2008年6月30日月曜日

Vol.116 Arabic dish

June 25th was the anniversary day we talked to each other.
We went to a restaurant where it offer Arabic dish.
In the restaurant almost of all seats were occupied by Japanese as well as Arabic people.
Most songs played there made me nostalgic for memories which I used to live in Arabic country.
We enjoyed eating some Arabic food while appreciating belly dance.
Although the amount of food per person is less and also of the price is higher, we were satisfied with the taste and atmosphere as if we had a trip to Arab countries.





By the way, I ordered menu to the waiter in Arabic.
But he took it for granted that he was spoken to Arabic by Japanese.
It means that many Japanese customer who can speak to him in Arabic visit the restaurant. Surprisingly, he can speak Japaneses very fluently.


After that, we stopped at Ministop to eat ice cream.
They offered 2 ice creams free to the people who bought a Waon card.
So we could have ice cream without charge.

*****************************************
記念日にアラブ料理のレストランに行ってきました。
量や値段にいささか不満があったものの、久々に味わうアラブ料理は美味しかった!
でも日本人によるベリーダンスは微妙でした・・・。

nikukyu

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2008年6月29日日曜日

Vol.115 Misokatsu and Gifu

Last Tuesday I went to Gifu by Shinkansen and local trains.
Not having known Kodama is not the fastest one, it took more than 2 hours to arrive at Nagoya by Kodama.
On the way to Gifu, I stopped at Nogoya station to eat Misokatsu.
It cost me no less than 1680 yen but I was satisfied with the taste.


After eating Misokatsu I took a train for Gifu.
Gifu is located near Nagoya in 20 minutes.
I checked location of bus station and time table for the next day,
and then I checked in a far cheaper hotel which offers a room for 3100 yen.
It was very hot at that time, and I took shower.
After taking a nap I bought some food like ice cream and juice.
I did the final check for the exam which was held the next day.
I went to bed at 22:30.



Next morning I got up at 4:30 to exercise my mind.
I had breakfast and I took a bus for Gifu Univ.
Gifu is located in the suburb of the city, which makes me feel peaceful.
I saw street cats in the campus as well as wild birds in the lake.




By the way, what food is famous for in Gifu?
I have no idea about the local food, so I decided to eat Misokatsu in Nagoya.

*************************************
名古屋と岐阜に行っててきました。
名古屋駅の矢場とんで食べたみそかつは美味しかった!
でもあの味噌ダレさえあれば自宅でも簡単に再現できそうな味。
東京でも食べれる店があるようだ。
ところで、岐阜で有名な食べ物っていったい何でしょう?

nikukyu

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Vol.114 TOEIC Test (2nd)

I did not leave an umbrella all day.
I took TOEIC exam at Meijigakuin Univ.


Although I found difficult to understand some questions in the listening section, I found easy in the reading section.
And I could manage to solve the all questions 5 minutes before the test ended.
So I review only several questions which I found difficult at first.
I am expecting that I will get the score around 800.



I promise to reach 900 within this year.

****************************************
今回で二回目となるTOEICテストを受験してきました。
パート2のリスニングが難しく、一方のリーディングは前回の借りを返せたと思います。
おそらく800は行ったんじゃないでしょうか。
前回は時間ギリギリでしたが、今回は五分前に終わり、見直す時間もありました。
今年中には900に到達できるように頑張ります!

nikukyu

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Vol.113 Mock exam



Hi! I have been busy all week.
Today is the day for TOEIC exam, is not it?
Are you ready?


Yesterday I tried taking mock exam.

The expected range of my score was 790-885.
As my previous score was 765, I may get higher score!
But mock exam does not always reflect real score.
I do my best!

*****************************
今週は忙しくてなかなか更新できず・・・。
そんな中、いつも猫たちに癒されています。

nikukyu


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2008年6月24日火曜日

Vol.112 Encouragement


http://www.flickr.com/photos/roscodebosco/241232727/


My father called me to encourage to do my best for the exam.
And he added that, "You have never failed any exams in your life. You can do it!"


Yes, my merit is to have passed any exams.
I have always said to someone who care about me,
"No problem. If I failed, who could pass?"
But objectively speaking, this time exam is the difficult one in my life.
Yeah, I will do my best!

***************************************
父から激励の電話。
「試験に落ちたことないんだから大丈夫だ」と。
そう、これまでにテストと名のつくものに落ちたことがありません。
ですが、今回の試験はこれまでにないくらい高い壁が立ちはだかっています。
落ちることも十分ありえます。
ベストを尽くしてきます!

nikukyu

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2008年6月22日日曜日

Vol.111 100 Yen Textbook


I have studied English from this textbook for 2 months.
It was ten years ago that I met him for the first time.
I bought the book for taking the exam for the Univ.
But I did not use him at all, and I forgot what I left it behind somewhere at home.




After 10 years later, I was in the corner of countless textbooks for learning English again at a BookOff.
I found him and I was motivated to buy the book.
Because it was sold for 100 yen.
I bought it because of a sense of nostalgia after a 10 year absence and its cheapness.


Although I know I am getting off the subject, let me say this.
Now that you can see a lot of BookOff over Japan.
Why are they so popular with the general public?
Many customers come to shop to buy and sell books.
And some people visit there only to browsing.
They do so not because they have highly eco-friedly mind but because they want to get books at cheapest cost, and to sell at highest price as much as possible.
As a result, the recycling books related industry is booming.
We, I mean, the poor can not afford to buy new books.
Book off is on the side of the economically-weak.




Coming back to what I was mentioning earlier, I worked through 2 sets of the textbook. I am going to review the book again.


# 懐かしさ
sense of nostalgia

# 話が問題から脱線しているよ。
You're getting off the subject.

* さっきの話に戻る
come back to what one is mentioning earlier

****************************************
二ヶ月前に100円で買った参考書を二回解きました。
早くも三回目に入ろうとしています。
ブックオフが人気を集めている理由は、
本を買えない人や中古本で我慢せざるをえないような経済的な立場が弱い人が増えているからではないでしょうか。
高額教材や英会話学校に行かないでも、安い教材やインターネットを利用すれば、TOEICで900点を越すこともそう硬くないということを自分が証明します。

nikukyu


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2008年6月21日土曜日

Vol.110 Kiriboshi Radish

As I said before I like cooking.
But I do not always like cooking.
There is an exception.
I feel like cooking only when I have much time.
When I feel uneasy, nervous, or busy I cook quickly.
Last night I took up much time to prepare for Kiriboshi Radish.



On the contray, today I did with ramen.
I just biled water and sauteed vegetable.
I was satisfied with the taste.
The examination is drawing closer.
I am starting to get nervous...


**************************************
料理が好きなんですが、でも条件付w
緊張や不安、忙しさを感じていると、料理もおろそかになりがちです。
今日は手軽にラーメンで済ませました。
昨夜の切干大根は格別でした!

nikukyu

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2008年6月19日木曜日

Vol.109 Biting Nails


http://www.flickr.com/photos/adril/299789950/


What kind of habit you have?
You shake your legs unconsciously? Or you touch your hair?
As for me, I have a habit of touching around my mouth by a hand when I look at a computer screen. And I have always crossed my arms when I think something seriously.
In a short, I can not keep my hands still anitime.



My friend consulted me about his health prblem.
Recently, he has suffering from a pain in the mouth where he got some white spot behind his lip.
He is looking a good medicine to treat the problem, but he does not know what the cause is even though he has had the same problem in his coutry.
According his explanation, the problem seems to be connected with eating dry food or without drinking water for a long time.
Based on his story, and I lookd for the exact cause on the web.
My final conclusion is that some japanse suffer from the same problem as his because of their habit of biting the nails.


So my friend may correspond to this idea because he is a famous person for his biting nails anytime.
There is a possibility that germs on the nails may influence badly on their skin in the mouth.
But I can not find any medicine which is effective to treat with the problem.


*****************************************
私の癖は画面を見るときに手を口元の近くに置いておくことと、
何か真剣に考えるときに腕を組むことでしょうか。
あくまでも自覚している範囲ですが。
もしかしたら、他人の目から見たらもっとたくさん癖があるのかもしれません。
友人から「口内の出来物に利く薬が欲しいんだけど、なんていう薬がいいのか」と相談を受けました。自分が調べた範囲では薬というよりも、切除して治すのが一般的という内容しか見当たりませんでした。いい薬ないんだろうか・・・。

nikukyu

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Vol.108 Meeting Miyazaki Governor Higashikokubaru


Of course I am talking about the event in my dream.
Sorry for setting you expectation.


I can remember pieces of memory in the dream.
I was in the department store, and I was looking for the exist to go outside.
The building was linked with the station as well prefectural government, and some people were about to commute to work.
I found Mr. Higashikokubaru in them, but nobody noticed that he was the famous Governor.
I had the courage to speak to him,
"Keep it up"
But he ignored me as if he had not been spoken to by anyone.
I was very disappointed....


I dropped by the food floor and bought only a piece of konjac.
I paid just 15 yen for it.
Then, I cannot connect my memory....


I do not know really why the building linked with department store and station,
why I bought only Konjac, and why it was so cheap...
I want to see a doctor and want him to see my deep psyche...



県庁
prefectural government

これからも頑張ってください。
Keep it up

# こんにゃく食品
konjac food

# 深層心理
deep psyche


***********************************
前にも書きましたが、ほぼ毎日といっていいくらい夢を見ます。
今日は宮崎県知事に会いました。
まぁ会ったというか話かけても無視されたので一方的に会ったと言ったほうが正しいでしょう。
しかし、なぜ宮崎県庁がデパートや駅とつながっていたのか、
なぜ食品売り場でコンニャクだけを買ったのか、しかも15円という安さって??
謎は深まる一方です。
誰かこの私の深層心理を解読してくださいw

nikukyu

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2008年6月18日水曜日

Vol.107 Bookworm


http://www.flickr.com/photos/elkay724/1531862589/

As you may know well, I am poor at expressing what I think in English.
It is because I am poor at Japanese, too.
I read newspapers, books, and scientific Journal but I can not understand what they are talking about.
Especially, I am terrible at thinking logically although I was students in the science.
I deeeply regret of my low-performance...
For that reason I respect those who can think things logically and justify people.




I think weak point of mine stems from not having studied hard Japanese when I was a child.
It reminds me that I did not have any habit of reading books except comic around that time.
Most people as I respect around me are bookworms.
It is little dout that books have much impact on people's character.
In my opinion, a great person is crazy about reading books.
The more you read books, the richer you will be in humanity.

読書家
bookworm

*********************************
自分の周りにいる尊敬できるすごい人は読書家が多いように思います。
逆に、たいしたことないなって思わせる人は本も読まなきゃ、
時事問題にも無関心な人が多いように思います。
自分の場合、本や新聞も読んでいるけど、頭に入ってこないので、
ある問題に対して議論したり自分の意見がなかったりします。
なので、自分もたいした人間ではありません。
英語でも日本語でもこうやって文章を書いていると、
自分の言語能力の無能さに悲しくなります。
このブログを始めた理由の一つは、
英語力を高めるために英語でブログを書いてみようと思い立ったからです。
三ヶ月で100以上の記事を書いてきましたが、
ほんの少しはマシになってのではないかと。
この調子でがんばります。

nikukyu

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2008年6月17日火曜日

Vol.106 Why I Do Not Like Monburan


Have you ever eaten Monburan cake?
I have eaten it several times in my life but I do not like it so much.
Why I feel so?
I was wondering either Monburan has such a taste or all of the Monburan which I ate was not good one.
And the other day I knew that a cake shop in Jiyugaoka pioneered Monburan in Japan.
I expected the Monburan made by the shop must be the best one in my life because the shop is a pineer in the field.



Last Sunday I tried their Monburan.
By contrast, the taste was usual.
Yeah, I got it.
The reason why I donot like Monburan is not I do not like the taste but no shops can make a good Monburan.

*******************************
日本初のモンブランを食べてガッカリ。
まさかこんな味だとは・・・。
モンブランが美味しい店があれば教えてください!

nikukyu

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Vol.105 Nikkorogashi of Potato

Last night I fought over little things with my GF.
After that I caught a chill at once.
I had a slight temperature, so I put on warm clothes and took cold medicine.
Taking medicine, I had difficulty in falling asleep.



I had been feeling nohow since today's morning.
So I decied to prepare dinner in earnest than usual.
This time I tried to cook Nikkorogashi of Potato.

Yeah, it was out of the world!


# 悪寒を覚える
catch a chill

# feel nohow
体の調子が良くない

*************************
昨夜から体の調子がイマイチ・・・。
ストレス解消と気分転換にじゃがいもと豚肉の煮っ転がしに挑戦しました。
味の方はというと・・・イエス!お店で食べるみたいにおいしく出来ました!!
でもこうやって自分の作った料理を見られるって結構恥ずかしいw

nikukyu

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2008年6月15日日曜日

Vol.104 Okonomiyaki

Last night I went to Okonomiyaki restaurant neaby my house.
I have ever been to Okonomiyakiya four or five times in my life.
So it is very rare for me to eat Okonomiyaki out.



We went to the restaurat where mt GF has interest in but there were full of customers.
They asked me my contact information so that they could let us know when they had empty seats. We left there for going home and waiter for the calling from mama.


We drank cans of beer at home to save the expense at the restaurant, where it serves a glass of beer at 500 yen.
After about 1 hour, they informed me that they were ready to receive us.
I ordered a normal okonomiyaki with garlic and ricecake, and she did a okonomiyaki with soba.

Frankly speaking, the foods were not tasty but acceptable.
But we enojoyed Okonomiyaki on a hot plate.

********************************
空き待ちをしたほど人気のお好み焼き屋さんに行ったのですが、
肝心の味はそれほどでもなかったです。
やっぱり家でお腹いっぱい食べるのが一番ですね。

nikukyu


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Vol.103 Earthquake hit my hometown


http://www.flickr.com/photos/21202996@N04/2576740577/


Yesterday I felt the shock of the earthquake during sleeping.
But I did not anticipate that it was the strong earth quake and its focus was Tohoku area.
So I slept again.
In the dream I met my niece.
I was about to receive her at her elementary school although in fact she is still under one year old.
My sister sent me a photo of the baby after she stopped crying.
It was her that I met in the dream.



After getting up I sent e-mail to my sister and asked her whether my niece is fine or not.
According to her, my niece cried a lot with being surprised at the earthquake.
After that my parents notified me that they were safe.
What should happen if this earthquake were to hit Tokyo?

*************************************
東京でも揺れましたよね?
うちは道路に面しているのですが、トラックが通っても揺れません。
なのですぐに地震と分かりました。
姪が地震で怖くて泣いたようです。
妹の小さいときにそっくりw

nikukyu


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2008年6月14日土曜日

Vol.102 My way to let the stress out

How do you release the streess?
In my case, these days I let the stress out by cooking.



Yeterday, I tried Kinpira Gobou at the sight of the Web.

It's successful and yummy for the first trial.
On the other hand, as for Ohitashi of spinatch, I did not follow the recipe until the end. Because I did not have enough time to cook it.



If the meals which I prepare for is yummy than I expected I feel happy and gain more confidence of cooking skill.
I will continue to widen repertoire more and more.

***********************************
昨日初めて作ったきんぴらごぼうは大変良くできた。
家で食べるのと同じくらいおいしかった。
おいしくできると自信にもなる。
もっとレパートリー増やしていくぞ。

nikukyu


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2008年6月13日金曜日

Vol.101 Unexpected Bonus

It's not about my bonus but hers.
She did not expect to get the bonus from her company at all.
Because she has just began to work at the hospital as a new employee since April.



But yesterday she came home with some cakes as a souvenir.

It was the first time for her to buy something nice on the way to home.
I saw how happy she was to get the bonus.
Although the amount was not enough she seemed to be happy.



She invited me to go eating Okonomiyaki with her bonus on Saturday.
I said, "Why not?"

*******************************
世間ではボーナスの季節なんですね。
一生に一度でいいのでボーナスなんてものをもらってみたいですね。
土曜はお好み焼き屋に行ってきます!

nikukyu


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2008年6月12日木曜日

Vol.100 The End of My Shoes

How long have you put on the same shoes?
Yesterday my favorite shoes whose age was 10 years old finally executed their mission.


When I was 17 years old the shoes made by "Nike" was boom at that time.
So I wanted the showes among them and found at Korean duty shop highschool excursion.


Since that time I had often wore the shoes to go to everywhere.
A most impressive memory with the them are the trip to Greek and Italy when I was 21 years old.
It was the first time to go to trip abroad by myself.
I have a lot of pictures with the shoes on.
As soon as I came back to Japan, my parents, who called for me at Narita air pot, ordered me to get off the car and to wash and clean my shoes immediately at highway parking.
Yeah, my shoes gave off an offensive smell!
But I did not notice it at all...


Recently, I had found it something strange about my shoes.

Because some air sound leaked from thr right shoe every steps.
So I felt a little bit ashamed of the sound as it is like shoes for children.
But I tried not to mind the sound.


Al last, the end of my shoes came.
They did their best to support me for 10 years.
I promise that I will continue to cherish all my belongings.
Thank you.


# 使命を全うする
execute a mission

# 修学旅行
school excursion

# 嫌なにおいを放つ
give off an offensive smell

***********************************
10年に渡って履き続けてきたナイキのシューズが完全に壊れてしまいました。
ここまで履けば当の本人も本望でしょう。
楽しい思い出をどうもありがとう。
これからもモノを大事にし続けます。

nikukyu


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2008年6月11日水曜日

Vol.99 Who is the real criminal?


http://www.flickr.com/photos/91248181@N00/2561057054/

Last Sunday a man who is 25 years old stabbed several pedestrians at random after he hit pedestrians.
The murderous rampage has shocked not only Japan and the world.
As I posted the other day I was the place where the case happened.
If I had been there on Sunday I could be here...



I have a view about the case.
I think the man who committed the crime is relatively an ordinary person, compared with the defendant who killed and wounded children at elementary school in Osaka.
In case of Osaka, he seemed to have acted so weired.
But in case of Akihabara, I think the people like him exist everywhere in Japan.
I do not think the cause of the case is not attributed to his personality,
but to our social background.
Particularly, the cause of the problem is extreme competitive society.


These days, most of the criminals who committed heinous crimes seem to be dispatched employee, casual employee, or unemployed.
Above all, the number of the irregular employment is rapidly increasing.
Some are employed at a high salary, but enormous proportion of them work at low pay.
After the bubble burst,Japanese economy recovered Thanks to growth of dispatched service.
Now one in three of Japanese workers are employed as irregular employment.
I can say that the current Japan is supported by these dispatched workers.
But the their working condition is so awful.
Maybe it is better for some of them to be getting public assistance instead of working in such a adverse condition.
They just put up with these kinds of bad treatments desperately.
In my opinion, the real criminal of the case is excess competitive society and widespread service.



Of course, I never support the crime killing good citizen.
But I am afraid that murderous rampage like this case is going to increase more and more unless the cause of this social background is known.



# 凶悪事件
murderous rampage

言動がおかしい
act weird

# 非正規雇用
irregular employment

# 競争原理
principle of market mechanism

# 凶悪事件を起こす
commit a heinous crime

# 派遣業務
detached service

生活保護を受ける
be getting public assistance

# 必死になって言う
say desperately


******************************
先週秋葉原に行ったばかりのことだったので驚きました。
この事件の問題点は犯人がどこにでもいそうな比較的普通の人による犯罪だったことだと思います。
最近、派遣、フリーター、無職者による犯罪が目立ちますね。
地位、名誉、財産のある人たちはきっとこういった犯罪は起こさないでしょう。
しかし、実質上、日本を陰で支えている彼らは夢も希望も持つこともできません。
貯蓄もできず、家庭をもつことも難しいでしょう。
平凡な生活を築くことすらできないのです。
現在の行き過ぎた競争社会や派遣業界の横行が今回の事件を生み出した犯人といえるのではないでしょうか。

nikukyu

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2008年6月10日火曜日

Vol.98 Boiled Pork and Beer

I make it a point to pick up my GF before her holiday.
Today I waited for her at a coffee shop as usual,and I saw her.
She seemed to be tired of working but also happy because tomorrow is her holiday.
She had told me that she would like to go to Okonomiyaki restaurant so that I looked up the restaurant located near Oimachi.


We went to Botejyu in Atre, but several groups were already standing in a row.
Giving up having Okonomiyaki there, we went to other restaurant near my house, where my GF had so much interest in.
But the owner said to us,
"I am afraid we have already run out of Okonomiyaki because many customers came as you see."


So, we went to Chinese restaurant, where I dined out for the first time since I moved to Tokyo last year.
I ordered the same food, Boiled Pork (豚の角煮)and a glass of beer, while she ordered Gomoku Yakisoba.

We enjoyed having dinner well.


I found this.
All of the staff at the restaurant are Chinese.
While we had dinner, they were chatting through to the end.
If they were Japanese I would have found it annoying, but it was not the case.
Foreign language which we are not familiar with sometimes makes us confused, but sometimes it does not makes us mind at all. It depends. Especially, Chinese language at a Chinese restaurant is a rather necessary to create nice atmosphere.



By the way, she bought me the dinner because she promised to buy me some when she got a salary.
Thank you for the treat.


*****************************
東京ではお好み焼き屋さんって人気あるんですね。
お好み焼きは家で食べるものと思ってるので、あまり食べたくならないのですが、
彼女が店で食べたいというので行ってきました。
でも二軒とも並んでいたりネタ切れしていたりで、
結局中華を食べてきました。
中国人ってほんとによくしゃべる国民性ですねー。
中国語がわからないからこそ気になったり、イラついたりしませんでしたが、
外国語がわからないということは案外いいこともあるんですね。

nikukyu

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2008年6月9日月曜日

Vol.97 A Rainy Day, Tokyo Uinv.

Today I went to the University of Tokyo in order to copy a scientific journal.
Unlike Tama library, they offer the reasonable copy service; 10 yen per a copy.
I copied a lot for preparing for entrance exams which will be held this month.
Although I visited only the library I could confirm that the Univ. has the good setting for studying.



I always think this.
Why civil officers are so bad tempered?
I feel they always look irritated when I ask something for them...
Not having known a rule in library I was told not to do bra bra by a civil officer.
That's why I do not like those who are engaged in civil service.
Hey you! Let's take it easy!




After that I waited at the Red gate called Akamon for my friend.

He was very surprised to see the heavy rain.
We went to Pigu, which is a steak restaurant, but it was still during preparation.
So, we waited for the opening hours at the nearby post office.
He told me that the last two times he went the restaurant it had been rainy. So it was today.



I ordered stamina on a hot plate while he did chicken with sesame.

He told me that he would like to visit my hometown in summer vacation.



By the way, I taught him how much unhappy and uncomfortable the Japanese people feel in this heavy rain.
Because it is natural for the people including him from Arabic countries to feel happy to see the rain.
They often say, "I like walking in the rain." or "The rain makes trees or flowers grow up."" or "Raining is beautiful."
They hardly put up their umbrella even in the heavy rain.
I mean, the custom to put up umbrella on rainy days are not fixed.
Because very little rain falls in the arid area.


I remember my humorous incident.
On a rainy day, I took a walk with putting up my umbrella.
Can you imagine how much outstanding I was with the umbrella.
In the street some guys spoke to me,
"Why you put up the umbrella? That's not fair!"


In addition, do you know what the Arabic call umbrella?
They call umbrella "Shamsiie", meaning parasol.
It suggests us that they use umbrella for sun tan not for getting yourself wet.
Cultural difference is so interesting.


# 強い口調でその場を動かないようにと(人)を諭す
urge someone in strong terms to stay where he is

# 砂漠ではほとんど雨が降らない。
Very little rain falls in the desert.

# こっけいなエピソード
humorous incident

# 日傘
parasol // solar halo // sunshade


**********************************
今日はすごい雨でしたね。
友人は初めての大雨に戸惑っていました。
昔、傘をさして歩いていたら、
通り現地人に「なんで傘さして歩いているんだ?ずるい!」
と言われてびっくりした経験があります。

ところで、アラブの国では傘は「シャムスィーエ」といって、
「シャムス」(太陽)から派生しています。このことからわかるように、
アラブ諸国では傘は日傘として使うのが一般的なのです。

nikukyu

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Vol.96 dying to see you!

My letter finally arrived to hands of my friend abroad.


==========================================

My dear ***(My name),

With great pleasure I received your very kind postcard half an hour ago. How are you? I am yearning to see your e-mail to know your news, what you said about returning e-mail is right because I have an internal e-mail at **** (My ex-working place) I can send e-mails to any one, but I can not receive e-mail from any one, so you are kindly invited to send me e-mails to my address at my home in *** (His hometown): ***@yahoo.com (his e-mail address) noting that I am travel to my home every two Thursdays from Thursday to Sunday early morning



I am dying to see you again and more pleased to have enough time to visit my home; my friends will be so pleased to make a great day of this historical visit.



I ask you gently to be attention to your health more than usual in order to see you among us enjoying in a good health.

Please accept my best wishes hopping the best for a handsome young likes you, and do not forget to pass my regards to all your family members and friends.

Before I say good bye would you please define a suitable time for you to communicate via internet in the very near future.

Faithfully,

*** **** (Name of My friend).

==========================================
Yeah, I am pleased easily to imagine how happy he was to see my letter.
I will send messages to his another address from next time.



By the way, I have heard the phrases "yearning to see" and "dying to see".
These words suggest me how much he wants to see me.
But, to be honest with you, I laughed a little at seeing the phrase "dying to see you"!
The custom to express yourself directly even between two men is very common in Arabic society.
Maybe you feel a little bit strange if you are said "I am dying to see you" by a person of same sex.
But I like the Arab all the more for its directness to express their feeling.

* しとやかなのでなおさら(人)が好きである
like someone all the more for his modesty

***************************************
海外の友達のもとへ無事にポストカードが届きました。
彼のメッセージから推測する限り、感激してくれたようです。
dying to see you というフレーズを見たときは、おかしくて少し笑ってしまいました。
日本人からそんなこと言われたことないないですからね。
しばらくたってから今度はもっと素敵なポストカードを送ってみます。

nikukyu

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2008年6月8日日曜日

Vol.95 Stay-at-home boyfriend

I can say that I am kind of stay-at-home dad.
In case of ours, I am stay-at-home boyfriend because I have not married with my girlfriend.


I show you part of my work.
There are the foods which I cooked for dinner.



This one is teriyaki chicken which I cooked last Friday.

Despite my first trial of cooking this I think I did rather well than I expected.
Its apperance does not like beautiful but it was yummy.
She complimented me on my cooking well.
In addition, she hesitated to eat the last slice of teritaki chicken.



And another one is double cooked pork.
I experienced to cook this meal for the first time.
Although I followed the recipe it was too salty.
I felt as if I licked Miso itself.
I should not have put so much Miso into it.

So I fried it again with the excess amount of cabbage so that it will not so tasty.
It was still tasty but it was O.K.



Oh, now it is the time she comes back home!
What do I cook for dinner?


# 専業主夫
stay-at-home dad

ホイコーロー
double cooked pork

# かなりうまくできたと思う
think one did rather well

*************************************
レシピ通りにホイコーローを作ってみたのですが、
味噌の分量が多すぎてしまい、
まるで味噌をなめているかのようなしょっぱい味のホイコーローになってしまいました。
余ったキャベツを加えて炒めなおしてやっと食べれる味に・・・。
料理って難しいですね。
作る側に立って初めて料理を作ってもらえる側のありがたさがわかります。

nikukyu

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2008年6月7日土曜日

Vol.94 Souvenior from my senior


photo


I met me a senior of mine in my college days for the first time in a half year.
He came to Tokyo on the way his hometown Hokkaido after he had traveled Cambodia and Vietnam.
Before meeting him I was told to decide where to eat lunch in Akihabra.
I took a look at the Web for a restaurant.



I showed him the way to Niku no Mansei.
I ordered a set of beef steak and hamburger.

Good point of this restaurant is you can have a refill of rice free of charge.
In addition, they serve you a cup of coffee for free.



I talked with him over his impression about the 2 countries.
Especially, he talked me about a World Heritage site, the Angkor Wat temples.
According to his information, construction of buildings over 4th floors is not permitted because the temple has four floors.
The temple is regarded as the symbol by Cambodian people.


He asked me if I would attend the wedding party of other senior of mine.
I said,
"I would like to attend it and cerebrate him but maybe I could not attend..."
He said,
"It's just how you are. Other junior, N told me that he is attending but why you cannot?"
I explained my situation to him, but he seemed not to have tuned in to me.


I do not know whether I should go out of my way to attend his party....


Anyway, I received Vietnam coffee and T-shirt.

He said to me goodbye and added
"Graduate from NEET as soon as possible!"



Am I a NEET??




* インターネットで調べる
do research on the Internet // take a look at the Web

# ~をおかわりする
have a refill of

あいつはそういうやつなんだよ。
It's just how he is.〔

# 人の感情に理解を示す
tune in to others

# 無理してまで~する
go out of one's way to

************************************
半年振りに先輩に再会してきました。
アンコールワットが一番良かったそうです。
肉の万世でランチをゴチになったほか、ベトナムのお土産もいただきました。
次はマチュピチュかペトラに行くそうです。

nikukyu

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Vol.93 Failure at Watami

After copying I went to meet my friend.
As soon as we met each other he asked me how much he must pay the present for my father.
I said,
"No! No need have to pay."
He said very strongly,
"Please let me pay some. Because Your father is my father in Japan."
I was happy to perceive his feeling, so I received some money from him.


After that, he asked me to go to Shibuya because he wants to buy some CDs and poster.
I replied, "Why not?"


First, we visited HMV.
He found some CDs but they did not have posters which he had been looking for.
Second, we entered Loft on the way to Tower record.
He was looking for star-shaped sticker which glows in the dark but we could not.
Next, we went to Tower record.
The posters of his favorite artist were already sold out.
And they had the same CDs as sold in the HMV but they sold at the higher price.
Next, we went to Tokyu Hands to buy the star-shaped sheel.
And then, he bought the CDs in the HMV.



Feeling hungry, we were looking for a place to have dinner all over.
I did not know where go because it was the four or fifth times to come to Shibuya.
Finally, we entered Watami.
But my choice was wrong.
Because he is Muslim so we can not drink alcohol.
I realized that without drinking alcohol, chat and shout by the other customers are just noise for us.
We did not concentrate on our conversation at all because of noise.
I felt very sorry for him.
But the foods we ordered were O.K.


After having dinner at Watami, I invited him to eat ice cream at the Blue Seal.

We said goodbye and see each other soon.


# 暗闇で光る
glow in the dark

****************************
ワタミに行って大失敗。
いつも居酒屋ではお酒を飲んでいたので気がつかなかったのですが、
酒を飲まないとこんなに周りの客の音が気になるとは・・・。
ムスリムの友達に不快な思いをさせてしまって申し訳なかったです。
今度はもう少し気が利いたところに連れて行こうと思います。

nikukyu

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2008年6月6日金曜日

Vol.92 Tama Library


Last Sunday I went to Tama Library to copy of magazines "Science of Biology".
It was very far from my house and it took about one hour to arrive there.
I felt as if there was not Tokyo prefecture.


The magazines I wanted to copy are available only in the library.
Other library, Center Libray has also the magazine, but now it is under construction.
That's why I had to come to Tachikawa all the way from Shinagawa.


The library has huge space to read and study as well as so many books.
To my surprise, they render of copy service.
You have only to inform them of the pages which you want to copy in a magazine or book.
But the problem is the cost.
It costs 25 yen as a sheet.
To make matters worse, you can not copy by yourself and you cannot borrow a book.
I had no choice but used the service.
It is convenient for you but it is too expensive.
Why I must pay as much as 25 yen?



Anyway, I asked them to copy it.
I paid over 1000 yen in total.

**********************************
多摩図書館に行ってびっくり。
なんとコピーが一枚25円。
この貧乏人からいったいいくらお金を取るつもりなんだ?
と怒りたくなりました。(というか怒ってるw)
何はともあれ、1000円分くらいコピーしてきました。
高い交通費かけて立川まで行ったのに・・・。

nikukyu

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