I Woke Up at the Same Time As Usual

Today, I had a test. I was going to wake up early in order to study for the test, but I woke up at the same time as usual. I'm not a morning person. Trying to wake up earlier than usual in the morning is very difficult for me. Haha... I think I did well on the grammar section of today's test, but I might have made some mistakes on the vocabulary section.
I'm going to take advanced writing class next semester. I decided to take an ESL assesment test tomorrow. I took the assesment test two years ago. Since then I haven't taken it. I just want to know whether my English has improved or not before going up next class.

The Fire Alarm Started Go Off

As soon as I woke up this morning, I started to auction off my stuff online. I got exhausted because I forgot to eat breakfast. I think I will continue my auction for several months.

Then, I studied for Monday's test. While studying, fire alarm started to go off. I didn't know why. Then, I noticed that the whole apartment community was ringing, but I couldn't see or smell any smoke. It was very loud. :( Then, fire truck came into our apartment community. 10 minutes later, the alarm stopped. I don't know why.






 Today's Vocabulary
・ go off : phrasal verb / 突然鳴り出す

Prepare for Tomorrow

Tomorrow, I'm going to auction off some product online. I have to prepare some for it tonight. So, I'm very busy today.
I have a test next Monday. I should study for it tonight.






 Today's Vocabulary
・ auction off : オークションで売る

Daiso Again

Yesterday, I went to Daiso again. Last Sunday, it was very crowded, and I gave up to buy some stuff which I wanted. I thought I should go there on a weekday. But, it was still crowded yesterday. It was better than Sunday though. I thought over 95% of customers were not Japanese. They were really excited to shop there. Some Asian women were filling shopping basket full of products. Some children were shopping for some Japanese snacks. One girl said, "I'm so excited! I love this store!" I was glad this Japanese store was very popular.

I bought Yakisoba sauce, which my husband requested. It costs usually around $4 at Japanese supermarket. I thought it's pretty good price!

Yakisoba Sauce

Then, I picked up HI-CHEW, which is a Japanese candy. I'm going to meet my friend who is Iranian. I thought I wanted her to try it because it might be a new taste for her.

I thought grocery section was small. I wish they would sale more groceries.






 Today's Vocabulary
・ fill ~ full of - : －を詰めて～をいっぱいにする 

Smog Check

Yesterday, I took my car to Pep Boys for smog check. My car was able to pass all inspections for smog check. It cost $ 38.24 (CA certificate was for $8.25, and official CA emission test was for $29.99.)
It took only 45 minutes because I went there early morning.

Last month, I was looking for a place to get my car's smog check done. I found some places which provide smog check for $23 to $28. I thought it was very cheap! Then, I checked their review. Most customers have complained about their price and service. They were giving away coupons for smog check. But when people went there, they said, "You can't use this coupon for your car, it will cost about $60." I didn't know whether it was a fraud or not, but I didn't want to get my car checked there.
I finally decided on Pep Boys. My husband and I have gotten our car inspections and some replacements in the past, and we have never felt discontent with their service. And the price was not too shabby. :)





 Today's Vocabulary
・ emission : noun / 排気、排出
・ fraud : noun / 詐欺、ペテン師　（Pronunciation is frɔ'ːd ）
・ discontent : adjective / 不満な
　　ex) feel discontent with : ～に不満を感じる

Busy Day

Today, I'm busy.
I droped off my car for smog check at Pep Boys early in the morning. After advanced conversation class, I took my tutoring. Then, we had lunch, and we went to dentist. While I was waiting, I utilized my wait time to study nursing. Then we picked up my car from Pep Boys. I was little tired as a result. After coming back home, I took a nap for a while. I'm going to have dinner now. Then, we are going to the movies, because today is Tuesday, which is when we can watch old movies for $1 and 3D movies for $3. Yay!
We are going to see Journey 2 : The Mysterious Island 3D. This is our first time to watch 3D movie. I'm excited! :)
I don't know whether I can understand the contents of the story or not, but I'm looking forward to experiencing 3D movie.





 Today's Vocabulary
・ utilize : verb / 活用する、役立たせる、利用する
・ as a result : 結果として

It Has Been Drizzling

I felt an earthquake this morning. It was short, and it felt pretty strong. I found out it was a magnitude 3.9.

It's been cold and has been drizzling today. I was going to wear cardigan, but I ended up wearing hoodie. Even though I dressed warmly, I felt cold today.
According to my smart phone, it's going to stay cold this week. :( I prefer sunny days.
If I can buy my favorite rain boots, I'll definitely like rainy days. Unfortunately, I haven't found one that I like yet.
My ideal rain boots are to look fashionable and at a reasonable price.

However, most of the time in Southern California it is sunny. Do I really need them?




 Today's Vocabulary
・ it feels : ～の感じがする、～のようだ
　　ex) It feels true. : 本当のようだ。
　　ex) It feels strange. : 変わった感じがする。
　　ex) It felt like I rushed it. : 急がせすぎたような気がする。
・ drizzle : verb / 霧雨が降る
・ dress warmly : 暖かい格好をする　　

Daiso

Today, I woke up at 9:30, and we left home at 11:00. :P I know I was late. But we got some stuff for Earth Day events. :)

We got a free reusable bag at Target and a free body lotion at Bath & Body Works. :)



We went to Origins and Kiehl's, but they already ran out of freebies. I shoud have gone when the store opened.

Then, we went to Daiso, which is a Japanese store and sells most of their products for $1.50.

This store opened this month. It was very clean, and everything was organized. The store was filled with insane amount of customers! Many people were waiting in a long line at the cash register. I predicted that it would take about 30 minutes to pay. I wanted to buy some stuff, but I decided against it for this reason. I can go there next time. Hmmm..., I think I should probably go there on a weekday.

 Today's Vocabulary
・ freebie : noun / 無料でもらえるもの、試供品、景品
・ insane : adjective / 常識を逸した
・ decide against : ～しない事に決める。
　　ex) We decided against it. : 私達はそうしないことにした。 

 

Earth Day Events

Tomorrow is Earth Day, which was named by John McConnell in1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco.
Because of that, there will be many events tomorrow. I've never been to these events yet, even though I had interests in them. But I will join some events tomorrow if I wake up early morning. :)

Here is my favorite events.

Target is going to give away reusable bag to customers.

Origins is going to trade your current skincare container for a full-size Origin high-performance moisturizers when you bring it to their counter.

Kiehl's is going to trade your empty cosmetic container for a lip balm when you bring it to Nordstrom Kiehl's counter.

I hope I won't miss these events. :)





 Today's Vocabulary
・ trade A for B : AとBを交換する

Challenge Week

After taking advanced conversation class, I went to a cafe to meet my friend for conversation session as a usual Thursday routine. There was some Korean group there. My friend, who is Korean, said to me that those people were house wives and a pastor. Those house wives have finished raising children and as a result they have a lot of excess time. She told me that they were having their Korean church meeting. In fact, half the customers at the cafe were Koreans!
After our conversation session, I studied nursing for three hours. I got very tired because I crammed studying many questions in this week, more than what I usually complete on a weekly basis. After coming back home, I took a nap for a while. I decided to study more until next Thursday. But I should avoid extraneous amount studying.






 Today's Vocabulary
・ excess : adjective / 余分の、過度の
・ cram : 詰め込み勉強をする
・ basis : noun / 基準
　　ex) on a yearly basis : 年ごとに
　　ex) on a monthly basis : 月単位で
　　ex) on a weekly basis : 週単位で
　　ex) on a daily basis : 日々、日常的に、毎日
　　ex) on a day-to-day basis : 一日単位で
　　ex) on a 24-hour basis : 24時間単位で
　　ex) on a constant basis : 常に
　　ex) on a consistent basis : 常に
　　ex) on a one-to-one basis : ワンツーマン方式、１対１の
　　ex) on a one-on-one basis: ワンツーマン方式、１対１の

His Words Make Me Desire for Self Improvement

When Steve Jobs resigned from Apple CEO in August 2011, I first watched a part of his speech that took place at Stanford University in 2005 on CNN news. Instantly, I was inspired by his speech. Soon afterward, I checked for his entire speech on youtube. Since then, I have watched his speech many times. I'm not a big fan of apple, but I respect him very much. His words make me desire for self improvement.

Below is his actual speech.

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. Truth be told, I never graduated from college. This is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That’s it. No big deal. Just three stories.
The first story is about connecting the dots.
I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?
It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: “We've gotten an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?” They said: “Of course.” My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college. This was the start in my life.
And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents’ savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn’t see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn’t interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked far more interesting.
It wasn’t all romantic. I didn’t have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends’ rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:
Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn’t have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can’t capture, and I found it fascinating.
None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, its likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.
Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believe in the dot connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart even when it leads you off the well-worn path and that would make all difference.
My second story is about love and loss.
I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.
I really didn’t know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down – that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.
I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.
During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple’s current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.
I’m pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn’t been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking. Don’t settle.
My third story is about death.
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn’t even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor’s code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you’d have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and thankfully I’m fine now.
This was the closest I’ve been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960′s, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.
Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
Thank you all very much.





 Today's Vocabulary
・ resign : verb / 辞職する、退陣する　（Pronunciation is riza'in ）
・ CEO : chief executive officer / 最高経営責任者、企業のトップに位置する人、最高執行官、会長
・ take place : （事前に計画されたことが）行われる、開催される
　　ex) The New York Fashion Show will take place in September. : ニューヨーク・ファッションショーは9月に開催されます。
・ instantly : adverb / すぐに、一瞬にして
　　ex) I fired him instantly. : 私は即座に彼を解雇しました。
・ soon afterward : その後すぐに、程なく
・ self improvement : 自己改善（修養・鍛錬・改革）
・ desirefor self improvement : 向上心
・ honored : adjective / 光栄に思っている
　　ex) We are really honored by your visit. : おいでいただいて誠に光栄です。
・ commencement : noun / （高校や大学の）開始、始め、卒業式、学位授与式
・ the finest : 最上級の、トップの
・ drop-in : ドロップイン（大学において、正規の学生ではないが聴講する者。）
・ unwed : noun / 未婚の
・ put up for : ~に出す
　　ex) put something up for auction : オークションに出す
　　ex) put something up for sale : 売りに出す
・ all set for : ~の準備が整っている
・ at birth : 生まれた時に
・ relent : verb / （気持ちや決意などが）和らぐ、優しくなる、折れる
・ naively : adverb / 単純に（も）、無邪気に、素朴に、世間知らずにも
・ working-class : adjective / 賃金労働者階級の、労働者階級の
・ value in : 価値
・ drop in on : ひょっこり立ち寄る
・ stumble into : よろめきながら入る
・ intuition : noun / 直感
・ turn out to be : ～と判明する、結局は～の結果になる、～であるということが分かる
・ calligraphy : noun / （美しく書かれた手書き文字の）筆跡
・ serif : noun / セリフ（H、I、Mなどの文字の縦線の上限に飾りとして付ける短い水平線）
・ typeface : noun / 活字書体
・ typography : noun / 活版（凸版）印刷（術）、（印刷ページの）仕上がり、デザイン
・ subtle : adjective / 鋭い、敏感な、鋭敏な
・    
 

In Order to Improve My Vocabulary Skill

Yesterday, I received a package for my sister from Hollister. :) I'm going to take these clothing to my sister when I visit Japan.

I took my tutoring today. I was not able to make an appointment with my former tutor because her schedule was already full. So, I met up with a new tutor today. I told him that I find it difficult to understand my reading book. He advised me to create questions by myself after reading each paragraph. For example, "What is the main idea in this paragraph?" I practiced finding the main idea with my tutor. It was really difficult for me. I was able to find them, but it took me a while do this. I thought I should practice more, and I'll get used to it someday. And I also told him that I sometimes understood the content of the story, but it depended on the topic. When I read a medical article, it's easy to understand. However, when I read other articles such as politics and science, it was very difficult to understand. I think I've never had interests in these kind of subjects even if they are in Japanese. My tutor suggested I should choose three topics which I'm interested in. Two topics should pertain to something that I am very familiar with my prior knowledge. The last one should be something that I have interests, but I don't have enough knowledge about it. So, I chose tips on saving money, fashion and animal. I read fashion blogs and blogs with tips to save money and I also watch fashion and beauty videos on youtube everyday. He suggested that I watch video pertaining to animals once out of three times. I can watch fashion and beauty videos for the remaining two times. I thought that's a good idea. I'm subscribing many fashion and beauty channels which are my favorite on youtube. I should subscribe to another channel which relates to animals. This way it will definitely help me increase my vocabularies.





 Today's Vocabulary
・ meet up with : 会う、～に偶然（ばったり）出会う
　　ex) I'm glad I met up with someone like you. : あなたみたいな人に出会えてうれしい。
・ pertain to : ～に関連する
・ prior knowledge : 予備知識
・ once out of three times : ３回に１回

Class for Summer Semester

Today, I registered for an ESL class for summer semester. I was going to take the same class that I'm taking right now, but I changed my mind this morning. I'm going to take advanced class. This morning, I looked over my textbook which I used last summer because it is going to be used for next summer class. A year ago, I felt grammar was easy enough, but my reading book was a little difficult for me. But I thought I understood most of the textbook, and it's not difficult for me now. I think studying the same textbook is kind of boring, the teacher's teaching method is amazing though. I was afraid that my husband and I might visit Japan in summer. If I go up to next level and miss class for two or three weeks, I'm going to have to drop out from the class. I'm unsure whether we're going to Japan or not. It depends on my husband's schedule. He said that visiting Japan in the summer is less plausible. So, I decided to register for advanced class. If we decide to visit Japan, I will drop out my class before the final drop out date. I want to improve my English, and I want to finish advanced writing classes before I pass NCLEX.
I'll be very busy in summer semester, but I think it's time to study harder. :) The most important thing for me is not to stop studying nursing in regardless of the difficulty of my ESL class. Maybe I can do it!





 Today's Vocabulary
・ look over : phrasal verb / ～にザッと（一通り）目を通す
・ plausible : adjective / （話・説明などが）もっともらしく思われる、もっともらしい
　　ex) Her story seemed plausible. : 彼女の話はもっともらしかった。

Rite Aid Haul

Today, I went to Rite Aid to buy more Revlon Lip Butter, which I really like! Before going there, I checked reviews of Revlon Lip Butter on youtube. I watched her youtube video and decided which color I should buy.  I chose 090 Sweet Tart and 050 Berry Smoothie.

Revlon Lip Butter was on sale at Rite Aid. So, most colors were already sold out there. There were only a few colors left, but I was able to find 050 Berry Smoothie, which was last one! I couldn't find 090 Sweet Tart though. I also bought Revlon Colorstay eye shadow and some Revlon cosmetic tools.

050 Berry Smoothie

The color of lipstick was just good as I expected. :) I want to thank all the people who made the review videos. In the U.S., there is no tester of cosmetics at drug stores. You can not try them on before purchasing. So, watching review videos on youtube is very helpful to chose the right color. :)

This week, Revlon cosmetics and Revlon beauty tools are buy one get 50 % off at Rite Aid. And when you purchase $15 more Revlon products, you can get $6 Rite Aid reward. There are also $2 off store coupon for Revlon Lip Butter and $2 off store coupon for Revlon Colorsaty eye shadow on Rite Aid homepage. I also have two $1 off manufacturer's coupons for Revlon cosmetic. And I have two $1 off manufacturer's coupons for Revlon beauty tool. You can also apply $1 Single Check Rebate when you purchase Revlon beauty tool.
I paid $7.47 pules tax for a lipstick, an eye shadow and two beauty tools by using coupons. And I got $6 Rite Aid reward, and I applied two $1 Single check rebate. They will end up for free. Yay! Drug stores often sale something for free. Finding good deals is fun!

Can't Take My Eyes Off You

Today, I listened to many English songs. I found one of musics from youtube, "Can't Take My Eyes Off You."
I had listened to this song before, but I don't remember where and when I've known it from. I think this song is famous in many countries.
This song was first sung by Frankie Valli in 1967. Then, many singers have covered this song.

 
Frankie Valli / Can't Take My Eyes Off You

Lyrics

You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off you.
You'd be like Heaven to touch.
I wanna hold you so much.
At long last love has arrived
And I thank God I'm alive.
You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off you.

Pardon the way that I stare.
There's nothing else to compare.
The sight of you leaves me weak.
There are no words left to speak,
But if you feel like I feel,
Please let me know that it's real.
You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off you.

I love you, baby,
And if it's quite alright,
I need you, baby,
To warm a lonely night.
I love you, baby.
Trust in me when I say:
Oh, pretty baby,
Don't bring me down, I pray.
Oh, pretty baby, now that I found you, stay
And let me love you, baby.
Let me love you.

You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off you.
You'd be like Heaven to touch.
I wanna hold you so much.
At long last love has arrived
And I thank God I'm alive.
You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off you.

I love you, baby,
And if it's quite alright,
I need you, baby,
To warm a lonely night.
I love you, baby.
Trust in me when I say:
Oh, pretty baby,
Don't bring me down, I pray.
Oh, pretty baby, now that I found you, stay..






 Today's Vocabulary
・ can't take my off you : 目が離せない、釘付けになる
・ be too good to be true :  本当だと信じられないぐらい良い、素晴らしい
　　ex) It's too good to be true. : 出来すぎだよ。/ まるで夢のようだ。/ ちょっと話が上手過ぎるんじゃない。
・ at long last : （長期間の努力の末）やっとのことで、ついに、やっと、ようやく
・ thank god : ～とはありがたい、～してよかった、神に感謝する
　　ex) It's more expensive than I expected. Thank God I brought my credit card. : 思ったよりずっと高いなあ。クレジットカードを持ってきてよかったよ。 
・ Pardon : verb / 許す、赦免する、放免する
　　ex) Pardon me for speaking from this platform. : このように高い場所からお話させていただくことをお許しください。
・ stare : verb / じっと見る、凝視する
・ the sight of : 見る事、光景
　　ex) Just the sight of him makes me happy. : 彼を見ているだけで私は幸せな気持ちになります。
・ trust in : 信用する、信頼する
・ bring down : phrasal verb / 落胆させる、気分を落ち込ませる、傷つける

 
 

I Got a Package from Hollister

I got a package which I ordered a week ago from Hollister. The size of all clothing I ordered was just right! :)

The cardigan was originally $69.50, but it was on sale for $7.74! Actually, I had bought the same cardigan in navy on my previous purchase, and I've worn it many times. It's very easy to coordinate. I love it! So, I decided to buy the same cardigan in white this time. I thought white cardigan is perfect for spring and summer season. It is also feminine. :)

I also purchased a navy colored hoodie. It was originally $49.50, but it was on sale for $9.54. This is the same hoodie as the one I ordered for my sister. ;)

My husband got a navy colored button-down hoodie for $11.34 (was originally $59.50), a long sleeve t-shirt for $8.94 (was originally $29.50), a short sleeve t-shirt for $7.14 (was originally $24.50). He likes Hollister clothing very much. He said he likes the quality and design. I think so too. And I enjoy finding good deals! Hollister sometimes has a big sale. ;))

New clothing makes me happy. ;)

Maybe, I'll receive my next package which I ordered for my sister in a few days.






 Today's Vocabulary
・ on previous purchase : 以前の買物、前回の購入
・ perfect for : うってつけの、ぴったりの
　　ex) perfect for summer. : 夏にぴったりの
　　ex) perfect for a gift : 贈り物にぴったりの
　　ex) It's perfect for you. : それすごく似合っているよ。
　　ex) That's perfect for you. それはあなたにぴったりですよ。
・ feminine : adjective / 女性らしい
・ button-down : adjective / ボタンで留められる
・ sleeve : noun / 袖

I Felt a Culture Shock

After having Thursday conversation session for two hours and a half, I usually study for NCLEX textbook at the same cafe. Today, I studied for almost three hours. So, I stayed at the cafe for five hours and a half. Haha. But I was able to finish another chapter for the textbook. Yay! I think I'm doing pretty well. :) I have to get started on the next chapter today.

After I got home, I opened my new heavy textbook which I mentioned before. I just took a look at it, but I was already surprised. I saw an illustration in beginning of the textbook. The illustration shows a nurse holding an elderly patient. I was surprised that the nurse had long finger nails with red nail polish. She was also wearing earrings, which were not small. In Japan, having long finger nails and nail polish are not appropriate for nurses. As I mentioned before, wearing earrings are also not allowed. These are prohibited by hospital policy. When I saw the illustration, I felt a culture shock between U.S. and Japan.
Now, I enjoy wearing nail polish because I'm just student! :D When I was a nurse in Japan, I painted only toenails. Before today, I used to think that I would have to quit wearing nail polish when I started working as a nurse. I am not sure whether I will be allowed to wear nail polish, but working as a nurse requires washing of your hands repeatedly. I think it's difficult to keep your nails without having them chip away.






 Today's Vocabulary
・ toenail : noun / 足の爪
・ repeatedly : adverb / 繰り返し、たびたび
・ chip away : phrasal verb / 少しずつはがれる（欠ける）

Maroon 5 - Sunday Morning

Today, I listened to the song by Maroon 5 which was Sunday Morning. I had listened to this song before, and it might be played on tv commercials as background music. I finally found out that it was used for Toyota Vitz commercial in 2005. Toyota Vitz is called "Yaris" in the U.S.
This is the song.

When I listen to Sunday Morning, I get a nostalgic feel.

Maroon 5

Sunday Morning

Lyrics

Sunday morning rain is falling
Steal some covers share some skin
Clouds are shrouding us in moments unforgettable
You twist to fit the mold that I am in
But things just get so crazy living life gets hard to do
And I would gladly hit the road get up and go if I knew
That someday it would lead me back to you
That someday it would lead me back to you

That may be all I need
In darkness she is all I see
Come and rest your bones with me
Driving slow on Sunday morning
And I never want to leave

Fingers trace your every outline
Paint a picture with my hands
Back and forth we sway like branches in a storm
Change the weather still together when it ends

That may be all I need
In darkness she is all I see
Come and rest your bones with me
Driving slow on Sunday morning
And I never want to leave

But things just get so crazy living life gets hard to do
Sunday morning rain is falling and I'm calling out to you
Singing someday it'll bring me back to you
Find a way to bring myself back home to you

And you may not know
That may be all I need
In darkness she is all I see
Come and rest your bones with me
Driving slow on Sunday morning




 Today's Vocabulary
・　get a nostalgic feel : 懐かしい感じ
・  shroud : verb / 覆う
・ in a moment : あっという間に、すぐに
　　ex) I'll be with you in a moment. : （呼び出されて）すぐ行きます。
・ fit a mold : 型にはまる
・ hit the road : 出発する、出かける
　　ex) Come on, now, let's hit the road! : さあ出掛けよう！
　　ex) Time (Got) to hit the road. : 出掛ける時間です。
・ get up and go : 立ち上がって前進すること、（何かをやろうとする）エネルギー
　　ex) He's got a lot of get up and go. : 彼はエネルギーにあふれている。
・ rest one's bones : くつろぐ、骨休めをする
・ Back and forth : 前後に、あちこちへ、行ったり来たり（して）、行きつ戻りつ、往復して
・ sway : verb / 揺れる

Plate and Bread

I find it difficult to pronounce "plate".

Every Thursday, I go to a cafe to meet my friend for our conversation session. We study by reading excerpts from books and by talking to each other. While having our session, we order lunch and split a meal. That's why I need to ask cafe employee for an extra plate every time. But they almost always don't understand what I'm asking for. Finally, they try to give me "bread". :( When I emphasize "PLATE", it gets worse. :(( I didn't know how difficult to pronounce plate, and I hadn't noticed that I pronounced plate incorrectly until then.
I told my tutor about this episode and asked how to pronounce plate. She advised me to ask, "My friend and I want to split a meal. Could we please get an extra plate?" She told me many people in California are from different country, so sometimes people don't understand English. I should ask for a plate in context so that I can deliver my request. Then, they might understand.
Last Thursday, I asked a cafe employee in this way. But they still didn't understand. :(( I told my friend, and she laughed at me. I was really serious though. She told me, "it's too long. Just say, "An extra plate please."
I told my tutor that they still didn't understand. My tutor advised me to elongate the pronunciation of plate to, emphasize the letter "t." Pronounce it like "pleeyt". As well as bread is pronounced like "breed".
I'll try it next time.


plate (Pronunciation is ple'it )

bread (Pronunciation is bre'd )





 Today's Vocabulary
・ find it to difficult : ～するのは難しいと思う、～が困難である、～するのに困難を感じる
・ in context : 文脈内において、本文中に
・ deliver : verb / （伝言などを）伝える
・ elongate : verb / 長くする、延長する　(Pronunciation is ilɔ'ːŋgeit)

How to Bake Bread by Using KitchenAid Stand Mixer

I'm going to share how to bake bread by using KitchenAid stand mixer.

Ingredients
300g of enriched flour
3g of active dry yeast
15g of sugar
5g of salt
50cc of milk (step 1)
200cc of milk (step 3)
25g of butter

1. Place enriched flour, yeast, sugar, salt and 50cc of milk in KitchenAid bowl, then mix it throughly.
2. Attach the bowl and dough hook to mixer. Turn to Speed 2 and mix for about 1 minute.
3. Continuing on Speed 2, add 200cc of milk, and mix for about 20 minutes.
4. Continuing on Speed 2, add melted butter, and mix for about 20 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.
5. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour until doubled in bulk.
6. Punch dough down and divide in half. Place it in bowl for 20 minutes. Roll out each dough using your hand. Then, fold it twice. Roll it from the edge. Place each dough in the greased loaf pans.
7. Cover with wet paper. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour until doubled in bulk.
8. Bake at 400 ℉ until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Remove form pans immediately.
9. Enjoy.


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 Today's Vocabulary
・ attach : verb / （小さな物を大きな物に）取り付ける
・ attach A to B : AをBに取り付ける
・ elastic : adjective / しなやかな、弾力性のある
・ greased : adjective / 油を塗った
・ free from : 存在しない、（好ましくないもの、人が）ない
・ draft : noun / 通気
・ doubled in : ２倍
・ bulk : noun / 体積
・ roll out : （生地を）伸ばす
・ fold someting twice : 三つ折にする

Kneading the Dough by Using KitchinAid Stand Mixer

Yesterday, I baked bread. :)

I have baked bread several times so far, but it was the first time to bake bread by using KitchinAid stand mixer. Before I bought the stand mixer, the hardest part about making bread was kneading the dough by hand because it used a lot of energy. I got exhausted every time. Kneading the dough is very important because if you don't knead enough, the bread doesn't become fluffy. Yesterday, KitchinAid stand mixer kneaded very well. :) I might bake bread more often from now on.

The bread was soft and tasted very good! :)

I'm going to share the recipe next time.



      This is my entries related to my favorite recipe.
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      This is my entries related to cooking.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/cooking


 Today's Vocabulary
・ the hardest part : 一番つらいこと、最大の難所
・ use a lot of energy : かなりの体力を使う

I Ordered Some Clothing for My Sister

Few days ago, I ordered some Hollister clothings online because there was a 40 % off coupon code. I just thought that I wanted to buy some clothing for my sister if she wanted them. I e-mailed her and asked. But she didn't reply in time. I know she is always too busy because she is mother for two children and has full time job. So I just ordered them for my husband and myself. Then, my sister e-mailed me saying that she wants to buy them next time, so I asked her for her clothing size. I found that Hollister was still having their sale today, so I ordered some clothing for her today.
These are Hollister clothings that I ordered for my sister.

Boomer Beach



The navy colored hoodie was originally $49.50, but it was on sale for $9.54.

Boomer Beach

The grey colored hoodie was originally $49.50, but it was on sale for $9.54.

Manhattan Beach

 The cardigan was originally $69.50, but it was on sale for $17.94.

Woodson Mountain

The long sleeve shirt was originally $29.50, but it was on sale for $9.54. 

Total price of shipping fee and tax was $12.12. I know that I should have ordered her clothing when I ordered mine, so I could have saved shipping fee. :P But it's okay. I was unsure about her size at the time anyway.

Total retail price was $198.00, but I paid $58.78. I saved about 70%. Yay!

I was planning on visiting Japan this year, but I still don't know when.

I plan to take these clothing when I visit.






 Today's Vocabulary
・ in time : 時間内に

I Activated It on the Phone by Myself

I got Amazon credit card yesterday, and I activated it on the phone by myself.

My friend had thought that we probably couldn't make a credit card because we didn't a have job. She applied for her own credit card few month ago, but her credit card was not approved. Then, she already gave up in making her own credit card. I think she's just gotten her social security number, so she doesn't have any credit history yet. So far, she has used joint credit card with her husband.
I got my social security number a month after moving to the U.S. Then, I went to a bank and made my own credit card. I heard that bank credit cards don't need credit history, but there was no reward! That's sad for me, but I just needed it anyway because I needed to built my credit history. I used it every months for almost three years. Then I applied for my new credit card tentatively. Then, it was approved! :) Yesterday, I advised my friend how to make your own credit card.
I usually use American Express because I can earn reward points by using it, but my school doesn't accept it. I have to use my Visa card to pay tuition fee. Some restaurants don't accept American Express as well. So, I wanted to make a Visa credit card. I heard Amazon Visa credit card was pretty good. :) I'm looking forward to earning my rewards. :)






 Today's Vocabulary
・ activate : verb / 有効にする
・ joint credit card : 共同名義のクレジットカード
　　ex) joint account : 共同名義の口座
・ tentatively : adverb / 試しに、とりあえず、恐る恐る

CVS Haul

Last Sunday, I bought Revlon Lip Butter at CVS. I chose two lipsticks which are 080 Strawberry Shortcake and 025 Peach Parfait.

080 Strawberry Shortcake (left)
and
025 Peach Parfait (right)

080 Strawberry Shortcake (left)
and
025 Peach Parfait (right)

I've seen this lipsticks on youtube many times. Many beauty gurus on youtube have been reviewing this product, and they highly recommended it. And also Japanese blogger who writes beauty blog in Japan has recommended this as well. The blogger always checks all around the world for beauty products. She subscribes to some foreign beauty magazines, and orders beauty products. She even occasionally travels  abroad to buy cosmetic products. Of course, she really knows Japanese beauty products too. She became famous for beauty guru in Japan because of her blog. She sometimes appears on Japanese beauty magazines. Before she mentioned about Revlon Lip Butter in her blog, I had already wanted to buy these. But after I read her blog, I wanted this even more! It's because she also highly recommended it! :) I always looked for sale of this lipstick. When these were on sale, some colors were always sold out. :(  However, I was finally able to buy them! This week, Revlon products are on sale at CVS. You can get $7 extrabucks, which is CVS reward, when you spend $15 on any Revlon products. That sounds awesome! The retail price of Revlon Lip Butter was $7.99. So, I purchased two lipsticks. Total retail price was $15.98. I used $3 off CVS store coupon, which I got it from CVS coupon machine before, and two $2 off manufacturer's coupons. I paid $8.98 pulse tax, and I got $7 extrabucks. These ended up costing $1.98 for two lipsticks! :) Yay!

I put on this lipsticks. I especially like 025 Peach Parfait. :) They provide moisture like lip balms. :) I love them!

 Today's Vocabulary

・ all around the world : 世界中の

My New Textbook

My condition has been getting better! I think I'll completely recover tomorrow! :)

Today, I had a test. I studied a little bit for only vocabularies, and I didn't study for grammar at all. :P But I think I did well.

Last week, I ordered a new text book for nursing from Amazon. It's because someone who has already passed NCLEX recommended it. It is not only for the exam, but also it is practical for working as nurse.

I received it this Monday. It is much heavier than I expected! It has about 2,000 pages. I can't carry this textbook anywhere because it is too heavy! I haven't studied this textbook yet, but I thought it will help my studies for long time.






 Today's Vocabulary
・ practical : adjective / 実際に役立つ

I Have Been Sneezing and Have a Runny Nose...

Today, my condition was getting better. I have been sneezing, and I still have a runny nose though. I can't live without Kleenex now! Yesterday, I opened a box of Kleenex Cool Touch.

This composition includes cooling moisturizer and aloe. Actually, each piece of tissues is heavier than a typical tissue and feels cold! I have been suffering from a runny nose since last night, but I have enjoyed using Kleenex Cool Touch. :) Haha

Today, I was also absent my class, but I have to go to school to take my tutoring anyway. It's because I don't know how to cancel my tutoring. I felt better than yesterday, so I was able to study. I told my tutor that I studied my reading book with her last time, then I really enjoyed my class on the following day because I was able to fully understand the contents of the story. So, I'd like to continue to study the readying book with her.

Then, my husband and I went to the dentist. I was worried about my symptoms. I was afraid that if I sneeze and have a runny nose during treatment, my dentist can't fix my teeth. Fortunately, my symptoms were all gone during the treatment. After treatment, my symptoms came back.
Next appointment will be in 3 weeks.






　Today's Vocabulary
・ sneeze : verb / くしゃみをする
・ have a runny nose : 鼻水が出る、鼻水がとまらない
・ composition : noun / 配合 
・ feel cold : 冷やりとする

Getting Worse Little by Little...

I was absent for today's class because I was sick. I caught a cold few days ago, and my condition has been getting worse little by little. Now I have pain on my lymph nodes and joints, and I have sinus symptoms.
Tomorrow, I must go to school. I'm going to take tutoring after advanced conversation class in the early morning. After I come back home, my husband and I are going to the dentist.
By the way, my husband is also sick. :(

I hope we will recover tomorrow.

How to Make Maccha Ice Cream

Yesterday, I made maccha ice cream.

I'm going to share the recipe.


Ingredients
100 ml of milk
50 g of sugar
7 g of corn starch
5 g of maccha powder
100 ml of heavy cream

1. Put milk, sugar, corn starch and maccha powder in a bowl. Make sure to strain maccha powder with a fine strainer. Then heat the pan over low heat, and continue to mixing until the mixture has thickened. Then, turn off the heat. Let it cool.
2. Beat heavy cream until it becomes creamy. Add mixture from step 1. Mix them thoroughly.
3. Pour it into a container and freeze. Wait 3-4 hours until it is solidified.
4. Enjoy! :)



      This is my entries related to my favorite recipe.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/recipes

      This is my entries related to cooking.
http://itisapieceofcake2011.blogspot.com/search/label/cooking


 Today's Vocabulary
・ strain : verb / 濾す
・ has thickened : とろみが出る
　　ex) simmer until the sauce has thickened : ソースにとろみが出るまで弱火で煮る
・ solidified : adjective / 固化した