Welcome to September!

Do you have a message for the new Prime Minister? If yes, please voice your opinion and speak up like the people did in the below link:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/fl20090901vf.html

You should speak loudly, and strongly, so the new Prime Minister can hear you.
For example:
"Mr. Prime Minister, I want you to______________________"
"Mr. Prime Minister, I insist that you_____________________"
"Mr. Prime Minister, I urge you to_______________________"

Try to make a few sentences of your own.

Today is a beautiful day...Sunny and blue skies. The first day of September. What do you think about September? Some people like this month, and some people don't.

This is what Ms. e thinks about September:
"What's up ? August is almost end..I don't like crazy hot summer these days, so I'm happy but I don't likeSeptember,Because it is not summer but not autumn and I feel a loneliness a little.When I was a student,I always had finished summer homework until thebegging ofa new school term,so it is not the reason that I don't like September !"

Personally, September is not my favorite month, but it is also not my least favorite month. It is OK. And this year is extra good because there is Silver Week, a 5 day vacation in the middle of the month. What do you think about that? I am pretty happy about it, and even though I don't have any big plans, I wanna chill out and take it easy again, just like Obon Vacation.

A small tidbit: Yesterday was the first day since summer began that I wore a long sleeve shirt in the morning...It means summer is definitely over. Recently it is a little chilly in the mornings and evenings, so I am sure I will be wearing pants or jeans, not shorts like I have been wearing, soon too...

Below is a message and some photos from Mr. T. He is in Montreal to study Law at University for about a year. The photo of his apartment and the one of the classroom and the squirrel are pretty cool.

"It has been more than two weeks since I came to Montreal.Everything is going well. The weather is nice, although it is sometimes hot and humid here.The student of McGill buddy program took me to the tour of the Facutly of Law. The other day, I played tennis with him. He is a sincere and nice guy. My mother is leaning English through the notebook with your memo. Now I am preparing blog( in Japanese!), so I will let you know when it is completed."

Change

Yesterday was a historical day in Japanese political history. Did you voice your opinion and vote?

Read all about DPJ's Victory below.

"DPJ takes power in Landslide win"
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200908300210.html

And try counting all those votes with the abacus below.
p.s. Can you use an abacus?
I can not.

Sports, Obon Dance, Election, What if...and Malta 2

TGIF, Thank god it's Friday. Really, thank god!! This weekend is the last weekend of August...It's a wrap. Summer is officially over.

So instead of getting depressed about this thought, I want to be optomistic! So today I will begin with sports.

First, Matsui for the Yankees is HOT! I mean sizzling! He hit an abnormal number of home runs and rbi's (runs batted in) in August.

Ichiro, who reportedly dreamed about Bolt the other day, injured his calf and is listed as "day-to-day." For Ichiro, who stays very fit and has a vigorous work ethic, to have an injury is really quite unusual, because basically he has been blessed with an injury-free career. Probably next week he will be back hitting singles at an abnormal pace...I hope.

Ozaki, Japan's new female marathon hope, really did a fantastic job in the Berlin World Track and Field Championship Marathon race. I watched the latter part of the race on tv and it was exciting to watch her battle with the runner from Chinese and Kenya. I look forward to watching her again in the Olympics.

Chukyo-dao-chukyo. High School Baseball's summer tournament chamionship. What a team! Some of the players are reall ybig and look like they are on steroids!! But actually, according to an article I read in the newspaper the other day, they just follow a very rigid weight training regimen and strict diet. Diet, I am not sure is the right word. Basically, the eat a lot!!! That was the best offensive baseball team I have seen in while. And they didn't bunt!! I only saw them try one bunt! (Maybe they tried more, but I only saw one...) I don't like that Japanese High school teams bunt so much! Swing! swing! swing!! You only live once, and life is short!!!

Ah-, the next topic. Tonight is the second and last day of the Minami-mido Obon Dance festival! It is a truly fabulous event! If you have time, check it out!

On this Sunday, the 30th, there is a big election. I do not have the right to vote in Japan, so for me this means: NOTHING is on TV Sunday night. ALL shows are related to the election, and counting votes. It is BORING! So I must get a good DVD to watch that night. Any recommendations?

And for all you Japanese people, it is your right and duty to vote! So don't forget to go to the voting booths and cast your ballot!

What would you do if you were Prime Minister of Japan?
Please read below for the answers of some people:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/fl20090825vf.html

And to finish up, some more great pics of the town in Malta. Thanks again Ms. K.

Hope you all have a good weekend!

Malta

Do you know where Malta is? I didn't. That was until I met Ms. K. She informed me it is a small island off of Italy and it is about the size of Awajishima. I forget what she said the popluation was...but maybe something like 40,000 people (I may be wrong.) And she said there were MANY, thousands of cats on the island. Not pets, stray cats.

About her purpose there, she studied English for 2 months there. She told me that it was a wonderful place, and highly recommended it for everyone, espcecially me because I love the sea. And, she showed me her album from her trip. From her pictures, I could tell that she wasn't lying. The photos of the scenery were beautiful. It's difficult to explain, but it was close to my image of a Greek Island. And, after seeing the pics and hearing her stories, Malta is officially on my list of "want to go" places. Thanks Ms. K!
Below is one of Ms. K's emails about her trip.

And I'm glad you are interested in Malta.Malta is famous for resort island in europe. A friend ofmine who I met Malta said "It's like Hawai."I've never been to Hawai, but I was imagining that place,(Hawai is like Malta... so It must be comfortable andrelaxing place!) I have a lot of memories of Malta, almost good, and I wantto talk their so much. I think Mediterranean sea is one of most impressive bluethat the earth has.

Some recommendations, thoughts, and more...

Recently, in the morning and at night, it is a little cool. This is good and comfortable, but also a little sad for me. Because I love summer...so getting cool means that the summer is coming to an end...

Usually I do not do this, but today I want to write about some places, things,products, events which I recommend. First, right around the corner is a new coffee shop, Komeda Coffee. (Please look at the pics below for Komeda's specialities) It opened about 6 months ago. Literally, it is about a 30 second sprint from the classroom door, down the staairs and across the street to it. If you are Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter who it he world record holder in the 100m dash, maybe you can make it in about 20 seconds.

Oh yeah, speaking of Bolt. The other day, after I watched him on tv set a new world record in the 100m dash, 9.58 seconds, I went to the park and got out a tape measure and stop watch, and made a course. On your marks, get set, BANG!! I ran very fast. My time was 11.1 seconds. Then I woke up ;)

From Monday of this week, I have been drinking "Healthy-ya" every day. It is a new drink. You can find it in almost any convenience store. It is made by Kao. My friend Mr. F recommended it to me. He said "Since I began drinking Healthy-ya, I don't have a hangover every day." (fyi: he drinks about 4 or 5 glasses of shochu, plus a beer or two every day. Too much!!!) I only drink a little, 2 or 3 times a week, but I was feeling a little sluggish from the summer heat and humidity, so I decided to give it a try. There are a few different types of Healthy-ya drinks. The regular type which is a little bitter, the "mild type", the "green tea" type, and one grapefruit and one plum sports drink, and also a lemonie carbonated drink. I have tried them all. I like the regular type and the grapefruit sports drink the best. The others are all OK too, but I don't need the carbonated one. Anyway, it is a little expensive, about 198 yen for only 350 ml, but so far I like it.

Oh yeah, before I forget, one of my favorite festivals in Japan, the Minami-mido Obon Dance festival will be held next week. It is just down the street and I try to go to it every year. It is very festive, special, and a really good time! This year, as always, I am looking forward to it! But before that, there is also a good Obon Dance festival at Kita-mido, which is also just stone's throw away. It is just a little smaller than the one at Minami-mido. Actually, it was held last night, but it will also be held tonight too. Last night I walked by there on my way home. It looked fun. If you have time, I recommend that you check it out!! (Sorry for the late notice.)

One last recommendation is an Italian restaurant, La Laterna, which I went to a few weeks ago. The owner is Italian and so is some of the staff. It is the first Italien restaurant which I have ever been to in Japan which I really thought was authentic, "real Italian." Also, all of the bottles of wine are only 2000yen. That's a bargain!! However, the food is a little pricey, so it all evens out. It is located in Umeda, and if you are interested, please search for it on the net. Maybe you can find it. But if you can't find it, please feel free to ask me and I will draw a map for you and explain where it is. It's easy to find.

Anyway, that's all for now. Have a good weekend!

Summer Vacation and New York

Hey, I am back. Did you miss me? Unfortunately, maybe no... ;(

How was your Summer Vacation?
Mine? Thanks for asking.

My vacation was very low-key. But at the same time, it was fabulous!!!
To be honest, I didn't do anything. I really did Nothing, with a capital N!
I didn't go anywhere, just laid around my place all day, each day.
Maybe that is why my 4-day vacation was so great...
To re-cap, on Thursday, actually I just remembered...I did go to one place. I went to Koshien Stadium to watch High School baseball.
I was lucky and could watch a great game, Kumamoto-ko versus Mieko. It was a close game, a real sea-saw battle, and in extra innings Mieko came out on top. What a game! And to make it even better, I could sit in the second row. Other than that, I basically just chilled every day...watched some DVD's, ate out, went to the gym, swam, jogged, lifted some weights, sweat...took a long bath at the spa, and also sat in the sauna watching high school baseball for a while. And, oh yeah, I almost forgot, slept a lot. It was nothing exciting, but it was good!

Below is Ms. J's comments and pictures from her trip to New York. Please read it. It is interesting...after seeing the pic of the food, I remembered how big the portions are in the U.S. And, actually, even though I am from Philadelphia which is pretty close to New York City, and even though I have been to New York a bunch of times, I have never been to the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State building...Do you think that's strange? After i read and heard about her trip, I thought "Ah~~, I can't wait to get back to New York too!!"

From today, I have 4 OBON-holidays.
I'm happy! but, I already spent much money ; actualy I paid by credit car,
but, I don't pay yet; I can't go to anywhere, but I can enjoy see many NY pictures.

I want to send you some pictures, but I can't choose only one !
It's difficult.

These 2 photos are this time NY, 3rd one is last time NY.
From this time, I chose big pan cakes plate ; It was my breakfast.
And this landskape is from the Empirestate building.

I can see The Statue of Liberty, but I can't see WTC. It's too sad.
And a big pan cakes phote,in fact, pan cakes are 3 peices ! but, I ate all! wooops!

Last photo is also The Statue of Liberty, but I took from Brooklyn bridge,
and I love this phote most !

Can you see all photos?

I already think about next travel, and maybe I'll go to NY soon!

Some thoughts, Summer Vacation...Fireworks! ! !

So, this is the last blog I will write before summer vacation begins (for me, in a few minutes...) First, I think that last week's news and heavy coverage about that famous female idol and drugs (if you don't know what I am talking about then you must not live in Japan, because everyone in Japan knows) really overshadowed a more important news. The news which I am referring to relates to Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and war, and nuclear weapons. There were some articles in the newspaper about these topics, but not as much as in years past. I really wish more media focused on these issues, which make us remember and think about the past, which also making use think about now and the future. These issues are simply more important.

Next, it was ungodly hot last week. The high temps reached over 35 degrees celcius in some places. And then, from Sunday it rained and was cloudy for a few days. On Tuesday, in Hyogo prefecture, not so far from here, a big typhoon hit and many people were injured, and even worse some people died. Then yesterday, there was a big earthquake in a different part of Japan. The weather, Nature, is recently unpredictable and not so kind....we all must be careful...

About summer vacation, I have no big plans. Just R&R! (rest and relaxation) Sometimes doing nothing is better than doing something. That is my motto for the next few days.

Talk to ya again next week, so in the meantime, please take care!

Below are pics from the Yodogawa Fireworks. Thanks Ms. Y. Magnificent! Unfortunately I couldn't go... but maybe next year!

*** SWEET PEPPER = PAPRIKA ***

The price of vegetables rises recently beacuse weather is bad. The photo is many SISITOU( = a variety of green pepper) harvested in this summer. My parents plant many vegetables every year. For example, It is a cucumber, a tomato, a mini-tomato etc. A SISITOU was the second challenge. Did you know a red color SISITOU. Surprisingly! the taste was sweet. A red color is fully-ripened SISITOU changed the name a paprika. Of course this is not right.

Thanks for the interesting blog and great picture Reiko. Personally, I love green, red, and yellow peppers and eat them often because I love salad. Usually, I don't even use dressing because the peppers have so much natural sweet flavor. Since I was a child, I always eat a big salad AFTER every meal. This is my style. Do you like vegetable? Do you eat salad often? Well, if you don't, you really should! Vegetables are the best, and very healthy!!

Ah, speaking of a vegatable, did you hear about the new watermelon diet? (yes, actually watermelon is techinically a vegetable, not a fruit! did you know that?) Yes, just like the infamous natto(fermented soy beans) and banana diet, there is now a new watermelon diet. So, for all those watermelon lovers out there, you better stock up on watermelon this weekend, because by next week all of the watermelon might be sold out!!

It's hot!!!

Recently it is very hot... really hot. I am managing, but it is tough. And, because I don't use the air-condioner in my place, it is sometimes difficult to sleep...

But in order to stat cool, I go to the gym and swim. And the other day, at the pool, a funny thing happened. So, I will tell you. I was doing my normal 1 km plus a little swim. Before I used to swim constantly and never stop and the pace was slow. But recently I changed my style, and I spring about 50 or 100 meters, then I take a break for a minute or so, then sprint again. In all, I swim the same distance as the long slow swim, about 1km or so. So, let's get to the story. I was swimming, and after my 100m sprint, when I was taking a break in the water, another regular of the pool, an older guy about 50yrs old with a big gut, but a semi-fast swimmer, said "Have you taken a swimming lesson?" I said "Nah." He said, "Well you really should. Because your form is absolutely terrible! You are big, and if you take a lesson or two, your swimming will get so much better." I was shocked!!! Speechless!!! To be honest, recently I think my speed has gotten better, faster, much faster than one year ago!!! So now I am thinking about taking a lesson, or buying a new swimming suit(one that will help me swim faster just like all the pros wear!) But, I don't know...I am thinking...

Below is the the Kanemoto Bento which is exclusively sold only at Koshien Stadium. If I eat one, do you think I can swim faster?

Have a good weekend, or beginning of summer vacation for some!

p.s. below is also some more "Tough English." Give it a try and let me know if you understand or not.

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) We must polish the Polish furniture.
4) They were too close to the door to close it.
5) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
6) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.

"UP"

IF YOU CAN UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE BELOW USAGES OF "UP," YOU ARE PRETTY GOOD. GIVE IT A SHOT!

You lovers of the English language might enjoy this. There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than anyother two-letter word, and that is 'UP' It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top ofthe list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP? At a meeting, why does a topic come UP? Why do we speak UP and whyare the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary towrite UP a report ? We call UP our friends. And we use it to brighten UP a room, polishUP the silver; we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. Welock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car. At other times thelittle word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses.. To be dressed is one thing, but to be dressed UP is special. And this UP is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP. We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP atnight. We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP. To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look the word UP in the dictionary. In adesk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4th of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions. If you are UP to it, you migh ttry building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP alot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with ahundred or more. When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP... When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP ... When it rains, it wets the earth and often messes things UP. When itdoesn't rain for awhile, things dry UP. One could go on and on, but I'll wrap it UP, for now my time is UP,so........it is time to shut UP ! Oh . . . one more thing: What is the first thing you do in the morning & the last thing you do at night? U-P

GET IT?

Which beer gets your vote?

Many of you know my answer, but if you don't, then my answer is at the bottom of this blog. If you are interested, please look. Which is your favorite beer?
For all you beer lovers, this link is a must read!!
http://www.japantoday.com/category/have-your-say/view/which-brand-gets-your-vote-for-the-best-beer#show_all_comments

By far, my number one, favorite, beer is.......................................................................

Kirin Lager

The word on Iphone

I am thinking of buying a new phone, so I asked my friend, Mr. A, a new owner of the iphone, what he thought about it...Here is what he said (verbatim):


The iphone is cool if you are interested in using it for internet, games and all of kinds of applications but if you just need something to call and send emails, any phone is fine.

2 cool things I like is you can use internet for free if you are in a mcdonalds, starbucks and anywhere with wireless. The guy in the office next to mine has wireless so i can view it free via my iphone. I can also use skype on the iphone in a wireless area so I can call home for free or very very cheap. You know skype?
The gps is cool too if you get lost. It can find you very quickly and show you how to get where you wanna you.

Drawbacks.
big screen so battery has short life. better have that charger handy cause the battery runs out by the end of the day so if you workin all day and then wanna go out at night, its gonna die before the night is over.
size is big, so doesnt fit into pocket.
you have to sign up for a data plan regardless so i think minimum monthly is gonna run you around 3000yen.
no flash on camera and currently no video.

me not too crazy about it.

Chiharu's trip to Sunflower Paradise

I went to Sayouccho in Hyogo last Monday.

It is famous for the sunflower field.

When I went to there I could see 360,000 sunflowers.

The field was larger than I thought.

So I felt overwhelmed.

It is very very beautiful !!

I wanted to take pictures blue sky and bright yellow sunflower but the weather was cloudy.

So I was a little disappointed and could only take cloudy sky and sunflowers.

The last picture is strange drinks.

When I dropped in a souvenir shop I found them.

I was interested in them but I couldn’t buy.

Because it is very difficult to chose.

I think they are all bad taste.

If I have to chose one of them I think I chose the Tomato with carbonic.

Have you ever drunk something of them?

Thanks for the great blog Chiharu!!!

p.s.

If anyone else wants to write on the blog, please send me some photos and email, and I will be happy to put it up for you!!

Japan, Philly-style!!-------Anyone for a vodka coke?

An acquaintance of mine sent me these photos from Philadelphia. She went to a Japanese restaurant in Philly, ate sushi, and after that went to Karaoke with her friends. The sushi looks pretty good, but the karaoke tv screen definitely looks a little out-of-date and cheesy. The other weekend, I went to Karaoke for the first time in about 2 or 3 years. Even though I have a bad voice and can not sing worth a dime, it was a ball and I had a blast! When was the last time you went to Karaoke?

And the below link is of a new product. Because I majored in business management and marketing when I was at Cornell, I always keep my eyes out for new products, promotions, etc...I think it is interesting. Today I found one vending machine which sells ALL drinks for only 50 yen!! That same machine which I can see everywhere usually sells drinks for 100 yen a piece. And usually vending machines sell various beverages for 120yen or 150 yen a pop. So why 50 yen at ONLY that one?! I have no idea! Do you?



Check it out: A Vodka Coke
http://www.japantoday.com/category/new-products/view/cola-shock#comments

p.s. I tried Kirin's new #3 type beer product. It was only 99yen. It wasn't that bad...actually, what I want to say is...It was OK. I forget the name of it ...maybe "Mugi-Sugori" or something like that...but it has a gold can...maybe you can find it easily if you look.

Music, and instruments

I don't have much time right now, so I will just write a little. Thsi time about music, and musical instruments. Yesterday when I was speakign to Mr. S, I found out that he plays the alto saxophone. I was pretty surprised, and jealous. Surprised because he also plays soccer, plus he also works, and studies English. "Where does he get the time to do it all?!" I thought. Anyway, I was impressed. And jealous because one of my dreams is to be able to play an instrument. When I was a child, I studied many instruments(the piano, violin, drums, trumphet, I think that's about it) but I always quit after a week, or month, or year. I wasn't into it. But now, I would like to learn something...I am now thinking...maybe the sax, or guitar, or piano...or the shamisen! That would be cool too.
Anyway, have a good weekend!

I just can't get enough of this guy...An article about Prize-winning pianist Tsujii
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20090613a4.html

Below: pics from Ms. N from a while ago..

Solar Eclipse

We got a chance to see it today! According to the reports, at around 11am this morning it will happen. When I woke up this morning it was sunny, partly cloudy. Now it is hazy...As long as it doesn't rain, or become really really cloudy, we should be aboe to see it in Osaka. I heard from two different people two totally different theories about how often an eclipse happens. One person said: "It happens once every 45 years." The other person said: "The next eclipse will happen in 125 years." Which one is true? do you know?

Also, did you get those special sunglasses to look at the eclipse?

Anyway, I wish I could go to Kita Iwojima(I think it is in Okinawa), the best place on earth to see the eclipse, but I will have to settle for Osaka.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/top-in-category/view/head-to-kita-iwojima-for-total-solar-eclipse

On a different subject, what do you like best about Japan?

Check out this for some foreigners' opinions:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/fl20090616vf.html


One of my favorite things about Japane are Japanese Ryokans, hot springs.

Manga, Gillette, and Koshien

Good morning.
First, how was your 3-day weekend? Did you do anything out of the ordinary? Anything interesting?

How about you Glenn? Well, thanks for asking.
Yesterday was my day off and basically, after I went for a little run in the monring, I had a great breakfast and then just took it easy read the newspaper, watched some tv, read a book, and took a tiny nap...And then from the late afternoon, I did my favorite thing...had a BBQ. As usual, it was great!

So, last week I saw this article about a new Manga, Japanese comic book, course at Kyoto University. Did ya hear about this? Did you see the article? There will be an official University course in which students can study all about Manga. There is definitely a cultural gap between Americans and Japanese on this Manga issue. I have been here a while, and I still don't get grown adults, both men and women, reading comic books. Because, in America, comic books are for children. But many of my Japanese friends, who I respect and admire, seem to really enjoy reading Mangas, so I want to try to read one...Do you recommend and good ones?

And below are some pics from Koshien...boy do I miss that place. My place is right around the corner from there, but I haven't been there in over two years...pathetic. Hopefully, I will make time to go soon!!! Even better, maybe I will catch a game of the High School Tourney there!

And last but not least, to all the guys out there: Recently I got my hands on and tried a new razor. Gillette's Fusion! There is a commercial on tv, with Matsuzaka and Toger Woods, and one other famous sports player, but I forget who it is...Anyway, this is THE BEST RAZOR I HAVE EVER USED IN MY LIFE!!! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!! IF YOU DON'T TRY IT ONCE, YOU ARE MISSING OUT!!!

Hope everyone has a good week!

Hi little girl...

What do you do to stay cool in the summer? You are young, so maybe you don't have so much experience with hot and humid Japanese summers, so I wanted to give you some advice. (Even if you don't want my advice, please just say "Thank you" and listen.)

In the below article, many people have commented on how they stay cool. You should read it!

http://www.japantoday.com/category/have-your-say/view/what-do-you-do-to-stay-cool-in-summer

Have a good weekend and be careful in this brutal heat!!

Bring on the Heat!!!

How do you beat the heat?
What are the ways you beat the heat?

Summer, the hot and humid sunner of Japan, has officially arrived. Sweat, sweat, and more sweat. I am like a walking, sleeping, talking sweat machine...And I don't like the air conditioner either, so it is tough. I use a fan at my house, and actaullu just bought a fan and new fridge for the classroom too. The fan is helpful, but sometimes not enough. Maybe in August, I am gonna try to put my head in fridge and see if that works. What do you so to stay cool in this heat?
For example:
I suck on ice cubes.
I take cold showers.
I blast the air con.
I use a hand-fan.
I sleep on a "cold mat."
I eat cold food, for example, cold udon or soba noodles.
I pray for help... ;)

Let me know what you do and if you have any tips for me on how to beat this heat!!
This is an article abotu "shaved ice." In America wed on't have the exact same thing. But we have something similar to it. It is called "water ice." And it also has many different flavors. For more about "shaved ice" read this:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/fq20090619a1.html

Cornell University

The other day I was surfing the net and I came across some great photos of my school, Cornell University. It was nostalgic and brought back good memories. Cornell's campus is really big, and very hilly. I remember that when I was a freshman I had to walk up a big hill every day in order to go to class. At least a 15 minute haul up the hill...with a big back pack filled with books. And in the winter, it was freezing!!! Maybe people in Osaka can't imagine how cold it was...FRIGID!!! Ithaca, the name of the town where Cornell is located, is a nice small town.

If you have any questions about Cornell or my University life, please feel free to ask!!
For example;
What did you major in?
What was your favorite class?
What was your favorite restaurant/bar?
Did you every skip class?
etc...
Make a list and ask me! Come on, don't be shy!!

Hope everyone enjoys the weekend!

Below is The Clock Tower (This might be the library...I forget)

Below is THE HILL

Billy and beefing up

First, congratulations to Billy on getting married! I saw the wedding photo of him and his new wife and they looked really happy.
Here it is if you wanna see it:
http://www.japantoday.com/category/picture-of-the-day/view/billy-blanks-wedding#comments

And, in July I read that he is opening a "Billy's Boot Camp" gym in Shinsaibashi!! That is right around the corner! Because I am in a fitness phase now, I am really into working out now, I wanna stop by that new gym and check it out, maybe do a workout or two.
Just like the lumberjacks below, Recently I wanna beef up(get bigger, more muscular)!

"Japan's oldest man says 'Thank you very much' in English!!!"

When does the rainy season end??? Can someone tell me please! This rain, almost every day, and the humidity, is really getting to me. How about you? How are you dealing with this weather and humidity?

When I was surfing the net the other day, I found this article. It is really great I think.
This guy, Japan's oldest Japanese man, actually said "Thank you very much" in English when he was being interviewed. If he can speak English, then you can do it too!!

In the interview, he said that , concerning food, he doesn't have any likes or dislikes. That means he is not picky about food, and basically eats everything, all types of food.
Basically, I am the same. But I don't like Japanese curry and "zeri" type foods.
Do you have any likes or dislikes concerning food?

Also he commented on Sumo, and said that he wants to see more Japanese wrestlers advance(=get promoted)!! I agree with him totally!! Enough is enough already, with all the Mongolian wrestlers!!! I wanna see a Japanese champion holding up that winner's trophy!!!

Here's the article:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20090622a3.html

Remembering Michael Jackson: videos

I am not really so interested in the news about Michael Jackson, but for your English practice, you should watch and listen to some of these videos.
http://www.ireport.com/ir-topic-stories.jspa?topicId=282680



Speaking of English study, do you ever watch the news on tv or tv shows in English? If your answer is: "Ah~, I want to but I don't have cable tv/Sky Perfect!" then Welcome to 2009! You don't need cable tv or Sky Pa anymore to watch/listen to English, you only neeed a computer!!! Or a new softbank I-phone. Then you can watch clips and/or videos in English whenever you want. Give it a try, you have nothing to lose!!

July 4th-Independence Day

In America, Independence Day is a big deal. There are many traditions and customs which are connected to this day. In my town, Phialdelphia, there is a lot of history, so there are a lot of Independence Day events. When I was a child, we watched BIG fireworks, saw a parade, and had a BIG BBQ!!! Independence Day in America is a lot of fun and I really recommend you try to experience it one day if you can.

For more details and info and history of July 4th in America, check this out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_(United_States)

Mardi Gras in Australia and Elderly Photographs

One of my friends Mr. H is in Autralia now on a working holiday visa. He has been there for almost a year now I think...Wow, time really flies!!! We keep in touch and sometimes he sends me some photos and stories from his travels. The other day he sent me some pics from one of the biggest international festivals in the world, Mardi Gras (in Sydney). He said it was an unbelievable event to see, and he saw many things which he has never seen or even imagined before... ;)

Once in a while I look at the "Picture-of-the-day" from The Japan Today web site.
Some of them are interesting, some of them are funny, some of them are strange...
What do you think about this one?
http://www.japantoday.com/category/picture-of-the-day/view/photo-ops#comments

Cup (of) Noodle and an amazing cycling tour

Welcome to July!!!

I haven't eaten a Cup Noodle in years. When I was a child, some of my friends at cup noodle or stuff similar to cup noodle, but I wasn't a big fan of it. But many of my friends in Japan like it, or ate it a lot when they were a child, or eat it a lot still now. How about you? Do you like cup noodle or instant-type food like that?

On to a more healthy topic, I read a very cool article yesterday. Some 39 years old Japanese guy is just about to finish an around the world cycling tour. As os the time of the article, he had visited 125 countries...ALL on bicycle!! Wow, that is amazing!! One of my dreams used to be to travel all around Japan on bicycle, but...around the world...That is truly impressive.
If you want to be inspired, if you want inspiration, you should definitely read this:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20090515f1.html