Fotolog site seems to be closed

Since I knew Fotolog site in 2004, I have tried to put my photo on it constantly.
First they were my crafts for teaching English, because at that time I was a fresh children English teacher.

Then I have  put an OBENTOU for Megumi  on it almost every day for two years since 2006 when Tomomi left our house.

 

Since my two daughters left here, I almost have had a empty nest syndrome, so I have put a photo of my lunchbox.

Then in 2009 summer, Lea who is a French girl, came to stay with us for three months.

Since she left here, I started to put my lunch box photo, again.
However, I knew how important our (Yuki and my) breakfast was, and the rest of breakfast became my lunch. (Until then, the rest of my lunch box meals was the breakfast.)

ONO YOKO : From my window

 

Have you ever heard of the name "ONO YOKO"?

 

If you know her name, do you know of her as an artist? a writer? a pacifist or John Lennon's wife?

For me she is a writer and John Lennon's wife. And The surprised thing for me is that though she is over 80, she is still active and tries to disseminate something to the world.

So I really wanted to see her exhibition, and went to TOKYO. The Exhibition is being held in Tokyo.

Fortunately my elder daughter T was available on the day.

 



 

 

 

It was a weekday, so not so many people were there.And the people there are in their various generation, and they are all "fashionable" because they seem to be interested in Ono Yoko, or a big fan of her. (Actually I also tried to wear something fashionable as much as I could)

 

I think it's difficult to have  such atmosphere the place and people make in Utsunomiya, even at the art museums in Utsunomiya. It's the reason why I like Tokyo, and it's the reason why Tokyo makes me a little bit tired.

 

Have you ever heard of the word "bag piece"?

The aim is showing inside without outlook.

---- difficult, to tell the truth, her works were all difficult to try to understand specifically.

So I enjoyed just with my feeling.

 

Anyway we can make this work by myself.

Just there are big black cloth bags. one is for an adult, one is for a child, and the other is for two adults.

 

I put it on.

 

And I performed.

The sigh said "do your daily action".

So I did.

Can you guess what I did?

 

 



I tried to shake someones hand.
I did my welcome pose.
And I bowed saying "YOUKOSO" in Japanese style.

My daughter T was laughing.
It's OK, making myself freely in this huge public place brought me a lots of fun, and laughing.

It was an attractive day in TOKYO.

We are struggling with the new telephone.

 

It is our new telephone. We  had used the previous one for about 20 years. It had still worked however it consistently made noise. So we changed it into this new one.

These days people they don't have home telephones are increasing, though we still use one.

 

What we want is to be able to call, and to be able to do FAX, -- I almost forgot, and an answerphone message.

 

However ---

 

How many buttons it has except numbers.

The red button is an answerphone message.

 

What are these under the message display?????

 

I don't like read the "thick" instruction manual.

Anyway I can call, and answer.

Anyway I can send a FAX --probably, but I don't know I can receive a FAX because it is put into the SD card.

Anyway I could set the answerphone.

 

We were able to get too simple telephone. But it was not enough. I had wanted a telephone with a just few options.

 

Too simple, or too complicated --- it's tough to catch up current technology.

Haiku

Have you ever heard of Haiku? It is the shortest poem in the world. It has only three lines. In Japanese the lines have 5,7, and 5 syllables. There is one important point about the Haiku. It usually has a Kiko, or a season word.

One of the most famous Haikus goes like this; Furu-ike ya / Kawazu tobikomu / mizu no oto

Compare this with its English version; The old pond / A frog jumps in / The sound of water.

Of course the seasnoal word of this Haiku is a frog. It's a word for spring.

 

Well I sometimes attend a meeting of Hiku.

Next week I'll attend the meeting after a long interval.

 

I'll introduce my Haikus before the meeting in English.

I hope you enjoy my Haikus with your imagination.

 

 

 

On a curbstone / chillaxingly, quietly / sit in the winter sun

branches broke / strict winter as usual/ here is Utsunomiya

 

 

Snow

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It was snowing until noon, now it seems to stop.

Because of snow, today's morning chores had been changed. I gave to go out by car.

I had some things I was going to to in the morning, like going to bank, sending mails from the post office, and so on.

Instead of them I decided to PC works, ---

however, "thanks to the snow", I had four calls from friends. All of them said "How's snowing? I thought you are staying home, because of snow. " then "I also gave up to go out, so let's talk on the phone for a while!"

I seldom talk to of them so it's OK. I'm happy. It means I spent the half of the day with chatting.

 

Additionally, Yuki is absent from work, because he is sick (not so bad). It's unusual thing.

So -- I need to nurse him, serving tea at 10, serving lunch at 12, and now it's time to serve tea and snack .

 

 

Anyway today I want to do DANSYARI of my PC --- it means I want to organize my PC files, because I need to use windows10.
My pc is unfortunalty getting old like me. Before moving to windows 10, I need to reconsider all files and old software programs.

PS

Today, it's Wednesday, though we have snow a little, it's sunny.

Yuki recovered and go to work as usual.

He has a good noise. He seldome reads my diary, but councidently, he read this report. And said "exaggerated, just served a cup of tea" ---- it's right.

Today's breakfast

This photo is not today's breakfast.

My face book showed this photo today, which was taken on the day three years ago.

The night before the day it snowed, so the morning on the day the roads frozen. Yuki went to work very earlier than usual. So I cooked quick-breakfast.

And even though it had been cold  we used to have cold home made yogurt drink with green kale powder.

 

This is the photo of today's breakfast.

You will notice hamburgers.

Today I had to go to the station very early, and on the way back home I bought these hamburgers at MOS-burger shop (not Mac).

 

Yesterday Yuki went to TOKYO on business, and he was going to come back here at night.

However he drank too much ( he said not too much, just a little), and he fell asleep, the train passed the Utsuomiya station with him. So he stayed at a hotel in front of FUKUSHIMA station which is 100 far north from here. And he came back to Utsunomiya on the first train. Of course kind Mieko picked him up.

 

Anyway according to the report written three years ago it was very cold. This year it's not so cold, though according to the weather report it is going to be cold next week. Nowadays I often cook  potato portage with TOUFU.

The white one is it. Hot soup suits winter even though it's not cold, doesn't it?

 

 

usual days

Now it's past one o'clock. As soon as I update this blog, I go out to KARAKU to play the piano.
Yes, today it is the day that I change into a pianist.
Now I've spent usual days with Yuki.

Yesterday I went to a fair in my city with my friend who is as old as I. The friend and I have been friends since I came here, it means about 30 years has passed since we've know each other. And nowadays we go the fair without our kids.
Here we usually buy KIBUNA which is a kind of good luck charm or an amulet and is dealt only in UTSUNOMIYA. It derives from a folk story in Utsunomiya.
If you are interested in it --- please drop this site. ( I think I get a permission from my friend.)

It's time to go to KARAKU.

Quiet life again.

Every member spends days reselectively.

Yesterday I had lunch alone at home.

 I couldn't eat it all up, because it was too big. Until a few days ago it was not enough for  5 embers, so I peeled two big pears. 

What a quiet day it was.

I started my job again. The first mission for my students was making good lunch charms. Some of my students have to take entrance exams to junior high, high school, or college. I bet they will do their best.

Hatsmoude

We visited a shrine where it takes about 30 minutes by car to do Hatsumoude.

Hatsumoude means that, it  is an event to pray for safety and peace for the year by visiting a shrine ( sometimes temple ) for the first time since the start of a new year.

We are served free a cup of Amazake  , and "can" strike the bell.

Yes, Akari is still with us. Tomorrow they will go back to TOKYO.

So I'm cooking their lunch and dinner box for tomorrow.

Do you know these phrases?

A friend who is from South Africa and lives in Utsunomiya , introduced an interesting website.

http://youtu.be/0CU1JFjbBeY

They introduce 12 Japanese phrases.

 One of them is "it can't be helped", whic is put out of my mouth often.  However there us a little bit difference in Japanese and in English.

If you are interested it, please check the website.

Well, yesterday we went to TOKYO and had a big feast.

Happy new year

All members saw the first sunrise from a window of the upstairs.

Happy new year!!!

And enjoy Osechi !!

From now on our daughters go shopping by Yuku's drive. I'll take a nap. 

All members are in Utsunomiya

It's 30 today, unusually all members are in Utsunomiya.

Well, all ladies are making Osechi.

Where is Akari?

She is playing with Yuki---- probably. Because they are on the upstairs, and we don't hear her crying. So, they are ok.

I Gound thisYou Tube,  

http://youtu.be/0CU1JFjbBeY

If you are interested in Osechi. Please take a look.

Coming back from Tokyo

Last late night Yuki, my elder daughter T, and I came back  from Tokyo by car.

Well,well,we'll finally I could buy these doughnuts.

 

You might know this. 

They launched in Japan about 5 or 6 years ago, and they caught a big hit --- only in Tokyo. 

Or you can say they have branches only inTokyo.  I don't know they have branches in other cities, however unfortunately we don't have any branches inUtaunomiya.

I used to ask my dangers to buy them when they came back here. However they would say "I have a big bag, so I can't have more things".

And---- I've forgotten the existence of he shop.

However, yesterday we came back to TOKYO  in the day ( when we go to TOKYO by car to avoid congestion, we usually go there very early morning or late night, so most of shops are still not opend or already closed), I notice a branch near my mother's house is open. 

I blamed my elder daughter again saying why you don't tell me the existence of the branch nere my mother's house.

She said " I thought you would have lost an intereseted to the shop".

Anyway I could bought, I have wanted more, but they couldn't be frozen.

These were today's our breakfast.

Well, well in a few hours, "the" adorable and noisy girl comes. I'm cooking for her.

Family winter vacation has started .

My mother who is 80 has come to Tochigi. It has passed three years sine she came here last time.

She doesn't like to take Shinkasen because Tokyo station is congested and complicated for her. So she came here by local train at ease, of course my elder dauber accompanied .

We stayed in a Japanese inn whic has hot springs. "Hot springs", it's prural. Because it has three kinds of hot springs. 

These are our dinner and breakfast.

Now we are going to Tokyo to take her back by car. 

The new year is just around the corner.

 



Our Christmas party was finished with a big succes.

I'm satisfied with being a cordinater

And as the sun rose, I started to prepare for the new year.

I put away all things for Christams and took things for the New year.

 

I'm finished for preparation. Now I'm at PC and doing some crerical things.

 

Well, tomorrow my mother comes with my elder daughter. Another busy week will have started.

 

I might be able to update this blog via my Ipone though only photos will be up.

Have a happy new year!!!



Christmas week has started

Now the last business week in this year has started. In next week our (Yuki, and my) family task week (as grand parents, and parents) will gave start. Before the busy week (though you can say it's a happy winter vacation it's the busiest week in a year for us), let's enjoy Christmas week. Last week my students and I made cookie trees.

The materials are still left. So some neighbor kids will come to make one this week.

Finished!!!

What? Today, it's Sunday, Yuki stays home. For him, it was only this day to stay home on Sundays in December. On other Sundays he goes to play golf. 

So I ordered, or asked him to do winter creaming hoe him winter cleaning means cleaning windows. Yes of course I helped him or I did with him. 

There are, ok let's count the number of windows including small one such as the windows in the washroom, wooo 60 windows.

He used a kind of wiper and clean the windows mainly the outside with the wiper and water, I cleand the inside of the windows using cleaner and clothes.

It was a heavy . I hope our shoulders won't hurt in a few days.

Anyway our winter cleaning is almost finished.

I have a plan to have a Chirstams party with my students and neighbors. I started to prepare something for it.

They are kind of pyneatas.

I put something which gives Christmas atmosphere here and there in my house.

Now Chirstams is just around the corner , isn't it?

Seal's "banzai" pose -- from the newspaper

Today I read a very very cute and funny article.

6 guests from 6 countries.

The biggest event of this year for me was finished with big success.

Once a year Utsunoniya City International Association holds a event "let's read picture books in foreign countries together".

It is the seventh time event. I'm really happy to join it this year again.

 

This time 6 people who are from Italy, German, Syria, Philippines, Kirghiz, and Costa Rica joined it.

Of course they live in Utsunomiya. I always surprised that even in this small town some  people come and live from foreign countries and the countries are really various.

 

This time I supported a lady from Philippines. Philippines have two official languages, Tagalog and English. I supported her speaking in English.

It was fun.

Many people and kids joined us.

 

 

 

I participated in this event as a volunteer. But it's really good. Though the spread-over is long, it's almost all day, lunch is served (not so bad) and after the main event we have a small tea party and I get 1000 yen for a transportation cost.

I bought this book from my wallet, so I payed more than I received.

However it's OK, all participants did that, they cooked something, they printed photos in large size --etc. All participants are volunteers including the guests. It was fun.

 

This Japan, of course. I try to listen to world news every day. However it's Japan, it's isolated.

Yesterday at the party I talked with a lady from Syria and German. For them  the issue of refugee and religion is a "real" topic.

I know my English skill is not so good, however moreover I have nothing to talk to them. What I could was just listening to their conversation.

 

She came as a government sponsored foreign student 5 years ago, now she has studied as a self supporting international student. Her parents took refuge to German, now she has no house in Syria

The man from German showed his complicated feeling frankly.

 

I was very surprised. --- This is what I can say now.

 

 

This week

If you are American, you celebrate Thanks giving day.

Last weekend, we had three days-off in a row. It is Labor Thanks Giving day on November 23, though we don't do anything special, just it's a holiday.

HOWEVER, it was a three-day weekend. It means --

 

 

Yes, Akari came. To tell the truth, during the weekend she spend her another grandmother, and came here to spend me for "usual days".

So I tried to do usual things.

We decorate Christmas ornaments.

 

I took her to a nursery school, -- it was a day for my volunteering.

I read English picture books for kids of the nursery school,and Akari could join them.

 

 

And --- after "my" volunteering work, we dropped by a restaurant which accepts babies. (In Japan some restaurants (which are my favorite) don't accept babies, (it's a reason why they are my favorites).

 

This is "her " lunch.

First I was going to share it with Akari, but she ate up all except pickles.