4/30/2018
April 30, 2018 休み NO CLASS
What is big, yellow, noisy, and has 4 wheels? A big cheese! In my hometown, there isn't any train, so like most American school children, I had to ride the bus to school. It was so noisy, especially after school when the children were excited and had so much energy. Now that I think of it, it was strange that I never felt tired or sleepy after school, only in class. lol. Anyway, the bus was so noisy with the school children yelling and screaming that sometimes the bus driver would pull over to stop and yell and us. We would be quiet again and after about 5 minutes, be back to screaming and yelling. Poor bus driver. she must have had such a hard job. I had so much fun on the big cheese.
4/29/2018
April 29, 2018 休み NO CLASS
Golden week is finally here! woo-hoo! Whatever shall I do? I think I will stay home and work. ha ha. Enjoy the fine weather while it lasts!
4/28/2018
April 28, 2018 クラスあり
Yesterday, we had interesting conversation in class. These notes are actually from the morning "T" class. Here are some new words and phrases for your day:
1. on the way 途中
2. a bun in the oven 妊娠
3. out of obligation 義理で
Even though I went out of obligation, I still enjoyed it.
義理で行きましたのに、楽しかった。
4. I'm not confident at all.
自身がない。
5. Can I take a raincheck. (This is an idiom)
本当に行きたいけど、都合が悪いので、また誘って下さい。
6. I caused trouble for Chiyomi.
ちよみさんに迷惑かけた。
6a. I'm sorry for the trouble.
迷惑をかけた、申し訳ありません。
7. If he goes to rehab, he will be able to stand on his own.
rehab リハビリテーション
リハビリテーションに行ったら、自力でたつことが出来る。
Recently, it has been really beautiful weather for running. Not too hot, not too cold. A slight breeze in the morning feels so good. The air was so clear, I could see Chiba very well.
Have a super-great Saturday!
4/27/2018
April 27, 2018 クラスあり
”Make today ridiculously amazing"
I saw that phrase on a young girl's bag while riding the train this morning. I wanted to take of picture of her bag, but I didn't want her to think that I was some kind of pervert, so I refrained. <------Almost every morning I visit the Family Mart across the street to get my breakfast and lunch for the day. After that, I enjoy standing outside and eating my breakfast while looking at these trees. It is fun to see them change throughout the different seasons of the year. I thought it is like watching my students change and improve their English throughout the year. Have a ridiculously amazing day!
4/26/2018
April 26, 2018 クラスあり
It is a beautiful day, today! I feel like I want to go the park and have class instead of in the classroom. How do you feel today? Do you feel motivated to learn English? What motivates you to learn? What should I do to help you? More tests?
Have a super fantabulous day! (I made up the word fantabulous, so you won't find it in your dictionary, lol)
Have a super fantabulous day! (I made up the word fantabulous, so you won't find it in your dictionary, lol)
4/25/2018
Gatsby Parody
https://youtu.be/pFCuOsatcss
This is funny. This is how I get ready in the morning. Check it out.
April 25, 2018 クラスあり
It's really coming down today. It is very rainy. It's coming down in buckets! I can't make up my mind if I should wear my coat and my jacket, or just my jacket because it is quite warm.
Anyway, have a great day!
By the way, here is a little something I found on the internet. Check it out:
9 Useful English Phrases
“It’s drizzling.”
Drizzling is more than spitting, less than raining.
“It’s been raining on and off all day.”
On and off means starting & stopping, then starting again over a period of time.
“It’s pouring.”
Pouring is very heavy rain.
“It is pouring rain outside!”
When I was a kid, we used to sing a cute song:
“It’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring!”
Alternative sentences:
soaking
Soaking is a synonym of wet. You use soaking by itself or before wet. Use soaked by itself. They both mean very, very wet.
Anyway, have a great day!
By the way, here is a little something I found on the internet. Check it out:
9 Useful English Phrases
1. “What’s it like outside? Is it raining?”
You can ask this question when you want to know what’s happening outside. Someone might also ask you this question!
Here are some more questions you might hear:
What’s the weather like?How is it outside? Is it raining?Is it still raining out?
NOT: “How is the weather like?”
Out is sometimes used as a shortened form of outside.
It
When you talk about weather in English, use it.
Memorize: “It’s 16 degrees today“. (NOT: “We have 16 degrees.” or “There are 16 degrees.”)
It is an empty subject in this context. It has no meaning and it doesn’t take the place of another word.
Note: In Canada we measure temperature in Celsius. In the US, temperature is measured in Fahrenheit.
2. “It’s raining.”
Sometimes in English you don’t need fancy, complex sentences. Simple sentences are just fine. The most common thing to say about rain in English is, “It’s raining.”
There are different synonyms you can use depending on whether it is light rain or heavy rain.
“It’s spitting.”
Spitting is very light rain, rain that you can barely feel.
Spitting is very light rain, rain that you can barely feel.
“It’s just spitting a little.”
“It’s drizzling.”
Drizzling is more than spitting, less than raining.
“It’s been raining on and off all day.”
On and off means starting & stopping, then starting again over a period of time.
“It’s pouring.”
Pouring is very heavy rain.
“It is pouring rain outside!”
When I was a kid, we used to sing a cute song:
“It’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring!”
3. “It’s really coming down out there!”
Use this sentence to describe very heavy rain.
Rain falls from the clouds. Though we don’t say, “rain is falling,” English speakers understand that this is the movement of rain. In this context, the phrasal verb come down means fall from the sky in very large amounts.
Don’t say “The rain is really falling down.”
Don’t say “it’s raining cats and dogs,” either. You might hear this in movies and TV shows, and parents sometimes say it to their children, but generally people don’t say “it’s raining cats and dogs.”
4. “Take your umbrella. It looks like it’s going to rain.”
Sometimes you look at the clouds in the sky and know that it’s going to rain.
Note: Don’t say “It will rain.” When you are predicting the weather, use be going to.
There are many ways to protect yourself from getting wet in the rain. You can hold an umbrella over your head. You can wear a raincoat or other kind of waterproof jacket. You can wear rain boots or other kind of waterproof footwear.
5. “I’ve had enough of all this rain!”
Sometimes rain is nice. I like the sound of rain hitting the roof of my house when I’m lying in bed at night. However, too much rain is not nice!
When you are bored, annoyed, or angry with something or someone, use the expression “I’ve had enough of … “ It means that you just don’t want to experience it anymore.
Alternative sentences:
It’s been raining non-stop for 3 days!It’s been raining for 3 days straight!
The present perfect is used here because the rain started in the past and continues in the present, and it will probably continue tomorrow!
The phrase “for < time period > straight” is used to express that something hasn’t stopped or didn’t stop during that time period. It means the same thing as “three days in a row.”
6. “We got caught in a downpour.”
A downpour is a sudden, unexpected, heavy rain, or a lot of rain in a short period of time.
The phrase get caught in (something) means become unexpectedly affected by or involved in something. You weren’t expecting rain, and you weren’t expecting that it would start raining while you were walking or driving to a destination.
You can also use be caught in (something):
“We were caught in a downpour.”“We were caught in a storm.“
A storm is a combination of rain, wind, and sometimes thunder & lightning.
7. “Let’s stay inside until the rain lets up.”
The phrasal verb let up means stop completely, or at least become slower. Say this sentence when want to wait until the rain stops.
Let’s (with an apostrophe) is a contraction of let us.
8. “I got soaking wet.”
Sometimes in life you can’t escape the rain. Sometimes it starts raining on the day when you forgot your umbrella at home. When you are in the rain, you get wet.
wet
Wet is an adjective that you can use to describe both the weather and water. If the weather is wet, it’s raining.
Wet is an adjective that you can use to describe both the weather and water. If the weather is wet, it’s raining.
My clothes are wet from the rain.November is a miserable month. It’s cold and dark and wet.It’s going to be a cold, wet morning.It’s going to be a wet one tomorrow!It’s going to be a wet and windy day.
soaking
Soaking is a synonym of wet. You use soaking by itself or before wet. Use soaked by itself. They both mean very, very wet.
I went out for a bike ride and got soaking wet in the rain.I got soaking wet while I was walking home in the rain.My clothes are soaking! We were out in the rain for hours.It was an outdoor concert. I got soaked in the rain, but it was worth it!I am soaked to the bone.
9. “The forecast calls for scattered showers.”
A weather forecast is something you see on TV, hear on the radio, or read in the newspaper. A meteorologist (a person who studies the weather) tells people what the weather will be like. A forecast is a meteorologist’s predictionabout the weather.
The vocabulary used in weather forecasts is different from the vocabulary used in everyday conversations when you talk about the weather.
When you are talking about the weather forecast, use the phrasal verb call for (something). It means say that this kind of weather will probably happen.
In the context of rain, a shower is a short period of rain in a small area.
Scattered means spread over a wide area. Scattered showers are periods of light rain happening in a few places, not just in one place. There might be a quick shower in the southern part of the city, then a quick shower in the northern part of the city.
We have a saying in Canada & the US: “April showers bring May flowers.” Tt rains a lot in April, but the water will help the flowers grow!
Precipitation is a formal word for rain and is sometimes used in weather forecasts.
Do you have any interesting expressions in your language to say when it’s raining?
*I didn't write this. It is from 9 Useful English Phrases
4/24/2018
4/23/2018
April 23, 2018 (休) NO CLASS
No class today! Home study! Did you do the quiz ?
Here is a little joke for you:
Patient: Doctor, I have a pain in my eye whenever I drink tea.
Doctor: Take the spoon out of the mug before you drink.
Ha Ha
Here is a little joke for you:
Patient: Doctor, I have a pain in my eye whenever I drink tea.
Doctor: Take the spoon out of the mug before you drink.
Ha Ha
4/22/2018
4/21/2018
April 21, 2018 クラスあり QUIZ!
Good morning, Miami. What better way to start your day than with a quiz? Try it!
Beginner Grammar Quiz 2.
Have a fabulous day!
Beginner Grammar Quiz 2.
Have a fabulous day!
4/20/2018
April 20, 2018 クラスあり
I forgot to charge my phone last night, and now my battery is almost dead. Luckily, I have just enough juice left to write this post. Enjoy your day. It looks like it's going to be a good one!
4/19/2018
4/18/2018
April 18, 2018 クラスあり
Today, the train is running a little late due to the rain, but I think I will still make it on time for class. Be careful out in the rain!
4/17/2018
April 17, 2018 休 NO CLASS
I am considering to make two new classes on Thursday, but I haven't decided what kind of courses they will be yet. One student suggested to me to have a kind of "Drama Class" where students can practice their English with dialogue. Sounds like fun. What do you think? Do you have any ideas?
Anyway, no school today. I plan to do lots of reading. Have a great day!
4/16/2018
April 16, 2018 クラスあり
It's a nice sunny day, but it's still quite chilly. I think it is supposed to warm up by this weekend, just in time for George Washington week! I am looking forward to GW. Why do Japanese people love George Washington so much? Everywhere, I see GW GW GW!
4/15/2018
April 15, 2018 クラスあり
I think it is going to be one of those days. Do you ever feel like time flies by too quickly no matter how much you try to hurry? I woke up earlier than usual, but I was still late getting out the door. It usually takes me 2 min to get to the station, but today it took me 5. I went to the cafe to read a book, but it seemed like it was time for me to go as soon as I finished the first page. Now, I just started writing this blog and already the train is approaching Kamioooka. Gotta run.....
I'm looking forward to today's lessons. It is private lesson day. Always interesting.
I'm looking forward to today's lessons. It is private lesson day. Always interesting.
4/14/2018
April 14th, 2018 - クラスあり
Good morning...Sorry for the late post today, but I decided to sleep in. I should have set my alarm clock, but I didn't and so I rolled out of bed at 10:30.
Here is a little something to put a smile on your face:
Q: Why can't you give Elsa a balloon?
A: Because she will Let it go
Get it? ha ha ha ha ha
Here is a little something to put a smile on your face:
Q: Why can't you give Elsa a balloon?
A: Because she will Let it go
Get it? ha ha ha ha ha
4/13/2018
FRIDAY THE 13th......クラスあり
I saw the most disgusting thing last night on my way home from Kamiooka. I stopped at Lawson's to buy some milk, and when I came out, there was a HUGE geji-geji staring me right in the face! I wanted to run back into the store. Now, I am paranoid, and I think I see geji-gejis everywhere! I hope it wasn't an omen of things to come since today is FRIDAY the 13th!!!!!!
4/12/2018
April 12, 2018 クラスあり
Good morning, Miami. Because there is no Q class today, I will arrive in time for R class.
This morning I woke up early and went for a run. I ran 5K. I love running because it is good for your health and good for your brain.
I feel as free as a bird when I run. When I run alone, there is no competition, no stress. I can stop anytime. I can choose to go fast, or I can choose to go slow.
I can run in the snow, in the rain, on a hill, or on a plain. I can run here. I can run there. I can run anywhere. I can run anywhere I choose, as long as I have my shoes.
How about you? Do you like running?
See you in class!
This morning I woke up early and went for a run. I ran 5K. I love running because it is good for your health and good for your brain.
I feel as free as a bird when I run. When I run alone, there is no competition, no stress. I can stop anytime. I can choose to go fast, or I can choose to go slow.
I can run in the snow, in the rain, on a hill, or on a plain. I can run here. I can run there. I can run anywhere. I can run anywhere I choose, as long as I have my shoes.
How about you? Do you like running?
See you in class!
4/11/2018
April 11, 2018 - クラスあり
Good morning, Miami! Ms. Odie is still on vacation, so I will be substituting for her tonight in addition to teaching my classes in the day. It is going to be a long day, but somehow I will manage.By the way, from tomorrow I will move this blog. Please click on the button at the top of the page to see this blog from tomorrow. Thank-you.
It looks like rain today. Don't forget your umbrella! I always carry my mini-umbrella just in case it rains. Leave a comment and tell me what kind of umbrella you have!宜しくお願い致します！
4/10/2018
April 10, 2018 - クラスあり
Goooood morning, Miami! You may have noticed that I updated my homepage. How do you like it? どうですか？
So. today I'm wondering, what do you typically do on Tuesdays? 火曜日には、いつもどんなことをしていますか？
I usually teach English and go to the gym after work.
How about you? Please leave me your comment.下に答えを書いて下さい。よろしく！
4/09/2018
April 9, 2018 - NO CLASS
It has been a while, but I think today I am going to study Japanese. Someone gave me these wonderful flashcards for learning Kanji. I want to learn them by heart (暗記する）What do you think?
Excuse me....I think I have to go do "number 2" now......
April 8, 2018
Here is an American Joke to brighten your day. I hope it puts a smile on your face.
A: No, he doesn't.
B: Does he drink whiskey?
A: No, he doesn't.
B: Does he ever come home late?
A: No, he doesn't.
B: I guess you really do have the perfect son. How old is he?
A: He will be six months old next Wednesday.
A: I have the perfect son.
B: Does he smoke? A: No, he doesn't.
B: Does he drink whiskey?
A: No, he doesn't.
B: Does he ever come home late?
A: No, he doesn't.
B: I guess you really do have the perfect son. How old is he?
A: He will be six months old next Wednesday.
April 7, 2018
Ms. Odie is on vacation today, so I will be filling in for her. I want to say "宜しくお願いします" to today's students, but there is no English. Instead, I will say "I'm looking forward to today's class!".
April 6, 2018
Are you feeling sleepy? It helps to watch a funny YouTube video to wake you up again. Here is a funny video for you. It is from the movie "Pink Panther". The actor is Steve Martin.
April 5, 2018
Please fill out this survey on "favorites". I will post the results in about a week. Have a great day!
April 3, 2018
Starting this week, I will be teaching Tuesday and Thursday classes again. I am looking forward to seeing my Tuesday and Thursday students again!
By the way, check out this article from my NEWS class. It is very interesting!-----> ORANGE SNOW
March 31, 2018
Wow. March just flew by. I can't believe it is April already. This year has been a really good year for cherry-blossom viewing, don't you think so? Usually, it rains right when they start to bloom, but this year, no rain! I haven't been out very much, but I have seen so many beautiful photos from my students.
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