少人数制で楽しく身につく英会話教室・英会話スクールなら「アミックインターナショナル」

My students often laugh when I tell them my favorite Japanese musical artist is  X Japan.

When I was 15 years old, my cousin showed me a video he had downloaded (this was pre-YouTube) of what looked like a Western glam metal band in concert. I quickly learned the band, called X Japan, was actually Japanese, and their visual kei  style was unlike anything I had ever seen or heard. I was immediately drawn to their extravagant costumes, the relentless energy of drummer Yoshiki, and songs like “Kurenai” that transitioned from emotional ballad to driving power metal right in the middle of the track.

At the time, I figured I was the only 16-year old in Midwestern America listening to a burnt copy of X Japan’s  The Last Live album while driving around town. But in 2014, X actually performed at and sold out New York’s Madison Square Garden. While I was unable to go, a documentary called We Are X  was made about the concert and is now available on NetFlix. In addition to teaching me more about the band’s history, the film made me realize I was not the only American that grew up a fan of Yoshiki, Toshi, Heath, Hide (RIP) and all the rest. 

Long live X! 

–Andrew

Among all the sites I check and interact within on a daily basis is the well-known site Soundcloud. Focusing solely on streaming music for free and serving as a platform for many “bedroom producers” to share their music, it’s a good site to find obscure new music as well as keep up with the artists you follow even if it is a bit dated at this point. I do a lot of my searching for new music here (specifically electronica), and always find something that impresses me. From now on I’ll start sharing some of my findings in my Thursday posts.

My first share is “Hunted” by Lotic. They have been one of my favorite producers for a few years now and their debut album is about to be released this summer. To say the least I am very excited by this first single. It’s abrasive and some might even call it creepy, but the harmonies that come together in the swirling structure of the track create something much more than meaningless cacophony and strike me as unsettling and beautiful at the same time (a lot like the world itself!). There of course is a meaning to the chant but it’s not blatantly obvious. Their music is largely instrumental so it’s up to the listeners to peel the layers and find out for themselves.

If you read all that, bravo! I hope you enjoy this different perspective on music being made in this day and age.

Joe

I enjoy watching Disney Pixar movies and have a small collection of DVDs at home. I have watched them countless times mainly because of my of my three-year-old son, but I still get into it. I’d like to share a meme about one of Pixar’s movies I read a while back ago that really made me smile.

Can you guess the movie title?

‘I just watched a film where a man’s wife is brutally murdered by a serial killer and his son is left physically disabled. In a twisted turn of events his son is kidnapped and he has to chase the kidnapper thousands of miles with the help of a mentally disabled woman.’

If you guessed Finding Nemo, then you are right!

It is one of my all-time favorite animated movies. What is your favorite animated movie?

On Saturday, I took a trip to the Tobe Zoo. The weather was nice and I had a great time. This small zoo exceeded my expectations! I saw many amazing animals including Peace, the polar bear, and Diddy, the orangutan. Peace is famous for being the only hand-raised polar bear in Japan. She must have been very warm because she was busy soaking in her pool of cool water. Diddy the orangutan is huge! I was not expecting him to be so large. Watching him chow down on a head of lettuce was amazing! Speaking of eating, I was also able to feed the sea lions fish. I threw the fish high in the air and the sea lions caught it in their mouths. I was so impressed and amused by their fish-catching skills! I think the red pandas are my favorite, though. They are so cute and have so much energy!  What is your favorite animal at the Tobe Zoo?

Today is Friday the 13th! In addition to being a popular horror movie series, in Western culture it is considered unlucky when the 13th day of the month aligns with a Friday. This usually only happens once or twice a year, but when it does it is said that many strange and unlucky things will occur.

While most people only ‘pretend’ to be fearful of the day, according to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in North Carolina, USA, many people actually are: “It’s been estimated that [U.S] $800 or $900 million is lost in business on [Friday the 13th] because people will not fly or do business they would normally do,” said founder Donald Dossey in an interview with National Geographic.

Another study found that in the UK, traffic accidents on Friday the 13th happened much more frequently compared to when the 13th falls on another day of the week. While this is probably only a coincidence, maybe be a little extra careful today just in case!

こんにちは、今日もアミックブログを訪れていただきありがとうございます

新しい命が芽吹く春

日本では、入学式・入社式など新生活がスタートする新たな月ですが、
海外では4月のイメージが日本とはちょっと違います

アメリカでは、新学期は9月スタートです。
4月はというと、春休み（Spring break）が終わり、学期が終わる5月に向けて学生たちはソワソワしています

もちろん天気が暖かくなり”April showers bring May flowers”などと言って、希望に満ちている表現もあります

逆に、”April is the cruelest month”という有名な表現もあります

４月は再生と希望の月と考えられているけど、全てが思い通りにいく訳ではありませんよね。

手に入らないものが目の前にあり、それが私たちを悩ませるということが「残酷」と表現されているのは興味深いですね

ともあれ、春といえば・・・タケノコ

タケノコ林に入り、下をジー―っと凝視して見渡してみると↓こんな感じでニョキっと顔を出しております！

これを見つけた時の嬉しさは格別

これは氷山の一角、傷つけないようにタケノコを周りから囲むように掘っていきます。

ある程度出てきたら、根っこ近くでグサッと一撃、掘り起こします。

タケノコはアクがあるので、米ぬかを絞った水に入れて沸騰させ一晩置いておけば完成

その時期に取れる食材を食べて元気に過ごしましょうね

英会話スクール

If you have been in Japan long enough, you would have come across these Meiji`s two iconic chocolate snacks – Kinoko No Yama (mushroom mountain) and Takenoko No Sato (bamboo shoot village). For decades they have competed against each other as to which is more popular. Chocolate is my weakness and both are tasty, but if I had to choose, it would be Takenoko No Sato. The texture of the biscuit really goes well with the chocolate coating.
Funnily enough, there is currently a “Kinoko no Yama Takenoko no Sato People’s General Election” being held to determine which one of the two is most favored.
How about you? Which do you like better?

After a few bouts of cold and rainy weather, it seems like Spring sunshine is finally here to stay! I rode my bicycle to work today–something that I only do once a week. I usually don’t look forward to my weekly bike ride, but it’s much more enjoyable when the weather is beautiful! I forgot the simple, child-like pleasure that can come out of riding a bicycle on a nice day. The wind was fragrant with the scent of newly bloomed flowers. The sun was warm on my shoulders as I zoomed across the Matsuyama countryside. I hope that I can go on longer bike rides in the future. Maybe I will ride all the way across the Nishiseto Expressway this summer!

みなさま、こんにちは！お～じろうです(*´ω｀)

明日から新学期が始まる小学生の子どもたちにアミック道後校にてプログラミング体験会を開催いたしました。

パソコンの画面に向かって何やらがんばっていますね＞＜

となりには、ロボットの姿も！？

女の子もがんばっています！！

最初は恥ずかしそうだったけど、途中からとっても楽しんでくれていました。

体験会に来てくれたキッズのお兄ちゃんも参戦しての兄妹タッグでのプログラミング(*ﾉωﾉ)

今回用意したミッションを9まで到達！！すごい！！

パソコンで作ったプログラミングをロボットにダウンロードしてコースで確認(^^♪

あれれっ、コースからちょっとはみ出してしまったかも！？大丈夫、何度もトライしてできるようになってましたね！！

道後校担当の大下先生も優しくわかりやすく教えてくれてます(*ﾉωﾉ)

来てくれたみなさん、今日は本当にありがとう！！楽しんでくれたかな？

先生たちもみんなと会えて嬉しかったです。また会えるといいね(^^♪

道後校での体験会が今日からスタートしました！

毎週日曜日の午前10時にやっています。

興味のある方はぜひ下記のお問い合わせフォームまたはお電話（089-908-4115）にてご予約ください！

みなさまからのお問い合わせを心よりお待ちしております。
https://www.amickidsprogramming.com/contact

Springtime is coming and I can’t wait! The weather gets milder and of course we wait for the green buds to bloom into beautiful cherry blossoms. However, I do feel for people who suffer from hay fever. Unfortunately for some, symptoms have already begun and so I see signs on products in supermarkets and drugstores promoting goods that will help alleviate these terrible symptoms.

Luckily for me, I am not a hay fever sufferer. Every year around cherry blossom time, we get up early on a weekend to find a spot along Ishite River and a have a barbecue. I especially love sitting or lying under a tree, watching the wind blowing cherry blossom petals against a clear blue sky.