When I started this blog about a year ago, I wanted to suggest that I was maintaining another blog in the blogosphere. Then an idea of the title just occurred to me. That is 'Karen's blog supplemental.'

I didn't know if the title 'Karen's blog supplemental' is natural or not. But I decided to use the phrase because I knew that sci-fi (science fiction) series Star Trek uses the phrase 'Captain's Log, supplemental' in the narration.

I always try hard to write natural English as much as possible, but sometimes I think, "What is natural? How do you know if it's natural or not?" I thought, "If the expression 'Captain's Log, supplemental' sounds natural to native English speakers, the title 'Karen's blog supplemental' must sound natural to them, too."

The narrator is the lead character of Star Trek, Captain Picard.
The narration is like this;

(Chapter 1)
Captain's Log, Stardate 41209.2:
We are running at warp 7 to rendezous with the science vessel S.S. Tsiolkovsky--

(Chapter 2)
Captain's Log, supplemental:
We are downloading the research information gathered on the collapsing star nearby.

Although Captain's log is translated 恒星日誌 in the Japanese version, it actually means 艦長の日誌. So 'Captain's Log, supplemental' means 艦長の日誌・補足.

In the first place, the word 'blog' originated from the word 'weblog.' 'Weblog' means a log on the web. The word 'blog' always reminds me of the word 'log' or 'Captain's log.' That's why I wanted to use the phrase 'Karen's blog supplemental' as a pun of 'Captain's Log, supplemental.'

I also intended to suggest that Karen is one of those Trekkies (Star Trek fans), but my attempts had apparently ended in failure....

Anyway, I like the sound & the rhythm of 'Karen's blog supplemental.' That might be way too long as a title, but 'Karen's blog' would be indistinguishable from others' blog, right?

You might get surprised to know Karen is a Trekkie. Actually, I love Friends, Ally McBeal and Star Trek. Am I weird? But that's me. I've learned a lot of useful expressions & phrases from those favorite dramas. "We tend to be good at those things we like." Yes, that's true, definitely!




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Hi, dear readers. This is Karen. Today, I have a confession to make.
In the blogosphere, I have another name and another blog.

Another name of mine is 'Rach' and another blog of mine is シットコムで笑え！ 海外ドラマ「フレンズ」英語攻略ガイド .
When I checked a while ago, シットコムで笑え！ ranked 7th in the ranking site にほんブログ村 英語ブログ . (FYI: 'Karen's blog supplemental' ranked 14th.)

Do you know that blog? Has anybody noticed this 'Karen = Rach' secret?

I've just posted an article written in Japanese もう一つの私のブログ on Rach's blog. I'll be glad if you read the article as well.

I'm SO sorry to have kept my identity secret for more than a year. I didn't intend to lie to you. I'd just like you to read my English without bias and without favor.

If you had known my detailed profile, you might've thought, "Karen successfully passed Grade 1 of the EIKEN Test. Karen's TOEIC score is 945. I don't know if her writing is good or not. But considering her 'brilliant' qualification, her writing must be excellent."

So I decided to conceal my qualification and background. If you happen to visit Karen's blog and feel like reading my diary, I feel so happy. If you wouldn't like to read it, which means that my writing is not attractive enough to engage your interest. I'd just like to know if my writing is worth reading or not.

I didn't say 'Karen is Rach' thing before. However, a lot of readers have made a lot of compliments to me. I felt so glad & honored. You guys just judged my English ability ONLY from my writing.

Your heart-warming & encouraging words have got me going. I can never thank you enough.

Oh, before I forget, one thing; Both 'Rach' and 'Karen' are named after the leading character on the popular U.S. sitcom Friends. Her name is "Rachel Karen Greene (or Green)."

Some might realize that there's a co-blogger named Joe on this blog. I'm sorry to say this, but today I don't talk about him and our history.

I've been writing this blog as Karen, which has made it possible for me to meet a lot of people. I feel so happy to have met you in this 'English diary' category.

I'm looking forward to talking to you here & there as a diarist Karen. I'll keep writing. I hope you'll also keep writing there.




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About 6 months ago, I wrote an article: The Karen identity

On the article, I said;
"I might tell you about my and our history in detail in the future. It could be 2 weeks later, six months later, 20 years from now, or NEVER."
Do you realize this? 'Six months later' is now.

I've been thinking about this whole 'revealing' thing a lot for a long, long time. And now, I finally decided to talk about the detailed profile of mine. I don't know if you are interested in it or not. But I'd like to tell you how I learn English every day and how I spend my English-learning life.

I don't know why, but I kind of feel that this is the last chance to reveal my secret to you, my dear readers. I'm pretty much ready to sacrifice anything for my blog. You might say, "Sacrifice? Don't make such a big deal out of it, Karen!" though.

If you are curious about my story, meet me here this coming Tuesday. See you then, bye!




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Continued from the previous article; He is worried about his own future.

My son, who is 8 years old, said that he was worried about his own 'career & marriage.' I said, "You don't have to worry about it right now because you are so young." But he wouldn't withdraw.

He said, "When I got to be in the third grade in April, you said, "You are already in the thrid grade! It seems like just yesterday you were a little tiny baby! It's just like the proverb Time flies like an arrow." SO, you might say when I reach the age of 30, "You are already 30 years old! It seems like just yesterday you were a little tiny baby ...."

Oh, that's a good point. I am so glad to know that he has gained that wisdom from his experience.
He has grown up enough to point out my inconsistencies. Good job, honey!

"So... what kind of girl would you like to marry? Maybe beautiful, kind & smart... like your Mom?" I asked teasingly.
"Yes, I'd like to find somebody like you, Mom! But there's no one like you in my class. Besides, you've already got married to my Dad, so..."
"Don't worry, sweetie. I bet that you'll find a beautiful, wonderful, excellent girl like "me" in the near future. I swear. But if you find that girl, you have to make her love you. That's so difficult. If you'd like her to love you, you have to become a very attractive man. In order to do so, at first, you have to stop being a picky eater. Do you understand?"

He replied, "Oh, come on. Not again! I hates to hear the complaints about picky eating. Well, forget my worries. It's about a far-distant future, right?" The talk was over.

I don't know if he's still worried about his own future. I just hope that he will be able to meet the right woman and to have a happy life with her in the future.




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When my son & I took a bath together, my son said anxiously, "I am worried about a few things."
"Tell me what makes you worry, honey," I said.
He started to talk about his own worries. "First, about my carrer. I wonder if I will be able to work at the office, because I don't know how to get there. I haven't got on a train alone, I don't know what to say to my collegues."
I was about to burst into laughter, but I saw his very serious face and I tried very hard not to laugh at his remarks.
"Second, about my marriage. I don't think I'll be able to find somebody I could marry. Because it is so hard to say, "I love you. Would you marry me?" I'm too shy to say such embarrassing words. "

Wow, carrer & marrige, that's very serious problems!

I started to soothe him, saying, "Now you are only eight. You have about 14 years by the time you start to work. Assuming that you get married to a girl when you are 30 years old, you have 22 years to find Miss. Right. See? You don't have to worry about it at all, at least right now. You are SO young!"

However, he wouldn't withdraw.

To be continued...




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My daughter, who is 4 years old, is really interested in makeup. When I put on my makeup in front of the mirror, she leans over to me and stares at "her Mom in the mirror."

Yesterday morning, as usual, she watched me putting on makeup. She held up a powder puff and asked, "Can I use this one?" "Sure, go ahead," said I, and then she started to powder her face with the puff. She kept powdering & powdering. She seemed to enjoy it. Maybe she felt as if she is an adult.

She wanted to put on red lipstick （口紅）. But I didn't let her use it. She sometimes sucks her thumb when she is sleepy. So if she puts rouge on her lips, her thumb might get red and her outfit might get dirty with rouge. It's so hard to remove rouge from clothes, you know.

"You are a kindergartener. So you can't wear red lipstick. If you want to put on something on your lips... How about this?" I showed her a transparent & colorless chapstick （リップクリーム）.
"Oh, I love that!" she said, and she started to use that chapstick. She put so much chapstick on her lips that her lips shone too brilliantly.
"Do I look pretty?" she asked. "You're so beautiful like a princess!", I answered.
She looked so satisfied with my answer. She kept watching herself in the mirror for a while.

She is so young that her skin is very smooth & clear. Her cheeks feel like marshmallow. When I look at her face, I automatically touch her cheeks and brush my cheek with hers. So soft & comfortable...

She doesn't have to put on makeup at all, but she really wants to. On the other hand, considering my age, I HAVE TO put on makeup especially when I go out. But truth be told, I don't like makeup. I sometimes want to wash my face with cold water, which really refreshes me. But if I wear makeup, I can't wash my face. I hate that.

I envy the smoothness of her skin very much. It's good to be young... and when I look at myself in the mirror... sigh...




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It's been a while, like more than three weeks, since I posted the last piece. Meanwhile, many people left a lot of encouraging comments on my blog. Thank you sooo much. And so sorry for taking me so long to answer your comments.

I sometimes think, "What do I want to do by posting English articles?" Maybe I'm just trying to make myself understood ONLY in English. There's no Japanese sentences or pictures on my piece. It might be helpful to readers if I put Japanese translation under my English piece... but I don't do it. I'd like to see if my English sentences can convey my feelings or opinions. I'd like to see if readers can feel my personality through my English. So I don't give any hints except English.

When I write English, I can't express myself well and it's so frustrating. English is still a foreign language for me. On the other hand, Japanese is my mother tongue. So I don't have to feel that frustration and I feel I can express my thoughts thoroughly.

But I keep trying to express myself only in English. Because I'd like to get to write & speak English like a native English-speaker.

If you want to improve your English, keep writing, anyway. I have no chance to speak English in my daily life, but If I can write English at natural speed, I'll be able to talk to native speakers naturally, I believe.

Oh, before I forget, if you post your comments in Japanese, I also feel happy. So feel free to leave comments in Japanese. When I read your Japanese comments, I'm so glad to know that you read my piece so carefully and that you understood what I want to say.

As I said above, the chief aim of my blog is to make myself understood in English. Your comments, in English or even in Japanese, teach me the fact that you've read my piece carefully & closely. That's my pleasure. Your comments make me so happy.

Oh, I'm not trying to invite your comments. If you just read my pieces, I feel so happy. Now I can feel someone's reading my blog. So I don't feel lonely. I can feel you anytime, anywhere on my blog.

Thank you for visiting & reading my blog, dear readers.




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I've been busy recently. About 2 weeks ago, I thoght to myself, "It's time to quit this blog. If you can't write anything for this blog, you don't have to keep it any more, Karen."

"No one reads my blog," I thought. So I didn't care about this blog for the past 2 weeks. Then, 5 days ago, I found that someone left comments on my articles. When I read her comments, I understood the fact that she read many pieces of mine so carefully. I felt so glad, so glad to know SOMEONE reads my articles. "I should not quit this 'blog thing' right now," I said to myself. After that, yesterday, the other lady left a comment on my piece. I felt so happy to read her comment because she understood my feelings for grammar.

So I decided,
"Now, I'll write something for my blog again!"

That's why I'm here. I'm back to my blog after an interval of two weeks.

I wish I could write English more & more often. But I tend to excuse myself for not writing every day, like, "I'm busy right now." or "I don't know why, but I don't feel like writing English now."

So let me just say this; "When I want to write something in English, I'll do it."

I'd like to say thank you to 'Getconfidence' san & 'Anima' san. You really encourage me to write English again.

"I don't mind not knowing what I'm headed for."
I'll just try it, I'll just write Engllish as long as possible, as long as I love English.




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I'm aware that a lot of Japanese English-learners don't like grammar. They seem to hate dealing with confusing technical terms such as relative pronoun （関係代名詞） or the present perfect progressive form （現在完了進行形）...
However, I really love studying grammar. I don't know why and I can't explain the reason well. I JUST love it.
I don't care how much time I spend on grammar. Or rather, I should say that I am so involed in grammar work that I am unaware of the passage of time.
Why am I so drawn to grammar?

What's the most important thing when you use English? I think it is the most important to state your opinion to others. In order others to understand your English, you have to put the words in order according to grammatical rules. You cannnot ignore the existence of grammar. Native English speakers share the rules, thus they can communicate with each other.

Maybe you might think I'm playing the devil's advocate here. But I've never thought that grammar is EVERYTHING. I'd just like to say to you that I've learned a lot from grammar books.

One piece of advice; You don't have to be bound hand and foot by strict & complex grammatical rules. Just write English spontaneously. But, I don't think you should forget about grammar. Grammatical knowledge is very useful. The more you learn English, the more you understand what I mean.

Anyway, keep writing English more & more often. And if you run into some problems, you should reach for your grammar books. I believe those grammar books will give you a lot of valuable information.




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Continued from the previous article.

I was talking about the song 'home' by Yusaku Kiyama last week. I said I love both the melody and the lyrics.

I think it is so hard to translate Japanese lyrics into English. I feel it's so difficult to convey the intended nuance in another language... but I'd like to try it.

I like this part;

You've given overflowing happiness & straightforward love to me,
I wonder how much happiness & love I can give you in return within a given period of time

The more I love you, the more I'd like to say 'thank you' to your Dad's Dad and Dad's Mom.


Firstly, 愛しく思う is hard to translate, I think. If you look up the word in the Japanese-English dictionary, you can find the following explanation;
"いとしく思う one’s heart goes out to （a child）"

So I should've written 'The more my heart goes out to you'... But I thought 'The more I love you' is simpler and more impressive.
I'm aware that 愛しく思う is not equal to 愛してる, of course. It's just that I couldn't find the appropriate expression. I think the Japanese expression 愛しく思う is really beautiful.

Secondly, パパのパパやパパのママに… is also hard to be translated.
In Japanese, the word Papa can be used as a first personal noun （一人称名詞？）. So Papa means both I and your Dad.
パパのパパ means your grandfather, of course. But in the Japanese lyrics, the word おじいちゃん or じいじ is not used. So I tried not to use the word grandfather or grandmother.


After having children, I realized this;
'To be a parent' is to relive my life in my childhood, and to know how my parents feel while raising us. Now I understand how my parents felt when I failed the entrance exam and when I introduced my boyfriend to them for the first time...

I'd like many people to listen to the song 'home'. The singer Kiyama-san & the composer Tago-san filled the song with parental love. I'm sure the song reminds every parent of their own children. At the same time, the song reminds everyone of their own parents. I think the song makes you feel like saying 'thank you' to your parents.




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