"Real English 17-have butterflies"


Spring has finally arrived and I couldn't be happier.  
When I think of spring, I think of flowers, sun, barbecues, and butterflies!


Do you understand the meaning of the below passages.


At a spelling bee competition
A)  What's wrong buddy, you look pale?
B)  I've got butterflies...Next up is me!


At a high school baseball game
"I always get butterflies before a big game, so in order to relax and try to take a deep breath and close my eyes and do image training!"


"have\get" butterflies originally comes from the expression "have butterflies in one's stomach", and basically means "nervous," "anxious," and "uneasy."


Have you had any butterflies recently?


Since we live in Japan, and most people that read this blog are Japanese, I found the below to be interesting.  Check it out.


"What's your favorite thing about Japanese people?"

from The Japan Times Online

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20120403vf.html

Real English 16-A blast from the past!!

On Tuesday, I had a pleasant surprise.

In the afternoon, there was a knock at the door of the classroom.

I thought it was a salesperson, who are annoying, or someone interested in studying English, because such people sometimes drop by and inquire about the school, class, etc.

So, I opened the door. There was a nice-looking woman with a big smile standing there.

And, I thought to myself, "I know this woman's face...but from where??? I don't know..."

I couldn't put my finger on it, but after a few moments, she clued me in and solved the puzzle for me.

The following is our conversation.

Ms. K: My name is K .S. Please call me K.

Glenn: Nice to meet you. Please call me Glenn.

Ms. K: Well actually, this is not the first time we have met.

in my head I thought, "I knew it!!"

Ms. K: I am from Kitakatsuragi-gun in Nara, and you taught me English with a bunch of other women about 15 years ago in Kawai-cho. Do you remember?

and Bam Bam Bigelo!!! It came back to me like lightening!!

When I first came to Japan, I taught English as a JET in two junior high schools, Kawai Dai-ichi and Kawai Dai-ni Junior High School.

(fyi, JET stands for The Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme).

In addition to that, I taught some English classes once a week to some residents of Kawai Town. And Ms.K was one of those students!!

Glenn: Oh my god, I can't believe it!! Of course I remember you, and the classes!!! You and all of the other students were great, and I could never forget you all!

Ms. K: Really?! That is very nice of you to say that. (As she was taking out many things from her bag and putting them on the table) And, do you remember this letter your wrote to me, and this American coin set you gave me. And how about this photo of the two of us?

The letter was a "Thank You and Goodbye Letter" which I gave her when I finished up as a JET. I wrote it in English and really bad Japanese and just like now, my handwriting was terrible! :) In the photo, I had a long scraggly beard, long beautiful hair, and I was much thinner.

Glenn: Wow! Unbelievable! I can't believe still have all of this stuff.

Ms. K: That time was important to me, so I have kept them over all of these years.

Glenn: I am very touched and happy to hear that. Thank you very much!!

Ms K: Anyway, are you still a vegetarian?

Glenn: No. I was a vegetarian for about 5 years, but when I was around 27 years old I stopped. Now I eat everything, and often too much of everything!!

We laughed and had a good time chatting for about a half an hour. It was really a blast from the past!!!

And, because of her, I could remember my first roots in Japan.

So, I have to say "Thank You Ms. K for coming all the way from Kawai Town to say hello and see me! You haven't changed at all and I still, and now, appreciate your kindness!"

Completely random and not related the above topic, the below is a photo of Mikans.

Did you know that I love Mikans?

Did you know that I eat fruit for dessert after dinner almost every night?

Well, you probably don't need to know such things!

But just in case you really wanted to know, now you do! :)

"Real English 15-Look on the bright side"

Even when times are tough, it is very important to be positive. I can't stand pessimistic people!

Speaking of pessimistic people, Mr. F is the King of Pessimism.

When I go out for drinks with Mr. F, here is our usual conversation right off the bat:

Glenn: How are you doing Mr. F?

Mr. F: Terrible...I've heard a lot of gloomy news about the economy recently...

Glenn: Don't worry!! Be more optimistic! You gotta look on the bright side!!

When I am down, I always try to look on the bright side.

But I guess being too optimistic, "unrealistic," and always seeing things through rose-colored glasses isn't good either!

Listening to upbeat music also helps me change my mood. What do you do when you are in the dumps?

The lady who took the photos below, went to see some beautiful cherry blossoms to "get some good energy." And, thankfully, it worked!!

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Cherry Blossom Picnic in Shukugawa

Perfect!!!

The blossoms were in full bloom!

The weather was gorgeous!

The temperature was warm!

The good was good!

It wasn't too crowded!

There was live orchestra music and the "music" of the river!

It doesn't get much better than that!!

Anyway, take a look for yourself!

"Real English 14- Same Here"

"Same here" means "Me too" or "Likewise."

Look at some of the below sample examples for your reference:

1. Situation is in a restaurant

Waitress: What can I get for you?

Glenn: I am gonna gave a Caesar salad to start off, and the surf and turf for my entree. How about you Kyoko?

Kyoko: Same here.

Glenn: Really? You are a copycat...That's not fun at all...I wanted you to order something else, so we could have some variety!! Excuse me Miss, can I change my order?

Waitress: Sure, no problem.

2. Situation is at work

Tom: I don't think I am going to be able to make the deadline tomorrow if I don't do overtime tonight...It's a shame cause I really wanted to get outta here early and watch the first episode of the new TV series. But, there's nothing I can do about it. Work before play! Ah...Anyway, how about you?

Steve (Tom's co-worker): Same here. I can't leave early tonight either. Maybe I will leave the office around 9ish.

Below is my favorite new beer!

If you like beer, and see it in the stores, you should get yourself a six-pack.

Full

That sure was a full-blown storm yesterday!

And the streets are full of just-graduated-from-university kids, who are wet behind the ears, and just entered a company and begin living in the real world.

And, before we know it, with the help of a little sun, the cherry blossoms will be in full bloom.

(Just like the flashy cherry-blossom print shirt I am wearing below... You like it?)

Then, Osaka will be full of pink!

And the parks will be full of people having "cherry blossom viewing" parties!

Speaking of "full," I was really full after I ate at Bubba Gump Shrimp last Saturday night.

(If you have never heard of it, google "Bubba Gump Shrimp Osaka.")

The restaurant is based on the movie "Forrest Gump," with Tom Hanks.

It is located near USJ.

The atmosphere is great! Really lively and fun with cool music!

The service was top-notch! Really can't get any better than that!

The food was Good! As usual, we ate a lot! I especially recommend the shrimp cooked in beer!

And I even ate dessert-some chocolate cookie something. It was really good!

And the portions were large!! But no need to fear! If you don't finish all of the food, you can take home a doggy bag!

Below is a photo of the manager Shinichi and I. Thanks Shinichi!

And, I almost forgot. I saw Hanshin Tigers baseball player at the restaurant. His name is Mr. Messenger. He was supposed to start last night in the game versus the Yakult Swallows, but the game was postponed because of the storm. He was very cordial and kindly obliged to the requests of many guests to take a photo with him.