They bloomed earlier than the average year.  They make me feel blessed I was born in Japan. 

For the American media, Ichiro doesn't talk much.  He rarely get emortional in either positive or negative sense.  It appears he has enough fluency in English and sociability, however he just prefers solitary and remains to keep low profile.

 

During this WBC seires, we could see another character of him.  He advocated pride of "Hinomaru". (Japanese national flag, obviously stands for "pride of the national team.)   He released agressive comments, which upset Korean people.  He expressed frustration, and delighted like a baseball kid.  I believe Ichiro dared to be a big mouth to lead the team spiritually.  This is the way how we take "responsibility".

  

In this season of the year you can see many people with a mask.  Many Japanese people have pollen allergy.  They are saying they can tell how much pollen are in the air.  There are much pollen on hot and sunny days, they say.

I cannot detect it, but I am sensitive to humidity.  Nowadays it is getting humid...bad news for me.  I don't like sweating,.  Much worse, it makes my hair more carly.  I wish I could import climate in the Western Europe or Pacific Northwest....

 

The women's figure skating was on Friday morning in Japan.  The program was just right before leaving home to work, so I watched the best part of it.

 

 

I don't have a good sense to judge technical parts, but her every motion looked graceful.  I could hear the audience applauded the most for her.

Sport media's pre-game estimation favored Sltsukaya and Cohen.  Their skills and potential are unquestionable, but it just looked like it was not the day for them.   Not only ordinay people like us, but also top ahtletes have to struggle with nervousness.  Arakawa overcame it and showed her best.  Impressive!! 

 

Japanese people are relieved to see the first medal for the country.  It also made my B-day morning a bit happy.     

Generally, our society is so torelant to noise.  In business districts, you encouter political demonstration rally often.  Noisy... both right and left, because they can use amp speakers.  Luckily my office is in half-office, half-residential district, so I hear their annoying noise less than used to.  At train stations., so many voice alerts, both automatically and mannually.  Too much to mention, i.e. Advertising broadcast at shopping area, speaking elevators, kinds-go-back-home broadcast at 5pm..

 

Nevertheless, one great mystery is a strict cell phone policy on the trains.  Voice conversation is strictly not allowed.  Typing e-mails and browsing are OK..  I assume that's one reason Japanese people like e-mailing (please note it's NOT SMS) over cellphone.  It seems some people type cell phone e-mails even while driving! (Of course it's illegal, though) 

Right after coming back to Japan I really feel weird seeing all people are not talking over cell phone but just typing and browsing all the time.  After a while I somehow got able to type e-mail using a tiny little keypad of cell phone (slow-typing, though).  However, I still feel a little bit uncomfortable on the train watching people addicted to a cell phone e-mail....

 

You might already know significant gap between Valentine's Day custom in the States and Japan's.  Our country's tradition (?) is like this: girls give a chocolate to a boy whom she wants to ask out.  From two decades ago or so, chocolate giveaway got sort of social obligation ("giri-choco") i.e. to bosses, clients, etc.  Nowadays, it seems teen girls exchange chocolates each other ("tomo-choco").

 

In the morning after V-day, I found several tiny little packages of chocolates (obviously "giri-chocos") on my desk..  Some of them turned to be from my young and senior guy colleagues..

 

I 've never expected chocolates from guys.... mummm.... 

 

I attnded a wedding party on Saturday.  I anticipated that the banquet would be so huge.  Actually it IS!

So many guests (about 250),

Gorgeous foods and sweets (in full-course French.  I had an extra dish of roast beef.  Hehehe...) 

All live music by professionals musicians

Gifts from party hosts (hikide-mono) look expensive...(Tiffany cups etc.)

 

This kind of party used to be typical as a social (rather than family) event.  The party host is my ex-employer.  So many of his clients were there.  Please do not misunderstand...this kind of huge wedding party is out-of-date even in Japan.  Oh, one more thing.  Both bride and groom are relatively so young (perhaps less than 25) in this "late marriage" era.

 

All-in-all, it was so unusual occasion....        

 

 

 

   

In Japanese timezone the superbowl was on Monday morning.

It was a good game.  I enjoyed watching it.  That took me to the States for a while.

 

I just wish they could have won....

It's an old cliche, but...that's the life.

 

My friend told me the school was on Japanse TV.  I had never heard of it even though lived in the city for a while.  At first it sounds so funny, but appears to be serious one.  In our country it's only lovers' thing , and not supposed to be done in front of public.  (Hugging is a same story.)   So I don't think many Japanese people are good at it...like ojigi of foreign people in Japan is a bit awkward.  

I was surprised to know Japanese local subsidiary of Nestle is selling Kitkat with sakura flavor.

 

The special flavor is campaign to cheer-up students who take entrance exams.  You can see lots of cherry blossom ads on trains, stores, etc. in Tokyo.  Why sakura?  In old days, there used to be telegraph service which notified "pass" or "fail".  A telegraph message "Sakura-saku"(Cherry has bloomed) cryptically implied "pass".  (The season is actually close to sakura blooming one.)  So sakura is a kind of lucky word for exam-takers.

 

Okay then, how about taste?  Hummmm...acceptable, but artificial color and flavor remind me of American snacks.  I mean, not bad...it cheered me up (?)   

 

   

Usually Tokyo sees snowfall several times per winter.  Here comes a big one...My town is so snowy!!!  So far it accumulates more than 5 inches.  I am okay just staying at home, but exam takers (Japanese SAT: Senta Shiken is in this weekend) might be upset.

 

I'm not going to talk about the movie.  My mentor just gave me one huge translation project, from English to Japanese.  The document looks interesting to me.  The project just fits my niche period before my new job begins.  Those are okay things, but I worry a bit about my language skill.  I mean, not for English, but Japanese.

 

After 3 and a half years in the States, my Japanese proficiency for writing got slightly problematic.  Writing of acadmic paper, especially in my field, needs a fairy amount of good vocabulary.  I recognize I sometimes cannot recall right expressions for such techinical works imeediately, or even for good.  I rewrite over and over, but can still find something to be amended.  The document makes sense, but it is not satisfactory lacking dignified tone.

 

My mentor is one of the keenest in vocabulary and expression.  I am tested...  

April 4th @ Yokohama.  Perhaps this will be their last tour to Japan.  Should I go for it?

The timing is not so good, though.  It will be just the day2 at my new workplace. (Japanese fiscal years begin in April.)

 

 

While walking around the town, I came across with lots of ad, saying "がんばれ受験生" (Good luck, exam-takers.)  They reminded me of the fact that January and February is season for entrance exams in this country.  Depending on choice of a school, students have to take any, or all of entrance exams from a kindergarden(!) to a college.  It seems that one for middle school and college are typical nowadays.  The admisson also counts GPA, volunteer, athletic activities etc., but the one-time, multi-subjects, inteview-often-included entrance exam is a huge deal.

Timing of exam is, i wold say, worst.  Cold weather irritates exam takers by cold and flu.  The exam season is just after newyear holidays, so that they need to skip the holiday at prep-school or cram-school.  (Well, they even skipped summer vacation) 

 

In addition, January is a final month for college students.  They usually have finals twice a year. (another final month is July)  Their exam are much more laid-back than entance exams they got through, though.       　　 

That means the first business day of the year.  We need to greet the new year upon meeting colleagues, bosses, clients for the first time in the year.

 

Typical newyear greeting:

「あけましておめでとうございます。本年もよろしくお願いします。」

Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu. Hon-nen mo yoroshiku onegai shimasu.

 

I need to say this phrase over, over and over for several days (of course, with ojigis!!!).  I know I shouldn't be lazy, but kind of long sentences, aren't they?  Even I think so..feel like a tongue twister!

Best wishes for the new year 2006!

Now is the newyear holiday break.  Goverment and many companies close from 12/29 to 1/3.  Some people rush to their hometown on the road, trains, etc.  That's just like what I saw on Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.  One thing is slightly weird to me...people going abroad for sightseeing.  New year holiday and summer hoiliday are busiest seasons for tour companies.  Such holiday tavel goers have to pay fees almost 2 times more expensive than normal rate.  I am not a hard-core conservative or buddhism fundamentalist, but i just think that's not the way supposed to be. In holiday we should behave like holiday!!!

 

However, I understand typical Japanese workplace culture doesn't allow workers have day-off when they would like to.  See, even if we take a paid leave we should say "Oyasumi wo Itadakimasu", which sounds like given out of employer's generous grace, rather than staturoy right in Labor code.     

Yesterday, 23rd was a national holiday for Emperor's birthday.  24th and 25th are coincidently on weekend.  As long as being in the office district, the quite city make me feel like the holiday in the States.

 

Happy Holidays, falks...miss and love you much..

 

 

In this counrty, medical check-up is a common annual event for almost all walks of life.  All schools, including universities, do it for students.  Employers are obliged by law to have thier employees take the checkup.

 

I didn't take any check-up in the States, so today was the first time in 4 years.  X-rays, BP ECG...such and such.  I didn't dare to take optional checks which are important but a bit annoying ...like a colon check and a gastro scope.

 

I found I got a inch taller than before going to the States.  I thought I am too old to grow up, so the fact puzzled me.  However, now I think I want to get just one more centimeter to break the wall of "180"...hehehe.

 

In any event, it is mysterious how come I got taller.  Possible reasons are:

* I drunk lots of milk while in the States.

* The chiropractic straightened my spines (I took it to cure my backpain.)

* Junk foods which I ate contained genetically modified and/or hormone-injected ingredients.

 

I wish the real reason is not #2, cause it is not repeatable.  Well, #3 is easily repeatable, but....       

I have mostly done my holiday shopping and shipped them by the last week.  However, mood of the city took me to one shopping mall.  The traffic was pretty good, until I came close to Odaiba, a reclaimed island on Tokyo bay.  Although the waterfront town has broader streets and more parking lots than downtown, the traffic was so bad out there.  The mall was so crowded, too.  I just spend only one hour...which parking validation is available for. 

 

This is a view from Odaiba to downtown with a freeway bridge across the cannal.  Today I bought a small holiday gift for myself...guess what!.