Living in Osaka? 2

I was offered officially from the company I had interviews the other day. Working place is... Osaka. Hmm... I must make preparations for moving early in the new year.

As I wrote on this blog the other day, I LOVE Tokyo and don't want to leave from here, and I dislike Osaka most. But there is Japanese old saying, "once you live in a place, it grows on you." I wonder I will like Osaka.

Christmas has finished.

Today is 26th. Christmas has finished completely, at least in Japan. All Christmas trees, Christmas lights and other Christmas decorations have been taken away. There isn't a trace of Christmas. It's a usual situation in Japan.

Maybe foreigners who are out of Japan are surprised to see that. I've heard that they don't take Christmas trees away till next month, for example till 6th Jan... it seems that it depends on countries.

Most Japanese aren't Christians. (There are a few Christians though.) And Japanese have no Christmas holiday. We enjoy Christmas as Just one joyful event, and after 25th, the event is finished. Most Japanese are working today and there hasn't been a trace of Christmas in Japan.

Except for selling unsold Christmas cakes at discount prices.

Living in Osaka?

One headhunting company introduced me a job opportunity and I had some interviews. At first, I had the interview with HR person on the phone. (I don't know why it was on the phone though.) Next, I had the interview on the phone with a director who is in Osaka. He is a foreigner so of course the interview was conducted in English. As I sometimes write on this blog, I'm really poor at English conversation on the phone and don't like it.

And today, I had two face-to-face interviews. One was with a manager, the other was with an another director. The manager is a Japanese but the director is a foreigner so I've been prepared for the English interview.
But! he spoke fluently Japanese, mostly native. Haha.

This job opportunity may be in Osaka. Hmm... Osaka... I was born and raised in Tokyo, and I LOVE Tokyo, so I don't want to leave from Tokyo. But on choice of job, place isn't top priority for me. But actually I don't like Osaka... better to say I hate. I bother myself about that.

Singlish

In past days, I have watched a TV program about English that was spoken in Singapore. It's very specific English so it is called "Singlish".

The program introduced some examples of Singlish. I was surprised! Those almost were not English! Especially grammar is different... hmm... different? Better to say very incorrect. For example, there was no verb in a sentence. Every word in the sentence was noun.
I have heard that many native English speakers have trouble on English conversation when they are transferred to Singapore.

My English is also incorrect. I often speak or write strange phrases, native speaker can understand them though. Sometimes Americans ask me, "Is it British English?" Haha, no, no. I wonder I call my English "Sandlish".

The program I mentioned first introduced that when someone ask Singaporeans, "can you ---?", they answer, "can, can". Oh, I liked it. It's cute!

Age limit on entering the Olympic

The GP final of figure skating that top 6 skaters of GP series participate was held. Three in the top 6 women are Japanese. Japanese figure skating is really strong.

Mao Asada (she is a Japanese.) won! That's great!! The second place is Irina Slutskaya who is a Russian, and she is the favorite for the Torino Olympic gold medal. So chance is fairly good that Mao Asada win gold in Torino. BUT!! She can't be selected a member of the Trino Olympic because of the age limit. She is still 15 years old.

President of the International Skating Union said no exceptions. And he also said that he hasn't receivied any petition from the Japan Skating Federation. WHY??
If it happens in other countries, most countries must petition strongly, certainly. Why Japanese don't say anything? The Japan Skating Federation said that rule was rule.

Yeah, it's typical Japanese behavior. Japan don't say its opinion strongly, although some other countries say their opinions very strongly even if it is wrong or contrary to reason.

It's one of the reasons that Japan is poor at diplomacy.

Long vacation

I watched one TV program about French vacation.

As you know, Japanese vacation is very short. We rarely can take a long vacation. American vacation is much longer than Japanese one. But even American is surprised at length of French vacation. One French said that she takes 5 weeks vacation. Over one month? Other French said that he takes 8 weeks vacation!!

If Japanese take such a long vacation, they must be consumed with worry about their job, companies don't allow them to take such a long vacation though.

Mr. Ogi passed away.

Ex-baseball manager, Mr. Ogi died.

Everyone says he was very good manager. It is very famous that he built Nomo and Ichiro into good players, and both of them have performed well in MLB. And his skills as a baseball manager were called "Ogi magic".

I was very surprised to hear that he was 70 years old. He really looked like younger.

May his soul rest in peace. And please keep watching Japanese baseball.

The Da Vinci Code

As you know, "The Da Vinci Code" is the best-seller in 2003. Though belated, I read it.

I borrowed it from the library. When I tried borrowing it, many people had already made a reservation for this book, surprisingly more than 100 people! I wondered I could have my turn. And finally my turn have come! I can't remember when I made a reservation.

It was very interesting story. I can understand that it became the best-seller worldwide. I read it at one sitting. (I usually read books in a oner. It seems that I'm not good at "little by little" on anything.) In this time, I read Vol. 1. And I'm waiting for my turn for Vol. 2.
I can't wait!

Alleged irregularities of World Cup final draw

Italian TV covered that there might be alleged irregularities on Germany's drawing. Is it worth covering this news? Basically I don't think the World Cup drawings were conducted fairly.

When the 2002 Word Cup was held in Japan and Korea, I've heard some things about the drawing before the final draw was conducted.
There has never been the World Cup that the host country couldn't advance to the final 16, and if the host country can't advance to the final 16, its World Cup would be flopped. So FIFA needed to make Japan or Korea advance to the final. In the result, Japan was in ve--ry easy group. Japan was the host country so of course Japan was dealt as a seeded team. But the group Japan joined was too easy. So Japan could advance to the final. These conducts weren't needed because Korea placed in the top 4. At that time, Korea was really strong, Italians are probably dissatisfied though.

And I also heard before the drawing that the U.S. never joins the Groups that games were hold in Japan.
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks happened one year before the World Cup. So games of the U.S. should have been hold in Korea that has the army. Japan has no army, it has Self-Defense Forces though. And that's really what's happened.

Anyway, there is no doubt that the strongest team wins the cup even if it joins any group.

The first snow in Tokyo

It's very cold!
According to news, it snowed last night in Tokyo. Where in Tokyo? I didn't know that. The first snow in Tokyo in this season came 22 days earlier than average year.

I usually don't wear gloves. But I bought a bicycle and it's hard to ride bicycle without gloves. TOO cold! So finally I bought gloves yesterday.

According to the Meteorological Agency, this cold will continue for about 1 week. Ugh... Actually, my room is very cold due to apartment's structure. Usually apartment is warmer than isolated house because an apartment room is covered by other rooms, on the left, right, top and bottom. The same can be said for hotels. But my room is...
My room is the 2nd floor of a 5-story apartment. My room is endmost so there is the next room only one side. There is no room on the opposite side. And there is no room over my room, because my apartment's shape is a staircase pattern. I don't explain well in English. Can you imagine? And! the high point is... under my room isn't a room, it's parking. Oh! It's cold!

World Cup final draw

The 2006 World Cup final draw was announced. Japan is in Group F, with Brazil, Croatia and Australia. I was surprised to hear that Croatia's ranking of FIFA is bellow Japan's one. I can't believe. (Japan is 15th place, Croatia is 20th place.) If I remember correctly, Croatia came out 3rd in the 1998 World Cup. At that time, Japan was in same group as Croatia.

But it seems that FIFA ranking is uncertain. Germany is 16th, below Japan. That can't be it. Advancing to the final is difficult for Japan.

By the way, Man U missed both the final tournament of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup. Oh... Battle in Europe is intense.

It's finally "Shiwasu".

Recently, there are many bummers. Hmm... I wonder I'm at the bad position in my fortune biorhythm now. I don't do my best and am lazy recently. Those are paramount cause, I think. God is seeing my recent behavior.

I bought cakes to encourage me. Haha. I just wanted to eat it. My favorite cake is chiboust. I plan to cook it myself.

By the way, I got a Christmas card from my friend who lives in Germany. Oh, it is that season already. I must prepare for some things.
[Writing nengajo]
Nengajo means New Year's cards. Usually Japanese send New Year's card instead of Christmas cards.
[O-soji]
It means BIG year-end cleaning. Japanese clean house on a massive scale at the end of year.
[Cooking osechi]
Osechi food is Japanese traditional New Year's food.

Every one is busy at the end of year. Japanese sometimes call December "shiwasu". Shiwasu means "even the master (or teacher) runs (because of busy).

BIG mistake!

I went to a foreign company and talked with a foreigner in English on business today. Today's my English conversation was not bad for me. Goody! It seems that speaking with confidence is good.

BUT!! I made a BIG mistake in the conversation. (It has nothing to do with English.) Oh my god! I was saying to myself it can't be helped but I was regretting it and sighed on my way home.

I just came home and I work out a strategy for recovering it from now. Hold on!

Please don't call me any more.

Like I wrote on this blog the other day, the movie that title is my name will hit screens soon.

When one foreigner spoke to me to solicit to the English school and asked me my name, he said that my name was most famous Japanese name now.
The English teacher who checked my English level yesterday also said the same thing.
Sigh...

And the movie publicity is airing here and there. It means my name is called repeatedly everywhere. I'm a bit fed up.

But I think I will watch the movie because I've heard it is very beautiful movie. And I found a paperback of the novel of the movie today. After watching the movie, I should try to read it to study English.

Checking my English level

I took the English level check at an English conversation school today and I just came home. The school is where I took the TOEIC mock exam last week.

My level was level 5. (From level 1 that is the lowest to level 8 that is the highest.) My lowest part was pronunciation. It was the low of level 5. One of my highest parts was grammar, which was level 6. Surprisingly listening was also level 6, although I always think it is my weakest. I think it isn't correct evaluation, because the assessor (English teacher) spoke English very slowly and clearly. Usually English speakers don't speak in that way. In fact, I couldn't understand what English teachers spoke when they spoke each other decorating the Christmas tree.

After the level check, a school staff introduced me the school's courses and materials. Of course it was the purpose of theirs. So I could take the TOEIC mock exam and the level check free of charge. Those were very expensive.

The solicitation of an English school

When I was walking in Ginza yesterday, one foreigner suddenly spoke to me in English. It was the solicitation of an English conversation school. We talked in English for a few minutes, I didn't intended to go to English school though.

He said that I seemed to have a foreign boyfriend. What? Why? What is the criterion of judgment?