Wednesday, December 31, 2003 Rain
First thing in the morning, I thought I
would wash my car, but it was raining. I
had to give up the idea. Instead I drove
to the usual convenience store to buy some
bread for breakfast. Outside in the garbage
pickup area were lots of garbage bags heaped
up , today being a garbage pickup day. I
tried to sort out papers, but I found it
impossible to finish doing that. My younger
son is at a certain amusement park with his
friends for the New Year's Eve countdown.
He already ate his buckwheat noodles
Tuesday, December 30, 2003 Fair , occasionally
cloudy.
I continued the cleaning. Today's portion,
however, was not very noticeable. I used
a bamboo skewer to remove the dirt in corners,
grooves, and so on. It took about four hours
just to finish today's cleaning. That sponge-like
thing came in handy . I have a sore throat.
I took some medicine. Maybe my fatigue has
accumulated. I had better rest for a while.
Monday, December 29,2003 Fair, occasionally
cloudy.
Today's housecleaning was , for the most
part, wiping the windows with a damp cloth.
This seems simple, but it takes time. I also
scrubbed clean the kitchen sink and the washbasin
a bit with some special sponge-like stuff.
So it was all this simple up-and-down rubbing
action. I was exhausted when the day's work
was almost over.
Coop's year-end delivery was a little after
3:00p.m. It included frozen sashimi. We ate
it for dinner. There were several kinds of
raw fish. The scallop was so tender it melted
in my mouth.
Sunday, December 28, 2003 Fair
My wife and the kids are happy with a toy
called "meowlingual." My wife happened
to find it at the pet shop we went to yesterday.
It translates the meowing of a cat. But when
it is held out to our cats, they will not
meow. The timing is very difficult. But they
have been successful several times so far.
Today we took the unnecessary printer to
the usual electric appliances store. I had
to pay 1.050 yen. We bought a rack, too,
at Konan next to the electric appliances
store.We continued our general housecleaning.
I cleaned the window sills etc.
Saturday, December 27, 2003 Cloudy
Yesterday there was a severe earthquake
in Iran. The death toll is said to be around
20.000. It is not official yet, though. I
really sympathize with the victims as I also
experienced the Great Hanshin Earthquake.
I just pray that relief measures will be
taken promptly. I just cannot stand seeing
some Iranians crying in tears on TV.
This morning I almost finished weeding
the backyard and also cleaning the balcony.
I uploaded three new pages onto my web site,
too. I really had a full day.
Friday, December 26, 2003 Fair
The movie "The Last Samurai,"
starring Tom Cruise, ranks first now. I have
seen it. It is not bad, but I got the impression
that those samurai killed by the Meiji Government
army were like those American Indians killed
by Whites. This movie shows respect for the
way of the samurai, a bit romanticizing death.
Although it is a Hollywood version of a samurai
movie, it seems to remind Japanese of what
we have forgotten as Japanese. It is a movie
worth seeing.
Thursday, December 25, 2003 Fair
While driving in the morning, I nearly
hit a bicycle. I came to a T, looked both
ways, and turned to the left. Then all of
a sudden, a bicycle popped up in front of
my car. This woman may have entered my blind
spot. But she should not have cut into the
center of the road. At any rate, should an
accident happen, it would be the driver's
fault. I will be more careful in this kind
of situation.
I am doing the year-end housecleaning little
by little. Today I did the door and half
of the balcony and also weeded the backyard
a little.
Wednesday, December 24, 2003 Fair
Today was originally a substitute holiday,
but I went to work. I will take a day off
for today some time in January. So, at last
school is out for me this year.Today is Christmas
Eve, but I forgot to buy a Christmas cake.
Today my elder son is coming back from
Tokyo, where he stayed for three days. He
went to Tokyo Disneyland with his friend.
My wife asked him to buy some souvenirs for
her at Disneyland. She loves Mickey Mouse-related
goods.
Tuesday, December 23, 2003 Fair
I forgot some things at school, so I will
have to go get them tomorrow. This morning
my wife did a lot of washing, and I hung
out all the washing to dry. In the afternoon,
we drove to Kohnan and got what is called
'a flexi pipe, with which I replaced the
bad toilet pipe. I sent New Year's cards,
too. Around 3:30 p.m., I felt an earthquake.
The epicenter was in the northern part of
Shiga Prefecture. The earthquake registered
3 on the Japanese seismic scale.
Monday, December 22, 2003 Fair
I like Home Center Kohnan. The one in my
neighborhood is a very nice one. They are
very kind. I ordered a new toilet pipe through
them. Their service is very good. I got a
phone call this morning from them. They've
got a pipe that can replace our bad one.
Today is my last workday of the year. I've
got a lot to do at home−writing New Year's
cards, housecleaning, and so on.
Sunday, December 21, 2003 Fair
I had a full day, working from 9:00a.m.
to 7:00p.m. On the way home, on the train
were some passengers coughing here and there−a
sign of the flu raging, I am afraid. Tonight
my wife is on her night shift because one
of the nurses under her is coming down with
a cold or something. She sent a mail, saying
that the leaky toilet pipe is leaking more
water. So, I bought some sealing tape and
applied it to the leaky part.
Saturday, December 20, 2003 Cloudy
Enjoyed talking in English for about two
hours in the morning. Today our conversation
centered around differences in corporate
culture between Japan and America and political
merchants. Ever heard about the Carlyle Group?
That's how George W. Bush makes money from
the wars. Worshipers of Mammon know where
money is.
There is a pipe leaking water in our toilet.
My wife discovered it last night. I spent
all afternoon trying to fix it. At first,
I though something was wrong with the packing,
but actually I found out that the pipe should
be replaced.
Friday, December 19, 2003 Cloudy and so blustery
and cold.
Today there was, and still is, such a strong
and freezing wind blowing that even a stopping
train shook as if it was falling over. The
wind roared, which, somehow or other, reminded
me of one of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy
tales, "The Snow Queen."
On my homewardbound train tonight were
a middle-aged couple sitting in front of
me. They were talking and flirting. The man
was bald and the woman had buck teeth. But
they looked so happy. Love is blind. May
they be happy!
Thursday, December 18, 2003 Fair and then
cloudy.
Today being a substitute holiday for the
23rd of this month, I was able to relax at
home. In the morning, I went to the nearby
clinic for the checkup. Ate lunch together
with my elder son. In the afternoon, joined
the cats sunbathing and read a couple of
books , listening to the stereo. This evening
all my family ate shabushabu together for dinner.
Wednesday, December 17, 2003 Fair, then cloudy,
and rain later on.
Our condominium faces south. Today the
sun was shining into the living room during
the day. Even in winter it is not too cold.
In fact, our two cats, although cats generally
do not like the cold, seem to get by in the
lounge even if it is not heated. They are
often seen sunbathing right by the glass
sliding doors. Sometimes I wish I were a
cat and could join them instead of going
to work.
On my way back home from work I got caught
in a sudden thunderstorm. My umbrella was
flipped inside out in a gusty wind. Also
I was almost struck by lightning. The moment
lightning flashed, I heard it thunder. That
was a close call. Of course, I got wet.
Tuesday, December 16, 2003 Fair
I had to go see a doctor this morning,
so I could not go to the sign language circle.
I will have to have another checkup later.
I hate going to a doctor's office. I have
"white-coat" phobia because I was
a sickly child and was so scared of my pediatrician's
shots. At that time, injections did hurt,
you know. As Buddha said, birth, aging, illness,
and death are inevitable, but I am not ready
to die yet. Who is, I wonder?
Monday, December 15, 2003 Fair
Last night working on the super crossword
puzzle well after midnight, I was too tired
this morning and stayed in bed longer than
usual. Once I start it, I find it hard to
stop halfway. Time flies while I am doing
it.
I have several books I want to check out
of the school library. I think I will read
at least three of them during the winter
holidays. Compared with the school libraries
I have known so far, ours has many more good
books. It is a shame not to read them.
Sunday, December 14, 2003 Fair
The school festival was pretty good, especially
the food. The kasujiru ( sake lees soup) was so good but it cost
only 100 yen a bowl. And it was full of meat
and vegetables. This class naturally won
the prize, too. I also liked the oden and yakiimo ( baked sweet potato). The festival
began around 10:30 a.m. and ended around
4:30 p.m.
After the festival was over, some of the
library department members ate dinner together
at the Japanese restaurant near the school.
We had fun eating and talking.
Saturday, December 13, 2003 Fair
So I went to prepare for the school festival.
I was in charge of putting up some Christmas
decorations at the doorway of the room the
library department is using.The festival
is between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. tomorrow.
This is my first time. Just wait and see.
This morning there was something the matter
with me. I have a couple of chronic diseases
all right, but I do not want another. I must
go see a doctor next week. Yes, I am friends
with doctors. And my wife is a nurse...
Friday, December 12, 2003 Cloudy and very
windy
It was so windy today that some bikes left
standing fell here and there. My hair got
messed up, too, in this strong wind, although
I have only a little hair. The platform was
so blustery I wanted to be in the lee of
something, but there was nothing. I was just
exposed to the wind until my train pulled
in.
Tomorrow I am supposed to help prepare
for the school festival, which is to be held
the day after tomorrow. This year I belong
to the library department.
Thursday, December 11, Overcast, rain later
It has gotten pretty cold lately. At long
last, winter is here. I cannot do without
long johns in winter. My two sons never wear
them. I am aging and I think I will act my
age. Maybe I am weak to the cold. While shooting
the breeze with the two gentlemen who are
a little younger than I at work, I found
that they were not wearing long johns. Today
I was in long johns of course.
Wednesday, December 10, Fair but cold.
This morning I could not go to the hospital
for neck traction because I had a makeup
to take care of and had to go to work earlier
than usual. My right hand feels so prickly,
which is not a good symptom of my neck ailment.
At work I want to rest my neck from time
to time, but it is difficult. This pain is
invisible from the outside, so nobody else
knows that I am in constant pain.
The stereo, which functions all right now,
plays some nice classical music in the morning.
Just a little happiness I have.
Tuesday, December 9, 2003 Fair, rather cold.
The sign language circle's Christmas party
was held today on the third floor of the
bank by the library building where we usually
have our circle meeting. It began at ten
o'clock or so in the morning and ended around
two in the afternoon. We had fun playing
games and eating lunch together. I was the
emcee in the afternoon. The circle members
are good at enjoying themselves. Time flies
while spending time with them.
Monday, December 8, 2003 Fair, rather cold.
The cable TV technician, who came the other
day, was an excellent one maybe. Even our
FM reception, which used to pick up so much
static and be very poor, has improved. The
NHK FM station comes in so clearly now I
can enjoy listening to classical music again.
I am a fan of classical music. This morning
I listened to the quality sound of classical
music for the first time in many days on
the FM radio of my stereo set.
When I visited one of my favorite web sites
and looked into the BBS there as usual, I
read a chain-mail-like message saying,"Unless
you forward this to seven people within one
hour, you will die." How can anybody
do such a dastardly thing? Despicable! Of
course, I never forwarded the message. Malice
does exist in this world.
Sunday, December 7, 2003 Fair
I had a full day today at work, running
around all day, and got tired. I had three
classes to teach. I was both on library and
tennis club duty. No time to take a break.
So, I decided to take a day off tomorrow.
Otherwise I will be working for two full
weeks straight, because, although this coming
Tuesday is a substitute holiday, the sign
language circle is going to throw a Christmas
party and I will be busy the whole day, so
it is far from being a rest-day. Tomorrow
is my Sabbath.
Saturday, December 6, 2003 Cloudy, with occasional
rain.
This morning went to the English conversation
school. This meets every other Saturday.
Two hours passed so quickly. I had fun talking
in English. There were six of us, including
our instructor, who is a really good person.
There was an orientation for prospective
students at my school. I was in charge, so
I went to school although today was originally
not a workday.
I am so much into an on-line word game
called "Bookworm" lately. You can
enrich your vocabulary by having fun while
playing it. The URL is http://games.yahoo.com/games/downloads/bw.html
.
Friday, December 5, 2003 Fair
So the same cable TV technician came again
this morning and did a very good job. He
soon found out what was wrong. He not only
worked on the TV but also changed the Internet
modem, because there was something wrong
with it, too.
One of the colleagues said that the work
I should have done by December 3 had not
been done yet, so I spent most of my time
at work doing that today. I had not been
informed of the deadline. It was like a bolt
from the blue.
Thursday, December 4, 2003 Fair
This past Tuesday, a cable TV technician
came to our condominium complex and did some
checking. After that, the two BS television
channels stopped coming in. So, I call the
cable TV company and explained the situation,
but they said that they had not sent such
a technician here. Then who was that technician,
I wondered? Calling each other back and forth
for some time, as it turned out, we found
out that that technician was their technician.
The same technician will come again tomorrow.
Wednesday, December 3, 2003 Fair
When I was watching some TV program the
other day, I happened to hear Yoro Takeshi,
the author of the recent best-seller "Bakano Kabe"(The Walls of Fools), saying something to the following effect.
Even if you think logically, you cannot make
up your mind. When it comes to decision-making,
your emotions must come into play. The part
of the brain called the amygdala(扁桃体)
first responds, based on likes and dislikes.
So, your first emotional feeling is whether
you like it or not. If so, it is not always
bad at all to follow your nose. Being emotional
is very human and important, but at the same
time, dangerous sometimes.
Tuesday, December 2, 2003 Cloudy
Today being Tuesday, went to the local
sign language circle in the morning,as usual.
After that, ate lunch together. Signed a
lot today. Next week is the circle's Christmas
party. Time does fly. At this time last year
I had fun at the Christmas party. Then I
was the president of this sign language circle.
This evening there was a year-end party
for my place of work, although it was a little
too early for that. Since I still have a
bit of a stomachache, I refrained from drinking
beer. Food and drink were plentiful at the
party.
Monday, December 1, 2003 Cloudy
In my late thirties, I read some Michael
Ende. I saw the movie "The Neverending
Story," too, in which Ende predicted
'nothingness' would be dominant in the future.
I think he was right. Today values have become
relative. There is nothing absolute. Mankind
is, in a way, lost. I read "Momo,"
too, another wonderful story by Ende. Maybe
I should watch out for Gray Men now.