ネイティブが教える英会話のジェムスクール☆Teachers☆

Last weekend I went to Iya Valley! Even though it was my second time going there it felt like the first. Every part of nature is inspiration and Iya Valley's scenery is just a masterpiece. I was blown away by the mountains of orange, red, and yellow leaves! I even went to the Kazurabashi Bridge. The Kazurabashi Bridge is a rather big suspension bridge made out of vines! It was intimidating and a rush to walk through the jaw-dropping bridge. When everything was said and done I had coffee in a nice cafe overlooking the river! All in all, I had another wonderful day in Iya Valley! Iya Valley is truly a magnificent place to visit!
  

Last Friday, I decided the wait was over. I bought a Switch Lite. Admittedly, I'm not as into video games as I use to be, but it is still fun.

I am very glad I waited, because having a gaming console just doesn't make much sense when you don't have a television. But now the temptation is there to buy more games. And peripherals...and accessories...and...  

The day after Thanksgiving is famously called "Black Friday" which marks the official start of Christmas shopping season. Consumers are bombarded with commercials and ads touting promises of great deals for the holidays. "Door busters!", "Deals!", "Holiday Savings!" are common slogans delivered to consumers to incite excitement and draw shoppers. Consumers line-up and wait for hours outside stores hoping to get their hands on one of these bargains. The day after Christmas, consumers line-up to return gifts received that they don't, want, like, are ill-fitting, etc. Black Friday is symbolic of retailers' accounts going from being in the 'red' (loss) to being in the "black" (profit) in accounting terms. Happy shopping!


  

Tomorrow, is America's Thanksgiving. We often say that we're thankful for family, friends, etc. That's boring. So here are some of the funny or weird things I'm thankful for this year.

My nasal spray. Nearly all of November, I have been congested. Thanks to my nasal spray, I can at least breathe at night or small times during the day.

Cooler weather. Yes, I'll even take the cold. Because I can sleep in warm blankets, and sit under my kotatsu.

The convenient store. Where would I be without it? An easy snack or an extra cup of coffee. They are everywhere and reliable.

Mt.Rainer. I really love the green cup of Mt.Rainer espresso. So many flavors come and go, but this one has been constant.

Messaging! Being in contact with friends and family so easily.

Japan. I try to be thankful every day that I live and work in Japan.   

Hello all! Currently I'm trying to figure out what to get my family for Christmas this year. It's the most wonderful time of the year but also the most stressful haha. I want to get them something meaningful from Japan that symbolizes my wife and my time here in Japan. But of course everyone has different tastes in gifts so much thought is needed, especially my mother. She likes home decor so my plan is to get her something she can decorate her house with that has a Japanese cultural meaning. Decisions, decisions,...it be like that sometimes I guess haha.  

Yes, we saw Osaka for the first time and saw all the tourist spots! Osaka is a great city with a much more "laid back vibe" than Tokyo. I am glad I lived in Tokyo for a year as it made getting around Osaka easy. Therefore, the adventure was FUN! However, it wasn't a Japanese souvenir we just had to purchase before leaving, but something "born in America". The Krispy Kreme doughnut! Krispy Kreme made a brief stop in Takamatsu at the Mitsukoshi Department Store but were sold out by the time I got there! Therefore, when we found out they were at the station in Osaka, we made sure to stop on our way home! We weren't disappointed! Japan does the recipe "proud"!!! YUM!!!


  

I recently watched Frozen 2 in theaters and I have to say it was a little bit underwhelming. I personally think the first Frozen movie was better. The songs in Frozen 2 were a little less memorable and the story was a little underwhelming as well. I do think it is worth a watch if you are a fan of Disney movies!

  

This week is Thanksgiving! Every year we have a huge feast and celebrate what we are thankful for. In my family; We eat Turkey, ham, pie, potatoes, and so much more food. Since I'm in Japan I'm not celebrating, but I can still think about everything I am thankful for. What are you thankful for?


(Not my photo)  

My new addiction is T.V. Dramas. Whether Japanese or Korean (K Dramas), I'm game. Romance, Mystery, Suspense and Thrillers--I like them all! Growing up in America, I watched what we call Soap Operas with my Aunt. She was a serious addict! I like dramas because I can learn a new language while being entertained. Gotta go! my favorite drama is on!
  

I love taking little walks outside of my apartment complex. Every so often I would see little holiday decorations on trees. Downtown Kanonji is lit up at night with this calming display of lights. Last year I saw these beautiful light up wings posted near the large Kanonji travel map. This year I don't see the light up wings posted yet but there is still a lovely tree lit up with a star on top of it. The tree looks just as majestic in the morning too. It is covered in red leaves due to the season change!

Also, the stores I go to are selling gorgeous (and inexpensive) holiday decorations. I think I wanted to buy almost every seasonal knickknack I saw at Daiso! Even my workplace looks like something out of a holiday movie with all the thoughtful Christmas images! I'm really enjoying all the holiday cheer in Shikoku Island! I feel the holiday spirit loud and clear and it's awe-inspiring!
  

In English there are certain words that, logically, should exist, but just don't. However, if you understand the basics, it is pretty funny to use these non-words.

When you describe the weather of a day when the Sun is shining and there are few clouds, you say, "It's sunny," or something similar. When you describe the weather of a night when the Moon is shining and there are few clouds, you don't say, "It's moony". Despite not being a real word, I completely understand it's meaning.

This kind of word-play makes me laugh, so, many thanks to one of my Junior High students for giving me this one.  

I've been going to the dentist for nearly a full year. I've usually have 2 appointments a month, to work with my schedule. But I've had enough!

My dentist has been doing a procedure called a root canal. When people talk about being scared of the dentist, they often mention root canals. I had been going to the dentist without much complaint, until they started the root canal. It was painful, loud, and my mouth hurt for a week after. I went back after the first time, and it was more of the same. I started to wonder, how long would this take? It's just one tooth?

So I looked at the paperwork about the procedure and did some research. A root canal takes 1 or 2 dentist visits in America. Start to finish. I asked my dentist to please finish. I asked my dentist to give me a long visit. He refused and told me it would be possibly 4 more times.

I got very angry and I don't want to return. I understand that I'm in a different country, but the visits make me panic and the procedure is painful. Plus, I have to take a lot of pain medication for days after. I am tired of making pain and the dentist part of my weekly schedule.

I think I'll be quitting this place, even though it's close to home. I need to find a dentist who will give me what I need.   

In the spring, I go in search for the beautiful Sakura to see the bright pink colors. In the autumn I go in search of the autumn colors of red, orange, yellow, and gold....and PINK??? That is exactly what I found this week on Shodoshima, I hadn't been to the gorge and ridden the cable car or hiked through the canyon, so that's where I went this week in search of "autumn colors". I wasn't disappointed! It was in gorgeous, full color. The massive outcroppings of rock reminded me of Colorado. However, Colorado doesn't have the background of the sea, nor the "Red" of the Japanese maples....or should I say "Pink"!! I have never in my life seen 'Pink" colored Japanese maples! Japan, you continue to amaze me!!  

It's here! The new Pokemon game (Sword and Shield) has finally arrived! This weekend my wife and I were glued to our Nintendo Switches! We were blown away by the graphics on the new game. Every detail was carefully made and beautifully crafted. In one stage you could even make out the shine and cracks in ice! Also the new characters are all enjoyable in their own right! Plus the Sword and Shield story is filled with plenty of laughs and intrigue! I would recommend Pokemon Sword and Shield for people of all ages. It's truly a WONDERFUL game!

  

Recently, I took a trip to Universal Studios Japan or USJ for short. I had a great time! I was born in Florida so I have taken many trips to the Universal Studios trip there but the Japanese one is slightly different. They have a ride called the "Flying Dinosaur" which was new to me. As for the other rides they're pretty much the same but they're in Japanese! I had a blast when I went there and I highly recommend others to check it out too!  

I went to Yamane park this weekend to look at fall leaves. It was beautiful! We explored the park, walked to some local shrines. I had a great time!


  

Being from Florida, I barely even know what cold weather is. The warmest clothes I had were jeans and a light sweater. There's just no reason to have anything warmer in Florida.

The weather here right now is already colder than it ever gets in Florida. I had some shopping to do but I had no idea what to buy when it comes to keeping warm. Thankfully, I made a friend who came with me to shop for winter clothes. She took me to Uniqlo and I told her "just play dress up with me, I'll go with whatever you say" !

I was able to buy a decent amount of warmer clothes but the checkout counter at Uniqlo blew my mind! We get to the counter, put all the clothes in a basket space, and the register automatically scanned all the clothes in less than a second. My mouth was gaped open during the whole checkout, mind = blown   

The recent temperature drop has been a welcomed surprise. As a native Floridian, I have grown accustomed to balmy, tropical weather during the Fall and Winter seasons. Though it may take a little adjusting, I welcome cooler weather and the opportunity to wear Winter gear and actually "feel" .like it's the season. Let's see how I feel in about a month...Bundle up!   

I'm slowly shaking off the final chains of a nasty cold. Yesterday I started to feel a little more like my old self again. I was able to complete my daily errands with much more pep in my step. I felt comforted by the cool breeze outside. I even took a moment to pause and gaze at the surrounding mountains. After mountain gazing, I went towards a nearby pond and tried to spot a fish or two.

Once I returned home, I laid on the sofa and let out a sigh of relief. I had only ran a handful of errands but my body felt like I had conquered a huge obstacle course. It was a small victory but it felt good! I'm overjoyed to end the weekday in better health. I'll keep celebrating every little bit of progress my body makes! Thank goodness for small victories!
  

Finally, all the flooring is done! It took a couple extra weeks, due to some delays, but it is done.

Unfortunately, I've been really busy all week, so I've only moved about half the stuff back in. It's been good moving everything around. Normally it is very difficult to deep clean with all my stuff in there.

Next, on to the dining room. I've been pretty lax since this floor thing started and it needs some attention.