If you can’t go on a trip, there are ways to experience the excitement of travel from the comfort of home. To enjoy your staycation, you should plan what you would like to do in advance. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

When you read a book or watch a movie set in another country, you can get absorbed in the story and feel like you’re in another place. Watching movies with subtitles can give you the experience of hearing different languages spoken. It might be fun to try a different genre of book or movie; for example, if you usually choose dramas, you could try crime or science fiction. Another idea is to visit a museum online. In fact, many galleries around the world have started offering virtual tours.

If you’re craving something different, then try pairing your movie or book with a new dish. Cooking is a sensory experience, so it can make you feel like you have traveled to another place. For example, you can smell the aroma of fresh ingredients, hear the sounds of the food cooking, and taste new flavors. If you aren’t interested in cooking, you can order something different at a local restaurant or buy imported foods at the supermarket instead.

If you prefer to spend time outdoors, then think about ways to do familiar activities in new ways. You can take a different path on your walk or run, or you can or spend time at nearby places that you don’t often visit. In fact, it is likely that there are interesting spots in your area, so try to be a tourist in your own city and then tune in to the sounds around you and challenge yourself to notice something new. Taking photos is an effective way to see your neighborhood in a different way. And after all, taking pictures is an important part of any vacation.

By planning activities that you would like to do, you’ll be able to get the most out of your staycation!

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Blog Quiz

 1. In the author’s opinion, what is the key to enjoying a staycation?

A. Doing outdoor activities

B. Planning your staycation

C. Taking a virtual tour

2. According to the article, why can cooking help you feel like you’re on vacation?

A. Because cooking is an activity that uses the senses

B. Because everyone is interested in cooking

C. Because you can take an online cooking class

3. According to the article, what can you do to see your local environment in a new way?

A. Go for a run instead of a walk

B. Cook a dish with local ingredients

C. Take pictures

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

Quiz Answers

A1. B

A2. A

A3. C

In my previous two blogs, I suggested two supplemental ways of stimulating your English learning; one is familiarizing yourself with the Ritsumeikan Charter in English, the other is collecting good English quotes, both of which are rarely taught in regular English classes. In this third blog, I would like to suggest still another unconventional way of supporting your learning, that is, singing songs in English.

Some people may say singing is rather entertainment, not studying, and so you cannot develop your language skills through singing. Well, that is true if you are not serious about linguistic training for essential skills such as grammar and vocabulary. Therefore, my suggestion for singing is rather supplemental and should not replace conventional learning methods taught in regular classes.

The reason for recommending singing English songs is very simple: it’s fun! As you have experienced, language learning requires a series of routine work that is sometimes boring and even painful. Quite a lot of patience and discipline are needed to continue fundamental training of, for example, memorizing tons of words and phrases, reading difficult passages with many technical terms, or listening to long conversations or lectures. Singing in English, on the other hand, does not require such patience or discipline. You can simply pick up a song you like and start getting yourself in your rhythm. In this way, you can practice listening and pronunciation, as well as reduce stress with karaoke effects.

Of course you must first understand the lyrics accurately and memorize them fully, but it’s not as difficult as you may think. Songs are much shorter than the passages in English textbooks. The same part of the lyrics are often repeated (refrains) so your memory can be strengthened easily. Even when you encounter unfamiliar expressions, looking it up in the dictionary would not be as painful simply because you have chosen a song you like in the first place. Your favorite rhythm and love for the song (and the singer) will assist you to even enjoy discovering new meanings and usages.

Here is an interesting example of lyrics in one of the popular songs, “Honesty” by Billy Joel: ♪ I can always find someone to say they sympathize, if I wear my heart out on my sleeve…♪ The expression “wear my heart out on my sleeve” is probably unfamiliar to most of you. It is an idiomatic expression meaning “speaking of your feelings and emotions honestly”. If you encountered this expression in your homework reading material, you would most likely leave it, and expression would go unnoticed, or feel bothered to look it up in the dictionary. However, if you really like this song, you will be intrigued by the uniqueness of this expression and find pleasure in checking it by yourself. Singing this song repeatedly, then, will lead to this expression settling into your memory. The same goes for unfamiliar grammatical usages too. In this way, your learning will be assisted by singing English songs with lots of fun!

♪ Honesty ♪ by Billy Joel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0juw2ovFEOg

Photo Credit: Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Blog Quiz

Question 1. Why does the author recommend singing?

a) you can learn new grammar

b) it is fun

c) you will be famous

Question 2. What is one reason why it is easy to learn/remember the lyrics of a song?

a) the words are sometimes repeated in refrains (or choruses)

b) there are a lot of new vocabulary

c) you must learn all the new grammar first

Question 3. What does "wear my heart out on my sleeve" mean?

a) you fall in love easily

b) you have high blood pressure

c) you say your feelings honestly

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

Quiz Answers

1. b

2. a

3. c 

How can one enjoy this short type of poetry? The most important point when reading and creating a haiku is the viewpoint used to illustrate the scene at which one is looking. The following is a famous work by Yosa Buson (1716-1784):

菜の花や (Canola flowers)

月は東に (The moon in the east)

日は西に (The sun in the west)

Tiny yellow canola flowers are seen on the roads in spring. As the author can see the sun and the moon at the same time, the time of day is sunset. No other information is presented in the poem; therefore, the readers’ imagination is required to complete the interpretation; how many canola flowers there are, where the author is standing, if the author is accompanied by other people or if there are passers-by, the weather, the temperature, the color of the sky, and so on. The reader can add as much information as needed to complete the visualization of the scene.

While one can enjoy reading the poem and exercising one’s imagination alone, it is also enjoyable to exchange the imaginings with one’s peers, who may imagine different scenes based on the same poem. Such discussions deepen one’s understanding of the poem by considering diverse interpretations.

Once one understands how to enjoy reading a haiku, the next step is to attempt to create one. If one ignores all the rules, the poem cannot be identified definitively as a haiku; thus, I recommend following the rules as far as possible when creating a haiku in a language other than Japanese.

Poetry and art may be difficult, but the stay-at-home period provides an excellent opportunity to enjoy reading and to practice creating short forms of literature.

Photo Credit: Photo by Satoshi Hirayama from Pexels

Blog Quiz

Q1.How many sounds does each haiku have?

Q2.When was the form of the haiku established?

Q3.What time does the example haiku take place?

I’ll admit it. The older I get, the older I feel, and the less I feel “in touch” with what’s cool. You see, when I was your age, today’s internet did not exist. You know what else didn’t exist? Streaming. Netflix. Binge watching.*

Having a favorite TV show meant watching it every week on the same day, at the same time, on the same channel. That has changed, though. Now if I want to watch Game of Thrones, for example, I can sit down at 6:00pm and watch episode after episode until either I fall asleep, or I finish watching five whole seasons.

I had never tried doing such a thing before. I didn’t understand the appeal of speeding through multiple episodes in one sitting. I mean, when you talk to friends about the show, you can only ask, “How far have you gotten into the show? Oh, so you don’t know what happens to… oh, never mind...” Then the conversation is over. When I was younger, we could simply ask, “Did you see the Simpsons last night?” and then have a conversation about the whole show. Then repeat again six days later.

Instead of boring you with how boring I have become, let me introduce a show to you that I recently binge-watched. It’s called Cobra Kai, and it is available on Netflix. It is based on a 1984 movie that was a childhood favorite of mine: The Karate Kid (ベストキッド in Japan).

 In the original movie, a teenage boy named Daniel moves to California with his mother and tries to fit in with others, but instead gets bullied. He learns karate, and eventually beats his enemies.

Cobra Kai has the same main characters in it, but 35 years later. Daniel is now 50 years old, a successful businessman, and has a wife and two teenage children. Johnny (his enemy) has just lost his job and has to figure out what to do with his life. I will not spoil anything except to say that both men take up karate again, and their rivalry starts over... but not in the way you would expect.

There are so many twists and turns, unexpected new (and old) characters, and it is highly entertaining. As an old guy myself, I can relate to Daniel the father, the husband, the career man. For young people, I think the appeal will be connecting with the high school students that take over as sub-characters.

You might want to take up karate after watching Cobra Kai, or like me, you might really get into binge-watching other shows. What are you waiting for? Go watch the first three seasons of Cobra Kai! Season 4 is currently being produced!

* Binge watching means watching multiple episodes of a TV show (often drama or comedy) one after another, and quickly finishing an entire season (or series).

Photo Credit: Cottonbro@pixels.com

Blog Quiz

Q1. What did not exist when the writer was young?

a. TV shows

b. Netflix

c. The Karate Kid

Q2. What is the name of the TV show the writer wants to introduce?

a. Game of Thrones

b. The Karate Kid

c. Cobra Kai

Q3. What does the writer think will be interesting to young viewers of the show?

a. The main characters, Daniel & Johnny

b. The sub-characters, high school students

c. The skill of the karate fights in the show

 Scroll down for the answers.

Quiz Answers

A1.b

A2.c

A3.b

How much do you know about Rakugo? I think some of you might know about the Sunday evening TV program called Shouten. All of the performers are Rakugo storytellers. They tell witty stories while wearing a kimono. Performed since the Edo period, Rakugo is a performing art that has become part of Japanese culture. The Rakugo performer kneels on a cushion (zabuton) that is placed on a raised platform (koza) in the center of the stage. Without the use of stage effects, sets, or costumes, the storyteller's goal is to make the audience laugh while using a fan or towel as his or her only prop. This simple yet unique and sophisticated narrative art does not exist anywhere else in the world. The key points of Rakugo are (a) the story should include a punch line; (b) the story unfolds as a form of dialogue; (c) the performer changes the character through facial expressions; (d) a Japanese fan and towel are the only props; and (e) slight changes to their posture, mannerism, and tone of voice give life to many different characters.

Rakugo used to be a cultural practice unique to Japan. However, as its merits have become known worldwide, foreigners have begun to perform Rakugo in Japanese, and Japanese have started to perform Rakugo in English. The problem here is translation. Some of the situations in the stories and even some of the punchlines can be difficult to translate. I will give one example. Newcomers to anything have to take the first step, and in the world of Rakugo, a beginner starts by telling a story called Kuchinashi. The story begins with a customer entering a flower shop and asking the florist if the shop has any flowers. The florist says, “Yes, I have many different kinds of flowers.” The customer asks, “Do you have any flowers that talk?” The florist says, “Yes, I have flowers that talk.” The customer begins asking the flowers their names. The flowers answer by saying, “I'm Rose.” or “My name is Tulip.” Eventually, the customer finds a flower that doesn't answer his question. The customer angrily asks the owner, “Why doesn't this flower talk?” The florist calmly answers, “Because that flower is a Kuchinashi!” This punchline is easily understandable and funny to Japanese speakers because Kuchinashi literally means “no mouth.” How can you express the same thing in English and make the audience laugh? Some performers of English Rakugo will use the words “dried flower” or “wallflower.” Which one do you like better?

Photo Credit: Miguel Á. Padriñán@ Pexels.com

Blog Quiz

Q1. When did Rakugo begin?　

Q2. What are the two props?

Q3. How do Rakugo performers bring different characters to life?

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

Quiz Answers

A1. Edo period

A2. A Japanese fan and a towel

A3. They slightly change to their posture, mannerism, and tone of voice.

Many people today listen to music using streaming services like Apple Music or downloaded mp3 files played through smart phones. When I was a child in the early 1970’s, we mostly listened to music with vinyl records. Then cassette tapes became popular because they were more portable, and you could record your own music onto them. Later in the 1990’s, CDs became the most popular medium for music.

My favorite way to listen to music is the vinyl record. In recent years, records have become trendy again, partly due to their popularity with DJs. I am not a DJ, but I have several other reasons why I like vinyl best.

If taken care of properly, records last a long time. I have several hundred records; most of them I bought in my youth or came from my father’s even older collection. Today I listened to the very first record I ever bought—Led Zeppelin IV. It still sounds great, even though the vinyl record is over 40 years old. None of the cassettes from my childhood work at all now, and even some of my CDs from the 1990’s don’t really work well anymore. My old records; however, have become some of my most prized possessions.

I believe the analog format of vinyl records provides a better, warmer sound than digital formats. Even the pops and crackles you hear on scratched or dusty records can have some nostalgic attraction for people of my generation. Many audiophiles think analog records contain a wider range of sound waves and give a rich, truer, more authentic sound.

Finally, and most importantly, listening to music with records is a more involved, satisfying experience. First, I have to physically find a record by looking through my record collection. The artwork on the record covers trigger memories and helps me choose what I want to hear. Then I have to take out the record from it's sleeve, decide if I want to hear side A or B, put the record on my turntable, and manually place the needle at the song I want to hear. Often, I will start from the beginning using the automatic function. This makes me listen to all of the songs in the order the artist intended, something I think is mostly lost today when we skip through and just pick single songs from our mp3 collection. As I listen to the record, I usually spend some time looking at the artwork and the information printed on the album sleeve, and sometimes I can read the lyrics to the songs if they are printed on the sleeve. I think listening to music with records is a more focused, complete, artistic experience than using other formats. When I play vinyl records, I can most fully appreciate what I am listening to.

Photo Credit: Alina Vilchenko@Pexels.com

Blog Quiz

1. Which of the following is the oldest music medium?

A. CDs

B. Streaming Services

C. Vinyl records

2. In paragraph 4, what is an ‘audiophile’?

A. A professional musician.

B. A notebook with notes about music.

C. A person who is enthusiastic about high-quality sound.

3. Why does the author like vinyl records?

A. Because they are very convenient.

B. Because the author thinks they provide a better listening experience.

C. Because the author is a DJ.

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

Quiz Answers

A1. C

A2. C

A3. B