CROSSROADSCROSSROA DS Language StudioÊs Newsletter June,
June , 2020
20 20

Self-isolation,

due to the Coronavirus
pandemic, deprives many of us of our daily
routine and responsibilities and having noschedule and no goals to achieve for the day,it has a potentially detrimental effect on ourmental state.
Fortunately, there are some activities
which many people can engage in, and that
may give us a sense of responsibility and astructure to our day.
One of the activities that suddenly
exploded in popularity is home gardening.
Apartment-bound horticulturists say thatrunning a home garden provides an escapefrom reality, gives a tremendous sense ofachievement and helps with family bonding.
It forces you to slow down and observe Indoor gardening is very easy to set up. Most
nature, how it grows and works. It’s vegetables need at least 6 hours of sunlight,
therapeutic and on par with meditation.
so pick a good spot. Plant seeds in a damp soil
The uncertainty of the future is hard for and avoid over-watering the soil. Start withpeople right now, so it is helpful to see small pots and don’t plant more than you cansomething start and grow and see it bearing handle looking after. Also plant the seeds at
the fruit of our care and attention, rewardingElladifferent time intervals to ensure a steady
us in more ways than one.
supply of the food you’ve grown.
Gardening skills carry over into ourJune is still a good time to start growing
regularlives, with all the rules, time tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and peas, as well
Janismanagement, using the right tools for the as a variety of herbs.
right job, etc.
In general, there is just a huge benefit
Research has found that a level of Cortisol from gardening. You get the product; it– a stress hormone in our body – drops improves your mental and physical condition
dramatically when we engage in gardening. and brings an appreciation for nature.
Also, a separate study has found that
Article by Marek
breathing in a bacteria naturally occurringin the soil, Mycobacterium vaccae, increases
levels of “happy hormone” Serotonin andreduces anxiety.
NET LESSONS: Too busy to come to CROSSROADS?
Routine exposure to harmless bacteria in…. Try our lessons on the net!
the soil, trains our immune system to ignore
benign particles like pollen or skin cells from Indoor gardening easy guide!:
https://www.planetnatural.com/growing-indoors/
our pets, preventing allergic reactions.

Joshua Says: Recently, due to the Corona “panic,” we’ve had to shift some of our lessons
to the Internet – Skype, Zoom, etc. This move was the only way to sustain lessons for some ofour students. So, how was it? The verdict for net-lessons is not good. I can see how “webinars”with a single speaker might work (aside from technical problems, freezing images, scratchy
sound, etc), but for two-way conversation lessons, it’s a definite NO from me! Thankfully, weare more-or-less back to normal, back to face-to-face, and that’s a big relief for all of us!
Junko Says: I’ve been tackling the task of making 100% rye bread for a month
now. As handmade bread lovers generally say, that’s a difficult task! The yeast
doesn’t even make the bread rise! My first 3 loaves were awful; they were almostlike blocks of stone. After these experiences I imagined it may require more waterto succeed, so I checked the internet. Yes, I found it requires 1.5 times more water,and warm not cold. My 4th loaf came out almost like real pumpernickel!!
Marek Says: With the advent of the Coronavirus, the popularity of UK
properties with gardens has soared recently. People are no longer interested inliving in cities and densely populated areas, favoring out-of-town houses withample private space around the premises, even at a price of a longer commute
to work and higher costs of ownership. The trend will wither over time, butpeople will still see the value of having a piece of nature at their doorstep.
Darrin Says:
With life seemingly returning to 'normal' and schools
throughout Ehime reopening, I must admit I'm a bit sad to see my daughter
return to school. We spent a lot of the enforced holidays doing many things
together and we made many precious memories. We really enjoyed many visits
to Ishite River riding our bikes along the river. It became our favourite place inMatsuyama. There are so many different nooks and crannies to explore.
Mandcy dit: La saison des pluies est arrivée. Il est donc temps de réfléchir
aux vacances d'été. Toutefois, comment peut-on imaginer nos vacances dans lemonde d'après?? Personnellement, j'espère aller à la plage et profiter del'absence de touristes. N'oubliez pas, il suffit juste de trouver quelque chosequi vous plait.Amusez-vous bien.
1ACROSS
1 more than a possibilityof becoming actual
4 come into existence
5 and non- threatening
7 stop from having
9 slightly wet
11 people who cultivate plants
13 causing harm or disadvantage
15 worry, stress, nervousness
16 an expression of gratitude
DOWN
2 very large in size, degree, amount, etc.
3 to gain success
6 in a very impressive manner
8 towards curing or restoring health
10 a close relationship
12 quick without warning
14 take no notice of(print version here)

2

3
4

5
6
7
8
9

10

13

16

1114

1215

Crossroads Writers’ Corner.
This is a place for you to get creative and get “published!,” and....,
contribute to our monthly Newsletter, all at the same time –It has been almost a week since I got separated from myresearch team. I am lost in the biggest swamp in theworld with only a few supplies that were necessary
for my research. I’ve depleted what little food I
brought yesterday, and I must find something thatwould give me energy in order to survive. As I
walked around the place, I came across a fallen tree
which was half rotten. I cracked and removed thebark of the tree assuming that there would be bugs
hiding underneath. My assumption was right, but it
wasn’t what I had expected. The bug was as big as aperson’s thumb and there were two tentacles sticking outof what I presumed was its head. I reluctantly picked it upand put it into my mouth. As I chewed, a pungent smell and slimy ooze filled my entire
mouth. A strong disgust I’ve never felt before made my body shiver, but I focused on
swallowing the thing. This was no delicacy andI promised myself that I would never eat it everagain.
Story by S(A)2’s Natsuki Fukui(answers to last month’s puzzle on P3 – 1d, 2d, 3a, 4c, 5d, 6c)O
A R B I T R A R YSRDTGIMAA S S I G N E DN O T I O NABNNDTPLIVITP R E C I S EACEAOMLADRNI N T E R M I N G L E DECDIYNEVLTPA S C E R T A I NTNSW I D E S P R E A DAA B S O R B

Last Month’s Puzzle Solution
ACROSSDOWN

2 of any value, form or degree
6 appointed or allocated to8 vague idea
10 very accurate
12 combined into one
14 discover, find out with certainty
15 widely circulated or distributed
16 take in

1 a living thing
3 acknowledged
4 resistant to change
5 to point out or reveal
7 having no truth or legitimacy
9 clear11 derived or inferred ideas
13 relating to lines

Don’t forget… Our SPECIAL 1+1 Campaign offer! Up to 50% off!!
See our notice board, or ask Junko in our office, for the details.