打ち上げ花火

12月31日(月)快晴

小学校の先輩・同級生たちは「金の卵」と呼ばれ、15歳になると東京に就職に行き、そのまま帰ってこなかった。僕も12歳で家を出て、家族に頼らず神に帰依して生きたけど、3年後の15歳には棄教しアナーキストになりました。12年間寝食を忘れて活動家の道を歩んだあげく挫折、27歳からは無目的でだらしのない（アナーキーな？）生活で生き恥を晒しています。♪友がみな我より偉く見える日よ、花を買い来てユミと親しむ。今夜はクチナシを飾り、すき焼きを食べながら花火見物。

豪州の金の卵

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Rocket fireworks
Mon. December 31 : fine

My seniors and classmates in my primary school were called “golden eggs”. They went to Tokyo to work when they were 15 years old and never came back. I also departed from my parents home when I was 12 years old, didn’t rely on family but God. 3 years after when I was 15 years old I abandoned religions and became an anarchist. As an activist I had devoted myself for 12 years and defeated after all. Since becoming 27 years old I have been spending insignificant and dishonor (anarchy) life. ♪The day when all my friends seem to be greater than me I buy flowers to enjoy with Yumi. Setting gardenias on our table, we saw fireworks and ate sukiyaki tonight.

golden eggs in Australia

僕の書斎

12月30日(日)快晴

ユミは翻訳の仕事が入ったので年末年始を返上して1日16時間もＰＣに向かっています。僕もいくつかのボランティア活動にかかわっていますが、年齢的に第一線では手足まといになるので後方支援が専ら。インターネットで若手の質問に応えたり、各方面との連絡係というところ。と言っても1日実働2時間。残る時間は、運動3時間、読書3時間、シエスタ（昼寝）3時間。昔から働くのは苦手で、十和田のクリニックでも1日実働2時間で、あとは楽器を鳴らすか読書や昼寝をしていました。

ギター・ピアノ・ドラム

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My study
Sun. December 30 : fine

Yumi has gotten some translation job and she has been working on that for 16 hours a day in front of PC giving up the holiday season between end of the year and the New Year’s. I am also concerned in several volunteer works but I’m not young any more to work on the front line so I devotedly assist on the rearward. I answer the questions from young guys on internet and contact with various sections. Actually, I work only for 2 hours a day. For the rest of the day I spend 3 hours for exercise, 3 hours for reading, and another 3 hours for ciesta. I’ve never been good at working. I used to work for 2 hours a day as well at my clinic in Towada and for the rest of the day I played instruments, read, and had ciesta.

guitar, piano and drums

ジャック・フルーツ

12月29日(土)快晴

長さ80ｃｍ、重さ40ｋｇにもなる世界1の巨大フルーツ。外見も香りもドリアンに似ています。俗説でしょうが、どちらも水を沢山飲まないと腹痛を起こし、酒を一緒に飲むと命にかかわると言われています。小1個$5、大1個$10くらい。外皮から粘着性の樹脂が出るので解体にはゴム手袋が必要。果肉はやや繊維質で夏みかんに似ていなくもない。ユミは極めて美味、ジャックではなくてキング・フルーツだと言うけど僕はそうは思いません。果物と根菜の評価は男と女でかなり違うようです。

ゴム手袋

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Jack fruits
Sat. December 29 : fine

They are the biggest kind of fruit in the world, 80cm long and 40kg at the maximum. They look and smell like durians. It may be a popular belief but they say both of them would give you a stomachache if you don’t drink a lot of water and also it would be fatal if you have it with alcohol. Small one is about $5 and large one, $10. You need gum gloves to peel the fruit as sticky resin comes out from its skin. Its flesh is pretty stringy and looks like Chinese citron a little. Yumi praises it saying “very delicious” and “ it’s not the jack fruit but the king fruit”. I don’t think so. The evaluation on fruits and root crops seems to be very different between male and female.

gum gloves

マンゴ・スムージー

12月28日(金)快晴

ケアンズ周辺はマンゴの一大産地で郊外でも市内でもいたる所でマンゴの大木が実をたわわにつけています。市場で1個100－200円。美味しいけど1週間に1個も食べれば十分。生食以外にユミはマンゴ・スムージーを3日おきに食べています。作り方は簡単。マンゴ、ヨーグルト、牛乳、アイスクリームをミキサーで混ぜ合わせるだけ。太いストローで飲みます。

太いストロー

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Mango smoothy
Fri. December 28 : fine

Cairns and its suburb are the big mango-growing districts, so there are big mango trees with a lot of fruits here and there. Mango is $1-2 each at the markets. They are delicious but eating one of them once a week is enough. Besides eating them Yumi has mango smoothies every 3 days. The recipe is simple. Just mix some mango, yogurt, milk, and ice cream in a mixer. You drink it with a thick straw.

thick straw

マンゴスチン

12月27日(木)快晴

日本のゴルフ場は大量の薬剤を撒布するので蚊もハエもいません。日本の果物畑にはミミズも住みません。果物は体に悪いと思って3年前までは食べなかったけど、今では毎日フルーツ生活。ドリアンは果物の王様、マンゴスチンは女王様とか。そういえばネパールは王政から共和制に変わりそうですね。昔東南アジアで食べたマンゴスチンが不味かったので敬遠していましたが、地場産の完熟で新鮮なマンゴスチンやライチは美味しいものだと最近やっと知りました。

低糖果実

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Mangosteen
Thu. December 27 : fine

As a lot of chemicals are sprinkled there are no flies or mosquitoes in Japanese golf courses. There are even no earthworms living in Japanese orchards. I have never had fruits up until 3 years ago as I have believed they were unhealthy but now I have them every day. People say durians are the king of fruits and mangosteens are the queen. By the way, Nepal seems to change its government from kingship to republican system soon. I had been backing away from mangosteens since I have had a tasteless one in East-south Asia long time ago. But recently I knew that local, fully ripened and fresh mangosteens and lychees are delicious at last.

low sugar fruits

ホーム・コースのジャック・フルーツ

12月26日(水)晴後曇

豪州のゴルフ場は起伏が少なく、フェアウエーが広いので気持ち良くプレーできます。僕のクラブはグリーン・フィーが$2、中古ボールが1個$1なのでラフには放置されたボールが沢山落ちています。僕は比較的執念深く球を探す方で、ついでに放置球も拾うので、こちらでゴルフボールを買ったことはありません。あちこちにマンゴ、パパイヤ、ジャック・フルーツ、ドリアンなどの果樹がありますが、誰も無断で採ったりしません。十和田のゴルフ・コースではリンゴが熟す前になくなるのが普通でした。農薬漬けのリンゴは毒だと思うけど・・・。

フルーツの盛り合わせ

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Jack fruits at my home golf course
Wed. December 26 : fine

As there is few rolling and wide fair ways in Australian golf courses you can play comfortably. In my club the green fee is $2, second hand ball is $1 each and there are a lot of lost balls in rough. I am the one who looks for the balls you hit in the course vindictively and picks up other balls left so I have never bought golf balls in Cairns. Although there are fruit trees here and there such as mango, papaya, jack fruit and durian no one picks them secretly. At the golf course in Towada apples were always picked away totally before getting mature. I think the apples with a lot of agrichemicals are poisonous, though.

assorted fruits

クリスマス・国粋ディナー

12月25日(火)快晴

二昔のさらに二昔前、旅の宿では朝食は決まって海苔玉ご飯でした。豪州では生卵を食する習慣がないし、サルモネラ中毒の心配があります。しかし隣町のインニスフェールにはヤマギシ会の農場があり、新鮮な卵が入手できます。極太蕨も市場で購入。エリトリアの塩を使った浅漬けは自家製。麦茶も醤油も鰹節も、大抵の日本の食材は市内で購入できます。人生62年間で七面鳥やケーキはほとんど食べたことはありません。

冷たい七面鳥

エリトリア

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Nationalistic Xmas dinner
Tue. December 25 : fine

A long, long time ago the breakfast in the inn was habitually dried weed, raw egg, and rice. In Australia people never eat raw eggs, moreover, there is a risk of getting salmonella infection. But there is Yamagishism Farm in the next town to Cairns, Innisfail and you can get fresh eggs from there. Thick brackens are also available from the market. The pickles made with Eritrean salt is home made. You can buy most Japanese ingredients such as barley tea, soy sauce, and dried bonito in City. I have rarely eaten turkey and cakes in my 62-year life.

cold turkey

Eritorea

クリスマス・ツリー

12月24日(月)快晴

公費の地鎮祭が違法なら、学校や公共の場にクリスマスの飾り付けをするのも憲法違反じゃないの？いっそのこと靖国神社にツリーを立て、国立劇場でミサを流し、二重橋でキャンドル・サービス、浜離宮で七面鳥の食い放題、天皇誕生日から元旦まで断食にしたら？ところでケアンズのクリスマス・ツリーはモールの小物を除けば、シティー・プレースにヤシの木より低いのが１本だけ。クリスマス・キャロルも聞こえてきません。

シドニー駅のツリー

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Xmas trees
Mon. December 24 : fine

If the ground-breaking ceremony using tax is illegal Christmas decoration at schools or public apace is also against the Constitution? It might be better still to place a Christmas tree at Yasukuni Shrine, sing the Mass in the National Theatre, perform candle service on the Nizyu Bridge, serve all you can eat turkey at Hamarikyu Garden, and set the Ramadan during the period between Emperor’s birthday to New Year’s Day. By the way, there is only one Christmas tree that is smaller than Palm tree at City Place except other tiny ones in shopping malls. You cannot hear any Christmas carols.

Christmas trees at Sydney Station

馬蹄泳法

12月23日(日)快晴

僕の住んでいるマーカスのプールは浅過ぎ！20ｍプールの片側は水深1.3ｍありますが、反対側は60ｃｍ。無理にターンすると額や肘を擦りむきます。だからいつも空いています。僕は深い側ではターンをして、反対側では5ｍ手前で小回りにＵターン。テラスからのギャラリーが結構多いので、この馬蹄泳法が僕のアパートで来年はブレークするでしょうか？

馬蹄湾のイブ

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Horse shoe style of swimming
Sun. December 23 : fine

Our swimming pool in Marquis is too shallow! The pool is 20m long and one side is 1.3m deep but the other side is only 60cm deep. If you make yourself turn at the shallow side you would scratch your forehead or elbow. That is why there are always few people at the pool. I turn normally at the deep side and make a small U-turn 5m before the end of the opposite side. As there is quite a gallery at the terraces this horse shoe style swimming may be a break in our apartment next year?

Christmas Eve on Horse Shoe Bay

マーカスのプール

12月22日(土)快晴

僕は幼年時代を青森県の下北半島で過ごしました。戦後の食べ物も薪も教科書もない時代。小学校では欠食児童の体力増強のために、夏の午後は海水浴、冬の午後はスキー教室、春秋は駆け足の毎日。お陰で今でも水泳・スキー・ジョギングは得意です。1960年から30年間続けた反戦マラソンは1991年の妻の死で中止。スキーも豪州移住を機にやめました。しかし1986年に自家用室内プールを所有して以来20年間毎日2000ｍ泳いでいます。旅先でも宿泊はプールのあるホテル。ピースボート乗船中だけは泳げません。

ピースボートのプール

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The swimming pool in Marquis
Sat. December 22 : fine

I spent my childhood on the Peninsula Shimokita in Aomori Prefecture. It was just after the Second World War so there were no food, no firewood, and no textbooks. In our primary school we went swimming in the sea in summer afternoon, went skiing in winter afternoon, and went running in spring and fall every day in order to increase physical strength of undernourished schoolchildren. Thanks to those exercise from that time - I’m still good at swimming, skiing, and jogging. I had continued running anti-war marathon for 30 years since 1960 and have stopped it in 1991 when my wife past away. I also stopped skiing when I moved to Australia. I have swum 2,000m everyday for the past 20 years since when I owned my indoor swimming pool in 1986. I always stay in the hotels that have swimming pools when I go travelling. I have never swum, however, on Peace Boat.

swimming pool in Peace Boat

白髪の渡り鳥

12月21日(金)快晴

僕のブログの英文タイトル「Down under」とは豪州やＮＺに移住すること。「Nomad」とは流れ者。豪州では早期引退がステータス。引退後は住居を処分し、大型のキャンピングカーや機帆船で国中を移動しながら年金生活を送るのが夢。このような高年者はGrey Nomadと呼ばれ、常時10万人以上いるそうです。日本でも養蜂家のように夏は北海道、冬は南九州へと渡り鳥生活を送るのは素晴らしいかも。

豊かな老後

巨泉のウッシッシ

12月20日(木)快晴

人口が減少すれば不動産価格は下落し、内需も減少し、増税は不可避です。「需要と供給」の経済原則です。同じ悩みを持つ欧州は東欧を吸収しようと試みていますが、不純を嫌う日本は急速に高齢化社会となり、経済は衰退の一途。若者が将来年金をもらえないのは明白だし、老人の面倒を見切れません。大橋巨泉氏は日本に見切りをつけてカナダとオセアニアに生活拠点を移しました。こちらでは移民の導入により若年人口は増え経済は活性化し、財政黒字の使い道に困っています。♪姥捨ての国捨て異国に住みちょびれ、栄枯の海の摂理踏み踏み。分かるね？

ＯＫショップ

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Grinning Mr. Kyosen
Thu. December 20 : fine

If the population is decreased real estate declines, domestic demand also declines, and the tax increase is inevitable. It’s the economic principle of “demand and supply”. Europe has the same problem and trying to absorb East Europe, but Japan that detests impurity has rapidly become aging society and its economy is getting worse every day. Japanese young generation apparently cannot receive pensions and they are also unable to look after too many old people. Mr. Kyosen Ohashi had given up Japan and moved to Canada and Oceania. In those areas young workers are increased by the innovation of the policy of immigration, economy is activated, and financial surplus has become a big problem. ♪Abandoning Japan I live in foreign countries, because I believe economic principle. You see?

OK shop

諦めと悟りの国

12月19日(水)快晴

日本では冬季賞与が3年連続過去最高なんてすごいですね。だけど自動車メーカーＴ社の系列企業が時給800円で従業員を募集しているのを見てびっくり。豪州の最低賃金は時給1700円。日本人ワーホリが時給600円くらいで働くので、他の国の学生たちから苦情が続出。僕は今年初めて40万円の国民年金をもらいました。それが月額ではなくて年額と聞いてびっくり。1ヶ月35,000円以下？だって僕の豪州の年金は1日35,000円以上なのに。45歳以上の外国人は1ヶ月に60万円以上の不労所得がないと豪州ビザは下りないのです。

日本の若者

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The country of philosophy and enlightenment
Wed. December 19 : fine

Japan is wonderful that winter bonus is new high for 3 years. I was surprised that an affiliate of T automobile maker was recruiting employees for $8 per hour. In Australia the minimum hourly wage is $17. As Japanese working holiday makers work an hourly wage of $6, many students from other countries complain after another. I was given national pension of $4,000 this year for the first time. I was surprised again by knowing it was not a monthly sum but the annual sum. Oh my god! Is it less than $350 per month? My Australian pension is more than $350 per day. Actually, a alien who are more than 45 years old cannot get Australian visa if he/she does not have more than $6000 unearned income per month.

young people in Japan

金貨と銀貨

12月18日(火)快晴

豪州ではドル硬貨($1,$2)は金色で、セント硬貨(c50,c20,c10,c5)は銀色。通貨として本物の金貨・銀貨はありません。１セント硬貨は流通していないので５セント以下は２捨３入。つまり98セントの買い物に１ドル払ってもお釣りはもらえません。事情を知らない日本人観光客が時々スーパーのレジで文句を言っています。お釣りの銀貨は会計カウンターにある募金箱やチップ皿に寄付するのがスマート。豪州にはチップの習慣はありませんが、チップは勿論、大道芸人や物乞いに銀貨をあげるのは失礼とされています。銀貨を使ったり、持って歩くのはかなりダサいのだと最近やっと悟りました。

タダ見は失礼・大道芸人

金貨の思い出

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Gold coins and silver coins
Tue. December 18 : fine

In Australia dollar coins are golden and cent coins are in silver colors. There are no genuine gold coins or silver ones. As ￠１coins are not circulated things less than ￠5 are rounded off. For example, if you hand $1 for ￠98 goods, you wouldn’t receive any change. Sometimes I see some Japanese tourists who don’t know about it complaining at the checkout counter. It’s refined to put silver change into the donation box or tip plate. There is no custom of tipping in Australia. They think it is rude to hand silver coins as tip to street performers or even beggars. I have recently noticed that paying by silver coins or carrying silver coins are quite hick.

it's shame to see busker without tip

my memory about gold coin

パーキング・コインの収集

12月17日(月)快晴

シティーの道路は片側2車線で、道の両側と中央分離帯が駐車スペース。パーキング・メーターは1ドル100分。大雑把なのか、計算が苦手なのかケアンズっ子が使用するのは金貨($1と$2)だけ。30分くらい放棄されたメーターはいくつも捜せるので短時間なら無料で駐車できます。他人の時間切れのメーターを見かけると、何とケアンズっ子は駐車違反にならないように銀貨（10, 20、50セント）を投入して通り過ぎます。週5回係員がコインの収集に回ります。

シドニーのパーキングメーター

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Parking coin collecting
Mon. December 17 : fine

The roads in City have 2 lanes each side and the both sides of the roads and the central separating areas are used as the car parking space. The parking rate is $1 for 100 minutes and you can use 5 different kinds of coins from those of ￠10 to $2. OZs being lukewarm or not good at calculating, they only use gold coins ($1 or $2). As you can find a lot of parking spaces with the meters being abandoned 30 minutes left you can park without paying yourself. Surprisingly, if Cairnsians find any meter being ran out of time, they put in silver coins(￠10, ￠20 and ￠50) and pass away. Traffic division staff comes to gather coins 5 times a week.

parking meter in Sydney