お茶の間留学

Christmas in Spain is quite a special event. The streets are decorated with Christmas lights and  filled with people looking for gifts for their relatives and friends. Although people have the idea that Spain is a fairly warm country, the truth is that in winter it can be quite cold.

 El día de Navidad está muy relacionado con la familia. En este día las familias se reunen en la casa de un familiar y preparan una gran cena ¿Cuál es la cómida típica del día de Navidad? No hay una comida tradicional pero si se intenta que sea una comida especial que destaque por calidad y por cantidad.  La comida es acompañada por conversaciones que sirven  para conocer los cambios, los éxitos y los fracasos de este año. También en este día se suelen cantar los villancicos, los cuales son canciones populares de este día y tienen un carácter religioso.

Christmas Day revolves around the family. On this day, families meet at one relative's house and prepare a great dinner. What is the typical meal on Christmas Day? There is no traditional meal, but people try to make it a special meal that stands out for its quality and quantity. The food is accompanied by conversations about the changes, successes and failures of the year. Also on this day people usually sing carols, which are popular Christmas songs with a religious character.

 relatives:親戚

 fairly:かなり

revolves around:～を中心に回る

quantity:量

accompanied by :～を伴う

religious:宗教的な

Christmas is definitely the most popular holiday in Italy and it's my favorite too! Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus‌ and falls on December 25^th according to the Christian calendar. The festivities are linked to the traditions of the nativity scene and the Christmas tree, as well as the exchange of gifts and the character of "Santa Claus".

 Il presepe è una rappresentazione della nascita di Gesù, vi sono presenti statue formate di materiali vari e disposte in un ambiente ricostruito in modo realistico dove compaiono tutti i personaggi e i luoghi della tradizione: la grotta o la capanna, la mangiatoia dov'è posto Gesù bambino, i due genitori, Giuseppe e Maria, i magi, i pastori, le pecore, il bue e l'asinello e gli angeli. La statuina di Gesù Bambino viene collocata nella mangiatoia alla mezzanotte tra il 24 e il 25 dicembre. Molti italiano sono soliti allestire il presepe in casa nel periodo natalizio.

 L`albero di Natale, immancabile in tutte le case italiane, è un albero, solitamente un abete, che può‌ essere vero o finto, e viene addobbato con palline, piccoli oggetti colorati e luci. Ai piedi dell`alber, secondo la tradizione, vengono collocati tutti i regali ben impacchettati, in attesa del giorno della festa in cui potranno essere aperti.

The Christmas tree, inevitable in all Italian homes, is a tree, usually a fir tree, which can be real or fake, and is decorated with balls, small colored objects and lights. At the foot of the tree, according to tradition, all the well-wrapped gifts are placed, waiting for the day of the party when they can be opened.

 La celebrazione del Natale in Italia si può‌ divedere in due grandi feste : la notte del 24 Dicembre, la Vigilia di Natale, e la giornata del 25 Dicembre, il giorno di Natale. In entrambi i giorni solitamente si riunisce tutta la famiglia sotto lo stesso tetto dove si preparano e mangiano tantissimi piatti buonissimi, ci si scambia i regali e si gioca a carte e ad altri giochi tipici come la "Tombola" e il "Mercante in Fiera".

The celebration of Christmas in Italy can be divided into two great holidays: the night of December 24^th (Christmas Eve), and the day of December 25^th (Christmas Day). On both days the whole family usually gathers under the same roof where they prepare and eat many delicious dishes, exchange gifts and play cards and other typical games such as "Tombola" and "Mercante in Fiera".

 Come dicevo all`inizio il Natale è la mia festa preferita per il clima che si respira in casa e fuori, per i buonissimi cibi che si mangiano e per il bellissimo tempo che si spende in famiglia, devo dire che il Natale a casa mi manca tanto!

As I said at the beginning, Christmas is my favorite holiday: for the climate that reigns at home and outside, for the delicious foods that you eat and for the beautiful time you spend with your family. I must say that I miss Christmas at home very much!

 Per saperne di più‌ sul cibo, i giochi e il clima natalizio in Italia vi aspetto a lezione!

To find out more about the food, games and Christmas spirit in Italy, I look forward to your questions in class!

 Grazie a tutti,

Thank you all,

according to:～によると

nativity scene:キリスト誕生のシーン

 representation:表現

 realistically:現実的に

reconstructed:再構築された

environment:環境

hut:小屋

manger:飼葉桶

shepherd:羊飼い

inevitable :避けられない

fir tree:モミの木

gather:集まる

climate:気候

Hello everyone!

 Nel 2015 sono venuta per la prima volta in Giappone. È stata una grande opportunità per me e del tutto inaspettata.

In 2015, I came to Japan for the first time. It was a great opportunity for me and completely unexpected.

 Frequentavo il primo anno di magistrale a Milano e noi studenti di lingua giapponese siamo stati coinvolti in un progetto di collaborazione tra la prefettura di Fukushima e l'Expo 2015 che si sarebbe tenuto a Milano.

I was attending the first year of a Master's degree in Milan and those of us studying Japanese were involved in a collaborative project between the prefecture of Fukushima and the Expo 2015 which was to be held in Milan.

 Il progetto consisteva nel mostrare agli studenti di giapponese i progressi che erano stati fatti fino a quel momento per far fronte alla contaminazione nucleare e i progetti futuri.

The project consisted of showing Japanese students the progress that had been made so far to deal with nuclear contamination and future projects.

 Prima di partire, da maggio a luglio, ci siamo documentati a fondo, imparando il vocabolario tecnico necessario a comprendere ciò che ci sarebbe stato spiegato una volta in loco. Inoltre, ci siamo interessati riguardo a tutte le città e agli eventi a cui avremmo preso parte. Abbiamo inoltre creato dei profili social (facebook, instagram e twitter), per poter diffondere il più possibile le informazioni che avremmo raccolto.

　Before leaving, from May to July, we did a lot of research and learned the technical vocabulary necessary to understand what would be explained to us once on site. In addition, we were interested in all the cities and events that we would take part in. We also created social profiles (on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) in order to spread the information we had collected as much as possible.

 Il viaggio è durato 10 giorni, dal 20 al 30 luglio, e abbiamo potuto visitare molte città all'interno della prefettura; tutto completamento offerto dal governo locale, dal biglietto aereo, agli hotel, al cibo: tutto.

The trip lasted ten days, from 20^th to 30^th July, and we were able to visit many cities within the prefecture; all paid for by the local government, from airfare, to hotels, to food: everything.

 Una volta tornati in Italia, abbiamo iniziato a lavorare a un blog nel quale abbiamo scritto articoli riguardanti le fabbriche, i laboratori, gli artigiani, i contadini e tutte le persone che abbiamo conosciuto in questo magnifico viaggio.

Once back in Italy, we started working on a blog in which we wrote articles about factories, workshops, artisans, farmers and all the people we met on this magnificent journey.

 Poi, finalmente, a ottobre, all'interno del padiglione giapponese dell'Expo, si è tenuta la “Fukushima week”, una settimana di eventi dedicati al nostro progetto. Anche questa è stata un'esperienza altamente formativa e interessante tra dangosashi, pesche disidratate, presentazioni sul palco e foto in costume da samurai.

Then finally, in October, in the Japanese pavilion of the Expo, “Fukushima week” was held, a week of events dedicated to our project. This too was a highly educational and interesting experience including dangosashi, dried peaches, stage presentations and photos in samurai costume.

 Al termine di tutto abbiamo organizzato una cena in un ristorante giapponese a Milano con tutti i rappresentanti giapponesi coinvolti nel progetto, anche questa completamente offerta da loro.

At the end of everything we organized a dinner in a Japanese restaurant in Milan with all the Japanese representatives involved in the project, again all paid for by the local government.

 Purtroppo il blog ora non è più disponibile, ma la pagina facebook è ancora attiva e io continuo a postare articoli.

Unfortunately the blog is no longer available, but the Facebook page is still active and I continue to post articles.

 Se volete darci un'occhiata si chiama “Fukushima #nofilter” e ha come immagine profilo un akabeko!

If you want to check it out, it's called “Fukushima #nofilter” and has an akabeko as a profile picture!

 Se vi interessa l'argomento e volete saperne di più fatemi pure domande a lezione!

If you are interested in the subject and want to know more, ask me questions in class!

opportunity:機会

unexpected:予想外

attend:出席する

Master's degree:修士号

involve:関与する

collaborative project:共同プロジェクト

prefecture:～県

be held:開催された

consist:構成する

nuclear contamination:核汚染

lasted:続いた

airfare:航空運賃

articles:記事

artisans:職人

magnificentmagnificent journey:壮大な旅

dedicated:ひたむきな

This month I went to Kyoto to eat Kyoto beef and visit some temples. The weather was good and there are few people these days, which is fantastic! I also visited a garden with different types of bamboo called

rokusai. There were many elderly people but few foreign tourists. I was in Kyoto for only two days and had a good time. I was able to relax and forget about work for a while.

Tambien he ido a Tokio para hacer papeleo en la embajada de Chile. Ha sido muy interesante y he comido Tokyo banana.

I also went to Tokyo to do paperwork at the Chilean embassy. It was very interesting and I ate Tokyo banana.

elderly :高齢の

paperwork:事務処理

embassy:大使館

Today, I would like to tell you about the most famous legend in my home town Narni, a small castle-town in central Italy. Narni is located in the region of Umbria, whose capital is Perugia, a city similarly structured around a fortress but much much larger. Both Narni and Perugia have a rampant griffin as their city crest, the only difference is that Perugia's is white, while Narni's is red. There is an interesting explanation behind this aesthetic choice, but before diving into the past, we need to explain what a griffin is and what it represents.

The Griffin (or Gryphon) is a chimera, or a creature, in this case an animal, having the parts of different animals. The griffin has the head, front legs and wings of an eagle; the belly and hind legs of a lion; and the ears of a horse. It was said that the griffin could only be female and that it represented qualities such as cunning, strength and protection.

 Agli inizi del medioevo, Narni e Perugia erano in costante conflitto l'una con l'altra. Guerre e battaglie avevano separato quasi irreparabilmente le due città, fino a quando, quasi dal nulla, un temibile grifone apparse nei celi umbri, terrorrizando gli abitanti delle due città. Allorché, entrambe le famiglie reali dell'epoca decisero di allearsi e formare un unico esercito con lo scopo di affrontare la nuova minaccia comune. Alla fine la forza combinata dei due regni riuscì a sconfiggere l'indomita bestia.

At the beginning of the Middle Ages, Narni and Perugia were in constant conflict with each other. Wars and battles had almost irreparably separated the two cities, until one day, out of nowhere, a fearsome griffin appeared in the Umbrian skies, terrifying the inhabitants of the two cities. And in that moment both royal families of the time decided to become allies and form a single army in order to face the new common threat. Eventually the combined strength of the two kingdoms succeeded in defeating the indomitable beast.

 Le due città decisero di spartire la carcassa e tenere i resti del grifone come trofeo: a Perugia andarono le ossa (bianche) mentre a Narni spettò la pelle (rossa).

The two cities decided to keep the remains of the griffin as a trophy and divide the carcass: the bones (white) went to Perugia while the skin (red) went to Narni.

 Il grifone narnese-perugino è quindi simbolo della resilienza delle due città, che hanno deciso di mettere da parte le proprie differenze ed aiutarsi l'un l'altra in un momento di crisi.

The Narni-Perugian griffin is therefore a symbol of the resilience of the two cities, which decided to put aside their differences and help each other in a moment of crisis.

region:～地方

structure:構造

 fortress:要塞

crest:紋章

behind:背景

aesthetic:美的な

represents:表す

chimera:キメラ

 creature:（想像上の）生き物、獣、化物

belly:腹

 hind legs:後ろ足

cunning:狡猾さ

strength:強さ

constant:常に

conflict :対立

 irreparably:取り返しのつかない

out of nowhere:どこからともなく

terrifying:怖がらせる

inhabitant:住民

 threat:脅威

Eventually:最終的に

combined strength:力を合わせる

defeating the indomitable beast.:不屈の獣を倒す

remains of the griffin:グリフィンの残骸

divide:分割する

carcass:死骸

therefore:したがって

resilience :回復

crisis:危機

I recently traveled to Okayama during my last vacation. It's a wonderful place where you can see historical monuments, visit prestigious museums and enjoy delicious local food.

     The weather was nice so we walked through the famous park near the castle. It was a beautiful sight and an unforgettable memory. The area offers many possibilities to the traveler: navigate the romantic Kurashiki canals, enjoy the scenery by bicycle from the bridge that connects the islands of Honshu and Shikoku, go hiking in the surrounding mountains, try on the original Kojima jeans or meet Momotaro's hidden mysteries in his house-museum.

 

     Toda una experiencia que a todos les recomiendo para su próximo viaje.

     An experience that I recommend to everyone for your next trip.

prestigious: 一流

unforgettable:忘れられない

offers:オファー

possibilities:可能性

 canals:運河

scenery:風景

surrounding: 周囲

jeans:ジーンズ

Good morning all,

Aujourd'hui, je vais vous parler de mes voyages. Plus particulièrement de l'Angleterre. Je suis parti de France juste après mes études. J'avais soif de voyage et j'avais aussi envie de parfaire mon anglais.

Today I will tell you about my travels, particularly in England. I left France just after my studies. I was thirsty for travel and I also wanted to improve my English.

J'ai donc mis le cap sur Bournemouth et plus précisément Wimborne Minster dans la cô‌te sud de l'Angleterre. J'avais au préalable trouvé un travail de volontaire en maison d'hô‌te (Ça ressemblait plus à un grand château qu'à une maison). C'était surtout du travail manuel, on s'occupait du jardin, de la cour et de temps en temps on transportait des choses d'un endroit à un autre.

So I headed for Bournemouth and more specifically Wimborne Minster on the south coast of England. I had previously found a volunteer job in a guest house (it looked more like a big castle than a house). It was mostly manual labor. We took care of the garden, the yard and from time to time we transported things from one place to another.

En échange, j'étais nourri et logé. J'ai rencontré plein de gens de différents pays, quelques français, des italiens, mais aussi des personnes originaires d'amérique du sud. À cô‌té de ça, j'avais aussi réussi à trouver un travail dans un café pour me faire un peu d'argent.

In return, I was fed and housed. I met a lot of people from different countries, some French, some Italians, but also people from South America. Besides that, I also managed to find a job in a cafe to make some money.

I stayed there for about three months. It was great. I met some good people. I shared unforgettable moments and all the while improving my English.

Au bout de 3 mois, je suis reparti en France. J'ai pris un car à destination Londres, Paris puis Lyon, ma ville natale.

After three months, I returned to France. I took a bus to London, Paris then Lyon, my hometown.

Si un jour j'en ai la chance, je retournerai là-bas avec plaisir.

If one day I get the chance, I will happily return there.

Je vous souhaite un bonne journée et à bientô‌t dans une leçon j'éspère.

I wish you a good day and hope to see you soon in a lesson.

particularly: 特に

previously: 以前に

manual labor: 肉体労働

In return: その見返りに

I was fed and housed:  食事と宿を与えてもらった

Hello everyone!

 Quando mi presento a lezione dico sempre di essere di Milano o vicino Milano, ma questa non è la verità. Mi presento in questo modo perché Milano è conosciuta da tutti, mentre la zona da dove provengo io non è così famosa. Ma se c'è qualche amante del vino tra di voi potrebbe averne sentito parlare: io vengo dalla Franciacorta. E no, non è in Francia, è in Italia.

When I start a lesson I always say I'm from Milan or near Milan, but this is not the truth. I introduce myself in this way because Milan is known by everyone, while the area where I come from is not so famous. But if there's a wine lover among you, you may have heard of it: I come from Franciacorta. And no, it's not in France, it's in Italy.

 La Franciacorta è una zona nella provincia di Brescia, in Lombardia, a una cinquantina di chilometri da Milano. É una vasta aerea collinare, vicino alle montagne e al lago d'Iseo in cui ovunque si posi lo sguardo si possono trovare delle vigne. Il vino più prodotto e maggiormente conosciuto della Franciacorta è il Bollicine, un Brut simile allo Spumante.

 Io purtroppo non sono un'intenditrice, in quanto non bevo vino e sono quasi astemia, perciò non vi posso dire se sia buono oppure no. Fatto sta che il marchio Franciacorta è molto conosciuto anche all'estero, quindi qualcosa di buono lo deve avere!

Unfortunately, I'm not a connoisseur, as I don't drink wine (I'm almost a teetotaler), so I can't tell you if it's good or not. The fact is that the Franciacorta brand i
s also well known abroad, so there must be something good about it!

 Se vi interessa saperne di più vi invito a cercare informazioni o a chiederne a me a lezione.

If you're interested in learning more, I invite you to look for information or ask me in class.

 Vi aspetto!

I'm waiting for you!

among:～の中で

province:県

vast hilly area:広大な丘陵地帯

vineyards:ぶどう園

connoisseur:エキスパート

teetotaler:全く飲酒しない人

Lately I have been
thinking a lot about my country Chile and its food. That's why I made some empanadas last September to celebrate Chile's Independence Day, which is September 18^th.

 Ahora, ya es octubre, pero en Chile no se celebra para nada el famoso Halloween porque es algo americano no es algo de latinoamerica. Lo que se hace y se celebra en Chile es el 1 de noviembre o Día de los Muertos, es algo así como el Obón en Japón.

Now, it's October, but in Chile the famous Halloween is not celebrated at all because it's an American festival, not a Latin American one. What is celebrated in Chile is November 1^st, or the Day of the Dead. It is similar to Obón in Japan.

 Ese día se va al cementerio en familia o solo y se le reza a los seres que ya han fallecido. Lo que se come es lo normal, bistec a lo pobre, se toma vino tinto, se comen empanadas, cebiche (sí, en Chile también se come cebiche) y se toma el día libre por lo general o a veces se hace un "sandwich" (es un fin de semana largo). Mucha gente también va a la iglesia.

On this day people go to the cemetery as a family or alone and pray to those family members who have died. What you eat is regular food, you drink red wine, you eat empanadas, ceviche (yes, in Chile you also eat ceviche) and you usually take the day off work or have a long weekend. A lot of people go to church, too.

 Yo en lo personal solía ir al cementerio a visitar la tumba de mi abuelo y de mi bisabuela (sí, yo conocí a mi bisabuela) y solía dejarle flores en su tumba.

Personally, I used to go to the cemetery to visit the grave of my grandfather and my great-grandmother (yes, I knew my great-grandmother) and I used to leave flowers on her grave.

 Ahora que estoy en Japón no hago nada de eso, ni celebro Halloween ni el Día de los Muertos.... Sólo me quedo en casa mirando YouTube!

Now that I'm in Japan, I don't do any of that. Nor do I celebrate Halloween or the Day of the Dead... I just stay home and watch YouTube!

Independence :独立

pray:祈る

empanadas:具入りのパンの名前

 안녕하세요

 오늘은 한국의 추석에 대해서 소개해볼까 해요.

Today, I will introduce to you Chuseok in Korea.

 한국에 가장 큰 두 가지 연휴 설날과 추석인데요. 음력으로 계산하기 때문에 매년 추석은 다른 날짜입니다 올해 2020년은 9월 30일 수요일부터  10월 4일 일요일까지 5일 연휴로 지정되어 있습니다.

The two biggest holidays in Korea are Seol (Lunar New Year's Day) and Chuseok (Thanksgiving).  Chuseok is a different date every year because it is calculated by the lunar calendar. This year, 2020, it is designated as a five-day holiday from Wednesday September 30th to Sunday October 4th.

 보통 추석은 떨어져사는 부모님을 뵙는 날이기도 하는데요 유교적 문화가 강하게 남아있는 한국은 각자 가정집에서 돌아가신 조상을 기리는 제사를 지내기도 합니다. 하지만 변화가 빠른 현대시대에는 제사문화도 점점 사라져가고 있네요. 요즘은 제사보다 가족과 함께 보내는 시간을 중요하게 생각해서 가족여행이나 연휴간 가족과 시간을 보내며 푹 쉬는 것에 집중하는 사람들이 늘고 있습니다.

Chuseok is usually the day to meet parents. In Korea, where the Confucian culture still remains, families hold a ceremony to remember their deceased ancestors. However, in the modern era of rapid change, the ritual culture is gradually disappearing. These days more people spend time with their families on family trips or holidays, as they value spending time with their family rather than ceremonies.

추석과 설날 시즌에는 한국 방문을 삼가하는 것이 좋은데요 그 이유는 많은 가게들이 문을 닫고 대중교통 또한 단축운영을 시행하는 등 관광객으로서는 불편함이 많은 기간이라고 할 수 있습니다 하지만 추석에는 서울에 있는 대분분 사람들이 본인의 고향으로 돌아가는 경우가 많아 언제나 혼잡한 서울의 모습이 아닌 조금은 조용한 서울의 모습을 볼 수 있는 장점도 있습니다.

It's best to avoid visiting Korea during the Chuseok and New Year holidays. The reason is that it can be inconvenient for tourists because many stores are closed and public transportation operates on a reduced schedule. However, as local people often return to their hometown, there is the advantage of being able to see a slightly quieter city instead of the usual crowded one.

 오늘은 한국의 큰 연휴 중 하나인 추석에 대해 소개했는데요 일본에도 존재하는 연휴라는 생각에 한국과 일본은 문화적 공통점이 많다라는 생각이 들어요 한국어 역시 비슷한 점이 많으니 여러분 한국어 공부 조금 더 열심히 해주세요 언제나 코로나 조심하시고 레슨에서 또 만나요.

Today, I introduced Chuseok, one of the biggest holidays in Korea. I think it's a holiday that exists in Japan, so I think Korea and Japan have a lot in common. Korean also has many similarities, so please study Korean a little harder. See you soon in a lesson.