Sunday morning

 Riri in the mirror

It happened a couple of days ago. When I got up, the clock beside my bed said 7:53. That’s seven lousy minutes before my favorite Sunday morning TV show begins. I rushed downstairs in my pajamas. Everyone was still log asleep and the house was awfully quiet.

After using the rest room, I washed my face to wash away the sleep and did what everyone does; I looked into the mirror. And…oh no! I can’t believe I’m about to write this. Anyway, after a quick wash of my face, wiped it with a towel and took a quick look into the mirror. I wasn’t there! That’s right. I didn’t see myself in the mirror! I must be dreaming…  I said to myself. I wasn’t dreaming. I was wide awake standing in front of the bathroom mirror. I wiped the foggy stuff off the mirror, touched the sink, the faucet…everything was real. I waved my hands, made a face, shook my head… There was no girl waving back to me or imitating my moves in the mirror. Confused, I looked around the room. I wanted to scream but I didn’t want to alarm the family.

lousy　ひどい、質の悪い

log asleep　死んだように眠って

wide awake　すっかり目が覚めて

foggy　霧がかかった、くもった

imitate　…をまねる

confused　混乱して、うろたえて

alarm　…を警戒させる、はっとさせる

TOEIC単語リスト・場所関連の重要単語カード　No.2

This is the second part of words necessary for beginner and lower intermediate students associated with places.

今回は、初級者、および初級者に近い中級者の方が覚えておくべき、場所関連の重要単語の第2部をお届けします。

leave                    去る、離れる

local                     地元の、各駅停車の

location                位置、場所

lot                        (土地の)一区画、地区

move                    引っ越す

outside                 外側の、外部の

park                     (動)駐車する／公園

place                    場所／(動)置く

playground           遊び場、運動場

port                      港

stadium                競技場、スタジアム

stair                     (階段の)一段、階段

step                     歩み、一歩

theatre                 劇場

visitor                   客、訪問者

Flashcards are available for Kensington  Eikaiwa students.

ケンジントン英会話の生徒様は、フラッシュカードもご利用になれます。

 Tamiyo’s Yoga Flyer Concept

Back Again the lotus flower shape was used, this time with a stem, coming from the “ground”. At the top, photos of the outdoor lessons, representing the morning sky, and in the centre, inside the lotus, the photo of the yogi was introduced. The flower stem divides the page symmetrically in equal halves, and on each side the text is written in Japanese and English, once the lessons are offered in both languages but also to convey harmony between two different cultures. At the bottom of the page, where the stem emerges, part of the UK flag was used to convey root, land, and green. Britain is also famous for the beauty of its gardens and green fields The Beatles (the Fab Four) put Indian culture in vogue back in the 60’s and it is also a connection to the “four features” of Kensington Yoga: small class, individual attention, become a global yogi, and morning classes. ♪ “Sounds of laughter, shades of life are ringing through my open ears Inciting and inviting me Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns It calls me on and on, across the universe Jai Guru Deva OM” ♫ Across the universe – The Beatles 裏 ここでもまた、ハスの花の形を使いましたが、今度は茎が付いており、「地」から生じています。 上の方に配置したのは、屋外レッスンの写真。朝の空をお見せしています。中央の花の中に、ヨガインストラクターの写真を使いました。 花の茎が裏面を、上下左右対称かつ均等に分けています。各パートの文章は日本語と英語の両方で書かれており、レッスンが両方の言語で行われることだけでなく、2つの異なる文化の調和も示しています。 下の方では、茎が現れていますが、イギリス国旗の一部を使って、根、土地、緑を表しました。イギリスは、庭園や青々とした野原の美しさで有名でもあります。 ビートルズ(素晴らしい4人組)は、かつて60年代にインド文化を流行させ、ケンジントン ヨガの「4つの特長」- 少人数クラス、親切な指導、国際的なヨガ実践者にも対応、朝ヨガ – と関連するものでもあります。 ♪「明るい笑い声　大地の色彩は　解き放たれた視界の中で　高らかに鳴り響き 　誘うように　私を鼓舞する 　無限かつ永遠の愛は　何億もの太陽のように　私のまわりに光り輝き 　宇宙の果てへと　私を誘う (以上対訳：山本安見) 　我らが導師、神に感謝を」♪ アクロス・ザ・ユニバース － ビートルズ

Tamiyo’s Yoga Flyer Concept

Riku stars in a Cartoon show

When I snapped out of it, Riku had just walked into the living room.

I couldn’t begin to understand what had just happened. For lack of anything better to say, I said “You’ve not just been in that cartoon show by any chance, Riku? Please never do it again because it’s dangerous!” Riku didn’t seem to know what the heck I was talking about.

Now whenever I can, I’m going to keep an eye on my little brother when he watches cartoon shows or he again gets swept up in the fun and turns into a cartoon character. Since this morning, I’ve been having this feeling that some of the big name cartoon characters kids adore all over the world were once real little boys and girls, you know, with big sisters, classmates and smelly sneakers like Riku. If Riku ever turns into a cartoon character, however popular it may be, my parents-especially mom would be devastated. They really love that kid. So I can’t ever tell my parents that Riku starred in the cartoon show. They’d kill me. As a responsible big sister, I can’t let my little brother lose himself in watching a cartoon show and turn into a cartoon character.

snap out　我に返る

keep an eye on　…から目を離さない

adore　…に憧れる、…が大好きである

turn into　…に変化する、…になる

devastated　非常にショックを受け悲しんで、精神的に打ちのめされひどく落ち込んで

 Riku stars in a Cartoon show

He wasn’t hurt though, and thanks to the show creators, none of the cartoon characters was. Riku and the gang of cartoons changed into these really cool cowboy and cowgirl outfits complete with large hats and side pistol bags with pistols in them. They entered into these large rooms crowded with people having piles of fun on pachinko machines and tables with colorful wheels on top of them. Riku and his cartoon buddies won stacks of green money. They didn’t have any blue or brown Japanese money in that room. All they had was these green notes and shiny gold coins.

A fight started in one corner of the large room and very quickly spread all over the room. Everyone including Riku and his band of cartoon characters was hitting somebody or something or being hit! The conflict soon spilled over onto the streets. The police quickly arrived to stop the disturbance from turning into a world war. Everyone had pulled out a gun and people who’d run home to get weapons were back with them. “It’s the Asian kids who started it!” said a guy who looked like a rock star with a bloody face. It wasn’t true! Riku wasn’t anywhere near the spot where the fight had broken out. “Where’re they?” said a large police officer with a piggy neck. “Right over there, little scam bags posing like cowboys. Let me smoke ‘em rascals before they cause any further ruin to the town!” shouted a cowgirl in pink boots waving a long pink pistol as a flying boat with FUTSUBISHI AIRBOATS written on it touched down to lift Riku and the cartoon characters to safety. “They’re getting away!” someone shouted. “Who has a big gun I can borrow?” said the large police officer with no neck. “John Wayne!” the crowd shouted. An old man of about seventy-five or older, stepped forward with a very large weapon. He looked pretty buff despite his advanced age, I’d admit. But I wondered what in the world John Wayne a grandfather, was doing with such a weapon in his house. The world can be a very dangerous place, especially in the cartoon shows. “OK John Wayne, said the neckless police officer. Aim and shoot that thing down when you’re ready.” “I don’t need to aim. This baby can shoot god, Satan, the angels, demons and the goblins down from heaven,” said John Wayne and took a shot. In shock, I closed my eyes! John Wayne shot a bunch of large flashing neon signs clean off the city missing the Futsubishi airboat by meters! “Holly dog’s droppings!” the crowd said calling the dog’s droppings by their real name in English (that starts with a fashionable letter of the alphabet called “S”) and they all spat on the asphalt as they watched the flying boat get away, only to hit a large cube of ice placed in its way by a bunch of malicious cartoon aliens with red teeth, fish eyes and chicken legs somewhere over Hokkaido. I think I feinted.

outfit　(一揃いの)服装、衣裳

get away　逃げる

a bunch of …　…の集団、大勢の…

feinted　フェイントをかけられた、陽動作戦をかけられた

Riku stars in a Cartoon show

In the scene he was flying with a bunch of cartoon characters in something that looked like a flying boat. He wasn’t a cartoon, but he spoke in a cartoonish voice. He was having a ton of fun! They flew over this large crack in the ground I think it’s in America or Brazil and ended up in a desert town full of cowboys and Indians running around and riding horses in the dust. The cowboys were shooting pistols in the air and just being disorderly all over the dusty town. I guess cowboys weren’t really cool in the past. In the scene, their behavior was totally unacceptable by any standards of coolness. They were ruining everything. Some of the cartoon characters almost got shot! It was a wrong place to hang out for a Japanese cartoon character and a boy for that matter and that boy was my own brother.

The scene changed suddenly to a city full of lights and buildings full of pachinko and other game machines. Riku and the cartoon characters were about to land into the city when…out of nowhere, a mean-looking cartoon character came riding on a really sleek looking flying boat and BANG! It slammed into Riku’s flying boat. It happened so quickly. I couldn’t get the words “watch out Riku” from my mouth fast enough! I was really terrified! I thought that my brother had been killed in the cartoon show!

a bunch of   大勢の

a ton of   すごく

a desert town   砂漠の町、荒れ果てた町

dust   (舞い上がる)埃

totally unacceptable   全く受け入れられない

hang out   つるむ、ぶらつく、遊ぶ

mean-looking   意地の悪そうな

terrified   おびえた(terrify: …をおびえさせる。terrifiedはその過去分詞形)

                                                 Saturday, July 17

 Riku stars in a Cartoon show

Mm… How and where should I start? How about this…?  Yesterday was my birthday. I turned 10. I think my dad forgot it was my birthday because Riku and I went to bed before he came home. He’s always busy. All my friends’ dads are.

 My life has gotten pretty exciting and sometimes scary or a little weird. I guess this is the major reason I’ve started writing stuff in this notebook.

Today is Saturday, so there was no school. Riku and I didn’t get up until 9:30. Outside, the summer sun was starting to roast the neighborhood and the cicadas’ song was deafening. Summer break begins next week! It’s a wonderful feeling!

It was almost unbearably hot but mom wouldn’t let us turn on the A/C because it was not 11:30 yet. It is the rule. A terrible rule, if you asked for my opinion.

We had rice balls, scrambled eggs and milk for breakfast. We dumped the dirty dishes into the kitchen sink after the meal and turned on our electronic babysitter known as television. Mom left home on a short errand. I don’t know what it was exactly.

On TV, they were showing this stupid cartoon show called AA. I think all the kids at my school watch it. Riku and his friends are crazy about it. They talk about it all the time.

I had a chance to pull myself away to go to the bathroom during a commercial break. When I got back to the living room, the TV was turned off and Riku wasn’t in the room. Well, I thought maybe he’d stepped out for a few minutes he’d be back. I turned the TV back on and…Riku my younger brother, was on TV! I mean…the kid was acting in the cartoon show!

weird   不気味な、奇妙な

cicadas   せみ

deafening   耳をつんざくような(耳を聞こえなくするような)

unbearably hot   我慢できないほど暑い、暑くてたまらない

on a short errand   ちょっとそこまでの用事で

a commercial break   コマーシャルによる番組の中断、コマーシャルの時間

Tim’s Blog – TOEIC単語リスト・職業や人に関する重要単語カード　No.1

Continuing with words necessary for beginner and lower intermediate TOEIC students, today I’m going to post some professions or other words associated with people. This is the first part and the second part will be published soon.

TOEICテストに向けて学習中の初級者の方、および初級者に近い中級者の方が覚えておくべき重要単語を扱ってきていますが、今回は、職業やその他、人に関する単語をご紹介しましょう。今回はその第1部で、第2部も間もなくお届け致します。

• accountant         会計士(係)
• assistant            助手、アシスタント
• attendant           接客係、案内係
• audience            観客、聴衆
• clerk                  事務員、店員
• client                 依頼人、顧客
• cook                  (動)料理する／料理人
• crew                  乗組員、搭乗員
• criminal              犯罪者、犯人
• crowd                人混み、群衆
• customer            顧客、得意先
• engineer             エンジニア、技師、技術者
• guest                  客、来賓
• lawyer                弁護士
• manager             管理職、マネージャー

Flashcards of these words are available for Kensington Eikaiwa students to practice on your smartphones or computers.

ケンジントン英会話の生徒様は、今回ご紹介した単語のフラッシュカードに、スマートフォンやパソコンでアクセスの上、カードを使った練習ができます。

私の英語学習法：「聞いて、まねて、それに耳を傾けて・・・」

これ、な〜んだ?

「古いっ！」と思われた方もいらっしゃるかもですが。わりと新しいです。

皆様こんにちは。スタッフの山下でございます。

我らがMaestra, Tamiyoが4年越しのブラジル帰省に飛び立ってしまったので、僭越ながら今回久々に書かせていただいております。

去年の話になりますが、英語学習に役立てようと、6万円台の海外仕様ラジオを買い、海外の番組を受信したいので、外部アンテナを付けないと…と思案していたら、スマホが海外の番組も配信していると知り…ああ、私のバカ。私の6万円。

…と思い悩んでいても時間の無駄なので、とりあえずラジオにはお蔵入りしてもらって、次に手を出したのが、写真のCDウォークマン。こちらは5千円弱とお安め。

英会話関係のCDがそれこそ山のようにあって、これを活用すれば、S□□Yに注ぎ込んだ6万円を回収できたも同然というか、元を取れるというか、何か変な理屈ですが、まあ結局はお金がどうとかいうよりは、思ったように喋れない自分がもどかしくて、何とかしなくちゃ！と思い立ったわけです。

で、暇を惜しんでは聞いて、聞いて、聞き倒していたわけですが、なかなか上達しません。なぜ？何か大事なことを忘れているような・・・あ、そっか。喋りたいなら喋る練習をしなくちゃ。

CDを聞いているうちは普通の人ですが、CDを聞きながらつぶやきだすと、ちょっと、いや結構怪しい人に変わります。いいもん。どうせ元から怪しいんだから。

後ろから誰かに追い抜かれた時の恥ずかしさ、お分かりの方はいらっしゃいますでしょうか？

でもこれはなかなか効果がありまして、喋っていて前より突っかかることは減ってきました。まだまだ、まだまだですが。

予習用のフラッシュカードでは、発音もチェックできますが、発音をよく聞いて、それをまねて、ご自分のその声によ〜く耳を傾けてみてくださいね。脳が自身の音声を認識し、それによって発話がスムーズになるという仕組みだそうです(NHKラジオ英会話のKen先生がおっしゃっていたと思います)。

フラッシュカードにも技術的な問題がありまして、その都合上、今週のカードにはケンジントンの先生が音声を吹き込んでいるものがあります。誰か当ててみて下さいね！