Hi David,
I worry about your physical condition because you work too hard. Please take care. I hope you are able to have a relaxation time this week.

Hi everyone,
How was your weekend? Last Friday, I went to "Tokyo Disney Resort" with my sister and her sons. We stayed at "Disney Land Hotel" for two nights. Do you know this hotel? This hotel opened this summer, and it was so wonderful! As you know, the typhoon was approaching at Kanto region last Friday, so I worried about weather, but the day didn't have heavy rain or wind. It light rained off and on, but we could have a nice time in Disneyland. Because of the typhoon, it was not crowded, so we could ride most of the attractions without wait times. When I watched the TV news that night at the hotel, the weather forecast said it was going to rain on Saturday, but next day, it was clear day! (Actually, I'm a "晴れ女". ^^) We went to Disneysea and Disneyland. I was expecting they might be crowded because it was fine, but as yesterday, we could ride various attractions without long wait times. I guess many people who had plan to visit Disney Resort have canceled their plan because the typhoon was approaching. We had good luck.

Hi Tomo,
♪♪♪Happy Birthday♪♪♪
Hope you have a wonderful birthday!

Amica

•  Amica
• 2008年9月22日 18:55

Hi David,
Yes, it's your niece Mathilda's birthday!(Happy birthday, Mathilda!) One year old, she might be walking now. Next time you see her, she might be speaking! Did you send her some birthday present as Uncle David? Anyway, thanks for the birthday wish. I'm happy that you said ‘the two birthday GIRLS’. That sounds nice! Oh yes, I'm quite a bit older than Mathilda.(笑)(I learned a new expression ‘quite a bit’.)

Hi Alice, Amica, Riko,
Thanks for the birthday wishes! I got a lot of birthday messages today. I'm very lucky, and I'm so happy!
Alice, I love you, too;-)
Amica, glad to hear that you had a great time in Disneysea and Disneyland. I've been to Disneyland, but I've never been to Disneysea. I'd love to go there sometime!(さすが‘晴れ女’だね♪)
Riko, it seems like that David did a new entry before you posted your comment on the last entry.(again!) Let me repost your comment here.

『Hi Everyone,
It is absolutely coming a summer again in England even though the end of September. My English friend took my son to a fountain park yesterday. The boys took a swim wear. I couldn't believe their thinking of bathing. Of course the sun is shining. but temperature around 18 degree? My son avoid getting a cold. Had a fun in there. I wore long shirts and jumper, but she wore a sleeveless top!
Anne,
Are you going to England with your husband for three weeks? It seems like a honeymoon again?
As you said the building around the Nagoya station. Did that vocational school mean 専門学校？I heard before it's supposed to build a junior or a high school belong to Toyota company. It that different as you mentioned?

Tomo,
Happy birthday. Did you bake a cake and to cook meal for you? We have to cook by myself even though it is own birthday. right? Somebody take us to the restaurant!! (lol)

Speak soon
Riko』

I cooked dinner, but I didn't bake a cake. I bought it. The women at the shop asked me, ‘How many candles do you need?’, and I said, ‘6 please.’　10の位は切捨てしちゃいました。　切捨てしすぎですね(笑)

Anyway, thanks again for all the birthday wishes. I'm going to have some cake and wine!

See you all soon,

Tomo

•  Tomo
• 2008年9月22日 21:08

Hi David,

Yes, I remember it’s also your niece Machilda’s Birthday.
Happy Birthday, Machilda!
She might be speaking some words now.
By the way, when are you able to take a break?
It seems that those days would not come as long as you don’t change the priority of life.
Hope you take a rest sometime.

Hi Riko,
The building belongs to ‘名古屋モード学園‘（You might know this school）
There are two newly built towers near Nagoya station, one is’ Midland Square(Toyota building) and the other is ‘Spiral Tower’.
(It’s a really regional topic.)
I’m going to the UK alone, and my husband stays Japan and works as usual.
Actually, he asked me yesterday,’ How’s your　preparation? Does everything go well?’ I answered,’Yeah,　I’m going to Wales and now I’m checking the way…’ I explained excitedly. He said ,’ That’s good! If I would go there, I’d like to visit some place related to rugby.’ After that, we talked about a travel generally a little bit, and I got to know my tastes differ from those of his.
Hi Tomo,
Your story’6 please 10 の位は、切り捨てちゃいました‘sounds funny. I would also say ’6 please ‘ if I would buy a birthday cake for me now, but I am quite a bit older than you!

Hi Amica,
You went to 'Tokyo Disney Resort'? I’ve never been to Disney sea yet 、so I’d love to go there someday .Glad to hear that you enjoyed there.

Bye for now,

Anne

•  Anne
• 2008年9月23日 00:05

Hi Daivid,
I remember that today is also Machilda's birthday.
Happy Birthday, Machilda♪I imagine how lovely she is!

It sounds you've been very busy and will be! As Anne said, I'm wondering when you will take a break. Hope you will take even a short break.
On the other side, I'm really looking forward to your new ALC book...Honestly say, I'm wishing to have it as soon as possible.;-)

Hi Tomo,
You might already have been in bed after enjoying dinner and nice wine with your family. Hope eveything will be going well with you throughout of the year. １０の位切捨て？！当然！;-) I would say 8!

Hi Amica,
It's so nice to know that you had a wonderful time at Tokyo Disney Resort! You stayed at the new hotel?! Wow! I haven't been to Disenysea yet. I'd love to go there and stay at the hotel sometime.

Hi Anne,
I thought that your husband will travel with you for a week, too. Have you started packing your stuff?

Good night!

Maki

•  Maki
• 2008年9月23日 00:42

Hi David and Tomo,

David's niece Mathilda and Tomo, yesterday was your birthday? I knew just now.

Happy Birthday, Mathilda, Happy Birthday, Tomo.

I wish for Two Girls well and happiness for long.

Kiyoko

•  Kiyoko
• 2008年9月23日 09:51

Hi Kiyoko,

If you want to say 「今分かった」or「今知った」 in English, you should use 'find out' instead of 'know'. For example, your sentence above should be "I just found out now."

I was interested to see that sentence because this point is one of the topics explained in the new book.

Speak to you soon,

David

•  David
• 2008年9月23日 10:35

Hi Jazmin,

I love your message for Tomo's birthday!

Maki

•  Maki
• 2008年9月23日 11:26

Hi Kiyoko,
Thanks for the birthday wish! I had a great time yesterday;-)

Hi Anne and Maki,
The birthday cake was very good! I put 6 candles on it;-)
Oh no, I forgot to make a wish before I blew them out!

David, I was listening to the sound files in the old entries the other day, and I was wondering if I could record the files and put them into my portable music player.(I don't have a portable digital music player now, but I'm going to get one for my birthday present.) I've been looking for some information about it on the Internet, and I found out that there was a way. I've been studying about it, and I finally figured out how to do it.
I know you are too busy to record the blog at the moment, and I know you will be busy for a while(a looong time!), but would you do it when things have calmed down?(Please, please!(笑))

Speak to you soon,

Tomo

•  Tomo
• 2008年9月23日 14:25

Hi Tomo, Anne, Maki,

Thanks for your warm comments. Yes, I had a great time in Tokyo Disney Resort. Disneyland is celebrating 25th anniversary this year, so it has lots of limited-time commemorative goods. I have been to Disneyland any number of times, but to tell the truth, I'm not very interested in characters of Disney, so when I go to Disneyland, I buy hardly their goods. But when I found out there were lots of limited-time commemorative goods in there, I have bought lots of them!　まんまと乗せられてしまったって感じです＾＾；

By the way, you have never been to Disneysea yet? I know why Anne and Maki have never been there because it is very far from the city where you live. But Tomo, it is not far from the city where you live, isn't it? I guess you have never been there because your daughter is too little to go there. 身長制限のあるアトラクションが多いので、小学生以上にならないと楽しめないかもしれませんものね。

P.S １０の位切捨て、大賛成です♪

See you soon,

Amica

•  Amica
• 2008年9月24日 15:43

Hi Amica,
You are right. My daughter is only 4(She'll be 5 next month, though.), and she is a bit short for her age. She is less than 100 centimeter tall, so if we go there now, we would not enjoy some attractions or rides. We'd love to go there when my daughter grows up a little more;-)

By the way, you can't resist the word ‘期間限定’, can you? I can't resist it, either!

Hi David,
How's your work? I got a portable digital audio player yesterday, and I put some of your recordings on(in?) it. It's good listening and speaking practice!

Speak to you soon,

Tomo

•  Tomo
• 2008年9月24日 22:38

Hi David,

Thank you for let me notice the defference of 'know' and 'find out' how to use. I'm happy and thanks, again.

To be specific, I didn't know about her birthday, till I read some comments of 'happy birthday.' And then I decided to make up my mind in a short time before outgoing.
Because to sing a happy birthday's song in English is common even in Japan. Then I thought I should say something and tried to make comment quickly.
Anyway, I should use 'find out' instead of 'know' and I should be say 'I just found out now.'

In honest, I may not check the word 'know' with using my dictionary. However, I often use it unconsciously.
I'm more interested to see your new book and looking forward to your explanation in the new one.

Thanks so much,

Kiyoko

•  Kiyoko
• 2008年9月25日 01:09

Hi Maki,

You like the message?　Thank you. But it’s a little bit embarrassing, because, to tell the truth, I borrowed the first 2 lines (of only 3 lines…) from a birthday card I bought somewhere. When I go abroad I always “explore” the stationery section in supermarkets or department stores. I love stationery and I need things that make me stay awake in boring classes, anyway:-P. As you may know, there are lots of wonderful, inspirational, humorous, or sometimes a little bit black humorous greeting cards for VARIOUS! situations out there. BTW, I can’t keep up with the topics lately due to pressure of business. Sorry!

•  Jazmin
• 2008年9月25日 15:08

Hi David and everyone,

Here comes the autumn!
During daytime, it sometimes hot, but we already have an autumn sky; clear and high.

These couple of days, I’ve been exchanging e-mail about my accommodation with the staff
at a language school, and I’ve been thinking about this past year.
If I had planned this travel before joining here, I would have not had any idea of organizing
everything by myself. To be honest, before e-mailing to school about a lot of things, I always hesitated about my grammatical mistakes, but now I changed my mind. Actually, I’m going to study English at school, not to work there, so even though I should be careful when I e-mail, it’s OK even if I would make mistakes.( But my heart is pounding when I e-mail them…) Anyway, ‘Just go for it!’, but it has a looong way to improve my English.

Hi Tomo,
You got a digital audio player? It’s a really good birthday present, isn’t it?
My MD also doesn’t work well these days, so I’ve been considering and checking what to get, but it will take much more time to decide because I am weak to figure out how to treat these gadgets. iPod is one of my choices.

Hi Jazmine,
I love these lines too! I like 'explore' stationary section or book stores even in Japan as well.
Take a break sometime!

Bye for now,

Anne

•  Anne
• 2008年9月25日 15:41

Hi David and Everyone,
Tomoが以前から言っていた「アクセス不可」に初めて遭遇(-_-;)
今日はもう諦めます。このコメントは携帯からです。
Good night!

Talk to you later.

Maki

•  Maki
• 2008年9月25日 22:46

Hi David and Everyone,
It was very chilly here in Hokkaido. They had the first snow in the
mountains at the middle of Hokkaido some days ago, and I hear that Mt. Fuji
has it as well. Please don't catch a cold!!

Hi Jazmin and Anne,
You had a good choice, even you borrowed the lines.;-) I also love to
"explore" the stationery section and book stores as well! I always get some
cards and sometimes wrapping papers when I go abroad. Yes, there are LOTS!
Hope you will take a rest during this coming weekend, Jazmin!

Anne, I'm prerry sure that you will enjoy "exploring" some shops during your
trip!
Yes, "Just go for it!" Everything starts from it, I think.;-) (I'm telling
this also to me...) There is no doubt your English is improving very much, as you've learned
it step by step. I really like your style and it is one of my aims. （＾＾）ｖ（この英語で言いたいことが伝わったかしら。。。）

By for now,

Maki

P.S.
もう一回！と思ってTryしたら送信できました！

•  Maki
• 2008年9月25日 22:57

Hi Jazmin,
You love stationery? So does my niece. She has tons of letter papers, cards, notebooks, pens, erasers, and etc. Maybe she needs things that make her stay awake in boring classes, like you(笑)

Hi Anne,
As you say, we can learn a lot of things from this blog, not only about English but also about life. You are doing things that you never imagined now. That's really something. It's true that you still have a long way to improve your English, but this is also true that you've already come a long way;-) Go for it! You can do it!

See you soon,

Tomo

PS Maki、『アクセス不可』に初めて遭遇？　コメント書き終わって、｢よし、ポスト！｣ってところでダメって言われるとガクッとくるのよね～(笑)　でもつながって良かった＾＾

•  Tomo
• 2008年9月26日 13:49

Anne、ごめんなさい。　何だか失礼なことを言ったかも・・。
↓この英文です。
It's true that you still have a long way to improve your English, but this is also true that you've already come a long way;-)
言いたかったのは、「これから学ぶこともたくさんあるけれど、でももう随分上達しましたよね」です。

•  Tomo
• 2008年9月26日 17:15

Hi Maki, Tomo,
Thanks for your words, and Tomo, I didn't have any bad feeling about your comment.
I noticed that my writing was not correct from your writing.( it has a looon way to→you have a long way to~) Actually, after writing, I thought something was different, so I feel good now. Thanks again!

Speak to you soon,

Anne

•  Anne
• 2008年9月27日 05:27

Anne, I'm glad to hear that, thanks!

David, how are you doing?

•  Tomo
• 2008年9月27日 07:45

Hi Anne,
早起きなのですね！
After posting my previous commnet, I was wondering if I wrote something rude...rudeというか、うまく自分の気持ちが表現できていないなぁ、と。Anyway, I'm so glad to meet you in this blog!:-)

Hi David and Everyone,
It's a beautiful autumn day here, though the temperature will go up to only 15c!
David, you have a lot of work during the weekend?
Hope you will get a time to be relaxed.

Have a lovely weekend!

Maki

•  Maki
• 2008年9月27日 10:48

Hi team,

Sorry to have been neglecting you again, but I have been working on two books this weekend. One is the ALC version of the mistakes dictionary, and the other is a conversation textbook for my students. I have just finished e-mailing my feedback to my editor at ALC, and I'm going for a run now before I go to bed. Tomorrow I will be at the printing company all day working on the other book, so I won't be able to do an entry, but from Tuesday, I will be able to get back to a more normal lifestyle.

Thanks for keeping the blog lively as always.

Bye for now,

David

PS I found a very funny comedy site on You Tube made by the comedian Will Ferrell. It's called 'Funny or Die'. Have a look at the video called 'the landlord'. It's very funny! (If you Google 'funny or die', you should be able to find it very easily.)

•  David
• 2008年9月28日 23:49

Hi David,

Glad to hear from you! I was wondering how you were doing, and I thought you might have a cold or something.(I'm glad you don't.)
You'll be able to get back to a more normal lifestyle? That's good news, but your body might be waiting for all the work to finish so that you can catch a cold(again!), so please take care of yourself;-)

I checked the video you mentioned. Yes, it's very funny! I loved it!

Hope you have a good sleep. Good night,

Tomo

PS It sounds like you'll have another crazy day tomorrow. がんばって下さい＾＾

ＰＰＳ Maki、15℃？？　秋を通り越して冬に行きそうだね。。　Be careful not to catch a cold!

•  Tomo
• 2008年9月29日 00:26

Hi David,

I'm so surprised to know that you have been working at this time of the night! Hope you will be able to get back to a normal life even a little.
I'll check the site later .

Good night!

Anne

•  Anne
• 2008年9月29日 00:29

Hi everyone,
These days, it is getting colder, so I feel cold in the moning and I'm wearing long sleeves now.
I went to Nagoya from last monday two nights and 4 days(When I returned to my home, I took the bus which drives in the night). I ate 手羽先, ひつまぶし, 味噌カツ, 味噌おでん, シロノワール,etc.. Nagoya's food culture is very interesting and distinctive, isn't it? In particular, ひつまぶし was delicious. I ate it in the restaurant called あつた蓬莱軒, it is said that the restaurant is the most famous in Nagoya. It costed me 2730 yen, but I think it was worthful more than that price!
I eager to go there again in the near future.

Hi Tomo,
I'm sorry for late to say Happybirthday!
I really hope that you will have lovely ●6 life(笑

Hi Anne,
I went to Nagoya! I had a very good time. There are many roads which were sooo broad and large intersections several area. I thought that I want to drive in Nagoya.
I saw, of course, spiral towers, they were very interesting shape. I was surprised to hear that it was vocational building and I thought I want to study such a building. 今の研究室の建物が築70年くらいなので…

have a nice week,

ikura

•  ikura
• 2008年9月29日 15:01

Hi ikura,

Glad to hear that you had a great time in Nagoya! It seems like you had a lot of local food there. Was the ひつまぶし worth more than the price you paid?
Anyway, thanks for the birthday wish. I also hope that my ●6th(笑) year will be lovely;-)

See you soon,

Tomo

•  Tomo
• 2008年9月29日 21:15

Hi David and everyone,

It’s chilly a little bit here.
I watched some of the videos on You Tube which David had mentioned.
I enjoyed a lot! What a superb actress (?) she is! Is she 2-year old or something?
I found out that videos related to ‘ Sarah Palin’ were there, and she is absolutely
the hottest woman in the news, isn’t she?
Another thing I noticed is that some of the videos are from ‘The Daily Show’ (Comedy show)which I sometimes watch on the web.

Hi Ikura,
I’m glad to know that you experienced a lot of things including delicious cuisines unique to Nagoya, and have a great time here.
There are various kinds of cuisine culture in each city or town, right?
If I would add to them, I’d like to name’味噌煮込みうどん‘＾＾）
I like the taste of this a little ‘stiff’ noodle.

Speak to you soon,

Anne

•  Anne
• 2008年9月30日 09:23

Hi David and everyone,

David,
It's Tuesday, so you might be able to get back to a normal lifestyle? I sincerely hope so.

After I had read member's blog, I tried watching the You Tubu which you mentioned yesterday.
I clicked 'funny or die' and continually clicked my liking site. However, the following sign appeared. "You need flash player version 8 or better to watch these videos."
I immediately installed the latest free software of Adobe, and I got 'completion' sign, but there were no reaction in my PC's screen. Every time I clicked the same warning came out.

Then I confirmed many times in different way. Especially, I spent much time to check the probable reasons written in English of Adobe support center.
By the way, to read the English discription was not so understandable than how to operate the machine to me.
Anyway, it was too difficult to find out the cause, so that I gave it up.
So I'm not seen it yet, sorry, David.

everyone,
Today is the end of September, I put on summer clothing in room. It's so comfortable temperature, around 20 degrees.
In this summer, I very often complained the extreme hot and the humid air, but it was over.
According to the weather forecast, powerful typhoon No. 15 will come to Japan.

Maki,
Hokkaido will be very cold now, I think. Be careful for catch a cold!

Tomo,
You got a new recorder and you succeeded at recording easily. I've admired your adaptation to new thing.

Have a nice day,

Kiyoko

•  Kiyoko
• 2008年9月30日 22:22

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•  traduceri
• 2011年10月31日 04:30