We should glue what?

Just finished my Tuesday night private class with a high-school senior.  He's very bright and getting better and better at English, of course, but in this evening's class we both just had to laugh at his little English blunders.  

Our textbook provides an outline conversation for discussing plans and we worked together to make suggestions on what needs to get done.  So, we picked two plans - one is to travel abroad, the other to try to be more eco-friendly.

First, travel abroad discussion...

Me: We should decide where we want to go.

Student:  Yeah.  That's important.  

Me: So, where do you want to go?

Student: How about America?

Me: Great!  But, America is a big place.  Is there anything you really want to see?

Student: (long pause with pensive face) Angel.

Me: (trying hard to be funny....) Oh.  You want to see an angel?  I don't think America is a good choice then.

Student: (courtesy laugh)  (thinking) ummm....

Me: (bright look on face of instant realization and sheer confidence) OH!  You mean Los Angeles!!

Student: (laughing) No....  (thinking)   Angel.....angel....(bright look on face) The Angel of Liberty!

Me: OH!!!  Her!!  Yeah...we can see her.  New York City it is!

Next plan....let's be more eco-friendly

Me: We should try to remember to take our own bags when we go shopping.

Student: Yeah. That's a good idea.

Me: Do you have any ideas?

Student: We should ....(thinking) plans.....hmmm... g...g...glue

Me: glue?

Student: hmmm...glue ....glue (bright look on face) glue planets!

Me. ....???  glue planets...(gesturing and wondering and trying to get it)

       AAAHHH!  Grow plants!!  (laughing)

Student: (confused face)/ Me: (explaining what glue planets means)

Both: (laughing)

Me: I think that even though you just passed the test and got your driver's license this week, you should NOT drive and only ride your bike, walk, use public transportation...

Student: We don't need that.  (half smirking)

Me: (trying to remember how exciting it was to be able to drive) Yeah...I was just joking.

See you next week.

St. Valentine's Day

早くももう２月・・・
そう！今月はバレンタインズデー！

今月からクラスルームも

こんな感じにバレンタインです。

そろそろ女の子たちはチョコレートの話で盛り上がりぎみ！ですが・・・

今年は“逆チョコ”なる言葉も見かけることもありますが、
本来のバレンタインデーは特に女性→男性というわけではなく、
女性⇔男性。

しいて言えば
“愛の日♡”
とでもいうのでしょうか。

アメリカではこの日になると通りにお花屋さんが並び、
仕事帰りなどの男性が彼女・奥さんにそのお花を買って帰ります。

どうでしょう！日本の男性陣も、愛の告白♡・日ごろの感謝♡のしるしに
女性に何かちょっとしたものをプレゼントしてみては？！

Yet Another Birthday Celebration

Those of you who knew me well in my younger days would be shocked if I posted the pictures of what I sandwiched between salt and lemon last night at our friends annual infamously wild birthday party, so I'll spare you and my friends the photos, save these two. We had a fun night and hope our friend had a memorable birthday - or at least that he remembers it. ; D

The birthday man...and his aikido buddy.


Us getting ready to leave to catch the last train home and friends kindly insisting we stay longer.

Winter Veggies

Anyone want to come over and have a veggie party?  These are gifts from one of our students' gardens.  Two huge giant white radishes, equally giant Chinese cabbages, broccoli, green onions, carrots, and mizuna.  It's "kimuchee nabe" nite, I think.  YUM! 

The poor woman wheeled this load of vegetables on a luggage cart in two plastic crates from her garden to our house.  Must have been very slow going and very heavy over the not so great sidewalk.  OTSUKARE SAMA DESU, Mrs. I!  and ARIGATO GOZAIMASU!!  (head bowing repeatedly as I write.)

I'm Mickey. I'm a mouse. You're Babe. You're a pig.

Teaching kids the tricky "be" verb has never been so fun!  Mickey, Winnie the Pooh, Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Peter Rabbit, Babe and Snoopy helped a lot.  They have no idea they're learning the "be" verb, of course. But they sure were good at it and enjoyed this activity.

This class was quite a while ago, but I just found these precious photos in the depths of our computer and wanted to share.  They have the "It's.." and "It isn't..." down now, too.  And the new year will bring "He's/He isn't" and "She's/She isn't" into the picture.    Looking forward to more adventures with this always fun, enthusiastic, and attentive class!  

(Hints for my students:  "to have down" means to understand and be able to use, "to bring into the picture" means to have something introduced.  Boy, English idioms are tricky, right?)