HITSUMABUSHI

Have you ever heard "HITSUMABUSHI"?

You know Japanese people like eels, though some foreigners say "yuck".

And HITSUMABUSHI is one way to eat eels, and it is one of the typical specialties of NAGOYA in AICHI.

The "real" HITSUMABUSHI is

http://www2.aia.pref.aichi.jp/voice/no17/17_feature.html#Hitsumabushi

My husband went to NAGOYA on business the other day, and he bought HITSUMABUSHI-kits at a souvenir shop.

"Real" HITSUMABUSHI has enough eels, but the eel in this kid is a little. So we bought eels at a supermarket.

In Japan eels are expensive. Especially domestic eels are really expensive. So we bought domestic eels, and imported eels, though I know even the snig (baby eels?) of domestic eels are imported. But actually their taste and texture are different. Domestic eels are soft and thin, imported eels are hard , fishy--or rivery (I made this word, they smell like river) and wild.

Anyway we enjoyed eels themselves at first for dinner.

AND--- we got full.

So this morning we made a point to eat HITSUMABUSHI, though we ate out eels we bought for HITSUMABUSHI at supermarket.

We ate them lots of SHISO leaves I picked up from the garden this early morning instead of lots of eels, though there are some cut eels in them.

late bloomer

At a meeting, a lady asked a question to us.

"How old will your children be when you say "our kids will grow up", or when you imagine the future of your kids?"

And she continued, "Probably when they will enter the university, they will be 20, or they will graduate the university. Until then you (parents) will have been worried about your kids a lot, but if you imagine the future of their 50's, most of worried things might be tiny things for you."

Most of them nodded (in agreement), except me.

I understand what she wants to say, --- don't seek a conclusion quickly.

If on today's test she or he gets a bad score, it's not a big thing.

Most of members are younger than I (some members are as old as I), and their kids are in the kindergarten, elementary school or junior high school. I'm the one whose kids are in the university.

And now, I know "she" : means my elder daughter, is struggling to manage her way the most, and if I think about her life, it might be the first hardest situation. Sometimes she got bad scores, but she could manage her life without big troubles. She failed the entrance examination for the art college, but the college where she goes now is not so bad. (It means decent level, and modestly famous).

(On the other hand in my younger daughter's case, she was provided ambulance service twice, I was called from school sometimes because of her bad scores , and after that of course we had big quarrels, and ---)

But I sigh now, she is going to graduate the college, but --- . Is it "my" result to bring her up or spend our (including my husband) energy (including money) on her education? I know, it is too fast to seek the conclusion. She might be late bloomer. But for her future I think she is standing at an important point. Without thinking now I can't imagine the time when she reaches to her 50's.

Probably I must seek stabiliby too much.And even now I can't imagine when I reaches to my 50's. On a different meaning I'm struggling in my life.
The proverb says, Great talents mature late., I know, but it is necessary to add some words. Great talents mature late while you are seeking, learning, and acting.

Well, this weekend is TANABATA. I use the paper on which we write our wish as the sheet for word test of Junior high school students. And they hang them on the "tree" in front of the entrance hall, instead of SASA tree which I prepared for TANABATA.

My junior high school students are really sassy these days, but -- they are still kids.

things I could throw away,and I coudn't

In the morning I struggled things in a two book shelves (the big one and the smaller one). This house is about 23 years old, can you guess what were the oldest things or books?

Our reference books (not my daughters) in probably high school, or university. At that time we studied mathematics 3 fulled of marks of integral. And I started to work at a company I learned C-language. I learned FORTRAN, COBOL and assembler at university, and at that time C-language was a new language in the computer world. Is it still used now? Anyway I turned the paces of the books quickly, but CHINPUNKAN--- every word made no sense to me. Where the knowledge has gone????? Anyway I throw the books away.

Well, well, well, it is a matter of course, about 20 years ago I was a "young" mother. My daughters were in the kindergarten. At that time I used to make and sew many things for them by myself. And as a line at the kindergarten, kids were wearing hand-made smocks, so I had to saw it. And once a year, at the Sports Day parents did a costume procession. It was the dress --the title was "HIMAWARI MUSUME" (sunflower girl). Because the class name was "HIMAWARI", sunflower. What a pretty dress though it is crumpled. I was the head of PTA of the class, so I've had it. Well, the person who wore the dress was unfortunately not me, younger mother. Now she is OBASAN ( it means not young any more.) I put it away in another place.

Anyway I got rid of the shelves. Half of them I threw away, but half of them I put in another place. And the most things I couldn't throw away were my daughters things, pictures they drew, textbooks, comics-- this case, we should be scolded if we did.
Now they are not here, but I couldn't. Thinking my mother's house, actually many things I used to use are left.
We are parents, though it is not strange.

July is just around the corner.

Today it was really hot, thought it is still rain season. According to the weather report, since this Monday it will drizzle again.

But anyway July is just around the corner.

On July 7 it is TANABATA or the Star Festival. On the day, people write their wishes on colorful strips of paper and hang them on bamboo branches.

So I put "plastic" bamboo tree at the entrance, and next week I'll have TANABATA lessons writing student's wishes on paper stars.

I'm happy to celebrate this festival. If you live in Japan, you don't see such bamboo trees in your neighbor hood. When I was a child, my mother got a bamboo tree from somewhere, and I would hang some strips of paper written my wishes.

But now, such "event" is done at kindergartens or nursery schools.

Well, the day after tomorrow, the July issue of a magazine goes on sale. In the magazine, my friends works are introduced. I have one. I'm proud having it, and having such a friend. Congratulations chocominto-san.

http://book.nihonvogue.co.jp/search/searchDetail.do?productId=3225

It is rainy season

Yes, in Japan, it is rainy season except HOKKAIDOU. But yesterday morning, here, we didn't have rain, so I went to TOKYO without an umbrella. How careless! It took about one and half hours by bullet train. 20 minutes passed since I got on a train, it was raining. And I got to UENO, it was raining heavily.So I bought this ****** with grinning and mumbling "it is a good chance".

Can you guess what it is? Yes it's an folding umbrella: Do you know that?-- these days folding umbrella can be folded up into 4 layers.

The handle is the face of JR (Japanese usual train in TOKYO.) I was at UENO station, so I could buy this umbrella. T he outside was usual than I thought.

Well, what are you doing, Ms.I? This morning we ate KASUZUKE you sent to us. They were really delicious, sorry thought they have good quality, I burned them a little (not a little?)

What is KASUZUKE, it is a fish pickled in SAKE (Japanese alcohol) lees. and the kind of fish are cods.

Gulliver's Travels

Have you read the book of Gulliver's Travels? I know the story (but today I knew, it was one of the stories), so probably I read the abridged version for kids in Japanese when I was a child.
Today at our meeting of intensive reading English picture books, we read Gulliver's Travels in English though it was also the abridged version (penguin readers), and talked about the stories.

In the book there are three stories; A Journey to Lilliput (at a small people country), Gulliver in Brobdingnag (at a huge people country), and Gulliver in the Country of the Houyhnhums ( at a horse country instead of people). Unfortunately the story about a country in the sky is skipped, and I don't know in the story the author wrote about Japan and "Japan" is the only one real country in the story, I'm going to read the story some time soon in-- probably Japanese)

The Last story was fun, it was about "horses", the last month we read "Black Beauty". Horses seem to be special thing for American and England People, actually I felt that in Aiken this spring.

Well, through three stories I thought three words in my mind, they are "discrimination","IJIME", "ignorance".
"Discrimination" is not bad, I know. But wee usually live or associate with people who have the same feeling with ourselves unconsciously, sometimes we discriminate others ."Discrimination" is here and there. I want to have capacity to accept various people, though whether they and I will become friends or not is another thing. Begin compatible and with no distinction are different.
(Does this sentence make sense?)

"IJIME", these days in Japan this thing makes a big problem at school , workplace. Probably "IJIME" is translated to "bullying" in English. BUT these days "IJIME" has a little bit different nuance, so in some reports in English I've seen the new word "IJIME".
A woman said, "when people speak ill of someone about the things he or she never change, age, sex(these days it can be changed), height, weight (it can be changed), family background, appearance, and the person us deeply hurt, it is "IJIME"."
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/shukan-st/english_news/essay/2009/ey20090605/ey20090605main.htm?print=noframe

And the last word I thought in the mind was "ignorance".
It is an ironic proverb, I know. "Ignorance and incuriosity are two very soft pillows."
But these days I sometimes think because of getting old, ignorance would make my life calm.
When I face to another world, I'm afraid of the world, I envy the world, and I sometimes discriminate the people in the world.

Does this make sense so far? Even in Japanese it's a little difficult to settle what I thought in my mind.

EIGO RAKUGO

EIGO means English, and RAKUGO means -- it's difficult to translate it in English, according to a dictionary you can see these words "Japanese sit-down comedy, comic monologue, comic story, comic story telling , comic storytelling".

Anyway I went to Tokyo to listen to EIGO RAKUGO of Mr.Kaishi.
He said; (though include my opinion) "Japanese people are seemd not to understand jokes, but we can understand jokes, and we have a 400 old traditional performance of RAKUGO. I want to show the world of RAKUGO to people in the world "

I'm not sure whether Japanese people don't understand jokes. We , of course , laugh. Probably the points of view to laugh is different according to people.

Nowadays "HAIKU" is becoming a world-word. (I'm not sure whether this sentence makes sense). In Japanese when we make "HAIKU" we keep 5-7-7 tempo. And Japanese is easy to keep the tempo, because we can separate the word based with vowel sounds, like Ha-I-ku.
But other languages are different and difficult, but they enjoy the style of HAIKU in their ways.

So probably "RAKUGO" is also be able to be enjoyed everyone in each way.
To share laughing is interesting, though it might be impossible to convey delicate nuances, and it might be different in the laughing points.

I'll introduce a short comedy.
Japanese version is
A: Hato ga nanika otoshitayo! (A dove has dropped something!)
B: FU-----n (Fu---n means really, but fun( the pronunciation is f-oo-n means shit)

So Mr. Kaishi's English version is
A; A bird has dropped something!
B: Oh! Shit!
C: Exactly!

Which do you enjoy?
I can understand both of them.
But Japanese version is "A dove", it has the nuance of "calm", "innocent", "slow".
Person I feel that person B is smiling.
On the other hand in English version I feel that person B is shocked, and person A is grinning.
What do you think of it?

Anyway if you can enjoy this story, please drop by this site.
http://eigo-rakugo.com/index.html

I have a question

What difference is there between "oval" and "ellipse"? Do you chose the word case by case?
in many picture books about shapes I have usually "oval" is introduced, but the other day I knew, at math lesson ellipse is used. Is it right?
http://www.mathsisfun.com/area.html

Are they same?, just the difference is depending on the world? (It means math world, or usual world)
If you are free, please teach me.

LIke a (wonderful) storm

My friend came to stay with us and went back, she was like one-night storm.
Now I'm alone in this house as usual, from the afternoon some students are going to come, it is usual.

I called some friends to tell her visit, every body said "Really? NATSUKASHI (I don't know the suitable English, good old memory? or It feels just like the good old days to see you again.)
And many years passed since "I" talked them on the phone.

Around 4 o'clock, "she" arrived there.
We went a restaurant "OKONOMIYAKI". There are 5 friends, thought someone came out as someone went in.
My husband picked us (me and her) up by car, but he also drunk, so "I" (I usually don't drink alcohol, and in Japan no one who drink or even "ship" alcohol must not drive a car) drive them home.
It was at 10, not so late but everybody went to bed, because she left home at 5 in the morning on the day, and my husband had to leave home 5 the day after the day. And I was tired.

The next morning, my husband left home at 5, I got up as usual time and prepare breakfast.
At 7 in the morning, another friend came with breakfast.
She took a walk to see her neighborhood, on the other hand I started preparing for my job in the morning. About at 10 o'clock another friend pick her up to tour this area, because since she moved to another city this area has changed a lot. I went to work.

At noon, 2 friend came to see her to have lunch. It was just a lunch bread for a friend. The other friend works from 2 o'clock. And my lesson starts at 4:30 o'clock.

At 2:30, everybody went to usual life. "She" left for her house, probably it takes 3 hours from here by car. Today she is working now. The other friends are also working. I'm at the computer.
Now it is my usual life.

Well, it is cloudy, so I washed a sheet but --- probably it won't dry. Tomorrow I'll go to a coin laundry nearby.

Monday again.

The title is---, too usual. While we are alive, days run in circles.

Well, have you visited my photos site? If you've come there, I'm really happy. These days I have a problem about the site, not a problem, it is my mistake. I forgot my account, and can't manage it. So finally I rebuilt new account and new photo site has started.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/choro2009/

Last week I was really busy, and I'm afraid I cancelled playing the piano at a usual tea room.
The other things I had to do was done.
This week, I have two "big" wonderful things. The first one is that, my friend is going to stay with us, though it is only one night. She lived there, and 12 years ago she move to another city. Since we met each other, probably 7 years has passed. Once or twice a year we talked on the phone, but this time we will be able to talk face to face, though both of use get old.(We are in the same age.)

Another thing is that, this week end I'm going to listen to RAKUGO with another friend to Tokyo. Of course listening to Rakugo is fun, but I haven't talk with the friend for a while. She was really busy to care her father-in-law, and this spring he passed away. Now she is also busy to care her mother-in-law, unfortunately her mother-in-law becomes senile.

My mother nursed her mother-in-law, her mother, and her aunt. (My father suddenly died with cardiac infarction, so she couldn't nurse him.) Fortunately my mother and my mother-in-law are fine. BUT though medical technology is being advanced, the facilities are not enough or getting poor or is left. So nursing is a big jog for women.

Anyway it is Monday. Today's breakfast was "cake". We (my husband and I) got it yesterday night, and we were alreday full so we couldn't eat it. Too sweet? Too high in calorific value? Sometimes are OK, I think.

Can you do it?

Look at the first photo, it is a box which inside is red and outside is blue. The box is assembled with 12 triangles. Can you turn it inside out without holding the triangles like the next photo which inside is blue and outside is red.

The third photo is another virsion, this is a little bit bended box.

Do you know these puzzles?

Among some friends of mine these puzzles are now current topics.

Let's enjoy them.

The first week has done

Now, it is Sunday, though Monday is just around the corner. I've done all things I planed.
On the other hand, I'm afraid that my daughter's workplace is not decided. Now a little quarrel, ,arguing , or discussing has started among her, me, and my husband, though she is trying to do some other job interviews. According today's newspaper, forty percent worker they started to work after their graduation from this year "if I graduated next year, I couldn't get this job". Yes, we are in the big depression. On the other hand a boy passed two big companies. It means her will to work there might be a little weak. (I hope this English sentence makes sense)


This week I went to TOKYO twice, The first one is to attend English club meeting. And Another one is to visit my friend's exhibition. The exhibition is wonderful. I bought her hand made wallet.
Next month her works are introduced by a magazine.

Today I went to my friend's farm to pick up last strawberries of this year. There were many people to enjoy picking them up. I read some English picture books for the kids there. Well, today I noticed in the pot, I found "one" raspberry. It is the first time of it to have a fruit.

And this week I got three interesting picture books. I knew two of them from a artist. And the last one is introduced by an elementary school teacher. All of them are not introduced by English or Japanese teachers. "Picture book" world is really interesting. Have a nice new week to all of them and me.

June

June came, and rainy season is just around the corner.


Last Saturday it rained, and yesterday it also rained but during the bad weather (for me, some kids enjoyed the weather) Sports day event was done in this area.


I know how hard to do PTA-job in the rain, it means not just to visit, to run hear and there in the ground to help kids with teachers. Of course teachers are also hard, but it is their job, and PTA-job is---just volunteer. Opt, I don't want to discuss what doing volunteer means--- later. (These days I often talk this issue to myself.)





Well, today it is fine. I have to go to a clinic for a monthly check. And on the way home from the clinic, I'm going to drop by some stores. Yes, it is a housewife shopping day.





Today I cut some stalks of the rhubarb in the garden. It is the first harvest of this year. I baked them with cream, and made rhubarb cream paste. Of course I baked bread.

All weekends in June I have something to go out. This week I'm going to go to TOKYO to visit my friend exhibition. Next week I 'have to' attend a meeting of a company I belong to. And next next week --- I'm going to go to listen to "RAKUGO" in English.

Do you know RAKUGO? Rakugo, the telling of long humorous stories, mainly in the form of dialogs.

Anyway June comes, and ---probably bug season comes. The other day I saw a small cockroach in the kitchen. Cleaning and ventilation is necessary against bugs and molds. Housewives are busy.

FUKUSOKU-DOBUTUS

Do you know the word of "gastropod"? In Japanese FUKUSOKU-DOBUTSU.
These words (Japanese and English) are the first words for me.

The other day a woman come to our study meeting.
Most of conversaiton is of course done in Japnaese, I try to write it down in English.

Mieko "This book is also useful and fun to introduce numbers to kids"
-- I read a English picture book.
How many legs on an octupus? -- eight legs on an octupus.
How many legs on a bug?---------six legs on a bug.
------ continue, and finish
But no legs on a slug!

Ms. H " In English slugs have no legs, don't they?".
Mieko "What? "
Ms.H " Slugs have a leg they have muscle in their belly, so they belong to "FUKU(belly)-SOKU(leg) Dobutsu(animal) "
Mieko "Really? How about snakes?"
Ms.H "No, they don't have legs."
Mieko "Why do you know creatures very well?"
Ms. H "My major was biology."
Mieko "I see, so you don't mind that you daughter pick up lots of worms in the garden."

When I came home, I look for the word in my dictionary, it was "gastropod".
The origin of the word is Greek. gastro meas belly and pod means leg.
Did you know that??

harvest season

Now, lettuce is occupied in the small garden. So every another day we eat lettuce.

we get some beans, we get some kinds of herb leaves. Now it is a green-leaf harvest season in the garden.

Well, yesterday, my elder daughter fail a company's final exam. (though she passed through the fourth exam). --- It can't be helped.

In her life, probably it is the first hardest time and it is the time she becomes independent.

Well, well, well---

The other day one of my friend bought a new electric gadget. Do you know "MV Pen"? And immediately I thought I wanted one too. It costs about 10000yen. The cheapest way to buy is net shopping by Amazon. I sat at the computer, and open the Amazon page. First I clicked some books I needed. Next--- anyway I stopped just put it in my cart.

Yesterday, it was of course Sunday. Suddenly my husband started to put his closet in order with me. Why? The reason is clear. He wants to buy new clothes for summer, especially tennis and golf wears.

"We" rechecked the clothes, "he" casted some clothes he "never" wear away. "I" changed loosen rubber bands of three training pants. And we went out shopping. he bought some clothes with family budget. And we bought a little bit good quality beef, and wine for our dinner.
They cost over 10000yen.

Now I'm going to buy the new gadget, it is not so necessary, though it is in the cart.

How are you doing?

About ten days have passed since I updated this site. I'm so-so. Last week I had a slight fever. My husband was afraid I could have caught by "Swin Flu", no, just a cold. And last week swin flu wasn't not confirmed in Kantou yet, just only KOBE, though this week in TOKYO swin flu was confirmed. Here and there gauze (recently instead of gauze, three layers nonwoven is used) masks are sold out. How about your city? or country?

Since this month I started to go to TOKYO once a week to attend a meeting again. The meeting is fun, but it makes me really tired physically. But the meeting and the members get me a lot of energy, and from this power I can manage my English picture book meeting here. It's difficult to get such energy here, on the other hand it's difficult to manage such family-like meeting here in Tokyo. Last week I hold a English story-telling in the public liberally, many people came. I was really happy. Of course I'm not a native English speaker, but showing the attitude to enjoy English probably get people (not only kids) stimulus. There are many people who have a English allergy.

Well, in Japan swin flu comes, and we are in recession. My daughter's workplace is not decided, she is a senior. I'm not sure she can share her 4 year's experience in the college at work. And she doesn't pursue her art course, she wants to work in general. Now it is her life, it is her choice, my husband and I are just watching. If she were in a good booming period, it would have been easy to get job. It cannot helped.

It is the time for students coming. I'll update again soon!

Happy Mother's Day!

How are you doing on this day? Me? It's an usual "free" Sunday.

I sent some presents for my mother and my mother-in-law. And this morning I got a present from my elder daughter by mail. From my younger daughter?? I don't know.

The other day I told her "it' OK to send nothing on Mother's day".

She said : The word of NO you said means usually "yes", so I "should" send something for you.

Do I get something from her today??? I'm not sure. Anyway I always thing she is the same as I.

On the other hand, in my elder daughter's case, she called to me yesterday from a my favorite import food shop and said "I am here, what do I need to buy for you?". I told her some thing that I just have out of stock. And at 9 o'clock this morning they were delivered as a present of Mother's day.

Well, today it is "hot", like a day in early summer. Every plant is fine. Red-leaf lettuces are growing big and enough than we can eat. Rhubarbs are also fine, we can take some good stalks sooner.

Last week in my lesson, everystudent make their own picture books to their mother.

Happy Mother's Day!

The long vacation was finished

Now the newest type of flu is becoming a big issue, are you OK?

Well, my vacation was finished, usual days has also started.

Last Thursday some friends came to my house, as I already wrote.

And

my mother came to stay with us. My husband and I took her to a hot spring and farmer's shops.

She said "I can buy as much as I want" --- yes, all vegetables and homemade sweets are very inexpensive, and she will go home by car with us, so she doesn't worry about the "big", "heavy" baggage, and she has many friends around her house, so she can give presents as many as she wants.

The next day we went to TOKYO with my mother and lot of baggage "by car".

My husband and our younger daughter went shopping to buy a "windows" computer. Our elder daughter uses Mac computer because she goes to a art college.

My elder daughter and I went to see a candle exhibition and had a good lunch.

(Well, my mother was busy in delivering her presents to her neighbors.)

The next day we met my mother-in-law.

My husband and I came back here.

In TOKYO many intereseting exhibions are held, "city life " is fun and exciting --but a little bit expensive, especailly with "young " girls.

Well, Well,

I got an intereseting spicy salt from a friend, as soon as I got, I baked potatoes with it. "Yummy".

In this area strawberries are famous, and these days liquire of strawberries is on the market. The alcohol content is just 8 percent, not strong.

And at a farmer's shop we "finaly" found "URUKA". It is a kind of fermentation food made from fish; usally AYU. They are not so populer, some domestic people love, and at some domestic shops it is sold.

Anywayit was a busy and good vacation.

a seven-day straint holiday have started.

GOLDEN WEEK (in Japan we call this long vacation) has started.

Until last year during the week I had been busy in doing house chores as a mother, as a daughter-in-law, and as a daughter.

This vacation, it is not for my family, for me.

On 29th my husband and I went to see a movie "Red Wall". I'm not familiar in Chinese history, but it was fun, all male characters were "cool".

Yesterday, some of my friends came here from "TOKYO". I talked about some seasonable English picture books --the theme was "strawberries". And I baked brownie for them. Main dish is "GYOZA". ( This area, it is famous for GYOZA, there are many inexpensive GYOZA-restaurants, they went "GYOZA restaurant" -hopping, among 4 restaurants.

Today two guests come to take my lesson.

Tomorrow, my mother will come to stay and next day we (my husband , my mother and I) will to go TOKYO with lots of vegetables (my mother will come to buy these things).

My husband and my younger daughter are going to go PC-shop, my elder daughter and I are going to listen to English RAKUGO(Japanese sit-down comedy???).

Next day I'm going to go to see an exhibition in YOKOHAMA, and come back here. ]

On fifth, it is a gardening day -- probably.

On sixth, it is even a holiday on the calender, but my lesson starts.

Have a nice vacation!