HAPPY NEW YEAR and Thanks!!!

I just wanted to thank everyone who studies with me and also everyone who looks at this blog! 2005 is coming to an end, but a new year, 2006 will begin soon...2005 was filled with new beginnings and also endings...I can only wonder what 2006 will bring...I enjoyed teaching and studying with many of you this year and also I learned A LOT from you all. For 2005 this is my last blog entry...Thank you all for reading. I wish you all a healthy and Happy New Year!!! g

DESSERT!!!

The other day I went out to lunch with a friend of mine. We went to some French restaurant in Honmachi. It was nice and pleasant for me cause I rarey have the time to go out for lunch, let enough to go out for french food. My friend, Ms. Yu, loves dessert!!! The pic is her dessert! It was good and I think it had some beer in i so I liked it too ;) ! Most people seem to love at least one dessert. My mother likes cheese cake, my father tiramissu? (don`t know about the spelling of that ;), my brother likes ALL desserts, and my aunt isn`t so picky about desserts either I think. On the other hand, my cousin doesn`t eat dessert. Usually I don`t either, but actually I do like dessert. How about you? What`s your favorite dessert?

DEEP IMPACT - $$$

Yesterday was a big horse race, the "Arima Kinen". The greatest horse I have even seen, Deep Impact, ran in that race. Deep won the Triple crown (On October 23rd, my birthday) and has become like an idol in Japan. He is my favorite horse ever, and the reason is not because he won the Triple Crown. It`s because he came in second yesterday. Everyone thought he would win yesterday`s race. But yesterday, Deep ran out of gas...A similar thing happened to a very popular horse in America a few years, ago. That horse`s name was Smarty Jones and he was from Pennsylvania. Yesterday was also Christmas. December 25th is also my grandfather`s birthday. He would have been 91 years old yesterday, but he passed away last year. One of the things he really liked was going to the casinos and gambling. Maybe a coincidence, maybe not, yesterday I bet the winning number, 10-6. WINNNERRR! ;)

"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at my toes..."

The first snow! Today, for me, it was the first snow of this winter! When I woke up this morning, I thought "Wow X#%&%#, it`s freezing!" And then some time later, the snow began to fall. When I looked out my window and saw the snow, at first I was surprised. I didn`t expect it...but it was beautiful and for some reason, I just smiled :) . Now maybe 2 hours has passed, and it is still snowing. I wonder how long it will snow for today?!? Maybe the snow will even stick (and if it does some companies will get out early and some employees will be very happy to begin an early 3-day weekend..;) Before, the snow flakes were pretty big...they looked fluffy like cotton candy! It might even be a white Christmas in Osaka...

End of the Year Party!!! -2
Last night, again ;), I went to another party.

This time I went with my frends and students, Mr. O and Ms. Y. They also work together. Mr. O is a travel consultant and sometimes gives speeches related to the travel business. He works very hard! He is also a writer and has written some books! Ms. Y drank many fruity and colorful drinks last night. She is his assistant. One day I want him to write a book in English!! Last night I was lucky and they treated me to a great dinner at an Okinawan restaurant. It was only my second time to eat Okinawan food. The food was very good and the atmosphere of the restaurant was really awesome! Besides us, there were many other customers there, maybe also having parties...We talked about going to many different countries and we agreed to go to Ireland together next year...but maybe it is only our dream!

Pretty Lights!

My student, Ms. N, sent me these pics from Kobe. She went to the "Festival of Winter Lights". I have never been there but it is famous and I want to go once. I heard it is really beautiful. On the other hand, I heard it is very crowded and cold... There is also a cool Christmas tree and lights in front of the City office in Yodoyabashi. If Kobe is too far for you, I recommend the Yodoyabashi lights. It`s much smaller and really not big, but it has a nice atmosphere and a good "feeling". It`s definitely the Christmas season and pretty soon Santa is gonna be coming to town. I wonder if I will run into him somewhere.......

End of the Year Party!!! -1

I went out with my student Mr. K to his 2 favorite restaurants. They are both in Kyobashi and one is called UZURA and one is called HAKUTOEN. The first is a yaki-tori shop and the latter is a yaki-niku shop. The price was reasonable and the food was excellent. The staff in both places were also really nice.

Mr. K only goes to very good restaurants because he is learning how to be a cook and restaurant manager in Kita-Shinchi. The restaurant where he works is called KAHALA, and the owner is famous in the restaurant industry in Osaka. The food style is Japanese "fusion" and for dinner for 2 people, it costs 60,000 without drinks!!! That`s a little steep for my blood but if I ever win the lottery I want to go. That restaurant has even been written up in the New York Times Newspaper.

Anyway, last night we really had a good time and I am looking forward to hopefully some more End of the Year parties with my students and friends!!!

Slice

There's a slice of pizza, a slice of cake, a slice of cheese, a slice of lemon, a slice of many things...Yesterday I went to the driving range with Mr. F. He picked me up after work and we practiced for about 2 hours. He is a good golfer and regularly scores under 100. He gave me some good pointers, and I was grateful. But, I was the SLICE King!! I hit about 180 balls maybe. 170 balls were slices! BIG slices!!! But I didn`t get angry (maybe) and honestly I had a really good time and it was good exercise! I want to go again soon if I can...

CONGRATULATIONS to MRS. M, who just got married last Saturday. I hope the wedding ceremony and party went well and I want to wish you and your husband my best!!!

These girls are "Maiko-sans", like a "Geisha-in-training" ;)

This photo is from Kiyomizu Temple, one of my favorite temples. One of these girls is my students...I really think that traditional japanese dress, kimonos, and make-up, is really beautiful, elegant, and a little exotic. All these girls look great and cool!!!

Autumn Garden Picture!!

Boy, the fall seems like a long time ago!!! ;(

Today is Friday though and that means T.G.I.F.! (Thank God It`s Friday) Usually this means that Friday is the last day of work for the week and the beginning of the weekend. So everyone is happy! I will work on Saturday and Sunday but I will also relax a little. On Sunday night, I might even go to the driving range with my student Mr. F. Hopefully he can teach me a little because right now, I am a terrible golfer. If we go, it will only be my second time to a driving range since I came to Japan.

Madonna in JAPAN,

a place that has had a significant influence on her life and her work

Dressed in a body-hugging maroon top with red sequins on the sleeves and matching pants, Madonna said she was glad to be back in Japan, a place that has had a significant influence on her life and her work, particularly in this current album.

"Sorry," one of the songs on the new album, includes the words "gomen nasai" -- Japanese for "I'm sorry" -- which Madonna said she learned from her Japanese cook, who travels with her.

"I've always been very interested in Japanese culture," she said.

"Some of my videos, some of my performances on stage have been inspired by Japanese cinema, martial arts, Japanese music, Japanese fashion, Japanese food," she added.

Asked how she kept in shape -- a form showed off to good advantage in the video for the hit single "Hung Up," which features strenuous dancing -- Madonna indicated that Japanese food played a large part in her healthy lifestyle.

"I love Japanese food. I have a Japanese cook in London that travels everywhere with me," she said, laughing. "I probably eat more Japanese food than you do."

[original article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051207/en_nm/leisure_japan_madonna_dc]

Have you heard about 'Memoirs of a Geisha'? the book? the movie? It was a very popluar book in America a few years ago and soon it will be showing in the movie theaters!!!

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

Winter Wonderland!!!

Ms. M gave me these greats photos! They are from Ashiya last Sunday. When I first looked at these pics, I thought that they were taken in Hokkaido!!! I can`t believe that Ashiya is only about 30 minutes from Osaka...It looks like a different world! I want to go skiing, or snowboarding, or even make a snow man!!

Without snow......................................................

With snow........................................................................

HAIL!!! ;(

It just hailed outside! I don`t remember the last time I saw hail..maybe 1 or 2 years ago. It is freezing and rainy and dark too...The winter has began...;(

NEW BORN BABY!

One of my students, Ms. Y, just became a grandmother! Congratulations!!! It`s her first grandchild!! A boy or a girl? I think that she will be a great grandmother...And I learned something from another student yesterday...That student is Chinese, and she told me that "In China, when a baby is born, the baby is 1 years old." In America, when a baby is born, the baby is 0 years old...So that student and I were birth born in the same year, 1974, and her birthday is in April, and mine is in October. But she said she was 32, and I said I was 31, but really we are the same age...interesting....funny...strange...

DECEMBER 1st

That`s right, it`s December already...The last month of the year...2005. Personally I don`t like the winter. I really hate the cold!!! In Decemeber, many people have "End of the Year" Parties, eat a lot, drink a lot, get hangovers...Also many people get there bonuses!! And there is Christmas, presents, cake, good food, dates? snow?... In December, many times I have gone to Philadelphia, my home town, but this year I will stay in Japan. What do you think about December? Oh yeah, I just remembered, today is the 1st of the month...so it`s movie day! All movies are 1000 yen. For a guy, this is lucky, because there isn`t any "men`s day" at the movies!!! There is only 1000 yen "Lady`s Day" at the movie theater, I am jealous of all of you ladies!!