Draws to a close our holiday?

I started to like English partly because I liked the Flipper's Guitar, who sang some of their songs in English. However, I still don't understand some of their lylics. Is "Draw to a close our holiday" grammatically correct? I know it should mean "The vacation is almost over." Anyway, August is almost over. Probably, most of school kids are feeling kind of sad.

Friend Again

We first met by the sea
On the day I came here
You shyly showed to me
A picture on the pier

There you had painted summer
Just as I saw it
Since then we've been good friend
But last night I offended
Oh, silly me

So let's make friends again today
Draw to a close a holiday
Holdin' bouquet someday we'll part anyway
You in a grey beret
I will portray
Though we'll realize by hogmanay
Every word is just a cliche

Did you ever go abroad?

Yesterday, I talked with my students about going abroad. Actually, they have visited much more foreign countries than I have.

I've been to the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands. But, one of the students told me that she's been to more than 25 countries. And I asked her which country is her favorite. Her answer was Tunisia. I couldn't think of anything about Tunisia at that time.

I want to visit more countries. But, I need to make some money in order to do it.

Across the Universe

I went to see "Across the Universe" at Shibuya. The movie was really good. Although the Beatles is not my favorite, I enjoy their songs in there as well as the story line and picture.

Evan Rachel Wood was really good in this movie. She acted as a girl who had lost her first boyfriend in the war and who were involved in the anti-war movement. I believe that there were a lot of girls like her in the 60s.

People are on vacation, but...

I want to take my vacation. I want to go anywhere but here for a while. I want to chill out. I want to spend time on the beach, saying that life is a series of wasting time.

But, I can't.

Seems like they fixed it.

Yeah! By the way, I would like to see this movie. I don't think I can't go anywhere during the obon holidays. So, maybe I will go watch this during the holidays.

Something is wrong.

I can't go to this blog site. I don't know why.

What does it mean?

I found this notice along the lane where few people pass by. I felt that everything we do is being recorded anywhere, anytime. That is scary.

A tiny but important thing

I like Longman Advanced American Dictionary. I bought the new edition a couple of months ago, but I find the old edition better. This new edition does not contain many taboo versions you can find in the old edition.

I don't recommend even highly advanced English language learners use taboo words intentionally. But, those words should be in the dictionary as long as native speakers use them at times.

Should I get something into my head?

Sometimes I feel like reading a very difficult book written by a philosopher. Or I remind some phrases that are really cynical.

"It's kinda funny, all we know is that we never know who we're talking to."

There is a misunderstanding anywhere, anytime. To realize the fact is not fun, though...

Workstation

In the United States, your workstation is usually a cubicle.

In Japan, your desk is connected to your colleagues' desks. It may be good for all the employees to be cooperative. You cannot concentrate on your own desk work, though.

Go back to the basics!

Recently I have been away from here for a while. But, I will try to write more often from now on.

go to the hospital vs go to hospital

In American English, people put "the" before "hospital" as in "go to the hospital" and "in the hospital." In British English, "go to hospital" and "in hospital."

My coworker, a British English teacher, told me that there aren't many hospitals in the UK and that is why they don't put "the."

Japanese people like causative verbs.

Japanese English teachers like to teach causative constructions. They seem to believe that these constructions are typical English sentences.

I had the barber trim my hair.

He made a stranger on the street give him five dollars.

(These examples are taken from The Grammar Book by Celce-Murcia &
Larsen-Freeman, 1999)

On the other day, I edited a material of sentence combining exercises. In this material, original answers were written by a Japanese English teacher and a native English teacher made a comment on them. One correction impressed me:

Original: All of our buses make passengers comfortable.

Corrected: All of our buses are very comfortable.

However, the question was given to teach learners causative constructions. After I discussed with this native speaker, I had to change the question itself and the answer became like this:

Traveling on our buses makes passengers comfortable.

Fukutoshin Line

Yesterday, Fukutoshin Line, a new subway line in Tokyo, opened.

No rest for the weary.

I'm teaching 8 classes now. But, I don't have enough money to live by. Therefore, I'm thinking of having my third job, which makes me busier.

Watched The Wicker Man

I watched The Wicker Man (2006) yesterday. This movie is a remake of the British movie of the same title produced in 70s and stars Nicolas Cage.

I felt that the original one was better as people usually feel about any remakes. However, it still describes what a very confined community can be. It makes me think a lot.

Leelee Sobiesky, one of my favorite actors, is in this movie. That is good too.

Responsibilities, that which always annoys us...

I am working for an institution that provides English language trainings for many cooperations.

I think these institutions responsiblities for:

1) companies paying for training

2) students taking lessons

3) instructors teaching lessons

4) the quality of English provided

5) its employees as a corporation.

1)-5) should be balanced, but sometimes in most institutions 1) should be emphasized too much, which makes things difficult.

Secret

Everybody has a secret. And I believe that any secret will be revealed in the end.

If you notice somebody's secret against your will, you'll have to keep your mouth shut. It should be another secret.

How disparate Japan is!

Today I went to Shiroganedai, which is a upscale residential area in Japan. And we found a BOOKOFF. The BOOKOFF is totally different than other BOOKOFF stores. It has a coffee shop like STARBUCKS. Although the BOOKOFF really suited Shiroganedai, knowing the existing of this store gave me a bad feeling. I thought that BOOKOFF is for people who aren't rich. As a matter of fact, though, they are giving a better service to the riches.

I've just come back from Kyoto!

I've just come back from Kyoto, where there was a wedding of my old friend. While walking around Kyoto, I felt that it is not as packed as Tokyo and it is very clean.

Although I like Tokyo because I was born there, I wish it could be clearner and less crowded.