How are you doing? Hope your summer has been going　well despite hearing about the extreme heat in Japan. How are you doing? Hope your summer has been going　well despite hearing about the extreme heat in Japan.
Here in LA we did have some hot days but recently the temperture has started to drop and it has become more comfortable.
I have a couple of news to report. This month therehas been some Japanese festivities happening in LA andneighboring areas. Last week we had the annual Tofufestival which showcased many restaurants and shopsthat served different kinds of tofu dishes.
Later inthe evening the Grand Parade took place. This year's parade was particularly special because it ended with the debut of a large Nebuta float imported from Aomoriprefecture. Do you know about the Nebuta festival andits floats? Many people came to the parade just to seethat float. The streets were jammed packed withpeople, and in fact the papers said that 15,000 people were in attendance that day! Although it was tiring topush through the crowds, it was still worth going andit was very exciting when the float made its appearance :)
Here are a couple of informative websites:
http://tofufestival.com/http://www.nebuta-la.org/

Talk to you later,Patty

Myself :
Hi! My name is Tobi, I'm pleased to meet you! (Douzo Yoroshiku!)
I have been in Japan for nearly a year now, and I can honestly say I enjoy it here. I have enjoyed many wonderful things about Japan, but the best thing about Japan is it's people!

I have met many wonderful Japanese people and enjoyed helping everyone of them improve their English skills and abilities. Previously, in Adelaide, I worked as an "Accounts Consultant" for the largest telephone company in Australia.
I am currently completing my full teaching qualifications and I teach people of all ages, from beginners to advanced. I can help you with any kind of English you want to focus on, English just for fun, for travel, for business, or even just to achieve a higher TOEIC score!
In my spare time I enjoy making music. ( I have played guitar for 18 years and I studied "Music Technology" at "Adelaide University" in my home city of Adelaide. Later, I studied "Electronic Arts" in Sydney, New South Wales.) -I also enjoy getting out and seeing different cities and places in Tokyo and Japan, and I enjoy eating lots of Japanese food!

I look forward to meeting you. I'm sure we can enjoy talking about lots of things, even if it is only one thing by one thing! (-"Hitotsuzutsu !") Also, I would like to sincerely wish you all the best in achieving your goals in learning English, and in Life!

Warm Regards,

Tobias De Visser

Adelaide :
The City of Adelaide has a population of around one million people. (1,000,000) It enjoys a Mediteranean climate during the warmer months (-Similar to Greece or Italy..) and has a very clean environment. Because pollution is so low, there is a popular tram which runs through the city and goes all the way to the beach.

This is Maria Arai. I came from the Philippines and have been teaching English for more than 9 years. If you are searching for a way to improve your communication skills, here are some tips that will give you a good starting point.

1) Study everyday

Try to set aside some time everyday for your studies, ideally when your brain is at its most receptive. It's better to study for 30 minutes everyday than for 3 hours once a week.


2) Review regularly

Go over each lesson several times, perhaps once in the morning. once in the evening and once several days later.


3) Set yourself targets

Setting reasonable targets is a good way to motivate yourself. You could set yourself a time limit or aim for a certain level of proficiency.


4) Focus on your interests

Once you have got to grips with the basic of the language, learn to talk about the things that interest you. In this way you are more likely to remember words, phrases and grammatical constructions you encounter.


5) Don't worry about making mistakes

You probably make the occasional mistake when speaking your native language, so, making mistakes in a foreign language is nothing to worry about. What matters is getting your message across, not whether you use all the right words. If you cannot think of the exact words, try using other ones. Learn how to say things like "How do you say ______________________________ in English?", "What's that called?", "What are they doing?" etc.


6) Learn vocabulary effectively

Vocabulary is the most essential element of communication. The more words you know, the more more you can say and understand.


7) Find ways to make language learning fun

This could involve songs, stories, jokes and anything else you can think of.

If you practice these tips each day and pretty soon they will be habits that come naturally . GOOD LUCK!

Hello, I am Tony Santa Ana! My parents are Pilipino but I was raised in the San Francisco, USA area. This area is filled with multiculturalism and activism. It is truly an interesting upbringing, growing up eating Mexican food, celebrating Vietnamese New Year, watching Japanese Obon festivals, listening to African American hip hop, living Pilipino customs; all walks of life. I grew up expressing myself through dance, poetry, film, skateboarding and playing sports. Let’s talk and share about each others experience!

Tony Santa Ana