Monday, December 31, 2018

New Year's Eve

It is the final day of 2018. I enjoyed the year. How about you?

Hibiya Park



Sunday, December 30, 2018

No Puzzler Hints

Not yet. Keep watching.

Hibiya Park

Saturday, December 29, 2018

No Puzzler

It is the end of the year. Next Puzzler will be January 5th. Watch for it.

Waiting in line at stage 2.



Thursday, December 27, 2018

Emperor's birthday address

My Tokyo adventures continued. It is interesting. The more I go to Tokyo and explore, the smaller Tokyo is becoming in my eyes. The most amazing thing to me is that there are so many, many shops! On Monday I went to the Imperial Palace to hear Emperor Akihito's birthday address. Unfortunately I was too late. I got in line just after10AM. The news reported that there were about 80,000 people. That was because it was the final birthday address by this emperor. (The average is about 50,000 I heard.) While I was waiting in the first line, I watched as many, many people exited (left) the palace grounds after the first speech. It took about 20 minutes. We finally started to move in, but there were two giant rows of people in front of me. We got to the check points. First there was a bag check and then we continued to the body scan. I passed both with "flying colors". Then we waited again. I could see the crowds starting to enter the palace grounds waaaaaaaaaaaaay in the distance. By the time it was our turn, the police officer announced that it was too late to hear the speech but we could enter the grounds. I gave it up. I couldn't wait any longer. I had to pee.

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Neko Tsuzura by Eiko

I made a Neko Tsuzura. It is also called Neko Chigura.
Do you know that? That is a small cat’s house.  It is made of straw.

People kept rice in the warehouse in Japan long ago. There were a lot of mice there. So They kept cats to get rid of the mice. And put the NekoTsuzura in the warehouse for the cats.
It is popular for cat lovers now.
A course to make the NekoTsuzura was offered at the Culture Center near my house. I went there from July.

To make the Neko Tsuzura is to weave the straw. I completed it in 7classes. I enjoyed making it. I like the smell of straw.
I weaved it hoping that my cat, Mike would enter inside of it. I was very happy when my lovely Neko Tsuzura was completed in November. At that time though, we were already using the Kotatsu at home. Oh, Mike chose the Kotatsu over my love and effort.

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

So this is Christmas

Indeed! It is Christmas 2018. Our family exchanged gifts last week. Around the world friends and families are giving and enjoying the holiday cheer. Of course, not everyone is so lucky. So, let's give thanks and count our blessings. The following is info from the Internet.

Christmas is also sometimes known as Xmas. Some people don't think it's correct to call Christmas 'Xmas' as that takes the 'Christ' (Jesus) out of Christmas. (As Christmas comes from Christ-Mass, the Church service that celebrated the birth of Jesus.)

But that is not quite right! In the Greek language and alphabet, the letter that looks like an X is the Greek letter chi / Χ (pronounced 'kye' - it rhymes with 'eye') which is the first letter of the Greek word for Christ, Christos.
The early church used the first two letters of Christos in the Greek alphabet 'chi' and 'rho' to create a monogram (symbol) to represent the name of Jesus. This looks like an X with a small p on the top: ☧



Monday, December 24, 2018

No Puzzler Answers

I have no Puzzler activity for you. Below is a Nativity Scene from the Christian religion. This one is in the Carnegie museum of Art in Pittsburgh.




Sunday, December 23, 2018

No Puzzler Hints

No Puzzlers yet. Keep watching. Below are some decorations from the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.


Saturday, December 22, 2018

No Puzzler

It is the end of the year. Next Puzzler will be January 5th. Watch for it. In the meantime enjoy the holidays with family and friends.

White House Christmas decorations




Friday, December 21, 2018

Don't blow your horn, please Part 2

The Internet report that I saw gave various reasons to NOT blow your horn. Some of them are as follows:
1. The Japanese Road Traffic Law states that a vehicle horn should be used only in an emergency OR in a dangerous locations where there is a signpost.
2. a vehicle hron is often used to warn pedestrians that the car is approaching them from behind. Such horn use violates the law.
3. There is concern that the effects of a vehicle horn on people outside the vehicle including pedestrians and residents who are living in neighborhoods with narrow roads may be serious. 

4. Long honks and horn use to gain another's attention or to alert another to dangers often aroused negative psychological reactions in listeners. These reactions were more remarkable for pedestrians.
5. Some people found horn use  to be "startling", "noisy", or "irritating.
6. People at home reported hearing vehicle horns and were actually annoyed by the horn sound.
More good reasons to NOT blow your horn. I suspect (think) that it is also stressful to the HONKER as welll as the HONKEE.

Thursday, December 20, 2018

Don't blow your horn, please Part 1

Some people in Japan honk (blow) their car horns. They do so for a variety of reasons. In my home country, the US of A, horn blowing is all too (very, very) common. People do it for different reasons. I also saw on the Internet that in some countries people do it all the time. So, it is not too bad here in Japan. However, we debated the issue in several of my classes. Why? 1. I dislike horn blowing very much. I can say that "It is my pet peeve." That means that I dislike it more than any other dislike of mine. So, Miwako told me that she saw a guy on Japanese TV who said that it is illegal (against the law) to blow your horn in Japan, except in hte mountains where there is a sign posted when you must blow your horn (see pic). Some people blow their horn to say "Bye bye" or "Hello" or "Thank you". These are all illegal. Some people do it to warn other people that there is danger. But, I think that in that case, if you see danger, you should stop your car! Why? Because it is dangerous. Some people blow their horn when they are angry. Please, don't blow your horn.

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Tai-yaki

My adult students have many hobbies and travel a lot. In our lessons we often exchange information. Some times it is about travelling. Sometimes that travel is local, and sometimes nationwide and sometimes foreign. When I have the chance I tell my stories. Recently I got a pamphlet about Saitama's two major train lines. They are the Utsunomiya line and Takasaki line. This pamphlet introduces a variety of eateries. One is in Kitamoto. I decided to visit the place. IT is called AKABA Cafe. Their specialty is Tai-yaki. I like Tai-yaki. I was free one afternoon so I got on the train and took the three minute ride to Kitamoto. From the station I followed the map and found the place easily. It is small. There were two customers when I entered. I sat at the counter and ordered one Tai-yaki and an Earl Grey tea. It was 500 yen. The owner was a friendly guy. When I showed him the pamphlet he gave me a 50 yen rebate (money back). That was cool. He also pointed out (showed me) the BINGO game on the back of hte pamphlet. If I go to a place on the Utsunomiya line I can BINGO! There are several kinds of presents you can get. I see that there is a Parfait Cafe in Toro. Will I go? 

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Dewars

This is the PR on the box of Scotch Whiskey. There is some interesting vocabulary. Check it out.

EST 1846
Dewar’s
-True Scotch-
Aged 12 Years
The Ancestor
The Dewar family has lived in rural Perthshire, Scotland for generations. John Dewar, born 1805, founded his business in 1846 and pioneered the art of carefully blending up to 40 single malt and single grain whiskies together to make scotch that was fine, smooth and never varied.
We’re proud to have been suppliers to the Royal household for over 100 years and in that time we’ve become the most awarded blended scotch in the world.
Over 100 years ago Dewar’s pioneered the technique of allowing the single malts and single grains to “marry” together in vintage oak casks for several months after blending. As any expert on blending will tell you, this process makes our Scotch incredibly smooth, with many subtle layers of flavor in perfect harmony.
At Aberfeldy in the heart of the highlands, John’s sons built a distillery to make the Single Malt that shapes the honeyed, rich flavor of our scotch. There’s gold in the water source…but that’s another sorry.

Monday, December 17, 2018

Puzzler Answers

And now, the end is near....Yes. Puzzler  andfriends can rest for  afew weeks. They will be back on January 5th. Puzzler Answers: CLICK HERE.

以下はスーパースクラブルパズルです。よく見ると、4つの空白のタイルが見つかります。 空白のタイルとは、何も書かれていないタイルのことです。それら空白のタイルは、ある単語の一部です。空白のタイルに、どの文字があてはまるかを考えてください。おわかりですか?答えは、ページを下にスクロールして下さい。GOOD LUCK

Below is a Super Scrabble Puzzle. If you search carefully you will find four blank tiles on it. BLANK means that nothing is written on it. But, they are part of the word. Try to determine what letter the BLANK tiles are. After you have your guess you can scroll down the page to find the answers. As always, GOOD LUCK.









































WAVE /WAVY               CRASS/CLASS         HEAD/EMPTY          CRITTER



Sunday, December 16, 2018

Puzzler Hints

actually, this is the final Puzzler for 2018. I have enjoyed them all. How about you? Did you find them interesting? Entertaining? Puzzler Hints: CLICK HERE.

December Home Project
interesting (面白い)VS. interested (興味を持っています)
「interesting」は「(物が)(人にとって)興味深い、面白い」、「interested」は「(人が)(物に)興味がある」という意味の形容詞です。
主語に注意して以下の例文で違いを確認しましょう。
例:My brother is not interested in golf. But I think that golf is very interesting.
私の兄(弟)は、ゴルフに興味がない。しかし、私は、ゴルフは大変面白いと思う。
I am interested in ~ 私は~に興味がある。
He is interested in ~ 彼は~に興味がある。
They are interested in~ 彼らは~に興味がある。
ALSO boring / bored, tired / tiring, surprised / surprising, amazed / amazing confused / confusing.
これらの例を、ブログの中から探してみてください。皆さんも、それらの単語を使って会話をしたり文を作てみましょう。Good Luck!

Pola Museum. This is glass.


Saturday, December 15, 2018

Puzzler

Now it is Saturday.  The yearend is closing in. I'm getting happier and happier. Puzzler: CLICK HERE.

December Home Project
interesting (面白い)VS. interested (興味を持っています)
「interesting」は「(物が)(人にとって)興味深い、面白い」、「interested」は「(人が)(物に)興味がある」という意味の形容詞です。
主語に注意して以下の例文で違いを確認しましょう。
例:My brother is not interested in golf. But I think that golf is very interesting.
私の兄(弟)は、ゴルフに興味がない。しかし、私は、ゴルフは大変面白いと思う。
I am interested in ~ 私は~に興味がある。
He is interested in ~ 彼は~に興味がある。
They are interested in~ 彼らは~に興味がある。
ALSO boring / bored, tired / tiring, surprised / surprising, amazed / amazing confused / confusing.
これらの例を、ブログの中から探してみてください。皆さんも、それらの単語を使って会話をしたり文を作てみましょう。Good Luck!

from Pola Museum Hakone. This is glass.




Friday, December 14, 2018

the desk

I was home alone last Sunday. And, I had a plan. I saw on the Internet about all the illuminations in and around the Yamanote line. (By the way, that is where I got the idea for tomorrow's Puzzler.) I considered (was thinking about) visiting a few of those sites in the evening, BUT, it was a little too cold and I had a task to do. What was that task? I had to take apart the desk in one of our adult children's room upstairs. It didn't look difficult but I knew it would take time. So, I gave up on the idea of going out and got to work. At this time I was home alone. So, I could work at my own pace. I got my tools; two screwdrivers and a hammer. I also got gloves and a mask. I knew it would be dusty so I wanted to protect my lungs. (I often do that when I weed.) To make a long story short, I worked for three hours and removed lots and lots of screws; long screws, short screws, silver screws, copper screws, fat screws and slim screws. I used hte hammer to break off the sides of he drawers. I started to bundle the pieces (with string) in order to throw\ them away the m\next day. But I got tired. So I gave it up. The next morning I found that M and E bundled them up. Happy!

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Santa Claus

I was Santa at the Kitamoto Kindergarten and Houikuen on Monday. This is my third time. I got there at 9AM. First I had to get my Santa suit on. It has red and white top and pants. It has a red and white cap. It has  a black belt and black boots. The whole suit was there when I took over the teaching duties three years ago and I am lucky that it fits me well. This is my third time so I am pretty good at it. At first, I meet all the kids at the Houikuen. There is my dramatic entrance. There are bells ringing as I pull my sleigh full of presents for the kids. Then there is an interview. Finally I hand the presents to the kids one by one and then we take group photos. Next I exit and then sneak over to the Kindergarten. I meet there with 5 or 6 2 to 3 year-olds for a "quickie" meeting. Then I sneak over to the hall where I am waiting on stage with the curtain closed until their party is over. Then, the curtain is opened. After another interview there is some singing and dancing. Then the kids come on stage to get their presents. More photos and finally I leave at 11:30. It's fun.

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Glass no Mori Museum

We got to our hotel and checked in. It was quaint. That means comfortable and cozy. I wanted to relax. However, M had another idea. That was to visit the Glass no Mori Museum which was not far away. The hotel staff was there so I said that I wanted to drink some whiskey. He said that they do not have whiskey. What!? I didn't want to drink beer. I didn't want to drink sake. I didn't want to drink shochu. I wanted whiskey! BUT, they didn't have any. Mama Mia! Then Miwako had a brilliant idea. She said we could go to the Museum and buy some whiskey on the way back. I agreed as I wanted to drink some whiskey. So we put on our shoes and drove to the museum. It only took 15 minutes. (I spotted a Lawson's and a 7-11 so I planned my purchase.) Most of the displays are outdoors. They are a white glass and really beautiful. It was fascinating. We only had about 45 minutes to see everything as they closed at 5:30. But it was not very big and only a few illuminations to see. Then we spent 15 minutes in the souvenir shop. I bought...a whiskey glass, of course. M boufgt a beer glass. On the way back to the hotel I got my whiskey and we were back in time for our dinner. All's well, that ends well.

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

POLA art museum Haokone

Two weekends again M and I visited Hakone. It was an overnighter form Sunday to Monday. We left early as we planned to visit the Pola Art Museum in Hakone before checking into our hotel. I drove us there. Traffic was very light. We went through Hakone Yumoto and then up the slopes of the mountain. We have been to this museum a couple of times, and on this day we had plenty of time so we could see (view) all of the exhibtions at our leisure (slowly/take our time). We saw three exhibitions. The main exhibition was by French artist Odilon Redon. The second was by Leonard Foujita. The third was a collection of glass works by; a. Louis Comfort Tiffany b. Emille Gallee c. the Daum Brothers. All that we saw were fascinating. We also veiwed some works by Monet, Renoir as well as Picaso. We were at the museum for three and a half hours. It was drizzling (raining lightly) outside. We had a sandwich during the visit and then lunch when we were ready to leave at 3pm. We made a visit to the gift shop too. There were not many people visitung this day so it was wonderful for us. We then went to our hotel.

Monday, December 10, 2018

Puzzler Answers

It's Monday and I'll be Santa Claus at one Kindergarten today. Please don't tell the kids though. Puzzler Answers: CLICK HERE.

以下はスーパースクラブルパズルです。よく見ると、4つの空白のタイルが見つかります。 空白のタイルとは、何も書かれていないタイルのことです。それら空白のタイルは、ある単語の一部です。空白のタイルに、どの文字があてはまるかを考えてください。おわかりですか?答えは、ページを下にスクロールして下さい。GOOD LUCK

Below is a Super Scrabble Puzzle. If you search carefully you will find four blank tiles on it. BLANK means that nothing is written on it. But, they are part of the word. Try to determine what letter the BLANK tiles are. After you have your guess you can scroll down the page to find the answers. As always, GOOD LUCK.









































QUEEN               WHIRLED                DIRT/ROUGH                QUART/AMOEBA


Sunday, December 9, 2018

Puzzler Hints

IT's eraly Decmeber and I am really lokoing forward realxing during the upcomng year end. Puzzler Hints: CLICK HERE.

December Home Project
interesting (面白い)VS. interested (興味を持っています)
「interesting」は「(物が)(人にとって)興味深い、面白い」、「interested」は「(人が)(物に)興味がある」という意味の形容詞です。
主語に注意して以下の例文で違いを確認しましょう。
例:My brother is not interested in golf. But I think that golf is very interesting.
私の兄(弟)は、ゴルフに興味がない。しかし、私は、ゴルフは大変面白いと思う。
I am interested in ~ 私は~に興味がある。
He is interested in ~ 彼は~に興味がある。
They are interested in~ 彼らは~に興味がある。
ALSO boring / bored, tired / tiring, surprised / surprising, amazed / amazing confused / confusing.
これらの例を、ブログの中から探してみてください。皆さんも、それらの単語を使って会話をしたり文を作てみましょう。Good Luck!




Saturday, December 8, 2018

Puzzler

We were relaxing in Hakone last weekend. This weekend we have some housework to do. I amy go ot Toyko. Puzzler: CLICK HERE.

December Home Project
interesting (面白い)VS. interested (興味を持っています)
「interesting」は「(物が)(人にとって)興味深い、面白い」、「interested」は「(人が)(物に)興味がある」という意味の形容詞です。
主語に注意して以下の例文で違いを確認しましょう。
例:My brother is not interested in golf. But I think that golf is very interesting.
私の兄(弟)は、ゴルフに興味がない。しかし、私は、ゴルフは大変面白いと思う。
I am interested in ~ 私は~に興味がある。
He is interested in ~ 彼は~に興味がある。
They are interested in~ 彼らは~に興味がある。
ALSO boring / bored, tired / tiring, surprised / surprising, amazed / amazing confused / confusing.
これらの例を、ブログの中から探してみてください。皆さんも、それらの単語を使って会話をしたり文を作てみましょう。Good Luck!




Friday, December 7, 2018

Benibana Furusatokan by Kesako

On Saturday, November 24th, I studied English at the church in the morning. After lunch at Tobu Store Main, I went to Sogo department store. I bought two pairs of shoes. One is casual shoes and the other is walking shoes. I also bought a bag.
On the next day, Sunday, the festival was held at Benibana Furusatokan in Okegawa. It is an annual event. A lot of prefectural associations and groups took part and sold their goods and special products at booths. It was a sunny day without wind. So, it was more crowded than usual. My husband joined a Gunma prefectural association and sold YakiManju. Have you ever eaten it? YakiManju is roasted Manju with sweet miso paste. It smells good! I went to the festival with my friend and had a lot of fun. Do you know the Benibana Furusatokan in Kanou? It is a cultural facility that was donated by a citizen. The building was rebuilt into a private house 100 years ago. There are Soba and Udon shops there. Some shops sell local goods. By the way (BTW) the actor Masahiro Motoki, also know as (AKA) Mokun, has been here several times and wrote some calligraphy as gifts. Mokun's parents house is nearby. Mokun is actor KikiKirin's son-in-law.

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Halal

As I wrote yesterday, I had lunch in Shibuya at a restaurant. It was down a stairway and the name is Waterman Fish Market...maybe. I entered and there were about 20 customers. I got my seat and looked at the menu. There were a lot of seafood and meat dishes on the menu as well as salads and drinks. It looked like a typical menu. Next to me were four young Japanese girls carrying on a loud and happy conversation. I then noticed several ladies who were wearing Hijabs. These are one of the traditional head wear for Muslim women. Then I noticed the restroom door. BUT...it wasn't the restroom! I put on my glasses and looked at the symbol on the door again. It was two women in praying positions. It was a prayer room for Muslims. I ordered my lunch. It was pretty good, but a little bland-"not having a strong or interesting taste". I talked to the manager on my way out and he told me that this eatery served food specially prepared for Muslims. That is, it is HALAL. I later checked the Internet and found that there are such restaurants all over Tokyo. I also read some material about Halal and the Muslim religion. They have rules and laws and beliefs according to their God. I will not convert to (become) Muslim but it was interesting reading.

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Shibuya experience

Two Fridays ago, November 23rd, was a holiday here in Japan. I was free all day and I went to Tokyo with Miwako and Rina. We visited Omotesando in the morning. When we were finished they were keen (eager) to go to a museum and then to a movie. That didn't appeal to me so, I said "Tootde-loo" and walked down the Meiji Douri to Shibuya station. I wanted to see the famous Hachiko statue and the street crossing. I also wanted to see what there is to see around the station. It was a fine day and I walked at a leisurely pace (easily).I became hungry so I stopped into a restaurant called The Fisherman's    Market. It was very interesting and I'll tell you about it in tomorrow's BLOG. After lunch I got to Shibuya and crossed over to the east side of the station. I found several scrambled crosswalks before I finally found the real one. There were hundreds of people there waiting. They all crossed the street when the light turned green for them. It was FASCINATING!. Lots of foreigners were talking selfies and movies of it. Then I went to Hachiko, the dog statue. Again, lots of foreigners were posing with him and taking pics. I then cruised around the station while looking at my map trying to orient myself. I was pretty confused.


Tuesday, December 4, 2018

A visit to Bannaji Temple by Kazuko

My son visited us from Osaka last Friday. We had no plans in particular when we decided to go on a day trip the next day. My husband looked up the destination on the Net. We left home shortly after 7:00 Saturday morning. During the three day weekend, the expressway was not crowded. Nice! It was crisp fall weather and the day was perfect for a drive. About two hours later we arrived at Mt. Horai in Sanno city, Tochigi. According to the website he autumn leaves were at their peak. We expected that a lot of people and cars would be there on that day. But it was not crowded at all. We enjoyed different shades of autumn colors in solitude (quiet). After that (From there) we visited Bannaji Temple in Ashikaga city. It is famous for its big (large) Ginkgo trees. Even though I'm from Tochigi I didn't know that. Have you ever heard about it? It was a sunny day and all the leaves glittered in the sunlight. The contrast between the Ginkgo gold and the Maple red was amazing. Then we had the specialty of Sanno, Sanno ramen, for lunch. My husband and I talked a lot with our son for the first time in a long time. All in all, it was a wonderful day.

Monday, December 3, 2018

Puzzler Answers

If all went well, we should be in Hakone this day. They said it would be cold. I worry that it might snow. Puzzler Answers: CLICK HERE.

以下はスーパースクラブルパズルです。よく見ると、4つの空白のタイルが見つかります。 空白のタイルとは、何も書かれていないタイルのことです。それら空白のタイルは、ある単語の一部です。空白のタイルに、どの文字があてはまるかを考えてください。おわかりですか?答えは、ページを下にスクロールして下さい。GOOD LUCK

Below is a Super Scrabble Puzzle. If you search carefully you will find four blank tiles on it. BLANK means that nothing is written on it. But, they are part of the word. Try to determine what letter the BLANK tiles are. After you have your guess you can scroll down the page to find the answers. As always, GOOD LUCK.




































DEFACE             OATHES              COUNTRY/SWUNG            ORNERY

Sunday, December 2, 2018

Puzzler Hints

The year end is near. I hope it gets colder. I really do! I prefer the cold in winter. Puzzler Hints: CLICK HERE.

December Home Project
interesting (面白い)VS. interested (興味を持っています)
「interesting」は「(物が)(人にとって)興味深い、面白い」、「interested」は「(人が)(物に)興味がある」という意味の形容詞です。
主語に注意して以下の例文で違いを確認しましょう。
例:My brother is not interested in golf. But I think that golf is very interesting.
私の兄(弟)は、ゴルフに興味がない。しかし、私は、ゴルフは大変面白いと思う。
I am interested in ~ 私は~に興味がある。
He is interested in ~ 彼は~に興味がある。
They are interested in~ 彼らは~に興味がある。
ALSO boring / bored, tired / tiring, surprised / surprising, amazed / amazing confused / confusing.
これらの例を、ブログの中から探してみてください。皆さんも、それらの単語を使って会話をしたり文を作てみましょう。Good Luck!

Sky Tree

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Puzzler

The real news is that I DID drink last weekend. I just couldn't wait! Puzzler: CLICK HERE.

December Home Project
interesting (面白い)VS. interested (興味を持っています)
「interesting」は「(物が)(人にとって)興味深い、面白い」、「interested」は「(人が)(物に)興味がある」という意味の形容詞です。
主語に注意して以下の例文で違いを確認しましょう。
例:My brother is not interested in golf. But I think that golf is very interesting.
私の兄(弟)は、ゴルフに興味がない。しかし、私は、ゴルフは大変面白いと思う。
I am interested in ~ 私は~に興味がある。
He is interested in ~ 彼は~に興味がある。
They are interested in~ 彼らは~に興味がある。
ALSO boring / bored, tired / tiring, surprised / surprising, amazed / amazing confused / confusing.
これらの例を、ブログの中から探してみてください。皆さんも、それらの単語を使って会話をしたり文を作てみましょう。Good Luck!

SenSouJi Asakusa