It was a long time since I`d been to Ichinomiya Tower Park, so I took my sons there last weekend. We rode bicycles, but it didn`t take long because we live kind of nearby. While we were there, I saw this car. I wanted to get closer, but the car didn`t stay long before driving off.
It was nice to get out, and my kids spent a long time playing with rocks & catching shrimp in the river; it was almost sunset when we finally left for home.
Grammar:
- It`s usual to use 'a long time' in a positive sentence but just 'long' in negative sentences & questions e.g. "Have you been in Japan long?" "I haven`t been here long, but my friend has been here a long time - 10 years."
I saw these two cars go past our school recently. The one on the left is an Isuzu 117. The other one is a Toyota Crown Super Saloon. They`re both from1978 or thereabouts.
Which one do you prefer? I prefer the Isuzu. It`s pretty stylish.
(Yes, I`ve been looking out the window more than usual recently!)
Vocabulary:
like = 好き
prefer = の方が好き
Which... prefer? = Which... like more? = Which... like better? ALL OK.
In Otsu we had lunch in this old building – it`s the old Otsu Town Hall (旧大津公会堂), built in 1934. I like* old buildings like** this. I`d like to know more about it, but there isn`t much information about it in English online.
By the way, can you see the black cars in the old photograph? They look a little like the 1936 Toyoda model aa, which I saw at the Toyota Museum in Nagoya. However, I`m pretty sure the one on the right is a 1934 Chevrolet master series DA. I`d like a car like that!
Vocabulary:
*like = 好き
**like = 〜ような
`d like to + 動詞 =〜(動詞)し たい
`d like + 名詞 = (名詞)がほしい
After visiting Ise Shrine & Oharai-machi, on the way back to the car park, I saw this Airstream caravan ('travel trailer' or 'trailer' in U.S. English). I sometimes see them used as restaurants, & there`s a place that sells used ones near my house in Ichinomiya (see blog post https://en.bloguru.com/otto/295556/ichinomiya-airstreams ). However, it`s unusual to see one on the road in Japan.
Vocabulary
- car + park = car park ('parking lot' in U.S. English) = 駐車場
- trailer + park = trailer park ('caravan park' in U.K. English) = トレーラーパーク
In Australia I saw these two old Holdens. Holden is an Australian car maker. Oops - I mean WAS; Holden closed its last production plant in 2017.
The top one is a 1966/7 Holden HR. The brown one is a 1969 Holden HB Torana. Which one do you prefer? I think I like the bottom one more.
Grammar
- "Which one...?" "...the top/brown/old/cheap one."
I took (連れて行った) my kids to the local Book Off to buy plastic train rails. They wanted to take (持っていく) their toys home quickly & play with them, but I told them to wait while I took (取った) a photo of this car in the car yard next-door. If you want to take a look at this car yourself, take Route 22 from Gifu to Ichinomiya. It`s on the right after you cross Route 151.
When I was leaving* Hakuba Green Sports Park in Hakuba, Nagano, I saw this Toyota Hilux. It has several cool features, e.g. (= for example) a retro paintjob, a fire extinguisher on the roof, a tailgate loader on the back, & a 'danger' sign on the front. If I bought this car, I would leave** all those features on it.
Vocabulary:
- * leave (過去形: left) = 出る
- ** leave (過去形: left) = 置く
2 weeks ago I went to Gotemba, which is about 20 kms south of Mount Fuji. When we stopped to take photos, I saw this nice car. Can you see Fuji in the background?
I live in Ichinomiya, in the north of Aichi Prefecture. There aren`t any mountains in Ichinomiya, so it`s a big change of scenery to see Fuji.
Grammar:
- (be) IN the north/south/east/west/centre of __ = __の北部/南部/東部/西部/中心です
- (be) north/south/east/west of __ = __ 北側/南側/東側/西側に (あります)
While cycling around Lake Biwa, I took photos of any unusual cars that I saw. I saw German cars e.g. the dark green Volkswagen Karmann, French cars e.g. the Citroen 2CV, British cars e.g. the Mini Coopers, and of course Japanese cars such as the white Mitsubishi Galant GTO - I think out of all of them, that`s my favourite. How about you?
Vocabulary:
- Germany (国) --> German (形容詞) ['ドイツ'はドイツ語です]
- France (国) --> French (形容詞)
- Britain (国) --> British (形容詞)
I guess this person doesn`t want their car to smell smoky. Anyway, they shouldn`t be smoking while driving. Actually, they shouldn`t smoke at all - it`s a bad habit.
Grammar:
- If we don`t know if somebody is 'he' or 'she', we can use 'they/them/their etc.' even though it`s only one person.
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yukio 
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