I love learning about my students, and the current unit in our high school textbooks is a great opportunity to do so.  The topic is “talents and abilities”, and we are having our students talk about things that they can do.  Over the past week, I’ve learned a lot of things about my students that I didn’t know.  It can be difficult to open up about things you’re good at.  Many students even seem a bit shy about talking themselves up.  A talent, even something that you might think is silly, is still something to be proud of, and communicating that pride in any language is important.  

Some students can play some very cool instruments, while others are good at certain sports.  Unique talents are a lot of fun, too, and I’ve found that some of my high schoolers can do impressions, beatbox, or solve a Rubik’s Cube very quickly.  Talking about talents is a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to doing it more as we progress through this unit.

それぞれの人生のステージで続けなければいけないことはあると思います。それは、勉強や仕事の中では当然あるでしょうし、そうでなくても家庭の中や自分の趣味などなど、いろいろな形で続けるべきことがそれぞれあると思います。簡単なことでも毎日続けるのは難しい。でも、それをやっている生徒もいるのに、自分はどうかと問いかけることもしばしばです。肉を食べるのをやめてもうすぐ３年ですが、ほぼ９９％食べてはいません。ときどきチートする、さぼることも許してこそ続くかなとも思います。１ヶ月くらい前にまた走り出したのですが、いつまで続くことやら。自分に少し余裕を与えながら走れたらと思っています。

みなさんこんにちは。

まだまだ梅雨真っ只中で、暑くてジメジメした天気が続いていますね。

それに加えてコロナ対策のマスクも着用しなければならないので、精神的にも肉体的にもいろいろと溜まってしまいそうです。

そんな状況ではありますが、先日我が家にかわいい訪問者がやってきました。

右が我が家のきなこで、左が突然家にやってきた子です。

なかなかのイケメンなのですが、我が家の猫たちとは合わないようで、よく怒っている声が聞こえてきます。

それにもめげずに、何時間も網戸越しに家の中の様子を伺っていました。

田舎なのでプライバシーも何もありませんが、悪ささえしなければいいのかなと思っています。

ふと思ったのですが、猫を通してコロナウィルスは感染するのでしょうか。

もしそうであれば、何か対策を考えなければならないと思います。

This summer I am determined to be in better shape! I have cut out most of my sweets, which I used to eat everyday, to once a week or none at all. And I want to be more physically active! So this past weekend Sam and I went on a small hike up a mountain! 

We chose this mountain because all weekend long it was raining, and this mountain had paved streets leading to the top. So we could climb this mountain safely, even though it was raining! If we had climbed up a mountain without paved streets while it was raining, we could have slipped and fallen! 

This mountain wasn’t very tall, so the work out we got from it wasn’t very hard. But, it is a good way to start building our muscles so we can climb taller mountains in the future! I want to climb Mount Fuji one day, which is a VERY TALL mountain! So I need lots of practice to be able to climb Mount Fuji. 

Have you ever climbed a mountain before? What was the weather like when you did? Was the mountain super tall? Let me know! 

Hey y’all! 

  A few weeks ago, Nikki and I went to Meiji Mura and Inuyama Castle! Although I’ve been to Meiji Mura before, I knew I had to show Nikki because of how cool the place is! All of the buildings are so beautiful, and it’s amazing to think about how they all had to be picked up and moved there! 

  It was my first time going to Inuyama Castle though. The significance of Inuyama Castle dates back to the times of Oda Nobanaga. According to the internet, “Inuyama Castle was the final obstacle against Oda Nobunaga’s unification of Owari Province. After Nobunaga had defeated the Imagawa clan at the Battle of Okehazamain 1560, his cousin, Oda Nobukiyo, seized Inuyama Castle with the support of Saito Yoshitatsu on Mino Province.” The castle is also considered to be one of Japan’s national treasures along side, Matsumoto Castle, Hikone Castle and Himeji Castle.

See y’all in class!