Japanese Lessons with Mayuna

Author: Mayuna

  • 7. 英語の独学

    はい、こんにちは。今回はポッドキャストの11回目です。前回は毎日あまり寒くないと言ったんですけれども、この一週間ぐらいで突然寒くなりまして、連日朝晩10度を切る日が続いています。私のアパートの周りにはビールがたくさんあって、ビル風が強いので、体感温度としては2、3度ぐらいです。

    Hello, this is podcast episode 11. Last time I said that the daily weather had not been very cold but after this week or so it got really cold all of the sudden. We’ve had several days where it was below 10 degrees in morning and evening. There are a lot of buildings around my apartment and they produce strong winds so with the wind chill it actually feels like 2 or 3 degrees.

    日本の冬はとても空気が乾燥しているので、肌がひび割れたり、声が枯れたりします。私は先週今まで使っていた加湿器を掃除の途中で誤って壊してしまい、壊れたその日に新しい加湿器を買いに行きました。加湿器は冬の必需品です。

    The winters in Japan have really dry air so your skin gets dry and cracked and your voice gets hoarse. I had been using a humidifier since last week but I accidentally broke it while cleaning it! So that same day I went out and bought a new one. Humidifiers are a winter necessity.

    今日はレッスンがある日だったんですけど、私はレッスンの時間を勘違いして、予定より2時間も早く起きてしまったので、少し眠いです。4時間しか寝ていません。で、最初のレッスンまで少し時間があったので、久しぶりに英語の勉強をしました。イギリスから日本に戻ってきてから英語を忘れないように、自分で教科書を使って勉強したり、アクセントのレッスンを受けたりしていたんですけど、今年は日本語教育能力検定試験のために4月から半年ぐらい試験勉強をしていたし、仕事が忙しくなってきたので、最近はなかなか英語の勉強する時間がありませんでした。ちょっと英語を忘れてきたような気がするので、また勉強を再開したいと思いました。

    Today I have lessons but I made a mistake with the lesson times and got up 2 hours earlier than what was actually scheduled, so I’m a little tired. I only slept for 4 hours. I had a little extra time before my first lesson, so I studied some things in English I hadn’t reviewed in a while. When I came back to Japan from the UK, I tried to remember my English, so I was studying using textbooks and taking accent lessons, but since I was studying for the Japanese Teaching Competency Exam for 4-6 months and work got busy, there hasn’t been any time for studying. I think I’ve forgotten a bit of English, so I wanted to start studying again.

    私が今使っているのは、ケンブリッジの上級レベルのビジネス・ボキャブラリー・イン・ユースという教科書なんですけど、これがですね、内容がすごく真面目で例文も問題も難しいので、結構時間がかかります。この教科書のいいところは、ボキャブラリーだけじゃなくて、その類義語や対義語もたくさん載っているところです。ただ、類義語や対義語の違いはやっぱり例文を読んだだけじゃよくわからないですね。本当はドラマや映画でも英語の勉強ができればいいんですけれども、Netflixはなかなか見る時間がないし、見たい番組もあまりなくて、今年の10月ぐらいに解約してしまいました。

    Right now, the book I’m using to study is Cambridge’s Advanced Level Business Vocabulary In Use, but here’s the thing. The content is for very serious learners. The examples and problems are difficult so it takes me a long time to get through them. One of the nice things about the book though is they don’t just provide the vocabulary but synonyms and antonyms as well. But of course just reading example sentences isn’t enough to get a good understanding of the synonyms and antonyms. Truthfully, I find movies and dramas in English a better way to study but I haven’t had much time to watch Netflix and there aren’t many shows I want to watch. I ended up letting my subscription expire, in October I think, of this year.

    フォーマルな表現が学べるドラマや映画や本があったら是非教えてください。はい、じゃあ今日はこんな感じで終わりたいと思います。また来週お会いしましょう。どうもありがとうございました。

    If you know of any dramas, movies, or books where I can study formal English expressions please let me know! Well, I think that’s all for today. See you next week and thanks for listening.

    Transcript and English translation by: Rob

  • How About Christmas in Japan?

    How About Christmas in Japan?

    Do the Japanese celebrate Christmas, and how is it different from places like the US and Europe?

    How do people spend Christmas in Japan? Even if you’ve never been to Japan before, you’ve probably seen and heard a lot of videos and podcasts from individuals about their daily lives. Therefore, rather than focusing on specific plans and goods for Christmas, this article will introduce the situation and perception of Christmas and normative Christmas activities in Japan.

    Is it a holiday in Japan?

    Christmas is not a public holiday in Japan and many people spend it in the same way as on a weekday. For this reason, we have plenty of convenience-focused options for Christmas. It has long been known that the Japanese people eat Kentucky Fried Chicken at Christmas, but in fact, Kentucky’s limited edition Christmas sets are large and require advance booking. Prepared food from convenience stores is more convenient for those who celebrate Christmas on the side.

    On Christmas Day, you usually find staff wearing Santa hats and reindeer ears selling cakes and chicken in front of convenience stores. Each slice of cake is individually packed, so you don’t have to worry about having too many if you live alone. You can find most Christmas items at 100 yen shops, including cards, costumes, gift wrapping, home decorations, ornaments, etc. 100 yen shops are everywhere and open until late, so you can pop in after work. It’s also handy if you need to buy something you forgot to buy.

    So how is Christmas celebrated?

    We usually decorate the house with a tree and a wreath, play Christmas songs, and serve cake, drumsticks, and non-alcoholic champagne.

    Food can be homemade or bought from a supermarket or department store. Before and after the meal, we pop the poppers, sing, play board games, and have fun together. Once children have gone to bed and fallen asleep, parents place the Christmas presents at the bedside.

    What might be different is that Japanese children generally receive one present each. But Children, as a pre-Christmas activity, write to Santa Clause to request a gift. This year it is also popular to buy an advent calendar for children to enjoy.

    Christmas could be a dating day. Couples eat out and enjoy a drink in a hotel or bar. Unlike the family Christmas, fashion items and accessories are chosen as gifts, which is perhaps a similar concept to Valentine’s Day. Many other outdoor events also take place at this time of year, such as Christmas markets and concerts. Christmas markets in Japan are not as large as those in Europe, but they sell sweets, drinks, and goods that are not familiar to Japanese people, so there is plenty for families and friends to enjoy.

    Is Christmas in Japan changing?

    We used to purchase a lot for Christmas, but in recent years consumers’ values have changed. From an environmental point of view, people are becoming more critical of mass production and disposable goods. With fewer opportunities for large gatherings and fewer couples with children, more and more people consider such events to be a hassle. As a result, there is a growing interest in simpler ways of celebrating, such as online drinking parties. At these events, there is not always food or activities that are unique to Christmas. This kind of change can also be seen in the way other holidays are celebrated. For example, there is a traditional New Year’s meal called “お節料理(せちりょうり)”, but nowadays, some families replace it with foreign cuisines such as French or Korean food because they find it boring or don’t like the taste. It’s also common for couples and families to argue over what they want to eat on New Year’s Day. In the future, personal ideas and circumstances may take precedence over tradition.

    How is Christmas in Japan different from Christmas in your country? Are there any similarities? How do you think Christmas will change in the future? Please also consider the reasons and factors behind them. Then, if possible, discuss with your teacher in a lesson. The way Japanese people spend Christmas varies from person to person, so you may get some completely unexpected opinions. We are still going through a difficult time this year, but whether you have plans or not, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas. Merry Christmas!

    Read on italki

  • 6. 自分で髪を切る

    はい、こんにちは。今回はポッドキャストの10回目です。最近だんだん寒くなってきているはずなんですけれども、今週大阪はずっと晴れた日が続いて、そんなに寒くありません。私は毎日、スーパーぐらいにしか出かけないんですけれども、連日午前中はジャケットを着なくても寒くないです。セーターだけで出かけています。

    Hi everyone, this is Podcast episode 10. It should be getting cold, but recently we’ve had many nice days in Osaka and it hasn’t been very cold at all. I only go out to places like the grocery store and morning after morning I’m not even wearing a jacket and it’s not cold. I’m just going out in a sweater/sweatshirt.

    そして昨日は休みだったんですけど、三つめの記事を書いていました。今回はテーマが文法についてではなかったので時間がかかりましたが、なんとか終わりました。二つ目の記事はもうすぐ発表されると思うので、発表されたらまたPatreonでお知らせします。

    So yesterday was my day off, I was writing my third article. This time, the theme was not about grammar so I was able to finish after some time. I think the second article should be released soon, once it’s released I’ll send a notification on Patreon.

    最近、私は自分で髪を切りました。夏ぐらいまでは近所の美容院に髪を切りに行っていたんですけれども、いつもお願いしていたスタイリストさんが退職してしまったんですね。だからそれ以降は自分で切ることにしました。まず髪を切る道具として、ハサミと、あとは「すきバサミ」っていう髪のボリュームを少なくするハサミがあるんですね。普通のハサミとは違って、なんか不思議な形のハサミなんですけど、特にアジア人の髪っていうのはまっすぐで太いので、ただ普通のハサミで切ると、毛先がほうきみたいになっちゃうんですね。だから、髪の下の方をすいて、自然な感じのヘアスタイルになるようにするためのハサミです。これをヨドバシカメラで買いました。二つ合わせて2,000円ちょっとでした。

    I cut my own hair recently. Up until summer time I was going to a Beauty Salon near me to get my hair cut. But the stylist I usually ask for had left. So from that point I decided to cut my own hair. But first of all, when it comes to hair cutting tools, scissors or rather combed scissors, are scissors that reduce the hair volume. They’re different than normal scissors, the shape of the scissors is kind of odd, but especially for Asian hair which is straight and thick, using normal scissors will make the tips of one’s hair look like a broom. So these scissors reduce the volume of hair tips so it makes a natural feeling hair style. I bought them at Yodobashi Camera. They were just over 2,000 yen for a set of 2.

    その後家に帰ってきて、Youtubeの動画を見て、切り方を勉強しました。自分で言うのもなんですが、なかなか上手に切れました。動画説明っていうのはやっぱりすごく分かりやすいですね。前髪を切るときは緊張しましたが、説明とお手本があれば安心です。私は今、髪の毛をピンクに染めているんですけれども、染め方もそろそろ違うスタイルにしようかなと思っています。

    After that, I came home and watched videos on youtube on how to cut hair. Maybe it’s just me, but I think I did a pretty good job 🙂 and The video explanation was, of course, very easy to understand. I was nervous when I had to cut the fringe, but not so much because I was doing it with the video explaining and showing me how to do it. Right now my hair is dyed pink, but I’m thinking of doing a different style and way of dyeing it.

    そしてこのpodcastも10回目になるんですけれども、実は、私はこのポッドキャストとは別に、もう一つitakliの方でもポッドキャストを配信することになるかもしれません。内容はもう少し長いものになりそうです。詳細が決まったらまたお知らせします。今月はすることがたくさんあります。最近は料理の時間を節約するために、鍋と味噌汁ばかり食べています。以前紹介しましたが、味噌汁も味噌さえあれば簡単に作れるので、大変便利ですよ。お勧めです。そろそろ来年の予定も立てていかないといけないですね。はい、じゃあ今日はこんな感じで終わりたいと思います。また来週お会いしましょう。どうもありがとうございました。

    So this is podcast 10. Actually, I’ll probably upload this podcast and one other specially for italki. The content will probably be a little longer. I’ll let you all know when I figure out the details. This month has been busy. As a way to save time on cooking I’ve only been eating Hotpot and Miso soup. I talked about Hotpot previously but even just having Miso you can make Miso soup really easily, Miso soup is also really convenient. I highly recommend it. It’s time to start planning for next year. Ok, so I think I’m going to end it here. See you next week and thanks for listening!

    Transcript and English translation by: Rob