More Free-Conversation Classes

Tuesday, April tenth, two thousand and seven

Because I'm not so busy at work nowadays, I've just decided to take some more VOICE lessons, which are free-conversation classes at NOVA - a famous private English school in Japan. As a matter of fact, I'd rather take such unlimited than take serious regular classes. I'd like to have a chat in English a lot in my spare time so that I could make tons of mistakes in my English. Basically, making plenty of mistakes is a good way for learning something, I think. Especially, I feel comfortable and energetic whenever I talk in English with the people who speak the same language in not only the school but also bars. Let me go get a drink with my foreign friends a lot more! Of course, with some young ladies if possible. :)


speak the same language: 考え方［趣味］が同じである、うまが合う

My Mom's Birthday

Monday, April ninth, two thousand and seven

It's my mother's sixty ninth birthday today, so my wife bought some cakes back to home. All of my family members had dinner together today and celebrated her birthday, of course. Although she is much older than me, she can drink quite a lot if she feels like it. To tell the truth, she is stronger than me! Amazing! Anyway, congratulations on your birthday, I hope she will live a long life, mom!

And now, I ran out of steam at work actually, let me go to sleep earlier than usual.


if someone feel(s) like it: その気になれば
run out of steam: get tired, run out of energy

Cherry Blossoms in Izumisano City

Sunday, April eighth, two thousand and seven

Since today was the last chance for me to go see cherry blossoms this spring, I went out with my family, friends and their families to Eiraku dam in Kumatori town of Osaka prefecture, bringing our lunch boxes and a few cans of beer. Because I had a huge amount of alcohol last night, my wife who is what is called my master didn't allow me to go out with lots of juice today. :(
Anyhow, I caught up with the fellow after a long time who I used to work with for the same computer system company. We talked a lot about our recent events and job status under the cherry tree. Thank you for all of the guys! Let me upload some pictures I took there on the following, including the picture of lunch boxes prepared by my wife. Does it look delicious? I had 5 cans of beer, the capacity of a can is 350cc, with the lunch. :)

Having Lots Of Drive

Saturday, April seventh, two thousand and seven

Since my job doesn't kill me, it's OK for me to often go out for having a drink these days. So my friends and I went for a drink two weekends in a row, actually. Because I slept like a log last night, I was so fine before drinking, I mean, I had a lot of drive to get a drink! I had at least 8 mugs of beer at a Japanese style bar(居酒屋 izakaya) and a shot bar. When my Australian friend came to the meeting place and I was waiting for him with one of my Japanese young female friends, he asked me where my friends are. I replied that she is a friend of mine. He was shocked to hear that. I told him the day before yesterday only that I was going to wait for him with my friends, actually. Apparently, he guessed my friends were guys(males). Is it strange that I have young female friends? :) To be honest, I can go get a drink with only young girls! (^^) Anyway a Canadian friend and a Japanese male friend joined us later. We really had a good time. Later on, the young girl asked me if it's OK with me to have some alcohol and 串カツ(kushi katsu), which are pieces of pork, fish or vegetables that fried on a skewer, at the nice Japanese 串カツ restaurant in Kishiwada city she went with her friends last week. Of course, I'd love to! I'm sooooo lucky to have nice young friends that I would be able to be young at heart!


have a lot of drive: やる気まんまんである。
"quoted from LONGMAN Dictionary of Contemporary English"
skewer [countable]: a long metal or wooden stick that is put through pieces of meat to hold them together while they are cooked

My Daughter Enters School

Friday, April sixth, two thousand and seven

Today my cute daughter has just entered the elementary school I used to go to when I was a kid! My wife took her to the entrance ceremony, and so many cherry blossoms congratulated not only her but also her friends on the entrance! She couldn't be happier! I wish I were there... Actually, I haven't attended my children's ceremonies held at their schools before. Let me post some pictures here. She couldn't be cuter, right? :)

Lost 12,000 yen

Thursday, April fifth, two thousand and seven

I lost 12,000 yen(about 100 US dollars) today, actually. A customer made a phone call to me and complained about the amount of the products I send him two days ago. I sent him 3.9 tons of our products, recycled chemical fiber, but he told me over the phone that the amount was 3.7 tons as far as he counted. Our products are packed into a pressing bag after being measured in the 100 kilograms, so I definitely think I sent 39 packs to him. Where did the 2 packs of 200 kilograms fiber go to? I don't figure out why, of course. The price of our product is 60 yen per kilogram, I mean, I've lost 12,000 yen. (ToT) I wanted to ask him to reconfirm the number of the packs, but I didn't do that. Because a big fire occurred in his factory the other day, so I didn't want to go through all the hassle for only 12,000 yen.


"quoted from LONGMAN Dictionary of Contemporary English"
hassle [uncountable and countable]: something that is annoying, because it causes problems or is difficult to do: 面倒な事
(I've studied this word in ZONE E-33 lessons at NOVA)

Sleep Like A Dog? or Log?

Wednesday, April fourth, two thousand and seven

I've just seen an English idiom, which is "sleep like a dog" that means "sleep tight". But I can't find it out in all of my dictionary. I found out a similar idiom, which is "sleep like a log". I'm really confused now... I didn't sleep like a top last night, actually. So let me sleep like a log tonight. (-_-)zzzz
Umm... Whenever I'm sleepy, my diary tend to be too short. Anyway, the name of the game for me is writing some English sentences everyday. I'm not sure it's an effective way of learning English though. :)


sleep like a (top/log/dog?): sleep tight
the name of the game: the most important thing in a particular activity or situation(肝心なこと)

New Fiscal Year, Apple of My Eye

Tuesday, April third, two thousand and seven

Since my factory is very small, there are no changes even though the new accounting year has just started. No new faces... But my brother and I have a plan to hire some employees next month, so we are going to advertise a job opening this month.
If we can have some excellent workers, I want to veg out at a hot spring place or somewhere for a while. To be honest, we have been eager(keen) to have time on our hands. In my case, I'd like to spend much more spare time with my daughter, who is the apple of my eye. :) The idiom "apple of my eye" sounds very similar to the Japanese idiom, "目に入れても痛くない(me ni iretemo itakunai)". If I translate literally it, it means "Someone or something doesn't hurt you even if it comes into your eye." When you say "Someone or something is 目に入れても痛くない", it means that someone or something is very important and cute for you. My explanation is probably correct. Sorry to make some mistakes in the above interpretation, if any. m(_ _)m


fiscal year(accounting year): 会計年度, 事業年度
advertise a job opening: 求人広告を出す
veg out: 仕事をせずにのんびり過ごす
have time on one's hands: 自由な時間がある、時間を持て余す
apple of one's eye: 非常に大切にしているもの(目に入れても痛くないもの)

Unlucky Omikuji, But How Lucky!

Monday, April second, two thousand and seven

As I posted an article that I went see cherry blossoms, I visited a famous temple yesterday. At that time I bought a おみくじ(omikuji - fortune slip) there, in order to consult an oracle. :) Unfortunately, the one told me that I have a bad fortune as the following picture. 凶(kyou) means the worst fortune in Japanese, actually. However, I bet I'm sooooo lucky! How come? Let me tell you the reason I think so. Basically, there tend to be very few bad-fortune slips in omikuji-boxes at almost all temples or shrines all over Japan. It means a very rare case to get the worst one. In fact, it was the first time for me to be given it. Yeah! I've just had a unique experience for the first time! How lucky I am! I'm thinking too positively???? :) Anyway, it's a good way for having a good life to think you are lucky in spite of being in trouble.

Let me introduce a Japanese custom to you. If you get a bad-fortune omikuji, you had better tie the one around a branch of a tree in the temple or shrine. Some of temples and shrines have a special space that you can tie the one as the following picture. People pray in order not to bring bad fortunes to them by leaving the unlucky slips there.

Cherry Blossoms in Wakayama

Sunday, April first, two thousand and seven

You can see lots of beautiful cherry blossoms almost all over Japan this week. I personally think this season is the best one to visit Japan. Basically, most cherry trees in Japan blossom out at the beginning of April, however, this cherry blossom season has started kind of earlier than usual, because the last winter was the warmest one in history as far as Japan Meteorological Agency has recorded. Anyway my family wanted to go somewhere to see cherry blossoms, I couldn't help but drive them to a famous spot today even though I'm a little tired. We decided to go to 紀三井寺(Kimii Dera) in Wakayama prefecture, which is a famous temple as having a lot of cherry trees. We could see a large number of marvelous cherry blossoms. They aren't full bloom though... I suppose they are 80% or so... Let me post some pictures I took there on this blog space. Don't you think they are wonderful? (^_^)v


Japan Meteorological Agency: (日本の)気象庁