開催終了☆★大人の英会話★☆
詳細
2008年12月05日 23:17 更新
みなさ〜ん！以前に、このコミュニティにイベントを立てた☆KOSE−I☆こと、千葉恒成といいます。今後ともよろしくお願いします
実は、僕の最新の日記にも紹介してあるのですが、知り合いのヒデカナックスが管理している「バンクーバーギリホリ集合！」のコミュニティで、”イベント”に毎週、ダウンタウンのTim Hortonでやってる、”無料英会話”の集まりがあります
これは、管理人のヒデカナックスさんが毎週テーマを出して、みんなで２時間みっちりコテコテ〜の英会話をみんなでやりますｗｗ
しかも、雰囲気は気楽でみんなフレンドリー
英語で他の人に差をつけたいなら参加してください
しかも、今週は、僕の友人も１人連れて行くのでとても仲に入りやすいと思います
★詳細★
今週は土曜日に英会話を開催します。
【開催場所】アルバーニー通りにあるティムホートン（サーローとビュートの間）
【開催時間】15：00〜17：00
皆さんの参加お待ちしてます。
「初めての方へ」
このギリホリ英会話はメンバー皆で集まって英語でコミュニケーションをとるのが目的です。特に英会話のレベルなどは関係なく、英語を話す機会がもっと欲しいな〜とか、英語を話すのがすきという人はどんどん参加して下さい。
集合場所は基本的にコーヒーショップですので、学校の授業のように硬いものではなく、気軽に何でも話せるような雰囲気ですので、とにかく皆で楽しんでやっていきます。
流れとしては最初の45〜60分でお互い自己紹介をし、残りの60〜75分で用意されたトピックについて話し合う、といった感じです。
もし興味がある人は是非気軽に参加してください。ちなみに参加費などはなしで、コーヒーを飲みたい人は、コーヒーを自分で購入するのにお金がかかる程度です。
英会話の後にも、定期的に食事にいったり、ビリヤードしに行ったりと活動してます。皆で楽しみましょう！！
【連絡先】
僕の所にメッセージを送ってもらうか、電話番号に連絡ください：７７８−３１８−５３９７（KOSE）
「バンクーバーギリホリ集合！」
http://
年齢等、関係なく参加できますので是非、参加しちゃってください
実は、僕の最新の日記にも紹介してあるのですが、知り合いのヒデカナックスが管理している「バンクーバーギリホリ集合！」のコミュニティで、”イベント”に毎週、ダウンタウンのTim Hortonでやってる、”無料英会話”の集まりがあります
これは、管理人のヒデカナックスさんが毎週テーマを出して、みんなで２時間みっちりコテコテ〜の英会話をみんなでやりますｗｗ
しかも、雰囲気は気楽でみんなフレンドリー
英語で他の人に差をつけたいなら参加してください
しかも、今週は、僕の友人も１人連れて行くのでとても仲に入りやすいと思います ★詳細★
今週は土曜日に英会話を開催します。
【開催場所】アルバーニー通りにあるティムホートン（サーローとビュートの間）
【開催時間】15：00〜17：00
皆さんの参加お待ちしてます。
「初めての方へ」
このギリホリ英会話はメンバー皆で集まって英語でコミュニケーションをとるのが目的です。特に英会話のレベルなどは関係なく、英語を話す機会がもっと欲しいな〜とか、英語を話すのがすきという人はどんどん参加して下さい。
集合場所は基本的にコーヒーショップですので、学校の授業のように硬いものではなく、気軽に何でも話せるような雰囲気ですので、とにかく皆で楽しんでやっていきます。
流れとしては最初の45〜60分でお互い自己紹介をし、残りの60〜75分で用意されたトピックについて話し合う、といった感じです。
もし興味がある人は是非気軽に参加してください。ちなみに参加費などはなしで、コーヒーを飲みたい人は、コーヒーを自分で購入するのにお金がかかる程度です。
英会話の後にも、定期的に食事にいったり、ビリヤードしに行ったりと活動してます。皆で楽しみましょう！！
【連絡先】
僕の所にメッセージを送ってもらうか、電話番号に連絡ください：７７８−３１８−５３９７（KOSE）
「バンクーバーギリホリ集合！」
http://
年齢等、関係なく参加できますので是非、参加しちゃってください
コメント(19)
2008年10月09日 08:24
今週も午後３時から英会話をＡｌｂｅｒｎｉ ｓｔのＴｉｍ Ｈｏｒｔｎｓで行います。
今週のテーマはこれっ↓↓
Japanese cuisine
Japanese cuisine has developed over the centuries as a result of many political and social changes. The cuisine eventually changed with the advent of the Medieval age which ushered in a shedding of elitism with the age of Shogun rule. In the early modern era massive changes took place that introduced non-Japanese cultures, most notably Western culture, to Japan.
The modern term "Japanese cuisine" (nihon ryōri, 日本料理 or washoku, 和食) means traditional-style Japanese food, similar to what already existed before the end of national seclusion in 1868. In a broader sense of the word, it could also include foods whose ingredients or cooking methods were subsequently introduced from abroad, but which have been developed by Japanese who made them their own. Japanese cuisine is known for its emphasis on seasonal of food (旬, shun), quality of ingredients and presentation.
1. Common staple foods found on a national level (Shushoku)
Rice (gohan, 御飯)
The rice most often served in Japan is of the short-grain Japonica variety. In a traditional Japanese setting (e.g. served in a conic bowl) it is known as gohan (御飯) or meshi (飯, generally only males say meshi). In western-influenced dishes, where rice is often served on the plate (such as curries) it is called raisu (ライス, after the English word "rice".) Other rice dishes include Kayu or Okayu, Donburi(どんぶり, big bowl) and Sushi.
Noodles (men-rui, 麺類)
Often takes the place of rice in a meal. However, the Japanese appetite for rice is so strong that many restaurants serve noodles-rice combination sets.
Bread (pan, パン)
Bread (the word "pan" is derived from the Portuguese pão) is not native to Japan and is not considered traditional Japanese food, but since its introduction in the 19th century it has become common.
2. Common foods and dishes found on a national level (Okazu and Oyatsu)
Grilled and pan-fried dishes (yakimono (焼き物)), stewed/simmered dishes (nimono (煮物)), stir-fried dishes (itamemono (炒め物)), steamed dishes (mushimono (蒸し物)), deep-fried dishes (agemono (揚げ物)), sashimi, soups (suimono (吸い物) and shirumono (汁物)), pickled, salted, and dressed foods (tsukemono (漬け物), aemono (和え物), sunomono (酢の物)), chinmi etc.
Japanese-style sweets ( wagashi, 和菓子), old-fashioned Japanese-style sweets (dagashi, 駄菓子), Western-style sweets (yōgashi, 洋菓子), sweets bread (kashi pan, 菓子パン), etc.
3. Imported and adapted foods (Yōshoku)
Japan today abounds with home-grown, loosely western-style food. Many of these were invented in the wake of the 1868 Meiji restoration and the end of national seclusion, when the sudden influx of foreign (in particular, western) culture led to many restaurants serving western food, known as yōshoku (洋食), a shortened form of seiyōshoku (西洋食) lit. Western cuisine, opening up in cities. Restaurants that serve these foods are called yōshokuya (洋食屋), lit. Western cuisine restaurants.
Many yōshoku items from that time have been adapted to a degree that they are now considered Japanese and are an integral part of any Japanese family menu. Many are served alongside rice and miso soup, and eaten with chopsticks. Yet, due to their origins these are still categorized as yōshoku as opposed to the more traditional washoku (和食), lit. Japanese cuisine.
このテーマに沿った簡単な質問を５問用意しています。参加人数は、１５名前後のメンバーで毎週、英会話行っています
2008年10月24日 06:54
今週も午後３時から英会話を行います。今週のトピック↓
Here is a topic that is talked about by many, but is treated as being highly under-rated, usually ignored and sneered at by non-believers. Most people do not like to admit to defeat and will continuously push themselves to their limit. In hindsight they presume themselves to be emotionally, mentally and physically strong enough to endure any challenge or to overcome any obstacle or hardship thrown in their path. And yes, we have been blessed with superb physiology that confronts and deals with most difficulties. Unfortunately, in these modern times, with our fast-paced lifestyles and high expectations, we can become overburdened with insurmountable amounts of pressure.
Stress is rearing its ugly head in many different ways. There are a multitude of factors that can promote stressors, such as job insecurity or job dis-satisfaction, moving residence, death of a loved one, starting a new job or position, losing a job, first day at school, public speaking, writing an exam, pregnancy, peer pressure, keeping up to the Jones, doing or learning something beyond your comfort level or even something as simple as going to the dentist. When you find yourself in a predicament that is uncomfortable, you will usually feel a knot rising in your stomach. How it affects your body is actually much more complex and if ignored over a prolonged period of time, it can lead to serious health issues.
We are currently living in a capitalist society where money and power rule. Therefore, many of us have become workaholics and often overlook signs of tiredness in order to stay on track. I am not saying that people should stop working hard to achieve their goals. However, there is a slight problem we do not know how to manage our stress, which is definitely not a good thing! Stress has been linked to mental/emotional (depression, anxiety, and anger) and physical illnesses (weakens the immune system). Therefore, it is more than important that you constantly work on reducing your stress level in order to maintain your overall health. The bottom line is, if we are not healthy there is no money or power that will make things better. So, take care of yourself. Below, I have added six stress releasing tips.
Exercise: even if you go for a walk for 15-25 minutes four days a week it will help your body to get rid of adrenaline and produce endorphins (a natural tranquilizer). Not to mention you will not only feel better, you will also look the part.
Yoga: Many ramble that practicing yoga is the best way to manage or release stress. It focuses on breathing techniques, exercises, connecting with the universe on a spiritual and mental level. If this option seems interesting to you I suggest you do some research in order to learn the principles and decide if it is for you.
Stretch: People often stretch before and after a workout. However, learning stretching and flexing exercises to use as a way to relieve tension on many different areas of the body can help a great deal.
Massage: We all know how massages can help us relax and release tension. Prices start around $40 for 30 minutes; it all depends on what extra relaxation techniques you would like to add to the massage such as aromatherapy, oils, etc. There are also different types of massages so this will also affect the price. I actually found a therapist that charges $33 for a 30 minute session. It sounds pretty good to me. We waste money in so many different ways so investing on a massage once in a while will not kill our pockets.
Laugh it off: Rent a funny movie and laugh out loud. Go out with friends or host gatherings. Tell everyone to bring a platter. Remember the key is to release tension not, add to it. Use paper plates and plastic cups to reduce the amount of work.
Take a break- Take time to relax, sleep, and maybe even take a vacation if you can. Your body does not only need it; you deserve it.
2008年10月31日 09:30
１１月１日のトピックです。３時にみなさん来てくださいね
Cohabitation is when people live together in an emotionally- and/or physically-intimate relationship. The term is most frequently applied to couples who are not married.
People may live together for any of a number of reasons. These may include wanting to test compatibility or to establish financial security before marrying. It may also be because they are unable to legally marry, because for example same-sex, interracial or interreligious marriages are not legal or permitted. Other reasons include living with someone before marriage as a way to avoid divorce, a way for polygamists or polyamorists to avoid breaking the law, a way to avoid the higher income taxes paid by some two-income married couples (in the United States), negative effects on pension payments (among older people), philosophical opposition to the institution of marriage and seeing little difference between the commitment to live together and the commitment to marriage. Some individuals may also choose cohabitation because they see their relationships as being private and personal matters, and not to be controlled by political, religious or patriarchal institutions.
Some couples prefer cohabitation because it does not legally commit them for an extended period, and because it is easier to establish and dissolve without the legal costs often associated with a divorce. In some jurisdictions cohabitation can be viewed legally as common-law marriages, either after the duration of a specified period, or the birth of the couple's child, or if the couple consider and behave accordingly as husband and wife. (This helps provide the surviving partner a legal basis for inheriting the deceased's belongings in the event of the death of their cohabiting partner.)
Today, cohabitation is a common pattern among people in the Western world, especially those who desire marriage but whose financial situation temporarily precludes it, or who wish to prepare for what married life will be like before actually getting married, or because they see no benefit or value offered by marriage. More and more couples choose to have long-term relationships without marriage, and cohabit as a permanent arrangement.
In the Western world, a man and a woman who lived together without being married were once socially shunned and persecuted and potentially prosecuted by law. In some jurisdictions, cohabitation was illegal until relatively recently. Other jurisdictions have created a Common-law marriage status when two people of the opposite sex live together for a prescribed period of time. Most jurisdictions no longer persecute this private choice.
Opposition to cohabitation comes mainly from religious groups. Opponents of cohabitation usually argue that living together in this fashion is less stable and hence harmful. According to one argument, the total and unconditional commitment of marriage strengthens a couple's bond and makes the partners feel more secure, more relaxed, and happier than those that have chosen to cohabitation. Opponents of cohabitation commonly cite statistics that indicate that couples who have lived together before marriage are more likely to divorce, and that unhappiness, ill health, poverty, and domestic violence are more common in unmarried couples than in married ones. Cohabitation advocates, in turn, cite limited research that either disproves these claims or indicates that the statistical differences are due to other factors than the fact of cohabitation itself.
2008年11月07日 03:49
今週のトピックです。 今週も３時から英会話を行います。
An election is a decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold formal office. This is the usual mechanism by which modern democracy fills offices in the legislature, sometimes in the executive and judiciary, and for regional and local government. This process is also used in many other private and business organizations, from clubs to voluntary associations and corporations.
The universal use of elections as a tool for selecting representatives in modern democracies is in contrast with the practice in the democratic archetype, ancient Athens. Elections were considered an oligarchic institution and most political offices were filled using sortition, also known as allotment, by which officeholders were chosen by lot.
Electoral reform describes the process of introducing fair electoral systems where they are not in place, or improving the fairness or effectiveness of existing systems. Psephology is the study of results and other statistics relating to elections (especially with a view to predicting future results).
The question of who may vote is a central issue in elections. The electorate does not generally include the entire population; for example, many countries prohibit those judged mentally incompetent from voting, and all jurisdictions require a minimum age for voting.
Historically, other groups of people have also been excluded from voting. For instance, the democracy of ancient Athens did not allow women, foreigners, or slaves to vote, and the original United States Constitution left the topic of suffrage to the states; usually only white male property owners were able to vote. Much of the history of elections involves the effort to promote suffrage for excluded groups. The women's suffrage movement gave women in many countries the right to vote, and securing the right to vote freely was a major goal of the American civil rights movement. Extending the right to vote to other groups which remain excluded in some places (such as convicted felons, members of certain minorities, and the economically disadvantaged) continues to be a significant goal of voting rights advocates.
Suffrage is typically only for citizens of the country. Further limits may be imposed: for example, in Kuwait, only people who have been citizens since 1920 or their descendants are allowed to vote, a condition that the majority of residents do not fulfill. However, in the European Union, one can vote in municipal elections if one lives in the municipality and is an EU citizen; the nationality of the country of residence is not required.
When elections are called, politicians and their supporters attempt to influence policy by competing directly for the votes of constituents in what are called campaigns. Supporters for a campaign can be either formally organized or loosely affiliated, and frequently utilize campaign advertising. It is common for political scientists to attempt to predict elections via Political Forecasting methods.
In many countries with weak rule of law, the most common reason why elections do not meet international standards of being "free and fair" is interference from the incumbent government. Dictators may use the powers of the executive (police, martial law, censorship, physical implementation of the election mechanism, etc.) to remain in power despite popular opinion in favor of removal. Members of a particular faction in a legislature may use the power of the majority or supermajority (passing criminal laws, defining the electoral mechanisms including eligibility and district boundaries) to prevent the balance of power in the body from shifting to a rival faction due to an election.
Non-governmental entities can also interfere with elections, through physical force, verbal intimidation, or fraud which results in improper casting or counting of votes
2008年11月15日 02:25
今週のトピックです。今週も午後３時から英会話行います。
Do You Need A Cell Phone
Many of you whom read the headline are probably saying of course I need a cell phone. For those of us who can remember when cell phones weren’t as popular as they are now, you should know what I’m talking about. Now don’t get me wrong I currently have two cell phones one for business and personal. I just think its getting out of hand with kids getting phones, and when I say kids I mean kids 13 and under.
Also people using cell phones as their life line. It’s almost like an extra organ to their body. Even when I’m driving at least 7 out of 10 people have a cell phone to their ear. Ok so what’s the point? Yes kids are getting phones yes everywhere I look their people on the phones so what!
Well I don’t think of it like that, I think of it as someone has access to me anytime and anywhere. Of course unless I don’t have service, but do your phone is mostly used as safety use or as a tracking device. Safety is one thing such as they have new phones coming out for kids that you can activate live GPS on, and be able to track your kid where ever they are. I’m going to assume this won’t only be for kids but for some other things also. You can log in to your computer and see a live map of the location of the phone you’re tracking. That can be safe for parents wanting to know where their kids are at all times.
Let’s talk about tracking. Well as you know the blackberry is one of the mostly used devices in the business world. They are now coming out with devices that can track your sales reps, deliverers, technicians and etc. They will be able to have their employees input their daily numbers and spreadsheets. This will make business more efficient so no more goofing off on your route.
If you have a message that needs to be delivered immediately, such as a security alert, e-mail isn't the medium of choice — or at least that's what cell phone providers will argue. Why? According to this story by CNET Networks' News.com, "More than 233 million people in the U.S. subscribe to a cell phone service, and many of those people view their cell phones as the one item they do not leave the house without.
University and community leaders are just now starting to see how cell phones, the one item people don't leave the house without, can be used to keep citizens and students informed and protected, particularly in the case of emergencies.
Experts say text message alerts, for example, may have helped in such tragedies as the Virginia Tech school shooting this week, Hurricane Katrina, and Sept. 11, 2001.
There are other cell phone apps beyond text message alerts that can help people in emergency situations, such as Rave Wireless' Rave Guardian, which "combines text message alerts and GPS tracking services to help turn students' cell phones into personal alarm devices that can be used in a crisis."
2008年11月22日 19:31
今週のトピックです。
DIMSDRIVE performed internet-based research involving 5,274 people in September of last year to find out which country’s citizens would people most want to marry. It is not stated whether or not the people interviewed were single or not.
The Asia versus the West split is quite noticeable in the men, but really striking amongst the women. I previously translated statistics regarding international marriages in Japan that shows that the ideals being expressed here do not seem to be realized.
On a slight tangent, I watched the last episode of an NHK English learning program which features an English-speaking Western blonde angel that prods a clueless office worker along the path to success at her job getting a date with her transferred from New York colleague, the ideal tall, muscular, tanned, well-coiffured white executive. The angel’s job was done because the glaikit Misaki finally pulled her man.
Q: Other than Japanese, which country’s people do you think would be good to have as a partner (husband or wife)? (Sample size=5,274, free answer)
1 USA 1,144 2 Korea 505 3 UK 442 4 Italy 370 5 France 344
6 Australia 218 7 Germany 203 8 China 197 9 Canada 150 10 Russia 120
Q: Other than Japanese, which country’s people do you think would be good to have as a partner (husband or wife)? (By sex, free answer)
Male N=2,468 Votes Rank Female N=2,806 Votes
1 USA 368 1 USA 776
2 Korea 297 2 UK 347
3 China 174 3 Italy 278
4 France 134 4 France 210
5 Russia 117 5 Korea 208
6 Thailand 99 6 Australia 145
7 UK 95 7 Germany 131
8 Italy 92 8 Canada 99
9= Taiwan 73 9 Switzerland 47
9= Australia 73 10 Spain 34
First, looking at the East-West split - or more accurately, perhaps, the caucasian-Asian split (I’m not aware of any black Western role-models in Japan) we see that for men, 36% of the total votes were for Western wives versus 26% for Asian women, favoring the West (I’m including Russia, with Maria Sharapova as the popular image of the country) by just over a third. However for women there is a marked difference; about 74% in total choose the West (over 40% for the USA alone) versus a mere 7.4% for the East, a massive ten to one vote for Europe and the USA.
Next, looking at the detailed age breakdown, it’s only in the teenage girls group that the USA fails to top the charts, losing out to France and Korea, and equal with the UK. For men in their twenties, American women are preferred over the second-placed Korean women by almost 60%, and the Chinese are back in fifth, gaining just over a third of the number of votes of the USA. However, the older men get, the stronger the charms of the Asian neighbors become, with the gap at its smallest being just a mere three votes. Similarly, for men in their forties and over, Chinese women cut the gap from a third to about a half of the USA score.
For women, as they get older (ignoring the over sixty bracket which has a very small sample size, so may be rather inaccurate) the attraction to American men only get stronger; in their twenties, Americans get just under a quarter of the vote, but by their fifties, it surpasses three in ten. Despite the charms of the disturbingly Harry Potter-like Bae Yong Joon Korean men do not seem to be particularly favored by the middle-aged demographic.
These two main trends noted above are perhaps reflections on Japanese society as much as on foreign stereotypes. The younger men hold images of themselves as charming the sophisticated Western woman, but as they age (and visit dodgy hostess bars…) they come to realize that perhaps only Asian women could accept their typical Japanese behavior. For women, after having been around Japanese men for many, many years, they too may come to realize that the Western stereotypes of politeness and chivalry are the only things that could satisfy them in marriage.
2008年12月05日 23:09
今週のトピックです今週も変わらず午後３じからの開始になります
The Hunted
In dating, why do men love a challenge?
By Josey Vogels
Dear Josey
My gal pals and I have a motto about men: Treat them mean, keep them keen. Ok, so we're not mean exactly, but guys do seem to love the challenge of the hunt, and if we ladies give in too easily, too soon, they're turned off. Why is this so? And why do men lose interest once they "win" the game?
The Hunted?
Dear Hunted,
Maybe it all goes back to the days when men went off to hunt wooly Mammoths while the gals hung back and took care of things at the cave. Or maybe its because the male of the species was biologically programmed to spread his seed as far as possible with as many mates as possible causing them to go through women like potato chips. But none of this would explain why women are exactly the same. And you know they are. How else do you explain all the letters I get from men who complain that women only go out with jerks who treat them like crap while the nice guys get burned. I think as humans, we love a challenge. We are attracted to confidence and a little indifference. It calms our fears that the person isn't going to suck the life out of us with their neediness. It also gives us something to fight for. If relationships were easy, we'd all quickly get bored and go off and jump out of planes or something. We need the challenge to stay interested in the game. I mean think about it, when's the last time you lustily pursued a man who presented himself on a silver platter to you. We don't like them to give in too easily either do we? Makes us wonder what's wrong with them. Ideally, we all want balance. We want to be with someone who is confident and has a strong sense of themselves yet still has the capacity to love and give to a relationship. That way it’s still a challenge but no one has to "win."
2008年12月12日 20:26
今週のトピックです。
Our expression today is Santa Claus. Santa Claus is someone who will remain in the hearts of children forever. He is the make-believe person who brings toys and other gifts to children at Christmas.
To grown-ups, he is a special symbol of goodwill and selfless giving. Santa Claus also has some other names: Saint Nicholas, St. Nick, Kris Kringle, Pelznickel.
Two of his names -- Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas -- both come from the Dutch who settled in New York long ago. The Dutch believed Saint Nikolas gave gifts to children. They honored this kindly saint with a yearly festival on December sixth.
The English-speaking people who lived nearby greatly enjoyed Dutch festivals. And they brought the saint and the custom of giving gifts into their own celebration at Christmas time. The Dutch spoke the name "Saint Nikolaas" very fast. It sounded like "sinterklaas." And so, when the English said this word, it sounded like Santa Claus.
West of New York, in Pennsylvania, many German farmers had also heard of Saint Nikolas. But they called him Pelznickel. This word came from "pelz," meaning fur, and "nickel" for Nicholas. And so, to the Germans of Pennsylvania, Saint Nicholas or Pelznickel was a man dressed in fur who came once a year with gifts for good children.
Soon, people began to feel that the love and kindness Pelznickel brought should be part of a celebration honoring the Christkindl, as the Germans called the Christ child. After a time, this became Kris Kringle. Later, Kris Kringle became another name for Santa Claus himself.
Whatever he is called, he is still the same short, fat, jolly old man with a long beard, wearing a red suit with white fur.
The picture of Santa Claus as we see him came from Thomas Nast. He was an American painter born in Bavaria. He painted pictures for Christmas poems. Someone asked him to paint a picture of Santa Claus. Nast remembered when he was a little boy in southern Germany. Every Christmas, a fat old man gave toys and cakes to the children. So, when Nast painted the picture, his Santa Claus looked like the kindly old man of his childhood.
And through the years, Nast's painting has remained as the most popular picture of Santa Claus.
Santa can be seen almost everywhere in large American cities during the Christmas season. Some stand on street corners asking for money to buy food and gifts for the needy. Others are found in stores and shopping centers. It is easy to find them by the long lines of children waiting to tell Santa what they want for Chirstmas. If one took a vote among children to learn who their favorite person was, there is no question who would win -- Santa Claus.
2008年12月20日 05:41
今週のトピックです。
How to Learn a Foreign Language
Note: These guidelines should be rigorously followed, even if you are taking a language course.
1) Spend the time!
By far the most important factor is how much time you are immersed in the language. The more time you spend with the language, the faster you will learn. This means listening, reading, writing, speaking, and studying words and phrases. This does not mean sitting in class looking out the window, nor listening to other students who do not speak well, nor getting explanations in your own language about how the language works. This means spending time enjoyably connected to the language you are learning.
2) Listen and read every day!
Listen wherever you are on your MP3 player. Read what you are listening to. Listen to and read things that you like, things that you can mostly understand, or even partly understand. If you keep listening and reading you will get used to the language. One hour of listening or reading is more effective than many hours of class time.
3) Focus on words and phrases!
Build up your vocabulary, you’ll need lots. Start to notice words and how they come together as phrases. Learn these words and phrases through your listening and reading. Read online, using online dictionaries, and make your own vocabulary lists for review. Soon you will run into your new words and phrases elsewhere. Gradually you will be able to use them. Do not worry about how accurately you speak until you have accumulated a plenty of words through listening and reading.
4) Take responsibility for your own learning!
If you do not want to learn the language, you won’t. If you do want to learn the language, take control. Choose content of interest, that you want to listen to and read. Seek out the words and phrases that you need to understand your listening and reading. Do not wait for someone else to show you the language, nor to tell you what to do. Discover the language by yourself, like a child growing up. Talk when you feel like it. Write when you feel like it. A teacher cannot teach you to become fluent, but you can learn to become fluent if you want to.
5) Relax and enjoy yourself!
Do not worry about what you cannot remember, or cannot yet understand, or cannot yet say. It does not matter. You are learning and improving. The language will gradually become clearer in your brain, but this will happen on a schedule that you cannot control. So sit back and enjoy. Just make sure you spend enough time with the language. That is the greatest guarantee of success.
2009年01月09日 07:45
Here is the topic for this week. Check it!
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is the first day of the new year. On the modern Gregorian calendar, it is celebrated on January 1, as it was also in ancient Rome (though other dates were also used in Rome). In all countries using the Gregorian calendar as their main calendar, except for Israel, it is a public holiday often celebrated with fireworks at the stroke of midnight as the new year starts. January 1 on the Julian calendar corresponds to January 14 on the Gregorian calendar, and it is on that date that followers of some of the Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate the New Year.
-The Japanese celebrate New Year's Day on January 1 each year. Before 1873, the date of the Japanese New Year (正月 shōgatsu) was based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar and celebrated at the beginning of spring, just as the contemporary Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese New Years are celebrated to this day. However, in 1873, five years after the Meiji Restoration, Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar, so the first day of January is the official New Year's Day in modern Japan. It is considered by most Japanese to be one of the most important annual festivals and has been celebrated for centuries with its own unique customs.
-Korean New Year commonly known as Seollal is the first day of the lunar Korean calendar. It is the most important of the traditional Korean holidays. It consists of a period of celebrations, starting on New Year's Day. The Korean New Year holidays lasts three days, and is considered a more important holiday than the solar New Year's Day.
-Tamil New Year is the celebration of the first day of the new Tamil year by people of Tamil origin in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in India, and by the Tamil population in Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka. Earlier, the Tamil New Year was based on the classical Hindu solar calendar. But the Tamilnadu government has changed the Tamil New Year from the tamil month Chithirai to the first day of another tamil month Thai. People greet each other on this day by saying இனிய தமிழ் புத்தாண்டு நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள் (Iniya Tamizh Puthaandu Nalvazthukkal).
-Vietnamese New Year is based on the Lunar calendar, a lunisolar calendar. The name Tết Nguyên Đán is Sino-Vietnamese for Feast of the First Morning, derived from the Hán nôm characters 節元旦. Tết is celebrated on the same day as Chinese New Year though exceptions arise due to the one-hour time difference between Hanoi and Beijing. It takes place from the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar (around late January or early February) until at least the third day. Tết shares many of the same customs of its Chinese counterpart. Many Vietnamese prepare for Tết by cooking special holiday foods and cleaning the house. There are a lot of customs practiced during Tết, like visiting a person's house on the first day of the new year (xông nhà), ancestral worshipping, wishing New Year's greetings, giving lucky money to children and old people and opening a shop.
-The Thai New Year (Thai: สงกรานต์ Songkran) is celebrated every year from April 13 to April 15. It coincides with the New Year of many Dai calendar in South and Southeast Asia. The most obvious celebration of Songkran is the throwing of water. People roam the streets with containers of water or water guns, or post themselves at the side of roads with a garden hose and drench each other and passersby. This, however, was not always the main activity of this festival. Songkran was traditionally a time to visit and pay respects to elders, including family members, friends and neighbors.
2009年01月16日 06:07
今週のトピックです。今週の英会話も変わらず午後３時から行います！
To the casual observer, she's the very embodiment of a lady. Dressed demurely in a blushing pink blouse, hands sheathed in dainty white gloves, Aiko - quite possibly Canada's first android - sits patiently, ready to engage in polite conversation using her 13,000-word vocabulary. She'll recognize your face, shake how-do-you-do, read you a story, add sums and deliver the current weather.
But underneath her wispy auburn hair and peaches and cream complexion is an anatomically correct silicone feminine robot, easily modified for any number of uses. Of course peddling her to the sex industry would be lucrative, her creator agrees, but he insists he has far more noble aspirations for Aiko - which means "love child" in Japanese.
"To be honest with you, sex sells," said Trung Le, 33, after cradling the five-foot tall, 27-kilogram life-like doll on his lap for photographs in his parents' Brampton, Ont., home where he lives. "It sells, but it's not like (she's) one of those $99 (dolls), right? It would be very expensive (to use that way). It would be cheaper just to spend money on my own, real girlfriend."
Le doesn't have a girlfriend right now, though, because he's been much too busy over the past year and a half developing the umber feminine robot. (To those who contend Aiko is his girlfriend, he has these words: "I don't care what they say.")
Costing him $25,000 so far in parts - including a sex doll from Japan for a body, sensors on her head, arms, face and breasts, oodles of bone-structure mechanics, a camera in her neck and computer processors - the project has moved from hobby to full-fledged passion. His hopes for the humanoid's use are wide, varied and all in the name of helping humanity. Le sees possible applications within homes for the elderly, inside hospitals or the military, working reception or providing airport security.
He also sees her as a research tool for developing fully-sensing limb replacements for people who've had an amputation. In fact, she's so sensitive to touch if someone gets a little too rough, she cries out indignantly. If they're really pushing the boundaries, she moves in for a slap.
Le's older brother Quang, 35, doesn't entirely share his brother's modest views. Having been financially supporting his brother since Trung Le left his job about three months ago, he's trying to convince him to think big. And if that means moving towards the erotic, so be it.
"I don't see why not," Quang Le said. "I see a big application for this in any industry, you just have to tailor her to that industry." With Trung Le's skills, it wouldn't even be that hard to do, the trouble is finding the financial backing.
So far, though, no one has been willing to pony up the estimated $12,000 in parts for his next goal: to give Aiko the ability to walk. "Most people ... say it's fake," he said, explaining that when people watch his You Tube demonstrations, they think it's CGI or that she's pre-programmed.
Le, a former software engineer, graduated with a chemistry degree from York University. He built his first robot for a school science fair around the age of 8, shortly after his family moved to Canada from Japan, where they were living after leaving his birth country of Vietnam.
Every time he submitted an entry to the fair, however, he was somehow disqualified. So he backed away from his hi-tech dreams. Then more recently, he found the desire to create stirring within him again. "I just want to see how far I can go, basically," he said. "It's one guy versus the corporation. (It's) like 50 engineers and million-dollar budgets against one guy, from his home, with his credit cards."
2009年01月21日 10:05
今週のトピックです。今週も午後３時からアルバーニ通りのＴｉｍ Ｈｏｒｔｏｎｓで開催します
Apple is an American company that makes computer hardware, computer software, and portable devices like mobile telephones and music players. Apple call their computers Macintoshes Their popular line of mobile music players are called iPods and a mobile phone they have released is called the iPhone. Apple sells their products all around the world.
Unlike most personal computer companies, which sell products made to run Microsoft Windows or Linux, Apple's computer hardware runs software designed to only run on their products, usually with an operating system they have written for their products called Mac OS X. Some people think this way of making software and hardware together make Apple products easier to use and more reliable.
The iPod is a range of portable music players made by the company Apple Inc. The iPod comes with computer cables so that the user can put music from their computer onto the iPod, and play music from it using headphones. Newer iPods allow a user to view pictures and videos, too.
The first iPod was simply named the iPod. This was released in 2001. Apple still makes iPods like this today, but they are now called "iPod classic".
Apple makes a smaller iPod called the iPod nano. It is much smaller than the iPod, but does not hold as many songs. It uses flash memory, a special kind of memory for very small electronics, instead of a hard drive. It replaced a version of the iPod called the iPod Mini.
Another type of iPod, called the iPod shuffle, is very small, and it uses flash memory, like the iPod nano but it has no screen. It is the least expensive iPod.
The most expensive iPod is called the iPod touch. It has a touch screen, like the iPhone. The first iPod Touch was released in 2007.
iPods often contain songs downloaded from an online music store, using a program called iTunes. (The name of Apple's music and video store is the iTunes store.) Songs are sold in AAC file format, not MP3 or WMA. These are popular formats for compressing (making smaller) music until it does not take up much space and can easily be put on a media player such as the iPod.
Apple's newest product that is a Phone, iPod, and more with a touch screen. The newest iPhone released uses 3G (which is quicker than normal mobile phone connections) to surf the web. The iPhones come in 8GB and 16GB types. The iPhone 3G comes in black and white (16GB version only.) The new price for the iPhone 3G 8GB is $199 and 16GB is $299. This new version was released on July 11, 2008. The price in the UK where released for O2 Pay and Go on 2nd September 2008. The price of the 8GB version is £350 and the 16GB is £399 - nearly twice as much as the US version. The UK version was released on the 16th September 2008.
2009年01月30日 09:15
今週のトピックです。
Canadian Food – Is There Such a Thing?
Food is an important part of any culture. You’ve probably had Chinese food and Indian curry. In the U.S., they pride themselves on their fried chicken and mom’s apple pie. It is easy to name foods from Thailand, Italy, and France. But is there such a thing as Canadian food?
Historically, food availability was severely limited by Canada’s short summers and cold winters. Since then, our food has been heavily influenced by the myriad cultures that have immigrated to Canada. Canada shows this multicultural background in the wide variety of foods available in restaurants and grocery stores.
But this doesn’t tell us if there are any foods that are specifically Canadian. Canada can boast many unique dishes and different regions of the country all have originated their own. Some examples include: Fiddleheads in New Brunswick, tourtière and poutine in Quebec, perogies in the Prairies, ice wine in Ontario, and caribou in the Northwest Territories.
Canadians are known primarily for their sweet tooth. An example of a treat from the great white north is the Beaver Tail, a sweet pastry in the shape of the tail of beaver. It doesn’t get anymore Canadian than that. Butter tarts and Nanaimo bars, which originated in Ontario and British Columbia respectively, are also uniquely Canadian treats. And no column about Canadian food would be complete without mentioning the doughnut. Doughnuts are not uniquely Canadian, but they are central to our culinary culture. According to The Unofficial National Sugary Snack, a television clip in the Canadian Food section at the CBC archives, “There are more doughnut shops per capita in Canada than anywhere else on the planet. Canadians eat more doughnut than any other country’s citizens.” The doughnut is to Canada cuisine what Hockey is to Canadian sports – our unofficial national obsession.
Canada does have its own culinary traditions and favourite foods. The difference between countries with internationally recognizable culinary traditions and Canada, is that we are very Canadian about promoting our cuisine. We need to get over our reluctance to self-promote and be proud of what Canada has to offer. Not only do we have our own unique dishes, but we also boast an exciting international influence and an abundance of fresh local ingredients. Michael Smith (from Canada’s Food Network) argues, in Canada’s Cuisine Comes of Age, by Jessica Wong and Tara Kimura (CBC News In Depth, June 26, 2007), that Canadian cuisine should simply mean cooking with fresh, local ingredients. He says, “To me, that’s Canadian cuisine at its best.”
2009年02月06日 09:54
今週のトピックです。
You’re trying to get pregnant and you’re wondering if there’s any way you can get that little girl or boy that you so desire. Admit it, someone told you if you eat a certain food or have sex in a certain position, you can control the sex of your baby and part of you thought, "why not?" In the case of most of these old wives tales, it can’t hurt to try, but are some of them dangerous? And remember, for all of the women who claim that one or more of these tricks worked for them, there are just as many who will tell you that they didn’t work at all!
Cultural Beliefs
The ancient Mayans believed that you could determine the sex of a baby by looking at the mother’s age at conception and the year of conception. If both numbers are even or both are odd, then the baby will be a girl. If one number is even and the other is odd, the baby is a boy. Some people will tell you that this absolutely works, but we figure the odds are about 50/50.
The Chinese also have a method for predicting the sex of a baby. The belief is that if you compare the mother’s age at conception and the month of conception you can accuratly predict the sex of the baby using a chart. A quick office poll reveals that the Chinese method has about the same rate of success as the Mayans – 50%.
Don’t feel like putting all of your faith in the Chinese or Mayan methods? Here are a few other methods that some people claim will work:
If You Want a Girl:
• Eat lots of chocolate and other sweets
If you’re not diabetic or pre-diabetic, go for it – but in moderation! We all know that too many sweets are bad for blood sugar, waist-lines and teeth.
• Both of you should eat lots of fish and veggies
It may not get you a girl, but eating healthy is never a bad idea.
• If the woman orgasms first, you’ll have a girl/
• The missionary position will produce girls
• If the woman is on top you’ll have a girl
If you Want a Boy:
• Eat lots of salty foods
We’re not so sure that this is a good idea. Too much salt can cause hypertension and in some cases, stomach cancer. If you already have high-blood pressure, definitely don’t try this.
• Eat lots of red meat
There are a lot of vegetarians who will tell you that you can have a boy without eating any meat. While moderate intake of red meat is fine, too much does carry some health risks; consumption of too much red meat has been linked to colon cancer and heart disease. If you want to try this, consider choosing organic meat. Meat from cattle that have been fed grass contains more omega three and six fatty acids (the good fats), and less saturated fat.
• Let the man initiate love making
• Make love standing up
• Lie down for a while after sex
• Have sex while on all-fours
Other Pearls of Wisdom
A common claim is that more boys are conceived on odd numbered days and more girls on even numbered days. If you want a girl, try to conceive when the moon is a quarter full and for a boy try when the moon is full. Some people claim that the time of day can affect the baby’s gender too – girls are conceived in the afternoon and boys at night.
2009年02月13日 20:18
今週のトピックです。
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day or Saint Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14 by many people throughout the world. In the West, it is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery. The holiday is named after two among the numerous Early Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.
The day is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of "valentines." Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards.[1] The sending of Valentines was a fashion in nineteenth-century Great Britain, and, in 1847, Esther Howland developed a successful business in her Worcester, Massachusetts home with hand-made Valentine cards based on British models. The popularity of Valentine cards in 19th-century America was a harbinger of the future commercialization of holidays in the United States.[2]
The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, behind Christmas. The association estimates that, in the US, men spend in average twice as much money as women.[3]
Asia
Thanks to a concentrated marketing effort, Valentine's Day is celebrated in some Asian countries with Singaporeans, Chinese and South Koreans spending the most money on Valentine's gifts.[34]
In Japan, it has become an obligation for many women to give chocolates to all male co-workers. This is known as giri-choko (義理チョコ), from the words giri ("obligation") and choko, ("chocolate"). This contrasts with honmei-choko (本命チョコ); chocolate given to a loved one. Friends, especially girls, may exchange chocolate referred to as tomo-choko (友チョコ); from tomo meaning "friend". By a further marketing effort, a reciprocal day called White Day has emerged. On March 14, men are expected to return the favour to those who gave them chocolates on Valentine's Day.
In South Korea, women give chocolate to men on February 14, and men give non-chocolate candy to women on March 14. On April 14 (Black Day), those who did not receive anything on the 14th of Feb or March go to a Chinese restaurant to eat black noodles and "mourn" their single life. Koreans also celebrate Pepero Day on November 11, when young couples give each other Pepero (pocky) cookies. The date '11/11' is intended to resemble the long shape of the cookie. The 14th of every month marks a love-related day in Korea, although most of them are obscure. From January to December: Candle Day, Valentine's Day, White Day, Black Day, Rose Day, Kiss Day, Silver Day, Green Day, Music Day, Wine Day, Movie Day, and Hug Day.
In China, the common situation is the man gives chocolate, flowers or both to the woman that he loves. In Chinese, Valentine's Day is called (simplified Chinese: 情人节; traditional Chinese: 情人節; pinyin: qīng rén jié).
2009年03月01日 06:08
今週のトピックです。
The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers. The formal ceremony at which the awards are presented is one of the most prominent film award ceremonies in the world. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences itself was conceived by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio boss Louis B. Mayer.
The 1st Academy Awards ceremony was hold on Thursday, May 16, 1929, at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood to honour outstanding film achievements of 1927 and 1928. It was hosted by actor Douglas Fairbanks and director William C. deMille.
The 81st Academy Awards honouring the best in film for 2008 was held on Sunday, February 22, 2009 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood with actor Hugh Jackman hosting the ceremony for the first time. Academy Award-nominated producer Laurence Mark produced with Academy Award-winning writer/director Bill Condon as executive producer.
Slumdog Millionaire won eight awards, the most of the evening, including Best Picture and Best Director (Danny Boyle). The Curious Case of Benjamin Button led the nominations with a total of thirteen while Slumdog Millionaire received ten. The Dark Knight and Milk received eight nominations, and Doubt, The Reader, and Frost/Nixon each received five. The animated film Wall-E, the winner for Best Animated Feature, received six nominations, tying it with Beauty and The Beast for the most nominated animated film in Oscar history.
Awards:
Feature Films:
Award Winner Producer
Best Picture Slumdog Millionaire Christian Colson
Best Foreign Language Film Departures – Japan Yojiro Takita
Best Documentary Feature Man on Wire Simon Chinn
Best Animated Feature Wall-E Andrew Stanton
Directing
Award Winner Film
Best Director Danny Boyle Slumdog Millionaire
Acting
Award Winner Film
Best Actor in a Leading Role Sean Penn Milk
Best Actress in a Leading Role Kate Winslet The Reader
Best Actor in a Supporting Role Heath Ledger The Dark Knight
Best Actress in a Supporting Role Penelope Cruz Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Writing
Award Winner Film
Best Writing – Original Screenplay Dustin Lance Black Milk
Best Writing – Adapted Screenplay Simon Beaufoy Slumdog Millionaire
2009年03月14日 10:05
今週のトピックです。
If you want to become rich then you should really want to become rich. Sounds weird? No it isn’t but just ask yourself these questions, Do I have pictures of the future car and future house that I want to buy hung around everywhere in my house? Am I doing everything to increase my income? Am I doing my best or it’s just that I am indifferent?
I get my money from different sources, investing in the Stock Market, running my training business, and recently from this website (2knowmyself in only few months old) When examining these sources you will notice that they either depend on selling knowledge (like the training business) or using knowledge to get money from others who lack the knowledge (making profit from inexperienced traders through stock market)
If I didn’t knew anything about business, economics and accounting I would have been losing money in the stock market, and if I didn’t study psychology for 10 years I wouldn't have been making money from the training business nor from 2knowmyself. To make the long story short, Knowledge is not just power, knowledge is money. Invest in yourself as much as you can. Keep learning, take courses, attend sessions and read as much as you can.
And remember the simple rule; knowledge can be directly sold for money or used indirectly used to get money from other sources. (Like investing in the stock market). Even the thief uses knowledge, he knows how to open closets and lockers, he knows how to sneak unnoticed and he knows the routes he should take not to be caught. I am not asking you to become thieves:) but know that anybody who is making money, is making it because of some kind of knowledge.
Money was meant to be spent right? Yes of course but money wasn’t meant to be wasted, some people spend money while others waste it. If you spend money on eating when you feel Hungary then it’s ok but if you spend money on overeating or cigarettes then spend more money on health care then you are wasting your money.
The equation is simple, Input – Output = increase or decrease in wealth
Stop the money drain and buy only what’s necessary then use the money you saved to invest somewhere else and you will find that each year your income is increasing because you are investing more capital.
You don’t have any additional money to start with? Don’t be sad you are a lucky guy because you were born in the ERA of the internet!! , internet business have got almost zero start up costs and can sometimes bring you a lot of money, it’s worth to mention that youtube.com was developed by three people then sold to Google for 1.65 billion dollars. In my book how I did it, I explained how I managed to make 2knowmyself.com generate thousands of dollars/month without paying a penny. You don't have to be rich in order to start, you can start with one of those zero budget businesses like 2knowmyself.com and end up with good money
If you think you can do something then you will do it and if you think you can’t then you won’t be able to do it. What’s the point in trying to become rich using your conscious mind while your subconscious mind is pushing against you?
Some people have got false beliefs about money, they think they can’t become rich whatever they do or that they were meant to be poor. Unless you are able to challenge these false beliefs your subconscious mind will work against you, and as you know, no one can defeat his subconscious mind if it worked against him.
2009年04月02日 13:54
今週のトピックです。
Always a bridesmaid…that is what I thought I would be. As I watched friend after friend walk down the aisle and say, “I do” to their prince charming, I wondered if I would ever be a bride. I had dated several guys who wanted to become more serious, but when they would start talking about marriage I would start backing away – quickly. Marriage was a huge commitment, and I wasn’t about to take it lightly. In all of my relationships I had never felt like I knew for sure that the guy was the one.
How do you know that for sure? I would often ask my friends or spiritual mentors. The reply was always the same, “You just know.” Thanks for clearing that up for me.
What does that mean anyway? You just know. I know a lot of things until I change my mind about them. I just knew that I loved the comforter and pillows that I picked out for my bed – until a year later when I decided I needed a whole new look. I know this is trivial compared to marriage, but the logic seemed the same to me. Even if I was sure now that this person was the one I should marry, would I still feel that way in two years? What about in 20 years? I was signing up to be with the person for the rest of my life; I had to be sure.
So how do you know for sure? I would like to offer some ideas. These are things that helped me when I was facing the same decision.
In my case, I already knew Matt quite well. We had attended college together and had become good friends. We even went on a couple dates, but I was never interested in anything more than friendship. But eight years later that friendship had turned into something more, and we began dating. However, I still wasn’t sure I wanted to marry him.
What did it take to convince me? A lot of talking. I don’t mean that he spent hours trying to talk me into it. I mean that we had to discuss a lot of things. I wanted to know all about him, his hopes, his dreams, his fears, his expectations for marriage, and anything else I could think of. I wanted to talk about every possible situation that could arise in a marriage and find out how he would handle it.
It turns out there are actually books that already have questions like these for couples. I searched the books and the internet to find suitable questions. When we were together we took turns asking each other these questions. Since he didn’t live in the area at the time, we also asked and answered questions by mail. We agreed in advance which questions we would answer and mailed our answers out on the same day so that the other person’s answers wouldn’t influence our own. We learned a lot about each other and what we expected from a spouse. The questions covered everything from how many kids we each wanted and where we would like to live to who would do the dishes and take out the trash.
- mixiユーザー
- ログインしてコメントしよう！
困ったときには
