市民ミュージカル

1月16日（日）快晴

 

58年の歴史のあるケアンズ市民ミュージカルの第87回公演。今年の出し物は「ヨセフ・アンド・ザ・アメージング・テクニカラー・ドリームコート」。オーケストラ20人、出演者100人以上の大作です。楽士も役者も大半が学生。豪州の学校では総合芸術の演劇を大切にします。小中学生も沢山出演しています。

 

去年の舞台

 

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Civic Musical

Sun. January 16 : fine

 

This is the 87^th performance of Cairns Civic Musical that was founded 58 years ago. This year’s program is “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat”. It’s a monumental stage with 20 orchestra members and more than 100 casts. Most of the musicians and actors are students. Australian schools cherish dramas as composite art. A lot of students from elementary and secondary schools are on the stage, too.

 

last year's performance

 

ウミガメの像

1月15日（土）快晴

 

ウミガメが孵化期を迎えているとのニュースが流れています。洪水で国道が寸断されているので今年はウミガメ見物には行けそうもありません。ケアンズ港の国際旅客ターミナルの横にウミガメの像があります。新しい文化センターができて海辺の散歩道が延伸されれば通行人も来るのでしょうが、今は訪れる人もありません。

 

文化センター

 

ウミガメ

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Statues of turtles

Sat. January 15 : fine

They are reporting the hatching season of turtle has come on the news. As the highway has cut off traffic everywhere due to the flood we cannot go to see those turtles this year. There are statues of turtles beside Cairns International Passenger Terminal. When new Culture Center is completed and Promenade is extended a lot of passersby will come to see it. However, I see nobody and nobody will visit here until then.

 

Culture Center

 

turtle

家庭菜園

1月14日（金）快晴

 

ユミがテラスでこっそり作業中。いつの間に買ったのか、プランターと用土と野菜の苗（大葉、バジル、コリアンダー）。園芸の経験はゼロなのにＴＶ番組に感化された？動物を飼ったり、植物を育てることは貴重な体験には違いないけど。毎週金曜日には市場に野菜と果物を買いに出かけていますが、売る立場になれるかも。

 

シドニーの家庭菜園

 

Kitchen garden

Fri. January 14 : fine

Yumi is working on the terrace secretly. Before me knowing she bought some planters, soils and vegetable seedlings (beefsteak plants, basils and corianders). She has no experience of gardening. I wonder if she has influenced by some TV program. I believe that raising animals or cultivating plants are precious experiences but.... we might be able to become the sellers of vegetables and fruit at the market we go to buy every Friday.

 

kitchen garden in Sydney

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バロン大滝

1月13日（木）快晴

 

洪水でＱＬＤ州では日本列島に匹敵する面積が水没し、多くの死者や行方不明者が出ています。世界の小麦と石炭の価格の上昇は確実とか。ケアンズはいつものように夜間は雨が降って日中は快晴。熱帯雨林の遊歩道路を通ってバロン大滝へ。蝶ではなくセミが大量発生し、鳴き声がうるさい。雨期のバロン大滝は水量が多くて豪快です。

  

バロン大滝

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Barron Falls

Thu. January 13 : fine

In QLD the same size of land as the entire Japan has swamped by flood and there are lots of missing and dead. It leaves no doubt that international price of wheat and coal will rise. In Cairns it rains at night and shines during daytime as usual. Passing through the boardwalk in the tropical rain forest we went to Barron Falls. The plague of cicadas (not butterflies) makes the route noisy. Barron falls in rainy season is swollen with a volume of water and it’s quite splendid.   

 

 

Barron Falls

蝶大発生？

1月12日（水）快晴

 

記録的な大雨のために豪州各地で蝶が大発生しているとのニュース。早速熱帯雨林に囲まれたキュランダに行ってみましたが、飛んでいる蝶の数は普段と変わりないようです。カフェで食事が来るまでの15分間、テラスから見えた蝶は22匹、鳥は108匹。テーブルにある21の数字は食事の注文番号で、蝶の数とは関係ありません。

 

キュランダの蝶園

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Plague of butterflies?

Wed. January 12 : fine

We heard on the news that the plagues of butterflies caused by the record heavy rain have occurred in all over Australia. We went straightway to Kuranda that is surrounded by tropical rain forest but the number of the flying butterflies seems to be same as usual. During a 15-minute period while we were waiting for our meal we saw 22 butterflies and 108 birds from the cafe terrace. The number, 21 has no connection with the number of butterflies but the order number of our meal. 

 

butterfly samctuary in Kuranda

 

 

 

財布も頭も空っぽだと

1月11日（火）快晴

 

豪州は多民族国家。多くのＯＺはモンゴリアン（蒙古顔）のあなたを外国人だとは思いません。「かわいそうに。頭が悪い人なんだ」と思うだけ。英語が理解できない人は仕事に就けないし、緊急の際に警察でも病院でも助けてくれません。豪州に限らず、どこの国でも、お金もなく共通語も話せない人間を相手にしてはくれません。

初めに言葉ありき

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If you have no money and no brains

Tue. January 11 : fine

 

 

Australia is a multiracial country. Most OZs don’t think you are a foreigner regardless of your Mongolian face. They only think, ”Poor you! You have no brains”. Somebody who doesn’t speak English isn’t able to have a job or help even at the police or hospital in emergency. Not only in Australia but also in every country people refuse to deal with a person who has no money and also no skills to speak the common language.

there were languages first

成人の日

1月10日（月）快晴

 

若者たちよ、内外にはっきり物事を言う人間になってください。日本人の英語力はアジア38カ国で下から3番目。ネパールには100以上の民族がいます。公用語はネパール語ですが、英語が教育公用語になっているので子供も英語を話します。政府機関や大企業では英語。多民族国家や陸続きの国では語学が得意？それとも日本人の頭が悪いだけ？

日本語を捨てよう！

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Adult’s Day

Mon. January 10 : fine

Young fellows, please become the men who express their opinions both at home and abroad. Japanese English-language ability is the third worst within 38 Asian countries. There are more than 100 different races in Nepal. The official language is Nepali but even children there speak English since English is the official language in education. People speak English in the government organizations and large corporations. Can we say that people in multinational and contiguous countries are good at languages? Or do we need to admit that Japanese are just not good learners?  

abandon Japanese！

 

ネパールの食文化

1月9日（日）快晴

 

カトマンズ盆地は高地ですが肥沃で良質の野菜や果物を産します。カレー風味のダール豆のスープをインディカ米にかけて食べます。水質が悪いので野菜は炒めるのが普通ですが、バクタプールの食堂で生野菜を食べる機会がありました。大根は鶴ではなくて蝶をかたどったのだそうです。そういえば山でも街でも沢山の蝶を見かけました。

果物彫刻

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Nepali food culture

Sun. January 9 : fine

Kathmandu Basin is a high land but it is fertile and yields good quality vegetables and fruit. Nepalese eat curry-flavored dal soup putting it on indica rice. As the quality of water there is not good they usually stair fry vegetables but we had a chance to eat raw vegetables at the restaurant in Bhaktapur. The white radish was cut in a butterfly shape, not a crane. Well, we surely saw a lot of butterflies everywhere, on the mountains and in the towns. 

 

fruit carving

ナベヅル（鍋鶴）

1月8日（土）快晴

 

豪州には十二支の固有の哺乳類はいませんが、鶴も亀もいます。ところで日本では強毒鍋鶴の取り扱いに苦慮。特別天然記念物より食い物の家畜が大事。鍋鶴は中国、ロシアから勝手に飛んで来て田畑を荒らす害鳥だ。鍋鶴の名の通り、日本では昔から鶴を、亀や鯨同様に食ってきた。日本の食文化と伝統を守れ！

 

豪州鶴

 

千羽鶴

 

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Hooded crane

Sat. January 8 : fine

 

No animals in Chinese zodiac are native mammals of Australia but cranes and turtles. Talking about cranes people are quite anxious about how to handle the highly virulent hooded cranes in Japan. Farm animals for food are being more important than special natural monuments. Hooded cranes flying from China and Russia are harmful birds for Japanese because they damage the fields and crops. We Japanese have been eating cranes as same as eating turtles and whales for a long time. Protect Japanese food culture and tradition!

 

Australian crane

 

1000 cranes

バンディクート（フクロウサギ）

1月7日（金）快晴

 

豪州固有の哺乳類は、コウモリ以外は有袋類。ディンゴ（豪州狼）は、10万年前にアボリジニがインドネシアから連れて来た外来種。だから豪州の十二支の動物は、蛇以外はすべて外来種。今年の干支の外来ウサギは豪州に推定6億匹。逆に外見がウサギに似たバンディクートは絶滅の危機にあります。

 

外来ウサギ

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Bandicoot

Fri. January 7 : fine

All native mammals of Australia are all marsupials except bats. A dingo is an exotic species that was brought from Indonesia by Aborigine 100,000 years ago. Thus Australian 12 kinds of animals in the Chinese zodiac are all exotic species except snakes. The number of this year’s animal, exotic rabbits living in Australia is estimated to be 600M. On the contrary bandicoots that have similar appearance to rabbits are on the verge of extinction.

 

exotic rabbit

   

 

 

クリスマスの飾り付け

1月6日（木）快晴

 

十和田では12月になると居間にクリスマス・ツリー、玄関にはリースを飾っていましたが、豪州に移住してからは花を飾る程度。今回は2週間ほど家を空けたので、玄関の飾り棚にキャンドルと小さなクリスマスの人形を2つ。豪州には門松やしめ縄はないので、今月末まで飾る予定です。

 

1992年X'mas　

 

1991年X'mas tree 

 

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Christmas Decoration

Thu. January 6 : fine

 

Back in Towada I used to decorate a Christmas tree in my living room and put a wreath on the door but after moving top Australia I only decorate some flowers in December. As we were away for 2 weeks this year we decorated some candles and 2 little Christmas dolls on the display shelf in the entrance hall. There are no decorations such as kadomatsu or sacred ropes in Australia so we are keeping those Christmas decorations displayed until the end of this month.

 

Christmas in 1992　

 

Christmas tree in 1991

 

 

豪州の水害

1月5日（水）快晴

 

過食でやや体重が増加してケアンズに戻りました。ペットの闘魚・アルファは2週間の絶食に耐えて元気に泳いでいました。冷蔵庫が空なので買い物に行きましたが、スーパーの商品棚も空。空前の水害で国道が寸断されているそうです。テーブルランドの野菜と果物があるから我家は平気。

 

買いだめ？

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Flood in Australia

Wed. January 5 : fine

We are back to Cairns now with gaining weight by overeating. On the contrary our pet, Alpha, a fighting fish is still swimming vividly bearing 2-week fasting. As our refrigerator was empty we went shopping but the shelves in the super market were empty as well. A record flood has cut off traffic on highways. Fortunately, we don’t have to worry much because we can get vegetables and fruit from Table Land.

 

hoard?

セントーサ島の蝶々園

1月4日（火）快晴

 

ケアンズからポカラに行くには飛行機を4回乗り継ぎます。遊覧飛行も含めて今回は9回飛行機に乗りました。帰路のシンガポールではグッドウッド・パーク・ホテルに泊まり、ニュートン・サーカスで海鮮料理を食べ、セントーサ島へ。17年前と同じコース。今年ユミと僕は一緒に暮らして20年になります。

 

17年前の今日

 

5年前のセントーサ島

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Butterfly Paradise in Sentosa Island

Tue. January 4 : fine

You have to change planes 4 times to go to Pokhara from Cairns: we took 9 different flights including a tour flight. In Singapore on our return trip we stayed at Good Wood Park Hotel, had seafood dishes at Newton Circus and visited Sentosa Island. It’s exactly the same route as we took 18 years ago. I have lived with Yumi for 20 years.

 

today, 17 years ago

 

Sentosa Island 5 years ago

犬・牛・鳩

1月3日（月）快晴

 

カトマンズの街角では野良犬と野良牛とハトを多く見かけます。ネパール人は牛肉を食べませんが、牛乳からバターやチーズやヨーグルトを作ります。メス牛には飼い主がいて、日中は道草を食べ、夜は自分で牛舎に戻るそうです。オス牛は野良牛ですが、ヒンズー教では牛は神聖な動物なので交通事故死や餓死はしないそうです。

イスラムのタブー

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Dogs, bulls and pigeons

Mon. January 3 : fine

I see a lot of stray dogs, stray bulls and pigeons on the street corner in Kathmandu. Nepalese never eat beef but they make butter, cheese and yogurt from milk. I hear that cows have masters. Cows eat the grass that grows beside the road in daytime and they return to their cow barns by themselves at night. Oxen are ownerless but they are never killed in traffic accidents or die in starvation since bulls are believed to be holly animals in Hinduism.    

Islamic  taboo

バクタプール

1月2日（日）快晴

 

ネパール王朝は16世紀にカトマンズ、パタン、バクタブールに分裂。バクタブールはカトマンズの東12kmにある人口8万人の古都。住民はネパール公務員の正装に採用されている円筒形の帽子を被っています。広場の旧王宮前では新年の祈願に犠牲のヤギが殺され、子供たちが伝統の舞を踊っていました。

 

 

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Bhaktapur

Sun. January 2 : fine

During the 16^th century Nepali dynasty was split into 3 cities; Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. Bhaktapur is an old capital city with its population of 80,000. It is located 12km east of Kathmandu. The residents are wearing cylindrical caps that are officially used as the full dresses of Nepali public servants. At the square in front of the old palace goats in sacrifice were killed in the hope of New Year and children were dancing their traditional dance.   

 Bhaktapur

 

 バクタプール