Homestay in the Gold Coast, Australia

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Put Yourself in this Picture!

A great way to give your English ability a boost is to do a homestay in another country. My good friend Takumi “Tak” Nakamura organizes homestays in the Gold Coast, Australia, one of the most beautiful places in the world.

A Summertime Christmas Party in the Gold Coast
(That’s Tak wearing the green hat)

Tak’s company, Shaatak Australia, charges about Au $780 a week for a homestay. This includes airport pick up and return by Tak (who is, of course, a Japanese speaker), accommodation with an Australian family, 2 meals a day, and a one-day city tour. Prices vary a little depending on the season and your exact plans.

One of the main advantages of using Tak over most of the bigger companies that organize homestays is that if you have any problems, Tak can quickly solve them for you. For more information, contact Tak directly at goldcoast3388@hotmail.com. You can write to Tak in English or Japanese.

Check out more homestay photos at Shaatack Homestay Australia

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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）

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よ ろしくお願いします！

Zoo

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Yesterday, my family & I (also known as “Be & Me & He”) went to Tennoji Zoo, in Osaka. The weather was great – really sunny & warm. However, most of the animals were sleeping so it wasn’t really that exciting. Luckily, my son bumped into [met by chance] a friend, so he wasn’t too bored.

I took a lot of photos. My favorite is the one above of the guy wearing a leopard-skin cap looking at a (sleeping!) leopard. What is he thinking? “That’s beautiful!” or “I could make a coat out of that!”

Here’s a quick English test for you! Do you know the English names of the following animals?

Click Here for the English Name!

Click Here for the English Name!

Click Here for the English Name!

Be Careful of Your Pronunciation!

Click Here for the English Name!

You can check out all our zoo photos at Be & Me (& He) at Tennoji Zoo

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Fun Run

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Read a related entry in Japanese at 走りました！

An oxymoron (sometimes called a “contradiction in terms”) is usually two words with almost opposite meanings used together. “Amazingly dull” is a good example.

I think another good example of an oxymoron is “fun run.” A fun run is a long-distance race run by mostly amateur runners. Personally, I can’t understand how the words “fun” and “run” can be used together!

In Japan, fun runs are often called “marathons.” The marathon is a fixed distance of 42.195 kilometers – much longer than most fun runs!

A couple of years ago, Mayumi made “running in fun runs” one of her New Year's resolutions. Yesterday, she kept her resolution by taking part in a 10-kilometer race at the Ashiya Fun Run.

Mayumi warming up before the race

Where’s Mayumi? (She is there! Can you find her?)

One of our students is also a fun-runner. Hisae ran in the half marathon...

21 kilometers! Good on you, Hisae!

You can see more photos from the Ashiya Fun Run at Ashiya Fun Run Photos

You can also watch a short video of Mayumi at the 9-kilometer mark at Mayumi’s Ashiya Fun Run Video

Hanami = Cherry-Blossom Viewing

Cherry Blossoms in Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park, Osaka

The Be & Me Hanami Gang "Under" the Cherry Blossoms

President Obama [?] Sings with the Tsurumi Ryokuchi Choir for the Seasonally Challenged

Sunset Over the Cherry Blossoms in the Japanese Garden

Last Sunday, we held our yearly cherry blossom-viewing picnic in Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park. The weather was beautiful and the cherry blossoms were perfect! Thanks to all who joined us and made it such a great day!

The cherry blossoms are still looking great in Osaka. However, the weather forecast for Sunday is rain. If you haven't held a cherry blossom-viewing picnic yet, tomorrow is the best day to do so. Have fun!!!

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）

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よ ろしくお願いします！

Easter

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Next Sunday, April 4th, is Easter – the most important Christian holiday.

Easter is closely linked to the Jewish holiday of Passover (people often forget that Jesus was Jewish). The date of Passover is based on a lunar calendar so it changes every year. This year, Passover falls on April 3rd – next Saturday! Christians believe that Jesus Christ was executed [killed by the government] on Good Friday, the day before Passover. Two days later, he came back to life, proving to everyone that he was the Son of God.

Traditionally, children celebrated Easter by decorating hard-boiled eggs and then giving them to friends & family. Recently, children are given gifts of decorated chocolate eggs, rabbits, and chicks. They are told that the chocolates were delivered to their homes by the Easter Bunny early in the morning while they were still sleeping. Some people hold picnics that feature Easter-egg hunts. The picnic organizers hide decorated eggs around the picnic site. Children search for the eggs, trying to find as many as they can. One of the most famous Easter-egg hunts in the world is held at the American White House each year.

Click here for a video of 2009’s Easter at the White House

The eggs, rabbits & chicks are all symbols of new life used in ancient European spring festivals celebrated thousands of years before the birth of Jesus Christ. Even the name “Easter” comes from these ancient festivals. Eastre was the ancient German goddess of spring. When the Christians came to power in Europe, they took over the old spring festival. They said that the traditional symbols of new life (eggs, rabbits & chicks) now represent Jesus coming back to life.

Even if you’re not Christian, you can still celebrate Easter. It’s easy – just eat some chocolate! In Osaka, you can buy Easter chocolates from Sony Plaza.

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The Last Word on Saint Patrick's Day... Leprechauns

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In Ireland, there are many legends about leprechauns, a kind of fairy. In most of these stories, leprechauns are described as old men with red beards who wear green clothes and big hats. They are usually about a meter high, although, in some stories they are said to be about the size of your thumb.

Leprechauns usually live alone. They spend their days in forests and fields looking for forgotten treasures hidden by pirates and Vikings long ago. When they find these treasures, they put them in big pots which they hide near the end of the rainbow.

People rarely see leprechauns because they move so fast. If you do see a leprechaun, he must stop and talk to you. However, if you look away – even for just a moment – he will vanish.

Leprechauns can’t lie, and, if asked, they must show you where their pot of gold is and let you take some of the treasure if you wish to, as long as you promise to let them go. No one has ever managed to get any leprechaun gold because, even though they are very honest, leprechauns like to trick people and play jokes on them. Leprechauns are very clever so they always manage to outsmart the people who catch them.

One famous story tells of a man who promised to let a leprechaun go if he showed him where his gold was hidden. The leprechaun took him to a tree deep in the forest and told him the gold was buried under it. The man had no shovel to dig the gold out with so he tied a ribbon around the tree and made the leprechaun promise not to move the ribbon or the gold. The leprechaun agreed so the man let him go before rushing home to get a shovel. A short time later, he returned to the forest only to find that the leprechaun had tied ribbons to hundreds of other trees. The leprechaun kept his promise – and his gold!

Next time you’re in Ireland, don’t forget to visit The Leprechaun Museum!

In the meantime, look for real leprechauns at Leprechaun Watch

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Photos from Saint Patrick's Day Drinks at Murphy's Irish Pub in Shinsaibashi

Drinking green beer with some students & friends at Murphy's Irish Pub in Shinsaibasi (I only had a small green beer because I was leaving room for Guinness - the real Irish beer!)

Some customers celebrating Saint Patrick's Day in style

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

To find out more about today’s holiday, click on the following links…

What is Saint Patrick's Day?

Who is Saint Patrick?

To look at photos from last Sunday’s Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in Kyoto, click on…

2010 St. Patrick's Day Parade in Kyoto, Japan

To read about the parade in Japanese, go to Mayumi’s Blog at…

St. Patrick's Day Parade on Mayumi's Blog

If you’re looking for a good Irish Pub in Osaka where you can celebrate, click on…

Murphy's Irish Pub (in Shinsaibashi)

The Blarney Stone (in Umeda)

Hope to see you at Murphy’s tonight! To be sure, to be sure!

Photos from the Saint Patrick's Day Parade

Yesterday's Saint Patrick's Day parade was great fun! You can see some photos at 2010 St. Patrick's Day Parade in Kyoto, Japan

Saint Patrick's Day Parade in Kyoto Tomorrow

Tomorrow (March 14th), there is going to be a Saint Patrick’s Day parade in Kyoto from 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm. The parade will finish near an Irish Pub so you can continue celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day in the most popular way – drinking!

To find out more, go to the following sites…

Saint Patrick'S Day Parade in Kyoto - http://www.inj-kansai.com/

The Hill of Tara (Irish Pub in Kyoto)

What is Saint Patrick's Day?

Who is Saint Patrick?

Hope to see you there! Too be sure, to be sure!

What is Saint Patrick's Day?

Sounds like "I wish I were drunk"

Next Wednesday (March 17th), is Saint Patrick’s Day, a popular holiday all over the world. Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. He converted [changed] the Irish to Christianity about 1,550 years ago (read his full story here; Who is Saint Patrick?).

From about 1845 to 1849, there was a great famine [a time when there was no food] in Ireland. About 3,000,000 people died. Also, many people left Ireland looking for a better life in other countries like England, America, & Australia (about 40 million people in America are descendents of Irish immigrants). That’s one of the reasons Saint Patrick’s Day is so popular all over the world.

Saint Patrick’s Day is often celebrated with parades. Green is the national colour of Ireland so the streets are decorated with green banners. The people marching in the parade and the spectators [the people watching] also wear green. Bands play Irish music and people sing Irish songs or do Irish dances. Some people dress as Saint Patrick or as leprechauns.

The main way to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day is to drink beer – that’s one of the other reasons that Saint Patrick’s Day is so popular!

Drinking green beer & Guinness at Murphy's Irish Pub, in Shinsaibashi, last Saint Patrick’s Day. Green is the colour of Ireland. If you visit an Irish pub on Saint Patrick’s Day, you should try a green beer and a Guinness. Green beer is just draft beer with food colouring in it. If you have to choose between the green beer & the Guinness, you should choose the Guinness!

There are two really good Irish bars in Osaka. In Umeda, you should go to The Blarney Stone (click on the name for information and a map). In Shinsaibashi, you should check out Murphy's Irish Pub (once again, click on the name for information and a map)

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! To be sure, to be sure!

Who is Saint Patrick?

"Did you see all these snakes!"

Saint Patrick’s real name was Maewyn (it is common for people to change their names when the become priests or nuns). He was born in Scotland about 1,550 years ago. When he was 16, he was kidnapped by Irish pirates. They took him to Ireland and made him work as a slave.

Maewyn worked as a slave in Ireland for 6 years before escaping. He made his way to France, where he became a Christian priest. In 431, he became a bishop. The Pope gave him a new name – Patrick – and sent him to Ireland to convert [change] the Irish to Christianity.

In Ireland, Patrick walked from town to town. A man walked in front of him beating on a drum to attracted everybody’s attention. Patrick told the gathering crowds about Jesus Christ and the Christian church. Many of the people became Christians.

Before Patrick came to Ireland, most of the Irish people were pagans [people who believe in many gods]. The pagan priests were called druids. They did not like the idea of Christianity because it said there was only one God – not theirs! The druids and their followers threw stones at Patrick but he didn’t stop telling people about Christianity.

Patrick worked in Ireland for 40 years, turning Ireland into a Christian country. He died on March 17th, 493. Many years later the church declared that he was a saint. March 17th is now celebrated as Saint Patrick's Day.

There are many stories about the miracles that Saint Patrick did while he was traveling through Ireland. The most famous story is that he drove all the snakes out of Ireland by beating on his drum. There are no snakes in Ireland today. (This story may have another meaning. Apparently, the druids used to tattoo their bodies with snakes and use snake images in their rituals. When Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland with his beating drum, he drove the druids – the snake worshipers – away.)

Batman Forever!

私のヒーローは・・・？
Batman & Astro Boy

Last week wasn't the first time that the Dark Knight was spotted in Shinsaibashi. 14 years ago, Batman and his good friend Astro Boy (A.K.A. [Also Known As] Atom or Atomu) spent a Halloween out and about in Osaka...

Astro Boy walks the back streets of Shinsabashi in the rain

Batman has a quick bite to eat at the Shinsaibashi McDonalds

Astro Boy enters the Shinsaibashi Subway Station

Batman greets fellow travellers on the Midosuji Line

Mayumi recently wrote about that night in Osaka and our favorite heroes on her new Blog. Go to 私のヒーローは・・・？ to read more!

Batman Returns ... to Shinsaibashi!

I was walking down Shinsaibashi Street, in Osaka, earlier this week when I noticed...

the Dark Knight standing outside a glasses shop

Holy Muscled Mannequins, Batman!

Of course, it's just a dummy...

I'm the real Batman!

Check out these Bat-videos on YouTube...

The Original TV Theme (Animated)

The Original TV Theme (Lemon Remix)

The Batman Movie Theme (by Danny Elfman)

The Batman Movie Theme (Musical Version)

The Batman Movie Theme (Metal Version)

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！

Video from Saint Valentine's Day Concert

Last Sunday, Goodman Bad performed a Saint Valentine's Concert at a cafe in Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park, Osaka.

Click Here for a Short Video of the Concert

Happy Saint Valentine's Day!

A Valentine's Day Card from last Sunday's Be & Me Kids' Craft Day

Happy Saint Valentine’s Day! Did you get/give a lot of chocolates this week? Here are some links to help you learn more about the customs and origins of Saint Valentine’s Day…

The Customs of Valentine's Day

バレンタインズデー

The Origin of Saint Valentine's Day (Beginner Level)

バレンタインって誰？（初級用翻訳）

The Origin of Saint Valentine's Day (Intermediate Level)

バレンタインズデーの始まりは？（中級用翻訳）

Tonight, there’s going to be a Saint Valentine’s Day concert in Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park, Osaka. Click on the following links to find out more…

Saint Valentine's Concert in Osaka (English)

Saint Valentine's Concert in Osaka (Japanese)

Valentine’s Day Concert in Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park, Osaka

Our friend Simon Yates is hosting a special Saint Valentine's Day concert at Restaurant of Green & Water (Midori to Mizu no Resutoran), a café in Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park, in Osaka.

There will be sets…

First, Simon Yates will sing and play acoustic guitar

Next, Deron Reynolds (A.K.A. The Geminiac) will sing and play keyboards

Finally, Goodman Bad, a 4-piece band (Simon & Deron joined by Glen Gregus on bass guitar and Ken Moore on drums) will finish the night with some up tempo (& up volume!) rock

Kuri-san, a very cool sax player, will be helping out the others here and there throughout the night.

Here are the details…

When: Sunday, February 14th, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Where: Restaurant of Green & Water (Midori to Mizu no Resutoran)
(Call 06 – 6912 – 0055 or click on the above link to find out how to get there)

Price: Adults - ¥ 2,000 (includes 1 drink)
7 – 12- year-olds - ¥ 500 (does not include a drink)
Under 6 – Free (does not include a drink)

The restaurant has a basic range of food and drink for ¥ 500, cash on delivery.

As it is Valentine’s Day, Simon has arranged a Chocolate Fountain as a special item on the menu, also for ¥ 500. This one should be popular with the ladies and children.

We hope to see you there!

(By the way, the heart frames on the photos was my idea. Sorry!)

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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！

Australia Day

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On April 20th, 1770, Captain James Cook and the crew of his ship, HMS Endeavour, became the first Europeans to see the east coast of what we now call Australia. He named the land New South Wales, after his homeland of South Wales, and claimed it for Britain.

Captain James Cook

Back in England, the jails were overflowing with prisoners. Despite the fact that Captain Cook had made contact with the Aborigines, the British declared that New South Wales was uninhabited [no one lived there] and sent 11 ships full of prisoners there to start a colony. These ships are now known as the First Fleet. The First Fleet arrived in Sydney on January 26th, 1788 – 222 years ago today!

A ship like one of the First Fleet in modern-day Sydney Harbour

January 26th is now celebrated as Australia Day, a national public holiday that is marked by special events around the country. Many towns & cities hold special ceremonies & fireworks displays. The Prime Minister of Australia gives a special address to the nation [a speech that is broadcast on TV & radio stations], and special awards are presented to Australians who have done good things. Also on this day, there is usually a special cricket match, as well as some big outdoor music festivals.

The Australian Flag – The Union Jack [British Flag] represents Australia's connection to Britain; the 7-pointed star, the 7 states of Australia; and the other stars, the Southern Cross [a group of stars you can usually see from the southern half of the Earth]

Not everyone thinks that Australia Day should be a celebration! Aborigines hold “Invasion Day” and “Survival Day” events, protesting the fact that their country was invaded [taken over by force] by the British and celebrating that their people & culture somehow survived.

Some anti-Australia Day graffiti on a wall in the Rocks, the oldest part of Sydney

The Australian Aboriginal Flag – The black represents the people; the red, their land & blood; and the yellow, their sun

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New Year's Resolutions (Part 1)

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Team Tiger

Most people start the year by making some really strong promises. We call them New Year’s resolutions. A resolution is a really strong promise you make to yourself to do something difficult that is good for you. Some common examples of New Year’s Resolutions are “I will lose weight” or “I will study English more.” Good resolutions include some kind of number and time frame so that the achievement of the resolution can be measured. Instead of “I will lose weight,” you should say, “I will lose one kilogram a month” or “I will go to the gym 3 times a week.”

A couple of years back, my wife's resolution was to take up running. Unlike me, she kept her resolution. Last spring, she took part in a 10-kilometre fun run in Ashia. Last Sunday, she renewed her resolution by taking part in a fun run at Tsurumi Ryokuchi park. (The 5 tigers in the photo above were taking part in the same fun run.) Good on her!

The Eastern Beauties

In my next entry, I hope to share one of my New Year's resolutions with you.

How about you? Did you make a resolution for 2010? Are you keeping it?

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Happy New Year!

Here's wishing all our students & friends a happy & healthy 2010!

Go get 'em, Tiger!

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！

Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus!

Recently, our 5-year-old son has been asking if Santa is real. For centuries, children all over the world have been asking that exact same question. The most famous time it happened was in New York, in 1897. A little 8-year-old girl called Virginia asked her father if Santa was real. Her father suggested she write a letter to the Sun, a respected newspaper in New York at that time...

The newspaper's reply has become one of the most famous pieces of writing in the world.

You can read the reply at Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

You can read a Japanese translation at Illustrator Tomomi Nakamura's HomePage
(The above illustration was stolen from Tomomi Nakamura's HomePage)

Also, don't forget the milk & cookies tonight!

Have a merry Xmas!

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！