RICKY DLS 英会話 blog

A clay plaque depicting the Sumerians with the Annunaki. A new TV series began airing last Sunday in the US featuring scientific talk about the universe and what it might be like. British genius astrophysicist Stephen Hawking is the main contributor and his statements are interesting, if not enlightening: “Aliens may exist but mankind should avoid contact with them as the consequences could be devastating,” he warned. “If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn’t turn out well for the Native Americans,” he added. “Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads, looking to conquer and colonize whatever planets they can reach,” Hawking said. It comes as a breakthrough that a respected scientist like Hawking openly expresses his views on extraterrestrial life and it is no surprise that he recommends not trying to contact aliens. There are numerous tales and theories out there that tell, among others, the story of the Annunaki who are said to have come to earth from their planet Nibiru thousands of years ago to extract gold from the earth’s soil. The gold was transported to their own planet where it was used to build an atmospheric shield to protect Nibiru from getting cooler. Thousands of clay plaques were found in ancient Mesopotamia where the Sumerians depicted their own history and that of the Annunaki. Some progressive researchers even go as far as to say that the Annunaki tampered with the Sumerians’ genes by mixing them with their own. All this was done for selfish purposes ie to get stronger workers that would dig out the gold for them, according to these historians. You may believe this or not but it gives meaning to Hawking’s advice of avoiding contact with extraterrestrial life! “Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking”, Discovery Channel. Read more on the Annunaki and Planet X Nibiru.

私は英語とスペイン語の先生です。

March is graduation month and therefore companies hire new employees from April. Throughout this month, on any given night welcome parties are held for newcomers in the company. You may think Japan is a gentle and civilized place, but these parties tend to be rough! They are typically held in places that specialize in spirits (bar, izakaya, hostess club), and the newcomers are made to drink shots of shochu, sake or any other strong alcoholic beverage. The groups are mostly composed of males and anyone in the group can make the newcomer drink whatever they order, bottoms up - it cannot be refused. I have witnessed this practice several times, and, needless to say, each time the victim ended up completely drunk. On one occasion he passed out and an ambulance came and rushed him to the hospital. I was shocked, had no idea what was going on until then, but when I mentioned it to a Japanese friend I finally got enlightened, learning that these were not ordinary parties but very special, very traditional newcomer welcome parties!

私は英語とスペイン語の先生です。

All I’ve been doing recently is eating, eating and eating more. There’s just too much delicious food in Hokkaido. Danger, lol. Now the latest food fad from Tokyo has come to Sapporo: Tagine, a Moroccan hot pot served in a cone shaped clay pot. The recently opened Rakuda at Odori Park offers a course that includes Tagine, a Mediterranean appetizer, a salad, chicken nuggets, pasta and a dessert. The centerpiece of the meal is the tagine pot and it comes with a warm cheese dipping in a candle-powered fondue pot. The tagine was great but my personal favorite was the salad: a Mediterranean garden salad with lots of lemon. Next time I’ll try the grapefruit and banana salad. I was surprised and delighted to find such exotic treats in a restaurant here in Sapporo. Rakuda, S1, W6. Phone 011-218 1182

私は英語とスペイン語の先生です。

I was treated to dinner at the Mercure Hotel’s restaurant Bordeaux the other day. French cuisine as the name suggests, and it was fabulous. The course came with champagne as an aperitif, two appetizers including exotic sweet potato mousse, fish, beef and a dessert. It is appropriate to say that the course is French-Japanese fusion, a sophisticated blend of French flavors with the freshest Hokkaido ingredients. Always having been fond of French style beef - small, thick junks of juicy meat - the meat dish was my favorite part of the meal. The wine was excellent as well, a 2005 Cheverny Domaine de Veilloux. Not to mention the design of the restaurant, tasteful, contemporary and stylish. Bordeaux filled a vacancy in Sapporo’s gourmet scene and adds a touch of cosmopolitan flair to the city. Mercure Hotel S4, W2. Phone 011-518 5708

私は英語とスペイン語の先生です。

I’ve been seeing a lot of these on the streets of Sapporo recently: simple tall black rainboots with skinny pants tucked in. Heels are gone for good and the general tendency is towards simplicity. This trend can be called budget fashion or, more dramatically, recession fashion.

私は英語とスペイン語の先生です。

It was snowing last night and I was freezing to the point where I wanted to escape to a tropical island. I found a solution, only temporary but nevertheless worth it: Crazy Spice warmed me up and took me on an hour-long journey to a jungle safari, meal included. The restaurant is furnished in authentic rainforest fashion, with tall tropical plants and dark bamboo abundant. My favorites are the two giraffes that seem to be wandering around, and the elephant head that comes out of a wall. I went for lunch today like I said and I got the last vacant table. I had the roast pork lunch special that came in a spicy soup with broccoli, pumpkin, asparagus, potato, carrots and mizuna (a Japanese leafy vegetable). Out of the two soup choices available (normal and mayakku) I chose the latter one (heavy type) and spicy level 15 which seemed just right for an early lunch: it was rather mild. The soup was well served and accompanied by a large plate of white rice. In other words: I got full! I also had ice chai which was included in the lunch, all for 890 yen. Excellent food, great service, super cost-performance. No wonder the place is that popular. Nice way to start the day and I feel a lot warmer now in spite of the yucky weather. North 16, West 5. Phone # 011-7379048

私は英語とスペイン語の先生です。

(Continued from yesterday) I noticed another cultural difference at our bicultural dinner the other day. Our guests opened the fridge and asked “Where is the water?” to which the owner of the house pointed at the tap. “You can’t be serious …”, they replied. This IS unbelievable for most of us: Unlike Western people who store drinking water in tanks and bottled in the refrigerator, Japanese people drink water from the tap, if any - because they much prefer tea to water. Actually after all these years in Japan I still have the custom of carrying a bottle of water around with me wherever I go, to the amusement of my Japanese friends. They always ask me why in the world I pay for bottled water if I can get it anywhere, anytime for free, and they always tell me “mottainai”. Hmmm … good question and good point. I guess that’s one of the habits I just can’t break, lol, although these days I sometimes drink green tea instead of water … very Japanese.

私は英語とスペイン語の先生です。

A few days ago I was reminded of old days and old flavors when I was invited to a Latin dinner at the house of a Japanese friend. The occasion was the visit of two Guatemalan people who were staying with my friend, and the visitors generously offered to cook for us, seven people in all. The food was served on very large plates and the quantity would have been enough for at least ten people. When it was time for coffee I exclaimed “Western size - wonderful!” I was referring to the coffee cups which were quite a bit larger than ordinary Japanese cups. When the owner of the house saw what was going on he couldn’t help bursting out in laughter. The coffee was being served in soup bowls …! It was HILARIOUS. Another highlight of the night came when we were shown the gear our foreign visitors had purchased for their trip to Hokkaido: big furry winter boots, down jackets, gloves and hats that would rival any expedition to the north pole! Having heard that Hokkaido’s winter lasts eight months, they thought they needed to be well prepared for this snowy end of the world. True, snow remains in many areas of Sapporo but in and near downtown the streets are mostly free of snow now, and Hokkaidoans switched to spring clothes end of March in accordance with the calendar. Our visitors’ north pole look got quite a few stares! Considering all the fun we had, this was one of the nicest dinners in a long time. Oh and the mashed potatoes were fantastic.

私は英語とスペイン語の先生です。

Unbelievable how fast time flies: I remember our tiny office in the Stork Mansion Building as it if were yesterday, but actually it’s been two years since we moved to our current location, and it’s been four years since we started DLS! Last Saturday we celebrated four years of success with students and teachers at the TV Tower - one of Sapporo’s landmarks - overlooking Odori Park. Raf and Vincent were the chefs (the Cesar Salad and Spanish Tortilla were fantastic), and special thanks to Tomomi for cutting the cheese, lol. Junsuke was our fabulous photographer. Most importantly, thanks to the 40+ students for attending the party and for cheering with us, and with champagne, to another successful year!

私は英語とスペイン語の先生です。

In case you park your bicycle around Sapporo Station you better watch out cause they are picking them up and taking them to a large storage area near the Factory. It costs 2000 yen to recover it, a 100% increase as compared to a few years ago. I had planned to drop by at Jupiter (import store) today and get some wine. Just when I was about to park my bike in front of Esta I noticed a truck and two officers loading bikes onto it. Made me change plans and I stopped at Daimaru instead, lol. The service was excellent as usual and it’s always a pleasure to watch and smell the food. These people are not only chefs but also artists! And in case you were wondering what wine I bought, Spanish red wine year 2004, the best wine year ever, full-bodied, great taste, great aroma.

私は英語とスペイン語の先生です。