My Son Came Back from Kumamoto

My older son came back from Kumamoto. He served for security work there. The town he went was destroyed by the massive earthquakes. 

After the quakes, there become a high-theft area. That was very sad and I was really angry about that. 

I hope Kumamoto will recover from the devastating earthquakes soon. 

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In Her Shoes

I finished an English audiobook, "Wayside School is Falling Down". The author was Louis Shachar and the story was for kids. He is a very popular writer. It was a collection of funny short stories. I sometimes laughed at the silly endings and sometimes I couldn't get the meaning of the last. 

I already downloaded the next audiobook from Audible. The title was "In Her Shoes". The story was made into a film with Cameron Diaz. I watched the movie because I was a big fan of her. It was a nice movie, so I'm looking forward to listening to the audiobook. 

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Young Boys and Cars

My 16-year-old son is interested in cars and motorcycles. He said that his first car should be a Mercedes or a BMW. I don't think he would be affordable to buy these cars at the beginning of his career, but it would be a good motivation for young people. 

When I was his age, boys usually wanted to buy cars. They would talk to each other about automobiles they wanted to drive, but nowadays young people don't eager to buy cars. They are busy for using computers and smartphones. That's a little bit sad for me.  

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Good Luck!

Many English learners will take renewal TOEIC. I don't know much about the detail, but it might be more difficult than previous test. 

I don't take TOEIC this time because I haven't gotten over the after effect of TOEIC two years ago. I got a heavy damage. 

I hope everyone will perform well enough for the new TOEIC tomorrow. 

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Mr Obama in Hiroshima

The President of the United States Barack Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima. 71 years ago, the United States used the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima and killed at least 140,000 innocent people there. 

Mr Obama visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum only ten minutes and laid a wreath at the Peace Memorial Park. 

After made his address, he spoke to two survivors and hugging them. I was moved their hugging. That was a historical moment.

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Now I'm Listening

I'm listening to an English audiobook, "The Devotion of Suspect X". The mystery novel won many book awards in 2005 and 2006. 

I've read the book in Japanese and English last year. It was a good mystery. I couldn't figure the trick until the last. 

I really enjoy listening to the novel in English. 

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Climate Cited in Northern Wildfires

Summary, NYT

In the Northern Hemisphere, rising temperatures, drying trees and earlier melting snow cause number of wildfire. These causes would be made by global warming. And the heat may be causing an increase in lightning, which often sets off the most devastating wildfires. 

The weather pattern, El Niño has been pumping a huge amount of heat from the ocean. It plays a big role for this year's wildfires. 

The fires and burning fossil fuels throw carbon dioxide into the air. That accelerate global warning. And lightnings, which sets off fires are nearly impossible to control. 

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Bowling and Party

I'm going to go bowling this evening with my friends. After that, we'll have a party. I used to play bowling with my friends so often, but it was many years ago. My bowling scores are getting worse and worse these days. I'm really sad. 

The bowling center has bowling class there. It would be nice to have the class someday. I could throw curve balls after the class, maybe. 

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How to Prepare for Eiken

I'm really afraid of taking Eiken 1st grade next month. I would get a miserable score on the exam. I had only a month to prepare for the test when I decided to take the test. I didn't think I had enough time for the exam, so I prepare for the test without using Eiken workbooks. 

I don't think I have ability to get 1st grade. I have to study hard to get the grade. Instead using Eiken materials, I will read English books and articles, and will listen to audiobooks as much as I can. And also I will check unfamiliar words on dictionary more often. 

I'm not sure my attitude for the test works well, but I just try it. 

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The Summit

Everyone knows Everest is the highest mountain in the world. Since the first man climbed the top of the mountain in 1953, more than 3,000 climbers have reached to the summit and the numbers have been increasing year by year. 

But the last year, for the first time since 1974,  not a single climber reached the summit of Everest. That was becaus an avalanche killed 16 Nepalese in 2014 and a series of earthquakes killed at least 18 people at South Base Camp. Many expeditions cancelled for the reasons. 

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Japan Women's Volleyball Team Goes to Rio

The women's volleyball qualification for 2016 Olympics has been held in Japan. Japan lost tonight's game against Italy with a 2-3, but they has advanced to the Rio Games on set differential. If they lost the game with a 0-3 or a 1-3, they couldn't reach the big event today. 

I'm reall glad because the head coach, Manabe, was my classmate when we were university students. Sadly, I never talked with him, though. 

Japan women's team won the bronze medal at 2012 London games. I hope they will get the gold medal this year. 

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Gov. Masuzoe

I watched Tokyo governor Masuzoe's press conference on political funds issue. He didn't answer questions or he couldn't. He only said that he will ask lawyers to investigate his funds issue. 

I think his career of Tokyo governor will be about to end, or even his political one. He looked he wanted to escape from this problem. He seemed he didn't want to face this issue honestly. That's the way he is. 

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English Learners on Twitter

Listening to audiobook for 90 minutes. Reading newspaper 30 minutes. These are what I did for English today. I want to do more, but I'm too tired to do so. 

Reading timeline on Twitter, I found many learners studying English hard even they were busy for work. I'm encouraged by these tweets. I don't study Englishthat much, but just enjoy reading and listening English materials. I shouldn't say I don't have time for English.  

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Reading Newspaper

I got the second weekly English newspaper, NYT on Monday. The newspaper has 8 pages in a week. I'm trying to read at least two articles everyday. 

The articles are hard to read for me. I have to use diction at so often. I mainly use an online English-English dictionary, Vocabulary.com. The app is really nice, because it has up-to-date example sentences in it. The samples would be updated every minute.

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Gun Control in the U.S.

Guns take lives. In the US, deaths by guns are common. The victims are not only adults but also toddlers. Last year, at least 30 people killed in accidental shootings in which the shooter was 5 or younger, according to a gun control advocacy group. 

Only Massachusetts has the law that gun owners have to store their guns in a locked place. But even the law cannot prevent youngsters there from accidentally killing themselves or others. 

The government should control severely the use of guns to prevent tragedies even gun rights groups opporse it. 

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Audible App

Almost six month have passed since I street to listen to audiobooks in English. Now, I just started to listen to the 16th audiobook for me, A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami. 

I use Audible app for audiobooks. It is a very convenient approbation for me. Before using the app, l listened to audiobooks with CD. CD was not convenient compare to Audible app.

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Morning Coffee

I went to Mihonoseki-cho to have morning coffee with my family. My wife, younger son and I went there by our own car. My older son went there by his motorbike alone. He is hooked on riding bike recently. 

Soon after arrived there, we headed to Miho Shrine to pray for our fortune. The shrine was established in 8th century and the main building was built in 1813. 

We had morning coffee and breakfast at a cafe near the shrine. It was a nice cafe and the coffee was also good. We had our precious time there. 

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Work for Kumamoto

My son will go to Kumamoto for security work next week. After the massive quakes, many burglars have broke into houses there. He will patrol the towns there. 

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Finished Mockingbird

I finished an English audiobook, "To Kill a Mockingbird". The novel was for children or teens, but it was quite hard for me. Even so, I was really moved. And I really enjoyed their childhood episodes, these were somewhat funny. 

The narrator's father Atticus Finch was a real hero. The narrator, Scout and her brother loved each other so deeply. It was a heartwarming relationship. The whole story was based on the author's family and childhood. 

I'll watch the film version later. The movie was filmed in California. They couldn't make the movie in the south at the time because the story criticized southern racism. 

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Disappeared

I wrote today's blog and was about uploaded it. But something happened. It vanished! I don't have any energy to reproduce the plog post, anyway.    

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Chapter 21

I'm listening to "To Kill a Mockingbird". I've managed to chase the story line, but I missed many details because of my poor English skills. Now I'm at chapter 21.

The father and lawyer in the novel Atticus Finch was placed the top hero of the American film history. I've never watched the move, but I think I have to watch the move. I ordered the DVD and I'll enjoy watching the movie.  

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Weekly English Newspaper

I subscribed a weekly newspaper, The New York Times Weekly Review. I used to read daily English news paper or weekly magazine, TIME. It was way hard for me. I couldn't read only a tenth of them. I looked for suitable English material to me and I thought weekly newspaper would be good. 

The weekly paper is collecting articles from American newspaper, The New York Times. Originally, the articles are for American, not for English learners. I have glanced over the first arrived issue and found that they didn't use super big word in the paper. That's best for me. 

I've just decided to take Eiken 1st-grade. It's definitely hard task for me, but I believe that at least reading authentic English helps me for the test. 

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Mitsubishi Scandal

Mitsubishi Mortors made up fake fuel economy data for over 25 years. After the news had released, their sales has been reducing dramatically. I wouldn't surprise if they got out manufacturing cars. 

I liked Mitsubishi cars before. I had three Pajoros in my twenties and thirties.  I was proud of driving Mitsubishi cars then. So, I'm reall sorry to hear the news. I hope Mitsubishi will regain credibility someday. But that might be really hard for them. 

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TOPIC：THE ADVANTAGES AND / OR DISADVANTAGES OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION POINTS： Environmental effects Traffic conditions Independence Costs Safety Accessibility

Eiken practice 

Public transportation is necessary for modern people. Public transportation has lots of advantages. 

First, public transportation has good environmental effects. Using more public ransportation reduces use of automobiles. That also cuts the green house gas emissions. 

Second, increasing use of transportation naturally reduces car use. It works for good traffic conditions. 

Third, public transportation is less danger than car use. It has high safety rates. Recently, many elderly drivers are having car accidents because of their ages.  

For these reasons, public transportation has lots of advantages for us. 

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What I'm Doing Now

I'm listening to "To Kill a Mockingbird" with Audible. I'm at chapter 7 now. I also read the novel with Kindle. I'm around chapter 4 now. The novel won the Pulizer Prize and became a successful film in 1962. 

While taking bath, I'm reading "Flowers for Algernon". I can read only two or three pages a day because I can't bath a long time. Charlie is getting smart now. 

These are what I'm doing in English now. 

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2016 Election

While Donald Trump likely to be the Republican party's presidencial candidate, former American president George W. Bush, Massachusettes governor Mitte Romney and other main republican politicians will not appear at the party's convention. What would happen then?

I read some articles about the presidential election, they said that Mr. Trump will probably lose the general election. But nobody knows the closing. An odds‐on favorite often lost the election in the US history. 

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Sports Trip

My son came home from a table tennis trip with his high school team mates. He left home on May 2nd. 

First, he headed to Gifu prefecture. He visited Asahi university there. He played with college top players. 

He went to Kanszawa next. He visited Yugakukan High School. The team is the top 4 high school team. 

And the last day, he went to Osaka-Toin high school. 

He said that he had a good experience. He will take part in the qualifier for Inter High School next month. It would be a big event for him. I'm sure this experience will help his performance at the games.  

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Finished a Murakami

I finished an audiobook, "Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World" with Audible app. It was 14 hours long and took 10 days for me. Sometimes, l had lost while listening to Hard-boiled part, but I managed to through it. 

I really enjoyed the twisted story. It's far from realistic and of course, that was real Murakami's world. 

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Working on Hilidays

It's a national holiday today. Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow are tha same. Even so, I have to work during Golden Week. Thanks for my customers!

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Satomi's Sister Becomes Joryu-pro

Four Crown Women's Shogi-pro Kana Satimo's younger sister, Saki Satomi, has become a professional Joryu-kishi. She won the qualifier of Joryu-Osho Sen and advanced to the next stage. That made her a professional female shogi player. Two other siblings already became Joryu-pro. 

Kana and Saki were born in Shimsne. Kana became a pro-shogi player when she was only 12. After that she won a lot of female titles. She is trying to be a Pro-kishi now. No female player becomes Pro-kishi. 

I hope the sisters will face each other at Joryu title match someday. 

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Table Tennis Qualifier

My son took part in the qualifier for Chugoku High School Table Tennis Taurnament. He managed to advance the top 16, so he will participate Chugoku High School Table Tennis Taurnament.  

He couldn't join his high school team member, 8 players, but he could get the ticket to the next stage. Only 5 player in his school will advance to the Taurnament. I'm really proud of my son. 

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