This week

As you know you, I'm a woman, I spend the half of day as a house wife with some volunteer works, I spend the rest of day (usually from 3, sometimes 1 to 10 o'clock) as an Japanese English teacher.
So the communities I belong to are not so wide or really limited.
But this week, I met some new people who belongs to other communities.

Last Saturday what did I do???? I don't remember. I went to take a health check including a exam of the uterus. Did I tell you? I have a trouble in the uterus, now, it is not getting better but not getting worse. So it's not so bad.
These days my blood pressure is 88 over 58.
The doctor says "low pressure is not illness, you can live longer"
....hmm, until now I don't want to live longer.
And this year a trouble of my mammary adenoma also was found as usual. Probably I also need to take a wait-and-see approach this year.

Last Sunday I attended a Toast Master meeting, I made a speech in Japanese , the title is "my key phrase of this year, let it be or let that happen".
On the day a visitor came to see the meeting. She is just 30 years old, and yes, " a career woman". She reminded me of my younger days. Though it has good meaning, my image to her is "she has her wills while she is in her thirty's.

On Tuesday I attended a City-meeting. And I had a chance to talk with a man personally, who thinks of Japanese education system as a member of Japanese learned person group. I sometimes saw him on TV. He lives, I think, in a completely different world, which is in Japan.
Theses days Yuki sometimes attend a meeting with governess, he always says, government bureaucrats are completely different with businessman.
And after that I also talked with some secretary civil servants. They are actual "civil servants".

the husbands of some of my friends are civil servants, apart from their job, they are usual men, and fathers. But they are different with businessman.

And in every place "I" am a volunteer housewife.

Last year when I went to Augusta, I asked Jan "What is volunteer?"
Probably the definition of volunteer is different for each person.

What can I do? What do I want to do?
Anyway some people invite me to attend a new community, I'm happy.


Well, to tell the truth, last week Yuki bought me a new computer with Windows7, now I'm adjusting to it, though I have still some troubles. Tim, Jan, I can talk with you with SKYPE.

I'm in Japan

Of course, I'm in Japan, but not in old Japan, in modern Japan.Many or some people think Japanese people wear KIMONO, Japanese men have CHONMAGE --- these things are old things. And for me I know these things on books.

So when I have a chance to see such old things, I'm always surprised, and really interested in them. These things are new things for me not only foreign people. They don't give me nostalgic feel. The other day Yuki and I joined a bus tour to go to TOKYO, and we saw some "new" things.

At Meiji shrine, we saw a typical Japanese bride.

Oh, this style is not new thing for me, I had nostalgic feel, because I wore such KIMONO at my wedding.

In Asakusa, some women (probably they were not tourists) were riding JINRIKISYA. In Japan,cabs were not used. I don't know why? Probably the roads were too narrow to run cabs.

And at Sensou temple we saw some Maiko san. I didn't know whether they were Maiko san or Geisha san. But they looked young, so probably they were Maiko san.





We went to TSUKIGI for the first time. Yuki ate UNI-don . I found lots of interesting things, and the most interesting thing is Sushi Cap.

Later, I'll write about food we ate.

I have a question, where are articles?

This is my favorite book in winter, I always enjoy this original version, and Japanese version.

The skies are gray. The rooftops are gray. The whole city is gray.
Then one snowflake.

---in Japanese version, it is translated "HITOHIRA NO YUKI". "HITOHIRA", it sounds really romantic for Japanese.

"It's snowing,"said boy with dog.
"It's only a snowflake" said grandfather with beard.
Then two snowflakes.
"It's snowing,"said boy with dog.
"It's nothing", said man with hat.

--Recently, I noticed, where are articles?
said the boy with his/ a dog
said a man with a hat

Why are they omitted? It is correct ? Is there a special meaning?

Well, it is cloudy today, but not so cold, so it seems to start raining, not snowing.

Another gift

At first, someone gave me a comment on my blog about TAKUAN, but unfortunately the letters were not displayed properly, please write again in English.

Well, as I told you, I got Takuan, and yesterday I got foie gras from a friend. She said, "Sorry, just a little, but I bit you (my husband and ) like it".

And she gave me a small bottle of foie gras and bread which was sold at a popular baker near here.

To tell the truth, I don't like liver,uni( sea urchin eggs, Japanese people like it) , and pate very well. I don't' like the texture.

This time, according her suggestion, I put a little foie gras on the bread, and put sliced onions, parsley, and tomatoes (or dried tomato). Perfect.

As soon as we started to have one bite, my husband said "stop it". And he went out to buy a bottle of wine. I don't drink wine much, so he drank a bottle of wine enjoying the small bottle of foie gras.

I'm so glad that not only she gave me a bottle of foie gras, but also she gave me a set of foie gras.

She is always really thoughtful, ( Is this word suitable to describe her character?)

Takuan of this year has come!

This photo is "Takuan", a kind of Japanese traditional pickles, pickled Japanese radish.

Since I came to this place I've never bought Takuan at shops, every winter some friends give their homemade Takuan.

They are all Takuan, but the color and the taste are different, I always enjoy eating thinking of the person who made it.

Probably this year I'll get one or two more. I'm looking forward to getting them.

Anyway today's breakfast was, homemade TAKUAN, and homemade YUZUKOSYOU (do you remember?) and mushrooms soup and Mochi (mushrooms and Mochi are also homemade of my friends.)

I'm happy to surround by such homemade things, they make me warm, though we have a really cold winter.

The storm? or the event? was finnished.

Now I'm alone in this horse as usual. My mother-in-law and my younger daughter went back to Tokyo, Yuki went to work.

The ceremony of the Coming-of-Age day was finished with fun.

Well, Megumi gave bought a card, it was the New Year Card of her office.

The members of this office won a prize in a architecture design competition. To be surprised, Megumi's name is on the list. (So she brought this card, and the photo was taken by her.) Megumi and Tomomi's characters are completely different, Megumi is afraid to get lots of attention and expectation, so Yuki and I are just watching her.

On the other hand Tomomi steps forward getting attention.

Well, on the day of the Coming-of-Age day, who was the busiest person?

Probably Yuki was. He was a perfect chauffeur, he said "I was busier and more tired than usual working days (because of unusual work)." So I said "You should be proud of this role, because you have daughters.) Actually the parents who have only son, are not so busy. He took her to a beauty salon early morning, and picked her up to home, at noon he went to buy SUSHI, in the afternoon he took her to a place where the cereomony was held, and while the ceremony, he took his mother to some places, and picked her up at the time when the ceremony was finihsed. And he took her mother to the statioin. As soon as he went back to home he took her to a place where the party was held. While the party we had dinner out side, and he picked her up at the time when the party was finished.

Well, usual day in 2010 has started.

lull before the storm

Though it is the big title, it is a suitable title to express my feeling. An exhibition will start tomorrow, my elder daughter will show her works there. Until March, she is going to show her works at three exhibitions.

After that, she graduates from the art college, and --- unfortunately she doesn't get official job offer yet. Now she accepts her current situation positively, it means she doesn't become an office lady. She will go to an illustrator school while she will work part time job. I wanted her to have stable life, but-- it can't be helped. "Thanks of" business depression, she decided to pursue her art world. Now what I can say to her is "Let's try what you can".

Well, this Monday is "Coming-of-Age" day. My younger daughter is going to attend the ceremony that is held on Sunday. So she is going to come home again with my mother-in-law.

-- So, today's title is "lull before the storm"

Now she goes to a college to study architectural design, and also she studies (or works, because sometimes she get some money) at an architect's office. I don't know in which field she will work, but studying at the office seems to give her lots of things. In this depression, it is lucky for her to get such a opportunity. (And it is true, when her teacher in the college heard about this job, he was really surprised, and said "you are lucky")

Both of my daughters live their own life without me.

Happy New Year!

One week has already past since I wrote the last blog in the "last year".

Yes, now it is2010. Happy New Year!

For these 10 days, I could spend quality time with my family.Having family is wonderful, on the other hand I really understand, my mother has her own life, and my mother-in-law has her own life, and each my daughter has started their own life.

So I have to face to my own life by myself, and rethink our (it means Yuki and I) life without kids positively. It is one of my new year's resolution. The key word is "positively".

Well, Well, this is diary for the 10 days.

I "discovered" wonderful spots in TOCHIGI. TOCHIGI is famous for hot spring, but this time I really understand. TOCHIGI's hot spring is as wonderful as other famous hot springs.

After the Christmas, my mother came to stay with us, and we went to a hot spring. Here I tried to "ASHI-YU" for the first time.

ASHI means legs and YU means hot water, or bath.

Not so bad, if you have trouble of chilblains, try to ASHI-YU.

Well, about the legs, my daughter and I look the "same" age, don't they?

On the New Year's Eve, my mother and my daughters went to back to TOKYO. On the other hand Yuki and I spent here while watching TV.

On the New Year, early morning we went to TOKYO by car. We cerebrate the New year with my mother-in-law, Yuki's brothers' family, and my daughters.

After that we went back to TOCHIGI by car with my daughters.

We went to another hot spring. When I thought "4 km more and I'll get there", suddenly the scenery had changed. "SNOW -road".

This year we didn't have snow tires. So the car was slipping, but Yuki drove well, and we got there. (Additionally, when we returned, the owner pulled our car.)

To be correctly, it is not hot spring, it is called mineral spring. The water is warm, so at the inn, they boil the mineral water. Compared usual hot spring, the big difference is not the temperature. According to the owner usually the water of hot springs is pumped out, but this mineral water is leaking up from the ground.

http://www11.ocn.ne.jp/~kotaki07/index.html.htm

The dinner was pot dish of wild duck. (KAMO NABE)
And the served some curious kinds of mushrooms.

The white thing is JINENJYO, Japanese yum. It was really sticky, but really delicious. But unfortunately as soon as my younger daughter started to eat, she felt itchy. So though she love it, she couldn't eat.

The breakfast is a typical Japanese breakfast.

We had wonderful meals for ten days.

For ten days I was a daughter, a daughter-in-law, and a mother, but not a good "house wife".

It meas I had really wonderful winter vacation.

Well, today, from early morning I washed clothes, cleaned the rooms, --- I was a "good" housewife.

From tomorrow, my usuald day is going to start.

KOTOSHI MO YOROSHIKU

I hope you enjoy my blog, and I'm looking forward to getting comments from "you" in the world.

I'm ready for the New Year

How are you doing? We already changed decorations in to the New Year.

Yesterday, though Yuki went to work, he came back early and "anyway" cleaned most of the windows in the house. "Anyway" means "instantly", "quickly", and "roughly". It's OK, for "us" (probably when my mother and my mother-in-law come, they will not notice the windows were cleaned.)

Next year, it is called TORA (it means tiger)-DOSHI on the Japanese (or Chinese) zodiac calender. So I put a book which main character is tiger on the shelf of the entrance hall.

And I put some Japanese things on the other shelf and on the wall. ( Can miss-nippon-daze see them?), the right thing on the wall is Japanese kite, the left thing is a picture of Japanese straw sandal, WARA ZOURI. WARA ZOURI has nothing with the New Year goods, but just I love the picture my daughter draw.

Yesterday, I got a box of sweets from NAGOYA. It is called "KAERU-MANJYU". You can see the label of a frog. Frogs are called "KAERU" in Japanese, and "KAERU" has some other meanings. One meaning is "to return". So I'm really happy to get it, because "my daughters are going to return here for a while" (though it means my busiest week in "this" year starts.)

Tomorrow, my daughters will come back.

The day after tomorrow, my mother will come, and we will go to hot spring and stay a hotel. And my mother and my daughters will go back to TOKYO.

On the Eve of New year, Yuki and I will stay here. And on the first day of New year, we will go to TOKYO to meet Yuki's relatives.

book 4 in Christmas

Yesterday, a friend presented this book to me. Do you know Robert Sabuda? His pop-up books are really famous, I have some, but I didn't have this book. So I'm really happy. Robert Sabuda is introduced as a paper engineer. Actually his paper "technique" is wonderful.

At the night, one junior high school girl came to take the extra lesson. So I unwrapped this book with her.

When we opened the first page, --"c, candle."

The next page --"h, home".

Yes, this book has 9 pages with Christmas"

So I asked her?

What is the next picture???

R -- rain deer.

Yes, wonderful answer, but false.

I -- "difficult". so she said "ink". Why ink? I understand, because "ink " is a typical word that starts with i in my phonics lesson.

S -- sweet.

Yes, good answer, but false.

T -- tree.

I thought it was right, but false

M -- it is difficult for her, so she said a typical phonics word "monkey".

A -- America, she said --- no, no, this book is word-famous.

S --"sleepy" -- I understand her feeling.

If she had paid attention more on this book, it would have been easier to guess the last answer.

She often makes careless miss because of her lack of observations skills, so she came yesterday night. though it is same for me.

From today, each student go back with the apple pinata. Let's enjoyg this Christmas week!

Christmas nowadays -2-

The other day a letter was published on the newspaper.

"These days in December, here and there Santa appears, And every kid think --Santa presents something to me, I can get something from him. -- It makes me a little uncomfortable. I think we need to tell them for what day is Christmas, and a split of service and sharing."

Actually Santa is popular on a comical basis, and Santa is not religious man. But it's difficult to spend this season without the word "Santa". I understand the letter, and I agree with the letter partly. But anyway the remarkable thing to me is, most kids believe Santa. These days a called "dry" or "machinery" period. But kids are always kids.

They believe something with pure childish feeling. I like the feeling. I don't want to argue whether we believe got of not. I think it is not bad to looking forward to coming Santa. Of course these days kids or my students are good at balancing the losses and profits. So they count the presents like this, one is from my grandparents, one is from my parents, and the last one is from Santa. Additionally, in the Japanese traditional way , they can get "OTOSHIDANA, new year's monetary gift". They are completely different from Christmas presents. Some kids think that "On Christmas, I get something from Santa, and on the new year I get money from my relatives." So we need to tell the kids for what is the Christmas and the Hew Year's day in Japan.

Probably while I'm alive, Santa is alive, and the custom of getting OTOSHIDAMA continues supported commercial bases. On the other hand, Santa will never die supported pure childish feeling, and Christmas is celebrated as a family event in Japan. and the New year's ceremony continue as a Japanese family relation event.

On the 2nd my daughters will come back to Utsunomiya after we will celebrate the new year's ceremony in Tokyo. I like this book, I put a photo of this book in Japanese version.

Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus

Christmas nowadays -1-

This is notes for tomorrow, though I'll make a speech in Japanese.
Christmas is just around the corner, I call this week "Christmas week". This time I'll re-think the Christmas week in Japan, to the past, nowadays and in the future.
Long, Long time ago, oh, it's a joke, when I was a child, I was looking forward to eating a round decorated cake with my family, and getting some presents. When my mother cut it into some pieces, my brothers and I would argue always about the size. Cake was special sweet, and especially a whole round cake was special. And butter cream was common, now fresh cream is usual. We had big (but Japanese-sized) gas oven so my mother grilled chicken. Cake and chicken were the perfect feast for us. But I don't remember the phrase " Santa will come tonight!". We were not Christians, but I went to a Christian kindergarten at that time. So I remember playing Christmas pageant, singing some Christmas carols. But they were not strict Christian kindergarten. I think, at that time, Santa was not popular.

I'm not sure, since when Santa has got so popular like nowadays. But I had told to my daughters "You've been good girls, so Santa will come tonight. Let's make big socks of newspaper". Newspaper was enough big, and and really suitable to make socks easily, quickly with glue for them. The scenes were recorded on the video. On 25th morning as soon as they got up, they ran down to check the socks with joy. And on 25th, I baked a round cake and decorated it with fresh cream. And my husband bought chicken at KFC. (At that time, KFC was really popular. Additionally, when my daughters were high school students, some of their friends word part time job at KFC, so we had to have KFC chicken murmuring about the calorie.)

Anyway Christmas was a family event, now my daughters enjoy their Christmas with their friends now, and hew year celebration has been our relation's event.

poahced egg2

Are you enjoying counting days to Christmas?

Well, first I "should to " show the correct way of the poachpod.

Jan sent the photos.

And I put my breakfast photo on my photo page, a lady told the intereseting site of "eggs 4 breatfast".

If you are intereseted in it, drop it by.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1099204@N23/

a vending machine

Most of foreign people are surprised at lots of vending machines when they come to Japan.
We can find vending machines everywhere, and they have cold drinks when it's hot, and they have hot drinks when it's cold.
I'm used to the scenery, but yesterday I was really surprised.
I found ramen(noodel) cans, not cup noodels.
I'm not sure, whether they have cold ramen can when it's hot???

poachpod

Mr.Santa already came to Yuki and me. This morning "he" enjoyed the sauce of RHINo PERI-PERI with vegetable dishes. And I tried to use "poachpods".

Are they usual in your country?

Probably I worte before, in Japan "ONSEN TAMAGO" is populer, looks like poached eggs. I sometimes make them using rice cooker. It is easy to make because while we(not we, the rice cooker) cook rice, we can make ONSEN TAMAGO in the same rice cooker.

According to the direction, I tried to use it.

Put a little oil in the pod, break an egg into it, season -- with parsley, and
place in a small pan with about an inch of water in it. When the water starts to create a steam, cover the pan and allow to cook for about 5 minutes

And the directions says
"you will have a perfectly poaced egg (yes, perfectly) that will easily slip out of the pod." --yes, it was easily. but I failed.

in December

At first, now our living room is like that.

Lots of --- can you guess? --- apple pinatas. Last week every student made one own pinata. And this week they put something into each of them. And the last week in December, they will take it back as a Christmas present. We don't break it open, though some will do at their home.

I don't know what they put in them. Anyway I told them and their parents to prepare 30 little things for them.

And in the kitchen, I always use this old heater. Of course we also use usual heater. Though I often write or tell you, we don't have central heating system, and in this area electric kerosene fan heaters are usual. So we put an electric kerosene fan heater in each room. On the other hand I stick to use this old heater.

Yes, it's December. Yuki and I don't have special thing to celebrate Christmas. But this month at my reading shows at nursery school, and at piano shows at KARAKU, I'm going to read Christmas books and play Christmas songs. So I enjoy Christmas by myself.

Well, yesterday Yuki and I had really interesting experience, and we thought " How foolish we are!". Now we try to Skype. So yesterday we called to my friend in America on the computer. The line connected, we heard a recorded message. It didn't tell the name. So we thought it was wrong number, I got panicked, so I click the cross mark on the computer before we heard the recording buzzer.
Mieko "it didn't say ***".

Yuki " Of course, it's her name, what is her family name?"

Mieko "Oh, yes, yes, this phone is for *** and *****. Wait a minute, her family name is, oh, ******, but I seldom use her family name except sending something from the post office. Yes, I understand, it must have told her family name. How foolish we (Yuki said, "you") are!".

10 minutes later, we tried again.

And at that time, we noticed, the line was still on, though I clicked the cross mark on the "Skype" screen.

I turned off the line, and called again.

I could hear her family name, and I tried to leave message,

but this time I wasn't used to speaking to someone in English especially on the phone, so I got panicked again, so Yuki said "hi ----"

and we "turned off " the line.

And immediately I e-mailed to her, saying sorry we left strange message.

This computer quality is not so good, so it might be difficult to talk smoothly on the Skype. But I 'm going to talk to her on the Skype.

The problem is an time difference.

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?