HOLIDAYS!

Have a great Golden Week everyone. 

Take care and drive safely. 

See you all after the break!

kung fu hamster

So small and yet I wouldn`t mess with him!

Action!

 

A few weeks ago I got the Kurosawa DVD box collection.

So far I have watched,

Rashomon

This film had a very dark & interesting plot. 

The way that kurosawa tells the same story

through the eyes of several different characters is brilliant.

The Hidden Fortress

All the characters in this film are fantastic. 

At first I didn't like the princess, 

but by the end I thought she was great. 

(The actress did have a rather annoying voice though.)

It also had a couple of awesome fight scenes.

 

Yojimbo

Mifune's character is so cool & the bad guy 

with the gun is so evil that you really love to hate him.

Has great fight scenes in it too. 

 

And

Sanjuro

 Mifune plays the same character as in Yojimbo.

The final duel is very bloody!

I've really enjoyed all of them, so much I can't pick a favorite.

:Phil

funky sponge

I need to get one of those!! Gives some saturday night flavor to your plates!

Word of the week

 

vindicate 

DEFINITION

verb

1

a : avenge 2 a: to free from allegation or blame b : confirm, substantiate c : to provide justification or defense for : justify d : to protect from attack or encroachment : defend

2

: to maintain a right to  

EXAMPLES

Recent discoveries appear to vindicate the scientist's once controversial theory.

"A mixture of overreaction, overconfidence and herding causes investors to see growth where none exists and so pay too much for it. This implies that a low yield is a sign not of future capital appreciation and growth, but rather that the share is overvalued. History seems to vindicate this prediction." — From an article in Investors Chronicle, March 5, 2012  

DID YOU KNOW?
It's not surprising that the two earliest senses of "vindicate," which has been used in English since at least the mid-16th century, are "to set free" (a sense that is now obsolete) and "to avenge." "Vindicate" derives from Latin "vindicatus," the past participle of the verb "vindicare," meaning "to set free, avenge, or lay claim to." "Vindicare," in turn, derives from "vindex," a noun meaning "claimant" or "avenger." Other descendants of "vindicare" in English include such vengeful words as "avenge" itself, "revenge," "vengeance," "vendetta," and "vindictive." Closer cousins of "vindicate" are "vindicable" ("capable of being vindicated") and the archaic word "vindicative" ("punitive").

From Merriam-Webster Online

wish I could fly in one of those...

That should be the standard seat when you travel, especially when you have to fly for ten hours!!!

CRAZY!

Let`s meditate

I used to practice yoga when I was younger. Even though I didn`t fully appreciate the benefits of that sport when I was a kid I am pretty happy my body still flexible after all these years! I also sometimes like to work on my breathing which you obviously learn when you do yoga. Great sport! Any amateur??? And it is definitely NOT a ladies` sport only!

Egg-cellent!

First toki chicks hatched in the wild for 36 tears!

Click the above picture for a link.

Language Police

 

Click the picture above for an interesting article from 

the BBC about how the English language is changing.

Choosing what to eat

Does anyone know the TV program, どっちの料理ショー? I absolutely love this show and it always makes me hungry even after I eat. So here is a poll for everybody on this past week's episode. Which one do you want to eat?

Online Surveys & Market Research

so called animal whisperer...

It kind of makes me mad when I see those people calling themselves hippo whisperers, lion whisperers, tiger whisperers or shark whisperers. We`re talking about animals here. Wild animals. And even though those people may think they have a special relationship with those animals they shouldn`t be surprised if they get attacked at any moment. No matter what, they are animals and therefore have this wild instinct that controls them. But that`s just my point of view. And reading several articles about people being attacked or worse by animals that they raised definitely confirmed my opinion!

When?

I love Japanese history but
I don't remember this part!

Click the pic for a larger image.

TOEIC

Match two responses with each question.

1. Would you like some help with those?

2. Do you need any help setting up the room?

3. Can I get you anything?

a. Actually, it's already done.
b. No thanks, I've already eaten.
c. Yeah, could you take this box?
d. A cup of tea would be lovely.
e. No, that's alright. They aren't as heavy as they look.
f. That would be great. Let's start with the tables.

MAGIC!

STARE AT THE CENTER OF THIS PICTURE!

who likes a dentist?!

I am really scared of dentists and I am supposed to see one next June... doesn`t make me really happy but don`t have much choice!

WORDS

sub·tle

adj \ˈsə-t^əl\

sub·tler sub·tlest

Definition of SUBTLE

1

a : delicate, elusive subtle fragrance> b : difficult to understand or perceive : obscure <subtle differences in sound>

2

a : perceptive, refined subtle moral sense> b : having or marked by keen insight and ability to penetrate deeply and thoroughly subtle scholar>

3

a : highly skillful : expert subtle craftsman> b : cunningly made or contrived : ingenious

4

: artful, crafty subtle rogue>

5

: operating insidiously <subtle poisons>

— sub·tle·ness noun

— sub·tly adverb

Examples of SUBTLE

1. a subtle difference in meaning between the words
2. Racial discrimination still exists, only now it's subtler than it once was.
3. When it comes to giving criticism, sometimes it's best to take a subtle approach.
4. He didn't seem to understand my subtle hints.
5. It was her subtle way of telling me to mind my own business.
6. She has a subtle mind.
   

Related to SUBTLE

Synonyms: beguiling, cagey, crafty, cunning, cute, designing, devious, dodgy, foxy, guileful, scheming, shrewd, slick, sly, artful, tricky, wily

Antonyms: artless, guileless, ingenuous, innocent, undesigning

from Marriam-Webster Online

mobile homes for cats!

Everyone can get a mobile home!!!

INTERESTING!!!

PLEASE DON'T FORGET
TO CLICK THE
INTERESTING BUTTON
AT THE BOTTOM
OF EACH POST!
THE TEACHERS REALLY
LOVE IT WHEN YOU DO!

cutest dog ever!

I am not animal friendly but I have to admit that dog is just tooooo cute!

Momo e no Tegami

This looks interesting.

I liked the Directors last film Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade,
and I really love Yokai so I'm looking forward to this one.

Anyone for a drink?

I know it's only spring,
but do you ever find that your beer gets
warm quickly in the summer months?
Well here is the solution, the beer cap.
It's ice foam that covers the top of you beer to keep it cool.
Although most of the heat probably
comes from your hand through the glass...
And you could always just drink it faster, problem solved!
Also why does it resemble poop?

8-bit

8-bit Google Maps!
Imagine you live in a video game!
(Click the picture above for a link.)

Easter and chocolates

When I was a child my parents used to hide chocolates in the garden and my sisters and I were supposed to look for them and then eat them together. I loved celebrating Easter as a child! God knows I do miss my chocolates every year!! T-T But yesterday I discovered some coconuts M&M`s at the convenience store so that put a big smile right back on my face!

Quizz time

My stomach has begun to (___) recently.
I have to cut down on fatty food.
a. pump
b. enlarge
c. bulge
d. encircle

The steak I ate at lunch still
sits (___) on my stomach.
a. weight
b. heavy
c. stumble
d.great

My 5-year-old son often gets an (___)
stomach by eating too many sweets.
a. awkward
b. upset
c. anger
d. uproar

Mom, isn't dinner ready yet? I'm (___).
a. empty
b. craving
c. pinching
d. starving

Sakura party at Ibaraki part 2

Sakura party at Ibaraki

Thanks for coming to the sakura party last Sunday, It was really fun! And thanks for all the delicious food!

Pop goes the weasel

I was standing on my balcony when I heard a
rustling noise in the bushes next to my front door.
As I lent over the rail to see what was making the noise
a weasel jumped up onto the fence and looked straight at me.
We stared at each other for a few seconds
and then he turned and ran off.

What animals have you seen around your house?

The "Real" Teppanyaki!

I'm sure most of you have tried teppanyaki. Now check out this video of teppanyaki in Hawaii:

The "Real" Teppanyaki

So I used to think this was "real" teppanyaki. Meaning, in Japan, they would do the same thing. But, when I went to eat Kobe beef, teppanyaki style, it was totally different. The chef did not do any tricks nor did he make any funny comments. It was really serious. Actually this really surprised me because I thought all teppanyaki restaurants did fancy tricks.

Have any of you been to a restaurant like this?

Project Glass

Do you remember tv shows and movies like Mission Impossible where the main character has these super awesome glasses that has a built-in camera and displays all kinds of information? Well, that is actually becoming a reality. Google is currently working on this as you are reading this article. Here is what it looks like:


It may not be the most fashionable pair of glasses but the functionality is certainly pretty cool. There is a youtube video as well that shows how these glasses work. It really is cool!

TOEIC

Because the equipment is very delicate, it must be handled with --------.

(A) caring
(B) careful
(C) care
(D) carefully

A T-shirt for This Summer

Do you hate mosquitos? Well, I certainly do! And I'm sure most of you do as well. Although I rarely get bitten by mosquitos, there are some people who have some really tasty blood. If you are one of those people with that oh so tasty blood, here's a t-shirt for you. This is an insect repellent t-shirt.


Yup, and you can check out 6leggedtees.com to learn more about these shirts. I don't have one yet, but I am thinking of testing one out to see if it works.

Dying

Ough!

Dubai and its high buildings

I just saw those pictures of foggy Dubai... They do give me the vertigo but I think they`re really gorgeous even though a bit scary. It kind of looks like the end of the world to me...

Word of the Week

• immense
• \ih-MENSS\
  
• DEFINITION

adjective

1

: marked by greatness especially in size or degree; especially : transcending ordinary means of measurement

2

: supremely good

• EXAMPLES

I often find it difficult to convey to the students in my science classes how immense the universe truly is.

"Even moderate rains -- and Rio is a city of immense downpours—turn many thoroughfares into rushing rivers...."—From an article by Jenny Barchfield in the Chicago Sun-Times, February 5, 2012

• DID YOU KNOW?

Just how big is something if it is immense? Huge? Colossal? Humongous? Ginormous? Or merely enormous? "Immense" is often used as a synonym of all of the above and, as such, can simply function as yet another way for English speakers to say "really, really, really big." "Immense" is also used, however, in a sense which goes beyond merely really, really, really big to describe something that is so great in size or degree that it transcends ordinary means of measurement. This sense harks back to the original sense of "immense" as something which is so tremendously big that it has not or cannot be measured. This sense reflects the word's roots in the Latin "immensus," from "in-" ("un-") and "mensus," the past participle of "metiri" ("to measure").

Word Family Quiz: What relative of "immense" begins with "d" and can refer to the length, width, height, or depth of something? The answer is ...

From Merriam-Webster Online