First Snow

-7 degrees today

blah

MERRY CHRISTMAS

MERRY CHRISTMAS

A lot of people use artificial (plastic) Christmas trees now, because the real trees are a fire hazard.

irregular superlative: northernmost, southernmost, westernmost, easternmost

These are irregular words in English:

Texas is the southernmost state in the U.S. (irregular)
or
Texas is the most southern state in the U.S. (regular)


Maine is the easternmost state in the U.S.

Alaska is the northernmost state in the U.S.

Hawaii is the westernmost state in the U.S.,
but California is the westernmost state in the continental U.S.
(the part of U.S. in North America).

mailbox

There's no snow yet this winter, but the ground is frozen because the temperature is below zero.

ice

There's ice on the ground in the morning. It's below zero now.

'ice' can also be a slang verb meaning: to finish or defeat something

for example: Our hockey team iced the team from New York.

I think this expression comes from the idea of catching a fish and throwing it onto ice.

As ...

"As" can mean: at the same time as

For example: As I was walking on the street, a car hit a pole.

-or-

"As" can mean: because of (reason)

for example: As it's raining, I'll use an umbrella.

This is more British English.

---

As I was walking, I saw a grocery store selling Christmas trees.

As I live in an apartment, I won't buy one.

splash page

'splash page' means: the first page of a website.

A lot of times, the splash page will have some kind of animated picture.
It kind of looks like paint splashing. That's where the expression comes from.

http://www.herostratus.ca/

POTUS

This is slang for "President Of The United States". It came from the Secret Service.
Similarly, "SCOTUS" means "Supreme Court Of The United States".

drizzle

'drizzle' means: it's raining off-and-on

for example: It's drizzling.
or
It was a light drizzle.
It's been drizzling all day.

You can also say: I drizzled syrup on my pancakes.

---

I talked to some friends on Skype today.

feel like (doing something)

... means 'to want' (to do something)

I feel like staying home.

I don't feel like going out. It's cold.

mall on Karasuma St. Kyoto 2005

new expression: to give (someone) the stinkeye

... an expression meaning: to glare at someone with hatred

for example: the cashier short-changed me, so the next time I saw her, I gave her the stinkeye

---

Snow is forecast for tonite, blah.

F

Kyoto 2005

Kyoto 2005

Kyoto 2005

to rock (slang verb)

I rock. = I am great.
You rock. = You are great.
He rocks. = He is great.

from 'rock & roll', 'rock music', 'rock star' etc.

sunshower

In the U.S. South, if it is sunny and raining at the same time, it is called a 'sunshower' or 'devil shower'. However, I have never heard this in the north.

3 degrees

It's 3 degrees Celsius today. -- coldest day so far, I think.

'degrees of separation' is an expression.
If you have a friend, and the friend knows Obama, then you are 2 degrees of separation from Obama. They say that everyone is six degrees of separation from anyone on earth.

Xmas decorations

The shopping malls start putting up xmas decorations around the middle of November. 'xmas' or "Xmas" is short for 'Christmas'.

Some people say "Holidays" instead of 'Christmas' if they are not Christian.

Cherry Blossoms

SAKURA

KIYOMIZUDERA KYOTO 2005