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こんにちは、今日もアミックブログを訪れていただきありがとうございます！

やっと四国も梅雨入りしましたね

平年より8日程早いとのこと、今年は何もかもが早く、また暖かい

メキシコに住む友人から、

国内の22の都市でこの夏の気温が50°近くになるという非常事態宣言が出ているそうです

色々考えさせられます

ところで、梅雨は漢字からも分かるように、梅の季節ですね

梅はアンズやスモモと複雑に交雑しているので、一般的にはJapanse plumやJapanse apricotと呼ばれます

なお、梅にまつわる文化的なものを英語で説明したい時には、umeでもいいですね！

やはり平年より2週間程早くではありますが、今年も鈴なりに実がついていて大収穫でした

一瞬ブドウかと見間違えるほど

梅を収穫したら、

梅干しや梅酒はもちろん、もう一つの楽しみは化粧水

用意するもの：

青梅（大）　５～７個

純米酒　６00ml

グリセリン　60ml

作り方：

梅はへたのところを傷つけず取り出して、きれいに洗った梅を純米酒に入れ、暗所に1週間程放置。

青→黄色に変色したら梅を取り出し、グリセリンを入れて冷蔵庫に入れておけば1年は使用できます

梅の香りがいいのと保湿性が高いので、私は毎日使用しています

お肌に合うかどうかは人によりけりなので、敏感肌の方はご注意ください。

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Wish

‘Wish’ is a verb which talks about unreal or imagined situations. Because of this, it has some unusual verb patterns:

A present wish
When we want to make a wish about a present situation, we use wish and a past simpleor continuous verb. 

• I don’t have my umbrella. I wish I had my umbrella.
• She doesn’t know the answer. I wish she knew the answer.
• You’re at work, but you wish you were playing football, right?

A past wish
When we want to make a wish about a past action or situation, we use wish and the past perfect – had + past participle verb.

• I’m so tired. I wish I had slept for another hour last night.
• She knows she made a mistake. She wishes she hadn’t been so silly.
• You were right. I shouldn’t have quit my job. I wish I had listened to you.

A few years ago, a survey went around American Facebook circles asking simply what part of the country you live in, what you call certain objects, and how you pronounce certain words. After finishing, you saw a map of how people answered the same questions in different parts of the country.

For some questions, the answers were nearly the identical across the board except for one small hotspot (e.g. only in a small part of Pennsylvania and New Jersey do they call a long sandwich with meat and lettuce a ‘hoagie’, whereas everywhere else it’s called a ‘sub’). For other questions, the answers varied wildly; here are a few of my favorites:

These illustrations are from designer Joshua Katz’s book, “Speaking American” and based on a pre-Facebook study done by Cambridge’s Bert Vaux et al. To take a similar version of the survey, check out The Cambridge Online Survey of World Englishes (also being conducted by Vaux). 

I’m not a great dancer, but give me a dark club with a good sound system and this track in the mix and I might just blow your mind. Rizzla always brings the heat! :))

Mount St. Helens, a volcano in Washington, erupted  38 years ago on May 18, 1980. The eruption was so strong that it deposited ash in 11 U.S. states and 5 Canadian provinces. Sadly, 57 people lost their lives in the resulting landslides and lava flows.

Among the 57 people who perished was a man named Harry R. Truman.  During the 1930s, Harry opened a hotel at the foot of Mount St. Helens and ran it with his wife for over fifty years. Despite being made well-aware of the pending eruption, Harry was unwilling to evacuate to safety in the months preceding the volcanic explosion. He thought that geologists were being overly cautious and no actual harm would come to him if he stayed in his home at the base of the volcano. He loved Mount St. Helens and his home so much that he chose to stay despite the earthquakes that violently shook his home in the months preceding the eruption.

 Harry truly believed that the lava would avoid him and he could continue to live in the area with ease. Unfortunately, despite one more attempt to get Harry to leave his home, the volcano erupted, covering his home with layers of debris and ash. Harry became a local folk hero for his unwillingness to leave while the rest of the area was being evacuated. He is remembered today as a stubborn man with an undying love of the wilderness of  Mount St. Helens.

Must and have to

Both must and have to talk about obligations. Both are followed by an infinitive verb with no to.

Have to
Have to is used for obligations that others decide for us. These are often laws or rules and so cannot be changed.

• We have to show our passes to enter the building.
• You have to smoke outside. Smoking is not allowed inside.
• She has to have a license before she drives.

Must
We use must to talk about obligations we decide for ourselves or others.

• You must be more organised.
• I must exercise more often.
• We must clean the house today.

This past Monday was Memorial Day in America. The national holiday always occurs on the last Monday of May and is in place to honor those U.S. military members that died while serving the country. Communities big and small mark the day by holding parades, special assemblies, and placing flags throughout local cemeteries. 

In addition to being a day of remembrance, the day has other cultural significance as well. Much of the country has the day off work, so a popular pastime is to get together with friends and family for outdoor picnics and BBQ. The long weekend is seen as the unofficial start to summer, so many also take the opportunity to travel to nearby beaches or lakes to enjoy water activities for the first time in months. Many community swimming pools also begin their seasons at this time. 

And for students, the day is a signpost that their school year is almost finished (if it hasn’t already!)

So here’s Toxe from Sweden making me feel giddy, melancholic, introspective, outside, digital, in the flesh and very very something I can’t quite explain. She’s just that type of girl.

When you were a child, what did you want to be?

I’m not a very big fan of baseball, but I am a huge fan of Japanese baseball fans. I recently learned that many baseball teams in Japan have very devoted followers that learn dances and chants to support their team from the stands. 

Here is a video of Hiroshima Carp fans doing their “squat cheer”:

Their legs must be so sore after a great game!

And here’s the fans’ of the Orix Buffaloes doing their fun towel dance:

In America, baseball fans don’t really have an organized chant or routine to celebrate their team. However, college football fans are known to get pretty rowdy during games. 

Here’s the University of Arkansas Razorbacks “calling the pigs” during a game:

And of course the “Rammer Jammer” of the University of Alabama:

No matter where you are in the world, it seems that every sports team has their own way of celebrating! What does your favorite sports team’s fans do to show their support?