfast, handled guest complaints and concerns, arraganed for any activities the gusts may have wanted, sold retail items and maintained the company safes.
- Jun 2011 - Jul 2011Technical Production Assistant / Abso Lutely Productions
Organized and prepared production wrap paperwork for comedic TV series to be presented to the network. Provided solutions to recurring issues that improved efficiency. Insured that all crew members during show production had the help they needed in order to prevent delays in schedule.
- May 2011 - Jun 2011Graphic Design Lead / App Happy Studios
Redesigned the interface for the mobile phone application “Glow Tunes.” Led brainstorming sessions to uncover and proposed conceptual designs.
- Mar 2010 - Mar 2011Assistant Language Teacher / Interac
Taught over one thousand students, aged 6 to 15, English as a second language in public elementary and junior high schools. Utilized verbal and non-verbal communication as well as an array of techniques to adapt to challenging situations and convey diverse messages and lessons. My superior level of work was recognized in a feature story in the Gakunan Asahi Newspaper.
- Nov 2009 - Feb 2010Internet Marketing Consultant / Freelance
Researched, planned and carried out a social media strategy for a real estate agent. Projects ranged from creating presences on various social media platforms to creating HD video campaigns promoting the agent’s expertise.
- Sept 2009 - Nov 2009IT Support Intern / STS Telecom
Provided IT support for VOIP systems as well as made repairs to phone units.
- Jan 2009 - Jul 2009IT Intern / The Torchlight Program
Identified I.T. solutions for assorted challenges involving the distribution and marketing of movies over the Internet. Utilized popular social media platforms to increase social capital and promote theatrical screenings. Managed marketing teams, ensuring that they adhered to strict deadlines while promoting creative and effective messaging strategies.
- Sept 2008 - Dec 2008Help Desk Operator / Antarctic Marine Geology Research Facility
Provided technical support for Windows and OS X systems. Implemented a tailored backup protocol. Ordered and installed new hardware. Maintained malware-detection solutions to ensure the safety of workstations, while sustaining the continuous uptime necessary to perform scientific tests on Antarctic core samples.
- May 2008 - Aug 2008Purchase Order Consultant / Allied Caribbean Distribution
Dealt directly with client questions and complaints, over the phone and in person. Maintained the delivery calendar for shipments to and from the warehouse. Followed up on orders to ensure their safe and punctual delivery.
- 2003 - 2008Volunteer / Food Not Bombs
Prepared and served meals in homeless shelters in downtown Miami. Worked directly with local businesses to obtain necessary food products and create efficient and sustainable distribution channels.
- May 2007 - Aug 2007Scheduling Administrator / Allied Caribbean Distribution
Answered the telephone and took appointments down in the calendar.
Made sure that the calendar that the warehouse was working off of was concurrent with the one that I had.
Dealt with daily trucker complaints. - May 2003 - Aug 2003Warehouse Hand / Allied Caribbean Distribution
Unloaded product from trucks, input them into inventory then reorganized and stored them in the warehouse.
- Jun 2001 - Aug 2001Volunteer / The Daily Bread Food Bank
Sorted donated food products that were en route to be delivered to various homeless shelters and needy homes.
- Jun 2000 - Aug 2000Teacher's Aid / William Lehman Elemtary School
Assisted teachers with daily activities such as grading assignments and planning lessons. Taught students with learning disabilities as well as non-native English speakers.
Education-
2005 - 2009Florida State UniversityBachelor's of Science in Information Technology
Activities: Association of Information Technology Professionals
Additional Information-
Websites:
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Interests:Traveling, photography and how amazing the Internet is.
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Uploads
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Tweets
- When I check Google Maps on school field trips it's always comforting when I am able to see N. Korea in the same view as my current location
- @washinthesink Pokemon, absolutely, but none of the others.
- “@spgreenwood: Impressive architecture of the Hangzhou Congress Center - http://t.co/Edfv8zlUmX” This doesn't even seem real.
- RT @Brian_Ashcraft: Japanese schoolgirls unleashing faux Dragon Ball attacks: http://t.co/UG49CO0ZOM
- Have You Ever Tried to Sell a Diamond? - Magazine - The Atlantic http://t.co/qSFhoDk0XJ (via Instapaper)
- RT @Gadling: Photo Of The Day: The Old And The New In Seoul, South Korea http://t.co/msUFNVeAcY #travel
- RT @randomwire: Moat [pic] — http://t.co/I6PZ6HvouXMar 24, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- @randomwire I personally learned the most Japanese by making new friends in bars, always asking store clerks for help and talking to kids.
- At 185cm/6'1", I often see a lot of hair on the subway. http://t.co/w9ZvPZyYcZ
- superamit gets some beautiful snow outside Eugene on the Coast Starlight from Seattle to LA http://t.co/RM1TZ627i9
- Inside the secret world of Trader Joe's - Aug. 23, 2010 http://t.co/2j1IwWBNO3 (via Instapaper)
- 10 More Differences Between South Korea And The Rest Of The World http://t.co/WJLFe1NLXG via @gadling
- Seriously, Korea is all about them socks http://t.co/umJJwIBffj via @gadling
- When North Korea Falls - Robert D. Kaplan - The Atlantic http://t.co/q72XOh5fS0 (via Instapaper)
- Larry King on Getting Seduced http://t.co/PEbCuPWrHW I was not expecting this to be funny.
- I got organic sand! http://t.co/xNZo7cMlTH
- Fact-checking at The New Yorker : Columbia Journalism Review http://t.co/hHpfFNCrBP (via Instapaper)
- Tokyo Cherry Blossom Season Declared Open http://t.co/qzktouoqCp
- This morning was blue skies and sunshine, now it's back to the Seoul Gray. http://t.co/IndCxgfzpM
- Russell Brand: My life without drugs | Culture | The Guardian http://t.co/x1v02ZAqtd (via Instapaper)
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Recent Tracks
- May Seem Macabre by Peter Bjorn and John
- Breaker Breaker by Peter Bjorn and John
- Eyes by Peter Bjorn and John
- Second Chance by Peter Bjorn and John
- Dig A Little Deeper by Peter Bjorn and John
- Tomorrow Has To Wait by Peter Bjorn and John
- Fortune Favours Only The Brave by Peter Bjorn and John
- Unreleased Backgrounds by Peter Bjorn and John
- Punks Jump Up (Bonus Track) by Peter Bjorn and John
- The Trap's My Trip (Bonus Track) by Peter Bjorn and John
Defiance, OhioBomb the Music Industry!Against Me!Arcade FireOtis ReddingThe Album LeafDescendentsA Tribe Called QuestThe BeatlesLCD SoundsystemThe DrumsThe Ergs!M83The Avett BrothersSpoonThe Magnetic FieldsBelle and SebastianSufjan StevensLos Campesinos!ChromeoVampire WeekendKupekPaul BaribeauFake ProblemsPeter Bjorn and JohnSomeone Still Loves You Boris YeltsinDaft PunkAnamanaguchiThis Bike Is a Pipe BombThe ZombiesModest MouseAlbert Hammond, Jr.Chad VanGaalenDarwin DeezPhoenixShe & HimBeastie BoysMGMTElectric Light OrchestraJohnny CashSurfer BloodThe Velvet UndergroundTed Leo and the PharmacistsHarlemKings of ConvenienceBeckThe Exploding HeartsSarah VaughanBroken Social SceneBorn Ruffians -
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