After visiting Ise Shrine & Oharai-machi, on the way back to the car park, I saw this Airstream caravan ('travel trailer' or 'trailer' in U.S. English). I sometimes see them used as restaurants, & there`s a place that sells used ones near my house in Ichinomiya (see blog post https://en.bloguru.com/otto/295556/ichinomiya-airstreams ). However, it`s unusual to see one on the road in Japan.
Vocabulary
- car + park = car park ('parking lot' in U.S. English) = 駐車場
- trailer + park = trailer park ('caravan park' in U.K. English) = トレーラーパーク
Happy New Year! On the last day of 2019, I went to Ise Shrine in Mie with my family & my wife`s relatives (親戚). After visiting the shrine, we walked along Oharai-machi for a while*, then ate udon noodles at a shop called ふくすけ. It took a while** to be served, because there were a lot of customers. After that, while*** the others were watching a taiko drum performance, I bought a couple of postcards at my favourite postcard shop, 徳力富吉郎版画館. I sent one to my parents & the other to my brother.
Vocabulary
* for a while = 暫く
** take a while = 時間かかる
*** while + 動詞 = (動詞)している間
Have you prepared your New Year`s cards yet? I`ve finished making a rubber stamp, and I`ve already (既に) printed & sent a few cards to family & friends outside Japan but I haven`t sent any to people in Japan yet. I have to do that by the 25th. You too!
By the way, have you ever had a carving set like this? It`s my wife`s, from when she was a student.
Grammar
-Have you +「 過去分詞」 + yet? = 「過去分詞」をもうしたか？
- Have you ever + 「過去分詞? 」= 「過去分詞」をしたことはあるか？
- I`ve already +「 過去分詞 」= もうすでに「過去分詞」をした
- I haven`t + 「過去分詞」 + yet = まだ「過去分詞」していない(したことがない)
- I`ve 過去分詞 yet: WRONG (間違い)
It`s the end of the year & everyone is busy, but last Saturday we could forget about work & relax at our school Christmas party in Gifu. Everyone looks happy in this photo, right? Some people are holding their presents from 'secret santa'. Hang on (=ちょっと待って)... in the background someone isn`t looking at the camera... he`s drinking beer... I wonder who it is? Does anyone know? Haha. Merry Christmas!
Grammar
- Does/Is (NOT Do/Are) + anyone/someone/everyone...?
- Everyone/Someone/No-one + is / 動詞s (NOT are / 動詞)
I found our wreath & replaced the old leaves with new green ones. Last time we used red flowers to add colour. This time we used fishing floats. Yes, I have a lot of them ( https://en.bloguru.com/otto/361390/a-few-new-floats )! This might be the last time we use this wreath - after 4 years, it`s starting to get a bit shabby (ぼろぼろ). Next time we might make a new one. We`ll see.
Vocabulary
- last time = 前回 this time = 今回 next time = 今度, 次の回
- the last time = 最後 / 前回
I recently received gifts from my niece ('ニース' = めい ) & nephew ('ネフュー' = おい) in Thailand. Can you believe the stamps on their packages? Nice! I love getting mail from foreign countries. Thanks, guys.
Spelling
- the spelling rule "i before e, except after c" is usually true (NIEce, beLIEve, reCEIve,), but some weird (= strange) words are different e.g. WEIrd, tHEIr, foREIgn.
When I was a kid, my brothers & I had small toy field guns (野砲) which fired matches*. Nowadays that kind of toy isn`t popular & is hard to find, so I decided to make my own. After making it, I decided to make a matching** jeep.
To fire this toy field gun, you put a match in the barrel (銃身), pull the 'trigger' at the back (which is attached to a spring) then release it.
The toy soldiers are WW2 Australian soldiers. You can tell (見分ける) by their large hats.
Vocabulary
* match (名詞) = マッチ, 燐寸
** match (動詞) = 対応
When I went to Fukui last week, I was pleased to find some more fishing floats on the beach. I added a few* of the nicer ones to my display case collection. It looks better now, right?
Nowadays I have few** chances to do serious beachcombing, so I wondered when I would be able to complete my display case collection. I`m glad I`ve completed it.
Grammar
- * a few + 名詞 = 4/5/6
- ** few + 名詞 = 少ない
I stayed two nights at Wakasa-Wada Campsite. I love camping by the beach – the sound of waves, the smell of a campfire, the sight of thousands of stars at night... wonderful. On the other hand, the taste of bugs in your food, the feel of sand in your underwear...not so great.
Grammar
- __ の音/香り/光景/味/気持ち = the sound/smell/sight/taste/feel of ___
As I was passing this fishing port in Takahama Town, I could hear someone playing a violin...badly. I stopped & looked around and I saw a young guy standing alone, practicing his violin. There was nobody else around. Haha - it made me think of a book that I read when I was a child called "A Little Boy with a Big Horn". His tuba annoyed everyone, including farm animals, so eventually he had to play on a small boat at sea.
Vocabulary
- someone, anyone, no-one, everyone = somebody, anybody, nobody, everybody
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田仲なお美 
bokushi 
TERAGOYA おとな 
birdy 
yukio 
mokomoko 
PSPINC JP 
内倉憲一 
エメラルド 
KUMA