February - CROSSROADS Language Studio’s Newsletter - 2004

For some it’s a day of love, for others
it’s a day of hope! On February 14th
lovers everywhere will be sending cards
or flowers to the objects of theiraffections. Many of them won’t put theirnames on the cards, signing only withthe traditional ‘from your valentine’ or amysterious question mark.
This celebration of secretlove began in 5th century Rome, and wasinspired by the story of St Valentine.
The Roman Emperor Claudius II (alsoknown as ‘Claudius the cruel’) believedthat married men made bad soldiers,
and so he banned all marriages in hisland.
However, people were still continuing
to fall in love, and so the Roman priest
Valentine began to secretly
Marry those couples that cameto him. When Claudius foundout he sent Valentine to prison, and it isbelieved that while in prison Valentine
himself fell in love with the jailer’sdaughter, and sent her a love letter,

which he signed ‘from your valentine’.
Claudius later had Valentine
beheaded on February 14th, which was
the date of an ancient Roman lovefestival.
It is for these two reasons that wecelebrate love on this day.
History is full of famous lovers, andhere are a just a few of them;
Don Juan – A hero of Spanish
folklore, it is believed thatduring his youth he had been
the lover of 1000 women!
Romeo and Juliet – A boy and girlwho had to keep their love a secretbecause their families were at war witheach other. Their secrecy caused aseries of misunderstandings, ending ina tragic death for both of them.
Casanova – An Italian adventurer,
who tried to become a priest but was
expelled at 16 for ‘misconduct’. He thentried many other jobs (soldier, spy, etc),and became famous for his w i t andcharm, especially with the ladies!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

(These words are in color in the story

Joshua Says: Again, sadly, we are saying goodbye to one of ourfavourite teachers. After over two years with us, Joanna is now on her
way home, via a short stop-over in Thailand. We are all going to miss her
cheerful, intelligent personality around the place very much. But you
will still be able see her and take lessons from her again. Jo will be partof our net-lessons program, teaching you and your friends from England!
Junko Says: We always like to encourage our students to experienceliving overseas at least once in their lifetimes. But, where to go? Someoverseas teaching and home-stay programs are very good and some are
not so good. Here’s a great idea! How about studying and visiting with
Jo in England?! Home-stay and lessons all in one! If you are interested,
pop into the office and I’ll tell you all about it.
Grace Says: Now that I’ve become accustomed to Matsuyama, andhave some extra free time, I plan to do some sightseeing. I want to see
Matsuyama Castle of course, Ishite Temple, the Dogo area and someart galleries and museums. Once the warmer weather arrives, I’d also
like to visit the Seto Islands, which I’ve heard are breathtaking.
Saara Says: Hello everyone! I have just arrived from snow-covered
Finland! Japan has always been a mysterious place in my mind withyour traditions and culture. I’m excited to have the opportunity to comehere to teach at Crossroads and to experience it all. I hope that this year
will be full of wonders and great learning experiences for all of us.
Greg Says: This month saw another co-worker fly back to herhomeland. After working with Joanna for more than two years, it was
sad to say farewell. Thanks Jo for great times, happy smiles and thatquick British wit of yours. You will be missed but not forgotten!

Joanna Says: Greetings from Thailand!! I decided to travel around
Thailand for 3 weeks to enjoy some sun and relaxation, before heading
back to England. It’s HOT here! 32 degrees Celsius…and rising! I’mhoping to head north in the next few days to find gibbons, which are avery special kind of ape, and also very cute! I had a wonderful last few
weeks in Matsuyama, and I’ll miss the city and its people lots and lots.
Yuka Says: Time passes quickly, and I had to say goodbye to Joanna
at the end of January. She has been very kind to everyone and I’m sure
we’ll all miss her soft smile and charming voice. But every good thing
must come to an end. Thank you, Joanna. I had a great time with you. I
hope you enjoy your stay in Thailand. Keep well until we meet again!

Chisako says: I went on my second trip to Cambodia for my wintervacation. Cambodia has excellent ruins – Angkor Wat and Bayon. Theygave me a deep impression of how poor Cambodia is, but the people arevery kind and work hard. I recommend that you travel to Cambodia!
SCENES FROM JO’S GOODBYE PARTY!

Congratulations to;
Kaori and Daisuke – They have bothpassed the first stage of their driving
license!

NET LESSONS: Are you too busy tocome to CROSSROADS for English lessons?
Try our lessons on the internet!
It’s CROSSROADS in your home! You get
CROSSROADS’ great teachers, materials,
even classmates, on-line! Call for details.
NET SITE OF THE MONTH: Checkout your Chinese zodiac sign at the link
below;
http://www.chinatoday.com/culture/zodiac/zodiac.htm
NET NOTEBOOK: Take a look at theinternet activity notebook in our open-house.
You’ll find games, news and English learning
sites.

Time is everywhere in English! Hereare a few of the different ways of using
it:On time - Not late, Not early;“The trains in Japan always leave ontime”.
“She’ll be late – she’s never on time!”.
In time - To arrive just before
something happens – to not be late;“You’re just in time to join us forlunch”.
“I hope we get there in time for themovie”.
Out of time – To have no remainingtime;“I couldn’t finish the test - I ran out oftime”.
“I better start packing – I’m almost outof time!”
Phone: 0120-21-7594
Tel: (089) 921-7595
Fax: (089) 921-7319
E-m ail:info@crossroadsco.com
Web Site: www.crossroadsco.com