If you were forced to choose between being consistent or speedy, what would be your choice? Now, many people might feel compelled to answer, “well, I would choose both.” But besides this being a cheat answer to the hypothetical question, you may want to think about the implications for this preference. In the end, rather than focusing on too many things at once, we should aim for being a dependable, rather than fast, person.

Of course, being able to consistently meet deadlines while also finishing tasks well before their deadlines would be great in your future workplace. However, the truth is that we don’t have unlimited time in such demanding environments. There are only so many hours in the day to complete seemingly never-ending work. The implication here is that by choosing to pursue both traits, we place equal importance on them. Why is this troublesome? Well, a professor once told me, “If everything is important, then nothing is important.” Indeed, when we choose everything equally, we are, in fact, choosing not to place higher importance on anything. Realistically, just as some work tasks should have higher priority than others, so too is there higher importance for the traits we decide to develop in ourselves. We must understand that not all attributes are created equally.

Now, going back to the question, I ask you once more, which of the two traits would you choose? To give you the answer, let me provide you with a real-world example. Before moving to Japan, I worked for a large corporation in the United States. Within this company, I worked closely with a diverse team of co-workers to complete deadlines together. My fellow workers came from various backgrounds and had many different preferences and work styles. Amongst them, there were people who preferred to power through tasks and finish them as soon as they were assigned. This may seem great, yet these people lacked the consistency to keep this up for long. Yes, some tasks were finished quickly, but others would go unnoticed for weeks at a time. Ultimately, I couldn’t trust these employees to follow through on tasks and had to keep reminding them to make sure that they would meet the deadlines. 

Next, there were other types of co-workers who were the opposite. I might have sent them an email and then not heard back from them for several days. For sure, this was not considered fast compared to the abovementioned workers who would respond within seconds. The difference here was that I could always count on these people to meet the deadlines despite completing things at a slower pace. Where they lacked in speed, they most certainly made it up in being dependable.

Overall, in your future workplace, you might first strive to portray every positive attribute at the same time. But once you come to the realization that we cannot always do things perfectly, you will adjust your priorities. When this day comes, I hope you will become the type of person that others can depend on.

Photo credit: nappy@pexels.com 

Quiz

Q1. What does 'if everything is important, then nothing is important' mean?

Q2. What does the author mean by the word ‘consistency,’ and what is the author’s opinion about it?

Q3. What does the author mean by the word ‘speed,’ and what is the author’s opinion about it?

Scroll down ↓ for the answers

A1. By placing equal importance on everything, we do not distinguish one thing from another. Therefore, our priorities are spread too thin, and ultimately, nothing becomes important.

A2. Consistency is when someone is dependable and always finishes a task in the end. The author believes that, while consistent people do not always complete tasks quickly, knowing that they will follow through on the task is better.

A3. Speed is when someone finishes a task quickly. The author believes that, while it is great to finish tasks speedily, many speedy people cannot continue this consistently and sometimes do not finish tasks.

Japan has a wide variety of insects. The hot humid summers and the less frequent use of agricultural insecticides means that insects thrive in Japan. Japanese culture and the Japanese education system encourage an interest in bugs and insects that many other countries do not support. In summer in Japan, you can easily walk into a DIY store or sometimes supermarkets to buy either goods for catching insects or live stag beetles of various types. One-hundred-yen stores bring their stock of nets, cages, insect food and accessories to the front of the store for a summer of insect-hunting. While you might be able to find some of the same goods in some Walmart stores or similar big-box stores, keeping insects as pets is much less common outside Japan. Most people buy bug spray in the summer rather than bug nets and bug food. If you want to buy live insects, you often have to go to specialty pet stores, where they sell live insects as food for snakes and reptiles.

The bug hunting obsession has caught on with my children too. Every rainy season as the muggy humid conditions shift to sweltering heat, signalling the start of summer, my kids bring out the big encyclopaedia of insects. The pages with life-size pictures of stag beetles are well thumbed and adorned with sticky notes. They sit together and plan which ones they are going to catch. However, each year we end up buying beetles from a store or visiting the “Kabuto Mushi House” near Hiezan. They have yet to catch anything in real life, but this year might prove to be different.

By luck, as my son was closing the window a young stag beetle flew into the bug screen on the window. Becoming trapped between the window and the bug screen, the beetle was easily caught by my son. This sudden new information that they could catch beetles at the back of the house encouraged them even more. They needed more information and before I could say anything they had booked us all on a bug hunting training session at the local nature reserve. My wife who hates all types of insects agreed after much argument and persuasion, so we headed out one evening for a very dark nature reserve.

Walking slowly around the nature reserve led by the guide, we learned how to make banana traps to attract stag beetles. Old bananas are fermented and then inserted into a semi-permeable tube, such as pantyhose. The fermented bananas then very slowly ooze out of the tube, which is tied to a tree. Stag beetles love the smell of the banana pulp and fly to the tree. Landing on the tree, the beetles suck out the banana pulp. You can then easily catch them. The guide showed us several stag beetles that were feasting on their dinner of fermented bananas.

So, the bug hunting obsession is renewed again in our house. The kids are armed with new bug cages, nets, bug food, very old and smelly bananas, and a handful of old pantyhose taken from my wife’s sock drawer. My wife will soon find out why the kids are stuffing her pantyhose with smelly old bananas and hanging them outside the kitchen door. Hopefully, she won’t be too upset about the pantyhose, although I think she might be upset if they attract too many bugs.

Photo Credit: Cervus@pexels.com

Quiz

Q1. What is more common in Japan than other countries? 

Eating bugs

Using spray to kill bugs

Keeping insects as pets

Q2. What is an "agricultural insecticide''?

A type of bug

A spray to attract insects

A chemical used by farmers to kill insects. 

Q3. What do you need to trap stag beetles?

Fermented bananas and pantyhose

A net covered in honey

A cage

Scroll down ↓ for the answers

A1. c

A2. c

A3. a

Q1. According to the article, what pictures are usually on boys' clothes?

Robots and spaceships

Vehicles and dinosaurs

Trees and flowers

Q2. Did the author's mother respect the author's views on children's clothing?

Yes, she did

No, she didn’t

She didn’t give an opinion

Q3. What were the sandals the author bought for her daughter like?

Pink with white polka dots

Pink with green polka dots

Pink and white stripes

Scroll down ↓ for the answers

A1. b

A2. a

A3. a

I’m from a small city called Lichfield in the middle of the UK. It has a long history, but probably the most famous person from there is Dr Samuel Johnson (1709-1784). He wrote a dictionary that the Oxford English Dictionary – and all following English dictionaries were and, are modelled on. I once had coffee in Dr Johnson’s house, but that’s a story for another time…

In Japan, I have lived in Osaka, Shizuoka and Aichi prefectures and a few years ago I moved to Kyoto. I do not live in the city centre, but I do not live in the countryside either – kind of on the edge. Of course, with this being Kyoto, there are many beautiful temples and places of interest, but I like nature. 

The town I live in is quiet and there are many trees and mountains nearby. Also, there is a small stream near my house and that is the most interesting. There are river crabs and crayfish in it and occasionally there are frogs too. I sometimes see birds or weasels fishing in it, and I’ve even had a raccoon come up and sniff my shoe while by this stream. 

Perhaps the best time by this stream is in June – that is when the fireflies come out. Although I’ve lived in Japan a long time and I lived in Mishima, Shizuoka (which has a firefly festival), I had never seen fireflies until moving to this area last year. In June, I can now sit outside my front door and watch them every night for a week. They are fascinating and move gracefully like I imagine Tinker-Bell would do. 

This year I spent every night of the firefly season (sometimes until 3am) watching and photographing these wonderful creatures. Of the, probably, hundreds of photos I took, I may have got one or two that were kind of not too bad. However, I was happy with that and felt privileged to see them again this year. 

They are beautiful predators – yes, they are hunters. And, they have lived for nearly a hundred million years, but worldwide populations of fireflies are declining and that is mostly because of us. We are destroying their environment. I see this in my stream, as people throw their bottles, cans or cigarette ends into this precious ecosystem. 

This stream died before and the local residents cleaned it and made it a safe place for all these animals to live once again. There is hope that we can keep it safe and clean for all of the amazing animals. And if it can happen in one small place in Kyoto, it can spread to more places.

Photo Credit: The Author

Quiz

Q1. When was Johnson born?

1784

1794

1709

Q2. How many places do we know the writer has lived? 

5

4

2

Q3. What is causing the decline in firefly populations 

Us (humans)

Drought

An increase in predators

Scroll down ↓ for the answers

A1. c

A2. a

A3. a

On my 11th birthday, my cousin gave me a Carpenters record as a present. Of course, I didn't understand English at all at that time. However, I was fascinated by the beautiful singing voice and melody and wanted to know the meaning of the lyrics. That was my first encounter with English. 

At the age of 12, I was impressed by the impressive singing voice of The Three Degrees, who were as popular as the Carpenters in Japan, and became interested in black music (soul music). However, it was a group of five black brothers called Tavares who I saw on TV the following year that caught my heart. I became a big fan of them and joined the Tavares fan club, which was backed up by a Japanese record company (Toshiba EMI) when I was in junior high school.

Perhaps because I was enthusiastic, I ended up becoming the president of the fan club when I was a high school student. At that time, I held Tavares record concerts and even went to radio stations to promote their new songs. My dream was to go to a Tavares concert and meet them in America someday, so I studied English hard to make that dream come true. Tavares eventually disappeared from the music scene in the 1980s, not releasing any more records.

When I gave up my dream of meeting them, I heard the news that Tavares was coming to Japan to give a concert! I wrote to their record company in English even though I wasn’t sure if it would reach the group. At that time, I really wanted to thank them for their music, which enriched my life and gave me a lot of happiness. It is no exaggeration to say that they helped me to become an English teacher. On the day of their concert in Osaka, my dreams finally came true. Not only was I able to hear their singing live, but I was also allowed to meet them in the dressing room. Tavares looked at me and said, "You are the one who wrote us." Yes, they had received my letter! The members were very happy, and we took pictures together. The photo is still a lifelong treasure. Through English, I was able to fulfil my dreams. I hope that all students will meet many wonderful people and have valuable experiences through English. I want you to make your dreams come true!

Photo Credit: Vannessajg@Creative Commons 

Quiz

Q1. What was my first encounter with English?

a) Receiving the Carpenters' record as a birthday present from a cousin

b) Hearing the Carpenters on the radio

c) Seeing the Carpenters in concert

Q2. What did I do as the president of the Tavares Fan Club?

a) Made badges and T-shirts for other fans of Tavares

b) Recorded concerts and went to radio stations to promote Tavares' new songs

c) Followed Tavares around on tour

Q3. How did my dream come true?

a) When I met Tavares backstage when they came to perform in Osaka

b) When Tavares wrote to me, thanking me for being a fan club president

c) When Tavares performed for me at my 11th birthday party

Scroll down for the answers

A1. a

A2. b

A3. a

Students often ask me how they can improve their English. My advice is almost always the same: you need to review new vocabulary a lot. Everyone knows this, but it can be difficult to get motivated to actually do it. Research shows a student needs between 3,000 and 5,000 words in order to understand an unsimplified text. Making it more difficult, it takes between 5 and 16 exposures to a word before it can be learned.

So how can you even begin to recycle so many words, that many times? Flashcards are great, and many students already use them, but it can take a long time to make good sets, and they can be lost easily.

Luckily, there is an app for you, and it is free and popular. Some students already know about Quizlet (https://quizlet.com). You can use it on your smartphone or tablet, or play it on your computer through any browser.

To get you started you can find and use any number of word-sets such as TOEIC words, for example. Even better, you can make your own flashcards, or adapt ones that have already been made.

You can choose to have the meaning of the words in English or any language you choose. You can write the definition yourself, or use ones supplied in the app. You can even add pictures to help you remember.

Once you have some flashcards, there are various ways to play. You can do the traditional flashcard way of looking at the definition and trying to recall the word; you can listen to the word and practice your spelling; you can drag and match the meaning to the word, and you can even play a game of Asteroids. Finally, you can also play live games against your friends, which is very motivating and fun.

I have used this app with many students over the past 4 years and it is always very popular, so please do check it out. It is not magic - you will still need to put in the time, but it should make it easier for you to learn new words.

Photo Credit: Pixabay@pexels.com

Quiz

Q1. How many words does a learner need to be able to understand an authentic text?

a)    Between 3,000 and 5,000 words

b)   Between 4,000 and 6,000 words

c)    Between 2,500 and 4,500 words

Q2. How many times do you need to review a word before you can remember it?

a)    Between 12 and 18 times

b)   Between 10 and 20 times

c)    Between 5 and 16 times

Q3. Do you have to make your own flashcards in Quizlet?

a)    You can, but you can also use sets that have been made by other people

b)   You need to buy them online

c)    You can borrow them from a friend or classmate

Scroll down ↓ for the answers

A1. a

A2. c

A3. a

I don’t really like stress. Not that I can think of anyone who does, but it is often the case that I will be happy when I’m done feeling it. At times, stress can seem to push me to try harder and to do more, but it can also leave a mess along the way. I often find that experiencing stress can become less about what is stressing me out and more about how I respond to it. 

A person does not need to be taught what stress is in order to know what it feels like. For every person it can be something different. What stresses one person can be nothing to another, and what is a small problem for one can be huge for somebody else. When I am dealing with stress, I find I first need to be open with someone who knows me well enough to understand how my stress is affecting me. 

That wasn’t always the case. In college, it was more difficult for me to adjust. I didn’t know too many people and college was very new for me since it wasn’t very common in my family. I was more concerned with just getting through the first semester, and, perhaps, the rest of my time at the university would follow. 

Obviously, it eventually did work out, but not because I kept to myself the whole time. I had friends along the way and people I talked to who helped give a different perspective on things. I am not in contact with them so much now, but their perspective then helped me to see beyond the initial stress. 

While that was years back, being able to look around me and get other perspectives is still important. It doesn’t have to be a huge number of people, but hopefully it is more than just one. Why? Because we’re all human, and sometimes the ones we lean on may need to lean on us from time to time. 

Stress is something we all share and have in common. It isn’t the only thing we’ll ever feel in life, but I’m grateful to not have to be alone when I feel it. Remember to keep your head up and look around you. 

Photo Credit: Andrea Piacquadio@Pexels.com

Quiz

Q1. What is the first thing the author does when dealing with stress? 

Be open with someone that knows them

Hides away from everyone

Writes down problems in a journal

Q2. When was it more difficult for the author to adjust to stress? Why?

At home because sometimes problems are difficult to share with family

When alone because there was nobody to talk to

In college because going to college wasn't common in their family

Q3. What is important about having friends when dealing with stress?

They offer a different perspective on how to deal with the issue

They help you forget about your problems

They agree with everything you say

Scroll down ↓ for the answers

A1. a

A2. c

A3. a

I’m gonna let you guys in on a little secret: you, too, can travel to your favourite onsen! First, you’ll need a Magic Bathtub. Next, you’ll need to get BATHCLIN’S Famous Hot Springs of Japan Bath Salts. Each package you buy has 14 sachets for 8 famous onsen locations. (I have learned not to ask questions like Why not 16 for 2 places each?) Anyway, here are my top three. The places may be a bit far away, but with a little imagination you can get there in the time it takes to fill up your tub.

The third best place I would recommend going to is Kurokawa Onsen in Kumamoto. Its cloudy green fragrance will call to mind gentle wildflowers drifting in the refreshing breeze that passes through the mountain stream of the Tanoharu River. If you wear a wooden pass, you will be able to hear faint, distant echoes like those made from inside a deep rock cave.  

The second is Nyuto Onsen in Akita. Its creamy whiteness will bring before your eyes marshmallow-like snow-clad hills and cranes spreading their wings as they fly by above you while you sip your Dewatsuru Junmai Nigori. Your bruises, cuts, and skin problems, such as eczema, will disappear as you pour water over your body with a natural hinoki bath bucket.

But the best place I’ve ever been to in a bathtub is Beppu Onsen in Oita. A warm scent with a hint of Japanese citrus in the rising steam will engulf your apartment, now reminiscent of a retro hot spring town. Two old ladies are in your kitchen busily preparing the local Hell Steam Cuisine. Boiling in their hell pots are bamboo baskets filled with eggs, sweet potatoes, and ears of corn. It’s a quaint little town providing quaint little memories. Like the time that little girl with an ice-cream cone came up to you and asked if you had seen her pet bird Nibi.

Photo Credit:hiroooooki@Wikimedia Commons

Quiz:

Q1. Which is the first onsen mentioned? 

Q2. Which onsen helps with skin problems?

Q3. Which is the best onsen mentioned? 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers

A1. Kurokawa Onsen

A2. Nyuto Onsen

A3. Beppu Onsen