Real English Thirty-Seven: essential

Breaking news! 

The U.S. Government will re-open.  

For those of you who didn't know, the U.S. Government was shut down for a while.  During this time, the Government labeled employees two ways,  "essential employees" and "non-essential employees."  The "essentials" could stay and work. The non-essentials were sent home on furlough.  My cousin works for the government. He was furloughed.

"Essential" basically means "necessary".

"It is essential" equals "It is necessary".

Recently, I have had many "discussions" with my wife about what is essential and not essential for our new house.

For example, I said "Curtains are not essential."

She disagreed with me.

Then, she said "A new dining table and chairs are essential."

I disagreed with her.

FYI, we are getting both new curtains and a new dining table and chairs!!!

You can guess who wears the pants in the house :(

And then, the other day she said to me, "Do you remember that you said you would by me a new vacuum if we buy this house?"

I said, "I vaguely remember that..."

She said, "Are you going to be a man and keep your word?"

 I said, "Of course."

So, the next day I went to an electrical appliance store to buy the most essential house item for my wife; a vacuum.

She vacuums not twice a week, not once a day, but twice or three times every day. Thanks to her, our house is always spotless!

Believe me, if I were dust, I 

wouldn't come to my house!

The below is the conversation I had at the electrical appliance store.

Clerk: Can I help you?

Me: I am looking for a vacuum.  

Clerk: Right this way sir...

Me: My wife said she wants a cordless vacuum, because our house is 3 stories.

Clerk: I understand. Then, I highly recommend this one. 

Me: Is it made in Japan?

Clerk: No. The maker is Company D.

Me: Why do you recommend it?

Clerk:  Actually, I have one myself. I love it and couldn't live without it. 

Me:  What is so special about it?

Clerk:  It is light, so it is easy for women to hold with even one hand.  And stylish, and easy to store or put away. You can attach it to the wall if you want.  And unbelievably powerful!! 

Me: How powerful? 

Clerk:  You have to see it to believe it!  Give it a try!

(I proceeded to "test" the vacuum.  The clerk wasn't kidding!!  Just as she said, it was strong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Me: I don't understand one thing.  It is cordless so that means there is no plug... how does it work?

Clerk: It has a battery. You have to charge it. It takes 3 and a half hours to charge the battery  Then, you can use the vacuum for 20 minutes on "regular power" or for 5 minutes on "super power."

Me: What is the difference between "regular power" and "super power"?

Clerk:  When the vacuum is in "super power" mode, it can suck up very small pieces of dust...minute particles!  It is especially useful to clean futons.  It sucks up all the dust and even mites in a futon.

Me: How long does the battery last?

Clerk: About a year and a half to two years.  A new battery costs about 8000 yen.

Me: How much the vacuum?

Clerk:  69,800 yen.

Me: Excuse me? (I couldn't believe my ears...)

Clerk: Sixty-nine thousand and eight hundred yen.

Me: I see...I'll take it. (I didn't have a choice...)

Clerk: Thank you very much.  Will you be paying with cash or by credit card?

Me: Cash.

So, I bought the most expensive vacuum I have ever heard of...

But a man's word is a man's word.

Anyway, I really hope my wife likes it!  

And I don't know how well the vacuum sucks up dust, but I can tell you one thing it sucks up really well................................my money!!!

It sucked the money right out of my wallet!

Below are Ms. C's photos from her trip to America! Amazing!

Real English Thirty-Six: and then some

Since a few months ago, every time Mr. F comes to class, he annoyingly says:

"I am going to get you back...and then some "

"I am gonna return the favor...and then some."

"I will get back at you...and then some."

"I am going to give you a taste of your own medicine...and then some."

He is obsessed with the phrase.

He stole it from Mr. Hanzawa Naoki, who is the main character (a banker) in the TV show "Hanzawa Naoki", which was one of the most popular shows of the year.

Actually, the final episode recorded a TV rating of 42.2%, a new high!

Did you watch the show?

If yes, can you explain what it is about?

If no, are you interested in watching a rerun, or getting the DVD/blu-ray disc?

Real English Thirty-Five: music to my ears

It is October.
When I think of October, I think of playoff baseball, Okinawa and typhoons, and pumpkins, witches, and Halloween.
What comes to your mind first when you hear "October"?

And, as I have told many of you, I will move in a few weeks.
So, the other day, after my wife placed an inquiry on some "moving company site". Immediately after she placed the inquiry, about 5 companies contacted us.  We asked the first three companies which called to come to our apartment to give us an estimate.  We thought 3 was enough. So, we had to reject the two companies which called after the first three.  You could say that those last two companies "Missed the boat!"

On the phone, I told each of the three companies the same thing:
"I will be here from 2 to 4 pm, so please come any during that time.  Also, please know that there may be another moving company here while you are here.  If that is a problem, please let me know."
They all said, "No problem."

First, a salesman from company A arrived. He gave us a small bag of rice, was very professional and politely and patiently listened to all of our requests.  I liked him. And the estimate he gave us, 147,000 yen for everything included, was just under my budget of 150, so I thought, "Not bad."  The next guy who gave us an estimate was from company B.  I don't remember if he gave us any gift or not. He was also professional.  The two big differences between the salesman from company A and B were:
1. The Company B Guy was much faster than Company A Guy. Company B Guy was in and out of our place, in total about 20 minutes.  In a good way, you could say he was efficient.  In a bad way, you could say he was too fast.  In comparison, Company A Guy spent about 45 minutes to an hour there.
2.  Company B Guy's estimate was considerably more expensive than Company A's...about 180,000, not including trash removal.  His company doesn't do that. Instead, he recommended a "trash and recycling company" which handles that.

So, now, the only guy left in our apartment was from Company C. To be honest, I was thinking  "Come on buddy, speed it up" because I wanted him to leave as soon as possible so I could get on with my day.  In addition, I had 99.9 % already decided on Company A.  In my head, I was like, "I am gonna use Company A. I am sure that Company C's estimate will be around the same as Company A, and the guy from Company A was nice, plus my wife likes him..."

So after what seemed like an eternity, the guy from Company C said, "When can you decide by?"
I said, "Sometime this week."
He said, "Well, if you can decide now, then I can do it all for 100,000."
I was very surprised....pleasantly surprised.
I said, "Sir, that is music to my ears!! Give me a pen and where do I sign!"

That goes to show you. It ain't over til it's over.  You never know about that .1%.

Real English Thirty-Four: get a kick out of

What were you doing at 5:30am on Sunday September 6th when the IOC President announced said, "And the city that will host the 2020 Olympics is...TOKYO!"

I was watching it live!

When I heard the sweet sound of "Tokyo", I got goosebumps down my spine...then stood up and pumped my fists, and almost screamed!  Luckily for me, I held my scream in.  If I hadn't had such superior self-control, I would have woken my wife up and then I am sure that my wife would have kicked me out of the house.  At 5:30am in the morning in Nishinomiya, there aren't too many exciting places to go...

Speaking of the Olympics, I was really impressed with presentations done by Team Japan!

If you search You Tube using "2020 Olympics Presentation by Tokyo, Japan," I bet you will find some videos of the presentations.

If you watch the videos, not only can you study English, but you can also study:

how to give a presentation.

how to deliver a speech.

how to make gestures.

how to project your voice.

how to make eye contact.

All of the above will help to make your speech or demonstration or whatever better!

They are all "Enhancement Factors"!!

Honestly, I really can't say enough about the presentations...

To all of the Presenters, Congratulations on a job well done!!

In particular, I got a kick out of the presentations done by Crystal Takigawa, Mami Sato, and Yuki Ota.

Mami's was my favorite, and I think it will be used in Japanese English textbooks in the future.

Real English Thirty-Three: Keep one's fingers crossed

Within 12 hours, we will all know the answer to the following question:  

Who will host the 2020 Olympics?

I am keeping my fingers crossed...

I really want the Olympics to come to Tokyo...

So, I am begging you, please keep your fingers crossed too!

We need all the luck we can get!!!

For those of you who don't know (I doubt there are many, but I am sure there are a few), there are three candidates; Tokyo, Madrid, and Istanbul.  

As of now, it is a very close race. 

According to the latest news reports, Tokyo and Madrid are neck and neck.  

And Istanbul is out of it.  

However, these news reports vary and are constantly changing, plus there are rumors are flying around, so it is difficult to tell...

Without a doubt, it is going to go down to the wire.

If Tokyo wins, and that is a big IF, I am going to say "Let's drink to that!"

Of course with my favorite side dish, eda-mame! : )

Real English Thirty Two: Rain Check

It is already September...Time flies!

Time flies when you are busy.

And, time flies when you are having fun.

In my case, both of the above apply.

Let me tell you about the past few weeks.

I had a very nice time over Obon Vacation.  Except for one day, when I went out with my friend to Koshien Stadium to watch the High School Baseball Tournament, I stayed home and took care of Taiga every day.  It was both fun and tough at the same time.  And to be honest, it was much harder than I expected.

Then, on the 25th, I signed a letter of commitment and made a down payment to buy a house.  Buying a new house is exciting, but negotiating, dealing with the real estate agent, going over the contract, applying to take out a mortgage, moving, packing, unpacking...the list goes on and on...are, to say the least, all not so much fun.  So since about a month ago, I have had a lot on my plate...

Oh yeah, do you remember the 25th?  It poured that morning. To be exact, there was torrential rain where I live in Nishinomiya City.  In the car on the way back from the Real Estate Agency, many streets were under water.  Later that night, I saw on TV that some shopping arcades and roads were flooded in Osaka.  For this area, that much rainfall in such a short time is unprecedented.  

Now, let's get to Real English.  The below is a conversation I had the other day.

Makoto:  Glenn, my friends and I are doing a long run, and after that going to a spa and having a BBQ in the end of September.  Would you like to come?

Glenn:  I would love to, but I can't.  Can I take a rain check?

Makoto:  Of course! Why?

Glenn:  As I told you, it is my turn to take care of Taiga on the weekends.  

Makoto:  So why don't you bring Taiga and your wife?

Glenn:  During that time, my wife re-charges her batteries.  Plus with moving and packing and stuff, the time just isn't good now.  I hope you can understand.

Makoto:  Absolutely.  Do what you have to do, and don't worry, I will invite you again another time.

Glenn:  Thanks a lot.  I appreciate it.

To change the subject, I tried "cold ramen" a few weeks ago.  This is really something for me, because before I tried it, I believed that "ramen must be hot."  Even though I am stubborn, I decided to try a new and different thing, so you could say I broke out of my shell...And, to y pleasant surprise, it was much better than I expected.  So the "new and improved" Glenn believes that "ramen can be both hot and cold!"

Real English Thirty One: Sounds like a plan

Obon Vacation is just around the corner.  

I have asked many people the following question:

"Do you have any plans over (the) Obon Vacation?"

Here are a bunch of the answers I got.

1.  Not really. I am just gonna take it easy, go to the spa, clean up the house, and maybe catch a movie or baseball game or something.

2.  Actually nothing at all because I have to work!! I am bummed out!  Can you believe my company is open every day during Obon?  What is my boss thinking?!

3.  I am going to go to Phuket with my family.  We go on a "family trip" overseas every other year.  I am really looking forward to it, but I am afraid that, for various reasons, this may be the last year that we will all be able to do it.

4.  I am not going anywhere, so I want to use this opportunity to catch up on things which I usually don't have time to do, like reading.

5.  I am going to Okinawa with my friends.  I have never been there before, and I know you have been there many times, so what do you recommend to do? to eat? to see?

6.  I am going back to my parent's house and we are going to do a "traditional Obon" and visit my ancestor's grave and stuff.  

7.  We are having a family "get together" at my brother-in-law's second house in Shizuoka Prefecture.  Everybody included, I think there are going to be about 20 relatives there.  The more the merrier!

8.  I am from Tokyo, and in Tokyo people do Obon in the end of July, not in August like the rest of Japan.  Really! I am serious!  Did you know that?

9. (My answer) I am going to go for some long distance jogs because I decided to run the Nishinomiya Half Marathon on November 4th.  I have to get ready for it!

10.  (Your answer!)

And my reply to all of the above answers is, "Sound like a plan!"

After I finish practicing for the marathon, I am going to drink "Hanshin Tigers Wine", one bottle of red and one bottle of white, while watching the Tigers on TV.  I can't wait!

Real English Thirty: hit the fan

It is still hot and humid, at times unbearable.  If I am home and I can't stand it anymore, I have three options:

The first option is to turn on the electric fan.

The second option is to turn on the brand new air conditioner.

And the third option is to take a cold shower, and then do one of the above.

And I just remembered that I have a "cold bed mat"..I totally forgot all about it! It is somewhere deep in the closet, collecting dust I think... Things have been quite hectic this summer so both kyoko and I completely forgot about it.  There is about one more month of summer left, so I will take it out of the closet and use it from tonight. As they say, "Better late than never!"

Yesterday when I read The Japan Times Online, I was interested in the following news stories .  

1.  Study: 8.1% of Japan secondary school students may be 'Internet addicts'

2.  Heavy rains soak Hokuriku

3.  Fuji climbers up 35% by late July

In addition, the Nikkei 225 (Tokyo Stock Market) went up 460 points yesterday.  However, earlier in the week, it dropped about that much.  Ahhh---and as another proverb goes, "What goes up must come down."  

When everything hits the fan, I hope I am ready...

Did you know that sunflowers are my favorite flower?  Well, if you didn't, now you know!

What is your favorite flower?

Real English Twenty Nine:  Take care

It has been two weeks since I last wrote a blog.  Sorry to keep you waiting!

Thanks to my mom, Kyoko and I could go on a nice date a few Saturdays ago.

Glenn:  Ma, can you do me a favor?

Mom:  Sure what is it?

Glenn:  I want to take Kyoko out for a nice dinner tonight because we haven't been out in a while.  Could you take care of Taiga?

Mom:  Anytime!  I'd love to babysit my adorable grandson!

Glenn:  Thanks a lot.  I am relieved to hear that.  Just so you know, if he becomes hysterical or there is a problem or something, call me on my cell!

Mom:  Don't worry so much!

Glenn:  I can't help it. It is in my genes. I got it from you!

Mom: Haha... Anyway, take care and have fun!

Glenn:  OK!  Take care of you, and Taiga, too!

Below are photos from that night.  We went to Lawry's Prime Rib in Umeda. Google it if you are interested.  It is a little pricey but I highly recommend it for a special occasion or a business dinner.  The food, atmosphere, service, really everything was top-notch!

Real English Twenty Eight: make sense

For the first time in over a year, I went to Umeda.  Unless I have some business to attend to, I almost never venture past Kita-Shinchi.  And, for the first time in more than 2 years, I went window shopping.  The reason is my mother wanted to check out Grand Front Osaka and she needed a date.  So, what's a son for!

First, we met up at Garb, a casual Italian restaurant, which is right next to GFO, for lunch.  It was  hopping, nice atmosphere, good food...I recommend it!  Next, we walked on every floor of both the North and South Building of GFO and checked out the various shops, restaurants, facilities, etc.  To be honest, I was blown away!  As you know, I hate shopping. So, I hate to admit it, but the whole complex is quite impressive!  Have you been there yet? If not, I think it's a good idea just to check it out...just for the experience.  (But it may be better to avoid going on the weekends/a national holiday because I don't even want to imagine, but it must be unbelievably crowded...)

The only complaint my mother had about the whole place can be found in the conversation below which we had outside on the deck on the 7th floor (you better check that, I forget exactly which floor it is on, but it was high up for sure) at Starbucks at GFO:

Glenn:  Hot enough for ya?

Mom:  Wow!  The sun is scorching...I am glad I brought my sunglasses for the glare!  I am even considering getting a parasol, like all the Japanese ladies use to protect themselves from the sun.  Parasols are not popular in America, but it is a good idea! Japanese ladies are smart!!  

Glenn:  Yes, for sure!

Mom:  But sitting in the shade up here, drinking my 'caramel frappachino, feels nice!

Glenn:  My 'short cake frappachino' ain't that bad either. So, was there anything you don't like about GFO?

Mom:  Actually, yes there is.  I have one complaint!  THE NAME!  The name, 'Grand Front Osaka', doesn't make any sense.  Why would they make such a fabulous place and then give it such a terrible name.  The name doesn't mean anything in English!!

Glenn:  I know what you mean.  That's why it took me so long to remember it.  For months now, I have said "Grand something something Osaka."  Not until recently, because of talking about it with you so much, could I finally remember the name.  

Mom:  Do Japanese people understand the meaning?

Glenn:  Well, Kyoko said that most Japanese understand the meaning because, you see, there are some expressions in Japanese, which use English, but have no meaning in English.  Of course, native speakers can't understand them, but Japanese people can.  These expressions are called 'Japanese English.'

Mom:  So what did Kyoko say "Grand Front Osaka" means?

Glenn:  She said it means "the big front entrance to Osaka."  But when I ran that by a friend of mine, he said she was wrong.  He said that, in fact, it means "the big front entrance to THE WORLD!"

Mom:  Haha...such an exaggeration!

Glenn:  I know!  But maybe they are trying to attract foreign tourists, especially Chinese!

Real English Twenty Seven: "have one's fair share of ～"

I have had my fair share of flight trouble, but my father's flight from KIX to SFO last Saturday takes the cake.

When he finally arrived in Philly around 1pm on Sunday the 7th, he sent me this email:

"I made it!! I don't know where to start, so I will just start at the beginning.  First of all, as usual, the taxi to the airport was great! Thanks!  That was the highlight of my trip actually!! All down hill from there...My United flight from KIX was delayed an hour and a half, which wasn't so bad because I just had a couple of drinks while waiting.  After departure around 6pm, the flight was real smooth, no turbulence or anything.  As you know, I hate flying, so I was relieved.  But I knew it was too good to be true...

So anyway, just after finishing breakfast, about 1 hour or so before the scheduled arrival time, the pilot came on the loudspeaker and made the following announcement:  

'Ladies and Gentleman. I have some bad news. Due to an accident at SFO, the airport has been shut down indefinitely, and our flight has been diverted to Sacremento Airport.  Please stay calm.  We will have you on the ground in 20 minutes.'

Unbelievable!!!  Just my luck!!  I thought "There goes my easy flight!"

But as they say, `there is no use crying over spilled milk`, so it wasn't easy, but I kept my cool.  Besides, I couldn't afford to break down.

Once on the ground, we had to stay in the plane in Sacremento for about 3 hours.  We couldn't leave the plane because Sacremento  is not an international airport, and that means no Customs nor Immigration.  The plane was refueled on the runway.  I took pictures of fire trucks coming up to the plane.  Wanna see?

Finally, after we got permission to fly again, we flew to LA, and after going through Customs and Immigration, I had to stand in a 4+ hour re-booking line.  Absolutely miserable...  While in line, I noticed that unlike the Japanese who were very patient and quiet, the Americans were loud and obnoxious...

Fortunately I could get a flight that night out of LA to Chicago. I got on standby.  Of course I wanted to fly direct to Philly, like my original ticket, but there weren't any flights til the next day, and they couldn't guarantee me a seat on any of those flights.  So I didn't want to take any chances, and I took what I could get.

After the red eye flight, I arrived in Chicago about 8am, and then hustled and got on the first flight to Philly, which was one flight earlier than I expected, so I finally got home to Elkins Park sometime after 1pm.

I feel fine and am too tired to have jet lag now.

By the way, how is your mother doing? "

Answer:  She is doing great!  While you were going through that ordeal, she was shopping! :)

Real English Twenty-six: pop

Real English Twenty-six: pop

My folks came to Japan the other day.  Their flight wasn't so bad.  They departed Philadelphia International Airport at 8am and arrived in San Fran about 5 hours later.  The layover in SF was supposed to only be 3 hours, but due to mechanical trouble, the plane was delayed and they had to wait a total of 6 hours in SF.  Fortunately, they had a pass to go to the VIP Lounge, so it could have been worse.  Then after the 10-hour flight to KIX, and the 1-hour taxi ride to my house, they arrived in Nishinomiya about 6:30 pm.  So far, we are having a great time together.

Now, to Real English.  Check out he below sentences.

1.  My parents were surprised when they bought a "Special" Mango juice at Mitsukoshi Department Store in Umeda.  The reason they were shocked was because that "Special" Mango juice was 1250 yen a pop!

2.  Upon arrival, I pulled the cork out of a bottle of champagne with a pop!

3.  I gave my mother a pop quiz to see how much she improved since she took that crash course in Japanese.

4.  My father buys pop from the vending machine outside my place every day.

5.  My ears always pop when I fly.

6.  Taiga popped me in the face the other day when we were sleeping.

7.  Taiga calls my father, his grandfather, "Pop".

Real English Twenty-five: make (someone's) day

On Monday I went for a walk in the park.  I often do that when I want to take a breather, and there isn't a better place to do so in Osaka than Utsubo Park!!  As some of you know, I wear a cute tee-shirt advertising Ez English which stands out quite a bit when I walk around Honmachi and on my commute.  Many people often ask me, "Why do you wear it?"  And I have two token answers. One is, "Why not?"  The other is, "Because I want as many people as possible to see the name of the school, and I can't think of a more effective and cost-efficient way."  So anyway, while I was taking my stroll, a lady pushing a stroller walked up to me and said...

Lady:  Excuse for bothering you, but are you Glenn?

Me:  No worries about bothering me.  Yes, I am.  Have I met you before?  

Lady:  No.  But I saw you walking here before, and I couldn't miss your shirt so I checked out your home page and have been following your blog ever since.  It is really interesting and I can learn a lot of new words and expressions which I didn't know before.

Me:  Really?

Lady: Yes, it is the truth.

Me:  Well, thank you very much for telling me that today.  You know what?  You made my day!  Thanks a lot!

Lady:  My pleasure! And I am looking forward to your next blog so hurry up and finish your walking and get on it!! 

Me:  Roger!

I was lucky that day.  Has anyone or anything made your day recently?

     

Real English Twenty-four: When it rains it pours

It has been raining all day.  In fact, on and off it has been pouring all day.  Pouring, then drizzling, then pouring again, then back to drizzling.  According to the weather forecast,  there might be thunder storms tonight and Typhoon #4 may be coming soon...(Does anyone know Typhoon #4's name?  I don't.)  In addition, there is a 40% or more chance of rain in Osaka for the next 6 days.  (I don't know about after that because that is as far as the forecast on yahoo goes.)  In America, there is an expression, "When it rains it pours."  Simply put, it means that,  "when good things happen, they tend to happen all at once and a lot...in the same manners, when bad things happen, they tend to happen all at once and a lot...sort of like a domino effect."

Take a whack at it and try to use this expression when the opportunity arises.

Real English Twenty-three: Take your pick

Last week on Monday, I called an old friend, Mr. O, to tell him the news.  He told me he was coming to Osaka (he lives in Kanazawa) and the following is our conversation from there:

Glenn:  If you have time, would you like to go out to lunch together?

Mr. O:  Love to.  Where do you wanna go?

Glenn:  It's not so romantic, but I always eat a sandwich from Subway Station or udon (white and thick wheat oodles).  So, take your pick! 

Mr. O: Sandwiches don't do it for me. So, udon

Glenn:  Great, then it's a date.

Regarding lunch in general, I usually go to Subway and get a sandwich about 4 times a week.  The other day, I get udon with sweet-fried tofu or soba (buckwheat noodles) with the same.  The first  is nicknamed "The Fox" and the latter is called "The Raccoon", but I don't know why...

The below is the basic correspondence at a Subway Station shop for a first time customer.

Clerk:  How may I help you?

Glenn:  I'd like the "Special Sub" please.

Clerk:  OK. The "Special Sub" of the day is Turkey Breast.  What kind of bread would you like?

Glenn:  Wheat, please.

Clerk:  Would you like it toasted?

Glenn:  No, thanks.

Clerk:  Would you like a topping? I recommend bacon.

Glenn:  Pass.

Clerk:  OK, please wait a moment.

...

Clerk #2:  Are there any vegetables which you don't like?

Glenn:  No olives please.

Clerk #2:  OK, then one Turkey Sandwich without the olives.  I recommend mayonnaise as a dressing.

Glenn:  I'd like salt and pepper and hot peppers only, please.

Clerk #2:  OK. Anything else?  A drink or some fries or a set?

Glenn:  No thanks, that's all.

Clerk #2:  For here or to go?

Glenn: To go please. And please wrap it in paper.

Clerk #3:  OK, that's 320yen.

Glenn:  Here you go.

Clerk #3:  Thank you. Here's your change, 680yen.

Glenn:  Thanks a lot.

Now, after you go there one million times like I have, the conversation with the staff is much shorter, something like this:

Clerk:  Good afternoon! One "Special Sub," is that correct sir?

Glenn: Yes.

Clerk: Wheat bread, as is, not toasted.  Right?

Glenn: Yep.

Clerk #2:  Without olives, all of the other vegetables "super-sized," right?

Glenn: That's correct.

Clerk #2:  Salt, pepper, hot peppers and to go, in paper, right sir?

Glenn:  You got it.

Clerk #3:  May I have your card sir?

Glenn: Here you go.

Clerk: Thank you very much and have a good day!

Glenn:  Thanks, and you too.

Real English Twenty-Two: catch up 

The below is a phone conversation I had the other day.

Mom:  Hey Glenn. How are you doing?
Glenn: Alright, thanks. What's up?
Mom:  I was just a little concerned because recently you haven't updated the blog recently...
Glenn:  I am sorry but give me a break!  As you know, the past month and a half or so have been crazy, so I am behind on the blog...
Mom:  Only the blog?  Are you behind on anything else?
Glenn:  Yeah, a few things.  For example, I really need to catch up on sleep, news, gossip, study...
Mom:  I wouldn't worry too much about it.  You can make up for it later.
Glenn:  Yeah, I know. But I plan to catch up on some of it, especially the blog and sleep, this weekend. 
Mom:  Sounds like a good plan!
Glenn: Oh yeah! I forgot to tell ya.  I got i-phone 5 on Wednesday of this week!  It is my first smart phone.  Everyone always said to me, "You still have a regular cell phone!!  You are so behind the times!!  Get with it!"  So I got up the courage to overcome my fear of gadgets and technology and finally made the big step into the modern world!  So, please, give me some credit! I finally caught up with the times!!
Mom:  That's great news! See you in Facetime! 

Real English Twenty One-doze off

The other day, I dozed off on the train and missed the stop, Amagasaki, where I have to change trains.  

Unfortunately, it was the last train.

However, luckily, I woke up at Itami Station, which is only a 3000yen taxi to my place.  If I had slept through that, I would have ended up in Sanda, which is very far and quite expensive to get back.

Speaking of last trains, I read in the paper a few weeks ago that the Osaka Government is debating introducing a new train schedule which would run 24 hours a day.

According to the paper, the people involved in making this decision think that a "24-hour train schedule" would stimulate business/the economy.

What do you think about this?  Do you agree with it, or disagree with it?

As far as I know, in Japan the trains only run all day and all night on New Year's Eve, December 31st.  

Can you explain the reason for this?

Oh yeah, by the way, my wife was in labor for over 30 hours.  During that time, we were together.  My role was to rub her back, rube her back, and rub her back more.  I forget exactly when, but at some point I dozed off...This was a BIG MISTAKE and she noticed it immediately and became furious and screamed, "Now, at this time, while I am in excruciating pain, how can you sleep?!"

I frantically said, "I am really sorry, I dozed off for only a minute...It will never happen again...Please forgive me..."

I learned an important lesson through this experience.  Let me share my new-found wisdom:  NEVER DOZE OFF WHEN YOUR WIFE IS IN LABOR AND YOU ARE IN THE SAME ROOM. 

And FYI, since then, I have my tail between my legs...I am in the dog house, permanently.

But tonight, for the first time in 37 nights, my wife will be waiting for me when I get home.  And even better, she will be with Taiga!

Taiga, welcome to this World! 

First Name: Taiga

Middle Name: Morris

Last Name: Gross

Birth Date: 2013 May 22nd

Birth Time: 2:06am

Weight: 5.56 lbs.

Height: 17.87 inches

First, I have to thank my wife Kyoko, for everything...

Second, I have to thank the doctors, nurses, technicians and staff 

at Koshida Clinic and Hyogo Ken-Ritsu Nishinomiya Hospital.  

Without you all and all of your medical science, Taiga would not be here today.

Third, I would like to thank my parents and brother and sister-in-law, kyoko's mom, and the rest of our families and friends for their support.

Thank you ALL!

And Taiga, thanks for coming!

Real English Twenty-I can't afford it.

Mr. T bought a new bicycle the other day.  

Glenn:  What's going on?

Mr. T: I bought a new bicycle the other day.  I have a photo of it on my i-pad, you wanna see it?

Glenn:  Love to.

Glenn:  Wow! Cool! What kind of bike is it?

Mr. T:  It is made by Moulton Bicycle Company.  Have you ever heard of it?

Glenn:  No, I haven't.  Is it a famous company?

Mr. T: Yes. Very. Google it if you are interested.

Glenn:  Will do.  In the meantime, tell me about your new wheels!

Mr. T:  It took about one year to make.  I placed the order sometime last year. It is totally custom-made.  After taking my measurements, for example my height, weight, length of arms, legs, etc.,  they designed the bike specially for me.  It is truly "MY BI-cycle!" There is no other bicycle in the world like it.  It is one of a kind!  They say "it is the most efficient bicycle in the world."

Glenn:  Did you already take it for a test ride?

Mr. T:  You bet ya, as soon as I got it! Over the Golden Week Vacation, I rode about 300k in all, on average 50k a day. I had 6 days off.  

Glenn:  How was it?

Mr. T:  It was a smoooooooth ride! Like Silk!

Glenn:  But it looks small.  Is it fast?

Mr. T:  Yes, and very light.  The highest speed that I can reach is about 45kph, but if my legs were stronger I could ride a lot faster.

Glenn:  Do you wear a helmet?

Mr. T:  Of course.

Glenn:  How much is it?

Mr. T:  Guess!

Glenn:  I have no idea.  Just tell me.

Mr T:  2.5 million yen.

Glenn:  2.5 million?!  Are you serious?!  It costs as much as a car!

Mr. T:  Yes, it does.  Do you wanna get one?

Glenn:  I wish I could, but I can't afford it.