November CROSSROADS Language Studio’s Newsletter 2003

Two very different holidays will
be celebrated in America and in Britain thismonth as people remember two very different
historical dates. In America, people will becelebrating Thanksgiving Day on the fourth
Thursday of this month, and in Britain people
will be celebrating Guy Fawkes Day, as they
do every year on November 5th.
Thanksgiving has been celebrated inAmerica since 1621, and in Canada since1879. It was begun by the Pilgrims who cameto America from England in search of a betterlife. The journey there on their ship, ‘The
Mayflower’, was extremely hard. However,the first winter was even harder, and by thefollowing year, 50 of the original
110 settlers had died. Then, thenext year they met 2 local tribes
people called the Squanto and theSamoset, who taught the pilgrims how to findand grow food, and it is thought that they
could not have survived without their help.
Their next harvest was successful, and a
day of thanksgiving was proclaimed, with thepilgrims and the native people celebrating
together.
However, after such a promising start to afriendship between these two cultures, a long

period of violence against the native people
followed, and so Native Americans have helda National Day of Mourning on Thanksgiving
Day since 1970. For many people though,Thanksgiving Day has become simply a day
to show their gratitude for the things thatthey have.
Guy Fawkes Day also has its beginnings in
the 1600’s. In 1605, a group of Catholics led
by Guido (Guy) Fawkes planned to blow-up
the English Houses of Parliamentin London. Their aim was to kill
King James I, who had done
nothing to stop the persecution of
Catholics in England. Their plan wasdiscovered at the last minute, and Guido andthe others were arrested. Guido was thenimprisoned, tortured and beheaded.
‘The gunpowder plot’ has become oneof the most famous acts of treason inEngland, but some say Guy Fawkes
was ‘the only man to enter parliament withhonest intentions’. Now, every year peoplecelebrate Guido’s capture by making dolls
that look like him, and burning them on topof a large bonfire. There are also lots offirework displays on this night.
Do you know the history behind any
famous Japanese festivals?

(These words are in color in the story)

Joshua Says: Next month, once again, we have to say farewell to one of ourteachers; but not entirely this time. After more than a year with us, Tamara isreturning to Canada. But she is also going to continue teaching withCrossroads, at the same time! How? Through our Net-lessons program, ofcourse! From December you will be able to have lessons with Tamara directlyfrom Canada!
Junko Says: Did you know that you can migrate to Australia?! It is possible
for you to live and work there with all the privileges that Australians enjoy –like having a GREEN CARD in America! All you need is a qualification in askill that the Australian Government considers essential for the Australianeconomy. If you want to hear more about this idea, come and see me in theoffice.
Joanna Says: The end of this month will be very sad for me, as I will have tosay goodbye to a great teacher and a great friend, although I’m sure we’ll meetagain someday, somewhere! I’m sure Tamara will enjoy a lot of success in thefuture, and I hope she’ll remember the friends she made in Japan. I especiallyhope she’ll remember the nights of crazy salsa dancing and tequila jellies! Goodluck, Tamara. Adios – we’ll miss you!
Tamara Says: Time flies when you’re having fun! Can you believe I’ve been
living in Matsuyama for over a year? This month I return to Canada for awhile,
before I head out on new adventures. I’m really going to miss all of the students
and staff at Crossroads, but I’m also going to miss some of the little things
about Japan (like CC lemon, 100yen shops, and the great craft stores!).
Duncan Says: I work in Imabari on Saturdays, and so the other day I decided
to explore the city centre. I went to see the castle, which looks very different
from Matsuyama castle. It was very beautiful at night, especially as it wasbeing lit up by spotlights. I think it would be a romantic place to go for a date!

Greg Says: November has come too soon. I can’t think of anything to write
other than to say goodbye to Tamara who is returning home to Canada nextmonth. I will miss working with her very much and I wish her much happinessfor the future. I hope she never forgets her time spent here in Matsuyama andthe crazy adventures we shared together while she was here.
Yuka Says: The other day I went for a drive to the southern part of Ehime tohave sushi with my family. It took us almost 3 hours to get there, but we hada very good time. The food was good of course and the hot spring was also
relaxing, but what I really enjoyed was the beautiful view of the Uwa sea. No
wonder people are able to culture good pearls there.

Ayuko Mitsumune says: I recently took a course to teach senior citizens how touse a personal computer. It was quite difficult, but I had a lot of fun, and now I
have a certificate to teach. I can’t wait to get my first student!
Tamaki Miyoshi says: My best friend opened a café in July. She recently
became very busy so I started working there to help her out. I really enjoy being
there! The shop is in Ishite and it’s called Kulala. Come and visit us!

NET LESSONS:
Are you too busy to come to CROSSROADS
for English lessons?

Congratulations:Emi – who will be getting married next
month, and beginning a new life in Nagoya.
Good luck to everyone who is taking theTOEIC exam this month!

Try our lessons on the internet!
It’s CROSSROADS in your home! You get
CROSSROADS’ great teachers, materials, evenclassmates, on-line! Call for details.

NET SITE OF THE MONTH:
Use your English to teach yourself some newcrafts!
http://www.allcrafts.net
NET NOTEBOOK:

Take a look at the internet activity notebook
in our open-house. You’ll find games, news
and English learning sites.

Feeling hungry?
Here are some chicken idioms!
Don’t be such a chicken!
- don’t be so easily scared.
He chickened-out of asking her for adate.
- he was too scared too ask her.
The pay at my last job was chicken
feed!
- The pay was really low (chicken
feed is a small amount of money).
Phone: 0120-21-7594
Tel: (089) 921-7595
Fax: (089) 921-7319
E-m ail:info@crossroadsco.com
Web Site: www.crossroadsco.com