aftermath of earthquake

Mar 21, 2011

 

It has been 10 days since the worst disastrous earthquake hit Japan. I am sincerely sorry for those who is suffering damages from it. I am hoping everything will be back to normal as quickly as possible!

 

We didn't have any damages here apart from over-night blackout right after the huge quake on Mar 11.  I heard that water pipes of some buildings were frozen and cracked because of the heater also went off.  In our house it was OK.  Yoshi found the hot water tap was frozen before dawn but it came all OK after the power was back an hour later.  Phew ..

 

The next morning, soon after the power back,  what Yoshi and I did first was to turn on the TV. Our eyes were just stuck to the tube showing the disaster area. I couldn't believe what I was watching. Everything was just gone. The correspondent reported that Giant Tsunami flattened the cities ...

 

It has been 10 days. People have been doing various things. I observed them and couldn't stop considering about what people put much value on.  The next day I had some people dropped by.  Ones were friends of mine who tried to get to ski resort at the very night the quake hit.  They experienced the following Northern-Nagano quake so they soon came back and dropped by my house on the way home.  Others were my aunt and uncle. They came by to bring us some rolled Sushi. My aunt said she couldn't stand watching dreadful disaster sites or poor refugees any more.  The only thing she could do she said was only cooking.   

Me? I think I was distracted enough by them almost all day. I didn't have to worry about things related to the disaster too much. I kind of appreciated them. 

There are people who try to support the refugees. Other people just go buying-up. And other people doesn't do anything special but keep having ordinary life.

I can't judge which is the right action. Maybe there is no right action.

 

The question is, how I should take action. I really don't know.

happy baby born!

Feb 19, 2011  

 

I have some friends in Matsumoto, Nagano, where I used to live. Our friendship is still going on that we have a get-together once a month.  Congratulations, one of them has had a baby recently!! The rest of us went to her place to congratulate and meet the newly born baby today!

 

It is a boy and her second baby. He is sooo... cute that I could eat his cheeks! They looked and felt just like marshmallows!  He has a one-year elder brother and they looked so alike! You can tell in one look that they are brothers!  Oh, that bushy eyebrows! 

 

The friend, mother of the two, said she got stressed from parenting. Tell me about it, she has barely gone out since she gave a birth.  Chitchatting with us seemed to comfort her really.  I am happy to know that!

My favorite sugar

Feb 7, 2011 

 

This is my favorite brown sugar! 

Recently I started to drink tea with grated fresh ginger for my body to warm up from inside.  I am quite used to the gingerly taste now but I just couldn't stand it for the first time.  In order to milden it,  I got these rumps of brown sugar soon after. I heard brown suger is more natural and better for your health than white one so...  What a wonderful encounter! Simply delicious! I am so grateful for the opportunity.  I wouldn't get to know about the suger if I didn't start the ginger tea.  I always hated my cold constitution which draws indigestion and constipation and ... piles..  but I appreciate it first time ever!

 

Jack smeared

Feb 2, 2011 

 

It should be dog's nature but I just can't stand it!  Jack, my cute black dog, got as stinky as half-rotten garbage this morning "AGAIN."  sigh...  

He seems to like smell of cow and horse shit and also deer's dropping a lot. In particular, he loves to wear it. Once he is attracted by those stuffs, he starts to roll around on them again and again. After that it looks like his black coat is wearing yellow ocher veil or dusted by completely dried sand.  ...And the smell...!!! It just kept me from touching him.  What a mismatch how he looks and his innocent smile are!  

This morning Jack and I was walking along a path in a small park.  No one else was there so I unleashed him.  He is timid enough that he cannot explore around by himself. No need to worry he gets lost. However,  I should have worried if there is something STINKY ...!  I saw him being curious about something over a hill but it was too far from me to recognize what it was.  I was like, 'Ah...!'  when he started to roll around... Too late.

We had to visit my uncle's after that... I took smelly Jack with me.  Of course,  he couldn't have permission to enter my uncle's house...

 

I really want to ask all the dogs in the world why they do such a weird stuff????? 

 

 

okonomi-yaki

Jan 19, 2011 

 

It was fun last night.  I invited a couple for a dinner last night.  

They are Mr. Y and his wife Keiko-san.  They have a mountain cottage diagonally behind my house.  Keiko-san and I made a good friendship last summer.  You know, it was scorching hot and they came to the cottage much more often than the summer before.  We had chances to talk a lot so we made a good friend to each other!  I think it should also be the reason that they have a cute brown poodle named May. 

 

I chose okonomi-yaki for the dinner. I was a kind of confident that they would be happy with our taste because Yoshi and I had kind of sneaked a look at how to make delicious Okonomi-yaki when we went back to Osaka, Yoshi's hometown.

Ahh, what a shame I forgot to take pictures...!!  It really looked mouth-watering...! Of course it tasted two thumbs up too!

 

My life is so mixed up right now ... I am trying to be just myself but some people find me nice and other people find me like kiss-ass ... I just have no idea what to do.  Hmm..  People told me that I do things just awkwardly and that rubs their back the wrong way sometimes.  Maybe they are right.  However,  then,  I really want them to show me the person who 'always' do the right thing in the right place in the right time!  No one can be perfect ...  sigh... 

 

Anyway,  I had really a good time last night.  That is for sure!  I want to thank them for coming.  And Yoshi, who had been at work and must have been tired.  He didn't forget to entertain them too.  After the dinner he threw himself in bed and started to snoring quickly.  I really appreciate his help.