English Learners Club(ELC)

It has been more than three years since I restarted learning English. Over the course of these three years, there have certainly been trials and tribulations along the way, but I have to say, English has made my life more meaningful. The first reason why I like learning English is that it can enlighten you with cultural knowledge even without traveling. Knowing the difference between Japanese and...

I love snorkeling. Today I'd like to talk about one of Okinawa's popular snorkeling spots, the "Blue Cave." I went there with my whole family 10 years ago. It was the beginning of July. It's a popular place for snorkelers so there were a lot of people. We wanted to snorkel freely so we enjoyed ourselves without a guide. In early July, the water temperature was so good, and it might have been the s...

Always be in love with a soul, not a face. Those are words from a Thai Buddhist monk, but it’s easier said than done. What is one’s “soul” anyway? My image of a soul is similar to a spirit. It’s something even deeper than your heart and mind. Some Japanese people think that your soul is your “true essence” which is established before your birth, and continues on after your death. I think that even...

My crazy passion for making New Year’s cards. I’ve liked creating things since my childhood. Making New Year’s cards that give my friends a fun or interesting experience is very fulfilling for me. One time when I was about 10 years old, I made something shaped like tape measure with drawing paper, and wrote the new year’s message on a very long and skinny piece of paper. Then I rolled them up and...

"No shoes No news" This phrase is from one island of the Maldives. It’s awesome!! We chose an island for our honeymoon where each room has no TV and you could walk all around the island without shoes. They were constantly cleaning so as not to hurt travelers' feet. I felt weird about going to the bathroom in the bar barefoot. Fortunately, they kept it very clean, so I quickly got used to it. There...

I’ve never been keen on soccer but this World Cup was special. It all started from the match where Japan beat Germany unexpectedly. I got excited and thought I might as well watch all the games from then on. It was amazing that Japan advanced beyond the group stage in spite of having to play against Germany and Spain. I always felt Japanese soccer was too conservative, but in this World Cup, I cou...

A year after our trip to Tahiti, we went to the Maldives for the first time for a week. In those days, there were only a few travel agencies dealing with the Maldives, and the most popular one recommended this island. It’s named ‘Makunudu Island’, and has a group of just 37 cottages. It’s a small island that takes only 30 minutes to walk around. Currently, we use Sri Lankan Airlines, but at that t...

Hello!  My name is Rumi. Do you do your hair by yourself? My mother used to do my hair, but not anymore. I went to StudioAlice with my family. StudioAlice is a picture studio. My sister took a “Sichigosan” picture wearing a kimono and a dress. I said that I want to take a picture too, because I love pictures! There was a helper in StudioAlice who helped us. One of them helped do my hair. She tied...

Our English learning community has plans to have a jam session and play "Let it be" by The Beatles. So I requested another lesson with my guitar teacher on December 2nd. He said, "Absolutely!", but then I couldn't get a response to confirm. I was waiting and waiting for his reply until December 22nd. As a last resort I wrote as politley as I could to the Englishman. I was like "⋯ Would it be possi...

I know most people use their smart phone as an alarm, and so do l. What I like most is the variety of sounds. Smart phones have many different sounds you can use as your alarm. My favorite is a soft, smooth sound. The problem is that I have to bring my phone to my bedroom because I can’t wake up without an alarm. If I have my phone, I’ll look at it until I fall asleep, and after I get up for sever...

Looking in the mirror, I can’t even find a feather. I can hear the voice of a rushing bird longing for the sky. I decided to get out of this town.  It feels like a jail now. There is a voice that holds me back, but I will find warmth in your heart. Thank you for everything. Though all that I will lose and give up is shiny, I need to choose my own path. Are my wings moving?  Can I truly f...

Hello! My name is Rumi. Do you get an allowance? I usually get one thousand yen. My father gives it to me. I usually spend my money on clothes. I buy them at shopping malls. I sometimes spend some of it on stationary, too. I think I should save more of my money. Thank you for listening. See you again! ————————— 🗣Do you study English? Join our club! And why not read your monologue. If you are inter...

My husband and I love snorkeling on the southern islands, especially in the Maldives. There are about 1,200 islands including uninhabited and about 160 tourist-only islands. They have a law that there can only be one resort per island. Each resort has its own characteristics. If you are a surfer, you can go to an island with good waves. If you will visit on your honeymoon, I recommend a luxury and...

We have way too many trees in the temple grounds. They need to be pruned to keep the landscape beautiful many times a year. We know it's better for a gardener to prune, but it's far too expensive to pay for every time. More than anything, our Zen sect of Buddhism teaches it's important to sit in zazen meditation, do indoor cleaning, and work outside as well. We call it Samu(作務). These are import...

I bought a ukulele 4 years ago, but it has just been collecting dust in my closet. Practicing the ukulele was one of the things I’ve been meaning to do but never got around to. Finally, I bit the bullet, and got the ball rolling. I want to play the ukulele because I want to sing. I love singing. I used to go to karaoke and just sing for 6 hours straight, but these days I don’t go often. I just sin...

I had a wonderful day last Monday. My older daughter had a substitute holiday which meant it was just the two of us, so we looked forward to it. We went to Mt. Takao which is the only mountain in Tokyo. It is 599 meters high, which I think is just the right height for us to climb. It ended up taking 75 minutes to reach the top. According to the official information, Mt. Takao generally takes an ho...

My younger sister is Kumiko. She is a very unique and interesting person. Kumiko and my youngest sister Mieko were close in age. Mieko was very strong but Kumiko was born prematurely, so they grew up like twins. Kumiko wasn’t good at sports and even gave up learning to ride a bicycle because she had no sense of balance. One time they were playing in front of our apartment and were almost hit by a...

It’s neither hot nor cold - the best season for exercising! So I started taking walks along the beach again. I drive to the nearest Beach and park the car at a free parking lot. There are many people who go windsurfing and paddle boarding, so luckily the parking lot is big enough to accommodate everyone. The beach has nice paths that are separated for walking and cycling. So it’s the perfect place...

Don't you think it's difficult to find a hair salon and stylist that suits you, and that you can continue to go to long term?  What is the most important thing for you when choosing a new hair salon? Location? Fee? Reputation?  It has been a huge challenge for me throughout my life! When I was in my 20s I used to go to a small salon in my hometown that a male stylist managed. My youngest...

I went to the Night Ranger 40th anniversary show in Osaka Japan. This American band has been playing Metal for 40 years. Can you believe that? Their performance on stage was still amazing. It was a throwback to the 80s! Actually, they made me love Hard Rock and get into Heavy Metal. This band has had a special place in my heart for 40 years. So I decided to attend an event where fans can take grou...

Palau is a beautiful and natural island nation located in the Pacific Ocean. The recommended activity for snorkeling in Palau is to go to a point by boat and jump off the boat then drift with the current. The boat moves ahead of the ocean current, so you get back on the boat using a ladder. The current was strong, the sea was clear, and the coral was alive and beautiful in blue, purple, and yellow...

When Hana said “To express Abe with a simple word, he is a genius! Because his communication skills are amazing.” I agreed with her opinion. You’ve worked in a customer service department when you were a teenager. Generally, it’s quite a difficult job for even an adult. Somebody asked you to do that job, I guess that means you were already good at communication and prepared. You are naturally very...

Hello everyone, I’m MinMin, the organizer of this podcast.  Thanks to people just like you, we have released more than 20 episodes so far!  I’m also a heavy podcast listener, and I really enjoy listening to other member's stories.  The personalities and characters of our members really come through in their stories.  Everybody is so colorful and interesting.  We put the entire script for each epis...

Hello!! My name is Rumi, Do you like English? My best subject is English. Learning foreign languages is interesting for me. I got a good mark in the last term-exams. My worst subject is PE. Doing physical exercise is not easy for me. We have two mid-term-exams and three term-end exams a year. And we sometimes have five minutes tests. I’m happy when they are over. Thank you for listening. See you a...

I love dolphins. Of course you can see the dolphins in the aquarium but there are several places in the world where you can swim with them. I will never forget the time I spent swimming with dolphins. Palau has a facility that keeps dolphins by damming part of the sea for dolphin research. After giving a lecture on the dolphin biology to pre-booked guests. You can briefly interact with the dolphin...