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I was inspired to write today’s blog because of the small dog grooming salon near Amic’s Shigenobu location. The salon’s windows advertises the many extra services it offers dog owners including: training, nail clipping, day care, and boarding. There’s a large window that always has many cute dogs snoozing in the sun or playing together. There’s an abundance of small, brown toy poodles and a few white shitzus. It seems to me that many people in Japan enjoy smaller dog breeds because they are so “kawaii”, but there’s so many types of dogs out there! When I return to the U.S., I would love to get a dog as well! Of course I like small, cute dogs as much as the next person, but maybe there’s a type of quiz that could help me find the dog breed of my dreams….

Turns out there is! Many popular dog food companies offer quizzes to help people find their perfect dog. This quiz from Pedigree asks questions ranging from “How much are you willing to spend a week to feed your dog?” to “Do you want a dog that will protect your property?” These are my top eight breeds according to Pedigree:

 Wow! I have never heard of some of these breeds. I imagine they are all tiny and fluffy dogs because I stated that I live in an apartment with no yard. Let’s see what the next quiz offered by the American Kennel Club suggests:

I never pictured myself as a beagle gal, but, hey, the AKC is the American expert on dogs, right? 

While I’m not sure these are the right dogs for me, it’s nice to have options! Some of these breeds I would have never considered without these quizzes. Plus, it’s a lot of fun to take a quiz that leads to such cute results! I want a dog now!!

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^ – ^

７月４日はアメリカの独立記念日ですが、

私がアメリカに住んでいた頃、様々な国の人たちに「日本の独立記念日はいつ？」という質問を受け困惑したのを覚えています。

独立記念ということは、どこかの国に侵略されたり占領されていて、その束縛から解放されて初めて「独立」したということになることを踏まえると、日本はまだ正式には独立していない？？と深く考え込んでしまいました

ここではその話は置いておいて、今回はfireworks （花火）についての話

日本では夏の風物詩の一つで、

夏になると買ってもらった花火を家の庭でクルクル回して遊んだ記憶がありますが、

アメリカでは基本的に違法です

日本のようにいつでもお店に行けば買える訳ではありません

（自分で書いておいてかなりショッキング）

私たちが家や海などでやるような、個人でする花火はアメリカでは年に一度しか出来ないんです

1年に一度限りの待ちにまった日・・・なんだか７月７日の七夕ストーリーみたいですね

７月４日の独立記念日（Independence Day）の昼１２時〜夜１０時までが、

年に一度花火が許される時間なのです

そう考えると、アメリカでの花火のイメージは「祝福ムード」というところでしょうか

夏や花火と聞いてイメージするものは文化によって違いますね。

場所によっては日本でいう春夏秋冬という季節がない所もあると考えると、

同じ人といってもそれぞれがイメージするもの、さらにそういうものに少なからず影響を受ける私たちの思考というのは千差万別ですね

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Come back vs go back

Come back
When you come back, you leave and return to here – the place where you are when you speak. 

• I need to leave, but I’ll come back in 15 minutes.
• Get out of my house and don’t come back!
• I’m sorry, she isn’t here. But she’s coming back tomorrow.

Go back
When you go back, you return there – to the place you were before.

• I’ve had a lovely time, but I should go back home now.
• There are only three more days before our holiday ends and we have to go back.
• Stop stealing or you’ll go back to prison.

One of my favorite things about reading on my Kindle e-reader is that if I come across a word I don’t know, I can see the definition just by highlighting it with my finger. Looking back through my highlights, here are some new words I have learned recently:

• Andirons- a support that logs are laid on top of for burning in a fireplace
• Encomium- the high praise of a person or thing
• Histrionics- displaying emotion to have some kind of desired effect on others, such as in a theatrical performance 
• Ignominious- humiliating, disgraceful, shameful 
• Rector- a priest or clergy member in charge of a church or parish