What's the punch line to the tall story?

Thanks for your visiting to this blog. Before reading this blog, please read the previous blog " a tall story".
If you knew my character, and if you knew my house, you would realize easily that it's not a true story". But for many people especially who are in their 20's and 30's, it sounds like a completely true story.

Yesterday I attended a Toast Master Meeting, and I introduced this story. There were 7 people, and half of people who are in their 20's and 30's didn't notice　it was a tall story. And 4 people have Roomba. One of them are in their 40's, though he bought a Roomba, it didn't work because there are too many little things on the floor to move freely.
Anyway this time I found out, the floor of recent houses and apartments are tortally flat.
The main reason why I don't buy Roomba is that the floors in my house are at different levels difference in level.

 

Another reason is I can't discard my important kitchen gadgets, Yuki doesn't allow me to discard his t audio "junks". And we can't say good-bye to things which are nostalgic to us.

 

I think, in 10 years, New Roomba will appear. It will be able to overcome the difference in floor levels. It would clean while floating. If it floated, you wouldn't remove any things on the floor.

 

 

 

 



 

a tall story

If you've visited my house, you immediatly understand that this story is my tall story.

Well, let me tell you  recently changed my new life style.
Finally I bought Roomba which is automatic vacuum cleaner. It made me free from one of my house chores, that is every day cleaning.
However, to use Roomba I needed a lot of effort.
It was DAN-SYA-RI. DAN means to decline to get things, SYA means to throw away unnecessary things, and RI means to separate from clinging to your things. This idea comes from Yoga spirit.
I'll introduce how I did DAN-SYA-RI.
At first I started from my daughter's old rooms. It was easy, because they took away their necessary things, so all the things which are left  in the rooms are unnecessary thing for them, though they are nostalgic to us and have full memories. Good bye to the memories. it was done.
Next I started Yuki's room. It was a little bit difficult, because he uses the room and what I wanted to throw away and what he agreed to throw away were different, but we have the same gole which is to use Roomba. So I discarded a shelf with lots of junk goods for computers. 20 years ago one of his hobbies was to make a computer, but now he can't catch upwith technology. And I scrapped another shelf with lots of out-of-date audio machies such as  a record player, VCR.
Let's move on!
The next is our living room. It used to be used as a meeting room for our family, but now it is used for guests. So we don't need a book case, TV. I discarded them. The necessary thing is a sofa and a table for senior people who have weak legs.
Well let me go to the final and the most difficult stage. It's our dinning and kitchen. I cleaned this room, while I was putting things to one side.  So I have to discard all of  the things to introduce Roomba.
Now I don't make lunch boxes for my daughters so don't need a big rice cooker. When I want to drink coffee, I'll make a coffee with drip paper. Now there are two members in my house, so it's inexpensive to buy 100% juice than to make juice with juicer. I discarded a trolley table. I checked another shelf. What a lot of machines there were. Yuki and I are getting old, so we don't eat grilled meat so often, it means we don't need electric roaster. Now we don't make rice cakes, so don't need rice cake machine. TAKOYAKI-machine, HOTSAND-machine, and Grilled rice ball machine are also unnecessary. I discarded another shelf.  I also checned a cupboard. We don't need so many dishes such as big plates. I discard a lots of plates and mugs. I made it. Now in the kitchen, the only things are left, which are a sink, a fridge, a table and four chairs, and a small cupboard.

Roomba cleans the rooms when I'm going out.
So when I'm at home, I have lots of free time. What am I doing? I don't have TV. Thanks to DANSYARI, I'm not interested in clicking AMAZON site on the PC.
So I took in YOGA sprit. It means I put a YOGA mat on the floor, and I meditate while I'm thinking what I'll tell about at the next Toast Master Meeting.

This Sunday

This Sunday Yuki and I went to Tokyo and visited the national art center in Roppongi, Tokyo.
Fortunately this year our daughter T won a prise, and her work is displaying  for about two weeks there now.

 

Thanks to her prize, my mother, my daughter M and her husband, my daughter T and we met together there. Unfortunately my mother-in-law couldn't come because her another event.

We saw her work, and had lunch at a good restaurant.

This time I treated them in celebration of belated the Respect-for-Senior-Citizens Day, marriage of Mr. and Ms.M,  prise of T, and "Yuki's birthday". Yuki became 54. It's the time to prepare for planing about our pension life. The time we support T is limited, though we don't support her a lot.



 

Then my mother , T , Yuki and I had coffee and tea at this cafe. Have you ever heard of it? It's famous for caramel and chocolate.



to hold in your anger

On the last blog I wrote how we classify our anger. Yesterday I read the subsequent report. The title is how to hold in your anger.  The report says "not to compare anything with others". Yes, yes, Since I can remember, I've been heard this phrase. But I know it's difficult. And the report also says, not to compare with others, you should throw away an obsession with things.
It's easy to write, though it's difficult to write in English.

This idea comes from ZEN which is a kind of Buddhism.
1. Not to seek to be perfect and try to do what you want to do for the sake of it
2. Try to appreciate and be satisfied with every thing you are gotten
3. Not try to think you are always right
4. let insults and so on pass without noticing
5.Sometimes it's better to let it go
6.Not to chase a dog's wagging tail, you should pursue yourself.

(I hope all sentences make sense.)

And if you get angry, you should take a pose and mumble a phrase you decided like "thank you" or " I'm OK".

 Well, do you know that I have one phrase I've decided when I talk to my mother. It is " SOUNANDA" which means "I see, or I agree with you". When I have to talk with my mother, I write this phrase on my palm. Because I tend to deny her talking or give her a lesson.
And these days my daughters tend to deny me when they talk with me.

laughter and anger

We know laughing makes us happy and healthy. In Japan people say "Fortune knocks on the door where people laugh." Laughter is a key factor to good luck, happiness  and good fortune. This is a universal notion as shown in an English proverb "Laughter is the best medicine". Even doctors agree that laughter makes you feel relaxed and less tense. Even if you are going through hardship, try to laugh as much as you can under stress.
But if you get angry, is it easy to laugh? I read an interesting report. The report says that "if you get angry, try to less anger and try to stop doing actions with anger." To less anger it also recommends to analyse the level of your anger.
level 0; calm
level 1-3; unpleasant, and annoyed
level 4-6; irritated, and quite annoyed
level 7-8; furious and seriously upset
level 9-10; explode and can't stop trembling
It's interesting, though I think while we are analyzing the level of our anger, we are not so angry yet.  But the report also says" if you get used to analyse the level of your anger, you  will notice that your anger you sometimes feel is not so strong. It is the first step to manage your anger".

Anyway fortunately I haven't experienced the level 10 anger.

interesting questions about Japan -3-

Let me answer the rest of interesting questions about Japan. Three questions are only left.
10 - Did you know that if you go to a buffet restaurant in Japan you will notice people only eat as much as they need without any waste?  No wasteful food.
Yes, it's a kind of manner. We say "Mottainai". Do you know how many people who are starving there are in the world. And who eats the leftover on your dish? Dogs? Cats? No one. It cnahges into trash. And Japan is a small country, we have a limited land, so we have to reduce garbage. Three Rs are really important, reduce, reuse and recycle.

11 - Did you know that the rate of delayed trains in Japan is about 7 seconds per year?  They appreciate the value of time and are very punctual to minutes and seconds.
Yes, it is one of our proud things. And do you know that in a city people tend to be punctual, but in a rural area where people use car, people are not so punctual. One of things which was difficult for me to adjust Utsunomiya's life  is to get used to people who are not coming to my house on time.

12 -. Did you know that children in schools brush their teeth (sterile) and clean their teeth after a meal at school?  They maintain their health from an early age.
Yes, it's true. Is it strange? I don't know since when this habit has been usual. When I was an elementary school student (it means 45 years ago), we didn't have this habit. But anyway my daughters have kept healthy teeth without cavities for 25 years.

13 - Did you know that students take half an hour to finish their meals to ensure right digestion?     When asked about this concern, they said: These students are the future of Japan.
Does question ask about the time to have lunch? Usually at school they have one- hour lunch time. But it includes setting tables, serving lunch, and cleaning away. In Japan, usually school lunch is made in school, and children serves it by  themselves, and eat it at their home room class. We don't have a cafeteria. And after lunch  they have 20 or more minutes recess. So children want to play more so they may eat their lunch quickly.
On the other hand one of surprised things was that at school elementary school students just have an apple, potato chips and drink. Is is enough for elementary school students?

I answered all questions. It was fun.
If you are Japanese what do you think of them and if you are a foreigner what do you think of them?
If I can get your comments, I'm really happy.

Interesting questions about Japan -2-

Let me answer the interesting questions again.
4 - Did you know that Japan does not have any natural resources, and they are exposed to hundreds of earthquakes a year,but do not prevent her from becoming the second largest economy in the world?

It's true. We don't have any natural resources. We used to have coal, but it was dug out. And actually today in Tochigi where I live there was an earthquake. I'm afraid big earthquakes, and I hope we don't have an earthquake like in 2011 again. On the other had we are used to having small earthquakes.

5 - Did you know that Hiroshima returned to what it was economically  before the fall of the atomic bomb in just ten years?

It needed at least ten years to get back to that vibrant situation. Now Tohoku area has been in a bad situation since the earthquake and Tsunami hit there. I hope Tohoku will become vibrant again as soon as possible, though the radiation problem is complicated.

6 - Did you know that Japan prevents the use of mobile phones in trains, restaurants and indoor?

Is it strange? In public rambling on the cell phone makes others annoyed. Quick talk is OK.
But who can decided whether the talking is long-winded or not. So using cell phones in trains are prevented. Though in restaurants it's not prevented, if used your cell phone people would frown upon you. Japanese people prefer being courteous and conciderate.  But I think "indoor" is not prevented. It depends on the place. However many people use cell phone quickly in trains and restaurants.

7 - Did you know that in Japan students from the first to sixth primary year must learn ethics in dealing with people?

Is it strange? We don't have lessons about any religion.But ethics is important. And probably it's easy to learn ethics at school. Because we don't have a big (especialy religion) conflict because we are isolated people. 


8 - Did you know that Japanese, even though one of the richest people in the world, do not have servants?  The parents are responsible for the house and children.

Before the war, some people used to have servants. One of the reason is probably they are big families. And the difference between rich people and poor people were clear. But now most of them are small family, and the difference is not clear.  Some people who are really busy or very rich hire housekeeper. But the cost is very high. And we are not used to let someone do house chores.


9 - Did you know that there is no examination from the first to the third primary level; because the goal of education is to instill concepts and character building, not just examination and indoctrination?

Well, well, what kind of examinations does this question point? we often have small tests, and terminal tests even at primary school, though every primary students can automatically go to the next grade without considering their scores. And every student gets score grade at the end of each term.
And what does it mean "indoctrination". Education at school is done for building character. I think it's right.

to be continued.

Interesting questions about Japan -1-

I got these questions about Japan from .

They are really interesting to me, I read these questions with a laugh. Let me try to answer to them.

1 - Did you know that Japanese children clean their schools every day for a quarter of an hour with teachers, which led to the emergence of a Japanese generation who is modest and keen on cleanliness?

Partly it's true, and partly it's not true.
Actually at school we have cleaning time. All students and teachers clean the classrooms, the gym, the garden and even the toilets. Usualy we don't have janitors to clean the school. For Japanese people it's a usual thing. But I know for many foreigners it seems to be strange. I know an abroad student who came to study about Japanese education selected "cleaning time at school" as  a topic for her  thesis. But I don't think it leads to being keen on cleanliness. Every one prefers being clean to being dirty, don't they? I think cleaning schools suggests  to students that we should organize our things by ourselves.

2 - Did you know that any Japanese citizen who has a dog must carry a bag and special bags to pick up dog droppings.  Hygiene and their eagerness to address cleanliness is part of Japanese ethics?

Well, well, I was really surprised to this question. When you  are walking your dog and he drops, what do you do? Do you leave them there? It's just a manner, isn't it?

3- Did you know that hygiene worker in Japan is called "health engineer" and can command salary of USD 5000 to 8000 per month, and a cleaner is subjected to written and oral tests?

I don't know it. I know that they have the license to be a health engineer, like a teacher, a pharmacist, and so on. But I don't think they earn such high salary. In Japan salary is decided by their career, working place and age.

Now it's time to work. These questions are not finished. --- to be continued.

Monday

Unfortunately these days I only update my blog once a week. I want to try more----.
Anyway, since last week I has been suffering a neck pain. It seems not to come from getting a stiff neck, not to come from  muscle ache.
Usually when I get a stiff neck, I get a massage. But last week the pain was so bad that I didn't get it. On the other hand I was recommend to do stretch, so I went to workout and also at another place I took a stretch lesson. The pain was getting less, but--- on Saturday I had a slight fever and I felt so sluggish (languid?) that I was staying in the bed.
BUT I had an appetite. Unfortunately or fortunately Yuki doesn't cook well, so we went out to eat UDON. "When I'm sick, I have NABEYAKI-UDON". It has been my habit since I was a child. (or you can say my mother raised me up in this way.)

Yesterday I had a work all day long. Anyway I managed to do it.
After having a fever, my neck pain is getting less. Probably this week I can get a massage.
Last month a friend said to  me that " I'm careful not to have neck and shoulder pains, because they sometimes causes a fever". At that time I didn't believe it, but now I understand it.
But how am I be careful not to have them? Probably doing stretch is one way to keep away from them.

To tell the truth Yuki and I try to do more exercise.  Last week Yuki and I attended a lecture meeting. We wanted to use sports machines in Tochigi prefercutre health center. Before we use them, we have to take a lecture and a health check.

This is a part of my health check sheet. Can you guess where a circle puts.
"Lack of exercise". The level of visceral fat is four. And my body is not so difficult to burn fat in the body.