"Real English 39-seize the moment"

I watched President Obama address the United Nations the other night.  He spoke for 20 minutes and touched on many issues facing the world today. When he said "We must seize this moment!", I got goose bumps.  It was my favorite quote of the speech.

Do you understand the meaning of "seize the moment"?

And, Ms. M went to America, specifically around the Grand Canyon last week with her friend.  She told me that when she was driving on Route 66, she came to a fork in the road.  The following is their dialogue:

Ms. M:  What should we do?! Should we go left or right?

Friend. I have no idea.  It's your call!

Do you understand "It's your call"?

This expression means "you have to decide" or "it is your responsibility to decide."

The word "call" is used in various ways.  Do you know all of the below?

1.  Excuse me, I have to take this call.

2.  Please call me Glenn. What may I call you?

3.  While you were out, Mr. X called.  He left a message and told me to tell you, "It's urgent.  Call me ASAP."

4.  Let's call it a night.

5.  I can't believe I forgot the word for that...What do you call that?

6.  The game was called due to rain.

7.  That was a terrible call.  The referee needs to get new glasses!!

8.  I think I hear someone calling for help.  We should call the police.

9.  I'd like a wake-up call at 6:30am please.

10.  That's a tough call to make.

The below is just for fun.

What 10 words or phrases sum up Japan for you?

From The Japan Times Online

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20120925vf.html

"Real English 38-Zap it!"

How was your 3-day weekend?
I had a wonderful dinner at home on Saturday night, spent the whole day outside on Sunday, and took it easy on Monday.

And because I had a lot of time, I cooked and ate all of my food fresh!  Usually, I just zap it!
Do you understand "zap it"?

"Zap it" means to heat something up in the microwave.

Here are a few expressions with the same meaning:

1.  Zap it for two or three minutes (in the microwave) and it will be fine.
2.  Heat it up for two or three minutes (in the microwave) and it will be fine.
3.  Nuke it for two or three minutes (in the microwave) and it will be fine.
3.  Microwave it for two or three minutes and it will be fine.

"Real English 37-It's a wrap"

"Extra, Extra, Read all about it!! Kanemoto Retires!!!"

I am sure that's what the guys were screaming on the street yesterday when they passed out the extra edition of the paper announcing that the Hanshin Tiger's Legend Kanemoto called it a wrap.

Before the game yesterday, Kanemoto held a press conference.

Kanemoto was choked up and had tears in his eyes while answering the reporters' questions.

Here is a rough translation of the press conference.

Reporter:  How do you feel right now?

Kanemoto:  On one hand I feel relieved, but on the other hand I have some regrets.  But basically, I feel more relieved than regretful.

Reporter:  What was the deciding factor?

Kanemoto:  I began thinking about it about 10 days ago.  Then, the day before yesterday, I knew it was time.  I told my mother first.  When I told my kids, they started crying.

Reporter:  When you look back on your career, what do you think?

Kanemoto:  I regret that I didn't swing the bat (=practice) more when I was younger.  If I would have done that, I could have been able to produce better numbers.  And the consecutive game full inning record was really something.  All in all, I did alright I think.  But at the same time, these past three years have really been miserable...My first three years in the pros, and my last three years, they were really tough...

Reporter:  What's your best memory?

Kanemoto:  First, I really regret not winning a championship with the Carp.  Secondly, being able to play on the Tigers, be a part of the Tiger's history, when I was in my prime and popular...I am really grateful and fortunate I think.

Reporter:  What is "baseball" to you?

Kanemoto:  My life.  I began playing ball when I was ten.  Since then, my career was about ten or twenty percent pure enjoyment, but never truly satisfied.  After that, about seventy, eighty per cent was a  struggle.  

More example of "wrap"

1.  Let's call it a wrap.

2.  Let's wrap up the meeting.

3.  Please wrap that sandwich up for me.

4.  Can you wrap that present for me?

"Real English 36-Hit the Jackpot"

Have you ever watched the famous TV series "LOST"?
Have you ever played the "LOTTO 6"?
Have you ever bought a lottery ticket?

"I hit the Jackpot!!!"

I bet that is what many people thought when they checked their lottery tickets for the "LOTTO 6" the other day.  Unfortunately, they were mistaken...

Let me explain.  After I explain it all, I think it will make sense.

The winning numbers for last week's LOTTO 6 were: 4,7,8,15,16,42
And the Bonus Number was 23.

In "LOST,"  one of the characters is a guy named Hugo.  He is a big, heavy-set, grungy looking guy, with a really likable personality...the kind of guy who everyone likes.  He worked in a fast food fried chicken shop before he won the lottery and became filthy rich!  The numbers he played in the lottery, which also play an integral role in the plot of the TV show, were:    4,8,15,16,23,42

If you look closely, you will see that they are almost exactly the same as the winning LOTTO Numbers.

So, if you played the same numbers in last week's LOTTO 6, then you would have won the second prize.  

If I had played these numbers last week, then when I checked the numbers in the paper, I would have been running up and down Midosuji Street with no clothes on because I would have thought that I won around 10 million yen or so. (about $100,000). !! (Running naked on Midosuji would have been a big problem, but that is another story). But then after I calmed down and checked the second prize winning payout, I would have been very disappointed, and maybe a little pissed off too.  Because it was only 57,100yen (about $570).  ONLY!! Of course 57,100yen is better than zilch, but the first prize was 134,131,500yen (about $1.3 million).  3 people got it!  
  

The reason for this abnormally low second prize payout is 3,470 people played these numbers!!!  3,470 "LOST" fanatics played these numbers and all of them won, but that means the total amount of prize money allotted for the second place prize had to be divided up by 3,470 people!!! THAT IS TOUGH LUCK!!  FYI, the third place prize money was 338,700yen (about $3,400).  702 people won the third prize.  So that means that the third place prize money was more than the second place prize money.  I have never heard of anything so crazy in my life...

Here are eleven other uses of "hit":

1.  Ichiro had 3 hits in the game yesterday.

2.  We hit it off.

3.  Don't hit your brother.  If you have a problem, work it out through talking.

4.  It hasn't hit me yet, but I just graduated Uni!.

5.  That song was a big hit in the 90`s.

6.  His inconsiderate comment hit a nerve with me.

7.  The tension between Country A and Country B hit a boiling point yesterday!

8.  Stock X's price hit rock bottom this morning.

9.  That really hit home.

10.  He really hit it big!

11.  Mike is always hitting on girls at the bar.

Same taste?!

It looks like my mother has the same taste in pillows, and poems, as Ms. F.  After reading last week's blog, my mother sent me the following text with the below photo:  

"You won't believe this, but I have the same poem on my pillow too!  I guess Ms. F and I have the same taste!"

"Life isn't about waiting 

for the storm to pass...it's 

about getting out there 

and dancing in the rain."