"Real English 22-have no qualms"

Situation is a conversation between two public officials(PO1 and PO2)in Fukuoka during a smoking break


PO1: I can't believe the Sky Tree had a glitch on the first day.  Unbelievable! Can you imagine being stuck on the top with the elevators out of service...What a scary experience...
PO2: That must have been a miserable experience.   I saw it on the news last week. Actually, I have been watching a lot of news and crappy TV for the past week since the Mayor ordered all of us to go dry for a month if we go out.  For one month!!! That's too much, too strict!  I didn't do anything wrong! So why can't I got out for a few beers with my friends after work like I always do?!
PO1:  Yeah, I know what you mean.  It sucks,  but I have no qualms about it.  I support the Mayor on this on.  We all should take responsibility for the misconduct of our fellow workers.  After all, our salaries come from tax money...    
PO2: Whatever...And how about that flamboyant Mayor up in Osaka dropping the hammer on public officers with tattoos?!  Give me your two cents on that one!
PO1:  You got me...Anyway, 10 minutes is up.  We should get back to work.

"Real English 21-tag along"

"tag along" means "go together or "go with."

Refer to the below dialogues:

Ms. T:  I am going to Okinawa over summer vacation with my friends.  

How about you, Glenn?  Do you have any plans?

Glenn:  Actually, I am a little embarrassed, but no I don't.

Do you mind if I tag along?

Ms. T:  Absolutely not!  The more the merrier!

Glenn: Thanks a lot! I really appreciate it!

The first photo below is of Zamami Island, which is a short-ferry ride from the main island of Okinawa.  The second photo is of some hand-made "Shisa."  I have a pair in the entrance-way of my house, and also of the classroom.  For your reference, here is the official definition of Shisa on Wikipedia:

"Shisa (シーサー) (Okinawan: siisaa) (shishi or shisaa) is a traditional Ryukyuan decoration, often in pairs, resembling a cross between a lion and a dog, from Okinawan mythology. People place pairs of shisa on their rooftops or flanking the gates to their houses. Shisa are wards, believed to protect from some evils. When in pairs, the left shisa traditionally has a closed mouth, the right one an open mouth.[1] The open mouth wards off evil spirits, and the closed mouth keeps good spirits in.

In mainland Japan, similar pairs now known as "guardian dogs" were once called "shisa and guardian dogs": the right with its mouth opened is the guardian, the left with its mouth closed is the shisa. From the Edo period they started to be called "guardian dogs" in general in mainland Japan.[2] Gender is variously assigned to the shisa. Some Okinawans believe the male has his mouth closed to keep bad out of the home, while the female has her mouth open to share goodness.[3] Others believe the female has her mouth closed to "keep in the good", while the male has his mouth open to "scare away the bad".[4] (Compare this to the distinction between male and female guardian lions in Chinese culture.)

The shisa, like the komainu (lion dogs), are a variation of the guardian lions ("fu dogs") from China.[5] The shisaa, or lion dog, is an Okinawan cultural artifact. In magic typology, they might be also be classified as gargoyle beasts. They are traditionally used to ward off evil spirits."

Annular Eclipse

Did you see it?  Unfortunately, I didn't.  Around 7:15am on Monday, it suddenly got really dark outside, like a thunderstorm or something.  Then Mr. M and I took a break from class and tried to see it from the window of the classroom, but the school building across the street blocked our view.   It was a shame, but the radio announcer we were listening to said "Ah!!  It just came out from the clouds! We can see it!! Unbelievable!!"  


For more on this story, read this:  
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120522a1.html
"Rare eclipse delivers spectacle despite cloudy weather"
From The Japan Times Online


And then yesterday, the Sky Tree finally opened.


So far, this week has been pretty interesting, don't you think?

"Real English 20-wreak havoc"

Last week a tornado wreaked havoc in Ibaraki, Tochigi Prefecture.
Yes, you heard me right. Don't doubt your ears!  A tornado in Japan!!  Tornadoes are extremely rare in Japan, but recently Mother Nature is strange...


Last month, I had a skin problem on my foot, so I went to the drug store and got some "special cream."  I heard that this "special cream" would cure my ailment.  But, to my surprise, the "special cream" wreaked havoc on my foot, and made the problem even worse.


In the NBA, my team the Philadelphia 76ers is in the playoffs now.  I hope they wreak havoc on the court.


Here are some other ways we use this expression:
Big trucks with all the pollution they create really wreak havoc on the environment.
The new virus wreaked havoc on computer networks all over the world.


From the context of the sentences above, can you understand the meaning of "wreak havoc"?
Basically, "wreak havoc" means to "damage," "hurt," "cause serious damage/pain."

The best...

I often read "Views from the Street" from the Japan Times Online.  I find it interesting, and can read the opinions of both foreigners and Japanese living in Japan.  I can learn what people think about various topics and issues.  So, I like it.

And, the other day, I saw "The Best of Views from the Street."  There are many interesting and random questions, so if you read it, I am sure you can learn something too.

"The best of Views from the Street"

And, last Saturday I watched "American Idol."  It is a TV show on FOX every Saturday and Sunday night.  It is very entertaining...the basic theme of the show is this-it is a competition for America to choose the best new idol=singer.  This show is not only entertaining, but also very educational for studying English.

I picked up the expression "over the top" from the show.

Can you understand? :"That performance was over-the-top man!"

"Real English 19-Sky..."

On May 22, the Sky Tree will open in Tokyo.


I haven't been to Tokyo in a while, but now I have a good excuse to venture up north.


And while on the topic of "sky," can you understand the meaning of the sentences below.  All of them use the word "sky" in one form or another.




1) Last year, a famous stock analyst predicted that the stock market would sky rocket.
But his forecast was a pie in the sky.


2) Good things don't just drop out of the sky and land in your lap.  You have go get it yourself.  With hard work and determination, the sky is the limit!!  Reach for the sky!


3) Mr. M popped the question to his girlfriend out of the blue (=out of a clear blue sky.) over GW vacation.


4) It's not like the sky is falling.  Relax!

"Real English 18-I made a goof"

The other day I made a goof.


In other words, I made a mistake.
If you made a mistake, generally you can use any of the following expressions.  They all basically have the same meaning.
(FYI, i hope you don't ever have to use them, but just in case!!!)


I made a goof.
I goofed.
I made a mistake.
I messed up.


Here are some more specific examples.


Situation:  Me in a rush
Glenn: I slipped up.
Friend:  I told you! Don' t rush!  You always make careless mistakes when in haste.


Situation:  An auditor audits a company


Auditor:  I noticed an error in the calculations regarding advertising.
Employee in the Accounting Section:  I understand.  It was a human error.  I apologize for the oversight.




And here are some of the same words, but being used with different meanings.


I slipped on the ice.
I usually learn by trial and error.
He is so goofy!
I like to goof around after 10pm!


And speaking of goofing around, GW vacation begins for me in a couple of hours!!