Real English Nine: Sales/Consumption Tax

The sales tax will go up to 8% next Tuesday.

Are you going to make any last-minute big purchases over the weekend?

The other day, Mr. T said to me:

"Last weekend, I went shopping and bought a lot because I wanted to stock up on toiletries and stuff before the consumption tax goes up to 8%.  For example, I bought 6 packs of toilet paper, 18 rolls a pack.  That should last me about a year!"

I replied:

"My wife uses one roll of toilet paper a day, so we need quite a few packs to last us a year!  I am thinking about buying  some small things which I use everyday, like toothpaste, soap, gargling mouthwash, and razors, and also some big things like a rice cooker and video camera.  But I haven't decided yet.  It depends..."

To change the subject a little, I bought some carp streamers for Boy's Day and set them up on my 2nd-floor balcony last Friday.  Now, they are blowing in the wind!!  

Many people who walk by my house stop and make a comment like "Nice! They are big and colorful!"

But one of my friends, a doctor, said to me, 

"You are maybe the first person in Japan to put them up this year!   Too early!!  You are clueless about Japanese culture!"

I am confused... 

My wife gave me permission to put them outside on the 21st and said, 

"I googled it, and it says that you can put them up from the Spring Equinox Day which is March 21st. "

Please tell me, who is correct, the doctor or my wife?

Real English Eight-a selfie

Did you see Ellen DeGeneres' star-studded selfie from the Oscars?

It set a record with 2.7 million retweets.  

(I have three questions for all you trivia buffs. 

One, do you know which tweet held the record before?

Two, do you know the maker of the phone Ellen used to take this selfie?

Three, can you name all of the actors and actresses in this selfie?)

I have only taken a few selfies in my life.

I am not very good at it.

On the other hand, by brother is very good at taking selfies and takes them often.

As the proverb goes, "Practice makes perfect!"

And my father told me he took his first selfie over the winter vacation.  It wasn't bad for a rookie!

Have you ever taken a selfie?

If yes, do you take them often?

If you don't know the meaning of "selfie," 

please refer to the following definition from Wikipedia:

'A selfie is a type of self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone. Selfies are often associated with social networking. They are often casual, are typically taken either with a camera held at arm's length or in a mirror, and typically include either only the photographer or the photographer and as many people as can be in focus. Selfies taken that involve multiple people are known as "group selfies".'

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?

Real English Three: a million

A picture is worth a million words!

And each one of the photos below fits the bill!

"a million" is used in many expressions.

Do you understand these?

1.  Thanks a million!

2.  I never said that in a million years!

3.  Not in a million years!

4.  You are one in a million!

5.  You look like a million bucks!

Question of the day

One of the seven guys below makes millions.  

Which one?

Real English Two: spent

More on shopping.

On the 3rd of January, because my parents volunteered to babysit "Spike," my wife and I went toy shopping.  Of course for Taiga! :)

First, we went to Hankyu Department Store in Nishinomiya Gardens.  By coincidence, a huge "Children Toys Fair" was being held that day, so the timing was good!

Here is our conversation:

Me:  It is mobbed!  I didn't expect it to be this crowded!

Kyoko: Me neither.  

Me:  Well, let's look around separately, and then meet back here in about 30 minutes.

Kyoko: OK. Then we can discuss what we want to buy.

Me:  Sounds like a plan!

One hour later...

Kyoko:  That was a long "30 minutes"...

Me:  Sorry. I got caught up in this toy shopping. Are you angry?

Kyoko: No, not at all. I know you! You are often late!  Plus, I saw you talking to the clerk about those wooden blocks.  You had that "serious look" on your face, so I knew it was going to take a long time.

Me: Thanks for your understanding.  So what do you want to get?

Kyoko: I want to get that fish-shaped xylophone.  Of course it is made in Japan!   How about you? Which blocks did you decide on?

Me:  I can't decide...

Kyoko:  Still?!  

Me: Well, I think the medium-size blocks with the wagon are the best. They are hand-made and the wood is cedar from Tottori. Did you smell them? They smell good!

Kyoko:  Yeah, I smelled them. Good choice!  Anything else?

Me: Yeah, that thingamajig over there with the beads and mirror.

Kyoko:  I know which one you mean.  Another good choice! You are on a roll!

Me:  You wanna pay and get outta here?

Kyoko:  Yes! I am spent!  

Me:  Me too! We spent a lot of time and energy on toys today! 

Kyoko:  You forgot something! 

Me: What?

Kyoko:  We also spent a lot of money!!

Me:  Oh yeah! I forgot about that...

Ms. K sent me the below photos.  She is in Canada taking a graphic design course.

Real English One- drive a hard bargain

I'd like to wish everyone a very late "Happy New Year!"
Sorry to keep you waiting!

It has been 27 days since I last wrote a blog.
The other day, Mr. O said to me, 
"Glenn, I check the blog every week. 
But for the past few weeks, you haven't written anything. 
What's up?"

I replied, "I sincerely apologize.  I have writer's block." 

He then added, 
"No worries! It happens to the best of us.  
But if you want to keep your resolution, you better get on it!"

So, I said, "You got that right!"

The first blog of the year is very unlike me because it is about shopping.  As you all know, I hate shopping!
On December 29th, I made two big purchases.
First, I bought a refrigerator.
Then, I bought a washer and drier.  
I bought them both at the same place, "YC."

Kyoko thought it would only take us about 2 hours to buy both..she was wrong!
It took much longer than she expected, about 4 hours in all.  There are two reasons it took so long. 
The first reason is we didn't look into the fridge at all before we went.  We were clueless!
(This is actually my fault.  I told Kyoko at the last minute that I planned to buy a fridge too, so she didn't have much time to look on the net.)
On the other hand, because she did a lot of research for the washer and drier, she  knew exactly which one she wanted even before we arrived at YC.  
The second reason is we simply couldn't decide...

Anyway,  in addition to shopping, we had a dinner reservation for two at The Cosmopolitan at 6pm.  
After looking at refrigerators for 2 hours, it was already 5:30pm and there was no way we were going to make it, so she called up the restaurant and said, 
"Hi. We have a reservation for two at 6pm.  The name is under Gross.  
Unfortunately, we are running late so we won't be able to make it at 6.  
If possible, we would like to go at 8pm....I am very sorry..."
Luckily for us, the staff said, 
"It's your lucky day! There is one table still available at 8pm, so it is not a problem.  
We'll be waiting for you."
She said, "Thank you so much!  We are looking forward to it!"

Before we could go to dinner, I really wanted to close the deal!
At the same time,  I wanted to get as much of a discount as I could.
After a lot of talking(negotiating) back and forth, finally the staff said, 
"You drive a hard bargain!!  I can't believe I am going to do this,  but if you agree to pay in cash, today, you can have both the fridge and the washer and drier for XXX,XXXyen."
I said, "You got a deal! Thanks a lot and Happy New Year!"

For your study, please note the below expressions using "drive"
-drive someone crazy/mad/insane
-drive someone up a wall

Real English Fifty-Two: lucky to have (someone/somethings)

Earlier this year, Ms. M said to me, "Every night before I go to sleep, I say 5 things out loud which I am grateful for, or which I am lucky to have."

I thought, "That is a great idea, and a great way to end the day!"

So, after I tried it a few times, I thought, "I should do that more."

In 2014, I want to do it more. And that means I have to make effort to do it more.

And, even though it is not 2014 yet, I will start now!

Here are my five!

I am lucky to have my health.

I am lucky to have a job.

I am lucky to have good parents and a good brother, and good friends. (Is this only one?)

I am lucky to have a good wife.

I am lucky to have Taiga.

Thank you all for 2013!

 And, I wish you all a very happy and healthy 2014!!

Happy New Year!!!

Real English Fifty-One: by/until

Today is the last day of 2013.
Tonight, before the clock strikes 12, I will take some time to reflect on this year.
Needless to say, it has been a big year for me...

And I decided my New Year's resolution for 2014.
I have a few.

My first resolution is to continue to write 52 Real English segments in the year.
There are 52 weeks in a year, so basically this means that my aim is two write one Real English segment a week. 

My second resolution is to read one book a month.
So that means that I hope to read 12 books in the year.

My third resolution is to do 80 pull-ups in 30 minutes by the end of the year.
Not 80 pull-ups in a row! 80 pull-ups within 30 minutes!  So that means doing 10 pull-ups, then taking a break, then doing 10 more pull-ups is OK!

What is your New Year's resolution?

And tonight is New Year's eve.
I want to stay up until midnight and watch the apple drop, but maybe I can't.

Do you know how to use both "by" and "until" correctly?
Most learners of the English language don't know the difference between "by" and "until" and find it difficult to them.
Many people say, "It is confusing!" or "I am confused!"
In 2014, let's make sure we get it right!

Real English Fifty: shame

I got a Christmas card from Ms. N the other day.

She wrote,

"Merry Christmas! 

I hope everything is going well!

Please send us Taiga's shame!"

I thought, "'Shame', what is she talking about!!'"

Then I showed my wife the card and she said "Ms. N meant 'sha-me' which is an abbreviation for 'sha-meru,' which means 'cell phone photo.'"

I said, "There is a big difference between 'cell phone photo' and 'Shame'!!!" 

Here are some sentences using "shame," "ashamed," and "embarrassed."

1. It is a shame.

2. He is the shame of the company.

3.  I am ashamed. I made a terrible mistake...

4.  When I was teaching the other day, my fly was down. I was VERY embarrassed!!!

Real English Forty-Nine: hospitality

 So, we showed up at Mr. S's house for the party at on the 23rd at 12pm sharp.

Punctuality is important in Japan.

Mr. S's house is really cool!

He has a fireplace, a hammock, some goldfish, and many many toys!!

I really like it.

When we arrived there was quite a feast waiting for us!!

Homemade pizza cooked in the fireplace, pasta, rice balls, chicken, salad, beef...

We had a feast!

In Japan, you say H ・O・S・P・I・T・A・L・I・T・Y.

But in America, we say that is "southern hospitality."

I am from Philadelphia, so I was "Philadelphia hospitality."

If you ask any tourist in Japan, or any non-Japanese living in Japan, "What is the best thing about Japan?", the reply is always he same: "Japanese Hospitality is the best in the world!  The service is so good, so clean, amazing!

Real English Forty-Eight: RSVP

After we moved,  I visited my neighbor's house a few times. 
(Btw, his name is Mr. S.)  
In November, when I went to his house one time with Taiga, his wife invited my family to their house for a Christmas Party.
The following is our conversation:

Mrs. S:  Why don't we have a Christmas party? 
Me: That's sounds great.  But we're not Christian.
Mrs. S: Neither are we.  So, when is good for you?
Me: We are usually free on Sundays and national holidays.  But I have to check with my wife...
Mrs. S:  I understand, no problem. We will also check our schedule.

Two weeks later, Mr. S and his two daughters knocked on my door.
I was VERY embarrassed because I had just gotten out of the bath with Taiga, and I was wearing my wife's robe! It is purple and very short!!  When I opened the door, Mr. S must have thought I was a lunatic! His two daughters looked shocked and couldn't hold in their laughter.
After they all stopped giggling, the below is what we said:

Mr. S:  Is this a bad time?
Me: Not really.  But I just got out of the bath with Taiga, and I am alone, so my hands are kinda tied.
Mr. S:  Gotcha! Then I will make it quick.  
Me: Thanks!
Mr. S:  Here is an invitation to the Christmas Party we talked about the other day.  Please RSVP by next Sunday, the 7th.
Me:  Thank you very much!  You didn't have to come over here, in the dark, in the cold, just to give me the invitation...you could have just called!
Mr. S: Not a problem.  We wanted to get some fresh air anyway. 
(Then with a smirk on his face)
Mr. S:  Do you always wear this purple robe around the house?!?
Me: No!!! Get outta here! I'll contact you soon!  Later!

Real English Forty-Seven: to be safe

One day when I was contemplating buying my house, 

I thought to myself, 

"I trust my realtor, but just to be safe, I should ask some of the neighbors a few questions...

For example:  

'What do you think of the area?' 

'Is it safe at night?' 

'Have the irrigation ducts ever overflowed?'  

'How are the schools?'

etc."

So later that day, I went for a walk with Taiga in the neighborhood of the house on purpose.

Asking the neighbors questions was my sole objective!  I walked in circles, up and down the same streets, for about thirty minutes...I was nervous, plus I couldn't find anyone.  

Plus, I didn't want to knock on the doors, and say, 

"Hi, I am Glenn. I am thinking about buying that house over there. What do you think?"  

That would've been too unnatural, and creepy!

Finally, I seized the opportunity and went up to a guy who parked his car in the parking lot next to the house.  After he got out of his car, I approached him and said something similar to the above (I only thought it was unnatural if I knocked on doors...am I strange?).  

He politely answered my questions and I was satisfied. Right after that, I saw another guy playing with a child who I thought must be his daughter.  

She looked like she was learning to ride a bicycle.  I thought, 

"I don't want to disturb them...ah---this is difficult, plus I am shy, so maybe I should just give up..."  

But then I remembered, "I am thinking about buying a house!!! This is a big purchase!!!"  

So I overcame my shyness and got up the courage to go up to the guy and his daughter. 

It was one of the top 10 best decisions I have made this year. 

He was unbelievably nice and helpful, and he invited me into his house immediately and introduced his family to Taiga and I.  

And after that, we became "good neighbors." (I think.)

We have some things in common, for instance, we both like beer. 

And by coincidence, he also works in Osaka, actually very close to Honmachi.  

to be continued...

Real English Forty-Six:  to be/get lost

Fortunately, the flight my parents took arrived at KIX on time.  Unfortunately, the taxi which picked them up at the airport got lost on the way to my house, so instead of taking 1 hour, it took one hour and forty minutes.  The below is the dialogue according to my mom:

Taxi Driver: I am so sorry. I am lost, so it is going to take a little longer than I expected.

My Dad: Stop the meter!

Taxi Driver: OK, no problem.  

Mom: Why don't you call my daughter-in-law? Maybe she can give you directions...here's her number. 

Taxi Driver: Can she speak Japanese?

Mom:  Of course! Her name is Kyoko.

Taxi Driver: Thank god!!

Then, the driver called Kyoko.

Ring ring...

Kyoko:  Hello.

Taxi Driver:  Hello. This is Tanaka from ABC Taxi. I can't find your place. Can you help me?

Kyoko:  Where are you? Can you give me a landmark or something?  What do you see around you?

Taxi Driver:  I am right next to Mukogawa River, in front of a vending machine. I can see XYZ building and a big green driving range net behind that.

Kyoko: Oh! You are right around the corner.  Go to the entrance of the driving range. Then go straight, north, on that street, until you see a bread shop. Go past the bread shop one block and you should see a rice field on your left. At that intersection, turn right, and our house is about 200 meters straight ahead.  You can't miss it!

Taxi Driver:  Thanks a lot. I'll give it a try.

Kyoko: Good. If you can't find it, just call me and we will try again. Bye.

Real English Forty-Five: ETA

This morning, a student and I had the following conversation:

Me:  My parents are coming to Japan today?

Student:  Really?!  What time?

Me: Their ETA is 4:25pm at KIX.

Student:  Glenn, I don't understand the meaning of ETA.  What does it mean?

Me:  ETA stands for "estimated time of arrival."

Student:  I see.  Are you gong to pick them up at the airport?

Me: No, I'm not because I have to work. Instead, I arranged for a taxi to pick them up at the airport and take them to my house.

Student:  How much does it cost?

Me: It depends on the route and traffic, but I think about 12,000 yen.

Student:  Plus tip?

Me:  No, including gratuity.

Student:  How long are they staying?

Me: About a month.

Student: A month!?!?

Me:  Yeah. You sound just like my wife!!

Student:  Do you have any plans over New Year's Vacation? Are you going to go anywhere, like a hot springs or something?

Me: As of now, we don't have any big plans. We are just going to take it easy and enjoy the time together.

Student:  Sounds good.  I hope they have a good time!

Me:  Thanks! I hope so too!

Below are beautiful photos of the foliage taken by miss e.  

It's a shame my parents missed the fall leaves because I am sure they would've loved to see these brilliant colors!

Real English Forty-Four: know one's stuff

As many of you know, I bought a house this year.

After talking to the realtor when he showed us the house for the first time, 

I thought  two things, "He really knows his stuff" and "If I buy a house, I'd could buy one from him."

Tomorrow will be two months since I moved.

I want to use this space to write a thank you note to our realtor.

Dear Mr. Suzuki,

Thank you very much for being patient with us!

Thank you for answering all of our (many, many) questions!

Thank you for negotiating, and finally coming down on the price!

And most of all, thank you for helping us purchase the house!

Thanks to you, the three of us are now living there happily!

In addition to the house itself, we really love the area!

I don't know how to express myself accurately, 

but I want to say that I really appreciate everything you did for us!

Hope you enjoy the Holiday Season!

Regards, 

Glenn

Real English Forty-three: special of the day

Last week was Thanksgiving in America.

On the same day, I went to an American restaurant for dinner.

After looking at the menu, 

I asked the waitress,  "What is the special of the day?"

She said, "You are American, right?"

I said, "Yes."

Then she said, "Well then, today is your lucky day!  The special of the day is turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pie for dessert."

I said, "I'll take it."

Speaking of food, recently Taiga began to eat a little.  

You can see his brunch the other day below.

It is all home-made, nothing frozen, and it takes my wife a long time and a lot of energy and thoughts and planning to make.

Taiga shows his appreciation of all of her hard work by never leaving even a morsel of food.

Even if he falls asleep in the middle of the meal, which he sometimes does, he always finishes everything.

As some people recently tell me, he resembles his grandfather more and more every day.

From the left, then top to bottom:

 tomato, rice, carrots, turnip, and last but not least pumpkin.

FYI, Taiga doesn't like tomato so much but likes pumpkin a lot! (just like his father!)  Actually, in my case, I didn't like pumpkin when I was a child, 

but after I became an adult, I changed. 

Now, I love it!!!)

Real English Forty-two: Grow

I had a check-up the other day.
It is the first time I got my height measured in about 20 years.
And, to my surprise, I grew 1.6 cm!
20 years ago, I was 175 cm tall (5 feet 10 inches tall=5'10").
But the other day, when I got checked, I was 176.6 cm tall!
I thought my growth spurt was finished after high school, but I was wrong.

My wife asked me, "Why do you think you grew?"
I said, "It must be the white rice!"

Also, some more personal news, Taiga became six months old on November 22nd.  He has grown a lot over the past 6 months. To be exact, now he is 65 cm tall and 9.3 kg.  

Here are some other expressions/sentences which use "grow":

1. 
A)  Where did you grow up?
B) I grew up in Philadelphia

2. Last night my wife said this to me:
"Grow up!"

3.  
A)  I want to grow vegetables in my garden next year.
B)  Really? What kind?
A) I haven't decided yet? Have you ever grown vegetables before?
B)  As a matter of fact, yes I have.
A) What kind?
B)  Tomatoes, carrots, and pumpkin.

4.  
A) How was business this year?
B) Pretty good. Sales are growing.

5.  
A) Your beard looks good! 
B) Thanks for the compliment. I decided to grow a beard during my vacation, and I like it, so I haven't shaved it yet.  What do you think? Should I keep it?
A) Absolutely!