ネイティブが教える英会話のジェムスクール☆Teachers☆

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Currently, only pizza places will deliver to where I live. It's a good and a bad thing. It's good because I don't waste money ordering out. It's bad because sometimes I don't feel like shopping. My pizza place has started selling sandwiches, soups, salads and rice bowls. I don't like the pizza, it's way too expensive in Japan and it gives me a stomachache.

Right now Dominos has a godiva shake that is fantastic.   

It's no secret that I love decora and kawaii fashion. Almost every single day I wear cute clips in my hair, even back in America. Of course, living in Japan has helped me elevate my style, as I can buy cute hair clips everywhere! Recently I found these Tamagotchi rubber hair clips in gacha form and had to play.

I believe this one was located in the Okayama mall under the station. I really wanted one of the Tamagotchi shaped clips, like the white Angelgotchi, however, I got the yellow poop clip! I was both disappointed and amused. I haven't worn the clip yet, but look forward to my student's reactions when I do. I should have played this gacha more than once. Gacha regret is the worst! If I see this machine again, I will try again. If not, there is always a chance of finding some of these secondhand, which is my favorite way to acquire clips.   

I had the pleasure of going on an adventure to Takamatsu with some awesome people. We had to first take care of immigration business. Afterwards, we then took a stroll around Takamatsu station to pick up some goodies, have a decent lunch at Burger King and met a wonderful person while on our way back home. I got to say it was wonderful day






  

Hello Everyone! It's Teacher Bear


During my break, I had the opportunity to return to the South of Shikoku Island. Kochi brought us to a magical, divine, rustic, yet refined town known as "The Town Above the Clouds". Yusuhara Town is known for its unique landscape on top of the mountains inspired by the Meiji Restoration and some of the most important and influential Samurais of their times in Shikoku Island. These Samurai Legends are Sakamoto Ryoma, Sawamura Sounojo, Nasu Shunpei, and his son Shingo. Furthermore, there is Yoshimura Torataro, Maeda Shigema, and Nakahira Ryunosuke. Their contribution to the Meiji Restoration says it all! If you feel inspired and truly want to experience something unique. Please go to "The Town Above the Clouds" Yusuhara!






  

Hello Everyone! It's Teacher Bear


During my break, I had the opportunity to return to the South of Shikoku Island. Kochi brought us to a magical, divine, rustic, yet refined town known as "The Town Above the Clouds". Yusuhara Town is known for its unique landscape on top of the mountains inspired by the Meiji Restoration and some of the most important and influential Samurais of their times in Shikoku Island. These Samurai Legends are Sakamoto Ryoma, Sawamura Sounojo, Nasu Shunpei, and his son Shingo. Furthermore, there is Yoshimura Torataro, Maeda Shigema, and Nakahira Ryunosuke. Their contribution to the Meiji Restoration says it all! If you feel inspired and truly want to experience something unique. Please go to "The Town Above the Clouds" Yusuhara!






  

Hello everyone, Benson here. How is everyone’s February going? Did you all have a nice time last week? What was one thing that you saw or heard last week? Speaking of things to look out for, let’s talk about winter birds, especially ones that appear in February in some places.

One of my favorite things about February is observing the birds that stay active during winter. Chickadees, cardinals, and sparrows are just a few of the feathered friends that bring color and life to the otherwise muted landscape. I love watching them flit around, their movements quick and lively despite the cold. Feeding birds during February feels like a way to connect with nature in its quieter moments. Seeing them perched on snowy branches or searching for seeds in the frost-covered ground is a reminder of the resilience and beauty that exists even in the depths of winter. Until next time, take care everyone.


  

I don't know why, but every time I work a full work week after having a shorter one, it makes me so tired. It's so hard to get back into my normal schedule after an extra day off. It is a challenge, but one that is worth it because I do love my job, and I also love getting an extra day off every once in awhile! Hopefully this weekend I can get some extra rest, but we'll have to see what happens. In the meantime, I'm going to dive into this work week with a large amount of caffeine!  

Finally got to watch Nosferatu after it failed to get a theatrical release in Japan, and it was worth the wait. With winter’s long nights and creeping chill, Robert Eggers’ take on the 1922 classic feels even more haunting. Every frame drips with gothic dread, from candlelit interiors to the decayed, shadow-drenched landscapes that feel plucked from a fever dream. Bill Skarsgård’s Orlok is grotesque and otherworldly—a true monster rather than a romanticized vampire. Eggers’ signature historical detail makes the world feel grimy and lived-in, yet strangely hypnotic. Nosferatu lingers like a ghost, the kind of horror that seeps into your bones—perfect for the season.


  

Lately I've been drinking A LOT of water, mostly because I've been exercising pretty frequently. But I've noticed in Japan you can buy water in a small bottle, a medium sized bottle, or a big bottle. I'm used to buying a 24 pack, 32 pack, or even a 40 pack of water bottles in America for a super cheap price, but I've yet to see those options here in Shikoku. It's an interesting difference I'm just now noticing while being here. It's not that big of a deal, I'm just one thirsty boy.

  

I don't usually make pancakes so I'm kind of proud of how these came out. They were supposed to be thick and fluffy pancakes but I think I added too much milk. Ah well live and learn haha. I was surprised to find out that these also came with a small packet of powered sugar. Then I added strawberries and honey! Next time they will be fluffier!  

Recently, a few friends and I went to Arima Onsen to check it out and while we were there, we did a stained glass workshop! We got to cut glass, solder it together, and walk out with a beautiful stained glass ornament. It was such a fun experience!  

The area to get into Matsuyama castle is so big, but I think it's my favorite castle. Mom, Josie and I made a few mistakes walking up (there was an easier way) but it was wonderful. My food dreams came true with fantastic hamburgers in a small restaurant and very good yuzu pasta in a fancy Italian place. Shopping was also very good, I bought small snake figures for my friends.
  

BANG FOR YOUR BUCK

This idiom means a lot of value for little cost. It's a
value for the money spent; excitement for the money spent; a favorable cost-to-benefit ratio. (Expressed as an amount of bang for the buck.)



EXAMPLES

"If you want the best bang for your buck, look for the deals on bulk packages of toilet paper at the grocery store."

"The local gym membership is a great bang for the buck because it includes access to multiple fitness classes."




HISTORY

Military context:
"Bang" refers to explosive power, so the phrase originally meant getting the most destructive force for the money spent on weaponry.
"New Look" policy:
This policy emphasized nuclear weapons over conventional forces, allowing the US to maintain a strong military presence while spending less on troops.
Modern usage:
Today, "bang for the buck" is used more generally to describe any situation where someone is trying to get the best possible value for their money, regardless of the context.
  

I recently got a craving for everything bagels so I decided to try and make them! They turned out so great and I ate them really quickly! I think I will have to make them again soon.
  

There is a doughnut shop in Kobe, called the Donut Factory, that sells handmade, fresh doughnuts every day. There are at least 2 locations: one near Sannomiya Station and another a few blocks away off of Tor Road. Most of the ingredients used to make the doughnuts come from Hyogo Prefecture such as the wheat and milk.

They offer 24 types of doughnuts and use fresh fruit in their selections. I have eaten many doughnuts in my life, but these were absolutely delicious. The selection is quite varied and the customer service is some of the best I have experienced in Japan. If you go to Kobe, check this place out!
  

I had a really fantastic Sunday! First I went to my hair salon. Even though I was prepared to speak japanese, I was having a hard time that day. Luckily I had brought a lot of pictures of the haircut that I wanted. The salon is relaxing and everybody is super nice. I've been going there for 3 or 4 years now! I liked my haircut right away even though I don't like how they style it after.
Erin and Tony picked me up and we went to their favorite store: 2nd street! I found a L'arc en ciel item from 1998!? What a treasure! Tony got an adorable Godzilla. We went to Seria and bought tons of stickers.

We finished the day with a nice long lunch at Hamasushi. The New cheesecake was really delicious.  

A gacha Tony and I have been chasing is this Katamari Damacy "personal marker charm." The series is formative to Tony's interest in Japanese art and music. He introduced the series to me when we were first dating in 2013 and it's something we've enjoyed together since!

We actually found this gacha at the Shikokuchuo Donquihote....but...the machine was broken and ate our money! The kind worker at the store said he couldn't open the machine to give us a prize because only the vendor had the key. We were so close! He did give us our money back. We will keep looking for this rare gacha.   

One of the things I like to do is travel to either Tokyo or Kanagawa to visit some friends along the way to getting pampered by my stylish. This time I met up with a friend to our ritualistic trek to a local Cinnabon to try their latest additions and catch up on old times. This time we went to Roppongi Hills to have some Indian cuisine and then walk around to majestically stumble across this ginormous spider sculpture. My friend was not excited about it but I was lol. On top of that, I was able to get my nails done at a really cool nail salon in Tokyo. It was a fun trip as always and I look forward to visiting again!




  

Hello everyone, Benson here. How is everyone doing? I hope your February is going well. My February has been going well so far, it’s been an exciting month. Speaking of exciting, I think February is a month where we can all look forward to our days gradually growing longer.

February marks a subtle but exciting shift—the days are gradually growing longer. While winter’s grip is still strong, the extra minutes of daylight bring a renewed sense of hope. It’s in February that I start noticing the light lasting just a little longer each evening, as if the world is slowly waking up. This change feels like a quiet promise of the spring to come, even if the ground remains covered in snow. February’s lengthening days inspire me to spend more time outdoors, soaking in the precious sunlight and imagining the brighter days ahead. Until next time, take care everyone.


  

I love getting an extra day off from work! I love my job, but getting an extra day off during the week is always nice! I've been spending the past few days in Kochi with friends and it's been so much fun! We went to the castle and got some amazing food! I think that I'm going to try and go back again more often, it's a pretty quick trip, even if I don't take the expressway when I drive. I think it'll be a great place to take my family when the come visit in April!