"Real English 30-blunder (+ Olympic English special)"


The Games are underway in London. 


And, as I am sure all of you know by now, Japan's Men's and Women's soccer team both won. 
(They both actually played before the Games officially started.  This is one of the things that I don't like about the Olympics.) As expected, The Women's Team beat Canada.  However, the Men's team's upset of Spain dropped some jaws.


Please look at the below dialogue between two guys who sat next to me at the bar the other night. I eavesdropped on their conversation.  I know it is not polite to eavesdrop...but I was bored.


Mr. A:  The Olympics started.  I am excited to watch them on TV.
Mr. J:   I want to watch them too, but because of the time difference with England, most of the events are only on TV in the early morning or in the middle of the night in Japan.  I have to work in the morning, and sleep at night, so maybe I am just going to watch the highlights.
Mr. A: What event are you most interested in?
Mr. J:  I am most looking forward to Bolt.  If he doesn't make a blunder like he did in the World Championships, he should win the gold medal easily! Do you remember the World Championships?
Mr. A:  Yeah, of course.  Bolt jumped the gun and was disqualified.  But I don't think that is gonna happen this time.  I expect that he will take his time in the blocks and come out of the blocks slowly.  
Mr. J:  I hope...Because I really want to see his famous winning pose, "The Lightening Bolt"!!  How about you? What do you want to see?
Mr. A:  I want to see The Dream Team destroy the world, and the U.S. Women's Gymnastics Team beat China, Phelps win some more gold medals, and the U.S Women's soccer team get revenge from their disappointing performance in the World Cup.
Mr. J:  Keep dreaming!  Anyway, you know what else I can't wait for?
Mr: A: No, what?
Mr. J:  I can't wait to watch the interviews of the athletes after they win!  Their words give me energy!
Mr A: Yeah, but if they choke and lose, and then cry...I feel bad for them because the Olympics is only once every four years, and for some of the athletes, only once in a lifetime.
Mr. J: Can I change the subject a little?
Mr. A:  Of course. 
Mr. J:  Do you know about the Olympic Village?  I read a bunch of interesting facts and figures in Time Magazine the other day.
Mr. A:  Really. Like what?
Mr. J: Well, nearly 15,000 athletes from all over the world will stay there.  800 chefs will cook for them.  The kitchens will be stocked with: 232 tons of potatoes, 19 tons of eggs, 21 tons of cheese, more than 82 tons of seafood, over 100 tons of meat, and more than 330 tons of fruit and vegetables...


Osaka: Which sports or athletes will you be following during the London 2012 Olympics?
from The Japan Times Online


http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20120724vf.html#.UA5m-7R3iPs

"Real English 29-summer fatigue (and more summer words)"

I want to go over some words related to the summer, the humidity, the heat, and stuff like that.

See if you understand the meaning of all of the words and expressions in the dialogue below between Ms A and Ms. B.

Situation:  Ms A and B talking in the ladies' room before work.

Ms. A:  Recently I am depressed and I feel sluggish.

Ms. B:  I know what you mean.  The hot and sticky summer in Japan gives many people, especially women, the blues.  I heard that one of the reasons for this is the change in air pressure.  

Ms. A:  Really?  I didn't know that. But, I saw on TV that it is soooooo hot in Osaka because of the heat island phenomenon.  

Ms. B:  Yeah, I saw that too.  Besides feeling so bad all of the time, my hair is out of control because of this humidity! How about you?

Ms. A:  Oh my god!  That's so true!  My hair is frizzy, jumping all around and sticky...I don't know what to do!

Ms. B:  Me neither.  When I was little, my grandmother told me, "A woman grows old in the summer."  She was right! The ultra-violet rays damage our skin and give us wrinkles and sun spots, and we have to suffer from the abnormally cold air conditioner in the company which makes us dehydrated among other things...I could go on and on...

Ms. A:  I know!! And what about makeup! What a pain in the butt! By the time I get to work, after commuting on the crowded and smelly train,  and then walking to the office in the unbearable heat while sweating profusely, all of my makeup, which I spent a lot of time on to put on, is gone!! Then, after I arrive at the office, I have to put my makeup on all over again.

Ms. B:  Yeah, yeah...Every time I get to the office I am dripping with sweat too.

Ms A:  Ahhhh, I can't stand it anymore!! The only good thing about summer is eel is delicious!    But, this year, eel is unbelievably expensive!!

Ms.  B:  Yep! I can't afford that! "Eel over rice" is over 700yen at Yoshino-ya! 

Ms A:  I wouldn't be caught dead there!

Ms B:  Really?!  Why not?  I go there often.  Recently many women frequent those kind of places because they have gotten cleaner and have a "healthy" menu too.  

Ms A:  I read that in the paper, but those kinds of places are just not me  Anyway, I have been eating a lot of cold noodles and watermelon too this summer!  I love watermelon! It's my favorite fruit!

Ms B:  Me too!!!

Are you experiencing summer fatigue this year?  If so, hang in there (for about another month or so)!!!

Cicadas

 I heard the Cicadas singing(or crying) for the first time yesterday morning.  That means the rainy season is officially over, and the unbearable humidity and heat has arrived!  Really, yesterday when I walked in the sun, I thought, "It is hot."

Because of the heat and strong sunlight, I changed my usual Sunday routine.  Instead of walking about two and a half hours in the early afternoon like I always do, from last week I decided to split it up, and walk about one and a half hours in the early morning, and then another one and a half hours in the late afternoon.  That way, I don't have to walk when the sun is the strongest and the temperatures are the highest.  And as I expected, last Sunday when I walked, it was much more pleasant.  I am a smart guy, I know.

Anyway, I will talk more about the heat, the humidity, and how to stay cool later.

Below are some photos from Mr. S's retirement trip to Hawaii.  Mr. S told me the weather was beautiful, the food was OK, and speaking English was no problem! Oh yeah, he also said "I saw many girls wearing bikinis!"  Happy Retirement Mr. S!! :)

"Real English 28-momentum"

Right after the new year, in the beginning of January, I had some momentum.  Then, in February and March, I gained momentum.  But recently, because of the rainy season or something, I don't know, I lost momentum.


But I will find a way to get that momentum back.


To get a better feel for how to use "momentum," read the below examples.


1.  The typhoon had tremendous momentum as it approached Okinawa's coast.  Then, it gained momentum as it hit the coast.  After that, heading inland, it lost momentum.


2.  The American Soccer team had the momentum in the first half, but in the second half, it was a different story. (=The American Soccer Team lost momentum and the Japan Soccer Team gained momentum.)
*FYI, this is my prediction for the finals of the Women's Soccer Olympics.  Final score:  America 3, Japan 1.


3.  Recently, the economic recovery has really gained momentum.


On to another topic, it rained A LOT this rainy season.  But soon, the rain will stop, and then the heat and humidity will arrive.  The hints in the below article may be useful!


Tokyo: Aside from stripping down to Super Cool Biz attire, what tips do you have for keeping cool at work this summer?
From The Japan Times Online
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20120710vf.html

"Real English 27-give props to"

I have to give props to Yu Darvish.


"Give props to (someone)" means "to praise (someone), take one's hat off to (someone), acknowledge (someone's) excellence or superiority," etc.


Yu Darvish has been superb so far this year.
He has already exceeded many peoples expectations.
But not mine.
I predicted before the season that he would get 18 wins.
He is on pace to do that, if not more!


As of today, he has 10 wins, has stuck out 117 people, and leads the voting for All-Star votes.
You can't ask for more than that.


Concerning his 10 wins, I will admit that there have been some games in which he didn't pitch so well, gave up four or five runs, but still won because of his team's VERY GOOD offense. But, on the other hand, there have been some games in which he pitched very well, only gave up a run or two, and still got the loss.  So, it's even I think.


What do you think about Yu Darvish this year?  How about the other Japanese players in the Major Leagues?   

"Real English 26-slipped my mind"

I have to apologize.  

I broke my New Year's resolution.

Did you notice?

Last week I was really busy with stuff.  And after I wrote the  "restaurant review blog," the "Real English 26" totally slipped my mind.

But fortunately, since neither my secretary nor I received any emails saying:

"What happened?!"

"Is everything OK?"

"Why didn't Glenn write the 'Real English' this week?  Is he sick?"

"Did you forget to write Real English 26?" 

At first, I was relieved.

But after I thought about it a little longer, I was a little sad.

Because nobody noticed...

But don't worry!! I will get over it! And I will renew my resolution and write 52 Real English on schedule this year!!

Restaurant Reviews

I haven't written a restaurant review in a while.
The reason is I haven't been out for a long time.
Actually, except for one or two Saturdays a month with the Mrs., I haven't been out at all this year.


Last Saturday night the wife and I tore up the town!
First we went to a place I like, "Sawamura," in Honmachi(or maybe it is Higobashi, either way it is close to the classroom), for some drinks and appetizers.  Basically, it was our "Happy Hour."
Last year I went to Sawamura a few times. The owner, Mr. Sawamura, is a friend of a friend.  I like it, the food and atmosphere are good, the prices are reasonable.  In addition, it is convenient for me because it is on my way home.  Every time I walk by, it is crowded.  This is the sign of a good restaurant!!
For more on Sawamura, check out this site if you are interested.


http://r.tabelog.com/osaka/A2701/A270102/27014633/




After taking care of the check at Sawamura, we walked to "Dojima-Seiniku-ten."  It is located in Kita-shinchi, and about a 15 minute walk.  You could call "Dojima-Seiniku-Ten"a meat shop, or an izakaya, or an outside food stall, or ??? To be honest, I don't really know what to call it.  It is not exactly any one of these, instead, the eatery has a little bit of each.  The atmosphere is like an outside food shop. Hot ans sweaty in the summer, and perhaps cold in the winter.  (I don't know for sure because I haven't been there in the winter yet.) There is a counter with about six seats, and there are two or three more seats literally in the middle of the kitchen.  Just as we arrived, two seats at the counter, the best seats in the house in my opinion, opened up, so we sat there.  We ordered some beers, a bottle of Bordeaux wine for 3500yen, and the following, but not necessarily in the following order.  Two orders of ham cutlet(one order was to go), two orders of fried chicken (again, one was for the next day's dinner!), grilled beef, special grilled beef, mixed "hormones"(various innards or organs), and maybe one more dish, but I can't remember.  All of the food was delicious!! In addition, the service(two twenty-something year old semi good-looking guys) was decent, and the price was good, about 8000yen for everything.  FYI, each dish is about 500yen.  I only noticed one dish, the "super super special beef" which was over 1000yen. I think it was 1200yen.  The only demerits are the vegetable menu is extremely limited and also a little pricey (for example, 500yen for a few slices of tomato).  But I don't need vegetables when I eat out, so I didn't care.  (FYI, I eat A LOT of vegetables in my house, not-cooked celery, carrots, cucumber, and tomato practically every night.)  One interesting point I learned about DST after I went there, Mr. K told me, is :"This is funny. Listen to this.  White rice is 500yen.  But beef over white rice is also 500yen.  Go figure!"


Below is a link to "tabelog" for some other comments about this restaurant.
http://r.tabelog.com/osaka/A2701/A270101/27044588/

Typhoon #4

Last Tuesday, Typhoon #4 was in the headlines and was reported to be heading directly for the Kansai Area.  It is highly unusual for typhoons to hit right smack in the middle of Osaka, but nonetheless, everyone made a big fuss about it, and as I wrote last week, many companies closed early, or at the very least "recommended" the employees to go home if they didn't have any urgent work to do.  Some companies also send only women home, which is very gentlemen-like, but I thought was funny.  Anyway, Ms S sent me an email in the latter part of the week.  

Here it is:

Ms. S:  Was that really a typhoon?!  Nothing happened in Osaka.
Glenn:  I know. It was a joke.
Ms. S:  I regret cancelling the class because of the typhoon. I should have gone...
Glenn:  Nah, that's not necessarily correct.  As the proverb goes, "Better safe than sorry!!"
Ms. S:  You're right!  Safety is the number one priority! I can always go to a class another time.

Real English 25-minute

Did you know that the word "minute" has a few different meanings.  In addition, "minute" is used in a bunch of expressions.  See if you understand all of the below.


1.  Do you have a minute?


2.  I'll be with you in a minute.


3.  I'm expecting an important fax at any minute.


4.  The minute I got home, the phone rang?


5.  The secretary took the minutes of the meeting.


6.  Even though only a minute amount of a banned substance was found in the ball player's urine sample, he was suspended 50 games anyway.


7.  Superman arrived to save the day not a minute too soon.


8.  I am really sorry for the last-minute notice, but something came up and I have to cancel our meeting this afternoon.


9.  I don't believe that for a minute.


10.  His pulse was 110 beats per minute.

Typhoon and Shoes

Yesterday, Typhoon # 4 hit Japan.  Even in Kansai (Western Japan) many companies, including the company where my wife works, ordered all of the employees to go home early.  In my wife's case, 3pm.  Did your company issue a order to leave the company and go home, or something like this:  "Due to Typhoon #4, all employees must leave the company by 3pm."
There are some reason why companies do this. One reason is for the safety of all of the employees. Another reason is, if the trains stop because of the strong winds or rain from the typhoon, then all employees are stuck in the company and can't go home. This is a problem!!


Anyway, to change the subject, I read an interesting headline the other day on yahoo.com.
The headline goes like this:  "You can judge 90 percent of people’s personalities by their shoes." 
Do you agree? I do.


What kind of personalities do you think are connected to what kind of shoes?
What kind of shoes do you wear?
What kind of shoes do you like? not like?

"Real English 24-par for the course"

A friend of mine, who lives in the countryside in the northern part of Hyogo Prefecture, called me the other day.  Here's the dialogue:

Friend:  Hey man, what's happening?

Glenn:  Not much, everything is status quo.  How about you, what's up?

Friend:  Actually, I wanted to invite you to my house next weekend.

Glenn:  Sounds good. What's the occasion?

Friend:  I am gonna have a "Firefly Party!"  Recently, there are fireflies everywhere at night!  It is really a spectacular phenomenon.  

Glenn:  Are you serious?   There aren't any lightening bugs where I live.

Friend: That's cause you live in the suburbs. As you know, I live in the deep country!  It is par for the course for here.

Glenn:  Gotcha. Then see you next weekend. Looking forward to it!

"Par for the course" means "a regular occurrence" or "something that happens often."

The above expression has nothing to do with golf!!

But since I mentioned golf, I thought I should say "Congrats!" to Mr. F because he hit a hole in one the other day.  What are the chances of that?  I don't know the actual statistics, but I do know that doesn't happen every day... (=pure luck!!)

Have you ever hit a hole in one?

"Real English 23-on the fence"

As you know, I usually don't like to talk about politics.  However, since this week's Real English is related to a politician, I will make an exception.


Tokyo Governor Ishihara always has an opinion on something.  He never sits on the fence on an issue.


"What do you think of Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara's plan to buy the disputed Senkaku Islands?"
from The Japan Times Online
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20120424vf.html

Here are some other more casual examples of how to use "on the fence":


1-At a restaurant:
"I can't decide what to order as my entree. I am on the fence...the steak or the fish?  Can you help me out?  Which do you recommend?"


2-At a voting booth
"I am sitting on the fence on who to vote for in the next election, Mr. X or Ms. Y.  They both have pros and cons..."


And the expression  "opposite sides of the fence" means "to have opposite opinions."


3-Current political news in Japan:
"Prime Minister Noda and Ichiro Ozawa, who leads the DPJ's largest faction with 120 members, are on opposite sides of the fence concerning the consumption tax hike. "

June 

I can't believe it is already June. Almost half of the year is already over...

As the proverb goes, "Time flies."  

And, did you know that there are two versions to this expression? 

One is, "Time flies when you are having fun."  

The other is, "Time flies when you are busy."  

Which one applies to you?  The first one? The second one? Both? Neither?

In June, the rainy season will begin.  And after that, the dreaded humidity will arrive...

Let's enjoy the last dry days before that humidity comes!!!

(Below are some photos from Ms. e's trip to Nagano Prefecture. Thank you!)

"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!!