JM posts

Election Day

It‘s election day in the U.S., and we will know who the next president is soon. People in Portsmouth go to schools to vote. I went to vote at the local elementary school with my sister this morning. It was the first time I voted in person since 1984! When I am in Japan, I can vote in American elections, but I have to vote by mail. My sister and I waited in line for about 30 minutes, but the time passed quickly. Many families came with their children, and everyone was talking. The school was closed because of the election, but the parents were having a bake sale to make for the school. We bought some delicious-looking cookies and muffins. After we finished voting, we got stickers saying “I voted!” (133 words)

JM posts

Halloween in Portsmouth

I’m visiting my sister in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Halloween is October 31, but some houses still had their Halloween decorations up when I arrived on November 1. She took me past the best-decorated house in town. It had big dragons and jack-o-lanterns in the yard. Other houses had human skeletons sitting on the porch and ghosts on the grass. My sister’s two grandsons went treat-or-treating dressed up as Darth Vader and a Power Ranger. They were a little scared by the decorations, but they were very happy because they got lots of candy! There was a Halloween parade in the downtown area on October 31. Everyone dressed up as brides and grooms, and when Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” started playing, they danced like zombies. (123 words)

Readers' Corner

Readers’ Corner: He Should Have Worn a Mask

I went on an organized tour to Europe. The first day’s local guide was a Japanese man. He was a good, experienced guide. However, he had a severe cold. He often sneezed and coughed. He might have had a fever. Two days later, all the tourists started to have his symptoms. Fortunately, our symptoms were not so serious. Most of us managed to enjoy the tour, but one man had a terrible sore throat and a fever. In the latter half of the tour, he couldn’t join us. He just stayed at the hotel and called a doctor. His tonsils were too swollen to eat, and he couldn’t even take medicine. I felt very sorry for him. I thought that the guide should have worn a mask or cancelled his tour so as not to infect us with his cold. (140 words)

JM posts

“Here” or “This”?

Some of my students have problems with the word “here.” When they talk about Nagoya, they say “Here is Nagoya.” When they show me a picture of their hometown, they say “Here is my hometown.” However, it is more natural to say “This is…” in both cases. For example, ①“This is Nagoya. It is in Aichi Prefecture.” ②“This is my hometown. I have lived there since I was born.” We use “Here…” when we are giving someone something. When my children went to a local festival, I used to give them money and say, “Here is 100 yen. Go buy something.” We can also use it when we are showing someone something. “Have you ever seen an American passport? Here is my passport.” (125 words)

JM posts

In Nagoya, Please Stop

About one year ago, Nagoya made a new rule: You should not walk or run on the escalator. People used to stand on the left side of the escalator and let people pass on the right side, but now they stand on both sides. Yesterday, a volunteer for Nagoya got on the escalator and stood on the right side in front of me. She had a sign on her back that said, “In Nagoya, please stop.” The rule seems to be working. The number of people walking and running on the escalator has gone from 21% down to about 7% since it started.     (103 words)

JM posts

Going Abroad

I am going abroad for a few weeks, and it’s time to get ready. Traveling in your own country is easy. First of all, you don’t need a passport. Second, you don’t have to worry about changing money. Third, you can use your mobile phone to make local calls to hotels and restaurants. When you go to another country, everything is more difficult. First, you need a passport. Next, you have to change money or use a credit card. Third, you need to buy a special plan for your phone if you want to make local calls. If you don’t have a plan, it will be very expensive! I’m leaving for the U.S. on Friday, and I am almost ready. (120 words)