English Recordings

I read an entry written by an American lady who has been living in Japan.

In her journal, she talks about one of the biggest differences between America and Japan. It's about the conversations between cashiers and customers while in the checkout line at grocery stores. She gives an example of how a cashier and a customer talk in America.

It's unbelievable! It doesn't happen in Japan!

In the dialogue, the cashier asks if the customer could find everything she needed, and what kind of recipes she is using, things like that. The customer tells the cashier that her grandma is coming over for dinner, and that she wants to make lasagna. Then, the conversation becomes even more friendly.

Cashiers in Japan would never ask about customers' purchases, let alone about recipes! They keep their words to a minimum. What's happening in America? lol American customers have good patience! They can wait for their turn without complaint, right?

In Japan, if a cashier and a customer chat pleasantly, I think that the other Japanese people in line would have hard feelings against both of them.

"Hurry up! We are busy!": We might not say this out loud, but we definitely have this feeling deep down.

I don't think I'm short-tempered, but I have no patience when it comes to the situations like that if I'm in line waiting for my turn listening to people blabbering on. lol

I wonder what the difference is in the grocery stores between the two countries. I don't fully understand. Is it a difference sense of time management or value of conversation?

I like the friendly American way, but it doesn't fit in with Japan from any angle.

@

Why Costco is walloping Wal-Mart

In anticipation of the warehouse store's earnings, it's worth noting there's much more to its stock than low prices.
COST) is America's largest wholesaler by revenue and is watched closely by investors and consumers alike as a sign of how the economy is doing in general. If folks flock to Costco for deals in bulk, it's probably not good news for most family budgets. If Americans spend more on name-brand and upscale products instead of the no-frills items at Costco, it's a sign consumers have more money to burn.

It should come as no surprise that Costco has been doing pretty well recently amid high unemployment and consumer spending woes. COST is up about 15% so far in 2011.

But more interesting is the fact that Costco isn't just riding this broader economic trend to bigger profits -- it's also stealing customers from low-price rivals, including Wal-Mart (WMT).

Here are three reasons Costco is beating Wal-Mart:

1. A clear focus on low-cost deals. Wal-Mart just killed off an ill-advised focus on selection and quality earlier this year. The retailer had apparently been trying to emulate Target (TGT), but obviously consumers weren't buying the new branding and the exercise was a flop. Costco has never strayed from its no-frills, low-cost focus.

2. Urban reach. Costco has warehouses in cities, while Wal'Mart is still by and large a store that thrives in the suburbs and rural America. While Costco is too big to capitalize in very dense areas the way Dollar General (DG) and other strip-mall discounters do, it is still much more an urban operation.

3. Plush membership dues. While Wal-Mart may be the king of squeezing suppliers, Costco charges (and strictly enforces) membership dues, a great source of revenue. Couple that with low overhead (pallets of goods often are just placed unceremoniously on bare concrete floors), and you can understand why the company manages to squeeze out high returns on its asset base despite a "race to the bottom" pricing mentality.

to bill as

On the move again in 1857 he ended up in Montreal, Canada, where he began to bill himself as a renowned doctor.
I think he discovered them first, engineering stories that billed him as a formidable candidate in the state where the first Democratic votes of the campaign would be registered in neighborhood caucuses.

to intimidate

Especially interesting was the ability of some bishops to organize groups of fanatically loyal monks in order to intimidate their enemies.
In 1977, the FBI raided the offices of the Church of Scientology, seeking evidence about “Operation Snow White,” the church’s official program designed to intimidate and malign its opponents, including government officials.

to forestall

Unquestionably, clandestine paramilitary organisations existed in the 1920s and 1930s, intended to forestall ‘Red’ revolution or social and economic reform agendas of the kind associated with Jack Lang in New South Wales and E. G. Theodore in Queensland.
In order to support his allies in Babylon and forestall a Persian invasion of Asia Minor, King Croesus of Lydia crossed the Halys River and captured Pteria in Cappadocia.

to proffer

By marrying Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV, Henry VII then proffered the essential palliative to those Yorkist defectors who had joined him against Richard in the first place.
In the minds of social scientists history could, at best, proffer factual data.

to abhor

Was this spectacle intended to make the Parisians abhor persecution, and loath the effusion of blood?
Pope Urban II, fearing the church would lose what little influence it had, and abhorring the results of continued infighting among the Christian nobility, sought a way to unite Christendom in a common cause.

quadruped

A quadruped has the advantage of considerable stability when it walks.
As for the white shark, the white gliding ghostliness of repose in that creature, when beheld in his ordinary moods, strangely tallies with the same quality in the Polar quadruped.

paltry

Africans were initially only allowed paltry representation in the federal parliament by two members from each federated territory.
His soldiers were naturally intimidated at the prospect of invading a vast empire with such a paltry force, so Cortes burned their ships to forestall any desertion.

irksome

The Naval Agreement was renewed, but the restrictions on the deployment of the Auxiliary Squadron which the Admiralty found so irksome were not removed, and there was little support from the Australian delegates for an increase in the subsidy.
As the communication-trenches are always congested with men coming and going, this work is all the more irksome.

tenet

A basic tenet of Gnosticism is “dualism,” the concept that there is a primary force of good and a primary force of evil.
The policy of Charles varied between the encouragement of friendly overtures from supporters of different complexions at home, and a somewhat damaging cultivation of foreign alliances, which were delusive in their proffered help, and might involve dangerous compliance with religious tenets abhorred in England.

spatial

Attention has focused not only on the shape but also on the precise size and spatial disposition of pyramids, as well as the detailed internal arrangement of the chambers.
Discussion frequently focuses on negative aspects of investment by multinational corporations, but it remains necessary to recognize great spatial disparities in Africa’s resource endowment and complexities in the historical pattern of mineral industry development.

tormentor

And we accordingly find that the order of insects to which the gnat belongs, comprises also the chief tormentors of the quadruped tribes.
After discussions among themselves, they decide to take matters into their own hands to teach her tormentor and the Japanese a lesson.

populace

The party’s appeal to those on the lower rungs of the educational, social, and economic ladder was a clear manifestation of galvanizing mass support from the populace by using the bottom-to-top approach.
Returning to Paris to the acclaim of the populace, he began to feel that the future of France and his destiny were intertwined, but the time was not yet right to seize power.

Here in Brazil we have lots of problems in both these public areas. The politicians don't care about the population... For instance, when we need to use a good hospital and you don't pay a private plan, then you can forget about it! You just can't use the good hospitals. And about the the public security... It's a shame that here in Brazil, we are living hidden in our houses and the criminals are free on the streets... so sad

A sibling is a brother or sister.

John has two siblings. He has one brother and one sister. There are three children in the family.

A young girl tickles her sibling, evoking a pleasurable response in the child being tickled.

She enjoyed tickling the baby. Where are you ticklish? Don't tickle me!

A napkin is a rectangle of cloth or paper used at the table for wiping the mouth while eating.

Rock paper scissors Game

Rock beats scissors. Scissors beats paper. Paper beats rock.

A white cane is used by many people who are blind or visually impaired

Better safe than sorry.

It's better to be safe than sorry

Better than a kick in the ass

Close your eyes (no peeking!) and count to 10 or 20 or whatever number seems appropriate based on the ages of the children playing.

Call out, "Ready or not here I come," when you are finished counting.

When I left (her house) it was nearly dark.

I don't have ANY idea. or I have no idea.

I am currently abroad and won't be checking my emails multiple times a day, as usual.

The doctor will stop by tomorrow.

I'll stop by your office later today.

I will stop by your house

I just smooshed a cockroach on my desk with my bare hand.

Which word is pronounced with a different vowel?

1. no go do so

2. war car bar far

3. clown town flown down

4. food good book foot

5. cough rough tough enough

6. fork work stork cork

7. does goes foes toes

8. dear bear wear pear

9. rain train again pain

10. plays says days stays

11. sew new few knew

12. know low now tow

13. five give dive hive

14. rose nose pose lose

15. sweat heat meat eat

16. brave have save cave

17. phone bone gone cone

20 rules to live your life by

1- Remember that the greater the love and magnificent the achievement the greater risk.

2- Always judge your success not by what you have acheived but by what you had to give up in order to get it.

3-Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

4- When you fail, always look at what you have learnt this is the true pathway to success

5- When you realize you’ve made a mistake, do not stop just take immediate steps to correct it.

6- Welcome and persue change, but don’t let go of your values.

7- Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

8- Never let a little dispute destroy a great relationship.
9- Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

10- In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.

11- A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

12- Follow the three R’s:
- Respect for self,
- Respect for others and
- Responsibility for all your actions.

13- Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

14- Spend some time alone every day.

15- Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

16- Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.

17- Be gentle with the earth.

18- Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

19- If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.

20- If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

(Sep 27th 2011 22:01)My pictures that I took when on my way home:
I took these pictures spontaneously, while I was waiting for the green light in front of a traffic light.Those buildings seemed to shine in a yellowish hue because of the late afternoon sunlight.(= Those buildings shone in a yellowish hue/gave off a yellowish hue/, caused by the late afternoon sunlight.)

Career Choice

Confused about a career? You're not alone. Few young people know what they want to do when they leave school. Three teenagers wrote in and told us how they made up their minds.
JIM
I recently completed an online careers questionnaire. According to the results, I'm not very good at science or maths (which is true, because I get terrible school reports!), But I'm imaginative and I love to create. I have lots of patience, but I'm also a bit of a perfectionist. Well, that's very accurate. My family is always complaining that I take too long to do things, but I want things to be just right. The website suggested quite a few careers. Some of them, like writer or architect, I don't really find interesting, but one suggestion was perfect: model maker. It had never occurred to me, but model makers work in all sort of places- TV and film, architect's offices and museums to name only a few. Making models, you see, is my hobby. In fact, these days I'm making a model of the Parthenoon with 3,000 matchsticks. Tomorrow I'm adding the last few details and it will be ready!

LIA
I've always been good at languages. I love French and German and I go to a language school two evenings a week, but this year I'm also having lessons at home to prepare for exams in the summer. I know that people who study languages often become teachers, but I don't want to teach. You have to be very patient to be a teacher, and I'm not really patient enough. My dad is a teacher and he comes home very tired every day. A translator is another job for people with language skills, but that doesn't appeal to me either. You have to work long hours on your own translating books. It sounds dull! I'm quite outgoing and I like to have company, so that wouldn't suit me. I spoke to our careers officer at school and she came up with a great idea: interpreter. Interpreters meet people and travel. My mum saysthat interpreters can earn a lot too. It sounds great! Anyway, I'd better stop. My French lesson starts at six.

NEIL
A few weeks ago, I was watching a programme about zoos and I realized that a zoo-keeper would be a good occupation for me. I don't get on with people very well, but I adore animals. I own five pets and I spend most of my free time with them. In fact, while I'm writing this on my computer, Dean, my pet hamster, is walking all over my desk and Spike, my cat, is keeping my feet warm! Anyway, I've known for ages that I wanted to work with animals. My mum is a vet, but that needs lots of study at university. I'm not very hard-working at school (my parents are always moaning about that!), so I don't think I'd get the grades you need to become a vet. Zoo-keepers, on the other hand, don't need to study so hard. You just need to love animals!