A Cup of Juan Valdez's Best

I love coffee. I drink coffee everyday and I like to try different kinds from different countries.  I also like iced coffee but only in the summer when it's too hot to drink regular coffee.

Recently I have been drinking a lot of Colombian coffee. Most people know that Juan Valdez is the national brand of Colombia, but traveling to the country a couple of times a year to visit my wife's family, I have been able to buy a few different types. They were all fantastic.

When I went to the UK to visit my friend Richard I was introduced to Caffe Nero. (Normally you would spell this word "cafe" but this is a proper noun) This was a popular coffee shop in London, almost as popular as Starbucks. It's been a while since I have been to London but the next time I go I am sure one of my first cups of Joe will be at Caffe Nero.

Some people would call me a "coffee snob" because I don't mind paying as much as $5 a cup. And it's true, I tend to thumb my nose to cheaper coffee that you can buy at McDonalds or in a vending machine.

Do you like to drink coffee? If you do, what brands do you like? What do you like to put into your coffee? I like a little raw sugar or panela (a South American sugar) but not milk. My wife like to have half coffee and half milk. She calls that a cafe.

If you don't drink coffee, what do you drink?

Wedding Idioms

I recently got married (check out my blog at www.michaelsaffle.com for details and pictures) and I thought about all the wedding idioms there are. I picked a few I like the best and thought I would share them with you all.

get hitched - to get married. "Did you hear that Mark and Lisa got hitched last week?"

shotgun wedding - is a wedding that is rushed because the bride-to-be is pregnant. It's a forced wedding. "Mark and Mary had a shotgun wedding in Las Vegas. They had a baby girl 6 months later."

cold feet - when one feels nervous about the wedding. Having second thoughts about getting married. "His friends asked him if he was getting cold feet, but John was happy to get married and wasn't nervous at all."

tie the knot - to get married. "At 25 I was not ready to tie the knot. At 34 I felt it was time."

Today's proverb: In like a lion out like a lamb

In like a lion, out like a lamb. This is proverb is used sometimes to describe the change of seasons from winter to spring. In like a lion means that at the start of March winter is still very strong. Cold weather and snow! Out like a lamb means that the change to spring at the end of the month results in calmer weather. I found this cartoon which explains the origin of this proverb. Enjoy!

Michael

Snow Day!

It's snowing in Downtown Washington D.C. and I thought I would introduce some snow themed English expressions.

What is a snow day? A snow day is when the school or office is closed because of dangerous wintry conditions. "I was so happy when I was a kid when we had a snow day."

What does it mean to be snowed in? This one may seem obvious to most of you, but if you hear about someone being snowed in that means they are trapped where they are because of the snow. This usually does not mean it's impossible to move but more that it would be unsafe to drive or take a lot of effort to walk. "I couldn't get to the store because we were snowed in all weekend."

The most fun I had as a kid during a snow day was going outside to sled. I also liked to drink hot chocolate when I got back inside to warm up. Memories like that make me all warm inside!

Michael

Week 2 Day 2

I'm on week 2 of my 100 push up challenge. I have not given up yet!

Part 1:



And Part 2:

Week 1, Day 2 part TWO

This was the last set and BOY was I tired.

100 Push Ups Week 1 Day 2 Part ONE

My second day of push ups. Part One. I have part two which I will post tomorrow.


Michael

100 Push Ups Week 1 Day 1

Oh my gosh! I am killing myself and it's only the first day!

Michael

100 Push Up Challenge!

OK, I started my march to 100 push ups and I did a little better than I thought with the initial test.

I was hoping to do more than 10 and I finished with 16. Yes! I will start my week one tomorrow and hope to be able to crank out

100 push ups by March.

The World Celebrates President-Elect Obama

How are people reacting to the Obama victory? Check it out here!

Michael

Voting By Absentee Ballot

I voted this week! You might be thinking, "Wait one second? Isn't the election next week?" You are right, but in some states you can vote early. In every state you can vote by "absentee ballot" which is what I have done. If you will not be able to go out to vote in your local polling place you can request a mail in ballot. I am going to be on business next week so I knew I could not vote in person. I requested my absentee ballot two weeks ago and got it in the mail on Tuesday. I was so eager to vote I mailed it in the very next day. I even put two stamps on the envelope so I knew it would get there.

This election should see a record number of voters come out to the polls. I am proud to be one of them. In my family, we all vote. This is my fourth presidential election I have been old enough to vote in. You have to be 18 years old to vote in America. I voted for Clinton in '96, Gore in 2000 and Kerry in'04. I bet you can guess who I voted for this year!

Have a great weekend! I'm going trick-or-treating with my Godsons tonight. Happy Halloween!

Michael

What a crazy fountain!

I found this on YouTube and had to share it with everyone. I think this is a fountain in Japan somewhere. How amazing is that? Wow! I want to see this at my local mall. Very entertaining.

Michael

Political Satirist is a fun job during an election!

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

The 2008 election is getting closer (thank God!) and the political satirist are out in force. A satirist is a humorist who uses ridicule, irony and sarcasm. A popular satirist in America is a website called Jib Jab. They create a lot of funny videos like the one above. At some point I think you should see my head!

I'm having a heck of time trying to get my new laptop to record audio. Once I get that fixed I should be able to podcast again. Enjoy the video and the weekend.

Michael

Summer Vacation Starts Tomorrow!

Hello from Washington D.C. I am getting ready for my summer vacation and will leave for Colombia tomorrow. I have never been to South America before so this is very exciting for me. I will try to post pictures to this website while I am there.

I have a few new expressions that I would like to share.

Preaching to the choir: When making an argument to someone that already agrees with you. "I was telling Frank why I think Obama should be the next president when he told me I was preaching to the choir. He was going to vote for Obama as well."

Pretty [adjective]: When you add pretty in front of an adjective it means "very." For example. "The tornado was pretty scary", means the same as "The tornado was very scary."

Tunred the page: To go from one stage of life to the next. "Sarah looked like she has finally turned the page and gotten on with her life after the divorce."

Who are you calling a brat?

Someone asked me about this picture on my Flickr account. This is a slide that my father found in a box of old pictures. The picture is of my mother, her brother (my uncle Willy) and their parents. (my grandparents) They were on a trans-Atlantic boat ride from Germany to America. You can hear more about it if you listen to the podcast.

I talk about the U.S. election that is going on right now in the US and a little bit about my opinions on who I think should be the next president.

As always, please feel free to email me if you have any ESL questions.

Here are some of the new vocabulary words I introduced this podcast:

neck and neck - even or very close; indeterminate as to the outcome: They were coming toward the finish line neck and neck.

primary - a preliminary election in which voters of each party nominate candidates for office, party officers, etc. Barack Obama beat Hillary Clinton in the Washington D.C. Democratic Primary.

army brat - the child of an army officer or enlisted person, especially one who has grown up on army bases or in military communities. Mark and Mary were both army brats who grew up moving from one country to the next.

Michael
Have a facebook account? You can find me here!

Sadie Hawkins Day

This is the day where women get the chance to ask the men out. I think this should be any day of the year but apparently it's only on the 29th of February. So get out there ladies and ask that poor shlub whom you wish would ask you out and let him know you want to go to the movies tonight. Do it! Do it!

Check out this article to learn more about this special day. http://www.disk-o.com/disk-o04/dave/index.html

Michael

Saffle Says Podcast #001

Long time no radio show! Man, has it been a long time since I was on the air. I have no excuse, I have simply been too busy. I am happy to start 2008 with a new podcast. I am picking out some of my most recent idioms, vocabulary words and expressions that I have taught my Manabi students.

I'm looking for people to send me email to my new address: michael.saffle@gmail.com and ask me your tough English questions.

hang over: after a night of drinking the next day you can have headache, nausea, sensitivity to light and noise.

make or break: when you are are some point where what you do will either end in success or failure. "The right draft pick can make or break a good baseball team."

ducks in a row: where you have to be organized and do a series of things before you can achieve your goal. "Before I can buy my first house, I will need to get all my ducks in a row and talk to an agent."

up and comer: someone who is doing well and rising to the top of their field. It could be music, business or any other type of occupation.
Example, "I remember cheering for Asashyoryu back in 2001 when he was an up and commer in the Juro division."

welcome wagon: is a committee of neighbors who bring over a gift to families who move into the area. This is something that is very rare these days and I don't think it has ever happened to my family!

RV - recreational vehicle - A vehicle, such as a camper or motor home, used for traveling and recreational activities.
"The annual Burning Man Concert is a week long affair that most people drive to in their RVs."

prognosticate: to forecast or predict(something in the future) from present indications or signs. Example sentence: "Mark was renowned in the business community for his prognosticating skills when it comes to the market trends."

renaissance man: is a cultured man of the Renaissance who was knowledgeable, educated, or proficient in a wide range of fields. I fancy myself as a renaissance man but I need to do more studying!

Nice Weather We're Having.

What is one of the first things you learn how to say in English? I bet it's "How is the weather today?" Well, let's expand on that and give you some more helpful idioms and expressions that Americans use when talking about the weather.
This is also a good form of small talk which you can use with friends or people you meet for the first time. Try them out the next time you go to an English class or talk to a English speaking person you know.






Indian summer: A warm and pleasant autumn.
"I was really not expecting an Indian summer in the middle of November. I might get my shorts out of the closet!"


Raining cats and dogs: I think most Japanese know this idiom, but it means when it is raining very hard.
"Hey Frank, you better go roll up you car windows, it's raining cats and dogs!"

Brass Monkey Weather: In the UK you might here this expression. It means very cold weather.
"It's brass monkey weather isn't it?"

Now here are a couple of idioms that sound like they might have something to do with the weather but in actuality they mean something entirely different.

Feeling under the weather: When you are feeling sick, or not very good.
"Hey Chuck, are you going to the party tonight? No man, I'm feeling under the weather."
"I think I'm going to call it a night and go straight home after work."

Fair-weather friend: In this case fair-weather means a friend who is only there for you when things are going well. That's the fair-weather, good times. When things are going bad and you need a real friend, a fair-weather friend is no where to be found.
"I am sick of fair-weather friends who are never around when I need help."

A snowball's chance in Hell: I think this is my favorite one. If you say someone doesn't have a snowball's chance in Hell then you are saying there is no chance. 0% Not going to happen! The expression is a combination of snow which is cold and Hell which is thought to be very hot. How long can a snowball last in Hell? Not very long!
"The peace talk in Annapolis have a snowball's chance in Hell of brining lasting peace to the Middle East."

Death is on my mind....

Hello and welcome back. I have had morbid thoughts all day. I think it's because Halloween is right around the corner. That in mind I would like to go over some idioms that have more of a macabre theme.

In today's podcast I go over a few dark idioms. Try them out the next time you have an English conversation. You can always leave me a comment on this blog or email me if you want to try some practice sentences.

deader than a door nail - to be deceased with no chance of coming back to life. Can refer to a person or also something inanimate. For example:
"Do you think the proposal can be pitched again?"
"No way, that proposal is as dead as a door nail."

dead set against something - to be completely, adamantly against. For example:
"I wanted to visit Saudi Arabia but my mother was dead set against it. She thought it was too dangerous."

dead on one's feet - to be extremely tired while still standing, walking around. For example:
"These double shifts are killing me. I'm dead on my feet and I still have three hours left before I can go home!"


over my dead body - to not give permission to do something. For example:
"You can buy that sports car over my dead body! We can't afford that!"

Keep an eye on on this blog!

It's been a while since my last podcast so I thought I would supplement my blog with a couple of interesting idioms.

Keep an eye on: This is what you say when you will check something regularly. For example, I keep an eye on the sumo results every day during a tournament.

Example sentence: "The police officer keep an eye on the men loitering in front of the bank."


Easy does it!: Be very careful! / Don't do anything too fast or too hard! I would say this to a friend who is eating too fast or maybe if my father was trying to lift something too heavy.

Example sentence: "East does it Michael! That Christmas tree weighs as much as I do!"




Ok, that's all for tonight. Try to use these in your next English conversation!

Michael

How Hungry Are You?

I'm always hungry. That's because I'm on a diet where I don't eat food after 5PM. I call it my "No Dinner Diet." Most people think I am crazy, and maybe I am. There are a lot of different ways to say you're hungry in English. In tonight's podcast I go over a few of them and I add a couple extra just for the show notes.

starving- extremely hungry. "The men worked hard all day and were starving when they came home."
ravenous - extremely hungry. "I skiped breakfast and now I'm ravenous. "
famished- extremely hungry. "When can we eat dinner? I'm famished!"
peckish - some what hungry but not very hungry. "I'm a bit peckish but not starving."

Send GEC an email if you have any English questions!

Do you know what an iPhone is?

This is a video that pokes fun at the new iPhone, the $500.00 cell phone (mobile phone if you are in the UK) that just was released in the US. Most people think paying $500 or $600 for a cell phone is crazy. But there were a lot of people who lined up at Apple stores all over the US to buy one. In fact, over 500,000 iPhones were sold one three days! Wow!

Now I Japan, I assume most of cell phones are much better than the ones we have here in the States. What kind of cell phone do you use and what can it do? Let me know!

Michael

A Quick Vocabulary Lesson!

What does it mean to be "macho?" Macho means super masculine to an extreme (in appearance and behavior). If you asked someone from America or the UK what actor is the most "macho" you might get Sean Connery. Muscular and hairy! Most people would not call an actor like Orlando Bloom "macho" because he does not fit the definition.





Here is an example sentence:

"Did you see the old James Bond movie on TV last night? Sean Connery is so macho!"


The song "Macho Man" at the end of the podcast is from the Village People's Greatest Hits.

Dining Alfresco

It's the time of year when people like to do things outside. Washington D.C. is famous for being very hot and humid in the "dog days of summer." But in May and June the weather is not unbearable and people like to get out and enjoy nature. One way people get outdoors more is to eat outside. Many restaurants have outdoor seating for people who want to eat "alfresco." On a sunny afternoon after work you can see hundreds of business and government workers enjoying "happy hour" with co-workers and friends.

What do you like to do in Japan when you leave work? Do you go straight home or do you have a "watering hole" you stop off at?

In today's podcast I introduced a few new vocabulary words and an idiom.

Dog Days of Summer: The hottest days of the summer that are both hot and humid. "Man, I hate the dog days of summer in Washington D.C. It's unbearable!"

Alfresco: Eating outside at a restaurant. "I love to eat alfresco during the spring and summer."

Happy Hour: the special time when restaurants and bars have drink and food specials. "Let's go to the Irish pub after work, they have great happy hour specials. $3 pints of Guinness!"

Watering Hole: another term for bar. "Let's go to my favorite watering hole near the office. They don't have a happy hour but they atmosphere is worth the extra cost."

Take me out to the ballgame!

Today's podcast we talk about baseball jargon, or the baseball terms that we use in everyday English.

curve ball: an unexpected change
Example sentence: "I was doing well in the interview until they threw me a curve ball question about what my top three weaknesses."

(hit a) home run: to do well at something
"He really hit a home run in his interview and I am sure he will get the job."

strike out: to fail at something
"I heard you struck out at the job interview. Better luck next time."

southpaw: left handed person
"As a southpaw, I had trouble writing with a fountain pen. I smear the ink with my hand!"

Let's Give Her a Hand!

I'm working on getting my new microphone up and running but it is proving to be more difficult that I would like. Until then I will use my old microphone and hope you can still hear me alright.

Today's lesson I talk about the idiom, "give someone a hand" which has two different meanings. One way to use the idiom is when asking or offering help. For example, "Could you give me a hand carrying this TV?" Or you could say, "Can I give you a hand carrying that TV?"
You can also use the idiom as a way to encourage applause. For example, a host of a television show might tell the audience, "Please put your hands together and give a big hand to tonight's performer."

桜祭り in Washington D.C.

On April 14, 2007 the Japan America Society of Washington D.C. (JASW) put on the largest Japanese street festival in America. I think over 100 Thousand people attended the Cherry Blossom Festival this year and I was in charge of the karaoke stage. Please enjoy some of the singers.

I'm back from Europe!

Hisashiburi! I have been on vacation and I thought I would make a small podcast for you all. I am having computer problems which are making my life difficult. Did you know that the sakura matsuri is coming to Washington D.C.? This is the biggest Japanese festival in America. I will take some pictures for my flickr account and share them with you.

Today's lesson I talk about the expression "April Showers Bring May Flowers." Have you heard of that before? As I look outside my window I see it raining. I hope the May flowers will be beautiful.

April Fool's Day is when you might play a joke on a friend, or someone may play a joke of you! I was lucky this year, I was not tricked this time. Maybe next year?

Have a good week and I will try to fix my computer and put out more podcasts more often.

Send me an email at genkienglishclub@gmail.com with any English questions and I will be happy to send it back.

Michael

Let's Shoot the Breeze!

It's March and I could not be happier to have a new podcast for you all. Tonight I had the chance to chat with GEC member Steve Yang who lives in China. If anyone else would like to find me search for GenkiEnglishClub on Skype.com. You can also email me at genkienglishclub@gmail.com if you have any comments or questions.

Today's Idioms:

Don't count your chickens until (before) they hatch (they've hatched).: Don't assume that something will happen until it has happened.

"Hey Johnny, are you going to the game tonight? I'm sure the Capitols will win!"
"Don't count your chickens before they hatch, man. The Capitols haven't won a game in a long time."

rain or shine: (describing something scheduled) no matter what the weather is.
"Are we going out for dinner next week?"
"Yeah, come rain or shine I'll be there."

shoot the breeze: make relaxed, casual conversation.
"What were you and Risa talking about at lunch today? It looked really important."
"Oh, that was nothing. We were just shooting the breeze."