Are you superstitious?
The reason I ask is because as most of you probably know, last Sunday was October 10, 2010 or 10/10/10 and for many people, they saw yesterday as a very special day and one that would bring them luck.
Similar to August 8, 2008 (08/08/08) and July 7, 2007 (07/07/07), there was a rush on for many people to get married, buy lottery tickets, and to just generally feel lucky.
I’m not someone who believes such things but there are many people who do. For example, there are many who believe the interpretation of the ancient Mayan calendar that the world will end on December 21, 2012. Some see it as a sign of positive transformation and others believe it is the “end of days” as told in the Bible.
I have heard these kinds of beliefs for many years and each time they come and go, the same people who predicted the end was near, seem to look for the new date they can begin to look forward to as the “new” end. For example, does anyone remember the Y2K bug? This was the date that many predicted was going to be the end of the world or at least the end to the Internet and the rest of our technological infrastructure. However, December 31st quietly turned into January 1st with very little commotion beyond the usual champagne and fireworks.
Some people believe in lucky numbers like 7 and 11 and others believe that the number 13 is equally unlucky. Some hotels and office buildings don’t have a 13th floor because some superstitious people may not feel comfortable living or working there. Incredible!
But there are more than just numerological superstitions. Some people always put their pants on right leg first, or vice versa. Some people can only sleep on the left side of the bed (or vice versa). Some people believe if they see a black cat, they will have bad luck. Again, incredible!
There are other common bad luck superstitions in the US, for example:
Broken mirrors
Ladders
Owls
Salt
Sparrows
And there are some good luck superstitions:
Horseshoes
Four leaf clovers
A rabbit's foot
An itchy palm
Wishbones
So, you probably already know my feelings about this so how about you? Are you superstitious? What kind of superstitions are there in Japanese culture? What kind of superstitions do you have in your life?
I will look forward to hearing your answers when we speak this week.
Be well,
This week's vocabularies:
superstitious
迷信を信じる
there was a rush on
あわてて行動を起こす
lottery
宝くじ
interpretation
解釈
ancient Mayan
古代マヤ人
positive transformation
ポジティブな変容
end of days
この世の終わり
bible
聖書
beliefs
信じられていること
come and go
出たり、消えたり
predict
予言する
Y2K bug
2000年問題
technological infrastructure
テクノロジーの基盤
commotion
動揺
equally unlucky
同じくらいアンラッキーな
Incredible!
信じられない！
numerological
数秘術的な
vice versa
逆の場合も同じ
broken mirrors
壊れた鏡
ladders
はしご
owl
ふくろう
sparrow
すずめ
horseshoe
馬蹄（ばてい）
four leaf clover
４つ葉のクローバー
a rabbit's foot
ウサギの後ろ足
itchy palm
かゆい手の平
wishbone
暢思（ちょうし）
pastedGraphic
2010/10/12
2010/10/05
後悔していることはありますか？
Do you have any regrets in life? Are there any times when you wonder what your life would have been like if you had made some different decisions or chosen a different path? Are there times when you have felt regret over a decision that you made? Or perhaps, do you regret not making a particular decision in your life?
Almost everyone I know (including myself, of course!) has made some poor choices or have made a regrettable decision. I think this is somewhat natural and I also believe that poor decisions or regrets are a great chance to learn life’s most valuable lessons. I have made many mistakes and have regretted some of them however, I know that all of my errors and missteps have brought me to where I am today.
The Irish poet, Oscar Wilde once said, “One's real life is often the life that one does not lead”(自らの意志で創りあげる人生よりも、ほとんどの場合、そうしてこなかったことの方が現実の人生となる）.
Do you think this is true for you?
And if you could go back in time, what, if anything, would you do differently?
I will look forward to your answers when we speak this week.
Take care,
Keith//
regret
後悔する／残念に思う
wonder
不思議に思う
choose a different path
違う道を選択する
particular
独自の
make a poor decision
（今となっては）良いと思えない決断をする
make a regrettable decision
後悔する決断をする
somewhat
いくぶんか
life’s most valuable lessons
人生で一番価値のある学び
error
間違い
missteps
誤り
Almost everyone I know (including myself, of course!) has made some poor choices or have made a regrettable decision. I think this is somewhat natural and I also believe that poor decisions or regrets are a great chance to learn life’s most valuable lessons. I have made many mistakes and have regretted some of them however, I know that all of my errors and missteps have brought me to where I am today.
The Irish poet, Oscar Wilde once said, “One's real life is often the life that one does not lead”(自らの意志で創りあげる人生よりも、ほとんどの場合、そうしてこなかったことの方が現実の人生となる）.
Do you think this is true for you?
And if you could go back in time, what, if anything, would you do differently?
I will look forward to your answers when we speak this week.
Take care,
Keith//
regret
後悔する／残念に思う
wonder
不思議に思う
choose a different path
違う道を選択する
particular
独自の
make a poor decision
（今となっては）良いと思えない決断をする
make a regrettable decision
後悔する決断をする
somewhat
いくぶんか
life’s most valuable lessons
人生で一番価値のある学び
error
間違い
missteps
誤り
2010/09/27
あなたは太り過ぎだと思いますか？
Last week, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released new statistics for the most overweight countries in the world. The most obese countries are as follows:
Mexico (69.5% of people are overweight)
America (68% of people are overweight)
New Zealand (62.6 of people are overweight)
Australia (61.4% of people are overweight)
United Kingdom (61.4% of people are overweight)
Ireland (61% of people are overweight)
Iceland (60.2% of people are overweight)
Canada (60% of people are overweight)
Chile (59.7% of people are overweight)
Greece (58.9% of people are overweight)
Slovenia (55.1% of people are overweight)
Luxembourg (54.8% of people are overweight)
Spain (54.8% of people are overweight)
(Japan and Korea tied for last with about 2% to 3% of people described as obese.)
This information was released just after another study that was done in America by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that said that only 23% of meals include a vegetable. The number of dinners prepared at home that included a salad was 17% (in 1994, it was 22%). And at restaurants, salads ordered as a main course at either lunch or dinner was only 5%.
Of course, eating vegetables alone cannot make someone slim, however, I believe that a variety of food is the key to a healthy diet. Of course, there are many
other factors that contribute to weight gain for example exercise or stress, but the fact remains that many people around the world are gaining weight like never before. Are you one of them? You can look at the chart on the left to calculate your ideal weight.
That brings me to this week’s question(s):
Do you think you are overweight? More importantly, do you believe you are healthy? How has your lifestyle and diet changed since you were younger? For example, do you eat the same kinds of food as when you were a kid? Do you exercise more or less than when you were younger? What are some of your bad habits regarding your diet?
I will look forward to hearing your answers when we speak this week.
Be well,
This week’s vocabulary:
released
公表された
statistics
統計
overweight
太り過ぎ
obese
過度の肥満
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
米国疾病対策センター
prepared
用意される
main course
メインコース
slim
ほっそりした
variety
多様な
key
手がかり
healthy diet
健康的なダイエット
factors
要因
contribute
寄与する
the fact remains
その事実は相変わらずである
like never before
かつてないほどの
calculate
計算する
lifestyle
ライフスタイル
bad habits
悪い習慣
Mexico (69.5% of people are overweight)
America (68% of people are overweight)
New Zealand (62.6 of people are overweight)
Australia (61.4% of people are overweight)
United Kingdom (61.4% of people are overweight)
Ireland (61% of people are overweight)
Iceland (60.2% of people are overweight)
Canada (60% of people are overweight)
Chile (59.7% of people are overweight)
Greece (58.9% of people are overweight)
Slovenia (55.1% of people are overweight)
Luxembourg (54.8% of people are overweight)
Spain (54.8% of people are overweight)
(Japan and Korea tied for last with about 2% to 3% of people described as obese.)
This information was released just after another study that was done in America by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that said that only 23% of meals include a vegetable. The number of dinners prepared at home that included a salad was 17% (in 1994, it was 22%). And at restaurants, salads ordered as a main course at either lunch or dinner was only 5%.
Of course, eating vegetables alone cannot make someone slim, however, I believe that a variety of food is the key to a healthy diet. Of course, there are many
other factors that contribute to weight gain for example exercise or stress, but the fact remains that many people around the world are gaining weight like never before. Are you one of them? You can look at the chart on the left to calculate your ideal weight.That brings me to this week’s question(s):
Do you think you are overweight? More importantly, do you believe you are healthy? How has your lifestyle and diet changed since you were younger? For example, do you eat the same kinds of food as when you were a kid? Do you exercise more or less than when you were younger? What are some of your bad habits regarding your diet?
I will look forward to hearing your answers when we speak this week.
Be well,
This week’s vocabulary:
released
公表された
statistics
統計
overweight
太り過ぎ
obese
過度の肥満
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
米国疾病対策センター
prepared
用意される
main course
メインコース
slim
ほっそりした
variety
多様な
key
手がかり
healthy diet
健康的なダイエット
factors
要因
contribute
寄与する
the fact remains
その事実は相変わらずである
like never before
かつてないほどの
calculate
計算する
lifestyle
ライフスタイル
bad habits
悪い習慣
2010/09/15
お金がいくらあれば幸せですか？
Please Note: I know that money and salary are slightly taboo topics so before we speak, I want you to know that during our classes this week, I do not want to know how much money you make, I simply want to talk about how much money would make you happy. OK, on to the question.
注釈：お金や収入について話題にあげることは、わずかながらタブーであることは理解していますので、このトピックについて話す前にわかっておいて頂きたいのは、レッスンで話すとき、あなたが今どれくらいの収入があるかを聞きたいのでなく、「どれくらいあればあなたは幸せだと感じるか？」について話し合えたらと思っています。よろしいでしょうか？それでは、本題に入ります。
How much money do you need to be happy? For most of us, there is a real connection between our happiness and the amount of money we make. But this week’s question is, how much money is enough—how much money do we really need to be happy?
Of course, if people don’t have enough money to eat or properly care for themselves or their families, they will not be happy. But the results of a new study that was conducted at Princeton University in the US concluded that for Americans, $75,000 dollars per year ( 6,316,365 Japanese Yen ) seems to be just enough to make someone happy.
The study showed that the lower someone’s annual income was below $75,000, the unhappier they felt. This seems quite obvious, however, the study also showed that when someone’s annual income was more than $75,000 they didn’t have a higher degree of happiness. In other words, even if someone makes for example $150,000 a year, they aren’t any happier on any given day than compared with someone who makes $75,000.
Now this is the tricky part. The authors of the study identified two kinds of happiness, 1) someone’s daily mood and general outlook in life and 2) someone’s true level of satisfaction with their life and their career. This study concluded that someone’s overall mood and general life outlook does not appear to change even though they make more than $75,000 per year.
So how about you? How much money can buy you happiness? Is there some amount that would make you happy? I will look forward to hearing your answers when we speak this week.
Be well and make lots of money!
Keith//
This week’s vocabulary:
connection
関係、つながり
properly
きちんと
results
結果
study
研究
conducted
実施した
concluded
結果を出した
seems
〜のようである
just enough
丁度十分な
annual income
年収
felt
感じた
obvious
明らか
degree
度合い
in other words
他の言葉で言うと、
on any given day
与えられた日
tricky
ややこしい
authors
筆者たち
identified
認識する
outlook in life
人生の展望
true level of satisfaction
真の満足レベル
注釈：お金や収入について話題にあげることは、わずかながらタブーであることは理解していますので、このトピックについて話す前にわかっておいて頂きたいのは、レッスンで話すとき、あなたが今どれくらいの収入があるかを聞きたいのでなく、「どれくらいあればあなたは幸せだと感じるか？」について話し合えたらと思っています。よろしいでしょうか？それでは、本題に入ります。
How much money do you need to be happy? For most of us, there is a real connection between our happiness and the amount of money we make. But this week’s question is, how much money is enough—how much money do we really need to be happy?
Of course, if people don’t have enough money to eat or properly care for themselves or their families, they will not be happy. But the results of a new study that was conducted at Princeton University in the US concluded that for Americans, $75,000 dollars per year ( 6,316,365 Japanese Yen ) seems to be just enough to make someone happy.
The study showed that the lower someone’s annual income was below $75,000, the unhappier they felt. This seems quite obvious, however, the study also showed that when someone’s annual income was more than $75,000 they didn’t have a higher degree of happiness. In other words, even if someone makes for example $150,000 a year, they aren’t any happier on any given day than compared with someone who makes $75,000.
Now this is the tricky part. The authors of the study identified two kinds of happiness, 1) someone’s daily mood and general outlook in life and 2) someone’s true level of satisfaction with their life and their career. This study concluded that someone’s overall mood and general life outlook does not appear to change even though they make more than $75,000 per year.
So how about you? How much money can buy you happiness? Is there some amount that would make you happy? I will look forward to hearing your answers when we speak this week.
Be well and make lots of money!
Keith//
This week’s vocabulary:
connection
関係、つながり
properly
きちんと
results
結果
study
研究
conducted
実施した
concluded
結果を出した
seems
〜のようである
just enough
丁度十分な
annual income
年収
felt
感じた
obvious
明らか
degree
度合い
in other words
他の言葉で言うと、
on any given day
与えられた日
tricky
ややこしい
authors
筆者たち
identified
認識する
outlook in life
人生の展望
true level of satisfaction
真の満足レベル
2010/09/07
「尻に敷く」人は誰？
Title：「尻に敷く」人は誰？
There is an English expression to describe the dominant member of a family or the dominant person in a relationship. We say that person, “wears the pants.”
The phrase came from a time when men typically were the leaders of a house and when women usually wore dresses, not pants.
In my family when I was younger, my father “wore the pants.” Whenever a big decision needed to be made, my father was the one who made it. My mother made many everyday decisions but in the end, it was always my father who made final decisions and the person in charge of discipline.
I think it is safe to say that regarding discipline, all of my brothers and sisters feared my father. At times, my mother was strict but she usually was softhearted and understanding. However, my father was quite the opposite: when I did something wrong, I knew that my father would discipline me.
Now that I am married, I try to have a marriage that is equal—where both my wife and I make decisions based on our best interests. It sometimes works and sometimes fails but we do the best we can!
So, who wears that pants in your family or in your relationship? And when you were younger, who wore that pants in your family?
I will look forward to speaking to you about your answers this week.
Keith//
This week’s vocabulary:
expression
言い回し
describe
表現する
dominant
権力を持つ
wears the pants
「尻に敷く」
a time when...
...の時代
typically
通常は
in the end
最後は
in charge of
〜を任されている（管理している）
discipline
躾
it is safe to say...
...と言ったほう無難である
fear (someone or something)
恐れる
strict
厳しい
softhearted
やさしい
understanding
理解ある
quite the opposite
全く正反対
based on our best interests
お互いにとって一番利になることを基本にして
we do the best we can
お互いにベストを尽くす
There is an English expression to describe the dominant member of a family or the dominant person in a relationship. We say that person, “wears the pants.”
The phrase came from a time when men typically were the leaders of a house and when women usually wore dresses, not pants.
In my family when I was younger, my father “wore the pants.” Whenever a big decision needed to be made, my father was the one who made it. My mother made many everyday decisions but in the end, it was always my father who made final decisions and the person in charge of discipline.
I think it is safe to say that regarding discipline, all of my brothers and sisters feared my father. At times, my mother was strict but she usually was softhearted and understanding. However, my father was quite the opposite: when I did something wrong, I knew that my father would discipline me.
Now that I am married, I try to have a marriage that is equal—where both my wife and I make decisions based on our best interests. It sometimes works and sometimes fails but we do the best we can!
So, who wears that pants in your family or in your relationship? And when you were younger, who wore that pants in your family?
I will look forward to speaking to you about your answers this week.
Keith//
This week’s vocabulary:
expression
言い回し
describe
表現する
dominant
権力を持つ
wears the pants
「尻に敷く」
a time when...
...の時代
typically
通常は
in the end
最後は
in charge of
〜を任されている（管理している）
discipline
躾
it is safe to say...
...と言ったほう無難である
fear (someone or something)
恐れる
strict
厳しい
softhearted
やさしい
understanding
理解ある
quite the opposite
全く正反対
based on our best interests
お互いにとって一番利になることを基本にして
we do the best we can
お互いにベストを尽くす
2010/08/24
人生で一番大切なものは？そして、足りないと感じているものは？
This week, let’s discuss two main questions: 1) What are the things that are most important in your life and 2) what, if anything, is missing in your life?
I was thinking about this question after I read a news story about a family that just returned to the US after a 7-year journey around the world on their 43 foot (13 meter) sailboat.
In 2001, Tom and Kathy Crafton were a successful couple living in Alaska with their three children. They both had good jobs but they said they felt like something was missing in their lives. So after taking sailing lessons, they sold their home in Alaska and and most of their belongings and left on a journey with no timeline and no destination. They didn’t know how long they would be gone and they didn’t really care. They said they did it because they wanted to be closer as a family and they wanted to find happiness and adventure.
All in all, they traveled to 23 different countries and sailed over 48,000 kilometers. And now that they are back in the US, they said they feel like life has a different meaning. They said they now appreciate life and their family more and that their journey gave them the opportunity to slow down. They said they miss the adventure but they are forever changed by their journey.
If you want to see a video of their story, please click this video link. （最初の１５秒はコマーシャルが流れます。）
So how about you? What is important to you? Is there anything missing in your life? And if there is something missing, how can you get it? I will look forward to hearing your answers when we speak this week.
Keith//
This week’s vocabulary:
What is missing in your life
人生で何か足りないか？
journey
旅
sailboat
ヨット
belongings
所有物
timeline
タイムライン
destination
行く先/目的地
life has a different meaning
人生が（今までとは）違う意味を持つ
appreciate
感謝する
opportunity
機会
slow down
スピードダウンする
they are forever changed by their journey
彼らは、その旅によって、永遠に変わってしまった。
I was thinking about this question after I read a news story about a family that just returned to the US after a 7-year journey around the world on their 43 foot (13 meter) sailboat.
In 2001, Tom and Kathy Crafton were a successful couple living in Alaska with their three children. They both had good jobs but they said they felt like something was missing in their lives. So after taking sailing lessons, they sold their home in Alaska and and most of their belongings and left on a journey with no timeline and no destination. They didn’t know how long they would be gone and they didn’t really care. They said they did it because they wanted to be closer as a family and they wanted to find happiness and adventure.
All in all, they traveled to 23 different countries and sailed over 48,000 kilometers. And now that they are back in the US, they said they feel like life has a different meaning. They said they now appreciate life and their family more and that their journey gave them the opportunity to slow down. They said they miss the adventure but they are forever changed by their journey.
If you want to see a video of their story, please click this video link. （最初の１５秒はコマーシャルが流れます。）
So how about you? What is important to you? Is there anything missing in your life? And if there is something missing, how can you get it? I will look forward to hearing your answers when we speak this week.
Keith//
This week’s vocabulary:
What is missing in your life
人生で何か足りないか？
journey
旅
sailboat
ヨット
belongings
所有物
timeline
タイムライン
destination
行く先/目的地
life has a different meaning
人生が（今までとは）違う意味を持つ
appreciate
感謝する
opportunity
機会
slow down
スピードダウンする
they are forever changed by their journey
彼らは、その旅によって、永遠に変わってしまった。
2010/08/17
お盆をどのように過しますか？
I took a little break from the weekly question last week because so many students took an O-Bon holiday. But now I am back to work and ready for the dog days of summer.
So let’s start our conversations this week with a few simple questions about O-Bon.
What did you do for the O-Bon holiday?
Do you do the same thing every year?
Do you or does your family follow some traditions for O-Bon?
Do you or does your family eat, drink or do anything special for O-Bon?
Last Saturday, my wife and I went to her hometown and paid our respects to her ancestors. We went to different cemeteries and prayed at the graves of her mother’s side of the family as well as her father’s. In addition to praying at the ancestor’s graves, we also visited the graves of various friends and acquaintances that played important parts in the lives of my wife’s family.
For my wife’s family, like most Japanese families, it is an annual custom to visit the cemetery and pray to and for our ancestors. And in my wife’s family, it is also part of their custom to visit other relatives’ houses in order to pray at their family altars, especially if someone in that family has died in the last year.
After we return from the cemetery, it is customary to eat my mother-in-law’s home-made breakfast, talk and share some laughs. This year, my mother-in-law made black rockfish, rice, pickles, grilled abalone, salad and fresh sliced peaches.
How about you? I will look forward to hearing about your O-bon holiday when we speak next.
This week’s vocabularies:
take a break
休みを取る
O-bon
お盆
dog days of summer
夏中で一番暑い時期
tradition
伝統、慣習
pay respects
敬意を払う
ancestors
先祖
cemetery
墓地
pray
祈る
mother’s side of the family
母方の家族
father’s side of the family
父方の家族
grave
お墓
acquaintances
知り合い
custom
習慣
family altar
仏壇
black rockfish
めばる（魚）
pickles
漬け物
abalone
あわび
So let’s start our conversations this week with a few simple questions about O-Bon.
What did you do for the O-Bon holiday?
Do you do the same thing every year?
Do you or does your family follow some traditions for O-Bon?
Do you or does your family eat, drink or do anything special for O-Bon?
Last Saturday, my wife and I went to her hometown and paid our respects to her ancestors. We went to different cemeteries and prayed at the graves of her mother’s side of the family as well as her father’s. In addition to praying at the ancestor’s graves, we also visited the graves of various friends and acquaintances that played important parts in the lives of my wife’s family.
For my wife’s family, like most Japanese families, it is an annual custom to visit the cemetery and pray to and for our ancestors. And in my wife’s family, it is also part of their custom to visit other relatives’ houses in order to pray at their family altars, especially if someone in that family has died in the last year.
After we return from the cemetery, it is customary to eat my mother-in-law’s home-made breakfast, talk and share some laughs. This year, my mother-in-law made black rockfish, rice, pickles, grilled abalone, salad and fresh sliced peaches.
How about you? I will look forward to hearing about your O-bon holiday when we speak next.
This week’s vocabularies:
take a break
休みを取る
O-bon
お盆
dog days of summer
夏中で一番暑い時期
tradition
伝統、慣習
pay respects
敬意を払う
ancestors
先祖
cemetery
墓地
pray
祈る
mother’s side of the family
母方の家族
father’s side of the family
父方の家族
grave
お墓
acquaintances
知り合い
custom
習慣
family altar
仏壇
black rockfish
めばる（魚）
pickles
漬け物
abalone
あわび
2010/08/03
”ジャパニーズ・ドリーム”は何？
This week, let’s talk about something called the “American Dream”, the stereotypical ideal life and lifestyle in America. Then, let’s talk about what is the “Japanese Dream” for most Japanese (if there is one)?
The phrase "American Dream" was coined in 1931 by an American writer named James Adams in his book, The Epic of America. Part of what Adams wrote was that the “American Dream” was, "a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement...It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position." （アメリカンドリームとは、誰にでも、成功への機会は、均等に与えられており、人種や性別、社会的地位に関係なく、勤勉と努力によって、成功を勝ち取ることが出来るものとされている、アメリカ合衆国における成功の概念。最近では、アメリカン・ドリームと言うと、物質的所有を成功の象徴としているが、元々は、社会平等である理想の国づくりを目指したところにあった概念であった。）
When America was founded, this was the American Dream but certainly after World War II, during the baby boom, I believe the American Dream changed to mean something much different, something that has been more about material goods rather than wanting to live in a country where all people are treated equally.
Since the end of WWII, the most common stereotypical image of the American Dream has been:
A big house with a white picket fence
A beautiful wife (for a man) or a handsome husband with a good paying job (for a woman)
Two kids (a boy and a girl)
Two cars
A dog
And enough money to keep up with the Joneses.
Now of course, this is a stereotypical image of America and Americans but this stereotype has been the norm for the last 60 years or so. That popular view is changing with the next generation and as is often the case, when there is a fundamental change in society, there is usually tension, disagreement and often anger. This is where America is today—fighting over the direction of the future of America.
So my question is; Is there a Japanese equivalent of the American Dream in Japanese society? What is the typical dream for families in Japan? What was it for your parent’s generation? How about the next generation? Would you fight to keep the dream the way it is? And what is your “Japanese Dream”?
I will look forward to hearing your thoughts and opinions when we speak next.
Keith//
Vocabularies:
American Dream
アメリカンドリーム
（米国建国の理想）
stereotypical
ステレオタイプの
ideal
理想
coin
（語句を）新しくつくる
founded
建国された
baby boom
ベピーブーム
material goods
物質的な所有物
white picket fence
白い杭のフェンス
keep up with the Joneses
隣人たちと張り合う
（例えば、誰かが新しい車を買ったら、それに後れを取らないように自分達も新しい車を買うといった行為に関して使う表現）
fundamental
根底となる
tension
緊張感
disagreement
意見の相違
equivalent
同等のもの
The phrase "American Dream" was coined in 1931 by an American writer named James Adams in his book, The Epic of America. Part of what Adams wrote was that the “American Dream” was, "a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement...It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position." （アメリカンドリームとは、誰にでも、成功への機会は、均等に与えられており、人種や性別、社会的地位に関係なく、勤勉と努力によって、成功を勝ち取ることが出来るものとされている、アメリカ合衆国における成功の概念。最近では、アメリカン・ドリームと言うと、物質的所有を成功の象徴としているが、元々は、社会平等である理想の国づくりを目指したところにあった概念であった。）
When America was founded, this was the American Dream but certainly after World War II, during the baby boom, I believe the American Dream changed to mean something much different, something that has been more about material goods rather than wanting to live in a country where all people are treated equally.
Since the end of WWII, the most common stereotypical image of the American Dream has been:
A big house with a white picket fenceA beautiful wife (for a man) or a handsome husband with a good paying job (for a woman)
Two kids (a boy and a girl)
Two cars
A dog
And enough money to keep up with the Joneses.
Now of course, this is a stereotypical image of America and Americans but this stereotype has been the norm for the last 60 years or so. That popular view is changing with the next generation and as is often the case, when there is a fundamental change in society, there is usually tension, disagreement and often anger. This is where America is today—fighting over the direction of the future of America.
So my question is; Is there a Japanese equivalent of the American Dream in Japanese society? What is the typical dream for families in Japan? What was it for your parent’s generation? How about the next generation? Would you fight to keep the dream the way it is? And what is your “Japanese Dream”?
I will look forward to hearing your thoughts and opinions when we speak next.
Keith//
Vocabularies:
American Dream
アメリカンドリーム
（米国建国の理想）
stereotypical
ステレオタイプの
ideal
理想
coin
（語句を）新しくつくる
founded
建国された
baby boom
ベピーブーム
material goods
物質的な所有物
white picket fence
白い杭のフェンス
keep up with the Joneses
隣人たちと張り合う
（例えば、誰かが新しい車を買ったら、それに後れを取らないように自分達も新しい車を買うといった行為に関して使う表現）
fundamental
根底となる
tension
緊張感
disagreement
意見の相違
equivalent
同等のもの
2010/08/01
他国の文化からあなたが学んだことは？
In this week’s question, I wonder what (if anything) you have learned from others, specifically, other cultures.
As for me...
Since I first traveled to Japan, I feel very fortunate about my personal perspective: I have been able to see America from the outside looking in and I have been able to be an outsider on the inside of Japan. And the one part about living in Japan that has been the most fascinating to me is the subtlety of the culture and the people. Of course not always, but more often than not, the methodical and reserved disposition is the norm in Japan and perhaps that is why I feel a little more comfortable living here in Ise City than I ever have in the US.
Being an American and especially in my house, since I grew up with 7 brothers and sisters, I learned from a very young age that usually the person who is loudest, usually gets what he or she wants. That idea seems to be quite opposite of life in Japan. And even though here are many things that American boldness and daring has brought the world, for me, when there is too much of it, it makes me feel a little uneasy. Living in Japan gives me a sense of calmness that I cannot always find when living in America.
So how about you? What are some things (if anything) that you have learned from other cultures you have been exposed to?
I will look forward to hearing your answers when we speak next.
Keith//
specifically
特に
fortunate
運が良い（恵まれている）
personal perspective
個人的な視点
from the outside looking in
外側から覗く
an outsider on the inside of Japan
日本の中の部外者
fascinating
惹き付けられる
subtlety
繊細さ
methodical
几帳面さ
reserved disposition is the norm
控えめな姿勢が平均的である
the person who is loudest, usually gets what he or she wants
声を一番上げる人が、通常ほしいものを得る
boldness
図太さ
daring
大胆さ
uneasy
落ち着かない
As for me...
Since I first traveled to Japan, I feel very fortunate about my personal perspective: I have been able to see America from the outside looking in and I have been able to be an outsider on the inside of Japan. And the one part about living in Japan that has been the most fascinating to me is the subtlety of the culture and the people. Of course not always, but more often than not, the methodical and reserved disposition is the norm in Japan and perhaps that is why I feel a little more comfortable living here in Ise City than I ever have in the US.
Being an American and especially in my house, since I grew up with 7 brothers and sisters, I learned from a very young age that usually the person who is loudest, usually gets what he or she wants. That idea seems to be quite opposite of life in Japan. And even though here are many things that American boldness and daring has brought the world, for me, when there is too much of it, it makes me feel a little uneasy. Living in Japan gives me a sense of calmness that I cannot always find when living in America.
So how about you? What are some things (if anything) that you have learned from other cultures you have been exposed to?
I will look forward to hearing your answers when we speak next.
Keith//
specifically
特に
fortunate
運が良い（恵まれている）
personal perspective
個人的な視点
from the outside looking in
外側から覗く
an outsider on the inside of Japan
日本の中の部外者
fascinating
惹き付けられる
subtlety
繊細さ
methodical
几帳面さ
reserved disposition is the norm
控えめな姿勢が平均的である
the person who is loudest, usually gets what he or she wants
声を一番上げる人が、通常ほしいものを得る
boldness
図太さ
daring
大胆さ
uneasy
落ち着かない
2010/07/20
公の場での愛情表現について
Do you ever engage in any kind of a PDA?
What kind of PDAs, if any, are acceptable to you?
What kind of PDAs are acceptable in Japan?
How about when you were younger—were any kind of PDAs acceptable in Japan?
How does it make you feel when you see a PDA at a park or in the train?
A PDA, or public display of affection, is a physical expression of love or affection for someone while in public. Some simple examples that you might see in Japan are holding hands, kissing, cuddling, hugging or declarations of love (saying, “I love you”, etc.).
In general, I feel that in America, people are more tolerant of PDAs than in Japan. Although most people aren’t comfortable being around people engaging in a PDA, I feel I see it more often while I am in America.
I, like most people, am not comfortable around someone passionately kissing or groping but I have no problem with a couple holding hands, hugging or even when they are expressing their love in words. With all of the anger and violence in this world, it is sometimes nice to see two people happy and in love.
There are times when my wife and I engage in a PDA—for example, we sometimes hold hands when we are at a park or on a walk along the river but we also feel there is a time, place and occasion (TPO) for everything.
We normally wouldn’t hug or kiss in public, but if we were leaving each other at a train station or airport, for example, we might give each other a short hug or even a peck on the cheek, but never more than that. We understand that a small hug or kiss on the cheek might make others feel a little uncomfortable, but our desire to express our feelings sometimes outweigh our concern for others.
How about you? What are your feelings about PDAs for yourself, your family or Japanese society?
I will look forward to hearing your thoughts when we speak this week.
Be well,
This week’s vocabularies:
engage in
関わる
PDA
公の場での愛情表現
acceptable
受け入れられる
physical expression of love
愛情の身体表現
affection
愛情
public
公
holding hands
手をつなぐ
cuddling
抱擁する
declaration of love
愛の告白
in general
一般的に
tolerant
寛大に
passionately kissing
情熱的なキス
groping
身体をまさぐる
TPO
ティーピーオー（Time, Place, Occasion)
a peck on the cheek
頬に軽くキス
outweigh
．．．に勝る
What kind of PDAs, if any, are acceptable to you?
What kind of PDAs are acceptable in Japan?
How about when you were younger—were any kind of PDAs acceptable in Japan?
How does it make you feel when you see a PDA at a park or in the train?
A PDA, or public display of affection, is a physical expression of love or affection for someone while in public. Some simple examples that you might see in Japan are holding hands, kissing, cuddling, hugging or declarations of love (saying, “I love you”, etc.).
In general, I feel that in America, people are more tolerant of PDAs than in Japan. Although most people aren’t comfortable being around people engaging in a PDA, I feel I see it more often while I am in America.
I, like most people, am not comfortable around someone passionately kissing or groping but I have no problem with a couple holding hands, hugging or even when they are expressing their love in words. With all of the anger and violence in this world, it is sometimes nice to see two people happy and in love.
There are times when my wife and I engage in a PDA—for example, we sometimes hold hands when we are at a park or on a walk along the river but we also feel there is a time, place and occasion (TPO) for everything.
We normally wouldn’t hug or kiss in public, but if we were leaving each other at a train station or airport, for example, we might give each other a short hug or even a peck on the cheek, but never more than that. We understand that a small hug or kiss on the cheek might make others feel a little uncomfortable, but our desire to express our feelings sometimes outweigh our concern for others.
How about you? What are your feelings about PDAs for yourself, your family or Japanese society?
I will look forward to hearing your thoughts when we speak this week.
Be well,
This week’s vocabularies:
engage in
関わる
PDA
公の場での愛情表現
acceptable
受け入れられる
physical expression of love
愛情の身体表現
affection
愛情
public
公
holding hands
手をつなぐ
cuddling
抱擁する
declaration of love
愛の告白
in general
一般的に
tolerant
寛大に
passionately kissing
情熱的なキス
groping
身体をまさぐる
TPO
ティーピーオー（Time, Place, Occasion)
a peck on the cheek
頬に軽くキス
outweigh
．．．に勝る
2010/07/13
人生で一番のケガや病気は？
I was in the doctor’s office last week and I was thinking about the different injuries and illnesses I have had in my life and was a little bit surprised after I made a list. There are some people who have never had any injuries or illnesses but I am not one of them! I have had a handful of different illnesses and injuries but I actually consider myself pretty lucky—I am pretty healthy compared to some people I know!
So that brings us to this week’s question:
What are some injuries or medical problems you have had in your lifetime? And what is the worst injury or sickness you’ve had?
My answer:
I have had several broken bones but none since moving to Ise (knock on wood!). For example, I broke my arm, my ankle, my wrist, a few fingers, my thumb and I broke my back a few years ago. I have had stitches on my head, face, hands, and legs. I’ve had a concussion and I got knocked out once when I was a kid. If you want to know how I got these injuries, ask me during class!
As for other medical problems, I used to have high blood pressure when I was a kid. I used to have really serious food allergies, even though most of them have subsided in recent years. I also have a bunion on my right foot and I have flat feet!
Probably the most serious injury I've ever had was when I got knocked out while playing baseball when I was an elementary school student. I got hit in the mouth with a bat one day in gym class and got my front tooth knocked out and stitches in my lip. As my dentist can tell you, I am still suffering from that injury almost 30 years later!!!
So how about you? Have you had any injuries or medical problems in your lifetime? If yes, let’s discuss them when we speak to each other next.
Have a great week and be careful—don’t get injured before class!
Keith//
This week’s vocabularies:
injury
けが
illness
病気
handful
手に余るほど
knock on wood
そうなりませんように．．．（木をたたくと悪を払い除くことができる、という迷信から来ている言葉）
concussion
脳しんとう
knock out
意識を失う
high blood pressure
高血圧
food allergies
食アレルギー
subside
治まる
in recent years
近年では
bunion
足の親指の付け根の部分の骨（腱膜瘤-けんまくりゅう）
flat feet
扁平足
suffer
病む／苦しむ
So that brings us to this week’s question:
What are some injuries or medical problems you have had in your lifetime? And what is the worst injury or sickness you’ve had?
My answer:
I have had several broken bones but none since moving to Ise (knock on wood!). For example, I broke my arm, my ankle, my wrist, a few fingers, my thumb and I broke my back a few years ago. I have had stitches on my head, face, hands, and legs. I’ve had a concussion and I got knocked out once when I was a kid. If you want to know how I got these injuries, ask me during class!
As for other medical problems, I used to have high blood pressure when I was a kid. I used to have really serious food allergies, even though most of them have subsided in recent years. I also have a bunion on my right foot and I have flat feet!
Probably the most serious injury I've ever had was when I got knocked out while playing baseball when I was an elementary school student. I got hit in the mouth with a bat one day in gym class and got my front tooth knocked out and stitches in my lip. As my dentist can tell you, I am still suffering from that injury almost 30 years later!!!
So how about you? Have you had any injuries or medical problems in your lifetime? If yes, let’s discuss them when we speak to each other next.
Have a great week and be careful—don’t get injured before class!
Keith//
This week’s vocabularies:
injury
けが
illness
病気
handful
手に余るほど
knock on wood
そうなりませんように．．．（木をたたくと悪を払い除くことができる、という迷信から来ている言葉）
concussion
脳しんとう
knock out
意識を失う
high blood pressure
高血圧
food allergies
食アレルギー
subside
治まる
in recent years
近年では
bunion
足の親指の付け根の部分の骨（腱膜瘤-けんまくりゅう）
flat feet
扁平足
suffer
病む／苦しむ
2010/06/27
自分に影響を与えた先生は誰ですか？
Please check the vocabulary below.
This week’s question:
Whether it was in pre-school, elementary school, junior high school, senior high school or university, who was your favorite teacher? What subject did they teach and what impact did they have on your life?
My answer:
I have had many good teachers in my life but there are a few that really stand out. The first was Ms. Woog, my kindergarten teacher. She was always cheerful and exciting and she always made me feel safe. I will always remember one day when my dog “Noche” followed me to school. When I told Noche to go home, he didn’t listen to me, he only wagged his tail. So when Ms. Woog saw me, she let me take Noche inside to play with the students. Then she called my mother and asked her to pick Noche up. So, my class got to play with my dog until my mother picked him up. I thought that was really cool when I was 5 and a half years old.
When I was in 4th grade elementary student, Mrs. Doreau taught me about weather, geography and physical science. She always made her classes fun and exciting. I didn’t know I was learning—I thought I was just having fun—what a great teacher! To this day, I still can look up at the the sky and identify what kind of clouds I am looking at, all thanks to her.
Next, is my Mr. Callanan, one of my high school English literature teachers. He taught me about Shakespeare, Greek tragedies, and the power of the English language. He was always passionate about English and even more passionate about his students.
And finally, when I was 20 years old and somewhat directionless in university, spending more time partying and having fun with my friends, I met Professor Keen. And soon after I met Professor Keen, my life changed. After looking at my grades and hearing my story, he frankly told me that I had to stop having so much fun and start working harder. He taught me to focus on what was beyond the textbooks and to focus on what I was passionate about. He taught me more about life than science and for that I will be eternally grateful.
How about you? Who were some of your favorite teachers and what did they teach you?
I will look forward to hearing from you.
Be well,
Keith//
This week's vocabularies:
subject
（教科の）科目
impact
影響を与える
stand out
目立つ/印象に強く残る
kindergarten
幼稚園
wag his tail
しっぽを振る
weather
天気
geography
地理学
physical science
自然科学
identify
見分ける
clouds
雲
all thanks to her
全ては彼女のおかげ
Shakespeare
シェークスピア
Greek tragedies
ギリシャ悲劇
directionless
目標がない
partying
パーティに行く
grades
成績
frankly
率直に
beyond the textbooks
教科書に書いてある内容を越えて
eternally grateful
永遠に感謝する
This week’s question:
Whether it was in pre-school, elementary school, junior high school, senior high school or university, who was your favorite teacher? What subject did they teach and what impact did they have on your life?
My answer:
I have had many good teachers in my life but there are a few that really stand out. The first was Ms. Woog, my kindergarten teacher. She was always cheerful and exciting and she always made me feel safe. I will always remember one day when my dog “Noche” followed me to school. When I told Noche to go home, he didn’t listen to me, he only wagged his tail. So when Ms. Woog saw me, she let me take Noche inside to play with the students. Then she called my mother and asked her to pick Noche up. So, my class got to play with my dog until my mother picked him up. I thought that was really cool when I was 5 and a half years old.
When I was in 4th grade elementary student, Mrs. Doreau taught me about weather, geography and physical science. She always made her classes fun and exciting. I didn’t know I was learning—I thought I was just having fun—what a great teacher! To this day, I still can look up at the the sky and identify what kind of clouds I am looking at, all thanks to her.
Next, is my Mr. Callanan, one of my high school English literature teachers. He taught me about Shakespeare, Greek tragedies, and the power of the English language. He was always passionate about English and even more passionate about his students.
And finally, when I was 20 years old and somewhat directionless in university, spending more time partying and having fun with my friends, I met Professor Keen. And soon after I met Professor Keen, my life changed. After looking at my grades and hearing my story, he frankly told me that I had to stop having so much fun and start working harder. He taught me to focus on what was beyond the textbooks and to focus on what I was passionate about. He taught me more about life than science and for that I will be eternally grateful.
How about you? Who were some of your favorite teachers and what did they teach you?
I will look forward to hearing from you.
Be well,
Keith//
This week's vocabularies:
subject
（教科の）科目
impact
影響を与える
stand out
目立つ/印象に強く残る
kindergarten
幼稚園
wag his tail
しっぽを振る
weather
天気
geography
地理学
physical science
自然科学
identify
見分ける
clouds
雲
all thanks to her
全ては彼女のおかげ
Shakespeare
シェークスピア
Greek tragedies
ギリシャ悲劇
directionless
目標がない
partying
パーティに行く
grades
成績
frankly
率直に
beyond the textbooks
教科書に書いてある内容を越えて
eternally grateful
永遠に感謝する
2010/06/07
「黄金律」に従って生きていますか？
*太字の単語やフレーズは、今週のボキャブラリーです。この記事の最後に詳しい説明を載せています。
Growing up in my house, there were many rules. My parents always told me that I should be honest, share when I had enough, always ask before taking, and I should always be polite, especially to my elders. But the number one rule was always the “golden rule”. I remember my mother often telling me that I should always treat people with kindness and respect, even when they were unkind or disrespectful to me. My mother would ask me, “do you want people to be nice to you?” and of course I would answer, “Yes.” She would then say, “then you should always be kind and respectful to others.”
I remember it wasn’t always easy as a kid to follow the golden rule but as I got a little older, the golden rule was—and still is—the most important rule in my life. Whether it is a stranger I meet, my friends, my family or my wife, I always do my best to treat people with respect and kindness since that is how I want others to treat me.
How about you? Do you live by the golden rule? Also, what were some rules in your house when you were growing up?
I look forward to hearing your answers when we speak this week.
Be well.
Keith//
growing up
大人になる
...share when I had enough
充分に持っているときは、まわりにシェアする
always ask before taking...
自分の所有物でないものを借りたり、頂くときは、必ずその人に聞く
elders
先輩、年配の人や年上の人
golden rule
黄金律
treat people
（人を）扱う
unkind
不親切
disrespectful
無礼な
stranger
知らない人
Growing up in my house, there were many rules. My parents always told me that I should be honest, share when I had enough, always ask before taking, and I should always be polite, especially to my elders. But the number one rule was always the “golden rule”. I remember my mother often telling me that I should always treat people with kindness and respect, even when they were unkind or disrespectful to me. My mother would ask me, “do you want people to be nice to you?” and of course I would answer, “Yes.” She would then say, “then you should always be kind and respectful to others.”
I remember it wasn’t always easy as a kid to follow the golden rule but as I got a little older, the golden rule was—and still is—the most important rule in my life. Whether it is a stranger I meet, my friends, my family or my wife, I always do my best to treat people with respect and kindness since that is how I want others to treat me.
How about you? Do you live by the golden rule? Also, what were some rules in your house when you were growing up?
I look forward to hearing your answers when we speak this week.
Be well.
Keith//
growing up
大人になる
...share when I had enough
充分に持っているときは、まわりにシェアする
always ask before taking...
自分の所有物でないものを借りたり、頂くときは、必ずその人に聞く
elders
先輩、年配の人や年上の人
golden rule
黄金律
treat people
（人を）扱う
unkind
不親切
disrespectful
無礼な
stranger
知らない人
2010/06/01
今までに「ずる休み」をしたことはありますか？ もししたことがあるなら、そのことについて教えて下さい。
This week, I'm going to take it easy and play hooky from the weekly question!
今までに「ずる休み」をしたことはありますか？
Have you ever played hooky from something? If you have any comments or questions or would like to answer ANY of the questions from the past, please comment below. Thanks and I will see you all next week with a new question!
もししたことがあるなら、そのことについて教えて下さい。
Keith//
This week's vocabularies:
take it easy:
のんびりする. ▼take things easyともいう.
hooky:｟米略式｠学校のずる休み
play hooky｜ずる休みをする. ⇒TRUANT
今までに「ずる休み」をしたことはありますか？
Have you ever played hooky from something? If you have any comments or questions or would like to answer ANY of the questions from the past, please comment below. Thanks and I will see you all next week with a new question!
もししたことがあるなら、そのことについて教えて下さい。
Keith//
This week's vocabularies:
take it easy:
のんびりする. ▼take things easyともいう.
hooky:｟米略式｠学校のずる休み
play hooky｜ずる休みをする. ⇒TRUANT
2010/05/25
今の仕事に就いた理由は何ですか？
*太字の単語やフレーズは、今週のボキャブラリーです。この記事の最後に詳しい説明を載せています。
This week's question focuses on how and why you decided on your job.
My answer:
I decided to work as an independent English teacher because before working for myself, I worked in and around Tokyo for two different language schools, AEON and a smaller language school near Chiba City. And all the while I worked for someone else, I always wanted to do things my way. I wanted to teach what I thought was important. And I always wanted to have time to focus on individual students’ needs.
When I worked at other schools, I couldn’t do that because there were just too many students. At one point when I worked at AEON Ikebukuro in Tokyo, the school had over 1,200 students! I didn’t teach all of the students but I knew or taught most of them. And when I worked in Chiba, it was pretty much the same—there were many students but I couldn’t give them a lot of individual time because I was just too busy! On the bright side however, I got to meet MANY different kind of people. And that was VERY fun.
Some of the positives of being an independent English teacher are:
I can give students more personal attention
I can personalize lessons for students
I can teach face to face or I can teach via the Internet and SKYPE
I can get to know my students better than before.
Some of the negatives of being an English teacher...
NONE! (that is a diplomatic answer!)
How about you?
How and why did you decide to be a __________ ?
What are some positives of your work?
What are some negatives of your work?
I will look forward to speaking to you about them when we speak this week.
Be well and healthy,
Keith//
This week’s vocabulary:
decide
決める
independent
独立した
all the while
その間ずっと
pretty much the same
ほとんど同じ
on the bright side
良い点は、
personal attention
より個人的な配慮
via
経由、〜によって
diplomatic answer
そつのない答え
This week's question focuses on how and why you decided on your job.
My answer:
I decided to work as an independent English teacher because before working for myself, I worked in and around Tokyo for two different language schools, AEON and a smaller language school near Chiba City. And all the while I worked for someone else, I always wanted to do things my way. I wanted to teach what I thought was important. And I always wanted to have time to focus on individual students’ needs.
When I worked at other schools, I couldn’t do that because there were just too many students. At one point when I worked at AEON Ikebukuro in Tokyo, the school had over 1,200 students! I didn’t teach all of the students but I knew or taught most of them. And when I worked in Chiba, it was pretty much the same—there were many students but I couldn’t give them a lot of individual time because I was just too busy! On the bright side however, I got to meet MANY different kind of people. And that was VERY fun.
Some of the positives of being an independent English teacher are:
I can give students more personal attention
I can personalize lessons for students
I can teach face to face or I can teach via the Internet and SKYPE
I can get to know my students better than before.
Some of the negatives of being an English teacher...
NONE! (that is a diplomatic answer!)
How about you?
How and why did you decide to be a __________ ?
What are some positives of your work?
What are some negatives of your work?
I will look forward to speaking to you about them when we speak this week.
Be well and healthy,
Keith//
This week’s vocabulary:
decide
決める
independent
独立した
all the while
その間ずっと
pretty much the same
ほとんど同じ
on the bright side
良い点は、
personal attention
より個人的な配慮
via
経由、〜によって
diplomatic answer
そつのない答え
2010/05/18
類似語を使いこなす
This week’s question focuses on using words with similar meanings. Hiroe and I were doing some work last week when we came across the word, “revere.” There are many words that are similar, but of course, each has a different nuance and are therefore, NOT THE SAME! Here are some of the words that are similar to “revere”:
admire someone (or something)
adore someone (or something)
idolize someone
respect someone (or something)
look up to someone (or something)
So that made me think. Who do I revere? Who do I admire, Who do I adore? Who do I idolize? Who do I respect and who do I look up to?
So in order to practice some similar English vocabulary, this week’s question is WHO or WHAT do you:
revere
admire
adore
idolize
respect
look up to
Let me see if I can explain more by giving you my answers.
I revere Martin Luther King, Jr. because of his courage and his commitment to nonviolent resistance even when he was faced with incredible hatred and violence.
I admire humility and selflessness. Only some people can have a world impact. However, I think that everyone can impact their part of the world by respecting others and helping people whenever we can.
I adore my wife Hiroe because of her inner and outer beauty, her sense of humor and her perpetual energy.
I idolize Elvis Presley because he was a one of a kind. And the greatest performer ever!
I respect Hiroe’s family’s work ethic. They are principled and always have their priorities in order.
I look up to my older brother Patrick because of his sense of honor and duty and his attitude about life. He never backs down from a challenge or hurdle in life.
So, how about you. Who or what are some things you revere, admire, adore, idolize, respect or look up to? I will look forward to hearing your thoughts when we speak this week.
Be well,
Keith//
This week’s vocabularies:
similar
類似した
came across
（偶然に）目にする、見つける
revere
崇敬する（崇めるという意味で、尊敬の最上位）
nuance
ニュアンス、微妙な意味合い
admire
立派であり、すばらしいと思う／感心するという意味の尊敬
adore
敬愛する／大好きである
idolize
熱中/心酔する
respect
敬意を払う（一般的に使われることが一番多い）
look up to
尊敬する（「見上げる」という意味から、年齢や立場が明らかに目上の人に対して使われることが多い）
nonviolent resistance
非暴力抵抗運動
faced with
面と向き合う
humility
謙虚さ
selflessness
無我の心
perpetual energy
絶えることのないエネルギー
one of a kind
この世に１つしかない
work ethic
仕事に対する倫理観
principled
主義に基づいた生き方
priorities in order.
優先順位にかなってやっている
duty
義務/責任
backs down
折れる/降参する
hurdle
ハードル/障害
admire someone (or something)
adore someone (or something)
idolize someone
respect someone (or something)
look up to someone (or something)
So that made me think. Who do I revere? Who do I admire, Who do I adore? Who do I idolize? Who do I respect and who do I look up to?
So in order to practice some similar English vocabulary, this week’s question is WHO or WHAT do you:
revere
admire
adore
idolize
respect
look up to
Let me see if I can explain more by giving you my answers.
I revere Martin Luther King, Jr. because of his courage and his commitment to nonviolent resistance even when he was faced with incredible hatred and violence.
I admire humility and selflessness. Only some people can have a world impact. However, I think that everyone can impact their part of the world by respecting others and helping people whenever we can.
I adore my wife Hiroe because of her inner and outer beauty, her sense of humor and her perpetual energy.
I idolize Elvis Presley because he was a one of a kind. And the greatest performer ever!
I respect Hiroe’s family’s work ethic. They are principled and always have their priorities in order.
I look up to my older brother Patrick because of his sense of honor and duty and his attitude about life. He never backs down from a challenge or hurdle in life.
So, how about you. Who or what are some things you revere, admire, adore, idolize, respect or look up to? I will look forward to hearing your thoughts when we speak this week.
Be well,
Keith//
This week’s vocabularies:
similar
類似した
came across
（偶然に）目にする、見つける
revere
崇敬する（崇めるという意味で、尊敬の最上位）
nuance
ニュアンス、微妙な意味合い
admire
立派であり、すばらしいと思う／感心するという意味の尊敬
adore
敬愛する／大好きである
idolize
熱中/心酔する
respect
敬意を払う（一般的に使われることが一番多い）
look up to
尊敬する（「見上げる」という意味から、年齢や立場が明らかに目上の人に対して使われることが多い）
nonviolent resistance
非暴力抵抗運動
faced with
面と向き合う
humility
謙虚さ
selflessness
無我の心
perpetual energy
絶えることのないエネルギー
one of a kind
この世に１つしかない
work ethic
仕事に対する倫理観
principled
主義に基づいた生き方
priorities in order.
優先順位にかなってやっている
duty
義務/責任
backs down
折れる/降参する
hurdle
ハードル/障害
2010/05/09
英語で「手順」を説明する。
*太字の単語やフレーズは、今週のボキャブラリーです。この記事の最後に詳しい説明を載せています。
I hope everyone had a safe and relaxing golden week. I will look forward to hearing about what you did when we speak this week.
And in addition to that, this week, let’s focus on giving directions.
Directions are VERY useful. We must use directions when someone asks for advice or when you are teaching someone how to do something. These could be directions on how to buy a train ticket, directions on how to grow a tomato plant, directions on how to drive to your house, or directions on explaining how to cook something. Directions are sometimes simple and sometimes difficult but they are ALWAYS good to know.
Some examples we can practice this week are:
How do I buy a house in Japan?
How do I get a driver’s license in Japan?
How can I become a personal coach?
How do I make curry rice?
How do I buy a bullet train ticket?
How do I get into Tokyo University?
How do I get to your house from the nearest station?
How do I grow a garden?
We can practice directions more when we speak this week and as an example, I will give directions on how to make a pot of brown tea.
First, you need the following ingredients before you begin.
water
milk
honey
loose brown tea
Directions
First, fill your tea kettle with water. Then, put the kettle on the stove and heat until the water boils.
Next, put about 1 tablespoon of loose brown tea leaves into your teapot.
After that, fill your teapot with hot water.
Then, wait between 3 and 4 minutes while the tea steeps.
Next, pour the tea into a cup while filtering out the loose tea.
After that, add about 1 teaspoon of honey and stir well.
Then, add about 20cc of milk and stir once more.
And finally, enjoy your tea.
Now how about you? What kind of directions can you give me?
I look forward to hearing your directions when we speak this week.
Be well,
Keith//
*This week’s vocabularies:
directions
手順、方法
useful
役に立つ
advice
アドバイス
explain
説明する
good to know
知っておくと良いこと
driver’s license
自動車運転免許
bullet train
新幹線
grow a garden
野菜（花）を育てる
ingredients
材料
loose brown tea
（ティーバックに入っていない）バラの紅茶の葉
fill
〜でいっぱいにする
heat
温める
boil
沸かす
steep
ふやける
filter
こす（濾過する）
stir
かき回す
once more
もう一度
I hope everyone had a safe and relaxing golden week. I will look forward to hearing about what you did when we speak this week.
And in addition to that, this week, let’s focus on giving directions.
Directions are VERY useful. We must use directions when someone asks for advice or when you are teaching someone how to do something. These could be directions on how to buy a train ticket, directions on how to grow a tomato plant, directions on how to drive to your house, or directions on explaining how to cook something. Directions are sometimes simple and sometimes difficult but they are ALWAYS good to know.
Some examples we can practice this week are:
How do I buy a house in Japan?
How do I get a driver’s license in Japan?
How can I become a personal coach?
How do I make curry rice?
How do I buy a bullet train ticket?
How do I get into Tokyo University?
How do I get to your house from the nearest station?
How do I grow a garden?
We can practice directions more when we speak this week and as an example, I will give directions on how to make a pot of brown tea.
First, you need the following ingredients before you begin.
water
milk
honey
loose brown tea
Directions
First, fill your tea kettle with water. Then, put the kettle on the stove and heat until the water boils.
Next, put about 1 tablespoon of loose brown tea leaves into your teapot.
After that, fill your teapot with hot water.
Then, wait between 3 and 4 minutes while the tea steeps.
Next, pour the tea into a cup while filtering out the loose tea.
After that, add about 1 teaspoon of honey and stir well.
Then, add about 20cc of milk and stir once more.
And finally, enjoy your tea.
Now how about you? What kind of directions can you give me?
I look forward to hearing your directions when we speak this week.
Be well,
Keith//
*This week’s vocabularies:
directions
手順、方法
useful
役に立つ
advice
アドバイス
explain
説明する
good to know
知っておくと良いこと
driver’s license
自動車運転免許
bullet train
新幹線
grow a garden
野菜（花）を育てる
ingredients
材料
loose brown tea
（ティーバックに入っていない）バラの紅茶の葉
fill
〜でいっぱいにする
heat
温める
boil
沸かす
steep
ふやける
filter
こす（濾過する）
stir
かき回す
once more
もう一度
2010/04/19
あなたの大切な人との関係について
*太字の単語やフレーズは、今週のボキャブラリーです。この記事の最後に詳しい説明を載せています。
My wife and I had a good row last week (as we sometimes do) and that got me thinking about this week’s question! I love my wife with all my heart but even though that is true, she and I sometimes drive each other crazy! I think that having an honest discussion is always helpful but sometimes, we let our anger take over and that is never a good idea. The American humorist, Robert Quillen famously once said that “discussion is an exchange of knowledge; argument is an exchange of ignorance” and as much as I agree with that idea, I do occasionally act ignorantly...
So, this week’s question focuses on your closest relationship in your life, whether that is a spouse, significant other, a best friend, a brother or sister or a parent. What are some positive and negatives within the relationship. For example, what do they do that makes you happy and what, if anything, do they do that drives you crazy?
I look forward to speaking to you this week and hearing what drives you crazy.
Be well,
Keith//
row
けんか
that got me thinking
そのことで考えさせられた
with all my heart
心の底から
drive someone crazy
誰かをいらいらさせる
honest discussion
本音の話し合い
we let our anger take over
怒りの感情を優先させる
humorist
ユーモア作家
exchange of knowledge
互いの知識をやりとりする
argument
そうぞうしい口論
exchange of ignorance
互いの無知さをやりとりする
act ignorantly
無知な態度を取る
significant other
大切な相手（恋人など）
My wife and I had a good row last week (as we sometimes do) and that got me thinking about this week’s question! I love my wife with all my heart but even though that is true, she and I sometimes drive each other crazy! I think that having an honest discussion is always helpful but sometimes, we let our anger take over and that is never a good idea. The American humorist, Robert Quillen famously once said that “discussion is an exchange of knowledge; argument is an exchange of ignorance” and as much as I agree with that idea, I do occasionally act ignorantly...
So, this week’s question focuses on your closest relationship in your life, whether that is a spouse, significant other, a best friend, a brother or sister or a parent. What are some positive and negatives within the relationship. For example, what do they do that makes you happy and what, if anything, do they do that drives you crazy?
I look forward to speaking to you this week and hearing what drives you crazy.
Be well,
Keith//
row
けんか
that got me thinking
そのことで考えさせられた
with all my heart
心の底から
drive someone crazy
誰かをいらいらさせる
honest discussion
本音の話し合い
we let our anger take over
怒りの感情を優先させる
humorist
ユーモア作家
exchange of knowledge
互いの知識をやりとりする
argument
そうぞうしい口論
exchange of ignorance
互いの無知さをやりとりする
act ignorantly
無知な態度を取る
significant other
大切な相手（恋人など）
2010/04/12
今現在の住まいの近隣について、何が好き、嫌い？
Hello everyone—sorry for the delay!
This week’s question focuses on what you like and dislike about your neighborhood.
I have a friend who is unhappy that her company recently decided to relocate her. She said she likes her apartment and her neighborhood and she is really happy where she currently lives and she would rather not start over again in a new city. She said she likes the people, the parks, the restaurants, the stores, the nightlife, and the safety of her current neighborhood but she will try to get used to her new neighborhood as soon as she can. She said she is looking forward to the challenge but she will be sad to leave.
So, that brings us to this week’s questions:
What are some favorable or some unfavorable things about your neighborhood? And, is there anyplace else you would like to live?
I will look forward to hearing your thoughts when we speak this week.
Be well,
Keith//
This week’s vocabularies:
focus(es)
焦点をあてる
recently
最近
relocate
転勤
rather not
むしろ〜でない
start over again
最初からやり直し
nightlife
夜に楽しむこと
safety
安全
current
現在の
get used to
慣れる
favorable
好ましい
unfavorable
好ましくない
anyplace else
他のどこか
This week’s question focuses on what you like and dislike about your neighborhood.
I have a friend who is unhappy that her company recently decided to relocate her. She said she likes her apartment and her neighborhood and she is really happy where she currently lives and she would rather not start over again in a new city. She said she likes the people, the parks, the restaurants, the stores, the nightlife, and the safety of her current neighborhood but she will try to get used to her new neighborhood as soon as she can. She said she is looking forward to the challenge but she will be sad to leave.
So, that brings us to this week’s questions:
What are some favorable or some unfavorable things about your neighborhood? And, is there anyplace else you would like to live?
I will look forward to hearing your thoughts when we speak this week.
Be well,
Keith//
This week’s vocabularies:
focus(es)
焦点をあてる
recently
最近
relocate
転勤
rather not
むしろ〜でない
start over again
最初からやり直し
nightlife
夜に楽しむこと
safety
安全
current
現在の
get used to
慣れる
favorable
好ましい
unfavorable
好ましくない
anyplace else
他のどこか
2010/04/05
「描写する」ことをもっと練習してみましょう。
*太字の単語やフレーズは、今週のボキャブラリーです。この記事の最後に詳しい説明を載せています。
For this week’s question, I want to focus on describing something familiar to you. In English, Japanese or any language, the ability to describe something is very important. Last week, I asked students to recommend a good place in Japan to visit and I got a lot of wonderful answers, for example, Sapporo snow festival, Tokyo Tower, Himeji Castle, Kyoto, Yakushima, etc., but when I asked the questions, “why should I go there?” or “what can I see there?”, it was very difficult for students to explain why I should go or to describe where it is, why it is famous, what I could do there, etc.
So this week, let’s try talking about something familiar to you and see how much you can describe it. Most people have a favorite place they like to eat or get a cup of coffee or piece of cake so this week, let’s describe your favorite restaurant, cafe, pub, etc. And when you describe that place, remember to include things like:
Where is it?
Why do you like it?
What does it look like?
What is the capacity?
How expensive is it?
What kind of food does it serve?
What is your favorite dish or what are your favorite dishes?
What are the ingredients?
Is it popular?
Is it famous?
Is it new?
What is their specialty?
What is the staff like?
My answer:
My favorite restaurant is a small authentic mexican restaurant in my hometown called, La Cucaracha. It is kind of small and the staff isn’t ALWAYS friendly, but that doesn’t matter because their food is REALLY good. I love Mexican food and I like simple meals and that is one of the reasons I like La Cucaracha. They have great home-made tortilla chips and salsas, margaritas, a large variety of beer and tequila and their main dishes are full of flavor and usually too big to finish. I think their prices are cheap, in fact, when Hiroe and I visit, we usually have an appetizer, a few beers or margaritas and dinner for about $50 (¥4,500).
My favorite meal at La Cucaracha is called, “Los Cabos Tacos” which are fish tacos served with black beans, rice, red cabbage and a chile yogurt sauce. Wow, I am hungry!
I will look forward to hearing about your favorite restaurant, cafe, pub, etc., when we speak this week.
Be well,
Keith//
This week's vocabularies:
describe
詳しく説明する／描写する
familiar
親しみのある
recommend
推薦する
pub
パブ
capacity
容量／大きさ
serve
提供する
ingredients
材料
popular
人気がある
famous
有名な
specialty
そこでしか提供されない特別なもの
authentic
本物／本場の
hometown
故郷
simple meals
飾り気のないシンプルな食事
home-made
手作り
tortilla
トルティーヤ
margarita
マルガリータ
tequila
テキーラ
full of flavor
豊富な風味
appetizer
前菜
cheap
安い
For this week’s question, I want to focus on describing something familiar to you. In English, Japanese or any language, the ability to describe something is very important. Last week, I asked students to recommend a good place in Japan to visit and I got a lot of wonderful answers, for example, Sapporo snow festival, Tokyo Tower, Himeji Castle, Kyoto, Yakushima, etc., but when I asked the questions, “why should I go there?” or “what can I see there?”, it was very difficult for students to explain why I should go or to describe where it is, why it is famous, what I could do there, etc.
So this week, let’s try talking about something familiar to you and see how much you can describe it. Most people have a favorite place they like to eat or get a cup of coffee or piece of cake so this week, let’s describe your favorite restaurant, cafe, pub, etc. And when you describe that place, remember to include things like:
Where is it?
Why do you like it?
What does it look like?
What is the capacity?
How expensive is it?
What kind of food does it serve?
What is your favorite dish or what are your favorite dishes?
What are the ingredients?
Is it popular?
Is it famous?
Is it new?
What is their specialty?
What is the staff like?
My answer:
My favorite restaurant is a small authentic mexican restaurant in my hometown called, La Cucaracha. It is kind of small and the staff isn’t ALWAYS friendly, but that doesn’t matter because their food is REALLY good. I love Mexican food and I like simple meals and that is one of the reasons I like La Cucaracha. They have great home-made tortilla chips and salsas, margaritas, a large variety of beer and tequila and their main dishes are full of flavor and usually too big to finish. I think their prices are cheap, in fact, when Hiroe and I visit, we usually have an appetizer, a few beers or margaritas and dinner for about $50 (¥4,500).
My favorite meal at La Cucaracha is called, “Los Cabos Tacos” which are fish tacos served with black beans, rice, red cabbage and a chile yogurt sauce. Wow, I am hungry!
I will look forward to hearing about your favorite restaurant, cafe, pub, etc., when we speak this week.
Be well,
Keith//
This week's vocabularies:
describe
詳しく説明する／描写する
familiar
親しみのある
recommend
推薦する
pub
パブ
capacity
容量／大きさ
serve
提供する
ingredients
材料
popular
人気がある
famous
有名な
specialty
そこでしか提供されない特別なもの
authentic
本物／本場の
hometown
故郷
simple meals
飾り気のないシンプルな食事
home-made
手作り
tortilla
トルティーヤ
margarita
マルガリータ
tequila
テキーラ
full of flavor
豊富な風味
appetizer
前菜
cheap
安い
2010/03/21
一番好きな季節は？
*太字の単語やフレーズは、今週のボキャブラリーです。この記事の最後に詳しい説明を載せています。
Happy first day of spring—日本の祝祭日.
Growing up in the northern part of America's midwest, I am used to much different weather than what I find in southeast Mie Prefecture. The seasons in my home state of Minnesota are very distinct and each one is particularly beautiful. Summer days are long, hot and humid. Autumn is cool and the trees are filled with fall colors—reds, yellows, oranges all mixed with the dark green of the evergreen trees. Winter is unbelievably cold and on most days, everything seems gray and lifeless. But as depressing and cold as every winter usually is, everything comes alive again in Spring. Now in Minnesota, the snow is melting and the frozen lakes and rivers are becoming liquid again. The plants and flowers and wildlife are awakening and the temperatures have become bearable again. And with the start of professional baseball in the next few weeks, spring is officially here and the winter blues are over! I also love spring in Japan and if you ask me this week, I will tell you why...
The question this week is: What is your favorite season and why?
I will look forward to hearing your answers and questions this week when we speak.
Be well,
Keith//
This week’s vocabularies:
grow up
成長する（大人になる）
use to (used to)
慣れる
season
季節
distinct
はっきりと違う
particularly
特別に
humid
湿気のある
evergreen tree
常緑樹
gray and lifeless
暗く、活気がない
depressing
気がめいる
come alive
生き生きとする.
melt
溶ける
liquid
溶けた状態（液体）
wildlife
野生生物
awaken
目覚める
bearable
がまんできる
officially
本格的に
winter blues
ウィンターブルー／冬季うつ病（冬であることが気を滅入らせる）
Happy first day of spring—日本の祝祭日.
Growing up in the northern part of America's midwest, I am used to much different weather than what I find in southeast Mie Prefecture. The seasons in my home state of Minnesota are very distinct and each one is particularly beautiful. Summer days are long, hot and humid. Autumn is cool and the trees are filled with fall colors—reds, yellows, oranges all mixed with the dark green of the evergreen trees. Winter is unbelievably cold and on most days, everything seems gray and lifeless. But as depressing and cold as every winter usually is, everything comes alive again in Spring. Now in Minnesota, the snow is melting and the frozen lakes and rivers are becoming liquid again. The plants and flowers and wildlife are awakening and the temperatures have become bearable again. And with the start of professional baseball in the next few weeks, spring is officially here and the winter blues are over! I also love spring in Japan and if you ask me this week, I will tell you why...
The question this week is: What is your favorite season and why?
I will look forward to hearing your answers and questions this week when we speak.
Be well,
Keith//
This week’s vocabularies:
grow up
成長する（大人になる）
use to (used to)
慣れる
season
季節
distinct
はっきりと違う
particularly
特別に
humid
湿気のある
evergreen tree
常緑樹
gray and lifeless
暗く、活気がない
depressing
気がめいる
come alive
生き生きとする.
melt
溶ける
liquid
溶けた状態（液体）
wildlife
野生生物
awaken
目覚める
bearable
がまんできる
officially
本格的に
winter blues
ウィンターブルー／冬季うつ病（冬であることが気を滅入らせる）
2010/03/15
長寿の秘訣は？
After I talked to students last week about their birthdays, I was a little surprised to hear that almost everyone said they didn’t enjoy their birthdays and of course, they were not very happy about getting older. However, we can't stop our birthdays from coming, so what is the best way to deal with getting older?
So this week’s question is:
What are some things you can do to live a longer, healthier and happier life?
I have read many news stories and websites that focus on ways to help people live longer. Of course many health experts disagree on what is the best solution for everyone, so I have listed some of the most common advice from different doctors, hospitals, dietitians and research centers.
When we speak this week, let’s discuss if you agree with some of the things on the list and some of the other ways you can think of to live happier and healthier lives. Here is the list:
Reduce the amount of food you eat everyday.
Change your diet. For example:
The Mediterranean diet.
A diet that with a lot of oils, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and fish. Also, eat a moderate amount of dairy products and a low amount of meat.
Switch to a Paleolithic diet:
A diet like that is like what cavemen ate, for example, non-fatty meat, fish, vegetables, fruit and nuts. And try to avoid cereals, dairy products, salt or processed foods.
A vegetarian diet
There are three kinds of vegetarian diets, semi-vegetarians (plants, dairy products, eggs and fish), lacto-ovo vegetarians (plant food, dairy products and eggs) and vegans (plant food only).
Get enough sleep!
Many experts agree that at least 8 hours of sleep every night is best.
Be more positive because a positive attitude reduces your stress levels.
Don’t smoke
Wear sunblock
Socialize.
Make new friends or get together with your friends as much as you can
Drink red wine and or eat red grapes
Go to church
Over 1,000 research studies say that people usually go to church, synagogue or mosque live about 7 years longer than people who don’t.
Eat what many health experts call, SUPER FOODS:
Almonds
Apples
Blueberries
Broccoli
Red beans
Salmon
Spinach
Sweet potatoes
Vegetable juice
Wheat germ
Meditate and or do Yoga
Exercise regularly
What else can you add to the list? I will look forward to talking about long life when we speak this week.
Be well and happy.
Keith//
This week’s vocabularies:
deal with
（その事実）とどうつき合うか
health experts
健康に関する専門家（エキスパート）
disagree
反対意見を持つ
advice
アドバイス
dietitians
栄養士
research center
研究所
reduce
減らす
diet
食事
moderate
極点でなく、緩やかな
dairy products
乳製品
paleolithic
旧石器
caveman
（石器時代の）穴居人
processed foods
加工食品
experts
（ある分野の） 専門家
positive attitude
ポジティブな考え方
stress levels
ストレス度
sunblock
日焼け止め(sunscreen).
church
教会
synagogue
ユダヤ教の礼拝堂.
mosque
モスク, イスラム教寺院.
wheat germ
麦芽
meditate
瞑想する
regularly
定期的に, 規則正しく
So this week’s question is:
What are some things you can do to live a longer, healthier and happier life?
I have read many news stories and websites that focus on ways to help people live longer. Of course many health experts disagree on what is the best solution for everyone, so I have listed some of the most common advice from different doctors, hospitals, dietitians and research centers.
When we speak this week, let’s discuss if you agree with some of the things on the list and some of the other ways you can think of to live happier and healthier lives. Here is the list:
Reduce the amount of food you eat everyday.
Change your diet. For example:
The Mediterranean diet.
A diet that with a lot of oils, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and fish. Also, eat a moderate amount of dairy products and a low amount of meat.
Switch to a Paleolithic diet:
A diet like that is like what cavemen ate, for example, non-fatty meat, fish, vegetables, fruit and nuts. And try to avoid cereals, dairy products, salt or processed foods.
A vegetarian diet
There are three kinds of vegetarian diets, semi-vegetarians (plants, dairy products, eggs and fish), lacto-ovo vegetarians (plant food, dairy products and eggs) and vegans (plant food only).
Get enough sleep!
Many experts agree that at least 8 hours of sleep every night is best.
Be more positive because a positive attitude reduces your stress levels.
Don’t smoke
Wear sunblock
Socialize.
Make new friends or get together with your friends as much as you can
Drink red wine and or eat red grapes
Go to church
Over 1,000 research studies say that people usually go to church, synagogue or mosque live about 7 years longer than people who don’t.
Eat what many health experts call, SUPER FOODS:
Almonds
Apples
Blueberries
Broccoli
Red beans
Salmon
Spinach
Sweet potatoes
Vegetable juice
Wheat germ
Meditate and or do Yoga
Exercise regularly
What else can you add to the list? I will look forward to talking about long life when we speak this week.
Be well and happy.
Keith//
This week’s vocabularies:
deal with
（その事実）とどうつき合うか
health experts
健康に関する専門家（エキスパート）
disagree
反対意見を持つ
advice
アドバイス
dietitians
栄養士
research center
研究所
reduce
減らす
diet
食事
moderate
極点でなく、緩やかな
dairy products
乳製品
paleolithic
旧石器
caveman
（石器時代の）穴居人
processed foods
加工食品
experts
（ある分野の） 専門家
positive attitude
ポジティブな考え方
stress levels
ストレス度
sunblock
日焼け止め(sunscreen).
church
教会
synagogue
ユダヤ教の礼拝堂.
mosque
モスク, イスラム教寺院.
wheat germ
麦芽
meditate
瞑想する
regularly
定期的に, 規則正しく
2010/03/08
誕生日にまつわる質問
*太字の単語やフレーズは、今週のボキャブラリーです。この記事の最後に詳しい説明を載せています。
My birthday was a few weeks ago and around that time, someone asked me how it felt to become 41 years old. I said it didn’t feel any different than when I became 40 years old. And for that matter, it didn’t feel any different than when I was 39 or 38 or 37 years old.
I DON'T care about my age, I ONLY care whether I am happy or not. I am indifferent about birthday cakes, birthday cards, birthday presents and the “birthday song” (Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you...). I don’t have a negative feeling about these things and I know they are important to many people, they just aren’t very important to me. How about you?
So this week’s questions are:
Is your birthday a happy or unhappy occasion?
What do you usually do on your birthday?
What do you like about your birthday?
What do you dislike about your birthday?
When you were younger, what did you do for your birthday?
In Japan, what do people usually do for their birthdays?
What is a typical gift for kids on their birthdays?
What was the best birthday gift you ever got?
Have a good week and I will look forward to hearing from you.
Keith//
This week’s vocabularies:
around that time...
その辺の時期に
for that matter
その件については、
indifferent
無関心な、どっちでも構わない
occasion
時、機会
typical
典型的な、代表的な
My birthday was a few weeks ago and around that time, someone asked me how it felt to become 41 years old. I said it didn’t feel any different than when I became 40 years old. And for that matter, it didn’t feel any different than when I was 39 or 38 or 37 years old.
I DON'T care about my age, I ONLY care whether I am happy or not. I am indifferent about birthday cakes, birthday cards, birthday presents and the “birthday song” (Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you...). I don’t have a negative feeling about these things and I know they are important to many people, they just aren’t very important to me. How about you?
So this week’s questions are:
Is your birthday a happy or unhappy occasion?
What do you usually do on your birthday?
What do you like about your birthday?
What do you dislike about your birthday?
When you were younger, what did you do for your birthday?
In Japan, what do people usually do for their birthdays?
What is a typical gift for kids on their birthdays?
What was the best birthday gift you ever got?
Have a good week and I will look forward to hearing from you.
Keith//
This week’s vocabularies:
around that time...
その辺の時期に
for that matter
その件については、
indifferent
無関心な、どっちでも構わない
occasion
時、機会
typical
典型的な、代表的な
2010/02/28
CO2の排出量を減らすために、あなたがしていることは？
*太字の単語やフレーズは、今週のボキャブラリーです。この記事の最後に詳しい説明を載せています。
Last week’s answers surprised me a little bit. EVERY PERSON I spoke to said they felt UNVAVORABLE about North Korea. There were other countries they felt unfavorable about too, for example, China, Myanmar, Iraq and America, but the most unfavorable country was North Korea. Everyone said they feared North Korea and their nuclear ambitions (核兵器への野心). I wish there would have been more time to discuss that question but maybe another time. Or you could always leave your thoughts in the comments section below. I will respond and would love to continue the conversation.
Ok, on to this week’s topic. This week, I read a United Nations webpage called, “12 little things” that focuses on fighting climate change. Basically, it says how each of us, in our own little way, can reduce climate change in our own lives and houses. In other words, we can reduce our carbon footprint. You can read the “12 little things” below. After reading, think about the following questions:
Q. How many of the “12 little things” do you do in your daily life?
and...
Q. What, if anything, do you do to decrease your carbon footprint?
Here are the “12 little things” you can do according to the UN:
TURN IT OFF
Turn off your lights, televisions, DVD players, stereos and computers when you are not using them because they can use between 10% to 40% of the power even when they are on standby. Also, unplug battery chargers (i.e., portable telephone chargers) as soon as they have finished charging.
BE EXACT
When making tea or coffee, fill your kettle with only as much water as you need.
CLOSE IT ASAP
Don't leave fridge doors open for longer than necessary.
CHECK YOUR CAR TIRES
Inflate your tires to the correct pressure to improve your car’s fuel efficiency.
DON’T USE PLASTIC
Use cloth or reusable bags when shopping and avoid buying products that use unnecessary wrapping.
USE A FAN
Instead of using air conditioners in the summer, wear cool clothes, and use a fan.
DRIVE LESS
Do your weekly errands in a single trip and pay your bills online. Walk, bike, ride the bus or carpool as much as you can.
SLOW DOWN
If you drive slower than 90 kph, you will consume up to 25% less fuel.
DRIVE A HYBRID CAR
A hybrid or other fuel-efficient car emits less carbon dioxide.
REPLACE
Replace your regular light bulbs with a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL). CFLs cost more but use about one third less power.
WATCH WHAT YOU EAT
Choose as much local food as you can—food which was grown or made near you.
RECYCLE
Consume less, and re-use old products.
There isn’t a Japanese website for “12 simple things” but if you wish to view the site in English, click this here.
Have a good week and I will look forward to hearing from you.
Keith//
This week’s vocabularies:
United Nations
国連
focus
集中する
fighting
食い止める
reduce
…（の程度数量など）を減らす
carbon footprint
人間の活動が地球温暖化に及ぼす影響を、CO2の排出量に数字で換算した数値
standby
スタンバイ.
unplug
（プラグを抜いて）電源を切る
fridge
冷蔵庫(refrigerator).
necessary
必要な
inflate
（空気ガスで）膨張させる, 拡張する
correct
正しい
pressure (tire pressure)
気圧
fuel efficiency
燃費効率がよい, 低燃費の
unnecessary
不必要な,
instead
それよりむしろ, その代わりに,
errand
雑用
carpool
（通勤買い物で）自動車の相乗り
consume
消費する
hybrid car
ハイブリッドカー
replace
替える
compact
コンパクトな
fluorescent light bulb
螢光灯
Last week’s answers surprised me a little bit. EVERY PERSON I spoke to said they felt UNVAVORABLE about North Korea. There were other countries they felt unfavorable about too, for example, China, Myanmar, Iraq and America, but the most unfavorable country was North Korea. Everyone said they feared North Korea and their nuclear ambitions (核兵器への野心). I wish there would have been more time to discuss that question but maybe another time. Or you could always leave your thoughts in the comments section below. I will respond and would love to continue the conversation.
Ok, on to this week’s topic. This week, I read a United Nations webpage called, “12 little things” that focuses on fighting climate change. Basically, it says how each of us, in our own little way, can reduce climate change in our own lives and houses. In other words, we can reduce our carbon footprint. You can read the “12 little things” below. After reading, think about the following questions:
Q. How many of the “12 little things” do you do in your daily life?
and...
Q. What, if anything, do you do to decrease your carbon footprint?
Here are the “12 little things” you can do according to the UN:
TURN IT OFF
Turn off your lights, televisions, DVD players, stereos and computers when you are not using them because they can use between 10% to 40% of the power even when they are on standby. Also, unplug battery chargers (i.e., portable telephone chargers) as soon as they have finished charging.
BE EXACT
When making tea or coffee, fill your kettle with only as much water as you need.
CLOSE IT ASAP
Don't leave fridge doors open for longer than necessary.
CHECK YOUR CAR TIRES
Inflate your tires to the correct pressure to improve your car’s fuel efficiency.
DON’T USE PLASTIC
Use cloth or reusable bags when shopping and avoid buying products that use unnecessary wrapping.
USE A FAN
Instead of using air conditioners in the summer, wear cool clothes, and use a fan.
DRIVE LESS
Do your weekly errands in a single trip and pay your bills online. Walk, bike, ride the bus or carpool as much as you can.
SLOW DOWN
If you drive slower than 90 kph, you will consume up to 25% less fuel.
DRIVE A HYBRID CAR
A hybrid or other fuel-efficient car emits less carbon dioxide.
REPLACE
Replace your regular light bulbs with a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL). CFLs cost more but use about one third less power.
WATCH WHAT YOU EAT
Choose as much local food as you can—food which was grown or made near you.
RECYCLE
Consume less, and re-use old products.
There isn’t a Japanese website for “12 simple things” but if you wish to view the site in English, click this here.
Have a good week and I will look forward to hearing from you.
Keith//
This week’s vocabularies:
United Nations
国連
focus
集中する
fighting
食い止める
reduce
…（の程度数量など）を減らす
carbon footprint
人間の活動が地球温暖化に及ぼす影響を、CO2の排出量に数字で換算した数値
standby
スタンバイ.
unplug
（プラグを抜いて）電源を切る
fridge
冷蔵庫(refrigerator).
necessary
必要な
inflate
（空気ガスで）膨張させる, 拡張する
correct
正しい
pressure (tire pressure)
気圧
fuel efficiency
燃費効率がよい, 低燃費の
unnecessary
不必要な,
instead
それよりむしろ, その代わりに,
errand
雑用
carpool
（通勤買い物で）自動車の相乗り
consume
消費する
hybrid car
ハイブリッドカー
replace
替える
compact
コンパクトな
fluorescent light bulb
螢光灯
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