August 2, 2022

Long time no see! Well, actually, long time no write! I just noticed that it has been a month since I wrote my “what’s new?” here. I can’t say that I have been busy. I think that covid has given me the “doldrums.” I’m lucky that I can at least attend classes and see and talk with people, but then I am stuck at home with my garden and weeds. The weeds are my new friends. I was just thinking, I have several new students since the covid restrictions started. If I saw them on the street without a mask, I might not recognize them. Also, if I saw my grandchildren walking by on the street, I might not recognize them either. I haven’t seen them since 2019 and they have grown and matured so much. I am so happy that I can see them at the end of this month.

When the pandemic first hit us, I was one hundred percent in favor of wearing masks. I dislike (hate) wearing masks, but so many people were dying. Wearing masks, social distancing, washing hands, etc. helped lower the number of deaths. I’ve been vaccinated and got two booster shots, so I feel that if I catch the virus, the chances of dying are very low. I know some people want to be very cautious to not catch the virus. I respect their decisions, there is an old saying, “it’s better to be safe than sorry.” But, think that it is time to give people a choice on whether or not to wear masks and social distance. I really miss not having BBQs and dinners at my house. Oh well, life goes on. Someday we will be back to normal.

We gotta think positive!

“Doldrums” – synonyms for doldrums are: depression, melancholy, gloom, gloominess, glumness, downheartedness, dejection, despondency, dispiritedness, heavy-heartedness, heartache, unhappiness, sadness, misery, woe, dismalness, despair, pessimism, hopelessness. inertia, apathy, listlessness, malaise, boredom, tedium, ennui. low spirits. (Wow! That’s a lot of words! [smile])

Self-freezing bottled Coca-Cola now available at convenience store vending machines in Japan

Stored at temperatures below freezing, the drink magically turns to ice inside the bottle after opening. Coke lovers in Japan will be able to enjoy the self-freezing drink, with specially designed machines being deployed at 1,000 7-Eleven convenience stores in the Tohoku region and on the island of Shikoku.

To buy the Ice-Cold Coca-Cola, customers need to purchase a special ticket at the counter to insert into the machine. Once the drink is dispensed, the liquid inside looks no different to an ordinary bottle of coke. It takes three simple steps to give it a slushy-like texture: 1. Open bottle, 2. Take a sip, and 3. Reseal the bottle and turn it upside down.

Immediately, the liquid begins to thicken and become icy. You can pour it into a cup or drink it from the bottle. The drink became even icier after it was poured. The reason for this that the drink is kept at a temperature below freezing in the machine. After the bottle is opened, the supercooled coke inside is able to form carbon dioxide bubbles in which ice crystals begin to form, spreading through the liquid and freezing it instantly.

“Being deployed” means “being put into.”

“Insert” means “put into.”

“Dispensed” means “delivered to the customer.”

“Slushy-like” means “half frozen liquid.” When snow is half melted on the street, we call it “slush.”

“Take a sip” means “take a very small drink.” In this case, after taking a sip, more air will go into the bottle and that will help the Coke to start freezing.

“Reseal” means “put the cap back on the bottle.”