Better to Fail in Originality

Wednesday, January tenth, two thousands and seven

I have nothing special to write down here today. But I just want to go on writing my English diary everyday as long as possible. Let me put some sentences on with the word I've studied recently.

I saw an English witty remark the other day, that's "It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation." That sounds like my new year's resolution. Actually, I decided to write my English diary without so many difficult words so that I can tell anyone the contents smoothly. Let me change this remark myself.

It's better to fail in writing English sentences originally than to spend lots of time to write perfect and difficult ones.

I'm not sure that this sentence is grammatically correct, of course. :)

I'm very happy if the improvement of my English stemmed from writing English diary anyway. So I recommend that those who study English write diaries in English to get used to writing and speaking English. It might be the best way, I guess. However, don't accept what I told you without questioning it, because all my efforts might go against me. In fact, I sometime(often?) put my foot in my mouth.


It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.: 模倣して成功するよりは、独創的に失敗するほうがいい
stem from something: ～の結果である
Don't accept what I told you without questioning it.: 私が言ったことを鵜呑みにしないで
All my efforts go against me. :努力が裏目に出る。
put one's foot in one's mouth: ヘマをやる

What Day is Today?

Tuesday, January ninth, two thousands and seven

What day is today? Eh? It's Tuesday? Sorry, I made a mistake. I wanted to say, "Is there anything special going on today?" Actually, a super strong excellent handsome nice guy was born 44 years ago today. He is a really hard worker and has posted his English articles on blogger.com since June, 2005. If my memory serves me right, he is a level-4 student at the most famous English school in Japan, and usually take some lessons on Saturday.
He is a factory worker now, used to be a computer system engineer, and used to be a part time sushi chef as well. I've never seen such a nice guy before who has a unique career...

ぎゃははははははは ＿(＿ ＿)ノ彡☆ばんばん!

Sorry, just kidding. m(_ _)m I think you have already found out what day today is.

Yes! My birthday! Happy birthday to myself!!! I have reached the age of 44, though... (ToT) The age makes me feel getting old and that half of my life has already ended. Speaking of getting old, it's very effective for keeping your youth to eat natto everyday, according to a famous Japanese TV program. But you have to stir natto at least twenty minutes before you eat it, in order to improve the active ingredient(substance). Let me eat a huge amount of natto from now on. (^o^)/


44 years ago today: 44年前の今日
stir something: ～をかきまぜる
active ingredient(substance): 有効成分

Coming of Age Day

Monday, January eighth, two thousands and seven

This morning I took my two children, a eight-year-old son and a five-year-old daughter, to a bawling alley in my city, because my wife wanted to make our eldest son concentrate on his study for the test carried out the day after tomorrow in his junior high school. After bowling, we were going to the public library in my city, but it was closed in spite of today isn't its regular holiday.
I realized the reason the library took a day off shortly. Actually, the library is next to a public community hall and it's Coming of Age Day(成人の日 seijin no hi) today in Japan, I mean, the ceremony of Coming of Age Day was being held in the hall, therefore the library had to take a day off because it was expected that so many young people and guests took part in the event. A number of young ladies wearing beautiful kimonos made my daughter's eyes sparkle, needless to say, as well as my eyes. :) I'll have to buy such a beautiful kimono for my daughter someday; the cost must be much expensive. My children eat us out of house and home!

Let me introduce the details of Coming of Age Day below:
Coming of Age Day honors young people who have reached the age of 20 as new members of society. This day used to be January 15th and was established as a national holiday after World War 2. Almost all local governments hold Coming of Age ceremonies to invite young people. Most young women attend the events wearing beautiful long-sleeved kimonos(振袖 furisode). In Japan, people who are more than 20 years old have the right to drink, vote, and smoke. Japanese government changed this holiday to the second Monday of January in 2000 so that as many young people as possible are able to attend these ceremonies and many Japanese citizens have a long weekend.

It is expected that: ～の見込みである、～と予想される
something make(s) one's eyes sparkle: ～が(人の)目を輝かせる
Someone(or Something) eat(s) someone out of house and home: ～が(人の)財産を食い潰す(このフレーズ、前にも覚えようとしたような気がする・・・)

Omikuji, Luck is when ...

Sunday, January seventh, two thousands and seven

Let me introduce one of Japanese customs to you below.

Most Japanese people visit shinto shrines and Buddhist temples for their new year's visit, to pray for prosperity, happiness, health and something like that. And then, most of them obtain "Omikuji(s)" there, which are written oracles and tell you about your fortune of this year - such as marriage, health, business and wealth. "Omikujis" indicate your fortune from extremely good(大吉 daikichi) to extremely bad(大凶 daikyou) and suggest what to do afterwards. If the Omikuji you get indicates a good fortune, you should bring it home. But if it's a bad one, you should tie to a branch of a tree in the shrine or the temple in order not that the bad fortune doesn't annoy you after that.
Actually, I don't believe such fortunes, that's why I rarely obtain Omikujis. Plus if I get a bad one, I'll positively think I'm so lucky. Because there tend to be few bad ones in Omikuji boxes, so getting a bad Omikuji is sort of a proof that I'm a lucky person. :) And also I don't like most fortune tellers, especially I dislike Kazuko Hosogi, who is a very famous female fortune teller in Japan and often appears on TV. In spite of she has got divorced before, she often tells TV personalities about their fortune strongly and aggressively as if she knows all about the ins and outs of them. I am sick and tired of seeing her face on TV.

Anyway, luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity, as a witty remark(famous saying, maxim) says. I saw this interesting English remark on an email newsletter the other day, actually. This saying sounds similar to a Japanese common saying, "運も実力のうち Un mo jitsuryoku no uchi.", which maybe means that luck is included in your ability in Japanese.


as if : あたかも～のように
ins and outs of something: ～の一部始終(直訳：内側も外側も)
be sick and tired of something: ～には、もううんざりだ
witty remark(famous saying, maxim): 名言

How Long...

Saturday, January sixth, two thousands and seven

I decided to write my English diary everyday last year as my new year's resolution. But, I wasn't able to do that for sure as you can find it on this blog space.
How long will I be able to go on writing my English diary this year...?

Actually, I've just got back home from work... I'm super tired...I had to work thirteen hours today... In spite of I'm really exhausted now, I'm going to take some English lessons tomorrow. But I expect that pleasant English conversations and nice English teachers in the school make me refresh. Let me drink alcohol from now! I wonder how long it takes to finish drinking today? :)

The First Work Day of 2007

Thursday, January fifth, two thousands and seven

I had been concerned about whether the production line works well or not, partly because we hadn't activated it for almost one week. The machinery tends to have some trouble after a long vacation as far as I have experienced before.
Fortunately, it did work so well against my concern. We were really relieved...

To change the subject, I saw a frightening article on the Internet this morning. According to the web site, the increasing speed of creatures becoming extinct is one hundred times as fast as the natural speed because of the recent environmental destruction. Besides, the number of wildlife has reportedly decreased by forty percent in the past twenty years. I strongly hope that our industry is effective against the terrible current global environment and helpful to the environmental improvement from my heart.

All Japanese companies had better not export the materials they exhausted to other countries, such as China, and had better not shift their production lines to those regions just because personal costs in the nation is much cheaper than Japan, and had better recycle those stuff in Japan, otherwise Japan would be suffer from deindustirialization and lack of resources for recycling.

Ah.... I've written much more of difficult words in this article than I had expected. (ToT)

(I'm not sure that all sentences are grammatically correct, especially the last one.)


partly because (a clause): 一つには、～という理由で
activate something: ～を作動させる、稼動させる、起動する
something become extinct: ～が絶滅する
environmental destruction: 環境破壊
reportedly: 伝えられるところでは・・・
wildlife: 野生生物
just because (a clause): ただ、～という理由だけで
otherwise (a clause): さもなければ～(仮定法過去)
deindustirialization: the reduction of industrial activity or capacity in a region or economy(産業の空洞化、産業の吸いたい・・・じゃなくて、産業の衰退・・・笑)
be grammatically correct: 文法的に正しい

The Last Day of Winter Holidays

Thursday, January fourth, two thousands ands seven

The end of my winter holidays is around the corner. After this holidays, I expect that we will have been constantly on the go at work till the end of this March, but it's my pleasure to be able to work hard. Because we didn't have sufficient materials to recycle last year in spite of our efforts, we wasn't able to live up to our customers' expectations enough. However, now that we have tons of stuff in our warehouses, we'll be able to manufacture a huge amount of recycled chemical fiber and make lots of money as well. hehe.

Anyway, let me enjoy myself the last day of winter holidays.


something is(are) around the corner: ～は、もうじきだ、間近だ
be [always, constantly] on the go: 働き詰めである、忙しい
live up to something: ～(期待)に応える

Visiting Temple

Wednesday, January third, two thousands and seven

My family already visited a shinto shrine near our house for our new year's visit the other day, but my master, what is called my wife, asked me to visit another famous place as well. That sounds like kind of a short trip. Today we woke up too late, past 10 am, so we aren't able to go a long way. We discussed which place is the best to visit today; it's OK with me wherever we may go, though.

After all, we visited "Nogoro temple" in Wakayama prefecture, which is one of the most popular places for new year's visit around here. In spite of it's the third day of this year today, there were quite a few people in the temple. To be honest, I wanted to see a large number of young ladies wearing kimonos there as well as typical middle aged men, there were few women wearing them against my wish. I was so disappointed that I lost a huge amount of energy after the visit. Let me eat like a horse and drink tons of alcohol to get over the shock. :p


quite a few something: かなりの数の～
few something: 少ない(ほとんど無い)～
(c.f.) a few something: 少しの(少しはある)～

Visiting Parents-in-law and Drinking with friends

Tuesday, January second, two thousands and seven

Today I'm going to my wife's hometown with my family to see and greet my parents-in-law. They prepare a nice meal for us whenever we visit their house, so I'm apt to get fat after visiting them. But I'm not going to stay there so long today, because I have to go for a drink to Umeda, which is located in the northern part of Osaka city, with two of my friends tonight, who still work for the company I used to work for. Since one of them is familiar with bars in the city, he has booked a table at a nice Japanese bar for us. All of us eat like a horse(have a good appetite), we must get fat after the party due to out-of-control appetite. In fact, so many kinds of representative winter dishes make my mouth water these days. Let me bring some stomach medicine just in case. I'm really worried about spending too much money and getting fat tonight; hard work after this holidays will not only pay off but also cut down on my increased weight, though. :)


be familiar with something: ～に精通している、詳しい
have a good appetite: 食欲旺盛である
eat like a horse: 大食する　(c.f.)eat like a bird: 食が細い
out-of-control something: 制御不能な～
representative winter dishes: 冬の味覚
something make(s) one's mouth water: ～が(人の)味覚をそそる
(このwaterは、「よだれを垂らす」をいう意味の自動詞)
(just) in case: 万一に備えて、念のため

Happy New Year

Monday, January first, two thousands and seven

May the new year bring you health, happiness and prosperity.

I visited a shinto shrine close to my house with my family in the midnight today, because my third son and daughter asked me to take them there for our new year's visit to a shrine. Since my third son and daughter are still eight and five years old respectively, it's kind of hard for them to go there in the midnight. So, my wife and I told them that they had better take a nap yesterday afternoon. The person who had the longest nap was me, though. :)

To change the subject, let me introduce my new year's resolution.

Last year I often tried to use many difficult phrases and words in my diary, actually. In fact, I tried to memorize so many difficult words at once, after I took a TOEIC test last summer. That style may be a good way for studying English, but on the other hand, it brought me down sometimes. So, I'll write my diary on the method suitable for me this year, not so many difficult words and phrases, and minimize using my dictionaries as far as possible, in order to introduce my diary smoothly to everyone in the English school I belong to. As you probably noticed, the articles I posted in the recent months tend to be comparatively easy. I like this easy style, so let me go on writing my posts on this way for a while.


prosperity: 繁栄
bring someone down: (人を)落ち込ませる
minimize something: ～を最小限にする