Otto's blog

Succulent Flower

Apr

29

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My succulent (多肉植物) plant is flowering now. The flowers are small, but pretty. I read online that if you cut the flower stem (茎, くき) and plant it, it will grow into a new succulent plant. Sounds easy - I might try it.

Vocabulary
- flower (名詞) = 花 flower (動詞) = 咲く
- plant (名詞) = 植物 plant (動詞) = 植える

Common Copper

Apr

9

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I`ve seen a couple of these small butterflies in the last couple of days. In English, it`s called a Common Copper*. It`s on a yellow rapeseed flower (菜の花).

* copper (Cu) = 銅

Vocabulary:
- 'A couple of ___s' = 2 or 3 ___s

Imaise Cherry Blossoms

Apr

12

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Have you been to see cherry blossoms yet? You`d better hurry - soon they`ll be gone! I took this photo in front of Iwato Shrine in Imaise, Ichinomiya. A festival is held there every spring. Have you ever been to it? This year it`s on the 21st of April. Please go! I`m going.

Grammar:
- "...been..." = 行って来ました
- "...gone..." = 行った (今はもうない)
- "Have you (ever) been...?" は "Have you gone...?" より普通です

Lobby Blossoms

Mar

16

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There are various kinds of cherry blossoms. I don`t know the name of this variety* in our lobby, but it blooms earlier than most other varieties*.

Are you looking forward to cherry blossom season?

Vocabulary:
- various: 色々 variety: 色々な, 多様性, バラエティー / *種類

Cotton Plant

Nov

2

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Earlier this year, I went with my family to The Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology in Nagoya:

http://jp.bloguru.com/otto/232181/toyota-technology-museum

We listened to a talk about cotton & we were given some free cotton seeds. When we got home, we planted (植えた) them. I watered (水をやった) them often. They grew quite well, & finally produced fluffy ( フワフワ ) white cotton. I was pleased & my kids were excited. What a cool plant!

Now I`m researching how to spin the cotton so I can use it.

Vocabulary:
- plant (名詞) = 植物 plant (動詞) = 植える
- water (名詞) =　水 water (動詞) = 水をやる

Thelesperma filifolium

May

26

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Now these yellow flowers are blooming by the roadside on my way to work. They`re very colourful & pretty to look at, don`t you think?

However, I think they are an invasive species [がいらいせいぶつ] called Thelesperma filifolium, from America. Once I saw on Japanese TV a group of volunteers pulling them out & putting them in garbage [ごみ] bags. I`m pretty sure it was this kind of flower.

That`s good - I won`t feel bad when I pull some out one day (to put in a vase, not a garbage bag though!)

Bangkok Flower Market

Apr

3

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Before I went to my graduation in Malaysia, I spent a week in Thailand, mostly in Bangkok (thanks boss for letting me go!).

The main river in Bangkok is the Chao Praya River. My favourite restaurant in Bangkok is next to the river. It`s a great place to enjoy a cold beer, cool breeze (= wind), & delicious Thai food, while watching the sun set & various kinds of boat go past.

Another good thing about this restaurant is that it`s near a night flower market. It`s not a famous one - our taxi driver didn`t know it so he took us to the wrong place... - but it`s very colorful, active, & interesting.

Dinner at this restaurant, then a stroll (= casual walk) through the flower market always puts me in a good mood. Whenever I visit Thailand I usually do it.

Challenge!

Apr

15

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This a tree near a friend`s house. What is interesting about it? Can you guess...?

UPDATE:

Answers are in comments!

Kasamatsu Minato Park Cherry Blossoms

Apr

10

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On Sunday I joined some friends in Gifu Park for a Cherry Blossom Viewing [Hanami] party. The weather was really nice, and there were a lot of people there. Everyone seemed to be really enjoying themselves, especially the guys who ended up in the pond...

The next day I took my wife, kids and hangover to look at the cherry blossoms at Kasamatsu Minato Park, which you can see in this picture.

Have you been to see the cherry blossoms yet?

Lavender

Nov

4

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To help erase the awful image of my halloween costume from your mind, here is a nice picture of a flower.

Eriko, one of our fabulous staff, has arranged a lot of nice plants & flowers around the front of our school. If you`ve visited us recently, I`m sure you`ve noticed.

The pot in this picture is full of herbs - mint, rosemary & lavender, which is flowering now.

Lavender... Hmmm, that colour reminds me of... Argh!!!