Tuesday 12/31

This is the final day of 2019. Thank you 2019!

Another sunrise

Monday 12/30

Have a lunch date with Kenny this day.

Sunrise Check out the moon!

Sunday 12/29

Enjoy a drive in Atami and then back home.

Adults playing dominoes

e.

Satruday 12/28

No Puzzler. Visiting Atami with family this day.

Okegawa Sun Arena gym

Christmas Recital NEEDS PIC

I teach at a nursery school in Kawagoe on Wednesday mornings. Last Sunday they had their annual Christmas show. This time they held it at a Public Hall. It has a stage and large hall for plenty of moms and dads to see their little tots performing on stage. Of course, they all performed an English skit with me. The kids are 2, 3, 4 and 5 years old. So, I was on stage four times. It started at 10am and finished around 3:30pm. There was a two hour lunch break. The two year old and I sang the ABC song. They also had to find picture cards that I called out. They ran on stage: that was cute. The three year-olds and I sang "Deck the Halls". I sang the song and they sang the refrain. The four year-olds and I did a skit where I was looking for a dog named "Bongo". The final group and I did a skit where I was a villain (Bad guy) who stole their treasure. I gave it back when they were able to successfully do an English conversation, two by two. Also, each group had to introduce themselves as well as with me. It was a lot of fun and the kids were very, very cute...of course. As for me, I wore three different hats for the four performances. Finally Santa Claus was on stage to give presents to all the kids. I got a ride to Kawagoe station to take the train home. Merry Christmas!  

A night out

I went out drinking with a friend, Mark, a couple of Saturdays ago. He's Japanese. I have known Mark since about 2010. He was one of my students when I taught an adult lesson in Omiya. He's a cool guy and he knows so much about everything. We have been out drinking quite a few times. (We went to Daitoryou in Tokyo in October.) This time we met at Ageo station at 6:30pm that Saturday. Our first destination was the Kita-no-Kuni Baru. It has an Italian menu and a lively atmosphere. We had a couple of beers and then some shochu. The food included raw oysters and spicy seafood. Ｗe left after an hour or so.  Next we headed to SAKANAYA. This place is pure Japanese. It is down the stairs in a cellar. Dark. We had some Sashimi and sake and shochu. Here everything was delicious. We sat in a corner table in a quiet and relaxed atmosphere. Finally we took a taxi to our usual last stop. It is a Bistro (snack). There are a lot of interesting characters here. Many customers sang karaoke. Everybody knows everybody. I drank whiskey here. Mark sang a song. I did not. But I do remember coming home! Thanks, Mark.

Tokyo Adventure on Wheels Part 3

Now I was free to drive to Tokyo station. I looked at my map. Again, it was a piece of cake. I could follow Meiji Douri until it runs into Route 1. That route will go straight to the Imperial Palace. I have discovered that many roads lead to the Imperial Palace. For example: Shinjuku Douri, Yasukuni Douri, Roppongi Douri, Sakurada Douri, Aoyama Douri and  Route 17, just to name a few. The traffic was light. It was not backed up anywhere.  I passed by Tokyo Tower which I knew I would. I arrived at the Palace in no time. Then my two lanes veered right. I followed them. But OMG! I was then in the left turn lane. I had to back up! It was illegal and just a little but I did it. No police. Safe! Then I followed the road to Tokyo station. There I parked in front of Oazo Marunouchi Building. I went in and got a quick lunch at a Soup Restaurant. Then I bought two Shakespeare books at Maruzen. It was time go home. I checked my map. The entrance to the highway was quite nearby. I found it in Nihonbashi and entered. I drove straight home. I celebrated my adventure back home with a beer and some sake. All's well, that ends well.

Puzzler Answers Final 2019

You're next Puzzler will come up on January 4th, 2020. Have a great New Year.
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.

PRINCE               PLUMBER/FURY                  TRICK                      OVEN

Puzzler Hints Final 2019

Yes. That's right. You don't have to stay up late tonight and worry. This is the final Hints page for 2019. Puzzler Hints: CLICK HERE.

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!

Parked in front of Oazo building Tokyo.

Puzzler Final 2019

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this will be the last Puzzler for this 2019. Whew!
Puzzler: CLICK HERE.

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!

View on my drive in Tokyo

Tokyo Adventure on Wheels Part 2

I was near Yoyogi Park. I used my phone to locate (find) the bakery. It was difficult. I finally parked in an underground parking and walked to the bakery using my phone. actually, you can park on the streets of Tokyo in many places for free on Sunday. But, many people use those parking spaces. So, it is difficult to find one. Well, I finally found the bakery, got in after a en minute wait and bought some baked goods and a bottle of mikan juice. I walked back to my car and checked my map. The route ot my next destination was simple. Just take the YamaTe Douri and then turn left at Meguro Douri. Simple! I did that and found the TeiEn museum in 20 minutes. I parked in their parking lot and toured the museum. There was an exhibition of artifacts form 1600 to 1700 China. But, the building is very impressive. I love it. It is A-ru Deco which means Art Deco in English. The ceilings, chandeliers, walls, stairways and windows are wonderful. This is my second visit here, I really appreciate its beauty and style. I also walked around the garden. I then set my course for my final destination, Tokyo station.

Tokyo Adventure on Wheels Part 1

My adventure to Tokyo on wheels means by car. It was a beautiful day. There were blue skies and no wind. The temperature rose to 14C. I did some neighborhood cleanup from 8AM to 9AM (See yesterday's BLOG) and then back home to clean up and was on the rode at 9:30. My plan was to drive to Tokyo by car. I would visit the 365days bakery which is in  Tomigaya, Shibuya City. Next I would drive to the Teien Museum in  Shiraganidai, Minato City. Then I would drive to Tokyo station where I would visit the Tokyo International Forum and Maruzen bookstore in Oazo building. WELL! I tried to use only maps and my good(?) sense during this trip. It started out well, as I got on the highway in Yono and drove smoothly on the highway. My first miscue came at the Itabashi junction. When I set the navi on my phone the day before it told me to go left here. But I went straight instead. I knew it wasn't bad because the straight route, highway C2, would take me to my destination. I entered a tunnel. Then the sign said that I was heading to the Toume Highway. OMG! That didn't sound good. I got off as soon as possible. When I did get off, there was a traffic jam. I finally got to my first destination, the 365 days bakery, about 11:30. Continued tomorrow.

Clean up

There are 130 households (houses) in our 'Fujinami Danchi'. And we are divided into 6 Blocks. Our house belongs to Block 6. And it was Block 6's turn to clean the community building and the grounds surrounding it. I have done this before. There is a Shrine in the area. There are three areas to clean. One is the inside of the community Building. That is where we hold meetings and parties and such. The other was the outside toilet building. Another is the ground outside. 12 people showed up to work. It started at 8AM and was scheduled to end at 9AM. 5 women and one girl went directly to the inside of the center to clean up.  I went straight to the toilet. I have dome this cleanup before. I was on my own. All the other gents began sweeping up all the fallen leaves in the yard. I used a water hose and toilet cleaners and brushes in my effort. It took me about 25 minutes. By that time the ladies had finished so we all joined in the yard cleanup. It was all about raking up the fallen leaves. There were a lot! I worked till just 9:00 and then said goodbye. I wanted to start my Tokyo drive adventure as soon as possible. 

Aloha by Imamura

 I took a trip to Hawaii with my friend. We flew to Honolulu and arrived on time. A lot of people were waiting in line for the entry procedures. We usually go to an immigration staff directly. But it was different this time. Everyone used a touch panel screen. My first conversation in Hawaii was "Please tell us how to use it." The American staff told us very kindly, so we did it. I think it's for the customs declaration. The sea and the sky were blue as far as the eye could see. "This is Hawaii." we felt. We had two optional tours. 

①Cruising Waikiki beach on a boat. From the hotel balcony we could see a very big and wide sea. But this time form the boat we could see many hotels and Diamond Head. The scenery gave us a very different impression. 

➁We visited "Hitachi Tree.", The Dole plantation and Haleiwa. Hiatchi Tree is a very famous commercial in Japan. "Konoki annoki kininaruki". The symbol tree was very big and awesome. The type is a Monkey Pod tree, the flowers are light pink and soft.

My daughter, who lives in Hawaii, took us on a drive along the seaside. The sea was clear and there was a cool breeze blowing in off the sea. While we were in Hawaii the weather was fine. We had a wonderful time. MAHALO!

Puzzler Answers

I'm counting down. Only two more weeks till some vacation time. We have some plans. 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.

FUSE/MUSE                BALLOON              MONEY             LOTION

Puzzler Hints

I'm also thinking about next year's New Year Resolution. Hmmm. I'm not decided yet but I'm sure I'll come up with something. Puzzler Hints: CLICK HERE.

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!

This guy is very serious.

Puzzler

I am free tomorrow as usual. I may just stay home. Tonight I'm gong out for drinks with one buddy. Puzzler: CLICK HERE.

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!

Autumn colors TeiEn Museum

Happy Birthday

My lovely wife, Miwako, had a birthday last month. She has one every year. Of course we all do until the end. So,as is our custom we go to a restaurant to celebrate the event. Are you familiar with the restaurant WAIZU? It's a  MONJU OKONOMIYAKI place. I looked it up in the net and found that there is one in Ageo, one in Kitamoto and one in Okegawa. We always go to the one in Ageo. When my brother visited in May, we took him and his lovely wife, to a similar restaurant in Ueno. Then we visited there again last month. But we all agree that WAIZU is better than that one. Also, they make the food for you. It is not fun to watch them. We find it more interesting and fun to do it ourselves. Of course, I never do it. There are enough cooks in our family for that. Anyway, we went there a couple of Saturdays ago. And on that Saturday I was not drinking. So I was the designated driver. That means that everyone else can imbibe if they want to. We enjoyed the party their. I am pretty sure there is nothing like that in America. I think I'll ask my brother. 

Dessert in Ueno

After the visit to the museum I took a walk around the station to get my bearings. That means to understand where I was and what my surroundings were. The weather was excellent so it was enjoyable. There were visitors here and there. I felt most were Japanese. I was getting hungry so decided to have lunch. I went to the station to find one restaurant that I visited earlier this year. It is in Atre on the 1st floor. I found it but it was rather expensive so I gave it up, and decided on a small cafe. I had a quiche. I then went to the 2nd floor and found a nice dessert shop. It is called             AZABO. I saw some yummy desserts in the display case. They included Japanese Azuki. I like Azuki. I went inside. I ordered my treat and then checked out the interior of the place. It was really cool. It is not colorful or flashy. The chairs and tables are wooden. There is a lot of space. The colors are green, brown. And there are black and white photographs in frames all around the walls. They include Clark Gable, Audrey Hepburn, Dean Martin and many Japanese movie stars. What's cool is that they are all so young! The dessert was good too.

Museum of Western Art Ueno

I went to Ueno on a Friday, November 29th. I usually have a kindergarten lesson the AM but it was cancelled. And I usually have an adult lesson in the afternoon at my school. However this was the fifth Friday of the month so there was no lesson. So, I was as free as a bird. I took a trip to Ueno. I took the 8:44 train from Okegawa and arrived Ueno at around 9:10. My goal was to visit the Ueno Museum of Western art. That is right in Ueno park. The exhibition was 'The Hapsburg Dynasty: 600 years of Imperial Collections.’ I bought my ticket at Ueno station. That was very convenient. It was a gorgeous morning as I walked to the museum. I took photos of the sculptures outside and then entered. The exhibit was excellent. There were many fine paintings. And they were a very large scale. I estimate that some were more than two meters, maybe even three meters high. I was inside for over an hour. I did not rent an audio guide. Rather, I examined (looked closely) at the paintings. There were many fine details and paintings that looked like photographs. They were beautiful. From there I had lunch and dessert at Ueno station and was back to my school at 2pm. A splendid morning.  

20,000 leagues Under the Sea revisited

I bought a globe. It is an excellent study for me. I use it find different locations and rivers and mountains as well as longitudes and latitudes. One reason I got it was because I read the book 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. in that book they travel around the world. It mentions so many countries and seas and straights lakes and islands and positions. The positions are in latitude and longitude. I wanted to find these places. Of course, my smart phone could give me these answers but a globe is so much better because it is round, not flat. I use my globe constantly. It is right next to my seat at the dinner table. So, I decided to read the novel again. And this time I took my time. I found every name they mention in the book. One example is Polynesia. Did yo know there is a Polynesian Triangle? It is located in the area known as Oceania which is in the Pacific ocean. It includes the Hawaiian Island in the north, New Zealand in the south and Easter Island to the east. I starting rereading the novel on December 1st and then finished it up yesterday. It was an excellent study and of course reading the book twice is a good policy. They say "Reading a book once is like reading yesterday's newspaper."

Puzzler Answers

I have a Christmas Party at a Kindergarten pretty soon. It should be fun.
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.

QUIZ                  STONE                  PIRATE               AWNING          COOLANT

Puzzler Hints

Miwako has decorated the house with Christmas decorations. It looks real nice!
Puzzler Hints: CLICK HERE.

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!

Ueno station

Puzzler

The weather has been cold. I really enjoy watching the sunrises from my house.
Puzzler: CLICK HERE.

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!

Eating Dango Sensoji

Lunch at Chez Machio

So, here is one more lunch date story. I drive to one of my Kindergarten lessons every Thursday morning. The lesson is on Kawagoe. It is right next to the Kawagoe Sports Park (Undo Kouen). To get there, I use Route 57, then turn right to cross the Kaihei Bridge. The Kindergarten is then nearby. We call Route 57 'Cainz Douri' because Cainz Home is on that road. We used road often before the Ageo Bypass was constructed (built) 7 or 8 years ago. On that road I discovered a new restaurant. It is called Chez Machio. I see it every time I drive by. I finally decided to stop on and check it out. I met the owner. His name is Oshima. He opened the restaurant three years ago. It looked nice and has a casual French menu including a fondu and ostrich dishes. I told Miwako about it and we decided to go there last month. And it was very nice. There is a rather big garden outside. Inside there are three different areas that you can sit. All the tables and chairs are a different motif in each section.  There is also a bar. We both got pasta dishes. And the dessert was very good. We also got a coupon for a free fondu for one to celebrate Chez Machio's three-year anniversary. Cool.

Lunch at Adomani

This is another lunch story. Once upon a time there was a not-so-young couple who lived in Japan. They sometimes travel, they sometimes go out and have cocktails, they sometimes have family dinners, they sometimes do activities together such as birdwatching, paying bridge or take a drive. Recently they had a lunch. One day the not-so-young husband said: "I think we should go out for lunch." The not-so-young wife agreed. She said "Good idea. Where shall we go?" The not-so-young husband said "How about Adomani. It's pretty good and we haven't been there in a while." The not-so-young wife said "That sounds good." So, they dressed up one Saturday afternoon as the not-so-young husband (Also a not-so-young teacher) drove to Kitamoto Adomani. It had been a long time. However the restaurant had not changed. They got a table immediately. The place was not so crowded. That was good. And the food was as delicious as always. The dessert was good, too. Our story has a happy ending.

Lunch at Angela

I teach at a kindergarten on Friday mornings. It is almost every week. However they sometimes cancel an English lesson from time to time (once in a while). So, I will have a rare morning off on a Friday. Two Fridays ago that happened. So, in the morning I was at my school working hard at my computer. I was making a Blog or a Puzzle or something. Then I rode my bicycle to Angela's restaurant. It is in Kitamoto. The weather was pleasant. It takes less than 20 minutes. The menu is pasta and pizza and very good desserts. I ordered a pasta dish and a special dessert. It is special because it is not included with the set menu. I finished my meal, which was very good, and then got my dessert (See pic). I can't remember the name of the dish but it was a creamy, soft chocolate treat. When I finished my meal I got up to leave and went to the register. What a surprise! There were two of my students also going up to the register to pay. We said hello and exclaimed "What a small world it is." That was a nice lunch.

My November

It's the final month of 2019. Christmas is just around the corner and the Olympics happen next year. Are you ready for it all? Me, too. In the meantime, November just ended so I'd like to recap my month here.
1. Read Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and saw a movie on YouTube.
2. Read Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and saw a movie on YouTube.
3. Taught many English classes this month as usual.
4. Had lunch with Miwako at Adomani, Kitamoto.
5. Did walking tour of Tokyo.
6. Breakfast at Kei Ou Plaza Hotel, Shinjuku.
7. visited Imperial Palace.
8. Bought two books at Maruzen, Tokyo.
9. Visited Meiji Shrine Garden.
10. Visited Ueno zoo to see the giraffes.
11. Had lunch at Angela in Kitamoto.
12. Lunched with Miwako at Chez Machio, Ageo.
13. Visited Enomoto Farm.
14. Took bicycle to Tokyo to explore.
15. Went to KaminariMon, Sensoji, Sky Tree and Sumida Hokusai Museum.
16. Reread Jules Vernes' 20,00 Leagues Under the Sea and followed the adventure on my globe.
17. Visit Ueno Museum of Western Art.
18. Dinner party to celebrate Miwako's 20th birthday.
19. Lined my brother every day.
20. Visited the gym 13 times.

Puzzler Answers

So, it's back to work. This is the final month this year. I'm enjoying the winter, especially the late sunrises.
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.

FUSE/MUSE                  BELONG                   LOTION                 MONEY     

Puzzler Hints

It's December. Maybe I should drink today...what do you think?Puzzler Hints: CLICK HERE.

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!

Hokusai Painting close up

Puzzler

Well, it's the end of November and I haven't had a drink all month. I feel fine! Puzzler: CLICK HERE.

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!

Bessy at Enomoto Farm

Romeo and Juliet

I read Romeo and Juliet this month. Then I watched a play on YouTube. Everyone knows this tragic love story. It is about two families who hate each other. They are warring. At the beginning of the story Romeo is in love with a lady named Rosaline. Rosaline never appears in the story, only her name. Then Romeo attends a party given by the Capulets. He and his friends go to the party wearing masks. Here, Romeo meets Juliet and they fall in love. They are called "star-crossed lovers." Later Juliet's cousin, Tybalt, has a duel with Mercutio, Romeo's friend. Mercutio dies. So, Romeo avenges the death by killing Tybalt. Romeo is banished (exiled/must leave the country and never return). Juliet is heartbroken. The friar (priest) steps in to help. But in the end, Romeo finds Juliet "dead" in the family crypt. Actually she is in a deep sleep which makes her appear dead. At the crypt Romeo has a duel with Paris. Paris was supposed to Marry Juliet. Romeo slays him. Then Romeo poison himself. Juliet awakens and sees dead Romeo. So, she stabs herself with Romeo's knife and she dies. The final words of the play are the Friar's. He says: 

"For never was a story of more woe/ Than this of Juliet and her Romeo." 

Hamlet

I read HAMLET. Of course many people know of this play by Shakespeare. It is a tragedy. I counted six people dying by the end of the story, including Hamlet. The story is about the Prince of Denmark. His father was killed by his own brother (Hamlet's uncle). This uncle becomes King and on top of that, he marries his brother's wife. The ghost of the dead king tells Hamlet to get revenge for his death. I read the story and it was difficult to see the story because it is a stage performance. So, I found a YouTube version on line. The actors were Christopher Plummer (The Sound of Music), Robert Shaw (Jaws) and Donald Sutherland (MASH) just to name a few actors. The movie was great! I understood the plot (story) so I enjoyed it very much. And I could appreciate the English that they use. It also helped me to understand the language. Shakespeare changes the English to make it more enjoyable. In the end Hamlet, Queen Gertrude, King Claudius, Ophelia, Laertes, and Polonius all die. Famous lines are

"To be or not to be - that is the question."

"Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio."

"There is something rotten in the state of Denmark."

Shakespeare

My new hobby is to study Shakespeare. I read the plays and then watch a movie version or a live on stage performance on YouTube. Why Shakespeare? I am not certain (sure) myself. I simply (just) got an inspiration one day. That was in June or July. Since then I have read seven plays by the Bard. They are interesting because the English is from the beginning of the 18th century. It is difficult at first but like any hobby, you get used to it. So, now it is more fun to read. Also, the stories are interesting and world renown. That means famous, or known, all over the world. The first book I challenged was Twelfth Night. Why? Because it is not so long. I read it and didn't understand much, so I read it again. In the books, there are explanations from professional scholars to assist (help) the reader with understanding Shakespeare and his language and his works. Another interesting thing about the movies and plays is that the some of the actors are famous movie starts. That was a surprise to me. I hope to tell you about the stories one by one. T

ZOZO Golf Championship by Atsuko Part 3

Tiger Woods

After a while, Tiger appeared. The crowd erupted into cheers! He is cool!. Really cool! I fixed my eyes on him. The crowd moved wherever he moved. When he started his first round the first hole was packed with spectators yelling "Tiger, Tiger" here and there. His first shot looked great, but it hooked into the water. Bogey. He also bogeyed the next two holes, but bounced back with nine birdies and ended the day with a share of the lead. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

We watched the final three days of it on TV. On the final day Tiger and Hideki were competing for the lead. Tiger started the 11th hole with a bogey and his lead dwindled to 2. Matsuyama came close to winning but he failed to convert a short birdie putt om the 14th dole. Too Bad! Tiger holed a long birdie putt on the final hole and won by three strokes over Hideki. Tiger never gives up no matter how difficult the situation. We will continue to keep our eye on Tiger Woods.

NO Puzzler Answers

That's right...I'm on vacation with Puzzler and Puzzler Hints. C U next weekend.

NO Puzzler Hints

I'm on vacation with Puzzler. Sorry.

NO Puzzler

Sorry. I'm on vacation.

ZOZO Golf Championship by Atsuko Part 2

Bubba Watson

My husband and I really wanted to see this tournament. We booked a hotel in Chiba in May, five months ago. Next we got hte first and second day tournament tickets by lottery in August. We were looking forward to that day. The day before the tournament we went to Chiba by car. I was to excited to sleep that night. The next day we got up early in the morning. It was a fine day for golf. We left our hotel at 5:30 am. You can get to the course by train and a free shuttle bus. We should have been there in 40 minutes. But the crowd lined up in front of the shuttle bus stop. It took us two hours to get there. Tiger's tee time was drawing near. We were waiting for him around the putting green. The big name players were practicing there; Bubba, Day, Finau, etc. Our target was Tiger. Why? Because when we went to see the US Open he was not there. 

ZOZO Golf Championship by Atsuko Part 1

Sam Snead

The American PGA tour, ZOZO Championship was held in Narashino Country Club in Chiba from October 25th to the 29th. It was the first time in Japan. Tiger Woods won the event without ever giving up the lead. It was his 82nd victory tying the legendary Sam Snead for the most wins ever. Just an amazing number! 

The tournament started with Tiger and ended with Tiger. The tournament was very exciting. However it didn't go smoothly due to heavy rains in Chiba. Some places in the course were under water. It was unfortunate that the 2nd day of 4 days was cancelled. That affected the progress of later matches. With that, they decided that the golfers wold play a non-spectator round on Saturday. Eventually it took five days to complete. 

Eco by Yuko

“Eco” By Yuko

Let me talk about my Eco.

I heard that sea turtles mistake plastic wastes for food and eat them. It sometimes causes blockage in their digestive system. It is a serious problem in the world. So, I always carry my own eco-bag. And another reason is that it saves crude oil, which is one material used for making plastic bags.

When I choose vegetables at Mine Store or Maruetsu, I try to buy local vegetables. The local vegetables are fresh and transportation cost is reduced. At my house, I use the remaining bath water to do the laundry.

Also, I don’t leave the water running when I wash the dishes.

Of course, I take my water bottle everywhere. I rarely buy plastic bottles. I think it’s important that each person has as interest in ecology and do what they can to protect the environment.

Tiger Woods by Nobumasa

A PGA golf tournament was held for the first time in Japan. This tournament was sponsored by Zozo. The place was Narashino Country Club near Narita International Airport. About 60 players from the PGA and 10 players form Japan participated in the tourney. Tiger Woods won and got 1.75 million dollars. He won his 82nd PGA tour title at this tournament and equalled the record set by Sam Snead in 1965. Just for reference, Jack Nicklaus won 73 PGA titles. Tiger Woods is 43 years old and Jack Nicklaus is 79 years old. 

My wife wanted to attend the tournament. I was surprised that the most expensive ticket was 600,000 yen. Guests who buy the most expensive tickets can relax in a fully air-conditioned room and enjoy French food prepared by top chefs. The cheapest ticket was 12,000 yen. Unfortunately they were all sold out. Ordinarily tickets in Japan are 12,000 yen.

Puzzler Answers

So, here we go. The start of another week. I'm ready for it. How about you?
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.

CHOP/CLEFT                 CASTING                  BALMY                  CLOSE   

Puzzler Hints

I really am enjoying my On the Wagon challenge. That means No drinking. 
Puzzler Hints: CLICK HERE.

Your Home Project
Home Projectは、「 UP」　です。

UP UP UP!

get up,    wake up,    pick up,    look up,    mix up,    get up,   back up,   clean up,  break up,    blow up,    dress up,    hard up,    call up,    close up,    fix up, 
give up,    hang up,    hard up,    zip up,    lock up,    pull up,   clam up,  hang up,
rise up,    turn up,    warm up,     bring up,    hang up,    shut up,   follow up,    drink up,    eat up,    up and down,    up and at 'em,    up and coming,  cheer up,  up to date,   bundle up,   keep up,   up and running,   end up,   wake up,   make up,   stay up,   stand up,   tidy up,   clean up,   get up,   take up,   grow up, 
brush up,   climb up,   pick up,   wind up,   meet up,   go up,   run up,   hurry up,  slow up,   blow up,   sit up,   straighten up,   set up,   put up with,   follow up, cheer up,   warm up,   check up,   hang up,   ring up,   dress up,   look up,   catch up,  touch up
 
 .......level up your skills and use these in conversations and in your stories.

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!

I had a band aid to help my friend. 

Puzzler

It's not a holiday but I do not have my Kenkatsu lesson this day. What shall I do? Alas, go to the gym, of course. Puzzler: CLICK HERE

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!

Ni no Maru Park, Imperial Palace

Exploring Tokyo Part 3

My original plan was to  walk to Ueno zoo from Tokyo. BUT! I was too pooped (tired) to do that. I took the train and got of at Ueno and walked to the zoo. However, I had walked so much before that my calves were hurting. I had walked a lot. I continued on. I got in line and bought my discount ticket for elders...half price. My goal was to check to the giraffes. Why? Because I read a story in National Geographic. They explained that there are four kinds of giraffes in the world. They all come form Africa. I walked to the west side of he zoo. I ignored all the other animals in the way. I did see the penguins (not moving) and Flamingos (cool). Then to the Africa animals. BUT! They were not there. They were inside their enclosures (homes). Everyone was in line to see them. Once inside I saw the hippos and rhinos. Finally my quest...the giraffes. I took some pics as well as a video. I learned what I needed to know. I also confirmed that the OKAPI is a member of the giraffe family. Did you know that?

Exploring Tokyo Part 2

After my Oden lunch I walked to the Imperial Palace. It took maybe 45 minutes. It was a beautiful day with fine weather so no worries. At the Palace I entered the Sakurada Gate. Once inside I walked to the famous Niji bridge. Then I walked to the Ote gate. I entered there. I had only one purpose (goal) here. That was to visit the Sannomaru Shozokan located inside the Palace grounds. It is the Museum of Imperial Collections. Right now they are displaying works that were presented to previous emperors as gifts for their coronations. There are three different showings. This time I saw the second exhibition. There is an Uchiwa presented by Mikimoto. It contains 1,600 pearls. Fantastic! From there I walked to Maruzen bookstore. I purchased two Shakespeare books. One is the tragedy Romeo and Juliet. The other is a comedy As you like it. With these is hand I walked to Tokyo station underground and boarded a train for Ueno. My next goal was the Ueno zoo. Why? To check out the giraffes.