Arakawa won the gold medal!!

Japanese figure skater Shizuka Arakawa I was cheering best won the gold medal. I'm very happy!

There were two strong opponents, Russian Irina Slutskayta and American Sasha Cohen, both were from big figure-skating powers, but Arakawa defeated them.

Her skating was very beautiful and perfect. Of course she showed us her best performance "Ina Bauer" (the right photo). Ina Bauer isn't the performance that gets a score but she stuck to beauty.

I also enjoyed the exhibition by top skaters after the competition. They were skating being free tension because they had finished their competition, and I could watch their performance free from anxiety.

Hina-arare

When I came back from my business trip last Thursday night, I found that hina-arares were sold in a convenience store. Oh! Hina-arare.

3rd March is Doll's Festival Day in Japan and hina-arare is sweet food for it.

<== Hina-arare

I like it very much, but unfortunately it is sold just from mid of Feb to 3rd March. Now is only time I can eat it. So I'm eating it every day. Haha. But hina-arare is made of rice so it is high in calories. Don't eat too much. But it's hard to stop!

Lazy day, happy day

Like I wrote on this blog, I was very tired because of the long business trip.

I was in bed all day yesterday... Haha. I was very lazy as usual, but I LOVE sleeping so I spent happy time.

Come back from a business trip

Finally I came back to Tokyo last night. I was really tired. And I caught a cold. Too bad. I got more and more tired during the business trip and the air in hotel room was very dry, and I was full of stress because a manager and a leader of this project were very poor at business control and managing project. It was the situation that welcomes a cold.

This very bad project finished today and I will engage in a new project from next Monday.

I want to be relaxed this weekend but I have many things to do because I was out of Tokyo for a while...

Culture gap - Valentine's Day

I worked in Kyoto today and I came back to Osaka now.
Kyoto is one of most popular tourist spot in Japan. Many foreigners visit there.

But today, I went to Kyoto station and had a lunch at a fast food restaurant, and I rode a subway, then I arrived at the office. After job, I rode a subway again and I came back Osaka. So I didn't see anything in Kyoto. That's what business trip is all about. Haha...

By the way, today is Valentine's Day. In Japan, women give men chocolates for Valentine's Day. But it seems that it's the other way around in other countries. Men give women something. So my friend I met yesterday gave me chocolate. He is a foreigner. Hmm... I envy foreign women because I LOVE chocolate!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Meeting a friend after a long time at Osaka

I'm in Osaka now. Business trip again.
I meet my friend who lives this area last night after a long time. He lived in Tokyo but moved to here because he joined a company that was located here.

Probably I met him for the first time in a year. When he lived in Tokyo, he was a graduate student, and he got a Ph.D. then joined the present company. He looked more adult than ever. I wonder because he isn't a student now.

Today's my working place is Kyoto. I move to Kyoto from now.

TOEIC exam

This is a memorable my 100th contribution on this blog!

I applied for the TOEIC exam that will be held next month. I've tried to take mock exams twice but it's my first real TOEIC exam. TOEIC exam will be change from next time, so the exam I take is the last exam of the old version.

My goal of this year is 730 score. This time, target score is 650.

Olympics opening ceremony

Finally Torino Olympics has started. The opening ceremonies of the Olympics are always so moving. I always think I must see the opening ceremony live before I die. Tokyo intends to run for Olympic host again. I hope Tokyo can win the right to host.

It takes so----- much money to host the Olympics game, so there are only several countries that can host the Olympics game in the world. I realize that I'm very lucky to be born in one of those countries. There are many people who don't know even Olympics in the world. During we are enjoying the Olympics now, many people are suffering, such as in disaster areas, in battle fields, in the starving situation...

Snow runs after me?

I came back from a business trip last night. I'm very tired...

I left for Fukuoka last Sunday and it was fine weather in Fukuoka. But when I woke up next morning, it snowed! I was surprised! I think Fukuoka isn't a snow region.
I came back Tokyo Monday night. And next morning, there were much snow outside a window! What?

I left for Hiroshima on Wednesday and it snowed next day. Why???

I move to Takamatsu Thursday evening and I came back from there. It was very tough week. But I must go on a business trip next week again... I wonder snow follow me again.

Busy week

This week was very busy week because there was big trouble in project of my job. I was tired. So I couldn't have time for writing this blog. And I go to various places in Japan on business next week and the week after next. I must leave from Tokyo tomorrow. Very busy! I will go to Fukuoka (in Kyushu), Hiroshima, Takamatsu (in Shikoku), Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe. If I have time, I will put some photos of those places on this blog.

During my business trip, the Torino Olympics will start!

Snowman

I watched a movie last night and I found difference between U.S. snowman and Japanese snowman.

We Japanese use two big snowballs when making a snowman.






But in the movie, the snowman consisted of three big snowballs.



Hmm... Three snowballs snowman doesn't sit well with me and I don't feel it's cute so much.

How are snowmen in other countries? I wonder there are one ball snowman or four balls snowman.

Much snow in Tokyo

It's snowing all day today. It's very rare in Tokyo. It seems that full-fledged snow in Tokyo is for the first time in five years, I don't remember the snow 5 years ago though.

Today was the University Testing Center Examination day. I feel sorry for entrance test takers. They had to go to the test sites in this snow.

By the way, from this year, listening test of English was added to the Center Exam. We Japanese learn English, for 3 years in junior high school and for 3 years in high school. (And more 2 years in university) But most Japanese can't speak English. So adding listening test in the Center Exam may be one of the attempts to change English education in Japan. I've heard mock exam a little in the news. Hmm... It seems to be very easy test. I wonder it isn't useful attempt...

Yoga class

I participated in the yoga class today. It is very cheap because Shibuya ward I live in holds it. So many people apply for it every time and chance for getting in it is very low. I have applied for it three times and I can get in it first time.

This class is held 5 times and today is the first. I'm doing yoga at my home by myself but I realized that it's much better to be taught from a teacher (Yoga master) than doing myself.

Although my body is very stiff as usual.

It's like a ski area.

It was fine weather but very windy today. So it's very cold. It's really cold as if I'm in the ski area. It's reminded me standing in line for ski lift. Most ski areas in Japan are very small and many people come to there, so we must stand in line for ski lift for a long time in the cold.

It's not only Japan to be very cold. According to the news, Moscow is hit by a record cold. -30 degrees C. -30!? I can't imagine!

There are many street children in Russia. It's harsh season for them...

Not to go to Osaka

Finally, I decided not to go to Osaka. I turned down the job offer.

Actually, this offer was very good, salary proposal was much high, the position was good, and the company would pay most my house rent so I would be able to live a house much better than one I'm living now. Yes, it was very good offer... except for living in Osaka.
I was thinking about various things, not only living place, and I decided not to accept it.

Anyway, I continue to live in Tokyo. If I accept that offer, my life would change SO MUCH. It would be the biggest change in my life. But I'm here now. Nothing special.

I will go to business trips next month. My co-worker and I, two persons must go round all over Japan for a month. One will go to the North area and the other will go to the South area. Hmm... It's winter now and this winter is ve--ry cold. So it seems that going to the South area is better. Hmm... But the North area isn't so bad because Sapporo is included. Date of going to Sapporo is during the Sapporo Snow festival that is very famous. I've never seen it. It's a good chance to see it.

I wonder which area I go to. I should be able to know that next week.

National character

I've heard one interesting story about national character before.

Everyone knows about the story of the Titanic. When the Titanic was sinking, women and children were given priority for taking to the boats. So the crews must have made men stay on the ship. There were British men, American men, German men and Japanese men. What did crews say to them to do so?

To British,
"You could be a gentleman if you stay on the ship."

To American,
"You could be a hero if you stay on the ship."

I knew two of the above. And...

To German,
"It's a rule."

Oh, I see. And?

To Japanese,
"Everybody does that."

Haha... exactly.

Cold, cold, cold---!!

It's very cold this winter. Ve--ry cold.

Winter gets warmer year by year due to global warming. Recent winter was not cold so much compared with winter when I was a child. BUT! this winter is very cold. According to the Meteorological Agency, December's average temperature of this winter was the lowest in the postwar period. There were many accidents in areas along the Sea of Japan due to heavy snow. The Sea of Japan side is area of heavy snowfall so those areas and people are used to heavy snow, but it's terrible in this winter.

It seems that this extreme weather is also due to global warming...

It seldom snows in Tokyo. But it's cold!

The first fine day of this year

Usually, winter in Tokyo is almost fine day. But unfortunately New Year's day was cloudy and it was rain on 2nd.

And today is the first fine day of this year!

This photo is the view from window of my place. The skyscrapers in Shinjuku I like, the temple next to my place and clear blue sky. It's my favorite view. Unfortunately, there is hindrance... And I can't see this view in summer because central tree leafs and cuts off the view.

I enjoy seeing this view every morning this time of the year.

New Year's visit to a shrine

I went to a shrine and came back just now. Many Japanese visit a shrine or temple at the beginning of the new year. Japanese call it "hatsu moude". I visited the Yasukuni Shrine this year.

I always go hatsu moude on 1st Jan. (It's normal.) But this year, I went today, 2nd. After eating Osechi foods (Japanese new year dishes) on 1st, I felt asleep very much. So I took a nap, long nap. Haha. So I couldn't go hatsu moude. From at the beginning of the New Year, I was lazy...

After visiting the shrine, I went to a department store for shopping. The department store was ve--ry crowded because of New Year sale. I don't know why but there were many Chinese or Korean. Why? I wonder it's not unusual that they come to Japan for New Year sale??

a Happy New Year!

2006 has started. I want this year to be a good year.

~~~ My keywords of this year ~~~

Trust
Taking faithful action

Preparation
I always should be well prepared. I tended to neglect preparation.

Do My Best
I do my best to do above things.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope the new year will bring you good luck and happiness!