ニンニクの日

2月29日(水)雨

 

年が明けてからカレンダーを半額で購入。帰宅して予定を書き込んでから気付きました。月曜から始まってる！豪州にはこのタイプが多い。土日が隣り合わせなので遊びのスケジュールを書き込むのには便利です。やっぱり使いにくいので日曜日に蛍光ペンで黄色に塗りました。故郷の青森では4年に1度の「ニンニクの日」のイベントが開催されます。

 

色盲表

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Garlic Day    Wed. February 29 : rainy

After the New Year started I bought a calendar with half price. After I started writing in my schedule at home I found that it starts from Monday! Many of the calendars sold in Australia are this style. As Saturday and Sunday lay side-by-side it is convenient to write in holiday schedule. However, it’s inconvenient for me so I colored all Sundays in yellow with the highlighter. In my hometown, Aomori the “Garlic Day” events are held every 4 years.  

test chart for color blindness

閏年の誕生日

2月28日(火)雨

 

お陰様で67歳になりました。豪州に移住して以来閏年の誕生日は落ち着きません。多くのOZが「何故閏年には1日多く働かないといけないんだ」と29日は当然のように休んで、28日には家族連れで外食をする人が多いからです。僕までずる休み人間と思われかねません。平日なのにビーチは夕方から沢山の人がそぞろ歩きしています。

 

その如月の望月の頃

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My birthday in leap year   Tue. February 28 : rainy

I happily become 67 years old today. Since I moved to Australia I don’t feel calm on my birthday in a leap year. A lot of OZs take holiday on February 29 claiming as they have the right to, “Why should we work an extra day in a leap year?” and eat out with their family on February 28. People might consider me as a cunning man. Although today is a weekday I see a lot of people walk on the beach before it gets dark. 

best season to die

スター・フルーツ(五斂子：ごれんし)

2月27日（月）雨

 

熱帯アジア原産の5－10mの果樹。生食またはサラダ、砂糖漬け、ピックルスにして食します。カットした形が星型で、酸味とかすかな甘みがあり、繊維と水分に富み、食感が良い。薄切りにすると食感を損なうので、1cm以上の厚切りがお勧め。完熟すると甘味が増します。蓚酸塩を含むので食べ過ぎると尿路結石になるとも言われています。

 

スターは特別扱い

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Star fruit    Mon. February 27 : rainy

This is a 5-10cm fruit tree originally from Tropic Asia. You can eat it raw, make salad, sugar or pickle it. Its cut end has star shape. It tastes sour and slightly sweet. Since it contains plenty of fiber and fluid it gives crunchy texture. If you cut it too thin the crunchiness gets spoiled so you should cut it in 1cm or more. When it is fully ripened it tastes sweeter. As it contains oxalate it is said that if you eat it too frequently you might have urinary stones.    

special treatments for stars

 

オスカー犬

2月26日（日）快晴

 

英語の映画は内容が良く把握できませんが、「アーティスト」は字幕なしでも99％理解できました。ハリウッドの無声映画からトーキーへの移行期を描くロマンチック・コメディー。時代を駆け抜く女と、忘れ去られる男。主人公の男女より魅力的なのが、ポウ(動物の脚)オスカー賞に輝くジャック・ラッセル。豪州の「レッド・ドッグ」や「戦火の馬」はこの賞を逃しました。

 

ポウ

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Oscar dog     Sun. February 26 : fine

I have difficulty understanding all English in the movies but I was able to understand 99% of “Artist”. It is a romantic comedy that gives picture of the transition period from the Hollywood silent movie to the talkies, portraying the heroine who runs past the era and the forgotten hero. Who attracts the audience more than the major characters is Jack Russell who has won Paw Oscar Prize. “Red Dog” from Australia and “War Horse” both missed this prize. 

paw

J・エドガー・フーバー

2月25日（土）快晴

 

フーバーは1924年から1972年までFBI長官を務め、8代の大統領に仕えました。有名人や政財界人を盗聴し、不倫、同性愛、借金、スキャンダルなどをネタに脅迫。ケネディー、ジョンソンなど歴代大統領も彼の言いなりでした。ケネディー兄弟、モンローの暗殺にも関与が疑われています。彼は同性愛で生涯独身、死後直ちに秘書が盗聴ファイルを焼却しました。

 

FBIと米国の陰謀

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J. Edgar Hoover     Sat. February 25 : fine

Hoover served as the director of FBI from 1924 to 1972 and worked for 8 presidents. He bugged the celebrities, politicians and financers and threatened them for their adulteries, homosexuality, debts and other scandals. Presidents such as Kennedy and Johnson were under his thumb. He is being suspected concerning to the assassination of Kennedy Brothers and Monroe. He was homosexual and kept being single throughout his life. His personal secretary burned his bug files up right after his death. 

FBI and American plots

「喋るのは男に、実行は女に頼みなさい」

2月24日（金）快晴

 

オスカー賞を控えた2月は佳作の映画が目白押し。『鉄の女』は1979-1990年保守党を率いて、英国初の女性首相となったマーガレット・サッチャーの物語。IRAを弾圧し、フォークランド紛争で武力を行使。インフレ克服のために組合を潰し、増税を断行。金持ち優遇策を取ったので冷酷な首相と評されます。メルリ・ストリープが好演。

 

サッチャリズム

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“Ask men to speak, ask women to do”    Fri. February 24 : fine

A lot of fine films are lined up in February, just before Oscar Prize. “The Iron Lady” is about Margaret Thacher who led Conservative Party as the first female Prime Minister in Britain from 1979 to 1990. She oppressed IRA and used force in Falkland Island War. In order to beat inflation she smashed the unions and resolutely carried out tax increase. As she gave favorable treatment to the riches she is called a cruel prime minister. Merli Streep played the role quite well. 

Thacherism

富士山の日

2月23日（木）快晴

 

語呂合わせで本日は「富士山」の日。11,000年前にできた活火山。最後の噴火は1707年、江戸に4cmの火山灰が降りました。山岳霊場として長年女人結界を維持していましたが、1867年(慶応3年)10月15日英国公使ハリー夫妻が登山。1872年女人禁制解除。現在は奈良県の大峰山だけが女人禁制。10月15日は「自由に行こう」で女人禁制破りの日です。

 

蝦夷富士

 

１富士2鷹

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Mt Fuji’s Day  Thu. February 23 : fine

Playing on words in Japanese today is the Day of Mt Fuji. Mt Fuji is an active volcano created 11,000 years before. When it last erupted in 1707 4cm-high ashes fell over Edo city. Being as the holly mountain women was prohibited to climb it for long time. The English minister-counselor Harry and his wife climbed it on October 15 of 1867. The prohibition to women was abandoned in 1872. The prohibition still remains only in Mt Omine side in Nara prefecture. October 15 is the Prohibition Abandon Day in Japan – 10^th month (jiyuu or freedom) and 15 (ikoo or let’s go).

Ezo-Fuji 

Fuji the first, eagle the second

日本人墓地の現状

2月22日（水）快晴

 

日本人は先祖を敬いません。3代前の先祖の名前を覚えている人は稀。豪州にはカウラの他にブルームと木曜島にも日本人墓地がありますが荒れ放題。東南アジア各国の日本人墓地も訪れましたが、夏草が蒸していました。政府も財界も一般庶民も、票に結びつかないことや金にならないことは拒否。日本人の墓だけが荒れているのは見苦しいことです。

 

ブルーム

 

木曜島

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Present state of Japanese cemeteries  Wed. February 22 : fine

Japanese people rarely respect their ancestors. Few people can go back to name their ancestors to three generations previous. There are Japanese cemeteries in Broome and Thursday Island out of Kowra but they are being both run-down. I visited several Japanese cemeteries in South East Asia and I found there occupied with summer grasses. Our government, the business world and even the common people refuse to do something that is hardly related to their votes or money. It’s an unpleasant to see that only Japanese grave yards are ruined.

Broome 

Thursday Island

南京大虐殺

2月21日（火）快晴

 

1937年南京に侵略した日本軍は2ヶ月間中国兵や一般人を無差別殺戮。殺人、強姦、略奪の惨状は英米の報道記録に多数残っています。1942年のシンガポール侵攻後も日本兵が中国系市民を暴行、生き埋めにする映像がセントーサ博物館で公開されています。日本軍は英豪捕虜を強制労働させ、斬首し、多数の餓死者を出しました。

 

戦場にかける橋

 

粛清検問所

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Nanking Massacre  Tue. February 21 : fine

In 1937 Japanese army invaded Nanking and indiscriminately killed Chinese soldiers and common people for 2 months. Numerous miserable states of killing, raping and pillaging have recorded in English and American broadcasting reports. The films of Japanese soldiers assaulting and burying Chinese people alive after invading Singapore in 1942 are being shown at Sentosa Museum. Japanese army forced English and Australian prisoners to work, behead and killed them from starvation. 

Death Railway 

Sook Ching Center

 

カウラの「自虐的」脱走

2月20日（月）快晴

 

ジュネーブ条約未加盟の日本軍はシンガポール陥落で捕虜になった英豪兵を虐待しました。第30回オスカー作品賞「戦場にかける橋」と主題歌「クワイ河マーチ」で有名です。一方豪州の捕虜になった日本兵は手厚い処遇にもかかわらず、1994年1104人がナイフとフォークで武装、無謀な集団脱走の上231人が自殺。捕虜は非国民で家族が村八分になる時代でした。

 

カウラの日本人墓地

 

カウラの悲劇

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Masochistic escape from Cowra  Mon. February 20 : fine

As Japan did not join in the Geneva Convention Japanese army abused English and Australian prisoners who were caught in Singapore. This event has become famous since the 30^th Oscar film “Bridge on the River Kwai” came out with its theme song “March of River Kwai”. On the other hand, although Japanese prisoners who were caught by Australians were treated warmly 1104 prisoners armed with knives and forks, tried mass escape recklessly and 231 of them killed themselves in 1994. It was the era when the prisoner was treated as an unpatriotic and the family was ostracized in the village. 

Japanese cemetery in Kowra 

tragity in Kowra

 

ダーウィン空襲

2月19日（日）快晴

 

1942年の今日、日本軍は242機の艦載機で北部準州のダーウィンを無差別爆撃。真珠湾攻撃より大量の爆弾を投下し、街は完全に焼かれ243人以上の死者が出ました。日本軍は引き続きブルーム、タウンズビル、ウィンダム、ホーン島、ケアンズ(7月30日)などを次々攻撃。翌年11月まで97波の爆撃を繰り返しました。

 

ダーウィン

 

ケアンズのTVはダーウィン空襲70周年とQM2入港とを繰り返し報道しています。巨大船の周りに追っかけのモーターボートやカヤックが群がっています。夕方風の具合が良くなるとヨットも集まって来るはずです。

                             

 

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Air-raid on Darwin  Sun. February 19 : fine

 

Today back in 1942 Japanese army bombed indiscriminately Darwin of Northern Territory with their 242 carrier planes. They threw even more bombs than they did in Perl Harbor attack. The town was burned completely and more than 243 people were killed. Continuously Japanese army attacked Broome, Townsville, Windom, Horn Island and Cairns (July 30). They repeated bombing 97 times until November next year. 

Darwin

They have been broadcasting repeatedly the news of 70th anniversary of Darwin bombing and QM2’s entry on Cairns’ TVs. Groupie motor-boats and kayaks have been gathering around the huge ship. Sailing boats are also to come by evening when the wind condition gets better.

 

クイーン・メアリー2号（QM2）

2月18日（土）快晴

 

明日世界一の豪華船のQM2がケアンズに入港し、僕のアパートの前沖に停泊します。QM2は2004年就航。全長345m、全幅40m、151,400トン。乗客定員2592人、乗員1253人。今回のアジア・豪州クルーズ109日間の乗船料は1人180‐2200万円で、食事代は別料金らしい。3月に大阪、広島、長崎に寄港後イギリスに戻ります。

 

QM2　

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Queen Mary 2 (QM2)　 Sat. February 18 : fine

QM2, the most luxurious cruise ship in the world will come to Cairns and anchor on the offshore of my apartment. QM2 entered service in 2004. It is 345m of length, 40m of width and 151,400tons. It can carry 2592 passengers with 1253 crews. Its 109-day cruise of Asia and Australia this time is $22,000-275,000 per head but the restaurant fee is an extra charge. After calling at Osaka, Hiroshima and Nagasaki QM2 will return to England.

QM2

ぬるま湯のメディア

2月17日（金）快晴

 

日本の新聞やTVの報道や論調は外国から見るとあきれるほど低俗で無責任。「日本人相手だからこの程度で大丈夫」とか「日本語だから外国から文句を付けられないだろう」という甘い考えのようです。少しは「世界に説明する」という視点を持って欲しい。翻訳された場合に外国人が理解できるか、論争して勝てるのか、よく考えて欲しい。

 

憫笑の日本人

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Hothouse-existing media   Fri. February 17 : fine

Looking from abroad the information and comments in the papers and on TVs in Japan are surprisingly lowbrow and irresponsible. They seem to have wishful thinking that “These low levels should be fine because most readers and audiences are Japanese” or “Foreigners would never complain because we broadcast it only in Japanese language”. They should consider their job having the point of view that “We are talking to the world”. They should contemplate whether people can understand it properly when it is translated into different languages and also whether they can persuade the opponents in a debate about the topics. 

Japanese smiling with pity

ニホンザル(日本猿)

2月16日（木）快晴

 

某国では上は政治家・役人・企業から、下は農民・漁民まで税金に群がります。財政再建には外郭団体の廃止、政治家と役人の半減は当然ですが、たかりの構造を一掃する必要があります。餌付けに慣れた猿たちは、現状維持を望み、自ら餌を捜すことをしません。取り分をめぐって争いも絶えません。それでも猿は反省しません。

 

亡国の老人医療

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Japanese monkey    Thu. February 16 : fine

In a certain country all those on the top in public offices and enterprises and also those at the bottom in farms and fishing flock around tax. In order to reconstruct the public finance you need not only to abolish extra-governmental organizations and reduce the number of politicians and officials by half, but also to sweep the structure of sponging. Monkeys that are used to be fed by people tend to hope to keep the situations as they are now and never go try searching for their food. They keep fighting each other about their share. Unfortunately, you cannot expect them to regret.

Japanese medical care for aged

コバンザメ(小判鮫)

2月15日（水）快晴

 

省庁と癒着し予算をぶんどって国民の血税を横流しする政治家、それに群がる企業や団体、その企業や団体や政治家に権勢を誇示するために全国民からできるだけ多くの税金をかき集めたい財務省。日本国の資産は650兆円。天下りの受け皿である独立行政法人や関連団体の資産はそのうち300兆円。増税の前に寄生虫退治が必要です。

 

寄生と着生

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Remora    Wed. February 15 : fine

The politicians who plunder the budget having some cozy relationship with the government office and flow into illicit channels, those enterprises and institutions that flock around money, Ministry of Finance that wants to gather as much taxes as possible from the whole nation in order to show their power to the enterprises, institutions and politicians. The total asset of Japanese government is estimated to $8T. $3.9T out of it is the asset of independent administrative agencies and their related institutions that are the posts for former government officials. You need to rid the parasites before a tax increase.

parasitism and inquilinism