2018年12月21日金曜日

2018年12月21日金曜日 -

Matt ：Living Abroad


Hi!
 
I am writing to you from Osaka, Japan, but I am writing in English, not Japanese. Why is that? That is because I came here recently from California, and I can't speak or write in Japanese (yet). Learning a language is only one part of moving to another country, of course, and I wanted to take a few minutes and give you a couple of my thoughts and ideas about living abroad. These thoughts are not going to be very organized, but that's perfect for a blog, right?

Moving to Japan was not my first experience leaving America to live somewhere else, so I am fortunate enough to have had a chance to learn what it is like and how it feels. I also spent a year in Mexico teaching English, and two years in the Netherlands, where I was a student. Above all, I can think of two words to describe all of these experiences: new and different. I personally like new and different experiences, so these words don't scare me. Of course, some people seem to hate these words, so can or should they live abroad? I say yes! The world is full of a wide variety of amazing places and people, and getting to know them gives you a richer life. I don't like everything where I go, and I sometimes dislike some local foods, but each time I try something new, I grow as a person. I become more tolerant of all this world possesses. Basically, I think living abroad forces you to embrace the newness that takes over your life.
I also would like to point out the huge difference between visiting another country and living in another country. When you visit a new country, you get to see and feel some of its culture, but when you live in a new country, you have the chance to become a part of its culture. This opportunity is exciting, and gives you a sense of responsibility and opportunity that a vacation cannot. So far in Japan, I have tried lots of delicious food, seen many beautiful places, and have made a few new friends. I've learned how to do basic things like pay bills, buy a bike, open a bank account, etc. I've learned how much I appreciate the patience and hospitality of the Japanese people, and I've learned to expect surprises every day. I love being in Osaka so far, and I am looking forward to a Japanese future that will shape me in large ways, and that I will shape in small ways.


Matt

organized：まとまっていない
Netherlands：オランダ
Above all：なにより
tolerant：我慢強い
possesses：有する
embrace：取り入れる
So far：ここまで
patience：忍耐
shape：形成する

2018年12月14日金曜日

2018年12月14日金曜日 -

Mouy-Ly： Un voyage de lumières à Singapour

L'hiver dernier, nous avons décidé de retourner à Singapour pour une petite semaine, afin de fuir un peu le froid de Kobé et surtout de voir combien le pays a changé depuis notre dernier voyage en 2003.
Last winter, we decided to go back to Singapore for a short week. We wanted to escape the cold of Kobe and, in particular, see how much the country has changed since our last trip in 2003. 
Comme il neige rarement sur Kobé, nous n'aurons pas de Noël blanc, alors pourquoi ne pas la passer au soleil ? Mais c'était une fausse excuse. La vérité : nous voulions faire trempette dans la fameuse piscine du haut de ses 57 étages de l'hôtel Marina Bay Sands, flottant dans le ciel, à deux pas de la nouvelle infrastructure du Gardens The Bay.
As it rarely snows in Kobe, we won't have a white Christmas, so why not spend the time in the sun? However, that wasn't the real reason. The truth? We wanted to take a dip in the pool on the 57th floor of

the Marina Sands Bay Hotel, floating in the sky, just steps away from the newly-built Gardens by the Bay. 
Parce que nos filles sont encore petites, nous avons choisi de ne pas trop sortir des sentiers battus : l'île de Sentosa, les parcs aquatiques et l'aquarium, ainsi que le musée des sciences entre autres, étaient au programme.
Our daughters are still very young so we chose not to go off the beaten track: Sentosa Island, the Water Parks, the Aquarium as well as the Science Museum among others were on our schedule. 
Nous avons donc séjourné deux nuits dans cet hôtel de luxe, avec tout à portée de main : magasins, restaurants et cafés qui rivalisaient de lumières et d'ingénuosité pour séduire les consommateurs, tous âges confondus, surtout à cette période de l'année. Sans parler, bien entendu, des séances de photos avec le Père-Noël (avec une dédicace personnelle), des ateliers de peinture et de maquillage pour le plus grand plaisir des enfants.
We stayed two nights at the Marina Sands Bay Hotel, which has everything within easy reach: shops, restaurants, and cafés ... each one more lit up and beautifully decorated than the next (particularly at this time of year) competing for the attention of consumers of all ages. Not to mention, of course, the photoshoots with Santa Claus (with a personal dedication), and the painting and make-up workshops, to the delight of the children.

Vous imaginez bien que nos filles étaient aux anges et nous aussi, en voyant leurs yeux briller de joie à chaque fois qu'elles passaient devant un sapin de Noël. Et après une longue journée de marche et de visites, notre cadeau à nous, c'était nous plonger dans la piscine en forme d'arche surplombant la cité singapourienne. Nous prélasser sur les chaises longues en sirotant un cocktail et du jus de coco frais pendant que les petites pataugeaient dans un jacuzzi, qu'elle prenaient innocemment pour une sorte de source thermale. La vue est superbe, de jour comme de nuit. Ce fut une expérience unique, surtout au coucher du soleil.
It's not hard to imagine how thrilled our daughters were every time they saw a Christmas tree. So, after a long day of walking and sightseeing, we deserved our special treat: a dip in the curved pool that overlooks the city. We sat on the sun loungers sipping cocktails and fresh coconut juice while the girls splashed about in a jacuzzi they innocently thought was a kind of hot spring. The view is superb, day and night. It was an unique experience, especially at sunset.
 Si vous pensez aller un jour à Singapour, c'est peut-être l'hiver la meilleure période où il fait moins chaud et moins humide. N'oubliez pas de goûter aux différentes cuisines asiatiques, des raviolis à la vapeur en passant par les pattes de poulet marinées aux haricots noirs et légèrement pimentées, c'est un délice !
If you're thinking about going to Singapore someday, maybe winter is best when it's warmer and less humid than the rest of the year. And don't forget to try food from other Asian countries. You shouldn't miss the steamed dumplings or the slightly spicy chicken legs marinated in black bean sauce. They're delicious!

Vocabulary List :
faire trempette : take a dip : つかる
sortir des sentiers battus : off the beaten tracks : 突飛な考えで
à portée (de main) : within reach : 手の届くところ
être aux anges : thrilled : 感激する
se prélasser : to lounge : ゆったりとくつろぐ
siroter : to sip : すする
patauger : to splash about : パチャパチャする
des raviolis à la vapeur : steamed dumplings : 蒸し餃子
des pattes de poulet marinées : marinated chicken feet : 鶏の足のマリネ

2018年12月7日金曜日

2018年12月7日金曜日 -

William M - Christmas with my Family




Christmas has always been an important time of year for me. Since a young age, my family has ingrained in me a strong need to visit relatives – most of which I rarely see outside of Christmas gatherings. I groaned and complained as a kid – preferring to stay at home and be lazy – but as I grew older and spent more and more of my time working and stressing about daily life, the chance to set all of that aside and focus on the lives and families of my relatives became something I relished more and more.

        The longest tradition we have is visiting my Aunt Val's house for a big family dinner on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Seeing my cousins and aunts and uncles – and their respective in-laws – is always nice. Seeing my young cousins so full of enthusiasm and excitement, and catching up with my older relatives, puts me at ease and gives me a warm sense of familiarity.  And of course the food always makes my stomach growl when I think of it: juicy steaks, turkey with apple jelly, garlic mashed potatoes. But of course, the pièce de résistance has to be sausage rolls with spicy mustard!

        Another tradition I look forward to is the much smaller but no-less delicious lunchtime family meal at my mother's house on Christmas Day. (My parents were divorced when I was young, which meant I celebrated Christmas twice, once with each parent's side!) She always cooks a very tender, sweet ham with pineapple-style gravy, along with turkey and mashed potatoes.  Plenty of vegetables, but I never bothered with those!

        One more tradition I remember fondly, even if we don't do it anymore, is driving around with my father and step-mother looking at Christmas lights on the night of Christmas Eve. We often went after some family dinner or gathering, I remember always being stuffed full of food, drowsy, and toasty warm with the car heater blowing (while it was usually minus 10 to minus 20 degrees Celsius outside!), staring out the window at the colourful slideshow of house after house lit up in Christmas-y displays, both humble and grand. There would always be one or two houses we made a point to drive by and see, as they went absolutely crazy with their yearly Christmas displays. Long front yards, filled with lit-up displays of Santa, reindeer, Christmas trees, snowmen, and the like, would be bright enough to form a small artificial sun!
       
        It's these memories that make me think about Christmas as the best time of year, and why I feel it's so important to make time to see my family, even if I'm here in Japan, on the other side of the planet, thirty to forty hours of travel time away. Christmas in Japan is quite nice, but without family, it's just a cold month with some KFC!

ingrained：しっかり植え付ける
groaned：ぶーぶー文句を言う
set all of that aside：全部横に置いておいて
relished：楽しむ
respective in-laws：各々の義父母
growl：ぐるぐる言う
along with：～といっしょに
fondly：懐かしく
drowsy：うとうとして
humble：質素な
artificial：人工の

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