April CROSSROADS Language Studio’s Newsletter 2005

Of Eggs and Bunnies
Easter is usually celebrated in April,
but this year, it fell earlier than usualon the 27th of last month. It is the daythat Christians believe in theresurrection of Jesus Christ.
For many Christians, theresurrection of Christ is theconfirmation that life continues
after death. But, some of themore “common” Eastertraditions observed aroundthe world by Christians aremixed with much older
pagan traditions that havevery similar significances.
For example, the Easter
Bunny was originally an AngloSaxon symbol representing theirspring fertility goddess Eastre in her
earthly form (note the similarity toEaster). Eastre, at spring time,brought new life to the world after
winter, and this is the time whenrabbits, or hares, could be seen
hopping around all over the place.

As with the Easter Bunny, theEaster Egg predates Easter also. Fromthe earliest times, the egg has been asymbol of rebirth in most cultures.
Eggs have been wrapped, painted or
decorated in various ways forthousands of years throughout theworld – all in celebration of thecontinuation of life, or theconquest of life overdeath.
Today, children can befound at Easter runningaround like little
rabbits, looking high andlow, here and there, under,
over, everywhere to gather
chocolate eggs that have been
hidden by their parents or older
siblings.
And, what could be a more fitting
image of eternal life to coincide withthe outbreak of spring each year than
this?

(These words are in color in the story)

Joshua Says: Yes, Spring has Sprung! We are all talking about it;
how the weather has suddenly changed and how pleasant it is to havewarm days again. We have many new students to welcome toCrossroads too. Another event is about to take off, as well. It’s
Cricket season again!! So, keep your eyes on the Notice Board fordates of our games and come along and give us some support!
Junko Says: I have found another great web site to help with your English
studies. www.audiobooksforfree.com. Here you can download complete
books, novels, classics, etc., and listen to them while you improve yourcomprehension - all the better if you have the printed version to follow asyou listen. You have to join and register, but it is well worth it!
Ad a m S a y s : T h e r u m o r o n t h e s t r e e t t h e s e d a y s i s t h a t Ap r i l i s
the time of year to celebrate the farewell and forthcoming off r i e n d s a n d f a m i l y . O d d l y e n o u g h , b u t i n N o r t h Am e r i c a , t h i st y p e o f c e l e b r a t i o n i s f u l f i l l e d 3 6 5 d a y s a y e a r . I h a v e n ’t l o s t a n yclose friends lately, but what about all of you?
Greg Says: Hello everyone! I understand why the Japanese don’tcelebrate Easter (difference in religion), but in saying that they docelebrate Christmas, although only on a commercial level. So cansomeone tell me why wouldn’t the stores cash in on the commercial
aspect of selling chocolate eggs for Easter? To all of you for whomEaster means something extra special…I hope you had a great time.
Natacha Says: This year, I was in Hawaii for Easter but the same excitement I
used to feel as a child filled my heart just thinking of the traditional hunt for little
gifts from the Easter bunny! As a child, my father used to hide Chocolate Easter Eggs
and I would search high and low looking for them. Now-a-days, I’m the one doing thehiding while the kids go searching for the eggs. But the chocolate tastes just as good!
Steven Says:
Many of the Aromatherapy students have been
suffering with spring allergies due to the high content of pollen inthe air at this time of year. A simple remedy for those seeking“drug free” relief is Nettle Tea. It can be purchased at your local
health food store and comes conveniently packed in teabags.
Magnolia Says: Many people seem tied or bored with their work and lives. But, if today
was your first day at work, what would you do differently? Would you dress differently?
Would you be early? Would you feel proud to belong to your company? Would you try
harder to do your best? Changing your attitude takes time and effort, but attitude iseverything! “Your work should be a challenge, not a chore; a blessing not a bore.”
Natasha Says: Last month we enjoyed Maslennitsa (Spring Festival)week (March 713). There werebig parties all over Russia on March 13 with drinking, dancing andeating Bliny (pancakes). At the parties we burnt big female dolls, which symbolize
winter, to say goodbye to winter.This would remind you of Toudo-Yaki Matsuri inJapan and it is always interesting to findthe similarities between different cultures.
Yuka Says: Spring has finally come! Like many of you, I like this season. It’s getting
warmer and warmer and we can enjoy lots of beautiful flowers and young leaves.
Everything looks so fresh and full of energy. So, why don’t you get out of your room andtake a walk? You may find something new and interesting. But, be sure to put
sunscreen lotion on to protect yourself from the dangerous effects of the sun!

Shinobu_Says:_ If you go to a restaurant in Korea, Youwill noticesilver, metallic chop sticks which lookflatter and much heavier
compared with Japanese ones. But, this makes me think about
recycling materials. I think we should learn to use metallic chopsticks. Who knows, this could become yet another trend from Korea!
Elijah Says: My purpose in life is to create happiness at all times. Now I’m happy
because I have many purposes: prizing my family and friends, some hobbies, a job
and everything related to life! These things will always continue, and I create new
purposes from them as I go along. If I lose my way, I remember my father’sadvice; “Try something you want to do, even if you trouble someone else. But, it’s
important that you take responsibility for the results”. This is my motto.

- VOCAB brush-up!
* For collectingeggs at Easter.

* This is an image of an ancientf _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ g _ _ _ _ _ _.

* These flowers bloom at springtime.

NET LESSONS:
Are you too busy to come toCROSSROADS to study? Try ourlessons on the internet!
It’s CROSSROADS in your home oroffice! You get CROSSROADS’ greatteachers, teaching programs, evenclassmates, all on-line! Call fordetails.

NET SITE OF THE MONTH:
Why do we give Easter eggs at Easter?
Find out why, and lot’s more at:
http://www.night.net/easter/egghist.html-ssi
And, don’t forget to take a look at the
NET NOTEBOOK in our Open-houselounge. You’ll find games, news andEnglish study sites.

* Easter eggs symbolize thec _ _ _ _ _ _ _ of life over death.
* This Chick is wearing an
Easter b _ _ _ _ _.

Remember me?
I just came along to remind you thatit’s CRICKET season again.
Here are some dates to watch out for:* April 10: The MCC (that’s us) V
Takamatsu at Tobe Athletic Field(you missed that one, didn’t you?)* May 8: The MCC V Hiroshima at
Tobe Athletic Field)* July 30-31: West Japan Cricket Cup at Tobe AthleticField (to be confirmed) …… Watch here for further
information…

Good luck to Elijah who isgoing to New York this month
to live and study music.
Best wishes from theCrossroads
staffandstudents!!!

Phone: 0120-21-7594
Tel: (089) 921-7595
Fax: (089) 921-7319
E-m ail:info@crossroadsco.com
WebSite:www.crossroadsco.com