Wanna be a cosmopolitan?

Under the Weather

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 02:12:00 +0000

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Sc: Scott F: Felicity U: Umi Em: Emery N: Nicole

As the long day comes to a close, our wonderful GVs sit
at their computers and work on their office duties.
However, not all is well.

Sc: I haven't been feeling so hot today, but I don't
have a headache or fever. I wonder what's wrong
with me.
F: Have you been keeping warm? It's been pretty cold
these past few days.
Sc: I have been doing my best. I even started using my
heater recently to take the chill off.
F: Well, I don't know what to say. I did hear that
there's a new nasty string of influenza going around,
and that it's claiming a lot of people.
Sc: I don't think it's that. Besides, I only got the flu
once, and that was when I was in junior high school.
It came and went in a matter of hours.
U: Lucky you. When I was young, the flu claimed me for
two weeks. I felt like the walking dead, and was
nearly bedridden. It was one of the worst two weeks
of my life.
Em: Actually, now that you mention it, I have also been
feeling a bit off my game since yesterday morning.
I thought I was just tired from work, but my symptoms
have persisted since then, and last night I slept
like a rock.
Sc: I did too, I even forgot to turn off my heater last
night.
Em: Well, that may just be your culprit. It's not good
to keep your heater running all night. It really
wears your body out, and makes you more susceptible
to getting sick.
Sc: That doesn't make sense. Why would it be detrimental
to my health?
N: The air-conditioning units are pretty dusty. You can
see if your landlord will clean it out, which might
help, but as a rule of thumb, you shouldn't leave
your air conditioner on all night long. I always put
mine on a timer.
F: Me too.
U: Me three.
Sc: Okay, I get it. I'll take that into account before I
use my heater next.

QUESTIONS

1. How has Scott been feeling?
A: He’s Never been better.
B: He’s been cold the past few days.
C: He might be coming down with something.
2. What did Felicity hear?
A: It’s been cold the past few days.
B: There’s recently been a problem with influenza.
C: It was the worst two weeks of her life.
3. What didn’t Scott do last night?
A: He forgot to turn on his heater.
B: He cleaned his air-conditioner.
C: He didn’t turn off his heater.

●VOCABULARY

★not feeling so hot ＝ not feeling good/well
気分が悪い、体調が優れない
★take the chill off ～を少し温める
★nasty 厄介な
★string of 一連の、相次ぐ
★going around（be～）はやっている
★come and go（症状などが）現れたり消えたりする
★walking dead 歩く屍
★bedridden（病気などで）寝たきりの
★off one's game 調子（コンディション）悪い
★persist 持続する、続く
★sleep like a rock 岩のように眠る
★susceptible 影響を受けやすい、感染しやすい
★rule of thumb 経験則
★me three 私も。me too（＝two）のあとに続けていう場合に
　使用される。
★take _ into account ～を考慮する

「体調がすぐれない」

Sc: スコット F: フェリシティー U: ウミ Em: エメリー
N: ニコル

長い一日が終わろうとする頃、ガヴァネスたちはそれぞれ
パソコンに向かい仕事に勤しんでいる。
ただし、全員が体調が良いわけではないよう。

Sc: 今日はずっと体調がすぐれなくて、でも頭痛や熱がある
わけではないんだよね。どうしたんだろう。
F: 暖かくしてた？ここ数日ずっと寒いじゃない。
Sc: そう心がけてたけどね。最近暖房も使い始めたし。
F: うーん、何て言っていいかわからないけど。また厄介な
インフルエンザが流行っていて多くの人々を煩わせてる
みたいよ。
Sc: インフルエンザではないと思うんだよな。それに、前に
一度なったことがあるけど、僕がまだ中学のときの話だよ。
数時間のうちに症状が現れたり消えたりしてさ。
U: そりゃ運がよかったわね。私なんて昔、インフルエンザに
2週間も苦しめられたわよ。もう歩く屍のようで、ずっと
寝たきりで。人生で最悪の2週間のひとつだったって言える
わね。
Em: そう言われてみると、実は昨日の朝から私も今一つ調子が
よくないのよね。ただの仕事の疲れかと思ってたけど
その後も症状は続くし、昨夜は死んだように眠ったわ。。
Sc: 僕もだよ、昨夜は暖房を消すのも忘れちゃったくらいだから。
Em: ちょっと、それが原因かもしれないわよ。一晩中暖房をつけ
っぱなしなんてよくないわ。身体に負担をかけちゃうし、
体調を崩しやすくするんだから。
Sc: 納得いかないなあ。どうしてそれが健康に影響をもたらすの？
N: 冷暖房装置ってかなりほこりだらけなのよ。大家さんに掃除
してもらえばわかるわ、だいぶ違うわよ。ただ、経験から言
って一晩中暖房をつけっぱなしはよくないわね。私はいつも
タイマーにしてるわ。
F: 私も。
U: 同じく。
Sc: はいはい、わかったよ。次に暖房を使う前にそれを考慮に入れ
ておくよ。

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New Year Resolutions

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:29:00 +0000

Every New Year people make their resolutions. Some abide by them, others don't.

In the "New Year Resolutions" dialogue, the three governesses talk about their vows for the year.

さて、音声だけ聞いたあとで、下記の質問に答えてください。

Scriptを見る前に答えてみてください。

1. Where did Marie share her New Year resolution?

　a. Marie shared it in her blog.

　b. She posted her resolution in her Facebook account.

　c. She revealed her resolution in the mail mag.

2. What did the readers give Marie?

　a. They gave her tips to study English.

　b. The readers supported her and gave her some tips on how to efficiently study Japanese.

　c. The readers gave her some money to go to England.

3. What was Karin's resolution?

　a. She promised to make one.

　b. Karin's resolution was to make a plan for the company.

　c. She doesn't have one.

"New Year Resolutions"

Characters: J - Julita; M - Marie; K - Karin

~ The governesses are talking about their New Year resolutions.

J - Marie, you seem to have many supporters on the

New Year resolution you've shared in our mail mag.

M - Yes. I was a bit surprised to receive that much

replies from our readers.

K - What makes your resolution so appealing to them?

M - Perhaps it's my determination to study the Japanese

language. They back me up and give me tips on how to

practically and efficiently learn it.

K - And?

M - Well, I'm applying some of their suggestions and, so

far so good.

J - How about you, Karin? What's your resolution?

K - Secret.

J - Come on. What's so confidential about it?

K - It's not really confidential. It's just that...

J - It's just that?

K - I've none yet. So, my resolution is, from this year I

plan to make one and stick to it.

J - Or, in other words, your resolution is to make a resolution.

M - Sounds redundant to me.

●Useful & Humorous expression

★So far so good

"so far"で「今までの所」という意味です。

Ex."How's your new hobby going on?"

　 "So far so good. It's a good exercise for the mind and body."

　　「あなたの新しい趣味はどう」

　　「これまでのところいいわ。心と体の両方にとってよい運動になるわ」

★Come on

これは口頭でよく言う表現ですが、色々な使い方があります。

１．文字通り「一緒に行こう」とか「急いで」というときに使う言い方。

２．相手が何かをするのを励ます時に「頑張って」という意味。

３．誰かが何か言ったとき、それを信じられない時に言う。

４．あいてが何か馬鹿な事を言った時に「やめてよ」という意味で使う言

　　い方で、ここではこの使い方をしています。

★in other words

考えや意見を言うときに他の言い方で言い換えるときにこの様にいいます。

Ex. Ah! Love is blind.

In other words, people tend to love someone not worthy of it.

　　あー。恋は盲目。

　　言い換えると、人は愛する価値が無い人に恋しがちね。

★redundant

必要ない、無駄なものを現す。表現で繰り返しになる時にも使います。

Ex. Her sentence sounds redundant to me.

彼女の文は（繰り返しで）無駄な言い方に思える。

◆「新年の決意」

　登場人物： J-ジュリータ、M-マリー、K-カリン

　　ガヴァネスたちが新年の決意について話している。

J：マリー、メールマガジンであなたが紹介してくれた新年の決意に対し

　サポーターがたくさんできたみたいね。

M：そうなの。リーダーからこんなに反響があるなんてちょっとびっくり

　しちゃった。

K：あなたの決意の何がそんなにアピールしたのかしら。

M：多分私の日本語を勉強しようという決意だと思うわ。彼らは私を励ま

　してくれて、どういう風に実践的、効果的に勉強したらいいか教えて

　くれるの。

K：それで？

M：ええ、今、彼らが教えてくれた事の幾つかをやってみているけど、今

　のところまあいいわ。

J：カリン、あなたはどう。あなたの決意は何。

K：秘密よ。

J：ちょっとやめてよ。何がそんなに秘密なの。

K：本当はそんなに秘密というわけでもないんだけど、ただ・・。

J：ただ、なんなの？

K：まだ決めてないの。だから私の決意は、今年から抱負を決めてそれを

　守る事。

J：じゃあ言い換えるとあなたの抱負は抱負を作る事ね。

M：なんかくどいわね。

Taglines

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 06:31:00 +0000

E: Emery   Y: Yuki    K: Kazu

After the free chat. 

E: Last week we talked about taglines in advertising. 
   I asked you to write two taglines. Let’s add some twist 
   to your homework. As one reads out the tagline, hints 
   will be given and the other will guess the company’s 
   name. Ready? Let’s start with Kazu.

Kazu reads out ‘Oh what a feeling.’ 

K: I can say that I am a loyalist of this company. So 
   remembering the tagline is as easy as ABC. 
Y: It’s on the tip of my tongue (tapping her pen on the 
   table). Any hints? 
K: It is one of the most popular companies in Japan and 
   in the world.
E: Yuki, you have to remember that Kazu is so fascinated 
   with this product and he would not miss talking about it 
   in every free chat. 

Yuki snaps her fingers and gave the answer. 

E: That’s right! You seem to listen carefully to Kazu’s 
   stories. Go ahead Yuki, it’s your turn now. 
Y: This might be a giveaway. (Yuki reads out ‘I’m lovin it'). 
K: Rings a bell to me but I might be mistaken. 

After a few seconds, he blurted out the answer and it was 
correct. 

E: This time I will ask a question. What is the DCEC’s 
   tagline? 

Yuki seems to be elated after hearing the question. She gets 
a piece of paper in her bag. 

Y: It’s ‘Pursuing your dreams with English’ (boastfully 
   says the answer). 
K: Wow, I’m surprised! How did you know that?
Y: For some reason, I happened to stop by at the banner 
   downstairs before going to the elevator. I jot down the 
   tagline. 
E: I’m impressed!
K: Aha! That’s why you came in late for class.
Y: At least I got the answer correctly, right Emery? 
E: Do not worry Yuki, I understand why you were late. 
   As for Kazu… 

Kazu quickly interrupts.

K: I will remember the tagline by heart (hands clasped in 
   front as if pleading). 
E: Yuki, you can jot that down for the record. 
They all laughed. 






●Vocabulary

★tagline - キャッチフレーズ
★add some twist - 少し工夫を加える
★Oh, what a feeling! - 驚嘆を示す表現
★loyalist - 支持者
★as easy as ABC - 非常に易しい
★on the tip of my tongue - のどまで出かかっている
★fascinated - 魅了された
★snaps - 寸評
★giveaway - 秘密を漏らすこと
★I’m lovin it - それが大好き
★blurted out - うっかり口走る
★elated - 調子に乗る
★pursuing your dreams with English - 英語とともに夢を追いかける
★boastfully - 得意で、自慢の
★for some reason - どういうわけか
★jot down - 手早くメモする
★clasped - 固く握られた
★remember by heart - そらで覚える





Questions:

1. Which of these was not mentioned by Kazu?
   a.He was fascinated by a certain product.
   b.He is a loyalist of this company.
   c.He is working for that company.

2. Who got the answer to DCEC’s tagline?
   a.Emery
   b.Yuki
   c.Kazu
 
3. What is DCEC’s tagline?
   a. Pursuing your dreams with English.
   b. I’m lovin it.
   c.Oh, what a feeling.







■"Taglines"


E: エメリー   Y: ユキ    K: カズ

フリーチャットの後

E: 先週広告のキャッチコピーについて話しました。２つのキャッ
   チコピーを書くようにお願いしました。宿題に少しひねりを
　 加えましょう。
   一人がキャッチコピーを読み上げ、ヒントが与えられ
   もう一人が会社名を当てます。いい？　カズから始めましょう。

カズが読み上げる。「おお、なんてすごいの！」

K: 僕はその会社のお得意さんといえるよ。だからキャッチコピー
   を簡単に覚えてるんだ。
Y: のどまで出かかってるわ（机をペンでコツコツ叩く）。ほかに
   ヒントは？
K: 日本、そして世界で最も有名な会社の一つだ。
E: ユキ、カズはその製品が大好きで、フリーチャットの時は毎回
   間違えないで話すことを思い出さなくちゃ。

ユキは指を鳴らして答えを出した。

E: その通り！　カズの話を注意深く聞いているようね。さあどうぞ
   ユキ、今度はあなたの番よ。
Y: きっとバレバレよ。（ユキが読み上げる「それが大好き。」）
K: ピンときたけど、違うかも。

数秒して、答えを口走り、正解した。

E: 今度は私が質問するわ。DCECのキャッチコピーはなんでしょう？

ユキは質問を聞いたあと得意そうに見えた。
バッグから用紙を取り出す。

Y: 「英語とともに夢を追いかよう！」よ。（自慢げに答えを言う）
K: うわ、驚いた！　どうして分かったの？
Y: エレベーターに行く前に、何となく下の看板の所で止ったの。
   キャッチコピーを書きとめたわ。
E: 感心したわ！
K: ははあ！それでクラスに遅れたんだね。
Y: 少なくとも正解したわよ、でしょエメリー？

E: 心配しないでユキ、あなたがなぜ遅れたかわかったわ。カズの
   場合は...

カズがすばやく遮る。

K: キャッチコピー暗記するよ。（お願いするように手を前で合わせる）
E: ユキ、それ念のため書き留めておいたら。

全員笑う。

DCEC Listening Exercise Videos

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:39:00 +0000

Happy New Year, everyone!

In Dela Cruz English Club, we pride ourselves on exceptional service and outstanding value. And since our learners' needs always come first, we are hereby launching a series of videos to improve English listening skills. The topics are from our very own Mail Magazine which you have grown to love.

Happy listening!

"Shopaholic" is the first offering of our listening exercise videos. It is about an outdoor event in DCEC which Toshi, Noboru, Megumi and Sachiko participated. With them are DCEC governesses, Julia and Blessed.

"Let's go Dutch" is the second clip of our listening exercise videos. The conversation happens during one of DCEC's company lessons which Diana handles. Diana is explaining an expression to her three learners, Mr. Kobayashi, Mr. Tanaka and Mr. Yamamoto.

"Famous Lines" is a conversation that happened after Julita's and Marie's private classes. They gathered in

the lobby area, for the learners to write down their Christmas messages.
あなたはどのような願い事をクリスマスにしますか？
たとえば・・・、
"I wish for everyone's happiness."
or "Peace to the world."
or "I wish I'd be able to speak English
fluently."
こんな表現もこのビデオから学んでください。

"A Sign" is a conversation between three governesses who are talking about what gifts they received, a day after the Kris Kringle activity.

Oktoberfest

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Last October, Dela Cruz English Club had a series of activities. The activities ranged from Sports Day to Oktoberfest. Learners had fun chatting in English, playing games while eating and drinking. Check out the video to see how fun the activities were. Don't be left out... come and join us at DCEC's next event.

English Lesson: Anytime, Anywhere

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 05:10:00 +0000



N:  Nicole    K:  Koichi    T:  Tetsu


N: How are things, Koichi?
K: Oh, you know.  Same old same old.
   Did you have a nice ride today (referring to the taxi ride)?
N: Now that you've mentioned it, I think that was the most          
　 entertaining taxi ride I have ever had.
K: Tell me all about it.

Just before Nicole started her story, Tetsu arrived on that 
precise moment.

T: Hi guys!  I hope I am not interrupting.
K: Nicole was just about to recount her cab ride.
T: Were you involved in a vehicular accident?  
N: Calm down, Tetsu.  I am fine.  It's nothing like that.
   On the contrary, it was a very interesting experience.

Nicole told the two eager learners about how the taxi driver 
wanted to talk about Steve Jobs and her take on nuclear 
energy issue.

K: That's one smart taxi driver!
N: And a very loquacious man at that!
T: I admire him for carrying on a conversation with you for 
   20 minutes.  He must really have wanted to practice English 
   with you.
N: He sure did!  It felt like it was a lesson.
K: So, you had a lesson with him.
   I hope you got paid.
N: Actually, I teased him about it.
   I was hoping he would take the bait.
   As he pulled the taxi to a halt in front of the building, 
   I asked him if it was a free ride.
T: And what did he say?
N: He was flabbergasted and couldn't say anything.
   I think it was the only moment that he was at a loss for 
   words during the entire time we were together.
K: Looks like you got him with that comment, Nicole.




Vocabulary

★Same old same old. - いつもと同じである。相変わらずだ。
★now that you've mentioned it~ - そう言われてみると～、
★entertaining - 面白い、愉快な
★precise - まさにその、ちょうどその
★recount - ～について詳しく話す、～を物語る
★cab - タクシー
★vehicular accident - 自動車事故
★calm down~ - ～を落ち着かせる、なだめる
★on the contrary~ - それどころか
★eager - しきりに～したがる、～を切望した
★take on~ - ～についての見解（見方・解釈）
★smart - 賢い、頭が切れる
★loquacious - 多弁な、おしゃべりな
★at that - さらに、その上
★admire - ～を称賛（敬服）する
★carry on a conversation - 会話を続ける
★take the bait - 餌に食いつく
★pull to a halt - 駐車場に車を止める
★free ride -  無料乗車、ただ乗り
★flabbergasted - あっけに取られた、あぜんとした
★loss for words - 言葉に詰まる、絶句する、言葉を失う





「いつでもどこでも英語のレッスン」

N:  ニコル    K:  コウイチ    T:  テツ


N: 調子はどう、コウイチ？
K: ああ、いつもと一緒だよ。
　（タクシーについて）今日は快適だった？
N: そう言われてみると、今までで一番面白いタクシー移動だった
   たわね。
K: それは聞きたいな。

ニコルがまさに話を始めようとした瞬間、テツが現れる。

T: やあみんな！　邪魔してないといいけど。
K: ニコルがタクシーについて話そうとしてたとこなんだ。
T: 交通事故に巻き込まれたのかい？
N: 落ち着いてよテツ。私は大丈夫。そういうんじゃないの。
   逆にとても面白い体験だったの。

ニコルは聞きたがる生徒たち２人に、タクシーの運転手がどんな
ふうにスティーブ・ジョブズについてや原子力エネルギー問題に
ついての彼女の見解について話したがったかを聞かせた。

K: それはなかなか知的なタクシー運転手さんだったね！
N: それにとても話し好きで！
T: きみと20分も会話をしたなんてすごいね。ニコルと本当に英語
   の練習をしたかったに違いないよ。
N: ほんとそうね！　まさしくレッスンのようだったわ。
K: じゃ、彼とレッスンしたんだね。お金もらえたならいいけど。
N: 実はそのことを冗談で言ってみたのよ。食いついてくれればと
   思って。タクシーがビルの前にとまったとき、この料金は無料？
　 って聞いたの？
T: それでなんだって？
N: あっけにとられて何も言えなくなってたわ。一緒にいるあいだ
   言葉を失ったのはその瞬間だけだったと思うわ。
K: その一言で一杯食わせたせたようだね、ニコル。

Not Again

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 05:59:00 +0000

S: Scott F: Felicity E: Euneece
One ordinary evening, when classes are over…
E: Goodbye, Scott! We’re leaving now.
S: Wait for me, please.
F: (whispering to Euneece after a minute or two) What’s taking him so long?
E: He was logging out... about five minutes ago. (In a more audible voice) Let’s go!
F: We’ll be missing our train if he dilly-dallies. (Peeping at the door to see where Scott is) Come on! After a few minutes…
E: OK, Scott, we’ll just send you your pillows.
S: (in a pleading tone) Saint Peter, please!
F: (impatient) … and your futon, too! Any other essentials?
S: Hahaha! (coming out of the office) Thanks for waiting.
F: Now we have to dash to catch our train. Grrrr…
S: You don’t have to do that. There’s plenty of time.
E: Yeah, for the next schedule. We don’t have strides like yours, you know.
F: (Ignoring Scott) Hurry, Euneece. We could still make it. Let’s run for it!
E: I hate this! (starts running) Upon reaching the platform…
F: (Slows down, panting) The train is delayed.
E: Whew!
S: (catching up with Euneece & Felicity on his usual stride) Told you we could make it.
E: (still catching her breath) Thanks, psychic!
F: Please remind me not to wait for him again!
S: Poor me!
E: No, poor us!

●Vocabulary:
★whisper - 囁く
★log out - ログアウトする
★audible - 聞こえる
★dilly-dally - ぐずぐずする、
★peep at - ～を覗く、盗み見する
★pleading - 訴えるような、嘆願する
★Saint Peter - 聖ペテロ、サン・ピエトロ ※天国の鍵を司る人として知られる
★impatient -（待たされたり遅らされたりすることに）ジリジリして、待ちきれずに
★essentials - 必需品
★dash - ダッシュする、突進する
★stride - （大股の）歩幅
★make it - 時間に間に合う
★pant - 息を切らす
★catch up with - ～に追いつく
★catch one’s breath - 一息つく、一休みする
★psychic - 霊能者
★poor - かわいそうな「また？」

S: スコット
F: フェリシティー
E: ユニースいつもの夜、授業が終わり...
E: じゃあね、スコット！　帰るわね。
S: ちょっと待ってよ。
F:（数分後ユニースに囁き）何に手間取ってるのかしら？
E: ログアウトしてたわよ...５分くらい前に。（聞こえるように）行きましょ！
F: ぐずぐずしてると電車に乗り遅れるわ。（ドアからスコットのいるところを覗き込む）ほら！数分後...
E: いいわスコット、あなたの枕送ってあげるわね。
S:（救いを求めるように）どうか、聖ペテロ様！
F:（待ち切れずに）...それに布団もね！　他に要るものは？
S: ハハハ！（オフィスから出てきて）待っててくれてありがとう。
F: 電車に乗るために走らないと。も～。
S: その必要はないよ。時間はたっぷりある。
E: ええ、次の電車までね。私たちはあなたほどの歩幅ないから。
F:（スコットに構わず）急いでユニース。まだ間に合うわ。走りましょう！
E: もうイヤ！（走り出す）ホームに到着すると...
F:（速度を落とし、息を切らし）電車が遅れてるわ。
E: フー！
S:（ユニースとフェリシティーにいつも通りの歩調で追いついて）だから間に合うって言ったじゃないか。
E:（まだ息を整えながら）それはどうも、エスパーさん！
F: もう今度からスコットを待たないって思い出させて。
S: 僕かわいそう！
E: いいえ、私たちがかわいそうなの！

The Modern English Alphabet

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 03:46:00 +0000

Most of us, if not all, started our journey with the English language learning our ABCs. Do you still remember the song? Once we have mastered the song, our relatives would always ask us to sing it and after we have finished, they would clap like crazy… as if we achieved something excellent. My friend’s daughter would sing that song every chance she got in her cute little voice. Before the standard was “A is for apple… B is for boy…” However, some people now might disagree. It is no longer relevant in this day and age. So there’s a new way to study the English alphabet…

Note: This is just for fun. I am sure the nursery schools are not teaching this to the kids… yet! Source: http://youtu.be/eOb9Bs86dMU

Enjoying "Gakuensai"

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 02:59:00 +0000

Do you have fond memories of your school festivals? It’s that time of the year again when students have fun playing games and setting up booths to entertain other people. Last Saturday (Oct. 8), I visited my alma mater to take part in its annual “gakuensai” or school festival. I visited the booth of our association and was able to watch some performances by the students. At the same time, I sampled the various dishes being sold by the different association of the international community at the university. I love going to these festivals because the air is always charged with a lot of energy. You can smell, feel and taste the energy that the students are emanating. I have the fondest memories of my own “gakuensai”. How about you?

Deja vu

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 04:29:00 +0000

Have you ever had a déjà vu? For those who do not know the meaning of déjà vu, it is the feeling that what is happening now has happened before in exactly the same way. The recent stock market crash and the EU’s bailout plan for Greece are very reminiscent of the 2008 recession which caused a lot of companies to go bankrupt. Most countries (United States and Japan included) are not faring really well in this ongoing economic slump. However, some countries are using this economic stagnation to their advantage. While the big economies are halting, the developing countries are roaring ahead. Just take for example Brazil, Russia, India and China or collectively known as BRICs. The situation is very unpredictable. It can go either way, for the better or (Heaven forbid!) for the worse. But what is interesting, the current situation of the United States right is depicted in an animation dating to the late 1940s. Sources: http://godfatherpolitics.com/1006/63-year-old-cartoon-depicts-america-today/#.Tnd3DEWFs9o.facebook http://youtu.be/mVh75ylAUXY

Book Cover

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 03:09:00 +0000

I have always been fascinated by the people I see in the trains. You can see them kill time by doing different things. Some sleep while the others play games on their phones or gadgets. However, most of them use the time to catch up on their reading… be it the newspaper or a book. What is interesting is that when people read a book, there is always a book cover (well, most of the time). So, I thought it would be interesting to post this. I read this in a website and found it hilarious! I am pretty sure people will get the idea when you use this. Source: http://arnikristjansson.com/?/graphics/staringbook/

A Little Green Bottle

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 03:12:00 +0000

I grew up drinking Coke. Probably, I got it from my father who loved the drink as much as he loved his chocolates. Yes, he had a sweet tooth, and so do I. After a long time, I ate sushi again last week and enjoyed so much. I haven’t had any since after the earthquake for fear of radiation. However, my craving for it last week was too intense to ignore. As I ate my last piece, I wanted to wash the fishy aftertaste from my mouth and decided to order a Coke. Lo and behold, they gave me a tiny green bottle with my favorite drink inside it. My friends laughed at my reaction; it was my first time to have one. As you may have guessed, I downed the entire contents of the bottle in a matter of seconds.

30-day challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 06:08:00 +0000

Have you ever felt you are stuck in a rut? And you find yourself wishing that some things will change in your life? Well, what are you waiting for?! Changes can happen even without your permission. However, you can also initiate it. Our life becomes boring only when we allow it to be. We have the option to spice it up if we want to. Try to listen to Matt Cutts’ TED Talk presentation about trying something new for 30 days. Is there anything that you would like to try for the next 30 days? Sources: http://youtu.be/JnfBXjWm7hc http://www.ted.com/talks/matt_cutts_try_something_new_for_30_days.html A few years ago, I felt like I was stuck in a rut, so I decided to follow in the footsteps of the great American philosopher, Morgan Spurlock, and try something new for 30 days. The idea is actually pretty simple. Think about something you've always wanted to add to your life and try it for the next 30 days. It turns out, 30 days is just about the right amount of time to add a new habit or subtract a habit -- like watching the news -- from your life. There's a few things I learned while doing these 30-day challenges. The first was, instead of the months flying by, forgotten, the time was much more memorable. This was part of a challenge I did to take a picture everyday for a month. And I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing that day. I also noticed that as I started to do more and harder 30-day challenges, my self-confidence grew. I went from desk-dwelling computer nerd to the kind of guy who bikes to work -- for fun. Even last year, I ended up hiking up Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. I would never have been that adventurous before I started my 30-day challenges. I also figured out that if you really want something badly enough, you can do anything for 30 days.Have you ever wanted to write a novel? Every November, tens of thousands of people try to write their own 50,000 word novel from scratch in 30 days. It turns out, all you have to do is write 1,667 words a day for a month. So I did. By the way, the secret is not to go to sleep until you've written your words for the day. You might be sleep-deprived, but you'll finish your novel. Now is my book the next great American novel? No. I wrote it in a month. It's awful. But for the rest of my life, if I meet john Hodgman at a TED party, I don't have to say, "I'm a computer scientist." No, no, if I want to I can say, "I'm a novelist." (Laughter) So here's one last thing I'd like to mention. I learned that when I made small, sustainable changes, things I could keep doing, they were more likely to stick. There's nothing wrong with big, crazy challenges. In fact, they're a ton of fun. But they're less likely to stick. When I gave up sugar for 30 days, day 31 looked like this. (Laughter) So here's my question to you: What are you waiting for? I guarantee you the next 30 days are going to pass whether you like it or not, so why not think about something you have always wanted to tryand give it a shot for the next 30 days. Thanks. (Applause)

Humanity and Civilizations

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 03:00:00 +0000

If you would like to listen to a seminar about humanity and civilizations, you might be interested in the 13th Environmental Diplomatic Leader seminar which will be held on September 30, 2011 (Friday) from 3pm to 5pm at Room 110, Laboratory of Advanced Research A, University of Tsukuba. The speaker will be Dr. Koichiro Matsuura, a former Director-general of UNESCO. Below is the seminar poster… This seminar will be in English so it will be a good chance for English learners out there.

It was a roast

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 02:02:00 +0000

Characters: N - Nicole Y - Yuri To - Tomo Ta - Tatsuya During Free Chat, Nicole's learners shared their respective stories. N: Thanks for sharing your knowledge about wines. I didn't know that we had a wine connoisseur in the house. Y: You flatter me, Nicole. It's just a hobby. N: Alright. How about Tomo, anything you would like to share? To: A junior co-worker got married last week and I attended his wedding reception and afterparty. We did something crazy during the afterparty. (piquing everyone's curiosity) Ta: Let me guess... you performed like Lady Gaga or AKB48? To: You're getting warmer. We danced naked! N: What?! (her eyes as round as saucers) Y: Oh, please spare me the details. (covering her ears) Ta: Buck naked? To: Not really. We had our pants on. N: Oh ok. Whew! Y: What else did you do besides dance? To: We told embarrassing stories about the groom. Ta: Oh no! How did the bride react to the stories? (imagining the situation) N: I hope she didn't have a change of heart... Y: Well, I think it was already too late for that. Ha ha ha! N: I guess the groom was roasted at his own wedding. To: The bride was game and so was my friend. It was all in the name of fun. Ta: Good thing I got married in Hawaii and didn't have such experience. N: Do your friends have blackmail material on you? Ta: Well, let's just not go into that. ●Vocabulary ★roast - 焼く（あぶる）こと ★respective - それぞれの、各自の ★wine connoisseur - ワイン通 ★in the house - ～がいる、～がもう来ている ★flatter - ～を褒めそやす、～にお世辞を言う ★afterparty - 二次会 ★pique - （興味・好奇心を）そそる ★perform - 演じる ★warmer - be getting warmerで正解に近づいている ★naked - 裸の、すっぽんぽんの ★eyes as round as saucers - 目を皿のように丸くし ★spare me the details - 細かい話はやめて、詳細は割愛して ★buck naked - 素っ裸の（で） ★embarrassing - 気恥ずかしい、きまり悪い、ばつの悪い、 ★groom - 花婿、新郎 ★bride - 花嫁、新婦 ★change of heart - 心変わり、気持ちの変化 ★game - やる気がある、乗り気な ★in the name of ~ - ～の名において、～という名目で ★blackmail - 脅迫（メール）、恐喝、ゆすり ★let's just not get into that - その点は深入りしないことにしよう「丸焼き」登場人物: N：ニコル　Y：ユリ　To：トモ　Ta：タツヤフリーチャットにて、ニコルの生徒たちが、それぞれの話をする。 N: ワインに関する知識をありがとう。ここにワイン専門家がいた　　なんて知らなかったわ。 Y: お世辞が上手ね、ニコル。趣味なだけよ。 N: 分かったわ。トモはどう、なにか話したいことはある？ To: 先週、会社の後輩が結婚して、披露宴と二次会の両方に出たんだ。　　二次会ではちょっと羽目を外しちゃったよ。（みんなの興味をひく） Ta: 当てさせて...レディー・ガガかAKB48を披露したとか？ To: 近いね。裸踊りしたんだ！ N: ええっ？！（皿のように目を丸くして） Y:　わあ、詳しくは言わないで。（目を覆う） Ta: 素っ裸？ To: ううん。パンツははいてたよ。 N:　それならよかったわ。ホッ！ Y: 踊りの他には何かやったの？ To: 新郎の恥ずかしい話をしたんだ。 Ta: あらら！新婦の反応は？（状況を思い浮かべて） N: 彼女が心変わりしなかったならいいんだけど... Y: まあ、それについては時すでに遅しね。ハハハ！ N: 新郎は結婚式で丸焼きにされちゃったようね。 To: 新婦は乗り気だったけどね、僕の友達も。　　楽しみと言う名のもとに。 Ta: よかったー、僕ハワイで結婚して、そんな経験しなくて。 N: 友だちはおどしをかけてきたりはしないの？ Ta: うーん、そこは深入りしないでおくことにしよう。

September: Chinese Moon Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 03:23:00 +0000

The Chinese Moon Festival or Zhongqiu Festival (traditional Chinese: 中秋節; simplified Chinese: 中秋节; pinyin: Zhōngqiūjié; Vietnamese: Tết Trung Thu), is a popular harvest festival celebrated by Chinese and Vietnamese people. It is one of the biggest annual holidays in China. It is also referred to as the Mooncake Festival or Lantern Festival. It is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar, which is in September or early October in the Gregorian calendar. It is a date that parallels the autumnal equinox of the solar calendar, when the moon is the brightest and the highest in the sky. This year, it falls on September 12, 2011.

中国の中秋節（繁体字：中秋節、簡体字：中秋节、併音Zhōngqiūjié、ベトナム語：Tết Trung Thu）は、中国とベトナムの人々によるもっとも人気のある収穫祭です。中国では１年のうちでもっとも大きな祝日の一つで、月餅と提灯の祭りともいわれています。中国の暦で8月15日、新暦の9月か10月の始めに催されます。これは太陽暦の秋分の日に相当し、月が夜空に最も高く明るく輝きます。今年2011年は9月12日にあたります。

This celebration is one of the oldest holidays in the world, dating back to 3, 000 years. Early celebrations include worship of the moon as a god. Farmers celebrate the end of the fall harvesting season on this date. Traditionally on this day, Chinese family members and friends will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon, and eat moon cakes and pomelos under the moon together. Today, the Chinese Moon Festival is celebrated as a national holiday in China and other Asian countries. People take the day off from work. They view the moon, cook and enjoy with family and friends.

これは3000年前まで遡る世界で最も古い祝祭の一つです。もともとは月の神への信仰の意味が含まれていました。農民はこの日、秋の収穫の季節の終わりを祝います。この日は伝統的に、一族や友人たちが集まって中秋の名月を観賞し、月の下で月餅とザボンを食べます。今日、中国の月のお祭りは中国とその他アジアの国々で正式な祝日として祝われています。人々は仕事を休みます。月を観賞し、料理をして家族や友人と過ごすことを楽しみます。

Accompanying the celebration, there are additional cultural or regional customs, such as:
carrying brightly lit lanterns, lighting lanterns on towers, floating sky lanterns
burning incense in reverence to deities including Chang'e (Chinese: 嫦娥; pinyin: Cháng'é)

祝祭に加え、文化的あるいは宗教的風習もあります。嫦娥（併音Cháng'é）などの女神への信仰として、提灯で明るく照らしたり、塔の上の提灯を点したり、香を焚いた提灯を空に浮かべるといったことを行います。

Erect the Mid-Autumn Festival.(树中秋，竖中秋，in China,树 and 竖 are homophones）It is not about planting trees but hanging lanterns on the bamboo pole and putting them on a high point, such as roofs, trees, terraces, etc. It is a custom in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, etc. collecting dandelion leaves and distributing them evenly among family members, fire dragon dances.
In Taiwan, since the 1980s, barbecuing meat outdoors has become a widespread way to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.

祭りを建てる（树中秋，竖中秋，中国では"树"と”竖"は同音異義語）、これは木を植えることについてではなく、提灯を竹の棒に掛けて屋根や木、テラスなどの高い所に置くことです。これは広州、香港などの習慣で、タンポポの葉を集めて家族全員に平等に配り、火の龍が舞います。
台湾では1980年代から、中秋節の祝い方として外でバーベキューをすることが広まりました。

Making, giving, and eating mooncakes is a tradition on this day.
月餅を作り、贈り、食べるのがこの日の伝統です。

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Autumn_Festival

This is the end of the line for you, pilgrim

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 03:21:00 +0000

Sc = Scott　　J = Jeremy

Scott is making a long distance call to one of his overseas
friends.

Sc: Hey Jeremy
J:　Hi Scott. How are things over there? The word on the
　　street is that they’re going to fire up one of the
nuclear plants in Hokkaido.
Sc: Really? I hadn’t heard about that. I’ve been a little
preoccupied with other things to worry about keeping up
on the gossip.
J: Yeah that’s right. I heard you and your girlfriend cut
ties.
Sc: Sort of. We’re going through a rough patch right now,
and things are a bit…
J: Unstable?
Sc: Not really unstable per say, but definitely edging closer.
J: That’s a crying shame. Any plans to rectify the situation?
Sc: We’re going to try and hash a few things out.
J: I’m glad to hear that.
Sc: One could say it’s a last ditch effort to reinforce a few
weak points before our relationship goes to shambles and
we’re left picking up the pieces.
J: Well, if she throws you away again she’ll get what’s
coming to her.
Sc: Perhaps, but I think hell will freeze over before she
gives up hunting for other cute guys, so we’re bound to
have more troubles.
J: I hope not. You two make a cute couple. Just make sure
you don’t have babies that glow in the dark.
(Scott laughs)
Sc: Thank you, although it would make it easier to find them
in a crowd.
(Jeremy also laughs)
J: Too true.
Sc: Well, I gotta count sheep.
J: Yeah, I’m off to the grindstone myself.

●Vocabulary:

★The word on the street is __: 噂によれば～だ
★fire up - 稼働させる、始動させる
★preoccupied - 頭がいっぱいで
★gossip - 噂、陰口
★cut ties - 縁を切る
★unstable - 不安定な
★per say - 正確な意味においては
★edging closer - 近づいている
★It’s a crying shame. - 非常に残念だ。
★rectify - 修正する、正す
★hash (something) out - とことん話し合って解決する
★last ditch effort - 最後（土壇場）の努力
★goes to shambles - 修羅場になる
★pick up the pieces - 困難な事態を修復する、収拾する
★__’ll get what’s coming. - 自業自得だ、当然の報いを受ける
★hell freeze over. - when hell freezes over で決して起こらない
★hunting - 探求する、探す
★bound - be bound to～で、～しなければならない、～する運命にある
★glow in the dark - 暗闇で光る
★too true - いかにも
★count sheep - 羊を数える、眠ろうと努める

「旅人よ、これがあなたの行く末だ」

Sc = スコット　　J = ジェレミー

スコットは海外の友人に長距離電話をかけている。

Sc: やあジェレミー。
J:　ハイ、スコット。そっちはどうだい？　噂では北海道の原子炉
のうちの一基を稼働させるそうじゃないか。
Sc: 本当に？　それは聞いてなかったな。他のことで頭がいっぱい
でその噂どころじゃなかったよ。
J: ああ、そうだね。君が彼女と別れたって聞いたよ。
Sc: まあね。今ちょうど難しいところで、事態はちょっと...
J: 不安定？
Sc: 正確には不安定っていうわけではないけど、まあ確実にそれに
近づいてはいるね。
J: そりゃ残念だな。なにか状況を改善する策は？
Sc: なんとかしようと、今とことん話し合ってるところだよ。
J: それをきいて嬉しいよ。
Sc: よく言うだろ、関係が修羅場を迎える前の数ある欠点を補強
する必死の努力って。そして事態は収拾されると。
J: ああ、もし彼女がまたきみを捨てたら、当然の報いを受けるだ
ろうね。
Sc: たぶんね、でも彼女がほかの男の子たちを誘うのを諦めること
は絶対ないだろうし、だからそうなったら僕たち更なる困難を
抱えることになると思うんだ。
J: そうならないことを願うよ。きみたちお似合いのカップルだ
からね。ただ暗闇で光る赤ん坊ができないように気をつけなよ。
（スコットは笑う）
Sc: ありがとう。でも人ごみの中から見つけるのは簡単だろうけどね。
（ジェレミーも笑う）
J: いかにも。
Sc: じゃあ、僕はもう寝るとするよ。
J: うん、僕はこれから身を粉にして働かなきゃ。

Kua 'Aina

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 03:15:00 +0000

Do you like to eat hamburgers? I do!
Do you like fries to go with it? I think fries and burgers are like your cream and coffee; they always go well together.
Have you tried avocado on your burger? I have!

When I went to Kamakura, I had lunch at Kua ‘Aina in Kamakura.
The burger patty was very moist and I adore their fries.
It was my first time to eat a hamburger with avocado.
Surprisingly, it suited my palate.

The Luckiest Birthday Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 03:26:00 +0000

E: Emery Y : Yoko S: Shoko

It’s Yoko’s birthday. A birthday song was sung for her
and in return Yoko thanked the singers. Emery, Yoko and
Shoko settled in to enjoy the cake.

S: I wonder what you wished for.
E: Don't say it Yoko, keep the cards close to your chest.
Y: By the way, I have an announcement to make. (almost
bounced at her feet).
S: I always get gingered up with any good news.
Y: I will travel abroad to present my research paper.
S: That's a big news! Where and when?
Y: To America three months from now. I should burn the
midnight oil starting next week to work on my presentation
in English. My professor will be the proofreader.
E: Must be easy for you since you knew the ins and outs of
your research.
Y: Yeah, but this will be my first time. My biggest hurdles
will be the question and answer part and the cocktail
party (feeling a bit down).
E: Do not be apprehensive. Just remember the two P's and
one R. Prepare, Practice and Relax. Take charge of the
first P and the R. Then, I will help you out with the
second P.
Y: (Eyes widened and beaming). Really?
S: I am gonna cheer for you Yoko. Do not forget to share
your experience plus the souvenir. (the last comment
is just to tease Yoko).
Y: (Almost in tears). Two P's and one R plus words of
encouragement! I am the luckiest birthday girl in the
world!

●Vocabulary:

★luckiest - もっとも幸運な
★settled in - に納まる、落ち着く
★keep the cards to your chest - 秘密にしておく
★announcement - お知らせ
★bounced at her feet - ぱっと立ちあがる
★gingered up - 活気づける
★research paper - 研究論文
★burn the midnight oil - 夜遅くまで働く（勉強する）
★proofreader - 校正者
★ins and outs - 裏と表、内実と表面
★hurdle - ハードル、障害
★cocktail party - カクテルパーティー
★apprehensive - 危惧している、気にかける
★take charge - 世話をする、責任を負う
★help someone out - （困っている）人を助ける
★beaming - 輝いて、晴れやかな
★words of encouragement - 励ましの言葉

「最も幸運なバースデーガール」

E: エメリー Y : ヨウコ S: ショウコ

ヨウコのお誕生日。彼女のためにバースデーソングが歌われ、
ヨウコがお礼を言う。そしてエメリー、ヨウコ、ショウコは
席に落ち着きケーキを楽しんでいる。

S: ヨウコは何をお願いしたのかしら。
E: ヨウコ、言っちゃだめよ、秘密にしておいて。
Y: ところで、お知らせがあるの。（ぱっと立ちあがらんばかりに）
S: いいニュースを聞くといつでも元気になるわ。
Y: 論文発表のために、海外へ行くことになったの。
S: すごいニュースじゃない！　いつ、どこへ？
Y: 3ヶ月後にアメリカへ。英語でのプレゼンのために来週から夜
遅くまで準備しなくちゃ。教授が校正してくれるの。
E: 研究の内実をよく知ってるんだから、あなたにとってはたやす
いはずよね。
Y: ええ、でも私にとってこんなこと初めてだから。最大の難関は
質疑応答とカクテルパーティーね。(ちょっと気を落とし)
E: 心配しないで。２つのＰと１つのＲを覚えておいて。プリペア
（準備）、プラクティス（練習）、そしてリラックスよ。最初の
ＰとそしてＲは任せたわね。２つめのＰについてはお手伝い
するわよ。
Y:（目を見開き輝かせて）本当に？
S: あなたを応援するわよ、ヨウコ。体験してきたことを教えるの
を忘れないでよね、それにお土産も。（お土産の方はヨウコを
からかい）
Y:（泣きそうになり）２つのＰと１つのＲ、それに加えて激励の
言葉！私って世界で一番幸運なバースデーガールだわ！

August: La Tomatina

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 03:15:00 +0000

La Tomatina is a food fight festival held on the last Wednesday of August each year in the town of Buñol, near to Valencia in Spain. Thousands upon thousands of people make their way from all corners of the world to throw tomatoes at each other in this 'World's Biggest Food Fight' where more than one hundred metric tons of over-ripe tomatoes are thrown in the streets.
ラ・トマティーナは、スペインのヴァレンシアにほど近いブニョールの町で、毎年８月の第４水曜日に催されるフード・ファイト祭りです。
この「世界最大のフード・ファイト祭り」は、100トン以上の熟しすぎたトマトを通りで投げるお祭りで、お互いに向かってトマトを投げつけ合うために世界各地から何千もの人々がやってきます。

The week-long festival features music, parades, dancing, and fireworks. On the night before the tomato fight, participants of the festival compete in a paella cooking contest.
１週間にわたるお祭りの特色は音楽、パレード、踊りや花火です。トマト合戦の前の夜、祭りの参加者はパエリア料理のコンテストで競い合います。

Anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 people come to this huge tomato fight, greatly expanding Bunol's normal 9,000 person population. There is limited accommodation for people who come to La Tomatina, so many people take the easier option of staying in nearby Valencia just 38km to Bunol by bus or train. In preparation for the dirty mess that will ensue, shopkeepers use huge plastic covers on their storefronts in order to protect them from the carnage.
そこらじゅうの２万から４万の人々がこの巨大なトマト合戦に参加し、通常は９千人のブニョール人口は大変に膨れ上がります。ラ・トマティーナに参加する人々のためには限られた数の宿泊施設しかないので、多くの人々はより選択しやすい、ブニョールからバスや電車でほんの38キロに近接するヴァレンシアに滞在することを選びます。続いて起こる汚れへの備えとして、店主たちは店先を惨劇から守るために巨大なプラスティックカバーを使います。

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomatina

http://www.latomatina.org/

http://www.donquijote.org/culture/spain/fiestas/tomatina.asp

Big Shoes To FIll

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 04:03:00 +0000

According to Heraclitus, change is the only thing that endures.
We cannot prevent it from happening.
All we can do is to accept it and adapt.
If we choose not to, we will be left behind or left out.

Last week, big changes shook the world.
First, Apple's iconic CEO, Steve Jobs announced his resignation.
Upon hearing this news, a lot of his followers were saddened.
The other news was Japan's Prime Minister Kan's decision to step down.
After being severely criticized for his administration's handling of the Tohoku earthquake, former PM Kan has long been nudged to resign from his post.
His announcement last Friday garnered mixed emotions from the public both in Japan and overseas.

Both newsmakers will soon be replaced by their successors.
For Apple it will be Tim Cook and for Japan, it will probably be Mr. Yoshihiko Noda.
The two gentlemen will be scrutinized severely in their first few days.
In addition, the public will expect a lot from both so they have to deliver.
They both have their work cut out for them... and they both have big shoes to fill.
I wish them luck in their respective fields.

The Magic of Deception

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 07:52:00 +0000

People lie everyday.
The gravity of the deception might differ but basically it's still a lie.

A friend of mine was not in perfect health last weekend.
When I called yesterday to check up on this friend, she said she is A-okay.
However, I learned this morning that she still has fever and is still resting in her home.
I took no offense that my friend told a white lie.
Probably, she just didn't want me to worry about her.

We lie for different reasons as well.
We say we are fine even thought we are not, so that people will not worry about us.
Some of us say we are on our way, but in reality we haven't even began the journey.

In this short video, you will see how a man and three iPods explain deception and lies through magic.
Please watch this TED talk offering by Mr. Marco Tempest.

So the type of magic I like, and I'm a magician, is a magic that uses technology to create illusions. So I would like to show you something I've been working on. It's an application that I think will be useful for artists -- multimedia artists in particular. It synchronizes videos across multiple screens of mobile devices. And I borrowed these three iPods from people here in the audience to show you what I mean. And I'm going to use them to tell you a little bit about my favorite subject: deception.

(Music)

One of my favorite magicians is Karl Germain. He had this wonderful trick where a rosebush would bloom right in front of your eyes. But it was his production of a butterfly that was the most beautiful.

(Recording) Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, the creation of life.

(Applause)

(Music)

Marco Tempest: When asked about deception, he said this:

Announcer: Magic is the only honest profession. A magician promises to deceive you -- and he does.

MT: I like to think of myself as an honest magician. I use a lot of tricks, which means that sometimes I have to lie to you. Now I feel bad about that. But people lie every day.

(Ringing) Hold on.

Girl in Phone: Hey, where are you?

MT: Stuck in traffic. I'll be there soon. You've all done it.

(Laughter)

Lady: I'll be ready in just a minute, darling.

Man: It's just what I've always wanted.

Woman: You look great.

MT: Deception, it's a fundamental part of life. Now polls show that men tell twice as many lies as women -- assuming the women they ask told the truth.

(Laughing)

We deceive to gain advantage and to hide our weaknesses. The Chinese general Sun Tzu said that all war was based on deception. Oscar Wilde said the same thing of romance.

Some people deceive for money. Let's play a game. Three cards, three chances.

Announcer: One five will get you 10, 10 will get you 20. Now where's the lady? Where is the queen?

MT: This one? Sorry. You lose. Well, I didn't deceive you. You deceived yourself. Self-deception. That's when we convince ourselves that a lie is the truth. Sometimes it's hard to tell the two apart. Compulsive gamblers are experts at self-deception. (Slot machine noise) They believe they can win. They forget the times they lose.

The brain is very good at forgetting. Bad experiences are quickly forgotten. Bad experiences quickly disappear. Which is why in this vast and lonely cosmos, we are so wonderfully optimistic. Our self-deception becomes a positive illusion -- why movies are able to take us onto extraordinary adventures; why we believe Romeo when he says he loves Juliet; and why single notes of music, when played together, become a sonata and conjure up meaning.

That's "Clair de Lune." Its composer called Debussy said that art was the greatest deception of all. Art is a deception that creates real emotions -- a lie that creates a truth. And when you give yourself over to that deception, it becomes magic.

(Applause)

Thank you. Thank you very much.

(Applause)

Sources:

http://www.ted.com/talks/marco_tempest_the_magic_of_truth_and_lies_on_ipods.html
http://youtu.be/fumsXEuiLyk

Exotic coffee lover

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 08:27:00 +0000

During the free-style lesson…

T: Tre K: Katz

T: Alright Katz, I’m all ears to listen to your
free-style lesson topic.
K: To begin with, I am a HUGE coffee fan! I love coffee
and I consume three cups on a regular day.
T: Wow! That’s a tremendous amount of caffeine to perk
up your day.
K: I couldn’t agree more… my day is not complete without
it!
T: So, do you have a preferred type of coffee preparation?
I assume you are a coffee connoisseur.
K: Nothing in particular. I prefer pure black coffee,
without any milk, cream or sugar. I’m not particular
about the preparation. I’m more concerned with the
kind, aroma and quality of coffee beans. I have tried
Arabica and Robusta coffee beans processed in various
ways. But there is a particular coffee that I wanted
to give a try…
T: Hmm… probably that coffee is uniquely processed and
quite rare in the market.
K: Exactly! Exotic as you call it and coffee growers
could hardly mass produce it.
T: Surely that coffee has a NAME…
K: Have you heard of the "Kopi Luwak or Civet/Weasel
Coffee"?
T: The word "civet" rings a bell - it means the Asian
Palm Civet or "Musang/Alamid" in the Filipino language.
　 By the way, what’s the lowdown on civet coffee
processing?
K: Civets can eat selectively and process single handedly
pulped coffee berries that have the right maturity.
In its stomach, proteolytic enzymes seep into the beans
thereby altering their chemical components. The coffee
beans are then channeled through the intestines and
finally defecated keeping the shape of the coffee beans
minus the pulp.
Farmers collect the defecated beans and undergo series
of thorough washing, sun drying, light roasting and
brewing to yield an aromatic coffee with significantly
reduced bitterness.
T: Wow! The civets are just like "bio-factories" …
that' s out of the ordinary coffee processing!
K: Indeed… due to its bizarre and labor-intensive processing,
this coffee commands a premium price especially the
Vietnamese Weasel Coffee at $6,600 per kilogram!
T: Well, I will just stick to a healthy and affordable green
tea.
K: If I have a chance, I will surely try a cup for its
heavenly taste!

●Vocabulary:

★exotic - 異国風の、風変わりな
★all ears - （be～）一心に耳を傾ける、熱心に傾聴する
★tremendous - 途方もなく大きい、とてつもない
★perk up - 元気づける、～を引き立たせる
★connoisseur - 目の肥えた人、玄人、通
★aroma - 匂い、香り
★mass produce - 大量生産
★rings a bell - ピンとくる
★single handedly - 自力で、人の手を借りずに
★lowdown - 秘密情報、内実
★proteolytic enzymes - タンパク質分解酵素
★seep - 浸透する、染み込む
★altering - 変える
★chemical components - 化学成分
★channelled - 導かれた、もたらされた
★defecated - 排便された
★aromatic coffee - 香りのある（芳醇な）コーヒー
★significantly reduced - 著しく低下した、大幅に削減された
★bio-factories = bio + factories - 生命工場
★out of the ordinary - 並外れた、常軌を逸した
★bizarre - 奇妙な、風変りな、とっぴな
★labor-intensive processing - 労働集約的過程
★premium price - 割増料金
★heavenly taste - 極上の味

「風変わりなコーヒー愛好家」

フリースタイル・レッスンの間…

T: トレ K: カズ

T: じゃカズ、きみのフリースタイルレッスンのトピックを聞く
準備は万全だよ。
K: まず最初に、僕は大のコーヒー好きなんだ！　コーヒーが
大好きで１日に３杯はいただくね。
T: ワオ！１日を活気づけるにはものすごい量のカフェインだね。
K: 全くその通り...　それなしでは僕の１日は完成しないからね。
T: それで、好きなコーヒーの入れ方はあるのかい？　君はコーヒ
ー通と見たけど。
K: 特にはないよ。でもブラックが好きだな、ミルクもクリーム
も砂糖もなしで。入れ方にはこだわらないよ、どちらかという
と
コーヒー豆の種類や香り、質の方に関心があるかな。
色々な方法で製法されたアラビカ種とロブスタ種を試したけど、
試してみたい特別なコーヒーがあるんだよね。
T: ふーん。きっとそのコーヒーは独自加工で市場ではとても珍し
いんだろうね。
K: その通り！珍しいといわれているように、コーヒー豆を栽培
する人達はそれを大量生産するのが難しいんだ。
T: そのコーヒーの名は間違いなく...
K: コピ・ルアク、あるいはジャコウネコまたはイタチコーヒー
って聞いたことある？
T:「ジャコウネコ」って言葉でピンときたよ。フィリピン語で
「マレージャコウ猫または"ヤシジャコウ猫」という意味なんだ。
ところで、シベット・コーヒー加工処理の秘密って何なんだい？
K: シベットは、適度に成熟したコーヒーの実を選んで食べて、
果肉を自力で加工するんだ。胃の中でタンパク質分解酵素が豆
　に浸透し、それによって化学成分を変化させる。そしてコーヒ
ー豆は腸を通して排便されて、最終的には果肉の部分を除いて
コーヒー豆が形のまま残るんだ。
苦味が軽減された薫りあるコーヒーを産出するために、農家が
　排便された豆を集めてそれを洗浄、日干し、軽い焙煎と醸成と
いう工程を経るんだよ。
T: すごい！シベットって「生物工場」みたいだね。...普通の
コーヒー加工の域を越えてるね！
K: まさしく... この風変りで労働集約的な過程のおかげで、特に
ベトナムイタチコーヒーなんて１キロ6,600ドルっていうプレ
ミア価格がつけられているんだよ！
T: 僕はヘルシーで手頃な値段の緑茶でいいや。
K: 機会があれば、絶対その極上の味を試してみたいね！

使える英会話表現がいっぱい。DCECメルマガダイアルグ　　"The Big Search"

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 02:03:00 +0000

N - Nicole M - Mari A - Ami

N: Hi guys! (greeted her learners)
M: Geesh, Nicole! You're nicely made-up today.
What's the occasion?
A: Yeah, I think this is the first time I've seen you
in this style.
I like the smoky effect on your eyelids.
N: Miraculously, I woke up early so I experimented with
some new stuff.
M: (leaned over to get a closer look) And you're
wearing mascara too!
N: (blushed profusely) Okay, enough about me.
A: Is there something you aren't telling us?
N: Nothing. It's just that my friend came for a visit
and she brought all the stuff for me as a birthday
gift.
M: I wish I had a friend like that too.
A: Does she work for a cosmetic company?
N: Well, you can say that.
One of their subsidiary companies is in that industry.
A: I see. So what goodies did she bring you?
N: Let's see... (enumerated the things she recalled)
She brought a lot of mascara... eye shadow...
eyeliner... anti-frizz mousse... perfume...
vanilla-scented lotion... etc.
M: Wow! Now you can open your own cosmetic shop.
Now, all you have to do is buy some clothes and you're
ready for your big day.
N: Ummm...
A: Don't tell she gave you clothes as well?!
N: Not really. Three of my friends and I had a date
yesterday and we splurged a little.
M: A little? (raised her right eyebrow at Nicole)
A: Define a little. (challenged her governess)
N: Just a pair of jeans and some strappy sandals.
A: You should have bought a top to complete the outfit.
N: That was already in my mind but something stopped me.
M: Was it a what or a who? (quizzed Nicole)
N: I just realized I could still go to another mall this
week to search for that perfect top.
A/M: Ha ha ha! We won't stop you then.

●Vocabulary

★made-up - メイクした、仕上がった
★occasion - 大事な行事
★smoky - かすんだ、煙のような
★miraculously - 奇跡的に
★experiment - 実験
★stuff - もの
★lean over - ～に身を乗り出す
★get a closer look - 近くで見る
★cosmetic company - 化粧品会社
★subsidiary company - 子会社
★industry - 産業
★goodies - おいしいもの、ちょっとしたおまけのもの
★enumerate - 数え上げる、列挙する
★recall - 思い出す
★anti-frizz mousse - 縮れ毛直し整髪料
★-scented - ～の香りの、匂いがする
★big day - 大事な日、記念すべき日
★splurged - 散財する、ぜいたくをする
★define - 定義する
★strappy - ストラップのついた
★quizzed - 質問する

「大きな探求」

N - ニコル M - マリ A - アミ

N: ハイ、みんな！（生徒にあいさつする）
M: うわあ、ニコル！　今日はきれいにお化粧してるね。
　なにかあったの？
A: ほんと、そのスタイルを見るのは初めてだと思うわ。その
くすみがかったアイシャドウがいいわね。
N: 奇跡的なことに早く起きたから、新しいものを試してみたの。
M:（身を乗りだして近くで見て）それにマスカラもしてる！
N:（顔を真っ赤にし）さあさあ、もういいでしょ。
A: 言ってないことがなにかあるんじゃない？
N: ないわよ。友だちが訪ねてきて、誕生日プレゼントとして
これを全部持ってきてくれただけよ。
M: 私にもそんな友だちがいたらなー。
A: 化粧品会社で働いてるの？
N: まあ、そうともいえるわね。子会社のうちの一つがその産業
にあるの。
A: なるほどね、それでどんないいものを持ってきてくれたの？
N: ええとね...（思い出して数え上げる）たくさんのマスカラ...
アイシャドウ...アイライナー...縮れ毛直し整髪料...香水...
バニラの香りの化粧水...などなどね。
M: すごい！　自分で化粧品店を開けるわね。あとは服を買って、
大事な日に備えることだけね。
N: うーん...
A: まさか服までくれたの？！
N: そうではないんだけどね。昨日友だち３人と私で出かけて
ちょっとぜいたくしたのよ。
M: ちょっと？（ニコルに向けて右眉を上げ）
A: 少しの意味を説明して。（ガヴァネスに食いつく）
N: ジーンズ１着とストラップの付いたサンダルよ。
A: トップスも買って、服装一式そろえればよかったのに。
N: それ考えたんだけど、なにかが止めたの。
M: なにかって何、または誰？（ニコルに聞き）
N: ピッタリのトップスを探しに、今週他のショッピングモール
に行けるって気付いたのよ。
A/M: ははは！　どうぞどうぞ、それなら止めないわ。

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Ways to cool down this summer

noreply@blogger.com (Dela Cruz English Club) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 06:43:00 +0000

It’s so freaking hot!
Every time I go out of my house, I would like to go back in and stay in my air-conditioned room.

Last Monday night, I had a terrible headache.
I felt so weak and really couldn’t hold myself up well, thus I decided to go home early.
The symptoms I had were very similar to a heatstroke, I was told.
Though, I am not really sure if it was.

So, please stay out of the sun as much as possible.
Hydrate yourself all the time.
Also, you could check out some of these methods a colleague suggested:

Cool gadgets

Cool food

If all else fails, then you could just do this…

Sources:

http://delacruzenglishclub.aminus3.com/image/2011-07-12.html
http://www.google.co.jp/search?q=kakigori&hl=ja&client=firefox-a&hs=ihL&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:ja:official&channel=np&biw=1280&bih=886&prmd=ivns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&ei=q81ATrr_EuXRiAKtr8S1BQ&ved=0CDcQsAQ
http://www.henkaq.com/SHOP/fa_coolpillow.html
http://www.shf.co.jp/photogallery/
http://www.bousai.j-taisaku.net/heatstroke/goods/pocket_handkerchief.html
http://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/konpo/t-sudare-nagomi-rollup-019.html
http://foodlibrarian.blogspot.com/2009/07/cold-japanese-somen-noodles-summer.html