I found this 4WD (Four-Wheel-Drive) toy car in a second-hand shop. I had an idea, so I bought it (it was only 50yen). At home, I drilled holes in the black plastic spotlights, inserted (入れる) small lights, & connected (繋ぐ) them to a watch battery inside the body. Now my 4WD has working spotlights! Unfortunately they only stay on for about 3 seconds, then die. That`s a bit disappointing. But I enjoyed showing & explaining it to my kids, & also to my wife while she pretended (ふりをした) to be asleep.
Pronunciation
- Writing '4WD' is okay, but when speaking, it is always pronounced "Four Wheel Drive" (not 'four double-u dee'). Similarly, 'BBQ' is often written, but always pronounced "BARbeque" (not 'beebeeque')
It was easy to notice this car - the back sticks out of the parking space & into the street! American cars, especially old ones, tend to be pretty big - not just long but also wide - not suitable for Japan`s narrow roads & small parking spaces, I think. Also, they`re pretty heavy. Cars like this were made using 1.2mm thick sheet metal panels; a Camaro like this weighs about 1,600kg. Modern cars use thinner metal - only 0.8mm, so weigh less - on average about 1,300kg.
Vocabulary:
- narrow 狭い wide 幅の広い, 広い
- thin 細い thick 厚い, 太い
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)
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