Golden Week Vacation...

GW Vacation is just around the corner. Do you have any plans?As of now, I plan to go hiking one day. Except for that, I will chill out the rest of the time. I might also meet some friends for dinner or something a night or two, but I haven't decided yet. I am looking forward to spending a lot of time outside jogging, walking, cycling, sleeping, and more.

To change the subject, yesterday morning there was sudden storm in the morning. When I walked to the classroom in the morning, the sky was blue. And then, while teaching, I heard loud thunder and then saw some lightening. When I looked outside, it was dark and seconds later it began pouring. I looked out of the window and saw many frantically people holding newspapers over their heads while running towards their offices. Maybe the didn't expect it to rain.

Anyway, this week is a short week. Hope everyone enjoys it!

p.s. Last week an old friend of mine Mr. B.D. sent me an email with some photos from an excursion he went on the other day day. I hadn't spoke to him in a while so it was nice to get a note from him. He said the cherry blossoms and river and mountains and spa, and everything were great! Can you tell from the photos below where he went? If not, guess!! And ask me for the correct answer when you see me.

Trail Running

This morning I went for a jog and stretched a little. Only about 5km, but it was nice. And I was lucky, cause right after I finished running, it began to rain.

Then, on my way to the classroom, I stopped at The Big Issue office in Dojima, and donated two bags of clothes. For those of you who don't know, The Big Issue is an Organization which publishes and sells a magazine called "The Big Issue" to support homeless people. Here is the conversation at the office.
Staff Member: Hello. Can I help you?
Glenn: Yes, last year I came here and donated some clothes. I'd like to do the same today.
Staff member: Oh really?! Thank you very much. Do you read The Big Issue Magazine?
Glenn: Yes, I buy every issue. It's interesting. Anyway, there are pants and sweaters, all clean, and there is no underwear or socks in the bags. Is that alright?
Staff member: Yes, that's fine. I will distribute them to the guys.
Glenn: Thank you.

And, then this afternoon, I got a great email from Mr. K. Read it for yourself.

"Hi Glenn. I ran Hiraodai trail running race 40km on April 17th.I completed the full distance. But my upper legs was cramped at the 30km point... Hiraodai is a beautiful mountain in Kitakyushu. The mountain scenery on Hiraodai is amazing. I felt great while running in Hiraodai. For details, please visit the following my blog's article. You can see the beautiful photos in Hiraodai. Enjoy my photos and race report. Best Regards, K"

I love nature, and walking, hiking, running. And I also like Kyushu. I am very jealous of Mr. K. But more importantly, Congratulations to Mr. K for finishing this great race!! It is a triumph!

Tokyo Report

Two weeks ago, Luis went to Tokyo for a job interview. When he came back, he gave me the low-down. Here it is. Tokyo was dark. Many of the train stations and convenience stores and shops keep many of the lights off, or only use half of the lights. There wasn't any water on the shelves in the convenient stores. Business was as usual, and there were many people walking around. But the people seems a little tense, and tired. Maybe this is because of dealing with and thinking about the blackouts, the many smaller earthquakes, and the radioactivity.

Have you been to Tokyo, on business or for pleasure, recently? If yes, what did you think? If not, do you have any plans to go to Tokyo in the near future?

Who is that shadow lady?!

The answer: Ms. F in San Francisco. She loves it there and lived there for about ten years. Some day, one day in the future, it is her dream to go back and live there. I hope her dream comes true...

Housework (blog by Luis)

Do you like it? I don't recall anyone saying they enjoy doing it. I am no exception either. However, lately I find myself doing many chores around the house. With the exception of cooking, which I do occasionally, I do the following tasks regularly; laundry, dishwashing, cleaning, vacuuming, and throwing away the trash. This may sound a bit odd to most Japanese, but not so much for Americans and Europeans. Nowadays, couples in America and Europe tend to split the housework. About 50-50. They both share the responsibility of housework. One of the reasons for this tendency is that many women work full time now. When I was a child, my parents taught me to clean up my room and help out cleaning the house every weekend. Then in University I lived with so friends in a flat so we couldn't rely on our parents to do the housework! We had to do everything by ourselves!! When I was 18, I moved out of my parents house. Since then, I have always lived on my own, with friends, by myself, or now with my wife. This experience made me more independent and resourceful, not only with cleaning, but also with fixing stuff at home. And now, because I am a student again, I have more time than my wife who has a full-time job. Thus, I don't mind taking care of our flat. But, to be honest, I really hate doing the dishes! How about your place? Who does most of the housework?

Below are some cherry blossom photos courtesy of Ms. e. Thank you.

"Diet Challenge," and Cherry Blossoms

In January I decided to participate in my gym's "Diet Challenge." The rules were the following: 1. You have to be weighed at the gym by a staff member in January. 2. Three months after this "weigh-in day," you have to be weighed at the gym again. 3. For every 1 kg that you lose, the gym will give you a 500yen gift certificate which must be used at the gym. That's it. It was a no brainer!! And an easy win and easy money! On Jan. 7th, I was 82.15kg. On April 8th, I was 77.45. That is a difference of 4.7 kilograms, and when rounded up, 5kg! That's right, in 3 months I lose 5 kg!! How did I do it? Well, that is a secret!!! But if you ask me directly, I will be happy to tell you. And 5kg X 500yen=2500yen! I already used one of the 500yen gift certificates. I bought some exercise drinks. The expiration date of the certificates is in October, so there is plenty of time to use them. I am looking forward to it.

Speaking of gift certificates, I used 5000yen of my eco-point gift certificates and bought stuff for a cherry blossom picnic with the Mrs. last Sunday in Shukugawa. It was my first time to Shukugawa, and I was really impressed. It was crowded, but it wasn't too crowded, and we got a great spot under one of the pink trees, and ate and drank and "people-watched" a lot, and talked a little. The blossoms and the area were really beautiful!! It was a great day!!

TV and AC

I like TV. Usually when I get home, I watch the news while eating dinner. In the morning, I don't watch tv. Instead, I listen to the radio, usually ABC Radio. On Sunday, I usually wake up early and watch a talk-show or a news program while drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. After that, I usually go for a run or walk. In the afternoon or at night, I like to watch various sports, some variety-type comedy shows. If there is nothing good on tv, I pop in a DVD. Do you like TV? If yes, what kind of shows do you like? not like?

Speaking of TV, I know all of you have seen those commercials. You know the ones I am talking about, the ONLY ones on TV now after the terrible earthquake-tsunami-nuclear accident disaster. The "AC" commercials. (Not Air Conditioner!!) I didn't know what AC stands for, or why ONLY AC commercials were on TV, so I googled it. Here is what I found.

The following is from From The Japan Times Online

"CM of the week: Advertising Council Japan- When commercial stations returned to partial normalcy Monday they started airing adverts again, but except for an occasional spot from the part-book publisher DeAgostini, the majority of traffic has been taken up by Advertising Council Japan (AC), a nonprofit organization that coordinates the production of public service announcements with major advertising companies on a volunteer basis. Several of the spots focus on specific campaigns, such as the one featuring former Japan national soccer team coach Ivica Osim about the importance of receiving medical attention quickly following signs of a stroke; or the message from actress Akiko Nishina and her daughter advocating checkups for cancer of the breast and cervix. However, most of the AC spots promote positive social values, such as respect for the elderly, the pursuit of knowledge and common courtesy. The subtlest message, and the most beautiful, is a series of "echoed" statements taken from a poem by Misuzu Kaneko that represent the special relationship between a brother and sister. The purpose is to encourage people to speak to one another in a kinder fashion."

"Let's Play Ball!!

Good morning. It is still chilly, but according to the weather forecast, it seems that it will warm up a little in the end of this week and the weekend. Then, maybe the cherry blossoms can bloom, signaling the beginning of spring.

The first topic of the day is "a touching speech."Ms. N told me that she was touched when she watched one of the high school baseball players give a speech in the opening ceremony of the national baseball tourney. This tournament is being held at Koshien Stadium and there are 32 teams participating in it. One of the teams in the tourney is Tohoku, which is located in Miyagi. Fyi, Tohoku lost yesterday in the first round, 7-0.

Here is a loose translation the high school baseball player's speech that moved Ms. N.

"All of us were born in the same year as the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, 16 years ago.

Now, our hearts are saddened by the loss of many precious lives in the Great Higashi-Nihon Earthquake.

In the areas affected by the disaster, all of the people, friends and strangers alike, have come together and are doing their best...

With each other's support, I believe that people, we, can overcome anything...

What can we do now?

We, the players, must pull ourselves together and play with all our might in these Games.

Japan!!! Come one, don't give up! Hang in there!!

In gratitude for Life, We pledge to stay true to the spirit of fair play and play with every ounce of our heart and soul."

What can I do to help?

"I can't do anything..." or "There is nothing I can do..." are the incorrect answers.

The correct answers are:
"I can do something!" or "There is definitely something I can do!"

Mr. M is a doctor. I met him on Monday morning. He works for a National University's hospital and told me:
"My friend, another doctor, is a member of the DMAT team. (The DMAT team is a special unit of doctors who respond to disasters.) He already went to Tohoku, and he told me he is trying his best, but the situation is bleak...I want to help if I can. But my turn is not now. Now is it DMAT''s turn. In the future, I will be able to go to the area on a different team of doctors and help people. Then it is my turn. So, I just have to wait for my turn."

Mr. M is correct. Everyone's turn to help will come. We just have to wait and be patient. And we have to take action and make our turn.
And in the meantime, we have to do whatever we can, from Osaka, to help. There are many ways to help! Many many ways. You just have to think. "How can I help?" "What can I do?" If you think long enough, you will find the answer. Even if you can not help the people in Tohoku directly, now, then finding a way to help indirectly is OK.

An old wise man used to take me out for dinner and drinks often. I once said to him. "I feel very bad because I can never repay you for all of this." He said, "Don't worry about repaying me. In the future, when you can, please take another person out. Please help another person. If you do that, then you will also be repaying me."

This is a very simple example of helping indirectly.

Here is another example.

Since the earthquake my wife has prepared a super earthquake evacuation bag. It is filled with food, water, batteries, flashlights, clothes, underwear..and more. Preparing this bag is great for us, but that doesn't help other people. However, she tells her mother, and her co-workers about this bag and how important it is. Then, maybe her mother will tell her grandchild, and maybe her co-workers will tell their children, and then maybe those children can learn from that. This is helping. It may be a small, but it is what is necessary to be done now. It is what she can do now.

Then, yesterday, we donated 30,000yen to the Japanese Red Cross.
If you want to do so, here is the link:

https://gienkin.jrc.or.jp/application/corporate

If that money is big or small or medium, I don't know nor care. But it was what we could do now. In addition, I also want to donate clothes to the survivors in that area as soon as possible.
And donating blood is also a good idea.

Next, I will think of another way to help. The ways to help are endless...

Also, I really think that it is important for everyone to keep this motivation to help for at least one year. At least! Keeping this motivation, continuing to try to help, and not forget, is so so important!! I urge you. Please think of how you can help, and also please keep this motivation for at least one year!!

Flickers of Hope...

We must believe...There is hope.

Here are a few stories I heard this morning on the radio.

In Miyagi, an old man in a shelter was in disbelief and said "What are we going to do?"
A young boy who was sitting next to him said "Don't worry. When my friends and I become older, we are going to rebuild this town."

A man in Sendai twitted "I have never seen such beautiful stars. Everyone, look up at the sky!"

Two Osaka business men were stuck in Tokyo without a place to stay. They had no hotel reservations, the Bullet train was stopped, and they had no where to go. At that time. a homeless man handed them a folded-up cardboard box and said "It's cold and wet outside. Sleep on this. "

An old woman in Fukushima said, "In the morning I saw two blond hair, flashy-dressed teenage girls, talking loudly and pushing their cell phones hanging out on the corner in town. Later at night, after the quake and tsunami, I saw the same two girls handing out candy and sweets to little kids who were crying."

Earthquake (Continued...)

I am really at a loss for words. Stunned. Speechless...
When the earthquake happened last Friday, I don't think anyone could have imagined the aftermath...

We should all do what we can, if anything, to help.
And pray.

All I can say now to all of those people suffering from this tragedy is, Hang in there...

Earthquake...

Here is the play by play at around 2:45pm today while I was teaching Mr. T.
Mr. T is a President of a big company around here, and we were on the subject of cherry blossoms. This is the dialogue:

Glenn: You should have a cherry blossom party with your employees at Utsubo Park in the end of March. It just around the corner from your office.
Mr T: Really? Utsubo Park has cherry blossoms? I didn't know that.
The voice in Glenn's head: Is the room shaking?! Or swaying? Is this an earthquake?! But Mr. T is fine, he looks fine, he isn't saying anything...Am I sick?! It has been a really long week, maybe something is wrong with me, because the room really feels like it is going around in a circle...
Of course while the voice in Glenn's head was talking, Glenn's real voice was also saying: Yes, Utsubo has beautiful cherry blossoms! I can't believe you don't know that. How long have your worked in Honmachi?! 6 years, right?! Ustubo is truly beautiful when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom! You should definitely check it out!!

Then, all at the same time;
1. I noticed that the calendar on the wall was swaying back and forth a lot!
2. The Junior High school girls in the school across the street were screaming in high screeching voices
3. The nice lady who works above me came running down the stairs with her husband and said from outside the door, "Glenn, are you OK?! It an earthquake...We are gonna evacuate and get out of the building...are you coming?... In Tokyo, it's supposedly really big!!"

To be continued...

Chapped Lips and Chain Mail

Yesterday, when I woke up I thought "My lips are chapped." And I remembered that I bought some chap stick last year, so I searched my house, opened all the drawers, and then I found it. I immediately applied the chap stick to my lips, and like magic, my lips were soothed and felt better.

When you get chapped lips, what do you do?

And, I got a chain mail from my mother this morning. It is a little interesting, so please read it:

[2011-This year, July has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. This happens once every 823 years. This is called money bags. So, forward this to your friends and money will arrive within 4 days. Based on Chinese Feng Shui the one who does not forward.....will be without money.]

My mother said, "Not taking any chance! I hope it works." So I am forwarding it to all of you via this blog!

Hay Fever, and curry

This morning I got an email from my father about hay fever. Here it is:
"i have hay fever. when i was younger i got two shots (needles) per week during the HF season. have taken various meds through the years. at one point, many years ago, i had specialty pills that were given to me by an allergist. that went on for years! they say it gets better when u r older, and i find that to be true. past 2 years have been mild for me. love, dad"

To change the subject, recently one of my favorite dinners is curry. And curry comes in different colors, green, red, yellow, orange...I don't have a favorite color, they are all good, but the spicier the better! Usually if I am lucky, I eat curry on Friday night. If not Friday, sometimes on Thursday night. And curry is also convenient because I can eat leftover curry the next day. I eat leftovers about three times a week! I know that sounds poor, but this type of recycling is also ecological and good for the environment!

March

Welcome to March! Yesterday was rainy, but it was also quite warm...about 18 degrees Celsius. It was nice, and it means that true spring is really just around the corner.

I love spring, but for people like my wife who have hay fever, spring is not such a pleasant season. Off the top of my head, I can name at least 10 people I know who have hay fever. Mr. F, Ms. T, Mr. S...and the list goes on and on. The symptoms of hay fever are miserable. Itchy eyes, itchy nose, red and puffy faces... I feel really sorry for all of you who suffer from this terrible allergy. And, I read in the newspaper today that over 20,000,000 Japanese people have hay fever. Do you know the population of Japan? Well, compared to that number, 20 million folks is a lot!!! And according to the news, this year the pollen count will be 5 times larger than that of last year. So get ready Hay Fever people, unfortunately it is gonna be a long spring!!

To change the subject, last week two people said some pretty harsh things to me.
The first person was a guy, Mr. C. When I went out with the guys for a few drinks last Saturday night, out of no where he said, "So when did you start to lose your hair?"

And then, on Monday at the Spa, a friend of mine said, "Wow, you really gained a lot of weight!"

Last week was a tough week for me. I hope this week is gentler! :)

Below are some wonderful photos from. Ms.e. She took them when she went to Osaka Park to see the Plum Blossoms. Thank you!

Earthquake

There was a terrible earthquake in New Zealand yesterday. Many people were injured, and some people even died. Building were destroyed. There are also still many people, including some Japanese University students, missing...
It is terrible. I pray for their, and everyone's, safety...

Actually, there was a small earthquake on Monday in the Kansai area also.
While I was teaching Ms. Y, suddenly the building shook. It was very short, very sudden. Only about 2 or 3 seconds at most. We weren't sure if it was an earthquake or not. And then we both looked at each other and said, "Was that just an earthquake?"
Later that day, I heard on the radio that at the same time there was an earthquake around intensity level 4 on the Japanese scale in Wakayama.
Natural disasters are very scary...

For the latest article, click here:
"Japanese feared trapped in rubble" (from The Japan Times Online)
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110222x2.html

"Walking on ice" (This blog is courtesy of Luis)

For someone like me who likes cold and snow, Hokkaido was like being a small kid again playing with the snow. Everywhere was covered with snow, which makes things look more pretty and dangerous! After a few days this snow becomes ice, and all the sidewalks and streets become an ice skating adventure.We went to Sapporo to see the snow and ice sculptures festival, to Otaru where we got hit with a snow storm and saw the handmade snow light-up, and I will never forget Hakodate's fabulous view from the mountain.
Here is our Diary...

Day 1: The early birds are leaving home and suddenly Osaka was all "dressed" in white. The highway was closed because of so much snow. We arrived to Sapporo in time for typical Sapporo soup (soba). We spent the afternoon and evening walking around the Snow Festival. It was impressive. Due to the snow fall over the week, many sculptures didn't look so good any more. So, if you go there next time make sure you go in the first days. For dinner we tried many different types of raw fish (sashimi), but I don't even know many of the names of the fish.

Day 2: We went skiing on the second day. I've been really looking forward to doing this for a long time. I'm still a beginner but I love skiing. While I was making some progress with my ski technique, my wife was enjoying the gorgeous view and hot drinks at the cafeteria. At the end of the 7-hour skiing day I was exhausted, and after a long day on the slopes, there is nothing better than all-you-can-eat-crab, sushi and tempura!!! That meal refilled my energy level.

Day 3: A day trip to Otaru. And what a day it was... I enjoyed a magnificent train ride. There was a mountain on one side, and the sea on the other. It was exquisite!! Several times during the day we were hit with some snow storms but this did not prevent us from having a great time. TV news were saying it snowed around 80cm of fresh snow just that day. It is a very small town with many small shops and cute streets, and you could see different snowmen and snow light-ups everywhere.

Day 4: We went to Hakodate in the early morning, had raw squid in the fish market and strolled downtown. We finished the day on top of a mountain looking at the splendid view of downtown Hakodate.

Day 5: One our last day, we went up the tower next to the Goryo-kaku for our last pics and one more seafood lunch. Then it was time to return to Osaka.

We didn't have time this trip, but next time we will certainly try some hot springs.Seafood was really good everywhere.Of the three places we visited, I liked Otaru the best. Because it was the best train ride I have ever experienced, and I will never forget the small cute streets filled with snowmen and snow light-ups. I had no expectations about this place and maybe that's why I liked it so much.Hokkaido, we'll be back!

Snow

On Monday, it snowed practically all day. I was really surprised. I think it was the longest I have ever seen it snow in Japan. In Osaka, the snow didn't stick on the ground, but near my house in Nishinomiya City, the snow stuck. And when I walked home, the street was full of slush and a little icy. The road was slippery and dangerous, so I was very careful and walked with caution.

Then, on Tuesday I got an email from Mr. M. He went on a ski trip to Nozawa Hot Spring over the 3 day weekend. Do you know where Nozawa is? It is in Nagano Prefecture. Have you ever been there? If yes, what was it like?

So, since I am on the topic of snow, I will write some "snow vocabulary." Look at the below 5 sentences:

1. My brother lives in Michigan, and it snows A LOT there. Just last week the temperature was only 1 degree Fahrenheit!!! That is FREEZING!!! Can you convert that into Celsius? Anyway, since it snows so much there he bought a snow blower last year. A snow blower is a necessity in Michigan.

2. It also snows quite a bit in Philadelphia, my home town. Actually, this year they(=Philly people) were hit with a bunch of blizzards. Every time there was a blizzard when I was a child, I had to shovel the driveway. Because the driveway is big, I had to use a big snow shovel. It took hours. And after I finished, my body was sore all over. Maybe that is one reason that I have a bad back now...

3. In University, when final exam time came around, I was always snowed under with tests.

4. There are two types of snow; man-made snow and powder snow. When you go skiing and fall on man-made snow, it hurts a lot. But if you fall on powder snow, it doesn't hurt so much, because the snow is soft and fluffy.

5. When I was younger I used to go skiing often. And after a long, hard, fun day of skiing, there was nothing better than going to the ski lodge to check out the snow bunnies!! :)

I am sick about talking about Sumo, but for your English study, you should check out this article.
Osaka: What are your thoughts on the decision to cancel the Osaka sumo tournament due to the match-fixing scandal?

(from Views from the Street, The Japan Times Online) http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/fl20110215vf.html

Thanks for the beautiful photos Mr. M! And very nice snow man!!

This week's news

All of the below two headlines are from the Japan Times E-mail News Service

"Sumo world reacts to canceled tourney- Sumo wrestlers and fans express shock and disappointment at the first scandal-canceled 'basho' in sumo history."

What do you think about Sumo and the fixed matches. As I said before, Sumo is a disgrace. I gave up on Sumo a long time ago...

"Boy, 14, breaks age record by passing bilingual tour guide test"

A boy from Kumamoto passed the test. The previous record-holder was 15 years old. This kid lived in America for three and a half years because he parents worked there. So he is fluent in English I think. But he said he had to study Japanese geography really hard for the test. Are you good at geography?

And, I also saw on the net that Christina Aguilera (the women whose name I forgot who co-stars in the movie "Burlesque" which I recommended a few weeks ago) messed up singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl, the biggest sports event of the year for Americans, on Sunday. She botched the lyrics of the anthem and some patriotic Americans were pissed off about it. I don't think it is such a big deal though. Mistakes happen. As the saying goes, "Forgive and forget."
Btw, can you sing the Japanese national anthem? Do you know all the words by heart?

Fyi, I get goose bumps every time I hear the American national anthem. Do you get goose bumps when you hear the Japanese one?

Tomorrow is a national holiday, so have a good 3-day weekend!

Below are some pretty cool photos from Arashiyama

What's your sign?

"See what the Year of the Rabbit has in store for your sign" (from Yahoo.com)
http://shine.yahoo.com/page/2011-chinese-horoscope

What is your sign? In other words, what is your Chinese horoscope? Mine is the Tiger! I was born in 1974. The above links gives the outlook of the year for each of the 12 signs; Rat, Horse, Ox, Goat, Tiger, Monkey, Rabbit, Rooster, Dragon, Dog, Snake, and Pig. If you click on your Chinese astrological sign, you can see the outlook for the year concerning career, relationships, health, and wealth. Even if you don't believe in horoscopes and signs and stuff like that, I recommend you read it just for fun. It is interesting.
Speaking of Chinese, Mr. W, who is a Chinese man who has lived in Japan for about 15 years and presently runs an Import-Export Company, gave me some advice the other day. The advice was on exercise and staying healthy.

First, he recommended that people stretch their joints as much as possible. For example, your wrist, ankle, elbow, fingers, places like that. He said it improves the blood circulation.

Second, he recommended that people rotate their shoulders forwards and backwards at least 50 times a day each way.

And last, he recommended that bald people like me, walk around on all fours, like a dog, because he said this improves hair growth! Really?!

I can't believe it, but since he told me the advice one week ago, I tried all three pieces of advice every day. I stretch my joints and rotate my shoulders from the morning til the evening whenever I have free time. And in the evening, immediately after I get home, I crawl around on the floor like a dog for about 10 or 15 minutes every night. If you saw me, you might think I am crazy, but actually I am perfectly sane. (Actually, that may be debatable.) Anyway, since I began following Mr. W's advice, my mind and body feel great!! But, I haven't noticed any change concerning my hair...I still don't have much ;(

And, do you know the proverb "A clever falcon hides his claws?" Ms. T, who works for a different Chinese Import Company, said this to me the other day after I told her "You are smarter than you look."

That's all for today folks...

The below photo of the construction was taken near "Kita-Yard" in Umeda.

Movies, Volcanoes, and much more...

Today I want to talk about a variety of topics. I found the following headlines and when I was reading The Japan Times net newspaper. I make it a point to read a paper newspaper as well as a net paper every day so I can keep up with the current news. Usually I read the paper newspaper in the morning while I commute to work. I read the net paper during my break time. Do you read a paper newspaper, or net newspaper everyday?

"Toho Cinemas to lower ticket prices"

I am excited about this news!! The current price of a movie in Japan, 1800yen, is too expensive! That is one of the reasons why I rarely go to the movies. 1500yen is not cheap, but it is better than 1800! And there is a Toho Cinema near my house, about a 15-minute walk, so if 1500yen I think I will go to the movies more. Speaking of movies, I saw "Burlesque" the other day. I really enjoyed the movie. It is an up-beat and fun and entertaining movie. And, the soundtrack and dancing is fantastic! And one of my favorites singers, Cher, co-stars in the movie with another very famous young singer, but I forget her name.

"Volcano evacuation zone widens"

My mother emailed me last Monday or Tuesday and said "I just saw there was a big earthquake in Kyushu. Is everything OK? Are your wife's mother and family OK?"
I checked Yahoo News, but I couldn't find any news about an earthquake. When I got home, I asked my wife, "Everything alright...my mother said a volcano erupted?" She said "Yeah everyone is fine. That volcano is in Miyazaki. My family lives in Kumamoto."

But the situation in Miyazaki seems to be very serious. Let's pray that the people, and their homes, there are safe.

"Stranded Fukui travelers sleep in cars, trains"

In Philadelphia, there have been many snow storms this year. Just last weekend, another 19cm fell. Snow and ice make the roads treacherous. And, icy roads are very dangerous and force the closing of schools and prevent people from going to work, thus causing some companies to close!
Also all over Japan this year, there has been a lot of snow. Can you imagine being stuck in a train for two nights because of snow. Miserable, especially if you are impatient and like fresh air like I do.

"Asia Cup match viewed by a third"

Did you watch the match of the century?! Well, that is a little bit of an exaggeration. It wasn't exactly the "match of the century," but it was a big match. The Championship game of the Asia Cup with Japan playing Australia. Many Japanese people always complain, "Why is Australia in the Asian Group. They are not Asian!! It is unfair!!" These complaints make me laugh. I watched the first 10 minutes of the game. Then I fell asleep under my kotatsu. When I woke up, it was the beginning of extra time. I thought, "Extra time...Again!?" I tried to stay awake, but I couldn't help myself from falling asleep again. I woke up again around 4 AM, but the game was over so I got up to go sleep in my futon. In the morning, I turned on the tv and saw the following news:
"Japan is Asia Cup Champions!"
"Japan beats Australia 1-0 in extra time!!"
"Lee scores the winning goal on spectacular volley!!"

Anyway, that is the new update for now. This is Glenn Gross signing off...Have a good day everyone.

Below are photos from Ms. S who is in a Chorus Group and recently had a big performance in this amazing hall. She told me; "When I performed in this Hall, I thought 'I am really happy that I joined the Chorus Club.' '"