the last blog of 2009...

Today is my last day, so I will write the final blog of 2009.

What kind of year was 2009 for you?
For me, 2009 was a hell of a year. I really can't complain. There were some low points; to begin i really hurt my back last new year's vacation, and then there was the recession and bad economy... but there were many many more high points, my parents visited Japan again and we had a good time, i became an uncle, went to iriomote island, and actually many many more highlights...too many to count or list here. Most importantly, it was basically a healthy year for those close to me. That is the most important thing I have learned...

I will make some new year's resolutions over the vacation and tell you about them when I return. Also, I am interested to know...What are your new year's resolutions?
My new year's resolution is to_________________________________.

Finally, I want to wish you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year!!

Looking forward to seeing you in 2010!!

Merry Christmas!!!

I wish you a merry christmas, I wish you a merry christmas, I wish you a merry christmas...

and a happy new year!!!

Lights!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(look below for blog!)

Good morning. Yesterday was a national holiday. What were you up to? I slept in, then went for a little walk, had brunch, and after that, unusually went Christmas shopping. The mall was crowded and I really can't stand crowded places, but I was quick, went in and bought what I wanted and got right out! It was a successful mission. After that I went to the gym and did a few kilometers on the treadmill and took a sauna and bath. After that, I went home and passed out on the couch. I was tired. But it was a "good tired," so I can't complain.

About Christmas, contrary to many of your beliefs, I am not Christian. Thus, I did not celebrate Christmas when I was a child, and I do not celebrate Christmas. However, since i moved to Japan and got used to some Japanese customs, i do do "Japanese Christmas." A date, some fried chicken KFC style, and some cake to top off the festivities. In general, I like Christmas music and Christmas lights.

Speaking of lights, did you see the Midosuji Lights! (If not look above for a few great shots!)

I saw them, and to be honest I was really impressed. From Chuo Street in Honmachi to Tosabori Street in Yodoyabashi, all along Midosuji Street are beautiful lights!!! Everywhere!!! I felt like a child going to Disneyworld for the first time when I saw them first! Truly Spectacular!! I heard many people say;

"Wow----this is so beautiful!!"

"Osaka Governor Hashimoto really did a great job!!"

"It is freezing, but these lights are so warm!!"

and Ms. R wrote the below comments on her blog:

After work, I usually wait at Starbucks coffee before my English lesson. And I do my homework there in a hurry. :-)

Midosuji Illumination began last Saturday. After the lesson, I walked on Midosuji from Honmachi to Yodoyabashi. This area is a business district. However now there are many non-business who enjoy the beautiful light-up. The light-up will be held until the 31st of January.

Dear Santa-san, I want a single-lens reflex camera!

What do you want from Santa?!

My answer:

Dear Santa, I want...a dog!!

Apples and PJ sandwiches

Today I want to write about some food which I ate when I was a kid.

First, I love apples. In France they say one glass of red wine a day is healthy.
Well, we have a different saying in America:
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away!"

I think this saying is true.
When I was a kid, I used to eat apples with peanut butter! That is a delicious snack! If you haven't tried it, you don't know what you are missing!! You should really try it! You can use smooth peanut butter, or crunch peanut butter, it doesn't matter. Both are OK. Personally, I prefer the smooth types with apples. But if I am eating a PJ sandwich (=a peanut butter and jelly sandwich) I prefer the crunchy type. Have you ever tried a PJ sandwich? It is good!!

I have never been apple picking. My brother went apple picking the other day with his wife and he said it was fun. One day, I wanna go too. I wonder how many apples I can eat?!

Do you like apples?
What is your favorite fruit?
Tell me, tell me!!

Shorts in the winter?!

Christmas is right around the corner. So that means we are almost in the middle of winter. Speaking of winter, I have a question for you: What do you make of Japanese schoolchildren having to wear shorts all year round? Yes, for those of you who do not know, this is true. Japanese elementary schoolchildren wear shorts to school in the winter!!! Are their parent crazy? Are the teachers crazy? That is a formula to get the flu! or pneumonia!!! No wonder so many young kids get the flu and sometimes school is closed. Anyway, read below for the opinions of a few foreign residents in Japan.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20090630vf.html

I think it is unbelievable. I have been in Japan for over 10 years now, and I still don't get it. When I see the dry-looking, frozen-looking legs of kids running around in shorts in the winter, I become speechless. WHY?! Can someone please answer this question for me. Personally, I wear many layers of clothes in the winter; at least 3 on top(a tee-shirt, long sleeved shirt, and a sweater), and usually two on the bottom(long johns and jeans). How these kids survive in the winter wearing shorts is beyond me...

Annoying words, and Turkey

What do you think is the most annoying English word?

According to the below article, "whatever" ranks first on the list of most annoying words. Some other contenders were, "like," "anyway," and "you know."

It is iddifcult to explain the nuances of these expressions,

but many teenagers use the above words,

which are not flattering or a sign of indifference.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20091212td.html

What do you think? How about in Japanese...

what do you think is the most annoying word/phrase/expression in Japanese?

And speaking of Japanese, it was announced that the Kanji/Japanese character of the year 2009 was "NEW." This "NEW" stands for the new government, the new flu, and...what other "new" things happened in 2009? Do you remember?

For you, what kind year was 2009? Think about it and lemme know.

For me, I can't complain. It was a good year concerning many aspects of my life...

I travelled, I met many new good people, I learned a lot...

and I am looking forward to making 2010 even a better year.

Below, are some photos and an email from Ms. C.

She went to Turkey with her mother for a vacation two months ago.

I bet that was a good memory for them in 2009.

Hi Glenn!!
This week is three-day weekends.
But I went to the office yesterday.
And I don’t have special plan, so I will take it easy and organize my trip photos.

I send you several photos of my trip to Turkey.
I thought Turkey was very multifaceted country.
Because I could see very old sites in B.C., magnificent landscape that nature made, strict Islamic mosque and enjoy both atmosphere of Europe and Asia.
I could enjoy a lot !!!

I sent you seven photos.

※sorry!!!!!
I sent this mail before but it returned.
So I send this mail twice.
First I send only mail after that only photos.

●first photo
This is a Trojan horse.
It is a famous spot of Trojan war.
I could enter the inside.(I showed my face from the right window….)

●second photo
Here is the site in Ephesus
There are a lot of ruins that were built in second century.
This place is a library.

●third and forth photos
Here is Cappadocia.
I think here is the most famous spot of Turkey.
I could see strange shape rock as far as I could see.
I was overwhelmed very much.

●fifth photo
This is a Turkey’s famous sweets, Baklava.
It was sold everywhere. So I ate it. One piece is very small so I could eat one bite.
But it was very very very sweet !!!
It is the same as a pie. But in addition to inside cream, it is soaked in sweet syrup.

●sixth photo
This is Ayasofya . It is a cathedral and built thousand years before than famous Saint Peter's Cathedral in Italy.

●seventh photo
This is a photo of the cruise of the Bosphorus strait.
It is located between continent of Europe and Asia.

Sushi

Last week I went out with Mr. M for sushi. We went to my favorite sushi shop. I am a regular there. For thesecond time this year, I drank Japanese sake. I only drink sake about once or twice a year, so it was nice. And, after that, we went to an Irish Pub, which is right across the street from the sushi place. We drank some Irish Beer, Guiness and Kilkenny, listened to some music, and talked the night away. It was a good time.

One of the things we talked about was Tiger Woods. It is a shame what happened to him, and all the media fuss about it. But I want to make one prediction. Next year, I predict that Tiger will have his best year ever in golf! I predict he will win all 4 grand slam tournaments! There are a few reasons why I think this, and if you are interested to hear, please ask me in person. And, maybe it is just a coincidence, but after all, according to the Chinese calendar, next year is actually "The Year of the Tiger."

Enjoy the weekend!

Midosuji Street-Lit up!

Midosuji Street is all lit up. Lights on trees remind me of Chistmas. And actually, in a few weeks, Christmas will be here again. Do you celebrate Christmas every year? If yes, how do you celebrate? What do you do?
I usually don't do anything special because I am not Christian. But just for fun, usually I go out to dinner, eat "Christmas cake," and sometimes I exchange a small present or two.

And while on the subject of lights, did you know that The 15th Kobe Luminarie, a big light event which is a symbol of the city's reconstruction after the Great Hanshin Earthquake, is being held in Kobe now? It runs until December 14, so if you haven't gone yet, you still have a chance to go this weekend. I have been to there once many years ago. I liked it, the lights were truly magnificent, but there were too many people. And because I don't like crowded places, I haven't been there since...But in the future, on a weekday evening, I would like to go again some day.

For some more info on The 15th Kobe Luminarie, please read here:

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200912040182.html

More beautiful Foliage!!

The beautiful foliage, fall colorful leaves, are beginning to fall off the trees, and deep winter is only a few weeks away...

Speaking of the brutal cold winter, what are your tips for surviving the winter? How do you make it through the winter?
Click below to read a few opinions:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20091103vf.html

Story Highlights:
1. Use a humidifier.
2. Use a heat patch.
3. Eat a lot of home-made chicken soup! (I used to eat a lot when I was a child, and I still do now. I highly recommend this one!)
4. Wear Long Johns (Except for when I went skiing, I didn't used to do this when I was a child. But now, I can't live without them in the winter! I guess we change as we get older...)
5. Sit under a "kotatsu." (A "kotatsu" is low table with a blanket attached and with a heater below it. It is a must in the winter in Japan. But, be careful not to sleep under it!! Because if you sleep under it, you will be sure to get a cold.)
6. Visit a hot spring or the bath house as often as you can.

That's it for today. Have a good week!

Cycling, manners, and tourism in Japan

First, I want to talk about cycling. Did you know there was a massive bicycle show held last week at Osaka Port? I wanted to go, but I couldn't. Luckily for me, Mr. K wrote all about it on his blog so I could get some good info. From the content of his blog, it seemed really interesting. It's a shame I couldn't go this time, but that's OK. Hopefully I can go next time. Recently, I became interested in cycling. I don't mean just riding my old "grandma bike" around town. I mean tough, hard-core cycling, road racing. For that, I have to buy a new bicycle. Since I don't think santa is gonna get me one for Christmas, I am thinking about getting one some time next year.

And, while I am on the subject of riding bicycles, I read an article in the newspaper the other day about bicycle manners in Japan. According to the article, Osaka people have the worst bicycle manners in all of Japan...

I wasn't aware of many of the "riding rules." Do you know the "rules of the road" for bicycles? I didn't...But after I read the article, I reflected on my riding style...From now I think must be more careful and follow all of the rules.
How about you? Do you ride a bike? If yes, do you have good manners, do you follow the rules when you ride?

And, to change the subject, below is an interesting topic:

"How can the government encourage more tourists to visit Japan"

Click here for the whole article:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20091124vf.html

Some of the highlights of the above article are:

The gov't should:

1. provide free English guides. (I agree...because it is very difficult to get around Japan if you do not understand Japanese)

2. make more English signs

3. advertise better.

In addition, I think that the gov't should do something about the Yen. Right now, the Yen is too strong. So it is really expensive for tourists to visit Japan. Actually, not really expensive. Because of the exchange rate now, around 86 yen to the dollar, it is TOO EXPENSIVE.

But for Japanese people, if the Yen is that strong, then it is a great time to travel abroad, and also buy stuff from overseas on the net, I think.

Have a good Thursday night, be careful in the rain, and enjoy the weekend!

Cosmos, foilage, and boxing...

I got this email from Mr. S yesterday. It made my morning.

"We went to cosmos park where you recommended.
It was interesting place. Cosmos was beautiful yet as you said.
I like cosmos .
And there was "animal well-being center".
You'd better get dogs from here.
Please look under photos
Thank you for your information."

Recently I go walking in the park often. The foilage(=fall leaves =red, yellow, and orange leaves) are really beautiful and when I see them I can feel refreshed. And, the Cosmos flowers are really special..

As usual, last Sunday I took it easy, went for a run, and watched a dvd. The dvd, "State of Play" was good. Not great, but good. I recommend it for a dvd, but I wouldn't recommend it for the theater. Russel Crowe and Ben Affleck are in the movie. It is a suspense movie. I like suspense.

And, yesterday was a day full of sports on tv. I watched golf, sumo, and boxing. The boxing match was on tv at about 8pm, and had very high tv rating. Actually, it was the second highest tv rating ever in Japan; 43.1%. And, Koki Kameda, a kid from Osaka, was crowned the new Light Fly Weight Champion.

Ah-, today is the first day of December...the last month in 2009. Let's enjoy the last 31 days of this year...

Reservations, Boujeaulais Nouveaux, i-phone...

Reservations...I read an article the other day in the paper about reservations. How early do you make reservations? For example, to reserve a table at a popluar restaurant, to order a christmas cake, to get a room at a hotel for New Year's Eve. For restaurants, most people said they made a reservation between one week and one month in advance. The same goes for Chrismats cakes. For hotels, some people replied that they make a reservation ONE YEAR in advance in some situations(for a special occassion, i.e. New Year's Eve, Christmas Eve, Fireworks Festivals...)

How about you?

How many days or weeks or months in advance to you usually make a reservation?

Last week was the "release" or "opening" of Beau Nou. Did you try it? Mr. K is a wine salesman and he told me he was really busy last week because of Beau Nou. If you tried it, what did you think? If not, what are you waiting for?!

Below is a pic of Mr. L's new i-phone. He loves it, and thinks all the gadgets and functions are great! On a side note, Mr. K ran the Fukuchiyama Marathon the other day. I was very proud of him, because I have run that marathon two times. It is not easy...And I really respect his work-ethic and strong will. Good Job Mr. K!

Nara, the diet, and 1kg=7200kcal...

How was your three day weekend?
Mine was extremely nice. I took it easy, ate some good meals, drank some nice beer and shochu, exercised, took a long bath, read a book, read the newspaper while drinking coffee, watched a dvd...all basic, simple, not-so-interesting things, but for me, those "not-so-interesting" things are really important...I cherish them.

To change the subject, as many of you know, I used to live in Nara. I lived there for 3 years and taught English in two different Junior High schools. I lived in the suburbs for one and a half years, and in the country for the other one and a half years. I really liked Nara a lot and on my days off I often went to Nara Park for a stroll. There are temples, shrines, deer(believe it or not, good-mannered deer and bad-mannered deer...)...just loads of culture. I haven't been to Nara in a while, so now I am planning a trip to visit my Japanese "hometown" again...I am looking forward to it.(Look below for Nara photos)

And, before I forget, I want to continue on the topic I spoke about last week; Mr. F's diet. According to Mr. F, "1Kg = 7200kcal. And, this calculation comes from the following formula: 1kg of 100% fat is 9000 kilocalories. But inside body fat has 20% water. So it's mean 9000kcal times 80% = 7200kcal(inside body fat)."
If you are a scientist, maybe you can understand the above explanation. To be honest, I can't...

But, last week and last weekend, I exercised a lot. In total, I ran about 20 kilometers in 7 days. Not bad for a 35 year guy with a little beer belly. I will get on the scale and weigh myself today or tomorrow, but I know that my goal, 75kg by the end of this year, is definitely within reach.

Hope ya all have a good week!

Books and a tear-jerker movie

I was talking to Ms. A the other day about books. She said that she loves to read books. Me too. We have this in common. And she said that she reads them whenever she can; on the train, on the bus, on the track while waiting for a train, at the bus stop while waiting for a bus, before sleep, and while waiting for the street lights to change...When I heard this last one, "while waiting for the street lights to change...", I said "Hold your horses!! Wait a minute! That is dangerous and you shouldn't do that!!" And I am serious. I see too many Japanese people reading while they are walking on the street! How can they see around them? How can they protect themselves from dangerous people, or dangerous cars...I can't understand it, and it is beyond me, but here is some advice. When you walk on the street, anywhere, in any town, city, or country, you should always look ahead, and look around you. Don't look down, and don't read a book!! Because it is reall dangerous. That is today's tip. Hope it was helpful.

Below is a photo of the poster for the movie "Hachi." I haven't seen it yet, but I want to. Because I love dogs. But I heard it is a real tear-jerker...

Bounty money and Happy Photo

Good morning. How is your week going so far?

After two more days, it's the weekend...

Hang in there!!

It's a little over a week since the big arrest of the fugitive Ichihashi. I am sure everyone saw it on the news or net, so I am not going to go into the details (but, I did predict that he was in Okinawa...I was close!! He was going to Okinawa...)

I found an interesting article about the bounty money for his arrest. read this: "Informants to split 10 million yen bounty"

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20091112a2.html

Who do you think should receive the lasrgest split of the bounty money; the Osaka port ferry terminal worker, the plastic surgeon in Nagoya, the ferry terminal worker in Kobe, the informant from the construction company in Osaka?

Let me know your opinion.

And to change the subject, below is a very happy picture.

I like happy pictures and happy news more than unhappy and sad news.

Please share that happiness and look at Ms. J and her dog! Cute!!

The Blues

I like jazz, especially the blues. If you don't know what the blues are, check here for an explanation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blues

Recently, Ms. R told me about a bar near her office in Yodoyabashi. It is a British Pub/Restuarant, and often on Fridays or Saturdays live jazz concerts are held there. If I have time one day, I want to check it out. I haven't been to a live concert in a really long time...

"the blues" also has another meaning. For example;
I have the blues.
I am blue.
=I am depressed/down/sad/upset.

There are many reasons to get blue, like today's weather. It is a miserable, rainy and cold day...but let's be hopeful and optimistic and remember this:
Tomorrow is another day, another start!

November rain...

That's the weather today. Dreary and grey and wet...Ms. A told me that she lost her favorite umbrella the other day. She thought she left it on the train so she asked the train officer "Did you find a pink umbrella?" But he said "I am sorry Miss. No we haven't." She was disappointed because that umbrella had sentimental value for her. It is a shame, but something like that has happened to all of us at one time or another in our lives I think. So anyway, please be careful on the slippery roads today and don't forget your umbrella on the train!

Below is a professional level photo of some very delicious and popular cake in Honmachi these days. "Straberry Milk". It looks delicious!!

The flu and Mr. F's diet

Here are 3 tips to try to protect yourself from getting the flu.
I got them from an acquaintance of mine...

1. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water or Listerine. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive, and powerful preventative method.
2. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamins C and D.
3. Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can.

And, on to another topic, I want to talk about Mr. F's amazing, successful diet. He lost about 9kgs in 4 months. But he didn't do any execerise. Or practically no exercise. And, he also continues to drink shochu daily, multiple drinks, but he has cut down on beer. About his diet, he only watches what he eats. And he also calculates his calorie intake of every meal(he eats 3 meals a day which is healthy) and each day. He told me the other day how many calories equal one kg of fat. It was some ridiculously high number...I froget it though. And he hopes to get to 80kgs by the end of the year. Then he plans to become lighter than me. (right now I weigh 78kgs. But, by Dec. 31st, I will weigh 75 kgs.) DREAM ON IT MR. F!!! It will never happen!!! Even though I admit his diet has been successful until now, I believe his diet is flawed. It has at least one major flaw. That one flaw is NO exercise I think. I don't understand how he can do NO exercise, and still lose that much weight. I believe that exercise is necessary in a diet. But sometimes if you exercise, you actaully gain weight, because exercise builds muscle, and muscle weighs more than fat. Did you know that?

Below was a my favorite waterfall and bridge from University.

Winter...and more from hot Uganda

I believe it was last Monday...That was when I felt that winter had officially arrived. Cold. Bitter cold. And Monday morning was the first time I wore a winter hat since last winter. And luckily, my brother gave me 4 winter hats, so I have one to wear to work, one to wear when I go joggin outside, one to wear when I sleep, and one to wear when I am here...Just joking! I don't wear a winter hat in the classroom!! Well, at least not when anyone is here...

But today, and the past two days, are a little warmer...it is nice.

In addition, to prepare for the winter I already bought a new heater and a new carpet for the electric mat too. And soon, I am going to have to bust out(=take out) the long-johns(=long underwear)!! That's right! Every day I wear long-johns! They are a must in the winter!!! If you have never worn them, then you don't know what you're missing!!

Yesterday, the World Series ended. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, Matsui was a monster...It will be a long winter without baseball, but I am already looking forward to next season.

Below are more shots from Ms. T in Uganda. These shots are quite unique I think...What an experience!!