The summer is over?

According to the calendar, it is already September. To be exact, September 3rd.
So that means, the the summer is over, and the fall has begun. Right?
Apparently not. Because the temperature is still over 35 degrees Celsius!!
The headline in the newspaper yesterday was: "Summer officially hottest on record."
And, I also read that it is the hottest summer since 1946!!

But, even though the temps are high, when it becomes September, I always feel like it is Fall. In America, the school year begins in September. And when school begins, then in my mind the Summer is officially OVER! Finished!! Ka-put!!
Because the school year begins every year in September after Labor Day Weekend in America, I connect the Fall with a feeling of "a new beginning." But before talking about all the good things I like about the Fall, I want to take a moment to reflect on the past summer.


"What was your summer highlight?" (from The Japan Times)
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/fl20100824vf.html

I read the above article, in which some people from Sapporo, a city in Hokkaido, answered this question, a few weeks ago.
My answer: Without a doubt, my time in Ocean City with all of my family.

What is your answer?

Enjoy the weekend!

Below are Ms. Y's photos from her good memory at the Gion Festival in Kyoto.

The heat wave, then Yen, "dream houses"


According to the National Weather Association last week, the hear wave is going to last another two weeks. That is longer than I expected. I thought that the heat wave would end sometime this weekend. Guess I was wrong...



And, do you remember that cafe, the "Free Cafe," on Midosuji Street in Honmachi which I wrote about a while back? You know, the one that had free rice crackers and free drinks; coffee, tea, orange juice. I wrote about it right after it opened. There was quite a buzz about the place, because it was free. Well, guess what. It is not free anymore!! When I stopped in the shop the other day, there was a big sign: "Due to circumstances beyond our control, we are no longer able to serve the rice crackers and drinks for free." I don't know if that is what the sign said exactly, but it is something like that. As I expected, running a "free cafe" is difficult in Honmachi...

Also, the yen is very strong recently. Last week the exchange rate was around 84 yen to the dollar. In general, a strong yen is not good for the Japanese economy, especially for big export companies. But for companies which import, and some other industries like the travel industry, a strong yen is good.
Read here for some of the other companies/industries which are benefitting from the strong yen.

"Yen's spike a boon for some" (from the Japan Times)
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20100822a5.html

Below are some "dream" houses from Ocean city. If the yen gets even more stronger, maybe some of you will be able to afford them!

Hikkikomori and a cute Tiger

News Update!! According to the latest edition of the Oxford Dictionary, there are some new English words. And one of them comes from Japanese. It is "Hikkikomori". Because of the prevalent use of this word in Japan to describe a phenomenon in which people become anti-social and do not leave their houses.

Here is an excerpt from the below article. There are two new words in it.
"Other new entries include "bromance," a close but nonsexual relationship between two or more men, and "staycation," a holiday or holidays spent in one's home country without going abroad. Publisher Oxford University Press also added "frenemy" — a combination of friend and potential enemy."
Look here for the full article:
"How do you say 'hikikomori' in English? Term makes latest Oxford Dictionary" (from the Japan Times)
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20100821a8.html

Below is Ms. Y's new cute friend. A Tiger cub (=a baby Tiger). She is a Vet's assistant, so she has many friends in the zoo world. And one of her friends introduced her to this new fella. And, she got to hold him!!

Kume Island and Organ Donors

Good morning.
First, this is the hottest summer that I can remember in Japan. I can not believe that the heat wave has lasted so long. Recently the early morning and late evenings are a little cooler, but the high temperatures in the afternoon are still reaching 35 or 36 degrees celsius. Incredible!! And according to the weather forecast, the heat wave will continue at least to the end of this week...
So, because of all this "Hot Hot Hot" stuff, recently I daydream about going to Okinawa again and scuba diving. Mr. T went to Kume Island in Okinawa over his summer vacation and sent me these photos. Truly spectacular!!
I first went scuba diving when I lived in Australia about 17 years ago. I did 15 dives and got my Advanced Open Water license in the Great Barrier Reef. What a beautiful place to do my first dives! I was spoiled!! And then, after a 15 year blank, I went scuba diving again off of Ishigaki Osland in Okinawa 2 years ago. And while on the topic of Okinawa, did you see that the temperature in Okinawa is cooler than the temp in Osaka now...And it is not humid there, just dry and sunny!! I can't wait to go to Okinawa again.

To change the subject, recently there is a lot of news about organ donors.
Did you hear about this news?

"Family OKs organ donation in third case" (From the Japan Times)
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20100823a5.html

Are you an organ donor? I am an organ donor in America. Thus, on my driver's license, I have a organ donor sticker. I know there are various opinions, both supporting and opposing organ donors. However, I think that if we can we should try to help other people. (For example, the other day I donated some clothes to The Big Issue, a magazine for the homeless, because I hope they will be useful for some of the homeless people who sell that magazine. Have you ever bought that magazine? How about read it? If not, I recommend that you do each, at least once. You might learn something...) So, I decided to also get my organ donor card in Japan too.

Signs-Part 2

Do you understand this one? "Shirts and Shoes required"

I know it sounds silly, but down the shore many restaurants and shops have this kind of poster on the door, or in the entrance. Of course, common sense is that you must wear a shirt and shoes when you enter a shop or restaurant. But down the shore, many guys walk around with their shirts off. The walk around shirtless, without a shirt on. That's right, they reveal the beautiful chest hair and beer bellies for all to see! :)
When I was younger, I sometimes walked around outside with my short off, but as I have gotten older and wiser and more modest, I recently tend to wear a shirt at all times.
Also, down the shore, many people walk around barefoot, without any shoes on. I think Japanese people can not imagine such a thing, walking around outside with nothing on your feet, but actually at beach towns, it is quite common. In fact, I do it too.

"Breakfast Specials, Monday thru Friday except Holidays Free Coffee till 9:00AM
A) 2 eggs, Corned Beef Hash, Homefries, Toast or Bagel, w/Cream Cheese- $6.70
B) Lox, eggs and onions, homefries, Toast or Bagel, w/ Cream Cheese-$9.70"

Do you know what homefries are? How about Lox?
Which breakfast special would you choose, A or B?
When I went to the restaurant that day, I ordered B. But today I am in the mood for A.





The below is a photo of deli meat and cheese. I love deli meat-turkey breast, roast beef, corned beef, ham, salami---all Yummy:)
And I prefer my deli meat on rye bread, or wheat bread. Extra mustard, and hold the Mayo please!

Compared to Japan, the price of coffee is much cheaper in this shop. And, what do you think about the price of bagels in this shop, compared to the price of bagels in Japan?

INFO

And, before I forget. Here are the dates for the Obon-Odori Festivals.

Kitamido's Obon Odori will be held on August 19th(Fri.) and 20th(Sat.) from around 6ish to 9ish

Minamimido's Obon Odori will be held on August 27th(Fri.) and 28th(Sat.) from 6pm to 9:30pm.

If it drizzles (rains a little) the festivals will stil be held.

But if it pours(rains hard) the festivals will be cancelled.

Signs

When I went to Ocean City last month, my family and I had breakfast at a nice place. (I forget the name of the restaurant.) And, all over the restaurant, there were various signs hanging from the ceiling. Do you understand the meaning of all of the below signs?
The above photo "Bagels- $5.99, Dozens Only. While supplies last"
This means that a dozen(which means 12) bagels cost five dollars and ninety-nine cents.
"While suppiles last" means that "as long as there are bagels left/remaining, then you can buy them. But if all of the bagels sell out(=there aren't any bagels left), you are out of luck."


Do you understand what "Party Trays and Gift Certificates Available" means?

How about "Kosher meat"? Have you ever heard of this word, "Kosher," before? If you haven't, then look it up in the dictionary! Or ask me, and I will be happy to explain.

How about this one: "Breakfast Special, Monday Thru Friday 8:00AM-11:ooAM, Grilled Sticky Bun and Coffee- $3.95"

Have you ever heard of a sticky bun before?

Top 10 things I like about Summer

What's the best thing about summer in Kansai?
Read here for some comments:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/fl20100810vf.html

My answer: I love summer. It is my favorite season. Here are the Top 10 things I like about summer in Japan.

1. The sound of the cicadas
2. Doing BBQ's by Mukogawa River near my house
3. Going to a waterfall in Nigawa and swimming in the pool under it
4. Cold noodles, for example Soumen, Soba, and "Rei-men," which is cold Chinese noodles
5. Summer festivals at Shrines, and also Obon-Odori(Dancing)
*Speaking of Obon Dancing, maybe some of you already know, but my favorite festival in Japan is Minami-Mido Kaikan's Obon Dancing festival. It is in two weeks, but I am not sure of the exact date yet. Maybe it will be held between the 23rd and the 30th of August. Before that the Kita-Mido's Obon festival will be held. That will be held on the 18th and 19th. Basically these two festivals are similar, but Kita's is a little smaller. If you can go to both, it is best. But if you can't, then I recommend you just try to go to one of them.
6. Doing small fireworks in the park as well as watching big Fireworks, for example "PL
Fireworks" or the fireworks at "Tenjin-Matsuri"
7. Watermelon
8. Sweat
9. Wearing shorts, tee-shirts, and sandals every day.
10. Cold beer at a Beer Garden. My favorite beer is Kirin Lager, but recently I have branched out, and and drinking a variety of beers.

Now, here are my Top 10 things I like about summer in America
1. Going down the shore to Ocean City and relaxing on the beach
2. Walking, cycling, jogging on the boardwalk(see below photos)
3. Summer Camp
4. Doing American style BBQ's, with cheese burgers and hot dogs in the back yard
5. Summer Phillies Baseball
6. Eating water ice
7. Corn. American Corn on the Cob is the best!!
8. July 4th, Independence Day, Fireworks and Parades
9. Taking a nap in the shade
10. Going to the outside pool

How about you? What are your top 10 things you like about summer?

"Little Brother"

Yesterday, I watched a DVD, "Otouto," which is translated to "Younger/Little Brother" in English. Tsurube, a Japanese comedian and actor, is in the movie, and he plays the "younger brother"(his role is the younger brother.) There are also some other famous actors and actresses in tha cast, but I do not remember their names. I liked the movie a lot, and it is the best Japanese movie that I have seen since I saw "The Departures (Okuribito)." Anyway, if you haven't seen it yet, I recommend it.

From today, many people begin Obon Vacation, which is basically like a summer vacation. Traditionally, it is believed that ancestors return to their family's homes during this time. During this week many people decorate their homes to greet their ancestors, or visit their ancestor's graves. What are your plans over the vacation? Are you going to do anything special?

For me, it is the same as usual. As many of you know, I took a vacation last month, so this month I am not going to go anywhere.

Below is the beach in Ocean City. Great Memories, and a great place!

Sushi-"What a treat!"

Mr. K took me out for sushi the other day. He treated me. We went to my favorite sushi restaurant, Ichiba-sushi, in Umeda. I haven't eaten sushi in a while, so I was looking forward to it. We ate a lot of delicious sushi, drank quite a few beers, and we talked seriously about Mr. K's work, his summer vacation plans, his hopes for the future, and of course we also joked around.. It was interesting and fun. And, I think it was quite expensive...so truly thanks Mr. K!! and don't worry, Next time it is my treat!!

From next Monday, for a week or two, I am going to put up many photos from my trip to Ocean City. Don't forget to check them out!!

cicadas

Every day they are screaming? singing? crying? loudly. When you hear the cicadas, what do you think they are doing?
A)Singing
B)Screaming
C)Crying
D) Other

And speaking of the cicadas, if they are out and making noise every day, then that means it is HOT!!
So, how do you beat the heat?

My Answer: I drink a lot of fluids. My drinks of choice are: mineral water, sparkling water, beer, and shochu. Also, from time to time, I have a sports drink like Pocari or Aquarius, to quench my thirst. Btw, which do you prefer Pocari sweat or Aquarius? Me, well, there is no comparison. Pocari for sure.

In addition, I take many cold showers and cold baths. I also wear shorts and short-sleeve shirts as much as possible.

Here are some other ideas:
Blast the air con.
Use a hand fan.
Use an electric fan.
Use a parasol, or wear a big hat.
Stay in the shade as much as possible.
Eat ice cream.

Read here for more ideas:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20100727vf.html



Below are more Photos from Mr. M. (refer to "Photo captions" from yesterday's blog.)

Algeria and Mr. M

Two Saturdays ago, just after I got back from America, I received an email from an old friend, Mr. M. I hadn't heard from him in over a year. I knew that he was overseas, and basically what he was up to, but it was nice to hear from him and get his latest news and see his smiling face. He looks good.
Please read his email below and look at his photos.

Dear g !
Excuse me ! long time no see.
next Nov, It will be two years from leaving .
I sometimes remember about you.
Now I am boss and have 180 worker , 10 engineer.
So you were good teacher that I can control by phone in English .
in Osaka you were very kind to us and used to go drink together.
It is good memory.
from 2010 JAN I did below
(Please note: The below photo captions are not in the same order as the photos I downloaded. Can you figure out which caption goes with which photo?)
Photo Captions:
Went to Tunisia
Went to Annaba in Algeria and bought KATSUO fish
Went to Old Roma country in Algeria
I found small lake near my house
I attended marriage party
bought fruit in Algeria
I got a small insect "FUNKOROGASHI"
I went to Roma in Italy on the way to Japan

Next month I will go back to Japan.
If I have a chance I will go Osaka

Welcome to August

It's August 2nd today. The beginning of a new month. In August, many people have a summer vacation, or Obon Holiday, in Japan. Are you planning to go anywhere or do anything?

And speaking of the summer, I am sure that August is going to continue to be hot. And when it is hot, it is important to drink a lot of fluids. How many liters of fluids (water, tea, juice, beer, whiskey, etc.) do you drink on average in a day? In the summer I drink at least 2 liters of fluids, mostly water, every day. According to Mr. M's blog which I read the other day, one of the below foods/drinks is not good fluid for you in the summer. Do you know which one it is? Beer or watermelon?

Hope everyone has a good day, and month. And take care in this heat!

Trip recap (Part 2-The rest of the days)

Day 2: I woke up at around 6am and went to the beach, which is about a one-minute walk from the beach house where we stayed. The beach is really beautiful, long and wide...The ocean is vast...with waves constantly hitting the shore. The sound of the waves and the ocean, and the smell of the salty air, is amazing.
In the morning some people surf, others go for a walk, or take their dogs for a walk. I saw many great-looking dogs. They looked happy playing on the beach.

After the beach I headed back to have breakfast. I ate bagels with whitefish salad and american cheese, some watermelon, and also drank some coffee. It was good. After that I took a break and read the newspaper outside on the porch, and then went for a 3-hour walk. We walked on the beach for one and a half hours, and on the boardwalk for the other one and a half hours. People watching was fun! After the walk I rested outside of the beach house under a tree in the shade. I read a book and also took a nap. Then, I went back to the beach and went swimming in the ocean for about an hour or so. It was great! After returning to the house, I took a shower and then popped open a beer and got ready for dinner. My family and I went to a nice outside restaurant. The food was good, and the portions were huge, so we had to get a doggy bag and take some of the food home with us.

Day 3 to Day 5: Basically I did a repetition of the above activities every day.
Plus, I went cycling, did a BBQ, went to a big family dinner on a pier on the bay and watched the sunset, watched the sunrise on the beach twice, ate the famous Mack and Manko's Pizza, played miniature golf with my brother and his wife, played a little basketball by myself, ate soft ice cream with jimmies, ate funnel cake, went to a nice dinner with my parents, played Scrabble, etc...

How was the weather?
We were very fortunate with the weather. Every day was basically sunny or a little cloudy and the temperature was around 90 degrees Fahrenheit every day(=which is about 30 degrees Celsius.)

The Last Day- We woke up at 3am and the same great limousine picked us up at 4am. In the limo, I stared outside the window, slept a little, and watched the sunrise on the highway somewhere in New York. We arrived at JFK at 6:35am and the plane took off at 8:14am on schedule. I practically slept the whole way on the flight to Seattle, and also from Seattle to Osaka. I have never slept so much on a flight, so for the the time went by quite quickly. This time though, there was a little turbulence, but everything was OK. We arrived at KIX on schedule at 4pm. When we got off the plane and walked in the tunnel towards the gate, it was hot!!! Maybe people uttered "Hot!! ... Hot!!" Going through Immigration was a cinch, and my bags came out quickly, and then going through Customs only took a minute or two. It was a very smooth flight back to Osaka.

It was a truly great vacation!!! THANK YOU!!

If you have any questions which you would like to ask me directly about the trip, please feel free to do so.

On to another topic, the Tigers are in first place. I can't wait to go to Koshien sometime soon!!

Trip Recap

Well, I am back. Sorry for the delay in updating the blog, but I have been tied up(=busy) with stuff since I got back...

Actually, I arrived at Kansai Airport last Wednesday, the 21st at 4pm. The flight was on time. I didn't have jet lag in America, and I don't have jet lag in Japan either. Anyway, here are some of the details/highlights of the trip:

Day one- I departed KIX at 6pm on the 14th. The flight was smooth, no serious turbulence. From KIX to Seattle it takes about 9~10 hours. There was a short layover (=stopover, connection) in Seattle, about an hour and 20 minutes, and the we were off to JFK airport. This flight goes across America, from coast to coast, and takes about 4~5hours. We arrived right on time at 9:45pm, but from there, some things went wrong. First, the plane had to be towed to the gate, and that took a long time. Then, someone in the Delta or JFK Cargo staff forgot to open the cargo door, so it took forever, actually 2 hours, to get our bags. That's right, by the time we got our bags it was 12:00AM, MIDNIGHT!! If we were in Japan, then at the very least, there would be an announcement or something saying, "We sincerely apologize for the delay and truly wish for your forgiveness," or something like that. But we were in America, so nobody apologized, nobody said "Sorry for the delay..." Nothing! Typical American service.

My parents surprised me and met us at the airport. From there, we all took a limousine, a very nice, long, black and comfortable one, to Ocean City, New jersey. We arrived at around 3am, I took a shower, and hit the sack (=went to sleep.)

to be continued...

"Milkeyway in Osaka" taken by e.

Ocean City, New Jersey

That is where I am heading today. I will be there for about one week. I am going to see my family; mother, father, brother, sister-in-law, and some other relatives. I am really looking forward to it and will tell you all about it when I get back.

About Ocean City, when I was a child, until I graduated from University, I used to go down the shore(=go to the beach in Ocean City, New Jersey) on some weekends during summer vacation. (Summer vacation is about two months for students in America.) O.C. is about a 2-hour drive from my parent's house in Philadelphia. But if there is traffic, it can take up to 4 hours.
There is a beautiful, long beach and also a "boardwalk". What is a boardwalk? Well, it is difficult to explain...so look at these links and you can see for yourself:

http://www.visitusa.com/newjersey/images/oceancitynjpic.jpg

http://cozybeach.com/newjerseypics/oceancity-mackandmanco.jpg

http://www.ronsaari.com/stockImages/newJersey/OceanCityBoardwalk.jpg

Basically, it is like a long, wooden road, like a pier, with a variety of shops on one side and the ocean on the other. Many people go walking, jogging, and cycling on it. But after 10am, cycling is prohibitted.

The beach is long and great for taking long walks, swimming in the ocean, watching the sunset, taking a nap,and sunbathing. (I plan to do four out of the above five. Can you guess which one I will not do?)

Here are some informative sites:
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-477708-ocean_city_vacations-i

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_City,_New_Jersey

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rising_sun_Ocean_City_NJ.jpg

But there is one downfall to this trip. The food!! There is a lot of great food!! Seafood-lobster, crabs, shrimp... and barbecue food-cheeseburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, potato and macaroni salad...and boardwalk food-pizza, hoagies, cheese steaks, caramel popcorn, fudge, funnel cake...
And then there are junk food, like the cheetos below!! I have to be careful of this food, and of the sun, so I don't get sun burnt!! This food, and the sun, are the only two enemies of this trip...

Anyway, I will be off to Kansai airport in a little while. See ya when I get back!

Election

Are you interested in Politics?
On Sunday there was an election for seats in the Upper House of the Diet. (This Diet has no connection with "Mr. F is on a diet because he has a beer belly and wants to lose weight." The above Diet, with a Capital D, refers to the group of politicians who you often see on NHK in the afternoon, in a live broadcast, sleeping.) Did you go to your local elementary school and vote? If yes, who did you vote for? Or, what Party did you vote for?
I think the some of the Party names in Japan are interesting. Take a look at this list.
The two big Parties are:
1. Democratic Party
2. Liberal Democratic Party

I have a question. What is the difference between 1. and 2. ? I have no idea...

The smaller parties are:
3. Your (Everyone's Party)
4. Stand up and Fight Party

3. and 4. are great names for Parties!!

5. Socialist Party
6. Communist Party
7. Komeito Party

I may be forgetting one or two, but basically, that's it.
The big issues of this elections were the economy and consumption tax.

The below article is pretty informative, check it out if you are interested in Politics.

Economy, tax on minds of voters
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20100712a3.html

"Pankui has come"

Good morning everyone.
Today we have some good news!!
Please read Ms. N's email and look at her adorable new puppy, a toy poodle, Pankui!

"Hello,Glenn, Thank you for your blog about my dog ?Pankui? I was very surprised and enjoyed reading it very much. You are so gentle that you wrote our conversation as if I could speakEnglish very fluently! And finally, today my first dog ?Pankui has come to my house. Now he lay down under my chair.(I wrote it on Sunday) Still now I can't believe there is a dog in my house! His mother ?Hana? barked sadly when I took Pankui from her. I felt very sorry for her. From now on I and my mother are Pankui family. So I want to play him a lot and live happily with him! Please see him! He's like"mop""

Rainy...

Recently it has really been rainy, hot, and humid. I feel lethargic and sluggish because of the heat, and sometimes I even don't have an appetite. When this happens I try to eat light food, or foods with vinegar. Also, great meal to beat the heat is eel over rice. What do you to to beat the heat? How do you stay cool in the dog days of summer?


The following are some news headlines from The Japan Times last week. Did you see or read or hear about any of them?

"Kobayashi hungry to be N.Y. top dog again, but contract may choke him"
This is about the famous Japanese hot dog eating champion. It appears he has some contract dispute.

"Nagoya movie theater to show whaling film, 'Cove' as package"
It seems that one movie theater has not given into the pressure of the protestors and decided to show this film. Many theaters were forced to cancel the showing of this controversial movie.

"Eased visa terms target individual Chinese with means"
Because it became much easier for individual Chinese tourists to get a tourist visa to visit Japan, I think soon we will see many many more Chinese roaming the streets of Osaka. Welcome!!

"For senior years, urban life is preferable: poll"
According to this poll, many senior citizens prefer living in the city to living in the country. I know it is because it is more convenient in the city, with hospitals and supermarkets nearby, but...I prefer the countryside.

"Fuji Xerox yanks sumo sponsorship"
I agree with Fuji's choice to stop sponsoring Sumo. In fact, so have I. Last week I decided to never watch sumo again. It is a shame, because I used to be a huge sumo fan...I loved sumo. But recently, I am just too fed up with all of Sumo's nonsense. The whole organization is pathetic. So, thanks for the good memories Sumo. And, sayonara!!

"Dice-K falters against Rays"
Matsuzaka is really inconsistent this year...He pitches a two-hitter and goes 8 innings one game, and then he gives up 5 runs in the first inning the next game...

"Blue Samurai get warm reception"
Thousands of people greeted the Japanese National Soccer team at Kansai Airport Last week. Unbelievable!!! Those people have a lot of free time I think...

July 4th

Tomorrow is July 4th, Independence Day.

This is my blog from last year:
[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) ]

TGIF---Cheers everyone!

Thank God it's Friday, and that means Happy Hour. Drink for half price. I love happy hour.

First, I think most people generally agree that Japan is a very safe place. In general. I mean, if you drop your wallet on the street there is a very high chance that somebody will pick it up and take it to the police station. This would never happen in America, or for most other countries in the world for that matter. Or, if you went to a bar or restaurant and left your bag on the table when you went to the restroom. Probably, when you get back to the table. your bag will still be there. In America, forget it. No chance. So, if we agree that Japan is a really safe place, then please tell me: Why do Japanese people have to lock their umbrellas in an umbrella rack at a restaurant, bank, mall, etc. I don't understand why you have to lock it? If Japan is so safe, why can't you just leave the umbrella in a rack at the entrance, with no lock? Strange...

And, Ms. e told me an interesting story the other day. Well, instead of me telling the story, please read for yourself:
On Sunday,I went to Namba to see "Stand by me the movie,I had a cup of coffee,then a female foreigner next to me told me."Sumimasen,sore ha nan no shinbun desu ka ? she asked me in Japanese. Then I was reading Mainichi weekly. She was interested in English newspaper. I explained about the newspaper a little in Japanese. If her Japanese was not so good,I tried to speak in English,but her Japanese was good.She said "It was funny Mainichi but weekly" it was a point. After that,I saw her in the same theater,She came here with two guys. The movie was great,and I like River Phoenix. After the movie I went shopping at some places. I bought some clothes.

That's funny, and I never thought of that. "Mainichi" means every day. So in English the title of the magazine is translated like this: "Everyday Weekly." Strange...