BREAD, delicious bread! And ORGANIC, no additives or perservatives used!

Ms. T made this beautiful bread. She is really into organic food and cooking. In Japan such food is just beginning to become popluar. Sometimes I eat organic food too. Ms. T also goes to cooking class and studies how to make such food. The bread realy looks delicious! My favorite type of bread is rasin bread. How about you?
What kind of bread do you think this is?
How about this? Do you recommend any bread shops in Osaka? I do! I will tell you about it next time. Thanks a lot for the pics Ms. T!!!

COSMOS-Here comes winter...

Now it just got sunny outside. This morning it was cold and dreary and rainy. It felt like winter was just around the corner. (Which does not make me happy!!) I have to go shopping for winter clothes soon. I want to buy a fleece, sweater, jacket, hat and gloves before it`s too late. Did you already go winter clothes shopping? What did you buy?

The above is the exact opposite of winter. It looks like a photo from the spring, but actually my student Ms. T took it recently on a trip. Do you know what kind of flower it is?

Pin Collection

Look at this wonderful pin collection. Ms. N has collected pins for many years now. She loves the Rolling Stones, especially the guitarist, Keith something..I forget his name. She also collects pics from the hard rock cafe! She said "My pics are my treasure! I cherish them." And she was worried that if I put them on my blog, a robber might come to her house to steal them...haha
I used to collect pins when I was a child too. I collected pins from many ski resorts. I went skiing many times when I was a child. It was fun and I liked skiing very much. But now, no thank you! I hat ethe cold and would much rather prefer the beach for a vacation!
Do you collect anything?

Jet

Have you ever ridden in a propeller jet? Miss O had that experience the other day. She said it was cool. I don`t like flying so much. Number one, I am scared of heights. Number 2, I just dont like it. But I have to fly sometimes if I want to go to America or some other place overseas. Last week, a student Mr. I went to America on a business trip. His company has a subsidiary on the East coast, and he had to meet some clients in a few different states. On his way back, he got an upgrade to business class. He said it was very NICE! I was jealous, because I have never gotten an upgrade...always economy class. ;(

HALLOWEEN-(a repeat from last year)

Today is Halloween. Do you know any good Halloween parties tonight? I am sure there is one tonight at Hard Rock Cafe, just like there was one last year. Last year, there were many people dressed in different costumes. When I was a kid, I used to go "trick-or-treating" with my brother every year. I wore many costumes, for example, a cowboy, a football player, a fireman, a witch, etc. The last time i wore a costume on Halloween was about 10 years ago...I dressed up as a girl then...maybe I was cute ;) Halloween is a fun day in America. In schools many children dress up in a costume and go to school. Are you interested in Halloween? Have you ever dressed up for Halloween or been to a party? How about, if you could go to a Halloween party, what would you want to dress up as?

GuamMiss A took these photos from her trip in Guam. She went with her family for a few days. The photos she took are really beautiful. I was impressed and also felt the pics were healing.. The water looks so BLUE, it`s amazing!The landscape in this photo is great. The ocean in the background, and the mountains in the background. I prefer the ocean to the mountains, how about you?
Have you ever been swimming with dolphins. I have heard of it before and know that some people go to Hawaii to try it too. I have never done it but I would like to try one day. How about you?

Lucky Boy!!

Sometimes, some people just have something. It can`t be explained. (I don`t have it!! ) But Shinjo does! His team, the Nipon Fighters won the Japan Series yesterday! Shinjo already announced he would retire at the end of this season. All season, he put on a show. He is ALWAYS smilin, ALWAYS! (Just like me...haha..) It`s unbelievable! And then last night, in his final at-bat, he was crying. He struck out swinging. It was great..beautiful. Better than a home-run. With tears in his eyes he swung so hard, so hard at two pitches!!! Just like he always does. He didn`t even come close to hitting the ball! Not even close. But it was cool!

Read here for details of the game:
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20061026p2a00m0sp034000c.html

Random...

Halloween is coming. October 31st. Do you know of any good Halloween parties? It`s already the end of October. Time goes by too fast...

Have you ever made a lantern out of a pumpkin? I haven`t..but it must be fun. Next month is Thanksgiving in America. Pumpkin pie is very popular but I didn`t eat it when I was a child. I didn`t like it. But now it`s ok, I can`t eat it. My taste buds changed maybe...

My student Ms. Ai sent me some great pics from Guam but I can`t download them onto the blog. I don`t know why. I am not good with computers...

Ms. N made some nice flower arrangements again in her class. Thanks.

EXTRANCE

My student Ms. AIKO, came up with a new word. It is "Extrance." I think it`s a great word. In Japanese there is a word which combines ENTANCE and EXIT. But in English, intil now, there was no such word! So today is the birth of a new word!!! "EXTRANCE"! I think will be very useful and come in handy. For example, "Where do you want to meet?" "How about at the Extrance?"

Knitting...

Knitting is a cool hobby I think. My student Ms. A made this beautiful muffler for her niece. It si so colorful and looks so fluffy! Her niece is 12 years old and also enjoys English. I bet she loves this muffler from her Aunt!!! I think a knitted gift is really something special. One of my friends made her husband a knitted sweater last year for his birthday. I thought it was a great gift!

When I was a child, my gradnmother used to knit blankets for my family. They were made with many different colors of yarn. Because my parent`s house is always cold, the blankets were also really warm and useful!!! They were great!

One, two, three...JUMP!!! Canyoning!!

Some of my friends went canyoning in northern Shiga. I was really jealous because I like canyoning. Not many people know about canyoning, but actaully I went once when I lived in Australia. One of my co-workers took me deep into the Blue Mountains near Sydney...
You have to wear a wet suit and the water is pretty cold. It`s different that a river, and also different from a lake. There is a cold sense, but also very mysterious and beautiful. Like Ying and Yang...Canyoning is usually the yang ?, maybe...but at times also Ying...haha :)
Have a good day!

p.s. Ms. O, thanks for the pics!

Oysters, ice cream, and okonomiyaki...

The above is Okonomiyaki, a popluar food in Osaka and Japan. In english we say "Japanese pizza" but it`s really nothing like pizza. Most foreigner who I know who have tried it like it very much. For some reason, it is easy for everyone to eat. Inside is batter and cabbage and depending on the type, meat and vegetables and seafood, squid, octopus, pork, cheese, mochi, and on and on...it`s endless. On the top is usually sauce and mayonaise and seaweed and fish flakes. What`s your favorite okonomiyaki shop? Do you prefer to eat okonomiyaki at home or at a restaurant?

Fried oysters and ice cream!! This is NOT a common food in Japan. Strange, just strange...

Do you like osyters??? ;)

Deep Impact will retire... ;(

Read here for the details:

http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/sports/news/20061011p2a00m0sp011000c.html

This race was my b-day, Oct. 23rd. It was when Deep won the Triple Crown.
Deep`s biggest race of her career. In France. He came in a disappointing third. But much of the nation watched and cheered for him from their living rooms. Notice that Take wore the same jersey as he wore on the Triple Crown day...Good job Deep!! Ya did good!

DEEP! The Greatest Horse ever! Just look and admire...There is a possibility he will race one more time...It will be the last time to see his grace...

I went to this race in Kyoto. I stood at the finish line with 94,000 other people. DEEP blew the other horses away. It wasn`t even close. It was beautiful! True beauty. I had goose bumps and will never forget it...

Frogs and Salad!!

I used to be a vegetarian for about 6 years. During that time I ate a lot of vegetables and tofu (sometimes I ate fish though...) It is impossible to eat out in Japan and be a true vegetarian. But look at this pic! My student Ms. Nao told me about frogs in her hotel in Malaysia, but NOT IN HER SALAD!! If I bought this salad, I would ask for a refund for sure!!

Hanako the Stuffed Animal

Do you like stuffed animals? This is Ms. K`s suffed animal. Her name is HANAKO. She is an elephant! In Japan, snoopy and winnie the pooh are very popular stuffed animals. I know there are more popular ones too, but I am not an expert on stuffed animals, sorry. Somebody, please help me! I used to have a stuffed animal when i was a child. But Ms. K is in her thirties, and she still has a stuffed animal. What do you think about that?

INTERNATIONAL BEER FESTIVAL

Look at this home page for the details: http://www.skybldg.co.jp/event/beer.html

It`s located in Umeda`s Sky Builiding. I went to this festival a few times in the past! I had a good time and have some good memories from there. The entrance fee is FREE so even if you don`t drink beer you can still go and walk around and watch all the activites and shows. f you are free on this Friday, Saturday or Sunday, I recommend that you check it out!

And remember, don`t drink too much or you`ll regret it and get a hangover the next day!!!

KYOTO Sansho Street lit up

Last month my friend YU went to Kyoto to check out the "light up". He`s really interested in photography and art and also SOCCER!! He even goes to Europe sometimes just to watch a game! It`s true!! Today I think he is moving. He will begin to live by himself from today...until now, he lived with his parents. He got a place in Kyoto, and he said he can see the Ktoto Tower, a very impressive site in Kyoto ;), from his bed. I hope he learns a lot and enjoys living by himself in Kyoto!! GOOD LUCK!
This is a pic YU took at a kimono show he went too. I like kimonos...I think they are very beautiful and special. I have worn a kimono once, about 10 years ago..It`s a little difficult to move around in a kimono. And I think it`s impossible to go to the restroom! About that kimono , maybe I can`t fit into it now. .haha ;) (=I got bigger!)

Flower arrangement

These flowers look very beautiful! Flower arrangement is a common hobby in Japan. Many people study flower arrangement. Ms. N just began to study last week. She already studies english and calligraphy, so I think that she is really busy! She said there were about 10 other women in the class and she really enjoyed it! Have you ever studied flower arrangement?

DESSERT!

Do you like dessert? What`s your favorite dessert? The above picture and picture on the bottom are two desserts from the Ritz Carlton Hotel. Ms. M went there with her co-workers on her day off! She went on "Ladies Day" so I think it was 30% off! She said there were many desserts and she recommended it. The middle pic is of a chocolate Sundae. It looks pretty good!

A friend of mine will have a "Big" Birthday tomorrow. Today is her last day in her twenties!! So I am a day early, but "Happy Birthday!" And she will eat a big cake with tons of fruit on the top and in the middle for her birthday! Maybe she will have a BIG :) smile I think!

China Trip!

Ms. e went to China with her friend a few weeks ago. She visited a place which is not so many Japanese tourists go to because it is not so easy to get there. She showed me a bunch of photos and the nature was really beautiful!! There were so many large and beautiful waterfalls and also some unique lakes which actaully looked like hot springs. My image of China before I saw her photos and listened to her talk about her trip was of many many people, many many bicycles, a big city image, and also The Great Wall of China. But after I spoke with Ms. e and saw the pics, my image changed. Now beautiful nature is also included in my new image of China! Please read the "comments" to what Ms. e has to say about her trip and where she went!

The color of the water changes depending on where you look at the lake from. In some photos the color was blue, but in others a dark green. It was the same lake! The photos were taken at the same time!

It`s called the "5 color lake!!"Unbelievable...

What a view!

A Giant panda! There were 13 pandas in the park where Ms. e visited!! And she got to touch, hug, one too! She said that the fur was HARD!

Tall waterfalls and many tourists! This is also a World Heritage site.

Thanks for the pics Ms. e!!!

Spoiled kid, ignorant coach...

Read this japanese article for the details:
http://sports.yahoo.co.jp/hl?c=sports&d=20060927&a=20060927-00000081-sph-spo
This high school kid was drafted by the Lotte Mariner`s the other day. He wanted to play for the Soft Bank Hawks, but the Lotte beat the Hawks in a lottery for the rights to the kid. OH, one of the most famous coaches/former players in Japan, WAS the manager of the Hawks before he got sick. Presently he is in rehab, but in all likelihood, he will never really manage the Hawks again. Bobby Valentine is the manager of Lotte. I think he managed in the World Series in America too. I understand the kid may have wanted to play under OH, but Valentine wanted the kid, and playing under Valentine is not such a terrible thing I think. The kid should be happy to be drafted, be able to play in the pros, and stop crying! And then his coach said that he won`t meet Valentine to talk about the kid because..."He`s an American...Even if I do talk to him, there`s no way an American will be able to understand." Stupid...and ignorant coach. I am not surprised his player is the same...

LANGKAWI, Malaysia

Ms. Nao recently just came back from Langkawi, Malaysia. Luckily, she sent me some really incredible photos! The shots are really good because she is like a professional photographer! I post some of her photos in my classroom because they are really artistic and original. They light up the room!! About her trip to Langkawi, she didn`t have a summer vacation so she was really looking forward to her trip in September! And she works really hard and does A LOT of overtime, so she really deserved the vacation I think!! She said Langkawi and the hotel she stayed at, The Dalai, were both great, beautiful, GREEN, relaxing, quiet, and on and on. She highly recommended them both!! Both of the photos are actually from a small pond in the lobby, on the 4th floor, of the Dalai Hotel, where she stayed. Whooaaahh!! I want to take a vacation again!
To check out the amazing hotel. look here:

http://www.ghmhotels.com/hotels/hotel_home.asp?hotelid=2&section=home

BARCELONA!!

My student, Dr. M went to Barcelona for a medical conference! These are some of the pic she took! I especially like the one right above, the "dancing" photo. Many people like to travel!! How about you? Do you like to travel? Where is the best place you have ever been? How about the worst? Where do you recommend for a relaxing vacation? How about an exciting one?

Car collection

Hey, hope you had a good 3 day weekend! My friend collects miniature cars. This is a pic of his collection. The cars look cool. Do you collect anything? Some people coolect many different things, for example, stamps, baseball cards, pins, badges, print club pictures, etc......Have you heard of any interesting collections?

Matsui`s BACK!

After going 4-4 in his first game back from his 4 month broken wrist absence, Matsui hit his first homer in today`s game, his third since returning. He got a standing ovation at his first at-bat after returning. He said it was a day he will remember. He `s going to contribute to the Yankees til the end of this season. If he gets a little lucky, because of his pot in the batting line-up, he could also get really hot and become the next "Mr. October."

On a side note, my hometown`s team, the Philadelphia Phillies, are fighting for a wild-card berth into the playoffs! I will keep you posted!