2021/02/13(土)SMC

Hi everyone !

Let me report the minutes of the online meeting held on Feb. 13.

Please accept my apology for the problem with the Zoom invitation connections, which wasted about ten minutes.

I think I know the cause of the problem, so I won't repeat the error !

SM Kaneko and SM K. Narisawa served as the Coordinator and the Lecturer respectively.

Lecturer

It’s very important for learners of English to make a guess at the meaning of various English phases or sentences, so that you may have better understanding of them and along the way, they will stick with you. (Message from the Lecturer)

“Looming above is the First Federal Building, the tallest building in Memphis, and home of Trent & Brent. I would kill to work there.”

We surveyed our members for the fourth year in a row, asking them which companies they'd kill to work for. (From the internet)

I am hit with the rotten feeling that I’ve been here before.

Feeling rotten: · adj. ill (adjective) down, unwell, under the weather, below par, diseased, peaked, poorly, rotten, woozy, ailing, out of sorts, afflicted, queasy (From the internet) deja vu: The illusion of having already experienced something actually being experienced for the first time. (From the internet)

Table Topic Speech

“If you had a friend who spoke to you in the same way that you sometimes speak to yourself, how long would you allow this person to be your friend? “ (SM Noro)

At the beginning of the speech, the speaker confirmed his understanding of the sentence. Then, he said that he wouldn’t allow such a person who has similar feeling with him as his friend for a long time, just for a short period of one week. In response, SM K. Narisawa raised the word of “sympathy” with which people gain mutual understanding.

“How would you describe the past year of your life in one sentence? “(SM Koizumi)

The speaker said that he interprets the sentence as “last year” instead of “the past last year”. In his speech, he described last year as a persistent struggle to cope with the pandemic. However, he said that he somehow managed to enjoy his hobbies of dancing and others.

“Are you happy with where you are in your life? Why?” (SM Kitamura)

The speaker said that she cannot say she is happy because she isn’t able to find a place where she can relieve various anxieties through mingling with new friends at her university, where lessons are given online. SM K. Narisawa gave some advice to her using the word of “rectify”.

“Where would you most like to go and why?” (SM Takahata)

The speaker said that she sometimes misses her hometown, Hokkaido Tomakomai Atsuma-cho since she hasn’t been there for quite a while. In response to a question from the Coordinator, she added that her uncles and aunts still live there.

“How do you know when it’s time to continue holding on or time to let go?” (SM Yo. Narisawa)

The speaker said that she is a kind of person who is disinclined to throw away things without being reluctant, resulting in accumulating too many things such as clothes. SM Takahata talked about her experience of clearing away her son’s room at the timing of her son’s leaving her house after marriage. Now she uses the room as her room. SM K. Narisawa said that people would eliminate stifled feeing by Danshari (getting rid of the clutter in your life and living with the bare minimum of things). Also he asked SM Kitamura jokingly if her new room is cluttered with things, where she moved recently.

“Who do you sometimes compare yourself to? “ (SM K. Narisawa)

The speaker talked about his experiences of work in schools in Tokyo and Kanagawa. He prefers the schools in Kanagawa to those in Tokyo from the viewpoint of flexibility responding to wishes of teachers. He said he sometimes compares himself to his seniors who appear robust for their age. In response to a question of whether or not he continues to work for the next school year, he said he is working on a decision, and considering some job offers.

“What life lesson did you learn the hard way?” (SM Yamazaki)

The speaker said that upon reflecting on his life, during his younger days from high school to university he had no hope due to various anxieties. Through hardships in his life, he said he can say he is happy now. He intended to say that hardships make people stronger and happier.

Next meeting

Feb.27 (Sat.) 9:30-12:00, Oyama Community Center

Coordinator: SM K. Narisawa, Lecturer: SM Kaneko

The meeting is scheduled to be held at Oyama Community Center. However, the venue might be closed due to the pandemic. In that case, Zoom meeting is to be held. So please pay attention to the notice in advance. Regarding the meeting in person at Oyama Community Center, be sure to make preparations for “Prepared Speech”.

Reported by YAMAZAKI