I'm afraid my PC screen is not in a good condition
at the moment; it's likely to become black, that means,
I can't see anything on the screen.
It's been green for a couple of days, and one of the days,
it became black.
So I'm sorry if I stop talking to you all of a sudden and
disappear.
That means I can't see anything on the screen. >_<
Thank you so much for the lovely outfit~^^
It matches the color of the hermit crab too!
I'll send you the info about my concert via email.
Emily took another leave in Sep. and decided to
come to Japan again.
If you can come, she would be happy to see you,
and it would be easier for her to find the venue too.
Thanks much for telling me about Emily's coming
to your concert.
It's really nice of her to find time to enjoy your
concert.
Could you tell me in detail about your concert?
I might have heard about it before but I can't find
the notes about the performance.
Thanks in advance for your time and trouble.
I hope you're now fully prepared for the upcoming
concert.
See you later.
How's it going?
You must be busy cramming for the test, making
preparation for the classes, and playing table tennis!
As for me, I had a tight schedule for a few weeks,
having a meeting for the upcoming concert, having
a rehearsal, going to a couple of concerts, doing yoga
and so forth.
Tonight, I was supposed to go see a music festival at
Enoshima, but for some reason, I couldn't.
So I'm planning to go there tomorrow evening instead.
The festival starts at 18:00 and will be last till 20ish.
I'm afraid I won't make it by 21:00, but probably
21:30 would be all right.
Sorry if I couldn't be in time!
I'm assured you're a professional veggie drier.
You know all the tips of drying vegetables through
and through.
You're second to none in knowing the ropes about
consuming foodstuffs as naturally and deliciously as
you can.
Having the knack for living as naturally as you should
will make a huge difference in the end.
As far as I'm concerned, I'm delinquent in making an
endeavor to make my daily life healthier and more
constructive in terms of what I take in.
These days I feel as if I were climbing an insurmountable
mountain of new terms and facts about the teaching
methodology of Japanese.
I wonder when I can sail across a vast ocean of requirements
I'll be tested in the upcoming examination.
All I need now is make gradual progress in covering all the
spheres of the exam as patiently and steadily as I should.
Thank goodness, we've had less hot days these days.
We can keep our concentration more under this weather,
can't we?
It's good you'll hone your teaching skills both English
and Japanese!
You are a professional teacher through and through.^^
I'm drying sliced cucumbers, tomatos, onions, and
maitake mashrooms today.
I've made "shio-koji" so I'll put dried cucumbers and
tomatos into the liquid and serve them as pickles tonight.
I'll stir-fry onions and maikake with some meat.
I only dry veggies when there's no cloud.
We might not be able to have such fine weather for
a while. >_<
Thanks a bunch for reminding me of the
appropriate way of drying raw vegetables
in the sun.
I've never imagined I should have left them
outdoors for such a long time.
I'll give it another shot when I'm home.
I've been racking my brains by cramming
myself with a lot of terms about Japanese teaching.
I'm not sure whether or not I've been behaving
properly as an elderly person should.
One thing I'm certain about my learning Japanese
teaching methodology is that it'll be applicable to
teaching English to my English classes.
Thanks a lot for your enjoyable message.^^
As you said, you should leave the veggies much more
than that; I usually leave them from 8:00 in the morning
till 4:00 in the afternoon.
They sunbathe almost all day~
So shimeji mushrooms become like a size of enoki, and
taste good!
Anyway, you tried so many vegetables. @@ Great!
Thanks. I'm trying a leisurely pace!
Our cats also teach me that, as they don't move and
lie down all the time in the summer time.^^
I've given it a try to dry such vegetables as
an onion, green pepper, goya or bitter cucumber,
egg plant, kidney bean in the sun for about two
hours.
Some of them were juicy and succulent and others
still smelled raw.
I think I should have left them longer in the sun
so that they would be dried and have a better
taste to the palate.
Anyhow this was my first experience to leave vegetables
in the heat of the sun.
Thanks for sharing your expertise about consuming
vegetables in a palatable way.
Enjoy your leisurely pace of life in the summer time.
I still have a mountain of items to memorize about the
methodology of teaching Japanese to people from abroad.
I'm certain they'll in turn help me teach English to my
adult students.
Welcome home~^^
I'm so glad to hear that you returned home safe and sound
and enjoyed the trip so much.
Oh, you went to Hokkaido!
Shiretoko Peninsula is the one I'd like to visit someday too.
Nature things must have been really beautiful!
I'd love to see the flora and fauna of the place~^^
Have a good rest after the enjoyable trip.
See you soon!
I came home from Hokkaido very late last night.
It was a tour of observing the prestine nature of the
Shiretoko Peninsula.
We walked a lot to enjoy the flora and fauna of the
peninsula while watching some Yezo deer or 蝦夷鹿
northern red foxes or 北キツネ.
We were obliged to cancel a tour to take a look at
some waterfalls because of appearance of a brown bear
or ヒグマ on the last leg of our trip.
On the whole, I enjoyed the trip very much even though
it was my third time I have visited the place.
It was unexpectedly hot even in Hokkaido probably because
of the warming of the globe.
I'm so glad to hear that you didn't cough at all 2 days ago.
I hope your coughing won't trouble you anymore, so that
you'll fully enjoy your trip!
In my son's case, he didn't cough when he traveled and
stayed in a hotel, but he started coughing again after
returning home and slept in his bed.
I guess it was something to do with mould in his room. ^^;
Where are you actually going? Aomori?
Enjoy your trip!^^
Thanks much for your precious tips against
my coughing.
To my great relief, I didn't cough at all last
night.
I felt a lot of inner energy like before today.
I really appreciate your concerns.
I memorized the code number for fear I'd be
attacked by my coughs.
11 72 844 is the number code which stops coughing.
I don't know this is effective, but it's worth trying!
Please write the code on a piece of paper time and again
before hitting the sack tonight. ^^
The space between the numbers is important too.
You know what?
I saw you who was in good shape and was really cheerful
in my dream this morning!
I do believe your condition will return to normal soon.^^
Kumquats are good for your throat if it hurts.
I pray for you~!
Thanks for your message.
I only cough a lot when I lie down in bed.
I seldom cough during the daytime when
I do my daily routines.
I must have some trouble with my bronchitis.
I'm sure it'll go away sooner or later, because
I'm afflicted with such physical trouble on a
yearly basis.
Thanks a lot for telling me your condition.
I do hope your physical condition will return to
normal soon. You till cough a lot?
I'll keep sending you some energy.
Do take care!
Thanks a lot for your warmhearted message.
I went to a clinic to have my physical condition
checked again and had some different medicine
prescribed, which I hope, will have a good effect
on my condition.
It's a great relief that we haven't had what is
called "tropical days" these days.
Enjoy your summer.
Thanks for your notice.^^
It's nice to take a trip to the northen part of Japan
at this time of a year!
I do hope your physical condition will return to normal soon~
Do take care. I'll keep my ritual.^^
How's it going?
I should have told you a lot earlier that
I'm planning to take a trip to the northern
part of Japan, so I won't be able to be here
next time.
I hope my physical condition will return to
normal before the departure.
Thanks for your lovely message.^^
I'm so sorry to hear you're still under the weather
after catching a cold last week.
I'll keep sending some energy and pray or you.^^
Thanks much for giving me an account of your trip
to the Kansai area.
I'm glad to hear you've fully enjoyed great nature
and historic and scenic places during your stay there.
Your remarks about cicadas surprised me because I
don't remember them chirping this summer, probably
later in the Kanto district.
It's really true that we become very sensitive to nature
around us while we are away from our daily routines.
You really needed such a splendid time after the demanding
practice for the July concert.
I've been a bit under the weather lately, probably because
I've got a bad cold due to unstable weather for the last
several days.
I returned home safe and sound!
It was really a fantabulous trip.
My husband and I visited Kurashiki, Onomichi, Itsukushima Shrine,
and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
In Kurashiki, there was an area where old buildings were well
reserved. It was like a large Edo Museum outside!
In Onomichi, there was a temple called 千光寺 on a hill and
I was amazed to see lots of huge stones on the way there.
I love seeing huge stones and large trees, you know.^^
The scenery from the top of the hill was spectacular too~
Itsukushima Shrine was really something else.
I'd love to see it when the sea flows. Would be so mystic!
I don't need to tell much about Hiroshima P.M.Park.
I strongly felt we must create the world where there's no nuke.
I was also healed a lot by the sounds of cicakas through the
whole trip!
I wonder why there's no cicada shrilling here this year.
How about your area?
Have you been to any of these areas?
I'd love to visit the places again!^^
Thanks much for your response.
You've hit the nail on the head when you said
that I don't need qualifications for teaching Japanese
to residents in our community as a volunteer.
To be honest with you, though, I've learned a great
deal about the ABC of teaching our mother tongue
to people from abroad.
I'm certain I can avail myself of the skills and knowledge
of Japanese when teaching Japanese to other people from
overseas.
I'm sure a great number of people from overseas will be
grateful to you for your amiable and proper guidance in
the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
I hope you'll fully enjoy the opportunity to get to know
a lot of people from other countries while working as a
volunteer guide.
You're really cut out for the job in the special 2020.
You're proficient enough to communicate with people
from the rest of the world in English.
Your amicable personality will add to your suitability for
working as a volunteer guide.
I can tell your feeling and thought.
The main reason of your attending the language school
was to hone your teaching skills; you don't really need to
get the qualification.
It might be a waste of time to study for the test...
As for me, I don't feel like taking grade 1 test of STEP now,
as I might be able to volunteer at Tokyo Olympic without
the qualification of an interpretive guide.
I went to the Hado Center yesterday and got some interesting
information!
I'll talk to you soon~^^
I know you really need a good rest after the last concert
in which you did your utmost.
I'm sure the more comfortable rest you have, the more
energy you'll get for the upcoming concert in September.
Personally, I've been making preparations for taking the
qualification exam for a Japanese language teacher which
will be held in October, but to be honest with you, I'm not
fully convinced whether or not I'll take the test in the end.
That's because I think a qualification itself doesn't mean
much to me, considering the time in which I can avail myself
of it while I'm allowed to live in this world.
It's really commendable that you've already started to make
yourself prepared for the September concert.
I wish you good luck and enjoy the process.
Thanks for visiting!
I had a loooong nap each day and still slept well at night
these days.^^
I've almost decided what to play in the Sep. concert, and
practiced a bit today~
Have you got used to the normal pace of your life?
Hope you have!^^
I wish you good luck for the tomorrow's concert.
I'm sure you can make it.
You've put so much time and efforts into your
July concert so far.
All you have to do now is have confidence in yourself
and have a lot of fun on the stage.
Thanks a bunch for your quick response.
I'm glad to learn your rehearsal went all right
as smoothly as you had expected.
I guess all you have to do now is keep your
state of mind as naturally and calmly as you
should at the upcoming concert.
I'm sure you can make it because you've gone
through countless numbers of concerts before
your audience on many occasions.
Personally, I was cooped up in the library making
preparations for the English classes to come and
for the upcoming qualification examination for
a Japanese teacher which will be held in October.
I'm not sure whether or not I'll take it this year.
I just thought it's worth reviewing what I've been
taught in the language school before I forget it.
I hope he leads a peaceful and unevenful life.
If only peace would visit him as soon as possible.
Hope you can concentrate on your preparations for
the rest of the days before the concert.
Many thanks for the marine clothes. It's lovely and cool~^^
And thanks much for your warmhearted message as always.
I'll bear it in mind that I'll be patience, and I'll take a deep
breath as many as I can before a performance.^^
Actually, I wrote the massage to you last Thursday, so
the rehearsal was already done and it was all right.
Talking about my son, I found out later that he had some
cavities and hurt him a lot. So he might have thought of
talking about it, as it must have cost him a lot too.
Now he seemed to have his cavities filled, and his routine
has back to normal again; walking 6-7 hours a day! ^^;
Your message was really soothing.
I believe in what you said; I'll just do them and calm myself.^^
How nice it is to hear some good news about
your family!
I hope things will change for the better little by little.
All we need is patience.
I believe patience will work out any kind of problems
in the end.
On the contrary, I'm araid lack of patience can cause
a lot of problems.
I wish you good luck at tomorrow's rehearsal.
I'm sure you can make it, because you've really
practiced a lot for the upcoming concert.
Taking a deep breath at the piano will help you
relieve you of tension.
Break a leg and have a lot of fun giving your
performance to your audience.
It's been less hot these days; you must enjoy playing
table tennis fully!^^
You know what? Tiny change happened yesterday.
My older son didn't go out but stayed at home all day,
and we exchanged few words for the first time in a
couple of months.
I still don't know what's in his mind, but I felt happy
as he responded to me.
I think it was also a good sign that he didn't need to
go out and walk for 6-7 hours to calm himself.
I hope it was little improvement, though I know
he would be up and down.
I'll be having another rehearsal tomorrow.
I hope my performance is improving~^^
How're things going with you?
Hope everything is running all right.
Thanks a lot for telling me about the book
"Anastasia."
I've never heard about the book but it sounds
like an interesting story.
I hope I'll be able to find a series of the books in
the library in my community.
I'm afraid I still need a little bit of time to adjust
myself to the normal pace of life like before.
I think I should allow myself to enjoy a more leisurely
pace of life than before.
I'm certain I'll be able to get accustomed to such a
pace of life soon.
I'm glad to hear you'll be able to come to join us at
SESS tomorrow evening.
I hope a lot of SESS members will join us tomorrow
evening.
See you then.
Did you enjoy playing table tennis each day this week?^^
It's really likely your muscles became loose; muscles
decrease very easily if we stop using them, do they?
I've enjoyed reading "Anastasia".
It's a series of books; I've read five volumes so far.
Anastasia is a name of a lady who lives in taiga in Siberia
by herself, and knows about everything on Earth
as well as on other planets.
What she says is really intriguing and comes straight to
my heart.
I was healed and found some lights by reading her messages.
I'd really like you to read this book too.
I wonder what you think about it~^^
Thanks much for your heartwarming message.
I think I still need some time before I take the
next step after I quit the school.
I need some more time to adjust myself to my
ordinary pace of life.
And I think I should take some physical exercise,
that is, playing table tennis or taking a walk,
so that I can regain my physical strength.
I'm afraid my muscles have become flabby because
of my sedentary way of life for the last three months.
It's amazing you still have a lot to do before your
July concert.
I'm certain you'll be well prepared for the performance
after having given three more rehearsals before the
concert.
As a proverb says, "Be prepared and you'll have no
regrets."
I wish for your son's good luck and perspicacity in
finding an ideal job.
The company must have thought it's worth paying
all the expenses for his trip to encourage him to
make a final decision to work for their company.
I was so glad to hear you quit the school yesterday
and use the method you learned for the sake of
people from abroad.
I'm certain they'll be glad to have a great teacher
both technically and humanely like you!
I was also relieved to know you now have plenty of
your own time, not working too hard from early
morning till late at night.
You did make a great decision listening to your
inner voice.
I'm really proud of you~^^
My younger son returned from his 3-day-trip to Fukuoka.
It was acatully a free trip, as one of the companies
which promised him employment invited him to have a
look at it's head office. He visited the office one of the days.
It's surprising that all the fees were paid by the company!
He still hasn't decided if he chooses this company, though.
Thanks for your warmhearted message.^^
I'll be having three more rehearsals at another nursing home,
and other places to put the finishing touches on my performance!
How're you doing?
Hope you're making steady progress for your
July concert.
I feel as if I had a weight removed from mind today.
I'm thinking of taking advantage of what I've learned
at school for the benefit of people who'd like to study
Japanese so that they can make their stay in Japan
easier and more comfortable.
I hope you can fully concentrate on your practice before
D day.
Good luck!
Thanks a lot for your lovely message even you were
pressed for time.
Just reading my message would be nice enough!^^
I had another rehearsal at home yesterday, inviting
one of my friends who loves bossa-nova.
She is the one who asked me to play bossa-nova at
concerts, so I'd like to make sure that my bossa
sounds like a real one.
I performed the whole program all right this time,
maybe because I didn't talk between the piano
so I was able to concentrate on playing.
I'm glad to hear you've had a great time
rehearsing at a nursing home.
I'm sure your audience must have been
pleased with your performance.
I hope you'll have plenty of time adding
the finishing touches to your July performance.
Thanks much for your warmhearted message out of
your busy schedule.
I'm so happy and relieved that I'm able to talk with you
whenever I feel like it as before.^^
Yesterday, I performed at a nursing home near my place
and played only jazz pieces.
It was the first time I played the half of the program of
the concert in July, and it was just a disaster for me!
However, people there seemed to enjoy it so much;
one of them said "encore!" dabbing her tears.
It made me soooo happy too!
One of the stuff members also asked me to perform
at another nursing home in Chofu someday in the future.
I'd go wherever there's a need for me!
I'll be performing at home playing the whole program of
the concert tomorrow.
Must go and practice!
Congratulations on your coming back to this site
and resuming talking with the rest of the members
here.
I know how much frustrated you've been while you
were not able to communicate with your friends here.
Now you can talk to them as much and freely as you
like like before.
I hope you'll be free from any more problems on your
PC and enjoy getting mingled with your pas here.
Anyhow I've been surviving the tough time at the school.
To be honest, it's a lot more backbreaking task than
I expected before my determination to enter it.
Hope you can concentrate on your preparations for the
July concert.
I'm so happy and relieved that I'm able to write messages
here again, as I've got my name.^^
It was really like a torture that I couldn't write nor talk with you.
I guess it's the system that nameless people can't communicate
with others in this site so that they don't hurt others on purpose.
I went to Zoshigaya again last Sunday.
I was so happy to see those big trees and feel purified atmosphere.
The place reminded me of lots of fond memories as well.^^
I know you need to work harder and harder each day to achieve
your goal.
It's a pity that you're forced to cram so much stuff contrary to
your expectations. But "when in Rome, do as the Romans do",
isn't it?
Good luck with your hardwork! ^^
I've seen your image for about 20 minutes and
I've talked to you for the same amount of time,
but I've heard no response from you.
I'm sure there is some mechanical glitch with your
PC.
I hope things'll return to normal as soon as possible.
Have a nice weekend.
Thanks a bunch for your message.
It's strange that you don't have your own name.
I have no idea what is happening to you.
I hope things'll return to normalcy as soon as possible.
Glad to hear you'll be able to come to join us at SESS
tomorrow evening.
You're most welcome.
See you soon.
How's it going?
I hope things're going as smoothly as they should.
I'm afraid my daily schedule is getting tighter and
tighter because of our practical teaching of Japanese
to young students from overseas.
Besides, we're supposed to have a series of ordinary
classes like grammar, teaching methodology,
linguistics, and the like.
I sometimes wonder why they force us so hard to
learn so much in a short period of time.
I expected to have a more leisurely time learning
how to teach Japanese against my will.
Have a great time making gradual progress in
preparing yourself for the July concert.
Thanks much for your consideration.
I really like it.
I can't thank you enough for it.
Hope your days are going all right.
My days are getting harder and tougher
and my weak part of me sometimes makes
me feel like giving it up halfway through
the course, but I'd like to keep a stiff upper
lip no matter what.
How're you doing?
Hope you're making gradual progress in making
yourself prepared for the July concert.
I'm sure you're getting a kick out of adjusting yourself
to the concert.
Enjoy the process so that you can fully show what
you've striven for before the concert.
Personally, another week has passed and we're going
into a new phase of our studies in which we're supposed
to make a teaching plan on which to teach Japanese to
students from overseas.
I don't mind teaching Japanese to them at all, but I find
it a laborious task to complete a teaching plan because
teachers in charge will have a lot to improve our plans.
I know I'll have to accept their advice because it will
help me improve my teaching skills.
I hope you have a leisurely weekend and save yourself
for another vigorous week.
See you.
You seem to enjoy everyday life, though you have
heavy workload. You're sure to get some presents
after your finishing this substantial lessons!^^
You told me that you wake up early everyday~
Oh, you eat a lot from the early morning!
I used to eat 3 meals a day, but I skip breakfast
if I'm not really hungry these days.
So I can do some brain work in the morning.^^
How're are you doing?
Glad to hear you had a great time beating a drum,
which must have required you plenty of energy.
My feeling about musical instruments is that the more
primitive they are, the more energy you need to play
them, thus allwoing you to feel refreshed after the
performance.
I wonder how you knew I usually get up very early
in the morning.
Have I told you about the time I wake up every morning
before?
I usually get out of bed at around 6:20, have a very
simple breakfast consisting of a bowl of rice, miso soup,
pickles, Natto fermented beans, and some other side
dishes most of which are leftovers from the previous
dinner.
It's incredible that nearly two full months are going to
pass since I began attending the school.
It seems we're going to have more and more tough and
heavy workload as time goes by because we're supposed
to make our own teaching plans so that we can prepare
ourselves for giving actual lessons to our students from
overseas.
You always wake up early to take part in the class
regardless of weather.
I send some energy when I wake up, so you are
on a train probably preparing for the lesson!^^
I went to beat Japanese drums yesterday. It was much fun!
I felt so refreshed and got lots of power, so I might
keep taking a class if there are some classes suitable
for me~^^
Time never stops ticking and tacking no matter
what situations we are in.
We can't put it either forward or backward.
All we have to do is just move on forward regardless
of the constant pace of time.
Our life consists of an accumulation of every minute,
so I'd like to cherish every passing minute to enrich
my given life no matter how many sufferings and
hardships I have in my everyday life.
I wonder how wonderful it'd be if we could fully enjoy
our life.
I'm afraid it's a bit enigmatic message.
I hope you can interpret what I've meant here.
Have a nice weekend.
Oh, you really seem to have hard time adjusting to your
tight schedule.
Please rest a lot when you can along with your good
night sleep so that you'll be able to ride out the excruciating
weather druing summer.
I'll keep sending you some energy everyday~^^
Thanks for your message.
I think you've made a wise decision to let him
go as he likes.
I feel it's a good symptom that he goes out for
several hours a day, talks to the cats, and cooks
for himself.
As long as he moves about and feels physical fatigue
during the day, I hope he'll change for the better.
I'm afraid it might take a long time for him to return
to normal.
All you have to do is endurance as you wrote in the
message.
I'm sure you're patient enough for things to run as
smoothly as they should.
I think I should go to bed a little earlier than usual
this evening because I feel a bit exhausted probably
because of my tight schedule.
A tight sleep will be the best medicine for my fatigue.
Thank you so much for writing me and talking with me
out of your busy schedule.^^
I really enjoy knowing about what you did and what
you are doing!
You also ease me a lot; you try to understand me and
you are quite humorous from time to time, which
you probably don't notice by yourself.
I once decided to ask a specialist for some advice, but
on second thought, I don't need to at the moment.
My son goes out 6 -7 hours everyday and he cooks
his meals by himself.
I've noticed he talks to our cats merrily, though he
doesn't talk to us.
So he tries to get out of the tough condition by himself,
and he's never asked us for any help.
I thought it'd be wise we don't do anything for the time
being, and just wait and see.
I just wish he ever talks to me! So I ask my angels about it.^^
Thanks a million for your encouraging words.
I think I've tried my best for the mid-term exam.
There were some tricky questions to answer, though.
I found it a bit hard to answer fundamental questions
about teaching some daily words like "遠い", "話します"
using instruction words plain enough for beginners of
Japanese.
I know such skills are necessary when it comes to
Japanese to zero beginners in our language, but I always
find it really tough to get the knack of explaining to them
about some rules and conjugations of verbs and adjectives
in plain language.
I hope I'll be able to get used to them as soon as possible.
I enjoyed answering the questions of the rest of the subjects
such as Japanese grammar, phonetics, and teaching
teaching methodology.
I'm glad to hear you had a great time sharing happy and
relaxing moments with Yu-san you're going to perform with.
Your daily schedule is always filled with adventurous and
inspiring encounters.
You must be relieved that the test was over today!
I know you are methodical, thus well prepared for it.
I'm sure you'd get a high score!^^
I enjoyed the energy work by Yu, the guest player,
with two of my friends.
It consisted of his talk, and performances of several
folk instruments.
I felt so relaxed and calmed!
He's like a man Anastasia who lives in Japan.
I'm going to watch a yogi-movie at Shibuya, and
enjoy the Korean dance and a dance by Chieko at
Yotsuya tonight.
Thanks a bunch for your encouraging words.
I can't thank you enough for your consideration.
I feel I've made enough preparations for the test,
so I'm determined to take the exam and try my
utmost by writing down on a exam sheet what
I've studied so far.
I hope you've had a great time sharing a happy
and fruitful time with your partner in the autumn
concert.
I'll try to make a little more effort to make myself
prepared for the tomorrow's test before I go to bed.
I was so happy to find a present in my box this morning!
I'll try to relax when I can.^^
I'll give you the same message to you.
Have a rest when you can in your hard schedule so that
your brain will work better than when you use it full time!
I'll do yoga today, and tomorrow, I will be going to Chigasaki
to meet a guest in my concert in September.
He does some kind of energy work, so I'll experience it.^^
Enjoy the state of examinee, arie!
Thanks again for the lovely gift and the consideration~^^
I'm glad to hear you've taken a breather by doing
yoga on the beach.
I admire your determination to do something different
in the midst of your hard time.
Doing something different for a change would always do
us a lot of good.
All we have to do that is we make a decision to break with
our daily routines.
Well, I've been devoting all my spare time to digesting what
I'm taught in my Japanese classes.
I feel as if I were an examinee for a university entrance exam.
It's kind of a daily ordeal but I feel it's worthwhile to make
efforts to take in all the knowledge I've been taught in my class.
I hope your efforts about him will bear fruit little by little.
No rush and give plenty of leeway.
Thank you so much for your warmhearted message.
My older son doesn't seem to know how he gets out
of his quagmire and just keeps walking everyday.
I become sentimental if I think about his trying his best
each day by himself without getting-out, but we can't
do anything for him at the moment.
As you said, it'd be better if he can see some specialist
who listens to him and makes his heart open.
So my husband will be asking a specialist in his office
about a good one who'd help my son in his hardship.
I went to a beach to do yoga yesterday, and I had my song
recorded today.
I refreshed myself by doing something different!
Hope you'll be well prepared for the mid-term exam
next week.
I send my energy to my son and you each day^^
Thanks a bunch for sparing your time and energy
to write me a cordial message.
Seems like you've been having a tough time too.
You've got a lot to worry about in your everyday life.
I hope you can work them out one by one as time
goes by.
You still have some time to prepare yourself for the
upcoming concert, so I'm sure you can make it because
you can concentrate on what you should do to attain
your goal.
The problem is whether or not you can concentrate on
your practice because of your worries about him.
I'm afraid the problem is beyond your control.
Have you ever thought of consulting a specialist about
that?
I guess he needs some help too.
I cannot help wishing for your quick return to normal
so that you can lead a peaceful daily life like before.
The presentation of my practical lesson for today
worked out all right, to my relief.
I'll drive myself to be prepared for the mid-term
test one week ahead of me now.
How did the demonstration today go?
You must be relieved that the videoing was over!
Now you are still super busy to do extra work for
the mid-term exam next week.
Have a tight sleep each day and ride out the harsh
schedule!
I'll keep sending you some energy~^^
As for me, I need to start practicing 13 pieces or so for
the concert in July, as I've finished arranging new pieces.
Now I can play none of them well, so I feel a bit uncomfortable.
I'll enjoy the improvement each day, though.
My older son is in a difficult situation; he seems to lower
his self-esteem, and doesn't look for a job at all now.
He doesn't or can't talk to anyone either.
I suggested him "Working Holidays" by writing a letter to him,
but he tore it in half and threw it away!
I think he doesn't want any suggestions; he just want us to
accept as he is.
I do hope he won't become mentally ill by just being by himself
without talking to anybody.
Don't worry about writing me; just relax when you can~^^
Thanks a bunch for your message.
I knew something urgent was happening to you
when I didn't have you on May 7.
I'm glad to hear you had a long and reminiscent time
remembering one of your friends who shared happy
moments with while staying in England.
I believe sharing more and more common time with
other people will certainly enrich the quality of our life.
As you've correctly guessed, I've been having a tight
schedule on a daily basis and learning a lot about the
methodology of Japanese teaching.
To be honest, I've been pressed for time to make
preparations for taking the upcoming mid-term exam
on May 19.
Besides that, we're supposed to have our demonstration
of giving a class videoded on May 11 so that we should
know in what way we should improve the way we teach
Japanese to our students.
Hope things're going quite all right with you and you don't
have a lot to worry about.
I'm very sorry about not showing up!
We paid a visit to one of our friends' grave this morning.
We were three families who'd become friends while
living in the U.K.
We had lunch and dinner together and returned home
after 22:00.
I've never imagined we spent time together this long!
You'll have another busy week from tomorrow.
Have a tight sleep and enjoy your schedule!
I'll write more later.
Seems like you've been having a hard time
making adjustments of your PC so that you'll
be entitled to give an interview test to the
examinees of the 4th and 5th STEP test.
I think you should take your PC to the shop
where you bought it instead of worrying about
it on your own.
As a proverb says, "Every specialist has his own
strong point" or "Mochi wa mochiya."
As you had imagined, I had a great time walking
a long distance in the mountains and greenery
having a gentle breeze all over.
I relished the tender green of different trees while
strolling along the trail in the mountains.
I realized we should be embraced in nature away
from our daily pace of life from time to time so
that we can feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
Nature gives us a lot of energy to move on forward
in a right direction.
I wish you good luck with your computer.
Don't work too hard on it by yourself and ask
a specialist to help you out.
I'm glad we have nice weather today.^^
You must be enjoying hiking with your students!
You really need some refreshment between your
hard work.
Please enjoy the scenery, smell, sounds in the woods
to the full~!
I' ve been having hard time finding whether or not
my PC is capable of examiner's work.
STEP says if one uses Windows10 and Internet Explorer,
s/he is entitled to become an examiner of grade 4 and 5
test of STEP.
However, if I use IE, I just can't click the start button of
calibration, while I can click it when using Edge.
So I took the whole calibration on Edge, but STEP insisted
that I should start it over again on IE.
I made lots of inquiries about mechanical glitches and
haven't got an answer of the "can't-click-the-start-button"
problem yet.
I feel a bit tired of tackling the problem now.
Oh, are there series of "Anne of Green Gables"?
I just read the first one, then.
Love to read other stories when I have time.^^
How're you enjoying your consecutive days off?
I hope you're giving vent to your smothered
stress and frustrations you've pent up in your
daily life.
Thanks a lot for your consideration for me.
I know only my diligence to my daily studies will
lessen my burden on my shoulder.
I feel I'm getting accustomed to my day-to-day
pace of life as time goes by.
It's only a matter of practice, I hope.
This is my first time to hear that STEP will give
an interview test to the examinees of the 4th and
5th grade.
I wonder what made them decide to do that.
Probably because they wanted to put emphasis
on communicative competence even on 4th and
5th grade takers.
I hope you'll be able to adjust yourself to the new
style of giving interview questions.
I've enjoyed reading Anne of Green Gables too.
It has a series of eight or so works and I gave up
reading them halfway.
I found a word "scrumptious" in the book as I told
you before.
I'm ever so happy to hear from you! ^^
I've refrained from writing you as I thought you were
extremely busy.
You'll have holidays according to the calender!
You'll enjoy Nao-chan's company today as her favorite
grand-pa.^^
Incidentally, I've finished reading "Anne of Green Gables"
for the first time in my life!
I really loved Anne and enjoyed reading how she
grows up with those lovable people around her.
I'd love to know how Nao-chan will grow day by day too~
STEP will start having interview tests for grade 4 and 5 soon,
so I need to adjust my PC for the upcoming tests as
an examiner.
However, it's technically so complicated and I still can't
take the calibration!
On top of that, my desktop has become pinkish again,
so it's hard to see the screen.
Oh, well, I might as well giving it up.
Enjoy the bath time with Naochan!^^
Have a leisurely Golden Week.
Long time no see.
How've you been doing?
I'm pleased to have a window of opportunity
to take some rest from my daily tight schedule
thanks to the three consecutive holidays.
We're going to have Nao-chan coming over to
our place tomorrow and she's going to stay with
us overnight.
I'm thinking of taking a bath with her again for
a lot longer time this time.
She still needs some more time to get used to her
new experience.
I'm relieved to realize that almost three weeks have
passed since I started attending the Japanese language
school.
I'm glad to find something new in terms of teaching a
foreign language to learners on a daily basis.
I think I can apply different methods and approaches
to my teaching English and Japanese as well.
I've not been accustomed to giving a lesson about a
teaching item in what is called 'the direct method" which
has some set procedures we must follow.
I hope it's just a matter of time before I get used to it.
How're things going?
I've survived the first two weeks in my utterly
new experience.
To be honest with you, it's been an excruciating
period of time to get accustomed to the new pace
of life.
I've got a huge amount of preparations before and
after my everyday classes, because the pace of
conducting each class is mercilessly far faster than
I expected.
Every time we have a class, we have a lot of new
items to memorize so that we can pass the upcoming
midterm examination taking place in the middle of
the next month.
It's an ordeal imposed on me and I'll try my hardest
to get over this tough moment.
I'm sure I can survive the tormenting time thanks to
your encouraging power.
Have a great time making preparations for your July
concert.
Thanks a lot for writing me out of your VERY busy schedule.
You sound so busy; it's like having full time job plus going
to a school !
I wonder if there's a summer break.
Hope you'll juggle your job with your study and table tennis
for six months.
I send you energy mostly at night when I go to bed, but
while I was doing so, I fell asleep so easily!
In that occasion, I did it again in the morning at about 7:00.
I've started arranging a new piece for the cafe concert,
a classical one into jazz.
I like the arrangiment by 山中千尋, so I kind of copy her
work for the time being.
It's really enjoyable to copy the notes by ear; it's like
putting together a jigsaw puzzle!
Thanks a million for your encouraging message.
To be candid, I've been going through a tougher
pace of life than I had expected since I started
attending the school.
I'm always pressed for time to make preparations
for the next classes and review the previous ones
on a daily basis.
Leaving my place at 6:15 and coming home at
around 19:30 is my normal pace of life.
This tight schedule will last until October when
I take the qualification test.
I hope I can manage to get through this burdensome
situation.
Hopefully you enjoy making preparations for your
concert in July.
The new week has started and you are busy getting up
early to take the Japanese course.
Today, you'll be having the evening class as well, so
you'll be pressed for time until very late at night.
Please take a good rest and a good night sleep each day
to ride out your tight schedule~.
It was really exciting to meet a friend from virtual reality.
I've never imagined Eri is such a "bi-majo".^^
We were surprised to find that her daughter has a friend
who lives near my place!
Her daughter also attended a recital at the Okurayama
Hall quite recently. It's really a coincidence!
It seems our paths are meant to cross somehow.
I couldn't enjoy the concert last night; the performances
were so poor unfortunately.
I realized again how Michiyo-san's concert was satisfactory!
I do hope you'll get used to the new pace of your life soon~
Be sure to take a good rest.
I'll send you some energy each day!^^
What's up?
How did you enjoy today's concert on April 17?
You're lucky to be blessed with a series of concerts,
aren't you?
I cannot help thinking how small this world is
particularly after meeting her and her daughter in
the real world.
Hopefully we'll be able to have an occasion where
all of us can have a pleasant get-together sometime
in the future.
Another excruciating week of mine will begin from
tomorrow.
I'd like to accustom myself to the new pace of life
as soon as possible.
You were in my dream again!
But this time, you were wearing "hakama" and your face and hairdo
were like Bach's.
You seemed to be embarrassed about your hair; very old-fashioned
but was popular in Europe in the 18th century or so.
Was really a funny dream!
I'll go to the venue a bit earlier.
Catch you later~^^
☆きゃりー☆
2016/09/13 08:43:02
Emily's Schedule
11/09 (Hong Kong -> Tokyo) - From Hong Kong to Tokyo(Narita Airport), jsut to relax and have some food and maybe a bit of shopping? ^ ^
12/09 (Tokyo) - Asakusa and Skytree, try on a kimono
13/09 (Tokyo -> Nikko) - Edo Wonderland, Kinugawa onsen
14/09 (Nikko) - Toshogu Shine, Futarasan Shine, Rinnoji Temple Shinkyo Bridge
15/09 (Nikko ->Tokyo) - Kegon Waterfall, Lake Chuzenji, back to tokyo and rest~
16/09 - (Tokyo -> Yokohama) Check in at hotel in Yokohama, Attend to Carrie's concert! Night view at Yokohama
17/09 (Yokohama -> Kamakura) - Enoshima, Big Buddha
18/09 (Kamakura -> Hokane)-
19/09 (Hokane) - Mt. Fuji and Lake Ashinoko
20/09 (Hokane -> ???) - No plans yet XD
21/09 (??? -> Hong Kong) - Back to Hong Kong
☆きゃりー☆
2016/09/11 20:35:08
[pull out all the stops= do my best]
I'll pull out all the stops at the concert.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/09/11 20:34:26
[belly up]
I'm glad my computer didn't go belly up!
☆きゃりー☆
2016/09/05 15:51:37
[belly up =bankrupt, insolvent]
Hope his business won't go belly up.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/09/04 18:16:29
Hi arie!
I'm afraid my PC screen is not in a good condition
at the moment; it's likely to become black, that means,
I can't see anything on the screen.
It's been green for a couple of days, and one of the days,
it became black.
So I'm sorry if I stop talking to you all of a sudden and
disappear.
That means I can't see anything on the screen. >_<
Talk to you later~
☆きゃりー☆
2016/09/02 11:50:07
Hi arie!
Thank you so much for the lovely outfit~^^
It matches the color of the hermit crab too!
I'll send you the info about my concert via email.
Emily took another leave in Sep. and decided to
come to Japan again.
If you can come, she would be happy to see you,
and it would be easier for her to find the venue too.
Talk to you later!
arie
2016/09/01 22:06:28
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks much for telling me about Emily's coming
to your concert.
It's really nice of her to find time to enjoy your
concert.
Could you tell me in detail about your concert?
I might have heard about it before but I can't find
the notes about the performance.
Thanks in advance for your time and trouble.
I hope you're now fully prepared for the upcoming
concert.
See you later.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/08/27 19:58:44
Hi arie!
How's it going?
You must be busy cramming for the test, making
preparation for the classes, and playing table tennis!
As for me, I had a tight schedule for a few weeks,
having a meeting for the upcoming concert, having
a rehearsal, going to a couple of concerts, doing yoga
and so forth.
Tonight, I was supposed to go see a music festival at
Enoshima, but for some reason, I couldn't.
So I'm planning to go there tomorrow evening instead.
The festival starts at 18:00 and will be last till 20ish.
I'm afraid I won't make it by 21:00, but probably
21:30 would be all right.
Sorry if I couldn't be in time!
arie
2016/08/13 18:12:45
Hi, Carrie!
I'm assured you're a professional veggie drier.
You know all the tips of drying vegetables through
and through.
You're second to none in knowing the ropes about
consuming foodstuffs as naturally and deliciously as
you can.
Having the knack for living as naturally as you should
will make a huge difference in the end.
As far as I'm concerned, I'm delinquent in making an
endeavor to make my daily life healthier and more
constructive in terms of what I take in.
These days I feel as if I were climbing an insurmountable
mountain of new terms and facts about the teaching
methodology of Japanese.
I wonder when I can sail across a vast ocean of requirements
I'll be tested in the upcoming examination.
All I need now is make gradual progress in covering all the
spheres of the exam as patiently and steadily as I should.
Have a nice and pleasant weekend.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/08/13 10:45:01
Hi arie!
Thank goodness, we've had less hot days these days.
We can keep our concentration more under this weather,
can't we?
It's good you'll hone your teaching skills both English
and Japanese!
You are a professional teacher through and through.^^
I'm drying sliced cucumbers, tomatos, onions, and
maitake mashrooms today.
I've made "shio-koji" so I'll put dried cucumbers and
tomatos into the liquid and serve them as pickles tonight.
I'll stir-fry onions and maikake with some meat.
I only dry veggies when there's no cloud.
We might not be able to have such fine weather for
a while. >_<
Have a wonderful weekend!^^
arie
2016/08/11 21:31:28
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks a bunch for reminding me of the
appropriate way of drying raw vegetables
in the sun.
I've never imagined I should have left them
outdoors for such a long time.
I'll give it another shot when I'm home.
I've been racking my brains by cramming
myself with a lot of terms about Japanese teaching.
I'm not sure whether or not I've been behaving
properly as an elderly person should.
One thing I'm certain about my learning Japanese
teaching methodology is that it'll be applicable to
teaching English to my English classes.
Have a pleasant time in the midst of summer.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/08/10 09:19:34
Hi arie!
Thanks a lot for your enjoyable message.^^
As you said, you should leave the veggies much more
than that; I usually leave them from 8:00 in the morning
till 4:00 in the afternoon.
They sunbathe almost all day~
So shimeji mushrooms become like a size of enoki, and
taste good!
Anyway, you tried so many vegetables. @@ Great!
Thanks. I'm trying a leisurely pace!
Our cats also teach me that, as they don't move and
lie down all the time in the summer time.^^
Enjoy memorizing and stimulate your brain~!
arie
2016/08/09 21:16:28
Hi, Carrie!
I've given it a try to dry such vegetables as
an onion, green pepper, goya or bitter cucumber,
egg plant, kidney bean in the sun for about two
hours.
Some of them were juicy and succulent and others
still smelled raw.
I think I should have left them longer in the sun
so that they would be dried and have a better
taste to the palate.
Anyhow this was my first experience to leave vegetables
in the heat of the sun.
Thanks for sharing your expertise about consuming
vegetables in a palatable way.
Enjoy your leisurely pace of life in the summer time.
I still have a mountain of items to memorize about the
methodology of teaching Japanese to people from abroad.
I'm certain they'll in turn help me teach English to my
adult students.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/08/03 19:50:47
[flora and fauna]
arie enjoyed the flora and fauna of Shiretoko Peninsula.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/08/03 19:49:22
Hi arie!
Welcome home~^^
I'm so glad to hear that you returned home safe and sound
and enjoyed the trip so much.
Oh, you went to Hokkaido!
Shiretoko Peninsula is the one I'd like to visit someday too.
Nature things must have been really beautiful!
I'd love to see the flora and fauna of the place~^^
Have a good rest after the enjoyable trip.
See you soon!
arie
2016/08/03 12:32:00
Hi, Carrie!
I came home from Hokkaido very late last night.
It was a tour of observing the prestine nature of the
Shiretoko Peninsula.
We walked a lot to enjoy the flora and fauna of the
peninsula while watching some Yezo deer or 蝦夷鹿
northern red foxes or 北キツネ.
We were obliged to cancel a tour to take a look at
some waterfalls because of appearance of a brown bear
or ヒグマ on the last leg of our trip.
On the whole, I enjoyed the trip very much even though
it was my third time I have visited the place.
It was unexpectedly hot even in Hokkaido probably because
of the warming of the globe.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/07/30 07:44:15
Hi arie!
I'm so glad to hear that you didn't cough at all 2 days ago.
I hope your coughing won't trouble you anymore, so that
you'll fully enjoy your trip!
In my son's case, he didn't cough when he traveled and
stayed in a hotel, but he started coughing again after
returning home and slept in his bed.
I guess it was something to do with mould in his room. ^^;
Where are you actually going? Aomori?
Enjoy your trip!^^
arie
2016/07/29 23:14:45
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks much for your precious tips against
my coughing.
To my great relief, I didn't cough at all last
night.
I felt a lot of inner energy like before today.
I really appreciate your concerns.
I memorized the code number for fear I'd be
attacked by my coughs.
Thanks.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/07/29 19:03:39
Hi again!
11 72 844 is the number code which stops coughing.
I don't know this is effective, but it's worth trying!
Please write the code on a piece of paper time and again
before hitting the sack tonight. ^^
The space between the numbers is important too.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/07/29 18:57:32
Hi arie!
You know what?
I saw you who was in good shape and was really cheerful
in my dream this morning!
I do believe your condition will return to normal soon.^^
Kumquats are good for your throat if it hurts.
I pray for you~!
arie
2016/07/28 22:35:42
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks for your message.
I only cough a lot when I lie down in bed.
I seldom cough during the daytime when
I do my daily routines.
I must have some trouble with my bronchitis.
I'm sure it'll go away sooner or later, because
I'm afflicted with such physical trouble on a
yearly basis.
I always appreciate your encouraging words.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/07/28 10:02:03
Hi arie!
Thanks a lot for telling me your condition.
I do hope your physical condition will return to
normal soon. You till cough a lot?
I'll keep sending you some energy.
Do take care!
arie
2016/07/27 23:01:22
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks a lot for your warmhearted message.
I went to a clinic to have my physical condition
checked again and had some different medicine
prescribed, which I hope, will have a good effect
on my condition.
It's a great relief that we haven't had what is
called "tropical days" these days.
Enjoy your summer.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/07/26 09:13:22
Hi arie!
Thanks for your notice.^^
It's nice to take a trip to the northen part of Japan
at this time of a year!
I do hope your physical condition will return to normal soon~
Do take care. I'll keep my ritual.^^
arie
2016/07/25 22:42:03
Hi, Carrie!
How's it going?
I should have told you a lot earlier that
I'm planning to take a trip to the northern
part of Japan, so I won't be able to be here
next time.
I hope my physical condition will return to
normal before the departure.
Have a nice summer.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/07/22 07:55:24
Hi arie!
Thanks for your lovely message.^^
I'm so sorry to hear you're still under the weather
after catching a cold last week.
I'll keep sending some energy and pray or you.^^
arie
2016/07/21 21:29:25
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks much for giving me an account of your trip
to the Kansai area.
I'm glad to hear you've fully enjoyed great nature
and historic and scenic places during your stay there.
Your remarks about cicadas surprised me because I
don't remember them chirping this summer, probably
later in the Kanto district.
It's really true that we become very sensitive to nature
around us while we are away from our daily routines.
You really needed such a splendid time after the demanding
practice for the July concert.
I've been a bit under the weather lately, probably because
I've got a bad cold due to unstable weather for the last
several days.
I'm going to hit the pillow.
Have a nice evening.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/07/20 19:59:15
Hi arie!
I returned home safe and sound!
It was really a fantabulous trip.
My husband and I visited Kurashiki, Onomichi, Itsukushima Shrine,
and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
In Kurashiki, there was an area where old buildings were well
reserved. It was like a large Edo Museum outside!
In Onomichi, there was a temple called 千光寺 on a hill and
I was amazed to see lots of huge stones on the way there.
I love seeing huge stones and large trees, you know.^^
The scenery from the top of the hill was spectacular too~
Itsukushima Shrine was really something else.
I'd love to see it when the sea flows. Would be so mystic!
I don't need to tell much about Hiroshima P.M.Park.
I strongly felt we must create the world where there's no nuke.
I was also healed a lot by the sounds of cicakas through the
whole trip!
I wonder why there's no cicada shrilling here this year.
How about your area?
Have you been to any of these areas?
I'd love to visit the places again!^^
arie
2016/07/16 19:51:00
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks much for your response.
You've hit the nail on the head when you said
that I don't need qualifications for teaching Japanese
to residents in our community as a volunteer.
To be honest with you, though, I've learned a great
deal about the ABC of teaching our mother tongue
to people from abroad.
I'm certain I can avail myself of the skills and knowledge
of Japanese when teaching Japanese to other people from
overseas.
I'm sure a great number of people from overseas will be
grateful to you for your amiable and proper guidance in
the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
I hope you'll fully enjoy the opportunity to get to know
a lot of people from other countries while working as a
volunteer guide.
You're really cut out for the job in the special 2020.
You're proficient enough to communicate with people
from the rest of the world in English.
Your amicable personality will add to your suitability for
working as a volunteer guide.
Good luck.
See you soon.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/07/16 16:57:54
Hi arie!
I can tell your feeling and thought.
The main reason of your attending the language school
was to hone your teaching skills; you don't really need to
get the qualification.
It might be a waste of time to study for the test...
As for me, I don't feel like taking grade 1 test of STEP now,
as I might be able to volunteer at Tokyo Olympic without
the qualification of an interpretive guide.
I went to the Hado Center yesterday and got some interesting
information!
I'll talk to you soon~^^
arie
2016/07/13 22:17:58
Hi, Carrie!
I know you really need a good rest after the last concert
in which you did your utmost.
I'm sure the more comfortable rest you have, the more
energy you'll get for the upcoming concert in September.
Personally, I've been making preparations for taking the
qualification exam for a Japanese language teacher which
will be held in October, but to be honest with you, I'm not
fully convinced whether or not I'll take the test in the end.
That's because I think a qualification itself doesn't mean
much to me, considering the time in which I can avail myself
of it while I'm allowed to live in this world.
It's really commendable that you've already started to make
yourself prepared for the September concert.
I wish you good luck and enjoy the process.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/07/13 20:06:14
[up to scratch]
It was probably up to scratch. 一定の水準に達して
☆きゃりー☆
2016/07/13 20:05:29
[up to snuff]
The concert went up to snuff as the audience seemed to enjoy it.
まずまず
☆きゃりー☆
2016/07/13 20:04:34
[up to the mark]
He's not up to the mark at the moment. 気分がすぐれない
It was a pity my performance was not up to the mark. 文句なしで
☆きゃりー☆
2016/07/13 20:03:30
[on/at full throttle]
I was on full throttle, so I couldn't practice more.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/07/13 20:02:33
Hi arie!
Thanks for visiting!
I had a loooong nap each day and still slept well at night
these days.^^
I've almost decided what to play in the Sep. concert, and
practiced a bit today~
Have you got used to the normal pace of your life?
Hope you have!^^
arie
2016/07/09 19:55:51
Hi, Carrie!
I wish you good luck for the tomorrow's concert.
I'm sure you can make it.
You've put so much time and efforts into your
July concert so far.
All you have to do now is have confidence in yourself
and have a lot of fun on the stage.
Break a leg!
arie
2016/07/06 23:03:19
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks a bunch for your quick response.
I'm glad to learn your rehearsal went all right
as smoothly as you had expected.
I guess all you have to do now is keep your
state of mind as naturally and calmly as you
should at the upcoming concert.
I'm sure you can make it because you've gone
through countless numbers of concerts before
your audience on many occasions.
Personally, I was cooped up in the library making
preparations for the English classes to come and
for the upcoming qualification examination for
a Japanese teacher which will be held in October.
I'm not sure whether or not I'll take it this year.
I just thought it's worth reviewing what I've been
taught in the language school before I forget it.
I hope he leads a peaceful and unevenful life.
If only peace would visit him as soon as possible.
Hope you can concentrate on your preparations for
the rest of the days before the concert.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/07/05 16:54:26
Hi arie!
Many thanks for the marine clothes. It's lovely and cool~^^
And thanks much for your warmhearted message as always.
I'll bear it in mind that I'll be patience, and I'll take a deep
breath as many as I can before a performance.^^
Actually, I wrote the massage to you last Thursday, so
the rehearsal was already done and it was all right.
Talking about my son, I found out later that he had some
cavities and hurt him a lot. So he might have thought of
talking about it, as it must have cost him a lot too.
Now he seemed to have his cavities filled, and his routine
has back to normal again; walking 6-7 hours a day! ^^;
Your message was really soothing.
I believe in what you said; I'll just do them and calm myself.^^
arie
2016/07/04 22:48:53
Hi, Carrie!
How nice it is to hear some good news about
your family!
I hope things will change for the better little by little.
All we need is patience.
I believe patience will work out any kind of problems
in the end.
On the contrary, I'm araid lack of patience can cause
a lot of problems.
I wish you good luck at tomorrow's rehearsal.
I'm sure you can make it, because you've really
practiced a lot for the upcoming concert.
Taking a deep breath at the piano will help you
relieve you of tension.
Break a leg and have a lot of fun giving your
performance to your audience.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/07/04 09:05:44
[diaphragm]
Abdominal breathing needs a good movement of the diaphragm.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/07/01 19:22:06
[share resemblance]
Ana and her mom share a lot of physical resemblance.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/06/30 21:04:40
[bear a resemblance to]
Ana bears a striking resemblance to her mom.
I bear little resemblance to my dad.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/06/30 21:03:16
[resemblance between]
The resemblance between my mom and my sister
was remarkable.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/06/30 21:00:32
Hi arie!
It's been less hot these days; you must enjoy playing
table tennis fully!^^
You know what? Tiny change happened yesterday.
My older son didn't go out but stayed at home all day,
and we exchanged few words for the first time in a
couple of months.
I still don't know what's in his mind, but I felt happy
as he responded to me.
I think it was also a good sign that he didn't need to
go out and walk for 6-7 hours to calm himself.
I hope it was little improvement, though I know
he would be up and down.
I'll be having another rehearsal tomorrow.
I hope my performance is improving~^^
arie
2016/06/24 21:58:47
Hi, Carrie!
How're things going with you?
Hope everything is running all right.
Thanks a lot for telling me about the book
"Anastasia."
I've never heard about the book but it sounds
like an interesting story.
I hope I'll be able to find a series of the books in
the library in my community.
I'm afraid I still need a little bit of time to adjust
myself to the normal pace of life like before.
I think I should allow myself to enjoy a more leisurely
pace of life than before.
I'm certain I'll be able to get accustomed to such a
pace of life soon.
I'm glad to hear you'll be able to come to join us at
SESS tomorrow evening.
I hope a lot of SESS members will join us tomorrow
evening.
See you then.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/06/24 20:48:42
Might be able to attend SESS tomorrow.^^
☆きゃりー☆
2016/06/24 07:32:02
Hi arie!
Did you enjoy playing table tennis each day this week?^^
It's really likely your muscles became loose; muscles
decrease very easily if we stop using them, do they?
I've enjoyed reading "Anastasia".
It's a series of books; I've read five volumes so far.
Anastasia is a name of a lady who lives in taiga in Siberia
by herself, and knows about everything on Earth
as well as on other planets.
What she says is really intriguing and comes straight to
my heart.
I was healed and found some lights by reading her messages.
I'd really like you to read this book too.
I wonder what you think about it~^^
arie
2016/06/21 21:35:01
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks much for your heartwarming message.
I think I still need some time before I take the
next step after I quit the school.
I need some more time to adjust myself to my
ordinary pace of life.
And I think I should take some physical exercise,
that is, playing table tennis or taking a walk,
so that I can regain my physical strength.
I'm afraid my muscles have become flabby because
of my sedentary way of life for the last three months.
It's amazing you still have a lot to do before your
July concert.
I'm certain you'll be well prepared for the performance
after having given three more rehearsals before the
concert.
As a proverb says, "Be prepared and you'll have no
regrets."
I wish for your son's good luck and perspicacity in
finding an ideal job.
The company must have thought it's worth paying
all the expenses for his trip to encourage him to
make a final decision to work for their company.
Enjoy the process of reaching your goal.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/06/21 13:25:17
Hi arie!
I was so glad to hear you quit the school yesterday
and use the method you learned for the sake of
people from abroad.
I'm certain they'll be glad to have a great teacher
both technically and humanely like you!
I was also relieved to know you now have plenty of
your own time, not working too hard from early
morning till late at night.
You did make a great decision listening to your
inner voice.
I'm really proud of you~^^
My younger son returned from his 3-day-trip to Fukuoka.
It was acatully a free trip, as one of the companies
which promised him employment invited him to have a
look at it's head office. He visited the office one of the days.
It's surprising that all the fees were paid by the company!
He still hasn't decided if he chooses this company, though.
Thanks for your warmhearted message.^^
I'll be having three more rehearsals at another nursing home,
and other places to put the finishing touches on my performance!
Enjoy the day as freely as before^^
arie
2016/06/20 23:30:07
Hi, Carrie!
How're you doing?
Hope you're making steady progress for your
July concert.
I feel as if I had a weight removed from mind today.
I'm thinking of taking advantage of what I've learned
at school for the benefit of people who'd like to study
Japanese so that they can make their stay in Japan
easier and more comfortable.
I hope you can fully concentrate on your practice before
D day.
Good luck!
☆きゃりー☆
2016/06/18 09:20:31
Hi arie!
Thanks a lot for your lovely message even you were
pressed for time.
Just reading my message would be nice enough!^^
I had another rehearsal at home yesterday, inviting
one of my friends who loves bossa-nova.
She is the one who asked me to play bossa-nova at
concerts, so I'd like to make sure that my bossa
sounds like a real one.
I performed the whole program all right this time,
maybe because I didn't talk between the piano
so I was able to concentrate on playing.
Today's so beautiful! Enjoy the weekends.^^
arie
2016/06/16 21:58:11
Hi, Carrie!
I'm glad to hear you've had a great time
rehearsing at a nursing home.
I'm sure your audience must have been
pleased with your performance.
I hope you'll have plenty of time adding
the finishing touches to your July performance.
Sorry for my short message.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/06/16 09:34:08
Hi arie!
Thanks much for your warmhearted message out of
your busy schedule.
I'm so happy and relieved that I'm able to talk with you
whenever I feel like it as before.^^
Yesterday, I performed at a nursing home near my place
and played only jazz pieces.
It was the first time I played the half of the program of
the concert in July, and it was just a disaster for me!
However, people there seemed to enjoy it so much;
one of them said "encore!" dabbing her tears.
It made me soooo happy too!
One of the stuff members also asked me to perform
at another nursing home in Chofu someday in the future.
I'd go wherever there's a need for me!
I'll be performing at home playing the whole program of
the concert tomorrow.
Must go and practice!
Enjoy learning a lot each day~^^
arie
2016/06/14 22:11:15
H, Carrie!
Congratulations on your coming back to this site
and resuming talking with the rest of the members
here.
I know how much frustrated you've been while you
were not able to communicate with your friends here.
Now you can talk to them as much and freely as you
like like before.
I hope you'll be free from any more problems on your
PC and enjoy getting mingled with your pas here.
Anyhow I've been surviving the tough time at the school.
To be honest, it's a lot more backbreaking task than
I expected before my determination to enter it.
Hope you can concentrate on your preparations for the
July concert.
☆きゃりー☆
2016/06/14 16:16:36
Hi arie!
I'm so happy and relieved that I'm able to write messages
here again, as I've got my name.^^
It was really like a torture that I couldn't write nor talk with you.
I guess it's the system that nameless people can't communicate
with others in this site so that they don't hurt others on purpose.
I went to Zoshigaya again last Sunday.
I was so happy to see those big trees and feel purified atmosphere.
The place reminded me of lots of fond memories as well.^^
I know you need to work harder and harder each day to achieve
your goal.
It's a pity that you're forced to cram so much stuff contrary to
your expectations. But "when in Rome, do as the Romans do",
isn't it?
Good luck with your hardwork! ^^
arie
2016/06/12 21:13:58
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks a lot for your visit to my place.
I guess you've had a great time on the weekend.
I hope the mechanical glitch of your PC will work
itself out as soon as possible.
I wish you another refreshing and fruitful week
from tomorrow.
arie
2016/06/11 21:54:17
Hi, Carrie!
I've seen your image for about 20 minutes and
I've talked to you for the same amount of time,
but I've heard no response from you.
I'm sure there is some mechanical glitch with your
PC.
I hope things'll return to normal as soon as possible.
Have a nice weekend.
arie
2016/06/10 22:45:29
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks a bunch for your message.
It's strange that you don't have your own name.
I have no idea what is happening to you.
I hope things'll return to normalcy as soon as possible.
Glad to hear you'll be able to come to join us at SESS
tomorrow evening.
You're most welcome.
See you soon.
arie
2016/06/08 22:43:09
Hi, Carrie!
How's it going?
I hope things're going as smoothly as they should.
I'm afraid my daily schedule is getting tighter and
tighter because of our practical teaching of Japanese
to young students from overseas.
Besides, we're supposed to have a series of ordinary
classes like grammar, teaching methodology,
linguistics, and the like.
I sometimes wonder why they force us so hard to
learn so much in a short period of time.
I expected to have a more leisurely time learning
how to teach Japanese against my will.
Have a great time making gradual progress in
preparing yourself for the July concert.
See you later.
Kewpie
2016/06/07 10:04:00
[wouldn't be caught dead]
I wouldn't be caught dead taking medicines.
Kewpie
2016/06/07 10:02:16
[process]
I can't process what in his mind.
Kewpie
2016/06/07 09:59:34
[stiff upper lip]
I'm trying to keep a stiff upper lip at home.
Kewpie
2016/06/07 09:57:36
Hi arie!
Thanks much for the present~
Oh, I love it!
I think it matches to your outfit very much.^^
I'm always rooting for you keeping a stiff upper lip
to complete the course.
I admire your hardwork!
Hope you'll have another fruitful year.
Best wishes.
arie
2016/06/06 23:18:24
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks much for your consideration.
I really like it.
I can't thank you enough for it.
Hope your days are going all right.
My days are getting harder and tougher
and my weak part of me sometimes makes
me feel like giving it up halfway through
the course, but I'd like to keep a stiff upper
lip no matter what.
See you later.
arie
2016/06/03 22:40:33
Hi, Carrie!
How're you doing?
Hope you're making gradual progress in making
yourself prepared for the July concert.
I'm sure you're getting a kick out of adjusting yourself
to the concert.
Enjoy the process so that you can fully show what
you've striven for before the concert.
Personally, another week has passed and we're going
into a new phase of our studies in which we're supposed
to make a teaching plan on which to teach Japanese to
students from overseas.
I don't mind teaching Japanese to them at all, but I find
it a laborious task to complete a teaching plan because
teachers in charge will have a lot to improve our plans.
I know I'll have to accept their advice because it will
help me improve my teaching skills.
I hope you have a leisurely weekend and save yourself
for another vigorous week.
See you.
Kewpie
2016/06/02 10:36:00
Hi arie!
You seem to enjoy everyday life, though you have
heavy workload. You're sure to get some presents
after your finishing this substantial lessons!^^
You told me that you wake up early everyday~
Oh, you eat a lot from the early morning!
I used to eat 3 meals a day, but I skip breakfast
if I'm not really hungry these days.
So I can do some brain work in the morning.^^
arie
2016/05/31 21:45:52
Hi, Carrie!
How're are you doing?
Glad to hear you had a great time beating a drum,
which must have required you plenty of energy.
My feeling about musical instruments is that the more
primitive they are, the more energy you need to play
them, thus allwoing you to feel refreshed after the
performance.
I wonder how you knew I usually get up very early
in the morning.
Have I told you about the time I wake up every morning
before?
I usually get out of bed at around 6:20, have a very
simple breakfast consisting of a bowl of rice, miso soup,
pickles, Natto fermented beans, and some other side
dishes most of which are leftovers from the previous
dinner.
It's incredible that nearly two full months are going to
pass since I began attending the school.
It seems we're going to have more and more tough and
heavy workload as time goes by because we're supposed
to make our own teaching plans so that we can prepare
ourselves for giving actual lessons to our students from
overseas.
Kewpie
2016/05/31 14:17:54
Hi arie!
You always wake up early to take part in the class
regardless of weather.
I send some energy when I wake up, so you are
on a train probably preparing for the lesson!^^
I went to beat Japanese drums yesterday. It was much fun!
I felt so refreshed and got lots of power, so I might
keep taking a class if there are some classes suitable
for me~^^
arie
2016/05/28 23:06:47
Hi, Carrie!
How're you doing?
Hope things're going all right.
Time never stops ticking and tacking no matter
what situations we are in.
We can't put it either forward or backward.
All we have to do is just move on forward regardless
of the constant pace of time.
Our life consists of an accumulation of every minute,
so I'd like to cherish every passing minute to enrich
my given life no matter how many sufferings and
hardships I have in my everyday life.
I wonder how wonderful it'd be if we could fully enjoy
our life.
I'm afraid it's a bit enigmatic message.
I hope you can interpret what I've meant here.
Have a nice weekend.
Kewpie
2016/05/26 08:44:20
Hi arie!
Oh, you really seem to have hard time adjusting to your
tight schedule.
Please rest a lot when you can along with your good
night sleep so that you'll be able to ride out the excruciating
weather druing summer.
I'll keep sending you some energy everyday~^^
arie
2016/05/24 22:21:00
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks for your message.
I think you've made a wise decision to let him
go as he likes.
I feel it's a good symptom that he goes out for
several hours a day, talks to the cats, and cooks
for himself.
As long as he moves about and feels physical fatigue
during the day, I hope he'll change for the better.
I'm afraid it might take a long time for him to return
to normal.
All you have to do is endurance as you wrote in the
message.
I'm sure you're patient enough for things to run as
smoothly as they should.
I think I should go to bed a little earlier than usual
this evening because I feel a bit exhausted probably
because of my tight schedule.
A tight sleep will be the best medicine for my fatigue.
Kewpie
2016/05/24 09:19:54
[process] 処理(整理)する
I need to listen closely to process his words.
Kewpie
2016/05/24 09:19:01
[hyper-lexic]
Ana is hyper-lexic and can be a proofreader.
Kewpie
2016/05/23 18:08:07
Hi arie!
Thank you so much for writing me and talking with me
out of your busy schedule.^^
I really enjoy knowing about what you did and what
you are doing!
You also ease me a lot; you try to understand me and
you are quite humorous from time to time, which
you probably don't notice by yourself.
I once decided to ask a specialist for some advice, but
on second thought, I don't need to at the moment.
My son goes out 6 -7 hours everyday and he cooks
his meals by himself.
I've noticed he talks to our cats merrily, though he
doesn't talk to us.
So he tries to get out of the tough condition by himself,
and he's never asked us for any help.
I thought it'd be wise we don't do anything for the time
being, and just wait and see.
I just wish he ever talks to me! So I ask my angels about it.^^
arie
2016/05/21 20:16:20
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks a million for your encouraging words.
I think I've tried my best for the mid-term exam.
There were some tricky questions to answer, though.
I found it a bit hard to answer fundamental questions
about teaching some daily words like "遠い", "話します"
using instruction words plain enough for beginners of
Japanese.
I know such skills are necessary when it comes to
Japanese to zero beginners in our language, but I always
find it really tough to get the knack of explaining to them
about some rules and conjugations of verbs and adjectives
in plain language.
I hope I'll be able to get used to them as soon as possible.
I enjoyed answering the questions of the rest of the subjects
such as Japanese grammar, phonetics, and teaching
teaching methodology.
I'm glad to hear you had a great time sharing happy and
relaxing moments with Yu-san you're going to perform with.
Your daily schedule is always filled with adventurous and
inspiring encounters.
See you soon.
Kewpie
2016/05/19 10:03:17
Hi arie!
You must be relieved that the test was over today!
I know you are methodical, thus well prepared for it.
I'm sure you'd get a high score!^^
I enjoyed the energy work by Yu, the guest player,
with two of my friends.
It consisted of his talk, and performances of several
folk instruments.
I felt so relaxed and calmed!
He's like a man Anastasia who lives in Japan.
I'm going to watch a yogi-movie at Shibuya, and
enjoy the Korean dance and a dance by Chieko at
Yotsuya tonight.
Have a good rest after your hard work~^^
arie
2016/05/18 22:40:42
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks a bunch for your encouraging words.
I can't thank you enough for your consideration.
I feel I've made enough preparations for the test,
so I'm determined to take the exam and try my
utmost by writing down on a exam sheet what
I've studied so far.
I hope you've had a great time sharing a happy
and fruitful time with your partner in the autumn
concert.
I'll try to make a little more effort to make myself
prepared for the tomorrow's test before I go to bed.
I wish you good luck.
Kewpie
2016/05/16 11:11:43
Hi arie!
I was so happy to find a present in my box this morning!
I'll try to relax when I can.^^
I'll give you the same message to you.
Have a rest when you can in your hard schedule so that
your brain will work better than when you use it full time!
I'll do yoga today, and tomorrow, I will be going to Chigasaki
to meet a guest in my concert in September.
He does some kind of energy work, so I'll experience it.^^
Enjoy the state of examinee, arie!
Thanks again for the lovely gift and the consideration~^^
arie
2016/05/13 23:12:59
Hi, Carrie!
I'm glad to hear you've taken a breather by doing
yoga on the beach.
I admire your determination to do something different
in the midst of your hard time.
Doing something different for a change would always do
us a lot of good.
All we have to do that is we make a decision to break with
our daily routines.
Well, I've been devoting all my spare time to digesting what
I'm taught in my Japanese classes.
I feel as if I were an examinee for a university entrance exam.
It's kind of a daily ordeal but I feel it's worthwhile to make
efforts to take in all the knowledge I've been taught in my class.
I hope your efforts about him will bear fruit little by little.
No rush and give plenty of leeway.
Kewpie
2016/05/13 22:13:49
Oh, you can call me Carrie! Lol
Kewpie
2016/05/13 22:12:34
Hi arie!
Thank you so much for your warmhearted message.
My older son doesn't seem to know how he gets out
of his quagmire and just keeps walking everyday.
I become sentimental if I think about his trying his best
each day by himself without getting-out, but we can't
do anything for him at the moment.
As you said, it'd be better if he can see some specialist
who listens to him and makes his heart open.
So my husband will be asking a specialist in his office
about a good one who'd help my son in his hardship.
I went to a beach to do yoga yesterday, and I had my song
recorded today.
I refreshed myself by doing something different!
Hope you'll be well prepared for the mid-term exam
next week.
I send my energy to my son and you each day^^
Good night!
arie
2016/05/11 19:47:17
Hi, Kewpie!
Thanks a bunch for sparing your time and energy
to write me a cordial message.
Seems like you've been having a tough time too.
You've got a lot to worry about in your everyday life.
I hope you can work them out one by one as time
goes by.
You still have some time to prepare yourself for the
upcoming concert, so I'm sure you can make it because
you can concentrate on what you should do to attain
your goal.
The problem is whether or not you can concentrate on
your practice because of your worries about him.
I'm afraid the problem is beyond your control.
Have you ever thought of consulting a specialist about
that?
I guess he needs some help too.
I cannot help wishing for your quick return to normal
so that you can lead a peaceful daily life like before.
The presentation of my practical lesson for today
worked out all right, to my relief.
I'll drive myself to be prepared for the mid-term
test one week ahead of me now.
Don't work too hard.
Kewpie
2016/05/11 09:16:08
[fluctuate]
The temperature has been fluctuating these days.
Kewpie
2016/05/11 09:14:18
Hi arie!
How did the demonstration today go?
You must be relieved that the videoing was over!
Now you are still super busy to do extra work for
the mid-term exam next week.
Have a tight sleep each day and ride out the harsh
schedule!
I'll keep sending you some energy~^^
As for me, I need to start practicing 13 pieces or so for
the concert in July, as I've finished arranging new pieces.
Now I can play none of them well, so I feel a bit uncomfortable.
I'll enjoy the improvement each day, though.
My older son is in a difficult situation; he seems to lower
his self-esteem, and doesn't look for a job at all now.
He doesn't or can't talk to anyone either.
I suggested him "Working Holidays" by writing a letter to him,
but he tore it in half and threw it away!
I think he doesn't want any suggestions; he just want us to
accept as he is.
I do hope he won't become mentally ill by just being by himself
without talking to anybody.
Don't worry about writing me; just relax when you can~^^
arie
2016/05/09 23:04:33
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks a bunch for your message.
I knew something urgent was happening to you
when I didn't have you on May 7.
I'm glad to hear you had a long and reminiscent time
remembering one of your friends who shared happy
moments with while staying in England.
I believe sharing more and more common time with
other people will certainly enrich the quality of our life.
As you've correctly guessed, I've been having a tight
schedule on a daily basis and learning a lot about the
methodology of Japanese teaching.
To be honest, I've been pressed for time to make
preparations for taking the upcoming mid-term exam
on May 19.
Besides that, we're supposed to have our demonstration
of giving a class videoded on May 11 so that we should
know in what way we should improve the way we teach
Japanese to our students.
Hope things're going quite all right with you and you don't
have a lot to worry about.
Kewpie
2016/05/08 22:55:49
Hi arie!
I'm very sorry about not showing up!
We paid a visit to one of our friends' grave this morning.
We were three families who'd become friends while
living in the U.K.
We had lunch and dinner together and returned home
after 22:00.
I've never imagined we spent time together this long!
You'll have another busy week from tomorrow.
Have a tight sleep and enjoy your schedule!
I'll write more later.
arie
2016/05/05 00:09:26
Hi, Carrie!
Seems like you've been having a hard time
making adjustments of your PC so that you'll
be entitled to give an interview test to the
examinees of the 4th and 5th STEP test.
I think you should take your PC to the shop
where you bought it instead of worrying about
it on your own.
As a proverb says, "Every specialist has his own
strong point" or "Mochi wa mochiya."
As you had imagined, I had a great time walking
a long distance in the mountains and greenery
having a gentle breeze all over.
I relished the tender green of different trees while
strolling along the trail in the mountains.
I realized we should be embraced in nature away
from our daily pace of life from time to time so
that we can feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
Nature gives us a lot of energy to move on forward
in a right direction.
I wish you good luck with your computer.
Don't work too hard on it by yourself and ask
a specialist to help you out.
Kewpie
2016/05/03 10:38:09
Hi arie!
I'm glad we have nice weather today.^^
You must be enjoying hiking with your students!
You really need some refreshment between your
hard work.
Please enjoy the scenery, smell, sounds in the woods
to the full~!
I' ve been having hard time finding whether or not
my PC is capable of examiner's work.
STEP says if one uses Windows10 and Internet Explorer,
s/he is entitled to become an examiner of grade 4 and 5
test of STEP.
However, if I use IE, I just can't click the start button of
calibration, while I can click it when using Edge.
So I took the whole calibration on Edge, but STEP insisted
that I should start it over again on IE.
I made lots of inquiries about mechanical glitches and
haven't got an answer of the "can't-click-the-start-button"
problem yet.
I feel a bit tired of tackling the problem now.
Oh, are there series of "Anne of Green Gables"?
I just read the first one, then.
Love to read other stories when I have time.^^
Have a wonderful day.
Enjoy hiking~!
arie
2016/04/30 22:57:43
Hi, Carrie!
How're you enjoying your consecutive days off?
I hope you're giving vent to your smothered
stress and frustrations you've pent up in your
daily life.
Thanks a lot for your consideration for me.
I know only my diligence to my daily studies will
lessen my burden on my shoulder.
I feel I'm getting accustomed to my day-to-day
pace of life as time goes by.
It's only a matter of practice, I hope.
This is my first time to hear that STEP will give
an interview test to the examinees of the 4th and
5th grade.
I wonder what made them decide to do that.
Probably because they wanted to put emphasis
on communicative competence even on 4th and
5th grade takers.
I hope you'll be able to adjust yourself to the new
style of giving interview questions.
I've enjoyed reading Anne of Green Gables too.
It has a series of eight or so works and I gave up
reading them halfway.
I found a word "scrumptious" in the book as I told
you before.
Hope your PC will function all right soon.
Carrie
2016/04/29 09:15:34
Hi arie!
I'm ever so happy to hear from you! ^^
I've refrained from writing you as I thought you were
extremely busy.
You'll have holidays according to the calender!
You'll enjoy Nao-chan's company today as her favorite
grand-pa.^^
Incidentally, I've finished reading "Anne of Green Gables"
for the first time in my life!
I really loved Anne and enjoyed reading how she
grows up with those lovable people around her.
I'd love to know how Nao-chan will grow day by day too~
STEP will start having interview tests for grade 4 and 5 soon,
so I need to adjust my PC for the upcoming tests as
an examiner.
However, it's technically so complicated and I still can't
take the calibration!
On top of that, my desktop has become pinkish again,
so it's hard to see the screen.
Oh, well, I might as well giving it up.
Enjoy the bath time with Naochan!^^
Have a leisurely Golden Week.
arie
2016/04/28 19:27:36
Hi, Carrie!
Long time no see.
How've you been doing?
I'm pleased to have a window of opportunity
to take some rest from my daily tight schedule
thanks to the three consecutive holidays.
We're going to have Nao-chan coming over to
our place tomorrow and she's going to stay with
us overnight.
I'm thinking of taking a bath with her again for
a lot longer time this time.
She still needs some more time to get used to her
new experience.
I'm relieved to realize that almost three weeks have
passed since I started attending the Japanese language
school.
I'm glad to find something new in terms of teaching a
foreign language to learners on a daily basis.
I think I can apply different methods and approaches
to my teaching English and Japanese as well.
I've not been accustomed to giving a lesson about a
teaching item in what is called 'the direct method" which
has some set procedures we must follow.
I hope it's just a matter of time before I get used to it.
Enjoy yourself
arie
2016/04/22 21:38:49
Hi, Carrie!
How're things going?
I've survived the first two weeks in my utterly
new experience.
To be honest with you, it's been an excruciating
period of time to get accustomed to the new pace
of life.
I've got a huge amount of preparations before and
after my everyday classes, because the pace of
conducting each class is mercilessly far faster than
I expected.
Every time we have a class, we have a lot of new
items to memorize so that we can pass the upcoming
midterm examination taking place in the middle of
the next month.
It's an ordeal imposed on me and I'll try my hardest
to get over this tough moment.
I'm sure I can survive the tormenting time thanks to
your encouraging power.
Have a great time making preparations for your July
concert.
Carrie
2016/04/21 10:01:07
Hi arie!
Thanks a lot for writing me out of your VERY busy schedule.
You sound so busy; it's like having full time job plus going
to a school !
I wonder if there's a summer break.
Hope you'll juggle your job with your study and table tennis
for six months.
I send you energy mostly at night when I go to bed, but
while I was doing so, I fell asleep so easily!
In that occasion, I did it again in the morning at about 7:00.
I've started arranging a new piece for the cafe concert,
a classical one into jazz.
I like the arrangiment by 山中千尋, so I kind of copy her
work for the time being.
It's really enjoyable to copy the notes by ear; it's like
putting together a jigsaw puzzle!
Let's enjoy each day given to us.^^
arie
2016/04/19 22:42:15
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks a million for your encouraging message.
To be candid, I've been going through a tougher
pace of life than I had expected since I started
attending the school.
I'm always pressed for time to make preparations
for the next classes and review the previous ones
on a daily basis.
Leaving my place at 6:15 and coming home at
around 19:30 is my normal pace of life.
This tight schedule will last until October when
I take the qualification test.
I hope I can manage to get through this burdensome
situation.
Hopefully you enjoy making preparations for your
concert in July.
Thanks for your understanding.
Carrie
2016/04/18 19:50:54
Hi arie!
The new week has started and you are busy getting up
early to take the Japanese course.
Today, you'll be having the evening class as well, so
you'll be pressed for time until very late at night.
Please take a good rest and a good night sleep each day
to ride out your tight schedule~.
It was really exciting to meet a friend from virtual reality.
I've never imagined Eri is such a "bi-majo".^^
We were surprised to find that her daughter has a friend
who lives near my place!
Her daughter also attended a recital at the Okurayama
Hall quite recently. It's really a coincidence!
It seems our paths are meant to cross somehow.
I couldn't enjoy the concert last night; the performances
were so poor unfortunately.
I realized again how Michiyo-san's concert was satisfactory!
I do hope you'll get used to the new pace of your life soon~
Be sure to take a good rest.
I'll send you some energy each day!^^
arie
2016/04/17 23:45:57
Hi, Carrie!
What's up?
How did you enjoy today's concert on April 17?
You're lucky to be blessed with a series of concerts,
aren't you?
I cannot help thinking how small this world is
particularly after meeting her and her daughter in
the real world.
Hopefully we'll be able to have an occasion where
all of us can have a pleasant get-together sometime
in the future.
Another excruciating week of mine will begin from
tomorrow.
I'd like to accustom myself to the new pace of life
as soon as possible.
Carrie
2016/04/16 10:03:28
[wouldn't be caught dead]
I wouldn't be caught dead using nuclear power.
Carrie
2016/04/16 10:01:38
[fluctuate]
The weather had been fluctuating, but I think it's steady now.
Carrie
2016/04/16 10:00:19
Hi arie!
You were in my dream again!
But this time, you were wearing "hakama" and your face and hairdo
were like Bach's.
You seemed to be embarrassed about your hair; very old-fashioned
but was popular in Europe in the 18th century or so.
Was really a funny dream!
I'll go to the venue a bit earlier.
Catch you later~^^