ネイティブが教える英会話のジェムスクール☆Teachers☆

EASIER SAID THAN DONE

The idiom "easier said than done" means that something is simpler to talk about or propose than it is to actually carry out. It's used when a task or idea sounds feasible but is likely to be difficult or impossible to execute in reality. Essentially, it highlights the difference between the theoretical ease of something and the practical challenges involved



EXAMPLES

This is easier said than done, and may be contrary to company rules.

One's natural instinct is to get the invaders out, but it is much easier said than done.




HISTORY

The phrase, in its earliest form, "It is easyer to saye than to do," appeared in a translation of Terentius Afer's Vulgaria in 1483. This form was later adopted by John Heywood in his book of proverbs in 1546, and the modern version evolved by the 19th century.   

I tried Indian food again for the first time in a while and it was delicious!
  

On my recent trip to Seoul I went out for a walk and stumbled upon this beautiful little river. It was super nice and it was such a lovely day!
  

Taipei Station was first built around 1897 with Japanese and Chinese cooperation during the period of Japanese rule of the island. The current Taipei Metro was opened at the station in the late 1980s.

There is even a high-speed rail similar to the Japanese Bullet Train that quickly takes you to other parts of the island. It is very convenient. Also, there is a post office and a money exchange located in the station.

The station has many layers below the surface lined with restaurants and shops. There is no need to leave the station if you do not want to, since most everything you need or want is right there! It is great place to wander around, shop, and eat!!
  

Of course, you can't talk about board games in America without thinking of Monopoly. I feel like this is the default "board game" of my generation, and most people my age are probably a little tired of it! It's not really that fun of a game for kids, but somehow we still ended up playing it all the time.



I feel like everyone in America has probably played this game multiple times, but I don't know if many people have actually ever finished a game? I think I might've actually finished a game of it once. It's just such an awfully long game! This is another game that they have made many versions of, but usually I don't think the changes really add much fun at all...  

One of the first things that I bought in Shikoku was a pen. I found a customizable kind that I loved. I like how colorful it makes all of my paperwork. Over time, I have bought several more pens. I have decorated them with my nail polish!
I used to buy my pen refills at stationery stores. Nowadays I can buy them at Daiso or the drugstore. For some strange reason, I can't buy purple! I see red, orange, green, blue, pink, and black! Who doesn't love a purple pen?  

My friend and I had the chance to go on a tour of Takayama and Shirakawago. It was a wonderful bus tour where we got to walk the streets of Takayama to try its Hida beef and to top it off we ate matcha and salted caramel soft serve. After this stop, we ventured to Shirakawago, where we took in the amazing sight of its historical thatched-roof houses in the valley of the mountains. We bought some souvenirs to take back with us.





  

Hello everyone, Benson here. How is everyone? I hope you are all doing well. I think May has been interesting, it’s showing signs that summer is just around the corner.

May is that beautiful balance between spring and summer. The days are warm, but not yet too hot. The air is fresh, not yet thick with humidity. It’s the time when you start thinking about summer plans—lazy afternoons, ice-cold drinks, and time spent outdoors. There’s an excitement in the air, an unspoken feeling that long, golden days are just around the corner. I love this in-between season, where we get the best of both worlds—spring’s energy and summer’s promise. Until next time, take care everyone.


  

Hello Everyone! It's Teacher Bear with another blog just for you!


This weekend, we found ourselves surrounded by absolute beauty. A beauty that can only be described as angelic, and a smell that fills your emotions with such delight. It's rose season in all of its glory, so if you have time, go smell heaven on earth.










  

I feel like its been ages since I sat down and just read a book all day! I try and read a least a little every week, but between work, seeing my friends and boyfriend, and my other hobbies; I haven't been able to just sit down with some music playing to read. I have a few books I got for Christmas that I really want to read, but I need to re-read the books in the series that came first before I read the new ones to refresh my memory. I think I'll need to just pick a day in the next few weeks to tell everyone that I'm not answering my phone, and have a reading marathon. Maybe sometime in June, especially if it starts to get really hot soon, taking a stack of books to sit on the beach all day sounds like a great plan for lots of weekends in the summer!  

Loquat season (biwa) has quietly arrived in Kagawa, and if you blink, you might miss it—or get handed a bag of them by a mysterious obaachan who simply nods and vanishes.

These small, golden-orange fruits are like the introverts of the produce world: sweet, subtle, and gone before you realize you’ve eaten five. Their soft, juicy flesh tastes like a mix between apricot, mango, and sunshine—nature’s reward for making it through cedar pollen season.

Loquats are everywhere right now: at local markets, in roadside boxes with handwritten signs (“100 yen, take 5”), or dangling from your neighbor’s tree, daring you to reach over the fence like a fruit ninja.

Enjoy them while you can. Because by June, they’ll disappear as quietly as they arrived, leaving only pits—and maybe a mild fruit hangover—in their wake.

  

Wherever I go, I always seem to run into interesting rocks. Be it on the side of the road, at a shrine, or during a hiking trip. I think it's funny and cool that people like to decorate rocks. During my first trip to Mount Ishizuchi, I ran into this cool cat rock. I thought it was so funny and cute. There have been other places in Niihama where I see rocks with faces and stick arms too. Maybe I'll decorate a rock too!  

During our time in Korea, me and my friends spent some time (and some money) diving into the world of blind boxes. Blind boxes are also quite popular in Japan, but Seoul happens to have a lot of PopMart locations, which is a popular blind box store. What is a blind box? A blind box is a box that you buy that has a character inside, but you don`t know which character you will get. It`s kind of similar to gachapon! My friends bought soooo many blind boxes because there was a specific character that they wanted to get, but I got it on the first try. Do you have good luck with gachapon or blind boxes??  

EASY DOES IT

"Easy does it" is an idiom meaning to do something slowly and carefully, emphasizing a gentle approach, especially when dealing with fragile or awkward objects or situations. It's not about calming someone down, but rather instructing them to proceed with caution



EXAMPLES

"Easy does it, that vase is fragile!"

"Easy does it, slow down on the motorbike!"



HISTORY

The phrase's origin is somewhat unclear, but it's likely a colloquial expression that has evolved over time to convey the message of caution and gentleness.   

I love finding new restaurants to try, especially if they have some sort of spicy ramen options or challenge!
  

I ate a wonderful cafe/restaurant in Seoul where I got this delicious sandwich called a Jamon Fromage. Its a french sandwich with ham, cheese, pickles, and mustard. It was so delicious and I want to eat it again!
  

Shaved ice is a popular dessert in Taiwan. The ice is a combination of shaved ice and milk that gives the dessert a creamy and fluffy texture. The taste is so delicious with a multitude of flavors to choose from, that you will likely want to try more than one.

There are many shops located in and around Taipei, the country’s capital. If you ever visit, give it a try!
  

Here's a board game that's a lot older than I thought it was! The Game of Life was originally created in 1860. Back then it was a very different board game than the one we are familiar with now! It had some similarities, but it was a lot closer to the game Chutes and Ladders. The version of the Game of Life that we would recognize today was made in 1960. Every few years they make new versions of this game, so the changes between versions are interesting to see.



I think just about everyone in America probably played this game when they were a kid, and it's popular in Japan too! I guess everyone wants to have a happy life   

I went to Tokyo to see my favorite Kpop group ONEUS! They have a new Japanese song called Time Machine. Elizabeth and I were in the center row again, but a little far away. The boys played lots of silly games and it was a lot of fun.

My favorite member was not there, which was too bad. We all miss him a lot and I can't wait to see him next year. I hope ONEUS had fun in Japan!  

I had the chance to catch up with a friend that I hadn't seen in years and she also lives in Nagoya so it was very convenient for us to meet up. I remember when we used to talk on Skype all the time after I'd return from my travel to Japan. I'm so grateful to have her in my life and see how much she has grown into a wonderful person.