Water Idioms

Today, I took a walk along the river, it reminded me of three water idioms. The first is "...like a duck to water". The meaning is that you could do a new skill very easily or be comfortable in a new situation quickly. A lot of people ask me, "Was it difficult to live in Japan at first"? My answer is "No, It was like a duck to water", meaning I was very comfortable in Japan from the very start. Teaching English was like a duck to water for me too, very quickly I became confident.

The next idiom is "Keep your head above water", it means a time when you had money problems. For example almost ten years ago I quit NOVA英会話、I did not like how the company had changed, so I decided to leave. At first it was difficult, because I had only a little work, but I could keep my head above water and now I have built a good life. 

The final idiom is "It is water under the bridge", meaning a bad experience in the past, but it is a long time ago, so now you are fine. For example: a lot of people ask me if I am married and I reply "No, I'm divorced", they then say "Oh, I'm sorry", and I reply "Don't worry, it is water under the bridge". Which means it was a bad experience in the past, but now I am fine.

For class make two presentations, using two of these idioms. See you in class.

What is important for you?

いつも鴨川は美しいですね

• I make it a hard and fast rule to write in Japanese every day.

私の大切なルールは毎日日本国を書きます。

• It is important for me to cook four times a week.

毎週4回、料理を作ることが大切です。
 

• I always make time to read.

いつも読むのに時間を見つけます。

 I make it a hard and fast rule to write in Japanese every day. This is very good practice for me. But I think that communication is the key to learning another language, so I always upload my writings to Facebook, Instagram and HelloTalk. I often take photos, so I often write about them. But talking is also very important, so recently I have made it a hard and fast rule to make a Japanese video once a week and upload that too.

I am usually very busy and often go home late. So I often eat out, but it is important for me to cook four times a week. Home cooking is very important and I enjoy the creativity of cooking. It is important for me to cook using lots of fresh vegetables for my health.

I always make time to read. Reading is a very important way to learn new things and is more effective than watching documentaries, I believe. I like novels too, I enjoy them more than movies. I plan to write a book about learning languages effectively, so I need to make time to write it.

For this weeks class, think of some questions to ask me about the above statements. Then make two talks for class, choosing the first lines from:

1. I always make it a hard and fast rule to...
2. It is important for me to...
3. I always make time to...

Bonus Video

 

英語のィベントを作っています。レストランで晩御飯を食べながら、英語で楽しい会話をします。最初は25日インド料理の店に行きます。値段は二千円と自分の食べ物と飲み物の料金です。五人だけがイベントに参加できますので、もし興味があったら、早く連絡してくれませんか。

残り二席❗❗もし行きたかったら、

早く連絡してください。

今朝、普通の喫茶店で朝御飯を食べた。モーニングは本当にイギリスっぽかった。
ちょっと古くて、素敵なギター音楽がかかっていた。普通の日本の喫茶店だが、
70年代イギリスの雰囲気があった🎵

It is a Kyoto-like city

Please watch the video and read the sentences below. For class make two presentations using "何々ーlike" as the title and first line.

高山は京都のような町です。
Takayama is a Kyoto-like town.

Franze and Evens is a London bakery, but it has a French-like atmosphere.

Fish and chips is a tempura-like food, but tempura tastes better.

広告

Let your hair down

In April 1999 I started my training at Nova英会話 in Ebisu in Tokyo. When I arrived I was very nervous, but I had to hold my head-up. But I soon relaxed and started to enjoy the training. But I had studied education at university, so I knew some of the things they were teaching were not good, but I had to bite my tongue. I trained with two other new teachers and after the training had finished we went to an izakaya and let our hair down.

• If you are nervous but try to act confidently, you hold your head up.

• If there is something you want to say, but you should not say it, you bite your tongue.

• When you relax and have fun, you let your hair down.

Choose two of the above idioms and prepare two true talks about you, using them.

Bonus Video

新しい英語のィベントを作っています。毎月レストランで晩御飯を食べながら、英語で楽しい会話をします。最初は25日インド料理の店に行きます。値段は二千円と自分の食べ物と飲み物の料金です。五人だけがイベントに参加できますので、もし興味があったら、早く連絡してくれませんか。