The other day a friend asked me a question which I’m sure quite a few people are asking. Is the iPad worth it? To get the top-of-the-line model will cost you a pretty penny, almost the same cost as a notebook computer so shouldn’t we invest the money into getting a full-blown computer rather than [...]
Having lived here for going on 15 years now people often ask me what I like about Japan. So I go through my list, in no particular order. 1. The people – I have always felt welcome here. 2. The Internet – high speed internet gives me access to nearly everything from home. Videos, shopping, [...]
Google has become synonymous with search. Nowadays we “google” it. Surprisingly though the #3 search engine is actually youtube. You can watch chefs cook their specialty dishes, everything from green curry to foie gras. I admit that these days I find myself more and more drawn to it in order to get answers to my computer problems. [...]
November this year marks the 10th anniversary of me working at Smith’s 英会話 Hirakata. It’s hard to believe how fast time has flown and how much things have changed during these past 10 years and how much I’ve changed. Today, though I turned 36 in June, I actually feel younger than I have in years. [...]
Each week that passes seems to fly by these days. It may be because I have a child or because I’m so focused on my work but regardless of the reason one thing I do find valuable is writing down what my goals are for the upcoming week. It doesn’t mean that I’ll get them [...]
One of the reasons I enjoy teaching English here at Smith’s 英会話 Hirakata is that I have a couple really cool kids classes. In one class I have two sisters, they are 10 and 11 years old. Actually, they are great kids, and get along together very well. I really kind of push them sometimes, [...]
Back in the 4th grade I clearly remember the yo-yo craze. It seems that about every 10 years or so that they come back into vogue. I also remember how bad I was at it back then. I was amazed at some of the moves my friends could do – “Walk the Dog” (which was [...]
at / of / to / in / with / upon / above / beyond / over / by / into / across / about There are a few students ______ the Hirakata Smith’s School ______ English that remark quite often that they look forward ______ me writing more “missing preposition” articles ______ the future. [...]
When I was young I remember Sony, National and Aiwa being the ones to turn to if you wanted an electronic gadget such as a new stereo or a walkman…boy, how times have changed. Now there are too many brands to even name. Simply choosing a camera to take on a trip can be overwhelming [...]
On Fridays there are two women that take classes, sometimes together and sometimes separately. They are both decent English speakers, and both have a similar dedication to learning English. The first woman started to learn English, because as a younger person in Junior and High School, English plagued her. She didn’t like it at the [...]
Bad Behavior has blocked 1333 access attempts in the last 7 days.