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.

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!