The day after...

Good morning, it's Friday...the day after the Phillies officially became National League Champions and got their ticket to the World Series. Unless Matsuzaka and the Red Sox pull off a miracle, the American League representatives will be the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays. But, because of PC (political correctness) these days, you can NOT say "devil" because it is a BAD word.
By the way to you know what a devil ray is? It is like a fish, like a manta ray.
PC is sometimes strange I think.

I am in the mood for some sushi this weekend. Actually, I am always in the mood for some good sushi.
Can you name the sushi below...From top to bottom, it goes: octopus, salmon roe, and scallops. Do you like those sushi? Is there any sushi which you can`t eat? don`t like? How about your favorite sushi?
Me, thanks for asking! :)
I like yellowtail the best. Basically I can eat all sushi, but I don`t know what all the fuss is about herring roe, and to be honest, if I have a choice, I would pass on "crab brain" every time.

The article below is also quite interesting, so if you have the time and energy, please try to read it.
Have a good day and enjoy the weekend.

"Sustainable sushi"
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20081016f2.html

Nara again.

What a coincidence! After I wrote the blog yesterday about Nara, Ms. e sent me an email out of the blue saying that she was actually in Nara for the day because she took a day off to see a Kabuki show in front of "The Big Buddha Temple" Todaiji. I really dig that temple! It`s really cool! It was also funny, because I just saw Ms. e the day before, but she didn`t mention anything about going to Nara or taking a day off...so her email caught me off-guard (=I was not expecting to get her email and this was extra-surprised).

Today my team the Phillies will play...If they win, they can get a ticket to THE BIG DANCE...(=the World Series). Go Phils!!

"Nara deer get sheared"

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200810130054.html

This article reminds me when I lived in Nara...it is very nostalgic!! I lived in Nishinokyo for about 2 years when I lived in Nara. There is one famous shrine and one famous temple in that town. And it is very close to the center of Nara city and Nara park, so it was a very convenient place to live. Also, it`s really quiet and there are no high office buildings or apartment buidling. Because of the culture and history of the town, there is a lwa which prohibits big buildings or highrises from being built. When I lived there, I used to go to many festivals in Nara. It was alot of fun!! But recently I don`t go to so many festivals...It`s a shame.

One win away!!!

The Phillies are one win away from the World Series!! They haven`t been to the Wolrd Series since 1983...

How was your 3-day weekend?

I enjoyed my 3-day weekend very much. I saw a very good movie, had some good food, went to Kobe for the first time in a while, and also ran into an old friend. The Movie I saw was "Okuribito" a Japanese movie which was nominated for an Academy Award for Foreign Films in America and also won some award at the Montreal Film festival. It was a really good movie, and I recommend it to all. Kobe was fun and refreshing because I haven`t been there in maybe about a year or so...There was also some thrilling news over the weekend, like the suicide of Mr. Miura, the Tokyo Giants winning the Central League Championship, the resignation of the Hanshin Tigers Manager Mr. Okada, MY TEAM the Philadelphia Phillies winning some more playoff games, and ...

Click here for the best mascot in Professional sports, the Phillie Phantic!!
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=rk4CmI5dFCE

Today is rainy, but the stock market is UP for the first time in 8 days...


Hope everyone has a good week!

p.s. The below photos are from Awajishima. Thanks Ms. N!

Punctuality

In Japan, punctuality is very important. The trains, buses, planes, all forms of public transportation are always on time. Meeting always begin on time (but I HEARD they tend to run late, thus many employees have to do overtime which they are not too happy about!!!)

Also, in America, we say it is cool to be "fashionably late" to a party. So, if the party begins at 8pm, it is cool to arrive at about 9:30 or 10:00pm. If you did the same thing in Japan, it would be considered very impolite.

How about you? Are you always puntual when you meet your friends for a date or dinner or something? In general are you a punctual person, or are you often late?

The below is a cool and unique and interesting article about two American guys who set a Guiness world record by using the trains in Japan. You should read it!

"Japanese punctuality lets duo go the Guiness 24-hour train distance"

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20081009a4.html

p.s. sorry, today no photo. you will have to do without a photo today. i think you can all live without it..

Newsweek-English version

Afetr class yesterday, Mr. M bought the English version of (Asia)Newsweek. He said it was his first time to buy it. And he said that he thought it was much easier to understand than he expected. Do you read articles in the newspaper, internet, or magazines to study English? If not, I highly recommend that you do so!! You should just try!! You have nothing to lose!!! And, to be honest, it is a great way to improve your vocabulary and reading comprehension skills! If those skills improve, of course your speaking and listening skills will also improve at the same time!! Just try it!!

The Philadelphia Phillies are the best!!

Go Phillies! and you better watch out Kuroda and Saito and the Dodgers...because we are coming!!! Bring it on!!
Japanese version: http://dailynews.yahoo.co.jp/photograph/pickup/
Philadelphia version: http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/sports&id=6433124

Buckle up!

Do you wear a seat belt when you are in a car? If you drive a car do you always wear a seat belt? How about if you are in the passenger`s seat? How about if you sit in the back seat? I think it is very important to wear a seat belt, no matter where you are sitting in the car. Now in Japan, I think it is a law that you must wear a seat belt always in the car, no matter where you are sitting? If you are pulled over by a police officer, and are found to be not wearing a seat belt, you must pay a fine. What do you think about seat belts? Do you think they are comfortable? Helpful? Annoying? Let me know you thoughts.

Here is an article about buckling up: http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200810060043.html

Below is another update from Mr. I in Indonesia. His family visited him for a week or so in September and he showed them around the town. In the family portrait below, they look like Royalty!

Hope everyone has a good week!

Ireland, Kappa, and Kiyohara

About one year ago today, I came back from a 10 day trip to Ireland. I remember many things about the trip, but what I remember most is probably the beer, especially Guiness!! In remembrance of the good times on that trip, this weekend I am definitely going to head to an Irish pub and chug some Guiness! Guiness is so smooth and rich!! In Ireland, there is a special way to make Guiness and it takes the bartender about 5 minutes or more to prepare a draft of Guiness! In Osaka, after you place your order, you receive the beer in about a minute. In Ireland, the Guiness also tastes a little different, more rich, more deep, the foam is softer...It is strange, but good! Actually it is the same for my hometown Philadelphia. Philly is famous for cheese steak sandwiches! In Osaka, one shop also sells "philly cheese steaks." I tired it once. It was ok, BUT it was NOT a philly cheese steak, not even close!!! It was like "meat and potatos in a roll of bread."

The other day Ms. Y went to an Irish curry shop in Osaka. She said the curry was OK and the Guiness was good. She likes Guiness very much. But she said the Guiness was a little expensive, about 1000 yen (11$). The usual price in Osaka is about 800yen or 900yen. When she told me about the shop, I told her, "Really? I wanna try it out...But I went Ireland, and when I was in Ireland, I NEVER saw any Irish curry!!! I saw plenty of Irish stews, but NEVER Irish curry!!!" Strange...
The below creature is called a "Kappa." Do you know what a Kappa is? It is a creature that lives near or in rivers. Some people believe it exists and in some sensational newspapers in Osaka, sometimes there are articles about "Kappa" sightings...For example, "I saw a Kappa in Nara," or "There was a Kappa`s foot print on my mailbox." Do you believe in Kappas? If yes, have you ever seen one? :)

Last, yesterday a Japanese legend Kiyohara played his last game. He retired. I saw the highlights of his retirement game...It was the most outrageous and funny and impressive retirement game I have ever seen!! In the end, a rock star came onto the field and played Kiyohara`s favorite song, the song which is played every time he has an at-bat, live. It was cool!

This is an article about Kiyohara`s last game:

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/sb20081002j1.html

Enjoy the weekend!

Hello Panasonic!!! And Good-bye Matsushita and National...

It is still raining today. I think it has rained about 4 days in a row...Every day is lousy weather. I really hope tomorrow is sunny...And today is the first day of October. I wonder what this month will bring...

From today, two world-wide names-Matsushita and National, will disappear forever. There are a few reasons for this change. One is the brand name "National" had some difficulty being used in some foreign countries. Another reason is to unite 3 names into ONE BIG name, Panasonic. If ONE BIG name, the brand value can increase worldwide.

150 steps...about

That`s how many steps I walk up every day from the platform to the street. Today I counted. I t was the first time I ever counted. So if you add the steps to the platform at the station near my house, and the steps to the classroom, there are probably about 200 steps which I walk up every morning. That`s good exercise. I think my legs and lower back must be strong from doing it for about 2 years. Actually, I like exercise and don`t mind walking up the steps at all. I don`t really like escalators so much, and in the summer I usually wear sports sandals, and with all the news about accidents and people feet getting caught in escalators last summer, I decided to totally avois them!

Below are some pictures from Ise. They really look nice, like a dream...

Be careful in the rain today!!

What color is the moon?

Ms. A went to Australia to study for about 6 months. For the first month she will do a homestay and also go to school to study English. In her class, she found something interesting. "What color is the moon?" She thinks yellow. But in her English text book, it says silver. I, who was educated in the U.S.S, thinks white. The next question was "What color is the sun?" She thinks red. The textbook says gold. I think yellow.

What do you think? Please let me know your answers. Below are the pictures of Ms A`s homestay house, and dog. It looks like she is living the "suburban life!"

In the Dog House

In a Seattle newspaper yesterday, there was an article reporting that one player threatened to "knock out" Ichiro at one time during the season. The player was left un-named, anonymous, but I bet that player is now in the Manager`s dog house:
Read this article if you are interested in the details: http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8607982/Report:-Teammate-wanted-to-'knock-out'-Ichiro

Enjoy the weekend, it`s a beautiful day today!!

I have some good news!

Finally, I got a new monitor for me computer! Wow! It is really unbelievable! A 19 incher! That`s big :) What a difference! I regretted not buying a new monitor when I bought the new computer 2 years ago. I was (am) cheap!! But I regretted it every day. Because I had a nice new Dell pc, all black...it was a delight! But every day I had to look at a dimpy, yellow(originally it was white, but it became yellow from age and the sun...), small, old, monitor. But now, life is different!

Below is a g-style BBQ. Eat your hearts out!

Sunrise from the top of Mt. Fuji

I climbed Mount Fuji once more than ten years ago. It was a great experience and I highly recommend to try it once. But maybe once is enough. The view of the sunrise from the peak is absolutely breathtaking!!! It is a MUST DO once in your life if you are Japanese I think. On the negative side, on the way down, the scenery really isn`t so special, the bathrooms are really smelly(=they stink!). On the way up, the price of a "stamp" gets more expensive at each stage, and also it is very crowded and sometimes actually have to wait in line, and it is VERY cold. But to be honest the positives outweight the negatives! So try it some time if you can!

Did you hear about the big rice scandal? In Japanese it is translated into "Accident Rice," but I think it should be translated to "Incident Rice."

This is an article about it if you want to read: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/ed20080922a2.html

Tomorrow is a national holiday in Japan, the Autumn Equinox Day. I don`t really know what that means, but what I do no, is that many people are off, so hope every enjoys!

The Tigers...

The Tigers and Giants play tonight. It is a big game. At one time this year, the Tigers had a 13 game cushion over the Giants. That was in July. Now, today, September 21st, they have a 1 game cushion. Only 1!! For the first time in 16 years, the Giants have won 9 games in a row. The Giants offense is looking strong!! One the other hand, the Tigers look very weak all around...
After tonight, I have a feeling the Tigers and Giants will be tied for first place. The future looks bright for the Giants...But unfortunately, the future looks very bleak for the Tigers. After tonight, all of the fair-weather fans for the Tigers will say "Tigers who?" And the bandwagon for the Giants fans will be very overcrowded with people...I am a die-hard, true, Tigers fan...so I will still believe...
GO TIGERS!!!

Typhoon

According to the weather news, a typhoon has hit the shores of Okinawa. I saw some video footage of the storm on tv...it looked really dangerous. Actually, about two months ago, I was planning to go to Okinawa today, but because it was so expensive, I gave up. On this point, I am a little lucky I think.

A student, Mr. R, will go to Okinawa for scuba diving this Sunday. He really likes scuba diving, and has been to Okinawa several times. This time he said he will go to Iriomote Island, a very small island. He departs on Sunday, and will come back to Osaka on Wednesday. He has a direct flight from Kobe airport to Ishigaki Island, so that is good and convenient. I hope the storm passes by Sunday and no other typhoons come any time soon, so his flight leaves on time and he can have a good "late summer vacation."

Ms. M took her two babies, Ten and Ran, to her home town, Yamaguchi prefecture, the other day. It was Ran`s first time to go to the beach! Ten has been there before, but she doesn`t like water, getting wet, so she just enjoyed the view. The picture below is maybe Ran, but maybe Ten, sorry, I don`t know.

Be careful in the storm later today and tomorrow.

Vanilla Cream puffs

This a called "shu-cream" (pronounced "shoe cream") in Japanese. It is quite a popular sweet here. Sometimes I see people waiting in a long line in order to buy some. Speaking of waiting in long lines, I have noticed that Japanese people seem to like(?) to wait in long lines for famous food, for example, roll-cake, ramen, etc. I don`t like waiting in long lines. Actually, that is an understatement. I HATE waiting in long lines! (=Maybe I am impatient ;)
Do you like sweets? if yes, what is your favorite? Also, do you mind waiting in long lines to buy something, or is it OK with you?

To be honest, I like vanilla cream puffs, but I prefer simple vanilla ice cream if I have a choice.

Can you pronounce "Vanilla"?!

Jump!!

Hey, how was your 3-day weekend? Mine was pretty good...Basically I took it easy and last night I had another BBQ with some freinds. It was fun and I had a good time.

I noticed last night that the sunset is earlier than in the summer-time. This means that it gets dark earlier than before. And it is getting cooler and cooler every day. Fall is here I think!

Here is some of the tops news so far this week is:

1. Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy.
2.Over the weekend there was a glitch in ANA`s computer system causing hundreds of flights to be delayed or cancelled.
2. A typhoon is heading to Japan later this week

Speaking of typhoons, in September and October a lot of typhoons always come to Japan. I wonder how many typhoons will come this year...The weather has been strange recently all over the world, so I am a little concerned. Let`s hope no big typhoons come...

Below is a picture of canyoning! It looks so fun and exciting! Have you ever been canyoning? If not, I highly recommend it! It is really cool!

A Busy 3-day weekend!!

What are your plans for the 3-day weekend? Me, I got plenty. First I want to go to a Mexican fiesta in Umeda. It will be nostalgic for me, because I went on a trip to Cabo, Mexico a few years. It was my first time to Mexico and I experienced many new and exciting things. One day, I really want to go back

The link to the Mexican Fiesta: http://www.skybldg.co.jp/event/mexico.html

Next, I almost forgot about it, but my friend invited me to the (in)famous? Kishiwada Danjiri Festival. For people who were born in, grew up in, or live in Kishiwada, this festival is the biggest thing on the planet! I have never been there, but I heard it is very wild and exciting and also a little dangerous! For more details check out the below site:

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

Last, just a quick question. Recently I am hooked on wine, and usually I drink red, but sometimes I also enjoy white wine. Which do you prefer, red or white wine?

Hope you have a good 3-day weekend!

"Good morning"

The first person that say good morning to me every day is maybe the JR (Japan Railways) officer who stands at the ticket gate to the station. One day it occured to me that he, or she, says "Good morning" probably hundreds of times every morning to many people. When I realized this, I decided to say "Good morning" back to the train officer. The next person who usually says "Good morning" to me is probably the trash guy. We usually arrive outside the classroom at about the same time. He drives the trash truck and jumps out of the truck and always says "Good morning" with a big smile and full of energy. He`s a young guy, slim, with a crew cut.
Another person who I recently exchange greetings with, "Good morning,"
"Good afternoon," "Good evening" is my landlord. He lives in the same building as me, on the floor below me. Saying good morning to a neighbor may sound normal to most of you, BUT for two years this landlord, an old guy about 80 maybe, NEVER said "Good morning" to me. In the beginning I said "Good morning" to him many times, but he ignored me...SILENCE! It was like I was a ghost and he couldn`t see me...it was like I wasn`t even there...I thought it was strange, and impolite, but after some time I just didn`t worry about it. Then recently, in the past few months, we saya "Good morning" or something to each other. We are not best friends or anything now, but I guess we are "semi-friendly neighbors now."
Who is the first person you say "Good morning" to every day.

The pics below are from Indonesia. Mr I said it is a special time in Indonesia now and there are many big sales! Everything is half price, or 30% off! He said it is like the "End of the year Sale" in Japan.

And, if you want to read about the "Sumo Pot" scandal, please check out the two articles below.

"Sumo Boss quits after wrestlers fail pot test":
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200809080342.html

"Wrestlers fail second dope test":
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200809080075.html

American "Bar food"!
What a great combo! Chicken fingers with a nice cold mug of beer!

September in America means the end of the summer, the beginning of the school year, and most importantly, the beginning of the American Football season!! This is big and exciting news for sports fans in America. I am sure that many people went to a sport`s bar and knawed on some chicken wings, chicken fingers, and french fries, and burgers and junk like that. That is one of the reasons why there are so many overweight couch potatos in the States...
And I bet they washed all the stuff down with a nice coldie!
In Osaka, there are also a few Sports Bars, but most of the center around European Soccer or Rugby. They are British or Irish pubs! I like them too...But I really miss an old-fashioned American Sports bar with BIG SCREEN TVS with every game on.

How do you commute to work?
I either walk from my house/classroom to the station. Then I take about a 20 minute train ride. The trains are usually punctual in Japan, but recently the train line I use, JR, is often late or delayed because of various problems.

On my day off, I enjoy riding my bike around the neighborhood. Riding for an hour or even two hours is no problem! I think I am gonna get rid of my "old-mama bike" soon and buy one of those nice sporty mountain bikes!


To change the subject, do you like pottery/ceramics? If yes, then this is for you! From September 7th to the 13th, my friend`s friend will have an exhibition. On Sunday the 7th, from 4pm, I heard that some great food from some famous restaurants in Osaka will be served. FOR FREE! If you are interested, check out this site:
http://www.h2.dion.ne.jp/~yamakig/

Talk to yall later

Who is gonna be the new top dog?

Breaking news! Prime Minister Fukuda resigns!

Since being elected Prime Minister last September 24th, not even lasting a year, Prime Minister Fukuda announced his resgination last night in a stunning press conference. He has had difficulty passing bills in the Diet until now, and he forecasted the same difficulty arising in the near future. Please read the below article for more on this story:

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200809010348.html

How will this effect Japan and the Japanese economy? What do you think of the timing of his decision? As an American, I can not understand why the Prime Minister of Japan changes so often...Please explain this to me!!

Only one question remains...Who is gonna be the new top dog?

September blues...

I always get a little depressed in September because it means that the summer is over,and it also means that winter is coming...I really like the summer, and I hate the winter! Today is September 1st.
But when I was surfing the net the other day, I came across my friend`s blog, Ms. S, and saw her photos from her recent trip to England. She could try eat genuine=real fish and chips,! It really looks good! And she ate ice cream in a cone! Don`t you think that is a big portion of ice cream!? In general, in America and Europe the food portions are much bigger than the portions in Japan. A typical American will not be full after eating a typical Japanese dinner, and a typical Japanese must share/split a typical American dish with a friend if they eat in a restaurant in the States.

Let`s try to enjoy September...

Pizzeria

Last weekend I went to a great pizzeria, Dal Brigante. It is located in Fukushima, about 1 or 2 minutes by foot from the station. Very convenient! It was my first time to Fukushima, and I was surprised because there is a little community of restaurants there. It`s nice.
On the first floor is the kitchen and a eating bar. On the second floor are some tables. I sat on the second floor. The staff is all male i think, and very friendly, young, and in general good-looking, so I think that shop must be especially popular with ladies. There is a small selection of wine and beer and cocktails, and the atmosphere is nice. However it is a little pricey, around 2300yen for a pizza. But, the pizza is cooked in a special oven and is really delicious!! So I recommend it to everyone.
http://r.tabelog.com/osaka/rstdtl/27004565/

On another topic, below are some more photos from Ms. M`s trip to India. That is THE RIVER, the most famous river in India. The water doesn`t look so clean, but I heard if you enter that water you can be purified, so one day, I want to take a long bath in it all day!

It is raing in Osaka today, and I heard there is a hurricane somewhere in the US. Be careful of the storms!