4/25/2018

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

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.
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.”

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.
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.
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


4/23/2018

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

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!

4/20/2018

Morning Music

https://youtu.be/cMPSgFkuQXk

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!

4/18/2018

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.

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

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

”Favorites" Survey Results



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!

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: 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.

I would like to buy a hamburger

April 5, 2018

Please fill out this survey on "favorites".  I will post the results in about a week.  Have a great day!

April 4, 2018



Remember, an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

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

April 2, 2018

Don't worry. Be happy.

April 1, 2018

Did you hear the news? Trump is quitting as President. He is giving up! yay!

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.

12/31/2017

My Trip to Hawaii, Part 2



ハワイには、オアフとカワイ島しかいったことがないけど、カワイ島は世界のなかで、一番きれいな熱帯島だと思います。ほとんどの人に知られていないが、世界のなかで一番降雨量が多い場所の一つはカワイ島と言われています。一年間で、330センチ位雨が降ります。なので、カワイ島は緑が多く、とても美しいです。オアフ島に比べて、カワイ島の方が自然が多いし、静かだし、快適だと思います。

ハワイの料理も美味しかった。東南アジア各国の料理のミックスで、豚肉が多い。私のお気に入りはBBQ豚肉サンドイッチです*。大好きです。後は、スパム結び。日本のおにぎりに比べて、サイズはでっかい!一つしか食べられなかった。ハワイ人には、スパムが人気ですが、日本で人気のあるロコモコではありません。
*英語では、ハンバーガーが入っていなければ、「サンドイッチ」と言います。
Pork BBQ Sandwich
HUGE Spam Riceball!!!
ごしゅうしょうさまです」
おじいさんのお葬式は島の北側の教会で行われました。教会は、そとから優しい風が吹き込んで来て、快適な感じでした。大体皆落ち着いた色の服装でしたが、スーツを着た人はいなかった。母が子供の時から、おばあさんとともにその教会に長く通っていたことを思い、私は感慨深く思いました。教会のとなりは、母の小学校がありました。神父の話が終わったら皆は着替えて、海に移動しました。おばあさんが育てられたところに近い砂浜で、家族と一緒に腰までつかりながら、10メートル位歩きました。そこに、母とお爺さんの散骨をしました。 その時足元に沢山小さい石があって、痛がっている私を母が笑っているだろうと思いました。

続きます。。。

11/15/2017

My Trip to Hawaii, Part I

My Trip to Hawaii. Part I

Me, my cousin, and my Uncle
おじいさんのお葬式のため、二日前家族皆でおじさんの家に集まりました。ハワイの他の島とアメリカのメインランドからそれぞれ来ました。私が会ったことがない親戚が沢山いました。日本人みたいな顔だったので、びっくりしました。「日本人の方ですか」と聞きました。その人は、"I don't speak Japanese”と答えました。ハワイでは日系三世が多いですが、私の親戚もそうです。そのことを会うまでは知らなかった。
Family Gathering
その集まりで、私はとても緊張しました。私の3年前になくなった母を皆は知っていたけれど、私は皆のことを知らなかった。なぜなら、日本に来る前、半年ぐらいハワイに住んでいましたが、仕事で大変忙しかったからです。

皆の名前を覚えるのが難しかった。30人以上にいました。若い時に母が親戚のことについて教えてくれていたのに、その時私がわがままで興味がなかった。と言うのは、両親が離婚したから、弟以外、家族でないと感じていました。母から家族は大切だよと言われていたのに。

親戚の皆が集まった島はカワイ島です。カワイに到着した時に、直接レンタカーショップにシャトルバスで行きました。スタッフに車にナビがありますかとききました。
 ないけれど、携帯ナビを付ける事ができますよと言ったので、そうしました。でも、会計するときに、そのナビシステムを使うには、一日50 ドルぐらいプラスしなければならないことがわかりました。
 え?!?!すみませんがやっぱり、辞めますと私はスタッフに言いました。女性のスタッフが怒っておおげさに溜息をついて、奥に引っ込み、他のスタッフがきました。あ、これはアメリカ流のカスタマーサービスだと思い出しました。やっぱり、日本のサービスが一番だと思います!

やっと、車のかぎを貰って、車に乗り込むところで鶏をみました。かわいい!店がにわとりを飼っているのかと思いました。そこから、私のホテルに行く途中でスーパーによって、食料品を買うつもりでした。スーパについたら、駐車場で車をでたところに、また同じチキンを見ました。ビックリ!そのあと、ホテルに着き、一階にある部屋のベランダの窓を開けたら、またチキンがいました!カワイ島の中で、ワイルドチキンが多いです。と言うのは、何年か前のハリケーンのせいで、個人の養鶏場から沢山チキンが逃げ出した. そのチキンに子供ができて、今カワイ島ではチキンが増えました!毎朝、夜があけるときは、このヤローがベランダで時をつげました。



続きます。。。


7/05/2017

上大岡七夕



この間、日の最後のクラスのあと、上大岡をぶらぶらをしにことにしました。風が気持ち、夕日の時でした。大岡川沿いに進みながら、七夕の飾りを見えました。私の国では七夕みたいの祭日がありません。


竹と翻訳は難しい。なぜなら、文化が違うし、言い方も違うので、そのままで翻訳はできません。だから英語を話したい方は、話す時に頭の中で日本語から英語に置き換えないほうがいい。まず、英語の話者の気分をできる限り想像しましょう。

それをしないと、時間がかかって英語がおかしくなってしまいます。私は日本語を話す時はそうしています。かんぺっきできなくて、少しだけおかしいですけど。。。とにかく、どうやって英語の話者の気分を理解しますか?もちろん、文法と単語の勉強をしつつ、本格的にネイティブスピーカーと話したり、ハリウッドの映画を出来るだけ見る方法をお勧めします。




私は、この間上大岡をぶらぶらしながら、勉強のため、あちこちの看板の日本語を英語に翻訳してみました。私が見たの看板で、クイズを作りました。このリンクをクリックをして、皆は日本語から英語の翻訳が出来るかどうか、チャレンジにしましょう!

6/29/2017

小網代の森




梅雨がそろそろはじまるので、雨が降らないうちに戸外で時間を過ごしたいと思いました。生徒さんからとても良いハイキングの場所を聞きました。小網代の森と言うところです。そこで、ハイキングに行くことにしました。先月のことです。小網代の森は、三浦半島にあり、上大岡から京急線で約40分かかります。三崎口駅は京急線の終点です。

Since the rainy season is about to start, I thought I want to spend some time outside while it isn't raining. I heard about a good hiking place from a student. It is called Koajiro Forest. I decided to go hiking there. It was last month. Koajiro forest is in Miura Peninsula; it takes about 40 minutes from Kamioooka on the Keikyu line. Misakiguchi is the last stop on Keikyu Line.


私はその駅から歩いて、10分で目的地に着きました。その日は天気は快晴でした!小網代の入口木々がこんもりと茂っていました。のなかで沢山の蝶々、トンボ、色々な虫を見ました。クモがなかったのでよかった。クモは大嫌い。
途中でハイクを楽しむ人たちにも少し会いました。

Walking from the station, I arrived at my destination in 10 minutes. The weather on that day was wonderful! The entrance to the forest was thick, full of trees and greenery. Inside the forest, there were many butterflies, dragonflies, and other kinds of insects. I was glad there weren't any spiders. I really hate spiders. Along the way, I met some other happy hikers.


開けた場所着きました。左右に山がありました。景色は広大でした。森林浴をした気分でした。とても気持ちいいところなので、木の下の木製の遊歩道に寝ころびました。頭上の木漏れ日を見上げました。都会のさわがしいは、なにも聞こえず静かでした。
耳を通る優しいしか聞こえないほどでした。そのビデオを見たい方はここをクリックしてください。

I reached an open area. There were small mountains to the left and to the right. The landscape was wide and spacious. I enjoyed having such a peaceful walk through the woods. It felt so good, so I laid down on the wooden boardwalk under a tree. I looked up at the sun shining through the leaves of the tree above. It was so quite without the hustle-bustle noise of the city. All I could hear was the gentle sound of a soft breeze. 


突然、後ろからうるさくてにぎやかな団体が来ました。
私の幸せで静かな時間がつぶされた。しょうがない。海まで歩きました。

Suddenly, a noisy group of people were approaching. My peace and quiet was destroyed. Oh, well. I continued to walk to the ocean.






砂浜までまた歩きました。そこで、びっくりしました。引き潮だった。砂浜が見えていて、なにかが動いていました!たくさんの蟹が出ていました。さみしいみたいでした。かわいい女性がくるように腕をふっていました。それは、蟹の求愛ダンスでした。そのビデオを見たい方はここをクリックしてください

I continued to walk along the shore. I found a surprise. It was low tide. When I looked down at the sand, I could see something moving! Many small crabs had come out. It seemed that they were lonely. There were waving their hands for a cute girl to come along. That was the crabs' mating dance.

そのあと帰り道に進みました。また、びっくりしました!後ろからたくさんうるさくて小さい人間がきました。100ぴきぐらい!私は逃げようとったけど、つかれたから、ひかげに座って、そのちびちびがとおりすぎるのを待ちました。遠足みたいでした。大きいマンションの駐車場までその団体についていきました。そこには東京からのバスが待っていました。ちびちびをみおくりました。

After that, I continued along the way to go back home. Again, I found a surprise! From behind, many small humans were approaching. About 100! I thought I should run away, but since I was tired, I sat in the shade and waited for the little munchkins to pass. It seems they were on a field trip. I followed them to the parking lot of a large condominium. There, there was a bus from Tokyo waiting for them. I saw the little munchkins off.

最後にそのマンションの前のヨットハーバーをぶらぶらしました。そのあと、10分位バス停ま歩いて、家に帰りました。とても良い一日でした。

Finally, I wandered around in front of the condominium for a little while where there were many yachts parked. After that, I walked about 10 minutes to the bus stop to go back home. It was a great day.

12/26/2016

Honolulu Marathon

This is a blog written by a student at Miami.  I made some corrections, but she did a great job!

This year I tried participating in a full marathon for the first time. As far as exercise, I’ve only been going to a sports club for about 6 months and participated in a 10km running competition. However, I wanted to try something really difficult, so I joined the Honolulu marathon. I always imagined a full marathon would be so severe for beginners, but actually it didn’t feel so hard. Perhaps it was because the scenery was great, and many people were cheering on the sidelines and gave me high fives. Moreover, all the other runners around me were also trying to do their best, so I managed to do it. It was a memorable experience. Next year, I want to keep running and try something else new!

今年、初めてのフルマラソンに挑戦しました。それまでは、スポーツクラブにほんの半年通ったり、たったの10km走を走ったりする程度でした。しかし何かにチャレンジしたいと思い、ホノルルマラソンに参加してきました。初心者にとってフルマラソンは過酷だと思っていましたが、実際辛さは感じませんでした。それは、景観が素晴らしいし、沿道の人々が応援やハイタッチをしてくれたおかげです。さらに、私の周りのランナー誰もが、頑張っていました。だから私も完走することができ、忘れられない経験となりました。来年もランニングを続け、新たなことにも挑戦したいです!

11/27/2016

The Christmas Spirit

私は子供の頃、周りのみんなが幸せな感じに見えてクリスマスの季節が大好きでした。どこにいってもクリスマスの音楽が流れ、人々はクリスマスの挨拶を交わし、助け合っていました。クリスマス当日はシーズンの集大成でした。たとえ外は凍える寒さだとしても、暖かいパジャマで、家族やたくさんのプレゼントに囲まれたクリスマスツリーの前に座っていたのを覚えています。たくさんの食べ物とお菓子がありました。私の祖父母の家には大きな暖炉があって、暖炉の前はとても暖かく居心地が良かったです。これらのものがどこからやって来たのか考えたこともなかったですが、このようなクリスマスを過ごせたことはとてもラッキーだったと思います。
今思えば、両親、特に母が私と兄弟のためにこのような素敵な時間を作ってくれたのはとても大変だったろうと思います。私の父は海軍にいたのでバージニアの基地に近い所に住まなければいけませんでした。母はハワイの出身です。実家から遠く離れた場所で友達もおらずインターネットもない時代、とても寂しかっただろうと思います。でも父が仕事で海上にいる時、母は私と兄弟を育てるために一生懸命努力しました。私は母から、与えること、助けること、他の人の面倒を見ることなどクリスマスの精神を学びました。

When I was a child, I really loved the Christmas season because of the feeling of happiness that everyone around me seemed to have.  Everywhere I went, there was Christmas music playing, people were giving each other Christmas greetings, helping each other and sharing.  There was a feeling of love, peace, and happiness.  It seemed like the world was a perfect place without any war, hunger, or hate.  When Christmas finally came, it was the culmination of a perfect season.  Even though it was freezing cold outside, I remember sitting in my warm pajamas in front of the Christmas tree surrounded by my family and so many presents.  There was so much food and sweets.  My grandparents had a large fireplace in their home, and it felt so warm and cozy sitting in front of the fireplace. I never thought about how these things came to be, or how lucky I was to have a Christmas such as this.
Now, I realize how hard my parents worked to make such a nice time for me and my brother, especially my mother.  As my father was in the Navy, we had to live in Virginia close to the Navy base.  My mother was from Hawaii.  I imagine that she must have been so lonely being so far away from home without any friends or the internet.  But she worked so hard to take care of my brother and I when my father was out on the ocean and it is because of her I learned the meaning of the Christmas spirit; giving, heping, and taking care of other people.

11/20/2016

Thanksgiving is almost here!



感謝祭!
私の国の恋しいものの一つは感謝祭です。感謝祭のことを考えると、とにかくたくさんの美味しい料理、そして家族と過ごす時間が思い浮かびます。私の母は、この祝日は家族のためにあるのだとよく言っていました。
若かった頃は母の言葉の意味がわかりませんでした。一緒に住んでいていつも一緒なのに十分じゃないかと思っていたのです。でも母がいなくなった今、ようやく意味がわかりました。感謝祭は母にとって、とても大事だったのです。
母は2、3日前から料理の準備を始め、私たちみんなのためにとてもおいしい料理を一生懸命作ってくれました。
詰め物、マッシュドポテト、とうもろこし、インゲン、クランベリーソース、パン、3〜4種類のパイ、そしてもちろん七面鳥!感謝祭の後も2週間残り物を食べるくらいのとてもたくさんの料理がありました。
親戚、ご近所さん、そして友人、いろんな人がうちにやって来ました。みんなに会うのは楽しかったです。
私たちは食時の前に健康と食べもののためにみんなで一緒に祈りを捧げました。その後は食べて、会話を楽しみ、食べて、休憩し、食べて、話し、そしてまた食べて、みんなお腹いっぱい!

こんな幸せな記憶をくれた母に感謝します。


Thanksgiving is here!
One of the things I miss about my country is Thanksgiving. When I think about it, images of lots and lots and lots of delicious food, and spending time with my family spring to mind. My mother used to say that holidays were a time for family. When I was young, I couldn't understand what she meant. I thought "We are always together because we live together, isn't that enough?" But now that she is gone, I finally understand what she meant. Thanksgiving was really important to her. She would start preparing the food 2 or 3 days in advance and work so hard to cook so much delicious food for all of us. I remember there was stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, cranberry sauce, bread, 3 or 4 different kinds of pies, and of course, TURKEY! There was so much food that we would be eating the leftovers for 2 weeks after Thanksgiving!
Many family members, neighbors, and friends came to our house. I was happy to see them. Before eating, we said a prayer together to give thanks for our health and for the food. After that we ate, enjoyed good conversation together, ate, took a break, ate, talked, and ate some more. We were stuffed!

I am thankful to my mother for such happy memories.

Let's talk about Japanese Culture in English!


日本の文化を英語で話しましょう!
ボーリング場でフロリダ出身の人に出会うことを想像してみてください。お名前は?出身は?のような基本的な挨拶や会話の後、何を話しますか?あなたはフロリダでの生活様式を知りたいのではないかと思います。でも相手は日本についてあなたから学びたい、これがチャンスなのです。
私が最初日本に来た時、これと同じことがありました。私はボーリング場で素敵な日本人家族に会い、私たちは友達になりました。彼らは自宅へ招待してくれ、鎌倉や横浜へ連れて行ってくれました。いつだったか彼らは何か食べ物をくれました。私はそれが何なのかを聞いたのですが、お父さんは私がそれを食べた後に教えてくれるといいました。
なので私はそれを食べ、美味しかったことを告げました。それから彼はそれが馬肉だということを教えてくれました。
アメリカでは馬はペットとして考えられているし、犬だけが馬肉を食べるので、私は少しショックでした。その後は何度も馬肉を楽しみました。
私は彼らが話す日本語を聞いて"日本人は話すのがとても早い!何も理解できない!"と思ったのを覚えています。
当時は日本語初心者だったので、私の下手な日本語がとても恥ずかしく、とにかく英語を話したかったです。
その家族は英語を話すことができたのでラッキーでした。そして彼らのおかげで、日本文化についてたくさん学ぶことができました。彼らも同じように英語の練習になるこの機会を楽しんでいたと思います。
私は皆さんに同じことをおすすめします。恥ずかしがらず私のような外国人が美しい日本文化について学ぶのを手伝ってください。

Imagine that you happen to meet a man from Florida at the bowling alley. After you get past the basic greetings and conversation such as "What is your name?" and "Where are you from?", what are you going to talk about? I am sure you will want to know all about what life is like in Florida, but chances are that he will want to learn about Japan.....from YOU!
When I first came to Japan, that is exactly what happened to me.  I met a nice Japanese family at the bowling alley and we became friends. They invited me to their home and took me to Kamakura and later to Yokohama. Once they gave me something to eat. I asked what it was, but the father said that he would tell me after I ate it. So, I ate it and said that it was delicious. Then, he told me that it was horse meat! I was a little shocked because in America we think as horses as pets, and only dogs eat horse meat. After that, I enjoyed eating it many times!
I remember listening to them speak Japanese, and I thought, "Japanese people speak so fast! I can't understand anything!"  I was just a beginner at speaking Japanese at that time, so I was very embarrassed by my poor Japanese and I only wanted to speak English.  I was lucky that the family could speak English and thanks to them I could learn many things about Japanese culture. I think they probably enjoyed the chance to practice their English as well.  
I encourage you to do the same! Don't be shy, and help foreigners like me learn about the beauty of Japanese culture!