Monday, December 24, 2012

Christmas Lights in Osaka

 
Last Sunday, we went to see the Christmas illuminations at Nakanoshima.  It wasn't as good as last year, however, it's still worth a look!  The full illuminations will be lit up tonight and tomorrow night (Christmas day).  There will still be some lights on display from Boxing Day (Dec. 26th) to the end of the year.  Above is an interesting video I took last Sunday.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Ho! Ho! Ho!

 
Christmas is coming! (That's me doing "The Full Santa" at a recent kids' Xmas party. The hardest thing about wearing a Sant costume is keeping the beard out of your mouth!)

Saturday, December 01, 2012

スクールカレンダー & イベント

みなさん、こんにちは!オンライン”スクールカレンダー&お知らせ”の ページをアップデイトしました!当月のサービスレッスン日やキッズクラスの日程、祝 日やイベント案内が日本語で確認できます。

当校の ホームページ(http://www.be-and-me.com/) の “スクールカレンダー”または "生徒のみなさんへ" をクリックして下さい!または直接下記のアドレスへリンクして下さい!(携帯電話からも可能です)

ス クールカレンダー :
http://beandme.blog6.fc2.com/blog-category-3.html

生 徒のみなさんへ :
http://beandme.blog6.fc2.com/blog-category-5.html

よ ろしくお願いします!

Monday, November 26, 2012

Good Job, Mayumi!

Thanks for all of happy thoughts & do-your-best wishes! Mayumi really appreciated them!! Unfortunately, they stopped her running at the 38-km mark. She was 300 meters from the barrier! She's really regretting the 15 minutes she spent waiting in line for a toilet at the 10-km mark. Luckily, our son & I spotted her at the 33-km mark. As you can see from the photo, she was still "genki" enough to smile at the good-looking guys.  The longest run she'd ever done before was 10 kms so we are very proud of her!

Here's a short video...

Sunday, November 25, 2012

The Osaka Marathon

Here's a photo I took of Mayumi just before she left home this morning (the background is from a photo she took at her check-in yesterday).  She was a little nervous!

Run, Mayumi! Run!

Mayumi (the "Me" in Be & Me) is running in the Osaka Marathon today.  Good luck, Mayumi!  Do your best!!

Good luck to all our other friends & students taking part in marathons today!

The picture above is
Mayumi Running in the Katano Fun Run earlier this year.  It was taken by my friend, David Graves.

Thursday, November 01, 2012

スクールカレンダー & イベント

みなさん、こんにちは!オンライン”スクールカレンダー&お知らせ”の ページをアップデイトしました!当月のサービスレッスン日やキッズクラスの日程、祝 日やイベント案内が日本語で確認できます。

当校の ホームページ(http://www.be-and-me.com/) の “スクールカレンダー”または "生徒のみなさんへ" をクリックして下さい!または直接下記のアドレスへリンクして下さい!(携帯電話からも可能です)

ス クールカレンダー :
http://beandme.blog6.fc2.com/blog-category-3.html

生 徒のみなさんへ :
http://beandme.blog6.fc2.com/blog-category-5.html

よ ろしくお願いします!

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Happy Halloween!



Do you believe in ghosts? The Ancient Celts believed that ghosts came back to this world on Halloween. They wore scary costumes to hide from the ghosts.

Recently, this car ad was pulled off the air in Europe. Viewers said they could see a ghostly face reflected in the car’s window.

Look carefully! Can you see it?

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Halloween Party in Ola Tacos Bar, in Shinsaibashi, Osaka, this Saturday, October 27th

Every year, we celebrate Halloween at Ola Tacos Bar (a really cool Mexican bar in Shinsaibashi, Osaka).  Ola Tacos Bar is holding its 2012 Halloween Party this Saturday, October 27th.  Hope to see you there!  And don't forget; It's more fun if you wear a costume!
 
Click here for more information

Click here for a map to Ola

You can check out photos from Ola's previous Halloween parties by clicking on the following links...


Friday, October 19, 2012

It's Nearly Halloween!

Recently, my family & I went sightseeing in Kyoto.  I spotted something orange on the bank of a river...
 
Once we got closer, I realized it was a Jack-o-lantern...
  It's nearly Halloween ( ハロウィン )!
Here are some ways you can enjoy Halloween this year...

Be & Me Halloween Picnic for Kids on Sunday, October 28th

Every year, Be & Me 英会話 Club holds a Halloween picnic for our young students and their families & friends.  This year, we'll be holding the picnic from 1:00 pm t0 4:00 pm on Sunday, October 28th.  If you'd like to join this picnic, please call us on 06 - 6915 -2613.


Halloween Party at Ola Tacos Bar in Shinsaibashi on Saturday, October 27th

Every year, we celebrate Halloween at Ola Tacos Bar (a really cool Mexican bar in Shinsaibashi, Osaka).  This year, Ola Tacos Bar is holding its Halloween Party on Saturday, October 27th.  Hope to see you there!  And don't forget; It's more fun if you wear a costume!
 
Click here for more information

Click here for a map to Ola

You can check out photos from Ola's previous Halloween parties by clicking on the following links...

Bilingual Halloween Comedy Show on Sunday, October 21st

This Sunday, October 21st, The Pirates of the Dotombori (a very, very funny group of Japanese & foreign comedians) are performing a Halloween show at Balabushka, a bar in the American Village near Shinsaibashi, in Osaka.  The show costs ¥1, 000, which includes one drink.  I am definitely going.  If you want to join me, meet at the school at 6:30 pm (don't be late!) or come straight to the bar any time after that.  The show starts at 7:30 pm.

Here's some information in Japanese...

リビングルームでホワイト婦人が蝋燭を手に…。
ちょっと、ちがう?

それじゃ、ある異国人が畳の敷かれた部屋でお箸を手に…
そう、そう、こんな感じ!

毎年恒例のハロウィーン即興生コント!
今年は、10月21日(日曜日)、心斎橋にある「Balabushka」で開催です。
今回のテーマは、イケてる殺人ミステリー。
見に来て頂いた皆さんに、犯人を見つけて頂きます!

毎度おなじみの、予測不可能即興キャラクター、ワクワクなゲーム、何気にミュージカル入れちゃってる感じ… に加えて推理小説混ぜちゃいます!

みんな大好き!「パイレーツ・オブ・道頓堀」
是非見に来てください!m(_ _)m

日時:10月21日(日曜日)
場所:「BALABUSHKA」(心斎橋のアメ村)
時間:午後7時30分からスタート
値段:1000円(1ドリンク付き!)

パイレーツより


More information here: 
The Pirates of the Dotombori's Halloween Show

And don't forget to check out the videos...





Monday, October 01, 2012

スクールカレンダー & イベント

みなさん、こんにちは!オンライン”スクールカレンダー&お知らせ”の ページをアップデイトしました!当月のサービスレッスン日やキッズクラスの日程、祝 日やイベント案内が日本語で確認できます。

当校の ホームページ(http://www.be-and-me.com/) の “スクールカレンダー”または "生徒のみなさんへ" をクリックして下さい!または直接下記のアドレスへリンクして下さい!(携帯電話からも可能です)

ス クールカレンダー :
http://beandme.blog6.fc2.com/blog-category-3.html

生 徒のみなさんへ :
http://beandme.blog6.fc2.com/blog-category-5.html

よ ろしくお願いします!

Friday, September 28, 2012

"Best" vs "Favorite" (Part 2)

Mie's Best Photo
I wrote about the different meanings of "best" & "favorite" in my last post ( "Best" vs "Favorite" ).  Recently, another one of our students (Hi, Mie!) showed me her best & favorite photos.  Her best photo is posted above.  It's a great photo.  I LOVE this photo!

Her favorite photo is a snapshot (a quick photo) of a beach at the Gold Coast, in Australia.
 Mie's Favorite Photo
Mie said, "It's my favorite photo because I love the Gold Coast.  I want to go there again.  I want to live in the Gold Coast.  Australian people are so kind."

Monday, September 24, 2012

"Best" vs "Favorite"

Wanda's Best Photo
Recently, I was talking to a student about photography (Hello, Wanda!).  We were talking about her "best photo" and her "favorite photo."
Best means "most skillful" -- the thing you do well.
Favorite means "most liked."
For example, I like food and cooking.  My best dish is short pasta in cream and bacon sauce.  I'm very, very good at making it!  My favorite dish is enchiladas.  I love enchiladas, but I can't make them!
 

Wanda's best photo is the one above of autumn leaves reflected on a car.  Her favorite photo is the one below of her husband taking a photo of her taking a photo of him...
 Wanda's Favorite Photo
By the way, the best enchiladas in Osaka are at Ola Tacos Bar, in Shinsaibashi, Osaka.  It's my favorite bar!

Saturday, September 01, 2012

スクールカレンダー & イベント

みなさん、こんにちは!オンライン”スクールカレンダー&お知らせ”の ページをアップデイトしました!当月のサービスレッスン日やキッズクラスの日程、祝 日やイベント案内が日本語で確認できます。

当校の ホームページ(http://www.be-and-me.com/) の “スクールカレンダー”または "生徒のみなさんへ" をクリックして下さい!または直接下記のアドレスへリンクして下さい!(携帯電話からも可能です)

ス クールカレンダー :
http://beandme.blog6.fc2.com/blog-category-3.html

生 徒のみなさんへ :
http://beandme.blog6.fc2.com/blog-category-5.html

よ ろしくお願いします!

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Blue Moon

Usually, there is one full moon in every month.  However, occasionally there can be 2 full moons in a month.  This only happens very rarely.  In English, we call the second full moon of the month a Blue Moon*.  Because Blue Moons happen so rarely, we can use the expression "once in a Blue Moon" to mean "only rarely" or "not often."  For example...

I study Japanese once in a Blue Moon.  (It's sad but true!)

*****


John: How often do you go to the movies?

Yoko: Once in a Blue Moon.


 *****
This month, there was a full moon on the 2nd.  There will be another full moon tomorrow, August 31st.  Therefore, tomorrow will be a Blue Moon.  Try to do something you don't often do tomorrow.  Once you've done it, you can say, "I only do that once in a Blue Moon!"
*This is a modern definition of Blue Moon dating from 1946.  The traditional definition, which is thousands of years old, is the 3rd full moon of a season with 4 full moons.  Farmers would measure the seasons by counting the full moons.  Usually, it was time to change seasons after 3 full moons.  However, the extra full moon that sometimes happens would confuse them.  They called the 3rd full moon a Belewe Moon.  Belewe is Old English for "liar," that 3rd full moon was a "Liar Moon!"  Somehow, "belewe" was replaced with "blue" in modern English and the original meaning was forgotten.
By the way, Blue Moons are not really blue!  I changed the color of the moon in the above photo using an image-editing program. 

Monday, August 20, 2012

Back to School

Did you have a fun summer holiday?  Be &Me 英会話 Club's lessons start again today.  Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Be & Me 英会話 Club on Summer Holidays

We are on holidays!  Our classes will start again next Saturday, August 18th.  Enjoy your summer holidays!

Go here for more information about the above photo:

Friday, August 03, 2012

How Do You Say "Hanabi" (花火) in English?

 In Japanese, "hanabi" (花火) means fireworks.  The literal translation of “hanabi” is “flower fire,” which is a great name!  Unfortunately, it means nothing in English.
Tomorrow night, they are holding the Yodogawa Fireworks Festival in Osaka.  Enjoy the fireworks tomorrow night!

Wednesday, August 01, 2012

スクールカレンダー & イベント

みなさん、こんにちは!オンライン”スクールカレンダー&お知らせ”の ページをアップデイトしました!当月のサービスレッスン日やキッズクラスの日程、祝 日やイベント案内が日本語で確認できます。

当校の ホームページ(http://www.be-and-me.com/) の “スクールカレンダー”または "生徒のみなさんへ" をクリックして下さい!または直接下記のアドレスへリンクして下さい!(携帯電話からも可能です)

ス クールカレンダー :
http://beandme.blog6.fc2.com/blog-category-3.html

生 徒のみなさんへ :
http://beandme.blog6.fc2.com/blog-category-5.html

よ ろしくお願いします!

Monday, July 16, 2012

Enjoy Your Marine Day!

But stay out of the water!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Sunday, July 01, 2012

スクールカレンダー & イベント

みなさん、こんにちは!オンライン”スクールカレンダー&お知らせ”の ページをアップデイトしました!当月のサービスレッスン日やキッズクラスの日程、祝 日やイベント案内が日本語で確認できます。

当校の ホームページ(http://www.be-and-me.com/) の “スクールカレンダー”または "生徒のみなさんへ" をクリックして下さい!または直接下記のアドレスへリンクして下さい!(携帯電話からも可能です)

ス クールカレンダー :
http://beandme.blog6.fc2.com/blog-category-3.html

生 徒のみなさんへ :
http://beandme.blog6.fc2.com/blog-category-5.html

よ ろしくお願いします!

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

3D or Not 3D? (or Why I'm Not a Man in Black)

Last Sunday, my family & I went to see Men in Black 3 in 3D.  It was our first 3D movie.  We liked the movie.  It had an interesting story & lots of good actors & funny scenes.  Unfortunately, we didn't like the 3D effect so much.  It made the movie look fake.

The "D" in 3D stands for "dimension."  A photo or normal TV only has 2 dimensions -- it's wide and high.  A 3D movie looks wide, high & deep.  Sometimes, I see amusement parks advertising 4D movies.  What they really mean is 3D plus some kind of physical effect -- water, wind, heat, and so on.  In science, the 4th dimension is time.  Men in Black 3's story is all about time travel, so I guess it's a kind of "4D" movie!


By the way, I was once a Man in Black!  Watch the video below to see why I'm not one now!
Andy Warhol said that we'd all be famous for 15 minutes.  I'm doing my 15 minutes in 2-minute bursts!  Here I am doing my best Tommy Lee Jones impersonation on Japanese TV.

My friend Dave was originally asked to do this "Men in Black" parody for the Japanese comedy duo "Football Hour" by his friend James.  Dave couldn't do it because of work commitments so he offered it to me.  I agreed to do it on the condition that I didn't have to speak.  They assured me it was a non-speaking part.  They lied.


On the day of the shoot, after much cajoling, I agreed to do one line.  I was also told we'd be called "Agent J" & "Agent K" on camera.  However, that information wasn't passed on to the comedians.  First, they started calling us by our real names.  Next, they seemed to expect that I had memorized more lines.  I was really thrown!  Thankfully, they were very kind to me when they edited the show together.  There's more to this video, but I think this is a good place to stop.


By the way, James speaks excellent Japanese.  He was asked to "dumb down" his Japanese for this TV spot.


Friday, June 01, 2012

スクールカレンダー & イベント

みなさん、こんにちは!オンライン”スクールカレンダー&お知らせ”の ページをアップデイトしました!当月のサービスレッスン日やキッズクラスの日程、祝 日やイベント案内が日本語で確認できます。

当校の ホームページ(http://www.be-and-me.com/) の “スクールカレンダー”または "生徒のみなさんへ" をクリックして下さい!または直接下記のアドレスへリンクして下さい!(携帯電話からも可能です)

ス クールカレンダー :
http://beandme.blog6.fc2.com/blog-category-3.html

生 徒のみなさんへ :
http://beandme.blog6.fc2.com/blog-category-5.html

よ ろしくお願いします!

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Vodka Spoiler: Big Indies Rock Concert in Shinsaibasi, Osaka, this Saturday, June 2nd

My friends Ken Moore & Shane Inwood (A.K.A. The Gods of Rawk!) recently formed a new rock band called Vodka Spoiler.  This Saturday, June 2nd, Vodka Spoiler is headlining a big indies rock concert in Shinsaibashi, Osaka.  Here are the details...

What: Vodka Spoils Osaka - an indies rock concert featuring 8 bands.

When: This Saturday, June 2nd, from 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm

Where: Pangea in Shinsaibashi, near Big Step (Click Here for Map)

How Much: ¥2,500

Vodka Spoiler hits the stage at around 10:00 pm.  Hope to see you there!

You can listen to Vodka Spoiler here:

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Eclipse

Did you watch the solar eclipse (nishoku - 日食) on Monday?  My family & I met another family in a park near our apartment, where we watched the eclipse through special glasses.  It was a great experience!
The eclipse photographed through the special glasses
Monday's eclipse is called a "golden-ring eclipse" (kinkan nishoku - 金環日食) in Japanese.  It's commonly known as a "ring-of-fire eclipse" in English.  
For more information about eclipses, go to Mr. Eclipse
In conversation English, “to eclipse” can also mean to make another thing or person less famous or successful by being more famous or successful. For example, in the 1980s, handsome young actor Eric Roberts seemed certain to become a big star.
Eric Roberts
However, he was soon eclipsed by his little sister…
Julia Roberts
If you want to check out Eric Roberts at his best, I recommend these movies:
Star 80 (1983)

The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984)

The Coca-Cola Kid (1985)

(Click on the titles for information about these movies in Japanese)


このブログ の日 本語訳はこちら をクリックしてください!

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

A Golden Week of Movies


It's Golden Week in Japan! Golden Week is a collection of unrelated holidays that all fall around the same time. Depending on the year, they can result in either a couple of long weekends or an entire week off. The name comes from a promotion carried out by the cinemas on one of the years that they had a whole week off. The promotion is long gone but the name lives on.

 
Mayumi & I love movies. We always try to watch a couple of movies together during Golden Week.  Yesterday, we watched The Boat that Rocked (パイレー ツ・ロック), the "true" story of pirate radio in the UK.  The DVD was lent to us by one of our students (Hi, Noriko!).  It's a fun movie filled with goofy characters played by great actors.  And the music is excellent!  If you're looking for a movie to watch this Golden Week, we strongly recommend this one!
Most of the things that happen in the movie are loosley based on the history of Radio Caroline

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

スクールカレンダー & イベント

みなさん、こんにちは!オンライン”スクールカレンダー&お知らせ”の ページをアップデイトしました!当月のサービスレッスン日やキッズクラスの日程、祝 日やイベント案内が日本語で確認できます。

当校の ホームページ(http://www.be-and-me.com/) の “スクールカレンダー”または "生徒のみなさんへ" をクリックして下さい!または直接下記のアドレスへリンクして下さい!(携帯電話からも可能です)

ス クールカレンダー :
http://beandme.blog6.fc2.com/blog-category-3.html

生 徒のみなさんへ :
http://beandme.blog6.fc2.com/blog-category-5.html

I love the above photo of carp-shaped streamers.  It was taken from Yun Free Stock Photos (©Tomo.Yun (www.yunphoto.net/en/).  You can check out more photos in English at www.yunphoto.net/en/ or in Japanese at www.yunphoto.net/.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Anzac Day

Today is Anzac Day, an important holiday in Australia & New Zealand.  Click here for more information in English & Japanese.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Anzac Biscuit Cooking Lesson

Next Wednesday, April 25th, is Anzac Day, an important holiday in Australia & New Zealand. One of the traditions of Anzac Day is eating Anzac biscuits (a kind of healthy cookie).

This Saturday, April 21st, Mayumi is hosting an Anzac Biscuit Cooking Lesson at the Tsurumi Kumin Center in Yokozutsumi, Osaka. The cooking lesson is a
Me & Mine mother-&-child English conversation class event, however, all are welcome! The cooking lesson will be held in Japanese. You don't have to speak English to take part in this event. English translation will be available for any non-Japanese speakers who wish to join. Click Here for More Information!

Me & Mine

Mayumi Teaching a "Me & Mine" Class
Be & Me Eikaiwa Club (Be & Me 英会話 Club) teaches English conversation to adults & kids in our funky home-style classroom in Shinsaibashi, Osaka. We also teach adults & kids at the Tsurumi Kumin Center in Yokozutsumi, Osaka, on Tuesdays.

Recently, Mayumi (the "Me" in Be & Me) has started teaching mother-and-child classes at the Kumin Center on Tuesday mornings. She calls these classes "Me & Mine". Click Here for More Information!


Anzac Day

Next Wednesday, April 25th, is Anzac Day. Anzac Day is an important holiday in both Australia and New Zealand. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps [a corps is a big group of people working together. It’s pronounced “Korr”), whose soldiers were known as the Anzacs. Anzac Day remembers all Australian and New Zealand soldiers who have died in war.

The Anzacs first fought together in World War One. April 25th, 1915, is the day the Anzacs first landed at Gallipoli, in Turkey. Their goal was to travel inland from Gallipoli and take Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, which was helping Germany in the war.

Unfortunately, the plan didn’t work. The Anzacs were stuck on the beach at Gallipoli for 8 months. Conditions were very bad. Many soldiers - both the Anzacs and the defending Turks - were wounded. Many others got sick. Finally, the Anzacs had to retreat. In that time, more than 8,000 Australian and 2,700 New Zealand soldiers were killed.

Australia and New Zealand were relatively “new” countries. Even though the Gallipoli attack had been a failure, the determination and sacrifice of the Anzacs had a big impact on the national identity of both countries.

Anzac Day starts with a dawn service (a Christian ceremony to remember the dead, held at dawn [just as the sun begins to rise]). Later in the morning, parades are held in almost every town and city across both countries. Veterans [returned soldiers] march through the streets followed by active soldiers, and other uniformed service groups. The parades usually finish at monuments remembering the war dead, where more ceremonies are held. As part of these ceremonies, wreaths [circles of flowers] are placed at the feet of the monuments and buglers play “The Last Post” [a very sad sounding piece of music].


Returned soldiers march in an Anzac Day Parade

A bugler plays “The Last Post”
People lay wreaths
In the afternoon (or the weekend before), various sporting events are held to commemorate the day. The most notable of these is the Anzac Test Match, a rugby league game played between the Australian and New Zealand national teams.

After all the ceremonies and games are finished, parties are held for the veterans. These parties often take place in pubs or Returned Servicemen’s Clubs (RSL’s). During the First World War, soldiers often relaxed by playing gambling games. The most popular game was “Two-Up,” a simple coin-tossing game. Although it’s now illegal, games of “Two-Up” are usually an important part of the veterans’ parties.

A “Two-Up” board
***
The 1981 Peter Weir movie Gallipoli is a moving retelling of the Anzac story. This movie is also famous for introducing a very young Mel Gibson to international audiences.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Simon Yates & Friends Live in Rokkomichi this Saturday, April 14th

I recently posted some pictures of our cherry blossom-viewing/Easter egg-hunting picnic. One of the pictures I didn't post was this one of our friend Simon Yates with some cosplayers.

This Saturday (April 14th), Simon will be playing live music with a couple of his friends at Andy's Imagine, a cool little bar in Rokkomichi, near Kobe.

Here are the details...

Who? Beermoth (that's the band's name): Simon Yates on guitar & vocals, Gareth Tame on bass, & Shin-chan on drums
Where? Andy's Imagine (090-1133-1501) in Rokkomichi, near Kobe - Click here for map
When? Saturday, April 14th, from 8:00 - 10:00 pm
How much? It's free! The band are playing for tips. Throw some money in the jar to thank them for sharing their time & talent!

Free Tequila! Yes! Kind of! It's free when you buy your first beer (as long as you buy your first beer before 8:30 pm!). It gets more expensive as it gets later in the night. So get there EARLY!

I will definitely be there! I hope to see you there, too!

A Video from Last Sunday's Picnic


(A better one coming soon!)

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Photos from Last Sunday's Spring Picnic

The park was full of cherry blossoms...

...and Cosplayers (I have never seen so many!)

It was Easter Sunday so we organized an egg hunt

The kids hunting for eggs

Our favorite cherry blossom-viewing spot

The sakura-lined pond in the Japanese garden at Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park in Osaka, Japan