Strawberry Jam

Now in this area, for farmers their strawberry harvest season is finished. They dig out all strawberry plants and start growing new seedlings.

So, sometimes I get lots of good strawberries from my friends free. To tell the truth, I got last week, and made jam. And yesterday I also got baskets of strawberries. So I'm making jam again.

Lea, can you hear me??? I hope you see this blog. ( I know you could reach this blog in these days.)

Yesterday, she drooped into my house. She is going back to France in two weeks. I know her Japanese is being really improved. But now she is standing in front of big hole, or, wall.

Everybody except Yuki and I praise her for her Japanese. It is right. But like my English, it's not so good. Everybody praise her, so she assumes that her Japanese makes sense. Unfortunately, try to talk with her more, it is getting hard to understand what she wants to say.

Learning Japanese from conversation has its limits. Reading and writing are necessary.

Halfhearted Japanese sometimes causes misunderstanding and troubles.

Lea, you had a good chance to know " practical & casual" Japanese, so when you come back to France, you should start to learn "clear (or formal)" Japanese.

I know you have good ears, so reading and writing make your Japanese perfect.

Well, Well, --- on the other hand, while 10 days with Jan, my English was --- really bad. Sorry Jan. To tell the truth, I gave up to thinking something in English. I know not only Lea, I have to study English more, especially in my case to train my ears.

It's cold!!

During Jan's staying it was like summer, now it is like early spring. It is necessary for me to turn on the heater.

Yesterday a couple of carpenters came and attached another windows in the kitchen and bathroom. And they changed another windows in the kitchen into double windows.

In my family "I" was only sensitive person about the coldness in this area. But these days Yuki also said "it's cold, isn't it". I don't know why, one reason is both of them getting old , on the other hand the earth seems to get warm. Another reasons is now only there are two members in our house, so we don't have enough energy to keep the room warm. Actually sometimes I use the kitchen as a lesson room. At that time, only one heater is enough. But after they disappear, I turn on another heater.

-- Well, of course I mentioned our winter season.

And precaution is necessary, we think. So we decided to attach another Windows.

I don't know whether they work well or not until next winter comes.

Well, today "I" ironed 5 Yuki's Y-shirts. This week Yuki went TOKYO on business every day. So he had to wear business suit. It means "I" have to iron his shirt after the washing machine washed his shirts. Additionally this week I also stayed in Tokyo with Jan in my mother's house, and I use some street shirts, (usually I wear casual cloths), so I ironed my shirts.

Ironing is for me not usual chores, so today it is cold.

You know, we have such a phrase. Doing unusual thing causes raining.

Ironing is not "unusual" thing. I do sometimes, so today it is cold instead of raining.

And I cleaned the rooms including organizing the kitchen.

Now ---

I'm thinking today's menu of dinner, probably I will cook rice for the first time in 10 days.

Jan went back to America

I'm afraid that just only twice she wrote my diary during her staying. It's my fault. I organized her schedule too tight.

On the other hand thanks of her coming, I reaffirmed that a lot of friends are around me. And everybody is different, of course nobody is likes me. It is an usual thing that each person has a each character.

Thanks of Jan, I thanked to my friends once again.

Well, Well, out side we ate Japanese food, and inside (it means at home) I tried to serve Japanese American?? food. And thanks of her, we could also taste something Japanese American food?? for the first time. Her staying was sometimes a good excuse for us.

This is the breakfast on a day.

Can you guess what kind of "cheese" I try to use.

Usual Japanese bins of milk, Japanese cornflakes.

And my original yogurt shake with bananas and green grass powder.

And , And, I baked rhubarb pie with sower cheese, baked potatoes with natural cheese. And as an appetizer Yuki bought natural cube cheeses with MOROMI (refined soy sauce)

I think for her the most characterized person among the people she met must have been my mother. She is like---- yes, actually she is my mother.

Jan can you hear me? when you are available, pleases describe the old Japanese woman.

Well, she might be the second person. The most characterized person might have been the "ground golf " champion woman who is 80 years old.

Anyway with being them, any language doesn't work well, they speak their own language --- it's a joke.

Anyway, of course visiting foreign countries as a tourist is fun, and visiting foreign countries as a member of family is also another fun.

more adventures with Mieko

Hello again, This is Jan who is visiting Mieko and Yuki in Japan. Mieko insists it is my job to write her blog this week.
After a few days of hot weather, last night it started to rain and it is raining again today with cooler temperatures. We are going to visit a woman whom I met last visit who is a farmer. There are rice paddies all around the town and she also grows rice, among other crops.
Yesterday we toured the agricultural labs at the university where a friend is a researcher. She showed us her three-year project which involves testing degradable potting pots to see which ones produce the best plants.
Last night we went to the night club where Yuki plays jazz every month after a Japanese steak house dinner.
The visit is going fast! Jan

Jan visiting Mieko

Hello to Miekos friends...This is Jan from South Carolina visiting Mieko and Yuki. This is my second visit to their home in four years. They both came to South Carolina last spring to stay in our home so we are good friends. My last trip was as a tourist but this time I came to be a part of their family and daily life. Today Mieko and I are going to the children:s center to read English picture books to two groups of small children and then will meet some of the people I met four years ago for dinner. She is very dedicated to introducing young children to English by reading and making it fun an exciting for them. We have an interesting schedule the rest of the week, seeing how Japanese people work and live...teaching in the university, on a farm, at a pottery factory. Mieko and Yuki have bought many news items for all of us to try at meals and we are having great fun tasting new things. The weather is warm and the late spring flowers are in full bloom. It is a beautiful area and I am happy to be here. Jan

How was your Mother's Day?

In the morning, I got a call from my mother saying "Thanks for the mother's day sweets". These years, on seasonable days I send ordinal sweets at a sweet shop in KYOTO to my mother by online shopping. To tell the truth, I don't like online shopping, I like shopping through oral communication. On the other hand, on the web we can get wide-ranged information, and interesting things. I sent some Japanese cake.

This is the homepage where the ordinal Japanese cakes in April are introduced. What flowers or scenery can you image from these sweets?

Yuki called to her mother, later I'll sent something to her.

And my daughters ---.

Yesterday my elder daughter called me in a big town. I asked her to some socks , while she browsing some shops, she sent some photos of socks via her cell phone. Unfortunately they were not what I wanted. So I thanked for her attitude, and I said to her " when you find the socks I want, please buy them at that time."

And today from my younger daughter this pot of flowers arrived.

And she also called me in the afternoon. She said "I can't find what you want, so I sent this usual gift ".

At snack time (about three PM), my neighborhood came here with cake, and in the evening Yuki came back with pack of beef that was today's prize at a golf game.

Oh, I almost forgot. This early morning, my friend came with bamboo shoots.

Today, somebody called or came one after another. I was busy, so it was a really good Mother's Day.

Thank you for your comments

Though somebodies sometimes add their comments, the characters are garbled. So I'm sorry I deleted them. We can read this diary only in English.

The last half of Golden ween, it seemed to be like summer. Today it's cloudy, and a little bit cold.
In the morning I'm going to go to a nursery school to read books. After taking a rest, from 4 o'clock, my usual lesson is going to start.

And tomorrow is of course Saturday.
Have a nice day.

Golden Weeks

In Japan now we are in Golden Wees, consecutive holidays.

Usually our mothers come to stay with us, but this time, for me they are usual days. At 4 o'clock, students come and of course at 8 o'clock, junior high school students come. (My consecutive holidays of this year starts two weeks later.)

Today, Yuki is at home. So in the morning "we" are cleaning the room. But now I"m at the computer.

Why???? We cleaned the spaces where we can see, and Yuki has started to put away the hidden place, that is under his bed, while he reinstalling the previous computer.

I'm waiting for his break time. During his break, we are going to go shopping to the home center nearby.

Today it is "hot" like early summer.