Episodes
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Last month, I rode the Hokuriku Shinkansen for the first time. I was visiting my mom in Fukui, and for the first time, I could take the Hokuriku Shinkansen directly there. The Hokuriku Shinkansen has been operating since 2015, but initially, it only connected Tokyo and Kanazawa, leaving my hometown, Fukui, out of reach. However, this March, the line was extended to include Fukui, making my journey much more convenient.
When I was in elementary school, I remember my dad telling me that someday, a Shinkansen would come to Fukui. I waited and waited, and after 30 years, it's finally here. Accessing the Shinkansen from my hometown in Fukui was quite a hassle, requiring several transfers, which caused the journey to take almost five hours in total. Now, I can travel directly from Tokyo Station to Fukui, which not only reduces the number of transfers, but also shortens the travel time to a little over four hours. Having fewer transfers makes the journey much less stressful.
Once I arrived in Fukui, I was greeted by many dinosaur statues because Fukui is famous for dinosaurs. The city has one of the world's top dinosaur museums, which I'm very proud of. I enjoyed seeing the large dinosaur fossils displayed at Fukui Station, and the moving Tyrannosaurus monument was really cool. I also noticed many new and fancy cafes and shops near the station, an area that used to be quite desolate. It was heartening to see my hometown rejuvenating and filled with positive energy.
I'm looking forward to visiting Fukui more often now that it's so much easier to get there. Additionally, there are discounted tickets available until next spring, making it even more appealing to travelers. Although I'm not sure if I'll be able to visit Fukui within the year, I'm certain I'll go back next May, as that is my annual tradition. My first experience on the Hokuriku Shinkansen was wonderful, and I was happy to see my mom, brother, friends, nephews, and niece. —————————————————————— 🗣Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us.
*FREEBIRD English: https://www.55freebird.com/blank-1
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You know the typical style of Asian cuisine. There is rice, side dishes and soup. Needless to say, rice should always be in the center position. Side dishes and soups provide extra nutrition and a variety of flavors.
However, I watched an interesting video on YouTube about diet and health. They said the most important thing is the order in which the dishes are eaten. Their recommendation was to eat fruits or vegetables first, followed by proteins such as eggs, tofu, etc, and rice should be eaten last. Apparently, that prevents your blood sugar levels from spiking. I don’t have a blood sugar problem yet, but it does run in my family. Anyway, I have been a little more conscious about blood sugar recently.
I noted that the video’s recommendation was exactly the same, as what my daughter does. She always eats the side dishes first, and then she eats rice by itself at the end. What an unappetizing way to eat! We have been arguing about this matter for many years, and now I find out the weird way she eats is actually healthier!No wonder she is so skinny.
I apologized to her begrudgingly, and now I try to eat apples or salad or eggs before rice. I’m still struggling with it though. I tend to automatically put rice in my mouth first!
When my daughter saw me doing this she said, “Mom, it looks like you have a long way to go to catch up with me!”...And you know what? She's right. I don't know if I could ever get used to eating rice by itself af the end of the meal. —————————————————————— 🗣Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us. 👉[email protected] *FREEBIRD English: https://www.55freebird.com/blank-1 -
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I’ve seen a lot of castles in my time, but Himeji castle takes the cake!
It was built in 1609, and even after more than 400 years, it’s beauty is incomparable.
I had been looking forward to visiting Himeji castle, so I booked a guide.
Having a guide made the experience totally different.
He taught me how the castle was built, how it was defended from enemies, how day to day life was for the inhabitants, how strong the castle’s construction is, and the list goes on and on.
The wisdom and way of thinking of the people of that time overwhelmed me.
During the second world war, the area around the castle was bombed.
I thought the reason why the large castle on the hill, nicknamed “Shirasagi”(
The White Heron Castle), survived was because the American military knew of it’s historical value.
BuuuUUUuuut that wasn’t the reason at all! The castle was covered with black nets! A bomb still fell on the castle tower, but luckily it didn’t explode.
The staff risked their lives and carried the bomb out of the castle.
Himeji castle standing tall in the middle of burnt ruins must have given people strength and courage. —————————————————————— 🗣Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us. 👉[email protected] *FREEBIRD English: https://www.55freebird.com/blank-1 -
I went to Primal Fear's show in Osaka. They are a German metal band.
As I came in I saw a notice posted on the wall at the entrance to the venue.
It said: "Today's show won't be perfect. If you agree to that, please proceed to the venue floor."
A spokesperson for the band appeared on the stage when we, the audience, were waiting for the band. She announced, "They can not provide you the show you expected today. Actually, their drummer fell ill yesterday and is in the hospital. Fortunately, we could find a stand-in for this show. They were rehearsing with the substitute Japanese drummer until just now. However, the show will only be half as long as usual today."
Then one crazy metal head in the audience called out, "That's fine! Just give us the METAL!!!!" and no one in the audience seemed to have any bones about it.
That's the thing about metal heads! We just wanna ROCK!!
She continued, saying, "Instead, we'll hold a meet and greet event for everyone after the show!" We were delighted by the band and the crew's respect for their fans.
The band and the audience were united and got fired up together.
I pictured what happened to the Japanese drummer that morning... He woke up and was having a cup of coffee while relaxing as usual. Then suddenly, his phone rang. "We need you to come here right now. Primal Fear needs you to play the drums at thier show!" "What what what whaaaat? THE Primal Fear? ...today??"
Even though he had just a few hours to rehearse their songs, he ripped hard when it was showtime!
When the performance of the last song ended, the band members and audience all gave him a round of applause in admiration. He became a hero in that moment, although he was unknown to anyone here until only an hour ago.
I deeply realized that you never know when opportunity will come, so consistant practice and preparation are crucial.
Afterwards, I got a chance and an amazing offer as well.
But I'll talk about that another time... ---------------------------------------------
Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us. Keep Rocking and Stay Metal!
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*FREEBIRD English: https://www.55freebird.com/blank-1 -
Today, I’m going to talk about a new part of my morning routine where I go outside right after waking up. Initially, I aimed to get back into running after suffering from sciatica last year due to a sedentary lifestyle. However, I found it quite challenging. The most difficult part was getting my butt out of bed and going outside in the cold weather with just my running gear on.
My husband suggested that we invest in an stationary bike, which was a perfect interim solution, allowing me to exercise without having to brave the cold. Yet, something was missing… I believe profoundly in the mental and physical benefits of spending time outdoors, so this didn’t really surprise me.
After much deliberation, I found a simple yet effective solution: lower the bar to just going outside. Now, regardless of the weather, I step out for a walk. The shift from running to merely being outside has significantly relieved the pressure, making the habit easier to maintain.
Integrating photography into my routine added a layer of enjoyment. Taking photos has long been a hobby of mine, yet I rarely had the opportunity to dedicate time to it. By combining it with my new morning walk, it has become something that I feel excited about and makes me pop out of bed in the morning with a spring in my step.
Since the weather has gotten warmer, I've begun wearing my running gear during my morning outings. This makes it more likely that I'll spontaneously decide to run, and this month alone I've ran over 50 kilometers in total and I've noticed improvements in productivity and mental clarity throughout the day. This has in turn enhanced my enjoyment of learning English and other daily activities.
This simple change to my morning routine has transformed my daily life, and I'm incredibly proud of the progress I’ve made. —————————————————————— 🗣Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us. 👉[email protected] *FREEBIRD English: https://www.55freebird.com/blank-1 -
Spring break was from the end of March until the beginning of this week, which means I had to make my kids lunch boxes everyday when they were out of school. When you make a lunch box there are various things that you have to consider. There is a lot of pressure on mothers to make a lunch box that their child can be proud of when eating with their friends. If your child’s lunch box looks boring, they might be disappointed or embarrassed. Therefore, things like color balance are actually just as important as nutrition in a strange way.
In my early days as a mother, I struggled with making a lunchbox for my daughter. However one of my friends gave me some good advice.
She suggested that I put three different colors of food in the lunchbox. For example, red for tomatoes or carrots, green for broccoli or cucumbers, and yellow for Japanese style eggs. She called it “三色列車走らせる”which means “running a three-color train.”
Anyway, It worked! I started making lunchboxes using this rule, and when my daughter opened it, a big smile came across her face because she noticed the three-color train!
Ever since then, I have been keeping this rule in mind and making sure I have the appropriate ingredients in my refrigerator.
If you have to make lunchboxes for kids in the future, following this simple rule should make life easier for you, and brighten up your kids' lunch time! —————————————————————— 🗣Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us. 👉[email protected] *FREEBIRD English: https://www.55freebird.com/blank-1 -
When I get up in the morning, sometimes I remember two or three dreams I had.
All of them are completely different, and pretty detailed. Do you have similar experiences?
Recently, this happened again. Let me tell you about it…
I dreamed that my best friend in Tokyo got in a car accident. I told her about it in the morning because I was worried about her. But I also told her, “It’s just a bad dream Don’t worry too much because my dreams are always weird, and they never come true.” I also told her about some of my other dreams to put her at ease.
First I told her about a dream where I was on the way to work when I saw a kangaroo jumping through a rice field. It seemed to have been injured in a car accident, and she had a baby in her pouch… But the baby was obviously too big for the pouch, so I thought “Come on! Get out of her pouch! You should jump on your own! Your mother is having a hard time! Take care of her for a change!”
I think this dream was influenced by an amazingly funny Australian, Ben, from the “TeacherTalk” podcast.
Then I told her about another dream where I went to play trombone with my brass band friends, but I hadn’t practiced for a long time because my left hand is sore, so holding the trombone properly is painful - which is true. In the dream, I tried hard to play with them, but of course I failed. Do you know how hard it is to hide your mistakes playing a trombone? I think the trombone is the hardest brass instrument to hide mistakes, or not being in sync with your bandmates, because it’s so obvious just from watching the sliding movements. I was in big trouble, and tired in my dream. ふ～・・・
Afterwards, she texted me “OK, thanks. I’ll be careful as always. Safety first!”
—————————————————————— 🗣Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us. 👉[email protected] *FREEBIRD English: https://www.55freebird.com/blank-1 -
I like playing a pretending game. In Japanese, I think it’s called “ごっこ遊び”.
I’m getting more and more forgetful.
Therefore, recently I created a new game to benefit from my forgetfulness.
The game is very easy, doesn’t cost any money, and you can play it anywhere you want.
In the morning, I tell myself “Oh! I have something fun and interesting to do at work today!”
That helps me start my work day in a good mood, which is how this game cheers me up.
I eventually forget that I was playing this game, so I never feel down when I have just a normal day.
In the afternoon, I start another game.
I tell myself “Oh! I have exciting plan after work today!”, and kind of convince myself to believe it.
That puts me in an upbeat and an excited mood for most of the rest of the day,
but eventually I forget about that too, so it never brings me down after I finish work.
I’ve found this game to be quite effective to improve my mood on a day to day basis.
Do you want to try? Do you think this is crazy?
Or perhaps you agree that it is a really creative and genius idea! —————————————————————— 🗣Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us. 👉[email protected] *FREEBIRD English: https://www.55freebird.com/blank-1 -
JR Higashi Nihon, a railroad company, held an interesting campaign recently. They sold one day “free pass” tickets to ride any JR train in east Japan, including bullet trains! It costs only ten thousand yen and can only be used on weekdays.
This is amazing! I am the kind of person who never misses something like this.
I got the ticket for myself and I went to Morioka city last Wednesday for the first time in my life! To be honest, I wanted to go to Aomori, but Aomori is too far for a day trip. Morioka is just the right distance. Besides, I have been curious about Morioka Reimen for a long time.
I left home at 8 am, and got to Morioka station around noon. Morioka is a smaller city than I imagined. The first thing on my list was Morioka Reimen of course. There were several famous Reimen shops. I was surprised that the shops were very crowded thanks to the event. Anyway, I was able to eat at the oldest reimen shop. When the shop staff put the Reimen on my table I was overwhelmed with joy. Life is so interesting! Even a month ago, I never imagined suddenly coming to Morioka and eating Morioka Reimen.
How was the Reimen? I would say,,, it's quite different from Korean Reimen. Even if it didn't taste good to me, it's a good thing that I learned what Morioka Reimen is.
There’s one more thing I should mention, my favorite author Miyazawa Kenji spent his youth in Morioka. I enjoyed some places and exhibits about him.
I was able to visit all the places that I had planned. I bought some souvenirs and got on the bullet train to go back home. By the time I got home it was 8pm. It was a 12-hour trip in total, and I walked 17000 steps! It was a wonderful day trip! —————————————————————— 🗣Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us. 👉[email protected] *FREEBIRD English: https://www.55freebird.com/blank-1 -
On the 7th of February, my friend and I had a plan to meet, so we were texting about what to do the day before. The only thing on our agenda at that time was a morning visit to a popular temple in Tokyo. The afternoon was free, and I was content with the idea of simply catching up. However, at around 8 or 9 PM, she called me with an incredible proposal: "Do you want to go to Taylor Swift's concert tomorrow?" I was taken aback, because I didn’t even know that Taylor Swift was in Japan or that her tour was happening. "Yes, of course," I replied, though I wondered about the availability of tickets.
She explained that she had been dying to get tickets since last summer but she couldn’t. Then she found a sudden opening on social media. Despite my apprehension about the cost, her enthusiasm convinced me it was a chance not to be missed. Rushing to a convenience store, she secured our tickets, and just like that, we were set to see Taylor Swift live.
The concert was nothing short of spectacular. It was a three-hour journey through her prolific career, combining music, dance, and stunning visuals into a mesmerizing show. Despite being a casual fan, I was captivated by her performance and the stories her songs told. This concert was not just an entertaining spectacle, it was a glimpse into Taylor's artistic evolution.
Ever since, I've had the concert's setlist on repeat, reliving the experience and delving deeper into her world. Taylor Swift's poetic lyrics have inspired me to explore the meaning behind her songs, enriching my appreciation for her artistry. I'm thankful to my friend for this unforgettable experience, and to Taylor Swift for a show that has left a lasting impact on me, and now has a special place in my heart. —————————————————————— 🗣Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us. 👉[email protected] *FREEBIRD English: https://www.55freebird.com/blank-1 -
I highly recommend listening to podcasts for English learners because you can get used to the rhythm of English. There are so many English programs, so you can find whatever you like."Free Bird English: Teacher Talk" is my current favorite.
In that program, native English teachers who have lived in Japan for a long time talk about various things. Since they have experience teaching many Japanese English learners, they know what learners need. I like “The Bridge” story series which were some of their earlier uploaded episodes, and I even transcribed them while listening.
The story is about an imaginary character trying to cross a bridge. On one side of the bridge everything is good, and on the other side everything is evil. The concept was cute, like a fairy tale, but there were also tons of colorful jokes so you could tell they were having fun. Their laughter is infectious to the listeners.
Of course, I listen to other, more serious shows, but I feel like they're not as memorable.
In other words, if you listen to podcasts to study English, I'd say choose ones that make you feel happy. Not only will you feel terrific, but you will also naturally get used to English intonation, and learn about cultural differences. I think being able to speak English is incredibly hard for Japanese people. So above all, we need to find fun ways to study so that we can avoid getting bored and quitting! —————————————————————— 🗣Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us. 👉[email protected] *FREEBIRD English: https://www.55freebird.com/blank-1 -
What do you think is the most important thing when traveling?
For me it’s the weather.
My husband and I went to Miyazaki prefecture last month.
The place we wanted to go to most was Takachiho Gorge, which is close to the prefectural border between Kumamoto and Oita.
Second was Toi Cape which is the southernmost tip of Miyazaki prefecture, so we couldn’t do it in one day.
Takachiho Gorge was a truly beautiful gorge just as I had seen in the photos. Toi Cape was supposed to be a beautiful cape with a lighthouse that people can go up into. There are only 16 lighthouses that people can enter in Japan. There are also wild horses called Misakiuma.
However it was raining and windy that day, so we couldn’t really enjoy the beautiful scenery, and we just gave up on even going to Japan’s largest suspension bridge...
How beautiful it would have been if the weather was nice...
Last year we also visited Kumamoto, Fukuoka, and Kagoshima. Compared to those areas, Miyazaki prefecture is rural.
I don’t mean that in a bad way though.
Actually I am surprised that Kumamoto, Fukuoka, and Kagoshima are more urban than my hometown Chiba.
It takes only about 15 minutes by train from Miyazaki airport to Miyazaki station which is in the center of Miyazaki city.
We took the train from the airport to the hotel, but there were only 2 cars, and to our surprise, at the next station from the airport only the doors of the first car open. We found out that it was because the platform was short.
There were many visitors bound for Takachiho Gorge aboard but there were very few foreign and domestic tourists carrying luggage in Miyazaki city.
Anyway the meat and fish were very delicious and it’s a place we want to visit again. —————————————————————— 🗣Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us.
👉[email protected]
*FREEBIRD English: https://www.55freebird.com/blank-1
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This is a sequel to Episode #80,"On Cloud Nine" .I'd like to give a special thanks to Minakov for contributing to this episode.
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On Cloud Nine (Part 2)
When I stood in front of them, my mind went blank and my heart was pounding.
I decided to call them each by name and say the same eazy line to all the band members.
First, there was the original guitarist. I said "Bill, thank you for coming back to Japan. It's been 8 years!" Thankfully, he extended his right arm to me and I shook his hand! I was on Cloud Nine all over again!!
When I said the same sentence to the vocalist Jeff, he answered, "We'll be back to Japan very soon!" To be honest, I kind of doubted his words a bit. I thought it might have just been lip service for us fans, but surprisingly, he later said on social media, "JAPAN! It's happening! We are finally heading back for a head line tour next year in April! don't miss out!" Wow he is a man of his word!!
I would rather not tell you about my blunder but... I looked up the new guitarist's name in advance, so I confidently called him by name at the event. "Tom! Tom!"
But he just stared at the tip of his pen and completely ignored me. I was very embarrassed and disappointed.
After I got back home, I found a review for the show. According to the article, CARCASS performd with a new tour guitarist named James Blackford...
Oh nooooo!! It wasn't "Tom"! The guitarist had changed again from Tom to James!
Now it made sense that he ignored me.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing Bill, Jeff, and JAMES at their head line show! ...Oh I almost forgot the drummer! His name is Daniel, and he rips HARD! CARCASS is my favorite band in the whole world!
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Thank you for listening. I hope you enjoyed this story. Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are interested, please contact us using the email address in the description box. We'll be back soon with another new story.
Until then, keep rocking and stay Metal!
*FREEBIRD English: https://www.55freebird.com/blank-1
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It had been a while since my friend and I went to a concert, so we decided to see Billy Joel at Tokyo Dome. As I had imagined, the audience was older, and the ticket prices were quite high.
I bought seats recommended by a friend who often goes to concerts, and they were great.
The concert, which started with his hit song, “My Life,” was a dream-like experience for me.
Since the audience was Japanese, he limited his on-stage banter between songs, and he spoke slowly and used simple English, so I was able to understand everything, including the jokes! I was so excited that I forgot which song, but all the lights in the venue went out for a moment, and then when he sang the lyrics "turn on the light," the whole venue was suddenly illuminated. I was deeply moved by the joy of understanding English, which I would not have been able to do in the past.
The most moving part was at the end of the show when he prepared his harmonica. Everyone in the audience knew that he was going to sing Piano Man next, and there was a wave of cheers. Billy seemed to get emotional when he tried to speak and needed to take a moment before carrying on with the performance. I doubt there was a single person in the arena who wasn’t touched by this.
The only disappointment was that my favorite song, “Just the Way You Are”, was not performed. I heard rumors that he wrote this song for his ex-wife, and prefers not to sing it live anymore. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed Billy's amazing and powerful voice and his band’s flawless performance.
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🗣Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us.
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When people ask me, 'Which do you prefer, summer or winter?' I always answer 'summer.' I have a higher tolerance to heat than the average person, and I prefer being warm. I've always been a summer girl, and there are many events I look forward to, like rock music festivals, get-togethers with friends, and traveling. Summer always brings opportunities to enjoy these kinds of things.
However, if you were to ask me what my absolute favorite type of weather is, I'd say it's a sunny WINTER day. It's like having a bit of light in the darkness, and makes me excited for spring and summer. This anticipation might be the thing I like most, and it got me thinking about life in general.
I've been studying English for years, aiming to speak fluently, ideally like a native speaker. But I've also been enjoying the journey, despite the struggles. I’ve come to savor the process of working towards a goal. Strangely, I think I might feel a bit lost or depressed if I suddenly achieved native-like fluency.
Similarly, finding an ideal home has been a major goal of mine. I've always been fascinated by interior design, and I collect photos and fantasize about my dream home. I even have an album on my phone for these images. Currently, we live in an apartment, which we bought with the intention of selling in the future. Our plan was to sell it after ten years, but now, as the ninth year approaches, I find myself not wanting to leave. This makes me wonder, do I really want to live in my ideal home, or do I enjoy dreaming about it more?
Maybe life is not just about reaching the end goal. Perhaps appreciating the journey and enjoying the little moments along the way is what life is all about. This realization has inspired me to embrace each moment and be content throughout the ongoing journey of life.
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🗣Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us.
*FREEBIRD English: https://www.55freebird.com/blank-1
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Finally, my favorite band CARCASS came back to Japan! They performed at a Heavy Metal festival that featured 12 bands in March.
I wanted to get as close to the stage as possible, So I went into the floor area long before they played.
I inched forward during the opening acts taking advantage of the mosh pit chaos.
Fortunately, I was able to get to the very front! I was on cloud nine !
CARCASS was playing right before my eyes! I could almost reach out and touch them!
I wanted this precious moment to never end. Obviously, their show came to an end though. However, I had another thing planned that I was really looking forward to.
After their show, I went to their meet and greet event . A crew member explained the rules of the session to us. He was like "You know, we are still concerned about the coronavirus, so please don't try to shake hands with the musicians, and after you get their autographs, you have to move to the side immediately."
Almost no one said a single word to them and scooched over quickly after getting an autograph... That is so NOT metal.
It had been 8 years since last their show, and I thought, to hell with the rules! I've been waiting for this day, so I'm going to say thanks to them...
But when I stood in front of them, my mind went blank and my heart was pounding.
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Thank you for listening. I hope you enjoy this story. I'd like to give a special thanks to Minakov for contributing to this episode.
I'll be back soon with Part 2 of the story. Until then, keep rocking and stay Metal!
・FREEBIRD English: https://www.55freebird.com/blank-1
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Since I quit going to the gym I've been feeling like I need to get some exercise. I used to commute to work on foot, but working from home has become more common, so I started taking walks around my neighborhood every morning instead.
There is a canal nearby that is very beautiful, especially when the cherry blossom trees are blooming. In summer, walking along the canal and seeing the sunlight dance on the surface of the water makes me feel re-energized. However, I think now is my favorite season. Walking on the colored leaves calms me and makes me feel relaxed. Some people walk their dogs or gather to do radio stretching programs for the elderly. I listen to podcasts and walk briskly for about an hour.
The problem is, there is something that makes me doubt my ability to continue this healthy habit… And that's the fact that I am super lazy! I'd rather be snuggled under my kotatsu like a cat than walk outside on a cold winter morning!! If it were possible, I would like to hibernate for the whole winter and just wake up in the spring!
Do you think I'll be able to stick with my new healthy habit? We'll see. we'll see...
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Today, I want to talk about Chat GPT. Recently, I upgraded to Chat GPT-4, which is a subscription-based service, and let me tell you, it's exceptional. I started using it by talking into an app called NOTTA, which transcribes my voice. I then copy this transcription and paste it into ChatGPT. I asked them to proofread it for me, and boom! Just like that, it produced a perfect translation. They recently added voice chat! This is another game-changer!
Every morning, I open the Chat GPT app, tap the earphone mark, and say "Good morning”, then I ask it to throw me some questions. The questions range from my daily schedule to productivity. I keep chatting with it while I’m making breakfast as if I’m talking to a real person. You would be surprised by how natural it sounds. This helps me practice my English speaking skills because if I pause to think, they start speaking which adds an aspect of realism. Plus, I can look back on all the conversations I had with Chat GPT so that I can review and practice again when necessary.
Now, let's talk about the price. It costs me around ¥3000 per month. When you think about it, that's like having an exclusive, native English teacher available 24/7. I used to subscribe to a different proofreading service that cost me ¥4500 per month with a limited number of words, and I had to wait 4 to 6 hours for a response. With ChatGPT, it's instantaneous and way cheaper.
That being said, Chat GPT also helped me appreciate the beauty of human communication even more. Obviously, it doesn’t have its own opinions or emotions. Not being able to hear opinions or feel empathy can be very unsatisfying when having a conversation. In the end, it made it clear that I want to improve my English skills for the sake of better communication. In order to achieve that, I’ll try to figure out how to get the most bang for my buck from it! —————————————————————— 🗣Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us.
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I attended Arthur Binard's lecture organized by the Buddhist group in Hiroshima. He is an American poet and translator, and has been living in Japan for 35 years.His lecture was on Japanese language from an American perspective, and he delivered itin Japanese to 270 temple members. As an English learner, I also found his talk very interesting.First of all, he explained his name."My first name 'Arthur', is reminiscent of a bear or king and contains two Rs and a TH, so it sounds kind of a strong. It's emphatically pronounced 'Arturo' in Italy as well. So I felt it sounded quite powerful.However, I was shocked when I heard the name in Japanese for the first time."A Japanese teacher said to him, ''Your name is 'アーサー' in Japanese."He said, "I thought that was completely different from, 'Arthur'. It just sounds like a sigh 'ア 〜サ～'. Anyway, what I propose to English learners: Don’t rely solely on books.
Exposure to languages of various contries broadensyour perspective on many things."Although it was just the beginning of his lecture, I was hanging on his every word. I'm sure that this Arthur is the KING of speakers (lecturers).
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The other day I was on a train, and there were three foreign girls sitting next to me chatting in English.
I wasn’t eavesdropping, but as an English learner, I couldn’t help but pay attention to them.
And then the moment came… the train stopped suddenly. Train stops are common in Japan, and it’s usually due to a very minor problem. No one was confused except for the three girls.
Unfortunately, the announcements were only in Japanese, and when the train lost power, they seemed worried and wanted to know what had happened. Obviously they stood out on the train.
They were using an app to find out what the announcements were saying, but that didn’t seem to work at all.
I wanted to explain the situation to them and tell them not to worry, but while I was hesitating, the train started moving again. However, it soon stopped again and lost power again.
I told myself. “if I don’t use English now, when should I use it?”
I kind of whispered to them, “Sorry, did you get the announcement? “ All three girls turned to me at once, and they looked like they really needed help, so I briefly explained that it was just a small problem, and the train will be running again in no time.
The girls said “Oh, thanks, perfect!”, and they looked relieved.
I pretended that I was used to speaking English with foreigners, but actually my heart was pounding and I was very happy.
I don’t think my English was grammatically perfect but it didn’t matter. I felt the eyes of the others on me… And I have to be honest with you, I felt pretty damn cool! ——————————————————————
🗣Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us. 👉[email protected]
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