Since tomorrow, December starts

Yesterday, Lea went to the next adventure. She goes to the same high school until June, but her host family changes each three months. I accept her personally. But since next family, a international association group is going to support. So her Japanese life will make a quantum leap.

I bet her Japanese skill improves, and I hope her English skill will also improve. Foreigners with blue eyes and blond hair, sometimes get a lot of stress in Japan, if they are not good at speaking English.
You think it is strange, but it's true.

Anyway, now in this house there are only two elder people, so the breakfast of today is "chin".

It's sound of Microwave oven.

Last week, I read the book of LONDON with members of reading club.
Homemade short breads were served, I learnt the meaning of the song of "London Bridge is Falling Down", and the origin of the subway station names, and some Cockney words like loaf in Cockney means head in English because of rhyming of loaf of bread. (And I talked about curry)

Ms. W was an organizer then, she researched very well. She brought one book for this meeting.But unfortunately nobody has been to LONDON. So until now, I'm looking forward to Tim's report. Sorry, Tim I missed your e-mail.

Now, Christmas is just around the corner. So I decorate the entrance hall with Christmas goods.
This week, my lesson is Craft week. I'm going to make apple pinatas.

On the other hand, instead of Swine flu, usual flu season comes. So I'm really surprised when I open this years medicine. At Yuki's company they give some medicines once a year. An antiseptic is added.

Last One Week

Next Sunday Lea is going to move to the next house. The next mother has two girls who go to elementary school. For Lea it is the first experience to have sisters and for the family it is the first time to spend with a high school student.

Lea, she is really tall compared with usual Japanese girls. But good or bad she is one of usual high school girls. Every phrase she said recalled me of my daughters. Anyway she could survive under me ... What a great girl she is!
She is really natural, so it is easy to understand her feeling, especially when she eats something.
Her big smile when she loves the food makes me really happy, on the other hand when she doesn't like the food she has, she become quiet, and I say, "it can't be helped, it's OK to leave them,", or "Green vegetables are good for your health, don't leave them".

Her usual day is not so hard, but unfortunately I don't have enough time to take her somewhere, and I'm not interested in high school fashion. And she is really interested in girls fashion, but she has to save money to spend about 10 months in Japan. So she doesn't to dare to go window shopping. So she is always looking forward to OBENTOU and dinner.
(Can you hear me, Jan? Yuki and I always miss your dishes.)
She "can" eat rice, so we don't have any problems about food. And she is really interested in food. On the other hand our (Yuki and my) common hobby is eating.
So on Sundays or Saturdays we go out to eat interesting things, expensive things, inexpensive things from a Beef Bowl shop, a ramen shop to a Japanese French restaurant.(Other places are of course a KAITEN sushi shop, TONKATSU, a Italian restaurant, a Udon restaurant, OKONOMIYAKI restaurant, an organic vegetable resturant)
I seldom go to a Beef Bowl shop and a ramen shop, because I don't like them very much,
On the other hand Yuki seldom go to a French restaurant, because he always says "It takes so long to eat."
Thanks of Lea, we could go many kinds of restaurants and Japanese Fast Food Shops.

But unfortunately we don't take her a Chinese restaurant in Japan.
Because the last of December, we are going to go there with my daughters and my mother.
Sorry, Lea.

Now she is making a ad. From this December she start to organise French class in her high school. She seems to get used to her school life finally, and find what she can do here with her school mates.
I'm really glad.

cold, warn, cold, warm

December is just around the corner. These days it has been tough weathers for me. One day it is cold, the next day it is warm, and --. Actually yesterday it was really warm, I see some people wearing short sleeves shirts, on the other hand, it was completely cold.
It is really difficult for me to adjust this weather.
My body is a little bit low temperature, compared with whom?
Do you know your ordinal body temperature? My temperature is usually 35.4-35.6
degrees Celsius. Kids are said to be usually around 36.4-36.7 degrees Celsius.
These days such people who have low body temperature are increasing.

Now, Swine Flu runs riot. In most of schools, many classes are canceled because lots of students are absent from Swine Flu. Fortunately we haven't be caught yet. I hope Swine Flu has gone as soon as possible.. and I need after that usual Flu season comes.

I'm a little bit in a bad shape, so -- I whined in this blog. Sorry.

book 3

Books, they have lots of kinds. One of my hobbies ( or job) is collecting English picture books. I usually buy them on the Internet. Or I always ask a friend in America to buy books (including used books) when she finds her interesting ones.
She often sends them, and her choice is really interesting and fun. (Thanks Jan)

In Japan at book stores in this city, they don't have deal in many English picture books.
But, the other day, I was really surprised, because I found some English picture books at a "famous" used book store.Most of them are for babies and infants, it means in Japan, it seems to be right that many parents of babies and infants want their kids to experience or learn English naturally.
I bought some of them, they are all 105yen, well 5yen is tax.

Well, Well, the other day "finally" winter goods came to Lea. She got winter her winter boots. And in the box there is a photo book of Bordeaux, because she asked to her mother.

We have lots of travel guide books, but usually don't have such a photo book or "picture book" of a small city.
When I went Augusta, I was really surprised to find the book of "S is for South Carolina". Do they have such picture books of all states in America?
And do you have such a picture book or photo book about your city or town?

book 2

Did I tell you? I organized and attend a meeting of intensive reading once a month.


This month, the book is "London".


Well, Well, I have some questions, though I can research them on the Internet, but I need quick, instant and easy answers.





1. about London Bridge


The first London Bridge was wood, and a new stone London bridge was build in 1209.


On the other hand, in 1013 when the Vikings were on the bridge, Olaf's men pulled London Bridge down, and the bridge and the Viking fell into the river. So the song was born. Well, from 1013 to 1209, how was the London bridge???? Was instantly new wooden London Bridge built?





2. about shops


What are the most popular goods now and what were the first goods when they started in the two shops, at Fortnum & Mason, and Harrods?





3. please give 5 interesting sentences about Queen Elizabeth the second








Well, in this book there is an interesting question.
"You are going to London for tow days. What do you want to see and do?"
In my family, my elder daughter and Yuki has been to London. She went to lots of Museums.
And she recommends Korean restaurants were wonderful!!
Yuki went to London on business, so he had enough time for sight seeing. He recommends to go to Indian restaurants.
But I want to go pottery shops. Unfortunately no one and nowhere in this book tell me the shops including Wedge wood.

One of my student moved to England with his family. Sometimes his mother e-mails to me. She loves England life, especially nature.

Tim sent an interesting report with photos connected with Harry Potter.

So the image that I have about London is; curry, tea, tableware, castles, roses, and Harry Potter.

3 months passed

Since Lea came to Japan, three months passed. So "8th" is a special day for her. Last month I baked brownie, yesterday she baked apple tart for us.

It looks good, and actually it was delicious.

--- while she was making , some troubles happened.

It was really big, we (Yuki, Lea and I) ate half of it, and she took the rest to school today. Her classmates must be surprised and enjoy.

Well, Well, the tart is really good, baked well, texture is good. It's soft but keeps crunchy texture. Sometimes I baked, but I couldn't do like this. This time I knew the reason. Because I always reduce the volume of sugar and butter.

It means she use lots of sugar and butter.

She says " I understand, why many Japanese people are slim." and before she baked it, she asked "may I bake it with usual sweetness?"

Actually it was really sweet, but it was really delicious.

Well, Well, I'll tell you another topic about food.

She doesn't like Japanese pickles that are pickled with salt. But she loves BETTLA-ZUKE.

BETTLAZUKE are pickled with salt and rice malt. Because of rice malt, it is sweet.

I love BETTALA ZUKE, so I'm happy to get a person who loves BETTLA ZUKE.

cherry blossoms and melons

The other day I read an interesting article on the newspaper. A Japanese lawyer living in NY tried to explain why Japanese people loves to drink SAKE under cherry blossoms, but he said " it was really difficult. " He couldn't find a suitable word of HAKANAI in English, though he has worked as lawyer in NY for a long time. The word includes the meanings of momentary,short-lived etc.

According to a book, when Japanese people see cherry blossoms, they(we) see appreciate falling cherry blossoms, and other people see just bunch of cherry blossoms.

It is interesting to know the difference how people understand about a thing.

And , I'll introduce another topic, though it's a tiny thing.
The other day we (my husband, Lea and I) went out for dinner to a Japanese restaurant. They served 8 small plates at once, including "dessert".
The dessert was slices of melon.

Lea tried to eat the melon at first, so I said "Oh, no it's dessert".
Lea "Why? it's an appetizer."

And it recalled me of one thing, it's melon with fresh ham.
Do you remember that my younger daughter "can't " eat fruit so much, because of their acid. She can eat bananas, on the other hand my elder daughter loves fruit except bananas.
But when we went to a French restaurant, they served melon with fresh ham as a appetizer. My younger daughter could eat. Since then fresh ham is her favorite. On the other hand my elder daughter didn't like the combination, she prefers roast beef to fresh ham.

Anyway Lea kept the melon as dessert. And unfortunately she was too full to eat melon as dessert.

book1

This book is written by GOMI TAROU.

He is a really famous and popular , probably illustrator. He was born in 1945 in Japan. My daughters were into his doodling book. I think his books led my elder daughter to the art world.

Well, Well, this month I'll read this book at nursery schools, at a adult culture class, and to my students.

I don't know the real English feelings, but I understand Japanese feeling.

So when I read these two book, I was really surprised. Completely different. Of course both of them are "right".

First I'll tell you about the title.

Japanese version -- MINNA GA OSHIETE HUREMASHITA.

Everyone was taught me ----.

And English version is yes, my friends.

In Japanese version, all sentences are written in the passive.

ARUKIKATA HA NEKO GA OSHIETE KUREMASHITA

The way how to walk was taught by the cat.

In English version, all sentences are written in the positive.

I learned to walk from my friend the cat.

The difference of these two versions show the difference of nationality, don't you think so?