This is the last blog of 2011.

What a year it has been...

Last week, I wrote about the "Kanji of the Year-BOND."

Today, I want to ask you all the following question:

"What word for you sums up 2011?"

from The Japan Times Online

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20111227vf.html

In the interviews in the above article, people cited the words; Change, Nuclear Power, and Vibrancy.

How about you? What sums up 2011 for you? What is your "Word of the Year"?

Mine is resiliency. Resiliency was the theme of the year for most of Japan, including myself.

To change the subject, I will go back to Philly to visit my parents over the New Year's vacation. I am looking forward to seeing them, taking it easy, drinking a variety of micro-beers, and eating a lot of food which I haven't eaten in a while! Maybe I will gain a few pounds, but that is alright.

Hope everyone has a great vacation, Thanks for 2011,

and really hoping for a great 2012!

Happy New Year!!

3-day weekend

What did you do over the 3-day weekend?

On the 23rd was the Emperor's Birthday, so it was a national holiday. He turned 78 years old.

Because I went out on Thursday night, I slept in on Friday. After that I went for a 10k jog, and laid around til around 2pm. Then, with my wife, I went shopping, bought some rice and stuff, and went for a walk along Mukogawa River for about an hour. Then she made hot and spicy yellow curry for dinner, and we watched Lady Gaga, and hit the sack. It was a nice day.

Saturday night was our "Christmas Date". After walking in the "Nakanoshima Christmas Lights Illumination," we had a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant in Fukushima.

And then on Sunday, I went out with my friend all day for our "annual event".

All in all, it was a good weekend!

The below photos are courtesy of Ms. e.

She spent Christmas overseas, in Germany, for the first time.

Happy Holidays!

Do you believe in Santa Claus?

Well, if you don't, that is OK, but please pretend that you do for a few minutes, and answer this question: What do you want from Santa Claus this year?

Come on...think of something! Me? That's easy. If there was really a Santa Claus, then I would want a...(I'll tell you when I see you!)

Anyway, to everyone, Happy Holidays, Season Greetings, Happy Hannuka, Merry Christmas, or whatever floats your boat!!

Bond (Vocabulary and Expressions Study)

The Japanese Character"Kizuna," which translates to "Bond" in English was selected as the "Kanji of the Year." This is an excerpt from The Japan Times Online:

"Seihan Mori, chief monk of Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, writes the kanji "kizuna" (bond) as he unveils the Chinese character of the year on Monday. The kanji was chosen because the word came under the spotlight as the nation strives to rebuild the Tohoku region hit by the March 11 disasters."

Bond has a variety of meanings. Read the below sentences and test yourself! Do you understand all of them?

1a. There is a strong bond between the governments of America and Japan.

*Since this is debatable, please refer to the next sentence for an easier example.

1b. Company A and Company B have a tight bond and have successfully worked together on various projects over the years.

1c. I have a strong bond with my brother.

2. My word is my bond! (This is a proverb.)

3. Recently, because of the financial crisis in Europe, the stock and bond market has crashed.

4. The man, who was arrested for burglary, was released from the police on a $2000 bond.

5. Bond, James Bond! :)

Lit-up Foliage, courtesy of Ms. Y

USJ, Disney Land and See, and Duffy

2012 is winding down. There are only 19 days left. Is there anything that you want to do before the year ends? I have a few things left on my "2011 want to do list," but time is running out, so I better get to it.

Today's topic is related to amusement parks. Many people go to USJ (Universal Studios Japan in Osaka) or Disney Land and Disney Sea (in Tokyo) during the holiday seasons. One reason that people go during this time is there are Christmas Shows or Parades held during this season. I have been to the Christmas Show at USJ once, a few years ago. It was magnificent and literally brought tears to my wife's eyes. However, my eyes were quite dry. And Ms. Y told me today that the Christmas tree at USJ is the biggest in the world!!! (I don't know if that is true or not, but she said that she saw it on tv.) While on this topic, let me ask you all some questions:

1Have you ever been to USJ? How about Disney land?

If yes to both, which one do you like better, and why?

What about Disney Sea? Can you explain the difference between DL and DS?

(FYI, for those of you who don't know, DS and DL stands for Disney Land and Disney Sea. How about that for some hip lingo!!)

What is your favorite attraction or ride or show at these amusement parks? How about some other park?

Speaking of other parks, have you ever been to Disney Land, Disney World, or Universal Studios in America? If yes, what did ya think?

Did you know that I am afraid of roller coasters and hate them!? I can't understand how people let go of the safety bar and put their hands up in the air.

And, Do you know Duffy? If you don't, tell me and I will tell you all about Duffy the next time I see you.

Honeymoon (Blog by Luis)

We finally made up our minds! First it was Canada, then a cruise around the Mediterranean, after that was South America, but at last we booked our tickets to New Zealand just before Xmas.

NZ is widely renowned for its remarkable unspoiled landscapes.

We'll do a short visit to Auckland and Rotorua, famous for mud baths and volcanic hot springs.

Then we'll head to the South Island and do a small road trip. Activities include hike glaciers, get adventurous jet boating in narrow canyons, among others... like admiring the magnificent view of Mildford Sound in the Fiordlands.

Still a lot of preparation to be made, such as rent-a-car, hotels, activities, but we are thrilled and cannot wait to get there.

For those of you who are married, did you go on honeymoon? If yes, where? If not, where would you like to go?

Below are Ms. C's photos from her trip to Spain.

Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Foliage

Again, I am a little late with the topics. Please forgive me!

Anyway, let's get to it.

The first topic of the day is Thanksgiving, which is a national holiday in America and held on the 4th Thursday of November every year.

From my childhood, I have many good memories of Thanksgiving; family, carving the turkey, stuffing, gravy, football, pumpkin pie... If you want to hear more about each one of them, just ask.

The below link is interesting. It is about other people's thoughts about Thanksgiving. Check it out.

"So what's Thanksgiving all about?"

from The Japan Times Online

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20111129vf.html

The next topic is also related to Thanksgiving. Because it "Black Friday," which is held every year the day after Thanksgiving.

I got the following explanation and history of Black Friday from Wikipedia:

"Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, traditionally the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. On this day, most major retailers open extremely early, often at 4 a.m., or earlier, and offer promotional sales to kick off the shopping season, similar to Boxing Day sales in many Commonwealth Nations. Black Friday is not actually a holiday, but some non-retail employers give their employees the day off, increasing the number of potential shoppers. It has routinely been the busiest shopping day of the year since 2005,^[1] although news reports, which at that time were inaccurate,^[2]have described it as the busiest shopping day of the year for a much longer period of time.^[3]

The day's name originated in Philadelphia, where it originally was used to describe the heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic which would occur on the day after Thanksgiving.^[4] Use of the term started before 1966 and began to see broader use outside Philadelphia around 1975. Later an alternative explanation began to be offered: that "Black Friday" indicates the point at which retailers begin to turn a profit, or are "in the black."

And last but not least, Foliage. Have you gone somewhere to see the magnificent foliage yet this year?

I have!!!

Below are photos from Ms. e's "foliage" experience this year.

Election, Black Friday, and Hokkaido

Did you vote in the election last Sunday in Osaka?

If yes, which candidate did you vote for?

Who did you vote for for mayor? How about governor?

Since I don't have the right to vote in Japan, I couldn't cast my ballot. It is a shame. But, I heard that about 17% more people turned out to vote for the election this time compared to last time.

FYI, only Japanese citizens, in other words those people with Japanese nationality, have the right to vote. I am a resident of Japan, but my nationality and citizenship in American.

Here is an article about the winners!

"Hashimoto, Matsui win twin Osaka polls"

from The Japan Times online

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20111128a1.html

To change the subject, I read a positive headline, "Americans set record for shopping on Black Friday weekend," about the economy on Yahoo.com yesterday.

Two main points of the article were:

1. For retailers, it was a robust start to the holiday season

2. It seems that many consumers saved up all year and decided to splurge a little

For the full article, click here:

http://news.yahoo.com/retailers-robust-start-holiday-season-225348430.html

Below are some photos from Mr. S. He went to Hokkaido last week. I am jealous of him because I have never been to Hokkaido, but I really want to go there one day...

He also gave me a hand-made wooden letter opener, which was made by Ainu People, who are "Native Japanese," kinda like "Native Americans."

Ohotsuku Sea

According to Mr. S, "On a clear day you can can see Russia...

maybe the coast is about 100km from Russia, but don't quote me on that."

"I took this photo from the room in the hotel. It is Daisetsu National Park."

"This is Abashiri City. It was the first time I have seen snow this winter.

There is a prison (jail) in this city, but none of my friends are there :)!"

"This is Lake Akan. It is famous for "marimo," which is like a beautiful green ball of moss which rests on the bottom of the lake. You can see marimo because Lake Akan is the clearest lake in the world!!! If you can't understand my explanation of marimo, just google it!"

Raul vs Luis (blog by Luis)

The other day I was on my way home by train and I heard some school kids commenting about me.

Situations such as this happen quite often with foreigners especially when you go to the countryside.

In this case I could understand they were comparing me with a famous spanish soccer player, Raul Gonzales. It wasn't the first time I have been told about my similarities with him. I was just surprised to see small children on the opposite side of the world recognizing slight differences between Westerners.

I wish I was that good at playing football (this is how "soccer" in Europe is called), and could earn so much money, but I would never exchange my wife with his :)

Am I that similar?

Can you distinguish the differences between Europeans and Americans?
How about between Asians?

To change the topic. the below is interesting.

I asked Glenn for his answer and he said:

"The Emperor. I would really like to sit down with him, and talk face to face about many things. I would ask him such questions as:

What do you eat for breakfast every day?

Have you ever gone out by yourself, without any security?

If not, then if you could, where would you go?

Was it love at first sight when you met your wife?

Do you drink alcohol? If yes, what kind do you like?

I could go on and on... "

"If you could meet any living Japanese person, who would it be?"

from The Japan Times Online

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20111115vf.html

The below photos are courtesy of Ms. e and from her trip to Kumano-Kodo.

Have you ever been there?

kumano-koudo

Beaujolais

Did you uncork a bottle of this year's Beaujolais last Thursday night, which marked the "2011 opening"?

I didn't. But I bought a bottle and I plan to pop it open tonight, while watching Game 6 of the Japan Series. As of now, the Softbank Hawks are leading the series versus the Chunichi Dragons 3-2.

My wife is from Kyushu so she is rooting for the Hawks.

I like the manager of the Dragons, Mr. Ochiai, who is in the last year of his contract and will not return as manager next year. So I am rooting for the Dragons. (But I have Softbank stock, and if the Hawks win, then maybe the stock will go up a little, so I am thinking about changing my team...Sorry, I am not so loyal when it comes to Japanese Baseball.)

As many of you know, I really love baseball. So, because this will be the last weekend of baseball for a long time until next year's spring training, I hope that Chunichi wins Game 6,　and then the Hawks win Game 7. If that happens, then my wife will be happy, and the stock will go up, and I can watch two more game of baseball, so a Triple Winner!!!

Anyway, I will let you know how the Beaujolais is next week!

Hope everyone has a good rainy weekend!

"Beaujolais fans toast new vintage"

from The Japan Times Online

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nb20111118a3.html

Below are photos courtesy of Ms. R. They are from her trip to London.

Cosmos and population

Good morning everyone.

Last Sunday I went to see Cosmos flowers near my house. There is a Cosmos Garden which opens every year along the Mukogawa River in Nishinomiya, I have gone there for the past 5 years in a row. For me too, it is an annual event.

Also, I watched two DVDs last weekend. "The Fighter," which was produced by and also stars Mark Walhberg and "Here After," which was directed by Clint Eastwood and stars Matt Damon. They were both OK, but I liked "The Fighter" more. I haven't watched a DVD in a while so it was nice.

Have you seen any movies or watched any DVDs recently? If yes, anything good?

To change the subject, the other day I heard on the radio about the population of different countries in the world.

The country with the largest population in the world is China. Number two is India. And I forget what number Japan is, but the population in Japan is 120,000,000 people(=one hundred and twenty million.)

That's a lot of people for such a small Island...I guess that is why real estate prices are so high.

The below photos are courtesy of Ms. e.

She lives in Amagasaki, which is right around the corner from the Cosmos field, and also goes to walk along Mukogawa River and see these amazing Cosmos every year.

Social Networking + Women's expectations of men

The other day I had a conversation with Luis about social networking. He knows quite a bit about this kind of stuff, and much more than I do. So he made up a list of questions for class. Here they are:

What social networking websites do you use?

What are some good and bad points about social networking?

Do you have a Facebook? Do you use Twitter? How about Mixi?

What information do you have on your page/blog?

What type of information are you comfortable releasing and showing online?

Does your family also use social networking sites?

If you don't use, what kind of information would/should you put on social networking sites?

Are you afraid to lose your privacy by using social networking sites?

Then I remembered that I have a Mixi site. Mixi is one of the big social networking systems in Japan. Actually, it is becoming less and less popular recently due to the bigger and badder sites like Facebook and Twitter. I also have a Facebook site, but like my Mixi site, I rarely use it. So I decided to open up my Mixi site for the first time in a while. Then, I found an interesting blog and I did a rough translation of it. The title was, "What do women expect men to be able to do?"

Here are 9 expectations which women have of us guys

Women expect me to be able to:

1. hook up a computer or TV,Cable TV!, blue ray recorder, etc.

2. be able to drive (and be a good river and have a nice car!

No walking or cycling on dates guys! Girls want to be driven around in style!)

3. kill cockroaches (No panicking or screaming or whining or running away!!!)

4. assemble furniture (like the kind you buy at IKEA) patiently and confidently, without getting irritated.

5. open lids on jars easily and on the first try (No wincing or sweating or grunting allowed!!! )

6. be able to read a map and not get lost (both when walking and driving in places we have never been before!)

7. give a girl a piggy back without any problems (even if you have a bad back like I do!!)

8. pull out the cork of a wine bottle with ease and grace

9. light the fire to a barbecue without any trouble (No heavy blowing or dark clouds of smoke!!)

Can you think of any other?

And, can any of you men tell me, what do you expect women to be able to do?

Halloween Facts

I know it is a little late, but I found out some interesting facts about Halloween which I wanted to share with everyone.

1. Halloween began about 2000 years ago. It was created by the Kelts and was originally like "New Year's Eve," as the Kelt Calendar begins on November 1st, and ends on October 31st.

2. In the 19th Century, Halloween was "imported" to America from Europe. At that time, it changed from a religious type event, to a "delicious and interesting" type of event with sweets and costumes getting in the mix.

3. Originally in Europe, a turnip, not a pumpkin was used.

4. The carved out pumpkin, called "Jack-o-lantern," represents the spirit "Jack" carrying a light. Kinda like "Obon" in Japan!!

5. In 1983, in Harajuku, the first Halloween Parade was held in Japan. About 100 people, mostly foreigners, attended.

6. In Kawasaki City this year, 3500 people participated in the Halloween Parade. This was the 15th year in a row the parade has been held in Kawasaki.

7. Recently in Japan, Halloween is becoming more and more popular. One of the reasons is:　There are no other significant events (except for my birthday! ;) in October in Japan.

8. It is said that the economic effect of Halloween will become bigger than that of Christmas, Valentine's Day, and White Day in Japan.

That's about all for now folks. Did you know all of that?

Hope everyone enjoy the National Holiday tomorrow!

Kuroshima, and Imaginary Osaka Marathon Answers by yours truly!

I pretended that I ran the Osaka Marathon this year and answered the questions just like Ms. T and Mr. S did.

Look below for my answers!

What was your time?

My time was 4 hours and 42 minutes.

Did you hit "the wall" at around the 30km point?

Yes, I did. I hit it hard!!

I watched some of the marathon on TV, and it looked very tough to run smoothly cause=because there were so many people...around 30,000 people I think. How was it?

It was alright. In the beginning, because there were so many people, it was difficult to run smoothly.But, in the second half, it was easier to run.

What did you think about all of the supporters?

They were wonderful!! Without their support, I couldn’t have done it!!

Did you drink and eat a lot of the stuff which the volunteers at the "rest stations" offer?

Yes, of course. I drank a lot of water and sports drinks, and I ate some bananas, calorie mate bars, Japanese rice cakes, and chocolate and candy.

How was the weather?

It was cloudy, with off and on showers.

Did any friends or family come out to cheer you on from the sidelines?

Yes, they did. I was very fortunate.

How do you feel today? Are your muscles; knees, achilles tendons, groin, joints...sore?

My whole body hurts, and especially my groin is sore. I can’t even walk up the stairs normally! I need an elevator!

Do you want to run another marathon? :)

Pass! Instead, I want to go to my favorite Island in the world!!! Kuroshima!! (See the below shots!!)

Osaka Marathon (email)

I just received the below email from Mr. S. I was relieved to hear that he finished the race.

I give both Ms. T and Mr. S a lot of credit. I am very impressed!!

Subject: Thank you for your support.

"Hi glenn.

I finished/ran to run THE Osaka Marathon yesterday.It took 4.5 hours
I am sorry,I could not clear my target time(under 4hours)yet.
But I satisfied it,becase I could keep to run 42km with a smile .
I wii never foget it,too.

Best regards.

Mr. S"