The baseball season almost finished.

World series in the U.S. and Japan series in Japan has finished. It means the baseball season has finished. It's kind of sad for baseball fans. But we can watch the Japan-U.S. All-Star games that will take place next month in Japan.

Cardinals won the World series. I think Taguch who is a Japanese played very well. Good job!

<== Taguch with his son after wining the championship.

Nihon Ham Fighters beat Chunichi Dragons in the Japan series and became the national champion for the first time in 44 years.
I think Dragons was stronger team than Fighters but Fighters had momentum.

Players of Fighters throw the manager Hillman in the air in celebration. ==>

Shinjo who is one of players of Fighters announced his retirement in the middle of the pennant race. When he moved to Fighters 3years ago, he said they jam-packed their studium with many fans and won the championship. At that time, Fighters wasn't popular team so much and also strong team. But what he said went. I'm not sure he made much contribution to the wining the championship, but it's for certain that he made MUCH contribution to attracting and increasing fans.
Rakuten Eagles' manager Nomura, who was the manager of Tigers when Shinjo played for Tigers, complemented Shinjo's playing, when Shinjo announced his retirement. I was a bit surprised to hear it because Nomura is known for an outspoken person and he merely compliment. According to the Nomura's comment, Shinjo is a three-point player who is a shotgun, can play strong defense and run well. Hmm... I see. So his batting is?

The last run of Schumacher

Formula One racer Michael Schumacher has retired. His last run was in the Brazil Grand Prix on 22nd. He missed the series champion but he was a really accomplished racer. He showed splendid race to the last.

He keens on charities. His private bodyguard and his family died in the earthquake off Sumatra, so he donated 10 million U.S. dollars to the relief of the sufferers of it. 10 million dollars!!

By the way, he is identified as being unemployed in the country he lives. Probably he lives in Switzerland and Switzerland doesn't admit "a racer" as an occupation. So he pays just minimum tax, although he was the highest paid athlete. Hmm... Living in Switzerland is his tax strategy

He had dominated F1 world for many years. I wonder who is a next top racer.

How could anybody hear so wrong as me?

Present dialogue I'm studying is a news about retirement of a tennis player Agassi. I downloaded it from the site.

It's about 10 minutes dialogue. As always, at first I hear it without seeing the script. Hmm... I can't understand what they say well. It's my present real skill of English...

In McEnroe's interview in the dialogue, I hear "sleeping, my wife". What?? Agassi slept with McEnroe's wife?? No way, haha. Terrible listening skill. I wonder what he said. After hearing it 30 times without seeing the script, I will hear it 30 times seeing the script. So I'm looking forward to checking what McEnroe said in the phrase.

Google docs & spreadsheets

As I wrote in the last article, my PC almost breaks down. Most terrible thing is that Excel doesn't run, I tried to uninstall and reinstall Office though. (Can you believe?)

TV news introduced "Google docs & spreadsheets" just now. (http://docs.google.com) Oh! So I checked it. Hmm... It's not bad, it doesn't run smoothly so much though. Unfortunately, it's Beta version so there is no Japanese version yet. (I can input Japanese on files.) And it seems that there isn't page setup function. I guess it's OK. I can make do with it until I buy new PC. It might hold off buying PC? No, no. Problem of my PC is not only Excel.

If someone uses "Google docs & spreadsheets" (especially spreadsheets), please let me know how its usability is.

Happy birthday to me!!

Yesterday was my birthday! Happy birthday to me!!

I intended to put a happy birthday article on this blog yesterday but I was a bit drunk so I went to bed soon. I ate TWO cakes... It's not good for health.

On the last birthday, I made the future chronology and set up a goal. But!! I was very lazy during the year. I made no progress. Remorse... So I keep it firmly in my mind.

I'm thinking what I give to me on my birthday. Present for me from me last year was a bicycle. This year is...
There are many things I want, an electronic dictionary of English, a ring, a bag, a piano, PC... My PC is breaking down. It's in crisis situation. I must buy it. So it's better to say one of necessities of life than a present.
Actually there is one more thing I want. It's one of the health-enhancing products. Those kinds of things are often introduced in TV shopping. Some people like to buy those products but I'm not interested in those so much. But I want one product. It's a horse-riding machine. Riding horse brings some health benefits and those benefits are DEFINITELY necessary for my body. Hmm... I wonder what I should buy me.

Driver's license renewal

I went to the metropolitan government for driver's license renewal. 3 books, "safe driving instruction", "people-friendly safe driving" and "traffic rules manual" (what is difference between them?), and a fly sheet "safe driving self-diagnosis" were distributed. As always.

Who read all of them? Don't you think it's waste of tax money? It's an opinion of one citizen of Tokyo. Next license renewal is in 5 years.

Go for it, all people who study language!

When I went to a library today, I somehow saw a book of a person next to mine. It was a textbook of Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). He looked like a Japanese but probably a Korean or a Chinese. I've heard that JLPT will be conducted on December. As I said before, I like foreigners in Japan who try to study and speak Japanese. I said in my mind "go in and win!" to him. I also go for it!

Ex-president is the president?

I finished watching "24 season 4" for 9 nights in a row the other day. I felt its story was a bit boring more than season 1 - 3. I sometimes could see where the story was going. At first, most casts were someone I didn't know and I thought where familiar people were. But as the story continued, they appeared, Tony, Michelle (I like her), the former president Palmer...

By the way, people called Palmer "President". Why? I watched it hearing dubbed Japanese so I don't know what they said in English. Is it common that former president is called "President"? Is Mr. Clinton still called President Clinton?

Getting a perm

I went to a hair salon today. I got a perm after a long time.

There was a foreign customer. I was interested in how he explained hairstyle he want.

There are many foreigners in Japan, especially in Tokyo. Many of them can't speak Japanese, and don't have willingwillingness to learn Japanese at all. (I like foreigners who try to speak and study Japanese.) They work for foreign companies and their Japanese wives speak English fluently. So they can live without speaking Japanese. But I always think how they explain to a beautician their desired hairstyle at hair salon.

That's why I was interested in the foreign customer. I listened with all my earsintently to their conversation. But, haha, he could speak Japanese.

If I live in other country, I would be worried about conversation at a hair salon. Always I can't explain my desired hairstyle very well even in Japanese. So my hairstyle today is... a bit uncomfortable feeling...

>PA, Thank you for your pointing out!

Busy soccer players in Europe

I always think that European top-level soccer players are very very busy. They play in each league, UEFA champions league (or UEFA Cup), and UEFA EURO 2008. It's very tough schedule!

I wonder which game they place emphasis on best. They place equal importance on them? Isn't it hard to keep their motivation without ultimate goal? Money?

They get VERY high money. And yes, money is important and it's one of recognitions of their playing. But they seem to SIMPLY like playing soccer like boys.

I keep enjoy watching top-level playing.

"You know"

English speakers often say "you know" in their conversations. According to the dictionary, it has many meaning. And it has no important meaning, right?

It's hard for me to understand its nuance situation by situation. Of course I can't use it in my conversations.

It's very easy word but very difficult to use. I always think language is culture. "You know" represents it.

Nuclear test by North Korea

North Korea carried out nuclear test yesterday. TV news have been spending MUCH time to air about it but there is no paticularly information.

I take notice of future behavior of China and Russia. I wonder if they keep being on the side of North Korea.

I'm worried about destruction of nature, especially water pollution in this case. Is there any damage to people? Human beings break the earth with their own hands.

Fine autumn weather

It had rained for a while but it's fine day today!! It's lovely autumn weather so I brought my camera when I went out today.

These are photos of my neighborhood I took today. (Click on each photo to enlarge.)

24 season 4 airs at midnight

American TV drama "24 season 4" started to be air last night, better to say early this morning? I have watched only season 1 - 3. (Yes, I'm way behind.) I don't remember well those stories because I watched them long time ago.

It airs from 0:30am for 9 nights in a row, 2 - 3 hours a day. So
Hmm... undersleeping days continue...

Formidable athletic ability

Major League Baseball's regular season finished prior to finishing of Japanese professional baseball's one. The morning paper reported the Twins player Joe Mauer who won the American league batting title.

It is the first time in the past 64 years that a catcher got the batting title. In AL, it's the first time. He is still 23 years old. Surprisingly, he gained fame as basketball and football player when he was a high school student. I can't believe! How talented in sports!!

Sometimes there seems to be such a thing in the U.S. But normally, Japanese baseball players have played ONLY baseball since they were kids. At the latest, they begin it when they are junior high school students and do just baseball. So the story of Joe Mauer seems worlds apart.

The postseason games of MLB will start tomorrow. And Joe Mauer will come to Japan next month with some other major leaguers, such as Ryan Howard who led the NL in both RBI and homers and Johan Santana who captured the triple crown of pitcher (winningest pitcher, ERA and strikeout king), to have games with Japanese players. I'm looking forward to it!

By the way, I found another picture of Joe Mauer. Is it the same person?

Work on the bolg

Look! I tried to set counter to my blog site. (See the lower right of the blog.)

And I set labels to each articles. I finally finished about 50. About 200 more articles. Whew... After finishing setting labels to all articles, I will put label lineup in the right side of the blog. Who knows when?