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