After a cup of coffee for breakfast, I continued north along the east shore of Lake Biwa. Soon I came to a big, busy tunnel. There was a lot of traffic (交通量). I couldn`t see a footpath (歩道). It looked a bit scary for cycling. Fortunately I had my smart phone. I pressed a button & instantly I could check a map & find another road & tunnel. Isn`t technology great?
Anyway, I took this photo of the tunnel that I used. It also looks a little scary, right? But there was no traffic when I went through it, so I was happy. I worry about cycling through tunnels. I also worry about getting a flat tyre when I go cycling, so I always take a pump. Fortunately I didn`t need it this trip.
I wonder how old this tunnel is? It looks scary, but it was convenient.
Pronunciation:
- For some reason, In Japanese, the `U` in these words - cup, tunnel, button, pump - is pronounced `‘オ` but In English, it`s `ア`. So be careful:
- cup = " カップ", (NOT コップ) (Actually, `コップ` = `glass` in English)
- tunnel = "タネル", (NOT トンネル)
- button = "バトン", (NOT ボタン)
- pump = "パンプ", (NOT ポンプ)
Q: What did you get up to last week, Teragoya Otto?
T: I cycled from Ichinomiya to Tsuruga last Thursday.
Q: Oh - that`s a long way! Did you get up early?
T: Yes, I got up at 2am & left my house at 2:30. I got to Lake Biwa at about 8:30.
Q: What did you get up to there?
T: Nothing much. I just got coffee, relaxed a little, took this photo, then continued riding.
Q: Sounds tough.
T: Yes, pretty tough, especially as I`m not in good shape. I`ve got to improve my fitness.
Vocabulary:
- `get up to` = do
- `get up` = 起きる
- `get to` = reach, arrive, 着く
- `have got to` = must, ないと行けない
Last week I cycled to Tsuruga. As (= because) it was a long trip, I left Ichinomiya very early - 2:30am. As (= while) I was passing through a small town near Maibara, I stopped to take off my jacket, as (= because) I was getting hot. As (= while) I was taking off my jacket, I noticed a group of students going to school. As (= while) they crossed the bridge, I took this photo. As you know (知っての通り), I like taking photos.
Vocabluary:
- "As" has various meanings in English e.g. 乍ら、とき、から、のように、の通り
On the weekend I went camping with my family in Tsuruga, Fukui. I wanted to camp on Mihama Beach, but I noticed a sign which said `No Camping` so we went to this mountain campsite instead:
http://www.city.tsuruga.lg.jp/about_city/news_from_facility/gaibu_shisetsu/shizennoie/nosakaikoinomori.html
It was not far away, so I was happy. My kids saw a snake, so they were happy, and the campsite was free, so my wife was happy. I want to go there again, but not this year - the nights are getting cold now.
Grammar:
- "What does the sign say?" "It says there are snakes around here" = 「何て書いてある？」「蛇が出るって書いてあるよ」
On Monday my wife & I went to Ena. It`s famous for 栗きんとん (a kind of chestnut dessert) and Oi dam. The weather was good. We had a nice, relaxing time.
Vocabulary:
- Maybe you`ve heard people (e.g. in movies) say "Dam!" when they`re angry or surprised. But that`s a different word, spelt `damn`, not `dam`. It`s kind of rude, so be careful about using it yourself.
誰かに怒る時「Dam!ダム！」と言います。映画などで聞いたことありますか？あの単語の本当の綴りは"Damn"。ご自身で使う時は気をつけてください。
During the Obon holidays I went camping by the sea in Fukui Prefecture for 3 days. I wanted to go swimming but the water was rough for 2 days. On the last day the conditions were good so I went swimming & snorkelling. The water was really clear, but I couldn`t see any big fish; too many people go spear-fishing near the campsite, so there are no big fish.
Fukui is a popular place to go scuba-diving. Have you ever been scuba-diving in Fukui? I like snorkelling but I`ve never been scuba-diving.
Grammar:
- go __ing > went __ing > been __ing OR gone __ing (been __ing is more common)
- Be careful: `go/went/been TO __ing` is WRONG
I saw this guy fishing in a canal (うんが) near my house. I could see lots of carp (こい) in the water, so I think he was trying to catch them. However, he was using a sinker (おもり) on his line, & when I asked him what bait (えさ) he was using, I didn`t understand his answer. I told him he should try using a ball of bread, & no sinker. A long time ago I easily caught a big carp using that method.
Did he understand my advice? I don`t know. Did he want my advice? Probably not.
I`ve never eaten carp. How about you?
Grammar:
- try to + [verb動詞] = __しようとする
- try + [verb動詞]ing = __してみる
These are some road signs I saw on the way to Fukui. The first one is a bear. The second is a wild boar. The third one is a たぬき. Do you know what たぬき is in English? You don`t, do you? Don`t worry - not many people do. In English, it`s called a `racoon-dog`. We don`t have them in Australia. Have you ever seen one?
Despite (つつも) all the signs, I didn`t see any of these animals last weekend. I was a bit disappointed (がっかり ).
On the weekend we went camping in Fukui Prefecture. The campsite was right (= exactly) next to the beach. Great!
Actually, the beach wasn`t a sandy beach. It was rocky. But it was interesting because there were rockpools containing a lot of small fish & crabs. My kids enjoyed catching them.
I went snorkelling, but the water was a bit (= a little) rough, & I couldn`t see so well. Also, there were a lot of people fishing there. I think it`s kind of bad manners to snorkel near people fishing.
It was a nice spot. We had a good time.
On the weekend I went camping in the mountains in Sekigahara. I made a campfire, swam in the river & relaxed. It was nice. I slept well.
In the morning, I got up early, restarted my campfire & went for a walk. When I returned, I was surprised to see two deer crossing the river near my tent. I`m surprised that they weren`t scared of the smoke from my campfire. Maybe they are kind of used to (なれている) living near people.
It was a nice experience. I was lucky.
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