Otto's blog

Green Cocoon

3月

16日

Sometimes I check the lime tree in my garden for insects, damage, etc. Today I was surprised to find this green cocoon on it. It must have been there since sometime last year. Usually swallowtail cocoons are brown, but sometimes they`re green. I guess this butterfly will come out sometime this Spring. I hope to see it.

Vocabulary:
- Sometime = いつか
- Sometimes = ときどき

#動物 #昆虫

Handa Red Brick Building

3月

8日

On Sunday I went to see this old building in Handa, Aichi. It used to be a brewery (beer factory) but now it`s a museum. It`s an interesting building - you can still see machine-gun bullet (銃弾) holes in one outside wall, caused during World War 2. They don`t make Kabuto beer here anymore, but you can still buy it - it is made by a nearby brewery. It`s good!

Their site: http://handa-akarenga.jp/

Grammar:
- ...still ____ = まだ___
- ...not ____ anymore = もう___ない

#建物 #旅行

How to Make a Christmas Wreath

12月

16日

Instructions:

Step 1: Go to a pine (松) forest.
Step 2: Get (命令する) kids to collect pine cones
Step 3: Cut out a cardboard (ダンボール) ring
Step 4: Attach pine cones to ring with wire
Step 5: Attach baby Jesus (doll) in a manger (飼い葉桶)
Step 6: Get (命令する) kids to brush pine cones with white paint
Step 7: Get angry
Step 8: Clean white paint from baby Jesus` face
Step 9: Attach tinsel bow, red berries & flower buds
Step 10: Hang wreath over front door
Step 11: Hope mother-in-law doesn`t notice red berries & flower buds are from her garden.

Grammar:
- Get/Have + 誰か + 動詞 = 誰かに + 動詞 + ように命令する

#アート #芸術

Orphanage Visit

12月

13日

On Sunday, Gifu Teragoya teachers & staff visited a local orphanage (孤児院) to play games, and hand out toys. The toys were kindly donated (拠出金した) by Teragoya students. Thank you!

This Christmas, kindly think of people less fortunate than yourself.

Vocabulary:
- "___てくれる" = "kindly ___"

#救済

Postcard from Noosa

12月

8日

One of our students sent us a postcard from Australia. Thanks!

Look at the stamp. Can you see the price? It costs A$1.80 to send a postcard from Australia to Japan. It only costs 70yen (about 80 cents) to send a postcard from Japan to Australia!

Maybe that`s why my Australian family & friends don`t often write me letters... Yes... Yes, that must be why.

Grammar:
- Send/give/write + 誰か + 何か = send/give/write + 何か to 誰か. Both styles are okay!

#切手

The Odessa File

12月

7日

I watched this movie on TV last night. It stars John Voight, who is Angelina Jolie`s father. It`s quite old - it was filmed in 1974 - and quite long (130 minutes) but I quite enjoyed it.

John Voight is quite old now - 77 - but he hasn`t quit acting yet. It seems he`s not interested in the quiet life.

Vocabulary:
- Be careful: Quite クアイト= かなり, なかなか, quit クイット= 辞める, quiet クアイエト = 静か

#映画

USA! USA! USA! ...China

11月

26日

I went shopping & saw a nice jacket. A lot of clothes nowadays are made in China. Was this jacket made in China? I looked at the label. Hmmm, looks like it was made in the USA; "...USA...New York...American..."

But, finally... "Made in China".

When you read something, it`s a good idea to read to the end - even clothes labels!

Grammar:
- This jacket WAS made in CHINA.
- This jacket IS made of POLYESTER.
- Most jacketS ARE made in China/of polyester.

Local Temple Autumn Festival

11月

25日

I was about to teach a class when I saw this group of about 50 people outside. They were about to cross the road, so I quickly got my camera. I took a photo as they crossed the road. The flag says "Autumn Festival." I think they are from a local temple.

Grammar:
- "about" = くらい
- "(be) about to 動詞" = will 動詞 very soon

Removing Rust with Vinegar

11月

15日

I heard that vinegar (酢) can remove rust (錆), so I put this rusty pair of thread scissors in a jar of vinegar for a couple of days. Voilà (フランス語 = Look!) ! As you can see, it was very effective.

Pronunciation:
- To correctly pronounce "V" in English, don`t let your top lip touch your bottom lip - that will make a "B" sound. Only your top teeth should (almost) touch your bottom lip. "V" を正しく発音するためには、上唇と下唇が触れてはいけないのです。触れると "B"の音が出ます。 "V"は上の前歯を少しだけ、下唇に触れるだけでOKです。.
- Remember that `of` is pronounced "OV", not "OFF."

Wakasa-wada Camping & Beachcombing

11月

13日

I went camping at Wakasa-wada beach in Fukui. It`s late autumn now, so the campsite was empty. There were no campsite staff, so I didn`t have to pay. Nice.

I didn`t go swimming, but I enjoyed beachcombing (= looking for stuff on the beach). I found these colourful fishing floats, and some other stuff, which I kept.

Vocabulary:
- stuff ("スタッフ") = 物
- staff ("スターフ") = 部員, 使用人 etc.

#趣味