April is just around the corner

April is just around the corner. A new fiscal year starts, and a new era name will be announced.
And, Yuki starts to count down his new (retirement) life.

It is not so many to begin retirement life in just 60. Actually among his colleagues who joined the company in the same year, he might be only one to decided to retire. Most of them seemed to decided to continue to work even though the position will be changed, and the salary will decrease dramatically. Why? The reason is interesting. They say "I don't have anything to do at home".

Yuki seems to have lots of things he wants to do though the budget is another thing.
So we accept that "retirement life is the life to spend saving constantly". (a friend said)

This month we did two funerals. For us such things were not unusual. But probably such things are becoming usual things.
So it might be good that Yuki start his new life without hesitation.

Yesterday I went to a park to see "KOUZU cherry blossoms" which bloom early spring.
April is also "cherry blossom" season, isn't it?

次は八幡山の桜ですね。

Can I pursue "clear dining table"?

I still keep discarding 10 things once a week to "pursue" light, tidy and clear senior life.
While "we"  were doing (Yuki also agreed with it), we sought a "elegant lifestyle", of course we gave up. Because we are too impatient to behave ourselves elegantly.
While "we" were doing, we sought a  "cool lifestyle", of course we gave up. Because the definition of "cool" was different between us.
And now we seek "clear" (In Japanese Sukkiri) lifestyle.

Many (Japanese) elderly people tend to many things on the dining table, like daily medicine, reading glasses, remote controllers, snack, and so on.
I try not to do it.

On the other hand we are difficult to behave elegantly, so we (I think Yuki is more) often spill something on the table. And I also ( it is the main reason) use the table to make art crafts with my students. So to ease to clean the table, I cover it with transparent plastic table cloth.

And we enjoy putting some seasonable things between the table and the cloth.
There is a few things on the table.

Well, well,

 

 

 I put an article between them.

Nowadays I have a little trouble on my knee. Since I was a elementary school student, I have had this trouble. I used to see many doctors. However there were no reason for my ache. So I usually wear low-heel shoes.

However, as you guess, getting older makes my trouble bigger.

I need to strengthen the knee muscle, or, not to weaken it. I have to do daily stretch constantly.

And --- it is difficult for me like doing walking every day. So not to forget the exercise, I put this article between them.

 

It is not a good idea. But it might be against our attitude to pursue "clear table".

 

I'm afraid that Yuki might put other articles like fishing information between them.

A concert at a church

I had this brochure, but I was wondering whether I would go there or not.

Luckily a friend asked me to go there together.
Of course I went there together.

The church is very famous and historical in Utsunomiya.
Matsugamine church

It was a flute and cembalo concert. It was a perfect satiation to be hold a chamber music.
The players of flute is a couple and they have been active in Japan while they are living in Tochigi, and have music classes in a college in Utsunomiya.
The couple introduced the concert saying "today we hold a geeky? or professional concert". It means their tunes are preferred by connoisseurs of  chamber music. (for me connoisseurs is the first word to use.)

Actually the tunes were little bit difficult  for me. However their long experience to pursue a career in music  and passion made me very impressed. It was  a good opportunity.


Well, well, then we had "dinner" outside.

 

Which was main event? I don't know.

 

Do you know "OYAKI"?

What is "Oyaki"?

 It is a kind of bread.

 

 

 

 

It is not so popular here in Utsunomiya, though many people (especially elderly people) know the word.

Yuki have heard the word, but don't remember whether he has eaten it or not.

 

Near my house a OYAKIA restaurant opened last year.

I was really interested in it, and finally I could go there.

 

They serve lunch set on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

The owners are a senior couple.

 

This is 500 yen Oyaki lunch.
It was very delicious.
I'm really surprised that the owner's couple is senior, but they decided to run this restaurant. The restaurant is also their home.

Usually the inside is simmered vegetables tasted by soy sauce.
And it is a kind of dumpling, and the dough is made by all-purpose flour (which is usually used for Japanese white noodle.) and yeast is not used. So the dough is not risen.

I often make simmer vegetables, so, now I'm wondering when I make Oyaki by myself.

Utsunomiya Central park

Since the last time I updated this blog, more than one week passed.
To tell the truth, I keep writing diary in Japanese almost every day. So I always try to write it in English, it is difficult to show my opinion or feeling correctly in English.

Well, the other day I went to Utsunomiya Central park not to do walking, to visit a small exhibition.
It was an exhibition of " Origami: Japanese holding paper artwork".
What is Origami? I found an interesting site.

At the park, an exhibition is always hold in turn.
The beginning of March, a gardening group in which my friend is involved in displayed and soled their works.
This time a group of ORIGAMI hold their exhibition.
What is ORIGAMI. I found an interesting site.

At the park, some exhibitions are constantly hold in turn.
In the beginning of March a gardening group in which my friend is involved, displayed and sold their works. This time a group of ORIGAMI displayed their works.

They are so cute.

They are so elaborated.
There was a brochure to introduce the group. They seek more members.
I am interested but, I have no confidence to be involved. Because, you might laugh, I am so awkward that I don't like my handmade works.
And I'm not patient so that I can't do making art crafts with grate care. ( I'm good at doing them quickly, and instantly. It means my works are usually rough.)


Well, in the park there were many senior people who enjoyed or practiced doing walking.
There were some mothers or grandmothers and babies who enjoyed playing outside.

Just one year ago I was one of them as a grandmother.

Probably a month later, I will start doing walking in the park.
A friend asked me to sketch together while walking. It is a good idea.
I'm not so interesting in sketching, but I want to making "HAIKU" (short poem) while walking outside.

Early Easter week

 I know this year Easter is in April. On the other hand here in Japan March is the end of fiscal year.  Some my students will leave. So as the last enjoynable event last week it was our Easter week,. some kids enjoyed decorating egg shaped cookies

Was it Easter ornaments? A girl said "like Halloween. With a big laugh. 

Small children  enjoyed traditional? Easter egg coloring.

 Not only in my class, but also at the library I enjoyed Easter.

Last Sunday, I did volunteer reading at the library, and did an Easter activity. 

Today, it is a Tuesday, I will do volunteer reading again at he library.

Happy hour even though on Sunday!

Sunday evening, Yuki and I went out for "light" dinner (supper?) to Utsunomiya station by bus.
Why bus? Probably you can guess. We (mainly Yuki) wanted to drink outside with light meal.
He got an interesting information. Even on Sunday, they offer a grass of various alcohols for 300 yen.
And all meals are served  500ye,

 

A grass cost 300 yen, but it is self-evident that more grasses cost more.

He took 4 grasses.

It can't be helped.

 

 

Table charge was necessary. It was 500 yen, but home made pickles had free refills.

I was not so hungry, so I had dessert as my main. I had room for it.



 

We've been there some times. When we went to Tokyo by train, we sometimes dropped by there.

I thought we got a little bit "old" to visit this restaurant.

However it was wrong. On Sunday evening, there were two couples like us. At night there are always clouded by younger people than us. So we could have a really cozy tine with reasonable price, though Yuki drank too much than we promised before entering  there.

 

Do you like going to a café alone ?

I sometimes go to a café alone. When I was a junior high school student, I sometimes went to a small cake restaurant with my friends on the way home.  At that time I went to school by train, and on the way home there was a nice cake restaurant near the station. My friend and I seemed to be a little mature. Probably adults who were there must have frowned. When I became a high school student, I like coffee with lots of cream, and started to go to a café. When I became a college student, I often went to a jazz café.

What kind of people likes going to a café alone?
They want to be in a completely different atmosphere  from their messy? poor? or noisy room.
They want to talk to the owner in a light friendship.
Or (now it is very important.) they want to read the latest magazines or comics.

I found an interesting thing recently.
Each café  which is easy for customers to go alone has a certain generation.
And each of them has different kinds of magazines.
Or, they decide what kinds of magazines they stock there by their customer's generation.

I tend to go to a café to experience a cozy atmosphere and enjoy talking with the owner.
And nowadays, I also go to a café to research what kinds of magazines are there.

Jazz live at a Jazz bar

Coincidently I had an opportunity to go to a small Jazz live concert in Tokyo.
Yuki often goes to Tokyo on business, but usually he comes back on the same day.
I (and Yuki) sometimes go to Tokyo to visit my mother, but usually I (or we) come back on the same day.
So we have less chance to go to such a concert at night.
When we were college students (Yuki and I went to the same college, and we were members of Jazz club there), we used to go listen to Jazz live at night. However we couldn't afford to buy tickets of famous musicians, and of course to have meal at such a bar neither.
After our two of live started (our daughters left here) , we visited some bars or live house several times (the main was seeing our daughters.) However nowadays we don't.

This time Yuki had to go to Tokyo at night and stay there. So I jumped on his bandwagon. (I don't know it the way of the sentence is right or wrong.)

We had a good night with a good music.

And we had a good breakfast at a good hotel.
Of course, the concert fee of two of us, my hotel fee, and our breakfast fee were paid by our household budget.

Well, well, we are planning  lots of some things to do in our retirement life. Planning them is fun. And while doing, we notice that " we have some things before our retirement life (or no-income life) starts". Going to a night concert in Tokyo was one of them.

It "was" White Day today, wasn't it?



Today, it was "white day", wasn't it?

I didn't notice it, though it was still evening.

Tonight a lady comes to take my lesson, so she doesn't need to some thing back to me.

Does Yuki remember the day of white day?  Probably no, he didn't.

 

Well, I remembered the day until two days ago.

Because it was the day of Karaku, and the master treated me with something special to celebrate early White day.

 

 

 



prepare for fishing????

The other day Yuki took a day-off.
So we went out  for researching the fishing situation in Utsunomiya.
He "is going to" go fishing in his coming retirement life, but he has no experience.
Here in Tochigi, we have no sea, but we have lots of river.
However there are getting less fish in any rivers.  All rivers are managed by Tochigi ????? rivier association. So fishing season for people is limited. They release baby fish into all rivers several times a year. When we fish in a river we have to pay for fishing. We don't know any information about it.  It is said that as soon as we sit down and start to prepare for fishing, a river keeper? or watcher? come from somewhere and ask us to show a permission slip or pay for fishing.
In March, it is the first season to be released fish. So Yuki wanted to see some fishing points where it is said we can fish many.(Many means in this case less than 10)
Yes, there were many people who were fishing. He seemed to be satisfied to see the scene.

Then we had lunch outside.
This time I didn't take lunchbox. Near one of the fishing points, there was a restaurant I wanted to go.

We enjoyed the meal. Though I wrote the same thing yesterday, I seemed to take back my mental space to spend money for my leisure time.

visiting my ancestor's grave -2-

when we arrived at Utsunomiya station, it was around 6:30 P.M.
I was still full, but Yuki felt snacky.

The reason why this time we took a train was that first we could use my daughter's car, next we were going to have a (light) dinner outside with alcohol..

These days I seemed to get used to our pre-retirement life. It means I don't get so strict to our house budget of course I try to cut down on our spending. I seem to take back my mental space to enjoy leisure time.

So we dropped by an Italian bar.

Yuki ate pasta and small (according to Yuki) chicken sauté. I had  salad and pumpkin pudding.

Luckily, even though it was Sunday, they offered special time "happy hour", all drinks including some kinds of alcohol were 300 yen. Lucky us!

BUT, it was a good excuse for Yuki, he drank 4 grasses of alcohol , of course they are all different kinds.

We went home about 8:00 by bus. It was a long day.

Oh, I almost forgot to say an important thing.

This morning my mother called me and said "I'm sorry I shouldn't have complaining at the restaurant. Thanks to the eel, yesterday's afternoon I felt much better. And thinking about the good day, I thought I was sorry to complain." 

visiting my ancestor's grave -1-

Before O-HIGAN (Higan is the week surrounding the Vernal Equinox Day or Autumnal Equinox Day. We have a custom to visit our ancestor's grave.) My mother, my daughter and Yuki & me went to our ancestor's grave. (About Yuki's ancestor's grave, probably his brother will take his mother to their grave). It is a good excuse for my mother to go out and have a good meal.
So of course we had good eel.

 

The taste was good. However for my mother it was so-so. Until last spring, this restaurant was her favorite. The taste of the restaurant might have been changed. She started complaining and didn't stop until she ate up the eel. The sauce and soup seemed to be thick and strong for her. So she didn't eat them but anyway she ate up the whole eel. And the three of us enjoyed the meal. So she should have stopped complaining, be patient,  at least while we were eating. I thought it was a kind of etiquette.  But she couldn't. So my daughter and I couldn't enjoy the meal. (Yuki seemed not to care, because it was my mother's character. And Thanks to Yuki, she didn't get angry even though my daughter and I blamed her.)

Well, I was going to write about the situation more. But researching such situation on the net, lots of family with the senior parents have had same experiences, and also restaurants seem to be used to such a situation.



So now I convince my self that "she is fine, she has lots of energy."

Then we took her to a local supermarket.
There were lots of fresh local vegetables. So she really enjoyed glossary shopping.

 

Then we were going to go back to her house.

 

However she wanted to have coffee and cake saying "I didn't eat rice much, so I was not so full!"

But Yuki was full.  And unfortunately my daughter and I wouldn't go to a restaurant with her again,, because we thought we would be heard he complaining again.

So as a compromise, we dropped by a convenience store & café. Nowadays convenience stores are one of her favorite kinds of shops. She wants to go to a stand café, but she "can't " go there alone. Recently it is very popular to have sweets and coffee there because there are varieties of sweets at convenience stores. She had fresh hot steamed "big" dumpling and green tee. We had coffee.

 

This time Yuki and I went to Tokyo by train. We left home before 7 A.M, around 10, my daughter picked us up at nearby station with my mother, and went to the grave. We arrived there about 11:00.

Having lunch, buying glossary and having coffee, we went back to her house about 3. Then Yuki and I went back to Utsunomiya by train and arrived around 6:30.

We were really exhausted.



It is nice to buy goods of taste sometime.

As I often tell you, before coming our retirement life, we revise our household budget.
And I try to reduce buying goods of taste on the Net. As you know Utsnomiya is not a big city, so  it is sometimes difficult to get my favorite goods of taste. However sine Internet prevails, we can get almost anything on the Net.
I try not to buy them on the Net, and try to find some of them at kind of gourmet stores.
To tell the truth, the price at gourmet stores is sometimes higher than the one on the Net. I don't know why. However at stores the number of what I want to buy is limited. So as a result, I cut down on our  household budget naturally.

There are enough numbers of supermarkets nearby. So probably it would be easy to live here without car to go grocery shopping.

However it is fun to go to such a gourmet store in a little bit fancy clothes.
Of course we don't need to wear fancy clothes to go there because they don't have a dress code.. And if I go to nearby supermarket in a fancy clothes, I'm sure I will be asked "where did you go?" or "where do you go?" by someone. ( I usually meet someone I know there)
At a gourmet store, it is interesting that some people  especially the elderly men and women wear fancy clothes. They look a sophisticated madam, and a gentleman


What is "madam" like?
Last year one of my favorite actress passed away.
She was an individual actress, it means unfortunately she was said to be a beautiful actress.
However recently she looked a "madam".

I haven't bought this book yet, but it is interesting.
On the belly band, these sentences are written " not to be high-blown, not compare with others, to make yourself amused and feel everything is all right." ( I hope they make sense."

Anyway this time I bought these items.  I blend them and my ordinal herb tea to ease my allergic.
One year has passed since I got a clarification of medical barb brender in Japan . Now herb tea ic one of my tastes of good.

And the white sauce of  HEIZN is one of my favorite goods of taste.

it is difficult to discarding "dishes"

Though I continue discarding 10 things, and try to make my lifestyle "lightly".
However, for me it is the most difficult to organize dishes, and for Yuki it might be the most difficult to discard DVD of golf programs. Both of them say to each other "you don't use them".

In January, coincidently I got a can of green tea power of good quality. So I served one to Yuki. To me surprised, he seemed to enjoy it. Since then we've sometimes enjoy green tea.

Before then I put the green tea cups in the back of cupboard.  So I put them where we get easily.
And I put a set of coffee cups on the upper shelf of the cupboard.

So, I decided to put away another set of cups which was there. The set was given by my mother.
However I haven't use them for a long time. And I have the other set. Additionally my mother has other sets of tea.

So probably she will accept my discarding them.

review our trip to Thailand

If you read all my blogs about our trip to Thailand, I'm really happy.
So, now that I review the trip, I definitely tell you that it was a nice trip.
Actually I was reluctant to go there, because the difference of the temperature between two countries is big, here and there the flu still keeps  its strong power, and all of M's family members seemed to be busy, and our schedule was tight.
However we could see their life without bothering them.

Yoichi works very hard like Yuki. A good thing is that M is used to have such a life style. Of course she really understands that it is very hard "now". So I hope she enjoys her life as a housewife, and is proud of being a housewife, though it might be an old way of thinking. However now she can't earn money as a rule. When she was in Tokyo, she was wondering whether she "had to" work or not. Now her choice is only to be a housewife as a mother. I want her to be a sophisticated???  Professional  hosewife and a positive mother , this word is not suitable, too exaggerated.

Ah-chan is Ah-chan.
I really understand that "I am a grand mother".
Because I'm willing to spend money for her not for my daughter to spend a good time "together".
Of course there is a reason, they live very far from here. If they lived next door, the situation would be definitely different.

Anyway they seem to live vigorously and "naturally". M's character is spontaneous. So they live naturally.
Now M feels free from my talking-to. 

I put the Hina dolls back to the closet. I wonder if she did it, and what is decorated in the shelf.

To Thailand to see our grand daughter -7-

It was the last night in Bang Kong.
We were waiting for the tour attendant who was going to take us to the airport.
While we were waiting for him, we enjoyed a free live concert and expensive but good quality last Thai coffee.

Then we got to the airport, boarded our flight, spend a night in the plane, and finally got to Narita airport at 8:30.

To tell the truth, for me it was not so comfortable to sleep in the plane. (I know everyone says it) . However it was really hard for me than I expected.

I wanted to go on a trip abroad when I would get older. However I know it would be very difficult for me without having "business class seats". So it was definitely right to go to Thailand this time before Yuki retires, and while I'm in my 50's.
My important friend came to Japan from America when she was in her 60's. However thinking about me, it might be difficult.

Well, well. we didn't reach to my house.
On the way home we dropped by at my favorite curry restaurant.

I chose normal chicken curry, and Yuki chose normal green curry.
I love the curry of this restaurant.
When my elder daughter came here (she loves green curry), she ordered green curry, and said "it is tasty, but it is not so strong."
So I thought the green curry of this restaurant wouldn't be popular for green curry lovers.
However, this time we heard an interesting thing from the owner.
The recipe of the green curry was made by owner's mother who is a very famous cook and cooking teacher in Tochigi.
When she went to Thailand and ate green curry, it was delicious but too strong for her. So she tried to make her favorite green curry in Japan. This is the green curry of this restaurant. It means people who "can't" eat Thai green curry like me, they can "eat" this green curry.

As soon as we got home, we started putting our things away, and doing the laundry.

In the evening we went out for a short time to buy glossary. At night we had simple noodle at home.



Seeing this article makes me surprised.

This  article "travel agents boost in-person services" of yesterday made me surprised. It was a Tim.y article, but it seems to be unaffordable level to us.

Coincidently Yuki found the tour to Thailand in reasonable price including staying in a luxurious hotel (Another branch of he hotel we stayed were used by Mr. T in betnam recently) . 

It was a discounted travel package only only through website.

It was a reasonable price, so, or but we ne needed lots of process to confirm the plan.  Yuki and I are not so used to get to personal travels and manupuraging the internet to proceed the way to book. So I wanted to arrange the travel at a counter. But as I mentioned, it was a website price. 

Currently here in Japan, we had for the world without cash, without in-person services. I really understand it. Ironically some or many senior (in this case the senor means over 78) seems to prefer going to a checkout  with a clark. So some or many supermarket started to introduce "cash paining machine" . Well, using cash instead of card is another thing from talking with a clerk.

Though it is rainy today, this week has started.
I will go to the gym, again, and I will continue 6000step-walking ( though I just did for two days )
Not to improve, not to decrease my physical strength , i have to do exercise.
This week a friend will come.
I try to continue study English.
I will start to take personal lesson through web for Haiku , it will make me more happy when I do walking.
I am going to go to a beauty salon to get a face massage.
And this weekend I will visit - grave of my father and my grandmother with my mother.

To Thailand to see our granddaugter -6-

I'll tell you a little more about her house.

To makes me happy, she decorated HINA-DOLLS.
She uses a drying machine. She thought at first it wouldn't be necessary. However unfortunately it was wrong, because they are often bothered by lots of PM2.5. Sometimes schools are canceled.
The kitchen has halogen stove. She isn't get used to it. She said "troublesome!". And about water.
Of course they drink bottled water, and when they wash something they use tapped water. However she said that she got worried about the smell after she did the dishes. So she rinses all dishes with bottled water. Of course she said "troublesome!". And she is very nervous, because she ran down after she had lunch at a fancy Thai restaurant where Thai young people often go there.
Their life looks rich and good, but there seem to be some troublesome. "It can't be helped".
They can get Japanese food easily, and to make me surprised, a fisherman comes twice a week to sell fresh fish to their condominium directly. She said the taste was very good. (Here in Utsunomiya, it is a little bit difficult to get fresh fish.)

Well, well, it is the time to have last dinner together.
 It is famous that  Japanese food in Thailand is very tasty. So we went to a casual Japanese restaurant nearby.
---- it is "normal" Japanese restaurant, and taste is "normal", it means in Thailand "safe" and "tasty".

We went back to our hotel by taxi and train.

To Thailand to see our granddaugter -5-

It was the last day, and it was the first day to spend with Youichi (our son in-law)
We started with a nice breakfast buffet.  They serve Thai food, Western food, Chinese food, Indian food, and Japanese food (rice, soba, miso soup).  This time we took Thai noodle and share it.


The main event of the day was visiting Ah-chan's kindergarten.
We planed to meet at the nearest station to the kindergarten.
This time we took a tuk-tuk. All local people say "tuk-tuk is expensive" like JINRUKISYA (pulled rickshaw) which runs in sightseeing spots in Japan.  But it is very famous.
We tried to negotiate the price. The first one, he didn't give us a discount. 200
Bat. ( the train fee is 46 Bat, and taxi fee is 100 Bat). The next one he offered 150 Bat. So we took it.



This is Ah-chan's kindergarten. She goes to a Japanese kindergarten, not an international one.
It was a family day. We really enjoyed seeing their activities.

It is a Japanese kindergarten in Thailand. So we see this sign in front of toilets.



Japanese families who move from a country to another country tend to choose international kindergartens, on the other hand other Japanese family like M who stay there in a couple of years tend to choose Japanese kindergartens.
After the activity time, we went to ISETAN (very famous Japanese department store) to see what toys and stationery there are.



Fortunately the items I bought were not sold.
It means when M needs such things, we have to send them from Japan.
And we had lunch at a popular Thai restaurant.
I ordered massaman curry again. The taste was not bad, but it was thick.


Well, well, at this restaurant unfortunately they didn't understand my English.
When I ordered my lemon grass juice, I said "Can I have mine without ice?"
 However they served a glass of  juice with ice.
In Bang Kong  it is very hot outside, but it is very cold inside. So I'm thirsty but I don't like something cold. So I wanted unsweetened  drink without ice. (And the difference of the temperature made a lot of laundry. When we came back to our home, doing the laundry was quite a chore.)

Additionally on the way to Japan, at the airport, I ordered fresh juice. So I said "I don't like ice, so please add little ice". A waitstaff showed me a big shovel? of ice, and reduced some.

Then we went to their condominium again.
In the city, there was no place to play outside. So the life in their condominium was everything.
There is a small garden in the 20th floor, and a swimming pool on the top floor.
Once a week a trainer comes there, and teaches children  who live there how to swim.

Ah- chan takes soccer lessons , cheer dance lessons, and swimming lessens after kindergarten to improve her physical power instead of playing with friends naturally. Because they can't play outside naturally. For children playing with friends means taking lessons at somewhere. Additionally M is getting used to Thai's life, and seems to have time to enjoy for herself. So she takes exercise lessons and yoga lessons ever morning while Ah--chan is at kinder garden. Actually she seems to get a good posture, she had a slight stoop, and had a trouble on her lower back.

In her condominium, there are many Japanese families whose husbands work for various companies and there are also some Thai families. However so far she (or most Japanese families) doesn't make Thai family friends, and, she said she  socializes with Japanese families carefully. Even among Japanese families, their situation is various. For example, there is a family, the husband works so far even in Thai, so he comes back to the condominium only weekends. It is a rule not to introduce where each husband works for.