Monday, January 23, 2006

Penguin

My mom went to the zoo, and took this penguin picture!!!
It is a routine event that penguins walk around zoo with their keepers, and visitors look at them. It is very cute that penguins walk with a waddle.
This zoo is the biggest in Japan and there are many rare animals such as sea bears, seals, capybara, tigers, panthers, and pongo etc.
It is famous for the unique way to display animals. They are displayed like they are living in nature as possible...
I haven't been there, but I wanna go there someday!!

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Coming-of-Age Day

You can see my cat, Pickey under my foot :D Hehe....

Yesterday, January 9th is "Coming-of-Age Day"!!!! :)
In Japan, 20 years old is identified as adults! This day, every year, people celebrate new 20-year-old people :D!!! This year, I am a one of new 20-year-old people!! (Actually, I am still 19, but people who were born in from April in 1985 to March in 1986 are new 20-year-old people! And I was born in March in 1986)
New 20-year-old people usually wear kimono on the day! This custom is very traditional ;)
Of course, I also wore kimono :) It is my first time to wear kimono because kimono is very expensive and it is difficule and troublesome to put on kimono :P My kimono is my mom's and very expensive!!! (Maybe I can buy several cars if I sell it)
My favorite part of kimono is obi! Obi means Japanese belt for kimono!
I wore kimono and participated in ceremony for us :) I saw many old friends there and it was very interesting.....but it was snowy and it was so cold :P
Anyway, I wanna wear kimono once again!!!!!

Friday, December 09, 2005

Rakugo!

Do you know rakugo? Rakugo is Japanese traditional comedy style:)
A few days ago, I heard interesting rakugo on TV, so I'll introduce it.
........................
One day, a woman was walking on the street, and she found an exequies' line. The woman asked a woman who standed near her, "Excuse me, ma'am, but whose funeral ceremony is this?"
She answered, "It's my mother-in-law's....she was dead because my doggy bit her..."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that...She must have been loved by many people because I haven't seen such a long exequies' line.......by the way, could you lend me your dog?"
And then, she answered, "So you have to stand in the line."

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Pickey

She's my cat, PICKEY:) This morning, my cat came to bath room, and she sit down on sink when I washed my face. She seemed to want me to turn ont the water, ( I knew her feeling from her face) so I did so. Pickey started to drink water from bibcock. My mom and I laughed at her!! It's so cute!!!I looked at her, and then she started to fight with water. But she was beaten by water soon because cats hate getting wet so much, you know:) She cried and run away....It's so fuuny and cute:D!

Monday, November 28, 2005

I'm back:D!

Sorry not for updating my blog these days:) I was busy at part-time job and I have a cold now....That's terrible!! OMG!!!
I feel in many places, that Christmas season has come:D There are a lot of pretty chirstmas trees...!! Very cute:) I wonder why Japanese people cereblate chirstmas....it is popular for Japanese people to be with boyfriends or girlfriends on Christmas Day. But I like being with my family;)!!!
By the way, I went to a theater near my house:D! There, I found monsters as big as life sizes of "Monster's Ink."!!! They were so cute:)!! I didn't notice that signs said "Don't touch them!", and I touched a lot:P
And then, I found a pretty Japanese mom-and-pop candy store!!! It looked old style;) I like Japanese *dagashi more than modern sweets such as cakes because I don't like too sweet food. Dagashi means Japanese traditional cheap and small sweets for children, and they can buy dagashi by only 10yen or 20yen. (10yen is about 10 cent) When I was a elementary school student, there was a passed-over sponge cake, and it was a whole!! My mother said "You eat it by tonight!", so I ate it at a breath.......finally I felt sick very much:( Since then, I don't often eat such cakes:P Dagashi is Japanese unique tradition:D!!

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Naita-Akaoni

My mom’s hobby is collection of picture books, so I really know a lot of interesting storybooks of Japan. Good storybooks are impressive even for adults. I’ll show you my favorite one, “Naita Akaoni.” It means that “Red demon cried.” It is very popular book in Japan;)
....... Naita Akaoni.......
Once upon a time, one red demon and blue demon lived in a mountain. Red demon was very kind, and he wanted to make friends with humans. However, people who lived near the mountain were afraid of him because they didn’t know or didn’t try to know that he was actually a kind demon. People run away from him and said, “Run, run! Cruel demon came to eat us!” when red demon approached them. He was always sorry that he was a demon.
He set up a sign in front of his house, and it said, “I am a kind and polite demon! Please come in and take a break with me! Don’t hesitate! I always prepare tea and sweets for you!” However, people said, “Demon will eat us if we go into his house! You know, he is a cruel demon.” Nobody came there, and red demon was very sad.
His friend, blue demon was also kind, and he was always sorry to see red demon. Blue demon said to red demon,
“Hey, buddy! Don’t be sad! I think that you can make friends with humans someday.”
“Thanks, Blue demon. But I can’t because they run away from me!”
“Do you want human friends in any way?”
“Yeah! Yeah! Have you seen them play? They looked so fun. I wanted to join them…”

“……I have a good idea for you!”
“Really!? Tell me!”
Blue demon whispered his idea to red demon.
Red demon heard that, and he said,“Wow!! It is a good idea! Thank you so much, my best friend!”
“No problem! You are my friend, huh?”
Next day, they went to village that people lived, and they saw children play with a Japanese ball from bushes. Blue demon said,“Are you ready, buddy?”
Red demon nodded. Suddenly, blue demon burst from bushes, and shouted to children
, “I’m from the mountain to eat you!!”
Children screamed, and tried to run away from him, but he caught one girl. She cried,“Somebody helps me!!!!!”
Blue demon said, “Nobody helps you. I’m going to eat you!”
At the moment, red demon appeared in front of blue demon, and said, “Release her!”
Blue demon said, “I don’t! Why do you disturb me? Do you also wanna eat her? She’s mine!”
“No! I want to help her!! If you don’t release her, I’ll fight you!”
Then, Red demon pounced at blue demon, and pretended to hit and kick him.
Blue demon cried, “Ouch! Ouch! Don’t! Okey! I’ll release her, so don’t hit me any more!”
“All right! I’ll forgive you. Go away!”
Red demon said that, and blue demon run away hurriedly. Children gathered around red demon and thanked him very much. The girl who were helped by red demon said, “You are so kind! Thank you so much! I didn’t know that there was so kind demon. You are my lifesaver! Could you come to my house and have dinner with my family?
“Sure! Can I, can I go…?”
“Of course! Why not?”
Now, red demon was so happy, and he made friends with humans. He thanked Blue demon so much. The night, people held a party for him, and he enjoyed it very much.
After the party, it was completely dark and midnight. Red demon hurried blue demon’s house and wanted to thank him, but nobody answered although he knocked blue demon’s door. He wandered and opened the door. Soon, she found that there was a paper on a table, and it was a letter from Blue demon.
It said, “I’m really really glad that you made human friends. I have to go away from this mountain because people will become to hate you if they know that I’m still here, and I’m your friend. I’m okay, don’t worr.............. I’ll be your best friend forever...Good bye.”
Red demon read this letter, and started to cry. He cried and cried. He stopped crying, remembered blue demon and started to cry again and again.

Monday, November 14, 2005

Coffee:)

I am working at coffee shop;) Looks delicious!!! My part-time job is hard, and I'm always exhausted, but I look forward to free drink and ice cream only for fellow during a break time!
Actually, I don't like coffee well, but I want this machine.....espresso machine:D If there is it in my home, I can make delicious espresso, mocha and latte at any time! I want it, but I don't afford to buy it because it is so expensive, 32000 yen! It is about 300 dollars! I don't have money to spend for it:P I'm waiting the day that someone presents me it:) lol! (Maybe nobady dosen't give me:D) I'm not so good at making coffee, and I need to practice more, but it is so enjoyable for me:)!!!