Otto's blog

Last Saturday our school did something new - we had a Zoom party! First we introduced ourselves, then we chatted for a while, and finally, we played a game. The game was to find, in two minutes, five objects:
1) something purple
2) something square
3) something dangerous
4) something made in Japan, and
5) something sweet
It was interesting to see everyone`s items. Did you do anything fun last weekend?

Grammar:
Usually in English an adjective comes before a noun, e.g. 'a red ball', but an adjective comes after the words 'something/someone/somewhere/anything/everything/nothing' etc. e.g. 'We need someone strong' 'I wanna go somewhere warm' 'Nothing special'

It was a long time since I`d been to Ichinomiya Tower Park, so I took my sons there last weekend. We rode bicycles, but it didn`t take long because we live kind of nearby. While we were there, I saw this car. I wanted to get closer, but the car didn`t stay long before driving off.

It was nice to get out, and my kids spent a long time playing with rocks & catching shrimp in the river; it was almost sunset when we finally left for home.

Grammar:
- It`s usual to use 'a long time' in a positive sentence but just 'long' in negative sentences & questions e.g. "Have you been in Japan long?" "I haven`t been here long, but my friend has been here a long time - 10 years."

I took my kids to a nearby creek (small river) to look for turtles. We took nets, gloves, & containers. We found three baby red-eared sliders (アカミミガメ), which we brought home & put in a fish tank.

Vocabulary:
- take (took) + 誰か + 何処か = 連れて行く
- take (took) + 物 + 何処か = 持っていく

I found a few of these fancy-looking caterpillars on my blackberry bush. I pulled them off & threw them to my chickens, but they didn`t fancy them. Well, I don`t fancy having them in my garden, so I squashed (押しつぶす) them.

Vocabulary:
* fancy 形容詞 = ファンシー
** fancy 動詞 = want / like / want to

Do you like The Carpenters? How about carpenter bees? I found this one pollinating my lime tree. I hope the chickens don`t eat it.

Vocabulary:
pollen = 花粉
pollinate = 受粉する
花粉症 (pollen allergy) = hayfever

Are you enjoying spring*? Do you have a spring** in your step? Well, I have a spring*** (& blue styrofoam) on a stick! But why...? What`s it for? The answer is in comments.

Hint: I made it for my kids to play with.

Vocabulary:
* 春
** 弾み
*** コイルばね

I`m currently teleworking, teaching students by Zoom. It`s very useful for teaching English. Have you used it? What for? Anyway, between classes, I made this. What is it? What`s it for?

I will put the answer in comments tomorrow night!

Vocabulary
- What... for? = 何のために / どうして

While my kids were playing in the park, I poked around a nearby mound of dirt & found some interesting items, including a tiny brown bottle.On one side it says キンカン (kinkan) & on the other side 金冠堂 (kinkandou). I looked online & found out that this is a brand of anti-itching, insect bite medicine, which is still sold today. I couldn`t find out exactly how old this bottle it is, but maybe about 70 years old.

Vocabulary:
find = 見つける
find out = 分かる, 探り当てる (?)

This stereo system belongs to my wife`s dad, but he stored it away ages ago & hasn`t used it since, so I thought I`d see if it still worked. Well, the record player & amplifier work, but the tape deck doesn`t work well. I`ll spray some of the points with contact cleaner spray & see if that fixes the problem.

Vocabulary:
- "see if..." = ...かどうか見る/調べる

I found this interesting item in a 100yen store (although it cost 200yen). It`s a 2-piece magnetic tool for cleaning the inside of a fish tank, so you don`t have to put your hand inside the tank. Pretty clever! And pretty effective, as you can see.

Vocabulary:
- fish tank = 水槽
- septic tank = 浄化槽
- 満タン = full tank