The beach...

That`s where I wanna go next. I want to see a blue sky and green water and orangish sunset just like the photos below from Maui. Have you ever been to Maui? It is one of the places which I want to head to the next time I have a vacation.

This is Ms. N`s tale about her recent Hawaii trip:
FIRST I BOUGHT A SWIMSUIT, BIKINI!! THEN I WENT TO HAWAII AND...I SWAM ON WAKIKI BEACH AND IN THE LUXURIOUS POOL AND...AH--, I ATE LOBSTER AND STEAK(=Surf and turf) AND...AH---DE, AND ANOTHER DAY I WENT TO A FAMOUS RESTAURANT, AND THE RESTAURANT`S NAME IS...AH--- "ROY`S"...IT IS LIKE A FRENCH RESTAURANT, AND A BIG PLATE FOR JAPANESE(=the portions are big for japanese people), AND I DRANK WHITE WHINE, VERY VERY DELICIOUS, AND NOT EXPENSIVE, REASONABLE PRICE, AND AH--, THE LOCATION, NEAR "ROY`S", A HILL, IT WAS(=got) DARK A LITTLE BY LITTLE, THERE WERE A LOT OF STARS, VERY ROMANTIC. I RECOMMEND IT FOR COUPLES.

ANOTHER DAY, I WENT TO HAWAII ISLAND, IT WAS A LOCAL CITY, MORE THAN OAFU? ISLAND (sorry, i don`t know how to spell that), THERE WERE ...I HAVE A BAD MEMORY TOO...MOUNTAINS WITH FIRE...IT IS ON THE TIP OF MY TONGUE...HOW DO YOU SAY "kazan"...tell me the first spell...letter...V....Volcano! THERE WAS A VOLCANO. IT WAS VERY FAMOUS...AND THE VOLCANO IS MOVING NOW(=the volcano is active now.) BUT HAWAII ISLAND...THERE WAS A LOT OF RAIN (=IT RAINED A LOT.)

THERE WAS A CANDY SHOP, I FORGOT THE NAME, BUT VERY VERY DELICIOUS, MAYB E WE CAN BUY CANDY FROM THAT SHOP ON THE INTERNET...I REALLY DON`T LIKE SWEETS SO MUCH, BUT I WANT TO TO EAT IT AGAIN.

Great Blog Ms. N!! Thanks!

TOEIC

Recently, I heard some good news. I know three people who recently took the TOEIC test. Two of them took the test on the same day, and another person took it about one month before them.

For Mr. S, it was his first time to ever take the test. He had no idea what to expect, but he studiend pretty hard for TOEIC for about 3 month before the test, and he got 710! That was a great score for his first time!

Concerning Mr. Hyo, he had taken TOEIC almost every time there was a test since last November. He really needed 730, because that was the borderline score necessary to get into the school he wants to go to. After taking the test 3 or 4 times, he finally improved his score by over 100 points, and did it! He got 730 exactly! When I heard the message he left on my answering machine to give me the news, I was really happy.

And last but not least, Ms. M, she took the test for the first time in a number of years. She also studied really hard, and I think she followed my advice the most about studying internet newpaper articles every day, about the same story...(if you want to know more of my advice for taking TOEIC, ask me personally, and IF i like you, maybe I will tell you :) And she got 810! She seemed thrilled in the email which she sent me on last Monday telling me this great news! It was a great way to start my week!

They all also had soemthing in common. They all set their goal, and worked towards that goal sincerely and earnestly. I was impressed! So to all three of them, you did it!! Great job!
Do you have any goals? If yes, are you working towards them every day, or at least sometimes?

Below are some pics from Ms. E, who just came back from Orlando for a 1--day seminar. Thank you.

Drinking with friends...


A few days ago, I went out with two lovely ladies. We went to a place just around the corner, a restaurant called, "UmiBozu". You can translate this into "The beach monk"~ a pretty cool name.

They treated me to dinner because it was my birthday! Haha...I am just joking! First, they didn`t treat me to dinner=I am NOT that lucky! And secondly, it wasn`t my birthday. My b-day is October 23rd...just in case anyone forgot. We ate a good amount, drank a little, and really had a good time that night. It was fun!



I read on the net today, that according to a survey in America, one out of every four people who are late to work make an excuse of some sort. 32% of the late-to-work people make an excuse about the traffic or public transportation syste; "I got stuck in traffic, " "The train was delayed," "My car broke down." 17% just blame their lateness on oversleeping; "I overslept," "My alarm didn`t work=My alarm didn`t go off."



How about you? What do you say/do when you are late for work?

We are Ten and Ran!

Hi, our names are Ten and Ran. Our mother picked our names from the Japanese characters related to the festival on July 7th every year. We live in Namba and we love when our mother takes us for a walk. Ran used to be a breeder dog, so she is the mother of many dogs around the neighborhood. Now Ran is enjoying retired life. If you go to Namba, please lookf for us!

Ultraman, McDonald`s, and talking in your sleep...

What a beautiful day!! And what a clutch putt!!! Did you see Tiger Wood`s 18th hole birdie putt to force a playoff in the U.S. Open...Unbelievable! I literally jumped out of my chair, yelled in excited, and got goose bumps! He is truly the greatest golf player ever...
And Momoko Ueda, my favorite Japanese athlete, finally won a tournament this year! She broke down in tears after she made the winning putt on the 18th hole. It must have been very emotional for her...

Please read the "comments" for the Doc`s thoughts about Ultraman. I don`t know so much about Ultraman, but he says it is a big part of Japanese culture...What do you think?

Oh yeah, I almost forgot about talking in one`s sleep. Recently I heard that a Japanese friend of mine often screams "Oh my god!!!" in her sleep...I wonder what she is dreaming about?!

And, about the McDonals`s menu. Did you know that you can say;
"I`d like a burger with no pickles"
"I`d like a Double Cheese burger. Hold the cheese please(=No cheese please)"
"I`d like a Cheese bruger. Hold the burger please(=No burger/meat please...just bread and ketchup and cheese and pickles and vegetables...)"
It`s true! You can order all of the above at McDees and the clerk will give it to you. Some people order these types of things because of religious reasons, some order because of diet, health, vegetarian reasons, and some just order because the are weird...

Hope everyone has a good week!!

That`s a good looking Lady!! and the guy next to her ain`t so bad himself... :)

(refers to photo below)

To continue on the Speedo suit news, the other day Kitajima, the already legendary Olympic medal swimmer in Japan, wore a tee-shirt that said "I AM SWIMMER" the other day at the Japan Championships. He broke the world record and looked really strong. Later he officially announced he will wear the Speedo suit and not wear the suit made by his sponsor Mizuno.

I spoke about this topic with two people last night. We all couldn`t figure out why the Japanese swimsuit makers couldn`t make a suit like the one Speedo made. To find out the reason, please read the "comments". Thanks for the interesting comments Mr. H!

Next time I am gonna talk about the "Secret?Strange menu of McDonald`s."

Enjoy the sunny afternoon!

As I have said before, I love sweatsuits, or jerseys as some people refer to them. Speaking of sports wear, recently there has been a bit of a controversey about what company`s swimming suits the members of the Japanese Olympic swimmming team will wear. I think the sponsors for the Japanese team are Mizuno, and Asics, and one more, but I forget. Some of the athletes also have individual contracts with the sponsor. But recently a new swim suit made by Speedo has been getting a lot of attention, and athletes all over the wolrd, including Japanese atletes, who wear this suit have been breaking many world and best records. So many Japanese athletes want to wear the suit made by Speedo regardless of the team`s sponsor...

More on this tomorrow or the next day. Also, I will writing about talking and walking in one`s sleep.

Have a good night.

Swallows
Below are three baby swallows in a nest. Mama and Papa swallow built the nest at a train station in Northern Osaka. I wonder why the Parent swallows didn`t choose a normal place, like a tree in the park, but I guess they thought being near/in the station was convenient! ;)

I heard from a friend of mine that recently a stomach virus is going around. She said it`s really painful, and really sucks. I just wanted to pass on the word, so everyone, please watch out and be careful!!!

Today is a beautiful day, really sunny and not too hot. It`s a perfect time to go to the park for a break and get some fresh air. See ya folks!

Finally...

After a week of rain, finally it is a nice and sunny day! I can`t wait to go out and enjoy it!
I had a bust weekend, meeting a few friends for dinner and drinks. It was fun...And I heard a lot of new gossip, rumors...It was funny. Hope you all enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

"It is difficult..." Part Three and Final part...

Mr. His. told me last night that "It is difficult..." equals a big NO!!! He said it is the japanese kind way, gentle way, to say NO. Now, I finally got it. Thanks Mr. His.!!

Today is a gloomy day. Rain, rain, and rain...It has been raining all day. I think the rainy season has officially started.

I feel a little sluggish from all this rain so I want to eat something that will give me some energy, stamina, power tonight...RAMEN! I am definitely in the mood for ramen tonight!

"It is difficult..." Part 2

Mr. Hiro explained to me in detail the meaning of "it is difficult..." He said Japanese people use this expression when they want to buy time (to make a decision), to stall, to delay... He tried real hard to explain it to me...but I just didn`t buy it. Final verdict: I still just don`t like the expression "It is difficult..." What about you? What do you think?

The rainy season is about to begin, or already began, I don`t know...But after the rainy season it is gonna get hot, real hot! It`s gonna be boiling in Osaka in July and August. Hot and humid and muggy...the air is gonna be thick!!

At that time, cool desserts, like the unique Japanese dessert below is a good way to beat the heat! I like green tea ice cream, and also the red-bean paste stuff, but personally i prefer i good old-fashioned ice pop in the summer.

Have a good night and maybe talk to ya again later this week.

Okinawa Trip

Hey, how was everyone`s weekend? To continue on the last blog, I went out for Yaki-tori, chicken on a stick, and also sushi last weekend! Rarely do I go out to eat TWO times on the weekend! So I splurged and it was a real treat.

This morning I thought about an expression which many Japanese people use...The expression is "It is difficult..."

I have been in Japan many years now and I still don`t understand or like "It is difficult..." Sometimes Japanese people are too vague, and don`t give a clear answer...For example:
A) "Can you finish the project by the deadline?"
B) "Well it is difficult..."

What do you mean? "It is difficult (but I CAN do it)" or "It is difficult (BUT I can NOT do it.)"

Come on! You gotta be more direct!

Below is my friend Mr. Muta`s twins kids. They went on a trip to Okinwa recently. I have never been to Okinawa...NOW I really want to go!!

I am hungry!

But I am not sure what I am in the mood for tonight for dinner... The raw fish below sure does look delicious! It looks so delicious that my mouth is watering! In case you didn`t know, I love raw fish, and sushi. My favorite food is a toss-up between sushi and steak...If I had to make a choice for my last supper, it`d be a tough choice! Concerning sushi, my favorite is yellow tail, but I will tell ya, fatty salmon and white tune(toro) ain`t so bad either! Basically though, I like it all...mackerel, eel, sea urchin, salmon roe, sea bream, scallops, shrimp...bascially, you name it, and i like (will eat)...Ok, it`s decided! Tonight is sushi!! Or on second thought...
(I`ll let ya know what I finally decided on next week...) Hope you all have a good weekend!

Strawberries!!

What is your favorite fruit? Personally, I don`t have a favorite. I like so many that I just can`t choose a favorite one. Also, fruit depends on the season. Just after a fruit is picked, fresh, is the best I think. Recently I think I want to go strawberry picking, or some-other-fruit picking. It seems fun! Have you ever been fruit picking?

Sydney, Australia-What a place!?

When I was much younger, in University, I studied abroad in Sydney, Australia. Actually, I did an internship, and worked in a yacht club. It was a dream job!

I lived in Sydney for about 4 months, then back-packed around some of Australia, Tazamania, Adelaide, Ayers Rock, Cairnes and down the Gold coast...It was my first trip to a foreign country, and boy was it an amazing experience. Australia was really different than America in many waves. Also, I will never forget scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef! There are no words to describe how beautiful it is!!

Two students will soon go to Sydney to study for about 6 months to a year. Sydney is a really cool city, with beaches, old parts of town, modern parts of town, the weather is generally really nice and sunny, the people are friendly (but speak with a little bit of a strange accent) and laid-back(they finish work after lunch on Fridays and never do any overtime...), and if you like beer, well, then you`ll be in heaven because Australians drink A LOT of beer!! A LOT!!!

The students are going at about the same time, but on different programs. I think they are both really lucky...actually I am quite jealous.............
Hope you all have a good weekend!

Roses!

One of my friends actually took my advice and went to Ustubo park to check out the roses. From the looks of the the beautiful pictures below, I don`t think he regretted his decision!

Here`s another must see! (?) Soon, maybe tomorrow or sometime this week, A BIG Women`s Beach Volleyball tournament will begin in Nakanoshima! NO, Nakanoshima is not an Island (shima=island in japanese)!! It is a business district just around the corner from here. I think the organizers of the tourney and the city officials decided on Nakanoshima because of it`s location...they thought it would be easy for many people to come and watch the games. Maybe they are right, because the beaches in the kansai area are all a little inconvenient, especially if you want to go on a weekday. Some of the games are being held on the weekdays, so I guess that many business men and woman, especially salesmen/women who can manage their own schedule and leave the office whenever they want to, or Presidents for that matter, will play hookie for work (skip work) for a few hours in the afternoon and check out the games ,or the women playing the games. Some of these women have become quite popluar as of late, like idols in some circles.

But it must have been difficult to ship in all that sand!! I wonder how many tons of sand they had to ship in?!

I like volleyball, so if I have a little time I plan to check it out!

p.s. Just a side note: In Japan, children and adults play volleyball in school, and in clubs, and it is actually quite popular. But in American, at least where I am from, we only play it in gym class for about a month every year. My image of AMERICAN Olympic volleyball athletes is the follwing: basketball players who weren`t good enough to go pro, or play ball in college, so they were recruited by the volleyball coach.

Okinawa

Last Friday, May 15th, marked the anniversary of OKinawa's return to Japan, after nearly 30 years of being under U.S. governoment control. Actually, I learned this fact for the first time when I visited Okinawa last year. I never knew that Okinawa had once been under U.S. control...I was very surprised....to be honest shocked!!!
I am very interested in Okinawa so I found the below Q&A about Okinawa very informative.
Read it if you like:http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20090512i1.html

Mascots

This is the mascot of the Hanshin Tigers. (FYI=for your information, they are really hot right now!) It`s name is "Tracky." It`s a cute little thing. My hometown baseball team, the Philadelphia Phillies, has one of the most popular/famous mascots in American sports. It`s name is the "Philly Phanatic". Philly is short for Philadelphia. Phanatic=Fanatic=to be crazy about something, or someone who is crazy about something. The Philly Phanatic is difficult to describe, but if you look it up on the net I am sure there is a picture somewhere!! Basically, it is a big green furry thing with a big nose. If you have time, why don`t you google it. "Philly Phanatic". Give it a shot and let me know what you think!

These pictures remind me...

The photos are from a while ago during the cherry blossom season, from Ms. K. It was her birthday day this week!! Happy Birthday!!!
She told me that she went out to dinner with some friends to celebrate! And, she said that she got a lot of presents! Maybe she will get one more! ;)

The cherry blossoms have already fallen off the trees, but the photos reminded me. I went to Utsubo park today for a quick breather. And, boy, was I delightfully surprised...In the center of the park, there are TONS OF roses of ALL COLORS. It is like a ROSE Paradise!! If you haven`t been to Ustubo park to see the roses, you are really missing out on something!! It is a must see, you gotta go!

That`s it for my advice for this week. Simply, if you haven`t gone to Utsubo Park to see the cherry blossoms yet, JUST GO! You won`t regret it, I promise!

Happy Birthday!

This cute girl just became 4 years old! She was lucky because her parents did a good job and took her to USJ last Saturday to celebrate! It was her second time to USJ, but she is only just 4 years old! I am 33, and I have only been to USJ once...Of course USJ, as always, was packed, and also last saturday it rained all day, but this little girl didn`t care!! You couldn`t have removed her smile from her face if you tried! She had a permanent smile on her face! And this will be her last birtday without a sibling. From now she will have to share all of her birthdays with another sibling or two, because her parents are expecting to have another child later this summer...

I think that it her father, holding the umbrella and the newspaper, in the background, but I can`t tell. She looks cute in the little red rain coat!
We could have a future artist on her hands! (She could become an artist in the future.) She drew this picture. Guess who it is? It is a picture of her father!! I was surprised at her talent! It looks exactly like him!! He has short black hair, and sometimes (when he isn`t working, which has been about half of her life because he has retired already two or three times) he has a shaggy beard too!
The below is my favorite picture. He sent it to my cell phone over the weekend, and it really made me happy! Just simply, really cute!! Thanks!!

Now, let`s talk about some other things. First, I have to apologize because the home page and blog were down for a while. Sorry for the inconveneince. Basically, there was some techinical trouble, but it was nothing for my computer technicians to tackle!! It is all better now!

On another note, there was a terrible earthquake in China recently...Now living in an area which has been affected by an earthquake in the past, I am always attentive to news alerts on tv about earthquakes (BEEP, Beep, beep...) as well as earthquake news all over the world. Let`s pray for those who have been devastated by this tragedy...