2019年7月31日水曜日

2019年7月31日水曜日 -

Linnea – Santiago de Compostela


A few years ago I spent some time in a city in northern Spain called Santiago de Compostela, which is famous for the Cathedral of Santiago. Long ago, people traveled on foot from all over Europe to come to this church as a religious pilgrimage. Even now many tours participate in the pilgrimage, or the Camino (“the walk”).

I spent three months in Santiago working at a hotel in exchange for staying at the hotel for free. To be honest, the job wasn't that great but all in all it was a great experience. The food in that area is really delicious, especially the seafood. If I had to pick one favorite part, it would definitely be the food. I went back to Santiago a few months ago for a few days while I was traveling in Europe. I was pretty sick while I was there so I stayed in the hotel most of the day, but thankfully since I'd spent some time there already I could rest instead of going sightseeing. All I wanted to do was go out to restaurants and eat my favorite dishes.

Spain, like Japan, has regional dialects. The one spoken in Santiago has a lot of similarities to Portuguese since they're geographically close. Of course, everyone speaks standard Spanish as well, but even then they speak quickly and without enunciating. I had been studying Spanish for many years at that point, and I didn't think I would have any problems. I was wrong. For the first few weeks I spent my free time watching a Spanish drama without subtitles just to improve my listening comprehension. Incidentally, the same thing happened when I came to Japan.


Cathedral of Santiago:サンティアゴ大聖堂
religious: 宗教的な
pilgrimage: 巡礼
participate in: ~に参加する
regional : 地域の
dialects:方言
geographically:地理的に
standard :標準
enunciating:(はっきり)発音する
subtitles:字幕
comprehension:理解力
Incidentally:ちなみに

2019年7月5日金曜日

2019年7月5日金曜日 -

Joshua- Karate



I have trained in the art of Kyokushin Karate for twelve years now. Through my training I had the opportunity to visit Japan and compete in the World Kyokushin Karate tournament. During the tournament I met some of my favorite fighters, who I had watched for years. They were on another level compared to everyone else. The tournament was held in a stadium with over ten thousand spectators. Never had I fought in front of so many people.

Through years of training and dedication I was I was able to get my Shodan, my black belt. It was a grueling nine-hour day filled with fitness-tests, kata, and so much more. Amongst the “so much more” were over fifty rounds of fighting with tough fighters from all over the country. It was the hardest day of my life by far but also the most rewarding. I will never forget the day I finally got to put on my black belt.

Through my love of karate I came to love Japan. Now I am living in Japan and want to experience as much of it as I possibly can.






spectators: 観客
dedication:専念
grueling:厳しい
filled with:~でいっぱいになる
Amongst : ~の中で
tough: タフな
rewarding: 価値のある

2019年7月5日金曜日 -

Conner Trip to Thailand


During Golden Week, I spent six days in Thailand. Ever since hearing about Thailand’s tropical climate, beautiful beaches, and cheap, delicious food, I knew I had to go. I only had a few goals for my trip: get plenty of Thai massages, eat tons of food, and go to the beach.

The first stop: Patong Beach, Phuket. I got a lot of Thai massages while I was there, which are very unique from anything I’ve ever experienced. Instead of just massaging your muscles, they also stretch you out. For one hour, it was only 600 yen. In America, I would pay around 7000 yen for an hour, so I got two in one day!

From Phuket, you can easily take a ferry to Phi Phi, which is known for its stunning views. Phi Phi was easily the most beautiful place on my trip. I’ve been looking at pictures of this place for years, so it was a treat to see it for myself.

After Phi Phi, I went to Bangkok. I wasn’t expecting to like Bangkok, but this was actually my favorite spot. It felt much more authentic than Patong. I spent the day wandering around the city, eating street food, and exploring the many outdoor markets. The weirdest thing I tried? Unripened apples with fish sauce and chilies. Very strange, very spicy. I got a huge bag for 100 yen.

Food was much cheaper in Bangkok, so I ate non-stop. For street food, you’ll usually spend 100-300 yen for a meal. For restaurants, it’s a bit more, so maybe 300-500 yen. I recommend sticking with street food, as Bangkok has famously-delicious street food. And, I really can’t stress this enough: it’s outstanding. They use more vegetables and fresh herbs than Japanese food, which creates a unique flavor. Not all Thai food is spicy, either; the majority of my meals weren’t spicy. But, I love spicy food, so I would ask them to make it extra spicy.

My first trip to Thailand was a success. I tried delicious food, got countless massages, and relaxed on the beach. After spending a week in Thailand, I’m eager to go back.


tropical climate:熱帯気候
stunning:見事な
authentic: 正真正銘の
Unripened: 熟していない
sticking with:~のそばを離れない



outstanding:実にすぐれた
majority:大多数
countless:数えきれない
be eager to:~したくてたまらない