being dedicated to our parents

After a long  time I baked bread with a bread machine. I could wake up surrounding by a good fresh bread smell.
In today's news paper the tragedy in Boston was reported. What a sad story it was! A 8-year-old boy who came to cheer for his father was involved and killed. What a sad father he was!  He cannot stop grieving for his boy's death. And the boy must have been dedicated to his parents to come and cheer.
Recently I learnt the word filial. I don't know how to use it exactly. But in Japanese being filial to our parents is OYA KOUKOU. We love the word.
In today's advice column of the newspaper was about being filial. The adviser said to  a woman who is in her 70's, and is really worried about her daughter in her 40's, "you enjoy your own life. You need not to be involved in your daughter's life. Showing your happiness of living by yourself is the last thing you can do to show your love to your daughter. After parents pass away is the time when kids show their appreciation to their parents."

Actually, seeing my mother and my mother-in-law who are living actively and happily makes me relieved and happy. On the other hand I often want my daughters to come back  home. If we lived together again, many troubles probably would happen.  But I want to go out somewhere with them though I don't often go out with my mother or my  mother-in-law. Anyway a ten-day holiday is just around the corner. I'll go to meet my mother and my mother-in-law. Because I'm filial to my mothers.

Massage

Have you ever get a massage at a company or clinic?
Last fall I had a bad neck ache. I went to a bone-setter instead of an orthopaedic. A few years ago, I also had a bad one, at that time I went to an orthopaedic, but there I got some cold compress, painkiller, and got electric cure with warm heat. So this time I went to a bone-setter. Since then I go there once a week.
There I get 15 minute massage with finger pressure and kind of chiropractic, 15 minute electric cure and 15 minute riding on a whole body rolling machine.
These things are kind of treatment, so I can use my health insurance. So it's reasonable.

In Japan there are various massage styles, such as Thai massage using oil and aroma, Korean massage using something, acupuncture, and so on. I sometimes (once or twice every six monthr) get  an one hour chiropractic massage which comes from America, though it is expensive because it's not a health insurance treatment. The chiropractic massage makes my body soft and stretched with pain. I like it, it means massage without pain makes me feel short on fun.

The other day I went to bone-setter. There I met one of my friend. The bone-setter was so crowded that we had enough time to talk together. Going to clinic with high fever is not fun, but going to bone-setter  is fun if I have a time. Until summer comes I seem to need to go to bone-setter.

Cherry blossoms

This year cherry blossoms started to bloom earlier than usual. Though they has started to fall, we could enjoy seeing cherry blossoms last Sunday.

Can you see the tree? It's a weeping cherry tree.

 

The interesting thing is the place. It's in the center of the ground of a elementary school.





The day we visited a small festival was held. It was fun.

This tree is called KOUSHI-zakura. Zakura means Sakura, cherry blossoms. KOUSHI means being filial, or  a devoted kid.

It has a folk story. Once upon a time a sick father and a son managed to live together. The father had knew his life would be not so long. There was a cherry tree by their house.It was winter. He wanted to see cherry blossoms before he died. So the sun wished strongly if the tree could bloom. One warm winter day, the tree bloomed, and on the day the father passed away. So the tree was named after the devoted son.

 

In the backyard KATAKURIs were blooming. Do you know the flower of KATAKURI?



 

We used to get starch from the stalk of this flower, so in Japanese starch is called KATAKURI powder. Now it's difficult to get from them, so starch is mainly made from potatoes or sweet potatoes.

On the way home we dropped by a private home which was opened just for two days.

There was a BUDA statue in a wonderful garden.

It' was a wonderful weekend. Now a new week has started. let's enjoy this week.



Dinner with our neighbor

The other day Yuki and I had dinner with our neighbor Mr.M &Ms.M in our house.

I don't know whether you believe or not, it was the first time to have dinner with four of us. Ms.M and I sometimes have a tea together at each house or at a cafe. But for Mr.M it was the first to eat something at our house.

Probably not so many Japanese people have dinner with neighbors together. Do you often have dinner with your neighbors?
Why we invite our neighbor?
We got a lot of meat from my friend who lives in Sendai. The meat was brand meet called SENDAI beef. It seemed to be difficult to eat all of them up with Yuki and me, and it was delivered on frozen condition so that it was difficult to  cut and share them with my friends.

We had a really good time with Mr. & Ms. M.
Did I tell you? I have been caught with empty nest syndrome a little. But fortunately I have lots of friends. And Yuki is also making friends through playing golf and playing the guitar apart from colleagues.
But we also want common friends. I know some Yuki's friends, but from them I'm Yuki's wife, and Yuki know some my friends, but he is Mieko's husband. We want have common friends directly. So We were really happy to talk with Mr. & Ms. M.
If we have common friends, our senior world will be more fun.

Cherry blossoms

Here in Utsunomiya, now it's the middle of cherry blossoms season. I don't know why Japanese people love cherry blossoms, but I love cherry blossoms.
When our daughters lived with us, we would often go on a picnic to see cherry blossoms with lunch boxes in this season. Since they left Utunomiya, Yuki and I have gone to see cherry blossoms in HACHIMANYAMA park. It is one of our annual events. (Seeing colorful leaves in fall is also one of them.)

In the early morning of last Sunday we went to see them. We were lucky because we could see them before it started to rain.

 

We saw cherry blossoms quickly (because it was cold, and we were hungry), then we went to a good restaurant to have breakfast.  The restaurant is a little bit expensive, but on Sundays they serve breakfast at a reasonable price.

 

Bread is better than the songs of birds.

 



An exhibition of Tomomi and other two freidns

This week, my elder daughterTomomi is holding an exhibition with her two friends.

Last month she held her personal exhibition, and displayed large works. This time she displayed small works.



 

The gallery is in Kichijouji, which is in Tokyo, and very popular among young people. So she and her friends seems to focus on young people. Their works suit to them.

 

I used to go Kichijouji, when I was young. Yuki also used to go there. It was about more than 30 years ago. Still now some shops, cafes,  and Jazz cafes, which we would go there  are kept being run. I'm very glad to see them.  In Kichikouji there is a famous Japanese sweet shop. Since I was young it has been famous, and there is always a long line waiting. On the day I went, there was also a line waiting. I don't like to wait in a line, but this time I felt some nostalgic, so I stood in a line.

 

It made me happy that the town where I used to go and play has still been lively and active.



 

 



Extreme Sports

The other day I read this book at an intensive reading meeting.
Do you know extreme sports? What extreme sports do you know?
Such sports are introduced in this book; aerial ballet, aggressive in-line skating, BASE jumping, BMX bike riding, canyoning, cave diving, hang gliding, snowboarding, street luge, wake boarding, zorbing.
I know some names, but I thought some of them are just just fun things not sports.
Have you tried any of these sports?

Anyway a common thread is "danger" (or you can say excitment).
I found an interesting report.
Do you know the word T-type personality?

Ts tend to be extroverted and creative, and crave novel experiences and excitement. Most of this type seems to be a man. It seems to be related to Y chromosome. Ts have more of an enzyme which makes themselves excited.

I also found another interesting report. We can be able to classified into 19 types. Which type are you?
Well, in Japan we love to classify people according to blood type. My blood type is O, so it is said the O blood person is easygoing.
Additionaly many people love holocope. When we open a magagine or newspaper, we can easily know how our luck is today.

Calm Sunday

How was your weekend? I had a calm Sunday.

Here in Japan cherry blossoms finally started to bloom. Some people might think that why Japanese people are so excited blooming cherry blossoms. Anyway we love seeing cherry blossoms.

Sunday afternoon, I went to an art museum.
At the art museum, an exhibition of MINIMAL was hold. Do you know the word MINIMAL? It seems to be a shorten word of minimal art. There were not only pictures but also 3D-works. I really enjoyed.

After that I dropped by KARAKU where I play the piano once a month. I'm really happy to have such a familiar tea-room. I talked with the owner for a while.

At night we invited our neighbor, and had a YAKINIKU party ( kind of  barbecue inside of the house). These days we seldom have a chance to have YAKINIKU at home, because there are two members in my house. So We had a good time.

 

And we ate too much, So this morning we had a light breakfast. But it was a little interesting. Can you see two yolks? These are not two eggs, there are too yolks in an egg. We got special eggs.

 

A new week has started. Have a nice week!

 

 

 





Monday

How was your weekend?
I didn't know that yesterday it was St Patrick's Day. In Japan the day isn't so familiar yet, but in some big city St Patrick Parades are held.
When did I notice the day? It was a concert.
Yesterday I went to a guitar concert organized a group. When I arrived the place, some people were wearing green clothes. And though I had thought it would have been a guitar concert, it was an Irish harp and guitar concert.

 

 

Did you celebrate St Patrick's Day? My friend Jan sent me a photo of corned beef.

She said

"Cooked for 8 hours in the slow cooker.

First, red potatoes, carrots, onion and some dark beer for the liquid. Then add the corned beef and sprinkled with pickling seasons. At 7 hours add wedges of cabbage for another hour."

Thanks Jan. If I had been with you, I could have enjoyed the day with you.



 



Do you know the shape of your kneecap?

Now I'm suffering from a bad pollen allergy. Though I take medicine, I'm not so comfortable. What I can say is my favorite phrase " it can't be helped."

Well, yesterday I had Tracey's individual English lesson. I learned a new word, which is "kneecap".
When I was asked "do you know the shape of your kneecap", I didn't understand the question. She wanted to show an example of having no meaning.

Anyway after she left home, I checked my kneecap, It was ellipsoidal.

Japanese love to talk about four seasons. And we are proud of having wonderful four seasons. So it's a usual question  for to ask foreigners who come to Japan how many seasons you have in your country? Actually I asked the guests from East Timor and they said that they had two seasons, which are the rainy season and the dry season.
When I met Tracey, probably I asked her the same question, and she said they had four.
I thought it was a natural question.
For her it seemed to be odd. She seems to think that asking the number of seasons has no meaning.

Do you think it's odd when you asked the number of seasons?

East Timor -2-

After visiting YUNUSHIGAWA, we went  to NIKKO which is one of　the  World Heritage sites. Have you ever been to NIKKO? or have you ever heard about NIKKO?
We visited TOSHYOUGU in NIKKO.

This is YOUMEIMON, the most elaborated gate with white poles, which has been mainteined for about 400 years.

This is called "Sleeping cat", which is a symbol of peace.
We  walked there for around one hour.

Well,, do you know what is the most major product in East Timor?
It is coffee. We got coffee from them.

 

 

The last day of their stay in Tochigi, a farewell party was held, and they made a presentation. Before coming to Japan, they had thought Japan would have been affected by radioation first and it caused Tsunami. And now they understood, first a big earthquake affected us, and Tsunami occurred and gave IWATE a lot of damage. On the other hand in FUKUSHIMA, because of the earthquake an atomic power station was affected. Unfortunately still now  it is prohibited to get in within 20 km of power station. But the food in the marketplace is safe, because the level of radiation in the food is checked.



Unfortunately many tourist spots and food in Japan have been hit by harmful rumors. We are really happy for their coming without fear of harmful rumors.

East Timor -1-

Do you know the country of East Timor? It is the first country to be independent in 21st century.
 The group consisting of about 44 members came to Tochigi prefecture to visit affected areas from the big earthquake which occurred two years ago through the Foreign Minster international program. Northern Tochigi was affected by the big earthquake, and now mostly they were rebuilt. They learned  how to rebuild their farm, shops, houses, and factories, and what measures are taken against earthquakes since then. And to experience a real Japanese life, a home stay program was organized for the last three days.

Two ladies came to stay with us at our house.
Fortunately they loved our sticky rice.

They stayed in Japan for ten days, and for the first 7 days they had no fun time. This home stay for the last three days was their fun time.
 In East Timor they have two seasons , which are the rainy season and the dry season.
Now in  Tochigi, we are still in winter. It means we can see snow when we go to northern Tochigi.
So we went to YUNISHIGAWA, which takes one and half hours  by car from here.

Ta-da!

KAMAKURA festival was held there. Can you see snow houses like igloos? We call them KAMAKURA. "KAMAKURA" is a snow house, about 2 meters square. The Kamakura tradition dates back over 400 years when small snow houses were made for the Gods and filled with food and Sake, which shelters an altar dedicated to the God.

Wedensday

It's a season of pollen. Many people are suffering from pollen allergy. Last night one high school student came in red eyes. She couldn't bear runny nose and itchy eyes and went to clinic. It was the first day to take medicine, it means she was too sleepy to take my lesson, though she said that the medicine which wouldn't make her sleepy had been prescribed.)

Actually I'm also suffering from pollen allergy. Though I take medicine, I feel listless. I thought I would caught the flu from Yuki, but I don't have a fever, not have a sore throat. 

And about Yuki, he has recovered. Fortunately he didn't suffer from high fever. Anyway he had to stay home until today. So he is contacting with his office via Internet. He cannot go out to play golf. Playing golf is his most important hobby. The next important hobby is playing tennis, of course he can't. Anyway he has to stay in his room quietly. So he works at home.

These days I often think about "parent and child" and "family".
Have you ever thought of the difference of two words?
The other day my family who are Yuki, our two daughters and I had a photo taken at a photo studio. It was the first time to have a formal photo taken.
On particular days like Adults day we went to a photo studio. But we didn't have a family photo taken. Because my mother or my mother-in-;aw was with us. I thought if we had a photo taken with only my family, my mother or my mother-in-law would be sad. And if we had a photo taken with my mother or my mother-in-law (It's rare that both of them are with us.) would be sad. So we had missed the chance to have a family photo taken.
I think my mother and I are permanently parent-child. Yuki and his mother are permanently parent-child. But our family consists with Yuki, M, T, and I.
Is it wrong?

Now our family is separating, probably our daughters make their own family. If we should live with them, we could keep our family. (Does it make sense? It's difficult to use subjunctive mood correctly)

Well, I got chocolate of Leonidas. Do you know Leonidas? In Utsunomiya we don't have a shop. So I'm really happy to get it.

March came

Now it's March.  Hina festival (March 3) has gone, so I put off Hina-dolls, and decorated  something to celebrate Easter.

Today Yuki is at home, it is unusual. Why? Finally he has touch of a flu. In the morning he went to clinic, and antiviral Tamiflu was prescribed to him. He has not a high fever now, but still has a slight fever. I hope he will recover until tomorrow.  We are going to have guests from East Timur this weekend, but if he doesn't recover, we have to  cancel it.

Well, what would you like to eat when you have the flu or have a fever?
I don't like to cold myself, so I usually drink lots of hot green tea, and like to eat hot UDON (Japanese noodle.)
I bought some oranges and a  big bottle of water with Vitamin C. He likes to have something cold.
I heard in America, people who have a fever usually drink coke. Is it right? I think it's not healthy.
Anyway he has enough appetite, so I sauteed beef for him for dinner.

Be careful not to catch the flu.

Tomomi's exhibition "White Atmosphere"

The exhibition of my elder daughter Tomomi was held.
She held her personal exhibition "White Atmosphere" at a gallery in OMOTESANDOU where is near HARAJYUKU. (I think many people have ever heard the name of HARAKYUKU town.)

To our delight many people visited there. And to our great surprise, one work was sold, though her purpose of this exhibition is not to sell works, but to earn acclaim in an art world.

Constantly some one came to see her works. Mostly they were her friends, teachers, and relatives including us. But some people who run a gallery also came. And people who come to OMOTESANDOU also dropped by the gallery. She is a really happy girl, ---- not a girl, a happy lady.

It is the first step for her as an artist. Anyway she has stepped into the art world. I'm always worried about her "regular" job. But it can't be helped. She is pursuing her way as hard as her possible.  To hold such an exhibition, she can't afford to have savings for her future. On the other hand thanks of her assistant job at art college, she can use a studio in the college. So she uses her private time including Sundays and Saturdays to make her art works in the college. She must be a lucky lady.

Do your best, and go your way, it's just the word I can tell her as a mother.
Congratulations Tomomi.

After Valentine's day

As soon as Valentine's day was finished, I put Hina-dolls. March 3rd is Doll Festival Day (or Girls' Day), the traditional Japanese festival is held to wish girls' both health and growth with Hina-dolls.Usually  families of girls  display Hina-dolls representing the emperor, empress, their servants, miniature furniture, and so forth, on a  seven-tiered stand. Actually the Hina-dolls I put consist of more than 10 dolls, but it was troublesome to put all of them. So I just put a main couple of Hina-dolls.

 

When I was born, my grandmother gave me. So once they were mine. When I married and came to Utsunomiya, I didn't take them, but when we had a detached house and had a girl, my mother sent them. Since then they were my daughters'. But when our two daughters left here, they didn't take them, so now they are mine again.

I'm not sure what  I will do when I have a grand daughter.  Will I send these dolls to her? I think they are too old, unfortunately.

 

Can you see two couples of wooden dolls? They are made by my daughters who were little.

It is a good memory to celebrate HINA-festival with them.

 

Well, today I had a tea-time at a cafe with my friend. She brought me her handmade pickles.

I'm a lucky woman, thanks of it, this week I can avoid lacking of vegetables without special cooking. (What a lazy housewife I am!)

 

 



Happy Valentine

Today, it is Valentine's day. How do you enjoy this day? Today we celebrate the day with this breakfast.

I cooked heart-shaped poached eggs. They look cute, don't they?
And I also wrote a message with white chlorate pen on the sweet.

 Since last Thursday my students and I had be doing this craft? (or cooking). Some students draw pictures.

Yesterday two elderly women came to take my lesson, so we did the same craft. I recommended them to write "I love you". Both of them were really surprised, but anyway they  tried to write it. AND, while they were writing, they cannot stop laughing. One lady said "I forgot that how many years passed since I used (not say) this message."

Anyway Yuki & I and all students had  had a great time for Valentine's week.

Tomomi's exhibition

Tomomi's (she is my elder daughter) personal exhibition is going to be held  2/22 - 2/26 in Tokyo.
It is a wonderful thing. Anyway she is continuing her way as a paper artist. Her main job is an assistant at an art college. It's an annual contract, and fortunately the contract has been renewed one more year.
While she works at the college, she has a workplace to make works.
Watching the challenges of young people is fun, on the other hand watching it without guarantee as a mother gives me anxiety. If we were rich we could support her more. -- I know supporting too much is not good for her.

Anyway holding such an exhibition is wonderful. My mother will go with someone almost every day during the exhibition. Two of my friends will manage to go to Tokyo to see it from Utsunomiya.

The purpose of this exhibitions is not to sell works. I don't know whether she put a price tag on her works. The main purpose is to win the art world's acclaim. It is the first step as a paper artist.

Flower Festival

At Romantic village  Flower Festival is held for three days. Yuki and I went there.

February is a month of Valentine's Day. So many flowers are arranged to celebrate Valentine's Day.
Do you know this city is " a little bit" known as a city of cocktail? Because some bartenders have often won prizes at a world cocktail contest. To advertise this city these flowers are put in a huge cocktail grass.

It was interesting that flowers are in  a kaleidoscope.

 

At the event Utsunomiya's mascot characters were there.

 

One is TOCHIMARU-kun. (TOCHI comes from TOCHIGI prefecture, MARU, and KUN means a boy.)



The other boy is KENTA-kun, of course he is a GYOZA boy. GYOZA (pot stickers) is famous and popular in our city of UTSUNOMIYA.

February

This weekend I went to TOKYO to visit my mother and my mother-in-law. Each time I go to TOKYO I think that; TOKYO is lively and busy, TOKYO is cheerful and noisy. It has both sides. BUT anyway TOKYO is warmer than UTSUNOMIYA.

When I walk with my daughters, especially with my younger daughter in UTSUNOMIYA, I often tell her to walk early. But yesterday I asked her to walk  more slowly in TOKYO. TOKYO makes every body walk fast.

Yesterday it was SETSUBUN, which is  to celebrate coming spring. On the day we have a special ritual. This day has another name, "Bean-Throwing Festival". We throw bean to cleanse away all the evil, and  drive away disease.
In most shrines this ritual was held. And many families must have enjoyed this "event", though we didn't do that.
And these days eating EHOUMAKI on the day is getting familiar. It is familiar in west Japan. But when I was young, or when my daughters were here in UTSUNOMIYA this food was not familiar. A few years ago a famous convenience store advertised "let's eat EHOUMAKI". Since then it's getting familiar in Japan.

It's a " huge" sushi roll. The EHOUMAKI I bought has egg, spinach, ground-beef, and KANPYOU (kind of vegetable) inside.  (There are various types)

I'm not sure why we eat it on the day. Anyway it is said eating it on SETSUBUN brings a good luck.



This was main for our dinner. Of course I bought sweets.
It was sold as "Fulankfulu ta Kuhen". It seems to come from Frankfurter Kranz.
Do you know Franfurter Kranz? I don't know.