About Alice Paul

Hi, everyone!

Azalea, I remember Alice Paul now.　Last year, I watched a TV program on WOWOW, titled ‘Iron jawed angels,’ which depict her history for women’s suffrage. Hilary Swank wonderfully played her, and I was very impressed with her life, even though I didn’t know her at that time. Alice showed a lot of splendid heroism in prison, and I can vividly recall a scene that she tried fasting to protest against then government. They were embarrassed by her behavior and forced her to swallow food through a tube.
Thank you for telling us about the great woman, Alice Paul, Azalea.

By the way, I think nobody has such a feeling for strong-willed woman as Hilary Swank. I also like Jodie Foster, and I always watch her movie.

Alice, (nice name!) I don’t know MO disk. You are at the leading-edge of technology.

So, see you tomorrow!

New words

HI, everyone!

I’m happy to read your comments and knew new words, such like as persimmon, ginkgo, and triggerfish. (It is a lovely fish. Did it bite your finger, Azalea?) I also enjoyed beautiful scenery of Mt. haruna. I have so poor vocabularies, that I can make discoveries every day in this blog. In addition to that, I always have a nice time with many stories of beauty spots where I’ve never been. It is fantastic, isn’t it? I thank all of you.

Sunflower, I’ve also enjoyed Desperate Housewives from the first season, three years ago. That English is so difficult for me! And these days, since my DH (!) became a spectator with me, I had to watch it in Japanese. I’d like to get new TV recorder, and to learn English with it.

So, see you tomorrow, good bye.

The middle of autumn

Hi, everyone!

Alice, it’s fantastic for us to find a nice beauty salon, isn’t it? For women, getting stylists to beautify hairstyle is very comfortable. My regular one is also good, and an owner has agreeable sense of distance to me.

It’s still hot day, today. I have not put away an electric fan yet, and it is hard to feel the middle of autumn. It seems that changing colors of leaves will be late this season.

So, good bye, see you tomorrow.

A picture dictionary

Hi, everyone!

Yesterday, I got a picture dictionary, for me and my kids, through the Internet. In order to improve my vocabulary, it seems good. While flipping the pages of the book, I was interested with a page about family. There was ‘Lisa Smith’s family’ on it, which went through several stages; married, divorced, single mother and single father, and remarried.

Lisa was brightly smiling between two homes, which have stepfather/mother and half brother/sister or stepbrother/sister respectively. I didn’t know the proper use of these words. According to the dictionary, a sister of same mother is a ‘half sister,’ and a sister of same father is a `stepsister.’ This page gave me a positive impression about divorce in the West.

So, good night, see you!

A political issue

Hi, everyone!

Cosmos, Magnolia, thank you for your sweet concern about my kids and me. Why they dissatisfied with me is, I suppose, that I give myself up to not only this blog, but also my PC. I always sit down at front of my PC, even while they are playing in my house. It may be good to do so after they go to bed, but at that time, I have to listen to my husband. Anyway, I will try to satisfy them. Thank you again for nice recipe, Magnolia.

Alice, I’m very interested with a political issue in Japan. It will take a long time to develop our good politics, but I’d like to believe our intellect, especially, of women.

I wonder Plum would have plenty of sleep at a hospital.
I hope so, and all of you, too…Good night.

A voter's guide to the 2008 election

HI, everyone!

Alice, the book I read is ‘ kosodate syufuno eigo benkyoho’ by Plum. Did you know that English title is appearing if you put a book jacket off? I love it.

These days, my kids angrily said to me ‘ which do you like, us or BLOG?!’ I suppose I become enthusiastic about this blog, and they are dissatisfied. Lovely baby! I have to try to play with them more.

From TIME this week.
‘On the fence: A voter’s guide to the 2008 election’
‘Hillary Clinton...With voters looking for change, a continuation of the Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton dynastic cycle is a tough sell; tens of millions of Americans are dead set against her.’
‘Verbatim’
‘It would be nice to have a woman President. I think half the Senate should be women, half of Parliament, half the ruling mullahs. But that will never happen, darling!---Meryl Streep’
We can enjoy many information of the U.S. President election next year.

So, good bye, have a nice weekend!

'Why English for married women?'

Hi, everyone!

Today is October 25th. It is hard to recognize autumn season, isn’t it?

I reread Plum’s book ‘Why English for married women?’ today. I have felt deeply the necessity of improvement with my English these day, and I wonder how I work efficiently for it. But my brain has decreased its capacity…

About a month ago, I asked about Italian cooking to a neighborhood school. But even now, I don’t have any answers from that school. I don’t feel like asking one more time, and will give up learning cook there. I dream of being good cook.

I hope you enjoyed it, dear friends.
Good bye!

Hula girl

Hi, everyone!

This afternoon, I watched a movie ‘ Hula girl.’ It was a fantastic Japanese movie, in which cute girls are trying to dance Hula for their declining coal town at Hukushima, and for themselves.
Yu Aoi played a young, fresh girl and was honored with many prizes. But I was moved with an ex-KSD dancer who taught them Hula, played by Yasuko Matsuyuki. She wonderfully performed the severe but kindhearted teacher. It is really lovely, touching story.

Dear friends, I’m always taught many words and thoughts from you. I am happy about it, and I wonder how I could keep in my mind that knowledge.

So, see you tomorrow. Bye!

Dear Plum

Plum, I was surprised by your plan of entering hospital, and I’m really sorry about it. In spite of your terribly bad condition, you gave lectures to us three days ago. I thank you from bottom of my heart for your devotion for us. Please rest yourself well, and I hope you will be well as soon as possible. I’m waiting for you…

So, see you tomorrow, good bye, everyone.

For English writing skill

Hi, everyone!

Yesterday’s Plum’s lecture was wonderful for us, in spite of her not good condition. Plum encouraged us to develop our English writing skills more through this blog. For example, when I want to learn one word, I try to write English sentence with it, and I can get responses to me about it. Moreover, she gave us an advice to take notes of vocabularies, and showed her own memo for it. I was surprised with it, and felt shameful, because I understood that even Plum with linguistic ability makes special efforts every day. I must be hungry more.

Sunflower, I’m sorry for your stomach hard pain, and I hope you’ll be good soon.

So, it’s time to supper.
Good bye, see you!

Until next brainstorming

Hi, everyone!

Today I went to see Plum as a junior member with Azalea and Peach. Since it was about three long months after the Aichi seminar, I felt nostalgic feelings to all of them, but at the same time, just as usual. It’s thanks to our blog, isn’t it?

Plum’s lecture was really energetic, selfless, and profound, and I was overwhelmed with her power. I’m appreciated your great, great efforts, Plum. Until next brainstorming, I’ll do my best.

So, I hope you enjoyed it. Good night, dear friends!

'Fudeko sono ai'

Hi, everyone!

Today I also went to see the movie, ‘Fudeko sono ai’ with Magnolia. The movie depicted Fudeko gracefully as a mother of social-welfare education, and I was moved to tears several times. I thought it was a little hard for my kids, but they were interested with it, and asked me what Down syndrome was. I enjoyed a talk show after the movie, because the director Yamada was passionate, entertaining speaker. I really hope that Magnolia’s efforts could go out the world. It was a fantastic day.

So, see you tomorrow, good night…

The changing face of breast cancer

Hi, friends!

Thank you for showing your recipe of Asuka nabe, Magnolia. I like such sort of nabe, like as Ishikari nabe. Why is it called Asuka? I’ll try it soon.

Azalea, Cosmos, I also suffer from oblivion these days. When I go to the next room in order to do something, I sometimes can’t remember what I should do and say, ‘Why did I come here…?’

Alice, you have enjoyed nice communication with your friends, haven’t you? No treasure is more precious than our friends.

I’ll show you an interesting article from TIME this week, ‘The changing face of breast cancer’
‘But Asian women, as well as black women in the U.S. and Africa, are at higher risk of developing a more aggressive form of breast cancer…’
‘Asian women tend to have denser breast tissue than other women, and many studies show dense tissue is up to five times as likely to develop malignancies. What’s more, such tissue can conceal the disease since both tumors and healthy tissue may show up white on a mammogram.’

I wonder it is true. But according to the survey of TIME, the rate of breast-cancer incidence of Japanese is rather small, 32.7 per 100,000 people. U.S. is 101.1!

So, see you tomorrow, have a good weekend!

About nimono

Hi, everyone!

Thank you for your warm words, Azalea, Alice.
This afternoon, I went to see class teachers. They were carefully watching their pupils and I received the valuable advice from them.

When I feel a cool air in autumn, I’d like to cook and eat nimono, or boiled food. Nabe is also good. What kind of nimono or nabe do you like? All my family like oden, and eat it every season. I feel pleased as a Japanese whenever I have delicious oden. By the way, why does it look so tasty-looking for oden at a street stall…?

I will cook hurohuki daikon for supper. So, good bye, see you!

About class teachers

Hi, everyone!

Now, the sky is blazing red at sundown. It’s really beautiful and mysterious.

Tomorrow, I have to go my kids’ school for talking with class teachers. Fortunately, they are
very dedicated teachers for children, and I feel easy about it. But when my family came Nagoya two years ago, each teacher for my kids were not good. One was a teacher who was said a severest in my school, but in fact, she was just a heartless person. Another had a little capacity as a teacher, I think, and the younger daughter became a sort of school non-attendance. At that time I went school with her every morning, and picked her up before lunch. When I saw her gazing at an album which was send from her former classmates, I was close to tears. After one month, she was trying to go alone, and became an ordinary pupil.

So, it’s time to cook. See you tomorrow!

Inflation near future

Hi, everyone!　

I agree with you, Cosmos, we can enjoy our lives in various ways every day, and I think you, too.

Plum, I suppose you are really honest person. It appeared that young people vaguely aware of that situation, and they may lose hope not only in academic world, but also in every social world. I hope that my kids would be an independent, free person from any kind of authority as much as possible.

Magnolia, it is nice to go onsen for your pain. My husband used to say that he liked Sanage onsen, and I’d like to go there some day.

Peach, what a coincidence, we also had Sukiyaki tonight, for my older daughter’s birth day. It is one of her favorite meals.

Azalea, I fear inflation near future. I must think about it from now on…

I’m happy to write to all of you.
See you, good night.

A handy tool

Hi, everyone!

Plum, I’m interested with your comment about Japanese scholars’ laziness. When did you think so, like as in your university’s days? How do you think those scholars show their thoughts to us? I have no idea of that field, but I think there are few distinguished people who openly speak to public about some kind of social issues. They should show their own opinion more and more, so that we the people can think of that. But we already have a handy tool for learning. Even without a specialist, especially a male authority, we can study every field on the web, can’t we?

Today I cleaned up our rooms, put our clothes to right, and it made me happy. Such domestic labor is endless for us.

So, good bye, see you!

An Aikido class

Hi, everyone!
Dear friends, how about your weekend?

Cosmos, I'm sorry for my big mistake.　That was just strange thought.

Azalea, when I have such news about a fossil dinosaur, I feel smallness of our lives, and vast passing times.

Yesterday I went to look an Aikido class for women at Sakae. Because it was my first experience, I was a little tense. There were about ten women trying Aikido followed a coach, who appeared her early thirties. They had many interesting tricks for ninety minutes, and I learned from the coach several differences between Karate. It was really intriguing time, but now I wonder how to keep my power with it. Recently, I have to feel a decline in my stamina. It may be better in taking a careful strategy for me…

So, see you tomorrow, good bye!

A gifted woman

Hi, everyone!

These days nice weather has continued, and so we can really feel comfortable, can’t we?

I have also never heard the name of Doris Lessing, Plum. Today’s newspaper says that her world is based on three main points of Marxism, anti-racism, and feminism. This kind of work is your province. It is joyful for us, and all women, that such a gifted woman is publicly honored. Thank you very much for letting know us.

Alice, you had overworked with your hard presentation, hadn’t you? Please get a good rest.

Fortunately, Magnolia will be able to see Ms. Hisako Yamada, who directed the movie ‘ Hudeko sono ai.’ I’m glad to get permission from a host organization, and I canceled a previous appointment and decide to go there that day. I’d like to take a commemorative photograph of Magnolia. Somebody, could you join us?

So, good bye, see you!

The Latin Hillary

Hi, everyone!

Cosmos, do you have any favorite Kabuki actors? I’d like to teach me about that charm for you. And I think your daughters are powerful persons, aren’t they?

Today I will write an interesting article from TIME. The title is ‘The Latin Hillary.’
‘Argentina’s First Lady and a powerful senator in her own right, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is the favorite to be the next President’
‘Fernandez, too, married her law-school sweetheart and helped him become the Governor of a small southern province and then President.’
‘”Women bring a different face to politics,” says Fernandez, who has a teenage daughter and a grown son. “We see the big geopolitical picture but also the smaller, daily details of citizens’ lives. We’re wrapped up as much in what our daughter’s school principal says as we are in what the newspapers are saying.”’

It is a nice article, isn’t it?

So, see you tomorrow, good bye!

A fragrant olive

Hi, everyone!

Plum, Sunflower, I also like the sweet smell of a fragrant olive. These days, even inside my house, I can feel it through a window, and become happy. I wish such nice season continued for a long time.

Magnolia, you appeared to enjoy Jonathan’s session about the education for the elderly. I think the best one will be teaching their knowledge each other. The elderly have many own wisdom and experiences. It is a nice idea to teach and learn for them, isn’t it?

Today I helped a big event at kids’ school, and so little tired.
Good night, see you tomorrow!

A great gift

Hi, everyone!　

Magnolia, I really got excited to hear that your splendid news about a movie of Hudeko Ishii. I can imagine your name on a movie screen! What a great news! It’s also our pleasure, isn’t it?

About Geki-shine, I can recommend it to you, Magnolia. I have watched them several times at a big hall, in which Kanzaburo Nakamura and Tamasaburo Bando used to play. They were very, very exciting movies. But my favorite one is a play by gekidan Shinkansen. The Geki-shine I watched yesterday is now on showing at the Mid land square three times a day, titled ‘ Oborono morini sumu oni.’ If you need more information, please see it on a web. I think you can enjoy them on it.

Sunflower, I’m happy to hear about Hanjo-tei at Tenma, because I had once lived near Tenma station before I got married. I like that lively street very much as a symbol of Osaka, and I’d like to go there with my kids someday.

Plum, I agree with Alice. I am really felt thankful for your sincere, vigorous support to us. It is a great gift for us to survive our future.

So, it’s time to washing dishes, good bye!

About Geki-shine

Hi, everyone!

Plum, I am also looking for your lecture about women's domestic labor. It is really interesting for us to learn from texts through the Internet.

By the way, do you know 'Geki-shine' ? It means engeki-shinema, or a sort of mixture of a play on the stage and a cinema. I went to watch it today, in which Somegoro Ichikawa played the leading part role with a gekidan Shinkansen. It was an amazingly spectacle image, and took only 2000 yen for three hours. I was deeply impressed with his great talent as a Kabuki actor. How beautiful his fight scene was! Because of high threshold of Kabuki world, I have never been to Kabuki theater. But Geki-shine was an easy way for me, even if it would be powerless against a real one.

So, I will talk to you tomorrow, good bye!

A formidable land

Hi, everyone!
Is everything all right with you??

I came back from Gihu at late last night. Fortunately, it was really nice weather while our two days trip, and now, my face is smarting with something like sunburn. We visited Takayama, Shin-hodaka, and Shirakawago, and really enjoyed beautiful old-fashioned townscapes, and a magnificent view from an observatory. We were also fully satisfied with delicious foods there, such as Hoba-miso, Hidagyu, and Gohemochi…but we treated a vast land of Gihu too lightly. When we went to Shirakawago from Shin-hodaka, we decided to use road No.360, carelessly. It was the beginning of a hell on earth.

The map only showed the road as a ‘narrow.’ But just after 30 minutes, our cries of fear echoed in our car. There were unbelievable narrow, steep, winding slopes, which had few road mirrors. A car coming in the opposite direction suddenly appeared to our car! It was surely my worst experience in my life. After that, we lastly arrived at Shirakawago, but since it took too long time, we couldn't visit Gujo-hachiman. A formidable land, Gihu…

So, see you tomorrow, good bye!

Have a nice holiday

Hi, everyone!

Magnolia, it is fantastic that you are enjoying aquabics. I had no idea with noodles. Is this a kind of rope?

Cosmos, I definitely made a mistake in a pre-war life in China. As you mentioned, we have some incorrect information about our neighborhood. Recently, it is said that several movies about the Nanking Massacre, which make us feel awfully miserable, will be released in the near future. I feel I have to watch them. My lamented grandfather used to say that Japanese military commit many crimes in China at wartime, but never said beyond that. I wish I had asked him about it.

This year, there are many consecutive holidays, aren’t there? My family is going to visit Takayama and Okuhida tomorrow, Shirakawago and Gujo-hachiman the day after tomorrow. It’s a little greedy plan, isn’t it??? I hope all of them will be go well. So, I’m sorry that I will skip tomorrow’s writing.

See you later, dear friends, have a nice holiday!!

At a swimming school

Hi, everyone!

Peach, I’m glad to hear that your PC could be repaired soon. Actually, when it freezes, we also freeze, don’t we?

Cosmos, I enjoyed your story of trip to China with your brothers. Can your sister remember some Mandarin? I can see the wonderfulness of China a little bit, because my husband’s father is hooked on going there recently, and he visited China three times for past one year. He says that he likes a lot of magnificent, unsophisticated views, and he proudly shows those pictures to us every time.

This afternoon, I went to a swimming school in my neighborhood to make application for my younger daughter. She is a poor swimmer, and decided to go there these days. While I went through several procedures, I was really surprised by many, many people of middle age or older coming to take lessons. They looked like regular customers, who were really enjoying their club lives.

I envied them at that time, and I recalled some members of us have enjoyed swimming...Magnolia and Sunflower? In fact, I’m going to visit some aikido schools for women next week, and I’d like to decide good one. I’m really looking for that lesson. My season for sports will come soon.

So, see you tomorrow, good bye!

The Giants won the title...

Hi, everyone!

I enjoyed happy trip stories by Magnolia and Sunflower. Since I never been to both Karuizawa and Sendai, I really felt like going there. Autumn is a good season for travel, isn’t it!

Plum, I felt just sad that hear your several acquaintances passing away for cancer. Actually, it’s dangerous disease to treat. I hope good medicine for anyone will be developed near future.

Unfortunately, the Giants won the title yesterday, but I couldn’t believe that no TV stations telecasted this game. Several years ago, it was hardly thinkable, wasn’t it?
They say TV viewers have decreasing year by year.

So, good bye, see you tomorrow!

A TV drama

Hi, everyone!

Alice, I also like soul music, and my favorite is hogaku these days. When I listen old, nostalgic ( for me ) music, such as the Southern all stars, Off course, and Yumin, I can make myself at home. Is it because of my age??

TV program schedule may be newly formed in October. My favorite TV program, 'Desperate housewives' third season will start tomorrow on BS2, and continue for six months. This is very popular in USA, and on a seven- season contract now! Recently, I have no favorite drama in Japan.

So, it’s time to cook, and see you!

An ipod

Hi, everyone!

It has been raining today, and I had to put on a long sleeved shirt. Air temperature is extremely unbalanced these days, isn’t it?

Today, I got an ipod at a big electrical machinery shop. It is tremendously tiny, and could be set on anywhere with a clip. Until now I used an old CD player, which took a lot of space in my bag. When I got on a subway to go working, there were many, many passengers terribly pushing and shoving on it. I hate that crowding…So, listening English or beautiful music with an ipod might be just my precious time while getting on a subway.

Azalea, I think you have really rich vocabularies. If you are ignorant, what on earth am I??? It takes a long time for me to write this blog with my dictionary…

Today is the first day of October. I hope we will enjoy our fruitful days.
Good bye, see you!