Show 657 Friday 29 February

Watch today’s show at YouTube or BlipTV.

Hi I’m Sarah. Welcome to The Daily English Show.

Today I thought I’d talk about a song by The Beatles.
Beatles songs are very popular to study in English classrooms in Japan – and it’s easy to see why. I definitely recommend them too.

And today, I’m going to talk about Hey Jude.

This is the first verse.

Hey, Jude, don't make it bad

Take a sad song and make it better

Remember to let her into your heart

Then you can start to make it better

So, who is Jude? And what does this song mean? What is it about? Like many songs, that is not easy to answer.

Apparently the song was originally called Hey Jules and it was written by Paul McCartney to comfort John Lennon's son Julian during his parents' divorce. John Lennon was originally married to a woman called Cynthia before he hooked up with Yoko.

But other people thought the song had been written about them, such as John Lennon and a journalist named Judith
And other people “have speculated that McCartney's failing long-term relationship with Jane Asher when he wrote Hey Jude was an unconscious message to himself.
So, it’s not exactly clear what the song is about ... but it’s probably something to do with self-worth and self-consolation in the face of hardship.

Let’s pick up some language from the song:

This is one line: The minute you let her under your skin

Get under somebody’s skin is an idiom which means to annoy somebody.
For example: Don’t let him get under your skin means: Don’t let him annoy you.

Another line: Don't carry the world upon your shoulders

I think the idiom usually goes: have the weight of the world on your shoulders.
And it means that you look or feel very worried or sad, as if you’re worrying about all the world’s problems. And you definitely shouldn’t do that.

STICK NEWS

Kia Ora, in Stick News today, for the first time in four years, it’s the 29th of February.

February the 29th is also known as bissextile day or Leap Day. It occurs every four years.
Wikipedia says there is a tradition that women may make a proposal of marriage to men only in leap years.
The next leap day will be in 2012.

And that was Stick News for Friday 29th of February.
Kia Ora

THE SNOW REPORT
at Loaf Lounge

The other day we heard that Shaun White, a famous American snowboarder and skateboarder and was going to go to Loaf Lounge to go for a skate so we went down to have a look.

friday joke
I found today's joke here.

Little Johnny returns home from school and says he got an F in maths.

"Why?" asks his father.

"The teacher asked 'How much is 2x3?' and I said '6'."

"But that's right!"

"Then she asked me 'How much is 3x2?'"

"What's the fucking difference?"

"That's exactly what I said!"



conversations with sarah
#402 How long was he in Niseko?

Step 1: Repeat Bob’s lines.
Step 2: Read Bob’s lines and talk to Sarah.

Bob When did Shaun White come to Loaf Lounge?

Sarah On Monday.

Bob How was his skating?

Sarah Good, of course. And I think he just borrowed that board off someone too ... because he didn’t come to Japan to skate, he came to snowboard and I think he just ended up going there for a skate because he met the owner on the mountain and then he invited him there.

Bob How long was he in Niseko?

Sarah About a week, I think.

Bob Cool.

Sarah Yeah. It pretty exciting to see a famous person in Kutchan.

links

today's news

today's STICK NEWS picture

music

show start
artist: BrunoXe
album: aprendiendo desde 2004
track: Mandrake
from: Jerez, Spain
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

friday joke start
artist: AdHoc
album: Toutes directions
track: Sumbala
from: Annecy, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

the snow report start
artist: Olga Scotland
album: Scotland Yard
track: Absolute
from: Moscow, Russia
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

cws start
artist: San Sebastian
track: Happy Sad
artist site

qa start
artist: ioeo
album: Groovetracks
tracks: groovetracks ending
from: Saint Raphael, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

qa bgm
artist: NarNaoud
album: Green Vision
track: Dubbing Rules
from: Gironde, France
artist at Jamendo
album at Jamendo
artist site

Did you notice a mistake in this script? Please leave us a comment and tell us! We really appreciate people pointing out our mistakes.Thank you.

Have you translated this script - or part of it - into your language for English practice and published it on your blog? Please leave a comment and a link so other people can read your translation. Thank you.

Show 656 Thursday 28 February

Watch today’s show at YouTube or BlipTV.

Hi I’m Sarah. Welcome to The Daily English Show.

The video I recommend today is an old New Zealand TV ad for Instant Kiwi.
Instant Kiwi is a kind of scratchcard or whatever you call it – maybe one of these words: scratch off, scratch ticket, scratcher, scratchie, scratch-it, scratch game, scratch-and-win or instant game.

The ad is pretty clever and pretty funny I think.

It uses the line: Do you know who I am?

That is a classic line that arrogant famous people – or just arrogant people - use when they want to be treated a certain way because they think they’re special.

I’ve actually had someone say that to me once – in New Zealand ... and I was so shocked that someone would actually say that. But anyway that’s another story.

This video is in an exam room and a students says to a teacher, presumably, or the guy in charge of the exam: Do you know who I am?

Because the teacher has just said the student can’t hand his paper in because it’s too late.

And so the teacher thinks the student is saying that, meaning: You can’t do this to me because I am someone special. But actually, there is a twist. And you’re going to have to watch it to see what I mean.

STICK NEWS

Kia Ora this is Stick News. Yesterday there was a 5.2 magnitude earthquake in the UK. It was the biggest earthquake to hit the UK in nearly 25 years.

The centre of the earthquake was in Lincolnshire but the BBC reported people and houses all over the UK were shaken up.
A person called Bev said “The noise was really, really terrifying... it was so deep and rumbling.”
Tom said: "I thought I was probably going to get killed."
Jemma said: “It was really bad.”
Natasha said: “It was unreal”
And David said: “It was quite severe.”

And that was Stick News for Thursday 28th of February.
Kia Ora

THE SNOW REPORT
on Centre Four

with Cameron

Are you working in Niseko?
Yes, I work in Niseko.

What do you do?
I’m a driver for NGS.

Do you like your job?
Ah, yeah, it’s good. It’s easy and I can snowboard.

How many times have you come to Niseko?
Ah, three times. Two summers and two winters. So, four times.

How do you like summer in Niseko?
Summer is great. It’s very beautiful. Very beautiful, nature, and hot summer days and a cool river – so, it’s good fun.

What do you do in summer?
I’m a rafting guide. White water rafting guide.

Are you a skier or a snowboarder?
Snowboarder.

Where are you from?
Australia, like everybody else.

Whereabouts in Australia?
Ah, from Tyas (sp?), which is east of Melbourne.

conversations with sarah

#401 Do you know who I am?

Step 1: Repeat the student’s lines.
Step 2: Read the student’s lines and talk to the teacher.

Teacher Oh, I’m sorry, you’re too late. I gave you plenty of warnings about time.
You’ve failed. Sorry.

Student Excuse me, do you know who I am?

Teacher I have absolutely no idea.

Student Good.

links

today's news

today's STICK NEWS pictures

The student in the ad is this actor.

About the ad.

music

show start
artist: BrunoXe
album: aprendiendo desde 2004
track: Mandrake
from: Jerez, Spain
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

the snow report start
artist: Olga Scotland
album: Scotland Yard
track: Absolute
from: Moscow, Russia
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

cws start
artist: San Sebastian
track: Happy Sad
artist site

qa start
artist: ioeo
album: Groovetracks
tracks: groovetracks ending
from: Saint Raphael, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

qa bgm
artist: NarNaoud
album: Green Vision
track: Dubbing Rules
from: Gironde, France
artist at Jamendo
album at Jamendo
artist site

Did you notice a mistake in this script? Please leave us a comment and tell us! We really appreciate people pointing out our mistakes.Thank you.

Have you translated this script - or part of it - into your language for English practice and published it on your blog? Please leave a comment and a link so other people can read your translation. Thank you.

Show 655 Wednesday 27 February

Watch today’s show at YouTube or BlipTV.

Hi, I’m Sarah, welcome to The Daily English Show.

Today I’m going to talk a bit about travelling, specifically about travelling to Niseko from overseas.

A lot of people who come here, come with tour companies. And I think there are definitely some advantages to that, like it could save you time, and it might be a bit easier to have someone organize everything for you.

But, even if you can’t speak Japanese, it’s not that hard to organize it yourself.
I want to tell people this because I’ve met a few tourists here who have come with tour companies and they haven’t been satisfied because they said they paid all this money and didn’t even get what they were supposed to … and I just thought wow you could have saved thousands of dollars if you just did it yourself.

All you really have to do is buy a plane ticket and book a hotel, and then catch a bus or a train from the airport to Niseko, which isn’t really that hard. And then once you get here you can ask the hotel staff about everything. And there is a great information center too and there’s lots of information available for English speaking tourists.

For example, the hotel that we’ve been filming at, Saison Club, has an English website and English speaking staff so it’s really easy to book. And you can just give them a call if you have any problems.

So, that’s my travel tip for today. If you want to save some money try booking your holiday yourself.

STICK NEWS

Kia Ora, in Stick News today Virgin Atlantic has carried out the world's first flight of a commercial aircraft powered with biofuel.

On Sunday a plane flew from London to Amsterdam with a mixture of coconut and babassu oil in one of its four main fuel tanks.
The company, Virgin Atlantic, was trying to show it can produce less carbon dioxide than normal jet fuels.
The associated press reported that some people praised the test flight as a “potentially useful experiment”.
While others criticized it as a publicity stunt and noted scientists question the environmental benefits of biofuels.

And that was Stick News for Wednesday the 27th of February.
Kia Ora

THE SNOW REPORT
at Saison Club

Where are you from?
Kanagawa.

Is this your first time in Niseko?
Yes.

What do you think?
I was surprised at how big the ski field is.
How about you?
Same. And I was surprised at how cold it is.
And there are lot of international tourists here.
You hardly see any Japanese people.
I’ve realized how useless my English is.

How did you hear about Niseko?
I heard from a lot of people how great the snow in Niseko is so I had to come and check it out.
Do you think you’ll be back?
Yes. I’ll be back.

conversations with sarah
#400 Can you hike up to the peak?

Step 1: Repeat Tom’s lines.
Step 2: Read Tom’s lines and talk to Sarah.

Tom You went to Hirafu yesterday, didn’t you?

Sarah Yeah.

Tom How was that?

Sarah Great. It was great in the morning. It got a bit too windy in the afternoon. We’re thinking of trying a different place tomorrow. What’s Annupuri like?

Tom I really like Annupuri. It’s smaller than Hirafu, but there are some really good runs. And it’s less crowded.

Sarah Can you hike up to the peak?

Tom Yeah, you can. And it takes less time than Hirafu. Only about 5 minutes.

Sarah Are there many restaurants there?

Tom Not as many as in Hirafu – but there are a couple.

links

today's news

today's STICK NEWS pictures

music

show start
artist: BrunoXe
album: aprendiendo desde 2004
track: Mandrake
from: Jerez, Spain
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

the snow report start
artist: Olga Scotland
album: Scotland Yard
track: Absolute
from: Moscow, Russia
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

cws start
artist: San Sebastian
track: Happy Sad
artist site

qa start
artist: ioeo
album: Groovetracks
tracks: groovetracks ending
from: Saint Raphael, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

qa bgm
artist: NarNaoud
album: Green Vision
track: Dubbing Rules
from: Gironde, France
artist at Jamendo
album at Jamendo
artist site

Did you notice a mistake in this script? Please leave us a comment and tell us! We really appreciate people pointing out our mistakes.Thank you.

Have you translated this script - or part of it - into your language for English practice and published it on your blog? Please leave a comment and a link so other people can read your translation. Thank you.

Show 654 Tuesday 26 February

Watch today’s show at YouTube or BlipTV.

Hi I’m Sarah. Welcome to The Daily English Show.

The movie I recommend today is called Groundhog Day.
It’s a comedy, I’d probably call it a romantic comedy ... but in Wikipedia it says it’s a comedy. Anyway, whatever. It came out in 1993 and in the movie a guy repeats the same day over and over. And that day is Groundhog Day – which is an actual holiday. When I first saw that movie I thought that it was just made up for the movie. But no, it’s an actual holiday in the United States and Canada.

Apparently on this day a groundhog – which is a small animal that lives in the ground – comes out of the ground and if it doesn’t have a shadow because it’s cloudy, then winter will end soon. But if it does have a shadow, then winter will continue for six more weeks.

Anyway, I like the movie. And I recommend it for studying partly because there’s lots of useful dialogue and also partly because of all the repetition, which is perfect for studying English.

The guy in the movie, Phil, played by Bill Murray, has to repeat the same day over and over again, so he does different things – like kills himself or stealing money ... and one of the things he does is seduces women. And he does this by learning things that will impress the women and then saying them the next day.

For example, when he’s trying to seduce Rita at first he makes a toast to the groundhog and then she says: I always drink to world peace. And so he remembers that and then the next day he makes a toast to world peace and she’s very impressed.

STICK NEWS

Kia Ora, in Stick News today, the Oscars were held on Sunday and the award for the best picture went to a film called No Country For Old Men.

The Academy Awards, or more commonly known as the Oscars, are an American Awards ceremony for the film industry.
Wikipedia says the ceremony is among the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremonies in the world.
On Sunday, the 80th Academy Awards were held. No Country for Old Men won the Best Picture award.
The movie “tells the story of a drug deal gone wrong, and the ensuing cat-and-mouse drama, as three men crisscross each other's paths in the desert landscape of 1980 West Texas.”

And that was Stick News for Tuesday the 26th of February.
Kia Ora

THE SNOW REPORT
on Hanazono #3

with David

Where are you from?
From Adelaide in Australia.

How long are you in Niseko?
Eight days.

What do you think of the conditions?
Amazing. We couldn’t ask for better. It’s just amazing.

conversations with sarah
#399 Can I buy you a drink?

Step 1: Repeat Rita’s lines.
Step 2: Read Ritas’s lines and talk to Phil.

* Watch this dialogue here from 1:15

Phil Can I buy you a drink?

Rita OK.

Phil Ah, sweet vermouth, rocks with a twist, please.

Bartender For you, miss?

Rita The same. That's my favorite drink.

Phil Mine too. It always makes me think of Rome... the way the sun hits the buildings in the afternoon.

Rita What shall we drink to?

Phil I like to say a prayer and drink to world peace.

Rita To world peace.

Phil World peace. Amen.

links

today's STICK NEWS pictures

Groundhog Day - script
Groundhog Day at IMDB

music

show start
artist: BrunoXe
album: aprendiendo desde 2004
track: Mandrake
from: Jerez, Spain
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

the snow report start
artist: Olga Scotland
album: Scotland Yard
track: Absolute
from: Moscow, Russia
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

cws start
artist: San Sebastian
track: Happy Sad
artist site

qa start
artist: ioeo
album: Groovetracks
tracks: groovetracks ending
from: Saint Raphael, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

qa bgm
artist: NarNaoud
album: Green Vision
track: Dubbing Rules
from: Gironde, France
artist at Jamendo
album at Jamendo
artist site

Did you notice a mistake in this script? Please leave us a comment and tell us! We really appreciate people pointing out our mistakes.Thank you.

Have you translated this script - or part of it - into your language for English practice and published it on your blog? Please leave a comment and a link so other people can read your translation. Thank you.

Show 653 Monday 25 February

Watch today’s show at YouTube or BlipTV.

Hi I’m Sarah. Welcome to The Daily English Show.

Today’s guest is Dwayne. He is from North Carolina in the United States. (Durham)

In 1995 he came to Japan and spent two years in Iwate teaching English on the JET program. He didn’t speak Japanese before he came, but he started learning it when he got here. And he’s now back in Japan working on his Ph.D. He’s living in Tokyo and he visited Niseko for a couple of weeks to do a bit of snowboarding and he kindly agreed to be interviewed I asked him about studying Japanese, teaching English and about his Ph.D.

So I studied for three years, um, continuously in the United States, preparing to come to Japan to do my own research, my own field work. So, and ... after I finished three years I had a fellowship to actually do more Japanese language study. An intensive course at International Christian University in Tokyo. So I spent one year just doing that. And now I’m currently doing my research in Japan.



STICK NEWS

Kia Ora, in Stick News today, a fake Facebook prince has been sentenced to three years in jail.

The Kingdom of Morocco is a country in North Africa with a population of 33 million.
The King of Morocco is a 44-year-old guy called Mohammed.
Mohammed has a little brother.
On the 5th of February a 26-year-old Moroccan engineer was arrested in Casablanca for making a Facebook profile using the name of the Prince.
Two days ago he was sentenced to three years in jail.

And that was Stick News for Monday the 25th of February.
Kia Ora





conversations with sarah

#398 How did you learn Japanese?

Step 1: Repeat Sarah’s lines.
Step 2: Read Sarah’s lines and talk to Dwayne.

Sarah Did you enjoy teaching on the JET program?

Dwayne It was great. I, I had never taught ah, formally before – at least not in a large classroom setting. And I’d never really worked with children before. Um, I’d done work in American prisons, working with adult education programs. And I had done one on one, like, Eikaiwa, like English conversation. But I’d never worked with young people. So it was the first time to be working with young people in a really, ah, continued context. And it was great. And I discovered that I really liked junior high school aged children. Most people find them really difficult to work with because they’re transitioning from childhood, or from elementary school into high school. But I really liked kids because – well that age, because they were in a sort of difficult period I guess, yeah, so it was really cool.

Sarah How did you learn Japanese?

Dwayne I mostly worked with a dictionary and I would ask people. So it was almost like I was teaching myself as if there were no textbooks available. I, I did have one, a textbook, but I didn’t find it very useful. So I would just ask people. Like, the teachers that I worked with, my, my colleagues at school. Like, what’s the verb form of to want, right, like how would you change I want to go from iku into what. And then they would tell me. And then like oh たい(tai), so the tai suffix - I was using English terms – so the suffix attaches and changes the verb root. And then ... that’s how I began learning or teaching myself. After I moved back to the United States and I entered a graduate program. Then I actually took formal Japanese courses. And I started at the very beginning, even though the, the sensei, the teaches wanted to put me in a slightly higher level. I wasn’t confident of my grammar because I had taught myself in such a strange, or informal way. I wanted to sort of go back through the basics and have a stronger foundation.

Sarah And you spent a year in Tokyo studying Japanese?

Dwayne Yeah, yeah. So I’d, I’d been studying Japanese along with all my other courses in graduate school. But because my energies were dissipated, or spread out, it was difficult to have a concentrated amount of time. I had done an intensive summer program, um, in Vermont, which specializes in foreign language education. So it was an intensive two month course. And it was good and it certainly boosted my level, but I really needed and I wanted more practice, ah, specially writing and reading, ah, more academic Japanese. So I applied for a fellowship, a special fellowship the American government gives and I, I received it. So I was able to come to Tokyo just to do that year of, of language training.

Sarah Did your Japanese improve a lot in that year?

Dwayne Um, I don’t know if it ... in one area it did. Um, I definitely noticed, of course my, my kanji recognition and my ability to read complicated texts improved. But, at the same time, I noticed a decline in my ability to speak. Because I was focusing so much on written Japanese and the emphasis was so much about a very specific kind of formal Japanese. That my ability to, sort of, use everyday Japanese got weaker, which was interesting. So I was learning all these new difficult vocabulary words and very complex grammar structures. But they were things you would almost never encounter in daily speech. So, because my energies shifted away from, ah, maybe a broader or more natural sort of Japanese, I found myself actually getting weaker in the area that I had been comfortable before. But it actually became harder and harder to talk because I was spending putting so much effort into the kanji and to the reading and writing part of the program.

Sarah Do you think your experience of Japan this time around is different now that you can speak Japanese?

Dwayne Oh, it’s certainly a much richer experience. Um, yeah, I regret, or I wish, you know, in retrospect that I’d been able to speak Japanese better when I lived in Iwate. Despite that I did develop really close friendships and good friendships with the local Japanese people living around me. Which is a testament to their willingness to, sort of, accommodate my lack of ability in Japanese. So we would communicate in a mixture of English and Japanese or all in English even, in some cases. Um, but now, being able to speak Japanese certainly my experience is far richer and there’s ... once people realize that I speak Japanese, it’s, there’s a sort of um, easiness, or comfortableness - it’s not true for everyone - but certainly I can have much richer conversations with people, or deeper conversations, of course, because I’m able to speak Japanese.

Sarah Do you have any advice for people who are studying English?

Dwayne I think listening to, um, of course native language programs. But finding issues and ideas that are really stimulating to them. It’s very easy to get trapped or circulated just within, sort of, everyday scenarios or ideas. So finding things that you’re deeply interested in, in any language and then finding sources in the target language, in English in this case. So that your mind is stimulated by the ideas that you’re encountering. Because then there seems to be more of a, a reason to learn new vocabulary, learn those grammar structures. I’ve found this to be true for me for language acquisition. So I think that’s something that often is overlooked, especially in lower level, um, language instruction. But finding things, you know, if you’re learning English, seeking out the things that really excite you and stimulate some creative thought. Right, so whether you’re interested in literature, or television production or politics, whatever the thing, the case may be, then researching that, because that will definitely allow you to hold onto what you’re learning, the English that you’re learning much better, because you’ve got a vested interest, right, you’re really connected to what you’re studying.

notes

in retrospect = idiom = when looking back on a past event or situation; with hindsight

a vested interest = a personal reason for wanting sth to happen, especially because you get some advantage from it

fellowship = an award of money to a graduate student to allow them to continue their studies or to do research (a kind of scholarship)

links

today's news

today's STICK NEWS pictures

music

show start
artist: BrunoXe
album: aprendiendo desde 2004
track: Mandrake
from: Jerez, Spain
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

the snow report start
artist: Olga Scotland
album: Scotland Yard
track: Absolute
from: Moscow, Russia
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

cws start
artist: San Sebastian
track: Happy Sad
artist site

qa start
artist: ioeo
album: Groovetracks
tracks: groovetracks ending
from: Saint Raphael, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

qa bgm
artist: NarNaoud
album: Green Vision
track: Dubbing Rules
from: Gironde, France
artist at Jamendo
album at Jamendo
artist site

Did you notice a mistake in this script? Please leave us a comment and tell us! We really appreciate people pointing out our mistakes.Thank you.

Have you translated this script - or part of it - into your language for English practice and published it on your blog? Please leave a comment and a link so other people can read your translation. Thank you.

Show 652 Sunday 24 February

Watch today's show at YouTube or BlipTV

Sunday Kitchen #83 Peperoncino with Eggplant

Cut up some garlic and some eggplant.
Put some olive oil into a frying pan. Add some chilli. And salt and pepper.
Cook the garlic and the eggplant. You might want to add some water too.
Then cook the pasta.
Put the pasta into a bowl.
Add the eggplant and garlic.
And mix.
Easy and delicious.

Show 651 Saturday 23 February

Watch today's show at YouTube.

Last weekend there was a festival in Kutchan called Yukitopia, so I went along to check it out.

There were lots of snow sculptures, including one of Doraemon, of course. And there were stalls selling food and drinks and little fires to keep people warm which was cool.
But the highlight was the slide.

I arrived just before some crazy Australian dude came sliding down dressed as a traffic light towing a police car. The crowd went wild.

Then a guy who was almost naked came sliding down on a shovel.
And then it was all over and a guy with a big camera was interviewing the almost naked guy.

Show 650 Friday 22 February

Watch today’s show at YouTube or BlipTV.

Hi I’m Sarah. Welcome to The Daily English Show.

Today’s song is How Bizarre by OMC a New Zealand group.

Watch the video here.

OMC stands for Otara Millionaires Club – which is a joking reference to the fact that Otara is famous for being one of the low socio-economic areas of Auckland.

Otara has a bit of a bad reputation for having more crime than other areas of New Zealand, but I don’t know how true that is. All I know is that they have a really cool market on Saturday mornings which I definitely recommend if you visit Auckland, New Zealand.

Anyway, How Bizarre was release in 1995. And it was really popular in New Zealand and some other countries too.

It brings back a lot of memories for me because when it came out I was working in commercial radio, so I played it and listened to it a lot.

I really like the song but I’m not too sure what it’s about. I think it’s just about strange stuff that’s going on.

Bizarre means very strange or unusual.

So next time someone tells you a strange story, you can comment: how bizzare!

STICK NEWS

Kia Ora, in Stick News today, Italian scientists have unveiled a robot which can make coffee.

DEXMART is a four-year robot-making project funded by the European Union.
According to their website, "DEXMART" is an acronym and stands for "DEXterous and autonomous dual-arm/hand robotic manipulation with sMART sensory-motor skills: A bridge from natural to artificial cognition".
On Wednesday, Dexmart scientists introduced their new robot called Justine.
Justine can make coffee and can also pick things up off the floor.
A spokesperson said Justine was “flexible and precise enough to make a cup of coffee, although she only stretches to the instant variety at the moment."

And that was Stick News for Friday the 22nd of February.
Kia Ora

THE SNOW REPORT
at Loaf Lounge

Here’s something to do in Niseko apart from playing in the snow. Backgammon.
They have a pile of games at Loaf Lounge, including backgammon. I used to play this game a lot when I was a kid but I hadn’t played it for ages.

friday joke

I found this joke here.

Teacher: Sam, what is the outside of a tree called?
Sam: I don’t know.
Teacher: Bark, Sam, bark.
Sam: Bow-wow.



conversations with sarah

#397 What happened to OMC?

Step 1: Repeat Kate’s lines.
Step 2: Read Kate’s lines and talk to Sarah.

Kate What happened to OMC?

Sarah They broke up and went bankrupt.

Kate Bankrupt? Really? Why?

Sarah I don’t know. I just watched a video about OMC but it didn’t really say what happened.

Kate What a shame.

Sarah Yeah. But, actually, recently, he just recorded a new song with Lucy Lawless.

Kate Who’s she?

Sarah She’s a New Zealand actress. She was in Xena. Have you seen that?

Kate No.

Sarah Neither have I – but it was a TV series.

Kate What kind of show was it?

Sarah Um, fantasy.

links

today's news
today's STICK NEWS pictures

Article about Otara Market

How Bizarre by OMC
Story about OMC today

music

show start
artist: BrunoXe
album: aprendiendo desde 2004
track: Mandrake
from: Jerez, Spain
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

friday joke start
artist: AdHoc
album: Toutes directions
track: Sumbala
from: Annecy, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

the snow report start
artist: Olga Scotland
album: Scotland Yard
track: Absolute
from: Moscow, Russia
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

cws start
artist: San Sebastian
track: Happy Sad
artist site

qa start
artist: ioeo
album: Groovetracks
tracks: groovetracks ending
from: Saint Raphael, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

qa bgm
artist: NarNaoud
album: Green Vision
track: Dubbing Rules
from: Gironde, France
artist at Jamendo
album at Jamendo
artist site

Did you notice a mistake in this script? Please leave us a comment and tell us! We really appreciate people pointing out our mistakes.Thank you.

Have you translated this script - or part of it - into your language for English practice and published it on your blog? Please leave a comment and a link so other people can read your translation. Thank you.

Show 649 Thursday 21 February

Watch today’s show at YouTube or BlipTV.

Hi I’m Sarah. Welcome to The Daily English Show.

Today I recommend a video called Google Maps by this comedy group.

I think this video is a really interesting idea and it’s a good one to study because it’s a dialogue between two people.

One word you can learn is creepy.
One of the guys says: And there’s the creepy dude’s van.

creepy adj. (informal) causing an unpleasant feeling of fear or unease

And dude in this sentence, means man.

And there’s the creepy man’s van.

STICK NEWS

Kia Ora, in Stick News today, Edison Chen has publicly announced that he will step away from the Hong Kong entertainment industry indefinitely.

Edison Chen was born in Vancouver, Canada 27 years ago. Wikipedia lists his occupation as: record producer, singer, actor, fashion designer and CEO.
Chen was discovered in 1999 while clubbing in Hong Kong and by 2001 he was already winning the hearts of many screaming teenage girls.
In November 2006, Chen allegedly purchased a pink computer in Hong Kong.
Some time later he sent the computer in for repairs and according to police an estimated 1,300 intimate photographs of Chen and numerous female celebrities may have been accessed and copied by one or more of the shop's employees without consent.
On the 27th of January 2008, one of the photos appeared on the internet. Over the following weeks hundreds more photos were posted.
At first some people said the photos may have been fake.
On the 21st of February, Chen made a public apology.
He admitted taking most of the photographs.
And said they had been stolen and published illegally without his consent.
He announced that he would "step away indefinitely" from the Hong Kong entertainment industry.

And that was Stick News for Thursday 21st February.
Kia Ora

THE SNOW REPORT
on Hanazono #3

Where are you from?
I’m from Adelaide in Australia. South Australia.

How long are you in Niseko?
Ah, we’ve been here for five days and we’re here for another three days. So ... ah, eight days in total. Last year we came for two weeks. So, yeah, but this year only eight days.

How many times have you come to Niseko?
Um, we’ve come here for the last four years and I’ve come six times.

How did you find out about Niseko?
Ah, Dave, my friend, ah, talked to a lot of people and did some research on the internet. And a lot of people said that Niseko was really amazing. So, ah, we came here for the first time and fell in love. We were meant to go and try other places, but we haven’t gotten around to it yet.

What do you think of the conditions today?
I’m loving today! Today is amazing. Um, it’s windy and it’s cold and it’s snowing - but those are all good things. In Aust ... like, ah, in Adelaide, is in the driest part of the driest state of the driest country, so it’s very, very dry, um, and here it’s cold, but, lot’s of layers … it’s really good, and, just the snow is amazing.
粉雪すごいです！

conversations with sarah
#396 I don’t, but I can Google Map it.

Step 1: Repeat the guy with the blonde hair’s lines.
Step 2: Read the guy with the blonde hair’s lines and talk to the guy with the brown hair.

Brown hair Hey bro, do you where I can get a picture framed?

Blonde Ah, I don’t, but I can Google Map it.

Brown What do you mean?

Blonde Just type in “picture frames near 90027” and boom.

Brown Nice.

Blonde Double click. And you’re at street view.

Brown Wow.

Blonde Yeah.

Brown Can you see our street?

Blonde Yeah. And ... boom.

Brown There’s Hillhurst right there.

Blonde Uh-huh.

Brown And the drawing room.

Blonde And there’s the creepy dude’s van.

Brown Yeah, there’s our apartment.

Blonde And our two cars.

Brown Let’s go into the courtyard.

Blonde You can’t, it’s a picture from a moving car.

links

today's STICK NEWS pictures

Edison Chen
Edison Chen photo scandal

music

show start
artist: BrunoXe
album: aprendiendo desde 2004
track: Mandrake
from: Jerez, Spain
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

the snow report start
artist: Olga Scotland
album: Scotland Yard
track: Absolute
from: Moscow, Russia
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

cws start
artist: San Sebastian
track: Happy Sad
artist site

qa start
artist: ioeo
album: Groovetracks
tracks: groovetracks ending
from: Saint Raphael, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

qa bgm
artist: NarNaoud
album: Green Vision
track: Dubbing Rules
from: Gironde, France
artist at Jamendo
album at Jamendo
artist site

Did you notice a mistake in this script? Please leave us a comment and tell us! We really appreciate people pointing out our mistakes.Thank you.

Have you translated this script - or part of it - into your language for English practice and published it on your blog? Please leave a comment and a link so other people can read your translation. Thank you.

Show 648 Wednesday 20 February

Watch today's show at YouTube or BlipTV

BC Tour with NAC

BC means backcountry. Backcountry means the places on the mountain that aren’t the groomed runs.
When you go into the backcountry it’s a good idea to take some equipment with you to help you if there’s an avalanche.
This is a probe. You can use it to poke the snow and find people who are buried.
You can also find people with this thing called a beacon.
And this is a shovel with a retractable handle. You can use it to dig people out of the snow.

The BC tour started with a stretch. Then they took the lifts up to the top of the mountain. Then they rode across the mountain and into the backcountry.

links

backcountry gear list

backcountry skiing at Wikipedia

music

show start
artist: BrunoXe
album: aprendiendo desde 2004
track: Mandrake
from: Jerez, Spain
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

other music
artist: NarNaoud
album: Green Vision
track: Oriental Standing
from: Gironde, France
artist at Jamendo
album at Jamendo
artist site

Did you notice a mistake in this script? Please leave us a comment and tell us! We really appreciate people pointing out our mistakes.Thank you.

Have you translated this script - or part of it - into your language for English practice and published it on your blog? Please leave a comment and a link so other people can read your translation. Thank you.

Show 647 Tuesday 19 February

Watch today’s show at YouTube or BlipTV.

Hi I’m Sarah. Welcome to The Daily English Show.

Today’s movie is Pretty Woman. Pretty Woman came out in 1990. It’s a romantic comedy. I think you’ve probably seen it. It’s pretty well known and apparently it’s one of the most financially successful romantic comedies ever.

Wikipedia says the film was: groundbreaking on account of its sympathetic depiction of an occupation thought dishonorable and indecent by most Americans.

And it says the film has been criticized for making prostitution seem attractive.

Anyway one of the interesting parts of Pretty Woman, I think, is how Vivian goes into some stores dressed in a certain way, and the shop assistants are not nice to her. And then she goes into the stores again dressed differently, and the shop assistants are very willing to help her.

I’ve had similar experiences myself ... mostly in New Zealand – ah, because I usually dress pretty casually so I’ve had shop staff follow me around the store and I’ve been searched by security, that kind of thing. And it always makes me think of this movie.

And I think it’s an interesting issue, and something that happens a lot – shops discriminate on how rich or poor they think the customers are, and also on race, because I guess they think customers of a certain race will behave badly, or steal stuff or scare other customers away.

You might have experienced this – either in your home country or when you’re travelling overseas. So, it’s something we need to think about how to deal with. Do we just ignore it, or make a complaint, or try and change laws?

Anyway, back to the movie, when Vivian goes into a shop with Edward, Edward has to talk to the guy in the shop to get them to be nice to her, because they’re not at first.

He says this:

(Listen to this here at :45)

Excuse me, you know what we’re going to need here? We’re going to need a few more people helping us out. I’ll tell you why, we’re going to be spending an obscene amount of money in here. So we’re going to need a lot more help sucking up to us cause that’s what we really like, you understand that?

suck up means: attempt to gain advantage by behaving obsequiously

obsequious Adj. (formal, disapproving)
Trying too hard to please sb, especially sb who is important

So students sometimes suck up to teachers to try and get good marks.

Mr Smith your classes are so interesting, I’m learning so much.
You look nice today, nice tie!

STICK NEWS

Kia Ora, in Stick News today the man who has been leader of Cuba since 1959 has resigned.

Fidel Castro 81 years old.
He’s been the leader of Cuba for almost 50 years.
Wikipedia says Castro’s leadership has evoked both praise and condemnation. Opponents characterize Castro as a dictator, and some say his rule is illegitimate.
Supporters, on the other hand, see Castro as a charismatic leader whose presidential authority has been acquired through legitimate elections.
For the last few years Castro has been sick and yesterday he announced he was retiring from public life.

And that was Stick News for Tuesday the 19th of February.
Kia Ora

THE SNOW REPORT
in the Annupuri Gondola

with Rob

Where are you from?
Ah, Australia, New South Wales, Newcastle.

Is this your first time in Niseko?
Yes.

What do you think of Niseko?
Excellent. Great snow, great people and good food.

Are you coming back next season?
Yes, I’ll definitely come back and bring my family with me.

Are you a skier or a snowboarder?
Downhill skier.

How did you find out about Niseko?
Ah, friends have been here and in Australia it’s being advertised a lot in the snow fields, so that’s why we came.

conversations with sarah
#395 You can't charge me for directions!

watch this conversation here at :24

Step 1: Repeat Edwards’s lines.
Step 2: Read Edwards’s lines and talk to Vivian.

Edward Could you tell me how to get to Beverly Hills?

Vivian Sure. For five bucks.

Edward You can't charge me for directions!

Vivian I can do anything I want to baby, I ain't lost.

Edward Alright. OK. You got change for twenty?

Vivian For twenty, I’ll show you in person.

links

today's news
today's STICK NEWS pictures

music

show start
artist: BrunoXe
album: aprendiendo desde 2004
track: Mandrake
from: Jerez, Spain
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

the snow report start
artist: Olga Scotland
album: Scotland Yard
track: Absolute
from: Moscow, Russia
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

cws start
artist: San Sebastian
track: Happy Sad
artist site

qa start
artist: ioeo
album: Groovetracks
tracks: groovetracks ending
from: Saint Raphael, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

qa bgm
artist: NarNaoud
album: Green Vision
track: Dubbing Rules
from: Gironde, France
artist at Jamendo
album at Jamendo
artist site

Did you notice a mistake in this script? Please leave us a comment and tell us! We really appreciate people pointing out our mistakes.Thank you.

Have you translated this script - or part of it - into your language for English practice and published it on your blog? Please leave a comment and a link so other people can read your translation. Thank you.

Show 646 Monday 18 February

Watch today’s show at YouTube or BlipTV.

Hi I’m Sarah. Welcome to The Daily English Show.
Today’s guest is Kris from Brisbane, Australia. He’s been in Japan since the start of last winter. And he also spent nine months in Kobe when he was a teenager. He was studying Japanese at high school so he came over on exchange.
He is a journalist and he used to work for a newspaper on the Gold Coast.
Last winter he worked in Niseko for a kind of travel company and over summer he spent three months in Tokyo teaching English.
This season he is writing for this Niseko magazine called Powderlife. This is a free magazine for English-speaking tourists so you should check it out if you come to Niseko.

The first thing I asked Kris was how he enjoyed his time in Kobe.

Ah, it was great. Yeah, um, I was a little bit homesick towards the end, but the first six months was amazing. And I learnt a lot of Japanese, probably more than I have in any other time in my life. You know, if you’re studying in Australia ... it’s just so much easier to learn Japanese living in the country and living with Japanese people. So, yeah, it was good.

STICK NEWS

Kia Ora, in Stick News today it’s Family Day in Ontario, Canada.

For the first time this year, people in Ontario will celebrate a new public holiday called Family Day.
From now on Family Day will be held on the third Monday of every February.
The premiere of Ontario said: "There is nothing more valuable to families than time together. And yet it seems tougher than ever to find, with so many of us living such busy lives."
Two other provinces in Canada already celebrate Family Day on the third Monday of February. And according to Wikipedia, South Africa and a territory in Australia also have yearly Family Days.

And that was Stick News for Monday the 18th of February.
Kia Ora

conversations with sarah
#394 Why did you come to Niseko?

Step 1: Repeat Sarah’s lines.
Step 2: Read Sarah’s lines and talk to Kris.

Sarah Why did you come to Niseko?

Kris Because, ah, my dad actually lives in Hokkaido, ah, and he started a little bar in, ah, Hirafu, um, and I was going to come over and, and, ah, work here for just a season, um, in the bar, um, for, sort of as, as the start of my travels around the world. And, um, he didn’t end up doing the bar, um, the following year, so I got a job with another company here. And, ah, yeah, that’s how I ended up coming here.

Sarah What kind of stories do you most enjoy doing?

Kris I like writing the stories about, um, the interesting little people – ah, the interesting little businesses and people, um, in the area. Um, cause there is so many great little businesses and restaurants that not many people know about. And they can’t really advertise, um, because they are quite small. But they ... and, ah, a lot of the time they aren’t really interested in making as much money as they can. They just want to do, um, their specialty as best as they can. Um, and I really love sort of finding out what drives those people and, um, what they do and that kind of thing.

Sarah Is it very different working for a newspaper in Australia and working for this magazine?

Kris Yeah, extremely different. Um, fundamentally, you’re still writing stories. But, um, working for a newspaper you’re doing, um, you’re, you’re at the, sort of, the bottom of the chain and you’re told from the top what you have to write. And you’ve got absolutely no say in it basically. You can come up with ideas, but at the end of the day, they can get shut down, they quite often do get shut down.
And it’s a very rigid, ah, 9-5, um, or, sort of, 8 til 7 o’clock type of job. Um, and it’s really, really stressful work conditions. Um, lots of really tight deadlines, especially in a daily newspaper, you’ve sort of get your, um, get your stories, you know, two or three stories done every day by a certain time. And everyone in the whole place is stressed out. So it makes for a pretty, um, intense workplace.
But over here, um, my boss is really, um, relaxed and, ah, likes snowboarding probably more than I do. Which is, which says something. Um, and so, we, ah, yeah we work around snowboarding. Um, and, we sort of both help each other out I think.

Sarah Now that so many people use the internet, what do you think the future of magazines is?

Kris I think the future of magazines is probably stronger than, ah, the future of newspapers. I think newspapers might die, um, a little bit. Um, but I think magazines, um, may always be around. Cause it’s nice to sort of hold a nice, um, thick magazine with great pictures in it, flicking through it. Um, and getting the great photos and stuff. You don’t sort of get that quality with a newspaper, but with a magazine, um, maybe you do get that a bit more. I always love reading a good glossy magazine, although it may not be that good for the environment I spose. But, um, yeah, if it’s doing a good job, then I spose you’ve got to toss up some things, whether they’re worth doing or not.

Sarah Do you think you’ll be in Niseko for a while?

Kris Yeah, yeah, I’ll be here for a good few years now. Probably mostly in the winters, but sometimes in the summers too. I’ll definitely be back and forth during summers and springs and autumns.

Sarah Do you use Japanese a lot these days?

Kris Um, probably not a lot, probably like 90%, um, English and 10% Japanese. When, um, answering phone calls and making phone calls every now and then. Um, and yeah, just talking to people who come in. And, and, you know, with my Japanese friends who speak English and Japanese I spend probably um, half, half, you know, sometimes we speak Japanese, sometimes we speak English.

Sarah Have you studied any other languages apart from Japanese?

Kris I do a lot of travel to Indonesia to go surfing. So I learnt a bit of, um, basic Indonesian, sort of just travel Indonesian, along the way. And then I had an elective at university so I did, um, two, two subjects of Indonesian, so I learnt some very basic Indonesian, which, um, when I come over here I sort of forget cause I’m trying to think in Japanese and then when I go back to Indonesia, I, sort of, can’t remember, for the first week I’m sort of confusing it with Japanese, but then I get back into the Indonesian mode again.

Sarah Do you have any advice for people learning English?

Kris I would say, if you can try and, um – it’s difficult for a lot of people – um, but to live in the country, live in an English speaking country, um, is definitely, um, one if the best things you could do, even if it’s just for 6 months, I think. Um, I think that’s probably the best think you could do. Otherwise, um, try and speak to foreigners a lot, um, get out of the text book and, um, yeah actually just try and talk to people. And don’t be scared about making mistakes as well, cause even, you know, people who’ve been studying English for years and years, even their Japanese isn’t perfect, ah, sorry, even their English isn’t perfect. So, um, yeah, just get out there and try and talk to people.

notes

I spose you've got to toss up some things ...
He means something like: "You've got to weigh up the pros and cons" which means "consider the advantages and disadvantages of something"

every now and then = sometimes

links

today's news
today's STICK NEWS pictures

music

show start
artist: BrunoXe
album: aprendiendo desde 2004
track: Mandrake
from: Jerez, Spain
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

the snow report start
artist: Olga Scotland
album: Scotland Yard
track: Absolute
from: Moscow, Russia
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

cws start
artist: San Sebastian
track: Happy Sad
artist site

qa start
artist: ioeo
album: Groovetracks
tracks: groovetracks ending
from: Saint Raphael, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

qa bgm
artist: NarNaoud
album: Green Vision
track: Dubbing Rules
from: Gironde, France
artist at Jamendo
album at Jamendo
artist site

Did you notice a mistake in this script? Please leave us a comment and tell us! We really appreciate people pointing out our mistakes.Thank you.

Have you translated this script - or part of it - into your language for English practice and published it on your blog? Please leave a comment and a link so other people can read your translation. Thank you.