Happy New Year and I hope everyone has a great vacation!!

Merry Christmas!!

The other day I was very lucky! Because 3 lovely ladies treated me to a wonderful night of good food and good drinks, and nice talk, and stupid games, and a lot of laughs!! I was very happy that they invited me out, but it was difficult to arrange a good day and time for everyone to meet...but they were very considerate and after their class, they started the dinner with just the three of them and waited for my arrival 2 hours later. When I arrived, they were already a little tipsy (maybe drunk?). So, I had a lot of catchin up to do... After a few hours of drinking, I caught up :)

The restaurant, Deligo, is in the neighborhood, only a few minutes away on foot, and therefore I thought it was a good choice! The food was OK, the drinks were OK, and I liked the atmoshphere. The only negative points were the menu and wine selection was a little limited (many things were sold out...) and the service was a tad bit slow (because it was busy and there was only one waitress i think). But overall, it was good, and most importantly everyone had a good time!

And, the ladies all talked a lot! This was great! They talked much more than they do in class. In class they are usually a little nervous maybe. But there nervousness disappeared. This is because of alcohol!! Sometimes alcohol helps people relax and not think too much...this is very helpful when speaking a foreign language!

Thanks Ladies!!! And next time it is my treat!!

A winter get-away, and illumination

After my discussion with Mr. F the other day over whiskey with perfectly round rock ice, from now on, only GOOD, HAPPY NEWS will come from this blog. If you want to read about unhappy, dark news, check out the top stories of yahoo or google. Unfortunately, I am sure you can find plenty there!!

I think it is time to take a winter get-away. A little trip! When I was a child, my parents used to take my brother and I to Florida. The weather is great, sunny, warm! It is the perfect spot!Below is a travel article about Miami. Personally, I recommend South beach!
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/12/03/miami.stay/index.html?iref=intlOnlyonCNN

Now, since I am in Japan, I aim to go to Okinawa or Hawaii when I need to get away.

Where do you want to go on a get-away? Do you have any great get-away places where you recommend others to go?

A night out

The other day Mr. F took me out for dinner and a late night of drinking. The festivities began at a Spanish restaurant. I had headr about the restaurant before, but I had never been there. We sat at the counter and ate a variety of tapos dishes. And, Mr. F ordered "g wine" for me. It was really good!

Next, we went to some club on the 32nd floor! What a great view of Osaka! I was impressed!! Then, we strolled on over to a classy lounge and talked and drank some very old whiskey while singing karaoke. Unfortunately, I am totally tone deaf, and was terrible!!! But Mr. F was superb! (I was surprised because Mr. F was much better than I expected! )

I don't remember exactly what time we finished, but i do remember having a great time!! Thanks Mr. F!!!

A great chef!!!

This is Mr. Y. He is a great chef! He works at USJ and is in charge of the burger grill in one of the restaurants there. He makes one hell of a burger! It is juicy and topped with a fried egg and sauce. And the bun is soft and tasty! And it is a "make-your-own burger" style shop, so you can add the lettuce and other vegeatbles from the sald bar as you like. If you ever go to USJ, I recommend that you try his burger shop! It's a winner! And I am sure he will do his best to make you a delicious burger with a SMILE :)

Change and Sweet Potatos

It was decided that this year's word was "Change." Look at the article below for more details:
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200812130069.html
Basically the article says that "Change" two meaning. The first reason is there was a lot of (negative) change in 2008, for example, the financila crisis. The second reason is that in 2009 there will hopefully be a lot of POSITIVE change! I sure hope so!

And, to move on to another topic, did you see President Bush dodge that 10-inch shoe thrown at his himin Iraq? I was surprised that Bush is so athletic!! He was really on his toes! Not bad for a man in his 60's. If that was Prime Minister Aso, maybe the shoe would have hit him in the head!!! (=i don't think Aso is so athletic)

And another topic...It is winter, so the Sweet Potato trucks are out in force. 100 yen for a BIG sweet potato! That's a deal! And, to be honest, they are pretty delicious! BUT, i can't eat them because many years ago when I ate one, I got heart burn...It was terrible...so now I am afraid to eat another whole one again! But only a bite or two is OK. Do you like sweet potatos?

Australia and "feet photos"

Good morning. It is half way through December already. After two more weeks, it will be the New Year. Do you have any plans for the New Year's vacation? Did you do the BIG CLEANING of your house yet?

My friend Mr. Hyo is working and studying in Sydney now so he will spend this year's winter holidays in the Outback! He said it is strange for him because it is so hot and sunny in Australia, not a "White Christmas."

And he sent me the photos below. But, the "feet photo"...what is that? I have seen other photos similar to this one before, photos of feet. My impression is that Japanese people like to take photos of their feet...Why is this? Please tell me the answer.

It's Friday....

and almost the weekend, so I am not in the mood to write a lot about such depressing and realistic things as the following article. The economy is bad, in a recession, many companies will lay off many workers and company downsizing will begin all over the world...Everybody knows this...
"Sony to shed 16,000 job worldwide, reduce assembly sites."
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nb20081210a1.html

So I want to talk about the beautiful sunset in Okinawa! It is truly magnificent!!!!! The red, yellow, orange...You have to see it with your own eyes!!!

Christmas and New Year's vacation is coming soon. Do you have any plans? Two of my friends are escaping the cold and going to head to Sydney, Australia. It has always been there dream, and finally there dream will come true. And now, because the yen is so strong, they can get a lot for their money. They plan to go to the beach, walk around the city, and of course, do some major shopping. I really hope they have a good time. And, since I am staying put in Japan(=not going anywhere) this year, I will be dreaming of the beach and sunset in Okinawa during that time...

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Algeria

My buddy was tranferred to Alegeria. We became friends when he lived in Osaka. Then he was transferred to Shiga-prefecture, then to Tokyo, and now...all the way to Algeria. For two years! That's right, the duration of his trip this time is 2 years!! In Algeria!! Do you know where that is?

He said it is unbelievably cheap to live there...listen to this: algerian coffee is only 20 yen, and very strong. and the people there spend 2 hours to drink one (small) cup. bread is 13 yen. fresh fruit is 10 yen. everything included, you can live there for about 10,000 yen a month.

Wow!! Does anyone want to move to Algeria any time soon? If you do, I will give you Mr. M's email address, so just ask!

And for more about Algeria, look at this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algeria

"I can not speak English..."

That's what Toshide Maskawa, of Kyoto University, told the audience at Nobel Lectures in Stockholm yesterday before he gave his speech in Japanese. This is the first time a speech has been given there in Japanese since 1968. Speeches are rarely given in any language except for English. Maskawa was an exception. But, he is an interesting man, and I read in the newspaper that he also said "I hope my I can't speak English fad doesn't rub off on the younger kids all over Japan. In fact, there is nothing more valuable than being able to speak English..."

This is an article about the events in Stockholm:

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20081209a2.html

Now, I want to change the subject and talk about calendars. Do you have a calendar in your house? work-place? Do you write on the calendar? And one more thing...in America we say that the week begins on Sunday. But I feel(believe) that the week begins on Monday!! In my mind, Monday is the beginning of every week, and Sunday is the end of every week. What do you think?

Below is a picture from Mr. A's school campus in Australia.

Retirement

Do you want to move to the country when you retire? Or do you want to move to a big city, like Tokyo or New York? Or, do you just want to stay put?
Personally, I want to move to the country or to the beach...It is my dream!

Recently, because of the financial crisis all over the world, many companies are laying off many workers. In addition, the companies are offering many employees the option of early retirement.
The below article gives some facts about this trend.
"More employees retiring early"
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20081208a3.html

p.s. It is pretty cold today...winter is here! and I don't like winter.................................

How to beat Jet Lag and the Beach in Australia

Have you ever been to Bondi beach in Sydney? It's right outside of the city and a pretty cool beach. Right now two of my friends are there studying and working. From the email and the photos that they send me, and fromreading their blogs, it sounds like they are having a great time!! I am really jealous!! It reminds me of the great times that I had when Lived in Australia!!

Since I am on the topic of travel today, I wanted to mention that I saw a good article (below) which explained some tips on how to beat jet lag. I have gotten jet lag many times in my life. Have you? If yes, do you get jet lag easily? If no, what do you do to NOT get jet lag? Some of the tips they say below are; get a good night's rest/sleep the night before you travel, avoid late meals and alchohol, go for walks in the daylight and get plenty of sunlight...for more please read this article.
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/12/02/jet.lag.drug/index.html

Hiroshima and Miyajima

Recently I wrote that Hiroshima and Miyajima are two of the most popular places for foreigners to visit in Japan. Last weekend, Ms. M went there. She said that she had 3 purposes. The first was to see the Peace (Atomic) Dome. The second was to see Miyajima. And the third was to eat delicious Hiroshima food. After hearing all about her trip, I thought "Ah, it would be nice to visit Hiroshima again some time." Hiroshima is a place that all Japanese and Americans should visit and see with their own eyes.

Have you ever been to Hiroshima or Miyajima? If yes, what did you think? If no, well then, you should make some plans to go soon. That's my advice for the day.

Have a good one.

Wanna live to 100!?

If your answer to the above question is YES, then I recommend that you move to Okinawa. I went there a little over a month ago, and I also felt, "Ah~, if I lived here, then I would be healthier, and probably be able to live longer..." To 100 years old, I doubt it, but maybe a few extra years could be added to my life if I lived in Okinawa.

The below photo article of Okinawa lists 9 reasons why the people in Okinawa live so long. Okinawa boats the highest percentage of over-100 year old people than anywhere else in the world. A few of the reasons are; okinawan people eat healthy food, remain active into their 80's or 90's, and...please look at the photo-article for the rest. It is short and easy to understand I think.

Okinawa centenarians defy odds of aging
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/12/02/okinawa.aging/index.html

It`s your turn to clean!



This is Ms. K's desk. When this thing is placed on her computer, it means that it is her turn to clean the office. In her office, everyone takes turns cleaning the office. Do you have to take turns cleaning your office too?
Me? I clean the classroom every day by myself. I like it Spic-and-Span!

Other news, it is already December...Time really flies...

And yesterday I read the the "Popular word/expression" of the year was "Gu---", short for "good." The female comedian who uses that expression, Ms. Edo, has been in show business for a long time...I am glad that she finally got her break. But, to be honest, I don't like her gig so much.

Enjoy the day everyone.

Kyoto Foliage

and below the photos I wrote about the new jury system which will begin in Japan next year...so, scroll down to read.

On the news and in the newspapers recently, I have seen a lot of stories about new lay judge, or jury, system that will begin in Japan next May. There are many issues surrounding this topic. Do you want to be a juror? If you are selected for juror duty, will it be easy for you to take off work? Do you want to be responsible and decide the fate of another human being?

In America there is a jury system. It is a little different than the system which will be introduced next May in Japan, but there are some similarities. I have never been on a jury in America. Also, because I am not a Japanese citizen, I can not be selected for juror duty in Japan. So, if you are selected, please tell me all about your experience!! I am really interested to hear about it!

The below article is about this topic. Read it if you are interested and have time.

50% of eligible citizens will be called as potential lay judges"http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20081201a2.html

That's one cute Cupcake!!!

Hope everyone has a good weekend!!

Takoyaki, or otherwise known as "Octopus balls!"

Recently I have eaten these octopus balls a few times. I hadn't eaten them for a long time, and when I tried them for the first time in a while, I thought "Wow, these are really good." Actually, now I think that I am hooked on them.

Speaking of food and restaurants, have you heard of the "Michelin Guide Tokyo"? It's a famous guide of restaurants, and rates restaurants all over the world on a scale of one to three. Three stars is the best! In Tokyo this year, I read that 9 restaurants received the 3-star rating! But one of them, the newest member of the bunch, had a little trouble with food poisoning the other day. Read more below if you are interested.
"3-star restaurant recalls beans"
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200811260071.html

Nishinomiya Gardens and more Foliage

A new big shopping mall opened in Nishinomiya. It is really Gigantic!! To be honets, it was much bigger and more grand than I expected. It takes about 1 or two minutes on foot from Hankyu Railroad Kitaguchi station. I heard it is the biggest mall in Western Japan. It has a movie theater(for sure) and also over 400 shops (I heard, but I am not sure.) It is a shopping haven!! If you like shopping, you should really check it out. Unfortunately, for me, who doesn't like shopping, well, it is not such a biggie. But, I plan to go there a 3 or 4 times a year to catch a movie, and I will probably go to the book store or CD shops sometimes too. There is also a big food court and many restaurants which looked good. If you ever go there, please let me know what you think.
This time, more foliage from Mr. Y. Thanks! He also said "MANY MANY PEOPLE=(it was REALLY crowded)." But the photograph is beautiful!!

This is an article about the economy and 100 yen shops. It is informative.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20081125i1.html

Foilage and Illumination

How was your 3-day weekend? Mine was really SLOW, but good! Sometimes a DO-NOTHING weekend is really good for the body and mine. In a nutshell, I watched 4 DVD's, slept, ate a lot, saw some beautiful Cosmos flowers in a park, and saw some nice and colorful foilage (fall red and yellow and orange leaves) near my house. All in all, it was a good weekend, with no major complaints.

Ms. N went to Kyoto to see some foilage. (See photo below.) She said that she had a great time, but as expected, it was really crowded. Ms. e went to Tokyo to catch a few plays and do some shopping and stuff. The illumination photo (also below) is great! In Kansai, in Kobe there is a famous and very BIG illuminatiomn event, but also VERY VERY crowded. I prefer a smaller and more "at-home" feeling illumination in Nakanoshima, with the BIG lit-up Christmas Tree.

This week is the last week in November...Soon December, the last month of 2008. Can't wait to go drinking with Santa Claus when he comes to town!!!

Many people often ask me "Where do foreigners liek to visit in Japan?" or "Where is a good place to take foreign vistiors when they come to Japan?"
In Osaka, I have a special course which is sure to be a WINNER with foreigners (ask me directly if you want to know.) About the rest of Japan, my image is that besides Tokyo, Hiroshima is one of the top 3 places for foreingers to visit in Japan. And this article proves my point:
"Miyajima visitors sets new record"
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20081125a5.html

Sunset man

...is not so happy today...BECAUSE it is freezing!!! Today is the first day this winter to wear long underwear and a winter jacket and gloves!!!!

Winter is here, officially!!

"You throw like a girl"

If you play baseball, and if you are a guy, this is usally not such a great compliment. But in this Japanese high school girl's case, she gives new meaning to the phrase!!
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8808092/Japanese-schoolgirl-drafted-by-pro-team

The above article gives all the details.
Basically, she was drafted by a pro-team, has a great knuckle-ball, and looks up to Tim Wakefield, a team-mate of Matsuzaka and Okajima on the Red Sox and a famous knuckleballer himself.

I am sure it was an uphill battle for her to get to the pros...(Look below.) Good job!!

Beach-man and "squid new year's cards"

That's me, on the beach on the coast of Taketomi Island!!! So lucky!! So fortunate!! It seems so long ago that I went, but actually less than one month. It is like a dream now that I think about it. The Taketomi beaches are definitely, truly, without a doubt, a MUST go to place in Japan.

November is going and going, and before we know it, it will be December again. And in Japan, December means the season for writing New Year's cards. This year I am going to do something different...but I haven't decided yet. I saw a good idea on the net today. A Squid "New Year's card." It is edible.
Read about it here, it is a small article:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20081117a4.html

Enjoy the week people.

7-eleven and convenience stores

I used to work at 7-eleven when I was younger. Did you know that? I worked the register and was a stock boy. I worked there during my summer vacations in high school. It was a very valaable experience for me.

Have you ever worked in a convenience store?
Do you use convenience stores often?
If yes, what for?

Now, in America and in Japan and all over the world, there is a financial crisis. But recently I read that in Japan, because people want to save money by not going out to dinner, they have been using convenience stores more. Also, smokers also prefer to buy cigarettes in a convenience store rather than use a vending machines which requires a the registration of a special "smoker's card." And, these smokers tend to buy some food or a drink when they buy the pack of cigarettes. Therefore, as a result of the two above factors, convenience stores profit has actually risen recently. Can you believe that?

Read this article for more:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nb20081113a2.html

Boat-man

What puppy do you think President-elect Obama is gonna get his daughters? I think he and the White House staff are going to put plenty of thought into this one. I saw an interesting article on the net. It said that some people in Peru offered to send a dog from there which doesn't give people allergies and is hairless.
You can find this grey and hairless dog on the net easily if you try. It`s easy!

It's not the cutest pup in the world, but I guess it is OK.

Below is "Boat-man." He always smiles when he is on a motor boat. Sometimes on a ferry or yacht, if there is rough waters, he gets sea sick. But on a fast and exciting motor boat, "Boat-man" never gets sea sick. In my next life, I think I want to be the captain of a big ship, like the famous Captain of "The Love Boat." (for your information, "The Love Boat" was a famous TV show in America when I was a child.)

Enjoy Wednesday night everyone.

The final game...

Last night was the final baseball game of 2008. I watched it and was excited because the Lions won! I am not a Lions fan, but I really didn't want the Giants to win. It was a nice climax to a great season which included my team, The Phillies, winning the World Series.
(I don't understand why they will play the WBC=World Baseball Classic next year in March, because the World Chamions, =The Phillies, are already decided!) Anyway, last night was fun.

"Lions come from behind to win Japan series"
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/sb20081110j1.html

On another note, yesterday was the first day this year I used the heater. This means that it is officially winter. I hate the cold, so for me, this is a bummer, but I will buy some warm winter clothes and mentally prepare myself to battle though this winter. You should do the same.

Hope everyone has a good week!

(Below are some scenes from the 2008 Baseball season at Koshien and Kyocera Dome)

Trekking Man

Good morning!! and TGIF===Thank God it's Friday!!! The weekend is almost here!!! I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!

I bet many people don't know this...In Fukui Prefecture in Japan, there is a small town. The name of the town is Obama. Since President Obama declared he was running for President earlier this year, this town got behind President Obama and his campaign in full force. This article is about this story and this town:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20081106a3.html

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

"Water bull Man"

If ya go to Taketomi Island, you gotta try the water bull ride. It is a riot! It lasts about 30 minutes, and is VERY SLOW. It`s not gonna be the best experience of your life or anything, but it will make you laugh and also you can see the dirt streets and stone walls and old-style houses as the water bull SLOWLY pulls the carriage. In addition, the carriage rider, a "country-cowgirl" type taketomi girl, sings two nice Okinawan songs with the shamisen (an instrument like a banjo.) She also has a good voice voice, so it is soothing. But the beaches at Taketomi are much better than the water bull ride> They are really really worth seeing!!! They are like a dream, something you see in the movies or in a magazine...I can`t believe I went there.

p.s. This water bull was on his way to retirement. He will retire in a few days because he is very old. He barely made it to the finish line of the 30 minute course. He stopped in the shade many times...I thought we would never get to the finish line. He walked almost as slowly as my brother, Mr. H1, and Mr. H2. Those are the three slowest walkers that I know, but this bull was good competition for them I think.

It`s a little early, but...

it looks like the new President of the United States is...Obama.

Well, he is not actually the President from today. Obama will officially become the new President of the United States after the inauguration ceremony when he is sworn into office in January.


Check here for detailed coverage of the voting:
http://edition.cnn.com/

Finally, it`s election day...and Europe

Yes, after all the wait, and all the debating and tv infomercials, finally it is election day. In a few hours, when everyone wakes up in Japan, we will know who the next President of the United States is...
There are basically two possibilities:
1. Obama will win by a landslide. (He will win easily.)
2. The election will be a close(tight) race.

Which do you think will happen?
Here is some trivia info. What car do you think Obama and McCain drive?
Click here to find out:
http://www.latimes.com/classified/automotive/highway1/la-hy-presidents-cars-pg,0,258054.photogallery

And, oh yeah, the rest of the world still does function on this day too. Below are some photos from Mr. Yu`s one month adventurous trip to Europe.