2025/9/27(Sat.)*SMC*

Lecture: SM Noro

Color Idioms

·         Out of the blue: Something that happens unexpectedly, without warning.

·         Once in a blue moon: Something that occurs very rarely.

·         Feel blue: To feel sad or depressed.

·         See red: To become very angry.

·         Red tape: Excessive bureaucracy or rigid rules that cause delays.

·         In the red: be in debt or to be losing money

·         Red-letter day: A special or memorable day, often a day of celebration.

·         Roll out the red carpet: To give someone special treatment or a warm welcome.

·         Catch red-handed: To catch someone in the act of doing something wrong or illegal.

·         Black sheep: A person who is considered a failure by their family or group.

·         In the black: To be financially successful or profitable.

·         Black market: An illegal trade or marketplace for goods and services.

·         Black and white: Clear, straightforward, or easy to understand; no gray area.

·         Pass with flying colors: To succeed or do very well in something, especially an exam.

·         Show one’s true colors: To reveal one's true character, intentions, or feelings.

·         Give the green light: To give permission to proceed with something.

·         Green with envy: Extremely jealous of someone else's good fortune.

·         Have a green thumb: To be good at gardening or caring for plants.

·         The grass is always greener on the other side: Other people's lives or situations often seem better than your own, even if they are not.

·         White lie: A harmless or trivial lie, often told to avoid hurting someone’s feelings.

·         Golden opportunity: A perfect chance to do something that is likely to be very successful.

·         A golden handshake: A large sum of money given to someone when they leave a job.

·         Golden boy: A successful or highly valued young man, often in the eyes of others.

·         See the silver lining: To find something positive in an otherwise negative situation.

·         Born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth: To be born into a wealthy or privileged family.

·         Grey area: An unclear or undefined situation that is open to interpretation

Fill in the blanks using the most suittable idiom from the list given below.

1.     The news of his resignation came completely __________; no one expected it.

2.     After the breakup, she couldn’t help but __________ for days.

3.     The thief was __________ when he tried to steal a car in broad daylight.

4.     The project was delayed for months due to excessive __________ in the approval process.

5.     You can find counterfeit goods being sold on the __________, but it's illegal.

6.     During the argument, she __________ and revealed how she really felt.

7.     Despite being nervous, he managed to __________ and got an A+ on the final exam.

8.     I told a small __________ to avoid hurting her feelings about the dress.

9.     He’s the __________ of the company, always praised for his success and achievements.

10.Although the situation seems bad now, try to __________ and stay positive.

11.The rules regarding refunds are unclear; it’s a __________ and nobody knows the correct procedure.

12. She was __________ when she found out her friend had won the lottery.

List

White lie, grey area, green with envy, out of the blue, catch somebody red-handed, golden boy, pass with flying colors, feel blue, red tape, black market, see the silver lining, show one’s true colors

Table Topic Speech

(1) Would you brake the law to save a loved one?

(2) What is the difference beween innocence and ignorance?

(3) When you help someone do you ever think, "What's in it for me?"

(4) What do you do to relieve stress?

(5) What personal prisons have you built out of fears?

Prepared Speech

(1) Trying Karaoke in English on My Next Cruise: SM Koizumi

On the Diamond Princess Cruise this time, we departed from Yokohama and visited Toba, Osaka, Kochi, Hiroshima, Busan, Nagasaki, Shimizu, and finally returned to Yokohama. There were many inbound tourists, so about 70% of the passengers were foreigners, and about 30% were Japanese.　On the cruise, besides big shows, there were many events to choose from. One of them was karaoke.

When I went to the venue, I saw people who looked like experienced regulars stepping up to the microphone one after another. Japanese passengers sang Japanese songs, and foreign passengers sang English songs. But since everyone was an amateur, it was hard to really get into it. Japanese songs got applause from Japanese people, and English songs got cheers from foreigners. Somehow, the room didn’t feel united.

Then I thought: What if I sang a beautiful Japanese song, but with English lyrics? Maybe both Japanese and foreigners could enjoy it together. I didn’t try it on this cruise, but I’d like to give it a try on my next one.

First, I thought about which songs might be exciting:

As a start, I’ll try putting English lyrics to “Mata Au Hi Made”.

Till We Meet Again (Mata Au Hi Made)

 1,  In Japanese

    また逢う日まで、逢える時まで    別れのそのわけは、話したくない

    なぜか悲しいだけ、なぜか空しいだけ 互いに傷つき全てをなくすから

    ふたりでドアを閉めて、ふたりで名前消して    その時こころは何かを話すだろう

  2,  In English

    I miss you, but I say good luck—till we meet somewhere again.

    I don’t want to tell you the reason we must part this time.

    I just feel sadness inside me, I just feel emptiness within.

    We might get hurt and lose everything we’ve known.

    Shall we close this heavy door, shall we erase our names here,

    And hope our hearts will find something new and more.

  Ending

    Shall we close this heavy door, shall we erase our names here,

    And hope our hearts will find something new and more.

Yes, I think it could work well.

I’d like to try it on my next cruise.

(2) Has the number of mosquitoes decreased?: SM Takahata

She talked about the effects of extreme heat wave in this summer. More people have been hospitalized or even died from heatstroke, sudden torrential downpours caused damage, and crops like vegetables withered in the fields and became more expensive.

One thing she happened to notice is that she hasn’t been bitten by mosquitoes this year. According to the explanation made by an insecticide company KINCHO, the number of mosquitoes has not decreased. When the temperature exceeds 35°C, they become sluggish. Their most active temperature is around 27°C. Which means that the coming season is actually their peak activity time. It seems we still need to watch out for mosquitoes even in November. Anyway, the long, scorching summer is comming to an end. She said, "Let's enjoy this short and comfortable autum while it lasts."

(3) Accomplishment: SM Kei Narisawa

(4) End of Summer: SM Kaneko

As summer ends, I always have mixed feelings.

This year, we heard again that it was the hottest summer ever recorded. But I remember hearing the same thing last year, and even the year before. It feels like every summer is hotter than the last, and that makes me worry about the future. Still, when summer finally ends, the feeling I have most strongly is relief. I’m glad when autumn arrives—I really like autumn.

At the same time, summer gives me something enjoyable: flowers. Vinca, or Madagascar periwinkle, are strong against the heat. This year I learned how to grow them from cuttings by watching a YouTube video called Fastest Propagation Method of Vinca / Sadabahar (Fastest propagation method of Vinca /Sadabahar - YouTube). Thanks to that method, I now have many colorful vinca flowers. Seeing them bloom makes me happy.

So, although summer is tough, it also brings joy. In that sense, I can even look forward to the next one. Thank you very much!

Meeting Schedule

In-person: 9:30 AM on Oct. 11 at Oyama Community Center (small conference room)

Coordinator: SM Eda (SM Kaneko)