英語学習にも役立つ、札幌の外国人英語教師の英語日記 札幌 英会話 [ステップアップ]

Finding the right place

2017年3月18日 (土)

You hear all the time how your environment affects your health. At every level, from the national all the way down to the cafe where you choose to relax, your environment has a significant influence on your well being. Hence our desire to escape the “rat race” from time to time and catch our breaths in a different milieu. Beach trips, world heritage site tours, camping in forests – all of these are common examples of people actively seeking to change their environment – if only temporarily.

Forty years ago my grandmother left Washington DC with her family to retire to the countryside. The farm that she bought became a hub for our extended family, and growing up nearby in the country had a deep impact on my character. Nowadays, I prefer city living (although Chuo-ku isn’t what I’d call a dense urban center.) But every so often I like to escape the city and change my surroundings, too.

So this is just a reminder of sorts that you can always change your surroundings if you really need to. Maybe you can’t go on vacation so easily, but things like a new cafe, apartment or even job aren’t that hard to find. It’s just a matter of being proactive enough to do it.

love is...what?

2017年3月16日 (木)

Hello everyone! It is the month of love. I love February because it is when valentines is. When I was a child I used to run down stairs and see if I got a card every year. In England it is common for a guy (or girl) to declare his love by sending the person he loves a card. Now, this isn’t so exciting but usually the person who declares their love doesn’t sign their name, so sometimes you actually know who sent you a card. Having a secret admirer was very James Bond, my friends and I would spend hours trying to figure out who sent it.

In Japan it is common for women to give men some baked goods or chocolate on valentines day, to me this is strange. I never gave anyone chocolate on valentines day in UK. However I did once give someone a GIANT cookie that said “bee mine” (it had a bee drawn on it, I thought I was very witty). I like the idea that men get chocolate on this day but I’m a little sad that women don’t get any, although I guess women get the last laugh because they can get something in March!! I however think it should be the other way around… women should get roses and flowers on valentines and men should get cookies and baked goods in March! Let me know what you think.

American Hamburgers

2017年3月15日 (水)

I grew up in Los Angeles, California, and one of my favorite foods has always been cheeseburgers. Now that I am an adult living in Japan, I enjoy lots of other kinds of food, including French and Italian foods, Japanese cuisine, and more. But, there are still times when I want to eat the foods that I grew up with. I have had hamburgers in restaurants all over Sapporo (actually, all over Japan) and I think that my favorite shop so far is Jacksonville, which is right here in Sapporo.

They have a really nice atmosphere, and the style of the food reminds me very much of home. Their burgers are 100% beef (no panko, no egg) which makes me happy. To be honest, I was really disappointed the first time I ate a Mos Burger – the patty was soft and chewy. I later learned that this is because they put egg and panko flakes into their meat. I understand that some people like that kind of patty, but it’s not what I grew up with.

I also like the style of the french fries and unique American drinks (like Dr. Pepper) that are available there.

I will keep searching for the perfect hamburger, but so far, Jacksonville is my favorite.

suspicion

2017年3月10日 (金)

This weeks film is an Alfred Hitchcock romantic comedy which turns into a psychological suspense.  Starring Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine (who won an Oscar for her role ) as a married couple whose romance quickly turns sour. The plot is of a naive woman who marries a man she believes to be from a wealthy family but soon finds out he isn`t all that he seems.

I found the beginning of the film to be a little too light and the direction felt slightly awkward. I feel Hitchcock is more at home with suspense than with comedy and romance. However once the story changed it was classic Hitchcock, with the suspense ratcheted up every ten minutes and a plot which kept twisting and turning. The ending however was terrible as it was forced on Hitchcock by the studio. However I found the original ending online and it was much more in keeping with the tension of the film.

Once you get past the first twenty minutes this is a great film with both actors giving very believable performances.

Movie Rating 9/10

My beautiful home city

2017年3月9日 (木)

Hello all! So today I want to introduce my home city. Although I was born in North West England, I grew up in Lincolnshire. This is a farming county, famous for sausages and meat products. I would call Lincoln my true home city. This city is absolutely stunning (I know I am bias) mostly because there is a castle and massive cathedral. While most of England is quite modern, my home city has a traditional area and a modern area. The traditional area has cobbled streets and old tea shops. It really does look like something out of “Harry Potter”.  While most of my friends from Lincoln do not find it an exciting or particularly historical city, I think it is a case of not being able to appreciate what is in front of you. Take for example, the snow festival in Sapporo, how many of you will go there? I think only a few people because we are so used to it. No question that is beautiful, just we have been there many times before and it loses some of its sparkle. For me, not being in Lincoln makes me appreciate and love it more. So I want to say to everyone, please visit my beautiful, historical city!!!