White day

Today, it is "White day". it is the day that men present something to women to show their thanks in return for "Valentine's Day".
It's a new (but I knew at the same time when I noticed "Valentine's day") custom in Japan.
Although it's not so popular at school, it's a kind of "husband's duty" at home or "senior's" duty at office. So I got this chocolate from Yuki and we shared it for this breakfast.

 

And of course we celebrate pre- white day yesterday.

To easy my chore we went to a mall nearby and bought some cooked-appetizer.

To surprised there were many people in front of cake shops--- probably to celebrate "white day".

 

This week I have no lessons, I have one-week spring vacation.
The first thing I did was to rearrange the room for the next term. I rewrote the roll books, or changed the materials for the next term.
So the first day of my spring vacation -- was doing chores.

How did this happen?

On Sunday's such an article appears on the newspaper. It's fun. As you know we start to study English as a subject when we become hi the fifth grade at elementary school . However we have little chance to hear or see spoken English. So this article is fun.

I have a question. 

I know the answer of Q1 is How did this happen?

However many Japanese people must want to translate the Japanese in English "why did this  happen?"

What difference are there?

Well I've just finished cooking pre-cooked dishes for this coming week.

Yesterday I got lots of strawberries from my friend. So I made strawberry syrup. It will be mature in two weeks.

All lessons of this year has finished! -1-

This week was the final week of this fiscal year. We finished the lessons with crafts.

Little by little St. Patrick 's day is being recognized. I got this socks at a Qooker-yen shop.

So we made leprechaun craft.

When I visited my friend's house, I happend to meet this day. So she bought corn beef ?? To celebrate this day, of corse we wore something green. 

Though I don't remember it exactly , is it right to eat corn beef on the day?

 

A cold day

 

It's a cold day, even though in March, even though such an article was on today's newspaper.

And today graduation ceremonies are hold at junior high schools. Some of my students graduate today. Congratulations!

 

We don't see horse tails yet, in my garden peasant's eyes are blooming silently.

Anyway the spring has started.

 

Today I'll go to a new nursery school just to attend a one-time helper.

It's not bad.

Have a nice day!

When we get good quality beef---

Here in Japan, beef is not so inexpensive, and domestic beef is expensive , especially Tochigi- beef. We live in Tochigi prefecture, one of our local product is Tochigibeef, the brand mane is not famous compared with Koube-gyu, however it is one of brand beef.

When we get one, to make use of the quality perfectly, I use a gadget. Or you can say to entertain eating, to make cook the simply , or to ease house chores.

I steamed them with this machine.

We grilled them without any oil on our dining table while we were eating them.

 

We ate them in a healthy cooking.

Today I'm going to be a one-day pianist.

 

 

 

 

Monday has started

Monday has started,yes, a new,week has started as usual. Today it's raining. So the laundry won't dry , but  pollen won't fly. Which is better for me?.

This weekend we went to a laundry shop with a coin to dry bedcovers, and bedpats. ( after washing them at home). I like dry them out in the sun, and I don't have a cloth dryer (it's not unusual). However in this season if I dried  bed covers or other things.  I would have trouble while I'm sleeping, so we went there.

Usually it costs 100 yen per 8 minutes, I put 3 coins n the machine, we call  such a place "coin laundry".

Sunday

Contrary to the weather forecast, it's sunny today. Yuki has already gone to play golf with a big smile.

I hope someone has tried to yesterday's quiz.

I have already put Hina dolls away, and put Easter goods on the shelf instead. March is for the Easter.

We are going to make colorful eggs, or cook something with eggs.

I have already done Sinday's job.

So, today I am going to attend Toast Masters' meeting, --- I have to complete my script. 

Have a nice Sunday!

quiz time

Have your read these type of books?

It's fun for not only children but also adults especially who are not good at math!!

 

 

 

 

This is time for a quiz

 

 

 

How many combinations can you make using the numbers zero through nine?

The answer is hidden on this page.

 

 

Probably the answer is -----

 

I discussed it with my students.

A student asked me "Is it right to count up "2+1 = 3 " as a different equation from "1+2 = 3" ??

Another student asked me "Is it OK to use the number twice or three times? like "0+0="???

And another student asked me "Is it OK to use two figures number for sum like "1+9=10"???

 

what do you think of it?

What is your answer?? Anyway -- you have to find the answer on this page!!!

 

 

More than 5 million women are living in Japan???

According to this article, the number of men is 61,829,237, and the number of women is 66,280,310 -- of course in Japan.

 

I know women live longer than men,. Japanese average life expectancy of Japanese men is 80.50, and the one of Japanese lady is 86.83 in 2015.

However more than 5 million women are living now.

 

 

 

Yesterday it was Hina festival. Do you know this saying if you decorate Hina dolls for long time (I don't know the exact upper limit of the day to keep decorating them.) , your daughters won't be able to marriage.  So I have still one single daughter, so I have to put them away this weekend. Besides the number of ladies is higher.

 

I know in the current climate some parents don't spur their children to marry, and I don't either, on the other hand I heard that the reason why not to spur it is the marriage of the parents are not happy.

In this point, I don't agree. Of course we have had lots of quarrel and shared happy things with Yuki and me. So I usually recommend young people to get marry (not to have only a partner.) However just working somewhere doesn't seem to bring a chance of marriage.

 

Additionally according a survey of this official site,  in 2014 the number of boy's babies is 515533  and the number of girl's babies is 488006. I don't where the rate reverses.

 

 

Hina festival

Today, it's the day of Hina festival, or Girl's day, which is for celebrating growth of girls. ( not only girls of course, we can celebrate growth(?) of (senior) ladies.)

It's not a holiday, however many family with girls celebrates today with Sushi, cakes or something, and it's a good reason to eat two much sweets.

As usual I put my Hina-dolls on the shelf.

And -- for our breakfast I served kind of Sushi (but not sushi) to tell Yuki what it is today .

Contrary to this, I've never served something special on boys' day. Boy's day has another name, which is child's day. And it's a holiday. So we know it's a holiday, but I don't celebrate the day as boy's day because we have no boys.

 

Well, well, three years ago , we did YUINOU which means to exchange engagement presents in a customary ceremony. So I organized our Tatami room perfectly like this.

Happy Hina-Matsuri!!

Busy day!

Yesterday's "cooking club" was finished with lots of fun.

It was a busy day.

I started to prepare for it  at 8:30. ( The club started at 10:30)

 

Yesterday's main was Shepherd's pie. Probably in England  lamb might be used. However According to Mary Poppins in the kitchen the remain of roast beef is used. Both of them are very expensive in Japan moreover it's difficult to get lamb at  a supermarket in Japan.

So according to the recipe of the book we used ground beef though they are also expensive.

The dish I prepared was too small to be used so, I used a big pan itself after use fried meat and onion with the pan.

 

 

The dessert was Apple Charlotte, -- I forgot to take the cooked one. You see pre-cooked one in the first photo.

 

 

We had a good time.

And --- in the evening.

 

The quiet evening had come again.

 

Anyway it's Wednesday, in the mid of this week.

 

The current situation of supermarkets nearyby

In the morning I went out shopping. Though yesterday I also went shopping, I had to do it again to get ground beef. We usually buy fresh meat instead of frozen meat especially ground meat. (It's common in Japan to use ground meat.)  Usually the expiration date is within two days including the day.

 

If I use it for our family, I don't mind if we use it  the day after the expiration day. However I'm going to use it at tomorrow's workshop, which four people will attend. They must mind the expiration date.

So I went shopping again.

 

There are four super markets nearby.

The nearest one "T" is convenient because of the distance. And it's not so big so it's easy to search for something. However they don't deal in expensive things because the customers don't call for them. So when I want fish or meat with good quality I go another store.

The second nearest one is "O". I was surprised that though it was Monday (week day), the parking lot was already full. Why? Was it a special day today? According to today's fliers in the newspaper , it is just an egg-sales day.  Inside there were lots of seniors some of them were senior couples.

There, I couldn't get enough ground meat. There were only three packs of 100g ground beef.

The good things of O-supermarkets are that they deal in a little amount of foods like sushi for two people, fresh fish (sashimi) for two people, and good quality & low cost (because of the low quantity). And they are one of local markets, so they deal in local vegetables or others.

So we pay 1000 yen, but we don't need lots of sushi, just for two people, but we need good quality.

It is the reason why the store was full ---probably. (I was convinced of it after going to the next store.)

So I went to another super market. It was a national supermarket, so they deal in various things.

So the price is not so inexpensive, but not so expensive. They are intended for families.

It was a weekday, so it was not crowded. Here I found ground beef.

 

 

If I didn't find ground beef there, I was going to another super market which are between a supermarket and a department store. So the cost is a little bit expensive.

Anyway I found ground veer at a reasonable price.

 

Well, well, I've already organized the room for tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

Sunday

It's Sunday, it's at 11:14.
In the morning Yuki went to get a hair cut, and practice golfing. Probably in an hour he will come back.
While he was out, I did a weekend "mission" which is to throw away 15 things.
And -- solving a Sunday crossword puzzle. The puzzle of every last week is a little bit difficult, anyway I made it.
Do you know what is the strength between HB of pencils and H pencils?
I know the answer, but I didn't know the meaning. It was interesting.
 

 

And of course I cooked pre-cooked dishes for this week.

All of things are easy to cook, just simmer, or boil.

The one thing was a little bit elaborated. ( the word "elaborate" is too exaggerated in this case, what is the suitable word?)

I boiled SATOIMO (a kind of yam) while I grilled NEGI (a kind of leek), and after the yams were almost softened, I fried the yams and leeks with olive oil on another pan. After they were cooked perfectly, I marinated  them.

 

Yesterday I became into a little bit empty. It always happens to me after I go to Tokyo to meet my mother or my daughters. On the other hand If I lived with them in Tokyo, we would have quarrel every day. I know it. All of "the" women (including Akari) when they are together are really selfish.
Anyway the day was finished.
My usual day has started.

In the afternoon we are going to go downtown. Today one of my friends is holding an event.

A living report

I'll tell you how "far" to go to TOKYO by local train instead of car or bullet train! 

Let's start!

10:05

I'm waiting for a bus.

The fee is 210 yen to the station. 

Now I'm at Utsunomiya station.

I have to shop.

It's 10:47.

Now I'm in the train, which leaves at 10:56.

I'm a perfect grandmother with lots of bags. The green one is only mine.

One more train!

It takes 10minutes walk from here.

Yuki and our elder daughter joined us, and had dinner together at a Chinese restaurant in the evening. 

It's 19:08.

Now we  are on the bullet train. In 50minutes we are going to arive Utsunomiya, and take a taxi to home. 

So probably at 20:35 we will have been at home. 

How fast the transportation by bullet train is!

Good night!

Nothing special ---today--

Today, I have nothing special ---- it means I'm spending this day lazily.
Today and tomorrow I have no lessons. I was going to go to Tokyo but I changed the schedule. Just I go to Tokyo tomorrow for one-day trip to meet only my grand daughter. (Sorry I don't drop by my mother's house).

So today I have "nothing" special to do.
I thought I was going to go to the theater (early morning we can see a movie for 1000 yen, usually the fee of adult is 1800 yen).
However I was too lazy to go out.

Anyway I did house chores,  which are serving breakfast, doing the dishes, doing the laundry, wiping the floor with clothes (probably it's not a common chore, but I do), and watering the flower. Fortunately weeding is not included yet. I don't like cold weather, but the one thing I like is not weeding .

I made some reports, and now I'm updating my blogs.

Beside me some books are piled up. It's a good time to read them -- but I'm a usual woman, it means when we have enough time to do something, we tend not to do anything.
So I'm just lazy.

Now it's 10:30. It's a good time to have a tea break, though I don't know how many times I'll take a tea break today.

The last volunteer activity at a nursery school

Yesterday I went to a nursery school and did a English activities with kids. It was not a job it was a volunteer work which means was not paid.
I had continued these activities for more than 12 years.

The first volunteer activity related to English was taking the foreigners' guests who stayed with us  to the elementary school where my daughters went at that time. So it was ---- unbelievable! --- more than 20 years ago.
At that time we had few occasions to see foreigners including the other Asian people.
And I started doing an English activity at elementary school as a member of PTA.
And for a while I had continued it as a volunteer work after my daughters graduated.

Then, even in Utsunomiya, English lessons was introduced regularly, which has organized by   ALTs (assistant language teachers) . So my voluntary work was finished.

Next I was asked to come to nursery schools, and started.
Some of them are public nursery schools and the others are half-public & half- private .
I had too much offer from nursery school to manage by myself. So I asked my members to help them.
However it was not enough.
So I decrease the number of visiting there. On the other hand some mothers at nursery school began to show interests to English activities. So spontaneously some small groups  appeared.
On the other hand, at half public & half-private nursery school they decided to introduce English activities regularly, so they hired professional kids' English teacher.
So my voluntary work was finished.

 

 

And -- (though it might not be related to anything) I decided to buy a new car because since I bought the car, 13 years have passed.

 

The history of my volunteer work is closed with my current car. --- Does it make sense?

 

Though spring is coming---

First, Thanks lots of comments on my previous diary. I'm really surprised and happy to know that I have many supporters.
Well, I thought if I started today's diary with "urgent" again, I could have got many comments.
And I know "urgent" is effective to use it a few times.

Day by day I feel spring coming. As you know I don't like a cold weather. So I like spring, on the other hand it the season of flu (early spring) and hay fever.

These are our protective measures.
The bottle of splay is used to wet our paper masks, The inside is water & tea-tree aroma oil, and etc.
The middle bottle is a role stick, the inside is also tea-tree aroma, and eucalyptus oil, we often apply it the back  of the ears. And the left bottle , which is also a role stick is for our nose. I and my students often the oil besides of our noses to prevent running nose.

And I got the yellow bottle. Herval Ayurvedic Balm. The smell is really really strong. so it's really effective for the stuffed-up noses.

These days "hay fever" is a common symptom in the world???
If you have a fay fever, or some seasonal allergic, what kinds of protective measure do you get?

 

Today it is the last day to do an English volunteer activity at a nursery school.

I decided to stop such activities.

I had continued it for more than 12 years.

I decided to stop it by myself, on the other hand when I think it is the last day, I feel a little bit sad? sentimental?

Anyway, it's time to go out.

Have a nice day.

 

 

Urgent! Please tell me, somebody!

"r" is for a rope, "t" is for a tire,

and "e " is for ???  " w " is for ???

"m"   is for a mirror,  "d"  is for a drill 

"i "  is for ???

Please help my students and me!!!

winners of bibliobattle

The word of "bibiliobattle"  might not be familiar with foreigners or even Japanese people. Probably it is one of new words recently.
The site is here.
 Bibliobattle is a social book review game which was developed in the Graduate School of Informatics at Kyoto University in Japan.

In today's newspaper the winners of high school bibliobattle contest were introduced. Three students won the prizes.
36 students were chosen to the final stage from around Japan.
And only or unexpectedly more three books are written by foreign authors.

These are

Quiet, please : dispatches from a public librarian  Scott Douglas
Sushi and Beyond: What the Japanese Know about Cooking Michael Booth
Inferno Dan brown
Franz Kafka's The Castle

The last two were made into movies.
And Sushi and Beyond is

After Valentine's Day

How was your Valentine's Day?
Yesterday Yuki and I had a good lunch at a nice café.
 

 

And we were going to go shopping to a department store.

We have two shopping centers which are popular with families. and a department store which deals with a little bit expensive things.

Then we were surprised, because we saw a long line to go into the parking lot of the department store, so we gave up. On the other hand usually on weekdays the roads ahead to shopping centers are crowded (their parking lots are enough large but the roads are often crowded.) but yesterday they weren't crowded. Probably wives wanted to buy something more expensive than usual for their husbands?????.

In our case we went to a shoe shop, and Yuki bought two pairs of new shoes.

 

This is today's breakfast.

Today I opened a little bit expensive chocolate I bought for (Yuki) and me. 

 

And I put away the decorations for Valentine's Day, and put these HINA dolls to celebrate HINA-festival on March 3.