Good evening.

Are you having a fun weekend?

I'd just like to say thank you for the present.

I am having a cup of coffee now with it with a piece of cheesecake!!!

Scotty is after the cake as I am typing.

Shep is outside, as usual.

Question*

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE DRINK AND WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO DRINK IT?

As for me, I like a beer after I get home from a long walk, especially a Bass Pale Ale!

Take good care and the next class is at the usual place at the usual time.

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Quiz. What is this building in my home town?

Sorry one and all for neglecting the Blog.
First of all there will be a class at the International Lounge on Wednesday this week
with tea or coffee and (who knows?)
One of my students of 17 years passed away last week. She was 84.
I attended her wake and funeral at the weekend.
I also have a bad cold (which should be ok by Wednesday so don't be afraid
of sitting near me.
Anyway, I hope you are all fine.
Hope to meet you soon.
Nick

Wednesday (and a bit of irony)

As usual the class will be held at the International Lounge from 10:30.

I went to Odawara on Saturday to pick up my new glasses!! and...
I walked past my old work place (your old place of study) and....
there was a notice on the door.
"Wanted! 50 Hostesses to work here from April"
Nova will be a hostess bar or cabaret!
Great! (ironic) Odawara needs something like that in front of the station with the pachinko parlours and the Keirin on the hill. (more irony)
Sigh!

SAWREY

There are two Sawrey's. Near Sawrey and Far Sawrey. They are next to each other. Very few people live there. There are 4 or 5 guest houses . One shop and post office combined, but it does have Hilltop Farm. The farm bought by Beatrix Potter. You can see many of te scenes form her books around the village. Rather a boring place to live ,but a delightful place to visit and stay a while.

Today,there were 4 ladies present at the class. The lesson was not difficult to understand but a bit difficult to do perfectly. We had coffee. Yoshimi brought waffle cookies and Kie brought Collon (strange name Colon in English"Chokucho")
It seems to be the same shape too.
But the taste was good. Thanks!
Kumiko had to leave urgently. I hope her mother is OK. Tomoko also had to leave a bit earlier.
Anyway,the next class is at Akiko's on Friday and then at the "usual place" next Wednesday.
I have a ringing in my ears. Many people say, "It is old age creeping in." No way!!
And in today's class. Kie recommended drinking a spoonful of olive oil and veg. juice to combat cedar pollen allergy and to keep healthy. It might work!
If Midori is there, Hi! I hope your new job is going all right. Keep in touch!
And Eri seemed to be a bit under the weather lately. I hope all is well over there in Kannami!
Take care one and all and see you soon. Nick

Jack Sparrow's father.

Johnny Depp based the character of Jack Sparrow on the gentleman on the right.
Who is he and what does he do? The T-shirt being worn by the producer/director might help with the answer.

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A mini quiz

In the pictures below:
What are the cliffs made of?
What is growing in the field?
A shop in London famous for it's cloth. What is it's name?
What kind of church is it?
What kind of roof is it?

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He ,who shall not be named!

This station is in the Lake District. What famous movie used it for a location shot?

WHICH ROSE DO YOU LIKE?

What are these?

Quiz: Which is the female? (oops!)

Die Hard

Today at the I Lounge there was only E Swan. The table was rather large and an elderly man came in and sat at the other end of the table where he started to eat his packed lunch. He came over and gave us an orange each. E.S. gave him a cake and a cookie in return. Also the lady in charge got a cookie and cake too!
We must be a popular group among all the people who use that place.
Anyway,the room has been booked for the following 2 weeks.
This Friday there will be no lesson.
It will be St. Valentines Day in about an hour so may I wish you all a Happy St Valentines Day . I am getting used to not getting any these days. (sigh)
Nick

This is where my dog works.

A Famous(but tiny) Shop in Grasmere

But what do they sell???? Do you want a hint? You always get the main ingredient with sushi!

Tea Caddy?

Yes. This is called a "tea Caddy". It contains tea. In Japan, ANA planes sometimes have Pokemon on the fuselage(plane body) In England,Wallace and Gromit are on the PG Tips tea caddy!!
No connection? Maybe not.

IT IS TIME FOR A QUIZ!!!

What are these called? They are very traditional in Britain.

I'm back

The bar at The Queens Head (double click to enlarge the picture)
This is outside the Queens Head

Sorry for the lack of posts on this site lately.

I have not forgotten about you all. I sometimes neglect things out of laziness but this time I have been busy making a kids English programme. Making textbooks,flashcards and games. My eyes have been tired with looking at the PC monitor so I didn't feel like using the computer so much.

I have almost finished the book for the first year.

Satisfied? No. I donot have any students to use it yet! (smile)

This Wednesday's class will be at the International Lounge at 10:30.

Tom Cruise cannot attend this week so I will be there instead.

I found this picture the other day.

It is of the bar at The Queens Head pub in Hawkshead at Christmas.

Hawkshead is a lovely village of old houses in the Lake District.

I dropped in there for a beer last year.

It was magical!

People often ask me what I miss about my home country.

I'd have to say "country pubs"

If you were an expatriate (a person living in another country),

what do you think you would miss? (not family or friends as that goes without saying)

See you all soon

I will also add some pictures of Hawkshead.But you already saw them,didn't you?

Good evening. Another chilly day wasn't it?
As usual I have been neglecting the blog.
I added a counter at the bottom ,so you can see how many people come to the site.
I didn't look yet!.
I just had a class at home. I usually give scotty a treat to keep him quiet.
It seems he overdid it and threw up on the carpet during the class.
I have been trying to upload video clips ont this blog ....but failed
Sigh!
I am useless with computers.

By the way. The next class will be at the International Lounge on Wednesday.
Maybe only 2 or 3 will attend.
Last Wednesday there six of you! Great!
I am getting used
I also think we should have a small break (especially in the winter if you knowwhat I mean)
So around 11:15 we will have a 5 minute break to let you powder your noses!
See you soon and keep warm and healthy
Nick

Border Collie Puppies!!

Good evening ladies. It was bitterly cold today, wasn't it?

This is just to remind you or to let you know that the next lesson is at the International Lounge again on Wednesday this week.

Hope to see you then.

Nick

This shows what the average Briton uses or has in his/her lifetime.

Double click the picture to enlarge it.

Hello one and all (That means "everyone")

As usual I have been neglecting this webpage or blog or whatever.

It was a bit chilly this weekend.

Today it was "Coming of age day " and also Dondonyaki day.

I wonder if any people were in a postion where they couldn't decide which to attend.

Maybe not.

Just a reminder that the class on Wednesday 16th is at the International Lounge.

Also if you have any requests for a lesson , please send me an email or a comment on this blog.

Keep warm and don't catch viral gastroenteritis!!

Nick

WEDNESDAY 9th 10:30

There will be a class tomorrow at DOUTOR in Odawara from 10:30. At the moment only 2 will attend. But everyone is welcome ...of course.
It is the season for Snowdrops. This is a Snowdrop wood in Britain.

NEW YEARS' RESOLUTIONS

As you probably predicted here it is!
Did you make any new year resolutions?
I didn't. But will now......
errr ,let me see.
I am going to try not to lose my job again.
I will try and eat healthier food and lose my "love handles"
And I am going to try to stop playing Solitaire on Windows.

How about you young ladies???

The Old Look Scotty

This is when Scotty took part in the elections last year. At least he did better than Mr Kobayashi, who was disqualified!

A mop? No ! Just sleeping and being guarded by my old friend Jack Sparrow!! Jack!! Come home!!

Actually, just cooling down on a hot summers day. He looks sad, but really is saying "AHHHHHHHH!!!! Just the thing!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I hope everyone enjoyed the new year break and didn't over-do it!
The weather was good. Did you do the usual things? Flying kites.badminton in the garden, karuta(hyakuninshu)??? Maybe not.
More likely you watched the NHK song contest and the Ekiden.Right?
Not my cup of tea to tell the truth,but the seem to be new year favourites.
Did anyone go back to their home town to visit relatives?
I did very little. I intended to go to Tokyo to visit relatives, but was a bit under the weather, so gave it a miss.
I got a bit bored being in the house so gave Scotty a hair-cut. I kind of regret it now as no one seems to like it, apart from me.Ah,well. You can't please everyone.
And I did some baking! I made some pies and scones. Very British, aren't I? Especially the spare tyre I now have with all the calories! (it means "fat stomach")
I am not sure when the first lesson will be on Wednesday.There will be a lesson on the 16th of course but I heard from Miss Swan that some people can not attend on the 9th. So if you would like to have a lesson on the 9th please reply to this post.
Otherwise the first class will be on the 16th in a place I will inform you of later.
Nick.

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