It's been about three months since my PC stopped working and I reinstalled OS. My PC started working strangely again.
For example,
Even though I close the window of Firefox, its process is still alive. So when I try starting Firefox again, the message always appears and I have to end its process myself manually.
Characters sometimes aren't converted to correct Japanese.
When I move files, sometimes it remain "in moving", and it never finishes.
I'm using OneSeg on my PC, but recently, the TV programs I programmed recording failed to be recorded.
etc. etc...
Isn't it a problem that PCs have such lower reliability? I'm really disgusted.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Shinjuku Eisa Festival 2009
Today, I went to see a festival in my neighborhood. It's Shinjuku Eisa Festival.
It's a contest of Eisa dance. Eisa is actually Okinawa's dance. I don't know why Okinawa's dance festival is held in Tokyo, but this festival is held every year. I know the similar Eisa festival is also held at Sapporo in Hokkaido every year.
About Eisa:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisa_(dance)
Traffic was blocked over 300km of Shinjuku street, and many groups danced Eisa there.
Okinawa's traditional culture is pretty unique compared with other areas in Japan. It sometimes seems to be another country. It's interesting.
I've never been to Okinawa and I've always wanted to go there. I hope I can go there October this year. (I say it every year though. ^^;)
Performers waiting for their turn
It's a contest of Eisa dance. Eisa is actually Okinawa's dance. I don't know why Okinawa's dance festival is held in Tokyo, but this festival is held every year. I know the similar Eisa festival is also held at Sapporo in Hokkaido every year.
About Eisa:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisa_(dance)
Traffic was blocked over 300km of Shinjuku street, and many groups danced Eisa there.
Okinawa's traditional culture is pretty unique compared with other areas in Japan. It sometimes seems to be another country. It's interesting.
I've never been to Okinawa and I've always wanted to go there. I hope I can go there October this year. (I say it every year though. ^^;)
Performers waiting for their turnPerforming to the Okinawa-style music
My bad listening comprehension #16
I heard the following sentence from a dialogue which I studied today.
There's a load of technical manuals tree.
I wondered what "manuals tree" was.
I imagined that it refers to the manuals which are gotten lined up systematically.
I checked the text book and it actually wasn't "tree", but "to read." Gah!
By the way, although "manuals" is plural, I wonder why it's "there's", not "there are." OK, I'll try asking it on Lang-8.
My hearing wrong of the past:
http://sandfriend.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-bad-listening-comprehension-15.html
There's a load of technical manuals tree.
I wondered what "manuals tree" was.
I imagined that it refers to the manuals which are gotten lined up systematically.
I checked the text book and it actually wasn't "tree", but "to read." Gah!
By the way, although "manuals" is plural, I wonder why it's "there's", not "there are." OK, I'll try asking it on Lang-8.
My hearing wrong of the past:
http://sandfriend.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-bad-listening-comprehension-15.html
Friday, July 24, 2009
Rain, rain, rain
Although the finishing the rainy season has been announced, it has been raining this week.
Today is also rainy day, but the sun came up a little while ago, so I decided to go out by bicycle.
When I thought of going home, it started raining again, then it is raining heavily now!
I have an umbrella but bicycle... so I'm waiting for the rain to let up.
Today is also rainy day, but the sun came up a little while ago, so I decided to go out by bicycle.
When I thought of going home, it started raining again, then it is raining heavily now!
I have an umbrella but bicycle... so I'm waiting for the rain to let up.
Oh!! While I'm writing this article through my cell phone, the rain is letting up! Goody!
I'm going home.
But the saddle of my bicycle must be very wet...
Sunday, July 19, 2009
I dumbed down my English material.
I had used "Advanced Business English" material, but I changed to "Introductory Business English." I dumbed down a notch.
In the Advanced material, although the conversation of each episode was conducted among co-workers and their boss at work, its topics were always away from business itself, and I often felt that the idioms or expressions which were introduced in were not commonly used.
When I browsed the Introductory material, I thought that it was really useful for actual English conversations at work. So I decided to change to it.
The dialogues became a bit easy. It's easy to distinguish words, and there are not so many new idioms and words. On those points, changing the material doesn't seem to be good. However, I can learn many common expressions in business. It has been two weeks since I started using it. I think that it was good decision.
In the Advanced material, although the conversation of each episode was conducted among co-workers and their boss at work, its topics were always away from business itself, and I often felt that the idioms or expressions which were introduced in were not commonly used.
When I browsed the Introductory material, I thought that it was really useful for actual English conversations at work. So I decided to change to it.
The dialogues became a bit easy. It's easy to distinguish words, and there are not so many new idioms and words. On those points, changing the material doesn't seem to be good. However, I can learn many common expressions in business. It has been two weeks since I started using it. I think that it was good decision.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
A new cell phone charm
I bought a new custom-made cell phone charm today.I had it make with power stones. "Power stones" seems to be a Japanese-English word, but I don't know what they are called in English, so I'm using this Japanese-English word here.
First, I want stones which are good for job-related things. There are some, and I chose Chrysocolla. (Green ones.) I also chose Chrystal (transparent ones) and my favorite stones Rhodochrosite (Small pink ones). Then I ordered making a charm with those stones.
A shop staff designed and added one more stone, Madagascar Rose Quartz. (A big pink one.)
I'm really satisfied and happy. And I'm expecting those stones will show their power maximally!
Movie: Empire of the Sun
This is a Spielberg's move and it's the story of a 13-yaer British boy during World War II.
The boy, Jamie, grew up in a rich family in Shanghai. Japan invaded China and he was separated from his parents. Then he was sent to a camp. The movie describes the growth of the boy in the terrible situation.
The child actor was great. He played Jamie very well. So I wondered he is still active in the front lines. I checked the child actor and I was very surprised. He is Christian Bale who plays the role of Batman and John Connor in Terminator 4. I didn't know he has been an actor since he was a kid. In Japan, it's often said that child actors can't achieve great success though.
John Malkovich also appeared in the movie as an important role. Although the movie was made about 20 years ago, he was not different from the current him at all. Haha.
John Malkovich and young Christian Bale in the movie
The boy, Jamie, grew up in a rich family in Shanghai. Japan invaded China and he was separated from his parents. Then he was sent to a camp. The movie describes the growth of the boy in the terrible situation.
The child actor was great. He played Jamie very well. So I wondered he is still active in the front lines. I checked the child actor and I was very surprised. He is Christian Bale who plays the role of Batman and John Connor in Terminator 4. I didn't know he has been an actor since he was a kid. In Japan, it's often said that child actors can't achieve great success though.
John Malkovich also appeared in the movie as an important role. Although the movie was made about 20 years ago, he was not different from the current him at all. Haha.
John Malkovich and young Christian Bale in the movie Friday, July 17, 2009
Meeting my friend of Lang-8
One of my friends on Lang-8 came to Japan and I met him yesterday.
We had lunch and I enjoyed conversation with him.
Although he rarely has opportunity to speak Japanese in his country, his Japanese was very good. On the other hand, my English was... very bad as usual.
His good Japanese conversation proves that people can improve their language skill they learn even though they are not surrounded by the language.
I have to do my best.
We had lunch and I enjoyed conversation with him.
Although he rarely has opportunity to speak Japanese in his country, his Japanese was very good. On the other hand, my English was... very bad as usual.
His good Japanese conversation proves that people can improve their language skill they learn even though they are not surrounded by the language.
I have to do my best.
New job opportunities
Last week, a recruiting agent contacted me to introduce job opportunities. I have been contacted by several recruiting agents before, but he was the first person (and I think he would be the last person) to contact me through LinkedIn. So I was surprised. I don't input much information of mine on LinkedIn. I just input my job summary. There is no information about my job history, education etc.
I met him this week at a coffee shop. He introduced me two job opportunities. Each situation is different, but both are very interesting. I hope I get good feedbacks from the companies.
I think both of the positions require high level English. Again... What I worry about the most is English.
The agent is from the US, but he has lived in Japan over 10 years. So I think he can speak Japanese fluently, we spoke in English though. Whenever I meet someone who speaks a foreign language well, I'm a bit depressed because of my poor English.
I checked the photo of the agent on LinkedIn before meeting him, but I bet he didn't know what I looked. In spite of that, he found me before I noticed him in the coffee shop. I wonder why???
I met him this week at a coffee shop. He introduced me two job opportunities. Each situation is different, but both are very interesting. I hope I get good feedbacks from the companies.
I think both of the positions require high level English. Again... What I worry about the most is English.
The agent is from the US, but he has lived in Japan over 10 years. So I think he can speak Japanese fluently, we spoke in English though. Whenever I meet someone who speaks a foreign language well, I'm a bit depressed because of my poor English.
I checked the photo of the agent on LinkedIn before meeting him, but I bet he didn't know what I looked. In spite of that, he found me before I noticed him in the coffee shop. I wonder why???
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
The rainy season has finished.
There was the announcement of the end of the rainy season in Tokyo today. It's very earlier than average year. Terrible horrible humid summer has finally come. Gah---!
I have to have patience for about two months. Although the summer has just come, I'm already inpatient for autumn.
I have to have patience for about two months. Although the summer has just come, I'm already inpatient for autumn.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Book: Norwegian Wood
(I read it in English.)
About a month ago, I heard Norwegian Wood written by Haruki Murakami will be made into a movie, though he had refused it for a long time.
When I heard this news, I somehow realized I have never read any of his books, they are Very popular not only in Japan but also in other countries though.
So I decided to read Norwegian Wood, and even in English.
Whenever I read books in English, I feel stress because I can't read in English as fast as in Japanese. I can hardly go ahead. I need to be patient.
While I was reading it, I was wondering why this book became a bestseller around the world. Nothing special. And there are too many people who died in the story. Besides, most of them killed themselves. Suicide tends to become a shocking and surprising matter in a story, but because of too many suicide, when I found third suicide person, I thought "Ah, again."
Reading what the characters in the book said, I guessed those must have expressed much more subtle nuance in Japanese. English tends to be simple.
And I found that my guess was correct. After reading it, I checked Japanese people's impression about the book on the Internet. They said, for example, "the choice of words is extremely great!", "I felt that it was good for me to be born as a Japanese because I can read it as my mother language." and so on. Ah---! I should have read it in Japanese. I seemed to miss the greatest part of this book. So I will try reading it in Japanese.
During reading it, I didn't think the book was so good, but after finishing it, I thought it was quite good. But I still can't understand why it became a bestseller around the world.
About a month ago, I heard Norwegian Wood written by Haruki Murakami will be made into a movie, though he had refused it for a long time.
When I heard this news, I somehow realized I have never read any of his books, they are Very popular not only in Japan but also in other countries though.
So I decided to read Norwegian Wood, and even in English.
Whenever I read books in English, I feel stress because I can't read in English as fast as in Japanese. I can hardly go ahead. I need to be patient.
While I was reading it, I was wondering why this book became a bestseller around the world. Nothing special. And there are too many people who died in the story. Besides, most of them killed themselves. Suicide tends to become a shocking and surprising matter in a story, but because of too many suicide, when I found third suicide person, I thought "Ah, again."
Reading what the characters in the book said, I guessed those must have expressed much more subtle nuance in Japanese. English tends to be simple.
And I found that my guess was correct. After reading it, I checked Japanese people's impression about the book on the Internet. They said, for example, "the choice of words is extremely great!", "I felt that it was good for me to be born as a Japanese because I can read it as my mother language." and so on. Ah---! I should have read it in Japanese. I seemed to miss the greatest part of this book. So I will try reading it in Japanese.
During reading it, I didn't think the book was so good, but after finishing it, I thought it was quite good. But I still can't understand why it became a bestseller around the world.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
The Tanabata Star Festival
Today is the Tanabata festival in Japan.
People write their wishes on strips of colorful paper and hang them on bamboo branches.
One Tanabata event is been held in a high rise commercial building in my neighborhood, and tree bamboo branches and strips of colorful papers are prepared.
I wrote my wishes on the papers and hang them on the branch. Of course my wishes include the two which I wrote on the previous entry.
The papers are a bit too much for the branch. haha. There are my papers in that.
They are going to be burned in a shrine near there to hope people's wishes come true.
People write their wishes on strips of colorful paper and hang them on bamboo branches.
One Tanabata event is been held in a high rise commercial building in my neighborhood, and tree bamboo branches and strips of colorful papers are prepared.
I wrote my wishes on the papers and hang them on the branch. Of course my wishes include the two which I wrote on the previous entry.
The papers are a bit too much for the branch. haha. There are my papers in that.They are going to be burned in a shrine near there to hope people's wishes come true.
Declaration
I declare two things which I am achieving.
To join an up and coming company and conduct business internationally as a Human Resource Development/Talent Management expert, then help the company to grow.
To internationally play a role in activities that help children all over the world receive educatioin.
To join an up and coming company and conduct business internationally as a Human Resource Development/Talent Management expert, then help the company to grow.
To internationally play a role in activities that help children all over the world receive educatioin.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
I really want to improve my conversation skills!
On the comment of the article on 24th, Herm was kind enough to offer me to talk on Skype.
I finished talking with him just now.
We talked for 30 minutes in English and for 30 minutes in Japanese. I enjoyed chatting with him. Thank you very much, Herm.
However, my English was terrible as usual.
Ah---, I hope I can speak and hear English much better!! Practice, practice!
I finished talking with him just now.
We talked for 30 minutes in English and for 30 minutes in Japanese. I enjoyed chatting with him. Thank you very much, Herm.
However, my English was terrible as usual.
Ah---, I hope I can speak and hear English much better!! Practice, practice!
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