ネイティブが教える英会話のジェムスクール☆Teachers☆

Recently I went to Tokushima and went to a Yokai Festival! It was really small but really fun and best of all, I was able to go up into the mountains and get this beautiful picture of Yoshino River.  

In Japan, there are a few types of brooms that they use to sweep up debris – both inside and outside the house. I recently bought a Japanese broom to sweep up my house. The type of broom is called Katsunosuke Yamamoto.

The broom was hand-made and has hemp fibers. It is very easy to use and leaves a smooth finish on the floor when finished. It is also good for sweeping tatami mats.

I really enjoy my new broom. It helps to keep my house clean!
  

Here's something you can make as a treat for the birds that live around your house. It's a homemade bird feeder!

You use a fun shaped cookie cutter to cut a shape out of the bread. Then you cover the shape with peanut butter. You can stick lots of birdseed to the peanut butter.

This is the bird feeder my daughter made.



If you tie it up in a tree, the birds will come and have a feast!

Do you like to watch the birds around your house?

  

I really like lizards! When one was running across the floor of my classroom, everyone was screaming. I caught it and put it outside. I wanted to hold it, but he was too fast and scared. The staff thought I was a hero! But I'm no hero. I've jumped and freaked out over a bug running fast, or even a mouse. I don't know why lizards are not a problem though. I had small lizards and an iguana before. I think they're cute and interesting.   

Welcome back for another adventure here in Kagawa!

This time, my adventure was PokaPoka in Takamatsu.

When I tell you I love onsen, I really do. I have gone to about 5 onsen now, but PokaPoka has been my favorite so far.
The reason being: huge, hot floors, a resting area with a bunch of manga and magazines, a tv in the outdoor part of the onsen, the sauna is huge, the ice cream is delightful, etc.

Just don’t go on the weekend because it gets PACKED.


I love onsen. What about you?  

One of the most admirable characteristics of the Japanese here in Japan is their driving politeness. They never, or hardly ever, drive aggressively with safety being first and foremost, and they will politely defer to those drivers that need to make a turn onto a crowded street. Road rage simply doesn't exist thankfully. If you look at a parking lot, one can see how most drivers take the time to back in to their spot instead of being in a parking rush just to get into the store, as if the merchandise is going to get up and walk out!

Relax and enjoy the drive!  

Last weekend, I had the chance to check out the Shikoku Aquarium. It was AMAZING!!! I had such a wonderful time, the dolphin show was spectacular! I loved seeing all the different sea creatures up close. I think my favorite animals to see were the penguins! They're so cute! I definitely want to go back again in the future!  

In a world full of challenges and uncertainties, it's essential to embrace the power of positive thinking. A positive mindset not only improves your overall well-being but also helps you navigate through difficult times with resilience and optimism. By focusing on the good in every situation and replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, you can create a brighter future for yourself. Remember, positivity is contagious, so spread it wherever you go!  

In the spring, Matsuyama holds a festival with mikoshi that is carried by the women! I got invited to participate in the women's festival this year and it was really cool. We were dressed up in traditional gear, learned all the calls and commands for manning the mikoshi, and spent the day parading it all around the streets of Matsuyama. It was a little difficult and a little rainy, but it felt really special to be able to partake in this rare and wonderful event.   

I'm having a baby! And it's going to be a baby girl!

We decided on a name. In Filipino culture you get two first names. Her name will be Hanabi (花火) Hope. We wanted her first name to be something Japanese because my wife and I met in Japan. My wife thought Hanabi was a good name, because fireworks are beautiful, so we decided to name her Hanabi and I suggested Hope as her second first name because we were really hoping for a baby girl. So Hanabi Hope will be her name. I really love her name, I think it's cute!


I'm really excited to finally share this with all of you! thanks for reading! :)

  

One of the last stops on my trip was Yufuin. It was about an hour bus ride from Beppu, but the wait was worth it because it was so beautiful and amazing! I went to the onsen and ate lots of great food!  

I went to a restaurant/café in Takamatsu with a friend recently. It was close by Ritsurin Park. The restaurant is small, and has a pleasant look of a café, and the food was delicious.

You order your main dish of beef, chicken, or pork, and then you can go to the salad bar to get various local vegetables, soups, breads, drinks, and desserts. All included in the meal. The cost was around 2,000 yen.

The atmosphere is calm and relaxing, and the service is wonderful. A great place to go to relax with family, friends, or whomever, and to enjoy a reasonably priced and tasty meal!
  

Now that summer is here, lots of fruits are becoming ripe. It's a good time to make a fruit pizza!



A fruit pizza isn't a real pizza. You take a circle of watermelon (instead of a pizza crust) and cover it with your favorite kind of jam (instead of tomato sauce). Then you add whatever fruit you like on top! It's pretty tasty!

Of course, this kind of thing is easier to make in America, where fruit isn't as expensive. But if you find some cheaper fruit sometime, you can make this too! What kinds of fruit would you put on a fruit pizza?
  

For my birthday, Kat-sensei and I baked cookies! I was surprised to see her use pancake mix instead of flour. I was also surprised that it was so easy! We used a cake pan. The cookie-cake was delicious, and I loved my purple candle. Even the flame is purple! How did they do that?  

Hello friends!

I went to Oita, in Kyushu!! WOW IT WAS FANTASTIC. It truly is the best place for onsen and lightly fried chicken.

The hotel I stayed at was particularly beautiful, because the onsen was at the 20th floor with a spectacular view of Oita City.

I will DEFINITELY go back soon!


Have you gone to Oita?   

I had planned a bike ride for the Shimanami Kaido for this spring or summer. However, the length of the ride ( one-day minimum) and its difficulty in terms of hills to climb with just my 5-speed bike, has had me searching for a more suitable alternative.

One such alternative would be a trip from Niihama to Imabari along Highway 13, which is close to the coast and scenic. It would also be a 3-5 hour bike ride, or just a half-day.. I could enjoy the sites of Imabari and bike back to Niihama the next day.

This would seem to be more suitable for my biking needs.  

As mentioned in my prior blogs, following sports in the USA, such my favorites in MLB, NBA, and the NFL, can be easily and conveniently done online.

Recently, the NBA playoffs finally concluded with the NBA Finals being won for the first time by the Denver franchise called the Nuggets. The Nuggets have been in the NBA since 1976, as they were absorbed into the NBA though the ABA-NBA merger 46 years ago. 46 years is a long time to wait to be a winner. By comparison, the Lakers and the Celtics have already won 17 championships each. This year though, the Nuggets were led by a 6'11" Serbia center named Nikola Jokovic (The Joker), and they were not to be denied. Congrats to them! The NBA draft is coming, and this year promises to bring more interesting trades and free agent signings.

The other Joker from Serbia - Novak Djokovic, won the French Open and now has the most Grand Slam victories of all time. Congrats!

MLB is moving into the heart of their season for the next two months. Ohtani and Machida are doing well for their respective teams, but their is a lot of parity this year with no one team running away with their division. Baseball continues to bore as the hitters either hit homeruns or strikeout. Where are the line drive hitters - singles, doubles, triples, and hit and run strategies, along with the stolen base?

The NFL is in its off-season for now, and with no World Cup or Summer Olympics, this summer should be a pretty tame summer sports wise!

  

Tomorrow, June 20th, Venus will pass close to the waxing crescent moon When the moon is getting larger in the sky, it is called waning, and when it is getting larger, it is called waxing. When the moon is larger than half full, it is called a gibbous, and less than half is called a crescent.
. This June will be the best month is 2023 to see Venus, and It will get progressively brighter towards the end of June .Venus is known as the “first star” because it is often the first object visible in the sky after sunset. Venus is named after the roman goddess, also known as Aphrodite in Greek culture. She represented domestic peace and military victory.


  

Tonight June 20th, Venus will pass close to the waxing crescent moon When the moon is getting larger in the sky, it is called waning, and when it is getting larger, it is called waxing. When the moon is larger than half full, it is called a gibbous, and less than half is called a crescent.
. This June will be the best month is 2023 to see Venus, and It will get progressively brighter towards the end of June .Venus is known as the “first star” because it is often the first object visible in the sky after sunset. Venus is named after the roman goddess, also known as Aphrodite in Greek culture. She represented domestic peace and military victory.


  

I didn't realize how much time I spend on my computer and my phone until my internet connection went out last weekend! I spend so much time online watching shows, looking up places to go, playing games, and so many other things! When my internet went out, I didn't know what I was going to do while I was waiting to get it fixed, since so much of what I do relies on having a wifi connection to work properly! Luckily I have some great friends who offered to have me over for one evening to play a game (Thanks again Pamela and Nik!), and for the next day I was able to sit down and read three books throughout the day. It made me realize that I need to have at least one day a month where I disconnect from the internet. I highly recommend it!