'Fatherhood 2.0'

Hi, everyone!

When I finished my work at my office today, I decided to follow a new way to go subway station, because of my intention of getting my new notebook at a bookstore. In spite of my working there for almost one year, I have always walked along the same way to the station. Then, while walking that new path, I was surprised with much fresh scenery for me, with beautiful play park, fantastic big tree, and traditional pretty café. There also were a lot of historical buildings along the road. I could feel so happy at that time that I will try this way to my office next time.

From TIME this week: Fatherhood 2.0
‘Many dads are challenging old definitions of manliness. …Though many fathers still cleave to the old archetype, (an associate professor of psychology) Rochlen’s study finds that those who don’t are happier.’
‘Other research shows that fathers who stop being men of the old mold have better-adjusted children, better marriages and better work lives---better physical and mental health, even.’

I have thought American men like to act as a good father. But by reading this article, I feel they are likely to Japanese men. Flexible thoughts will make both women and men happier more and more.

So, today is the end of nice November. Let’s enjoy last beautiful month. Good bye!

Welcome back again, Plum!

Hi, everyone, and welcome back, Plum!!
I’m very, very glad that you could finally come to here. We’ve really missed you. But we, junior essay members were lucky to have met you timely, and other members are looking forward to see you soon. I wonder when Ulala-san will go back to Australia. Please take care of you.

Today is my memorable day. When I became forty-years old, I decided I would be reborn at the very day. If our lifetime may be about eighty-years old, I had just been a half of my own at that time. Then I made up my mind to do what I want, and not to do what I don’t want. It’s very simple rule, but definitely important for me. Since then, I can feel real freedom gradually. So, today is my 3rd anniversary with joy. And coming back of Plum today made me happy twice.

So, good bye, and good night.

'onnatachino 21seiki'

HI, everyone!

Cosmos, I feel very sorry for your nerve disease. You must have some fatigue these days. Please take a good rest and come again. I’ll wait for you.

Today I went to Josei kaikan to look for several books about women’s suffrage, in order to write my essay. Among those, I found an interesting book. Its title is ‘onnatachino 20seiki 100nin,’ and this book introduces 100 women, who took an important role for gender equality, from Kajiko Yajima to Mamako Yoneyama. My memory is not certain, but perhaps Plum has introduced it to us at lecture for essay. Since each article is compactly constructed, I suppose it will be easy to read to the end. Those women must inspire us with hope.

So, see you tomorrow, bye!

'Hanayori dango'

Hi, everyone!

It remains a few days in November. With the arrival of December, we have to feel the end of this year. How quickly time passes!

By the way, I have favorite regular work at year’s end. I always choose my best book, movie, and drama of the year and my favorite drama is already chosen. The best for me is ‘Hanayori dango.’ My kids and I saw this on a rerun and were crazy about this charming drama. This is a romantic comedy based on a girl’s comic, which depicts hard but fantastic struggle of a cute poor girl. Japanese comics always go ahead of our culture, doesn’t it? Now I will keep books and movies for later. Do you have your best book or movie this year?

So, it may be a change of season. Please take care of you. Bye!

Read aloud

Hi, everyone!

Let me introduce plum’s important lecture on yesterday. To improve our weak English skills, she said, we have to read English books aloud three hours every day. Three hours…! Until we can easily repeat them from memory, we should read again and again. She also told us that she wanted us at least an hour a day. All I can do is try it. Then today, I tried the issue of gender equality on TIME, and read aloud for half an hour. I could fix several sentences on my lip. Whoof! I did it more half an hour. Can I manage to do it every day…?

So, see you tomorrow, bye!

Women's magazine, again

Hi, everyone!

Alice, I agree entirely with you. Women’s magazine targets some typical women, and publishers are trying to stir up in women an urge to become beautiful, skinny, and young forever. These days, there is a fashion magazine for elementary school’s girls, actually I had to buy it at the request of my daughter few days ago. All girls on that magazine were skin and bones, as same as on adult’s magazine. It’s terrible. I had to tell my daughter that there were many plots on such media and we ought not to be manipulated by stupid advertisements.

Today we, junior essay members, gathered at Plum’s house and could see her after a long time. Plum seemed rather well and almost the same as always. We felt very happy that we could meet her and get wonderful lecture from her. We are very lucky pupils. Thank you very much, Plum.

So, a new week will start tomorrow. See you, bye!

Women's magazines

Hi, everyone!
How do you spend this holiday?

Magnolia, we are lucky to have met such nice class teacher, and you, too, were lucky, weren't you.
Thanks to that teacher, you could develop your English talent, I see.

From TIME this week: Global business
‘She (Cathie Black) is responsible for 19 titles, including such flagship women’s magazines as the 122 years-old Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan and O: The Oprah Magazine, her most recent blockbuster hit.’
‘Given her success in the male dominated world of publishing, Black is surprisingly silent in her book on the subject of discrimination. It never affected her “in any way that was life-threatening,” she tells TIME. “Because I have a strong and forceful personality, I could either see it coming or do a sidestep so it didn’t have to happen.”

I wonder who publishers of women’s magazines in Japan are. They may be all men. I think it will soon be the time for woman looking after oneself. By the way, do you have any favorite women’s magazine? I only browse them in a bookstore lately, in spite of those fatnesses.

So, see you later, bye!

Meeting again

Hi, everyone!

Alice, there are annual school events here and there, and yesterday my kids also had a school festival at school gymnasium. Since my kids’ school has the highest number of pupils in Nagoya and no capacity for all families, we always have to go to the event on a weekday. Anyway, all children were very excited and satisfied.

This morning, my younger daughter could enjoy a fantastic meeting. Last year she was lucky that she has had a good class teacher, who was a young man, came from Kyushu.
He was so kind, sincere, and warm-hearted person that he was popular with the students. I think he had a deep desire to be of service to his students. He was playing guitar, painting cartoon, and showing a backward somersault everyday. But sadly, he decided to go Osaka at the end of the last school year, and children had to cry loudly.

Even after a year, children never forget him. Few days ago, we got the news that he will come to Nagoya and he wants to meet his class students. When my daughter heard it, she was really overjoyed and said she was definitely coming to meet him. And then this morning, they gathered at a neighborhood park, and could meet him again finally. In spite of too sudden invitation, almost all children could come there. He showed a changeless love for children, and played tag, dodge ball, and took photographs with children. It will always remain in her memory.

So, good night, see you!

Autumn holiday

Hi, everyone!

Alice, thank you for introducing me some valuable sites about studying abroad. As for destination, Canada and Australia are popular among Japanese parent and child. There are many people going to Canada these days, aren’t there? I will do my best for my dream.

Magnolia, congratulations! I suppose your fatigue could vanish when you heard the wonderful news. It is the result of your great efforts, isn’t it! I believe you will show your good performance on December 2nd. Since I’m going to listen to Dr Ueno’s lecture that day, I will be able to tell you the details of the event.

Late autumn holiday will come again tomorrow. Have a nice holiday, good bye!

Cabbage

HI, everyone!

Cosmos, you are amazingly ageless! I was told words KY and MK1 from my kids before. They usually use those words in their class. Where did you catch these?

Today when I watched ABC news on TV, I heard news about 60th wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth in England. On the news, it was reported that the couple call each other, Hon and Cabbage. Cabbage… I have never heard it. According a dictionary, it comes from French ‘chou,’ means darling. It is interesting, isn’t it?

So, see you tomorrow, good bye.

Winter fashion

Hi, everyone!

Alice, I agree with you, we can get so much information from English news sources. When we use English, we can become an outgoing person, right?

Azalea, I also sometimes feel a pain in my brain. We must study English so as not to make our brain shrink.

Magnolia, welcome back from Taiwan! I guess you enjoyed wonderful trip there. You are really active person, aren’t you?

It has been cold today. While walking the streets, I could enjoy watching much winter fashion, such as far coats, wool mufflers, and long boots. When I sit down a reception desk on my work, I enjoy in my mind choosing a good dresser among many visitors. In general girls are more fashion-minded than boys, much more middle aged salaried worker.

So, see you tomorrow, bye!

'Eigode shaberanaito'

Hi, everyone!

This morning, I watched a TV program ‘Eigode Shaberanaito’ on NHK-BS2. I usually watch this while cleaning my living room. Today’s guest was Shizuka Kudo, and she spoke English on TV for the first time. To my great surprise, she was amazingly good English speaker. She also said she likes British English than American one, taking some differences as examples. Why she decided to speak English on TV was for her daughters. Since she always tells them not hesitate to speak English, finally she made up her mind to appear on this program.

Then she showed her own vocabulary notebook, on which she writes English words picked out from a picture book. She is highly motivated. I was impressed by her many efforts, like as Norika Fujiwara, and I also understand importance of our motivation. My motivation? I’m dreaming that my daughters and I will study abroad in four years.　I must be hungry.

So, what is your motivation for learning English?
See you tomorrow, good bye!

The mystery of nature

Hi, everyone!

Azalea, I have also learned the mystery of great nature from your exciting introduction about dinosaurs. Once we imagine the dinosaurs’ world, we can recognize that our existence is quite insignificant, can’t we. It’s just wholesome ideas for us.

Cosmos, I read ‘Ohitorisamano rogo’ by Chizuko Ueno the other day. It’s interesting book for me, but I think she isn’t the only one who can handle this job. Even Junko Sakai or Rika Kayama could do. I’d like to hear from her about more socialized issues.

Autumn has deepened into winter these days, and it will be the time for the heating soon. Good night, I hope you will sleep well.

Kabuki actor's dynasty

HI, everyone!

Azalea, Alice, I found David Suzuki on TIME October 29, ‘Heroes of the environment.’
I’ll be waiting for your story about him.

Cosmos, it’s interesting for me that the politics in Japan may be like kabuki actor’s dynasty. Since the political life seems really difficult and complicated for an amateur, I think, we tend to entrust those issues to some political families. By the way, in Asian nations except Japan, many daughters have succeeded her father. I wonder why they are so popular in public.

Anyway, every political issue seems suspicious for us, doesn’t it? Chizuko Ueno says that it’s important to cut politician’s pay so that we can exclude a politician from some privilege. Next month, Ms Ueno will come to Nagoya to talk about this issue, and I’m looking forward to seeing her.
So, see you tomorrow, bye!

'Family affairs'

Hi, everyone!

Alice, thank you for your answer. Since whenever I listen to the word ‘mathematics,’ I feel scary, I have respect for your talent. And I can agree with Azalea’s opinion that you are a cosmopolitan.

From TIME this week: Family affairs
‘Asia is still dominated by political dynasties---retarding the region’s democratic development’
‘From India to China, many people still place a high priority on helping their family first---so average citizens simply may look at family politics as normal.’
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, India, Philippines, China, and Japan. Many Asian nations are dominated by family affairs in politics. First ladies of both Argentina and U.S. will succeed her husband. I wonder whether it is good or bad for public.

It’s weekend now. Time passes really quickly, doesn’t it?! I hope all of you will enjoy this weekend. Good bye!

Body combat

Hi, everyone!

Alice, I’d like to ask you what kind of statistics you are studying now, and why you began to learn them. I’m so poor at the science that I can’t recognize its charm, and envy you.

Today I went to the sports club and enjoyed a course of body combat, which is mixed some martial arts, like as boxing, kung fu, or tae kwon do. It takes only 30 minutes, but we must have really hard movements at the class. There are about 30 women, and many of those are playing that action smoothly. While giving a punch and kick, I can feel a power in the inner parts of my body and mind. I’ll try it at least for a month.

So, I’m little tired, good night, see you!

By fourteen years old...

Hi, everyone!

Alice, you have many international acquaintances, haven’t you. You must be an open-minded person to them. Which country would you like to go best?

Yesterday I read an interesting book titled ‘ Ju-yonsai karano seiji,’ by a fourteen years old girl of junior high. She interviewed eight politicians, such like as Shinzo Abe, then the Chief Cabinet Secretary. (Published one years ago) The aim of this work, which is very easy for reading, is for younger generations. But in this book the author can reveal them as passionate, high-minded, and friendly politicians, and even for adults, it’s a good politician’s guide book. The most impressive thing for me is author’s high awareness of the political issues. She is only fourteen years old! I look forward to this girl’s future.

So, see you tomorrow, bye!

A laparoscopic surgery

HI, everyone！

I'm very glad to hear your warm words. Thank you very much!

Today I heard the news that one of my colleagues is going to enter the hospital next month and have an operation for a myoma of the uterus. Her myoma is rather big, and she wants to undergo a laparoscopic surgery, not an abdominal operation. There seems to be a hospital in Tajimi, which can perform that op, but her myoma was too big to do it at the hospital in Tajimi. So, she has to go a hospital in Okayama. I wonder why Okayama? Why nowhere in Nagoya? It’s strange for me…

So, see you tomorrow. Good night!

The Imperial Family

HI, everyone!

Sunflower, I’m interested in the site which you showed to us. You had studied about a licensed prostitution before, hadn’t you? The Imperial Family exactly symbolizes the system which has forced women being birth-giving machines. If we think about gender equality seriously, after all we should deal with it. As long as that system remains, men can easily believe their superior position to women, and control us forever.

Today, November 12th, is our 12th wedding anniversary day. We enjoyed sukiyaki for dinner, and raised our glasses in a toast for our health.

So, it’s time to dish-wash. Good bye!

'Soredemo bokuwa yattenai'

Hi, everyone!

Peach, I suppose Royal Family’s life is almost like a robot, which couldn’t have any will and thought, and it is no wonder that Masako has sank into mental depression.

Magnolia, how wonderful Kyoto in autumn was! I can imagine its beautiful scenery…

Last night, I watched a movie titled ‘Soredemo bokuwa yattenai,’ which depicts hard struggles of a young man, who was mistaken for a molester on train. That movie gave a thoughtful explanation of a trial, and a case of false accusation in Japan. I got scared about it, because they say in such condition, 99 percent cases are found guilty. It’s an interesting story.

By the way, I am impressed with Japanese movies lately. There are many Hollywood movies on the theater, but I think they make no difference.

So, see you tomorrow, good bye!

As for Crown Princess Masako

Hi, everyone!

Alice, it is hard to follow the evolution of electric appliances, isn’t it? I want to get a DVD recorder, but my DH usually says to me, ‘you can get it if the video recorder would be broken.’ He is just an economizer.

Cosmos, my article was on TIME November 5, 2007, P14.
Absolutely our life is also a ball of stress, and we can enjoy it. As for Crown Princess Masako, I’m afraid that she could never free from the stress unless she divorced in the future. But is it possible for her to divorce from Prince under the Imperial family system? I have no idea about it. What a pity!

So, see you tomorrow. Good bye.

'One big ball of stress'

Hi, everyone!

Sunflower, thank you for letting us know about Jonathan’s meeting. It’s mysterious even for us to understand this confusion. How much more mysterious will be for Jonathan, a foreigner. Younger people may say ‘We have nothing to do with this,’ or ‘Sonnano kanke ne!’

Alice, I also liked romantic comedy with Meg Ryan, but recently we don’t see much of her, do we?

From TIME this week: Verbatim
‘As long as I can remember, the imperial family’s been like one big ball of stress.’…Prince Tomohito, cousin of Japan's Emperor Akihito, attributing his battle with alcoholism to the pressures of belonging to the royal family.

Probably he is the only one Imperial Family to talk so openly. He has fought against many health problems, which induced by his stress. As a matter of course, Crown Princess Masako is also suffering from the pressures of palace life. For an open Imperial Family, it is good for us to hear Family’s opinions from their own mouths.

So, good bye, and have a nice weekend!

An accidental meeting

Hi, everyone!

I like to read a book-review column on newspaper Sunday. Last Sunday I was impressed with a book-review by a female comedian. As far as I know, she usually plays the fool on TV, but in the newspaper, she appropriately expressed an attraction of a novel written by Natsuo Kirino, who is my favorite writer. I felt happy with such an accidental meeting.

Today I went to excise at sports gym, and now I am a little tired.
So, good bye, see you!

A seasonal change of clothing

Hi, everyone!

Alice, I don't know about the author Li Kaisei.　That work might show a weakness of women, mightn’t it?

Tomorrow is the first day of winter by the lunar calendar. But it was rather hot day today, and I can't decide clothes to choose every day. I don’t like a seasonal change of clothing because of troublesome. I wish my closet would be wider…

So, I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Good bye.

Happy news

Hi, everyone!

Alice, several friends of mine in Osaka usually use their Japanese names, and I had not asked them about it. But they told me that they had no voting rights. Some used to say that she couldn’t believe young nonvoting people.
I went to the site of Tutankhamen. What a miraculous experience we have! About 3000 years ago, he actually lived his life as a king and even now he exists. I was also surprised by its good condition.

Sunflower, I’m glad to hear that Plum will get back after a week. I hope she could be all right soon. Thank you for happy news!

So, see you!

Sudden resignation, again

Hi, everyone!

Magnolia, I also watched ‘Always’ before on DVD. But I didn’t know the boy junnosuke was like Yoshiyuki Junnosuke. He was so natural child actor that I, too, moved to tears with the movie.

Last night, we were surprised by news that Minsyuto leader Ozawa announced sudden resignation. I don’t know his true motives, but can’t avoid having suspicious and disappointment with him. I think he had to fight against Jiminto at least until the next election, because he could win the last election as a result of public expectation. Japanese politics is always beyond our imagination, isn’t it? It’s really reasonable that public might lose hope in politics.

So, good night, see you!

'Pacchigi, love & peace'

Hi, everyone!

These days' clear sky makes us refreshing, don’t we!
I’m happy to hear that you were enjoying wonderful trips to Osaka, gero, or Yaotsu.
I can always enjoy an attractiveness of those places. Thank you!

Last night, DH and I watched a movie, titled ‘Pacchigi, love & peace.’ It is a sequel of ‘Pacchigi,’ which depicted bitter struggles of Koreans with permanent residence in Japan, with a little lovely feeling. There are many sensitive problems between Japanese and Korean people. In Osaka, many so-called ‘zainichi’ people are there and so are some friends of mine, who don’t have the rights to vote now. I feel I am, too, a perpetrator against them. I’d like to learn those issues more.

So, good bye, see you!

Dragons historic win

Hi, everyone!

It was fine, autumn-like weather today, wasn’t it?

Thanks to Dragons historic win, there are many sales in departments and shops, and today I went to get some clothes for me. I was disappointed that Tigers couldn’t win, but I was moved by many performances of director Ochiai of Dragons. He said at beginning of this season, that they would surely win, and he did so. I think he is a man of firm faith.
Have you gone to any shops today?

So, see you tomorrow, good night.

Heroes of the environment

Hi, everyone!

What a terrifying experience you had, Azalea! Were you stolen anything by the thief?
But at least you had the blessing that nobody bumped heads with him… Those stories are both scary. I’m sorry.

From TIME this week: special issue ’Heroes of the environment’
‘Toyota Prius design team…Ten years ago Toyota launched a gasoline-electric hybrid; the fuel-sipping Prius has since set the environmental standard.’
‘Kazutoshi Sakurai and Takeshi Kobayashi…A bank founded by Japanese rockers draws attention to environmental problems and finances programs designed to solve them.’
There are many people on it, who made a contribution to the planet, and only two groups in Japan. It might sad, but it is just the point of view of U.S, and I think they love ‘heroes.’

Thank you for your warm word, Sunflower. Now, writing on this blog becomes a part of my daily life. Thanks to all of you, I can enjoy it very much.

So, it’s time to cook…see you, have a good weekend!

The first day of November

Hi, everyone!

Today is the first day of November. I can’t believe that the rest of this year is just two months. As Cosmos mentioned before, the older we become, the faster time flies.

For past one month, I have tried to choose an aikido class, but I gave up taking lessons for that. Because such class usually give lessons for a weekday night or Saturday afternoon, and I can’t join them for reasons of time. I’d like to learn it someday. Instead of that, I took up training at a neighboring gym just today. I took an orientation for beginners and entried two studio lessons. One was a sort of yoga for body healing, and the other was a sort of martial arts, very hard movements. I was bathed in perspiration for the first time in about 20 years, and I feel comfortable fatigue now. I have decided to go there twice a week….( at least for a month)

So, I will go to bed earlier tonight. Good night, see you.