Christmas is coming...

Only 5 days until Christmas and today my annual package from my parents in London arrived!!

Inside was the gravy I asked for to make the sauce for Christmas dinner and a selection of 3 mini Christmas cakes...with no strawberries in sight ;)

I am getting excited now...

COMING SOON...Top Ten Christmas Tunes!!

Stop to smell the roses

In class last week we had the phrase 'See the bigger picture'. It reminded me of one of my favourite sayings, 'Stop to smell the roses'.

Everyone should take time to 'stop and smell the roses'

Both have a similar meaning. Slow down for a minute, take a look at your life, ignore your problems for a while and see the positive things in your life.
This is something that we all need to do every now and again. Especially at the end of the year.
In Japan there are many "End of year parties" (in Japanese 'forget the year' party) which I always thought was a strange, however forward thinking, idea. Why would anyone want to forget the year that they had just lived?
Every year on New Year's Eve I sit alone for a few minutes and think about everything that had happened that year, and how I will learn from the mistakes I had made, to make the next year a little better, and just to take a minute to 'stop and smell the roses'.

2012 has been a great year for me...here's to 2013!! (if the world doesn't end on December 21st ;)

Santa Claus is coming to town

It is this time of year that I start to feel homesick. Christmas in London holds so many good memories for me that when December the first comes around and Christmas songs start appearing around town the memories come flooding back.
I was feeling especially homesick the other day and decided to take a look on the internet at the most famous Christmas lights in London, in Oxford Street, which are sponsored by Marmite (the smelly brown foodstuff that I love)

 Then I found a link to another set of Christmas lights in Carnaby Street and I love them!!
I know they are not particularly Christmassy but the design and the presentation are wonderful.
I just wish I could go there to see them in person and walk around in the freezing, rainy evening air, eating a bag of roasted chestnuts and feeling that special Christmas feeling.

Oh by the way, as I mentioned Christmas music here is my all time favourite Christmas song...enjoy :)

Great drawing

Yesterday, in an elementary school class I was doing 'He is wearing.../ She is wearing...' and learning some clothing and we were drawing some outfits for a listening/comprehension exercise.

I asked them to draw two pictures...

The first 'He is wearing a big, old, striped T-shirt', the second 'She is wearing a small, new, polka dot T-shirt'.

One of my students in the class, Miss A drew this really nicely...

...and Mr T drew this...

I love his imagination.
He is always sketching before and after class, and he is getting better and better. I can't wait to see what he draws next time!

Skin colour?

Last week I was teaching a kid's class and we were doing some colouring.
One of my kids asked me if I had 'skin colour' (肌色)

My first thought was 'What is skin colour?'

Whatever colour 'skin colour' is, it certainly isn't the colour which is called 'skin colour' in Japan, which is a mix of brown, orange and pink.
I have never seen anyone in my life with skin that colour!! If I did I would probably tell them to go to the nearest hospital!

Later I was thinking about it some more and remembering some of the differences between Japan and England.

In England, where there are so many people of different ethnic origins living together, it is definitely NOT OK to say skin colour...it would be considered racist, or offensive to anyone whose 'skin colour' is not the same colour as the resulting crayon.

England is the land of pc (politically correct) language. A place where it is not OK to sing the children's song 'Ba ba black sheep' for fear of offending people of African origin. A place where it is not OK to say 'policeman' because it may offend women.

The phrase 'politically correct' means language which cannot be offensive to anyone, or group of people, and I couldn't help but think that 'skin colour' could be offensive to most people...

Today I was surfing the web and came across this image which I think sums it up better than I ever could...true 'skin (flesh) colour'

The next time someone says '肌色', stop to think 'Exactly whose 'skin colour' is this?'

say / tell

I am often asked "What is the difference between 'say' and 'tell'?"

The meaning, of course, is very similar but the way to use them is different.

to tell (someone) (something)
to tell (someone) about (something)
to tell (someone) to (do - ) 

to say (something)
to say (something) to (someone)

eg.


He told me a story.
He told me about his plans for the weekend.
He told me to sit down.

He said (that) he was hungry.
He said 'hello' to her.

Sometimes you can use either to say the same thing...

He said he was hungry = He told me (that) he was hungry

He said "Sit down" = He told me to sit down

Hope this helps...if you have any questions please comment below :)

Amazing voice

I was just reading the news and I came across a piece about a new singer who is currently the favourite to win 'The X Factor', a UK TV talent show and I can see why...

She is only 16 years old but she has one of the most amazing raw voices I have ever heard...




Then last week on the show she sang Minnie Ripperton's 'Loving You'...it is amazing