Let's all give a warm welcome to Luis Vieira

Good morning everyone.

It gives me great pleasure to introduce you all to Luis. He will be joining my secretary and I as the newest member of the EZ English Team. During his time here, he will be helping out with the teaching. I will explain more later about how I met Luis and stuff like that. But for now, please read Luis's self-introduction for yourselves. I am sure all of you will enjoy studying with him!

Hello! My name is Luis Vieira and I am 30 years old, born on 21st of August 1980. I was born and grew up in St. Louis, Missouri in the USA. Once I finished high-school I moved to Portugal (my parents home country), where I got my degree in Economics at Univ. Coimbra (one of the oldest universities in the world). Just before graduating I started working at Volkswagen in Lisbon, Portugal. About 2 years later (2007) I decided to get a Masters in Finance so I moved to England.Immediately after (2008) I moved again, this time Paris in France and I started working at BNP Paribas in investment banking.Last November I quit my "dream job", left my family and most of my friends in Europe, and moved to Osaka following my heart! I am now engaged and will get married this next November 11 to my 'princess' Sachiko.Over the last year in Japan I taught English to both children and adults for over 6 months. In July I decided to learn Japanese at a school full-time, and now I would like to teach again in the evenings.As a person, I am optimistic, open-minded and easy-going.I have a passion about travelling. I have lived in America, Portugal, England, New Zealand, France and Japan, where I expect to settle down. In total I have been to 27 countries and visited over 300 cities.Besides English and Portuguese native language skills, I am fluent in French and Spanish. I also have basic knowledge of Italian and Japanese.In my free time I often do sports (volleyball, cycling, running) or hang out with friends. I also enjoy watching movies and listening to music.Now that you know me better, I hope to see you soon at EZ English so we can improve your English quickly while having fun at the same time :)

Below is Luis in New Tork, Times Square. And under that is a more formal photo of him in his bets suit.

Hope everyone is having a good 3-day weekend!

Easy Cruising!!

Beware of Spam mail!!!

First of all, the other day many people I know received mail came from my ezeglishhotmail. However, I never sent that mail!!! In my mail box, I received 18 mails with the following title:
"This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification."

"Delivery Status Notification (Failure)‏"

This type of mail is called spam mail. In the past few months I have gotten three of the same types of mail from two people I know, Ms. M and Mr. T. There was a very small message and then a link attached. But when I opened the mail, I felt something was up, something was strange, because the message was not like messages which Ms. M and Mr. T often send me. Also, there was no opening like "Hello Glenn. How are you doing?" And, there was no ending like "Take it easy and talk to you later. Regards, Mr. T" So of course I didn't click on the link, and I just ignored the emails and erased them immediately. If any of you received such email from me the other day, I am very sorry for the inconvenience. But I do not know the reason, the cause, for this spam mail. So, in the future, if you get such an email, please just ignore it and delete it right away!!

Below are some photos from Ms. I and Ms. J's trip to Canada. These photos were taken in the town of Victoria.

October

Welcome to October. I like October for a few reasons. One is, there is a lot of good baseball in October. The playoffs, the World Series, and the Japan Series. Because of these sports events, I am sure I will be glued to the tube during the month of October. Speaking of televisions, I really should get a brand new 46 inch tv soon! Another reason is that two of my favorite fruits, persimmon and Japanese pears, are in season in October. And last but not least, my birthday is in October.

Today I will write about some things that happened to me last week. First, I broke my glasses. I stepped on them by mistake. It was a stupid mistake, but things happen. No big deal. So I went to the glasses shop just around the corner, the "3000 yen shop," and got myself a new pair of glasses. I chose them because they are super light, crazy light!! They are as light as a feather!! I have used them for about a week now, and I really like them. When I wear them, I can barely tell they are on my face.
Also, last week, something embarrassing happened to me. I didn't have a penny in my pocket so I went to the bank to take out some money. When I went to the bank, I withdrew 1000 yen from my bank account. And then I went to a convenient store to get some lunch. But when I went to the register to pay, they 1000yen bill was gone. I looked in my side bag and my pants, but nothing. It vanished!! Disappeared!! And then I thought..."I didn't leave the money in the ATM machine at the bank, did I?" So I dashed back to the bank, and the bank teller was waiting for me. She said "Did you leave money in the machine?" I said, "Yes, ma'am, I did." Then she gave me the 1000yen back. I was very embarrassed.

Below are pictures from my favorite park, Nara Park!

Hokkaido, and "The Piano Man"

I have never been to Hokkaido. Other than Okinawa, it is the number one place where I would like to visit in Japan. (I know I have said this many times before, so many of you already know this. But I like to, tend to, repeat myself. Please forgive me!!)
One of the reasons why I want to go to Hokkaido, is that I love nature. But to be honest, I don't know so much about Hokkaido. And the other day, when I was surfing the net, I came across this article. It was interesting, and I learned something.


"Hokkaido: What do you think Nibutani will like 100 years from now?
In Nibutani, Hideka Subprefecture, Hokkaido, roughly 80 percent of residents are of Ainu descent." (From The Japan Times)
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/fl20100928vf.html

On a side note, Billy Joel's "Piano Man" is playing on the radio right now. When I was a kid I used to listen to that song all the time on my Sony Walkman. It brings back memories and is a very nostalgic song for me.




Below are Butterflies. Just because.

Congratulations to the Phillies!!

Indeed it is time for a little celebration! Why?! Because the Philadelphia Phillies, my hometown baseball team, clinched the National League East Division...for the 4th consecutive year!! They have the best record in the National League and are assured home field-advantage throughout the playoffs! One of the reasons they are in the playoffs again, and favored to win it all, is that they made two great pitching acquisitions-one in the off-season, and one during the season in a trade. Another reason is that they have superb hitting.

I can't wait to watch them in the playoffs, and in the World Series again this year!!


Here is an article about this huge event in Philadelphia:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100928/sp_nm/us_baseball_phillies

Let's celebrate!!

Temperature change, and "The Best Kid"...

It was a rainy night last night...and coldish.

A cold is going around. One of the reasons for this cold, is that the temperature recently drastically dropped very suddenly. Dress appropriately, get a lot of sleep, intake a lot of vitamin C, and pray...then hopefully you won't get this cold!

The other day, Mr. M saw the movie "The Best Kid." Jackie Chan and Will Smith's kid star in this movie, which is like a remake of "The Karate Kid" (one of the greatest movies of my childhood!! One of the most famous lines from that movie is when the Sensei says "Wax on, wax off!!!")

Mr M said:

Before I saw the movie, I heard different opinions. Some people said "It wasn't as good as I expected it to be." At the same time, others said "It is a excellent film." So, this was one of the reasons I wanted to see the movie. I wanted to see for myself(=confirm it by myself), which was it; a good movie, or a bad movie.

And, I can't say "I absolutey recommend it. You really should go and see it!", but basically, I was glad that I saw it. I thought the theme of "the spirit of sports" or "the spirit of a warrior" was shown in this movie.

And my favorite line in the movie was:

「勝ち負けは考えるな。全力でいけ。」

I love this line, so much that I even want it to be engraved on my tombstone!

Later Mr. M sent me an email and wrote:

[And I thought about the above in English.
"Don't think to win or not. Do your best."
"Never think victory. Go with the full power."
"Don't think the results. Do it with all your energy."
Is there a right answer in above? ]

What do you think the right answer is? How would you translate this expression?

Below are photos from a hot spring...exactly the place I want to go!!

A short week

There are two national holidays this week; last Monday was "Respect for the Aged Day," and this Thursday is "Autumn Equinox Holiday."

So we have a short week, and before we know it, the weekend will be here again.
Speaking of the weekend, last weekend I saw "The Villain." As I said last week, a Japanese actress, Fukatsu Eri, won the Best Actress award(MOntreal Film Festival)for her performance. Overall, I liked the movie. But it is kinda dark, so I can't recommend it. Sorry.

Moving on the the next topic, did you know there was a big Game Show held in Tokyo last week?
If you didn't, check this out:
"Motion sensors, 3-D games grab limelight at Tokyo Game Show" (The Japan Times)

"What do you think of the new rash of motion-controlled video games?" (The Japan Times)
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/fl20100921vf.html

I have never tried one of there types of video games. But, if I have the opportunity, I want to try. When I was a kid, I used to play video games. Usually I played with my brother, or with friends. I didn't really like playing games by myself, or versus the computer.
Did you play games when you were a kid? If yes, what kind of games did you play?
How about after you became an adult...did you continue to play games when you were an adult? If yes, what kind?
And, how are video games now different from when you were a child?

Below: In case you didn't know, I love ice cream, especially soft cream!!

e-money

Fortunately, t is getting cooler. Especially in the morning and evening, there is a nice breeze. And yesterday, there was a little rain shower in the afternoon which cooled things off a little. That was nice.

Now, on to today's topic. E-money.
Do you know what it is?
I believe it is when you use your cell phone like a credit card to pay for things. For example, in my case, if I went to a convenience store, like AM=PM which is just around the corner, I wouldn't have to bring my wallet. I could just bring my cell phone, and buy some stuff, and use my e-money account in my cell phone to pay for everything.
Please tell me if I am wrong.

Do you use e-money?

According to the below artcle, e-money seems to be catching on (=becoming popular) with many people who live in the cities.
I live in the suburbs, and work in the city, but I am one of the 70% who are not using e-money yet. If I don't get with it soon, I will be behind the time before I know it.
I know that Mt. K uses e-money, and he said the other day that it is quite useful.


"30% in metropolitan regions use e-money"
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nb20100908a5.html



Below is the Hiroshima Mascot who is very down these days because the Carp, unlike the great Hanshin Tigers, are already out of the pennant race. Go Tigers!!

Breaking News!!!

Kan wins DPJ(Democratic Party of Japan) leadership Election!!

That mean he is still the big dog in town!!

Fire

Yesterday, while I was riding my bicycle along Mukogawa River, suddenly I saw a big cloud of smoke...and a fire in the grass and trees next to the river! There were about 5 or 6 firefighters and one big fire truck. The firefighters were holding a big water hose and trying to put out the big blaze. But it was spreading quickly. Because it has not rained a whole lot this summer, the high grass and trees next are all really dry. This led to the fire spreading quickly I think. (=This was the reason I think the fire spread quickly.) Many people stopped and watched and the firefighters frantically tried to contain the fire. I asked a cycler "Do you know what happened?" He said to me "I think some kids were playing with fireworks, and then some grass caught on fire."
Fortunately, after about 30 minutes, the team of firefighters put the fire out. Here is the lesson I think we should all remember:
Be careful when we play with fireworks or do a barbecue in the park!!

Changing the subject, I heard that the below movie is pretty good, so I am going to see it soon.
"Fukatsu best actress at Montreal
'Akunin' role wins over judges; first Japanese female to take festival's top prize since 1983" (From The Japan Times)
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20100908a1.html


Below is Kanagawa Castle and some carp kites.

Typhoon #9

Yesterday Typhoon #9 hit Kyushu, and from this morning it is hitting the Kansai(Western) and Kinki(Eastern) areas of Japan. When I came to Honmachi this morning, it was just drizzling, and the trains were running smoothly. There weren't any delays. But, the skies are dark grey and we are in for a rainy and dreary day I think. But as Ms. e told me, "This rain will make the temperature cooler." She is exactly right. Plus, it hasn't rained in a while in Osaka, so I think the trees and grass and crops all need some rain. Anyway, be careful and don't forget your umbrella today!

To change the subject, last Sunday I went shopping at Yodobashi Camera. I was looking for a new computer and some other stuff. And when I left YC at around 3pm, there were tons of people outside. There were also many police officers. I couldn't imagine what had happened, but after a few minutes, I figured it out. Right in front of my eyes were Mr. Kan, the Prime Minister of Japan, and Mr. Ozawa, the other candidate in the race for Presidential Election for the Democratic Party of Japan. I listened to there "speech battle, " like a debate, and it was quite interesting. But, I don't like to talk about politics so much, so I will leave it at that.

For more, read here:
"Kan, Ozawa wage verbal war in Osaka
Candidates for DPJ leadership get personal" (From The Japan Times)
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20100906a1.html

Below is a not so happy looking dog, but it is a great shot!

Beer Garden, and Delta

On Saturday night I finally went to the Ramada Hotel's beer Garden. I had been wanting to go there for a while. It took me over a month to get a reservation. Here is my restaurant review:
1. I reserved sofa seats, which are an extra 1000yen per table, but it was worth it.
2. The view of the sunset from the top of the roof is absolutely exquisite!!!
3. The service is fine, but not great. Ms. Y told me that one waiter said to her "You have to use the same glass again." Are you kidding me!? If a waiter said that to me, he would get a knuckle sandwich!! :)
4. The food was average. Nothing really stood out, nothing was really bad.
5. The price was reasonable, especially if you like to drink alcohol because there is no time limit and it is all-you-can-drink for only 2000yen. Combined with food, the total is about 4000~5000yen per person I think.
6. The time spent there with friends was truly great! I hope to do it again next year!

Below is an unbelievable story about a Delta flight the other day.
Check it out!!
"A long time to hold it in — jet returns due to lavatory failure" (From the Japan Times)

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20100824a2.html

Photos below are courtesy of Ms. J and Ms. I in Canada.

The summer is over?

According to the calendar, it is already September. To be exact, September 3rd.
So that means, the the summer is over, and the fall has begun. Right?
Apparently not. Because the temperature is still over 35 degrees Celsius!!
The headline in the newspaper yesterday was: "Summer officially hottest on record."
And, I also read that it is the hottest summer since 1946!!

But, even though the temps are high, when it becomes September, I always feel like it is Fall. In America, the school year begins in September. And when school begins, then in my mind the Summer is officially OVER! Finished!! Ka-put!!
Because the school year begins every year in September after Labor Day Weekend in America, I connect the Fall with a feeling of "a new beginning." But before talking about all the good things I like about the Fall, I want to take a moment to reflect on the past summer.


"What was your summer highlight?" (from The Japan Times)
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/fl20100824vf.html

I read the above article, in which some people from Sapporo, a city in Hokkaido, answered this question, a few weeks ago.
My answer: Without a doubt, my time in Ocean City with all of my family.

What is your answer?

Enjoy the weekend!

Below are Ms. Y's photos from her good memory at the Gion Festival in Kyoto.

The heat wave, then Yen, "dream houses"


According to the National Weather Association last week, the hear wave is going to last another two weeks. That is longer than I expected. I thought that the heat wave would end sometime this weekend. Guess I was wrong...



And, do you remember that cafe, the "Free Cafe," on Midosuji Street in Honmachi which I wrote about a while back? You know, the one that had free rice crackers and free drinks; coffee, tea, orange juice. I wrote about it right after it opened. There was quite a buzz about the place, because it was free. Well, guess what. It is not free anymore!! When I stopped in the shop the other day, there was a big sign: "Due to circumstances beyond our control, we are no longer able to serve the rice crackers and drinks for free." I don't know if that is what the sign said exactly, but it is something like that. As I expected, running a "free cafe" is difficult in Honmachi...

Also, the yen is very strong recently. Last week the exchange rate was around 84 yen to the dollar. In general, a strong yen is not good for the Japanese economy, especially for big export companies. But for companies which import, and some other industries like the travel industry, a strong yen is good.
Read here for some of the other companies/industries which are benefitting from the strong yen.

"Yen's spike a boon for some" (from the Japan Times)
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20100822a5.html

Below are some "dream" houses from Ocean city. If the yen gets even more stronger, maybe some of you will be able to afford them!

Hikkikomori and a cute Tiger

News Update!! According to the latest edition of the Oxford Dictionary, there are some new English words. And one of them comes from Japanese. It is "Hikkikomori". Because of the prevalent use of this word in Japan to describe a phenomenon in which people become anti-social and do not leave their houses.

Here is an excerpt from the below article. There are two new words in it.
"Other new entries include "bromance," a close but nonsexual relationship between two or more men, and "staycation," a holiday or holidays spent in one's home country without going abroad. Publisher Oxford University Press also added "frenemy" — a combination of friend and potential enemy."
Look here for the full article:
"How do you say 'hikikomori' in English? Term makes latest Oxford Dictionary" (from the Japan Times)
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20100821a8.html

Below is Ms. Y's new cute friend. A Tiger cub (=a baby Tiger). She is a Vet's assistant, so she has many friends in the zoo world. And one of her friends introduced her to this new fella. And, she got to hold him!!

Kume Island and Organ Donors

Good morning.
First, this is the hottest summer that I can remember in Japan. I can not believe that the heat wave has lasted so long. Recently the early morning and late evenings are a little cooler, but the high temperatures in the afternoon are still reaching 35 or 36 degrees celsius. Incredible!! And according to the weather forecast, the heat wave will continue at least to the end of this week...
So, because of all this "Hot Hot Hot" stuff, recently I daydream about going to Okinawa again and scuba diving. Mr. T went to Kume Island in Okinawa over his summer vacation and sent me these photos. Truly spectacular!!
I first went scuba diving when I lived in Australia about 17 years ago. I did 15 dives and got my Advanced Open Water license in the Great Barrier Reef. What a beautiful place to do my first dives! I was spoiled!! And then, after a 15 year blank, I went scuba diving again off of Ishigaki Osland in Okinawa 2 years ago. And while on the topic of Okinawa, did you see that the temperature in Okinawa is cooler than the temp in Osaka now...And it is not humid there, just dry and sunny!! I can't wait to go to Okinawa again.

To change the subject, recently there is a lot of news about organ donors.
Did you hear about this news?

"Family OKs organ donation in third case" (From the Japan Times)
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20100823a5.html

Are you an organ donor? I am an organ donor in America. Thus, on my driver's license, I have a organ donor sticker. I know there are various opinions, both supporting and opposing organ donors. However, I think that if we can we should try to help other people. (For example, the other day I donated some clothes to The Big Issue, a magazine for the homeless, because I hope they will be useful for some of the homeless people who sell that magazine. Have you ever bought that magazine? How about read it? If not, I recommend that you do each, at least once. You might learn something...) So, I decided to also get my organ donor card in Japan too.

Signs-Part 2

Do you understand this one? "Shirts and Shoes required"

I know it sounds silly, but down the shore many restaurants and shops have this kind of poster on the door, or in the entrance. Of course, common sense is that you must wear a shirt and shoes when you enter a shop or restaurant. But down the shore, many guys walk around with their shirts off. The walk around shirtless, without a shirt on. That's right, they reveal the beautiful chest hair and beer bellies for all to see! :)
When I was younger, I sometimes walked around outside with my short off, but as I have gotten older and wiser and more modest, I recently tend to wear a shirt at all times.
Also, down the shore, many people walk around barefoot, without any shoes on. I think Japanese people can not imagine such a thing, walking around outside with nothing on your feet, but actually at beach towns, it is quite common. In fact, I do it too.

"Breakfast Specials, Monday thru Friday except Holidays Free Coffee till 9:00AM
A) 2 eggs, Corned Beef Hash, Homefries, Toast or Bagel, w/Cream Cheese- $6.70
B) Lox, eggs and onions, homefries, Toast or Bagel, w/ Cream Cheese-$9.70"

Do you know what homefries are? How about Lox?
Which breakfast special would you choose, A or B?
When I went to the restaurant that day, I ordered B. But today I am in the mood for A.





The below is a photo of deli meat and cheese. I love deli meat-turkey breast, roast beef, corned beef, ham, salami---all Yummy:)
And I prefer my deli meat on rye bread, or wheat bread. Extra mustard, and hold the Mayo please!

Compared to Japan, the price of coffee is much cheaper in this shop. And, what do you think about the price of bagels in this shop, compared to the price of bagels in Japan?

INFO

And, before I forget. Here are the dates for the Obon-Odori Festivals.

Kitamido's Obon Odori will be held on August 19th(Fri.) and 20th(Sat.) from around 6ish to 9ish

Minamimido's Obon Odori will be held on August 27th(Fri.) and 28th(Sat.) from 6pm to 9:30pm.

If it drizzles (rains a little) the festivals will stil be held.

But if it pours(rains hard) the festivals will be cancelled.

Signs

When I went to Ocean City last month, my family and I had breakfast at a nice place. (I forget the name of the restaurant.) And, all over the restaurant, there were various signs hanging from the ceiling. Do you understand the meaning of all of the below signs?
The above photo "Bagels- $5.99, Dozens Only. While supplies last"
This means that a dozen(which means 12) bagels cost five dollars and ninety-nine cents.
"While suppiles last" means that "as long as there are bagels left/remaining, then you can buy them. But if all of the bagels sell out(=there aren't any bagels left), you are out of luck."


Do you understand what "Party Trays and Gift Certificates Available" means?

How about "Kosher meat"? Have you ever heard of this word, "Kosher," before? If you haven't, then look it up in the dictionary! Or ask me, and I will be happy to explain.

How about this one: "Breakfast Special, Monday Thru Friday 8:00AM-11:ooAM, Grilled Sticky Bun and Coffee- $3.95"

Have you ever heard of a sticky bun before?

Top 10 things I like about Summer

What's the best thing about summer in Kansai?
Read here for some comments:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/fl20100810vf.html

My answer: I love summer. It is my favorite season. Here are the Top 10 things I like about summer in Japan.

1. The sound of the cicadas
2. Doing BBQ's by Mukogawa River near my house
3. Going to a waterfall in Nigawa and swimming in the pool under it
4. Cold noodles, for example Soumen, Soba, and "Rei-men," which is cold Chinese noodles
5. Summer festivals at Shrines, and also Obon-Odori(Dancing)
*Speaking of Obon Dancing, maybe some of you already know, but my favorite festival in Japan is Minami-Mido Kaikan's Obon Dancing festival. It is in two weeks, but I am not sure of the exact date yet. Maybe it will be held between the 23rd and the 30th of August. Before that the Kita-Mido's Obon festival will be held. That will be held on the 18th and 19th. Basically these two festivals are similar, but Kita's is a little smaller. If you can go to both, it is best. But if you can't, then I recommend you just try to go to one of them.
6. Doing small fireworks in the park as well as watching big Fireworks, for example "PL
Fireworks" or the fireworks at "Tenjin-Matsuri"
7. Watermelon
8. Sweat
9. Wearing shorts, tee-shirts, and sandals every day.
10. Cold beer at a Beer Garden. My favorite beer is Kirin Lager, but recently I have branched out, and and drinking a variety of beers.

Now, here are my Top 10 things I like about summer in America
1. Going down the shore to Ocean City and relaxing on the beach
2. Walking, cycling, jogging on the boardwalk(see below photos)
3. Summer Camp
4. Doing American style BBQ's, with cheese burgers and hot dogs in the back yard
5. Summer Phillies Baseball
6. Eating water ice
7. Corn. American Corn on the Cob is the best!!
8. July 4th, Independence Day, Fireworks and Parades
9. Taking a nap in the shade
10. Going to the outside pool

How about you? What are your top 10 things you like about summer?