Politics

That is the topic for today. Are you interested in Politics? I am, a little. Even if you are not interested in politics, you can't get away from it. In Japan, politics are everywhere, on tv, in the newspaper, every day. And this is the question of the week:
Should Democratic Party of Japan kingpin Ichiro Ozawa stay or go?
Read here for various answers to this question:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/fl20100126vf.html

What is your opinion?

Below are some photos from my friend who is now in Vanvouver. It looks like a nice place.

Okinawa

Do you know the name of the fish, or is it an animal, or a mammal, below?
These photos are from Ms. T.

She went to Okinawa over the New Year's vacation with her family and said, except for the weather (it was cloudy), everything was magnificent.

Personally, her photos bring back great memories of my travels to Okinawa...ahhh, I can't wait to go to Okinawa again!

About current news, there isn't so much big economic or political news to report, so that is good.
As we say, "No news is Good news!"

So, today I will touch on sports a little. First, the Mongolian Yokozuna (Grand Champion)Asashoryu got off to a good start and won the first Sumo Tournament of the year last Sunday. However, Asa's day was spoiled and many fans were left with a bad taste in their mouth because on the last day of the tournament, which actually meant nothing because Asa had already wrapped up the tournament, he was defeated by his rival, the other Mongolian Sumo wrestler Hakuho. Nothing ever goes smoothly for Asa. I feel bad for him sometimes...

And, to change the subject, less than a month away is the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. I know one industry which is gonna reap benefits from this mega event. The TV manufacturing and sales industry!

First, did you know that in 2011 all TVs in Japan will become digital? This means that everyone with only analog tv will have to buy a new digital one or get a special antenna. Also, history tells us that there is a trend before big events like the World Cup or Olympics. The trend is people tend to buy new bigger and better TVs before these events so they can watch them in comfort of their living rooms.

Refer to this article, "Sports-filled 2010 looks to be a big year for TV sales," for more details.

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201001240181.html

Personally, if I can, I want to wait a little while longer, til the beginning of next year or maybe the summer of 2011, before I buy a new 50-something incher. But actually, the sound on my TV is recently a little strange...so I may have to get one sooner than I hope to, if it breaks...but, I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Ebisu

On January 10th, I went to a shrine near Namba for the Ebisu festival, a festival for prosperity or business. I go every year and like it a lot, but this time was the first time in a while I went there at night. I forgot how crowded it is there at night.

It was packed. But I found my way to the alter(praying area) and threw some money in the area and prayed. After I prayed, I bought a good luck ornament, which I also buy every year. Some years I buy a big one, and some years I buy a small one. It depends on my mood. And my wallet. This year a bought a medium-sized one. The following is the dialogue when I bought it at the outside stall.

Me: What do you have for XXX yen?

Old woman clerk: We have this, and also this.

Me: How about for XXXX yen?

Old woman: Ah, well...we have this one.

Me: Anything else?

Then, she asked Old Man(=the boss), "What else do we have at XXXX yen?"

Old man: We got this one. It is special. It is usually more expensive, it is made of special wood (blah, blah, blah) but I will give it to you for XXXX yen.

Me: Ummm. Actually I prefer one with a "rake thing"...but, Ok. I'll take it.

Then, when the old man was putting it in a bag and writing my receipt,

the Old woman said to him: Give him a discount. Only 500yen discount...

Old man: (looking at the woman like she was crazy...he whispered) NO.

CHEAP!!!!!!!!!!!!



Then, I changed my mind!

Me: No, I changed my mind. I don't want that one. I want this one, with the "rake-thing"

That's all folks.

p.s. I have a question. There is a picture of the Ebisu God on the can/bottle of Yebisu beer, so why does the beer Yebisu begin with a "Y" and not an "E" like the speeling of the festival?

Spring-like

Yesterday, in the afternoon, it was like spring. However, when I woke up and went outside, I was surprised and thought　"Ah~, it's cold! It's not warm at all! The weather forecast was wrong again!!!" But, to my surprise, later in the day it quickly warmed up. And, just as the weather forecast predicted, the high temperature reached about 17 degrees Celcius. It was nice, to be honest I hope winter returns quickly. Because I am worried about the ozone layer and the greenhouse effect. In January, too much hot weather, too early, is definitely not good for the environment.

To change the subject, this week there was some big financial news. I am sure everyone heard about JAL. I know many people who have miles, or mileage, with JAL. They were worried that they would lose their miles. But fortunately, JAL will honor the miles. That means, the miles will not disappear and people can use the miles. That is good news!!

And the following is a question I want to pose to all of you:
"What are your hopes for Japan in 2010?"
Read below for the opinions of some folks living in Japan.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/fl20100119vf.html

Below are the photos from my annual End-of-the-Year Party with Ms. H and Ms. N. This year we did sushi. Unfortunately, it was a little short because of time(this was my fault), but they were kind enough to wait for me finish here, and we could eat delicious sushi and drink good beer and talk about and laugh about many things. It was fun! Thanks girls!!

January 17, 1995- 5:46AM

What were you doing at this time?
What were you doing when the enormous earthquake hit Kobe?

I was in Ithaca, New York, at Cornell University. Since there is a 14 hour time difference bewteen New York and Osaka, (New York is 14 hours behind Osaka=Osaka is 14 hours ahead of New York) it was actually January 16th, at 3:46pm. I was probably studying or watching a football game on tv. That was one year before I came to Japan. I came to Japan in July 1996.

Many people have told me there experiences on that day. And I have read many articles and seen many tv programs about it. And now, I live in the same area where the earthquake hit.
Many many people died...It was truly terrible...
Today is the memorial of that day, 15 years later.

And just the other day, another huge earthquake hit Haiti...

I wish everyone peace health and happiness...

I need a blow fish!!

That's right! I love blow fish!! Di you know that? The best blowfish I have ever gotten was a few year ago. Mr. and Mrs. K came to my house a prepared a full-course blow fish meal for me. That was the best blow fish I had ever eaten until then, and probaly will be the best blow fish I will ever eat in my whole life. I doubt I will ever eat such delicous and juicy blow fish again. And, now-the winter, is blowfish season. Do you have any plans to eat blowfish this winter? Or did you already eat it? If you can recommend a good blowfish restaurant, pleae let me know!

I have lived in the Kansai area for quite a while now...about 14 years. So I am obviously biased and of course prefer the Kansai area to the Kanto area. How about you? Which do you prefer? And what do you think are some of the differences between the Kansai and Kanto areas?
Read here for some opinions:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20091229vf.html

Shiro, thanks for the pics below. The blowfish really looks delicious!!

Vancouver

How was your 3-day weekend? Do anything exciting?

After going to a Shrine which I go to every year around this time, I ate yaki-niku, grilled beef, on Sunday night. It was good!! Sushi and yaki-niku are my two favorite Japanese foods. And, because the next day, Monday, was a national holiday, I could eat a lot fo garlic and not worry about smelling bad the next day. That was lucky!

Please read the following to hear about some people's resolutions. They are simple, but good for your study! "What are your New year's resolutions?"
Click here: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20100105vf.html

Last year, 4 friends of mine went to Canada to study English. One person went to Montreal. The other three people went to Vancouver. All of the people told me that both cities are very international and easy for Japanese people to live. The guy in Montreal told me that speaking French is a must there. I studied french for 4 years when I was in University.
Bonjour! Bonsoir!! BO-RA-GI-NOIRE!!! ;)
Do you get it?

Anyway, back to Canada. In about a month or so, the Winter Olympics will begin in Vancouver. Those guys and gals living in Vancouver are really lucky I think...because they can watch and experience all of the events and festivities live. I will have to settle for watching everything on my tv. Speaking of my tv. recently the sound is not so good...actually it is broken I think. So, I will have to buy a new one soon. What kind of tv do you recommend?

Enjoy the week!

(Below are pictures from my friends in Vancouver)

2010

Hey everyone. How was your winter vacation?

I took it easy and had a really good time. I did the following:

On the night of the 26th, to start off the vacation, I went out with a friend for a great dinner and drinks. We talked about many serious things as well as joked around. We went to Happy Hour, then to an Italien restaurant for dinner, then for drinks at an Irish bar. 3 Places! I can't remember the last time I went to 3 places in one night. I had a blast. Then, when we had no more gas left in the tank because we are both semi-old men, combined with the fact that we both had to wake up early the next day, we called it a night, and I took the last train home and passed out on my futon. My friend took a taxi home, because he is rich.

On the 27th, I met another friend, bright and early at 9:30am. We spent the whole day together, until about 4pm. We planned to also go to dinner but my friend's baby son got sick, so he had to go home to take care of his kid. That was a shame, but in general it was a very fun and lucky day.

On the 28th, I did BIG CLEANING. I cleaned my house and the classroom and then departed on the bullet train from Shin-Osaka bound for Kyushu at around 6pm. I ate a bento-box dinner, had two beers, finished one book, and started another book. It was a smooth and relaxing trip.

In Kyushu, I bought a 6-speed bicycle, went cycling for about 2~3 hours every day, and also went to a hot springs for about 3 hours a day. I ate good food and drank good shochu and talked to good people. The only negative thing that happened on the trip was...I hurt my back again. This time wasn't as serious as last year's disaster, so I think I am lucky. But, I have to be careful...

During the vacation I thought about making some resolutions. But in the end, I deicided to pass this year. Instead, I decided to strive for a bigger goal. 2010 will be a very challenging and difficult year, in many aspects I think. It will be an uphill battle. So like the picture of the rock-climbing wall below, it will be important to take slow and careful steps, one step, one peg, at a time. My goal of 2010 is to do my best and try to laugh through the difficult and challenging times. Laughing, being able to laugh, will be very important in 2010, the year of the Tiger.
(If you made any resolutions, please let me know!)

Hope everyone has a good 3-day weekend!

the last blog of 2009...

Today is my last day, so I will write the final blog of 2009.

What kind of year was 2009 for you?
For me, 2009 was a hell of a year. I really can't complain. There were some low points; to begin i really hurt my back last new year's vacation, and then there was the recession and bad economy... but there were many many more high points, my parents visited Japan again and we had a good time, i became an uncle, went to iriomote island, and actually many many more highlights...too many to count or list here. Most importantly, it was basically a healthy year for those close to me. That is the most important thing I have learned...

I will make some new year's resolutions over the vacation and tell you about them when I return. Also, I am interested to know...What are your new year's resolutions?
My new year's resolution is to_________________________________.

Finally, I want to wish you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year!!

Looking forward to seeing you in 2010!!

Merry Christmas!!!

I wish you a merry christmas, I wish you a merry christmas, I wish you a merry christmas...

and a happy new year!!!

Lights!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(look below for blog!)

Good morning. Yesterday was a national holiday. What were you up to? I slept in, then went for a little walk, had brunch, and after that, unusually went Christmas shopping. The mall was crowded and I really can't stand crowded places, but I was quick, went in and bought what I wanted and got right out! It was a successful mission. After that I went to the gym and did a few kilometers on the treadmill and took a sauna and bath. After that, I went home and passed out on the couch. I was tired. But it was a "good tired," so I can't complain.

About Christmas, contrary to many of your beliefs, I am not Christian. Thus, I did not celebrate Christmas when I was a child, and I do not celebrate Christmas. However, since i moved to Japan and got used to some Japanese customs, i do do "Japanese Christmas." A date, some fried chicken KFC style, and some cake to top off the festivities. In general, I like Christmas music and Christmas lights.

Speaking of lights, did you see the Midosuji Lights! (If not look above for a few great shots!)

I saw them, and to be honest I was really impressed. From Chuo Street in Honmachi to Tosabori Street in Yodoyabashi, all along Midosuji Street are beautiful lights!!! Everywhere!!! I felt like a child going to Disneyworld for the first time when I saw them first! Truly Spectacular!! I heard many people say;

"Wow----this is so beautiful!!"

"Osaka Governor Hashimoto really did a great job!!"

"It is freezing, but these lights are so warm!!"

and Ms. R wrote the below comments on her blog:

After work, I usually wait at Starbucks coffee before my English lesson. And I do my homework there in a hurry. :-)

Midosuji Illumination began last Saturday. After the lesson, I walked on Midosuji from Honmachi to Yodoyabashi. This area is a business district. However now there are many non-business who enjoy the beautiful light-up. The light-up will be held until the 31st of January.

Dear Santa-san, I want a single-lens reflex camera!

What do you want from Santa?!

My answer:

Dear Santa, I want...a dog!!

Apples and PJ sandwiches

Today I want to write about some food which I ate when I was a kid.

First, I love apples. In France they say one glass of red wine a day is healthy.
Well, we have a different saying in America:
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away!"

I think this saying is true.
When I was a kid, I used to eat apples with peanut butter! That is a delicious snack! If you haven't tried it, you don't know what you are missing!! You should really try it! You can use smooth peanut butter, or crunch peanut butter, it doesn't matter. Both are OK. Personally, I prefer the smooth types with apples. But if I am eating a PJ sandwich (=a peanut butter and jelly sandwich) I prefer the crunchy type. Have you ever tried a PJ sandwich? It is good!!

I have never been apple picking. My brother went apple picking the other day with his wife and he said it was fun. One day, I wanna go too. I wonder how many apples I can eat?!

Do you like apples?
What is your favorite fruit?
Tell me, tell me!!

Shorts in the winter?!

Christmas is right around the corner. So that means we are almost in the middle of winter. Speaking of winter, I have a question for you: What do you make of Japanese schoolchildren having to wear shorts all year round? Yes, for those of you who do not know, this is true. Japanese elementary schoolchildren wear shorts to school in the winter!!! Are their parent crazy? Are the teachers crazy? That is a formula to get the flu! or pneumonia!!! No wonder so many young kids get the flu and sometimes school is closed. Anyway, read below for the opinions of a few foreign residents in Japan.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20090630vf.html

I think it is unbelievable. I have been in Japan for over 10 years now, and I still don't get it. When I see the dry-looking, frozen-looking legs of kids running around in shorts in the winter, I become speechless. WHY?! Can someone please answer this question for me. Personally, I wear many layers of clothes in the winter; at least 3 on top(a tee-shirt, long sleeved shirt, and a sweater), and usually two on the bottom(long johns and jeans). How these kids survive in the winter wearing shorts is beyond me...

Annoying words, and Turkey

What do you think is the most annoying English word?

According to the below article, "whatever" ranks first on the list of most annoying words. Some other contenders were, "like," "anyway," and "you know."

It is iddifcult to explain the nuances of these expressions,

but many teenagers use the above words,

which are not flattering or a sign of indifference.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20091212td.html

What do you think? How about in Japanese...

what do you think is the most annoying word/phrase/expression in Japanese?

And speaking of Japanese, it was announced that the Kanji/Japanese character of the year 2009 was "NEW." This "NEW" stands for the new government, the new flu, and...what other "new" things happened in 2009? Do you remember?

For you, what kind year was 2009? Think about it and lemme know.

For me, I can't complain. It was a good year concerning many aspects of my life...

I travelled, I met many new good people, I learned a lot...

and I am looking forward to making 2010 even a better year.

Below, are some photos and an email from Ms. C.

She went to Turkey with her mother for a vacation two months ago.

I bet that was a good memory for them in 2009.

Hi Glenn!!
This week is three-day weekends.
But I went to the office yesterday.
And I don’t have special plan, so I will take it easy and organize my trip photos.

I send you several photos of my trip to Turkey.
I thought Turkey was very multifaceted country.
Because I could see very old sites in B.C., magnificent landscape that nature made, strict Islamic mosque and enjoy both atmosphere of Europe and Asia.
I could enjoy a lot !!!

I sent you seven photos.

※sorry!!!!!
I sent this mail before but it returned.
So I send this mail twice.
First I send only mail after that only photos.

●first photo
This is a Trojan horse.
It is a famous spot of Trojan war.
I could enter the inside.(I showed my face from the right window….)

●second photo
Here is the site in Ephesus
There are a lot of ruins that were built in second century.
This place is a library.

●third and forth photos
Here is Cappadocia.
I think here is the most famous spot of Turkey.
I could see strange shape rock as far as I could see.
I was overwhelmed very much.

●fifth photo
This is a Turkey’s famous sweets, Baklava.
It was sold everywhere. So I ate it. One piece is very small so I could eat one bite.
But it was very very very sweet !!!
It is the same as a pie. But in addition to inside cream, it is soaked in sweet syrup.

●sixth photo
This is Ayasofya . It is a cathedral and built thousand years before than famous Saint Peter's Cathedral in Italy.

●seventh photo
This is a photo of the cruise of the Bosphorus strait.
It is located between continent of Europe and Asia.

Sushi

Last week I went out with Mr. M for sushi. We went to my favorite sushi shop. I am a regular there. For thesecond time this year, I drank Japanese sake. I only drink sake about once or twice a year, so it was nice. And, after that, we went to an Irish Pub, which is right across the street from the sushi place. We drank some Irish Beer, Guiness and Kilkenny, listened to some music, and talked the night away. It was a good time.

One of the things we talked about was Tiger Woods. It is a shame what happened to him, and all the media fuss about it. But I want to make one prediction. Next year, I predict that Tiger will have his best year ever in golf! I predict he will win all 4 grand slam tournaments! There are a few reasons why I think this, and if you are interested to hear, please ask me in person. And, maybe it is just a coincidence, but after all, according to the Chinese calendar, next year is actually "The Year of the Tiger."

Enjoy the weekend!

Midosuji Street-Lit up!

Midosuji Street is all lit up. Lights on trees remind me of Chistmas. And actually, in a few weeks, Christmas will be here again. Do you celebrate Christmas every year? If yes, how do you celebrate? What do you do?
I usually don't do anything special because I am not Christian. But just for fun, usually I go out to dinner, eat "Christmas cake," and sometimes I exchange a small present or two.

And while on the subject of lights, did you know that The 15th Kobe Luminarie, a big light event which is a symbol of the city's reconstruction after the Great Hanshin Earthquake, is being held in Kobe now? It runs until December 14, so if you haven't gone yet, you still have a chance to go this weekend. I have been to there once many years ago. I liked it, the lights were truly magnificent, but there were too many people. And because I don't like crowded places, I haven't been there since...But in the future, on a weekday evening, I would like to go again some day.

For some more info on The 15th Kobe Luminarie, please read here:

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200912040182.html

More beautiful Foliage!!

The beautiful foliage, fall colorful leaves, are beginning to fall off the trees, and deep winter is only a few weeks away...

Speaking of the brutal cold winter, what are your tips for surviving the winter? How do you make it through the winter?
Click below to read a few opinions:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20091103vf.html

Story Highlights:
1. Use a humidifier.
2. Use a heat patch.
3. Eat a lot of home-made chicken soup! (I used to eat a lot when I was a child, and I still do now. I highly recommend this one!)
4. Wear Long Johns (Except for when I went skiing, I didn't used to do this when I was a child. But now, I can't live without them in the winter! I guess we change as we get older...)
5. Sit under a "kotatsu." (A "kotatsu" is low table with a blanket attached and with a heater below it. It is a must in the winter in Japan. But, be careful not to sleep under it!! Because if you sleep under it, you will be sure to get a cold.)
6. Visit a hot spring or the bath house as often as you can.

That's it for today. Have a good week!