ネイティブが教える英会話のジェムスクール☆Teachers☆

I can't get enough of the anime entitled Haikyu!! I find myself running to my TV to rewatch episodes after work. Haikyu!! is a story about a boys volleyball team. The characters in the story have such a passion for the game and the writing is beautifully paced! Haikyu!! has even made me tear up on more than one occasion! I don't want to spoil it so I will describe it vaguely. There is this scene with one of the main characters and he is dealing with tremendous odds. While going through these odds it is apparent that he is on his own and has never really received support from others. Seeing him continue to press on despite his hurdles made me cry like a baby. Besides the emotional factor, I also love Haikyu!! because it's teaching me how to play volleyball! I'm learning a lot of volleyball terms and find myself inspired to play! I'd recommend Haikyu!! to anyone interested in an anime with well-developed characters and a lot of heart!

  

I use to love sports. I mean really love them. For as long as I can remember I was obsessed with American Football. Not just a fan like some people, but I knew about professional, semi-professional, international, collegiate... pretty much any and all topics.

In 1992, I became equally obsessed with the Olympics, thanks mostly to the Dream Team. From there I began to enjoy Ice Hockey, because of the Winter Olympics. The FIFA 98 video game was my gateway to Soccer. Then I also discovered the joy of Rugby and Cricket.

My life was full of sports, but then it faded away. Now, as the biggest sports day in America approaches, I realize how little interest remains. I still follow my favorite Rugby Team on Facebook, and occasionally I check on the Soccer clubs I support, but that is the limit.  

Kobe Bryant, aged 41, died in a helicopter crash on Jan 27th. His daughter, aged 13, died also. I don't even know how to wrap my head around it. I have an uneasy feeling, like somehow this is a false report, or it was his long lost twin with a daughter who looks similar, or just anyway for me to deny the reality of this tragic, tragic news that is the route I'm going to take.

When Kobe blasted onto the scene I was perhaps in 8th grade or first year of highschool, and to hear an athlete was so amazing at basketball that he could get into the NBA (National Basketball Association in the US) straight from HS was unheard of to me. I admired him because of that, and ok, of course I thought he was super cute. And the fact he was fluent in Italian, that's just bonus points right there!

Anyway, putting away my foolishness, to be honest he will be missed beyond measure. He was a legend of my generation, and even afer he retired from basketball he was moving towards acting and I would've loved to see how he could shine at that.

RIP(aradise) Kobe and his sweet daughter Gianna aka Gigi. May you both rest well.  

For about 2 weeks straight, I have heard a "sound car" driving around Kanonji. It doesn't sound like any other car I've heard before. For one thing, it's playing Jpop!

I've been asking around, but no one knows who is singing the songs. I saw the car for a moment (it's white with speakers on it) but I don't know what it's for.

Last Friday, I was listening intently to the music. I suddenly found myself walking out the door and to the street. I looked for the car and recorded the music. The car plays two songs.

I used the app called Shazam. Shazam recognizes music and tells you information. It told me that it thinks the singer is Yamazaru. I searched for him on the internet, but he hasn't done anything new in 8 months. I may have found one of the songs (I REALLY like it!) but I have to buy the mp3 to be sure. There was no connection with him and Kanonji.

So what is going on? Is it just a fan with a loud car? Is Yamazaru about to do something new? IS the song from Yamazaru?

What a mystery

  

I love animals, so therefore if there is a zoo near me, I will go! Shirotori Zoo here in Kagawa definitely did not disappoint.

It is unlike any zoo I have been to as it encourages animal feeding and interaction! I was in my glory! The cutest little monkey jumped right onto my lap and let me feed him! The elephant opened his mouth wide, asking for food and a pet! This is never done in a traditional zoo! Of course, the zoo provided a bucket full of food for a small price. There were giraffes and deer to feed too....I could go on and on. Hundreds of adorable little chicks to pet. Snakes and tarantulas too, but I kept my distance from those! There was a house full of the most beautiful cats. You could just spend time in the "Cat House" and play as long as you like! There were animal shows. While I was there, I saw the dog show. I love all animals, but dogs are my favorite so this was a treat. In fact, I stayed long after the show and watched the girl that trained them continue to play with them. She has such a love for the dogs, that it's no wonder they will do anything for her!

If you love animals, I highly recommend a day here! It is small, but so friendly, personable and interactive, you won't want to leave! Another "GEM" here in Kagawa!!




  

As I've posted before, my father-in-law has a green thumb. When he is not tending to his herb garden and fruit trees, he is taking care of his animals. What animals live and roam on my father-in-law's acres? For one, he has an assortment of energetic chickens! They looked so healthy and happy. So when my father-in-law asked me to help him pick up eggs I didn't say no! I even had the honor of trying fresh eggs. I couldn't believe how incredible it was! I've always said I wanted to have fruit trees but maybe I need to own a few chickens too! One day!
  

When I went back to America this break, I brought back my PS4. Recently I've been playing different Japanese games and its been a fun learning experience! I think the best way to learn a language is through fun activities and games are one of them! Make sure to try it out yourself!  

I am getting married this week! I'm really excited! In just two days I'll be married.
  

"Whats Mochi? Do you know what that is?"

"It's that ice cream stuff.."

"Oh, sure"

I saw this ice cream box at the grocery store over Christmas. It looked super duper yummy and I really wanted to try it. On a flight half-way on my trip I asked someone what Mochi was and it seems people all know about it, but they might not know what it is. It was tasty, all the same.


What's your favorite mistake?

  

When I first moved to Japan I met a foreigners group. They're a group of english teachers, and people who mostly speak english in Japan. In the group I met a Japanese native who really liked to play guitar, and he invited me to play music with him sometime. For the past couple of weeks we've been playing guitar almost every weekend. He asked me, "Why didn't you bring your guitar from America?" I explained that I didn't feel comfortable with my guitar being shipped overseas and he understood.

But within the next month I'll have to buy a guitar. In my room in America I have 7 guitars. I usually play guitar everyday unless I'm on vacation, so the feeling of being without a guitar in Japan is taking a toll on me. Playing air guitar in my room can only last me for so long.   

This year I've been working on small goals. Little goals that can be done in a short span of time. Examples: Reading a new book by your favorite author, writing a poem, going to a nearby museum, etc. I find when I make a small list of things to get done... I get more done! Plus I find when I write something down the universe just conspires to help me. As soon as I write a small goal down I've seen my dedication to complete the task triple! Since I can be forgetful, I sporadically check my list every couple of months too. It helps me stay focused! Gentle reminders are always helpful when trying to accomplish goals. No pressure or stress, I just try my best! I hope you've found this post to be helpful. May everyone achieve their dreams this year. You can do it!   

One of my favorite dishes to cook in the U.S. was Shakshuka. Shakshuka's is said to be of North African origins and is popular across North Africa and the Middle East .The recipe varies slightly based on personal preferences. My favorite recipe consists of tomatoes, Cumin, onion, and pinch of sugar, bell pepper , cilantro and other herbs and spices-- sauteed in olive oil, the topped with Feta cheese and egg; the mixture is simmered until reduced to a rich flavorful dish that can be served with Naan, Pita, or rice. Since moving to Japan, my daughter would often talk about how much she missed my Shashuka. I was finally able to find all of the ingredients, much to her delight. After taking the first bite, we were both reminded of how much we love this dish and how much we've missed having it. From the Middle East to the U.S. to Japan, Shakshuka is one of our favorite comfort foods anywhere in the world!


  

Something I wasn't really prepared for is losing people you idolized...to age related issues. Actors and singers have a kind of immortality. The harsh truth doesn't hit you until many years later. In your mind they stay the same age as you remember, and then they succumb to an illness that is associated with advanced age.

'But he couldn't be more than...Oh wait, that was 20 (or 30, or 40, or 50) years ago'. A surprising number of the people I looked up to as a kid, faded from the public life, so they seem to die very suddenly. Even though I can relive their glory days, I'm still filled with a sadness knowing that is all that is left.

For my most recent departed hero.

"He's not the Messiah. He's a very naughty boy!"
- Terry Jones  

Remember when being a millenial was all the rage? All the fashion, fads, ideas, magazines, movies and ads were skewed to draw you in and include YOUR generation and no one else? That is if you are born, according to the Google (yes "the" Google) anytime between 1981-1996 apparently. Now it is all about the iGeneration/GenZ aka Post-Millenials. The idea of a whole generation that may not have ever seen a CD or DVD kinda freaks me out!

Anyway my niece back in Toronto was born in 2001, so yes, we sometimes have moment where I have to say to myself "ohhh you have NO CLUE what I mean by that do you...?" Which conversation turns into a language lesson even though our native tongue is English. at least I used to think so. She had some homework for her Spanish class one day and since I'm pretty decent at espanol, I often help her out. She emailed me the article and I asked her where/what she was having trouble with. Then without hesitation she said "Auntie, I have no idea what an eBay is!" OMG, 'an eBay' has to be the highlight of my week!

All this to say, the generations are quickly changing. The kids who had the kids who are going to have the kids who look at the internet strangely will be here before you know it. Better get your language together as you may not even know how to talk to them! Yes, even about Game of Thrones - that is an all out travesty. Sigh.  

The bus tour in Okinawa helped my friend and I get out to see famous places. That was good, because it was our last full day in Okinawa. What was not good, was that the tour guide wouldn't stop talking....ever.

From the second we sat down on the bus (at 9am), the tour guide had been speaking into her microphone. Sometimes she made jokes, sometimes she interviewed the bus. Sometimes she even burst into song. We began to wonder if her jaw hurt from so much talking. She never gave anyone time to breathe.

When we were out, she was also talking, even though I could just read about somethings myself. I begin to get a headache whenever we were on the bus too long. My friend couldn't stop laughing in disbelief.

It got REALLY bad when the tour was over. It was dark, it was about 5pm, and we had 1-2 hour journey back by bus. I thought "surely, she'll be done speaking." Everyone was tired and wanted to relax.

No!

The tour guide women proceeded to talk about EVERY restaurant and shop in the shoutengai. She also took out some goods and paraded them around like a flight stewardess.

What an exhausting bus tour.   

This is a great beach not far from Takamatsu. The park is called Kinrin Park, traditionally known as Tsuda no Matsubara, which means 'the Pine Groves of Tsuda". There are 3,000 pine trees and some of the pines are centuries old and are considered sacred. It was given the title of one of the top 100 beaches in Japan back in the 1980s. There are information points in English which tell you more about the interesting history.

Since I discovered this beach in January, I need to now visit it in July! However, the bonus is that it is still beautiful and relaxing even now- and not crowded. And because the weather is a little chilly, I recommend a visit to the nearby udon noodles restaurant when you're there! Of course, they still have ice cream too!! The beach is 10 mins walk away from Tsuda train station.
  

Hello all! Growing up in Queens New York, I would often go out and walk for hours around my neighborhood. I'd listen to music and not go anywhere specific. I would walk around with just my thoughts. I found myself in that exact situation this past Sunday. It was a beautiful day to go for a quick stroll around picture-esque Kanonji. I am grateful my journey abroad has lead me to Kagawa Prefecture. As I've posted before, Kanonji is a beautiful town with a lot of places to get lost in your thoughts.  

Strawberry season is starting and all the supermarkets are starting to sell strawberries. But, they are quite expensive for strawberries! In America you can get a pound of strawberries for around $4 or 400yen. Here in Japan that gets you around 9 strawberries maybe less. Why so expensive? It probably has to do with the taste. Strawberries in Japan are so sweet and not a hint of sour meanwhile in America the Strawberries are quite sour.


  

Have you heard of the beach near Mitoyo, teachers? It's called Chichibuga hama. The kangi for it means mother and father, but I'm never been told why.

I had a lovely evening there. There's a local burger shop and a really nice coffee tent a guy set up. He lights fires near the place for you to keep warm.

I talked with a local and her daughter about the place 20 years ago. Instagram changed the place into a tourist hotspot. Now every sunset is filled with cameras and people doing funny poses. She was excited to have people come, but I could hear some disappointment that it would never be like it was before the internet.

Today I was the shoobie. Everyone is a outsider at first.

A cyclist was resting in the coffee shop's shack watching the sunset. I shared a donut with him and I told him to come to the California cost to ride. He had come from the mainland across that huge bridge near Matsuyama. As he was leaving he asked for the best udon in Takamatsu. You know I set him up right.

What's your favorite secret?

Joe

  

My new food fascination is fluffy pancakes. Traditional pancakes in the U.S are very delicious, however, they pale in comparison to fluffy pancakes in size and presentation. In the U.S., pancakes could be considered a comfort food, and sign of going the "extra mile" for loved ones when prepare from "scratch and not a pre-made pancake mix. Fluffy pancakes come in several varieties. The most enticing things about them are their fluffy texture and jiggly movement when shaken. The fluffy, airy nature of these pancakes make them easy to consume with the feeling of heaviness that often results after eating too many traditional pancakes. I lanticipate discovering my favorite as I try different flavors. Oh, how I look forward to that!