今日から3月。3/1は県立の高校が一斉に卒業式ですね。お昼前に保護者の方と帰宅する学生さんを多くみかけました。
1日前の昨日はうるう年で29日でした。
ところが10:30頃に中学生たちがぞろぞろと帰宅していたのです。なんでだろう？と思っていたのです。
ピンときた方はもうお分かりかもしれませんが、岡山市内の中学校へ爆弾予告が出たそうですね！
全国ニュースにもなっていましたが驚きました！
子供たちは何故午前中に帰宅させられているかは知らされていなかったようです。
何事もなくてよかったの一言です。
さて、この早退となった昨日の分は春休みで削られるのでしょうか？！笑
英語での質問です。
爆弾予告、うるう年。英語でどう言うでしょうか？
a bomb threat & Leap Year
leapはカエルなどが「ピョーン」と飛び跳ねるのが原意です。
Wawa is a very popular chain of convenience stores. Usually you can find them in southern New Jersey and Philadelphia, but they are always expanding. I used to go to Wawa every week for coffee, donuts, milk, and many other things.
Convenience stores in Japan are great, but I miss Wawa coffee and snacks. Recently, my mom sent some pictures from a Wawa in my hometown. Looks good, right?
Wawa also has some stores with gas stations. They're much, much larger than the average convenience store. It's very easy to stop by, fill up your gas tank, and get your favorite kind of coffee. They're very popular!
If you happen to go to the Phildephia area, give Wawa a try. Don't forget to bring back a soft pretzel for me!
This week, Dave will be on Radio MOMO. He will be on with Chiaki Kamibepu in 「Let's Enjoy English!」. The program is about 15 minutes long. Chiaki and Dave will practice some basic English conversation about giving directions.
Date: February 25th (Thursday)
Time: ～6:27pm
Station: Radio MOMO - 79.0 FM
レディオモモのホームページ
Yesterday, I did a kind of traditional Japanese dance at a formal dinner for my Aikido dojo. Seven of us performed at a hotel ballroom in Fukuyama for an audience of about 150 people. We wore masks that we held in our teeth, becuase we took them off during the dance and by holding it in our teeth, we could take off the mask easily. We also wore kimono and used Japanese folding fans. We were not perfect, but I think we did a pretty good job. We had a lot of fun practicing and getting ready. I hope to get a video of the dance sometime soon. If so, I will post it up here.
Last Sunday was Valentine’s Day, which is a big holiday in America. As I’m sure you know, in America men give presents to women, not the other way around like in Japan. There is also no white day in America. Also, it is common for adults to only give presents to their wives or girlfriends, not to friends and coworkers. Only about 10% of people in America give presents to their coworkers. Popular gifts include roses, chocolate and other candy, cards, and accessories like necklaces or earrings. It is also popular to get engaged on Valentine's Day. Valentine’s Day is much more expensive in America than in Japan. A 2012 survey found that the average American man spends about $170 (¥20,000), while a survey by the Lotte chocolate company found that the average Japanese woman spends about ¥3,200. That’s a big difference!
Modern Valentine’s Day became popular to celebrate in England and America in the 1800s. In Japan, celebrating Valentine’s became popular in the 1950s and 1960s. In India, on the other hand, Valentine’s Day became popular in the early 1990s because public displays of affection and love were considered inappropriate before that. In many Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia and Malaysia Valentine’s Day is banned, and people are arrested each year for celebrating the holiday. The religious police in Saudi Arabia removed all red roses from flower shops in 2012. In South Korea, the 14th of every month is a love related holiday. From January to December: Candle Day, Valentine's Day, White Day, Black Day, Rose Day, Kiss Day, Silver Day, Green Day, Music Day, Wine Day, Movie Day, and Hug Day. Korean women give a much higher amount of chocolate than Japanese women.
What did you do for Valentine’s Day?