Too bitter chocolate

I love chocolate very much. Especially bitter one. I don't accept too sweet chocolate, such as white chocolate, as a real chocolate. Haha.

Recently, chocolate that contains much cacao component is very popular in Japan. I found two new chocolates in a convenience store today. One was "Cacao 75%", the other was "Cacao 85%". Hmm... I don't know how much cacao was contained in chocolate I eat usually, but I like bitter chocolate so I bought "Cacao 85%" chocolate.

Too bitter!

I can't eat it because of too bitter. This is the first chocolate I can't eat.

I took the TOEIC exam for the first time.

I came home from taking the TOEIC exam. Hmm... My English is very poor, I knew that though.

I couldn't catch English well in listening section. In reading section, I didn't have enough time to answer every question because my reading speed wasn't fast as usual. My problems are same... It means that my English doesn't improve at all.

I will get the exam result one month later. Too late. Most certification exams are conducted on CBT so we can know our test result as soon as we finished exam. Why is TOEIC conducted on old way? I must wait the result about for a month.

Movie: Eight Below

Hollywood movie "Eight Below" is hitting screen in Japan now. It is remake of a Japanese movie that title is "Nankyoku Monogatari" (Antarctic Story).

http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/8below

It was released no less than 23 years ago! I watched it and remember it well because the movie was a big hit. It was very impressive movie.

But I wonder why Hollywood remade it 23 years after its release.

8 dogs appear in the movie. But what does "Eight Below" mean? Word "below " is used for, such as "below average", "below 30 degrees C"..., isn't it?

Japan won the WBC.

Japan became the first champion of the World Baseball Classic! Congratulations!!

We were almost ready to give up advancing to the final 4. But Japan could barely do, and won the championship. I watched the games full of nervous excitement and really enjoyed them.

Favored teams, the U.S., Dominican Republic, Venezuela, that all members were Major Leaguers, couldn't advance to the final 4. Especially this WBC was coordinated all for America's wining, for example judges, paring of the tournament, location and so on. The U.S. couldn't even advance to the final 4 although everything was in its favor.

This time was the first WBC so there were many problems as the world game. I hole WBC would reach maturity as world championship. Next WBC will be held in 3 years.

The cherry blossom front

Cherry blossom will be in season soon. At this time of the year, the Meteorological Agency releases the flower forecast of cherry blossom. This year it seems to be earlier than usual.

In Tokyo, it is about 22nd March. So I wonder the weekend after next is best for Hanami (cherry blossom viewing).

This is map of the cherry blossom front. -->

Is it only Japan?

Movie: Hotel Rwanda

I went to see the movie "Hotel Rwanda". I was thinking about seeing it, it's not famous and popular in Japan though.

It was the story of the genocide in Rwanda.
I can't write my impressions of the movie here because the subject is too deep. Actually I can't understand my own feeling... sadness? anger? empty?

I want many people to see this movie.

http://www.hotelrwanda.com/main.html

Polar bear Peace

My favorite animals are "dolphin" and "polar bear". Most people are surprised when hearing that I like polar bear.

There is one polar bear whose name is Peace at Tobe zoo in Ehime prefecture. She is a hand-raised bear and it's very rare case.

Sometimes, TV program about her aired. I love watching it! She looked like a stuffed toy when she was child. Very cute!!

Moving Peace is much cuter. You can see some her videos in the following site. (It's a Japanese site.)

http://www.tobezoo.com/shiiku/peace/p_w/html/indexmain.html

She is 6 years old now.
Oh! Very big!

Health spa

I went to health spa with my friend today. At first, we took a bath leisurely. After that, we got a massage for about one hour. And then, we talked over drinking beer. What a wonderful day!
Yes, today was supposed to be relaxed day, but!

Before going to the health spa, I was in a coffee shop and studied English. And I received a phone 3 times. Every call was business call... I took a day off today though. I had to take some business calls even during I was in the health spa. And I ended up going work after the spa, although I said that I couldn't meet with our client because I wore jeans.

In spite of my day off, it was a hectic day today. But I enjoyed the health spa enough!

Open-air bath in the health spa I went to

Trying new method of learning English

I bought 2 books for studying English today. I'm thinking about trying new method of learning English after I take TOEIC exam on 26th this month.
Left book, "Dialogue 1800" is for increasing my vocabulary. Right book, "Eigo mimi (English ear)" is for improving my listening skill. I put emphasis on my 2 weak points.

By the way, I heard English wrong again. It was almost same mistake I made the other day.

I caught an English sentence a speaker said.

"A man is taking office hat."

What is the office hat? Correct answer is

"A man is taking off his hat."

Whew...

2006 is sports year!

Olympics have finished. And then, World Baseball Classic started yesterday.
http://www.worldbaseballclassic.com/2006

There are many sports events this year. Olympics, WBC and Soccer World Cup. I like watching sports very much so I'm happy, especially I like baseball.

Japan whitewashed China, 18 - 2, yesterday. Japan will place in the top 4, but I wonder it's difficult for Japan to take the first place. There are many heavy odds, such as the U.S., Dominican Republic, Venezuela...

The result of Japan on the Olympics was terrible. Probably Japan can't advance to the final 16 in the Soccer World Cup. So I hope Japan get a good result in WBC.

I can't catch English sentence as usual.

On one of the questions of TOEIC mock exam, a speaker said,
"The man is cleaning off his glasses."

But I could hear
"The man is cleaning office grasses."

?? Office grass?? Is there grass in an office? Does someone sometimes clean it? Hahaha...... ha...ha... My listening skill is too bad as usual.

Spring will come soon?

March has begun. According to the calendar, it's spring... but it's still cold. It's also rain. I feel that spring is far.

But spring is approaching with every rainfall every year.

Right is a photo of ume (Japanese plum) my friend gave me.
Spring is just around the corner.