2019年12月27日金曜日

2019年12月27日金曜日 -

Kate - Osaka Housing Museum


In August, my friend and I went to the Osaka Housing Museum for the first time. We had seen advertisements for it and decided it was time to go. The museum itself is relatively small but quite interesting. The day we visited there was also an exhibit of beautiful kimonos owned by a prominent Osaka shipping family.

The museum is divided up into four floors. You start at the top and walk down, back to the entrance. The top floor is like an oberservation deck with large windows that look out on to the main floor of the museum. There is also a recording about the museum narrated by a famous rakugo actor from Osaka speaking in Osaka dialect.

The next floor down is the main floor of the museum. It is a life-sized recreation of what Osaka looked like in the 1800's with real streets, buildings and a boat that is used in the Tenjin Matsuri every year. There are even fake animals to give the replicas a life-like feeling. There are a few different stores and houses you can walk through with information about what every building is and what it was used for during that time period.

The next floor down has more of old Osaka, including the old Luna Park and what the Tsutenkaku Tower originally looked like. It was very interesting to see these dioramas because I had no idea that there had been a small amusement park near Tsutenkaku when it was first built. The tower looks very different today.

The special exhibition room is near the entrance. When I was there, the exhibit was a collection of kimonos that belonged to an Osaka merchant shipping family. It was fascinating to see such old beautiful kimonos and the different patterns and colors that used to be popular.

If you visit Osaka and have the chance, please visit the Osaka Housing Museum. It is a wonderful immersive way to experience history and see the old Osaka.


relatively: 比較的
exhibit：展示会
prominent：有名な
divided up into：～を～に分ける
oberservation deck：展望台
narrate：～を物語る
life-sized：実物大の
replicas：レプリカ
dioramas：ジオラマ
merchant：貿易商人
fascinating：うっとりさせる(ような)
patterns：模様

2019年12月20日金曜日

2019年12月20日金曜日 -

Danny-Minnesota, USA


Hello everyone! I want to write to you about my home state of Minnesota, which is in the Midwest region of the United States. It borders Canada to the north and shares a border with Lake Superior, one of the five Great Lakes. There are no mountains for many miles so the land is really flat, and since there's no ocean nearby, the temperature can easily change. In one day, the temperature can change over 20 degrees Celsius.

      Minnesota has a similar climate to Hokkaido. It has long cold winters and the snow can last up to six months! The average temperature during winter is around -5 to -10 degrees Celsius but can get lower. In spring and autumn, the temperature is around 15 to 25 degrees Celsius so it's very comfortable to walk outside with a light sweater. In summer, the temperature is around 28 to 33 degrees Celsius and it can be humid at times. Because of the long periods of cold weather in Minnesota, we like to do many outdoor activities during the warmer times of the year.

      Minnesota's capital city is St. Paul. However, there's a larger city right next to St. Paul named Minneapolis. These two cities border each other and together they're known as the “Twin Cities”. It's similar to how Kobe, Osaka, and Kyoto are near each other and when grouped together are considered a metropolis. (I should add that the size of the Twin Cities is much smaller than the Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe area!)

      The Twin Cities is the most populated area in Minnesota and it's known as a very progressive city in politics.  There's no sales tax on clothes so buying clothes is really cheap! The Twin Cities has many Fortune 500 company headquarters in the area such as Target, General Mills, and 3M, which brings a lot of young professionals to the city from all over the US. There are many cafés, breweries, museums, and parks for Minnesotans to spend their free time. Also, the largest mall in the United States is located in the Twin Cities. It's called the Mall of America and has many popular shops and restaurants inside. There's an amusement park inside as well. The mall is currently under construction so there'll be more activities to do there in the near future. It's a great place to spend time with your family any time of the year and especially during the winter when it gets really cold. Overall, Minnesota is a great place to visit if you love both nature and city life.

      I hope that you can visit Minnesota someday when you travel to the United States. It's a very unique and special place in the country and is very different than California, New York, or Hawaii.

Midwest：中西部 region：地域
border：～に面する
climate：気候
last：続く
up to：～まで
comfortable：快適な
capital city：首都
considered：～と考えられる
metropolis：主要都市
populated：人口の多い
progressive：革新的な
headquarter：本社/本部
breweries：(ビール)醸造所
Overall：総合的に

2019年12月13日金曜日

2019年12月13日金曜日 -

Jason's Archery Adventures - Continued


So, the last time I wrote a blog, I talked about going to Hamadera Park to practice archery. That was in April 2018, and a few months after that I bought a new carbon fiber recurve bow, one of the best on the market, but I only got to practice with it one time. It was way too hot to practice in summer, so I was going to take classes again in October 2018, but the Archery Practice Range was damaged by Typhoon Jebi in September last year, and I wasn't able to get time off until October this year to resume, so in total it's been about fifteen months or so since I was able to practice.

My first practice was back on October 5th, and I was just happy the arrows tended to fly in one particular direction! I got a couple of arrows in the yellow (the bullseye), but mostly the black and blue rings (the outer edge of the target). I did have a few bad shots, one hit the target next to the one I was aiming at, and one sailed over the target altogether.

My next few practices were much better. I met a coach named Yoshii, who gave me four tips to improve my performance: 1) keep my right elbow up to pull the string with my back and not my bicep, 2) anchor my ring finger on the corner of my mouth, 3) peer down the arrow with my right eye to see if the string is aligned with it, and 4) don't do a deep hook of the string with my tab, have the string resting on the tips of my fingers. Since then, I went on to shoot my best round ever, 50 out of a possible 60 points.

The real challenge now is to get 200 points shooting at 30 meters, and at the time of the writing, I have two weeks to do it. If I succeed, I'll have earned my proficiency badge and can practice on my days off. If I fail, I'll have to wait another nine months before I can take time off on Saturdays again.


archery：アーチェリー
carbon fiber ：カーボン繊維の
recurve bow：競技で使用される弓
be damaged by：～によって被害を受ける
resume：再び始める
in total：全体で
arrow：矢
tend to～：～の傾向にある
particular：特定の
bullseye：中心部
aim:狙いをつける
tips：ちょっとしたテクニック
bicep：力こぶ
peer down：覗き込む
align：一直線にする
proficiency：熟練

2019年12月6日金曜日

2019年12月6日金曜日 -

Joshua- Swimming with killer whales


One of my favorite things to do when I'm home in New Zealand is to go spear fishing. Nothing beats being in the ocean on a beautiful Wellington day. Spear fishing can be done while scuba diving, or my favorite, while snorkeling. The aim is to swim down into the reef and shoot fish with your spear gun. A spear gun is pretty much just a spear, a piece of string and a giant rubber band that you release with a trigger.


I will never forget the day that I accidentally swam with orcas (also known as killer whales). I was spearfishing as usual but then I heard the horn of the boat and saw my father frantically gesturing at me to get out of the water. It was far too early to be time to leave but I made my way back to the boat. Once I was aboard, 

 I could see why my father was so frantic: not fifty meters away there was a pod of killer whales.
The adults were teaching the young orcas how to catch stingrays and fling them into the air. It was breathtaking to watch these powerful and majestic creatures teach their young. However, it was equally terrifying knowing that if they had wanted to they could have just as easily flung me into the air. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget.






spear fishing：スピアフィッシング
beats：～に勝る
Wellington day：ウェリントンディ(ウェリントン地方の祝日)
aim：目的
reef：礁
string：ひも
trigger：引き金
accidentally：偶然に
orcas：シャチ
horn：警笛
frantically：半狂乱で
frantic：大慌て
a pod of whales：クジラの群れ
stingrays：アカエイ
fling：投げ飛ばす
breathtaking：あっと言わせる
majestic：威厳のある
terrifying：ぞっとするような

2019年12月6日金曜日 -

【結果発表！！】ハロウィン仮装コンテスト2019

お茶の間留学センターです！ 
皆様のご投票ありがとうございました！
少し遅くなりましたが、ハロウィン仮装コンテストの結果発表です！ 


今年の優勝者は.......
ハーレークインの仮装をしたドイツ語Maria先生！★★

 そして準優勝には........同じくドイツ語のLuisa先生でした！★























2人には景品としてNOVAグッズをプレゼント♪
２人とも「お弁当箱を入れようかな～？」ととても嬉しそうでした♪

お茶の間留学でも季節に合わせたイベントを開催しております！
今回ご参加頂けなかった方も、次の機会でお待ちしております！


2019年11月9日土曜日

2019年11月9日土曜日 -

【中間発表！】ハロウィン仮装コンテスト　

皆さま、アンケートにご協力頂きありがとうございます！
ここでハロウィン仮装コンテスト2019の中間発表です！

現在のトップはドイツ語Maria先生のHarlequin！
その後を、同じくドイツ語のLuisa先生が追っています！



アンケート投票期間も残りわずか！まだの方は是非ご参加くださいませ！
投票は下記記事より受け付けております★
【投票はこちら】　http://ochanoma.blogspot.com/2019/11/2019.html

2019年11月1日金曜日

2019年11月1日金曜日 -

ハロウィン仮装コンテスト 2019

10月27日(日)～10月31日(木)はお茶の間ハロウィンウィークでした！

 皆さま、楽しんでいただけましたでしょうか？

 そして毎年恒例！仮装コンテストの投票受付スタート♪

 皆さまの投票をお待ちしております！

 誰の衣装が最高でしたか？

2019年10月27日日曜日

2019年10月27日日曜日 -

Cody -The Campout


Tent? Check. Grill? Check. Coolers? Check. Fishing gear? Check. Lantern? Check. The list could go on for some time...
      Those are a few of the things you'd need for what could be considered a typical camping trip, or campout, in America. Oh, and we mustn't forget the s'mores, too.
      While camping to escape the doldrums of daily life may be the primary objective, pitching a tent out in the sticks is a great opportunity to engage in a variety of activities that go hand-in-hand with the wildnerness: horseshoes, dirt bike riding, fishing, hunting and swimming.
      The places that you'd typically go camping vary by region and state, but for the most part they will be quite far from the city and in a mountainous area. Some will have hook-ups for RVs (recreational vehicles) and Fifth Wheels, which offer a more cushy and luxurious experience, but almost all should be equipped for good, old-fashioned camping in a tent. Some of them have only this! If you want an authentic experience, avoid the bungalows, cabins, cottages, RVs and Fifth Wheels and rough it in a tent.
      Now, dirt bike (motocycle) riding, fishing, swimming and hunting are all pretty self-explanatory. What might throw you off a bit, however, is the game of horseshoes. Twenty or so paces away, a heavy metal stake is driven into the ground. Usually in a sandy, loose dirt or bark-chip pit. Then, players take turns throwing horseshoes (yes, literally the metal bars that are put on a horse's hooves to protect their feet) and trying to get them to land touching the stake. Bit odd, isn't it?
      As for eats, a typical campout will have whatever may have been caught or harvested via hunting (trout, salmon, catfish, bass, sunfish, deer, grouse, elk, et cetera) as well as the classics: potato salad, baked or BBQ'd beans, hotdogs, hamburgers, pasta salad, watermelon, canteloupe, and of course, pie  (cobbler or crisp of varying fruity flavors from apple to blueberry, blackberry, marionberry and peach)  served hot a la mode with vanilla ice cream.
      So, if you want to understand what an American campout feels like, grab your rod and reel, a cooler, a tent and some of those dishes and head out into the middle of nowhere (and be careful, of course)!



Lantern: ランタン
typical: 典型的な
s'mores: スモア
doldrums: 憂鬱
pitching: 設営する
engage in: ～に従事する
hand-in-hand: 協力して
wildnerness: (自然のままの)荒地
region: 地域
equipped: 装備する
authentic: 本物の
bungalows: バンガロー
RVs : リクリエーション用自動車
explanatory: 説明的な
heavy metal stake:　重金属の杭
hooves:ひづめ
odd:奇妙な
harvested : 収穫された
via:～経由で
trout：マス
catfish:ナマズ
sunfish：マンボウ
grouse：ライチョウ
elk: エルク
rod：釣り竿

2019年10月27日日曜日 -

Chris K - The 2019 Rugby World Cup



Well, the Rugby World Cup 2019 has kicked off in Tokyo with Japan beating Russia in the first game. Are you ready for the rest of the tournament?

Let's take a brief look at some of the background to this international sporting extravaganza, for those of you who don't know so much about it.

The Rugby World Cup began in 1987. It began essentially because rugby supporters, fans and players alike, felt it was time for rugby to be acknowledged as a global sport and enjoy the same level of recognition as that of the Football (Soccer) World Cup. Many rugby buffs were saying by the mid-80's, if football has a World Cup, why can't we?

Since the first Rugby World Cup in 1987, up to twenty teams have competed every four years for the coveted World Cup trophy. New Zealand has won the title three times. Other strong challengers include Australia, England, South Africa, France, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Similarly, Argentina, Japan, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa have all proved to be worthy opponents in games past. At the weaker end of the scale lies the US and Canada, which seem to be improving a lot in recent years, by the way.

Good luck to all the participating teams and fans, and may the best team win! But remember, whether we win or lose, the most important thing is how we play the game! That's true sportsmanship.


kicked off: 幕を開けた
beating:うち負かす
brief : 手短な
extravaganza: 豪華なショー
essentially: 本質的に
acknowledged: 一般に認められている
recognition: 認識
buffs: ファン
coveted: 切望する
opponents: (試合・議論の)相手

2019年10月24日木曜日

2019年10月24日木曜日 -

Kate - Halloween in the United States


In the United States Halloween is a very popular holiday. For the whole month of October there are Halloween events, from haunted houses to parties to scary movie marathons on TV.

On actual Halloween, October 31st, many people have home parties and take their children out trick or treating. Adults and children alike dress up in costumes and consume special treats like candy and baked goods. Halloween decorations on houses are popular and some people go all out and turn their whole house into something scary or fantastic. When I went trick or treating as a child, there was a street of people who would get together and choose a theme, and then everyone would decorate their house to match the theme. The year I went there the theme was The Wizard of OZ and they even turned the road into the yellow brick road with sidewalk chalk.
When October 1st comes, Halloween attractions all around the US open for business. Universal Studios California has the Horror Days event just like Japan; Knott's Berry Farm in California becomes Knotts Scary Farm; a huge variety of haunted houses open in local communities; while Spooky World, a horror theme park in New Hampshire, opens for business in September. Americans seem to love to be scared, especially around Halloween.

I loved going trick or treating and dressing up in costumes when I was a kid but the weather in Massachusetts is unpredictable so Halloween night was different every year, warm, cold, too cold and one year there was even snow! Fall is a great time of the year to visit the US, especially Massachusetts, and if you like Halloween and being scared you will find a wide array of events and activities to take part in. Happy Halloween!



alike: 同様に
go all out: 出掛ける
theme: テーマ
decorate: 飾り付ける
match: 一致させる
The Wizard of OZ: オズの魔法使い
brick: レンガ
sidewalk chalk: 舗装された歩道に絵を描いたり、文字を書いたりするためのチョーク
attractions: アトラクション
unpredictable: 予測不可能な
array: 勢ぞろい



2019年10月18日金曜日

2019年10月18日金曜日 -

Maria -Night Hiking!


This summer, I tried night hiking for the first time. I went hiking on Mt. Horai in Shiga prefecture. The goal was to reach the top of the mountain to see the sunrise over Lake Biwa.

We started the hike from Horai station around midnight. It was very peaceful and quiet. At first, walking up the mountain road was easy and the route was easily visible, but soon the path became more difficult. Using flashlights and headlamps, we walked steep and rocky trails thick with trees. Due to the frequent typhoons in summer, some paths were more flooded than usual, and some trees had fallen down. I saw deer in the forest, who seemed surprised to see humans in their home at such an hour.

When we finally reached the mountain peak, what was usually a breathtaking view of Lake Biwa was actually obscured by clouds and fog! It was like a sea of grey. But it was okay. I was proud to finish a difficult hike, and I have a reason to try again in the future!

At the top of the mountain, you can visit Biwako Valley, also accessible by
 ropeway. In the winter it is a popular skiing spot, and in the summer there are many activities for children. Using the ropeway to descend the mountain after a long night hike was a nice experience!





reach: 到着する
peaceful:平和な
route: 道
visible: 目に見える
path: 小道
flashlights: 懐中電灯
steep: 急勾配の
rocky: 岩の多い
trails: 小道
thick: 茂った
Due to: ～のため
flooded: 水浸しになった
peak: 山頂
breathtaking: あっと言わせるような
obscured: ぼんやりした
fog: 濃霧
Valley: 谷
descend: 下る

2019年9月27日金曜日

2019年9月27日金曜日 -

Phil – The Benefits of Hosting the Rugby World Cup


With everyone talking about the Olympics in 2020, it's easy to forget that Japan is hosting another major international event this September. The first game of the Rugby World Cup was played in Tokyo on Friday 20th September and the final will be played in Yokohama on Saturday 2nd November 2019.

Hosting the Rugby World Cup will benefit the Japanese economy and in some ways it may be more beneficial to the country than the Olympic Games next summer. Unlike the Olympics, which will only take place in Tokyo and the surrounding areas of greater Tokyo, the Rugby World Cup is taking place all over Japan. This means that it will boost tourism in areas that don't normally have many visitors.

Another benefit of the tournament taking place in many different locations is that it avoids more congestion in already congested cities like Tokyo. Visitors who have no interest in sport will not be deterred from coming to Japan as the rugby fans will be spread out across the country. Next year, some people might worry that Tokyo will be too crowded and expensive, and decide against visiting Japan during the Olympics.

The organizers of the Rugby World Cup smartly scheduled the matches between the end of September and early November. This avoids the hot and humid weather of the Japanese summer so the players should be able to perform well, resulting in exciting games for the fans.

It will be interesting to see how Japan copes with hosting such a large event before the Olympics. Hopefully, everyone who visits Japan will leave with good memories and want to return.

hosting:主催者
major:主要な
economy:経済
beneficial:有益な
Unlike:同じでない、似ていない
surrounding:囲む
boost:活気づける
avoids:避ける
congestion:渋滞
deterred from:阻止する
spread out:広がる
resulting in:～という結果になる

2019年9月25日水曜日

2019年9月25日水曜日 -

Kira - My Earliest Memories


The earliest I can remember is Saudi Arabia. We lived in Jeddah. It was interesting. My mother had to wear an abya (a black robe the women wear that covers their body and face). I didn't have to as I hadn't hit puberty. Women and men were separated in shopping malls, parks, hotels and even restaurants. However, there were restaurants for families and the schools were not separated. The people were kind, friendly and so elegant.

The beaches were incredible and the sea life on the reefs was magical! My father was in a rugby team and had many friends from different countries so we would go watch his games every three weeks.  The parks, although separated, were filled with beautiful flowers and trees and places for kids to play. The schools were amazing with incredible teachers. We used to go camping in the desert on the weekend and the local food  was delicious.







Jeddah:ジッダ(サウジアラビア西部の都市)
abya：アバヤ(全身を包む黒っぽい女性が着用する民族衣装)
puberty：思春期
elegant：上品な
sea life: 海の生き物
filled with：～でいっぱいになる


2019年9月20日金曜日

2019年9月20日金曜日 -

Conner – Going Back Home


This month, I´ll go back to the United States. Before I go back, I’d like to tell you about some of my favorite parts of Japan.

The parts that I think will stay with me are the little things: random smiles from strangers, a warm welcome in a strange bar, or a toilet seat that raises up on its own. Of course, I’ll remember the peak experiences, but sometimes the unexpected things are the most cherished. For example, random conversations with strangers.

Lots of Japanese people have studied English at one point, but they’re rusty. So, many people are eager to chat with you. They ask you where you’re from, why you’re here, what you like about Japan, etc. The interesting part isn’t what we talk about, but where we talk. People have approached me in the onsen, on the train, it doesn’t matter. Some conversations really take me by surprise, which is the best part.

I mentioned in a previous blog that during my first hour in Japan, I was completely and totally lost. The first guy I asked for directions went well out of his way (literally walked me to my station) to make sure I got to the right place. Amazing. Unheard of where I come from. That experience will stay with me for a long time.

Japanese food is also just incredible. It’s actually difficult to find a bad meal. Even the konbini food is good. The first month I was here, I ate a lot of konbini food and didn’t really get tired of it! Most convenience stores in the US just sell simple stuff like hot dogs and chips. Another thing about konbinis is that most are open twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week. Where I come from, only about a third of the convenience stores are open all night. So Japan is great in that respect. If you’re hungry at 3 am, you can get a good meal instantly!

So, at the end of the day, what I’ll remember most are the unexpected spontaneous conversations, kind people, and the food. I can’t wait to come back.



random：手当たり次第の
strangers：見知らぬ人
peak：絶頂
cherished：大事にする
rusty：鈍くなった
eager to：～に熱心になる
approached：近づいた
literally：文字通り
instantly：すぐに
spontaneous：自発的な

2019年9月6日金曜日

2019年9月6日金曜日 -

Camille – Bonjour !

Pendant les vacances du mois d'Aout, je suis allée à Tokyo cinq jours. Après le travail vendredi soir, j'ai pris le bus de nuit entre Kyoto et Ikebukuro à Tokyo. Je suis arrivée, un peu endormie, le lendemain à 9 heures. Il faisait très chaud, et surtout beaucoup plus humide que dans le Kansai. Je logeais dans une auberge de jeunesse au coeur de Shinjuku, c'était super.


During the August holidays, I went to Tokyo for five days. After work on Friday, I took the night bus between Kyoto and Ikebukuro in Tokyo. I arrived, a little sleepy, the next day at 9 o'clock. It was very hot and much more humid than in Kansai. I stayed in a hostel in the heart of Shinjuku. It was great.

Durant ces cinq jours, j'ai visité beaucoup d'endroits différents comme Shibuya, le Meiji-Jingu, Nakano ou encore Shimokitazawa. A Shimokita, j'ai été assister au festival du Bon-odori. Tout le monde dansait et c'était une expérience incroyable. Il y avait beaucoup d'enfants et de personnes agées, toutes les générations étaient réunies autour de ce festival.
During these five days, I visited many different places like Shibuya, Meiji Shrine, Nakano and Shimokitazawa. In Shimokita, I attended the Bon Odori Festival. Everyone was dancing and it was an amazing experience. There were many children and old people, all generations gathered together at this festival.

Pour rentrer dans le Kansai, j'ai pris un bus pour le retour mercredi soir. J'ai eu assez peur car la plupart des bus étaient annulés à cause du typhon ! Heureusement, le mien roulait sans problèmes. A 4 heures du matin, le bus s'est arrêté sur une aire d'autoroute à Shiga et le vent soufflait très fort ! C'était très impressionnant, mais nous avons pu arriver sans problèmes à Osaka.

To return to Kansai, I took a bus back on Wednesday night. I was pretty scared because most of the buses were canceled because of the typhoon! Fortunately, mine left without problems. At 4 am, the bus stopped on a highway in Shiga and the wind was blowing very hard! It was very impressive, but we were able to arrive safely in Osaka.


humide:　湿っぽい
c'était super.：素晴らしかった
j'ai été assister au festival du Bon-odori：私は盆踊りに参加しました
expérience:経験
outes les générations:すべての世代

登録: 投稿 (Atom)