国内お勧めの旅行先は？

My wife Hiroe and I are planning a trip to Hiroshima this spring and while talking about the specifics of our trip last week, our conversation grew and grew when we spoke about all the OTHER places we could visit on the way or near Hiroshima. Because there are so many exciting or beautiful places that we could visit, it actually makes it difficult to decide what we should do! For example, along the way to Hiroshima, we could stop at Dougo Onsen in Matsuyama, ikutsushima Shrine on Miyajima, or any of the islands in the Inland Sea, The Great Seto Bridge, Okayama Korakuen, Kurashiki in Okayama, etc., etc., etc!

And I’m sure that you also have some suggestions for us, right?

So that leads me to this week’s question. There are so many special places in Japan, some well known and some not well known, what are some places that you would recommend for visitors coming here? And then, be ready to discuss what is so special about those places as well as explain what can people do there, see there, photograph there, eat there or what can they experience there.

Have a good week and I will look forward to hearing your ideas.

Keith//

This week’s vocabularies:

specifics of our trip
旅行の詳細

on the way
その途中で

The Inland Sea
内海

誕生日にまつわる質問

My birthday was a few weeks ago and around that time, someone asked me how it felt to become 41 years old. I said it didn’t feel any different than when I became 40 years old. And for that matter, it didn’t feel any different than when I was 39 or 38 or 37 years old.

I DON'T care about my age, I ONLY care whether I am happy or not. I am indifferent about birthday cakes, birthday cards, birthday presents and the “birthday song” (Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you...). I don’t have a negative feeling about these things and I know they are important to many people, they just aren’t very important to me. How about you?

So this week’s questions are:
Is your birthday a happy or unhappy occasion?
What do you usually do on your birthday?
What do you like about your birthday?
What do you dislike about your birthday?
When you were younger, what did you do for your birthday?
In Japan, what do people usually do for their birthdays?
What is a typical gift for kids on their birthdays?
What was the best birthday gift you ever got?

Have a good week and I will look forward to hearing from you.

Keith//

This week’s vocabularies:

around that time...
その辺の時期に

for that matter
その件については、

indifferent
無関心な、どっちでも構わない

occasion
時、機会

typical
典型的な、代表的な

CO2の排出量を減らすために、あなたがしていることは？

Last week’s answers surprised me a little bit. EVERY PERSON I spoke to said they felt UNVAVORABLE about North Korea. There were other countries they felt unfavorable about too, for example, China, Myanmar, Iraq and America, but the most unfavorable country was North Korea. Everyone said they feared North Korea and their nuclear ambitions (核兵器への野心). I wish there would have been more time to discuss that question but maybe another time. Or you could always leave your thoughts in the comments section below. I will respond and would love to continue the conversation.

Ok, on to this week’s topic. This week, I read a United Nations webpage called, “12 little things” that focuses on fighting climate change. Basically, it says how each of us, in our own little way, can reduce climate change in our own lives and houses. In other words, we can reduce our carbon footprint. You can read the “12 little things” below. After reading, think about the following questions:

Q. How many of the “12 little things” do you do in your daily life?

and...

Q. What, if anything, do you do to decrease your carbon footprint?

Here are the “12 little things” you can do according to the UN:

TURN IT OFF
Turn off your lights, televisions, DVD players, stereos and computers when you are not using them because they can use between 10% to 40% of the power even when they are on standby. Also, unplug battery chargers (i.e., portable telephone chargers) as soon as they have finished charging.

BE EXACT
When making tea or coffee, fill your kettle with only as much water as you need.

CLOSE IT ASAP
Don't leave fridge doors open for longer than necessary.

CHECK YOUR CAR TIRES
Inflate your tires to the correct pressure to improve your car’s fuel efficiency.

DON’T USE PLASTIC
Use cloth or reusable bags when shopping and avoid buying products that use unnecessary wrapping.

USE A FAN
Instead of using air conditioners in the summer, wear cool clothes, and use a fan.

DRIVE LESS
Do your weekly errands in a single trip and pay your bills online. Walk, bike, ride the bus or carpool as much as you can.

SLOW DOWN
If you drive slower than 90 kph, you will consume up to 25% less fuel.

DRIVE A HYBRID CAR
A hybrid or other fuel-efficient car emits less carbon dioxide.

REPLACE
Replace your regular light bulbs with a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL). CFLs cost more but use about one third less power.

WATCH WHAT YOU EAT
Choose as much local food as you can—food which was grown or made near you.

RECYCLE
Consume less, and re-use old products.

There isn’t a Japanese website for “12 simple things” but if you wish to view the site in English, click this here.

Have a good week and I will look forward to hearing from you.

Keith//

This week’s vocabularies:

United Nations
国連

focus
集中する

fighting
食い止める

reduce
…（の程度数量など）を減らす

carbon footprint　
人間の活動が地球温暖化に及ぼす影響を、CO2の排出量に数字で換算した数値

standby
スタンバイ.

unplug
（プラグを抜いて）電源を切る

fridge
冷蔵庫(refrigerator).

necessary
必要な

inflate
（空気ガスで）膨張させる, 拡張する

correct
正しい

pressure (tire pressure)
気圧

fuel efficiency
燃費効率がよい, 低燃費の

unnecessary
不必要な,

instead
それよりむしろ, その代わりに,

errand
雑用

carpool
（通勤買い物で）自動車の相乗り

consume
消費する

hybrid car
ハイブリッドカー

replace
替える

compact
コンパクトな

fluorescent light bulb
螢光灯