Wednesday, July 31, 2019

My July

Well, July, 2019 was a good month. I was as busy as a bee. Of course my Tokyo explorations continued. And I drank reasonably. My weight is still going down (not up) but it was a challenge this month.
1. Family dinner in Ueno. There was me, my wife, two daughters and our brand new son-in-law.
2. July 4th was America's Independence Day celebration. Basically, it is America's birthday. I watched the special celebration they had on TV.
3. A trip to Tokyo by myself took me to Honganji and Tsukiji.
4. Saw the movie SPIDERMAN.
5. Saw the movie ALADDIN.
6. Stayed one night in Ueno with M.
7. M and I visited the Akasaka Palace state guest house. That was my third time this year.
8. Out drinking with son-in-law and his dad.
9. Drive around Tokyo by car with M. Nice challenge.
10. Visit Aqua Park aquarium in Shinagawa.
11. Watched "france 19". This was the Women's World Cup Soccer tournament in France. I saw 7 games.b Very exciting.
12. Watched "The Open". This was the men's golf tournament over four days. Very interesting.
13. Did some gardening and weeding in the neighborhood.
14. No chance to wash the car.
15. Went to the gym 14 times.
16. Had breakfast with Kindergarten kids.
17. Watched Women's Tennis Final at Wimbledon.
18. Watched Men's Tennis Final at Wimbledon.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Singapore Memories By KUMA


1.The city         
               ● I lived and worked in Singapore from 1996 to 2000.
               ● Singapore is so beautiful and is called "greenery country".
                But Singapore is very small country. It is almost the same size as                         Awajishima in Seto inland sea or Tokyo 23 wards.
2.  The transportation  
                 Changi Airport is famous as an international hub airport. 
                    Very big, clean and beautiful. 
               ●  Female flight attendants uniform of Singapore Airline are so                                  elegant, exotic and sexy.
               ●   Bus, Subway(MRT) and taxi are at the center of the land                                        transportation. MRT stands for Mass Rapid Transit and is a subway.                    MRT is an elevated railway in the suburbs. MRT Extension                                    construction is still progressing towards the suburbs.  
3.  The restaurant
                  I wanted to introduce the restaurant “Compass Rose” on the top                           floor of The Westin Hotel, overlooking Singapore Bay. Words don’t                         appear in the beauty of the night view. 
                     Some people say that the essence of Singapore gourmet is in                                 Hawken- Center(=Food Center). That’s true. And delicious and                             inexpensive.
4.  The hotel
                 I had no chance to stay in these gorgeous hotels in Singapore.
                       1. Shangri-la 2. Singapore Raffles Hotel 3. Marina Bay Sands
                       I’d like to stay at these hotels someday.





 



Monday, July 29, 2019

Special Summmer Homework

Special Homework for the Summer of 2019
Please translate the following Japanese sentences into English.
There will be HINTS on Rick’s BLOG August 3rd.
The ANSWERS will appear on Rick’s BLOG August 10th.

1.    彼女は夏中そこにいるでしょう。

2.    ラジオを切ってください。

3.    私はペンに代わりにえんぴつを使った。

4.    その図書館は建てられてから80年になる。

5.    彼の部屋の電気がついている。

6.    空にはたくさんの星が見える。

7.    4分の3

8.    1月は31日ある。

 9.ベンはギターを大変上手に引くことができる。

Puzzler Answers

August starts thiws week. I'm getting up for the summer. I'm gonna go swimming. 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.



        



































      TABLED/EXIL          ATTEND/DOOR           CHANNEL               QUEER                 

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Puzzler Hints

Today is Sunday so it will be a good day to stay home and relax........maybe. Puzzler Hints: CLICK HERE.

July Home Project
今月のHome Projectは、「 UP」 です。

UP UP UP!
Get up, wake up , pick up, look up, mix up, get up, close up, back up, clean up, break up, blow up, dress up, hard up, call up, fix up, give up, hang up, hard up, zip up, lock up, pull up, rise up, turn up, warm up.......level up your skills and use these in conversations and in your stories this month.
今月は、これらの、up,  up,などの単語を使って会話をしたり、話の中に取り入れて文章を作ってみましょう! Good luck!

Front Gate Akasaka Palace

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Puzzler

Finally the sun has come out to shine! I'm luvin it. Of course it's gonna get hot. Stay cool! Puzzler: CLICK HERE.

August Home Project
今月のHome Projectは、「 UP」 です。

UP UP UP!
Get up, wake up , pick up, look up, mix up, get up, close up, back up, clean up, break up, blow up, dress up, hard up, call up, fix up, give up, hang up, hard up, zip up, lock up, pull up, rise up, turn up, warm up.......level up your skills and use these in conversations and in your stories this month.
今月は、これらの、up,  up,などの単語を使って会話をしたり、話の中に取り入れて文章を作ってみましょう! Good luck!

Akasaka Palace back door

Friday, July 26, 2019

Ameyoko Izakaya

So, our main goal this trip was to enjoy some eats and drinks at the Izakaya "Daitoryo". We arrived at 5pm. We hoped that by getting there early we would get a seat at the counter. Wrong! There were so many people waiting to get a seat. The guy told us to forget trying. So, we moved on, looking for a different watering hole. Most cool places were full but we finally fond one. It was right on the road where all the  people were walking and shopping. Cool. However, the food was terrible. We left soon without finishing our food. We moved on and found a place called HUB. It is a British Pub. It was a different atmosphere and worth the visit. We probably will never visit again though. Finally we went back to Ueno station. When my brother was visiting here, we found a nice Japanese Izakaya in this area. I searched for it, but couldn't locate it. Sigh. So we entered an outdoor elevator and went up to the 5th floor. Success! Here was a nice, quiet, delicious Japanese restaurant. We sat at the bar. The place was very clean. The atmosphere was good with several groups in the background, talking and laughing. Happy.

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Akasaka Palace revisited

So, we went to the Akasaka Palace State Guest House. Miwako had never been there. This was my third time. Unfortunately they do not have parking. So, I dropped Miwako off there, then found a place to park the car. Then I walked back to the Palace. We got our tickets. We watched the English and Japanese videos separately. Then we got to the Palace door and got audio players. These told us the story of the Palace and the rooms that we entered. As I learned, it is best to listen to each audio twice. Besides the four main rooms there is the main hall and the stairway as well as the entrance. You cannot return to any rooms or areas once you have left them. So, we went to each room and enjoyed the beauty of each. They are all different. They have beautiful walls, chandeliers, windows, curtains, furniture, pictures, paintings, and lots and lots of gold. We took our time. It took less than an hour. When we exited (left the building) we went to the rear of the building. There we found a garden and a fabulous water fountain. Then we went to the front and walked to out the front gate and left. It was great this time, too.

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Driving in Tokyo

Last week Monday was the first holiday since Golden week. Finally, a chance to enjoy a day off. So, Miwako and I took a trip to Tokyo. We stayed one night at a hotel very near Ueno station. To begin the trip we left home at 10:30am Monday. I drove. That was part of the adventure. I wanted to drive in Tokyo. Our first destination was the Akasaka Palace State Guest House. Yes, I have been there two times this year. But Miwako has never been there. At my request we did not use the car navi (navigation system). I wanted to to get to know (learn) my way around the city of Tokyo. We used to play bridge in Yotsuya. We drove there a lot. So, it was easy to get there and the Akasaka Palace is right nearby. It was a piece of cake. Also, it was a holiday so the traffic was light. After this visit I drove to our hotel in Ueno. It is on the west side. So, I remembered walking around Yurakucho area a couple of times so, we drove under the tracks there. Then we headed in the general direction of Ueno. Success. We checked into our hotel. Then next day I drove us to Shinagawa. Again we didn't use the car navi. We went to the Aqua Park Aquarium. Driving was different this day as there was more traffic. But all went well. That afternoon, Miwako drive home. I was pooped.

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Finally after Tsukiji

After that terrible movie I arrived at Tokyo station about 4:30. At first, I looked for a place to get a dessert. That is one of my pleasures when visiting Tokyo. I couldn't find one easily so I went to RAMEN STREET in the Yaesu Underground shopping area. About 25 people were lined up to get into Rokurinsha Ramen shop. I passed it up. I found a place that had a an open seat. I ordered a chashumen. It was simple and tasty. Then I searched for a dessert place. I walked up and down the aisles looking., I settles on one. But,m I had to wait in line. I was there for ten minutes and that was enough (to make me leave). Then I found a place called Kajitsuen. Then had lots of fruit and caked in the showcase. I looked at all those cakes and fruit treats as I waited in line. They all looked great! I had to decide. After another ten minutes in line, they invited me in. I got to my table. I chose. I got a cake with four types of berries in it. I was soft and creamy and yummy! I tried to take my time, and it was gone before I knew it. Delicious.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Puzzler Answers

July is going quite well, thank you. I have extra free time as two kindergarten lessons are off for the summer. Yeah! 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.















































BITTEN/KITTEN/MITTEN                MAIL/MOTLEY        THEN       BOUGH

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Puzzler Hints

Guess where I went drinking last night. Yep! Daitoryo in Ueno. I'm sure it was fun. Puzzler Hints: CLICK HERE.

July Home Project
今月のHome Projectは、「 UP」 です。

UP UP UP!
Get up, wake up , pick up, look up, mix up, get up, close up, back up, clean up, break up, blow up, dress up, hard up, call up, fix up, give up, hang up, hard up, zip up, lock up, pull up, rise up, turn up, warm up.......level up your skills and use these in conversations and in your stories this month.
今月は、これらの、up,  up,などの単語を使って会話をしたり、話の中に取り入れて文章を作ってみましょう! Good luck!

Inside Honganji Temple



Saturday, July 20, 2019

Puzzler

I have a special event this moring. Actaully it is happening just as this BLOG opens up. Puzzler: CLICK HERE.

July Home Project
今月のHome Projectは、「 UP」 です。

UP UP UP!
Get up, wake up , pick up, look up, mix up, get up, close up, back up, clean up, break up, blow up, dress up, hard up, call up, fix up, give up, hang up, hard up, zip up, lock up, pull up, rise up, turn up, warm up.......level up your skills and use these in conversations and in your stories this month.
今月は、これらの、up,  up,などの単語を使って会話をしたり、話の中に取り入れて文章を作ってみましょう! Good luck!

Police box Yurakucho



Friday, July 19, 2019

After Tsukiji

So, I was finished at Tsukiji fish market and still has some time. It was still raining. I walked along Harumi Street towards the Yamanote Line. I looked at my guide book. I saw that the Kabukiza and the Ginza were on my way. I stopped at the theater to get some info about early AM tickets. At the Ginza I walked along the street a little ways. It was raining but it was "People only" day. I found Mitsukoshi department store. Then back to my walk. I arrived at Tokyo Midtown Hibiya. I decided to see if there were any movies to see. There was one starting in just 10 minutes. I bought my ticket and found my seat. The theatre was packed (full of people). I settled in. The movie started. It was "Spiderman". It was terrible. It wasn't funny. It wasn't interesting. It wasn't exciting. It was boring. But, I got  a good rest. HOWEVER, when I got up to leave the theater, my left foot was in pain! The ball of my foot was hurting. I tried to walk it off. It worked. I walked for about 50 meters and the pain went away. I was going to walk up to Tokyo station, but the pain forced me to take the short train ride to Tokyo. Continued tomorrow.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Tsukiji Fish Market

I had never been to Tsukiji fish market. I have heard many stories about it. I have also read many stories about it. I had no idea where it was, actually. So, two Sundays ago, I went there. As I said yesterday, I went first to the Honganji temple. From there I walked along Harumi Street to the market. It was so much fun! There were many people sitting and standing while eating at the shops facing the street. It was a festive atmosphere. it was like a festival. I soon stopped to buy a raw oyster. Yummy! Next door were sea urchins. I love sea urchins. But 1,000yen? Sigh. Pass. I walked along some back streets, too. There was fresh fish and sea food everywhere. They all looked delicious. I finally decided on some fresh tuna. I bought a small dish and ate it standing up near the place. It was still raining, but no worries. I then walked to the shops in the back streets. I found some standing drinking shops. And there were also shops selling souvenirs. I walked on to the parking garage across the street. It also had some shops. One of these shops had ice cream. But not just ice cream. It was, Hokkaido premium ice cream. I got a chocolate one. Yummy, again!

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Honganji Temple

Two Sundays ago I paid a visit to Tokyo. I went to Tsukiji fish market and Honganji Temple. First let me tell you about the Honganji Temple. 
Several students suggested that I visit this temple if I were to go to Tsukiji fish market. They said it was very near there. I went on Sunday by train. I changed to the Yurakucho subway line at Yurakucho station. I looked at my Tokyo Guide book. It showed that I could walk there from Shitomisho station. This temple was very unique and fantastic! It was a large building with doors and windows and a domed entrance and a left wing and a right wing. I entered. First, I encountered a large room. There were many chairs for patrons and for guests. There was a beautiful golden altar in front. There was a ceremony going on (happening) at this time. There were many people dressed in traditional black suits and dresses that Japanese families wear at funerals. They were having a group memorial service. I was a tourist and there were others like me. No one minded. The altar was all golden and quite spectacular. I left this room and walked around the inside of the building. Interesting! If you haven't been there I definitely recommend it.

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

frnace 2019 Part 2

I never used to be a soccer fan. I have never played soccer in my life. When I was a kid and young adult, we played baseball, American football, ice hockey and basketball. I was not good at basketball. And I broke my noise playing basketball one day. That was when I gave up playing that sport. Now, soccer (football) is very popular in America. One reason is that American football has become a rather dangerous sport to play. There are many, many kinds of injuries. But we played a lot. I think baseball was my favorite. Anyway, while I watched the women play soccer I was very impressed. They were strong and fast, quick  and very talented. The USA team was, of course, the best. Not because they are from my home country, but because they won the tournament. In the tournament all the athletes were very good. So, what is the difference between the men's and women's soccer? In my opinion it is that the women do not complain very much. The men seem to complain a lot. Sometimes the men are like little children, in my opinion. 

Monday, July 15, 2019

Puzzler Answers

This is the Holiday. It's Marine Day. We should be waking up in Tokyo though, not the beach. 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.






































OR/FLAVOR              COUPLER           TAINTED/NETTER           INFANT

Sunday, July 14, 2019

Puzzler Hints

It is still raining. When will it let up? I wanna go swimming. Puzzler Hints: CLICK HERE.

July Home Project
今月のHome Projectは、「 UP」 です。

UP UP UP!
Get up, wake up , pick up, look up, mix up, get up, close up, back up, clean up, break up, blow up, dress up, hard up, call up, fix up, give up, hang up, hard up, zip up, lock up, pull up, rise up, turn up, warm up.......level up your skills and use these in conversations and in your stories this month.
今月は、これらの、up,  up,などの単語を使って会話をしたり、話の中に取り入れて文章を作ってみましょう! Good luck!

Honganji 

Saturday, July 13, 2019

Puzzler

Finally! A holiday! Hooray! We have some plans to take advantage of the holiday. How about you? Puzzler: CLICK HERE.

July Home Project
今月のHome Projectは、「 UP」 です。

UP UP UP!
Get up, wake up , pick up, look up, mix up, get up, close up, back up, clean up, break up, blow up, dress up, hard up, call up, fix up, give up, hang up, hard up, zip up, lock up, pull up, rise up, turn up, warm up.......level up your skills and use these in conversations and in your stories this month.
今月は、これらの、up,  up,などの単語を使って会話をしたり、話の中に取り入れて文章を作ってみましょう! Good luck!

Miki's picture of Himeji castle


Friday, July 12, 2019

france 19 Part 1

"france 19" means the 2019 Women's World Cup Soccer tournament. It was held in France this time. The world cup tournament is held every 4 years. This time the USA won the tournament. They won it in 2015, too. And they won it in 1991 and 1999. There have been eight tournaments in all (total). The US has won half of them. That is, they have won four. Japan won in 2011 against the US and then Japan lost in the final in 2015 again against the US. I became interested in watching this time several weeks ago. Why? Because it was easy to watch. The games were live in Japan on TV. The timing fit my schedule very nicely. I saw a total of six games. After I heard that England beat Norway 3 to 0, I started watching. The games were on TV at 4am. I saw the USA defeat France 2-1, then Sweden beat Germany 2-1. In  the semi-finals, the Netherlands defeated Italy 2-0 and the USA defeated England 2-0. That set the stage for the final two games. In the consolation game Sweden defeated England 2-1, and finally The USA beat the Netherlands to win the World Cup 2-0. I recorded the final two games and watched them early Saturday and Sunday mornings. To be continued.

Thursday, July 11, 2019

A night out with the boys

My new son-in-law, his father and I went "out on the town" Saturday night. "Out on the town" means "to go out drinking". Of course I have met my son-in-law many times, but his father only three times including once at the wedding. We wanted to get to know each other better so, we wanted to go out drinking. I asked them to get to the drinking spot early and get seats. They did this, and when I arrived at 6pm in Ueno I went straight to the "Daitouryo" izakaya. This was my second time and son-in-laws 4th or 5th time. His dad? It was his first time. (He lives in Shikoku.) We got a table with seats. Cool. We shared a couple of bottled beers. Then switched to sake. After two hours we were primed. So, we moved on to a new izakaya not far away. Again we had drinks and some very tasty food. It was time to move on again. Son-in-law found a whiskey bar in a hotel nearby. They had a singer/piano player. She was pretty good and we made requests and drank whiskey. By this time we had reached our limits. We stumbled on to the station. I went my way and they went theirs. We all got home safe and sound. 

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Lunch at Braserrie Rubin

From Aoyama Cemetery I went to Ark Hills by taxi. Why? Because I wanted to have lunch at a new restaurant. It is called "The City Bakery Brasserie Rubin". When we went to Suntory Hall three Sundays ago we discovered it. But it wasn't open for business at that time. This time I waited in line for about 20 minutes. I was handed a menu and decided on my lunch while waiting. I got in and sat at the bar. That was cool. There were tables inside and outside. The place was full. I ordered fried chicken with salad and bread. There was no butter, only olive oil. That was cool, too. The lunch was delicious. I only drank water. When I went to the counter to pay, there was a display of desserts in the showcase. They all looked delicious. I considered them all and chose a piece of lemon pie. It is quite popular in the states. I ordered one and returned to my seat. I ate it quite slowly, enjoying eat bite. It was yummy! Then I got my revised (updated) check and, returned to the counter and paid. Another successful adventure in Tokyo.

Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Aoyama Cemetery

On June 21st I took a trip to Tokyo. I am sure that I told you about it. I went to Roppongi to visit Tokyo Midtown and Ark Hills. Between visiting those two places I took a walk to Aoyama Cemetery. Why? Because when I first visited Roppongi last October I went to the top or Mori building. There I went to the observation Deck. It is called Tokyo City View. It was \1,800. I saw some good views of Tokyo. I was especially interested in the green area to the west. I learned later that it was Aoyama cemetery. So, three Sundays ago I went there. It wasn't too far. The weather was cloudy and cool. I entered it. There are two roads that crisscross in the middle of the cemetery. It would be difficult to get lost. I saw many, many graves. There were trees here and there. Some gravestones were huge! Some were standard size. Some graves were elevated, maybe 50 centimeters to one meter. Some had steps. Some had iron fences around them. Some had a tree or bushes. Most were not kept up. It looked as if visitors were very few and far between. I walked here for close to an hour. It was very interesting indeed.

Monday, July 8, 2019

Puzzler Answers

It's a new week and I'm ready for the next wekend. 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.













































BEAUTY            WITCH/WITCH         HONORED/ZERO       SLING/GIVE

Sunday, July 7, 2019

Puzzler Hints

Half of 2019 is finished. One goal this year is to get my weight under 70 kilograms. It is a struggle. But I just have to keep it up. Puzzler Hints: CLICK HERE.

July Home Project
今月のHome Projectは、「 UP」 です。

UP UP UP!
Get up, wake up , pick up, look up, mix up, get up, close up, back up, clean up, break up, blow up, dress up, hard up, call up, fix up, give up, hang up, hard up, zip up, lock up, pull up, rise up, turn up, warm up.......level up your skills and use these in conversations and in your stories this month.
今月は、これらの、up,  up,などの単語を使って会話をしたり、話の中に取り入れて文章を作ってみましょう! Good luck!


Saturday, July 6, 2019

Puzzler

July is here. America celebrates it's Independence this week. HAPPY BIRTHDAY USA. Puzzler: CLICK HERE.

July Home Project
今月のHome Projectは、「 UP」 です。

UP UP UP!
Get up, wake up , pick up, look up, mix up, get up, close up, back up, clean up, break up, blow up, dress up, hard up, call up, fix up, give up, hang up, hard up, zip up, lock up, pull up, rise up, turn up, warm up.......level up your skills and use these in conversations and in your stories this month.
今月は、これらの、up,  up,などの単語を使って会話をしたり、話の中に取り入れて文章を作ってみましょう! Good luck!




Friday, July 5, 2019

A visit to the Sanyou region by Miki

We took a trip to the Sanyou region of Japan from Friday June 14th to Sunday June 16th. I went with my husband and daughter for 2 days and 3 nights. My husband and daughter love travelling while I don't it all that much. But, I wanted to see the Seto-naikai or the so-called Inland sea of Japan. My daughter and I were visiting this region for the first time. We had four destinations: the Himeiji castle, Kurashik, Onomoichi, and Shimanami Kaido. 
1. Himeji castle is a world heritage site. That castle is very beautiful as everyone says. We were excited to see it in person. 
2. Kurashiki was a perfect tourist spot. We cold see typical Japanese scenery. The Kurashiki Bikan Shiku was very beautiful. We enjoyed a river boat ride and the Ohara museum there. There were a lot of foreigners there.
3. Onomichi was a nostalgic city. Local life and tourism live there together. That made us comfortable. It is on the sea. The sea is named Onomchi-suido. We could see many islands on the sea. They are very close to the Onomichi side. We ate ramen and okonomiyai. They tasted so nice.
4. Finally, we enjoyed driving the Shimani-kaido in a rental car. There are lots of islands. Bridges connect them all. We could see the beauty of these islands and the wild tidal currents. I imagined the famous Murakami Suigun that used to govern there. 
Even though the weather was not good, we had a great time.

Thursday, July 4, 2019

America's Birthday

It's July 4th today. Today is July 4th. You can say it both ways. In America we also say, it's the 4th of July. We also say, It's Independence Day. We also say that it is America's birthday. It is the day that The United States of America became a new nation. It became a new country. It became free from England. Why? Because England was ruled by a king. And the king was imposing taxes on their colony in the New World. Little by little, the people in this colony decided that they shouldn't pay taxes to a king so far away in Europe. And this king had his army in this colony to force the people to pay. These people in the colony decided that they wanted their freedom. So, they made an army and fought against the British to gain (get) their freedom or INDEPENDENCE. They finally won the war in 1776. These people made a new government. They made their own laws and rules. They made institutions and schools and businesses. Every year we celebrate this freedom on the 4th of July. That's cool.

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Dinner out with the family

After we went to Suntory Hall for the concert on June 15th, I drove us to Ueno for a dinner at an Italian restaurant. I had an idea how to drive to Ueno from Ark Hills. How? Because my brother and I took a taxi from Toyko Tower to Ueno when he was here. However this time it was decided that we trust the car navi rather than me. So, she guided us to the east side of Ueno station. We met our son-in-law there. CIROMBO MARINA is one of his customers so he has been here more than once (several times). We looked at the menu but he ordered most of the dishes. We had some pizza and and cheeses and seafood and salads. I was the DD (designated driver) so I didn't drink. I must say that everything was very delicious! From there we drove the newlyweds to their place in Souka. We brought a lot of Rina's things from our house. She needed them. It took only 30 minutes to get there. After we dropped them off, we went home. I got on the nearby highway. The two passengers I had soon fell asleep. We got home safely in less than an hour. It was a very fun day.  

Tuesday, July 2, 2019

My June

June is not my favorite month. Why? Because there are no national holidays. However, I heard that that will change soon. For example, every year August 11th is a holiday in japan. It is called Mountain Day. Mountain Day was established in May, 2014. So, now every month has a national holiday except June. I'm looking forward to the new June holiday. And, to tell  the truth, I didn't do much in June. 
1. Went to Suntory Hall with my family to see a concert one Sunday. 
2. After the concert we had and Italian dinner in Ueno.
3. Went drinking to "Daitoryo" in Ueno with two friends.
4. Took a walking tour in Tokyo. I visited Tokyo Midtown in Roppongi as well as Ark Hills, Sengakuji, The Ghibli Clock.
5. Took a stroll through the Aoyama Cemetery.
6. Worked every day except Sundays.
7. Trimmed two trees in our garden as well as weeding.
8. Went to the gym 14 times.
9.Ordered two magazines. One is Readers Digest, the other is National Geographic.
10. Drove to and from Tokyo one Sunday.
11. Had a ramen breakfast one Sunday AM at Rokurinsha in Tokyo station.
12. Last Saturday night went drinking in Tokyo with my son-in-law and his father.
13. Watched three Womens' World Cup Soccer games.
As I said, I didn't do much.

Monday, July 1, 2019

Puzzler Answers

Well, July starts today. That means that a couple of my Kindergarten lessons will be off until September. Hooray! 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.








































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