漕艇の試合 (Rowing Competitions)

オーク・リッジでは3月と4月に漕艇の試合があります。 毎年、多くの大学は、この時期に競い合います。シーズンの幕開けはトレーニングからです 。 漕艇の試合は地域経済のために良いです。 学生はホテルやレストランでお金を使います。 この川はレースに適しているため、この地域が選ばれました。 以前はレースをよく見に行っていました。 近頃、とてもこんでいるので、行きません。

In March and April, there are rowing competitions here in Oak Ridge. Every year, many universities compete on this occasion. Currently, the season begins with training sessions. This is good for the local economy. Students will spend money on hotels and restaurants. This area was chosen, because the river is suitable for racing. I use to go watch the races. These days, I don't go, because it's really crowded!

I learned a new word,  開幕する 「まくあき~する」。It means the beginning or opening of a festival or event. This word is very useful for my entry. So, it feels more like a term than a simple word. Searching for a proper word in Japanese from English can be difficult. When I can't find a suitable word, I will often fashion an expression from English words and translate into Japanese. Of course, this will sound strange or perhaps even comical to my Japanese friends! They read my journal and with their knowledge of English, correct me by introducing new words or terms that is natural to them. I couldn't be more grateful for their generous help!

近頃 (These Days)

近頃、気が散ることが沢山あります。 私は残業をしなくちゃいけませんでした。 私はあまり勉強していませんでした。 1月に私は病気になりました。 それは腎臓結石だったので、私はその日一日入院しなければなりませんでした。 今は元気です。 私が勉強を始めたとき、私の妻が病気になりました。 私も冬のうつ病を患っています。 いつも疲れています。 集中は困難です。 私も多くの力を失います。 もっと日の光を浴びたいです。 私は暑い気候の中で育ちました。
暑い時は、調子がいいです！ 私はまだフェイスブックで日本語のコメントを書いています。 私はすぐに日本語の勉強に戻りたいです！

These days, there are many distractions! I had to work overtime. I did not study very hard. I was sick in January. Because it was kidney stone, I had to be hospitalized for a day. I'm fine now. When I started studying, my wife became ill. I am also suffering from winter depression. I'm always tired. Concentration is difficult. I also lost a lot of energy. I need more sunlight. I grew up in a hot climate. When I'm hot, I feel good! I'm still writing Japanese comments on Facebook. However, I want to return to study Japanese soon!

>My lack of knowledge of Japanese limits my English as well. I write simple English  in order to write Japanese that I can translate. As I learn more grammar and expressions, this should change. However, I made a mistake of adding too many "I's"。。 私's! In Japanese, it is normal to omit the pronoun when it is obvious. Of course, I can't do this in English. To follow rules of good English composition, I can't repeat my "I's" either! So, it is necessary to change the order of my thoughts to make my English sound more fluid. It is a simple matter in most cases, but I haven't been well these past few months and really haven't been in a frame of mind to write more naturally. I hope to feel more like myself soon!