July 31, 2017　=========

☆  brilliant  素晴らしい

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Our last word for the month of travel. The Q&A for this month asks, “What was your most brilliant travel experience?” How would you answer this? I’ve had a lot of great experiences traveling, so I’m not sure what the most brilliant would be actually! The trip to Kauai island was brilliant, but a little out of my comfort zone, as I said, we didn’t book anything before we arrived!

One other very interesting travel experience I had was in Dallas. My friend and I were traveling in a big taxi van, with a few other travelers and another car ran a red light, and hit ourRead more about Today’s Word: brilliant[…]

July 30, 2017　=========

☆  loiter  ぶらぶら歩く

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If you loiter somewhere, it means that you stay in that place or you walk up and down, and around there, without any real purpose. This is different from wandering around obviously, and in most places loitering is actually a criminal offence and the owners of that place might call the police!

So, if you are in another country, it’s not a good idea to loiter! If you have to stay in one place for a long time, try and pick somewhere open to everyone, rather than outside a shop for example. If you are meeting someone and think you might have to wait a while forRead more about Today’s Word: loiter[…]

July 29, 2017　=========

☆  question  尋ねる

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If you question someone, you ask them a lot of questions about something. Today’s word is used as a verb, but it is more commonly used as a noun, meaning the actually thing that you ask another person. However, it is still fine to say, “Can I question you about Tokyo, as I’m visiting there next month, and would like to know more about it.”

It is tricky to use “question” as a verb, though, so some other words that you could use instead are: ask, inquire, quiz. If you’re talking to a friend, or the situation is informal, then you could use “quiz” or even “pickRead more about Today’s Word: question[…]

July 28, 2017　=========

☆  wander  歩き回る

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When you wander around somewhere, it means that you are walking around in a casual way, without really having a destination or plan to go anywhere in particular. Wandering around somewhere you’ve never been before can be a great way to explore it and get to know it better. Of course, wandering takes more time than walking with a purpose, so you need to have enough time to take it easy!

Of course, it doesn’t have to be when you are traveling to a new location. You can wander around your own neighborhood, too. I like to do that when I’m walking my dogs. I usually takeRead more about Today’s Word: wander[…]

July 27, 2017　=========

☆  take it easy  くつろぐ

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Take it easy (or take things easy) it is the informal way of saying that you are going to relax and not do very much at all. I have one client who travels to Italy every year for a holiday with his wife and their friends. Each year, they have gone on a tour, and he said it’s quite “busy” as they rush from place to place and have to eat meals quickly to keep on schedule.

So, this year, they decided to create their own travel inventory and take it easy. Basically, this meant that they went to fewer places but they stayed atRead more about Today’s Word: take it easy[…]

July 26, 2017　=========

☆  splurge  散財する

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When you splurge on something, you spend a lot of money, usually on things that you do not need. For example, you might splurge on a new handbag or pair of shoes, that you want rather than need.

However, it is OK to use this word when you are splurging on something that you don’t do very often, but that could be good for your mental and physical health. For example, a massage, or a holiday. These can seem like things you don’t “need” but if you’re tired or exhausted, splurging on a massage or holiday might be just perfect! 

What have you splurged on recently? Could youRead more about Today’s Word: splurge[…]

July 25, 2017　=========

☆  explore  探検する

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If you explore a place, you travel around it to find out what it is like. Other words that you can use, with a similar meaning are: travel, survey, tour, and look around. Here are some sentence examples:

Let’s go explore the city!
I’m really looking forward to exploring Paris.
I think we should explore the cathedral first.
We had such fun exploring the old village.
I’m going to explore the campgrounds and see if I can find a good site for our tent.

Can you use explore in a sentence?

Bye,

Chris

July 24, 2017　=========

☆  validate  有効にする

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These days, most travel documents are electronic, so there is no need to validate things as much anymore. Train tickets are the most common things that need to be validated. In France, they have a system where you can print your train tickets at home and they do not need to be validated. However, if you buy your ticket at the station, and print it there, then you need to validate it when you enter the gate. They also have a shredding bin at some locations, so can throw away your paper ticket safely when you are finished traveling! What a great idea.

In Australia, you canRead more about Today’s Word: validate[…]

July 23, 2017　=========

☆  color  彩り

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Color is a quality that makes something especially interesting or exciting. For example, the useful phrase this week, “The old buildings really add color to the town.” In other words, the old buildings really make the town more interesting. Most of the time, people just knock down old buildings and build new ones. However, often these old buildings have a lot of character, so restoring them rather than knocking them down would be a better choice (in my opinion!)

You can also talk about “local color” which is talking about customs, traditions, clothing and so on, which give a place its own particular color. For example, “TheRead more about Today’s Word: color[…]

July 22, 2017　=========

☆  feature   特徴

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A feature of something is an interesting or important part of characteristic of it. You can talk about the features of an area or country. For example, “The Great Barrier Reef forms the prominent feature off the north-east coast of Australia.” Or, “One of the most striking physical features of Japan, is Mt. Fuji.”

You can also describe things, not just places. For example, there is a gumtree in Australia, called the stringybark gum, and one of its distinctive features is that it throws off its bark, so that it hangs in long dry strips from the trunk and branches. Have you ever seen this kind ofRead more about Today’s Word: feature[…]

July 21, 2017　=========

☆  region  地方

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One of the useful phrases this week is, “I really love this region of Japan.” A region is a large area of land that is different from other areas, for some reason, such as the customs, culture, or the geographical features.

I found an interesting article, which breaks Japan into 9 distinct regions. I’m sure you can guess what they are right? Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Kansai and so on. Have you been to them all? Which is your favorite region of Japan?

I was actually surprised to see that I have been to all 9 regions, I couldn’t say which is my favorite though! I just love themRead more about Today’s Word: region[…]

July 20, 2017　=========

☆  memory  思い出

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The two main ways to use memory are firstly your memory is your ability to remember things. Secondly, a memory is something you remember from the past. That is the meaning we are looking at today. Most often, this word is used in plural form, as in “memories” however if you are talking about just one memory, then that is OK too. For example, “My earliest memory is of X.” Here are some common ways to use today’s word:

I can’t watch that movie, it brings back bad memories.
I have many happy memories of my childhood.
Thank you for the memories.
Collect memories not things.

And if you’re traveling somewhereRead more about Today’s Word: memory[…]

July 19, 2017　=========

☆  tidbit  豆知識

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A tidbit is an interesting piece of information. This word is commonly used to refer to gossip or hot information, and you might hear it used with “juicy” as in, “a juicy tidbit” meaning a scandalous piece of gossip / information.

However, it can also just mean interesting information. For example, if you are traveling somewhere and you have any friends who have already been there, you might ask them to share any tidbits of information about that place with you.

One other interesting definition of this word is that it means a small piece of tasty food… I wonder if that is why the word “bean” appearsRead more about Today’s Word: tidbit[…]

July 18, 2017　=========

☆  request  リクエスト

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If you make a request, you politely or formally ask someone to do something. So, this is a good word to use when you are traveling. It’s always good to be polite, and make sure that you treat people with respect, because that usually guarantees they will treat you with respect in return. Here are some ways to use request:

At a hotel:
Can I make a request for a room with a sea view?

At the airport:
Can I make a request for an aisle seat?

At a restaurant:
I’d like to make a request for all or meals to come at the same time, please.

Of course, if you want toRead more about Today’s Word: request[…]

July 17, 2017　=========

☆  impression  印象

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Your impression of a person or thing or place is what you think they are like. You usually form this impression after having seen or heard that thing. For example, I might say, “My impression of the Japanese public transport system is that it is very organized.” On the other hand, if you were visiting me in Adelaide, you might say, “My impression of Adelaide’s public transport system is that it is non-existent!” (In this case, of course we have public transport, but it is not very efficient, so ‘non-existent’ is being sarcastic.)

There is one other interesting way to use today’s word: in the phrase, “underRead more about Today’s Word: impression[…]

July 16, 2017　=========

☆  dramatic  印象的な

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Dramatic is similar to the word, intense, that we had earlier in the week, in that you can use it in a few different ways.

A dramatic change or event is something that happens suddenly and is very noticeable and surprising.
e.g. My company’s new policy has led to a dramatic decrease in overtime.

A dramatic action, event, or situation is exciting and impressive.
e.g. The bride and groom’s arrival was so dramatic!

A dramatic person is someone who is excited, filled with emotion and energy.
e.g. My mother was overly dramatic when I told her I was getting married, it was rather embarrassing!

Can you use dramatic in a sentence?

Bye,

Chris

July 15, 2017　=========

☆  gorgeous  とてもきれいな

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Gorgeous is a bit like the word “love”, it might seem a little bit over the top or too extreme to use this word instead of just beautiful, but in English, in informal situations, it is very commonly used. Here are some examples:

The scenery was gorgeous.
I loved New York, it’s just gorgeous.
What a gorgeous day, the weather is great!
You look gorgeous, that’s a great dress.
The meal was gorgeous, I highly recommend that restaurant.

As you can see, you can really use it to describe anything you like! Just like I said earlier in the month, when I talked about love/like, don’t be afraid to use this wordRead more about Today’s Word: gorgeous[…]

July 14, 2017　=========

☆  epic  壮大な

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If you describe something as epic, you mean that it is very large and impressive. However, this is the strict dictionary meaning. These days, epic is used in a much more casual, slang way. Younger people – kids, teenagers, adults in their twenties, use “epic” to describe any situation, person, event, movie and so on. Most people would say that epic is now overused, and you shouldn’t use it. However, you will still hear people use it, so it’s a good word to know. Here are some examples you might hear (maybe in a movie, rather than real life):

That movie was epic!
Epic fail!
Listen to this song,Read more about Today’s Word: epic[…]

July 13, 2017　=========

☆  intense  強烈な

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Intense means that something or someone is extreme, powerful, passionate, or great. There are a few ways to use “intense.”

To describe something as intense, meaning it is great or extreme.
e.g. He was sweating from the intense heat.

To describe an activity as intense, you mean it is very serious, and you might have to do a lot in a short time.
e.g. The tennis game last night was really intense!
e.g. My short trip to New York was so intense.

To describe someone as intense, you mean that they appear to concentrate very hard on whatever they are doing, and show their emotions in an extreme way.
e.g. She was alwaysRead more about Today’s Word: intense[…]

July 12, 2017　=========

☆  urgent  緊急の

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If something is urgent, it needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. If you’re traveling, what sort of situations might be urgent? Perhaps you lost your wallet, so you need to make a lot of urgent phone calls to your insurance company and travel agent, and maybe even the police. You might even need to make an urgent business trip somewhere. Or you might need to speak to someone about something that is urgent.

Here are some simple ways to use today’s word:

Can I speak with you, it’s really urgent.
It’s not urgent yet, but the deadline is soon.
I sent an urgent message, but still haven’tRead more about Today’s Word: urgent[…]

July 11, 2017　=========

☆  blurry  ぼやけた

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This week’ useful phrase is: “I’m so disappointed, all my photos are blurry.” This might sound like something you would have said many years ago, when we used film cameras rather than digital cameras and smartphones, but it still happens a lot.

Smartphones especially, are not very good in low light, so it’s hard to get a sharp picture, and so any nighttime photos will usually be blurry. And of course, if you’re taking photos of things that move, like animals or children, then blurry photos are quite common. At least with digital photos we can just delete the bad photos and keep only the good ones!

DoRead more about Today’s Word: blurry[…]

July 10, 2017   　=========

☆  active  活発な

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Someone who is active is moves around a lot, or does a lot of things. They are energetic, lively, always on the go, and lead a full life. One of the things I love about Japanese people is that they are so active, especially as they get older. Japanese people tend to live long and active lives (is this still true, or am I stereotyping?? I hope it is still true!)

On the other hand, in Australia, because people usually drive everywhere rather than use trains, buses, or bicycles, they are not very active. As a consequence, when they get too old to drive, they endRead more about Today’s Word: active[…]

July 9, 2017   =========

☆  venture  思い切って～する

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Today’s word is mostly used in written English, so you’d find it in novels or stories, rather than in every day conversation. It means to go somewhere, but it has a feeling of risk or chance or daring associated with it. You may have heard this used as a noun, in business, as in a “joint venture” or a “new business venture”, so in this usage it is easy to see the idea of chance or risk in it, right?

But, what about the useful phrase for this week, “It’s time to venture outside!” Why would there be any feeling of risk or danger when youRead more about Today’s Word: venture[…]

July 8, 2017      =========

☆  organize  計画する

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When you travel, do you tend to organize everything in advance or do you prefer not to plan things? When I went to Hawaii for the first time, I went with a friend who didn’t like to organize things… I’m a planner, so it was tough for me not to organize everything in advance but we just got on the plane and flew to Hawaii then on to Kauai island… and when we arrived at the small airport we looked at the noticeboard there to find our accommodation!

We didn’t organize a hotel or a car or anything really! It was a great trip and weRead more about Today’s Word: organize[…]

July 7, 2017 =========

☆  accompany   一緒に行く

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The word accompany is the formal way of saying “go/come with” someone. If you’re just talking with someone then of course, you would say, “Shall I go with you?” Or “Do you want me to come with you?” However, in a more formal situation such as work, it would be more usual to use “accompany.”

Here are some examples:

Ken accompanied me on my business trip last month.
She asked me to accompany her on a trip to Hokkaido.
His was accompanied by his older brother.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by the Tokyo mayor.

As you can see, in the case of “accompany” it is almost like the person whoRead more about Today’s Word: accompany[…]

July 6, 2017　=========

☆  pass  遠慮する

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I’m sure you know the word “pass” but have you seen it used in this context? This is about saying no politely to something. For example, if you are traveling and someone offers to buy you a drink, you might be better off saying no and getting your own drink or even leaving, so you could say something like, “No thanks, I’ll pass.” If you wanted to, you could add an excuse, “I’m tired.” Or “I don’t drink.”

You can also say this when someone offers you food that you don’t want to eat – each culture has some weird food that the only locals consider toRead more about Today’s Word: pass[…]

July 5, 2017　=========

☆  travel  旅行する

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How often do you travel? Once a year? Twice a year? Rarely or not at all? For me, I guess it depends on how you define “travel.” I used to think that only international trips could be counted, so I would have to say that I rarely travel. However, if all trips are included, then now that I am back in Australia, I travel a lot – but only locally or within Australia – for camping trips and running events.

How about you? How often do you travel? Would you like to travel more? (I would!) How often would you like to travel, if you could chooseRead more about Today’s Word: travel[…]

July 4, 2017　=========

☆  memorize   覚える

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I’m sure the idea of memorizing English words and their translations is nothing new to you, but have you ever thought about using this skill for travel? How? Well, when I’m travelling, I hate to look like a tourist – firstly it attracts the attention of people who might want to scam you (for example, when I travelled in New Orleans, everyone approached me and offered to show me where the good sights were – for money of course!). Secondly, if you have to keep looking at a guidebook, then it takes away from the fun you could be having while travelling.

So, instead I memorize myRead more about Today’s Word: memorize[…]

July 3, 2017     =========

☆  love  愛する

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In English, I think we tend to use the word “love” when most other cultures would probably just use “like”. Do you agree? For example, it’s really common to say something like “I love travelling.” or “I love learning about new cultures.” In Japanese, you’d be more like to use the verb, “like”, is that right?

In English, if you love something or love doing something, then generally you are more passionate about that thing than you would be if you just said that you like it or like doing it. You could definitely say that someone who loves travelling enjoys it a lot more thanRead more about Today’s Word: love[…]

July 2, 2017      =========

☆  sights  名所

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When we talk about the “sights” of a place, we are talking about the famous locations in that area. Generally, these sights are places that are manmade – for describing natural locations, you’d say scenery, landscapes, views. Here are a couple of ways to use today’s word:

I can’t wait to get out and see the sights of London today!
Can you tell me the top ten sights to see in New York?

In fact, if you are traveling somewhere, and want to know what sights to go and visit, then a popular Google search is “Sights to see in X” and just change the X to yourRead more about Today’s Word: sights[…]

July 1, 2017　    =========

☆  heart  心

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This month we’re talking about travel and the joy of travelling. Do you travel much? I must admit, now that I am based in Australia, I don’t travel as much as I did when I lived in Tokyo. Tokyo was a great place to be based for all travel – great prices and not too far from anywhere. Now, it’s just so expensive to leave Adelaide!! And, it’s actually a very cool place, so there’s no real reason to leave. Ha ha 😉

Have you heard of the saying, “Home is where the heart is” – it basically means that your home will always be theRead more about Today’s Word: heart[…]