Fire Happened

Saturday, March tenth, two thousand and seven

I heard the news yesterday that a fire had occurred at a factory of a customer of ours two days ago. But fortunately, no one wasn't killed and didn't get injured, and the main production line didn't get any serious damage as well. So the customer will go on doing business. However, the sub production line of them, which manufactures recycled chemical fiber cotton, was completely burned. Actually, the customer need tons of recycled chemical fiber cotton to make their products, so they not only buy the cotton from us but also had produced it themselves. After the fire, I had a phone call to the effect that an executive director of the company asked me to do him a favor, which means he wants me to send lots of cotton more preferentially than the other customers of ours. I'd like to live up to his request but we don't have enough amount of material to be recycled these days. Anyway, let me manufacture our product for him as long as our warehouses don't empty. I guess my nose will lower, because I have to keep my nose to the grindstone.


something to the effect that (a clause) : ～という趣旨の
preferentially [adverb]: 優先的に
live up to [phrasal verb]: (期待などに)沿う、応える
keep one's nose to the grindstone: 身を粉にして働く、頑張り続ける、一生懸命に働く

Fatigued

Friday, March ninth, two thousand and seven

I've just learned a new word "fatigued" thanks to an email newsletter I often read on my cell phone. When I'm busy at my work, I often say to anyone "I'm so tired.", "I'm exhausted." or "My job wears me out.", actually. Let me say "I'm fatigued." when someone asks me how I am next time. I'm so fatigued that I can see only my favorite IRON MAIDEN's DVD that's called "Rock in RIO", recorded in Brazil, for now. I hope you guys who often read my blog well. Have a good one!


fatigued [adjective]: 疲れきっている、精根尽き果てている

Unhealthy Child

Thursday, March eighth, two thousand and seven

As I mentioned my eldest son's having the flu the other day, he caught not only the influenza A virus but also B virus this winter. Actually, he is such a picky eater, so we guess that's why he often catch a cold or something like that. But, as far as I'm concerned, I don't often catch a cold like him because I can eat everything except strange foods, like, snakes. Because it's getting more like spring day by day, I'll have a lot of fun parties with my friends! I don't mean to brag, but I can have a huge amount of meat and alcohol at a BBQ party like a young guy, I'm already on the wrong side of 40 though. :)

picky eater: 好き嫌いが多い人
as far as someone(something) be concerned: ～に関する限り
day by day: 一日ごとに
I don't mean to brag, but ... : 自慢じゃないけど・・・

Too Easy

Wednesday, March seventh, two thousand and seven

I personally think that the basis for leveling up the students at NOVA, the most biggest private English school in Japan, is too easy. Now that I'm a level-3 student at the school, my friends think that I can speak English fluently like a native English speaker, but I cannot do it that much, actually. I haven't perfectly mastered even the contents of the lessons for level-5 students so far. That's why I've reviewed some of them lately. The level-up system might be kind of a strategy that NOVA makes the students spend much more money there.
Anyway, The services of the school tend to become commercial and some of teachers who work for the school sometimes told me that NOVA is greedy. I absolutely agree with them, but I'm going to take lessons there as long as I have good times with nice teachers and study buddies. To tell the truth, many students often complain that the cost is expensive, but I actually don't think so. I suppose it's reasonable because there are lots of nice teachers as far as I know, and some of the students who I often take lessons together are really friendly! If I didn't study English at NOVA, I couldn't meet such nice people. That's exactly why I take lessons there even when I'm so busy.

... I wrote today's diary without my dictionaries after a long time, so I bet there are tons of mistakes in this content. :p

Flu Again

Tuesday, March sixth, two thousand and seven

My eldest son told me that he was under the weather and had a terrible feeling this morning. So my wife checked his temperature right away. Because he had a high fever, she took him to see a doctor as soon as she checked the temperature. According to the doctor, he has the influenza B virus! Actually, he caught the influenza A virus couple of weeks ago. How unlucky he is! In addition, we wife might have been given the virus by any chance because she often cough now. Let me sleep in another room for a while, not to be infected with the flu and to go get a drink on this weekend... I'm really looking forward to going for a drink after a long time! There is no more important thing than being healthy!


by any chance: ひょっとして
infect someone with something: (人)に(病気など)をうつす(感染させる)

Going For Drink

Monday, March fifth, two thousand and seven

I've decided to go get a drink with some friends or alone in this Saturday night. I need to cheer myself up because the recent busy job really wears me out. The more I'm busy, the more I'm eager to drink alcohol outside, actually. If you want to join, please let me know by email. :) I'm going to a new nice bar in Izumisano city, Osaka, anyway. To be honest, nice friends, delicious alcohol and fun talks make me feel relaxed. I need to relax so that I could work hard in my factory till this busy season has ended. After this busy season, I'm keen to have some BBQ parties and cherry blossom viewing parties, beside my family and I are planning to go for a picnic or take a short trip somewhere. I can't wait for spring! This winter is relatively warm like spring due to global warming, though...


cheer oneself up: 気分転換をする
be eager to do something = be keen to do something (maybe, correct...)

Meeting of Neighborhood

Sunday, March fourth, two thousand and seven

I have to attend a meeting tonight, that's going to be held for discussing local topics with my neighbors. A long time ago, maybe before World War 2, the Japanese government recommended citizens to make small local communities to help each other. The communities are called "Tonari-gumi(隣組)" in Japanese. If I translate the Japanese word into English, I would say "neighborhood communities or associations" At the time, many Japanese people tend to be very poor to prepare the World War. That's why they needed to help each other and the government recommended them to make the communities, I guess.
Anyway, the tradition is still existing, even though most Japanese people aren't as poor as they used to be, though. Basically, a neighborhood community consists of about 20 family units(households), so I have to be the leader of the group every 20 years. Next month I'm going to be the new leader, so I have to take over some chores from the current leader in the meeting held tonight. The leaders are called "Kumicyo(組長)" in Japanese, actually. Sounds kind of dangerous! Because the leaders of "Yakuza(やくざ) - Japanese Mafia" are also called "Kumicyo(組長)" as most Japanese people know. I'll be called "Kumicyo" from my neighbors for a while, even though I'm definitely a serious person, not a Yakuza as you know! Because it's my first time to be the leader, let me try and do it somehow or other, anyhow.


family unit(household): 世帯
take over: 引き継ぐ
somehow or other: 何とか

Hina Matsuri(Doll's Festival) and Teacher's Complaint

Saturday, February third, two thousand and seven

Today, March 3rd, is the day of "Doll's Festival - Hina Matsuri(雛祭り)" in Japan. The day is also called "The Season Festival of Peaches - Momo no Sekku(桃の節句)" Let me introduce this Japanese custom below.

Japanese Families with girls celebrate March third to wish for their daughters' good fortune, growth and happiness. According to tradition, this event began in the Edo period. Families with girls display a set of cute dolls in their houses. The set consists of the Emperor, Empress, their servants, miniature furniture and so forth(and so on), on a three, five or seven-tiered stand.


Today we were planning to have a nice dinner made by my wife, but she has a high fever now, therefore I had to go run errands for her. I've got some sushi, appetizers at a supermarket. Besides, I usually take 4 free conversation lessons on Saturdays, however, I cut out 2 ones to get home earlier than usual. A teacher, whose name is Patrick, complained about my leaving because many students tend to leave by accident before his classes. :)


servant[countable noun]: 家来、召使
something and so on(and so forth): ～など(similar to "etc")
three, five or seven-tiered something: 3段または5段または7段の～
go run errands for someone: (人の)使い走りをする
by accident: 偶然

Distracted

Friday, February second, two thousand and seven

It's really tough for me to study English after hard working these days, because I have to work at least twelve hours a day in my factory, in addition, have to make bills with my PC and reply to emails from our customers as well. I have the PC in my house, so I often use it after working in my factory. To tell the truth, I have to work in not only my factory but also my house.
Since it's almost impossible to study English at night, I want to review the English lessons I've taken before every morning, but my wife doesn't allow me to do that. Actually, she tends to be the most hysterical lady on the planet in weekday mornings, because our children don't get up as early as she expects. In the result, I'm too distracted to concentrate on studying due to a huge amount of dinosauric noise generated by what-do-you-call-her.


distracted[adjective]: 気が散っている
dinosauric[adjective]: 恐竜のような
what-do-you-call-her: 何とかいう人、例の女、誰かさん(名前を思い出せない［出したくない］女性の代用語)

Retracing My Past

Thursday, March first, two thousand and seven

I retraced my past for no reason today. Now that I'm over 40 years old, there were many good things and bad things in my past life. I actually often think how my life changed if I were married to another woman... haha. Just kidding. :)

Anyway, I have a lot of past things I can't tell enough here, but so far I just can say like this - Anyone can have the greatest life if he or she could have another life. However, it's impossible to have another life, of course. That's why making decisions in turning points are so difficult, but on the other hand, exciting opportunities in the life. It's up to your decisions to have a good life that you want to have.... I've just made myself this English sentence. Hope you understand what I mean. To tell the truth, I'm thinking whether I should build another business plan or not. For the time being, I'm going to make the plan in my PC.


retrace one's past: 過去を振り返る
for the time being: 当分、差し当たり