Relax

Sunday, December thirty first, two thousands and six

This article may be the last post of this year on my blog space. Yesterday my brother's family came to my house to make some rice cakes by hand. These days most Japanese people make rice cakes by machine or buy them at supermarkets or somewhere like those. Since we are the families who think Japanese traditions and customs are very important, we make rice cakes by hand at this time every year.
I was really tired yesterday due to my busy job, and making rice cakes wore me out as well. However, I have 3 kids, so my wife often tells me that I can't work too hard. :( I'd like to escape somewhere! Anyway, let me relax during this holidays to recover from my fatigue. I've just come up with a good idea! I'll go to the massage shop where I sometimes have a massage. The cost is a little expensive, but it's worth every penny. That's because there are some nice masseuses in the shop. :)

May the coming year bring you health and happiness.


be worth every penny: それだけの価値がある
masseuse: 女性マッサージ師

Teachers Running

Tuesday, December twenty sixth, two thousands ans six

Do you know "師走(Shiwasu)" means? In Japan, December used to be called "Shiwasu". 師(Shi) means "teachers" in Japanese. "走(wasu)" is also read as "hashiru". "Hashiru" means "run" in Japanese. Most Japanese people tend to be so busy in December, in order to prepare for the new year. And teachers used to be well-respected by everyone in Japan, so most people used to think teachers never run in their lives. That's because big men are apt not to run even if they are so busy. For example, have you ever seen the Emperor running because of his busy job before? Even if you have such a experience, it must be a super rare case. If I saw him running due to his busy job, the scene would knock my socks off.
I mean, everyone is as busy as even teachers must run due to the pressure of work in December. That's why the month used to be called "teachers running(師走)". I wonder if you could understand what I mean.


be apt to do something = tend to do something(?): ～する傾向がある
knock one's socks off: (人)をひどく驚かせる

Pre-Xmas Party

Sunday, December twenty fourth, two thousands and six

I visited my Australian friend's home with two of my children yesterday, to have a little Christmas party. My wife dropped us off at the place, so I was able to drink alcohol, however, I had to go home earlier than my friends had expected because I went to the party with my kids. That's why I don't have a hangover today. haha.
When I was drinking some beer there, a Canadian guy came to the party. Actually, the Canadian used to be the roommate of Daniel, who is a nice American guy and used to be one of my English teachers. What a nice surprise! :) Apparently, the Canadian guy have been studying Japanese at the same volunteer school as my Australian friend.

Let me upload the picture taken in the party, but a little out of focus, though. I personally think it's OK that the photo is out of focus, because it's sort of his personal information. He and I respectively show up in the right and the left.

Jam Finger

Saturday, December twenty third, two thousands and six

When I was working in my factory yesterday, I was really being pressed for time because of malfunction of the machinery. So I was operating the pressing machine when I jammed the middle finger of my right hand in the door of it.

Ouch!!!!!

I have got a blood blister on the finger. (ToT)


malfunction: 故障、異常、不調
jam one's finger in something: 指を～に挟む
blood blister: 血豆

New Car

Wednesday, December twentieth, two thousands and six

Yesterday a brand-new car came to my factory. The vehicle is a small truck with an engine size of six hundreds and sixty six.... NO! NO! That's the number of the beast! Six hundreds and sixty cc(cubic centimeter)!
This car has automatic transmission and power steering, so it's very easy for anyone to drive it. Now that my father is over seventy years old, it's a little difficult for him to drive a car with manual transmission and without power steering. That's why we decided to buy a new small truck. Since the engine of our previous truck was five hundreds and fifty cc, I felt a stronger power when I drove it for the first time.

Wish List

Sunday, December seventeenth, two thousands and six

Yesterday, one of my English teachers, one of my study buddies and I discussed our wish lists, in order to ask Santa Claus to get us those stuff.

I really want a lot of hairs... These days I've been extremely worried about getting bald. Many of my friends and acquaintances often say to me, "You can't complain because you're already on the wrong side of 40. There's no way you could get a nice girl friend if you had much more hairs." That's true... I can't help getting old... orz

If Santa Claus got me something nice, I would ask him to present me much more time. Since I've been pressed for time lately, I don't have enough time to practice my English. I'm anxious about getting bald as I've written above and besides, I'm really worried that my English skills are getting worse. Plus I'm not able to recover from my fatigue completely nowadays due to my hard working... I can't help getting old... again.... haha-!

Anyway, I have no choice but to study English at my own pace.


I can't help getting old: 年を取るのは仕方ない。-> 年には勝てない。
be anxious about something = be worried about something(?)
recover from one's fatigue: 疲労から回復する
have no choice but to do something: ～するしか(選択肢は)ない。

Music Festa

Wednesday, December thirteenth, two thousands and six

I forgot uploading the pictures and videos I took in the kindergarten my daughter goes to. I was forced to take those pictures by my wife in the music festival held there last Sunday. Let me introduce the cute work. :)　Ah... it's about time to leave for work... bye.

be forced to do something: do somethingを(強制的に)させられる。
it's about time to do something: そろそろ、do somethingする時間だ。

Suffer From New Customer

Tuesday, December fifth, two thousands and six

Our factory has got two new customers in Kanto area, eastern Japan, after the business trip I had the other day. One of them is such a good customer that we decided to sell our products as soon as the company ordered. The company's financial situation is really excellent. That's why we judged the customer is good. However, the other company's finance seems to be comparatively bad, as far as we investigated. On the other hand, the company wants to buy our products at the highest price even though it may not have enough money. We have been really bothered by the customer if we should sell our products or not, because it looks like a pie in the sky. Anyway we don't have sufficient stock in our warehouses as of now, so we'll have to decline its order with apologies for the time being.

Talking of 'pie in the sky', Japanese people say as below:
"rice cakes painted on a paper(絵に描いた餅 e ni kaita mochi)". This Japanese phrase has the same meaning as 'pie in the sky' has.

someone is suffering from A = someone is bothered by A (?)
He is such a good customer that we decided ... = The customer is so good that we decided ...(?)
financial situation: 財務状況
pie in the sky: 絵に描いたもち、うまい話だが実現性に欠けるもの
as of now: 今のところ
decline one's order: (丁重に)注文を断る、辞退する
with apologies: 謝罪の念を持って
for the time being: 当分、差し当たり
Talking of = Speaking of: ～と言えば

Must Work

Sunday, December third, two thousands and six

I'm about to leave for my factory to work a couple of hours. One of our suppliers made a call to my cell phone when I was having lunch yesterday. He asked me on the phone if it was OK to bring some materials to recycle into my factory today. Of course I replied "Yes, it's my pleasure.", because there aren't sufficient chemical materials to recycle in Japan nowadays due to Chinese. In fact, recently the people have been trying to buy up(corner) tons of the ones in Japan, so we must get as many chemical fibers to recycle as possible. That's why I must work today even though it's Sunday... (ToT) I think it's not fair to do business with the nation at the almost fixed exchange rate.

To change the subject, today my cute daughter is going to take part in the musical event at the piano school she attends. Needless to say, I'm going to see it in the interval of my work. I've been tied up with not only my work but also my private.... orz

buy up(corner): 買い占める

Get Bald

Saturday, December second, two thousands and six

These days I'm really worried about getting bald. According to a famous TV program, it can be effective against getting bald to cut down on drinking. My wife told me the details of the TV show the other day, actually. She advised me to reduce the amount of alcohol I drink everyday, because too much alcohol tend to cause liver problems and the internal organ has the capability to generate protein. I mean, hair(strand) consists of protein fibers, so it's a good way for my hair to decrease the desire of drinking.

cut down something = reduce something = decrease something?
internal organ: 内臓
protein fiber: タンパク質繊維
consist of something: ～から成る、構成される