Real English Seven-unless

On Thursday, Kyoko called me in the morning. She never calls me in the day time unless there is a problem, so when I saw her number on the screen of my i-phone, I thought "What happened now?" and answered the phone.

Me:  Hi. What's wrong?
Kyoko: I can't see the mountains because of that PM2.5!  And I checked the Nishinomiya City Home Page...it said that the government issued a pollution warning and advised everyone to 'refrain from going out unless you have to'.  What do you think that means?
Me:  That means that if you don't have to go out, you shouldn't.  Or in other words, you should go out only if you have to.
Kyoko:  Got it.  How was it outside when you left this morning?
Me: It was still dark so I don't know
Kyoko:  How is Osaka now?
Me:  It is kinda hazy...
Kyoko:  What do you think? Do you think I can go out today?  Or should I just bag it?
Me:  I don't think it will be a problem if you go out for 30 minutes or so.
Kyoko:  I don't know...But, if possible, I want to go out for a little in the afternoon, so I will wait and see if it clears up.
Me:  Good idea! By the way, do you know what 'PM' stands for?
Kyoko:  No.
Me: Do you want to know?  Do you want me to teach you?
Kyoko: Yes, please!
Me: 'P' stands for 'Particle'. and 'M' stands for 'Matter.' So, 'Particle matter.'
Kyoko:  Thanks so much for teaching me that! What does the '2.5' mean?
Me: I don't know. Google it! 
Kyoko:  Have a good day!
Me: You too!

Real English Six-allergic to

I got a text from my neighbor the other night.

Here is our text correspondence:

10:45 pm Thursday

Neighbor: I just came back from a business trip to Kanazawa.  I got you a souvenir. Are you home now? Can I bring it over?

6:15 am Friday

Me: Sorry for the late reply! I didn't see your mail until just now! I went to sleep at 10:30 last night...

I will pick it up on my way home from work tonight.  Is that cool?

8:30 am Friday

Neighbor:  That's not necessary.  My wife said that she will bring it over to your house and give it to your wife when she goes out this afternoon.  Hope you enjoy it!

When I got home, one whole crab was waiting for me!!!

I was surprised, and I remembered that he said, 

"Kanazawa is famous for crab!", a few weeks ago when we were out.

I was ecstatic, because I love crab!! 

I know simple boiled crab is best, but I also like crab cakes because they are easy to eat!

There is only one problem with crab...and that is...my wife is allergic to crab!

That's too bad for her!  

And she really missed out on the fun, because it was delicious and I ate it all by myself!

Speaking of allergies, my nose hurts!!!

I have hay fever, and according to the news reports and my nose, the hay fever season has already arrived...

Real English Five: root for

It snowed again today, much more than the last time.  My train in the morning was delayed a few minutes, but nothing major.

Except for the news about the snow, the other big news this morning was about the figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu.  In case you didn't already hear, he set a world-record score of 101.45 points in the short program.  His performance was magnificent!  If he can hold the lead in tonight's free skate, he can take home the gold!

Speaking of the Olympics, there other day I had the following conversation with a friend of mine at the gym.

Gym Friend: Did you watch the Olympics last night?

Me:  No, it is past my bed time so I can't watch most of the events live.  But I check the results on the net, or newspaper, or watch the highlights on TV the next day.

Gym Friend:  Yeah, I know what you mean.  It's tough to watch the games live because of the time difference...  Anyway, let me ask you a question.

Me: Sure. Shoot.

Gym Friend: I was wondering....who do you root for?  America or Japan?   I mean, I know you are American, but you have been in Japan a long time, and your wife is Japanese, and kid is half-Japanese....so...

Me:  I root for both, America and Japan.  If an American athlete is participating in an event, then I root for him or her.  And if a Japanese athlete is in an event, then I root for that person.

Gym Friend:  What happens if a Japanese athlete and an American athlete are in the same event, in the finals, for example?  Who do you root for then?

Me:  Both! It is a win win situation for me!

Gym Friend:  That's not fair!!

Me:  Life's not fair. Get used to it!

Important expression to remember:  I am rooting for you.

Real English Four: unreal

An unprecedented snow storm hit the East Coast last week.

Here is the email correspondence between my father and I last week.

Dad:  It has been snowing all night.  As of now, we have gotten about 10 inches.  Power has been out for over 12 hours.  According to the latest news reports, over 715,000 households are without power.  The plows haven't been down our street yet, so we are snowed in.  We stocked up on food before the storm, so don't worry! Also, have some wood, so the fireplace and the "hot packs" you gave us in Japan are keeping us warm.  This winter, with all the snow and freezing cold, has been unreal!!  Keep ya posted...

My reply:  The snow storm which hit Osaka the other day was nothing compared to that!  The snow stuck, but only a few cm around here.  It was big news because on the same day there were "entrance exams" for university and also the Bullet Train was stopped for hours, causing delays.  My biggest worry was my wet socks and sneaks...they got soaked when I walked in the slush to the station.  I need to buy a pair of snow boots!  Power back on yet? Streets plowed yet?  Still have wood, or all out?  Anyway, hang in!!  

p.s. for your amusement,  here are some photos of the snow here. jealous?