English Learners Club(ELC‪)‬ ELC

Today, I’m going to talk about a new part of my morning routine where I go outside right after waking up. Initially, I aimed to get back into running after suffering from sciatica last year due to a sedentary lifestyle. However, I found it quite challenging. The most difficult part was getting my butt out of bed and going outside in the cold weather with just my running gear on.
My husband suggested that we invest in an stationary bike, which was a perfect interim solution, allowing me to exercise without having to brave the cold. Yet, something was missing… I believe profoundly in the mental and physical benefits of spending time outdoors, so this didn’t really surprise me.
After much deliberation, I found a simple yet effective solution: lower the bar to just going outside. Now, regardless of the weather, I step out for a walk. The shift from running to merely being outside has significantly relieved the pressure, making the habit easier to maintain.
Integrating photography into my routine added a layer of enjoyment. Taking photos has long been a hobby of mine, yet I rarely had the opportunity to dedicate time to it. By combining it with my new morning walk, it has become something that I feel excited about and makes me pop out of bed in the morning with a spring in my step.
Since the weather has gotten warmer, I've begun wearing my running gear during my morning outings. This makes it more likely that I'll spontaneously decide to run, and this month alone I've ran over 50 kilometers in total and I've noticed improvements in productivity and mental clarity throughout the day. This has in turn enhanced my enjoyment of learning English and other daily activities.
This simple change to my morning routine has transformed my daily life, and I'm incredibly proud of the progress I’ve made. —————————————————————— 🗣Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us. 👉smsgil0228@gmail.com *FREEBIRD English: https://www.55freebird.com/blank-1

Spring break was from the end of March until the beginning of this week, which means I had to make my kids lunch boxes everyday when they were out of school. When you make a lunch box there are various things that you have to consider. There is a lot of pressure on mothers to make a lunch box that their child can be proud of when eating with their friends. If your child’s lunch box looks boring, they might be disappointed or embarrassed. Therefore, things like color balance are actually just as important as nutrition in a strange way.

In my early days as a mother, I struggled with making a lunchbox for my daughter. However one of my friends gave me some good advice.
She suggested that I put three different colors of food in the lunchbox. For example, red for tomatoes or carrots, green for broccoli or cucumbers, and yellow for Japanese style eggs. She called it “三色列車走らせる”which means “running a three-color train.”
Anyway, It worked! I started making lunchboxes using this rule, and when my daughter opened it, a big smile came across her face because she noticed the three-color train!
Ever since then, I have been keeping this rule in mind and making sure I have the appropriate ingredients in my refrigerator.
If you have to make lunchboxes for kids in the future, following this simple rule should make life easier for you, and brighten up your kids' lunch time! —————————————————————— 🗣Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us. 👉smsgil0228@gmail.com *FREEBIRD English: https://www.55freebird.com/blank-1

When I get up in the morning, sometimes I remember two or three dreams I had.
All of them are completely different, and pretty detailed. Do you have similar experiences?
Recently, this happened again. Let me tell you about it…
I dreamed that my best friend in Tokyo got in a car accident. I told her about it in the morning because I was worried about her. But I also told her, “It’s just a bad dream Don’t worry too much because my dreams are always weird, and they never come true.” I also told her about some of my other dreams to put her at ease.
First I told her about a dream where I was on the way to work when I saw a kangaroo jumping through a rice field. It seemed to have been injured in a car accident, and she had a baby in her pouch… But the baby was obviously too big for the pouch, so I thought “Come on! Get out of her pouch! You should jump on your own! Your mother is having a hard time! Take care of her for a change!”
I think this dream was influenced by an amazingly funny Australian, Ben, from the “TeacherTalk” podcast.
Then I told her about another dream where I went to play trombone with my brass band friends, but I hadn’t practiced for a long time because my left hand is sore, so holding the trombone properly is painful - which is true. In the dream, I tried hard to play with them, but of course I failed. Do you know how hard it is to hide your mistakes playing a trombone? I think the trombone is the hardest brass instrument to hide mistakes, or not being in sync with your bandmates, because it’s so obvious just from watching the sliding movements. I was in big trouble, and tired in my dream. ふ～・・・
Afterwards, she texted me “OK, thanks. I’ll be careful as always. Safety first!”
—————————————————————— 🗣Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us. 👉smsgil0228@gmail.com *FREEBIRD English: https://www.55freebird.com/blank-1

I like playing a pretending game. In Japanese, I think it’s called “ごっこ遊び”.
I’m getting more and more forgetful.
Therefore, recently I created a new game to benefit from my forgetfulness.
The game is very easy, doesn’t cost any money, and you can play it anywhere you want.
In the morning, I tell myself “Oh! I have something fun and interesting to do at work today!”
That helps me start my work day in a good mood, which is how this game cheers me up.
I eventually forget that I was playing this game, so I never feel down when I have just a normal day.
In the afternoon, I start another game.
I tell myself “Oh! I have exciting plan after work today!”, and kind of convince myself to believe it.
That puts me in an upbeat and an excited mood for most of the rest of the day,
but eventually I forget about that too, so it never brings me down after I finish work.
I’ve found this game to be quite effective to improve my mood on a day to day basis.
Do you want to try? Do you think this is crazy?
Or perhaps you agree that it is a really creative and genius idea! —————————————————————— 🗣Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us. 👉smsgil0228@gmail.com *FREEBIRD English: https://www.55freebird.com/blank-1

JR Higashi Nihon, a railroad company, held an interesting campaign recently. They sold one day “free pass” tickets to ride any JR train in east Japan, including bullet trains! It costs only ten thousand yen and can only be used on weekdays.
This is amazing! I am the kind of person who never misses something like this.
I got the ticket for myself and I went to Morioka city last Wednesday for the first time in my life! To be honest, I wanted to go to Aomori, but Aomori is too far for a day trip. Morioka is just the right distance. Besides, I have been curious about Morioka Reimen for a long time.

I left home at 8 am, and got to Morioka station around noon. Morioka is a smaller city than I imagined. The first thing on my list was Morioka Reimen of course. There were several famous Reimen shops. I was surprised that the shops were very crowded thanks to the event. Anyway, I was able to eat at the oldest reimen shop. When the shop staff put the Reimen on my table I was overwhelmed with joy. Life is so interesting! Even a month ago, I never imagined suddenly coming to Morioka and eating Morioka Reimen.

How was the Reimen? I would say,,, it's quite different from Korean Reimen. Even if it didn't taste good to me, it's a good thing that I learned what Morioka Reimen is.

There’s one more thing I should mention, my favorite author Miyazawa Kenji spent his youth in Morioka. I enjoyed some places and exhibits about him.
I was able to visit all the places that I had planned. I bought some souvenirs and got on the bullet train to go back home. By the time I got home it was 8pm. It was a 12-hour trip in total, and I walked 17000 steps! It was a wonderful day trip! —————————————————————— 🗣Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us. 👉smsgil0228@gmail.com *FREEBIRD English: https://www.55freebird.com/blank-1

On the 7th of February, my friend and I had a plan to meet, so we were texting about what to do the day before. The only thing on our agenda at that time was a morning visit to a popular temple in Tokyo. The afternoon was free, and I was content with the idea of simply catching up. However, at around 8 or 9 PM, she called me with an incredible proposal: "Do you want to go to Taylor Swift's concert tomorrow?" I was taken aback, because I didn’t even know that Taylor Swift was in Japan or that her tour was happening. "Yes, of course," I replied, though I wondered about the availability of tickets.

She explained that she had been dying to get tickets since last summer but she couldn’t. Then she found a sudden opening on social media. Despite my apprehension about the cost, her enthusiasm convinced me it was a chance not to be missed. Rushing to a convenience store, she secured our tickets, and just like that, we were set to see Taylor Swift live.

The concert was nothing short of spectacular. It was a three-hour journey through her prolific career, combining music, dance, and stunning visuals into a mesmerizing show. Despite being a casual fan, I was captivated by her performance and the stories her songs told. This concert was not just an entertaining spectacle, it was a glimpse into Taylor's artistic evolution.

Ever since, I've had the concert's setlist on repeat, reliving the experience and delving deeper into her world. Taylor Swift's poetic lyrics have inspired me to explore the meaning behind her songs, enriching my appreciation for her artistry. I'm thankful to my friend for this unforgettable experience, and to Taylor Swift for a show that has left a lasting impact on me, and now has a special place in my heart. —————————————————————— 🗣Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us. 👉smsgil0228@gmail.com *FREEBIRD English: https://www.55freebird.com/blank-1