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]

Weekly conquest

2014年12月4日 (木)

Hi everyone! Have you ever played Settlers of Catan? This popular board game is what I consider to be a cross between Monopoly and Risk. Up to four players compete to gain access to resources. The more resources you aquire, the more territory you can settle. There are multiple versions of the game. Some feature pirates and knights, while an American version requires you to build railroads and expand west.

Playing these games has helped by develop my powers of strategy, adaptability and inventing new tactics. Recently I’ve been playing with my friends on a weekly basis. I don’t always win, but when I do it’s a real sense of accomplishment. One game can take as long as 3 hours! After that much intense concentration, it’s a good feeling to be the winner.

I hope you’ll give Catan a try someday.

Going Solo

2014年10月21日 (火)

Hey everyone!

Have you ever wanted to be alone…from everyone? Last week, I hiked up Mt. Teine and spent the night on top of the mountain by myself. I set up my tent on the top platform of the express lift and collected firewood. As the sun began to set, I built a small campfire and sat for several hours alone with my thoughts. I had a view of the entire city, which looked like a carpet of jewels far below. It was really nice to be up there because it wasn’t the same as being home alone. I couldn’t hear sirens on the streets, or my neighbors making noise next store. All I could hear was the wind in the trees and the wood crackling and popping as it burned.

We all need time to ourselves. I’m convinced the best place to spend it is outdoors. I hope you’ll give yourself the opportunity to go into nature solo.

You’ll be happy you did!

Big Fun!

2014年9月20日 (土)

Hey everybody!

You know, when I first came to Japan, I used to laugh when people said they were going to have a party and then say only a few people were coming. In America (land of the loud, brash and rambuncious) a party isn’t a party until at least 15 people show up. Before that, it’s only a gathering or a get-together. Of course, Japanese homes have more space restraints than those in America so big parties happen at restaurants, hotels or outdoors.

I went to one such big party just the other week. Every first Sunday of September, an annual party called Big Fun is held in Hakenzan, near Jozankei. It’s an all day event featuring live artists and world renowned DJs. Lots of people come out for it, including parents who bring their children. There are plenty of activities for the kids, lots of food and drink to enjoy and, of course, great music!

The vibe is very friendly and everybody dances as the sun goes down. My only complaint is that
it ends at 9pm…

This year about 1,500 people came – a party by anybody’s standard!

Bar Review

2014年9月18日 (木)

Today I’d like to return to a topic I have visited before: I’ll write a review of a local bar.

I recently tried the new Nikka Bar in the Akarenga Terrace building.

Atmosphere
They have a very nice sound system, and when I went in it was playing low-energy, cool jazz – similar to Miyakoshiya Coffee.  The room is decorated with dark wood, and they have a baby grand piano in the middle of the floor, so I assume they have live music sometimes.
The lights were low, and it was a very comfortable and relaxing place.

The only negative point was this:
The entrance is a little bit narrow, and I had trouble getting out because another person was coming in at the same time.

Quality
This is primarily a whiskey bar, and they have a wide variety of high quality and rare Nikka whiskeys.  They have a few American Bourbons and Scotch whiskys, all of fair quality.  They also can make any standard cocktail, and they have a small selection of fruity and refreshing Hokkaido wines.
I do not recommend drinking brandy at this bar – their entire selection was overpriced and uninteresting.

Price
The charge was 1000 yen, which is a bit expensive, but my drink came with soft chocolate (I don’t know for sure, but I think it was Royce’s.), one Japanese karinto, and a piece of dry fruit grown in Yoichi.  These were all very delicious.
Their regular whiskey started at 1500 yen, and their cocktails and other drinks were all under 1000 yen.

Conclusion
I recommend this bar for people who like Nikka whiskey, because they have a very wide selection of unusual and special Nikka brand whiskeys.  It has a nice quiet atmosphere, so it could be a good place to relax after work.

However, because the prices are rather high, I can’t recommend this bar to people who want to drink anything other than Nikka whiskey.  There are much cheaper and also much nicer cocktail bars in Susukino, and I still think Bar Takeuchi is the best bar in the Sapporo station area for a quiet, high-quality drink.

The Nikka Bar is much better than Suntory’s Avanti chain of bars, and it has a very good atmosphere, but it is nothing special.

Emergency Alerts

2014年9月11日 (木)

Last night we had a nice thunderstorm here in Sapporo.

I enjoy thunderstorms; I like to see the flashes of lightning and hear the sounds of the thunder. I think it’s exciting. Yesterday I spent almost an hour on the balcony and in the dining room looking out at the sky and waiting for lightning. It was fun.

I remember being a kid in America, sitting on the veranda with my family and looking at the sky during a thunderstorm. It’s a good memory.

However, at around 3:00 in the morning, my phone started ringing. It was an emergency alert from the City of Sapporo. It said there was a flash flood and landslide warning for my area. This is useful information, but I don’t live near any hills or rivers, and we are on the second floor of a concrete building, so I wasn’t worried. I went back to sleep.

But then, a few minutes later, my phone rang again! It was another, similar warning. I was annoyed – 〝We aren’t in any danger, and I want to sleep!”
So I turned off the emergency alert function on my phone. I was able to sleep through the night, but I heard from some of my students that their phones were ringing all night.

I think these warnings made a lot of people sleepy.