extensive reading

[Easy English Blog] Christmas decorations

/ italkyoutalk
christmas tree with baubles

Photo by freestocks.org on Pexels.com

When I was a child, my family put Christmas decorations up around two weeks before Christmas. This was normal. Most families who lived near me did this. Nowadays, I hear about people in the UK putting Christmas decorations up after Halloween. This seems early to me. But maybe they want to enjoy the feeling of Christmas for a long time. That’s OK. Each to their own! (Each to their own = everyone is different)

How about shops? I went to a stationery shop the other day. It is already selling Christmas cards. Some shops also have Christmas decorations up. Soon, they will be playing Christmas music. When I was a child, shops usually started playing Christmas music and putting decorations up in early December. I liked this, because we could enjoy the Christmas feeling for a whole month. Now, I think some shops start earlier.

Do you put Christmas decorations up in your house? I don’t put them up in my house in Japan because I go home for Christmas. My family in the UK puts the Christmas tree up and decorates the house before I get home. The only time I visit the UK is at Christmas, so when I think of my home, I always think of it with a Christmas tree and Christmas decorations. It is a nice way to remember my home.

By Heather @ I Talk You Talk Press

 

[Easy English Blog] Dictionaries

/ italkyoutalk
black and white book business close up

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

What kind of dictionary do you use? Paper? Electronic? Or your phone?

For many years, I used paper dictionaries. I had various Japanese-English dictionaries, and I used them every day. They were big and heavy, but they contained a lot of words. When I went to the library to study, I took them with me. Of course, there were dictionaries in the library, but I liked the dictionaries I had. I was used to them, and one of them in particular was good. I still have that dictionary, although I never use it. It reminds me of when I was studying Japanese.

Now, I use an electronic dictionary. It is 11 years old, but I like it. It contains Japanese-English, English-English, and Japanese-Japanese dictionaries, and many other dictionaries which I never use. It also has Kanji tests and memory tests. It is much more convenient to carry around.

Nowadays, I notice that many students don’t have any kind of dictionary. They use their smartphones to look up words on online dictionaries. I also use online dictionaries when I am working or studying at home. I study languages in front of my computer, so it is easier to look up words and phrases on my computer. I am learning Russian and Chinese, but I don’t have a Russian or a Chinese dictionary. If I need to look up a word, I use my computer.

So, I wonder what will happen in the future. Will dictionaries become obsolete? (obsolete = not used anymore)

I wonder if anyone buys paper dictionaries anymore. I wonder if people will gradually stop using electronic dictionaries and just use their phones or their computers. It is certainly more convenient.

By Heather @ I Talk You Talk Press

[Easy English Blog] Sleepy afternoons

/ italkyoutalk
cat sleeping

Photo by Fabricio Trujillo on Pexels.com

Do you feel sleepy in the afternoons?

I do. I start working at 7:30am, so by 2:00pm, I am feeling drowsy (drowsy = sleepy). When I feel sleepy, I can’t do any creative work like writing or translating. So, I do mechanical work, like entering data or doing accounts. Sometimes, I will go to the bank or take a rest. But usually, I eat chocolate. This is a bad habit, because I do it every day. It is not good for me, or my teeth, but it gives me a bit of energy.

When I used to work in an office, I always bought chocolate for me and my colleagues. I often felt sleepy around 3-4pm, but of course, in the office, I couldn’t take a nap. So, I ate chocolate and drank coffee and continued working. Now that I work for myself, my day is a bit more flexible.

I feel even sleepier in the afternoons now, because I have started getting up earlier to exercise. I sometimes feel like I am wasting my afternoons when I feel really sleepy and have a nap. However, when I wake up, I feel energized (energized = full of energy), so I can work in the evenings instead.

In some countries, people have siestas in the afternoons. I think this is a good idea. I think I am more productive when I have a rest in the afternoons. But still, I feel guilty for not working. Maybe I need more coffee and more chocolate! 🙂

Heather @ I Talk You Talk Press

[Easy English Blog] Reading time

/ italkyoutalk
girl reading book while sitting beside desk globe

Photo by Frans Van Heerden on Pexels.com

When is your favourite time to read?

My favourite time is at night, before I go to sleep. I love reading in my futon, next to the heater. In fact, this is my favourite time of the day, because reading is my favourite hobby. I read until I feel very sleepy, and then I go to sleep. I fall asleep soon after reading.

I also like to read on Sunday afternoons. I like lying on the sofa with a cup of coffee and a good book. I used to read in coffee shops or in the library, but now, I like the peace and quiet of my house.

I have tried reading in the afternoons, but I don’t feel comfortable. I feel like I should be working instead of reading. So, I stick to my reading times of evenings and Sunday afternoons.

When I was a child, I used to read in the evenings after school. I did my homework and opened a book. I could read for many hours and not get tired. I read many kinds of books – both fiction and non-fiction. I was lucky enough to live near a library, so I never ran out of books to read.

Now, I usually read on my Kindle. So as soon as I’ve finished a book, I start browsing for the next one. I like that I can shop for books from my sofa on Sundays, or my futon at night!

Heather@ I Talk You Talk Press

[Easy English Blog] Getting up earlier

/ italkyoutalk
man sitting on edge facing sunset

Photo by Abhiram Prakash on Pexels.com

What time do you get up? What do you do when you get up?

About two weeks ago, I started getting up 30 minutes earlier than usual. I usually get up at 7:00am, but now, I get up at 6:30am.

I use the time to exercise. Last month, I decided to exercise at work. Every hour or so, I stretch or lift some weights. This is fine, but I want to do more. So, in the mornings, I go on my exercise bike for 15 minutes, and then do strength-training exercises and stretching for 15 minutes.

This has two effects. One, it makes me healthier, and two, it makes me feel more awake. When I start working after exercising, I feel like I have more energy. When I used to go running in the mornings, I felt the same way. I should start it again, but it is easier for me to exercise at home. (It is warmer too!)

After exercising, I have a shower, and start work with a cup of coffee. The coffee seems to taste better after exercising.

I keep this schedule from Monday to Friday. On Saturdays and Sundays, I get up at 7:00am. I exercise during the daytime and in the evenings on Saturdays and Sundays, so I skip my morning routine and sleep for an extra 30 minutes.

I hope I can keep up this routine even on cold winter days. It’s getting colder in the mornings now, so I’ll soon find out!

Heather @ I Talk You Talk Press

 

[Easy English Blog]Getting outside

/ italkyoutalk

I don’t spend much time outside. I work indoors, so I spend most of time time in a room, sitting at my desk. I like getting out into the fresh air though, especially in this season. I think fresh air and nature are good for the mind. They refresh us, and help us to think more clearly.

12029733_10205309246386636_2540526806477864625_o.jpg

My favourite time of the day to go outside is early morning. However, I often feel sleepy in the mornings, so I don’t go out so often. In the mornings, I open the window in my living room and exercise there. I really should go out running. I used to go out early in the mornings. I used to go for a walk or a run around Matsue Castle. I used to go around 6:00am. There were very few people around. It was nice and peaceful, and the air was so fresh and cool!

12034326_10205309249266708_2837632741391428755_o

These are some photos I took a while ago. I got up at 5:30am and went for a walk around Matsue Castle. It was a beautiful morning. I must get up early and go there again!

12022469_10205309245746620_6589173594658985626_o

12045340_10205309246306634_2393557522677027676_o

[Easy English Blog]Neighbours

/ italkyoutalk
apartment architecture balcony building

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

How often do you see your neighbours? I hardly ever see mine. I live in an apartment. There are many apartments in the building, but I don’t know who lives here. I sometimes see the lady next door. She is friendly. But I have never seen my neighbour on the other side of my apartment. Does a man live there? A woman? A family? I don’t know. I have never seen most of my neigbours on my floor. I see one man go to work every morning around 7:55am, and I see a high school boy go to school around 8:00am, but that is all. I walk past the other apartments and wonder “who lives there?”

When I lived in a house, I saw my neighbours regularly. I was a member of the resident’s association, so my neighbours often came to my house to collect money, or to bring information and leaflets about events in the local area. Everyone knew everyone else.

I’m not sure which I prefer. Sometimes, it was nice to see my neighbours, but other times, I felt like I had no privacy. Now, it is nice to have privacy, but I think it would be nice to know who is living in the same building as me.

[Short Story] Scare the Children

/ italkyoutalk
orange plastic bucket

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

Here is a short story for Halloween!

Wallace lives alone. He doesn’t like children.

He hates Halloween. He doesn’t want any children coming to his door for Trick or Treat. He doesn’t want to give them candy.

When the children ring his doorbell, Wallace gets very angry.  He doesn’t open the door. He stays inside and shouts “Go away!”

One Halloween, Wallace has an idea. I will scare the children. They will be too frightened to come to my door.

Wallace is very smart. He knows a lot about electronics. He goes to the electrical shop and buys everything he needs to scare the children. He buys a sensor, a mini sound player, speakers, batteries and switches.

He finds audio files of screams and groans on the Internet. He makes a recording.

Then he sets up his system in his mailbox.  He tests it. It works very well.

If anyone walks towards his gate, the recording will start playing. There will be very loud screams and groans. Wallace thinks the sounds will frighten the children and they will run away.

This year, Wallace is looking forward to Halloween.

He waits until it is dark. Then he goes to his mailbox and turns the sensor on. He turns the volume on the recorder up to maximum. He goes back into his house and waits by the window.

I will see the children in their costumes, he thinks. I will see them come to my house. I will see them run away because they are so scared.

About 30 minutes later a group of children walks down the street. They are dressed as ghosts, princesses, and super heroes. Their parents are with them. The parents are dressed up too. They walk to Wallace’s gate. The sensor works. The sounds of moans and screams are very, very loud. Wallace can hear them easily inside his house.

The children shout. They jump up and down. Wallace cannot believe it. The children laugh. They do not run away. They run towards Wallace’s door. They ring the bell.

“Go away!” shouts Wallace. The children are still laughing and talking outside his door. He waits for a long time.  Finally, it is quiet. The children have gone.

Wallace does not understand. I thought my plan was very clever. Why didn’t my plan work?

The next morning, Wallace goes out to his mailbox. He takes everything out of the mailbox.

Lucy Parks, who lives next door, comes into the street. “Wallace!” she shouts. “Thank you so much! The children loved your surprise!”

Wallace shakes his head and walks back inside.

It’s not surprising I don’t like children, he thinks. I don’t understand them at all!

[Easy English Blog]Halloween

/ italkyoutalk
children holding firecrackers outdoors

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

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?

/ italkyoutalk
woman stands behind green concrete wall

Photo by Jupen on Pexels.com

“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.