Easy English Blog

This blog is for learners of English.

I Talk You Talk Press staff blog about many different topics – life, study, language, work, travel, books, music, film, culture, cooking, and many more, all in easy English!

[Easy English Blog]Halloween

/ italkyoutalk
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It is nearly Halloween. Do you do anything for Halloween? It has become popular in Japan in recent years. There are some Halloween parties in the city where I live, and many children I know are going to events.

It has become a popular event in the UK too. When I was a child, it was not so popular. There were some Halloween parties, but not many. I remember one year, I went to a Halloween party at a local community centre. My friends and I dressed up as ghosts and witches. I was a witch. I had a tall, pointed hat, and a costume made from plastic garbage bags. I took the broom from my house. One of my friends wore a white bedsheet. She was a ghost. Unfortunately, she didn’t put eye holes in the sheet, so she couldn’t see! Nowadays, there are many costumes available, especially online.

Also, trick or treating has become popular. When I was a child, no one went trick or treating. Maybe it is an American tradition. At the Halloween party I went to, we played Apple Bobbing. In this game, apples are put into a bowl of water. People have to catch an apple with their teeth. They cannot use their hands. I didn’t enjoy the game, because my face got wet! But the apple was tasty!

I wonder what games children play at Halloween parties nowadays?

[Easy English Blog]What do you want to be when you grow up?

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“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

The other day, I asked some children this question. One wants to be a doctor. Another wants to be a teacher. I was impressed with their answers. When I was a child, I wanted to be a Formula 1 driver.

I loved watching Formula 1 racing on TV. I bought many magazines and books about Formula 1 and the drivers. I wanted to be like them. All of the drivers were men, but still, I thought I could become a racing driver. Of course, it was impossible. I didn’t have any money or experience. I didn’t live near any racing circuits or teams. I was just a small girl with a dream.

My dream changed when I got older. I wanted to be a musician. So, I went to music college and studied to become a musician. Unfortunately, I wasn’t good enough. Then, I decided I wanted to become a Japanese translator. So, I studied Japanese hard, and at last, I succeeded. This dream was more realistic than my earlier dreams. Now, when I think about my earlier dream of becoming a Formula 1 driver, I laugh.

I wonder if the children I spoke to will grow up to become a doctor and a teacher. I hope their dreams come true.

[Easy English Blog]Leaving the prefecture

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How often do you visit other areas of your country? This year, I have left the prefecture where I live only three times. I went to Tokyo in March, Okayama in April, and Hiroshima earlier this month.

Every year, I say to myself “I’m going to travel to other places in Japan more often this year.” But time passes so quickly! Last year, I only left the prefecture once – when I went to Osaka to fly back to the UK. The year before, I left the prefecture twice – I went to Tokyo and Osaka.

The area of Japan where I live is far from major cities. It is a rural area. It is quite expensive and time-consuming (time-consuming = takes a lot of time) to travel to other parts of Japan. The nearest major cities are Okayama and Hiroshima. It takes around 2 and a half hours to 3 hours to reach those cities by train or by car.

I love the place where I live, but sometimes, I wish I lived a little nearer to a big city. When I travel to big cities like Tokyo, I feel energized. There are a lot of people in the cities, so there is a lot of energy. I like that. However, I wouldn’t like to live in a big city.

A long time ago, I moved to Osaka for work. It was convenient, but it was tiring (tiring = makes me tired). It was also lonely. There were many people there, but I had few close friends. So, I quit my job and moved back to a rural area. I think I made a good decision, but sometimes, I miss the city.

Next year, I’m going to try to visit other places in Japan more often.

[Easy English Blog]Shopping

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Where do you do most of your shopping? I do most of my shopping online. It is convenient and easy, and I can shop any time of the day or night. The only shops I use are the drugstore and supermarkets.

In my hometown in the UK, many shops are closing. The main street used to be bustling (bustling = lively and busy), but now, it is quiet. Not many people go into town anymore because there aren’t many shops. There aren’t many shops because more and more people are shopping on the Internet.

The streets of my city in Japan are quiet too. The larger shopping centres are busy on weekends, and supermarkets are busy in the late afternoon, but mostly, the city is quiet. There are some very old, small shops. I wonder how they manage to stay in business. Maybe they have regular customers who they know well.

As more and more people shop online, I wonder what will happen to our towns and cities in the future. Will our town centres disappear? I feel sad when I go home and see so many empty shops in the town centre. But really, I am part of the problem. I prefer to shop online, and I don’t go to the shops. So, I can’t complain when they go out of business (go out of business = stop trading). Maybe I should make more effort to shop local and support local business owners.

[Easy English Blog] Yomegashima

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Yomegashima is a small island in Lake Shinji in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. Lake Shinji is the seventh largest lake in Japan. In the mornings, there are many fishing boats on the lake. The owners of the boats go into the water and collect shijimi clams. In the evening, the sun sets over Lake Shinji. It sets behind Yomegashima island. Many people gather to watch the sunset and take photographs.

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Yomegashima is a sacred island. It has a torii shrine gate, and many pine trees. Normally, people cannot visit the island, but once a year, there is a walking event. People walk through the water to the island. A few years ago, there was a tea ceremony event on the island. Boats took visitors to the island for a tea ceremony. I went with my friend. The scenery was beautiful.

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The name “Yomegashima” means “bride’s island”. It has a sad story. According to a local legend, a young bride was homesick. She wanted to leave her husband’s house and go to her own family. So, she walked across the lake when it was frozen. Unfortunatley, she fell through the ice into the water and drowned.

The gods made an island in the spot where the young bride drowned.

If you visit Matsue, make sure you visit Lake Shinji and see Yomegashima. I recommend you go at sunset time. It is really beautiful.

[Easy English Blog]Pen pals

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When I was a teenager, I had pen pals. I registered with a pen pal company, and they connected me with other young people in other countries. At that time, there was no Internet or social media, so we wrote letters to each other.

I had pen pals in Morocco, The Philippines, Estonia, Germany, Japan, Canada, Australia, the USA, China and Hong Kong. I wrote to my penpals for many years. Sometimes we sent each other presents. I was always happy to recieve traditional items from the different countries.

My pen pal from Japan was called Megumi. She used to send me pictures of cherry blossoms. She also sent me a jigsaw puzzle of a traditional Japanese painting. We wrote to each other for a few years, but then we lost touch. (lose touch = lose contact)

I often wonder how she is. I have lived in Japan for 18 years, but she doesn’t know that. I still have her old address. Sometimes, I think, “Should I write to her old address?” But I’m sure she is not there anymore. She has probably moved away. Maybe she is married with children. Maybe she doesn’t remember me. I would like to contact her again to say thank you. Thanks to her, I could learn about Japan and Japanese life when I was living in the UK.

Now we have social media, so it is very easy to become friends with people around the world. Teenagers can meet people and learn about other countries easily. However, I’m glad there was no social media when I was a teenager. I remember how excited I was when I got home from school and found a letter from a pen pal! It made me very happy.

[Easy English Blog] Chippy tea

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I go back to the UK every year. As soon as I arrive at the airport, I go straight to the shop to buy chocolate! Then, when we are driving home, my mother always asks, “Shall we have a chippy tea tonight?”

I’m from north England. In the north, fish and chip shops are called “chippies”. Also, “dinner” is called “tea”. So, “a chippy tea” means to buy dinner from a fish and chip shop.

I always have a chippy tea on my first day back in the UK. I don’t eat fish, so I just have chips, with lots of salt and vinegar. (I know, this is not healthy, but it is only once a year!)

The taste reminds me of my childhood. When I was a child, we sometimes had chippy teas. There was a chippy near my house. My mum used to send me there to buy the fish and chips. The staff wrapped the fish and chips in old newspapers. Some people used to take their own plates and towels. The staff used to put the fish and chips on the plates, and then wrap the plates with the towels so the food stayed warm.

Now, fish and chips are usually served in cartons. I miss the smell of greasy newspaper and chips! I’m going back to the UK in December. As usual, I will have a chippy tea on my first night there. I can’t wait!

[Easy English Blog] We joined Pinterest

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black and silver film camera on brown wooden surface

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We joined Pinterest a few days ago. It’s fun! I could spend hours on it looking at all the beautiful images on the site. I made a board featuring images from our area in Japan. We are based in Shimane, which is a beautiful rural region of the country. I found many images of Shimane for the board. I’m also going to add some of my own.

I also made a board for people who are studying English. If you are studying English, I recommend you look at Pinterest. There are so many resources and links.

Are you on Pinterest? If you are, look us up! We are here!

[Easy English Blog]Driving in Japan

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I live in a rural area of Japan, so I need a car to get around. I used a bicycle for a year before I bought my first car. I enjoyed riding my bicycle, but it was hard in winter because we get a lot of snow here. Also, I couldn’t go out of town so easily, because there weren’t many buses or trains. (There still aren’t!)

So, I got a car. I had to get my British licence translated into Japanese, but I think that was all. I didn’t have to take a test. I got my Japanese licence 17 years ago, so maybe the rules have changed now. Driving in Japan is easy for me, because we drive on the left, just like in the UK. The one difference that surprised me was that I had to get snow tires for winter. In the area of the UK where I am from, we used the same tires in winter, even when it was snowy and icy.

When I got my first car in Japan, I started to drive everywhere. I drove to work, the supermarket, my friends’ houses…I’m sure I put on weight! I also drove out to the villages and towns near my city. I also drove to the mountains and the sea. Some of these places are very difficult to get to without a car. I don’t have many problems driving to these places. Even in the countryside, in the small villages and towns, the roads are usually well-maintained.

Autumn is my favourite season. So, every autumn, I drive into the mountains to see the autumn leaves. I hope I have time to go this year. If I do, I’ll take some photographs for this blog. I really don’t like driving in winter though. The main roads are usually fine, but the smaller roads near my house are so icy and slippery. Even with snow tires, my car slides around! The snow was bad early this year. I had to wake up earlier than usual to dig my car out of the snow. But it is better than having no car. So I shouldn’t complain!

[Easy English Blog] Friends in different seasons

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I have friends who live in Australia and New Zealand. We often talk on Skype. Our conversations usually start with the weather. I spoke to my friend in New Zealand today. It is autumn in Japan, but it is spring in New Zealand.

I told her that it was getting cooler here, and she told me that it was getting warmer there. It’s interesting when we speak in winter or summer. When it’s winter here, I have the heater on, and I wear thick sweaters, while she has her windows open and wears a T-shirt!

It’s interesting to hear my friends’ stories about Christmas. I associate Christmas with snow, warm drinks, and hot fires. My friends in the Southern Hemisphere associate Christmas with the beach, or the swimming pool and cold drinks.

I’d like to visit my friends one day. I’d like to go during summertime in Japan. I don’t like the heat, so it will be good to get away from the heat and humidity. It will also be winter in New Zealand and Australia, which means it will be cool, and there won’t be so many insects! I’m really scared of insects. My friend in Australia always tells me stories about the insects in his garden. I don’t want to see them!