Blog @ M.E.C.

Blog has Moved

2010-10-04T16:14:00.002+09:00

Thanks for always reading the MEC blog.

I recently moved it to http://englishatmec.blogspot.com

Hope you continue reading at the new address. Please comment or send a mail anytime.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Weekly Idioms 2

2010-09-19T00:05:00.003+09:00

Idioms for this week: "apply for" and "as far as...concerned"

"apply for" - "I'd like to apply for the manager position advertised in this morning's paper." "You can apply for an ETC card on the Internet." "What is the procedure when applying for house loan?"

"as far as...concerned" - "As far as I'm concerned, I don't think he is suitable for the job." "The schedule is too busy, as far as he is concerned."

Weekly Idioms

2010-09-11T13:17:00.003+09:00

I've been a little busy the past couple of months, accounting for a lack of blogging or tweets. Sorry about that. Hope to stay regular, so please comment to keep me motivated.

From this week, I started introducing some useful idioms. Try to put them into your conversation or how about writing some examples for us to read here?

"a couple of" - When I woke up this morning, there were a couple of sheep in the kitchen. They wanted some breakfast, so I told them to wait a couple of minutes. One of them remembered he had a couple of things to do, so he went back outside.

a couple - 2 or 3; a few - 3-5/6; several - 5-9

"account for" - The prolonged heat this summer accounts for the prices of vegetables going up recently. The high prices accounts for a lack of vegetable for dinner.

Go Away Rain!

2010-07-14T08:32:00.003+09:00

It's raining again! I guess we need rain to make the plants grow, but I wish it would just rain at night time so we can go about our day tasks as usual. Plus it's nice to listen to the rain while in bed.

Here are some weather words and their meanings:

http://bit.ly/avCt6T

Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge

2010-07-08T00:00:00.007+09:00

If you want to combine cycling with a trip to NZ this November, how about taking part in the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge - New Zealand’s premier cycling event – with a total of 12 different cycling events based around NZ's largest lake. Last year, over 11,000 people took part.

There is an event for every level of rider – a challenging but achievable 160 kilometre ride for individual riders or teams of two, three or four can participate in the team event, which is an achievable goal for new or less experienced riders. Plus there is the Extreme Enduro - eight times around the lake, covering 1280km!!!

You can enter for any of the different events online at http://www.cyclechallenge.com/ or see this 日本語　site http://www.realnewzealand.net/events_races/road/road_report_001_2010tour.html

Friday Flix

2010-07-03T22:35:00.004+09:00

Okay, it's Saturday, but here's a movie you might like to watch over the weekend. Let us know what you think of it, or recommend a good movie you've seen recently.

'It Happened One Night'

Released in 1934, this romantic comedy stars Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert and won many Academy Awards. The story sees Ellie run away from her over-protective rich father who is trying to stop her marrying he doesn't think is suitable for her. While on the run from Miami to New York, she meets Peter who has just been fired from his newspaper company. Peter decides to help Ellie in return for writing a story about her time escaping from her father. Troubles along the way see them lose their belongings and money, along with meeting some interesting characters along the way.

Do they make it to New York? Does Ellie marry the man she wants to marry? Look for the movie in the video store and watch to find out.

Or look here - http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XODcxNjUwMjg.html

150km Swim???

2010-06-26T21:46:00.005+09:00

Today I joined two others to ride around Lake Biwa. The weather forecast said 'maybe rain, maybe clear up' so we decided to go anyway. As we drove along the expressway, the rain got heavier -aargh.

When we got to Nagahama (http://bit.ly/bh60p0) it wasn't really raining, so we set up and headed off. The road was still wet, but not so bad. However, as we rode further, the rain started to get heavier and our clothes and shoes got soggier.

Most of the way around the lake there are cycling lanes, so on a day like today it was lucky to be off the busy road.

Unfortunately as we were so wet and the cloud was quite low most of the time, we didn't take any photos along the way, so you will have to imagine as you read this. Just think of sitting on a bicycle in the shower for eight hours and having your legs, arms, face and clothes covered in sand and dirt.

Overall, it was great trip, but here are a couple of memorable parts:

The Tsurube's Kazoku ni Kampai-style greeting with an old man and lady in a small village and asking for directions.

The policeman in the Koban who advised us not to follow the shoreline past Omihachiman Kyuka-mura as it was too narrow. So we went on the cycle lane next to the main road which ended up being overgrown with flowers.

Have a look at the map: http://bit.ly/96XzE3

Riding to the Sky, Camping at the Springs Part 2

2010-06-17T00:08:00.004+09:00

After breakfast on Sunday, we went for a short walk to the sulfuric foot baths near Hirayu Waterfall. It was very nice to soak the feet while admiring the stunning mountains in all directions.

A short walk up the hill through the trees took us to the spectacular waterfall.

The falls are about 60meters high and apparently were found by soldiers long ago, guided by a white monkey.

If you are in the area, make sure to visit the park http://www.mjnet.ne.jp/hirayu-ootaki/

On the return home, we first stopped at the Nagawado Dam on the Azusa River.

The dam is 155 meters high and combines with two other dams along the river to supply electricity to Tokyo Electric Power Company. Next to the dam, you can visit Azusa Tepco-kan for an insight in the how the dam works, was made and lots of other hands-on displays. http://www.tepco-pr.co.jp/azusa/

After having some great soba noodles at a nice place along Route 26, we stopped in at Naraijuku, an old post town on the Nakasendo route once used to walk from Edo (now Tokyo) to Kyoto (still Kyoto). The old houses give off a flavor of centuries past, and sell a variety of local-made and traditional items.

Riding to the Sky, Camping at the Springs Part 1

2010-06-16T23:39:00.005+09:00

At the weekend, we went camping with some friends at Hirayu Onsen near Takayama. What a beautiful location in amongst the trees and high mountains, in particular Norikura. While the others kept busy around the camping area (visiting the nearby waterfall and foot bath), two of us set off up Norikura Skyline.

We started riding from the camping ground which was pretty tough in the strong sun as the first 4.5km to the Skyline gate were pretty steep.

Once we reached Hirayu Pass, we started up the Skyline after getting a warning from the gatekeeper to look out for bears. Luckily we didn't meet any, but I would like to see a real bear sometime.

As we climbed higher, snow from the winter still remained on the side of the road, although with the recent sunny weather it probably won't last much longer.

We finally made it to Tatamidaira - the top of the highest road in Japan at some 2,700meters. It was a tough climb up, but the keeping our goal to reach the top in mind helped us complete the challenge.

At the top, the snow wall was at least 5 meters high. Many others had come up by bus to go skiing or boarding.

I hope the people who came up after us saw the MEC sign.

The ride down was a lot quicker, but the first section we were in the clouds so it was rather cold - the total opposite extreme from the ride up. Once out of the cloud, we soon warmed up again as we raced down at about 65km/hour. We could easily go faster, but I don't trust my brakes and the other side of the guard strings (not rails) is a good 200m straight drop at many points.

Back at the camp site, we were right on time for the BBQ followed by a campfire.

Go the Miso Ramen!

2010-06-16T23:31:00.004+09:00

Last week's poll saw Miso Ramen win out against rival Shio. But I wonder which is better in hot, sticky summer?

Go the All Whites!

2010-06-16T23:25:00.003+09:00

Big cheers for the All Whites performance at the World Cup yesterday. Let's cross our fingers for a strong performance in the next match against Italy.

http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/

Pad-padding in the Paddy

2010-06-07T22:57:00.006+09:00

Following on from last's months tree climbing, this time my son took part in planting rice.

It was a great day for planting - nice and sunny and good to have feet in cool water, although splodgy in the mud underneath. Hopefully the summer will be a good one and help bring a good harvest later in the year.

Dog in Hole

2010-06-02T12:55:00.000+09:00

Maybe the dog fell in this hole in Guatemala.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10649256

続参加英語ストリー June 1st

2010-06-02T12:41:00.005+09:00

Here is the first M.E.C 続参加英語ストリー . Great work. Add to the new story tomorrow.

Long, long ago, a man called Zanri lived in a small house by the sea.

He had a happy life with his wife and two sons and a little cute puppy.

One day while searching for truffles, the dog fell down a deep hole.

The dog was barking but the man didn't notice it because the hole was very deep.

The dog fell for what seemed like an hour, until he landed on a marshmallow the size of a car.

The dog thought it was like Alice In Wonderland!

Walking along the Lego Brick Road, he bumped into the Sad Batter who never scored a hit.

The end.

Poll Results- Last week poll found most people think water is the best drink to have with sushi. Do you agree? New poll coming soon.

Working on Maungatautari Mountain

2010-05-26T21:37:00.007+09:00

Here is some information about the mountain which is being protected. My mum helps out once a month to set traps to keep pests out. Below is part of her blog entry about her work last week and some photos.

http://www.maungatrust.org/

Yesterday my friend and I did our monthly trip to Maungatautari Mountain, where we replace cards in monitoring tunnels, around a section of the 47 km pest proof fence, which encloses the exterior of the 3,400 hectare mountain. These tunnels are placed 50 metres apart, right round the interior of the fence. Every second tunnel is just inside the bush, with the others right up against the fence. The section we do involves 40 tunnels. These tunnels have a white card in them, with about 8 inches of sticky black ink in the centre. In the middle of the ink section we place peanut butter. This attracks any mice, rats or other vermon, and once they have walked over the sticky black ink, to get to the peanut butter, they then walk out leaving their foot prints on the white section of the card. Once these prints are detected, traps are set close by to try and catch the offenders. Last month 44 mice were caught.

Bait trap.

Our native Kiwi were the first to be brought back to the mountain, and to date about 22 chicks have hatched. Kaka, a very squawky parrot-like bird, are also breeding well, even though the first six released from the aviary all flew away, but they are gradually returning to the mountain, as their leg tags have shown.

$18 million has been raised to actively save New Zealand's threatened wildlife from extinction on this mountain, and to date the results are proving positive. A large number of volunteers work tirelessly, along with a few paid staff, to make sure this valuable project is a success, not only for us, but for generations to follow, and the future of our country.

http://www.maungatrust.org/

Poll Results May 24

2010-05-25T00:02:00.003+09:00

The results of the past week's poll are in.

Everyone who voted thinks this year's rainy season will last less than two weeks. I hope the poll result is accurate.

This week's poll has been updated, so cast your vote.

Trees Are Our Friends

2010-05-23T10:36:00.007+09:00

You may have seen in today's Chunichi newspaper about tree climbing at Chubu University yesterday with John Gathright.

My son took part and climbed up about 5 meters by himself - he's only six years old. He had a great time, along with everyone else, even though it was quite a challenge for the little kids.

My son is wearing the blue helmet in this photo. Next time I want to have a try, too. These days we need to look after our trees and nature, and tree climbing is a great way to have fun and challenge yourself, while at the same time, appreciating what Mother Nature provides for us. Check out www.treeclimbingjapan.org

New Additions

2010-05-19T00:28:00.003+09:00

You may have noticed some new parts to the site. If not, have a look around while reading the entries.

1. Twitter entries - follow us, ask a question or just let everyone what you are doing.

2. Links - some favorites to share with you. I'll add some more you may find useful. Let me know if there is site you want to link here.

3. Poll - I'll ask a question each week. Vote for the answer of your choice and see each Tuesday which is the most popular. This week asks about the upcoming rainy season.

Looking forward to blog entries, comments or tweets.

By the way, the colorful wall above can be found near PARCO in Sakae.

'Before' Picture of Motorcyclist

2010-05-14T21:55:00.006+09:00

Here's what the motorcycling skeleton in yesterday's video looked like before he lost his skin.

And here are some photos to go with the post from mum about her hike last weekend.

----Looking out from the top of Mt. Pureora towards Mt. Ruapehu in the middle of the North Island. Can't see any snow, but won't be long and it will be all white.

----A magnificient native NZ Totara tree, 40 meters high and estimated to be between 1750-1850 years old.

Tramping in Pureora Forest - NZ

2010-05-14T10:24:00.002+09:00

Last sunday I travelled to Pureora Forest, with the Te Kuiti Tramping Club, for a day in the bush. Pureora is a 2 hour drive from Te Awamutu. Our first stop was at Link Road, and from here we walked up through the beautiful bush, crossing a couple of small creeks, heading to the trig at the top of the mountain. The birds were singing loudly in the trees above us. These were mainly Kaka, Tuis and Fantails, all natives of NZ. And occasionally we would here the familiar swishing sound of a large fat pigeon flying from tree to tree.

Eventually we came out of the bush into the open spaces, and there in our view was the trig. To-day the weather was very kind to us - no wind, no rain, no clouds and no sleet, all of which we experienced on our last trip up this mountain. Needless to say, the view in all directions was exceptional. Mt. Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe in the centre of the North Island, looked almost at our feet. Mt. Egmont, further down the west coast, stood out looking very much like Mt. Fuji, and to the north were Maungatautari, Kariori, Kakepuka and Te Aroha. The view was so magnificent we decided to make it our early lunch spot.

Reluctantly, we decided it was time to head back down the mountain, then we drove to a tall lookout tower, which has been built in the bush, allowing people to climb up 8 flights of very steep steps, and look out on the canopy of the bush. The large old totara trees still towered above us, but we could look down into the centre of ponga trees.

From here it was a short drive to see another very old, and large totara tree. This old giant was estimated to be between 1750 - 1850 years old, and had a girth of 4 metres. Fortunately, this one managed to escape the bushmen's axes years ago, when they felled and milled a large percentage of our native trees. Today these trees are protected, and incur a hefty fine for anyone caught felling them.

And then it was time to head back to the cars, kick off our tramping boots, and make our way back to Te Awamutu. We all felt reluctant to leave this beautiful bush on such a perfect day, but promised ourselves we would return again, and hope that our next visit would be as perfect as this day was. Thank-you weather gods. You got it right this time!

Watch out for motorcyclists!

2010-05-14T01:15:00.004+09:00

Fresh fun sent from my mum in NZ. No its not her riding the bike - she's way more lively. I'm not sure which country its in, but they don't speak English. Doesn't matter anyway. I think this is how they stop people writing graffiti on the cemetery wall.

Twitter your time away

2010-05-12T22:12:00.003+09:00

As you may see on the side of the blog, I've set up the M.E.C twitter account. Let's follow each other, but try not to go round in circles. Any messages, long or short are more than welcome.

Thanks, also for the comments. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow night. We had a good Golden Week. The picture in last night's blog is of Harry (maybe not his real name) the sea turtle at Toba Aquarium. Very cool place and nice to visit Toba again after 21 years. Looking forward to a boat cruise and swim in summer.

What the.....?

2010-05-12T01:22:00.004+09:00

Missing in action for almost six months, Mark returns to the blog realm to kick-start things, thanks to motivating students.

There's been lots happening recently, particularly the startup of new independent classes with a great bunch of students.

To keep up with the new burst of life, we're going to start tweeting, so let's keep things moving fast and fresh. Share your photos or long stories here, or follow us with a quick message on Twitter (once we've got it up and running soon).

It's December

2009-12-03T08:04:00.003+09:00

Yes, it's December - the last month of the year.

Here in Japan, people are busy in December going to many end of year parties, whereas in New Zealand everyone goes crazy preparing for Christmas. End of year parties in NZ are usually held at the end of the year, that is December 31st. Parties before the 25th will be Xmas parties.

Speaking of Xmas, the busiest guy in the world at this time of year is Mr. Santa Claus. There is still time to be good and write him a letter/e-mail to ask for a present(s).

You post one here in the blog and I'll pass it on, or have a look at this site:

http://www.emailsanta.com/

You can send a letter, track Santa on the radar, or even watch the live webcam of Rudolph.

I hope you get the present you wish for.

138 Xmas

2009-11-29T23:08:00.005+09:00

If you are in the Ichinomiya area before Christmas, be sure to stop in at 138 Tower Park and see the Xmas lights.

We went tonight on our way home. It was a little wet, so not many people there, but very pretty. In this photo, the tower seems dark, but it changes into about three different colors.

Top Notch Companion Sites

2009-11-22T13:57:00.003+09:00

If you haven't visited the website of the textbooks we are using, here are the links:

Beginner 1 class - http://wps.pearsonlongman.com/topnotchfund/

Beginner 2 class - http://wps.pearsonlongman.com/topnotch1/

Medium 1 class - http://wps.pearsonlongman.com/topnotch2/

Medium 2 class - http://wps.pearsonlongman.com/topnotch3/

Click on the link, then choose the unit you want to practice.

Not so interesting, but useful review of the main points. Feel free to post any questions.

When you are finished, this might be more fun - http://www.toilette-humor.com/games/beach_bobbing_game.shtml (click play and use the arrow keys)

All Whites Qualify for 2010 World Cup

2009-11-15T17:55:00.003+09:00

Awesome!!

New Zealand's national soccer team - the All Whites - beat Bahrain last night by 1-0 to qualify for next year's FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Check out video of last night's match http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/3063562/Video-All-Whites-highlights

This is an awesome achievement for NZ which has only qualified once before in 1982. What makes it such an achievement is that many small countries like NZ not only have to win in their region (in NZ's case - Oceania), but they then have to play-off against teams from other regions which are in a last-chance situation.

In 1982 I was 12 and played for the local soccer club in my hometown. We were so excited then that NZ could make it to the finals in Spain. NZ had tough1st pool opponents - Brazil, the Soviet Union and Scotland. The team didn't do so well, but it did score two goals against Scotland which was remarkable.

I'm hoping the current team does well next year like Australia did in Germany 2006, but can get through to the next rounds. Wouldn't a NZ-Japan final be amazing! Keep your fingers crossed - with the big teams out early in Germany, anything could happen in South Africa. Just watch out for head-butters.

By the way, the name 'All Whites' comes from the fact that the NZ team wears white uniforms as opposed to the All Blacks rugby team which wears black. The NZ basketball team also wears black, but they are called the 'Tall Blacks.' The NZ men's hockey team is know as the 'Black Sticks,' while the cricket team is called the 'Black Caps.' Incidentally, women's sporting teams use the national plant - the silver fern - in their nick-names. The national netball team is known as the 'Silver Ferns,' while the basketballers are the 'Tall Ferns.'

Happy Halloween

2009-10-30T12:35:00.004+09:00

Tomorrow is Halloween. Do you have any spooky plans? Maybe grave-hopping at midnight, catching bats in the evening or eating deep-fried chicken feet in that empty old house near J-Mart.

I'm off to a Halloween party, the host of which is going to surprise me with a funky costume to wear to scare all the kids (and maybe myself).

The photo above is a 'Meat Hand.' Doesn't it look scarily good and tasty?

You can make it using the same ingredients as for hamburg. Just shape it into a hand, add some onion pieces for the fingernails and bone, then melt cheese on top for that 'My hand was in an explosion' look. I think some blood (ketchup) would make it look perfect, as well as some ant rice (don't use real ants - maybe use black sesame seeds).

Anyway, give it a try and may you have a ghostly/ghastly dinner.

Trick or Treat!

NZ Ping Pong Poo

2009-10-28T22:25:00.003+09:00

The big white whale seemed to be really popular, so you might like to see how we play table tennis (ping pong) in New Zealand.

Turn up the volume, click on http://skof.co.nz/borderline_talent/home

then wait for the video on the TV in the middle of the page.

Don't worry about what the man is saying, just watch and enjoy to the end.

A Nice Muddy Tramp

2009-10-20T23:24:00.003+09:00

Here's another entry from my mother.

Last Sunday, the 18th October, 20 of us hardy trampers, took off in the rain, for a day's walk in the Kaimai Ranges. We went up a very muddy Thompson's Track, better known as a 4 wheel off roaders track, than a place for those on foot.

We hadn't gone far when we heard the familiar sound of vehicles heading our way. The message went out - take action QUICK! So we all headed up the bank, and out of the way of the approaching vehicles. Three off roaders rounded the bend and came slip sliding towards us, axle deep in the brown slush.

A round of cheers from us all, saw the first vehicle negotiate the deep holes without any hassle. Unfortunately, the second vehicle was not so lucky. He sat bellied out, with his wheels spinning, going nowhere. At this point the first vehicle had to come to it's aid, and winch it out. All was well! Then came the third vehicle, with more cheers from the sideline, but he was able to get through the bog with very little trouble.

Then it was our turn to climb down off our 'grandstand' and into the mud again. Yuk! The vehicles had certainly churned up the track, so it wasn't long before we all looked like mud bugs!

After about 2 hours on this track, we branched off, and went up a side track, which wasn't quite so muddy, but being steep, it was very slippery.

We all made it safely, after about 30 minutes, then we came out to a grassy area, on the top of the Kaimais. By now it was pouring with rain, and blowing a gale, so we were making slow progress into the teeth of the storm. The only good coming from the rain, was that it washed a bit of the mud off us all.

From here we made our way down into the bush where we were a little more sheltered from the weather, so decided it was time to have lunch. But we didn't sit around for too long, as we were all very wet, and didn't want to get too cold.

The going from here, was fairly straight forward - up and down, and over obstacles, and rather slippery in places. Then came the exciting bit - the down hill section, and believe me, it was down! Very steep, very slippery and very much care was needed to stay upright, which was something that not many of us managed to do. The occasional squeal alerted us to someone hitting the slope on their rear, but with the only damage being done to their pride rather than to their body.

And their was a great sigh of relief, when we all made it to the bottom safely, with a little more mud to show for our efforts. It was then just an hour to walk across paddocks, and back to where we had started out day. The rain had stopped at this stage, so we all got out of our muddy boots and wet clothes, before making the hour long drive back home. A GREAT 6 1/2 hour tramp was had by all!

Big White Whale

2009-10-19T22:38:00.004+09:00

My Mum sent me this 3-D picture of a big white whale.

First look and see the Whale under the water.

Keep your mouse cursor OUT of the picture until you see the Whale.

Then move your mouse cursor onto the picture, but stand back, you might get wet (it's like it's 3D).

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Click on the picture when it loads completely and be sure that your sound is on.

Click here: http://www.toilette-humor.com/cartoon.html

Vietnam Snaps

2009-10-19T22:27:00.002+09:00

Here are a couple of photos from my Mum's recent trip to Vietnam. The first one looks like the start of Suzuka 8Hour. The sunrise shot was taken at 5am, but already you can see people out swimming. Wish it was me.

Compared to vs. compared with

2009-10-19T22:24:00.002+09:00

Maybe this helps.

Compared To: When you want to show similarity between two unlike things.
Compare to is used to stress the resemblance.

He compared her to a summer day. (two unlike things- ‘her’ and ’summer day’ )
Scientists sometimes compare the human brain to a computer. (two unlike things- ‘human brain’ and ‘computer’.

Compared with : When you want to show similarities or differences between two like things.
Compare with can be used to show either similarity or difference but is usually used to stress the difference.

The police compared the forged signature with the original. (two like things- two signatures)
The committee will have to compare the Senate’s version of the bill with the version that was passed by the House. (comparison between two like things- two bills)

The traditional rule about which preposition to use after compare states that compare should be followed by to when it points out likenesses or similarities between two apparently dissimilar persons or things: She compared his handwriting to knotted string.

My Trip to Vietnam is not My trip to Vietnam

2009-10-18T15:48:00.002+09:00

The last blog entry about going to Vietnam was by my mother, in case you didn't realize.

My Trip to Vietnam

2009-10-16T09:26:00.002+09:00

Last month I spent 18 wonderful days tripping around Vietnam, with Wendy Wu Tours. There were 12 in our party, mainly from our tramping group - 10 women and 2 men! We flew from Auckland to Singapore, then on to Saigon.

There we were met by our Wendy Wu Tour guide, a really hard case, friendly 29 year old guy. He greeted us all with a hand shake, and told us his name was Lam, but we could call him lamb chops. He had studied English and History at university, so had an exceptional knowledge of the history of his country. He also had a great way of explaining his country's history and culture to us, by adding humorous stories, which usually had us in fits of laughter. There was no chance of falling to sleep in the bus with Lam on board.

Saigon was an amazing place, with 8 million people, and 4 million motorbikes. What a spectacular sight. The only road rule they obey is the red stop lights at intersections. Pedestrian crossings are marked on the roads, but they ignore them, so the only way to get across the road is to take a deep breath (and hope it won't be your last!) and walk very slowly across, with your wits about you, and eyes in the back of your head, and hope you make it across in one piece! The motorbikes and vehicles will then, hopefully, swerve round you, but usually give their horn a good blast, to make sure they have really scared the tripe out of you. Once across, we usually stopped for a few minutes to get our heart rate back down!

Most motorbikes usually have more than one person on them, as they are used in the same way we use a car. So it is not uncommon to see a bike with 3, 4 or 5 people on board - Mum, Dad and 2 or 3 little ones, roaring down the road, with the rest of the 4 million! They are very brave!

The hotels we stayed in were all of a high standard, but the one problem with the whole of the country is the water. It cannot be drunk, and not even used for cleaning our teeth, so it was all bottled water. And with the temperature being around 35 to 38 degrees each day, and very humid, us Kiwis found that we were sucking on the end of a bottle all day!

The meals, which were all included in the price of the tour, were terrific. Beautiful food, but far too much of it. We asked the guide if we could have smaller meals, especially in the middle of the day, as we all felt so quilty leaving food that they had taken so long to prepare. But he said the food wouldn't be wasted, as it would be taken home by the staff. He also said that it was polite in Vietnam not to eat all that was served up to you. Problem solved!

The people were very friendly, and are striving to re-build their war torn country, which keeps their unemployment numbers down. New roads are being constructed wherever we went, along with multi story buildings. It would be good to go back in about 10 years to see the progress made.

Being harvest time while we were there, the crops were all being cut and processed manually. No doubt machinery will eventually take over, but one would wonder what all these people would then do for employment. Rice is spread along the tar seal, on the side of roads, and anywhere else that makes a good drying spot. Yes, the odd vehicle runs over it, but it doesn't seem to bother them.

From Saigon, we gradually made our way up to Hue, in 14 days, then flew to Hanoi, for the last few days of our tour, before flying back home.

What a wonderful country, and great experience. We did boat trips, were paddled down muddy water canals in wobbly canoes, visited the famous tunnels in Cu Chi, visited the site of the My Lai massacre by the Americans, drove over a couple of long and windy Passes, and saw the old Humber car that was owned by Ho Chi Minh. This was a fantastic trip in a country striving to re-build after a lot of pain and heartache. Tourism is coming a big part of their economy, and I would thoroughly recommend a visit to this country.

Te Awamutu

2009-10-12T11:09:00.003+09:00

Recently some have asked about my hometown in New Zealand. Here's a little bit of information about Te Awamutu (テアワムトゥ).

Te Awamutu is located in the North Island, 30km south of Hamilton and about 150km south of Auckland, New Zealand's largest city. http://www.teawamutu.co.nz/info/maps/location.html

The town is a farming service center for the many surrounding diary farms which produce milk and has a population of about 12,000 people (I'm not sure how many cows, but definitely more than 12,000).

It's easy to get around town and check out some nice parks, including a velodrome for keirin-style bicycle racingF, while a short drive will get you to New Zealand's longest river, Waitomo Caves and the Kiwi House I introduced a few blogs back. An hour or so drive will take you to some beautiful beaches and great waves if you are into surfing, with the North Island's highest mountain, Mt. Ruapehu, which has three skifields, only three hour's drive.

For a virtual tour around the town, click here http://www.teawamutu.co.nz/vta

For more information, click here http://www.teawamutu.co.nz/info/

For the latest and past editions of the local newspaper, click here http://www.teawamutu.co.nz/courier/ and choose one of the papers.

Happy Birthday!

2009-10-11T09:59:00.003+09:00

Just a big birthday call to my brother living in London.

Hope you have a great day!

And happy birthday also to the students who recently told us they grew another ring. Hope you have a good year.

台風明け晴れ

2009-10-10T17:07:00.004+09:00

Typhoon 18 roared across Japan on Wednesday. I hope there were no problems at your house.

I realized after living here for seven years, that always after a typhoon passes, we are left with beautiful sunny weather (sometimes it's still a little windy, but nevertheless sunny). It seems that if you endure something bad or nasty, things will get better afterward. So I like the Japanese phrase 台風明け晴れ to describe any situation like this - It's always fine after a typhoon.

With the nice weather, I could get in some great riding. Today I went to the team ride in Owariashi via Jokoji.

It was 11 degrees at Jokoji park at 7:00 am. After lunch, my son and I rode along the Utsutsu River cycling track to the

Sakashita natto factory. So a total distance of about 80km today for me, and 12km for my five-year old son.

Before it gets too cold, I hope you can get out and enjoy the nice weather.

Reminder about classes next week Oct. 13/14/15

2009-10-10T17:02:00.004+09:00

For students in the Thursday 6:30pm class (if you read this) I didn't realize that next week there is no class, so I forgot to tell you. The next Thursday class will be on Oct. 22nd.

Tuesday students, please remember the class will be at Renak in front of Kachigawa Station and Plaza Hotel. I hope you can find a car park.

See you then.

Survived Suzuka

2009-09-25T20:32:00.005+09:00

Wednesday was the Big Day - the Suzuka 8hour Enduro.

It was my first attempt at the race and I was really looking forward to it. Being part of the D-team made it even more special and fun.

The day started by meeting in Owariashi at 2:30am. That meant I had to ride my bike from Kasugai from 2:00am. We left after loading the bikes into 3 vans and headed for Suzuka. Once there we had to line up to race for a good pit site and put down our big blue sheets.

I then went for a 3-lap practice run as it was my first time to physically get on the track after hours of driving on it on the Playstation. At this stage I still didn't know if I actually had a team or if I would have to ride the whole day by myself. One teammate cancelled, but luckily Mr. W arrived ten minutes before the start of the race, so we had a 30 second strategy meeting - I have to go first.

So we took it in turns to complete the race. One full lap is almost 6km, so we switched after doing 3-4 laps. By the end of the 8 hours my knee was hurting, but together we had done 41 laps - I did 21 and Mr. W did 20. Pretty good for two of us, but well behind the top riders, including the Ono Yoko team who were impressive in finishing 25th out of 330 teams. Well done!

After the drive back home, I then had to ride back to Kasugai which is not so far, but pretty hard to go over that Moriyama hill with a sore knee.

By the end of the day, I had ridden over 150km - that's twice the distance I have ever ridden in one day in my life. It was a hard day, but well worth it and I look forward to doing it again. If you are keen, why not join us next time.

P.S. Hopefully I can post some nicer photos soon - maybe one with me or Mr. N in it.

Kiwi Music

2009-09-22T10:49:00.003+09:00

Great to get the comments about music. There are so many styles and varieties, and different songs seem more listen-able at different times. Kenny-G isn't so cool when driving fast, while Blink-182 probably doesn't really go down well when eating dinner with the Japanese Emperor.

As for other good NZ music, I've been a Kasu Guy for the past seven years, so you might want to check out this site for the latest sounds.

http://www.amplifier.co.nz/

Some musicians/bands from the past couple of decades:

Shihad http://www.shihad.com/

The Datsuns http://www.thedatsuns.com/

Steriogram http://www.steriogram.com/

Salmonella Dub http://www.salmonelladub.com/

Supergroove http://www.amplifier.co.nz/artist/2140/supergroove.html?full=1

The Exponents http://www.amplifier.co.nz/artist/14365/the-dance-exponents-.html

Bic Runga http://www.bicrunga.com/

Hayley Westenra http://www.hayleywestenra.com/

There are loads more......

Check out one of the radio stations in the link from the last posting for others and Kiwi-speak.

Take your music wherever you go.

What music are you in to?

2009-09-13T12:25:00.003+09:00

At the Wednesday and Thursday classes last week, we talked about different genres of music. There are many different styles and each of us has our own tastes. Although I like most kinds of music, here are some artists that I like and recommend if you don't already know them.

Queen http://www.queenonline.com/home (rock) **My all-time favorite band

Ladyhawke http://www.ladyhawkemusic.com/ (synthpop, indie rock) fresh music from New Zealand with an 80's pop flavor

Sting http://www.sting.com/ (pop, rock, adult contemporary) great voice from the UK

The Killers http://www.thekillersmusic.com/ (alternative rock) UK sound from Las Vegas

Concrete Blond http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_blond (alternative rock) nostalgia from the 80s and 90s

Joe Satriani http://www.satriani.com (guitar rock) one of the best guitarists ever. One of his recent tracks is used as the theme for カンブリヤ宮殿 on Monday nights, 10pm on TV Aichi

Split Enz http://www.frenz.com/splitenz/index.html (pop, new wave) New Zealand's best band ever - and the Finn brothers came from my hometown!

Crowded House http://www.crowdedhouse.com/s_home/index.php (pop rock) Formed by Splitz Enz leading members after the band split in 1984. Probably New Zealand's most well-known band overseas

I could go on, but there are too many.

http://www.nzradioguide.co.nz/

Here is a link to a list of radio stations in New Zealand. The listing under Format/Comments tells you what kind of station it is. You should be able to find one that's cool. Good chance to practise listening to some 'real' English, too.

http://www12.ocn.ne.jp/~usedcd69/

If you are looking for a great selection of music, visit my favorite CD store in Nagoya.

Keep on rockin'!!!!!

In Search of Kiwis

2009-09-09T22:12:00.003+09:00

Thanks for the comments.

Yes, Evel's stunts were really dangerous. I'm sure he couldn't get any life insurance. But he did what he loved doing and he always tried to improve on his last performance, although not always successful.

Kiwis.

Kiwis can't fly and are only found in New Zealand (although I did read that there are some at a zoo in Osaka). They are about the same size as a chicken, but have a long beak which they use to search for worms and insects in the ground.

Because they can't fly, they are any easy target for cats and dogs which are not native to NZ, so they are active at night time and sleep during the day. For this reason, unless you go to a zoo or bird park, it would be very difficult to see one in the wild. You can hear them, but you probably need night-scope goggles to see them. Also these days the number of kiwis is falling, so it is getting even more difficult to see them in the wild.

If you visit my hometown in NZ, I recommend taking a short drive to the Otorohanga Kiwi House. http://www.kiwihouse.org.nz/

But if you can't get to see a real live kiwi bird, why not visit Te Puke - the world's kiwifruit capital. http://www.tepuke.co.nz/

Was Evel Knievel Evil?

2009-09-04T21:28:00.004+09:00

Tuesday night students might remember I talked about Evel Knievel.

Was Evel Knievel evil? Well, not really.

Rather he was probably the most famous motorcycle daredevil from the late 1960s through to the early 1980s. He made many successful jumps, but he also had plenty of crashes - at times the number of broken bones got his name into the Guiness Book of World Records.

If you have time, go to You Tube and do a search to watch some of his succesful and not-so-successful jumps.

Unfortunately, Evel died two years ago, aged 69. But considering the number of injuries he had, he was probably luck to last that long.

So, evil? No. Crazy? Probably, but sometimes when you want to achieve something you have to be crazy to pull it off.

And for anything you do, remember that it's not important that you land safely, but rather that you have the courage to take off.

Go for it!

Protecting New Zealand's Nature

2009-09-04T21:23:00.003+09:00

Here is my mother's blog aboout her latest adventure. This Sunday she is going to Vietnam, so hopefully we will hear about that in a few weeks. Enjoy.

I have just returned from 5 fabulous days, working for the Department of Conservation, on Motuora Island. This is an 80 hectare island 5 kms off shore, on the east coast, just north of Auckland. The highest point on the island is 69 metres above sea level. The only permanent residents on the island are the manager and his wife.
The Motuora Restoration Society work with the Department of Conservation in restoring native values to the island. Each year about 25,000 plants are grown and planted by volunteers. The long term vision is for the island to be an open sanctuary and home to endangered species. Also, to date, there about 60 NZ brown Kiwi on the island, together with tuis, quail and pukeko.
Our job was to plant out native trees, help with weeding, and general maintenance. During our free time we walked round the coast and admired the many rock pools, and the volcanic structure of the cliffs.
The weather was perfect, but the forecast for the last day wasn't so good, so a water taxi was sent out in the morning, to get us back to the mainland before the predicted high winds and stormy weather arrived.
The 4 of us who went on this trip had a great time, and will look forward to returning to the island, at a later date, to see the progress made with all the plantings.

Dragon Boat Racing

2009-09-01T22:47:00.002+09:00

As I talked about this week, the Kelowna Dragon Boat Festival will be held this month. It's looks like it will be really exciting, so if you are keen to take part you've still got a couple of weeks to start training,... and find a boat.

If you want to know more about the festival in Kelowna, check out the official site:

http://www.kelownadragonboatfestival.com/

Or if you would rather visit New Zealand, have a look here:

http://www.dragonboat.org.nz/page/home.aspx

Dragon boat racing is held to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival (also known as Tuen Ng Festival). It is immensely popular in Hong Kong and attracts teams from all walks of life, including traditional fishermen. The races are held every year at locations throughout Hong Kong. The main races will be held on the Tuen Ng Festival Day, which falls on 16 Jun next year. Join the locals for a day at the races and you'll see why this is a must-attend event!

Maybe we could start a new tradition for the Kasugai Festival and have dragon boat racing on the lake in Ochiai Park. I'm sure it will make Kasugai famous just like cactus.

Report from New Zealand

2009-08-30T21:47:00.003+09:00

This is from my mother in NZ. She really loves hiking so she wrote about her recent hike for you all to read about.

During your Obon holiday, I went tramping with the Te Kuiti Tramping Club. We went to Pureora Forest Park. The weather was drizzly, but better than the heavy rain we had had for the last few days. After entering the bush, we encountered our first stream crossing. This was usually a trickle of water, which we could step across, but the rain had turned it into a tricky rock hop, to try and keep water out of our boots. Fortunately, we all managed ok.
The birds in the trees were also enjoying the better weather, as they sang away to us as we ventured through the bush. We saw robins, fantails, and heard the distinctive squawk of the kaka high up in the tops of the trees.
There were a number of hugh trees that had fallen across our path, so we had to climb over them. This made our progress rather slow. And a couple more stream crossing challenged us again. One was a bit too deep to walk through, but an old tree lay across it, so we, very carefully, slowly edged out way over. Once again we all made it safely, and ventured on through the bush.
But we finally reached a bigger river, which had turned into a raging torrent, and was not possible for us to cross. So there was only one thing for it. We had to turn round and walk back the same way we had come.
We all had a great day out, and are now looking forward to our next tramp.

Words of the Week - August 23

2009-08-23T16:59:00.003+09:00

After snapping that great photo of Mr. Lizard the other day, it reminded me of the idiom 'lounge lizard,' so I thought I'd offer some other animal-related idioms.

Lounge lizard - a man who frequents hotel lounges and bars looking for women who will provide for him.

Knee high to a grasshopper - an infant or small child; often used when recalling how small someone was in the past. Ex. someone talking to a 12-year old he or she hasn't seen for 10 years: "I haven't seen you since you were knee high to a grasshopper."

Look a gift horse in the mouth - having bad manners (e.g. complaining) when accepting something given to you. Ex. "You shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Most people had to pay $400 for their meals."

Monkey business - doing something against the rules, but not too serious. Ex. "You kids aren't up to any monkey business in there, are you?"

Early bird catches the worm - do something earlier than than expected will bring a reward, rather than putting off the task until later. Ex. "Going bike training at 5am means the roads are quite and the wind is not strong. As they say, the early bird catches the worm!"

Click on this link to see my early-worm catching ride this morning:

http://route.alpslab.jp/watch.rb?id=b18b4cef2f207d2993f579619be8b71c

Let's be nice to Lizards

2009-08-20T23:23:00.002+09:00

Thanks for the comment. When we were at Fushimi Inari, my son found a huge lizard. Maybe about 20cm long and really fat. An Italian lady walking past was surprised to see it and told us that there aren't any where she comes from.

Also, a few weeks ago when I took my son to the Toyota museum in Nagakute, we saw a small lizard with a green and blue tail - a very unusual color. When I was young living in NZ, we often found them in the garden after we had accidentally chopped off their tails. It's amazing how they can keep on running around. If I had my such a big body part chopped off me, I'm sure I would be dead.

Obon Over

2009-08-17T22:58:00.006+09:00

Obon week is over, so I had to go back to work today. Did you have a nice vacation?

Unfortunately the day we wanted to go to the beach, the weather report said it was going to rain, so we didn't go. Instead we went straight to Kyoto.

In Kyoto, we visited Fushimi Inari and Toei Movie Village. We had fun there, but I ate too much good food.

Now I'm looking forward to the next long holiday in next month.

Post a blog here about what you did during Obon.

Back on-line

2009-08-12T13:12:00.003+09:00

Hey there,

Due to the busy-ness of the world I haven't had enough time to blog. Please forgive me.

Seven years in Japan, I have found that after a typhoon passes, the weather is always beautiful. (I guess you have to take the bad with the good.) This week was no exception going by today's awesome weather. As you can see from the photo, this morning was blue sky perfect.

If you get out your microscope, you might see your house beyond the hills. The photo was taken from the observatory at the top of Mt. Mikuni on the border of Seto City and Gifu Prefecture. From here you can get a 360 degree view - Mt.Ibuki, Kasugai, Nagoya, Tajimi, etc.

If you want to escape the city (but still see it) take a trip out on the road from Seto - it's only an hour and a half by bike from Kasugai station.

Hope you each find your own way to enjoy the summer. For me, today was mountains; tomorrow the beach. Enjoy the outdoors.

Words of the Week - July 27th

2009-07-27T22:29:00.002+09:00

When is the rain going to stop? It's almost August, but I still don't feel like swimming. Maybe because I get so wet riding my bike to work in the rain everyday.

The first week of radio gymnastics started last week, but due to the rain, my children could only go twice. In New Zealand, there isn't anything like radio gymnastics. Maybe they should start seeing as New Zealand was ranked the 3rd fattest country in world behind the USA and Mexico.

Anyway, here are some words to play with this week.

Heebee-jeebees - (idiom) when a person or place makes you feel uncomfortable and a little scared.

"Walking through the cemetry at midnight gave me the heebee-jeebees."

Confidential - (adjective) something to be kept secret between the people concerned.
"This project is to be kept confidential until we get approval from the government."

Unparalleled - (adjective) something which cannot be matched or equalled.
"Tom is unparalleled in the world of chess."

Replies from Mark:

2009-07-25T12:32:00.001+09:00

1. The words 'creepy' and 'crawly' are both adjectives, but we combine the two in this way (sometimes using a hyphen) to talk about insects that creep or crawl along the ground, so becomes like a noun. The term also implies that we don't like them too much. Here are some other examples: http://www.uksafari.com/creepycrawlies.htm 2. Wetas can bite, but it is not common. They usually run away if they can. They are not poisonous, but a bite would feel like a scratch.

Do you like Creepy Crawlies?

2009-07-24T09:34:00.004+09:00

Outside my window I can hear the sound of cicadas - hundreds, maybe thousands, of them. Their sound is a sign of summer, but I wish they were a little less noisy or could sing a nicer song.

In Japan, many people, especially children, seem to like insects. And there are a lot of big size bugs, too. Even the ants are huge.

In New Zealand, people are not so keen on bugs, that's why we call them 'creepy crawlies'. There aren't very many big ones either.

The most famous big bug in New Zealand is a weta.

There are about 70 kinds of weta, but some are now endangered. They look similar to a grashopper, but bigger and scarier. The giant weta can be up to 10cm long. Wetas are nocturnal, which means they are active at night. I often saw wetas on the verandah of my parent's house in the evenings.

If you like bugs and get a chance to visit New Zealand, keep your eyes out for a weta.

By the way, thanks for the food sentences. Anymore?

Vocabulary

keen on - like or are interested in.

"I'm keen on going to the fireworks tomorrow."

endangered - in trouble

keep your eyes out for - try to see/find something

Wednesday Food Answers

2009-07-22T21:37:00.003+09:00

Good job today everyone.

All the talk about food made me hungry, so it was good to get home and have dinner. Tonight was yummy Omrice.

Please send your sentences by clicking on the 'Comment' button.

Here's a recipe for a great New Zealand dessert - Pavlova.

Ingredients:
4 large Egg Whites
1 tablespoon Water (warm)
1 teaspoon White Sugar
1 pinch Salt (a 'pinch' is just the amount you can pick up between your thumb and forefinger)
1 & 1/4 cup White Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
1 teaspoon Vinegar (white)

Directions:
Mix egg whites, water, sugar and salt and beat until very stiff.
Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff and shiny.
Add 1 or 2 tsp warm water if too stiff.
Add vanilla and vinegar and stir in.
Heat oven to 200C.

Put Pavlova mix onto an oven tray.

Turn down oven to 130C, then put the Pavlova in for about 1 1/2 hours.

Just before eating, cover with whipped cream and decorate with your favorite fresh fruit such as strawberries, peaches, kiwifruit, etc.

If you have time to try making a Pavlova, please try. It's very sweet, but really delicious.

Words of the Week - July 19th

2009-07-19T18:32:00.005+09:00

Here are some words for this week. How about making some sentences using them and blogging them to me?

Beginner II

Be into (verb) - interested in something, either as a hobby or a popular trend or fashion.

"These days I am into listening to old Sponge Bob Marley records."

Complicated (adjective) - something which is difficult to do or understand.

"The recipe for making Mabo-dofu toast is not complicated."

Thesaurus (noun) - a book containing synonyms of words, i.e. words with similar meanings.

"I used a thesaurus to find a different word meaning 'beginner'."

Medium I

Contemplate (verb) - to consider carefully about something.

"I am contemplating planting a coconut tree in my bathroom garden."

Easygoing (adjective) - calm, relaxed and friendly. Usually about a person's character, but can use for something that is not difficult to do, e.g. a flat hiking course.

"Harry is a very easygoing boss. As long as it's not everyday, he doesn't mind if workers arrive a few minutes late."

Accomplishment (noun) - something completed successfully.

"Eating 1,000 hotdogs in the World Hotdog Eating Championships was quite an accomplishment."

Medium II

Procrastinate (verb) - to put off doing something which you could do now.

"Tom procrastinated all week and had to stay up until 3am on the morning before the test to finish the essay."

Spontaneous (adjective) - to do something without giving prior thought or planning.

"There was spontaneous applause for the prime minister after he spoke about new tax cuts for monkey owners."

Legacy (noun) - something handed down or left unfinished from the past.

"Jack's legacy as the most outstanding worm wrangler in the USA lives on within the town in which he was born."

Beat the Heat

2009-07-18T22:16:00.002+09:00

Has the rainy season finished yet? I hope it does soon. Once it's over, then it will be summer. It is already getting hot and sticky. Hands up if you've started using your air-conditioner at home.

I like summer in Japan (and winter, spring and autumn) even though it's as sticky as natto. Okay, it's not so nice when you have to wear long pants and a neck tie, but most times those clothes are worn in an air-conditioned office. But on the other hand, summer is filled with kakigori, fireworks and swimming. Is there somewhere nearby where I can watch fireworks while I am in a pool? Eating kakigori l at the same time would be great, but will probably give me a stomachache.

You are probably wondering why there is a photo of myself waist-deep in snow when I am talking about summer. That photo was taken a long time ago, but when it gets really hot, I think of a time when it was really cold (this day was around -10 degrees) and it helps me feel cool. You might try remembering when you were a junior high school student sitting in your classroom with the broken heater in February. The only way to keep warm was by writing faster. In Japan, students are assigned a seat, but when I was a high school student in New Zealand we sat anywhere in the room. So on cold days, the first students in the room took the desks next to the heaters. Those who came late froze on the other side of the room. By the way, winter uniform was short pants.

Well, I hope you can find ways to beat the heat. Just remember to drink lots and eat chocolate out of the sun. Keep cool!

Give me punk music, not punk tires!

2009-07-17T23:56:00.000+09:00

Yesterday I wrote about how I am hooked on bike riding these days. It's exciting, healthly, great for the earth and on my wallet.

However, it rained AGAIN today. I rode my bike to work everyday during the rainy season and to be honest, I don't mind the rain. What I don't like about riding in the rain is having to wash my bike when I get home at night and wearing a plastic raincoat. But hopefully, today was the end of the rainy season in this area, so now we will have sunny blue skies every day until Christmas when it will snow for Santa.

But my trouble in the rain today was getting a puncture - not once, but twice! This morning, about 500 meters before my office I got the first puncture so I pushed my bike in the rain to the office. At lunchtime, I changed the tube. Then I was all ready for the ride home at 6pm. However, half way home, I got another puncture! What's going on today? I managed to put a little more air in to get me most of the way home, but had to walk the last 200 meters or so.

After dinner, I checked both tubes - the morning one had a hole in it. The afternoon tube was leaking air from the patch I put on about two months ago, so I was doomed to have two punctures in one day.

Well, now everything is fixed and my bike is clean. Hopefully it will stop raining tonight and I can get to the team ride tomorrow.

By the way, I've had enough rain for a while, so please don't wash your car or squash any spiders. These are bad luck things that bring rain. Can you tell me anything else that will make it rain?

PS. The picture above is of my bike near the top of Mt. Mikuni on the border of Seto City and Gifu Pref. Sorry the photo is on it's side. I'll find out how to turn it over next time.

Hooked on Bike Riding

2009-07-17T01:30:00.000+09:00

At the end of February this year, I bought a new bicycle. It is black crossbike made by Giant. In New Zealand I had a mountain bike. When I came to Japan this time I needed a bike to ride to my schools. I bought a one-speed beach cruiser style bike. It is very comfortable to ride.

However, I always wanted to ride more than just a few kilometers in town. So, finally this year I decided to buy a new bike. I decided to ride to work everyday to save money and get in shape. After I started riding my new bike, I was invited by hillclimb champion Naokki to come along to a team ride on Saturday mornings.

The first team ride was tough. I had never been so fast on a bike before. The others soon disappeared far ahead of me. Luckily, one other rider stayed with me and showed me the way back. Although that first team ride was hard work, I had a great time. Now each Saturday I try my best to stay with the others.

I also started looking for longer routes to get to my office, as well as riding at lunchtimes with another company worker. Now I am hooked on bike riding and travel about 300km a week. In September, I am going to take part in the Suzuka 8hour Enduro, so I need to keep training even though it is getting hot and sticky these days. If you see me on the road, please wave or give me some ice.

Vocabulary

hooked on - like to do something very much; addicted to; crazy about

crossbike - mountain bike frame with flat style handlebar, but has thinner tires for street riding

get in shape - do exercise to become healthy and/or lose weight

route - a way to get from one place to another

take part in - join; participate in

sticky - humid weather; your clothes stick to your body

Mark's Eikaiwa Blog Begins

2009-07-17T00:58:00.000+09:00

Welcome to Mark's Eikaiwa Blog!

During Tuesday's English class this week, I had an idea to create a blog to practice English.

I thought it might be useful to be able to improve your English by writing.

Sure, you could just write on a piece of paper, but then noone else can see it.

How about writing here and we can help each other.

You can write about anything, comment on other member's writing, or ask questions about what we studied at last week's class.

You don't have to write everyday or a really long story. Anything will be great. This is an extra place for you to practice English.

I will give you information about the blog at the next class. See you then.