rainy season has set in

According to the Meteorological Agency,
today the rainy season started here
in Kanto- Koshin region.

It started 10 days earlier than average (June 8).

It started 11 days earlier than last year (June 9).

We'll have cloudy or rainy days until the latter part of June.

I hope we'll have sufficient rain for the crops.
I hope we'll not have such heavy rains as to cause floods.

Let's take good care of ourselves, anyway.

---------------------------------------

Today I learned two interesting expressions
in Wednesday English Class. One is

‘go in one ear and out the other.’
(右から左に聞き流される)

(ex. Let her talk go in one ear and out the other.)

The other is

‘rock the boat.’
（平静な状態をかき乱す）

(ex. She is the person to rock the boat.)

going to Lake Kawaguchiko, alone

Yesterday I woke up early in the morning.

It was cloudy in Tokyo but the live camera on the Internet
showed Mt. Fuji was seen clearly in Fuji-Kawaguchiko machi.

I decided to go to Kawaguchiko as soon as possible.

I took a bus to Kokubunji Station.
Then I took a train for Takao. I changed trains at Takao.

At Takao I took a train for Matsumoto and left the train
at Otsuki Station.

Then I took Fuji-san limited express to Lake Kawaguchuko.



Here I am!

White clouds began to build across Mt. Fuji, so I hurried
to Mt. Kachi Kachi Ropeway to go to the top of the hill
named Kachikachi-yama.

I made it to see Mt. Fuji!





(天上の鐘)


I sat on a bench and had my onigiri looking at Mt. Fuji.

After lunch I went down Kachikachi-yama by Ropeway.

(from Ropeway)


Then I enjoyed walking along Lake Kawaguchiko.

I was so sorry Mt. Fuji was hidden in the clouds
and could not be seen at all.









I wondered the lake was getting low.（水位が下がる）

I crossed 河口湖大橋 and turn to the left.
I walked on and on till I came to Fuji Lake Hotel.

Fuji Lake Hotel is my favorite hotel.
I always have a tea break at its cocktail lounge,
looking at the lake.





Then I came back to Tokyo.

On the way back I met a group of Thai ladies.
Some of them spoke English and I enjoyed talking with them.

I was glad to hear they all liked Japan very much
and that they had been here to Japan many times!

One lady said that she had traveled from Hokkaido to Kyushu!

This time they will stay in Japan for 10 days, they said.

They are in Kyoto today.

I really had a nice Saturday.

I walked 16880 steps in a day.

Friday English Circle

On the third Friday we have our English Circle
at Chuo Kominkan.

It means I have to walk 30 minutes to attend the class.

It was rather hot yesterday and I was sweating a little
while walking.

First we read a short story from‘Chicken Soup for the Soul.’
It was a heart-warming story.

After having a tea break we had a listening training.

Our teacher read short stories aloud, and we listened to her
carefully and answered her questions in English.

We still had 30 minutes left, so we enjoyed free conversation.

We talked about a huge tornado which struck a suburb
of Oklahoma City.

Then she talked about her two daughters who attend
Japanese elementary school.

She is a young mother who loves Japanese culture.

She is a good English teacher who enjoys associating
with us Japanese ladies who are as old as her mother.

QUARTET, an English movie

Yesterday I went to Tachikawa to see a movie QUARTET.
It has been on since April 19.

QUARTET is the first movie directed by Dudtin Hoffman.

The scene of the story is Beecham House, a home for
retired musicians.

QUARTET is the story of how four opera singers in the home
come to an agreement to sing in the annual concert
to celebrate Verdi's birthday.

I enjoyed the movie very much.

The movie is full of music of Verdi, Puccini, Haydn and so on.

The scenery reminded me of the Lake District in England.

The real old musicians in the movie are all shining,
though they are all older than I am.

I remembered those western people with whom I cruised
on the Caribbean Sea in February.

“Live today to the full and enjoy your life!”
I said to myself.

to see budd-san’s painting

On Tuesday, I went to 東京都美術館
to see budd-san's painting.

budd-san is one of my good old blog friends.

He had sent me an invitation card
and I went to Ueno with S-san.

Thank you so much, budd-san.





There were many paintings exhibited.

Oh, I wish I could paint pictures and express
myself in them!







S-san showed me around Ueno Park.
We had a good time, enjoying walking.





I walked 15476 steps in a day.