How to Make “A Full English”!

This is a great guide to making “A Full English.”

However, there are one or two things I do differently.

1.  Rest the bacon on kitchen paper  in order to reduce fat.

2. Cook the mushrooms in the bacon fat.  Don’t add butter and unnecessary fat!

3. Grill the tomatoes, don’t fry them!

4. Poach the eggs, don’t fry them…much healthier!

5. Fried bread is delicious,  but I don’t eat it…too fatty!

6. If possible, serve with hot strong English tea and the essential magic ingredient…HP Sauce!

TEA style!

The UK and Japan each have a particular tea culture.

In the UK….

Once filled, holding a handled teacup correctly ensures grace while avoiding spilling hot tea. One’s fingers are placed to the front and back of the handle with the pinkie finger tilted slightly up for balance. It is rude to loop fingers through the handle or to hold the body of the cup with the palm of the hand. Tea should always be sipped with elegance to show good manners.Practicing at home before attending a public party might be a wise choice when one is unfamiliar with having afternoon tea.

In Japan…

You sit in the seiza position if everyone else does, although you may be told you can sit in a more relaxed position. The tea bowl is handed to you with its most beautiful side facing you. Pick it up and briefly admire this front face of the bowl and then rotate it 180 degrees in two turns of 90 degrees each so that the front now faces the tea server before you drink. Drink the tea slowly in three sips with a short pause between each one to savor the taste. After drinking, you should say “Kekko na o-temae,”(means it was delicious, you are a good cook. ) then wipe the place on the rim that you drank from with your index and middle fingers, and then wipe them on a folded handkerchief-like cloth you prepared in advance.

Question

Did you know this manner?

Would you like to hold a tea party in our class?

The Difference Between Premier League and J LEAGUE

Yesterday there was the final match of UEFA Champions League 2010-11. It was FC Barcelona VS Manchester United. The game ended up with 3-1 and FC Barcelona became the champion.

Manchester United belongs in Premier League (England), which is one of the most popular soccer league in the world. I think most of you have heard or know about Premier League. It is said that over 1 billion people watch premier league in the world. FA Premier League was established in 1992 and Premier League became a big sports business. They earn money from broadcast right, tickets, shop gifts, sponsors and player’s transfer fee. Especially broadcast right take over 40% of the revenue. The biggest difference about managing system between Premier League and J LEAGUE is that, in premier league each club has their own right to conclude a contract with sponsor and broadcast right. As a result, Premier League earned over 200 billion yen  just by the broadcast right in 2008-09. J LEAGUE could only earn 5 billion yen by broadcast right. It’s the total amount from 3 companies  for 5 years. In J LEAGUE, the company J LEAGUE has the broadcast right and right to decide the sponsors. So, each club gets the same revenue for broadcast right and from the sponsors. J LEAGUE took this system to prevent clubs from being finacial woes.

Do you think J LEAGUE will be successful like Premier League if they take that system?

Where would you rather live, the UK or Japan?

Last Friday,I gave a presentation about “natural disasters” in the UK and Japan.

In the UK, natural disasters like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, heat waves and tornadoes hardly ever happen. Floods happen about once a year.

By contrast, natural disasters often happen in Japan. In particular, earthquakes, floods and typhoons happen almost every year.

According to the Global Peace Index Rankings in 2010, Japan is in 3rd place and the UK is in 31st place. The Rankings include internal situations like violence and crime and  external situations like wars and military operations.

Where would you rather live, the UK or Japan?

What kind of country do you want to live in?

Multicultural society in the future

GREEN FLOAT is a new conceptual model for an environmentally friendly city.The idea is an artificial island in the equatorial ocean with the aim of constructing self-sufficient carbon-negative city.

This could be a new style of living in the future.

As the man in the video says, GREEN FLOAT won’t belong to individual countries.

If people who live in  GREEN FLOAT come from all over the world, a multicultural society will be constructed.

QUESTIONS

・Do you want to live in GREEN FLOAT?

                                                        -Why? /Why not?

・What kind of problems could happen in the GREEN FLOAT?

Poll: Gay marriage

Do you know ‘Kamogawa Odori’?

This is the one of the most famous annual events in Kyoto. It presents  traditional dance and drama by the Geisha and Maiko of Ponto-cho, Kyoto,  a district along a narrow street parallel with the Kamo River.  This event  flourished in Kyoto after the center of Japan moved to Tokyo (Edo).

The other day, I went to this event for the first time. Before the show, you can enjoy ‘Ocha seki’ that Ocha is made by Maiko and you can  drink it with a Manzyu. After having a Manzyu, you can take the dish home. The show used classic Japanese but the story was easy to understand. At the end of the show, Geisha and Maiko threw a Tenugui with their signature. I couldn’t get it, but I really enjoyed this event.

Tenugui and the dish

Have you been to Kamogawa Odori?

Ocha-seki

President Obama Confirms Osama Bin Laden Dead

Osama Bin Laden, the founder of Al-Quaeda and the one responsible for the September 11 attacks on the US was reported dead this Sunday, May 1, 2011. The news showed people cheering with happiness over the news, and President Obama states that ”Justice has been done”.

However, I feel that this will not put an end to an issue that the US and the world has been struggling over for many years. In fact, I think that this has just added a new factor to this issue. As President Obama said, “The death of Bin Laden marks the most significant achivement to date in our nations effort to defeat Al-Quaeda. However, his death does not mark the end of our effort.”

Do you think that killing Osama Bin Laden was the right thing to do? What kind of effects will his death have on the US?