Thanks to your many requests, I am going to begin a new class for adults.　お陰様で新しいクラスを始めることになりました。 MJ Eikaiwa office（東通りクラス） Monday evening, 6:30~8:00. (weekly)　毎週月曜日 Capacity, 7 students.　定員7人 Tuition, ￥5,000/month　月謝￥5,000 Level, beginning~intermediate.　レベル初級～中級 Begins July 2nd. 　7月2日スタート    

Last week I did the movie "Great Expectations". Today, I have great expectations for peace on the Korean peninsula and throughout Asia.  Are my expectations justified?  Only time will tell. I don't trust Kim Jong-un for a second, and I have zero confidence in Trump's ability to see this through to the end.  Is it possible they will exceed my expectations? However, I will always remain hopeful.  I never expected East and West Germany to unite in 1990, but it happened. Never give up hope! Here's to peace in Korea!   Next week, back to the movies.          

Back to the movies. As promised, today I will use a scene from Great Expectations.  Do you know this movie or book?  It is a classic book by Charles Dickens that has been made into at least ten movies. I will use the old 1946 movie which is thought to be the best of all of them.   Here is the opening scene.  It's a little scary, so be ready. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXyo68s-f1E&t=9s My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Phillip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip. So I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip. Keep still or I'll cut your throat. No, sir, no... Tell us your name. Quick. Pip. Pip, sir. Show us where you live. Point out the place. There, sir. There. - Now, where's your mother? - There, sir. No, sir. There, sir. Also Georgiana. That's my mother. Ah. Is that your father along with your mother? Yes, sir, him, too. Late of this parish. Ah. Who d'you live with? Supposing you're let to live which I ain't decided yet. With my sister, sir. Mrs. Joe Gargery, wife of Joe Gargery the blacksmith. Blacksmith, eh? Now look here, do you know what a file is? Yes, sir. - You know what wittles is? - Yes, sir. Food, sir. Then you get me a file and wittles or I'll have your heart and liver out. If you'll kindly let me keep upright, sir, perhaps I shouldn't be sick and perhaps I could attend more. Bring that file and them wittles to me here tomorrow morning, early. - Yes, sir. - Don't say a word of having seen me. - No, sir. - If you do, your heart and liver will be tore out and roasted and ate. There's a young man hid with me, and in comparison with him, I'm an angel! That young man has a secret way of getting at a boy, and at his liver. A boy may lock his door, may be warm in bed, but that young man will softly creep his way to him and tear him open! Say heaven strike you dead if you don't. Heaven strike me dead if I don't. Now you know what you've promised, young man. - Get off home. - Good night, sir. Sorry, the scene is a little dark, but it really is a very good movie. Do you have a nickname.  How did you get it?  The main character of the movie "Pip", explains how he got this name: My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Phillip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip. So I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip.   Let's learn. When he was a baby, he could not say "Pirrip" or "Phillip", only "Pip". So I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip. What do you call yourself? What do your friends call you? How about your family? How about your spouse (husband / wife)? Speaking of Great Expectations, I have great expectations for my Grandson, who came to Akita for the weekend.  We had a great time at Oga and Gao.  I hope he has a wonderful life.

Another break from movies today. I finally finished building my stone wall yesterday.  Here are the steps from start to finish: This was my first experience in building a wall.. I didn't expect it to turn out well, so I put it behind my house where most people will never see it. It turned out better than I expected, or, It exceeded my expectations. You can use this phrase when something goes better than planned, for example: The hotel was very cheap, but it exceeded my expectations. This year's sales have exceeded all expectations. I didn't have time to study, so my test results exceeded my expectations. I've seen many festivals in Japan, but only Akita's Kanto Festival exceeded my expectations. Unfortunately, President Trump's North Korean negotiations didn't exceed my expectations. I hope many things in your life will exceed your expectations! Next week, back to the movies, with a scene from "Great Expectations". (大いなる遺産） Today's song:  "Some Walls" Peter, Paul and Mary    

Today I'm going back to my English from movie scenes series.  One of the most requested movies from my students was Gone With the Wind.  The classic movie from 1939.  Starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh, it was nominated for 13 Academy Awards, and won 10.  It was the highest grossing movie up to that point in history. Personally, I'm not a big fan of the movie, but it does have some great scenes.  Here is the final scene, what English can we learn from this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ5ICXMC4xY Oh, Rhett. Rhett! Rhett!  If you go, where shall I go? What shall I do? Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. Oh, I can't let him go! I can't! There must be some way to bring him back. I can't think about it now. I'll go crazy if I do! I'll think about it tomorrow.   But I must think about it. I must think about it. What is there to do? What is there that matters? Do you mean to tell me, Katie Scarlett O'Hara... ...that Tara doesn't mean anything to you? Why, land's the only thing that matters. It's the only thing that lasts. Something you love better than me, though you may not know it. Tara. It's this from which you get your strength. The red earth of Tara. (repeats in her head)  Tara. -Tara! -Tara! Tara! Home! I'll go home! And I'll think of some way to get him back. After all... ...tomorrow... ... is another day! Let's pick out three phrases today. There must be some way to bring him back. (彼を取り戻す方法が何かあるはず。） There must be some way to remember English! There must be some way to diet successfully. There must be some way to pay my bills.  Land's the only thing that matters. It's the only thing that lasts. (土地だけが意味があるもの。　土地だけが残る。） What is the only thing that matters to you? Family is the only thing that matters. Love is the only thing that matters. Money is the only thing that matters. (Actually, I think there are many things that matter.) What is the only thing that lasts? Knowledge is the only thing that lasts!  Get more.  I'll think of some way to get him back.　（彼を取り戻す方法を何か考える。） Finally, I'll think of some way to build my rock wall .(pictures next week). I'll think of some way to use these warabi. I'll think of some way to finish this post. My warabi harvest from Saturday morning: The foundation of my rock wall.  I hope to finish it this week . . . if it stops raining!

Was your golden week "gold",  silver", or "bronze"? I'm taking a break from movies this week. to tell you about my "Gold" Golden week.   I had a great vacation in Hakodate.   My first time to visit.  I've heard about all the wonderful sites from my students school trips （修学旅行）. Finally, I was able to experience it myself.  Here are some photos: On the way home, we stopped by Kimi Machi Zaka (きみまち坂）, for a quick romantic walk. Then yesterday, we visited Joshitei (如斯亭）　in Akita, to check it out. I hope you had a wonderful Golden Week.  Mine was busy, but fun. Next week, I'll be back with another movie.  Until then . .  

Are you enjoying the sakura?  It's so beautiful in Akita these days!  I was looking for a movie with sakura, and I remembered this movie from 2005, Memoirs of a Geisha, starring Ken Watanabe and Zhang Ziyi.  The movie was so-so, but there was this scene with cherry blossoms.  Enjoy! http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xqsdqe Sayuri, today, even the cherry blossoms are envious of her. I'd like to... to thank you for your attention to Nobu-san.  Nobu can be a difficult man.  So you see dear, at parties, sake only in moderation.   And he disdains Geisha.  But he . . . he's fond of you. Because you admire him, I respect him more. He would never tell you himself. He's far too modest. You have to savour life while you can. The lesson of the cherry blossom. That is why Nobu likes you. We must not expect happiness Sayuri, it is not something we deserve. When life goes well, it's a sudden gift, it cannot last forever. I'll pick up three phrases today. First, sake only in moderation.  It means don't drink too much  especially at parties.  We can use this phrase for many things, for example: Eat sweets only in moderation. Exercise only in moderation. Study English only in moderation.  (JK!) Next, You have to savour life while you can.  You must enjoy things (like cherry blossoms) while they're here, NOW!  For example, You have to enjoy grandchildren while they're young! You have to savour your health while you have it! You should savour Trump while he's still president.  It will be over soon . . . .I hope, I hope, I hope! And finally, happiness is not something we deserve. When life goes well, it's a sudden gift, it cannot last forever. This is more of a proverb than a phrase.  Sayuri calls it "the lesson of the cherry blossom".  In America it is thought that this is a very Japanese (Buddhist) way of thinking.  Do you agree with this? Next week I'll be on vacation for Golden Week.  I hope you all have a great vacation.  See you after that.