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]

Love is in the air

2011年2月1日 (火)

It`s almost February and that means it`s almost valentines day. Being a hopeless romantic I always hope to receive a card.  However in Japan it isnt custom to give cards, instead people give cakes and cookies. Will you be baking anything this year? I think I`ll make some cookies and give them to my friends and maybe if my dog is super good, I`ll give him something too!!!! Anyway I hope you all have a great February.

My Winter Vacation

2011年1月17日 (月)

Hello everybody! Happy New Year! I hope you had a nice holiday season with your loved ones.

I had a great winter vacation. I went traveling in Vietnam and Cambodia with my mom! I hadn’t seen my mom in three years, so it was a very happy reunion. We met in Ho Chi Minh City on December 18. Early the next day, we set off on a two-day tour of the Mekong Delta with a tour group. We were able to experience the floating markets there. The scenery was beautiful, and it was really interesting to see the lives of people living on the river. Many families work AND live on their boats.

Next, we headed to the Southwest coast of Vietnam and took a ferry to the island of Phu Quoc. Phu Quoc Island is a small, beautiful resort island. The nice thing about it is that it hasn’t been developed so much yet, so there are still very few people on the beaches, and it is very peaceful. We spent five days there, relaxing on the beach, snorkeling, eating delicious food and sightseeing around the island. We were sad to leave!

After that, we took a ferry back to the mainland and boarded a bus to Cambodia. The bus ride was quite long-12 hours! But it’s a cheap and easy way to travel between the two countries. We went to Siem Reap, the tourist town near Angkor Wat. We stayed five days and six nights there. We went to see Angkor Wat three times. It was amazing! The ruins are huge and beautiful! It was truly awe-inspiring. And there is so much to see there! We spent three days exploring the ruins, and we still didn’t see everything. I’ll have to go back again someday. Siem Reap is a very interesting town with a lot of entertainment-restaurants, bars, markets and boutiques for shopping. I bought several silk scarves and some beautiful dresses there. My suitcase was full when I left!

On December 31st we boarded a bus back to Ho Chi Minh City, and arrived on New Year’s Day. There was a big celebration there, and a performance of singing and dancing on a stage in the park. It was really crowded! That evening, I had to get on a plane back to Japan. It was sad to say goodbye to my mom, but we had a really nice time together, and we were happy to have seen each other. Now my mom is traveling by herself in India! She’s so brave!

Have a good 2011 everybody!

Sincerely, Luella

twenty eleven

2011年1月14日 (金)

Well, here we are. Again. A new year, followed up immediately after with another birthday for me . The two of these events compound into an  acute annual awareness for me that, truly, time stops for no one. However, if I died right now, I think I could honestly say I`ve lived a life without regret. Naturally there are little mistakes in my past that perhaps I`d do differently given the opportunity, but overall I`m pretty satisfied with everything so far. How about you? Are you happy with your life? If not, think for a while about what you`d like to change and then start doing it! There`s no time like the present to be the person you want to be. Let`s strive to make 2011 a year a positive change! I`m gonna start tomorrow; )

Happy New Year!

2011年1月11日 (火)

Hello everyone and Happy New Year! I hope you had a great year last year and I hope you have another great year this year, too!
What did you do over the New Year’s holiday? I had a pretty good, relaxing time. I love going to the shrine for New Years, so I went to two shrines this year. I went to Obihiro shrine on January 1 and Hokkaido Shrine on January 7. I picked out a fortune (おみくじ) at both shrines and it looks like I’ll have fairly good luck this year. I also bought a good luck charm (おまもり). Last year I bought a good luck charm for money, but it didn’t work that well. This year I bought one for happiness!
I think the shrines in Japan are very peaceful and mysterious. I love the atmosphere at the shrine and the strong energy I feel in the area. I makes me feel calm and at peace.
I wish you all the very best this year in 2011!

Christmas is coming!

2010年12月15日 (水)

It`s that time of year again, when I have to do all my Christmas shopping.  This year I have to do lots because I`ll go back to England.  I have to get presents for friends and family and write heaps of Christmas cards.  I`m really looking forward to my mother`s home cooked turkey dinner. Some people say the Brits can`t cook but hand on heart, there is no better food for me than my mum`s Xmas dinner.  Just thinking about it now makes my stomach rumble!!!! What are you looking forward to this year? There are only a few weeks left of 2010, so lets make them count!