San Francisco

The Wish Fish

The Twelve Days of Christmas, and other matters…

Today, we listened to the song The Twelve Days of Christmas. Most of the students didn't seem interested in learning about Christmas, so we didn't talk about why there are 12 days, when Christmas ends, and so on. Memorizing songs is a good way to learn a language, and The Twelve Days of Christmas is a good song to choose, because it features so much repetition.

There are no Premier League matches on Christmas Eve, so the last matches I know about are the Saturday matches. Manchester City won as usual, and so did Spurs. Chelsea drew their game, as did Manchester United, and Liverpool and Arsenal also played to a draw. Manchester City's lead is now at 13 points, I think.

There are a few good movies playing now. I recommend Miss Sloane, a story about a lobbyist, playing now at Denkikan. I also think Nocturnal Animals looks very interesting. Get Out also looks interesting, but I'm worried that it may be too frightening. You can check the timetable here.

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Twelve Days of Christmas, Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie), Paddington 2, and other matters…

Today, we watched three videos. One was The Twelve Days of Christmas song, the second was a 1972 performance of Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie, and the third was a trailer for Paddington 2, the sequel to the 2015 hit, Paddington.

The Twelve Days of Christmas is a very popular Christmas song in the west. It's a very useful song to learn, because it features a lot of repetition of the same pattern, e.g. twelve drummers drumming, eleven pipers piping, and nine ladies dancing. Furthermore, it features up to eleven repetitions of some phrases such as "and a partridge in a pear tree". I recommend that you try to memorize the song; it will help you master English phonology and grammar. (120 words)

The Musical Box, Ferdinand, and other matters…

Today we watched a live performance from 1973 of Genesis's The Musical Box. It was a very dynamic performance, featuring Peter Gabriel's theatrical performance and the musicians all in good form.

Then we watched the trailer for Ferdinand, a 20th Century Fox animated feature. It looks really good and it shows the kindness of a bull who is just assumed to be fierce because he is a bull.

Have you seen The Last Jedi? I hope to see it soon. In preparation, I saw Revenge of the Sith on video the other day. When it was released, it didn't make much of an impression on me—maybe I was tired of George Lucas's direction—but on reviewing it looked pretty good, and I could partly understand why Anakin changed so much.

If you are not familiar with Star Wars but want to watch the movies, try the Ernst Rister order.

[145 words]

The Musical Box, Ferdinand, and other matters…

Today we watched a music video and a movie trailer. The music video was a 1973 performance of The Musical Box by Genesis, and the movie trailer was the animated feature Ferdinand by ２０世紀狐.

As you may remember, Genesis was considered part of the progressive rock movement but was also the founder of the theatrical rock movement, and their music had a lot of elements of folk and British culture as well. Peter Gabriel had a great stage presence and was able to express a lot with his face. He also wore masks and various headgear. The Musical Box is one of Genesis's most famous songs, and it features a wide dynamic range, with some very quiet passages and also some very loud ones. As usual, the camera work is a little disappointing, with not enough attention paid to the hands of Steve Hackett, the guitarist. I would also like to see more of Phil Collins (the drummer) when playing the more busy passages.

Ferdinand is about a bull who is very peaceful and doesn't want to harm people or other animals. He lives in Spain, and people want him to take part in bullfights, but he refuses. One day, he is stung by a bee and goes wild, and people capture him because they are scared. The other animals set about trying to free him.

Last week, you may have heard that Manchester City visited Manchester United in the Premier League. Although Manchester United were at home, Manchester City won and extended their lead at the top of the table. This week, Manchester City played Tottenham. This time Manchester City won quite easily, and now everyone is saying that no-one can catch them.

[281 words]

The Last Jedi, New Year's Day, and other matters…

Episode 8
Daisy Ridley
Rian Johnson
Carrie Fisher

Today we watched two videos. One was a concert video of U2 performing New Year's Day at Slane Castle in Ireland. The performance was quite energetic. One problem is that the camera focuses too much on Bono, the vocalist, and not enough on The Edge's hands; I'd like to see his guitar technique more.

The other one was a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the latest Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie. I'm hoping to go and see it on an IMAX screen in Fukuoka.

Did you hear about the Premier League matches played this weekend? Things went very well for Manchester City. They won their match away against Manchester United. At the same time, Arsenal and Liverpool drew their matches, and Chelsea lost theirs, so Manchester City gained ground on all their rivals. If you look at the table, you can see how well they are doing. [154 words]

Order of adjectives

Please check this page on the order of adjectives.

New Year's Day, The Last Jedi, and other matters…

Episode 8

Today we watched a music video and also a promotion video for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which is Episode 8 of the saga. The music video was a live performance at Slane Castle in Ireland of New Year's Day, by U2. U2 is the most successful band ever in Ireland's history, and Slane Castle looks like a great place to have a concert. New Year's Day is a fan favorite, and the performance had a lot of energy. I think I need to use white to show the lyrics!

The promotion video for The Last Jedi was not a trailer; it featured interviews with Daisy Ridley, Carrie Fisher (who died after filming was finished), and some of the people who made the film. It looks quite exciting. The film starts on December 15th (this Friday!).

[135 words]

The Musical Box, by Genesis

Here is a video of Genesis performing The Musical Box, with lyrics!

Soon, The Star, and other matters…

Yes
Soon (from The Gates of Delirium)
Relayer
1975

The Star
Sony Pictures Animation

Today we watched two videos. The first one was the trailer for The Star, a new movie from Sony Pictures Animation. It's a Christmas story, told from "a different perspective". It looks very funny, but I wonder when it's coming to Japan? I hope it doesn't come in April or May but they manage to bring it here before Christmas!

Talking of movies coming before Christmas, next week What Happened to Monday is starting at Denkikan. If you get the chance, you should go and see it. Remember that it will play for only one week!

The second video was a Yes concert video from 1975. They performed Soon, the last part of The Gates of Delirium, a 20-minute song from their album Relayer.

[122 words]

My Podcast: Backstage Pass

Backstage Pass

“You know you shouldn't touch Stevie Helix's guitar, but you can't stop yourself. You look around again, then you grab it. The guitar feels so good in your hands—like it was made for you!”

I read Backstage Pass, another book in the Atama-ii Books series. It’s pretty exciting. Check it out!

The Final Year, Soon, and other matters…

Yes
Soon (from The Gates of Delirium)
Relayer 1974

Today we saw two videos. The first was the trailer for The Final Year, a documentary about the foreign policy team in the Obama administration in their final year in office. It covers things like the war in Syria and the time very near the end when the result of the presidential election was announced and they found out that Donald Trump would be the new president. That meant that the continuity they had hoped for, with Hillary Clinton as president, would not be possible.

The second video was a live concert video from 1975, with Yes performing Soon, the last part of The Gates of Delirium, the main track from their album Relayer. Although I added lyrics to the video, I'm worried that people may not have been able to read them. So I post them below.

The Gates of Delirium, Close to the Edge, and Awaken are three of Yes's epic songs. Although you may not be used to such long songs, I recommend that you try listening to them sometime. Like 1970s movies, they take some time to get used to but are rewarding if you put in the effort.

Soon, oh soon the light 

Pass within and soothe this endless night

And wait here for you

Our reason to be here

Soon, oh soon the time

All we move to gain will reach and calm

Our heart is open

Our reason to be here

Long ago, set into rhyme

Soon, oh soon the light

Ours to shape for all time, ours the right

The sun will lead us

Our reason to be here

[191 words]

Peter Rabbit, and other matters…

Rose Byrne
Domhnall Gleeson
Daisy Ridley

Today we also saw the trailer for Peter Rabbit, a new movie by Sony Pictures Animation. I'm not sure when it will be released in the US, not to mention Japan, but it looks like a lot of fun. Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson, and Daisy Ridley are some of the voice actors who feature in the movie.

December looks like being an exciting month for movies. On December 9th, Seven Sisters begins at Denkikan. On the same day, Miss Sloane also begins.

[81 words]

Dancing with the Moonlit Knight, and other matters…

Genesis
1974

Today we watched a video of Genesis performing Dancing with the Moonlit Knight. The video was from 1974, and the picture and sound were quite bad. But I enjoyed seeing them play. Unlike most videos of Genesis from that period, the camera sometimes showed Steve Hackett playing the guitar.

In British politics, arguments are still continuing over Brexit. The main problem being discussed now is how to ensure trade between the UK and Ireland. While the UK is in the EU, trade is easy. But after Brexit, there has to be a border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

[97 words]

Olympic Adventure

Peter Rabbit, and other matters…

Peter Corden
Rose Byrne

Today we also watched the trailer for Peter Rabbit, a movie that is "coming soon". It looks extremely funny. It is mixed animation and live action. Peter Corden does the voice of Peter Rabbit. Other voices are done by Rose Byrne, Daisy Ridley, and Domhnall Gleason. It seems to me that animation is a very creative field now. There always seem to be new twists.

In football news, both Manchester United and Manchester City won at the weekend. Manchester City maintain their 8-point lead at the top. Chelsea and Liverpool drew, which is probably good news for the Manchester teams.

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Dancing with the Moonlit Knight, and other matters…

Genesis (1973)
Peter Gabriel

progressive rock
theatrical rock

Today we listened to Dancing with the Moonlit Knight by Genesis, watching their live performance. It is from their album Selling England by the Pound. That was their last album before The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, after which Peter Gabriel left the group. We could see one of Peter Gabriel's costumes. Genesis was my second favorite group of the time.

Check them out if you get the chance.

[72 words]

The Inch Prince

Incredibles 2 and other matters…

Today we also watched the teaser trailer for Incredibles 2. It was a teaser trailer because the movie is not completed yet. It is scheduled to be released next year in the U.S., and probably won't be too far behind in Japan. However, I'm worried that the subtitled version won't be released in Kumamoto, as that has been the case with several recent Pixar movies.

You can see all a list of all Pixar's long films here. My favorites are Monsters Inc and Toy Story 2. [85 words]

Forever My Girl, and other matters…

Today we watched the trailer for Forever My Girl, a movie written and directed by Bethany Ashton Wolf and starring Alex Roe and Jessica Rothe. It's about a country singer who calls off a wedding to go and tour and become famous, but can't forget his old girlfriend. When he visits his hometown, he finds that he has a daughter. He has to decide what things are most important in his life. The movie will be released in the U.S. early in 2018. I'm not sure when it will be released in Japan. It looks interesting so hopefully Denkikan will show it. [102 words]

The Incredibles 2, and other matters…

Today we watched the trailer for The Incredibles 2. It is of course the sequel to The Incredibles, and the director, Brad Bird, is the same. (Brad Bird has also directed Ratatouille, The Incredibles, and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.) The movie is not yet finished, so the trailer is just a teaser, but it looks very funny. The Incredibles was one of my favorite of the Pixar movies, losing out only to Toy Story 2 and Monsters Inc. The cast includes Samuel Jackson and Holly Hunter, Samuel Jackson is one of Hollywood's top actors, and is well-known for The Avengers. Holly Hunter has played fewer roles but is a great actress. [111 words]

Turn of the Century

Today we watched a concert video of Yes performing Turn of the Century. It's about a sculptor who creates a statue of his wife. She dies in the winter, but the statue comes to life (maybe) or at least enables him to remember his wife.

Recently, there have been some international football matches. England played Germany and Brazil, the number 1 and number 2 teams in the FIFA rankings, and drew 0 – 0 each time. Although the lack of goals is not so exciting, in general English people are happy because our defence has improved; usually we would lose to such strong teams.

In the Premier League, Manchester City are still winning every game. Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal all won at the weekend. Paul Pogba, United's star midfielder, is back in the team, so United look much stronger than they have done the last few weeks.

I spent a few days in Montana last week. I met the governor and lieutenant governor and many state officials and university officials. The food was very good there, and we had beef steak two or three times. The university meals we had there were all made from food sourced in Montana. The beer in Montana is also very good. [206 words]

Yes: Turn of the Century, and other matters…

Turn of the Century (1977)

Today we watched a concert video of Yes performing Turn of the Century. There was a video playing at the back of the stage telling the story. Turn of the Century is one of Yes's most beautiful songs, I think, and the lyrics are some of the most understandable. It features a lot of acoustic guitar and piano. It starts and ends very quiet but there is a much louder interval in the middle. The song is about 8 minutes long. We also saw some pictures of Roger Dean's album covers and some buildings that he designed.

Did you hear that England won the World Cup? It was the Under-17s. They beat Spain 5–2 in the final. Although the England senior team has not done well for many years, people are very happy about the younger teams and they hope that they will continue to improve and transform the fortunes of the senior team in a few years. (157 words)

Roundabout, Blade Runner 2049, and other matters…

Yes
Roundabout (1971)

Today we listened to Roundabout by Yes. It was their performance at the Rock & Roll hall of fame ceremony earlier this year. Chris Squire, the bassist, died the year before last, so he was replaced on stage by Geddy Lee, the bassist and lead singer of Rush. Jon Anderson, the vocalist, is now 72 years old, but he looked and sounded good. He has been touring this year with Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman.

In the Premier League, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Liverpool all won their matches. Crystal Palace earned a draw, and Leicester City, who were in the relegation zone a couple of weeks ago, won. In Spain, Real Madrid lost.

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Elton John, and other matters…

Elton John (England)
Candle in the Wind
Bennie and the Jets

Today we watched three music videos. They were all by Elton John. One of them was Candle in the Wind, a studio version with lyrics, and the other two were Bennie and the Jets, one a studio version with lyrics and the other a live version from 2003.

In the Premier League, both Merseyside clubs are having problems. Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool are having problems defending, while Everton are now down in the relegation zone. Manchester City and Manchester United are leading, but Manchester United are having a bad period now, with a draw in their match against Liverpool, an unconvincing victory against Benfica and then on Saturday a loss against Huddersfield. Last week, Craig Shakespeare, the manager of Leicester City, was sacked. Who will be next?

[125 words]

Elton John, and other matters…

Candle in the Wind
Bennie and the Jets
Elton John (England)

Today, we watched music videos again, this time by Elton John. We saw a video with lyrics of Candle in the Wind, the song about Marilyn Monroe. (A later version is about Diana, Princess of Wales.) Then we saw a video with lyrics of a livelier song, Bennie and the Jets, followed by a live performance of the same song. I always find it interesting to watch rock music performed by a band where the singer is neither a guitarist nor a straight vocalist. Elton John has to perform like a "frontman" while playing the piano. Another interesting example is The Eagles, where the drummer is the lead singer. (Genesis after the departure of Peter Gabriel is a little bit similar, but they brought in a backup drummer, with Phil Collins playing drums only in some songs.)

In the Premier League, there were some heavy defeats for traditionally top sides. Everton lost 2–5 to Arsenal, and Liverpool lost 1–4 to Tottenham. The biggest shock of the weekend was Manchester United's 1–2 defeat at the hands of Huddersfield. The manager Jose Mourinho was very angry afterwards.

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Neil Young

Do you know Neil Young? He's a Canadian singer and musician. (He's not young any more, though.) Heart of Gold is one of his most famous songs:
https://youtu.be/Eh44QPT1mPE?t=1m44s

Daffodil Lament, and other matters…

Today we watched videos of The Cranberries again. This time the song was Daffodil Lament. We first saw the lyrics and then we saw a live performance. I like the first part of the song best, because the vocal is very powerful.

Have you been following any of the football news? Last week some international matches took place, and England and Ireland had good results. This week the Premier League started again. Manchester City had a great result, and Chelsea had a bad result, losing to Crystal Palace. Arsenal also lost. Manchester United and Liverpool played to a 0–0 draw. Now Manchester City at the top, followed by Manchester United, Spurs, and Watford.

At the bottom of the table, Crystal Palace now have some points! The bottom features one team, Everton, who are usually in the top 6, as well as Leicester, the champions two years ago.

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I Still Do, Ridiculous Thoughts, and other matters…

Today we saw some more Cranberries videos. First we listened to I Still Do. That was the first song on The Cranberries' first album. Actually, it's still my favorite one. I really like the mystical, ethereal sound. Unfortunately, there don't seem to be any good live recordings of that song. After that, we watched a video with lyrics of Ridiculous Thoughts, followed by a live performance of the same song. The live performance was in Germany, and the audience wasn't as lively as in some other countries.

The Cranberries have only four major albums, Everybody Else Is Doing It So Why Don't We?, No Need to Argue, To the Faithful Departed, and Bury the Hatchet, plus a few others with a mixture of original songs and new versions of old songs.
(130 words)

Zombies, and other matters…

The Cranberries (Ireland) 1990s

Today we watched a video showing Zombie, one of the most famous songs by the Cranberries, a famous Irish group from the 1990s. Actually, we watched two videos. The first was the promotional video, with lyrics (in English and Spanish); the second was a live performance in Paris. I've heard the song so many times now that it doesn't have such an effect on me, but I remember when I first heard it. I had missed most of the 1990s music from the UK, but in about 2010 I heard some nice music playing in Tsutaya in Kengun. I asked the staff what it was, and they showed me the CD. After that I checked out all their CDs. I like their first two albums best, but many of the songs look good in old gigs.

In football, the World Cup qualifying campaigns are coming to an end. England has qualified, and so has Northern Ireland. Scotland has failed. Ireland and Wales will play soon to decide who qualifies from their group. England didn't lose any games in their group, but everyone found their games quite boring and of low quality. (190 words)

Zombie, and other matters…

Today we watched a video of a live performance of Zombie by the Cranberries. The Cranberries are a group from Ireland who were very popular in the 1990s. Their most famous songs are Dreams and Zombie. Dreams was used in the movie You Got Mail and various other movies and TV shows. Zombie is not widely used elsewhere, but it's probably their most popular song when performed live.

Hidden Figures is playing in Hikari no Mori now, but I don't know if I'll have time to go and see it. In the states, Blade Runner 2049 has opened. According to the critics, it's an excellent movie. I wonder when it will come to Japan.

Annihilation, and other matters…

Alex Garland: Ex Machina, Sunshine, 28 Days Later
Natalie Portman

Today we watched the trailer for Annihilation. It's a science fiction/suspense move that will be released next February in the US. I'm not sure when it will come to Japan. It stars Natalie Portman, of Leon and Black Swan fame, and Oscar Isaac, who also appeared in Alex Garland's previous film, Ex Machina.

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BR 2-03

Hundreds of years pass. The people of Edin become rich and free, but the people in New Edin stay poor. They are not happy.
The people there start to call their land "Vinia" again. They want to be rich and free, like the Edinese.
Soon, there are angry Vinians in the streets.

Immortal Empire, by Marcos Benevides

This was my third time to read Immortal Empire, a book written by Marcos Benevides, who is also the editor of the Atama-ii Books series. I read only one or two paths each time, so every time I get some surprises. I think this is the best of all the Atama-ii books; in the other books, usually my choices decide whether I survive or die, get lucky or unlucky, and so on. In Immortal Empire, I am a god, so what I do decides the fate of an empire and even the world.
The book makes us reflect on the nature of freedom, and on war and peace. If I make my people peaceful, they may be killed by rival warlike empires. If I make them warlike, they may become cruel and make other people miserable. If I make them free and interested in learning, they may stop believing in me. Each choice has long-term consequences with ethical implications.

VOCABULARY

destroy: 破壊する
immortal: 不死の

Benevides, M. (2015). Immortal empire. Tokyo, Japan: Atama-ii Books.

Annihilation, and other matters…

Today we watched the trailer for Annihilation, a movie starring Natalie Portman and directed by Alex Garland, who also directed Ex Machina. It appears to be set on Earth at the time of some kind of alien visitation or invasion. Natalie Portman plays a military officer who makes contact with the aliens. She has some kind of communication with them. The atmosphere is very tense and scary. Maybe it's a bit like Arrival, but with a hint of Aliens.

I just took a look through the list of upcoming movies, and War for the Planet of the Apes and Atomic Blonde are coming this month. Check 'em out!

[107 words]

BR 2-02: Backstage Pass

You know you shouldn't touch Stevie Helix's guitar, but you can't stop yourself. You look around again, then you grab it. The guitar feels so good in your hands—like it was made for you! Maybe you can play just one song…You look at the costume cart. It has costumes for the backup musicians. I'll put on a costume, you think. Then people will think I'm a backup guitarist, and they will leave me alone.

In this book, I go to a Martians gig with my friend, Julie. She arranges a diversion so that I can go backstage. And when I do go, I borrow Stevie Helix's guitar without permission! What will happen if a security guard sees me?

Backstage Pass, by Lesley Ito (Atama-ii Books)

I hear that one of the backup guitarists is ill. Maybe I will get my chance?
As with the other Atama-ii books, there are several points in the story where you have to make important choices. If you make the wrong choices, you could end up in prison, or even dead. Other times, nothing bad happens, but things don't go so well, or there is a boring ending.

Vocabulary

riff: 反復楽句, a short, repeated instrumental piece of a longer song
jam: to play music together casually

Ito, L. (2014). Backstage pass. Florida: Atama-ii Books.

Backstage Pass (アタマイイシリーズ Book 4) (English Edition) 著者 : Lesley Ito Atama-ii Books 発売日 : 2015-09-21 ブクログでレビューを見る»

Movies in summer and autumn

Every year seems to have movie cycles. In the US, movies that are aiming for Academy Awards tend to be released in the autumn. Other movies that aim to get very large audiences are often released in the summer vacation or just before the winter vacation.
The difference between US and Japan release dates makes things a bit complicated. Some of the very biggest movies are released at the same time in both countries. But smaller movies tend to be released several months later in Japan. In the first half of the year, movies showing in Japan are often movies that won Academy Awards for the previous year.
Anyway, there are usually some big movies showing in both the winter and summer vacation, both Hollywood movies and local productions. Sometimes, the same movies show for a very long time on a large number of screens, meaning that there is a lack of variety.
This past summer, Wonder Woman was one of the biggest movies. I enjoyed it, though I do have a bit of superhero movie fatigue now. I think Fanny's Journey was actually more enjoyable. This autumn, It and Wind River are two of the Hollywood hits. I'm not sure when they are coming to Japan, though.
[205 words]

BR 2-01: Brainstorm

For this operation, you will use your new nanobots, the Mark 5 series. The Mark 5's are the newest and most powerful nanobots in the world.
The Mark 5's can find and fix sick cells by themselves. They can even make more nanobots if some are damaged.
The operation room is locked.…Nanobots are too small to see, so you must be careful. If they got out into the world, it could be a problem.

I am a famous scientist, and I have invented nanobots used in surgery to cure patients. But something strange happens when I perform an operation: the nanobots start multiplying rapidly. I need to decide whether to terminate the operation or try to get control over the multiplying nanobots. Then I find different kinds of nanobots. Where are they from? If the creators find out that I know, will I be safe? As with the other stories in this series, there are many difficult choices to make. Your fate is in your own hands!
(173 words)

Vocabulary

nanobot: a very small robot (nano = 十億分の1)
self-destruct: to destroy oneself

Boon, A. (2015). Brainstorm (Atama-ii Books). Tokyo, Japan: Atama-ii Books.

My summer vacation

In the summer vacation, I didn't really have much holiday. I had some intensive courses to teach, so I spent much of my time preparing for them and teaching them. One of the courses was a two-week intensive English course at PUK and in Aso. The course was fun, but it was rather tiring.

I didn't go anywhere for a trip, but I did have a conference in Matsue in Shimane. It was a very pleasant town, and I found time to take a boat trip.

I also found time to see a couple of movies: Wonder Woman, Fanny's Journey, and Dunkirk. You have probably heard of Wonder Woman, another superhero movie but this time with a female star. It was very good, but I'm a little tired of superhero movies.Fanny's Journey is a French movie set near the end of the Second World War. It's about some children who run away from the German invaders to get to Switzerland, which is a neutral country and safe for them. Dunkirk is another Second World War movie, about British and French soldiers trying to get away from the German army on the French coast to England. [193 words]

NOTES

If you forget your student card, please get a paper from the kyoumuka and bring it to me on the day in question or in the following week's class. I will adjust the attendance records I get from the kyoumuka accordingly.

Note that posts after August 8th can be counted in Aug/Sept/Oct.

Types of posts

Book reviews

As a general guideline, you should read a book and write a review every week for homework. (Sometimes, we may write an extra one in class.) The total required is about 15. Since you have had lots of practice writing book reviews, you are expected to write better reviews. Include a properly formatted quotation, a picture of the cover, and a properly formatted reference (Who. When. What. Where.). (Note that there is a period after each of the 4 elements as well as one space between elements.)
If you forget to do book reviews in September/October/November, you can catch up in December or January, but you will need to write much more, because of the month multiplier:
September/October book reviews will be counted as 1.5 each;
November book reviews as 1;
December book reviews as 0.75;
and January book reviews as 0.5.

If you are worried about your grade, write more and better book reviews:

1. Write a longer quotation, being careful to copy accurately;
2. Write more about your opinion regarding the book, being careful to use your own words and avoiding “hidden quotations”.
3. Include a vocabulary list. 

Diary (not “Dairy”!) posts

As a general guideline, you should write something about your daily lives once a week.

Juppun ha Juubun

We will continue to do this at the beginning of the class. Please continue to track the number of words you have been writing.

Writing exercises

We will sometimes do writing exercises in class. Even when the exercises are on paper, you can write some of them in your blog.

Dictogloss/Relay dictation

We will do these in class sometimes. The purpose of these exercises is to give you models to use in your own writing. Please make the effort to remember some of the phrases.

Typing homework

If you didn’t finish the typing homework during the summer vacation, try to do it as soon as possible. This will reduce the amount of work you need to do in the middle and at the end of the semester. More importantly, it will speed up your typing, making other assignments easier to do.

Essays

There will be some essay assignments during the semester. You will write each essay in stages. These stages may include writing lists or short paragraphs and responding to comments. These stages are very important for enabling you to write a competent essay.

CAUTIONS

In the spring semester (Writing III), several students failed or came close to failing. (This year was the first time that has happened.) Here are some minimum requirements to avoid the same result this semester:

1. Write at least 3 posts a week;
2. Make sure that you have more than 10 posts each month (August/September/October is considered one month;
3. Write at least 8,000 words in total this semester;
4. Make sure you don’t fail during and after the 託麻祭 period. In past years, students who have failed have stopped blogging or stopped attending class during that time.

Note that these are minimum requirements. For example, 10 posts a month is not satisfactory performance. But fewer than 10 posts in any month is likely to cause you to fail.

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2nd semester schedule

1: September 25th

2: October 2nd

3: October 9th

4: October 16th

5: October 23rd

6: October 30th

7: November 13th

8: November 20th

9: November 27th

10: December 4th

11: December 11th

12: December 18th

13: December 25th

14th: January 15th

15th: January 22nd

My dream trip: Taiwan

I want to go Taiwan, because I like Taiwan food. And also I interested to Chinese language. I'm going to go to there with my friend later this year. My friend like this country. Recently, we went to Taiwan foods restaurant. The restaurant near by my University. It was very delicious. When we eating, we said, "I want to go there early!"

My dream trip

I want to go Hawai, because it's beautiful sea and delicious food, so I'm going go to Hawai with my friend next year.

My trip to Korea

I went to Korea with my friend last year. It was my first oversea trip. However, we lost us way, and we could not get us hotel. But the elderly woman helped us. She spork English, so we could talk.

My trip to Tokyo

I went to Tokyo with my friend. We went there two day. First day, We went to Asakusa. We were going to ride Jinriki car, but it was rainy, so We wasn't ride.
We walked around eating many kind of food. For example, Ice, Senbei, and Daigaku imo.

The Big Sick, and other matters…

Kumail Nanjiani
Zoe Kazan
Holly Hunter
Ray Romano

Today we watched the trailer for The Big Sick, a movie starring Zoe Kazan as Emily Gordon, and Kumail Nanjiani as himself. It is based on the true story of their romance. Many critics say that it is one of the best romcoms (romantic comedies) for many years. It has a 97% "fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes.

There are many interesting movies playing now or coming soon to Kumamoto. Currently playing at Denkikan are Free Fire, Manchester by the Sea, and The Salesman, and next week The Founder (the movie about the beginning of McDonald's) and Personal Shopper (with Kristen Stewart) will begin. At the big cinemas, Spiderman and Dunkirk will come soon.

[112 words]

The Big Sick, and other matters…

The Big Sick

Kumail Nanjiani
Zoe Kazan
Holly Hunter
Ray Romano

Today we watched the trailer for The Big Sick, a movie produced by Judd Apatow and starring Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, and Kumail Nanjiani. The characters played by Kumail Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan are dating, but then Kumail's family arranges for him to meet a girl from Pakistan for an  arranged marriage. When Zoe finds that out she leaves him, but then she has an accident and falls into a coma. Kumail goes to see her, and then… I'm not sure what happens next. The movie looks like a lot of fun. It has a 97% favorable rating on Rotten Tomatoes. According to Richard Roper at the Chicago Sun-Times, "It is funny and smart and wise and silly, it is romantic and sweet and just cynical enough, and it is without a doubt one of the best romantic comedies I have seen in a long time." According to the Guardian, "The Big Sick is a welcome jolt, briefly bringing [the romantic comedy] back to life with depth and wit."

[170 words]

End of term

Deadline for all assignments: The day before the final test

• Finish your trip essay and essay rewrite
• Review all my comments and make sure there aren't any major problems with your blog

Some common problems:

• Missing items from the sidebar (e.g. tags)
• missing wordcount for Juppun ha Juubun
• fewer than 10 posts in any month
• unmarked quotes from book reviews
• ignored comments

CHECK 6

I went to Sapporo last year. There was fun.

CHECK 5

I often go to Fukuoka, I like that city.

CHECK 4

Two weeks ago, I went to go to Osaka.

CHECK 3

I want to go Tokyo.

CHECK 2

I often make errors of articles.

CHECK 1

I like watching movies. For example, Underworld series and Harry Potter series.

The Only Living Boy in New York, and other matters…

Pierce Brosnan
Kate Beckinsale
Callum Turner
Kiersey Clemons
Jeff Bridges

Today we watched the trailer for The Only Living Boy in New York, a movie directed by Mark Webb, and starring Callum Turner, Jeff Bridges, and Kate Beckinsale.

The movie won't be arriving in Japan for a long time, I think. Movies that are here now or coming soon are John Wick Chapter 2, The Founder, Anne of Green Gables, and Personal Shopper. Also, Wonder Woman is coming soon.

The Premier League season will start on August 12th, so there's only one month to go. It looks like Rooney will be playing at Everton again. Manchester United have been linked with a lot of new players, and Lukaku (from Everton) has been confirmed.

[111 words]

The only living boy in New York, Underworld: Blood Wars, and other matters

Kate Beckinsale
Jeff Bridges

Today we watched The Only Living Boy in New York, a movie starring Jeff Bridges and Kate Beckinsale. Then we watched another Kate Beckinsale movie, Underworld: Blood Wars, which is the 5th movie in the Underworld series.

As the title suggests, the theme song for The Only Living Boy in New York is the Paul Simon song. The adventure starts when Thomas goes out to dinner with his friend Mimi. They see Thomas's father having dinner with Johanna (Kate Beckinsale) and Thomas decides to follow her to find out who she is. But it looks like he falls in love with her, which leads to some complications!

I hope the movie comes to Kumamoto, perhaps Denkikan? I also want to watch Blood Wars, but first I need to see the third and fourth movies in the series.

[135 words]

The Jigsaw Puzzle

"Quickly, you must hide!" he said. "Get inside the house. The soldiers are coming!"
Edmund's father ran inside.
"Quickly!" shouted Edmund. "We must help my father to hide. The soldiers mustn't find him."

As often happens, the children are in some danger here. Will the soldiers kill them

if they don't reveal Edmund's father's hiding place? The soldiers are checking the floor and the walls. Will they find Edmund's father anyway? Is there any way for him to get away?

Hunt, R. (2003). The Jigsaw Puzzle. Oxford University Press.

Vocabulary

smash down: 打ち破る

Blade Runner, Blade Runner 2049, and other matters…

Blade Runner: made in 1982; Director: Ridley Scott; Star: Harrison Ford
Blade Runner 2049: made in 2017; Director: Denis Villeneuve; Stars: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford

Today we watched the trailer for the original Blade Runner movie from 1982, set in the dystopian world of 2019, followed by the trailer for Blade Runner 2049. Whereas the original Blade Runner, based on Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, was directed by Ridley Scott, the new Blade Runner was directed by the young French-Canadian superstar Denis Villeneuve. Both movies feature Harrison Ford, but the star of the new one is Ryan Gosling.

In football news, Germany got a surprise victory over Spain in the world Under-21 championship. Germany's senior team also won the Confederations Cup, beating Chile in the final.

[105 words]

Lost in the Jungle

Suddenly they fell into a big net. It pulled them up in the air.
"Oh help!" called Anneena. "We're in a trap."
The children were hanging in the net. The net was a trap to catch animals.
"Help! Help!" called the children.
"Let us down!" called Kipper.

Is this the end of the road for the children? Will their amazing luck finally run out? Can the magic key extricate them from this perilous situation, or will the net block
the magic?

This story features monkeys, snakes, alligators, and a mysterious lost city. I heartily recommend it to you!


Hunt, R., & Brychta, A. (2011). Lost in the jungle. Oxford University Press.

Vocabulary

paddle: 櫂
throne: 王座

Blade Runner 2049 and other matters…

Novel: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?;  Author: Philip K. Dick
Movie: Blade Runner (1982);  Director: Ridley Scott   Star: Harrison Ford

Movie: Blade Runner 2049      Director: Denis Villeneuve  Stars: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford

Today we watched the trailer for the original Blade Runner movie, followed by the trailer for the new Blade Runner 2049. The original Blade Runner trailer was more than 3 minutes long, showed many scenes from the movie, and didn't have much suspense. The new trailer is 1' 40". It starts with a long scene in which Ryan Gosling is walking through desert, very warily approaching a ruin of some kind. When he gets inside, a voice says, "I used to have your job," then Harrison Ford appears with his gun pointed at Ryan Gosling. Gosling replies, "Things were simpler then," and the trailer ends.

Denis Villeneuve is one of the most interesting directors working today, Ryan Gosling is one of the most interesting actors, and Harrison Ford is still good. The original Blade Runner is considered a classic, it helped inspire many dystopian movies, and it launched the career of Harrison Ford, so maybe I'll watch the original then go to the cinema to see the new one.

[168 words]

Personal Shopper, 20th Century Women, and other matters…

Today we watched two movie trailers. One of them was for a movie that is playing now (but will end its run this Friday) and the other was for a movie that will start its run at the end of July. 20th Century Women stars Annette Bening and Elle Fanning, and Personal Shopper stars Kristen Stewart.

The Grenfell Tower fire has led to inspections of many other tower blocks in the UK. They have found that 60 blocks use the same flammable material as Grenfell Tower, so probably the cladding will have to be removed and replaced with safer material.

In the European Under-21 tournament, England will play Germany in the semifinals.

[111 words]

Personal Shopper, and other matters…

Today we watched the trailer for Personal Shopper, with Kristen Stewart. I like Kristen Stewart very much. I thought she did a great job in Snow White and the Huntsman, and I really liked her in Clouds of Sils Maria. (I haven't seen the Twilight movies.)  In Personal Shopper, she appears to be employed by a famous actress just to buy clothes and other things for the actress. But one day she decides to become less self-effacing and she dresses in the actress's clothes. It looks like she commits a crime. The movie starts playing at the end of July at Denkikan.

In the UK, the Conservative Party has still not made a deal with the DUP to form a government, but it looks like that could happen very soon.

In the Confederations Cup, Germany, Portugal, and Chile have got through to the semifinals.

143 words

Land of the Dinosaurs (ORT)

Another dinosaur was coming and it looked very fierce.
"Let's get out of here," yelled Chip.
Biff took a photograph.
"Come on," yelled Chip, "don't stop for that. This one could eat us!" They began to run away. Wilf's other shoe came off in the mud. Suddenly, the key began to glow.
"Just in time!" said Chip.
(pp. 19-21)

The children go through a magic door into the land of the dinosaurs. They see dinosaurs' eggs and an apatosaurus, then they are chased by a very dangerous dinosaur. They take many photos so that they can show their parents where they have been…but unfortunately there is no film in the camera!

Hunt, R. (2011). Land of the dinosaurs. Oxford University Press.

[113 words]

Juppun ha Juubun update

My Cousin Rachel, and other matters…

Daphne du Maurier
Cornwall, southwest England, Cornish pasty
Rachel Weisz
Sam Claflin

Today we watched the trailer for My Cousin Rachel, a new movie based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier. The story is set in du Maurier's home county of Cornwall, and it seems to have been filmed there, too, so we can see Cornwall's beautiful scenery.

Did you hear about the Grenfell Tower disaster in London? A tower block of flats caught fire, and the fire spread in just a few minutes, leading to many, many deaths. Now, about 58 people are missing. The Prime Minister and the Queen have visited the site. They are trying to decide what to do to house all the people who have lost their homes.

Did you hear the England won the Under-20 championship? Yeah!

[120 words]

Robin Hood (ORT)

Biff and Wilma went to the pantomime. They went with Wilma's mum. They had a friend called Anneena. Anneena went to the pantomime with them.

Today I read Robin Hood, a Stage 6/7 book in the Oxford Reading Tree series. As shown in the quotation above, the story starts with the children going to the pantomime to see a play about Robin Hood. The next day, they make a song
about Robin Hood, and while they are singing it the magic key begins to glow and they are taken back to the Nottinghamshire woods in the 12th century, where they meet Robin Hood and his men. Unfortunately, they are captured by the sheriff and his men—except for Biff, who has gone off to explore. He manages to free Robin Hood and his men, and the children, and they move to a different part of the forest. Then the magic key begins to glow, and the children go back home.

Juppun ha Juubun update

My Cousin Rachel, and other matters…

Daphne du Maurier
My Cousin Rachel, written in 1951
Rachel Weisz
Sam Claflin
Roger Michell (director)

Today, we watched the trailer for My Cousin Rachel, a new movie starring Rachel Weisz and Sam Claflin, who plays Philip. Philip learns from letters from his guardian that Rachel, his guardian's wife, is controlling him and causing his death. After he dies, Philip decides to get revenge on Rachel. When she comes to visit, however, he finds her very attractive and begins to change his mind about her. What is the truth about Rachel? Daphne du Maurier is from Cornwall in England, and she also wrote The Birds and Rebecca, both of which have been made into movies.

Last Wednesday, England played a friendly match against France. France won 3–2. In general, the England midfield was overrun. People feel rather dissatisfied with how the game went and are looking for more progress from the team.

[135 words]

The 4 Elements of a Reference

 

 

1. The author. 
2. The year of publication.
3. The title of the book.
4. The location and name of the publisher.

Each of the 4 elements is ended with a period and one space. (After the last one, you don't need a space, but you DO need a period.

1. To make sure a reference is findable in a list, write the surname (family name) first. In this case, the author is Violet Findley, so we write:
   Findley, V.
2. The year of publication is 2006. Write:
   (2006). 
3. Write the title. Sometimes titles are written in ALL CAPS on book covers, but that is just a design matter, so don't copy it. Ideally, you should use italics for the title.
4. The location is New York, NY and the publisher is Scholastic, so write:
   New York, NY: Scholastic.

So this book is written:

 

Findley, V. (2006). The Gingerbread Man. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Hansel & Gretel (We Both Read)

Hansel and Gretel woke the next morning to the sound of a pretty white bird singing sweetly on the bough of a tree. The bird seemed to tell them to follow him.
When the bird had finished his song, he spread his wings and flew away.
Hansel and Gretel followed the bird. They followed the bird through the woods. They followed the bird to a little house.

Hansel and Gretel are clever children. When they go into the woods, they take some bread and leave a trail of breadcrumbs so that they can find their way back.
Unfortunately, the birds eat the breadcrumbs, so they lose their way. When a bird wakes them and leads them to a house in the woods, they feel very lucky, as if they have been saved. But little do they know how dangerous the house is! Can Hansel and Gretel escape the witch and find their way back home? Will their father be there waiting for them?

Vocabulary

plump 丸々太った
withered しわしわ
yank ～をグイッと引っ張る

McKay, S. (1999). Hansel & Gretel (We Both Read). San Anselmo, CA. Treasure Bay.

Megan Leavey, and other matters…

Today we watched the trailer for Megan Leavey, an Iraq War movie starring Kate Mara. She plays a woman who doesn't know how to communicate with other people, but she is placed in a K9 unit, where her job is to train a dog and then work with the dog to find landmines and other explosives. Her dog is called Rex. She says that Rex taught her how to love.

In the UK, Theresa May of the Conservative Party is trying to form a government again, after a rather unsuccessful general election. It is probable that the Conservative Party will work with the DUP, a party from Northern Ireland. Brexit negotiations will start very soon, and many people worry about that.

[120 words]

The Frog Prince (We Both Read)

The next evening, while dining with the King, the Princess heard an odd noise — plitch, plotch, plitch, plotch.
Something was climbing up the palace stairs.
Reaching the top, the "something" called out in a raspy voice, "Excuse me, Princess! Please open the door! You promised to be my friend!"

The Frog Prince is a well-known tale, so you probably know the background. The Princess drops her golden ball in the pond. A frog offers to get it for her if she will be his friend and let him eat from her plate and sleep in her bed. She
promises, but then runs away, seeking to break the promise.  But the frog comes looking for her. She tries to send him away, but the King says: "A promise is a promise. And this one you must keep."

So the princess keeps her promise, even though she hates letting a frog eat from her plate and sleep in her bed. But she comes to hate it less and less, and after a few days…

Vocabulary

webbed feet: 水かきのある足
hop: ピョンピョン跳ぶ
raspy voice: 耳障りな声、かすれ気味の声、しゃがれ声、ガラガラ声


McKay, S. (1997). The Frog Prince (We Both Read). San Anselmo, CA: Treasure Bay.

Megan Leavey, and other matters…

Kate Mara

Megan Leavey is an Iraq War movie starring Kate Mara. Her co-star is a dog called Rex. He is very sensitive to danger, including explosives in cars and landmines. Megan is not very sociable, and doesn't know how to speak to people, but she forms a bond with Rex. The movie is based on a true story.

The Woody Allen movie Café Society has just ended. The next film I'm looking forward to at Denkikan is Manchester by the Sea.

Do you know the TV drama Scandal? It's a White House drama centered around electoral fraud. It seems rather interesting.

The Premier League season (and that of other European leagues) is over, so now there is time for international games, particularly World Cup qualifiers. Last week, England played Scotland in Scotland. The match ended in a draw, with 2 goals scored after 90 minutes. It wasn't a great game, but the late goals made it very exciting.

154 words

Read to Write Practice Plus!

1. I was born in Devon in the UK.
2. I am teaching applied linguistics and English at PUK.
3. I live with my wife and daughter.
4. My blood type is A (because I am an 英国人!) and my birthday is January 2nd.
5. I went to Osaka by myself a few weeks ago to attend a lecture.
6. I played the koto for the first time when I was 25. I got my teacher's licence when I was about 35.
7. I have been playing tennis and table tennis since I was at secondary school. I also played badminton for some time.
8. Devon is in the south-west of England and is quite near France.
9. I used to have a friend called Chris when I was in primary school.
10. I have never been to Universal Studios but I would like to go there sometime.

Victoria & Abdul, and other matters…

Today we watched the trailer for Victoria & Abdul, a movie starring Judi Dench and directed by Stephen Frears. Judi Dench has acting credits in 120 movies, spanning six decades. When younger, she played several Shakespearean roles and also appeared in movies such A Room With a View. Some of her best roles have come in the later years of her life, in movies such as Shakespeare in Love, Iris, Hamlet, Philomena, and then several of the 007 movies. Her last Bond movie was Skyfall. She has an OBE and many other awards.
[93 words]

Read to Write Practice

1. I was born in Devon in the UK.
2. I am teaching applied linguistics and English at PUK.
3. I live with my wife and daughter.
4. My blood type is A (because I am an 英国人!) and my birthday is January 2nd.
5. I went to Osaka by myself a few weeks ago to attend a lecture.
6. I played the koto for the first time when I was 25.
7. I have been playing tennis and table tennis since I was at secondary school.
8. Devon is in the south-west of England and is quite near France.
9. I used to have a friend called Chris when I was in primary school.
10. I have never been to Universal Studios but I would like to go there sometime.

My 1st blog check

Blog Layout

Comments section: Yes
Tags section: Yes

Post Categories

Book Reviews: 6
Juppun ha Juubun: 14
Typing/Diary: 0
Dictogloss: 0
Typing homeworks to Mr Tomei: 0

Juppun ha Juubun
145 - 95 - 204 - 119 - 169 - 164 - 93 - 88 - 110 - 147 - 80 - 183 - 158 - 146

1st Blog Check

Blog Layout

1. Do you have a Comments section on your blog?
2. Do you have a Tags ("Labels") section?

Post Categories

3. How many posts do you have with the tag Book Reviews?
4. How many posts do you have with the tag Juppun ha Juubun (or not Juppun ha Juubun)?
5. How many posts do you have with the Typing or Diary (or similar) tag?
6. How many posts do you have with the tag Dictogloss?
7. How many typing homeworks have you sent to Mr Tomei?

Juppun ha Juubun

How many words in each of your Juppun ha Juubun posts?


Please use the tag Blog Check for this post.

Victoria & Abdul, and other matters…

Today we watched the trailer for Victoria & Abdul, a new movie starring Judi Dench. She plays Queen Victoria. In the movie, a young man from India is sent to London to present the Queen (also Empress of India) with a commemorative coin. His name is Abdul. The Queen takes a liking to Abdul, and he tells her lots of things about life in India. At first, he is her servant, but later he becomes her teacher, and she learns Urdu and the Quran from her.

Did you hear about the attack in London over the weekend? That makes three recent attacks in the UK.

The Champions League final was held over the weekend, in Cardiff in the UK. Real

Madrid beat Juventus very easily. It was the first time for a team to win in two consecutive years. Christiano Ronaldo scored two of Real Madrid's four goals.

[146 words]

Movies

One of my favorite actors is Denzel Washington. I like his movie Training Day very much.

Wonder Woman, This Means War, and other matters…

Gal Gabot
Chris Pine

Chris Pine
Tom Hardy
Reese Witherspoon

Today we watched the trailer for Wonder Woman, which is starting in June in the U.S.A. but in August in Japan. Chris Pine features in the movie, so we also watched This Means War, in which Chris Pine costars with Tom Hardy and Reese Witherspoon. This Means War is already 5 years old, but I still remember it well. The scenes where Chris Pine and Tom Hardy sabotage each other are very funny.

Have you heard about the FA Cup final? It was the last match of the 2016-17 season in England. It featured Arsenal against Chelsea, and everyone thought that Chelsea would win, because they were very strong this season. But Arsenal played extremely well and won the Cup. That is a consolation for finishing 5th this season, the first time in 20 years that they haven't finished in the top 4. Finishing in the top 4 means that they won't play in the Champions League next year.
[158 words]