Hi David,
You are busier than before?
I hope your work will be going well, but please don't forget to rest your body.

Hi Tomo,
Have you already gotten "きんつば" ?
When you ate it, let me know your feel.
I have watched in the news program on TV about lots of parents who don't pay for the school-lunch.
As Maki said, they can pay it, but they don't want to pay it, do they?

Hi Maki,
I have to work today, but I will have free day this Sunday, so I'm going to relax in my home.
"きんつば"ネタ、盛り上がりましたね～♪
もう一つの金沢の和菓子のおすすめは、「浦田」の"さい川"です。とっても美味しいので、機会があったらぜひ食べてみてください。
私は北海道のお菓子では、「六花亭」の"マルセイチーズ＆ビスケット"が好きです。最近は取り寄せてませんが、一時ハマっていました＾＾

Hi Yuuki,
Nice to meet you, and welcome to this blog!

Hi Michelle,
I'm Amica. I have joined this blog since last Spring.
よろしくお願いします＾＾

Good Night,

Amica

•  Amica
• 2008年2月23日 00:45

Hi David,
How's your day? Did you ride your lovely bike?
Hope you had a good time with it! ;-)

Hi Everyone,
How's your weekend? I stayed home all day long.
The weather here was very bad. I heard that some public transpotations went out of service.

Hi Yuuki,
You have to study for the examination, don't you? But after that, you will have a spring vacation, right? がんばってね～！

Hi Amica,
「さい川」、早速ホームページを探してみました。これも美味しそうですね～（＾＾）金沢のデパ地下（？）でお菓子を見た時に美味しそうなものがい～っぱいあったのを思い出しました。
六花亭の「マルセイチーズ＆ビスケット」、確かもう作っていないでは・・・店頭に売ってなくて、オンラインショップにもないの。。。
あれは、２度美味しかったよね～。
またまた、お菓子談義になってしまいました。;-)

Good night!

Maki

•  Maki
• 2008年2月23日 23:21

Hi Maki and Amica,
そうなんです。　給食費は払えるのに払わないんです。　どうやら‘払わなくても何とかなる’=‘払わなくてもいい’という方程式が出来上がってるらしい・・。
By the way, I ate ‘中田屋のきんつば’！　小倉のとうぐいすのと両方向購入したのですが、私は小倉の方が好きです＾＾　また新たなお菓子談義が始まってますが(笑)、私は次は｢ロイズチョコレート｣を食べてみたいです。　これも通販で買えるみたいなんだけど、種類がいっぱいありすぎて、どれにしようか悩み中です。(でも楽しい悩み♪)

Hi Yuuki,
Thanks for your reply. I understood what you wanted to say.(Thank you too, Yokohama.) 「みなさんとしゃべりたくてうずうずしていました。」　なるほど、これは英語にするのは難しいですね～。 I can't express it in English, either! If you can't express something you want to say in English, try to think about what you want to say in Japanese again. When you use English, it's difficult to express exactly what you want to say. It's difficult for me as well because my Japanese level is much higher than my English one.　例えば、「～したくてうずうずする」は小さい子にとっては難しい表現ですよね。　もし小学校低学年くらいの子に「うずうずするって何？」って聞かれたらどんな風に説明しますか？ 私だったら、「～したくてたまらない」って説明するかな・・。　でもこれももっと小さい子には難しいかもしれないですね。　そうしたらもう少し日本語のレベルを落として「すごく～したいってこと」って説明すると思います。　何が言いたいのかというと、自分の日本語のレベルに英語を合わせるのではなく、自分の英語のレベルに日本語を合わせる、ということです。(私もいつもそうしています)　自分の言いたいことが言えないときは、日本語のレベルを落としてみたり、少し角度を変えて考えてみて下さい。　実は、‘小さい子どもにも分かるような簡単な日本語にして、それを自分の知っている英語に変える’というのは、前にDavidが教えてくれた方法なのです。 そうすると英語で表現するのがとっても楽になるので、ぜひ試してみてください＾＾
私にとって‘spoil’という単語は｢駄目にする・甘やかす｣というイメージしかなかったので、Yuukiのおかげで新しい使い方を学びました。 Thank you!

Hi David,
I got a question about tenses from White green the other day, and I tried to answer it. I used some of your writings, and tried to explain about why you used that tense, but I was not 100% sure. Did you read it? Was my understanding right? White green also tried to explain about tenses, and she was not sure whether her understanding was right or not. Would you give us your answer?

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend,

Tomo

PS Yuuki, good luck with the exam!

•  Tomo
• 2008年2月24日 14:32

Hi Maki,
I can't get "マルセイチーズ＆ビスケット" now?
That sweets isn't being made now?
I love it, so I hope it is made again.

Hi Tomo,
I love Royce's chocolate.
My most favorite chocolate of Royce is "プチトリフ［プラリネ］. It is very delicious! I gave it to my students of boy on this Valentine's Day. If you are not sure which one you want, please try it!

Maki, Tomo,
Do you have any sweets to recommend?
If you have it, let me know about it♪

Hi Everyone,
The weather has been terrible since yesterday in my town. (The wind has been strong, and it has been snowing.) Today, I had a day off.
I don't want to go out because the weather is bad, so I'm reading a book or watching a DVD in my house. I was very busy yesterday, so I'm happy to have relaxation time.

Yesterday, I talked with an Englishman.
He can understand Japanese a little.
He has a frizzy hair, and I have it too, so I tried to talk about frizzy hair.
I wanted to say him "私はくせ毛なので、梅雨になるとまとまらなくて大変です", but I didn't know how to say it, so I said to him as follows.
"My hair is natural perm, so when rainy season comes, my hair becomes crazy."
He and my working companions had a loud laugh, but he said to me "Me too!".(He is a very gentleman!)
He understood what I wanted to say, but my English was really so terrible! As Tomo said, I should have said after I thought that "小さい子どもにも分かるような簡単な日本語にして、それを自分の知っている英語に変える". でも話してる最中にゆっくり考えるのはなかなか難しいですよね。あまりのお粗末さに自分が情けなかったです--;

By the way, I have a question.
What is the difference between "house" and "home"?
この違いがよくわからないんです。どう使い分ければいいのでしょう？

See you soon,

Amica

•  Amica
• 2008年2月24日 17:24

Hi Amica,

You did express "私はくせ毛なので、梅雨になるとまとまらなくて大変です" in English very well! I can't do that!　それでいいんですよ。　使ったのは全部自分の知ってる簡単な英語だけど、でもちゃんと言いたい事は伝わってるでしょ？　｢くせ毛｣を‘natural perm’、｢まとまらなくて大変｣を‘my hair becomes crazy’で説明するなんて、すばらしい発想の転換ですね！　私がもうひとつ教わったのは、｢自分の言いたい日本語にこだわらない｣ということです。　特に話しているときはゆっくり考える時間がないから、言いたい事にこだわっていると沈黙してしまいます。　それだと会話も弾まないですよね。　｢単語一つでも、ジェスチャーひとつでもいいから、キャッチボールのボールを落とさないようにちゃんと返そう｣ということを前に教えてもらいました。　Amicaは会話の反射神経がちゃんと身についていてすごいです。　Good job!
By the way, can I comment on just one thing you said? ‘delicious’はこれ一つで｢と～ってもおいしい｣という意味で、‘very’はつかないのです。veryの意味も含んでいる感じだそうです。
About your question, the difference between "house" and "home". house は｢家｣という‘建物’のことを指します。　home は建物のことじゃなくて、｢家庭・自宅・故郷｣のことです。

Hope that helps,

Tomo

PS Thanks for your information about Royce's chocolate. 決められなかったら、プチトリフ［プラリネ］を試してみるね～＾＾

•  Tomo
• 2008年2月24日 19:45

Hi Tomo,
I'm very spoiling for making a comment, but I have no idea which is easier for me, because there are a lot of interesting subjects in today's comment.

Anyway, I checked "spoil" with my dictionary, and found in there it(うずうずしている）.
Then I tried to use this phrase right now.
Is this right way or not?

Becides, you pointed important thing: at first make a simple Japanese sentence, next change to one's English words.
This is very usuful method for bigginer.
When I speak in English our circle I make a short sentence and use easy words.
They say, it is level as junior high school.

Hi Amica,
Your frizzy hair story was very interesting.
I giggled as reading your funny expression mixed Japanese.
Actually, I had an experience like as you with foreigner in Canada.

Three years ago, I stayed in Canadian home for trial course.
Host mother asked me. Is your hair natural or permanent?
I answered natural and added to all my words such as ;wavy hair, curl hair, unruly hair, from my birth.
Another time during staying in there, I had many troubles in English, but I managed on my problem.
Thing will work out.何とかなりました。

What is the difference between "house" and "home"?
I generally rearize, house is a kind of buildings and home is a living place of family, person made.
Build a house and make a home is shown the defference between both, I think.
However, in honest, I don't know its detail.

Good night,
Kiyoko

giggle house

•  Kiyoko
• 2008年2月24日 23:00

Ｃｏｒｒｅｃｔｉｏｎ
becides → besides、usuful → useful、
rearize　→ realize、
Ｋｉｙｏｋｏ

•  Kiyoko
• 2008年2月24日 23:34

Hi tao and Yuuki,
Nice to meet you! Looking forward to your next comments. Yuuki, good luck with your exam! Spring vacation is coming up soon.

Hi everyone,
Amica's question about the difference between house and home is interesting.
In my understanding, general idea is same as Tomo and kiyoko; House describes a building ,whereas home is the place where you live and feel that you belong to. But there are other meanings, though. So Amica's writing"in my HOUSE" is OK, I think.(or staying at home)
Can I share a few sentences which I looked up in the dictionary?
* We were at home in bed when our car was stolen from outside the house.
* I did my housework( i.e. cleaning the house) this morning and my homework ( work given to me by my school to do at home) this afternoon.

Good night,

Anne

•  Anne
• 2008年2月25日 00:20

Hi Everyone, and David!

This morning I got up really early in the morning. It is 4:15 am now!! Although it is still dark outside and very chilly, I feel so good to be up earlier in the day.

As for the difference between "house" and "home," my understanding is also the same as Tomo and Anne. Here are the definitions in Oxford Advanced English English dictionary on them:

[home]
1. the house or flat/apartment that you live in, especially with your family

[例文]While travelling she missed the comforts of home.

2. the town, district, country, etc. that you come from, or where you are living and that you feel you belong to:

[例文]I often think about my friends back home。

3. used to refer to a family living together, and the way it behaves:

[例文]She came from a violent home. * They wanted to give the boy a secure and loving home. *

[house ] = a building for people to live in, usually for one family:

I am very impressed by Tomo and Amica.
『単語一つでも、ジェスチャーひとつでもいいから、キャッチボールのボールを落とさないようにちゃんと返そう』　という気持ちを忘れずに、『自分の日本語のレベルに英語を合わせるのではなく、自分の英語のレベルに日本語を合わせる』―You can say that again!!! 感動しました。とても勉強になりました。thank you very much! Amica, それを実践できている話をしてくれて本当にありがとうございました。とてもはげみになります。It might rather difficult to carry it out than to say it, but I'll do my best toward it.

Hi Tomo,
Thank you very much for referring to my questions on "tense." Those were exactly what I was going to ask David again!

Hi Yuuki,
Nice to meet you and good luck with your exams! I'm sure you'll do great.

最後に、やはりみなさんに時制の質問です。ほんとうに、この時制ってややこしい・・・。
１）He said to me,"Can you come here again tomorrow?"は、
Ａ：tomorrowがもうすでに過去のことであれば、He asked me whether I could come there again the next day.

Ｂ. tomorrowがまだ「未来」のことであれば、He asked me whether I could come tomorrow.

でいいのでしょうか。Garrrrrrrrrr.

２）なんか文法書には、時制の一致で「here→there」にするってかいてあるのですか、いまいち、感覚的にぴんときません・・・。なんで、here がthereになるんでしょう・・・。これも、現在と過去の距離感に関係あるんでしょうか。たしかに、thereはhereとちがって、距離感を表すと思うので。あ～。

３）それから、againの位置ってこれでいいんでしょうか？　。頭にたくさん「？」です。Thank you very much for your help, everyone!

OK, everyone. It is high time to have a nice meal.実は「マルセイチーズ　バターサンドクッキー」がいま、家にあります♪また、もらいました♪楽しみ♪マルセイチーズ　is waiting for me now!

Speak to you soon.

•  White green
• 2008年2月25日 04:54

Hi Kiyoko,
I think the sentence ‘I'm very spoiling for making a comment’ is right in grammar, but I'm not sure if it is natural English and native speakers often use it because it was new for me. If I was you, I would say;

1. I want to make a comment, but I'm not sure which one is easier for me because there are a lot of interesting topics in today's comment.

2. There are a lot of interesting topics in today's comment, and I want to talk about it/make a comment, but I'm not sure which one is easier for me.

3. I can't choose just one topic because there are a lot of interesting ones in today's comment.
(私的には 3 が一番‘書きたくてうずうずしている感じ’が出てるかな・・と思うのですが、どうでしょう？ ‘うずうず’に挑戦してみました＾＾）

They are just my versions, and I'm sure there are a lot of different ways of saying it. I only used easy words that junior high school students know, but if you can make good use of the English you have now, you'll be able to express a lot in English, I'm sure. I think making a short sentence with easy words is a very good way.

Hi Anne,
I also think Amica's writing "in my HOUSE" is OK because I guess she imagined 'inside the house'.

Hi White green,
Let me try to answer your questions, but I may be wrong.

１）He said to me,"Can you come here again tomorrow?"
Ａ&B: My ideas are the same as yours.

２）もし、彼が"Can you come here again tomorrow?" と言った同じ場所で、このことを誰かに話すなら、私は‘here’を使いたいです。　違う場所で誰かに話すなら、‘there’にすると思います。

３）I think it's OK.

By the way, you got up at 4 a.m.?? I was in a dream at that time! I know it is good to get up early in the morning, but it's not easy for me..

See you later,

Tomo

•  Tomo
• 2008年2月25日 12:43

nsdimv zujoh acslxhg mxtnr zpgkv ihkfejmt tfmrijxl

•  tkvaxc lhfoket
• 2008年4月16日 22:28

nsdimv zujoh acslxhg mxtnr zpgkv ihkfejmt tfmrijxl

•  tkvaxc lhfoket
• 2008年4月16日 22:29

nsdimv zujoh acslxhg mxtnr zpgkv ihkfejmt tfmrijxl

•  tkvaxc lhfoket
• 2008年4月16日 22:30