New Term at E-Style!

Hi students,

Spring has come (春がやって来た)! And with a new school year just around the corner (もうすぐ), it is time for a new term at E-Style! Our spring course will start the day after tomorrow (明後日に始まり), March 28th, and run until June 11th (６月１１日まで続く). Feel free to contact us (お気軽にご連絡ください) if you are interested in studying English conversation at one (or more) of our five levels:

• Kids (キッズ [小１〜６])
• Beginner (入門)
• Elementary (初級)
• Intermediate (中級)
• Advanced (上級)

For an explanation (説明) of the classes, please check out the KIDS and LESSONS/FEES pages on our website.

Jack and I are looking forward to seeing (and teaching) you this spring. 

See you at E-Style,

Alan

Happy White Day!

Hi fellow chocoholics,

Today is White Day, celebrated annually (毎年祝われている) in Japan every March 14th. It actually started as "Marshmallow Day" in 1978, created by Ishimura Manseido, a confectionary company (製菓会社) in Fukuoka. The company marketed (売り込んだ) chocolate-filled marshmallows as a way for men to express their gratitude (感謝を表現する) to the women who gave them gifts, either from the heart (心から・本音で) or out of obligation (義務感から・義理で), on Valentine's Day. March 14th was chosen as the best date for women to receive the return treats by Ishimura Manseido's female employees (女性社員) at a company meeting.

By the 1980s, White Day had become extremely popular (非常に人気が高くなった) all over Japan and began to spread to other Asian countries. These days, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, and South Korea all celebrate White Day. In fact, South Korea has taken it one step further (さらに発展させた) by creating "Black Day" on April 14th. This is the date when those people who didn't receive anything for Valentine's Day or White Day get together and eat jajangmyeon, a Korean noodle dish in a black bean sauce.

Alas (あーあ), neither White nor Black Day is widely celebrated in the U.S.A. While children in the States often exchange Valentine's Day cards with their classmates, the holiday is mainly for couples. Popular gifts among sweethearts on February 14th include chocolates, jewelry, and flowers.

Black, white, and read all over, I remain

Sincerely yours,

Alan

Seven-Herb Rice Porridge

 Happy New Year!

Dear gourmets, gourmands, and gastronauts,

As today is January 7th, my first blog entry of 2022 will be about the Festival of Seven Herbs (七草の節句). This is the custom (習慣) of eating seven-herb rice porridge (七草粥) on the seventh day of the first month for longevity (長生き), overall health (健康全般), and to ward off evil (悪を追い払う). 

The seven "herbs" (in alphabetical order) are as follows (下記の通り):

• chickweed (はこべら)
• cudweed (ごぎょう)
• nipplewort (ほとけのざ)
• parsley (セリ)
• radish (すずしろ [大根])
• shepherd's purse (なずな)
• turnip (すずな [カブ])

Like rice cake soup (お雑煮), there are various (さまざまな) recipes for seven-herb rice porridge around Japan with different ingredients (食材) used depending on the region (地域次第). In my house, though, we always enjoy the traditional (伝統的な) version of the dish. After the holiday indulgences (ぜいたく), it serves as a wonderful way to both rest and reset our stomachs for a healthy New Year!

Live long and prosper,

Alan

See you next year!

Dear readers,

Please note (ご注意ください) that there will be no classes at E-Style for the next two weeks. English conversation lessons will resume (再び始まる) on Monday, January 10th.

Thank you for reading this blog and studying English with us this year. Jack and I wish you all the best and look forward to teaching you in 2022.

See you next year!

Alan

Happy Hanukkah!

Hi everyone,

Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah. As I am Jewish, my family and I celebrate (祝う) this holiday every year. 

Hanukkah is known as the Festival of Lights (光の祭り) and lasts for eight nights. Each night, we sing special prayers (祈り) and light candles on a nine-branched candelabrum (枝付き燭台) called a Hanukkah menorah. We start with two and add a candle every night until the entire menorah is lit. We also exchange presents (プレゼントを交換する), play games, and enjoy traditional (伝統的な) food like beef brisket, latkes (potato pancakes), and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts). Delish!

While Christmas Day is always on December 25th, Hanukkah's starting date is different every year. This is because the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar (太陰太陽暦). This year, Hanukkah started today at sundown and will end at sundown next Monday, December 6th. The November 28th stating date is extremely early (極端に早い) for the holiday.

Spinning my dreidel,

Alan

P.S. The earliest starting date for Hanukkah is November 27th, which will not happen again until 2032!

NO TIME TO DIE

 

Good evening, 007 fans. 

Well, the day has finally arrived (やって来た): The new James Bond movie, No Time to Die, is being shown in theaters all over Japan after several postponements (延期). I saw the first subtitled screening (最初の字幕上映) at Higashi Aeon Cinemas here in Takamatsu this morning at 11:15. Here is a photo of my ticket as proof (証拠): 

Please don't worry (心配しないでください), there will be no spoilers (ネタバレ) in this blog entry. Just like 007, I know how important it is to keep a secret, so I promise not to spill the beans, let the cat out of the bag, or give the game away. All three of these expressions mean 秘密を漏らす in Japanese.

So, here is my spoiler-free, one-word review of No Time to Die: 

Wow!

Shaken and stirred, I am

Your Bond aficionado,

Woolfe . . . Alan Woolfe

Finders keepers (losers weepers)

Hi good people,

These days, I have been reviewing "Have you ever ～ ?" 「～をしたことがありますか。」with my students at E-Style. Here are some sample sentences:

• Have you ever slept in a car overnight? あなたは車の中で一晩寝たことがありますか。
• Have you ever lost your keys or wallet? あなたは鍵又は財布を無くしたことがありますか。
• Have you ever found any money? あなたはお金を見つけたことがありますか。

The second and third questions bring up an interesting cultural difference (文化の差) between Japan and the United States. The custom here is to take an item (including money) that one has found to the nearest police box (交番) so it can be returned to the rightful owner (正当な持ち主に戻す). To pocket it (猫ばばする) is considered bad (悪いと思われている); it is also illegal (違法). 

In America, however, we have a saying (ことわざ): "Finders keepers, losers weepers." This means that the person who finds something gets to keep it and the person who has lost the item can do nothing but cry (泣くしか出来ない). Sometimes this saying is shortened to "Finders keepers." 

So, if you travel to the States in the future, be careful not to lose any of your possessions (所有物) or else you, too, may end up weeping.

Finding it hot (but keeping cool),

Alan