Good day, my friends at Cafetalk!
[*Note:] - I just realized that this column would be very funny translated in Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese, etc. American Idioms don't translate well literally! Lol!

How are things going? Did you have "a blast" during the Golden Week holiday? Did you travel abroad or just kick back and relax at home? Did you make it “all in one piece?” Were you “busy as a bee?” I’m sure it was “icing on the cake” to have ten-days off on top of the regular Golden Week holiday! I bet you were in “seventh heaven” and on “cloud nine!"

While you were on holiday, I couldn't have “twisted your arm” to study English. Now that the holiday is over, I’m sure it’s time for you to stop “fooling around” and “hit the books.” After all, “practice makes perfect,” right? I’m glad we’re “on the same page.”

Well then, let’s put the “pedal to the metal” and get “the show on the road!” You can book an English lesson with me “in a New York minute!” Naturally, the students who go “the extra mile” make progress faster than others and their English improves "by leaps and bounds."

So, you missed speaking English for 10 days, but there's no use “crying over spilled milk.” It’s time to “bite the bullet” and get back to studying again. Let’s make sure you “cover your bases” and study all of the English-learning skills until it becomes “second nature.”

I am offering a 10% Off Coupon but “don’t let the cat out of the bag!” Hurry up, because it only happens “once in a blue moon!” Don’t let this important message “go in one ear and out the other.” Let’s “get the ball rolling” and “get your head in the game.” Don’t you want to sound “as American as apple pie?” “The key to success” requires perseverance, time, and tenacity. You have to learn to “sit tight” because progress is sometimes imperceptible.

If you’re taking an English exam soon, you should have a “ballpark figure” of your proficiency level. Don’t forget to “keep your eye on the ball.” With the help of the effective tutors at Cafetalk, all students have a “level playing” field. Let’s work hard and “hit it out of the park!”

Okay, I’m not “beating around the bush” anymore. It’s not the “end of the world” if you missed a week or two . . . or three. It’s never too late to get some “brownie points” by requesting a lesson now! “It’s a piece of cake" to make a reservation, but to actually speak English is “easier said than done.” You can try to escape by the “skin of your teeth” or you can be a “smart cookie” and start learning English again. The last one to sign up for a lesson is a “rotten egg!” “Just kidding!”

Well, I’m always here to teach you so I’ll be “burning the midnight oil,” and getting up at the “crack of dawn.” You can think about studying English until “the cows come home” but “only time will tell.” Until you are satisfied, I’ll be with you through “thick and thin.”

“Look on the bright side,” whether you’re “wet behind the ears” or an “old hat,” you are always welcome in my class! Let’s “roll up your sleeves,” “dig in your heels,” and “face the music!” See you soon!

Warmest regards,

Lady Ayame

(Patricia Ayame Thomson)