Because of the recent pandemic, many people choose to stay inside. If they do go out, it is only to stock up on food or other necessities. We need to remember to get out and enjoy the outdoors. Parks and bike-ways can be places to enjoy nature and still respect social distancing rules. Some people say “But what is there to do outside? There’s nothing to see…” A hobby I started long ago in childhood has stayed with me all these years. It is a way to enjoy the outdoors and see and learn about some fascinating things. What is it? Bird watching! Yes, observing birds in your local area is a great way to connect to the environment and become aware of the amazing diversity of birds and their behaviors. It will also give you motivation for getting outdoors.

 

How do you ‘bird watch”?

The best way is to have a pair of decent binoculars and a bird book for your local area. It is possible to bird without binocs, but you really miss a lot of details as birds tend to be small and quick. You can also find many pictures of birds with descriptions on the Internet. Don’t forget birds make a variety of calls and songs as well. It’s one more way of identifying a species. You will begin to notice that bird species can occupy different habitats. I like to visit forests, lakes, riversides, and open parks. You can start right around your home. How many different species can you observe just there? After you get a few species names under your belt, you might want to try a different area away from your home. You can find birds in places crowded with people as well as in unpopulated areas.

 

Here’s a few kinds of birds I have seen just from bird watching around my apartment in the city: Sparrows, Doves, Pigeons, Ravens, Thrushes, Cormorants, Herons, Egrets, Bulbuls, Lapwings, Woodpeckers, White-Eyes, Redstarts, Swallows, Hawks…The list goes on.

 

The next time you walk to the store, try to catch sight of a few birds. Are they all the same? Different? Do they make the same noises? Are they the same shape, color, or size? When you start learning species names, try keeping a list and you can add to it as you learn more about birds and bird watching. And finally, if it’s possible, birding can be more fun with a partner or two along to enjoy the time outdoors.

 

 

Photo Credit: Pixabay@pexels.com

 

 

Blog Quiz

1. Why does the author recommend bird watching?

A.    It helps people connect with nature.

B.    It is a safe activity during the pandemic.

C.    Both A and B.

 

2. Which is NOT mentioned as a way birds can be identified?

 

A.    By listening to their sounds.

B.    By watching television.

C.    By using a book.

 

3. In the last sentence, what does ‘birding’ mean?

 

A.    Catching birds.

B.    Looking for birds.

C.    Studying about birds.

 

 

 

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiz Answers

 

1. C

2. B

3. B

Housing issues are always annoying. One visits many real estate agencies before finding a property. When one finds a good property, it still takes time to settle in. While it is exciting to begin a new life in a new place, all the processes involved can be irritating. Some students may have started their lives in new apartments this Spring, while others still need to find rooms for the Fall semester.

 

Having had several experiences of looking for accommodation and moving, I have two tips that I would like to share with you.

 

My priority is that my apartment has sufficient sunlight because I had the unpleasant experience of living in a very dark room previously. The rent was affordable, the room was quite large, and I found the new kitchen appliances to be attractive. However, the lack of sunlight was simply awful. Although the room had a balcony on the south side, the room was dark because there was a factory just in front of it. Therefore, I had to keep the lights on all the time, even during the day; my bedding grew mould even in summer, and the room was icy cold in winter, even when the heater was on. I now believe that the power of sunlight gives me the energy to wake up and tells me when it is time to relax as it moves from east to west.

 

The second point is that after moving several times, I realised that it was easier to live with limited furnishings. When I embarked on my life in Tokyo as an undergraduate student, it was fun to buy ornaments and put them on shelves. At the same time, I had a part-time job at a clothing store, which increased the amount of ‘stuff’ in my cupboards. When I graduated from university, I moved to a new apartment. At that time, when the staff at the moving company saw my room, they said, “Wow, this is a big job…” They were right. I had too many things that I did not use often, or never used at all. Since then, I have attempted to decrease my possessions. I am not a minimalist, but I feel good when I keep my closet and kitchen shelves tidy.

 

By the time I moved into a student dormitory in London, I was surprised to find that I could pack everything I needed into two suitcases that I had brought from Japan. When I arrived in London, I purchased some pans and blankets to live a comfortable life as a student there. I began to wonder why I felt that I needed so many things when I was an undergraduate. Our society is materialistic, and the economy is based on consumption; however, the number of possessions someone has does not indicate whether the person is happy or wealthy.

 

Photo Credit: cottonbro@pexels.com

 

Blog Quiz

1. Why did the author dislike the dark room he lived in?

A.    It was cold.

B.    Mold grew easily.

C.    Both A and B.

 

2. In paragraph 4, what does the author mean by ‘minimalist’?

 

A.   A small room.

B.   A person with few possessions.

C.   A person who hates moving.

 

3. How does the author currently feel about possessions?

 

A.   He thinks they are not that important for happiness.

B.    He needs more pans and blankets.

C.    He wants to be more materialistic.

 

 

 

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiz Answers

 

1. C

2. B

3. A

“What is a typical dish from your country?”

 

Food is a great topic when meeting people of other nationalities. The question above is good for breaking the ice and can lead to interesting discussions. Japanese people have many answers to choose from when hearing this question; sushi, tonkatsu, okonomiyaki, tempura, udon… These are undeniably good examples of Japanese cuisine.

 

What is interesting is the deceiving nature of the question. This is because the person asking might think it means the same as asking “What food is typically eaten in your country?” Indeed, for Japanese people, the dishes mentioned above could answer either question, so the distinction between the two questions could seem unimportant; however, the point of answering is a little problematic for me.

 

I am often asked the first question “What is a typical dish from your country?” when Japanese people are getting to know me, and they likely expect an interesting answer that can teach them something new. However, it is tricky because my quick and simple answer cannot carry over as a reply to the second question (like it does for Japanese). Why is that?

 

The reason is because I am from Canada. What is typical food in Canada? Well, a quick and simple answer is pasta, pizza, hamburgers, steak, dumplings, curry… and sushi! However, surely those are unexpected responses for a Japanese person to hear—especially those who have not been abroad. I am not Italian, German, American, Chinese, Indian, or Japanese. I am Canadian.

 

The point of difference between “from your country” and “in your country” is what I wish to address, and this can also nudge into the spotlight the feature of the so-called Canadian mosaic.

 

There is a story I like to tell whenever I get asked about Canadian food. When I was young, after school I often went to a friend’s place. Depending on the day or friend, I might stay for dinner, and over a span of years this amounted to a wonderful introduction to international cuisine because everyone I knew was either an immigrant or a child of immigrants. One day I might eat homemade Indian food. On other days it might be homemade Italian, Chinese, British, and—especially in my hometown of Edmonton—Ukrainian food. Then when it was my friend’s turn to visit my house, my mother would cook Cuban food.

 

I am not joking when I say that the food I ate as a young Canadian varied among such delicious dishes as homemade spaghetti, Chinese-style dumplings, Ukrainian-style dumplings, curry with naan, roast beef with Yorkshire pudding (from Britain), and fried plantain (a Caribbean dish).

 

True Canadian food? Look that up on {Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_cuisine]} and I cannot say that I experienced—as far as typical food is concerned—what is listed as examples: poutine, salmon jerky, Montreal-style bagels, ginger beef, and butter tarts. I look forward to trying all those when I return, though. I hear they are more available now than when I was young.

 

 

Photo Credit: Social Soup@pexels.com

 

Blog Quiz

 

1. What does the author’s first question usually mean?

A.    What is the most popular food in your country?

B.    What food is commonly eaten in your country?

C.    What food represents your country’s cuisine?

 

2. Why did the author eat many different cuisines when he was young?

 

A.    Because there were many restaurants with foreign cuisine in Edmonton.

B.    Because he didn’t like typical Canadian food.

C.    Because his friend’s families were immigrants.

3. Which of these dishes would the author like to try on his next visit home?

 

A.    fried plantain

B.    salmon jerky

C.    Yorkshire pudding

 

 

 

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiz Answers

 

1. C

2. C

3. B

(continued from last week)

 

Alternatively, Japanese sports education and culture has quite a long history of basketball. In 1917, Japan entered a basketball team in the Olympic games for the first time. When I first came to Japan to teach English, I was so jealous to realize that much like American children, Japanese children have grown up for generations learning the game that I had grown to love.

 

In my middle school’s changing rooms, our sports teachers decorated the walls with posters of various famous sports stars. I knew a lot of those faces from watching TV, but there was one poster in particular that caught my attention. It was a photo taken from above the basketball ring, looking down. There was a tall handsome man training on his own, jumping high into the air with a basketball in one hand. In the bottom left corner of the poster was a small red box with the word ‘Nike’ in it. I didn’t know who he was then, but that is my first clear memory of seeing the world-famous Michael Jordan. I wanted to know more.

 

A few years later at high school, I got my first chance to learn how to play. The school had an old indoor court that had no 3-point line, and three larger spaces in a building that we nicknamed ‘the shed’. I made new friends with other boys and girls, some who knew more about basketball than me, and we began to practice and teach each other. Although the high school had a team, it was nothing like a Japanese school’s sports clubs. Practice was only once a week. Some of the older students told us about a private club that was being run at evenings and weekends by a professional player in the neighboring town called Gateshead. We nervously made the journey over there to see if we could take part. I remember walking onto my first proper basketball court and being amazed by the speed and intensity of the game and the players. I was hooked. I must have played, watched, and talked about basketball every day between the ages of 15 to 22. I was never a great player, but I loved the game and I still do now.

 

 

Photo Credit: Markus Spiske@pexels.com

 

Blog Quiz

 

1. When did Japan first enter a basketball team into the Olympic games?

2. What famous sport star did the author become interested in as a middle school student?

3. How often did the author’s high school basketball team practice?

 

 

 

 

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiz Answers

 

1. 1917

2. Michael Jordan

3. Once a week

Football (soccer), as it is called in my native country, is by far and away the most popular sport in the UK, and like other hugely popular sports, football culture is ‘not just a sport’ to those who love it, it is a way of life. The north east of England has a long history of football culture. My hometown of Newcastle upon Tyne, much like many other cities and towns throughout the UK, has thousands of people who loyally follow the various local football clubs, from school teams, to amateur teams, to the big-money big-business teams of the premiere leagues. Of course, there are people who actively dislike football and the culture surrounding it, so when the larger culture is not appealing, subcultures emerge from groups of people who have different beliefs and interests. These days, basketball is a globally popular sport thanks to the NBA, its amazing athletes, and the Internet. However, in 1990’s England, being a basketball fan meant that you were part of a subculture.

 

I started first (elementary) school in 1985 and I was never very good at playing football. I didn’t understand why so many boys wanted to play it. Equality in sports was still an underdeveloped idea, so in those days, it was very rare to see girls playing football, and even rarer for a school to have a girls’ football club.

 

At middle (junior high) school, I found out in P.E. class that I enjoyed athletics the most, especially the high jump and the long jump. It was exhilarating to throw myself as high and as far through the air as I could. The school had a football team for which many boys were very keen to play. My teachers suggested that I take part in athletics competitions. However, P.E. classes and serious competitions are two different worlds. It was so boring to sit and wait for my event in the day’s long schedule.

 

European or American basketball game highlights were only very rarely shown on British TV. I was intrigued by this strange looking game that was played in a small space with only ten people on the court. I didn’t know until I was much older that there was a small but loyally followed English professional basketball league. Also, like many other schools across the UK, my middle school had a very large grassy field with a football and rugby pitch, but it didn’t have a basketball court.

 

(To be continued next week)

 

Photo Credit: Markus Spiske@pexels.com

 

Blog Quiz

1. What is the most popular sport in The United Kingdom?

2. What sport did the author enjoy playing most in junior high school?

3. How often did the author see basketball on TV when he was in junior high school? 

 

 

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiz Answers

 

1. Soccer (football)

2. Athletics (long jump and high jump)

3. Rarely

During the COVID-19 outbreak, most of us have been spending a lot of time at home. It has been a difficult challenge, but at the same time it presents an opportunity to learn a new skill, for example playing a musical instrument. In my case, I’ve been improving my guitar skills.

 

The guitar is one of the most popular musical instruments in the world and it can change your life in profound ways. It’s quite easy to play basic guitar and you can soon play simple songs. I myself have been playing for 45 years and I can attest that there are many advantages to learning guitar. For example, three of the most important benefits are creative, social and cognitive.

 

Learning to play the guitar is incredibly satisfying and the challenge of learning an instrument helps to release your creativity. Mastering chords, perfecting songs and playing solos are great challenges, and the sense of achievement you gain is wonderful. There is a deep emotional connection with music and you may even start writing your own songs and expressing your emotions in beautiful and unexpected ways. This new creativity may even help you discover surprising things about yourself.

 

Secondly there are huge social benefits from playing guitar. It is a great instrument when it comes to uniting people. Bring one out at a party, and you will soon become the center of attention, instantly elevating everyone’s mood and creating positive emotions. Not only that, playing together with other people, in a duo or even in a band, is a great way to make friends and form relationships.

 

Finally there are proven cognitive benefits from playing guitar. Research suggests that musicians’ brains work a bit differently to everyone else’s. Music theory is in fact built on mathematics and the art of learning to play chords and read music opens up pathways in the mind. Children with attention problems sometimes learn an instrument to improve concentration, and research has shown that the areas of the brain responsible for memory become stimulated while playing the guitar. Obviously this is a great benefit as you become older.

 

So in conclusion, playing the guitar has many benefits. It can help you to explore your connectivity, form friendships and it also has many cognitive benefits. So if you are looking for a hobby which will help you through this strange time, why don’t you think about learning the guitar?

 

 

Photo Credit: 42 North@pexels.com

 

Blog Quiz

 

1. When did the author start playing the guitar?

A.    To learn a new skill.

B.    Almost 50 years ago.

C.    During the COVID-19 outbreak.

 

2. What is one social benefit of playing the guitar?

A.    It releases your creativity.

B.    It can bring people together.

C.    You can discover things about yourself.

3. What does the phrase ‘cognitive benefits’ refer to?

A.    Attention problems.

B.    Elevating someone’s mood.

C.    Things that help the brain develop.

 

 

 

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiz Answers

 

1. B

2. B

3. C

According to the encyclopedia of Japanese Frogs, forty-eight types of frogs live in Japan. How many of them have you seen? May to August is the best season to meet some of them. Let me introduce three kinds of frogs that you can find in Shiga prefecture.

 

One of the most common frogs is the Japanese Tree Frog, 'ama-gaeru' in Japanese. 'Ama' stands for 'rain' and 'gaeru' for 'frog.' As the name indicates, you are most likely to find them during rainy season. It is a small frog about three to four centimeters long. They are small, but they sing very loudly. So please be careful if you you plan to keep them as a pet in your apartment. If you visit an area with rice fields, you will probably be able to find eggs and tadpoles just before and during rainy season. Be careful not to stamp on frogs when they are crossing the road from one rice field to another one.

 

Somewhat rare frogs you can find in mountain areas are the forest green tree frog and schlegel's green tree frog. They usually live on land and they come close to water sites when they lay eggs. Other types of frogs usually lay their eggs in water with a jelly-like coating. However, the eggs of these tree frogs are coated with bubbles and are laid on grass or leaves of trees hanging over the water. Within approximately two weeks, the eggs hatch and the tadpoles are washed away into the water by rain and live in the water until they grow legs. When you visit the mountains for them, watch out for leeches.

 

If you are wondering what the other forty-five types of frogs are like, why don't you go outside and try to find them? You will be able to find other interesting creatures as well.

 

 

Photo Credit: Kaboompics@pexels.com

 

Blog Quiz

 

1. When is the best season to see frogs in Japan?

2. What does 'ama-gaeru' mean in English?

 

 

 

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiz Answers

 

 

 

1. May to August (summer)

2. rain frog

3. tadpoles

What is your little treat in your daily life when you finish your important exams or achieve your goals? I am sure that everyone has their own little treat. In my case, one of my little treats can be having my favorite chocolate, which can make me feel happy and relaxed. According to the Chocolate and Cocoa Association of Japan [http://www.chocolate-cocoa.com/statistics/index.html], people in Germany ate 11.1 kg of chocolate per person in 2017 while people in Japan had 2.19 kg of chocolate per person in 2018. It is said that chocolate is unique because it can be used for both luxury and nutritious food. Chocolate can be good not only for recovering from exhaustion but also for preventing high blood pressure. However, it is recommended that people should not have a lot of chocolate at one time but have about 5-10g of chocolate per day (= about 1-2 pieces of bitter chocolate or a cup of hot chocolate). In fact, eating chocolate between meals can be an energy supplement and drinking a cup of hot chocolate in the morning or before exercise can improve blood flow.

 

The Chocolate and Cocoa Association of Japan [http://www.chocolate-cocoa.com/dictionary/history/world/w01_a.html] explains that chocolate was born in Mesoamerica, which is southern Mexico and central America, between around 1500 BC and 400 BC. Chocolate was not easy to get since the production area of cacao was limited, so only upper-class people such as people from the royal family or nobles could have it. People today enjoy chocolate both as food and drink. However, previously chocolate was tasted as a special drink and was drunk in a reception or after dinner. Not only was chocolate used for a drink but also as an offering in a ceremony, medicine, a tribute or even for money! For example, one male turkey was worth 200 cacao beans and one big tomato was worth one piece of cacao bean. The time when chocolate as a drink spread to ordinary citizens was in the 16th century after the Aztec Empire was conquered by Spain. It is said that there are four major inventions using chocolate. The first invention was hot chocolate by Dutch Coenraad Van Houten in 1828, who improved hot chocolate into a more convenient drink by making melty cacao powder. Then in 1847, British Joseph Fry produced the first solid chocolate by mixing cacao powder, sugar and cacao butter. After that, milk chocolate was invented by Swiss Daniel Peter in 1875 with Henri Nestle, who is the founder of Nestle. Finally, Swiss Rodolphe Lindt invented Conche (one of the machines to make chocolate) - it is said that he made smooth chocolate by accident, when he forgot to turn off the machine for 72 hours!

 

By the way, do you have your favorite chocolate brand? Global Brands Magazine Brand Awards 2019/2020 [https://www.globalbrandsmagazine.com/top-chocolate-brands-in-the-world/] announced the Top and Best Chocolate Brands as follows;

Ferrero Rocher

Guylian

Patchi

Domingo Ghirardelli

Toblerone

Cadbury

Lindt and Sprungli

Mars bars

Snickers

Kit Kat

Galaxy

Is there a chocolate brand you like in the list? Why don’t you try some of these chocolates when you buy chocolate next time for yourself or as a small gift?

 

Photo Credit: Polina Tankilevitch@pexels.com

 

Blog Quiz

1. How much chocolate do Japanese people eat?

A.    5 to 10 grams per day

B.    Approximately one-fifth the annual amount that German people do

C.    11.1 kg per year

 

2. According to the author, what are some benefits of consuming chocolate?

A.    it gives energy

B.    it helps your blood circulation

C.    both A and B

 

3. Where is chocolate from?

A.    Spain

B.    Switzerland

C.    Central America

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiz Answers

 

1. B

2. B

3. C

Writer and poet Gentle Ehrlich said, “Walking is also an ambulation of mind.” In other words, when you’re walking, not only your body but also your brain is moving. For many writers, walking is one way to take a break from writing and come up with new ideas for stories. How can employees and students apply this idea?

 

In her TED Talk, Nilofer Merchant, a business innovator, suggests that a walking meeting is one solution to sitting though boring meetings at work. In a walking meeting, employees walk and talk instead of sitting at a table. At first, people thought the main benefit of walking meetings would be that employees would sit less and exercise more. However, the walking meeting had another surprising benefit: employees increased their creativity and developed innovative ideas. In fact, according to researchers, walking has a significant impact on creative thinking. This could work for students too. After studying for a long time, going outside or taking a walk may be just what you need to look at a topic in a new way.

 

Another way for students to move more is to combine walking with doing other activities. Merchant says, “I used to think about it as, you could take care of your health, or you could take care of your obligations, and one always came at the cost of the other.” In other words, in the past, she thought that it was difficult to complete all her tasks and exercise too. However, it is possible to combine walking with errands. For example, depending on where you live, it might be possible to walk to the supermarket or station. Also, it might be possible for students to combine walking and studying. While walking in a familiar place, you could listen to music, podcasts, or listening exercises in English. In this way, you can study but spend less time sitting.

 

Sometimes walking outside isn’t an option because of the weather or other reasons. In this case, just a change of scenery may be helpful, so how about taking a virtual walk in a far away place or trying another type of indoor exercise? The main point is that if you need a break or a new idea, the solution might just be to move your body!

 

https://www.ted.com/talks/nilofer_merchant_got_a_meeting_take_a_walk?language=en

 

 

Photo Credit: Yogendra Singh@pexels.com

 

Blog Quiz

 

1. What is a walking meeting?

A.   When people have a meeting in a conference room

B.    When people have a meeting while taking a walk

C.    When people have a virtual meeting

 

2. What are the two main benefits of walking meetings mentioned in the article?

A.   Getting more exercise and making new friends

B.   Discovering new places and getting new ideas

C.   Decreasing sitting time and increasing creativity

 

3. Can you give an example of a task mentioned in the article that can be combined with walking?

A.   Doing the laundry

B.   Writing a research paper

C.   Going grocery shopping

 

 

 

 

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiz Answers

 

1. B

2. C

3. C