Idioms

The examples below are from "Target 1000," a popular textbook about English idioms in Japan. However, I suspect that it contains some idioms ESL learners in Japan do not have to learn earnestly.

No one should be the object of special treatment by virtue of birth or race.

When it comes to typing on a keyboard, most Japanese are all thumbs.

On the other hand, Japanese English teachers often ignore teaching these idioms commonly used in the states. This is the bright side of this book:

I have to go to the library to turn in the books I borrowed last week.

TOEIC

I took the TOEIC test at Asia University today. I don't know why, but I had to go a long way to take the test. Anyway, I don't think I did well enough. I wasn't able to concentrate when the listening section was going on.

I was really amazed at how serious people around me were preparing for the test. They didn't do such a stupid thing that I did.

Gossip? Forget it!

I watched "A Good Woman" (2004) on TV just because I liked Scarlett Johansson. It was kinda tedious. I could feel Europeans' slight contempt and envy against Americans in those days. At the same time, it made me think of how to deal with gossip around you. The answer the movie would give you is too simple: Just ignore.

A plot from IMDB:

Among the rich and famous spending 'the season' on Italy's Amalfi Coast in
1930, Mrs Erlynne, who describes herself as poor and infamous, discovers the whereabouts of her long abandoned daughter and the daughter's new, wealthy and very conventional husband. Mrs Erlynne blackmails the husband into supporting her. His covert attempts to keep the mother's identity from his unwitting wife lead to gossip and suspicion. An attempted seduction of the wife by a young English nobleman and international playboy and the courting of the mother by a worldly-wise older English nobleman are added plot complications which are all worked out amid numerous typically amoral Wildean aphorisms.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379306/plotsummary

Get real!

I was asked to translate "shikkarishiro（しっかりしろ）" into English on the other day. The person who asked me that seemed to belive the phrase wouldn't exist in the English language. However, you can't easily say that a word in one language can't be translated into another language unless you have a real bilingual. I have already stated that "setsunai（せつない，切ない）" can be translated into English with ease. Anyway, what is a good translation for "shikkarishiro"?

Get real!

Stay cool!

According to Dictionary of Modern Colloquialisms (by Francis J. Kurdyla 1996, Asahi Shuppan-sha), "heardheaded" is the translation of "shikkatishita." Therefore, the phrases below would be okay too:

Be heardhearded!

Be realistic!

By the way, my translation at that time was "be assertive," which freaked out another person at the place. As I said before, "be assertive" means "to respect yourself and others." What's the problem? I have no idea.

Who is serving Mammon instead of God?

Big class who have various levels of students... Does it work?

Yesterday I insisted that some students move to the classes that are appropriate for their current English language skills. However, my words were rejected. Some of them relactantly told me that they wouldn't do that because of money.

Money talks, man! I talked to myself at that time. I understand, however, that it was the only answer they could give me and I shouldn't blame them for it. Most of my colleagues have been brainwashed by their boss who seems to be serving Mammon and who definitely thinks that money is far more important than education.

Although I always hope that I could help my students improve their language skills regardless of which level they belong to. However, I think that it is a very very difficult question.

There's always an illusion of Krashen

Every program of the school I am working at is designed by a teacher who worked there before. He seems to have studied Teaching English as a Second Language somewhere. And the theorical background of the school is based on Stephen Krashen.

However, the guy has gone. And nobody understands Krashen's theory. I don't always agree with Krashen. But, when it comes to making the program work well, you've got to do some approach that goes with Krashen's claim.

The input hypothesis

If the input contains forms and structures just beyond the learner's current level of competence of the language (what Krashen calles "i + 1"), then both comprehension and acquisition occur.

The affective filter hypothesis: an imaginary barrier which prevents learners from acquiring language from the available input.
"Affect" refers to such things as motive, needs, attitudes, and emothonal states.

Lightbown & Spada (1999/2003) How Languages are Learned, 2nd ed. Oxford. 38-40

However, our school gives students punishment that may prevent them from acquiring English. And the level of the input is far beyond their current level of competence. So, that is why our school is messed up. But, James, our boss, doesn't know it and doesn't listen to any teaching staff, let alone me...

Teaching without any goals

As you know, whenever you make a lesson plan for your class, you have to have goals and objectives. Otherwise, your instruction will not be consistent. Now, I'd like to ask you a kind of wacky question: Which is more important for a language program, goals and objectives?

If you have a business mind, you would say that objectives are far important. However, I as a teacher think that goals are more important. Because clear objectives are set only when there are goals.

Although I know Cisco isn't right,...

When I talked with some Japanese in Missouri long time ago, I recognized that they often called San Francisco "San Fran," which I didn't know. I've known that "Frisco" is right. Long time ago, when I went to San Francisco, most Japanese called it Cisco, which isn't used as a contraction for San Francisco. I just checked it out throught the internet, though, and "San Fran" seems right.

One's salary is determined by his and her education background in the states. Hasn't it been criticized in Japan?

Recently, more and more parents want to have their kids go to private schools rather than public schools. I don't know whether they are smart and right, though.

In the United States, those with higher degrees enjoy a widening pay dvantage over those with less education. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, wages have increased for the very well educated — while they have either stagnated or decreased for those with less formal education. We take a closer look at the growing wage discrepancy in the United States.

Those who did not complete secondary education earned an average wage in 2005 of $22,374 and represent a 9.9% share of total employment. Their wages decreased 4.6% from 2000 to 2005.

Those who completed secondary education earned an average wage in 2005 of $31,665 and represent a 29.8% share of total employment. Their wages increased 0.2% from 2000 to 2005.

Those with some college education earned an average salary of $38,009 in 2005 and represent 27.9% of total employment. Their wages decreased 2.5% from 2000 to 2005.

College graduates earned an average wage of $56,740 in 2005 and represent 21.1% of total employment. Their wages decreased 3.1% from 2000 to 2005.

Those holding a master's degree earned an average wage of $68,302 in 2005 and represent 7.9% of total employment. Their wages decreased 1.8%from 2000 to 2005.

Those with a Ph.D. earned an average wage of $93,593 in 2005 and represent a 1.5% share of total employment. Their wages increased 2.9%from 2000 to 2005.

Those holding an MBA, JD or MD earned an average wage of $119,343 in 2005 and represent a 1.9% share of total employment. Their wages increased 10.6% from 2000 to 2005.

http://www.theglobalist.com/DBWeb/printStoryId.aspx?StoryId=5963

When I was in high school, there was a lot of international arguement that Japan society places too much importance on one's academic background. However, if you have a look at the article above, American society has the same thing. Once Japan has become one of the most disparate nation in the world, everybody has been looking away from the fact that people who used to criticize the society heavily relying on people's educational backgrounds are pushing their childen to go to good schools.

Students who want to go to good schools will not only study a lot but also try to join sport teams or clubs to make themselves impressive. I don't know whether it is right or wrong either.

The apple, the banana...

Some authorities insist that there is more reduction before words beginning with consonants than there is before words beginning with vowels. The is said to be pronounced /thuh/ before consonants, /thee/ before vowels... If　this distinction is really widely observed in practice, the usage must be dialectal or occur under relatively formal circumstances. A great many well-educated native speakers of English are quite comfortable pronouncing the as /thI/... in all unstressed position.

Prator and Robinett (2002). Manual of American English Pronounciation (4th Ed), Heinle & Heinle Publishing Company: Cambridge, MA

This is the Swedish athelete I was talking about.

English teachers in Japan have a tendency to be strict between the two pronounciations of "the" according to following words. However, as I quoted above, you don't have to be too strict. Anyway, most of picky Japanese teachers pronounce /za/ and /zee/ for "the," which is not correct.

This is the American athelte I was talking about.

日本人英語教師の中には，the の発音が，次に続く単語が母音か子音かによって機械的に変わると信じ込んでいる人が多い．そして，学生にその違いを強要する人も少なくないらしい．しかし，上記のようにこの発音の違いはどうでもいい問題だと思う．心配なら，it の母音の「エ」とも「イ」ともつかないあの母音でいつも発音しておけば完全に間違いない．「ザ」と「ジ」というどうせ間違っている区別を教えるよりもずっといい．

Up-Talk

English teachers in Japan never speak or teach like them. When you studied at a US college, most of your classmate would speak like them.

While flipping through the TV channels last night, I found the Hills 2nd Season was on MTV. I don't like the content of the TV show, but the characters on the show reflect typical young people's speech. They always finish the sentence with rising-intonation. Actually, it is the same with Japanese.

昨日，適当にCable TVのチャンネルを回していたら，『The Hills』というアメリカでも見たことのある番組がやっていた．内容は，高校を卒業したばかりの子がLAに出てきて，『ヴォーグ・ティーン』のインターンをしながら，青春期特有の騒動が巻き起こるというリアリティー・ショウで，あまり学ぶものはない（この番組が好きな人ごめんなさい）．ただ，日本の聴覚教材の「キレイすぎる英語」に慣れすぎた人には，若者特有の早口で，like を連発して，文尾のイントネイションがあがる英語を聞くのはためになるのかもしれない．たまにこういう英語を聞いたら，懐かしく感じてしまった．向こうに居た時はこういう英語を聞く機会には事欠かなかったのに，いまではそういうことはないので，またこの番組見ようかなあ，なんて思っている自分が怖かったりする．

Whether or not a textbook is appropriate depends on students...

I am teaching grammar to international students in Japan. And the textbook I'm using is a workbook for middle school students in Japan. This is a famous one. And it reminds me of my youth, who was very struggling with this workbook. And I find it difficult to use this textbook with my students who can't speak Japanese fluently. This textbook might be appropriate for English learners in Japan who want to review what they learned in middle school or high school, but it has got to be inappropriate. I want to use another one, but I don't have the right to do that. Hmm...

though, although

Though he is poor, he is generous.

"although" can be used in the same way. But, it is rather formal.

The example sentence above can be changed into the sentences below:

Poor as he is, he is generous.
In spite of his poverty, he is generous.
With all his poverty, he is generous.

Extacted and translated from 出仙潔『ステップ英語の構文-基礎をかためる１３２パターン-』（日験），１９９２

This is from a English reference book for students preparing for university entrance examinations. However, you can learn about "though" more.

First, a clause that contains this type of logical connector can be either before or after the main clause.

ex. He was still shivering though the air was warm.

Second, "though" can be used at the end of a sentence. "Although" can't, though.

ex. Ted knows all his friends would be there. He didn't want to go, though.

Third, in Spoken English, "despite the fact that" is frequently used instead of "though" or "although."

ex. Despite the fact that she was tired, she stayed up to watch a movie on TV.

Despite the fact that he used to be a baseball player, he doesn't know much about baseball. It is kind of funny.

Disparate grasshoppers. Merge chipmunks and squirrels.

日本語では，バッタとキリギリスはまったく違った単語だが，英語では両方 grasshopper という．じゃあいつも日本語の方が細かいのかというとそんなことはない．chipmunk も squirrel も日本語では単に「りす」という．これは，mouse と rat と「ねずみ」に対する単語がふたつあるのと同じだ．そういえば，「はち」も wasp と bee がある．

In Japanese, they use different words for grasshoppers who sing and those who don't. Conversely, they use the same word for chipmunks and squirrels, mice and rats, or bees and wasps.

Tsukishima, a reclaimed land

I went to Tsukishima with my friend and ate monjayaki and okonomiyaki. I think we ate too much. Anyway, I felt that if you have a friend from outside of Japan, Tsukishima is one of the places you should bring them. I'm sure they will enjoy the place.

To enhance listening comprehension...

As you know, listening is a very very important skill in both your first language and second language.

No matter what language you are learning, you have to improve listening skills of your target language. As a matter of the fact, listening is the most important skill among the four language skills. However, there is few good research that gives you some ideas to boost your listening comprehension.

However, you have one way to enhance your comprehension. I'll tell you this great method. And surprisingly, this method works regardless of what language is your first language and what language you're learning. This method works your listening skills in your own language too. The great method is...

To use cotton swabs and baby oil and take out as much ear wax as possible.

You might boo, but this is what you have got to do before looking for any other methods.

Message for somebody who is not aware

I'm not a person who can appreciate poems good enough. I want to send the two below to somebody, though. As is often the case with life, they may not be read by the person who I want to read.

Far from home across the sea
To foreign parts I go;
When I am gone, O think of me
And I'll remember you.
Remember me when far away,
Whether asleep or awake
Remember me on your wedding day
And send me a piece of your cake.

-- Mother Goose


I'm gonna send it to your heart
It's for everyone close to everyone
Everything is fine.

The city in the morning where the music is overused
Get that radio! 'Cause I always need the groove
It's kind of silly like an American honeymoon
Get on the bike 'Cause I always want the groove

What could I say when you sigh?
What could I do when you life?
What could I say when you are always faraway?

I'm gonna send it to you heart
It's for eveyone close to everyone
Trying to awake your heartaches but they hide
The cut me dead so I sigh, but I send to you anyway
I send one thing simple that is everything's fine

-- Kenji Ozawa

Occam's razor

I often find an awkward sentence in a workbook or reference books for university entrance examinations in Japan. I'm saying it's just "awkward," not "wrong." See the sentence below:

1) What made him get angry with her?

It is grammatically correct, but you can cross out the word "get" to simplify the sentence.

2) What made him angry with her?

Why didn't the author choose Sentence 2) over Sentence 1)? Just because they wanted to teach the usage of a verb: "make + object + the base form of a verb"

By the way, why is 2) better than 1? Probably, most grammarian in Japan can't answer such a simple question: Native speakers of English prefer a simple form to a difficult one.

System that works, and one that doesn't

... it is enough to hear and understand the target language. ..., one way to do this is to learners with a steady diet of listening and reading comprehension activities with no (or very few) oppotunities to speak or interact with the teacher or other learners in the classroom
-- Lightbown & Spada "How Language are Learned"

If you have learned about Second Language Acquistion, you may have heard about Steven Krashen (not Stevie Wonder!). He proposed "i + 1," which had a great influence on second language teaching. In this wacky term, "i" means the learner's current level of competence. According to Krashen, if the input the learner receives has forms and structures just beyond "i," s/he will understand and acquire them.

Why have I been mentioning this? Because some of the teaching methods used at my school are based on Krashen's ideas. For example, in reading class, students are encouraged to read as many graded readers as possible. This type of reading activity is called "pleasure reading," which is supported in Japan too, especially by people like Kunihide Sakai.

Personally, I'm not supporting Steven Krashen that much. However, if you encourage students to do pleasure reading, you have got to understand why it is thought to work and to be able to explain the effect of pleasure reading to students. The school is making a mistake regarding this point. Whenever a system works, people who use this need to rely on the system. Like the strategies used for soccer and baseball games, language teachers and students need to rely on new system to get it to work well.

What will determine the size of a class?

While teaching English, I always wonder what the size of each class matters. For example, I'm having a problematic class of 18 people. The reason I'm messed up with the class is that most students are so immature I need to give instruction directly to each student. If the class contained less than 10 people, I could handle it.

If a student needs individual instruction, I can't handle other students at that time.

So, basically, I agree with the opinion that the class should be as small as it can be. However, my dad always tells me it is a stupid idea. According to his experience, if class is too small, teachers would have to worry about each student too much. So, he says it is suppoesd to be around 40.

Which do you prefer, a small class or a big class?

I don't agree with him, but his words helped me wonder which side should be listened the most when it comes to determind the class size. Teachers (or managers of schools) or students? Actually, it isn't an easy question. So far, I have been thinking that it should be determined by students' opinions, but it is safe to say that teachers' opinions are also need to be considered to some extent. Again, I belive that small clasees are more effective as long as I refer to the effect of language learning.

Don't pull my leg!

To "pull sb's leg" may be hard for English learners in Japan to understand. Because it has a false friend in the Japanese language. The phrase "ashi wo hipparu　（足をひっぱる）" will be the literal translation but it means "to interrupt."

How's your life?

I just got an email from a friend of mine, and she told me that she had gone to Italy. Since my life is pretty much occupied with nasty work, I really envy her.

Well, let's talk about something good. I started out tutoring. Although the second job doesn't give me a lot of money, it's much better than my first job. I'm teaching Japanese to an American lady, and it gives me some new insights about language, which I have wanted. I'm trying to find some hope in my cluttered life.

Today I learned the English word for kusuguttai （くすぐったい）, which is ticklish. Although I knew "tickle," I didn't know its adjective form.

Too tired...

Although I want to update this blog site every day, I won't be able to take a lot of time in front of my PC just because my other work makes me hectic.

Asian Gossip

Is it true that Jackie Chen is seeing the girl above? Well, she looks too young.

Words that you're sure about but you don't know well.

The English word "head" will be translated into "Atama （頭）." But, the two words can't be prefectly equal. "Atama" is closer to "forehead" than "head."

forehead: the area at the front of your head between your eyebrow.

日本人は head という単語を見ると，とっさに「頭」と訳す．しかし，この訳語は正確ではない．基本的に，「頭」というと，眉毛より上の辺りを意味するが，これは英語では正確には forehead という．それに対して，体の部位としての head というのは，首から上の部分全てを指す．ただし， head という単語が思考能力を意味するとき「頭」と訳すのは正しい．

head: the top of your body, which has your eyes, mounth, and brain in it; your mind and your mental abilities.

ex. Use your head.「頭を使え」

Kashiwamochi

Traditionally, the Japanese may have to eat kashiwamochi today. But, I prefer brownie to kashiwamochi.

Japanese people eat Kashiwamochi on May 5th. When Americans eat brownie, who cares. I believe that they eat whenever they want to eat.

Quibble

"This is a very very rare 50 yen coin whose head is on the tail and whose tail is on the head."



"I will give you this 50 yen instead of a 100 yen coin."



It's easy to laugh at Nobita. We might need to admire him because of his innocence. Anyway, if you can read Japanese, the website about Doraemon may crack you up.

http://hendora.com/hendora/hendora09/hendora9.htm

The girl looked irked.

irk: to irritate, to annoy

This word is commonly used by Americans, but most English learners in Japan don't know it. This word is much better than a slang item like "piss(ed) off." I recommend that you learn these words too.

To irritate: to make angry or impatient

ex. Her teasing irritates me.

To annoy: to bother or disturb

ex. Gian's songs always annoy us.

To pester: to trouble or bother again and again

ex. Don't pester me with dumb questions.

Also, it is better to know that mad" is used more often than "angry" in American English.

ex. His insult made me mad. He called me "bitch."

Let's go back to "irk." Below are written by a high school girl. "Even if I wasn't his girlfriend" may be corrected by a picky English teacher, but most Americans speak this way.

According to Annie's Mailbox:

Even if I wasn't his girlfriend, I would still be irked. I don't think he should devote his life to me or anything. I just don't think it's nice to treat people like this way.

Language teachers gotta draw well? No, I can't!

What's this? It's camel, I think...

On the other day, I have to explain the meaning of the word "camel." If I had expected this question, I could've prepared its picture. I had to draw it this time.

I draw as badly as and less creative than Tsuyoshi Kusanagi does. Well, showing students visual things is a best way to teach words. But, I can't improve my drawing skills from now on.

This is a camel. I wanted to draw like this.

Don't trust the news media.

In Japan, the new media has been appreciating India's growing economy and its education system. However, I believe that the Japanese people need to know the dark side of India's disparate society as well. The media in Japan doesn't tell people the fact that except for urban areas, people even have difficulty having 24 hours electricity.

According to the International Herald Tribune (May 5-6):

"Are these people crazy who keep turning off the light?" he asked, not just angry but inquisitive. Why do grownups keep telling him to do his homework and then shut off the light?
He was told that 8-year olds in Mumbai have 24-hour electricity.
His eyes bulged. He looked like a child stripped of Santa Claus fantasies. "If they can get the light," he asked, "how come we can't get it?"

Japanese Translation by outrageous2007:

「なんで，あの人たちは電気を消すの？」その子は，怒るというより，不思議がってたずねた．なぜ，大人は，自分に宿題をやるように云うのに，電気を消すのだろうか，と．
筆者は，大都市であるムンバイに住む８歳の子は２４時間電気を使えることを少年に知らせた．
その少年は目を丸くした．サンタクロースの夢から引き剥がされたように見えた． 少年は私に尋ねた．「ムンバイの子たちが電気をつけていいのに，なんでぼくたちはつけちゃいけないの？」

この新聞記事を読んで，どう思うだろうか，最近はなくなってきたが，ちょっと前までインド式の教育がどうだか，インドの経済発展がすざましいとか云っていたが，このIHT（たぶん，『ニューヨークタイムズ』でも読める）の記事には，都市部に住んでいない人たちは，１日８時間から１２時間電気が使えないと書いてある．

インドの都市部で経済が発展中であることは事実だし，インド式の数学教育や，言語運用能力（言語技術）に学ぶことがあれば，取り入れてもいいが，同時にマスコミはこういった十分に教育を受けられずに苦しんでいる人々がいることも伝えなければならない．

Has Kumiko Aso become a comedian?

Kumiko Aso, one of my favorite female actors, appears in a drama, which doesn't seem to be that which I expected her to be in.

Since I have so many things to do during the holidays, I was engaged in channel-surfing in front of the TV. After the Lupin (See below) was finished, I just found Kumiko Aso purforming in a drama.

Gee, she looked as stupid as Yukie Nakama in "Trick." I thought that she intended to appear in romantic movies. But, she was a comedian in "Jikou Keisatsu (Police for Precription)." She sang a stupid song, she behaved like a whore, and she became crazy many times...

Well, I don't know whether or not she can be like Yukie Nakama, who is one of the best actors in Japan in a way. I think her character is less strong than Nakama.

The Secret of Mamo: It lies in the word itself.

I saw the movie "Lupin the 3rd: The Secret of Mamo" on TV. Although I thought that these animation series were nothing more than entertainment, watching this movie today made me change my mind. I was surprised when I heard the name of a character.

Lupin the 3rd is very popular in Japan. It is getting popular in some other countries too. For instance, my ex-roomie liked it.

The villain in the movie is named "Mamo," but to my ears, it almost sounded like "mamon." As you know, "mamon" is an expression shown in the New Testament. For non-native speakers of English, I'm quoting its definition from the New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy (2002):

mammon: A New Testament expression for material wealth, which some people worship as a god. Figuratively, it simply means money.

Then, we are taking a look at the storyline of the movie:

Lupin risks death to learn the secret and intentions of a wealthy and seemingly immortal, but certainly ruthless, recluse.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078187/

I have to admit that few Japanese, even when they speak English well or when they are Christians, aren't familiar with the expression "mammon." Therefore, I assume that Monkey Punch, who wrote the Lupin series, know some Western values and put them in his works. Again, I'm surprised.

Baseball kids have been getting money from high schools

Nobody believes that kids can be happy only with chasing a white ball under the blue sky. If you were, you might be a too nice person. It is like no teacher says "Run to the direction of the setting sun!"

I just knew that this subject is big now. In my opinion, this kind of things were more common in those days. For example, Masumi Kuwata and Kazuhiro Kihohara were said to focus on baseball with attending few classes at PL Gakuen.

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun:

Perks rampant for high school ballplayers

OSAKA--Baseball
clubs of 373 private high schools in 46 prefectures that are members of the Japan High School Baseball Federation had systems to provide students with such preferential treatment as admission and tuition exemptions, according to the federation.

The federation surveyed about 4,800 federation member high schools to see if they had violated Charter 13 of the Japan Student Baseball Association and required the schools to submit detailed reports on Wednesday.

The federation reported Wednesday evening that it had received the reports from 343 member schools, concerning 7,457 students.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/sports/20070503TDY01005.htm

Stereo-typed culture: What do you come up with about this country?

Speaking of the United Kingdom,... what do you say? Sharlock Holmes? No, you don't knwo much about the country.

You gotta come up with Mr. Bean. He is the representative of the UK. Who decided? I did.

If you said to me, "Speaking of the United States," I wouldn't continue the sentence. But, I can say that speaking of the United Kingdom, I will always come up with Mr. Bean (not Sharlock Holmes. Sorry, Sharlockians!). Speaking of Spain, the Tomato Festival is my first intuition. Maybe, I haven't been to these two countries, my image against them is somewhat stereotyped.

The Tomato Festival in Spain. Do you want to try it? As for me, nope! Other than that, though, what can you come up with regarding Spain? Bullfight? Maybe you're much smarter than me, buddy.

Go for broke!

The verb to "break" conjugates break-broke-broken, which is the way most people have learned in Japan. But, as you may know, if you are completely without money, you could say:

I'm broke.

Although I'm really interested in Iceland, I shouldn't go there now, 'cuz I don't wanna be broke.

And also I don't know why, but when you encourage somebody to take big risks to achieve something, this phrase may be used:

Go for broke!

I can't grammatically explain why "broke" is used right after "for." But, this phrase is often heard. You may want to go for broke to use this phrase.

You gotta go for broke and get that chick!

Note: "Chick" means a young female. This is slang. Some girls will be offended if you call them chicks.

Golden Week? Why do you call just two days that way?

In the states, the first vowel of the word "vacation" should be pronounced as /ei/. Most Japanese people don't pronounce that way, though. I don't know why. By the way, National Lampoon's Vacation is a popular movie. Anyway, Golden Week might be too short even for a vacation.

One of my colleagues, who is from New Zealand, told me that we shouldn't call these coming two holidays "Golden Week" because they are much shorter than even one week. That makes sense.

Europeans work for vacations. They have different philosophy of life than the Japanese.

This is the vacation, man! But, how many Japanese people can have their Golden Week like this? Maybe, none.

What is Golden Week, by the way? Here is Wikipedia's explanation:

Golden Week (ゴールデンウィーク, Gōruden Wīku?), also known as Ōgata renkyū (大型連休, Ōgata renkyū?) or Ōgon shūkan (黄金週間, Ōgon shūkan?), is a Japanese term applied to the period containing the following public holidays

April 29
Greenery Day, or Nature Day (みどりの日, Midori no hi?), until 2006
Shōwa Day (昭和の日, Shōwa no hi?), from 2007

May 3
Constitution Memorial Day (憲法記念日, Kenpō kinenbi?)

May 4
People's Day, or Citizen's Day (国民の休日, Kokumin no kyūjitsu?), until 2006
Greenery Day, or Nature Day (みどりの日, Midori no hi?) (from 2007)

May 5
Children's Day (こどもの日, Kodomo no hi?), also known as Boys' Day
(端午の節句, Tango no sekku?)

Note that May Day (on May 1) is not a public holiday, but is nevertheless often granted as a holiday by many companies. When a public holiday lands on a Sunday, the next day that is not already a holiday becomes a holiday for that year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Week_(Japan)