Dear friends at b (Chris Silverthorn)

Dear friends at b
今回は英語のみでのエントリーです！！日本語はまたいつか！！

Please allow me to introduce myself.

My name is Chris Silverthorn and I am new at B.

I am from Toronto, Ontario, c-c-c-cold Canada.

I have been in Japan for over 2 years and I'm loving every minute of it. The food, folks, and fun!

I am an artist at heart so visually Tokyo blows me away.

Harajuku, Omotesando and Ueno are my places to explore the magical art of Japan.

There is so much to see and do in these areas which surely always have
something new to offer each and every day.

So explore, take a different street to work, take a look around the
corner and you're bound to find something you're into in Tokyo, right?

Speaking of things you're into are you the spirit of Christmas yet? I
hope so! Let me share with you Christmas in Toronto, Canada.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

In one shivering word it's C-C-C-Cold!

I'll start first with our cities famous landmark The CN Tower.

Which around this time of year looks about like a giant icicle!

It sits on Toronto's skyline right next to the SkyDome, or a huge
snowball in December.　

Now known as the Rogers Center after Rogers Cable Company bought it a few years ago.

Although most people still refer to it as the "SkyDome".

Anyways that's where our Major League Baseball team plays The Toronto
Blue Jays. Go Jays Go!

yawn (aaahhhhhh) am I boring you yet?

Well let me get back to Christmas. To me, no matter how cold it is
outside its always twice as warm inside with family and friends.

So pull a comfortable chair up to the fireplace grab some Christmas carols and
sing along. Have yourself a plate of grandma's finest schnitzel (fried
pork, chicken or fish) with a big scoop of grandpa's great potato salad
on Christmas Eve, mmm-mmm good!

Enjoy reflecting on the past year with mom, dad, brother, sister, aunt, uncle and cousins.

Exchange some presents but don't worry about what you get because its really the
thought that counts anyway.

At least that's what I was always told and from me your sure to get some kind of strange handmade gift.

A wacky work of art, drawing, painting or a weird sculpture!

If you survived Christmas Eve, caught a glimpse of Santa and can roll out of bed on Christmas Day
well then your ready for another wonderful meal.

Christmas Day at mom's house where family and friends gather once again for more laughter
and talk of good times.

We watch a classic Christmas movie on TV (A Christmas Story(1983) or A Christmas
Carol(1951)) then make our way to the table for some of dad's delicious golden brown turkey and
mom's smooth mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and stuffing! mmm-mmm-mmm good!

At this point I usually have to loosen my belt because my stomach is about to explode.

You can roll me back to the couch where I stay and recover from all the food until the next party
and meal come along.

Party, meal, party, meal, party, meal a yummy and fun cycle which continues all the way through the holidays!

Oh! and the cookies! how could I forget grandma's and mom's famous Christmas cookies!

I'll save that for next time we talk.

So enjoy Christmas as I always do and I think this will prepare you for a Christmas adventure in Canada!!!

Go and enjoy it! You won't be disappointed!

I don't want to talk for too much longer. I want to leave some mysteries some questions unanswered for you to ask me.

Okay. So please, don't be shy, ask me a question anything is fine, really it's fine!

I look forward to being your lesson partner and helping you with your English goals!

Talk to you soon! Take care, Happy Holidays and a Happy Healthy New Year.
All the best for 2008!!!

Your b-bud,
Chris Silverthorn