Why is breaking old habits and starting new ones so difficult—even when we want to change? In this episode, we explore the science and psychology behind why our brains resist change and love comfort zones. Tune in to discover simple, actionable steps to finally make lasting changes in your life and mindset!

KRISTEL TALKS

Why change is hard?

Hello everyone, welcome back to our first review lesson. In this lesson, we’ll review all the key structures. Now let’s do it to refresh your memory.

Veronica's Chinese Channel

review the key structures!

★50話は欠番です。Notionにはあります★
レジに並（なら）んでいて、ドキドキすることがあります。どうやって支払（しはら）おうか、考えるからです。スマホで払うか、クレジットで払うか、チャージしたカードで払うか。それに、また自動支払機（じどうしはらいき ATM）が　変わっていたら、どうしよう！お金は前から入れるんだっけ？…心配（しんぱい）なことばかりです。そんな心のストレスを軽（かる）くしてくれるのが、「カメさんレジ」です。ゆっくり聞いてください。
スクリプトと文法や言葉のリストはこちら。
https://www.notion.so/51-befea520dbfd4588b1fc4353fb3ac2b7?pvs=4
楽しみ方はこちらを見てください。
https://www.notion.so/116c436c16ed4055a68ddb2c4624cd96?pvs=4
実は、うちではカメさんを2匹かっていますが、走るのは　とっても速いですぅ！！！

すずまりの日本語「ききみみ」ずきん

第51話　カメさんレジ


You just got into bed after a long day, and you're exhausted. You plan to spend a few minutes on your phone — maybe scrolling Instagram or TikTok — and then sleep.

But when you try to sleep, it's not as easy as you thought it would be. You were so tired — what happened?

According to a new study, your phone may be the problem.

The study, done by researchers at New Zealand's University of Otago, involved 85 kids aged 11 to 14. They each spent a week wearing a body camera on their chest starting from three hours before they got into bed.

A second camera was also placed in their bedrooms to monitor their phone use once they were in bed. They also wore a device that tracked their sleep.

The researchers found that 99% of the participants used their phones in the two hours before bed. More than half used their phones while they were in bed, and about a third used their phones after trying to go to sleep.

The results showed that screen time in bed affected participants' sleep — it stopped them from going to sleep for about half an hour, and also reduced the amount of sleep they got.

The impact was larger when participants had a more interactive experience — such as playing a game — or if they used more than one screen. For every additional 10 minutes of this type of screen time, sleep time was reduced by the same amount.

Interestingly, phone use in the two hours before bed had little impact on sleep.

According to lead researcher Bradley Brosnan, the results suggest that, while current guidelines recommend no screen time in the hour or two before bed, keeping phones out of the bedroom might be enough for a better night's sleep.

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

Keep Screens Out of Bed for Better Sleep

Travelers often fly to New York or Paris just for the shopping experience, but according to a new report, it's Milan that should be called the capital of global shopping.

A real estate company has found that Via Monte Napoleone in Milan is the world's most expensive retail destination.

US firm Cushman & Wakefield ranked shopping areas based on the rent prices per square meter, and Milan has knocked New York's Fifth Avenue off the top of the list.

The average rent on the Milan street has risen to more than $20,800 per square meter compared with about $20,300 per square meter on an 11-block area of upper Fifth Avenue.

Via Monte Napoleone's small size — it's just 350 meters long — and walking distance to services and top cultural sites are among the street's key advantages, according to Guglielmo Miani, president of the Monte Napoleone District association.

"Not everything can fit, which is a benefit" since the limited space makes the street even more exclusive, said Miani.

The biggest brands on the street make more than $100 million in annual sales, Miani said, which goes a long way to paying the rent. Tiffany is preparing to open a store on Via Monte Napoleone, and luxury fashion store Fendi is expanding.

The Monte Napoleone District says 11 million people visited the area during the first 11 months of the year, but there's no way to say how many were big spenders and how many were just window shopping.

But according to shopping firm Global Blue, the average shopper on Via Monte Napoleone spent $2,600 per purchase between August and November — the highest average receipt in the world.

Officials from Fifth Avenue praised Milan for its efforts in making the street — and the city — a desirable place to shop.

But they added that the Italian city should enjoy its position at the top of the list while it can!

Milan Shopping Street Named World's Most Exclusive

In This Episode: The Story Behind “望梅止渴”
Do you know what the Chinese idiom “望梅止渴” means? Why can simply thinking about plums make someone feel less thirsty?
In this episode, we’ll explore the interesting story behind this idiom and learn its meaning and everyday usage through simple Chinese. This episode is designed for intermediate Chinese learners who want to improve their listening skills while learning a useful Chinese idiom and a little more about Chinese culture.

China with Grace

Idiom story-望梅止渴

Learn the best home, bedroom, and furniture vocabulary so that you can express yourself in French!

Learn Basic French Podcast

Learn Basic French: Voici ma chambre (Here's my bedroom)

みなさん、こんにちは。
みなさんの週末はどんな週末ですか。
10月1日の土曜日は都民の日ということで、息子の学校がお休み。いつもは土曜日でも、朝からお弁当を作って朝ごはんを作って感じですが、「先週はお弁当がない。ラッキー」って。でもそのぬか喜びも一瞬で終わってしまいました。
先週の土曜日は、娘の音楽教室の参観日だったので、私は午前のレッスンが終わって1時間後には娘といっしょに家を出なければなりませんでした。だから、ご飯なんか作っている暇なんてありません。ご飯も駆け込んで食べるって感じです。まさに、ドタバタのランチとはこのことです。
なんで、こんなにドタバタになってしまうのかって。うん、説明させてください。
我が家では、ご飯＝妻、ママ、という固定観念（こていかんねん）がしみ込まれてしまっているんです。なので、どんなに私が忙しくても、夫含め子供二人は雀（すずめ）のように親鳥（おやどり）が餌（えさ）を運んでくるのを待っている状態なんです。わかりますか、この状況。
先週末もいつも通り、雀たちは親鳥つまり私がご飯を用意するのを待っていたんです。じゃあ、子供たちの父親、つまり私の夫は何をしていたのかって。彼は土曜日ですから、もちろんお休みで家にいました。うーん、話し始めると長くなりますが、この20年近く何度も夫には「ちょっといい加減にして」「休日のご飯ぐらい少しは手伝ってよ」と何度も何度も文句を言いましたが、一向に変化なしなので、こっちが根負（こんまえ）けです。さすがに、夫は何かしなくてはまずいと思うようで、食卓にご飯を並べるのではなく、お皿やお箸をならべてくれるのですが、お皿の上に食材がない限り、食べることはできません。どんな状況でも食材を食卓に提供するのは私なんです。あー、つらい。でも、私が用意すると言っても、忙しいときは、大したことはしません。
日本には色々と便利な食材がありますから、土曜日はレンチンでした。「レンチン」というのは、レンジでチンと温めればすぐに食べられる食材のことです。
最近は本当に色々なものが出ています。ラーメン、チャーハン、パスタ、唐揚げ、シュウマイって品数が豊富です。コンビニにもたくさん売っていますから、ぜひ皆さんも食べてみてください。
そして、我が家の週末の食卓の感想を聞かせてください。
あー、もうあきらめるしかないの、しょうがないと思いつつも、腹が立つというのが本音です。
何かいい改善策があればお聞かせください。
今日は、私のグチを聞いていただき、ありがとうございました。

都民の日：東京都の日（学校はお休みです）
ぬか喜び：あてがはずれて、あとでがっくりするような一時的な喜び。
固定観念：自分のなかで凝り固まっている考えやイメージ




