Female queen crab

January 11, 2006

I've heard from one of my e-mail friends, who manages a fish wholesale firm, that yesterday was the last day of female queen crabs fishing. Since I haven't actually had them in this season yet, I asked him to send me a number of the crabs ! I paid afterward the cost of them through a bank transfer , of course.
My daughter shouted out when she's looked at them, because she's crazy about sea food very much - such as crab and sea bream. They tasted really great ! Thanks, my friend !

New Year's Writing - Kakizome

January 10, 2006

Yesterday, my third son tried Kakizome, special New Year calligraphy, at the calligraphy class which he usually take on Tuesday. In Japanese, "calligraphy" is called "Syodo".
Although he is only 7 years old, did a great job ! ... It's just in my opinion. :-)

Some Japanese people write Kakizome in order to express their New Year's resolutions.

By the way, today is the birthday of one of my friends. Happy birthday to Kei-chan ! But I don't know how old she has turned. No, no. I actually know how old she is. But it's dangerous for me to mention about her age. (^_^;)

Birthday, Ebessan

January 9, 2006

It's my 43rd birthday today. I've got old.... But I think I'm still a young man. he-he.
In Japan, it's also a national holiday, Coming-of-Age Day. It celebrates young people who have just reached the age of 20 as new members of society. In Japan, from the age of 20, people have the right to vote, drink alcohol, and smoke. Actually, Japanese government, in 2000, changed this holiday to the second Monday of January so that people can have a long weekend. So my birthday isn't always the same day as Coming-of-Age Day. :-)










And also, in Osaka, the days from January 9 to 11 are called "The Days of Ebessan". "Ebessan" is a Shinto god for business, so lots of Osaka people go to Shinto shrines in order to pray for their success in business. Of course I went to the Shinto shrine which is in my hometown, too. Most of the visitors buy a lucky charm made of bamboo, then decorate it on their household Shinto altar.
If you can access web sites written in Japanese, please click the following link.

IMAMIYA EBISU Shinto shrine in Osaka city - a very famous Shinto shrine.

Nice dream !

January 8, 2006

Yesterday, I took some English lessons after a long time. I haven't been speaking English for 2 weeks. So my brains didn't work well first, even though I've been writing my English diary all that time. In addition, I had to maintain the machinery of our factory, and had to send our customers a lot of our products on the morning.
I always prepare to attend my English classes in order to change my brains into English mode. But I didn't have enough time to change them. I was so embarrassed at the lesson.
After 2 regular English lessons, I took much longer free-talking English lessons than the usual ones I take. I was so irritated with my tough brains. I wasn't able to catch most of the English words which some teachers said. (>_<)
After the English lessons, I went for a drink to a bar. I had some beer and a good time there. Then I left the bar to catch the last train home. I was able to catch it but there're no taxies at the nearest station from my house. Oh, my dear ! So I had to walk home and it took about 30 minutes. Terrible ! But it's a good way to keep my health though. :-p

But there was a great thing last night !

The dream I dreamed last night was terrific ! In the dream, I was talking with some native English speakers. Of course, in English ! Great ! I was very lucky to take lots of English lessons in the dream ! (#^.^#)
Actually, I have a little headache now. I'm not sure it's caused by drinking too much or by using my brains too much. :-p

Maintenance

January 6, 2005

Excuse... I'll post about my work again today. m(_ _)m

After today's work, my younger brother and I discussed the issues of our factory today in order to avoid mechanical problems as far as possible. And then we decided to call the maker of the machinery tomorrow and to adjust it better. It's a kind of maintenance. So we have to work tomorrow morning even if it's Saturday, our holiday, tomorrow. And also we have to send 14 tons of our products, recycled fiber, on the same day.
And now, I have a little muscle pain. It's maybe caused by working after a week interval. I felt getting old, however, I've heard that it's the proof of being young to have such a pain soon after taking exercise. So I might be younger than I think and I also need to do the maintenance of my body. :-p


By the way....I might catch a cold again..... I'm feeling a little bad and fevered. But I have to work and to take some English lessons tomorrow. They are truly my responsibility, right ? :-) I'm going straight to bed. Good night.

Working !

January 5, 2005

It's the first day of this year's working today. The manufacturing line of our factory didn't work well first. I guess 7 days off is generally too long vacation for machinery like us. We aren't in no mood to work after too long vacation, too. :-p
It depends on the person or the machinery if 7 days off is too long or not, though. :-)
After some problems, we eventually managed today's work. The work was a kind of test. So we didn't have to work so hard today. But We'll have to work harder from tomorrow.

Actually, I got a little fat due to eating delicious foods too much on New Year's Holidays. Anyway, it's up to the hard work to get my weight down.

Driving license

January 4, 2005

My birthday is January 9. I had to go to a police office until February 9 in order to renew my driving license. I've never caused any traffic accidents and never violated any traffic regulations for 5 years. So I got the new one whose the term of validity is 5 years. In Japan, it's called a golden license. If I have caused the accidents or violated the regulations, I would have to take a couple of hours of course and the term of validity would be 3 years. I got the golden license through the efforts of driving safely. Safely ? No no. I've actually violated some regulations before of course. But I've never got any traffic tickets for the term. I was just lucky, right ? ha-ha.

By the way, I'm confused about the articles and plural form of English once again nowadays. I feel that I'm still a beginner of English. :-)

Visit Sumiyoshi Taisya

January 3, 2005

I have nothing to do today but my children wanted me to take them somewhere. So my wife and I decided to go out. It's the 3rd of January today. I'd like to visit somewhere is appropriate for New Year. There is a very famous Shinto shrine in Osaka prefecture we live. It's called "Sumiyoshi Taisya" and known for one of the most time-honored Shito shrines in Japan.
We got on a train for a change. When we go out, we usually drive out by my family car.

We left home around ten thirty. But I thought we should have left much earlier because it's too crowded there.
There were so many street stalls there as if a carnival. My third son tried to play smartball which used to be played as a kind of gamble in Japan a long time ago.

Anyway, I thought we might as well go out somewhere when we have nothing to do home.

Visit My Wife's Home Town

January 2, 2006

This is the second day of January. I'm visiting the house of my parents-in-law. I'm about to leave home. We usually visit there on the second day of January for New Year's greeting.
I always get tense when visiting their house. I suppose most people are the same as me. :-)
But I'll be able to have a lot of excellent dishes there. Yes ! They always serve us lots of delicious foods when we visit them. It's much appreciated if they would do it as always.
Of course, I have to take care myself not to drink too much. :-p

By the way, I've just studied a new phrase of New Year's greeting.

"May the new year bring you happiness ! "

It's a kind of optative sentences in written English, isn't it ?

When I greet someone in spoken English, I should say like the followings, right ?

"I wish you every happiness."
"I wish you a happy new year."

Happy New Year !

January 1, 2006

I went to a Shinto shrine, which is in my city, with my family by car. It's not so far from my house but we were in a hurry because we had to greet some guests today.
There were many people there. I guess there are more people than last year. The reason there are so many people there is good weather.

By the way, many Japanese people visit a Shito shrine during the first 3 days of January in order to wish for their health and happiness. It's called hatsumode, the first visit to a shrine.

Then I came home and greeted my younger brother's family as our first guest. We had a lot of delicious foods at home - such as osechi-ryori. Of course, we had alcohol so much. :-p

Osechi-ryori are Japanese traditional dishes which are had during the first three days of January. Most of them are prepared on New Year's Eve and cooked in order to be preserved for at least three days. So women don't have to cook during all that time. The dishes have several auspicious meanings. For example, kazunoko, herring roe, represents the prosperity of our posterity.

Have a nice New Year to everyone !