ネイティブが教える英会話のジェムスクール☆Teachers☆

This month, my friends and I spent the day at Kiri no Mori. We got lunch sets with matcha soba, went to the river to skip stones and dip our toes in the freezing water, fed some birds, and went back to the cafe for matcha daifuku and matcha drinks. Everything was so delicious- I'm so glad to be in a place where I can have so many incredible matcha dishes!

  

I love udon and tempura. They compliment each other so well. Kanonji has some great udon shops. This was from Umajiya!  

I recently participated in a Women's Mikoshi festival where me and a bunch of other amazing women carried a shrine around Matsuyama's Dogo area. It was rainy and really heavy but it was a lot of fun!
  

I recently decided to make some tomato basil soup at home to have a nice warm meal for lunch. I used a large pot and added olive oil and butter. Then I added diced onions, minced garlic, 2-3 cans of diced or cut tomatoes. Lastly, I added chicken broth, heavy cream, salt and pepper, and minced basil (fresh is better if you can get it in season).

I heated up the pot, stirred for a few minutes, and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Then I paired the soup with a grilled cheese sandwich. It was a very tasty meal. This soup recipe is easy to make, and all ingredients are available at the supermarkets here in Japan. If you are hungry, give it a try!
  

In America, there are many different types of beautiful spring flowers to enjoy. Two of these are daffodils and buttercups. I grew up calling these flowers by their correct names. But when I moved down south, I was shocked to hear some people calling the daffodil flowers by the name of buttercups! I couldn't believe that some people were so ignorant about the common flowers they saw all the time. So I'm teaching you the difference now so you won't be misinformed.

This is a daffodil. They come in several different sizes, and are usually yellow or white. (What do the incorrect people call a white daffodil, I wonder?)


This is a buttercup. They are a very small wildflower. They are shaped like a cup and always yellow. Their petals are very shiny, which makes it look like they were dipped in butter. That's where they get their name from. A very old custom is to hold a buttercup flower under your chin and ask, "Do I like butter?" If the flower's shiny petals reflect yellow light onto your chin, then the answer is yes! But really, who doesn't like butter?


Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.  

Look at these wonderful strawberries! My friends visited a strawberry farm in Saijo. The last time they went, they picked the strawberries. This time though, they were too scared of the bees. The best ones are the black strawberries. They are not picked and are very rare and popular. They taste amazing! I was so happy my friends could share them with me.   

Me gusta comer la comida Mexicana. -- I enjoy eating Mexican food! I had the chance to eat a tasty burrito and taquito prepared by a food truck that recently visited a Niihama shopping center. One of my teaching colleagues graciously informed me that a Mexican food truck would be in the area this past weekend. It was an opportunity I just couldn't allow to pass by!

When I arrived at the shopping center Sunday afternoon, 5 or 6 food trucks were aligned neatly in a semi-circle in the shopping center's parking lot. The trucks opened up efficiently and allowed for walk-up orders to go, and one could even sit at the eating tables set-up inside the semi-circle. I ordered the chicken burrito, along with a smaller size taquito. As the cook prepared my order, I couldn't resist talking with her. She worked alone with no assistant. She said she was based in Matsuyama and came to Niihama to test the market. Her English was excellent as she had lived in Toronto, Canada for a few years. I assumed this was where she learned how to prepare Mexican food. She named her food truck 'Django' after the movie which she liked a lot. She was very kind and didn't mind me pestering her with questions as she prepared my burrito and taquito.

The burrito was exquisitely delicious! As I bit into the large burrito, the taste of the flour tortilla along with the rice, chicken and spices just melted in my mouth. I ate it in half the time it took me to wait for it! I literally wolfed it down and could have gone for another. Maybe I will in Matsuyama when I have the chance to go there!

  

I went to Asahiyama in Mitoyo for hanami! I was STUNNED! The scenery was breathtaking. It was my first time seeing cherry blossoms. It was an experience I'll never forget.

Have you been Asahiyama?  

I taught my first Pre School class today! The kids did an amazing job, and it was a ton of fun! I was really nervous at first, but I think it ended up going well! I'm looking forward to going back next month!  

Jogging is a popular form of exercise that has many benefits for both physical and mental health. It's a simple and accessible activity that can be done almost anywhere, making it a great choice for beginners and experienced athletes alike.

Regular jogging can help strengthen your heart and lungs, reducing your risk of heart disease and other health problems. It's also a great way to burn calories and lose weight, making it a popular choice for people looking to get in shape.

Jogging can also have a positive impact on mental health. It's a great way to reduce stress and anxiety, and can even help improve your mood and boost your energy levels. Many people find that jogging is a great way to clear their mind and focus on their goals.

To get started with jogging, all you need is a good pair of running shoes and some comfortable clothes. You can start with short, easy runs and gradually increase your distance and speed over time. It's also important to warm up before your run and stretch afterwards to prevent injury.

Overall, jogging is a great way to improve your physical and mental health. With a little dedication and effort, you can enjoy the many benefits of this simple and effective form of exercise.  

It’s been sunny this weekend and it looks like it will keep warming up! I’m excited for the sun! Do you have any warm weather plans?


  

Like many other people, I absolutely love the vending machine culture in Japan. It is seriously next level and it's nice to know that wherever I go in Japan, I'll never be in danger of a dry throat. The other day I was walking to cafe when I stumbled across this salad dressing vending machine. Genius! Should I take the plunge and buy a salad dressing??

  

I love learning about the different characters in Anpanman and joking with the kids about it! There are so many characters and, no matter if my students like the show or not, they all know their names. It's so much fun!  

If any of you know me, you know I enjoy playing video games! Well I finally got a Playstation 5 and have been having a lot of fun playing it! What are your favorite games?
  

In Japan, desserts were being made for centuries well before processed sugar was made widely available. Many desserts commonly available in Japan can be traced back for hundreds of years to both local Japanese and foreign types of desserts.

Japanese desserts or sweets are typically called wagashi. They are made using items such as mochi and red bean past – without the processed sugar. There are so many types of desserts in Japan for people who enjoy the taste of sweetness. Cake shops, bakeries, supermarkets, specialty stores, and more are loaded with a variety of desserts to sample.

Japan is a country with so much variety when it comes to food. Dessert is no exception. There is so much to choose from, it is difficult sometimes to decide what you want to eat. Still, if you have a sweet tooth, then Japan might be the place for you to be!
  

The sakura trees blossoming in Japan at the beginning of the month were beautiful! But when I was a kid in America I always looked forward to seeing the dogwood trees bloom. We had three dogwood trees in our front yard. I especially liked them because they always bloomed right in time for my birthday! I think they are so pretty. Our dogwood trees had white flowers, like these, but some dogwood trees have pink flowers.



Do they have dogwood trees in Japan? Have you seen one?
  

As mentioned in one of my prior blogs, I can use the internet to stay up to date on some sporting results half a world away. With the exception of a few things, there is very little I miss about being in the States, but professional sports is one of them. Now is the time for professional basketball and baseball to take center stage. The baseball season has just started but, unfortunately, my favorite team has started out slowly. The positive, high expectations of the pre-season have given way to the brutal reality of the real season so far. Baseball is a 162 game season though, so there is still time for my team to turn things around. I'll keep my fingers crossed!

The real excitement for me is with the NBA now, as the post-season playoffs are just starting. The storylines are dynamic and totally unpredictable with injuries, underachievement, over-achievement, consistencies, and inconsistencies dominating the headlines as each playoff team vies to move on to the next round. It is also always interesting to listen to and watch provocative and eloquent NBA analysts online, like Stephen A. Smith, who comment on the trials and tribulations of players and teams in the playoffs as each round unfolds.

The next month and a half should provide plenty of interest.



  

I went to Chichibugahama! It was BREATHTAKING! The sunset there combined with the sound and smell of the sea just can't be beat. I truly enjoyed coming here.
Have you been to Chichibugahama?  

I found these books in the children's section of a bookstore. I think the illustrations are absolutely terrifying. I couldn't bring myself to open the book after I took a picture. I would never show this book to young kids!


I was impressed with this book though. It's an encyclopedia showing all of the animals, fish, and bugs featured in Animal Crossing! It's a great idea. I loved that game so much.   

(The day for our lovely April 20th events draws near- if you like shooting stars and haven't checked out the post on the Lyrids, go read it instead!)
At 5:30 this morning, the streets are silent, the river is glassy still, and the sky is gray with a dash of muted orange. In school, I was told that molecules in the air sort light like a prism to color the sky blue. When the sun is low in the sky, its light has to pass through more of the atmosphere than it does during the day, allowing the red light to reach our eyes. But the sun is the same height in the sky when it rises as it is when it sets- so why aren't they the same color?
Lots of people would object that the sunrise is "peaceful" or "subtle" and not "boring", but there's no denying that next the bright and vibrant reds, pinks and oranges of a sunset, this photo looks like it's been washed over with white paint.
The reason has a lot to do with the wind, or lack thereof. You can see how the surface of the water looks just like a mirror. This side of the Earth's surface has been cooling off all night, causing the wind to die. Unless a storm is coming, all the tiny particles the wind will pick up during the day have settled to the ground. Without them, all that white light can reach our eyes, making the sky look, well, white.