ネイティブが教える英会話のジェムスクール☆Teachers☆

Shabu shabu! Shabu shabu!

Shabu shabu is the best! I had it for the first time this weekend. It was a delicious experience! As the soup cooked we added mushrooms and cabbage and many other vegetables and lots of meat. Shabu-shabu is the perfect meal for me because I LOVE a good soup and I love vegetables and MEAT. Since coming to Japan I have been able to try many different foods and shabu-shabu is definitely one of my favorites.  

I love working with all sorts of media. After all, I did study graphic design, but I have a special love of working with audio. I have a few mics and I need to hold them up when I'm recording. I have a floor stand with an arm, but sometimes I need something a little more portable and concise. That's where this desk attaching mic holder really becomes handy.

  

Here is a picture of me and my junior high class of all girls (missing Molly)! I love this class so much. We have a lot of fun and we can't help but be very silly. All of the girls in that class are extremely bright and kind. We make a lot jokes of about bananas and we teach each other new dance moves. We always play English games and they always ask me a funny question at the end of class. I am very happy to be their teacher.



  

Hi Everyone!

This weekend has been a special one because a game I’ve been looking forward to for a long time finally came out—Monster Hunter World. I haven’t gotten as far as I’ve wanted yet, but that’s okay. Monster Hunter is a game that takes a lot of time and dedication. Speaking of dedication, I spent over an hour on my character designs until they were just right for me.

I’ve really had a blast playing, and I’m looking forward to exploring the world even more! Some of the monsters really do come out of nowhere and scare you even though it’s just a game. Do you play Monster Hunter?   

It's not a surprise to see small mistakes on menus in English. I'm 90% sure this isn't right. Just hedging my bets it's not something in Italian and I don't know what I'm talking about. If I see bad spelling on a sign I'll never say anything. I think in the world outside of class, natives and students alike make mistakes in their first language. It's part of what makes your personality. I've probably made a few grammar mistakes in my blog just this month >_>;;;

It's just funny to think about ordering "pain" from a restaurant though, right?  

One of may favorite things to eat in winter is a piping hot bowl of miso soup. It's such a comforting thing to eat, and its so tasty! I like to get a little crazy with my miso soup, and put in some extra ingredients. Some of my favorite things to out in it are potatoes, onions, carrots, and a big heaping handful of green onions on top! What kind of extras do you add to your miso soup?


  

As per-usual I am reading more and more books and the latest trend in my reading routine has been reading more about East Asian sociology. I didn't really read a ton of sociology in University or outside of it, well, besides Social Anthropology, which is LIKE sociology but is subtly different.

The latest book I have been reading is about Japanese sociology and society, it's pretty neat!


  

I recently gained the ability to play the most recent game in one of my most favorite video games series’s of all time, Halo 5. I have played every Halo game since halo 3 back in 2007. I have played halo 3, halo: Reach, halo wars, halo ODST, and halo 4. Now I can say that I have played halo 5. I have not completed the story line yet. However, soon I will have completed the story and will be anxiously awaiting the next in the series.  

I'm sick. Not very sick, just enough to annoy me. My head feels like it is going to explode (a la the movie 'Scanners'...if you like odd 1980's movies give it a try). My stomach is constantly gurgling, so I get the impression that I may have to run to the restroom... but I don't really have to. Every night after work the chills set in and I end up sitting in the parking lot trying to warm up before making a mad dash into my apartment.

I hate getting sick! Since I rarely get sick, this is usually how it goes. If it was so bad I couldn't do anything, then I would just accept it and take some time off, but everything is just slightly more difficult, so I will press on.  

Sometimes when I run around Marugame Castle, I see this man feeding the seagulls. The way the gulls float in the air, or hover, is super interesting to watch. I used to feed a lot of ducks back in America, but they never flew when I was doing it. The seagulls catch the bread right out of the air. It's so cool.  

I went to USJ in Osaka after Christmas! When I lived Orlando I went to Universal Studios many times, and it was interesting seeing all of the similarities and differences between the Orlando park and the Osaka park. For example, the Hogwarts section of the park in Osaka is almost identical to the one in Orlando! But in the USJ, there are many rides that are only there for a short time; in Orlando the rides stay the same all year long.


  

One of the last things that I did during winter vacation, was to go to Yokohama. I could see that things in Yokohama were special, and seemed to have a Chinese flair to them. We went to a restaurant where I sampled that cider (from the photo) and it was amazing. I would love to have it again. I can't even remember what I ate at the restaurant because I was so wild about that cider. I even peeled the sticker off of the glass to put it in my scrapbook.
I learned later that China and Japan have a shared history in Yokohama together, and I want to know more. I hope to spend some more time in Yokohama again. I want to try the dumplings and learn about that place.   

In America, these tend to be referred to as “water coolers”, even though they also dispense hot water. Anyways, we purchased one not so long ago, and it has been very nice to have around. Nice cool water to drink at any moment, and hot water ready to go to make tea or for cup noodles. My wife claims that the cold water is not really cold enough, but I just tell her she is crazy.
The brand we bought is the Aqua Clara. I am assuming it is pretty popular in Japan; I haven’t heard of it before, but then I never really paid attention to brand names of appliances much. Before we purchased it, I had the thought that we didn’t really need, that we could get by without one, and such. I thought the same thing about Yoshikei, but that has made things much easier in many ways; the same can be said about the water server. I really need to stop doubting my wife, hahaha.  

I love all of the shrines in Japan. While many of the structures are similar each shrine is also unique. This is a shrine I visited in Saijo. It has a beautiful pond attached to it that is filled with several koi. The shrine also has many feline compatriots. This was my first time seeing cats at a shrine, but I hear it's a common thing here.



  

In Japan we have Gatcha machines. They're very popular and can sometimes have very interesting things inside. In America however, there aren't really and machines quite like Gatcha machines and the ones that are similar aren't very common. We do have gumball machines though. Those are very common. And on occasion you can find an elaborate one like this. These are great.

  

It recently snowed in Takamatsu. It was so beautiful! I know that Kagawa is too warm to have snow accumulate and that it can occasionally snow in the sky but melts by the time it hits the ground. Being from Florida, snow is very foreign to me. I have only seen snow 3 times in my life, so seeing snow fall from the sky from my apartment balcony was so special! I ran outside without a proper coat because I was so excited. Here is a picture I captured of the snow on that day.



  

Hi Everyone!

Recently, I’ve gotten back into doing artwork, and lately I’ve been trying to work with traditional mediums rather than my normal digital artwork. I finally got myself a set of copic markers and have been practicing with them ever since. I forgot how difficult traditional artwork is; you can’t simply erase a bad mark with one keyboard stroke. Traditional artwork has been really soothing though, and I’ve needed that lately in the long, cold winter months. I hope I can get some really nice pieces done soon. Do you like to do artwork?

  

Theres a store near my house that has amazing crafts. They keep them after the register while you bag. One time they made a face of a guy with glasses and mustache. I can't find the picture, but believe me, ok? It was funny. Bah. This little rolled sushi felt and cloth craft is so cute. I almost want to make my own. What about you?  

Last week I started studying Japanese as a school in Kyoto. It's been a really interesting experience so far. I have met a lot of people from all over the world, and I have already written about 7 tests! It kind of feels like I am back in University, because I am studying everyday, and I need to to a lot of the work at home, instead of in the classroom like when I was in elementary school. It can get pretty tiring, so sometimes I eat a snack while I study to get my energy up. What kind of study snacks do you enjoy? I need some suggestions!

  

I think I might have made a post about this in the past but I will make another post about it since I don't do much in my free time!

Since the turn of the new year I have made another Gundam model! I really really have to admit that I just love spending the time doing these models!

Have you done one in the past?