Today's movie is a personal favorite, and a request from students.  Forrest Gump.  It won 6 Academy Awards, including; best picture, best director, and best actor .  It was the highest grossing film (興行収入第１位）of 1994.  Here is the opening scene. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egkrxkiUnoo Hello. My name's Forrest.  Forrest Gump. Do you want a chocolate? I could eat about a million and a half of these. My mama always said life was like a box of chocolates.  You never know what you're going to get. Those must be comfortable shoes. I bet you could walk all day in shoes like that and not feel a thing.  I wish I had shoes like that. (Woman) - My feet hurt. Mama always said there's an awful lot you can tell about a person by their shoes. Where they're going, where they've been. I've worn lots of shoes. I bet if I think about it real hard, I could remember my first pair of shoes.  Mama said they'd take me anywhere. First Key phrase.  My Mama always said, or Mama said.  Do you have many "rules of life" that come from your mother?  I have many of these.  My Mother always said, "Every crow thinks hers is the blackest." Next is similes.  Similes are comparisons of two different things, often using "like" or "as".  They are very helpful in conversational English to express your point. My mama always said life was like a box of chocolates.  Eat like a horse. Run like the wind. As American as apple pie. As black as coal. They fought like cats and dogs. This dress  fits like a glove. "And it seems to me you lived your life, Like a candle in the wind." - "Candle in the Wind," Elton John and perhaps the most famous simile of all: Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are! Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. Good luck in using similes to describe your life.      

Today I'm starting to use some of my students favorite movies.  First is Ghost, (1990) starring Demi Moore, Patrick Swayze and Whoopie Goldberg.  It was nominated for five Academy Awards, and won two.  It was the highest grossing film (興行収入第１位）of 1990. The English is very simple.  I hope you all have a chance to use it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss_seW1h5rg Are you two all right? Sam? Molly? I can hear you.  . . . Oh, God. Sam? They're waiting for you, Sam. I'll miss you. Your mother'd be proud. I'm gonna miss you too, Sam. You're all right. Bye, Oda Mae. Bye, Sam. I love you, Molly. I've always loved you. Ditto. It's amazing, Molly. The love inside you take it with you. See you. See you.  . . . .Bye. Today's key phrase is: The love inside you take it with you. What do you want to take with you when you go? All the memories, you take them with you! My beautiful Star Wars collection, I can't take it with me!    

As I introduced my new movie series last week, one of my students asked me, "What is your favorite movie?".   I thought for a moment and replied, "It's A Wonderful Life". I also used this movie in an old post from 2014. Today, I will use one scene from this movie, the last scene, if you don't know the story, it may be a little difficult to understand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfUV-F9jFro Harry Bailey. George, old son of a gun. - Harry! Harry! - Looks like I got here too late. Mary, I got him here from the airport as quickly as I could. The fool flew all the way up here in a blizzard. Harry, how about your banquet in New York? Oh, I left right in the middle of it as soon as I got Mary's telegram. Good idea, Ernie, a toast... ...to my big brother George. The richest man in town! (singing) Should auld acquaintance be forgot... And never brought to mind... Should auld acquaintance... Be forgot, and days of Auld Lang Syne. What's that? That's a Christmas present from a very dear friend of mine. Written in the book:   Dear George: Remember, no man is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings! Love, Clarence Look, Daddy. Teacher says every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings. That's right. That's right. Atta boy, Clarence. (singing) For Auld Land Syne, my dear. For Auld Land Syne... We'll take cup of kindness yet... For Auld Lang Syne... We'll take cup of kindness yet... For Auld Lang Syne... I will focus on three simple phrases today. "a toast... ...to my big brother George. The richest man in town! " 乾杯の挨拶　 A toast.  In English, you can say " A toast to . . . "  followed by anything you like. A toast to the future of Akita!  Or you can also say "Here's to Akita". Next. "every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings. " This is a famous phrase from the movie, so let's play with it a little. Every time I see KFC I get hungry. Every time you smile, I fall in love again. Every time my car starts, I give a little cheer! And finally, the most famous phrase from this movie is: no man is a failure who has friends. I think this phrase speaks for itself.  I hope you all have many friends you can count on.    

I'm starting a new series today.  English from movies or T.V.  I want to focus on one scene from a movie each week (two weeks?) and learn some basic English conversation from that scene. When I first came to Japan 30 years ago (WOW!), I had too much time, and I often watched afternoon T.V. dramas.  I learned so much Japanese from that, I want you to try also.  Good luck! Akita Inu has been in the news a lot lately because of Zagitalova's request for a Akita inu pet.  The sales of Akita inu stuffed animals at Akita and Odate airports are sold out! So, for our first scene, I have chosen Hachi: A Dog's Tale, (2009), starring Richard Gere.    A remake of Hachikō Monogatari (1987).  Let's see how you do. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEOB9V8PwYo&t=10s Hey, boy. Hey, come on. Let's go!Hachi! Hey boy! I never met my grandfather. He died when I was just a baby. But when I hear about him and Hachi, I feel like I know him. They taught me the meaning of loyalty (忠実さ）, and you should never forget anyone that you've loved. And that's why Hachi will forever be my hero. Oh, he's happy to see somebody. Move along. Come on Hachi, let's go! Final title card: The real Hachiko was born in Odate Japan in 1923. When his master, Dr Eisaburo Ueno, a professor at Tokyo University died in May, 1925.  Hachi returned to the Shibuya train station the next day and for the next nine years to wait. Hachiko died in March 1934. Today a bronze statue of Hachiko sits in his waiting spot outside the Shibuya railroad station. Today, I want to focus on: They taught me the meaning of loyalty. ○○taught me the meaning of ○○ 例文 Working on a farm taught me the meaning of hard work. My mother taught me the meaning of responsibility. President Trump is teaching us all the meaning of stupidity. Let's try it!

Congratulations to Japan on their most successful winter Olympics yet. They really were;  Stronger, Faster, Higher. Today's topic is White Day / Cookies.   From Wikipedia: White Day is a day that is marked in Japan, South Korea, Vietnam,Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China on March 14, one month after Valentine's Day. White Day was first celebrated in 1978 in Japan. It was started by the National Confectionery Industry Association as an "answer day" to Valentine's Day on the grounds that men should pay back the women who gave them chocolate and other gifts on Valentine's Day. In 1977, a Fukuoka-based confectionery company, Ishimura manseido, marketed marshmallows to men on March 14, calling it Marshmallow Day (マシュマロデー, Mashumaro Dē). Soon thereafter, confectionery companies began marketing white chocolate. Now, men give both white and dark chocolate, as well as other edible and non-edible gifts, such as jewelry or objects of sentimental value, or white clothing like lingerie, to women from whom they received chocolate on Valentine's Day one month earlier. Flowers and other gifts are also given on this day. Eventually, this practice spread to the neighboring East Asian countries of South Korea, China, Taiwan and Vietnam. In those cultures, White Day is for the most part observed in a similar manner. Here are some cookie idioms:

1. 1. The Student was caught with his hand in the cookie jar during the test. 　やっている最中に捕まった。
   2. During this tax season, I’m sure glad I married a smart cookie! I could never do this myself! (or sharp cookie)　　頭が良いやつ。
   3. I’m really upset about losing so many school classes this year, but I guess that’s just how the cookie crumbles.　　それが人生だ。　　または、仕方がない。
   4. I want a unique house, not one of those cookie cutters they’re building.　　型通り。
   5. I was afraid my son was going to toss his cookies after we got off Big Thunder Mountain.　　　　おう吐する。
   6. That Nana Takagi is one tough cookie. She never gave up!　強いやつ。
   7. So you finished your homework in time. What do you want, a cookie?　　クッキーでも欲しい？　（皮肉っぽく、　当たり前のことをやっただけだけど）
   8. If you give a mouse a cookie . . .　　エスカレートする、　または、終わりが予測できない。

Here we are on the 10th day of the Olympics, and Japan and America both have exactly 10 medals.  Congratulations to both countries.  This will surely be an exciting week. I've been enjoying the Olympics so much this year, the ups, the downs, the drama, the personal stories of success and failure. Today, I want to share some idioms and uses about "ICE"（氷）.  

1. Diamonds. The lady has a ton of ice in her room!
2. Excellent; very cool. Her answer was ice, and she really put down that guy.
3. To kill someone. Mr. Big ordered Sam to ice you-know-who.
4. Money given as a bribe, especially to the police.  A lot of those cops take ice.
5. He could sell ice to Eskimos. (He is charming, a good salesman).
6. She is  skating on thin ice. (In a dangerous situation, risky behaviour).
7. Let's put that on ice. (leave it for now, we'll discuss it later).
8. Is Vicky mad at me?  She was as cold as ice at the party. (unfriendly, distant)
9. Sorry, your reasons just don't cut ice with me. (they have no impact, I don't agree)
10. There is no stopping him now, he is as independent as a hog on ice.  (he is impossible to control).

The 2018 Winter Olympics will begin on Friday, February 9th.  Are you excited?  I am!  This year, with the Olympics so close to Japan, it will be very easy to watch most of the events.  What events do you enjoy watching the most?  I like the figure skating, luge, bobsled and Nordic events.  However, my favorite Olympic events are always the opening and closing ceremonies.    Seeing the countries of the world come together is such a great symbol of peace . . .even if it is, only a symbol. Here are the events for this year's Olympics.

• Alpine skiing (11)
• Biathlon (11)
• Bobsleigh (3)
• Cross-country skiing (12)
• Curling (3)
• Figure skating (5)
• Freestyle skiing (10)
• Ice hockey (2)
• Luge (4)
• Nordic combined (3)
• Short track speed skating (8)
• Skeleton (2)
• Ski jumping (4)
• Snowboarding (10)
• Speed skating (14)