It’s already December 10th, and I have mixed feelings about the end of the year. On one hand, I’m excited for the new year, but on the other hand, I feel very sad that this year is ending, and overall, my sadness is stronger than my excitement. This is because the seniors in my dance club will graduate soon, and I will become a third year student. I became especially close to the seniors this year. They are all so kind, friendly, and really good at dancing. Being around them motivates me in my dancing and makes every practice very enjoyable. I feel really sad that I won’t be able to dance or talk with them next year. I will miss their guidance, encouragement, and just spending time with them. I also don’t want to become a third-year student. Job hunting will start in earnest, and new juniors will join the club. I always feel nervous talking to juniors, so I’m not very confident about interacting with them. On top of that, I haven’t decided what I want to do in the future, so starting job hunting feels stressful and worrying. Sometimes I feel like I’m not ready for all the changes that are coming. Because of all this, I feel very sad that it’s already December. Sometimes I wish I could stay a second-year student forever, just enjoying dance, spending time with my friends, and not worrying about the future yet.

Recently, I started attending driving school, and this week I went out on the road for the first time. I drove the Minami Ward course, and the atmosphere was completely different from driving inside the school grounds. Cars on the actual streets were speeding by, and everything felt so fast and overwhelming. I was honestly terrified. To make matters worse, I happened to be assigned an instructor who was quite strict and scary. He pointed out many things during the lesson, and I ended up feeling discouraged and disappointed in myself. However, since I am now practicing on real roads, I understand that being corrected is a necessary part of learning. Instead of letting those comments bring me down, I have decided to take them positively. I want to think of them as advice that will help me improve my driving skills. I know that if I keep practicing and stay motivated, I will eventually become a confident driver. My goal now is to work hard so I can get my license as soon as possible. Once I get my license, I really want to go on drives to many different places. Thinking about the freedom to travel wherever I want gives me motivation to keep trying, even when things feel difficult. I believe that if I stay determined, I will overcome my fears and enjoy driving someday.

Bonjour french learners, here is a quick quiz in grammar!!!

On Sunday, I took the TOEIC exam. I was a little nervous and ended up waking up earlier than usual. On my way to the test center, I listened to some TOEIC listening audio to get my ears warmed up. When I arrived, the place was filled with people who were also there to take the test. Everyone had such serious expressions on their faces. The listening section was faster than I expected, and there were a few moments when I felt panicked, but I managed to stay focused all the way through. The reading section was tough because of the time management. I spent too much time on the grammar questions, so I had to rush toward the end. Even so, I feel like I did my best. I read as carefully as I could and chose the answers that made the most sense to me. It wasn’t perfect, but I’m sure I gave it everything I had. After the test, all the tension drained from my body, and I suddenly felt really hungry. On my way home, I bought something sweet as a little reward for my hard work. I don’t know the result yet, but for now, I’m relieved that it’s finally over. I really hope my score goes up at least a little compared to last time.

Which option do you think is right? أي خيار تعتقد أنه الخيار المناسب؟ 🤔🙄🇹🇷

Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing well. Will you find the right phrasal verb? If you have a question, feel free to check my profile🤝 👉 Conversation | 👉 Test preparation | 👉 Academic and Business English. Have a great day everyone.

What does "home" mean to you at this stage in your life? Every person has a different definition of "home". I think that home is the place you feel safe, have people you love around you. It doesn't necessarily have to be the place you were born. I also think that I am in a process of searching that place. Even though I have spent 12 years of my life in Japan and feel secure here, I don't really feel that my home is here. But at the same time I don't think that my hometown is my home anymore.

What are your experiences of living away from your childhood home? I have moved to Japan 12 years ago, when I was too young and unexperienced, maybe scared a bit of everything. Living alone without a family or anyone was a challenge but I think it made me a better person. I saw life from a different perspective, learnt a lot and became independent.

Hello. Today I have a shift at Mister Donut, and I’m feeling a little nervous about it. Recently, I haven’t been scheduled as often as before, so I’m worried that I might have forgotten some of the small procedures or the pace of the work. Even though I’ve worked there for a long time, it’s surprising how quickly I lose the sense of routine when my shifts become less frequent. Still, I’m hoping that once I actually start working, my body will remember what to do, and I’ll be able to get through the shift without any major mistakes. Another thing on my mind is the group presentation coming up this Friday. We already finished writing the script, and everyone seems to be on the same page, but I still haven’t completed the handout. Since the presentation is a group project, I don’t want to be the one who slows everyone down, so I need to focus and finish it soon. It’s always a bit stressful to balance part-time work with school assignments, but I guess that’s part of student life. Lately, I’ve also been getting more interested in American hamburger chains. There are so many famous ones in the United States that we don’t have in Japan, and I often watch videos of people trying different burgers across the country. Someday, when I’ve saved enough money, I want to travel around the U.S. and visit as many chain restaurants as I can. It might sound like a funny dream, but for me, exploring food is a really exciting way to learn about a country’s culture.

This Saturday is the day of the annual concert for the orchestra I belong to. I'm especially excited because, this year, I have been given the opportunity to perform in the pre-concert show just before the main performance begins. It’s an honor to set the mood for the evening! The pieces we are performing are three popular movements from Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet, “The Nutcracker.” Our selection includes the light and delicate “Miniature Overture,” the beautiful and flowing “Dance of the Reed Pipes,” and the exciting Russian dance, “Trepak.” What makes this performance unique is that these movements are originally written for a large symphony orchestra. They rely on a huge range of instruments—strings, brass, woodwinds, and percussion to achieve their rich, vibrant sound. However, we are taking on the challenge of presenting them as a simple flute trio. This chamber arrangement is much more intricate than it sounds. We have to work hard to capture the complex harmonies and rhythmic energy of the original score with just three instruments. The “Trepak,” in particular, is a challenging piece that demands incredible speed and absolute precision to convey its vigorous, high-energy drive. We’ve been rehearsing diligently to ensure our three flutes blend perfectly and sound as cohesive and full as possible. I’m truly looking forward to sharing this intimate take on a familiar masterpiece with the audience this weekend.