Thanks much for your message.
You must have well prepared for the demonstration today.^^
I'm certain you would do a great job, but I'm looking
forward to hearing what it was like later~!
Guess what?
You were in my dream last night and we had a good time!^^
You wore your hair in a pompadour; it was combed straight
back from your forhead. It was soooooo cool!
Now I remember your hairdo and face were not yours, but
I was certain in the dream that it was you.
It's so strange~
I look forwand to Michiyo-san's concert tomorrow!
I must go straight back home after the event, though.
See you soon.^^
Thanks a bunch for your message.
As you've correctly guessed, I've been hectically
busy making preparations for my Japanese classes
on a daily basis.
Besides, I'm forced to review my classes so that
I won't be left behind.
The pace of each class is a lot faster than I've expected.
And the students are required to be ready to answer
the questions asked by teachers.
What is worse, we're asked to make a demonstration
of teaching Japanese words, usage and grammar in front
of other students in the Japanese methodology class in
accordance with the plausible procedures.
I guess it might be compared to giving a performance
on a stage.
I always admire musicians and artists who give their
performances on the stage in order to entertain their
audience.
I hope you'll be able to make a wise decision as to use
the place for your next performance.
I'm sure you can make a good decision in the end.
It's once in a blue moon I write messages at this time of the day!
You must have had another busy day today playing table tennis, and
preparing for your classes.
Maybe you did your homework or reviewed notes for your Japanese
course too~
Your days are full of activities as always!
As for me, I went to a cafe, where I would perform this coming July,
with one of my acquaintances.
The place has good acorstics and she recommended me to play
piano there.
I still don't know if I play by muself or I invite a guest, but it's good
as I can use the place on the weekend.
Well, my desktop is performing badly; it shows a pink screen with
green letters, so I can hardly read!!!>_<
It's now April and it's the time for you and all of your
family people to get off to a running start and be
first out of the gate.
I'm glad to hear your younger son has had a possiblity
of landing a job of his choice.
I'm certain he'll leave his comfortable nest as soon as
he is ready to.
Spring is really a season in which we experience something
new.
As you've mentioned in your message, I went to the opening
ceremony of the Japanese language school this morning.
I was amazed to know that there're about 30 students in the
class and 13 of them are males and most of them have just
retired from their regular job recently.
I felt they'd like to pursue something worth while to make
their life meaningful after their retirement.
I'm going to have a lot to do on a daily basis from today on,
but I'd like to enjoy my busy pace of life paying attention to
my good health.
Enjoy your peaceful life with your family folks.
See you soon.
Thanks for your lovely message.^^
Oh, I'm certain you made a correct dicision to attend
the Japanese language course, as you wanted to take it.
As long as there's your desire, that's the sign you should
do it!
You don't need to worry about your age, as you are so
young at heart, and you have a good brain.
I'm looking forward to hearing your experience later!^^
We had good news yesterday.
Our younger son got a telegram saying that he passed
the test for employment at one of his aimed companys.
He'll still take some interviews at other firms, but I was
so glad to see him relieved!
Our older son seemed to be a bit depressed after his
graduation, but he seems to move on now and constantly
goes out.
Hope he'll land a favorable job too.
Good luck and enjoy the first day of your Japanese course!^^
I've enjoyed listening to your out-of-this-world
evening performance on the yutube.
It's always a tough job to give a performance
to other people, but you really did a great job
giving all you've got.
I cannot admire your determination to give a
series of concerts too much.
I hope you can continue giving your concerts
as long as you feel energetic to do so.
Personally, I'm going to turn over a new leaf
tomorrow; tomorrow'll be the first day to start
my Japanese language course at Takadanobaba.
To be honest with you, I've got mixed feelings
about attending a new school at my present age
and also at the expense of nearly one million yen.
I don't mind the tuition fee but what I'm worried
about is whether or not I've made a correct decision
to attend the school.
Anyway, it is no use crying over spilt milk.
All I have to do now is do my utmost to absorb
everything I'll be taught at school from tomorrow.
I'm looking forward to meeting a bunch of new
people too.
It's really nice you've had a great time strolling
in the pastoral ambience with one of your friends.
I'm sure we're now in the best season to take a
leisurely ramble in the coutryside particularly when
we're blessed with beautiful weather.
I went to the library to make preparations for my
plural classes and unlike my ordinary routines I decided,
just for a change, to take a walk to view cherry blossoms
in full bloom in the nearby park.
It served as a mental diversion and I was able to concentrate
on my studies more than before.
I enjoyed playing table tennis for two hours in the evening
and it helped me a great deal to refresh myself after a long
sedentary deskbound day.
It's really nice to have something I can fully devote myself to
without thinking anything trivial.
I'm certain your leisurely ramble in the peaceful, pastoral
ambiance has resuscitate yourself after the laborious task
on April 1.
You really deserve having a soothing pace of life now.
Thanks a lot for your lovely comment as always.^^
I'd like you to live as you like, so I'm always behind arie
who is busy doing something valuable almost all day~
I went out all day yesterday to get "seitai" treatment
as well as go hiking with one of my friends.
I enjoyed strolling along "satoyama" area near her place;
we were able to see cherry blossoms in full bloom here
and there!
My desktop has become pink again!
Maybe that's the sign I shouldn't use my computer too much.^^;
How're you doing today?
I hope things're beginning to settle down after
your concert.
It must have been the toughest concert you've
ever given, which caused you a lot of burden
and worries.
It was great of you to ride out all the difficulties
related to giving the concert.
I'm more than happy to hear that your husband
had a favorable impression of me.
I was impressed with his dedication to the success
of your concert as well.
I had another long and laborious day today, practicing
table tennis in the morning, going to the Silver Personnel
Center to discuss an English lesson plan shortly after that,
making some preparations for the evening English class,
and now I feel at ease and comfortable after the long day.
It seems that I always have a lot to do on a daily basis,
but this is the way I've wanted to lead my daily routines.
I'd like to pay attention to my good health so that I can
maintain this pace of life as long as possible.
Thanks for your lovely message.^^
I felt really happy as you understood my situation.
My husband and I talked about the people who came to
my concert tonight.
He seemed to like you very much and was impressed with
your communication skills in several languages.
Do you also speak Portuguese?
We had the same ideas of your personality too; friendly,
natural, and really modest. You never show off what you
can do and what you did.
He also said that you must be the same age as he, as
you look so young!
I felt so happy to hear those things, so I can't help writing
to you soon.^^
He said he went to the cafe across from the station after
the 1st session, so you might have spent the time together
in the same shop.
I was busy corresponding to messages in emails and on
facebook today. I need to keep doing so tomorrow!
How're you doing today after the big event?
Hope you're fully rejuvenated after a tight sleep.
I can imagine how tough it was for you to make
all the arrangements for the stage and go through
some last-minute changes just before the performance.
It must have been a lot of work to memorizeand
adjust yourself to them.
You really did a great job getting through all the
difficulties for the success of the concert.
A couple from Mexico and their daughter plus Akiyama-san
were very pleasant to talk to and we had an enjoyable
time chatting over diverse topics, particularly about
their impressions of Japan and their daily life in Mexico.
It's a pity they can stay in Japan only a week because of
their dauighter's teaching job; she has to resume teaching
at school on this coming Monday.
Have a good rest so that you can fully refresh yourself.
See you later.
Thank you so much for your hospitality yesterday.
I hadn't known the circumstances very well, so I just
asked for your help in case if the visiters from abroad
would need any help.
They must have appreciated your company very much!^^
I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed chatting with them
after the concert. I wish I could have joined you!
Say hello to Masayo-san and Michiyo-san too.
I really appreciated them coming all the way from the
distant areas.
Yes. I got really bushed yesterday.
I went to the hall from the morning to do the stage preparation
including setting audio stuff. Oh, I hate to do this kind of things!>_<
Then we changed program here and there, so I got to memorise
all the changes, hence I changed my talk too.
I was already very tired when the concert began. Lol
It was also really tough to do the gig twice, but I did my best
and I felt so happy as the audience seemed to enjoy it so much.
My best part this time was my talk. I felt happy as the people laughed
You've done a great job today.
I really appreciated the entertaining performance
in which a variety of elements were included.
I was impressed with your versatile talents; singing,
playing the piano and narrating eloquently.
A group of American and Mexican people plus
a young Japanese girl, Akiyama-san seemed to
enjoy your performance very much too.
Akiyama-san told us that she happened to help
them find their B&B hotel two days ago and since
then she's been helping them do the sights of
Tokyo.
I admire her hospitality very much.
After the concert, we had a great time chatting over
a cup of coffee at a coffee shop just diagonally across
from Okurayama Station.
We left the coffee shop at around 19:00.
Seems like they headed for Kawasaki to see some event
there, and we had dinner at Seibu Department Store,
coming home around 22:00.
I guess you're exhausted after a long and tense day.
You need a good rest.
Have a tight sleep and rejuvenate yourself.
I've got it.
I'll be waiting for them at "Okurayama Station."
I hope I'll be able to meet them at the station
and take them to the venue all right.
In case I fail to meet them, "Akiyama-san" will
sure take the party to the hall.
I'm relieved to hear that Akiyama-san accompanies
them tomorrow.
You don't have anything to worry about it tomorrow,
and all you have to do is concentrate on your performance.
I think you've left nothing to be desired before the
concert, because you've done all your best so far.
Hopefully you'll enjoy your stage performance to your
heart's content tomorrow.
I sent you the map. Hope you can get the idea.
They reserved the seats using the name "Akiyama".
So one of them might be Japanese or they may be
Japanese Americans.^^
Thanks for your cooperation.^^
I'll send you the map of the place this morning!
I jotted down where you should stand to welcome them,
but I didn't need to, as you'll be waiting for them
at the station.
I'll tell my husband and others who help at the reception
about your waiting at the station.
If in any case those American arrive early and you don't need to
wait there, they'll let you know.
Could I have your cell-phone number or e-address?
Is it okay to tell either of them to my hubby or one of my
friends?
Thanks always for your warmhearted message.
I'm now looking forward to performing tomorrow~
I'll try to relax today!^^
Thanks for your message.
I'm glad to hear you're going to have full-
capacity audience on April 1st.
I hope you're now fully prepared for the
concert.
I'll try to get to Okuraya Station at around
14:30 so that I can help four of your audience
from America and Mexico get to the venue
without a lot of trouble.
My fax number and the phone number are
the same.
I'd appreciate it if you'd send me the map of
the venue.
One more day to go before your D-day.
I'm sure you've made good preparations for
your performance.
Have a relaxing time before the concert.
I was wondering if you come a bit earlier to help those foreigners
come to the Okurayama Memorial Hall on Apirl 1st?
One of them is in a wheelchair, so they need to know how to get
to the building without using many stairs.
I'll send you a map of the place, if you'd be able to help them!
Guess what?
I was surprised to get a phone call from an American lady today.
She saw the info of my concert on the net, and wants to come!
She also brought her parents from Mexico with her.
Isn't it amazing??
There'll be four people and one of them is in a wheelchair.
They can't speak or understand Japanese at all, so if they seem to
be in trouble, please help them, arie~
Thank goodness!
All the seats for the 15:15 session have been reserved. ^^
You can do that!
You can concentrate on your performance on April 1
even though you've got a lot of odd jobs to worry about.
I know really well how difficult it is to give a performance
on your own.
No matter how much it takes you to make all the preparations
on your own, I'm sure you can make it and enjoy showing
what you've got to your audience.
You don't have to worry about trivial matters after your due
efforts in advance.
I'm sure your friends will help you work them out in place of
you while you concentrate on your performance.
Good luck and concentrate on what you should do on April 1.
Thanks much for your warmhearted message as always.^^
I think it a great idea to take the certifying examination.
It sure helps you your proficiency in teaching Japanese!
You always aim high to become professional in a field
you engaged in.
I admire you so much and am always behind you.^^
I'm now thinking of what to talk in the concert.
This time, I need to talk so often between the performances.
It might become a tough one as I keep talking and performing
without much rest during the concert.
And I'll be doing it twice!
I also need to think about some odds and ends to take care of;
like what to eat between the two sessions.
Maybe I should prepare something for my guests too.
And tickets. I didn't prepare any tickets this time.
If an audience wants to go outside of the hall, the program
would tell us the one already paid for the fee, I hope.
These kinds of small matters spring to my mind all the time;
I feel so restless!
Hope I can concentrate on my performance on April 1
How've you been doing?
Seems like you've been making good progress
in your preparations for the upcoming concert.
I guess no matter how well-prepared you are, you still
feel you have something more to prepare for.
I'm sure you'll be able to show your audience what
you are made of.
Enjoy expressing yourself by way of playing the piano
and singing sutras.
Personally I've been busy of late because I'm making
teaching materials in advance for the two English classes
for my adult students so that I can concentrate on my
Japanese classes which begins on April 8.
Besides, I'm thinking of taking an annual certifying examination
for proficiency in teaching Japanese to people from abroad
which will take place shortly after the termination of my
Japanese seminar in October.
The exam seems to be a competive one, but I think it's worth
taking because it is widely recognized in the world of Japanese
teaching.
You have exactly one week before your concert.
Enjoy the process.
Thanks much for letting me know about
your rendezvous with Emily from England.
I hope you'll have a great time showing her
around Tokyo and talking a lot with her.
I'll be having an English class to give to my
adult students in the morning.
I wish I could go to 「深川江戸資料館」at
「清澄白河」Station if I had enough time
to be there after my class.
If it'd be possible, I'd be waiting for you at
the entrance of the museum at around 14:30.
I'm not sure about that, though.
If I were not there at that time, please forget
it and enjoy your precious time with Emily.
How wonderful it is that you can meet Emily in
reality in Tokyo!
I hope you can share a lot of happy moments
with her tomorrow.
See you tomorrow at "Edo-Shiryokan' if possible.
If not, I'm sorry.
Emily has just called me up saying that she is now in Japan!
So I'll be meeting her at her hotel at 13:00 tomorrow, then
go to Kiyosumi-shirakawa to enjoy "gomadaki" and 江戸資料館.
Her hotel is two station back from Kiyosumi-shirakawa, so
it's really easy to access there.
Maybe you'll be having your own schedule tomorrow; I wish
you would be available and join us too~
Anyway, I'm sooooo excited!!!^^
Oh, you had the last lesson for the Filipino boy this morning!
He'll miss you so much!!!
But hopefully he'll understand your situation, and come back
to see you again in the future.
Thanks much for your consideration.
I did well at the home concert yesterday.
I really need to perform in front of people to see if my
preparation is enough.
I'd made a lot of mistakes at the previous rehearsals, but
this time, I was able to perfrom like I practice by myself.
All I need to do now is to practice toward the final rehearsal
at a music room in Azamino, to see if I do well with
a different piano.
I now feel ready to meet Emily if she ever comes to Japan!^^
Seems like you're having a busy pace of life
making preparations for the concert taking
place two weeks from now.
It's commendable that you gave a home concert
even though you're pressed for time to prepare
yourself for the concert.
Tomorrow will be my last day to give a Japanese
class to my Filipino boy at the junior high school.
I told him about the reason for my quitting teaching
him for the third year.
I hope he understood my desire to improve my
teaching skill of the Japanese language.
I really do hope your preparations for the concert
will go as smoothly as they should so that you'll
leave nothing to be desired before the concert.
Thanks a ton for your message.
How did you enjoy your day today?
Today's closing ceremony went more smoothly
than I had expected.
I had a lot of butterflies in my stomach before
the ceremony, but it turned out that we had a lot
of participants in the ceremony and the rite went
on in a very pleasant and friendly fashion with a
lot of jokes and laughter.
I tried my utmost to let the ceremony go as friendly
and pleasantly so that all the participants'd enjoy it.
After the ceremony, I went to the library in Hanno
City and made some preparations for tomorrow's
Japanese class before I went to practice table tennis
from 19:00 to 21:00.
It was really a long and challenging day, but I fully
enjoyed having a lot to pursue today.
I hope you had another good preparation for your
concert.
I'm sure you're now fully prepared for your concert
on the D-day.
Thanks awfully for your cordial messages.
I'm sorry I haven't made a reply to you sooner.
To be honest, I've been busy making preparations
for the closing ceremony of our Japanese language
class for the residents from abroad living in our
community.
The ceremony is to be held on March 16 and I'm in
charge of acting as an emcee.
What is worse, the representative of the class has
just us a message that he won't be able to participate
in the ceremony because of his health problem, which
can't be helped.
I wish, more than anything else, for his quick recovery
from his health problem.
Well, Carrie, thanks a bunch for telling me the phrase
"the Grim Reaper."
I remember that now, and I heartily wish I wouldn't be
caught by the scythe of the grim reaper yet.
I still have got a lot to pursue beforfe I resign myself to
the sickle of the grim reaper.
Spring is a season of partings and meetings.
Enjoy a thrilling time of meeting new people.
See you later.
I have more to talk about.
One of my friends confessed that she has cancer, and
has been asking me what she should do by emails and a phone.
She really depends on me, and doesn't think things by herself
at all.
She's never been a spiritual person, but she began to believe
everything she can't see and feel.
I think illness is a sign of awearness and the cancer changed
her mind-set completely.
Like yours, my life has been too hectic.
I really need to concentrate on my practice, and do some
odd jobs for the concert.
Many people had not been sure whether they would be free
on April 1st, so I asked them one by one if they came and
which time would be good for them.
The 15:15 session is almost full, so I really needed to
adjust it.
Sorry, I wrote too much!
There are a lot to talk to you.
But at the same time, I don't have any energy left to write
you everyday...
Many thanks for your lovely message as always.^^
You must have another busy week!
Again, I stepped on a mine this week. >_<
I've been looking for some staff who can help me at the
concert, so I asked my older son if he could help me
by doing the stage lighting on April 1st.
He said "Are you teasing me?" and began to cry.
I couldn't understand why he upset so much at that time,
but later on the day, as I talked to my younger son,
I knew the reason.
I should've known if a person is free on April 1st, that means
the one fails to land a job.
He doesn't do any job-hunting nor part time jobs, so
I thought it would be a good opportunity for him to do
some job.
But as result, I hurt his pride...
He might not talk to me for a while; I'll be under some
stress at home again~>_<
What's new?
How nice it was you've come up with a great idea
that you'll collaborate with Chieko-san and Kobayashi-
san, a drummer in a jazz fashion.
I'm looking forward to listening to your concert with
eager anticipation.
I only wish you'd enjoy giving what you've got to your
audience.
I had another busy day today.
I taught Japanese to a Chinese lady in such a way that
she can prepare herself for taking what is called the "N1
Japanese proficiency test".
After that I made a record of the proceedings of what
the teaching staff talked about after the Japanese class
was over.
It took me longer than four hours in all and then I enjoyed
playing table tennis from 19:00 to 21:00 in the nearby
gymnasium.
My daily schedule is tough but I'm happy with a feeling of
having something to do on a daily basis.
I'm ready for a busier pace of life from April on.
I hope I can learn a lot from the Japanese language school.
Keep yourself warm so that you won't catch cold.
See you.
I was so happy to see my spiritual partner yesterday.^^
It's good you'll turn over a new leaf and learn teaching
techniques farther more.
Would-be-students must be very happy to have you as
a Japanese teacher. Or they would be the happiest
students in the world~^^
It was good to get together with Chieko and Mr.Kobayashi,
the drummer, the other day.
We came up with lots of ideas, and we decided to have
a jazz-like session at the very end of the program.
I'd never thought about playing together with a Japanese
drum, but it worked out pretty well.
I'll arrange classical music into Jazz.^^
Would be fun to listen to~
Tomorrow would be cold again!
Stay warm and take care.
Thanks much for your heartwarmed message as always.^^
Have you decided to take the course?
Tell me about it later~
As for me, we had a session at the hall till 21:30 without having dinner
yesterday.
When I returned home, it was already 23:00.
Another long night! But it was an inspiring and exciting day~
I'm relieved to hear everything was all right
regardless of your worries about him.
Emergencies will happen to us at any moment
as long as we live in this world.
We must be prepared for those happenings
no matter when they'll happen to us.
I know deep down in my heart that it's no use
worrying about our future, that is, "Don't cross
your bridges before you get to them."
I think you did a great job making sure about
the safety of him at the sacrifice of your precious
private time.
I always think giving our time and energy to other
people around us, or dedicating ourselves to others
is the most important for us to make the most of
our life.
I went to the Japanese language school at T-Baba
to atttend the guidance session this afternoon.
I'm thinking of visiting the school to sign up for the
registration after the morning t.t. practice tomorrow.
It's high time I made up my mind to take the course
after a long period of vacillation.
You must be at Takadanobaba by now.^^
Happy belated birthday to Nao-chan~
I was so relieved to cancel the meeting last night beforehand,
as there was an emergency in the evening.
The next door neighbor of my brother called me up at around 18:00
saying that they couldn't see my brother at all.
The phone was also out of survice.
He lives alone after my mom's leaving a year ago, so we're really
worried about him.
So we had no choice but visited him to see what was happening.
In conclusion, he was all right, but the phone went kaput before
he knew it.
We returned home at around 23:00 and missed the final match!
But we were so relieved he was alright.
I'll be meeting with Chieko and a drummer at the Okurayama
Hall tonight to see how our collaboration works.
How're things going?
I quite agree with your proposal.
I'll be here at the same time on Tuesday night.
I'm going to pay a visit to a Japanese language
school tomorrow afternoon after I practiced table
tennis in the morning.
I'm supposed to take a look at two different classes,
which I hope will help me make the final decision
whether or not to attend the school.
This afternoon we celebrated Nao-chan's two-year-
old birthday at Saiboku Ham, which is about 20
minute drive from our place.
She started to speak a lot of words and moved about
more actively than we had expected.
I hope the Japanese TT team will do a great job
this evening.
Both men's and women's teams have done an
excellent job this year, though the women's team
was defeated by the Chinese team at the finals.
Thanks loads for the out-of-this-world gift.
I've never imagined that, so I was surprised
to find it when I visited this site very late this
evening.
I feel inexplicably comfortable in this clothes.
I appreciate your advice for me to follow the
golden mean, which is exactly what I'm worried
about.
Since I'm prone to move on and on until my goal
is attained, I need someone to stop me from
making a headlong rush.
I think I should be aware of the limitations of my ability
so that I can lead a peaceful pace of life.
Women's table tennis matches are really fun and I
also enjoy watching them every evening.
I hope they will try their utmost in the semifinals
and the final by defeating China.
You've decided to go see the Japanese language school.
I think it's a good idea to take a look at the school, but
if you decide to take the class, you should reduce the time
for your other activities.
You have already so much to do; you'll be too hectic again
if you get some irregularities.
I'd like you to be always healthy and energetic, so please
take a moderate course; taking the golden mean is my
resolution for this year too~^^
My family folks have been watching the table tennis matches
these days.
You must enjoy watching them everyday too! ^^
How's it going?
How nice it is that your son were able to graduate
from university!
I can imagine how happy you were when you heard
the auspicious and long-awaited news.
I'm sure he'll talk to you as he used to as time goes by.
Time'll work out any kind of problem in the end.
All we need is patience.
I'm afraid something is wrong with my ordinary pace of
daily life.
I feel I'm pressed for time all the time these days, probably
because I've got some irregularities in my everyday life
such as my wife's visit to China, going to my daughter's
concert, helping my Filipino student take the term test on
Monday besides my regular teaching on Thursday and
Friday, and what's more, the increased number of days
when I practice table tennis.
I'm certain it's only a matter of time before I get used to
the busy pace of life.
I think I can make it all right.
I'm thinking of taking a look at the Japanese language
school at Takadanobaba on March 7 before I make a
decision.
You really had a tight schedule yesterday!@@
I guess you don't need to think about killing time each day
as you always have lots to do~^^
Sorry, I couldn't reply to each of your messages, but
I enjoyed reading them very much!
Here're some good news.
My older son graduated from his university at last!
And he tried to clean his room yesterday, though
he's still not willing to talk with me.
Anyway, I was so relieved that he's become a graduate.
I'll be singing together with one of my friends, who is
a jazz singer tomorrow.
I arranged piano accompaniment for some mantra,
so I'd like her to give me her impressions about it.
How's it going?
I had another busy but enjoyable day today.
I practiced table tennis for only one hour before
I went to help the Filipino student take the term
test and I made some preparations for my evening
English class for my adult students.
After I came home from the evening class, I enjoyed
watching a recorded program of the World Table Tennis
Championship which is held in Malaysia now.
It's already past one o'clock, so I think I must go to bed
now so that I can fully enjoy my schedule with a lot of
energy.
What's up?
It was a long and enjoyable day for me today.
I found one of my former colleagues at my daughter's
concert and we had a great time talking about our
good old days while sipping warm sake at a pub.
To my regret, though, I was not able to join the SESS
session this evening.
I should have been more attentive to the time and left
the place much earlier so that I could make it to the
session.
I'm happy to hear milk and Luna had a great time talking
to each other in the session.
Luna joined us for the first time after a long absence.
I hope she's coming to join us next Saturday too.
How did you enjoy your get-together today?
Hope you got a kick out of talking with your friends
while having delectable dishes and wine.
It's getting late.
I must be going now to have a good sleep for
tomorrow's table tennis practice and some odd jobs.
See you later.
I'm glad to find you getting along well with
your hectically tight schedule.
It's amazing you had an opportunity to see
your former piano teacher for the first time in
40 years and both of you recognized each other
at first glance.
I'm sure you've renewed the old relationship with
each other.
Masayo was invited to attend one of her former
Chinese students' wedding ceremony in China.
I cannot help thinking that the world is getting
smaller and smaller.
I had a tight schedule today and I'll have another
busy time table tomorrow, so I think I think I should
go to bed now.
Thanks much for your warmhearted message.^^
I guess you are having a tight schedule due to the end of
the term.
However, I'd be happy if you'd find time to read the book.
My younger son and I read the book within a few hours;
it's kind of easy to read and is not a thick book.
I went to Minato-mirai to see Ms.Katano, my piano teacher
from when I was a kid this week.
It was the first time we saw each other in 40 years, but still
we were able to recognize one another. Was really fun!
Then I had a home concert yesterday.
One of my "mama-tomo" came to listen to my music and
we chatted later.
I was surprised to find one of her children(she has 4 ) is
ADHD or Asperger, so we have mutual topic!
I really enjoyed talking with her~
What a pity I won't be able to attend Michiyo-san's concert
this time; I heard the place is really nice too.
Enjoy having a good time tomorrow~^^
I'm glad to hear you're doing fine even though
you're having a hectically tight schedule this week.
No doubt you're moving on and on all the time
without any cessation.
I can't help wondering where your exuberant energy
comes from.
You're really a human dynamo.
Thanks for introducing a couple of what seem to be
interesting books.
The first one titled "TPP" sounds a bit serious but
I understand it's one of the must reads considering
the present situation Japan faces now.
I hope I'll be able to find some time to read the book
and share some comments about it with you later.
I'm going to Michiyo's concert on Feb. 27 which'll be
held at 「松明堂音楽ホール」at Shin-Tokorozawa
Station.
It starts at 14:00, so I must rush to the venue after
my English class is over at 12:00.
One of my former colleagues is coming to the concert,
so I feel obliged to go to the concert too.
I hope the books from the library will help you work
out your problems.
Survive the tight schedule.
Take care.
I'll be going to a concert at Minato-mirai tomorrow; Ms. Katano,
my used-to-be piano teacher, will be singing.
Then I'll be having a home concert on Thursday, and another
concert on Sunday.
I have a busy schedule this week~^^
Many thanks for your encouraging message. You must be
concerned about me!
I'm doing okay, so don't worry about me~.
I'm happy as you always seem to find something to improve
yourself each day. I truely admire your way of life!^^
I've requested some books about Asperger at the library, so
I'll learn how to interact with my older son.
I'm now reading books called "TPPで日本支配をたくらむ者たちの正体”
by 苫米地英人 and "鳥の不思議な生活” by Noah Strycker.
The former one would be a must-to-read book; I didn't know
TPP is a "secret treaty"!
I'd really like you to read this book too.
The latter one is fun to read! You can check "Murmuration"
on YouTube and watch the beautiful art created by starlings!
Oh, those puns were made by someone else!
I believed you made them, as you're a king of puns~^^
How're things going?
Hope you feel comfortable with the way you're
familiar with like before.
It's strange we always have something unexpected
happening to us even though we'd like to lead a
regular peaceful life.
Something unexpected might be a gift from the heaven
so that we won't get bored with our present life, because
the same rhythm of life will certainly bore us in the end.
An ideal rhythm of life for us might be a series of ups and
downs so that we can enjoy adapting ourselves to an ever
changing pace of life with a lot of inner excitement.
I'm certain you do have a strong will to cope with a sudden
influx of such unexpected happenings to you in your daily life.
This morning I enjoyed practicing table tennis for three hours
while developing a new skill to return the ball to my opponent.
There must be innumerable ways to hit a ball back to our
opponent's court, but we know only a limited number of them.
It must be fun finding a new way of returning a ball.
I admire your great decision to change the moldy wall paper.
Are you planning to do all the job by yourself?
I'm afraid it'll be a challenging one to do the laborious task
all by yourself.
I think you should ask your husband and sons to lend you a
helping hand instead of doing it on your own.
I must have told you at first that the pun works titled 「だじゃれ
日本一周」was made by 長谷川義文 and the book was
published by 理論社.
One of the volunteer Japanese teachers I work with made a
5-minute-speech using the book and she lent it to me after her
speech for my reference.
I'm planning to use them as part of my teaching materials for
my adult students by adding some English clues to each pun.
I'm going to ask them to explain in English about the funniest
point in each work.
Well, Carrie, have a great time giving interview questions to
your examinees tomorrow.
I still vividly remember the days when I was working as an
interviewer too.
I appreciate you trying to ease me up.^^
Your puns are so funny; they are really like yours!
I can imagine how you enjoyed making them up.
It's also a good idea to make "one-minute speech".
You are really a great teacher~
I'll try and put the rest into English later.^^
I was also glad to hear you enjoyed the get-together.
Was it after a long while?
You've really played table tennis for a looooong time!
As for me, I peeled off some of the wall paper which
had been infested with mold.
As a result, my sons stopped coughing! Or at least,
less than before.
All I need to do now is to peel off the rest of the wall
paper and to paper the wall.
But I guess I should put it off until the concert is over,
as it'll take time.
I went out to do some energy work today. Very refreshing!
I'll be an examiner of the STEP test tomorrow~
It's amazing you've done a great job answering
all the pun expressions about Japanese prefectures.
You really have an exquisite sense of humor!
Here're the rest of the puns for you, but don't try too
hard to translate them into English.
31. 運動会は ときょうとう
32. あんたのぼうし とっちぎけん (a cap/ to snatch a hat away off your head)
33. 手を挙げて 横断歩道で ひょうごけん (a slogan to promote traffic safety)
34. 手を下げて 百円拾って とくしまけん
35. あっちいかんと こっちけん
36. 泥棒みんなで かごしまけん
37. 富士山登って ちずをかけん
38. 誰が置いたの じゃまないしけん
39. 父さんかばです ちちかばけん
40. そんな顔して えっひめけん
41. この頃成績 やまがたけん
42. 努力の さがけん
43. 私のおでこ ひろしまけん
44. 鼻の下が ながさきけん
45. もうこの辺で あきたけん
46. ほな この辺で おきなわけん
47. 面白かった じゃあ始めから もっかいどう
Carrie, this is the end of what we call "one-minute speech"
we always make during our teatime after our regular
Japanese class so that our students can deepen their
knowledge about Japanese culture.
We're supposed to make such a speech by turns on a
regular basis.
It helps us to understand different aspects of Japanese
culture.
1.Beautiful flowers are blooming.
2.There are thorns on roses.
3.Let's celebrate the birthday!
4.A gift coupon is good for a present.
5.I'll put some dumplings here!
6.You can take it; no need to be reserved.
7.Women are strong!
8.I'm no match for you!
9.I'll hook you with my left arm.
10.Enough is enough!
11.Here's a Kyo-tofu dish.
12.I can see well with these clouded glasses.
13.The pouch is empty.
14.Nothing is scheduled today.
15.Ouch! The bath is too hot!
16.Oh, my goodness! Was surprised!
17.I'll put your clothes here.
18.You need to see it with your eyes.
19.Let's wipe and clean the butts.
20.Looooong rubber of underpants
21.Here's Sasanishiki. A souvenir for you!
22.Wow! A large helping!
23.How are you doing today?
24.My blood type is Nii.
25.Ouch! I've slipped and fallen over!
26.I've got dark circles under my eyes.
27.Buddha ate "takoyaki" and broke wind.
28."If that is so" said the great Buddha of Nara, and broke wind too.
29.A Shiba dog is in Chiba.
30.Oh, look!Kayama Yuzo!
1. きれいな花が さいたまけん
2. バラの花には いばらきけん
3. お誕生日をいわってけん
4. プレゼントには ギフトけん
5. おだんごここに おかやまけん
6. 遠慮せんと とっとりけん
7. 強いど女性 ぐんまけん
8. とてもあんたにゃ かながわけん
9. 得意の左 フックいけん
10. いい加減に しがけん
11. おかずは何どす きょうとうふ
12. メガネが曇ってよく みえけん
13. すっからかんの がまぐちけん
14. 今日１日 ひまねけん
15. お風呂に入って あいちけん
16. びっくりしたわ とやまーけん
17. ここに着替えの ふくおかけん
18. その目でしっかり みやざきけん
19. おしりをきれいに ふくしまけん
20. パンツのゴムが ながのけん
21. ささにしきの おみやぎけん
22. あっ、おおもりけん
23. 体の調子 いかがわけん
24. けつえきがたは にいがたけん
25. すべってころんで おおいたけん
26. つかれて めのした くまもとけん (to be tired/ There are dark rings)
27. たこやき食べて おーしゃかぷー ("takoyaki" or octopus balls/ Buddha/ to break wind)
28. それならと だいぶつさんも おならけん (then/ if that is so/ the great Buddha of Nara/ to break wind)
29. しばけん ちばけん (a Shiba dog/ a breed of dog)
30. わっ、かやまゆうぞう わかやまけん (Oh, look!)
I'm thinking of asking my adult students to render
these puns into English with the help of some English
clues in the parenthes.
I hope it'll be good and productive practice for them.
How're things going?
Seems like you're having another difficulty
leading a peaceful daily life.
I hope things'll start running as smoothly as
they should so that you can concentrate on
your preparations for a series of concerts to
come.
Today I had a happy and friendly reunion with
my table tennis teammates in my college days.
We had lunch together and then had a chat
at a cafe until late in the evening.
It's always fun to talk about our good old days.
It's a pity, however, that I've heard one of my
good friends from college passed away three
years ago.
I heard the sad news in the luncheon today,
to my great sorrow.
Nobody knew the cause of his demise though.
All I can do for him now is pray for his peaceful
rest in the heaven.
Don't let your worries eat you too much.
Take it easy.
What's up?
It's incredible that we've had an unseasonably
hot day today.
While practicing table tennis, I got soaked with
sweats because of a high temperature.
I'm afraid we're going to have a huge difference
in temperature ahead of us.
It's quige possible that some people cannot adapt
themselves to the sudden fluctuations in temperature.
This afternoon I had a relaxing time making preparations
for my Saturday English class and posting additional
fliers for our English classes at Iruma Silver Personnel
Silver Center.
The number of fliers was very small this time, so it took
me only half an hour to post them in my neighborhood.
How're you getting along with your PC?
I hope it's well under your control now and you don't have
any more frustration with your device.
Personally, I don't like to have any kind of mechanical
problems with my computer because it's beyond my
control in most cases.
Wow! It's really amazing!
Your Filipino student has really good command of Japanese.
And he's learned it for less than two years!
He's really a quick learner, and I'm very proud of you to be
a fantabulous teacher for him.
You've also been a Japanese teacher for less than two years,
but I'm sure your way of teaching has been just great!^^
I went to the shop to ask for help yesterday.
I talked about the problems I'm having right now with my PC
after updating the new program.
However, a shop clerk kept saying "You were wrong".
I didn't know what was wrong with me at all! >_<
Maybe that's his favorite phrase or his own peculiar manner of
talking.
Anyway, he didn't give me any clues as to what I should do,
and said the new program is automatically updated as I use
the Windows 10 for free.
So be careful. Yours also will be updated, even though you
don't want to.
I'm now working on a new piece "さくら" by 森山直太朗,
as I'll accompany my used-to-be piano teacher singing it
in March.^^
How're things going?
I think it's a great idea to go to the specialty
shop to get an instant remedy for your computer.
Having a computer out of our control at hand
will remain an everlasting pain in the neck.
I admire your quick determination to ask for some
advice for the quick recovery of your PC.
This morning I gave a Japanese class to the Filipino
boy in which I had him practice building Japanese
sentences using all the words I gave him.
Some of the examples:
①日本の冬／寒い／起きる／大変：
His answer: 「日本の冬は寒くて朝に起きると大変です。」
I praised him for building intelligible sentences, but he
knows very well that his Japanese abilities leave a lot
to be desired.
He has learned Japanese only less than two years and
still he can build sentences that make sense.
Don't you think it's great of him to have made good
progress in expressing himself in Japanese?
I hope for his steady efforts .
Thanks for your advice.^^
I did the same things as you when I updated to W10;
I went to a shop and I decided to use the old version
of the Internet Explorer and mail system, as "Edge"
had caused a lot of problems.
Now I can't use the I E at all; if I try, the screen freezes!
So I have no choice but use Edge. >_<
Following your advice, I'll go to the shop this time again,
and get some advice~.
Thanks loads for your reply while you're at
the height of busy times.
Speaking of ”仕末”, 明鏡辞典 carries the usage
of the word at the end of the definition ④:
表記：慣用的に「仕末」とも.
That means 「仕末」is customarily correct, but
it should not have been taught to a student as
standard characters.
Anyway, I was very stupid to think of 「仕末」
instead of 「始末」.
I'm afraid that can happen to us as long as we
engage in intellectual activities.
It was a painful failure, but it turned out to be
a good lesson for me.
I've seen what you call "updated program" this
evening just before beginning to write to you,
but it hasn't done any harm yet.
When I updated to "Windows 10", I had a lot of
problems with the internet and mail, so I was
obliged to go to the shop I had bought the PC.
They told us I should use the old version of the
internet explorer and mail system.
As a result, I haven't had any problems so far.
Why don't you give it a try?
Good luck!
Hmm...my e-dictionary carries 明鏡辞典 , but these isn't 仕末 there.
My computer also doesn't carry the word.
Why is it in your dictionary? Maybe it used to be used a lot!
Didn't you have the message "更新プログラム" on the display lately?
None of us did anything, but it was automatically installed.
My son said it took four hours to finish updating the program.
Oh, maybe he was the one who pressed "yes" button or something,
though he insisted he didn't do anything at all.
I don't think I can use Internet Explorer anymore.>_<
You've done another great job of giving a concert
at a nursing home and found what you should do
to improve your skill in playing the piano.
I know from my experience that we can live well
as long as we can find something new worthy of
challenging in our day-to-day life.
We never fail to find such an exciting challenge
when we try our utmost to improve ourselves.
I changed my Windows to what is called "Windows
10" last year, which caused a lot of trouble shortly
after that, but it's functioning all right now, to my
relief.
I don't like to be bothered by mechanical matters
at all, but we can't help facing them as long as we
live in modern society.
To change the subject, in today's Japanese class for
local foreign residents, I wrote 「仕末」in Chinese
characters when we were talking about 「彼は遅刻を
する、書類は忘れる、その上仕事中居眠りをして社長
に怒鳴られる始末だ」.
One of the students told me the character must be
「始末」not 「仕末」.
I wondered why I wrote the characters, but 明鏡辞典
carried it as common usage.
Many thanks for your encouraging, warmhearted message as always.^^
I had a concert at a nursing home this morning, and found what I need
to practice more~.
Have you changed to a new version of Windows or whatever on your
computer?
Mines automatically did it, and it's really terrible!
My PC moves so slowly now, and I can't get into Nicotto with Internet
Explorer.
I have to use エッジ, the troublesome software!>_<
How's it going?
I hope you've already learned the knack of playing
piano pieces in a tender way.
It's always nice and thrilling to start something new.
We feel comfortable in our daily routines, but some
people will soon get tired of repeating the same rhythm
of life on a regular basis.
We need some courage to change our quality of life
because it'll bring about uncertainties beyond our
expectation.
But it's worth our efforts to enter into a new phase of
life because it will help us change ourselves.
We can slough off our old skin to free ourselves of a
mannerism.
I admire your determination to change your style of
playing the piano.
I'm sure you can do it.
I'm glad to hear you're leading a hectically busy life
and you have a pile-up of arrears to catch up with.
It's nice to have something you can concentrate on
in your everyday life.
I hope you'll be able to memorize everything before
you have another concert at a nursing home next week.
I'm positive you can do that because you can always
perform up to your abilities.
Come to think of it, I seem to be memorizing something
all the time for my English and Japanese classes.
I'm certain it is good to give a lot of stimuli to our brains.
Well, Carrie, this evening we had Frost with us in our SESS
session for the first time in quite a long time.
She told us she's going to study philosophy at a university
in Osaka.
I really do hope she'll enjoy her campus life with her friends.
We've decided to make a presentation about the topic "What
is important in cross-cultural communication?" in our next
session.
Hopefully, the participants will enjoy organizing their ideas about
it.
Thanks much for writing me a lot.^^
I'm glad to hear that your students passed the N2 test,
which is the same level of the pre-1 STEP in Japanese.
Amazing!
Have they acquired the certain level of Japanese within
a year?
I think you really did a great job; you are surely a honorary
teacher! ^^
Hope the Peru student also passed the test.
I happened to read the Asahi weekly yesterday, and came
across some words you mentioned.
I felt as if I was learning those words together with you,
and they stuck to my mind very well.^^
Oh, I couldn't memorise the notes well at the home concert.
I want to check the progress of my work from time to time.
So maybe I should concentrate on my practice more, as
I couldn't have time to play piano these days because of the
other odd jobs. I enjoyed doing them, though.
I'll be having a concert in a nursing home next week, so
I'll memorise the notes by then!
I'm as busy as a bee in real life like you now, so I'll keep
refraining from using my PC.
How did your home concert go on Feb. 3?
I'm proud of your determination to open up
your house and give another home concert
for your aficionados.
It's always nice and welcome to have an
opportunity to show what you've got to other
people.
I'm sure your audience must have been impressed
with your energetic performance and got a lot of
power to move on in their life.
Today I gave a regular Japanese class to my Filipino
boy in the morning, cooped up myself in the library
in the afternoon and practiced table tennis in the
evening.
And now I've got a little free and leisurely time before
I go to bed.
How're you doing?
I know you're very busy in your everyday life,
but don't overdo it.
Nothing comes before your good health.
I'd like to tell you happy news today.
Three of my Japanese language students took
a Japanese proficiency test N2 (Level 2), which is
comparable to the pre-1st STEP test last December
and two of them passed it.
One of them, from Peru, hasn't contacted me yet
about the result.
I hope he succeeded in the test too.
Some of the interesting words and phrases I've learned
today are as follows:
1. as crystallization of their efforts 努力の結果として
2. laugh our heads off 笑い転げる
3. Oh, no! I've laddered my stockings! 伝線しちゃった！
4. The three sides of an equilateral triangle are all the same
length. 正三角形
5. This new material compares favorably in texture with any
existing synthetic fiber, and on top of that it is lighter.
この新素材は生地の強さにおいて、既存の化繊に比べてなんら
「遜色がない」上に、一層軽い。
6. an "honorary" station master 名誉駅長
7. The "brouhaha" over the new National Stadium 大騒ぎ
See U
Seems like you're having a tight schedule every day.
I'm glad and relieved to hear you've had a wonderful
time giving a home concert for the first time in a year.
I can imagine you needed a little bit of courage to open
up your house and welcome your friends when you feel
reluctant to do it.
I guess you may feel a wee bit overwhelmed to have
a raft of inquiries about a succession of your concerts,
but in a sense, it's nice to have a lot of external stimuli
because they'll help you feel rejuvenated and connected
to society.
I feel I'm always on the move, but I can't complain because
I've invited such a busy pace of life since I retired from
my regular teaching job at school.
I think I should appreciate having a lot of social activities
even after my retirement.
Don't overstrain yourself.
Enjoy your hibernation.
How are you doing today?
You sound really busy toward the end of the term
as you need to do some peripheral(Thx!) work as well.
As for me, I had a home concert for the first time in
more than a year this afternoon.
Some of my friends had said that they don't mind the
smelly room, so I'd decided to have one for them after
a long absence.
I really had a good time; I was so encouraged and
rejuvenated to practice more!
Like you, I need to do some odd jobs these days;
giving the info about some concerts including the April one
by mail, emails, and facebook,
replying to inquiries...
I'll also give a couple of concerts this month, so there are
a flurry of replies coming into my mail-box, and I need to
sort them all out.
I might need to hibernate a bit more in this town. ^^;
I know you are a safe driver, so you've never hit the brakes
and you won't jam on the brakes in the future as well~^^
Concerning the question no. 2, you've hit the
nail on the head.
But "hit/ jam on/ slam on the brakes" means you
apply the sudden brakes in an emergency.
I hope I won't come across a situation in which
I'm forced to slam on the brakes.
When driving, I always keep "Safety First" in mind
particularly when I'm driving with someone else.
Today I had a luncheon with some of the table tennis
teammates without any alcoholic beverages because
I drove to the venue by car.
It's nice to share a relaxing time with them from time
to time.
I'm now beginning to make preparations for the closing
ceremony of the Japanese class which takes place towards
the end of March.
Besides our main duty, we can't escape from odd jobs as
long as we continue working in society.
Personally, I don't like such peripheral jobs, but I think I
should be prepared to accept them as part of my job.
Hope you're having a leisurely pace of life.
I'm glad it didn't snow in the Kanto area this time.
Any snowfall will paralyze traffic in the Kanto district,
I really do hope it won't snow any more this winter.
Let me tell you some of the interesting phrases I've
learned today:
(1)hit/ jam on/ slam on the brakes
(2)ease up on the brakes
(3)I'm not good at parallel parking.
(4)He's a kibitzer. = He's a back-seat driver.
(5)I'm always behind you. = I always stand by you.
(6)Watch out for "it's me scams."「オレオレ詐欺」
Bundle up so that you won't catch cold.
How long are you going to hibernate before you
come out of the ground?
Take a good rest and restore your energy.
Seems like you had a great and comfortable time
bathing in a hot spring at Tenzan.
You must have needed to refresh yourself so that
you can start your daily routine life afresh.
I can imagine how difficult it is to live a day-to-day
life as a mom and wife and an artist because you always
have a lot to worry about.
I hope you can manage to juggle multiple roles in your
daily life so that you can feel comfortable on a daily basis.
I'm glad to hear your treasure was not diagnosed as an A-s
patient.
I'm sure he has resilient enough to get back to his normal
pace of life sooner or later.
All you have to do now is just wait and see with a lot of
patience.
I practiced table tennis this evening after the Japanese class
and some preparations for tomorrow's English class.
How I wish it wouldn't snow tomorrow morning!
I was so happy that my son talked to me at last today!^^
I was steaming some bums when he returned home.
Maybe he couldn't resist eating them as they are his favorite.
I asked the child psychologist about my son by giving her
some episodes of him.
She said he wouldn't have Asperger's; if he had it, I should
have been informed at the check-ups for the kids.
She also said that the smartphone addict is likely to happen
when the one wants to escape from the present situation.
He must know it's not good, but he can't help it.
So I'll take it easy, and try to understand his thoughts and
situations from now on!^^
You sound really busy; your students need you so much!
I'm proud of you helping many people around you including me!
Oh, I must tell you. I got a new EX-word dictionary which used
to be my older son's.
He won't use it anymore, so it's become mine today.^^
Thanks for your info; I'll get the same one as yours when my
gadget is broken in the futrue~^^
I appreciate your talking time and write to me out of your
busy schedule.^^
Yesterday, I went to Hakone to bathe in the hot springs
to refresh myself.
Mt.Fuji was just beautiful covered with snow and I stayed
Tenzan from noon to 18 o'clock, bathing, having lunch,
having a nap, and bathing again!
I also meditate a lot. I didn't need to thinkg of anything there!
I didn't intend to do this, but to my surprise, I went to Tenzan
on the same date; Oct. 28th, Dec. 28th, and Jan.28th!
It seems my eager to bathe in hot springs comes at a certain
interval. ^^
What's up?
You've worked really hard.
You need to hibernate a little while so that you can
get refreshed and rejuvenated.
I hope your hibernation will ward off colds and recover
your fatigue.
Personally, I gave a Japanese class to the Filipino boy
until 12:30 and went directly to the library to coop
myself up until 19:00 to make some preparations for
the subsequient classes of Japanese and English.
After dinner, I finished correcting two sheets of handouts
from one of my adult students who takes my correspondence
course.
She used to be one of my students in the Saturday English
class, but she stopped coming to the class because of her
physical problem and asked me to correct her assignments
on a monthly basis, which seems to be a little burden when
I'm pressed for time.
Since she appreciates the opportunity to study English with me,
I feel it's part of my duty to keep helping her with her English
studies.
Seems like things're not going all right with your
e-dictionary and the flier.
I hope you can straighten them out as soon as
possible.
I think it's a good idea to consult one of your
friend's daughter about your son's present symptoms.
She might give you convincing advice so that you can
take some concrete measures to cope with the
present quagmire.
I've been pressed for time with a lot of tasks to tackle
today, but I'm relieved to have finished all of them now.
I guess I must appreciate having something to do all
the time, even though I feel like whining from time to
time when it seems to be too burdensome.
The e-dictionary I'm using now is XD-K18000, the latest
version of all the Casio EX-word products.
If you're thinking of buying a new one, I think it'll be the
wisest choice to make.
I've recommended it to Eri and she's now using it.
I assure you that you'll never regret it.
Talking about brushing up our English, my e-dictionary, EX-word
XD-R910 was broken at last.
I really loved this one; it's so simple to operate and I like the
tiny shape.
I'm now borrowing my hubby's EX-word XD-D8500.
Does it happen to be the same as yours?
Oh, it's so hard to handle it; I wish I had my e-dic back to me!
Anyway, let's continue our journeies in the sea of English
together~!^^
Thanks much for your advice.^^
I didn't plan to go see a therapist, but after reading your message,
I came across the idea of asking a daughter of one of my friends,
a child psychologist, for some advice on a present stuation.
As you said, it would be wise to get specialist's ideas.
My son hasn't talked to me for a week now; I stamped on the tail
of a tiger this time, so I should be more careful about what I say
and do.
Ana is also helping me understand having Asperger's.
I was shocked to find out that there was a BIG mistake on the fliers.
So I need to ask for reprinting them.>_<
The make-shift fliers weren't delivered on time, remember?
There was always something happened concerning the fliers this time.
How're things going?
I'm impressed you're dead set on improving
your English.
I'd like to share your determination to hone your English,
because I have a long way to go before I feel comfortable
in expressing myself in English.
How wonderful it'd be if we could share the process of
bettering our English.
Carrie
2016/04/15 13:21:40
[patch up]
They used to talk a lot to each other, but not now.
I hope they'll patch up their relationship!
Carrie
2016/04/15 13:19:38
[leave behind]
I want my sons to leave behind a comfortable life at home,
and start a new life living by themselves.
Carrie
2016/04/15 13:17:26
[part with]
I don't want to part with the opal ring which my mom gave me.
Carrie
2016/04/15 13:14:56
[break with]
I try to break with my old habit of eating sweets everyday.
Carrie
2016/04/15 09:33:49
Hi arie!
Thanks much for your message.
You must have well prepared for the demonstration today.^^
I'm certain you would do a great job, but I'm looking
forward to hearing what it was like later~!
Guess what?
You were in my dream last night and we had a good time!^^
You wore your hair in a pompadour; it was combed straight
back from your forhead. It was soooooo cool!
Now I remember your hairdo and face were not yours, but
I was certain in the dream that it was you.
It's so strange~
I look forwand to Michiyo-san's concert tomorrow!
I must go straight back home after the event, though.
See you soon.^^
arie
2016/04/13 23:09:19
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks a bunch for your message.
As you've correctly guessed, I've been hectically
busy making preparations for my Japanese classes
on a daily basis.
Besides, I'm forced to review my classes so that
I won't be left behind.
The pace of each class is a lot faster than I've expected.
And the students are required to be ready to answer
the questions asked by teachers.
What is worse, we're asked to make a demonstration
of teaching Japanese words, usage and grammar in front
of other students in the Japanese methodology class in
accordance with the plausible procedures.
I guess it might be compared to giving a performance
on a stage.
I always admire musicians and artists who give their
performances on the stage in order to entertain their
audience.
I hope you'll be able to make a wise decision as to use
the place for your next performance.
I'm sure you can make a good decision in the end.
See you later.
Carrie
2016/04/12 22:23:35
Good evening, arie!
It's once in a blue moon I write messages at this time of the day!
You must have had another busy day today playing table tennis, and
preparing for your classes.
Maybe you did your homework or reviewed notes for your Japanese
course too~
Your days are full of activities as always!
As for me, I went to a cafe, where I would perform this coming July,
with one of my acquaintances.
The place has good acorstics and she recommended me to play
piano there.
I still don't know if I play by muself or I invite a guest, but it's good
as I can use the place on the weekend.
Well, my desktop is performing badly; it shows a pink screen with
green letters, so I can hardly read!!!>_<
arie
2016/04/08 23:10:52
Hi, Carrie!
It's now April and it's the time for you and all of your
family people to get off to a running start and be
first out of the gate.
I'm glad to hear your younger son has had a possiblity
of landing a job of his choice.
I'm certain he'll leave his comfortable nest as soon as
he is ready to.
Spring is really a season in which we experience something
new.
As you've mentioned in your message, I went to the opening
ceremony of the Japanese language school this morning.
I was amazed to know that there're about 30 students in the
class and 13 of them are males and most of them have just
retired from their regular job recently.
I felt they'd like to pursue something worth while to make
their life meaningful after their retirement.
I'm going to have a lot to do on a daily basis from today on,
but I'd like to enjoy my busy pace of life paying attention to
my good health.
Enjoy your peaceful life with your family folks.
See you soon.
Carrie
2016/04/08 10:04:21
Hi arie!
Thanks for your lovely message.^^
Oh, I'm certain you made a correct dicision to attend
the Japanese language course, as you wanted to take it.
As long as there's your desire, that's the sign you should
do it!
You don't need to worry about your age, as you are so
young at heart, and you have a good brain.
I'm looking forward to hearing your experience later!^^
We had good news yesterday.
Our younger son got a telegram saying that he passed
the test for employment at one of his aimed companys.
He'll still take some interviews at other firms, but I was
so glad to see him relieved!
Our older son seemed to be a bit depressed after his
graduation, but he seems to move on now and constantly
goes out.
Hope he'll land a favorable job too.
Good luck and enjoy the first day of your Japanese course!^^
arie
2016/04/07 21:48:21
Hi, Carrie!
I've enjoyed listening to your out-of-this-world
evening performance on the yutube.
It's always a tough job to give a performance
to other people, but you really did a great job
giving all you've got.
I cannot admire your determination to give a
series of concerts too much.
I hope you can continue giving your concerts
as long as you feel energetic to do so.
Personally, I'm going to turn over a new leaf
tomorrow; tomorrow'll be the first day to start
my Japanese language course at Takadanobaba.
To be honest with you, I've got mixed feelings
about attending a new school at my present age
and also at the expense of nearly one million yen.
I don't mind the tuition fee but what I'm worried
about is whether or not I've made a correct decision
to attend the school.
Anyway, it is no use crying over spilt milk.
All I have to do now is do my utmost to absorb
everything I'll be taught at school from tomorrow.
I'm looking forward to meeting a bunch of new
people too.
CU.
arie
2016/04/06 23:37:04
Hi, Carrie!
It's really nice you've had a great time strolling
in the pastoral ambience with one of your friends.
I'm sure we're now in the best season to take a
leisurely ramble in the coutryside particularly when
we're blessed with beautiful weather.
I went to the library to make preparations for my
plural classes and unlike my ordinary routines I decided,
just for a change, to take a walk to view cherry blossoms
in full bloom in the nearby park.
It served as a mental diversion and I was able to concentrate
on my studies more than before.
I enjoyed playing table tennis for two hours in the evening
and it helped me a great deal to refresh myself after a long
sedentary deskbound day.
It's really nice to have something I can fully devote myself to
without thinking anything trivial.
I'm certain your leisurely ramble in the peaceful, pastoral
ambiance has resuscitate yourself after the laborious task
on April 1.
You really deserve having a soothing pace of life now.
See you.
Carrie
2016/04/06 09:47:01
Hi arie!
Thanks a lot for your lovely comment as always.^^
I'd like you to live as you like, so I'm always behind arie
who is busy doing something valuable almost all day~
I went out all day yesterday to get "seitai" treatment
as well as go hiking with one of my friends.
I enjoyed strolling along "satoyama" area near her place;
we were able to see cherry blossoms in full bloom here
and there!
My desktop has become pink again!
Maybe that's the sign I shouldn't use my computer too much.^^;
Today's sunny! Let's enjoy the beautiful day~^^
arie
2016/04/05 00:30:59
Hi, Carrie!
How're you doing today?
I hope things're beginning to settle down after
your concert.
It must have been the toughest concert you've
ever given, which caused you a lot of burden
and worries.
It was great of you to ride out all the difficulties
related to giving the concert.
I'm more than happy to hear that your husband
had a favorable impression of me.
I was impressed with his dedication to the success
of your concert as well.
I had another long and laborious day today, practicing
table tennis in the morning, going to the Silver Personnel
Center to discuss an English lesson plan shortly after that,
making some preparations for the evening English class,
and now I feel at ease and comfortable after the long day.
It seems that I always have a lot to do on a daily basis,
but this is the way I've wanted to lead my daily routines.
I'd like to pay attention to my good health so that I can
maintain this pace of life as long as possible.
Have a nice day.
See you soon.
Carrie
2016/04/02 22:55:50
Hi arie!
Thanks for your lovely message.^^
I felt really happy as you understood my situation.
My husband and I talked about the people who came to
my concert tonight.
He seemed to like you very much and was impressed with
your communication skills in several languages.
Do you also speak Portuguese?
We had the same ideas of your personality too; friendly,
natural, and really modest. You never show off what you
can do and what you did.
He also said that you must be the same age as he, as
you look so young!
I felt so happy to hear those things, so I can't help writing
to you soon.^^
He said he went to the cafe across from the station after
the 1st session, so you might have spent the time together
in the same shop.
I was busy corresponding to messages in emails and on
facebook today. I need to keep doing so tomorrow!
arie
2016/04/02 18:43:17
Hi, Carrie!
How're you doing today after the big event?
Hope you're fully rejuvenated after a tight sleep.
I can imagine how tough it was for you to make
all the arrangements for the stage and go through
some last-minute changes just before the performance.
It must have been a lot of work to memorizeand
adjust yourself to them.
You really did a great job getting through all the
difficulties for the success of the concert.
A couple from Mexico and their daughter plus Akiyama-san
were very pleasant to talk to and we had an enjoyable
time chatting over diverse topics, particularly about
their impressions of Japan and their daily life in Mexico.
It's a pity they can stay in Japan only a week because of
their dauighter's teaching job; she has to resume teaching
at school on this coming Monday.
Have a good rest so that you can fully refresh yourself.
See you later.
Carrie
2016/04/02 10:31:59
Hi arie!
Thank you so much for your hospitality yesterday.
I hadn't known the circumstances very well, so I just
asked for your help in case if the visiters from abroad
would need any help.
They must have appreciated your company very much!^^
I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed chatting with them
after the concert. I wish I could have joined you!
Say hello to Masayo-san and Michiyo-san too.
I really appreciated them coming all the way from the
distant areas.
Yes. I got really bushed yesterday.
I went to the hall from the morning to do the stage preparation
including setting audio stuff. Oh, I hate to do this kind of things!>_<
Then we changed program here and there, so I got to memorise
all the changes, hence I changed my talk too.
I was already very tired when the concert began. Lol
It was also really tough to do the gig twice, but I did my best
and I felt so happy as the audience seemed to enjoy it so much.
My best part this time was my talk. I felt happy as the people laughed
arie
2016/04/01 22:32:32
Hi, Carrie!
You've done a great job today.
I really appreciated the entertaining performance
in which a variety of elements were included.
I was impressed with your versatile talents; singing,
playing the piano and narrating eloquently.
A group of American and Mexican people plus
a young Japanese girl, Akiyama-san seemed to
enjoy your performance very much too.
Akiyama-san told us that she happened to help
them find their B&B hotel two days ago and since
then she's been helping them do the sights of
Tokyo.
I admire her hospitality very much.
After the concert, we had a great time chatting over
a cup of coffee at a coffee shop just diagonally across
from Okurayama Station.
We left the coffee shop at around 19:00.
Seems like they headed for Kawasaki to see some event
there, and we had dinner at Seibu Department Store,
coming home around 22:00.
I guess you're exhausted after a long and tense day.
You need a good rest.
Have a tight sleep and rejuvenate yourself.
See you later.
arie
2016/03/31 21:15:14
Hi, Carrie!
I've got it.
I'll be waiting for them at "Okurayama Station."
I hope I'll be able to meet them at the station
and take them to the venue all right.
In case I fail to meet them, "Akiyama-san" will
sure take the party to the hall.
I'm relieved to hear that Akiyama-san accompanies
them tomorrow.
You don't have anything to worry about it tomorrow,
and all you have to do is concentrate on your performance.
I think you've left nothing to be desired before the
concert, because you've done all your best so far.
Hopefully you'll enjoy your stage performance to your
heart's content tomorrow.
Good luck and enjoy your performance.
Carrie
2016/03/31 13:07:19
Hi arie!
I sent you the map. Hope you can get the idea.
They reserved the seats using the name "Akiyama".
So one of them might be Japanese or they may be
Japanese Americans.^^
Carrie
2016/03/31 08:52:30
Hi, arie!
Thanks for your cooperation.^^
I'll send you the map of the place this morning!
I jotted down where you should stand to welcome them,
but I didn't need to, as you'll be waiting for them
at the station.
I'll tell my husband and others who help at the reception
about your waiting at the station.
If in any case those American arrive early and you don't need to
wait there, they'll let you know.
Could I have your cell-phone number or e-address?
Is it okay to tell either of them to my hubby or one of my
friends?
Thanks always for your warmhearted message.
I'm now looking forward to performing tomorrow~
I'll try to relax today!^^
arie
2016/03/31 01:12:00
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks for your message.
I'm glad to hear you're going to have full-
capacity audience on April 1st.
I hope you're now fully prepared for the
concert.
I'll try to get to Okuraya Station at around
14:30 so that I can help four of your audience
from America and Mexico get to the venue
without a lot of trouble.
My fax number and the phone number are
the same.
I'd appreciate it if you'd send me the map of
the venue.
One more day to go before your D-day.
I'm sure you've made good preparations for
your performance.
Have a relaxing time before the concert.
Break a leg!
Carrie
2016/03/30 21:31:29
Is your fax number the same as your phone number?
Carrie
2016/03/30 20:31:36
Hi again, arie!
I was wondering if you come a bit earlier to help those foreigners
come to the Okurayama Memorial Hall on Apirl 1st?
One of them is in a wheelchair, so they need to know how to get
to the building without using many stairs.
I'll send you a map of the place, if you'd be able to help them!
Carrie
2016/03/30 12:34:29
Hi arie!
Guess what?
I was surprised to get a phone call from an American lady today.
She saw the info of my concert on the net, and wants to come!
She also brought her parents from Mexico with her.
Isn't it amazing??
There'll be four people and one of them is in a wheelchair.
They can't speak or understand Japanese at all, so if they seem to
be in trouble, please help them, arie~
Thank goodness!
All the seats for the 15:15 session have been reserved. ^^
Carrie
2016/03/26 08:30:32
[fluctuate]
The weather has been fluctuating these days.
arie
2016/03/25 23:41:02
Hi, Carrie!
You can do that!
You can concentrate on your performance on April 1
even though you've got a lot of odd jobs to worry about.
I know really well how difficult it is to give a performance
on your own.
No matter how much it takes you to make all the preparations
on your own, I'm sure you can make it and enjoy showing
what you've got to your audience.
You don't have to worry about trivial matters after your due
efforts in advance.
I'm sure your friends will help you work them out in place of
you while you concentrate on your performance.
Good luck and concentrate on what you should do on April 1.
Carrie
2016/03/25 17:08:34
Hi arie!
Thanks much for your warmhearted message as always.^^
I think it a great idea to take the certifying examination.
It sure helps you your proficiency in teaching Japanese!
You always aim high to become professional in a field
you engaged in.
I admire you so much and am always behind you.^^
I'm now thinking of what to talk in the concert.
This time, I need to talk so often between the performances.
It might become a tough one as I keep talking and performing
without much rest during the concert.
And I'll be doing it twice!
I also need to think about some odds and ends to take care of;
like what to eat between the two sessions.
Maybe I should prepare something for my guests too.
And tickets. I didn't prepare any tickets this time.
If an audience wants to go outside of the hall, the program
would tell us the one already paid for the fee, I hope.
These kinds of small matters spring to my mind all the time;
I feel so restless!
Hope I can concentrate on my performance on April 1
arie
2016/03/24 23:53:51
Hi, Carrie!
How've you been doing?
Seems like you've been making good progress
in your preparations for the upcoming concert.
I guess no matter how well-prepared you are, you still
feel you have something more to prepare for.
I'm sure you'll be able to show your audience what
you are made of.
Enjoy expressing yourself by way of playing the piano
and singing sutras.
Personally I've been busy of late because I'm making
teaching materials in advance for the two English classes
for my adult students so that I can concentrate on my
Japanese classes which begins on April 8.
Besides, I'm thinking of taking an annual certifying examination
for proficiency in teaching Japanese to people from abroad
which will take place shortly after the termination of my
Japanese seminar in October.
The exam seems to be a competive one, but I think it's worth
taking because it is widely recognized in the world of Japanese
teaching.
You have exactly one week before your concert.
Enjoy the process.
arie
2016/03/22 19:42:04
Hi, Carrie!
I'm back home now from the library.
SYS.
Carrie
2016/03/21 09:53:56
Hi arie!
I had a fabulous time last Saturday!^^
Emily is really a nice lovely girl~
She's a type of person who gets along well with us, isn't she?
Maybe you had some emergency yesterday.
Hope everything is all right; hope to hear from you soon.
arie
2016/03/19 00:33:47
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks much for letting me know about
your rendezvous with Emily from England.
I hope you'll have a great time showing her
around Tokyo and talking a lot with her.
I'll be having an English class to give to my
adult students in the morning.
I wish I could go to 「深川江戸資料館」at
「清澄白河」Station if I had enough time
to be there after my class.
If it'd be possible, I'd be waiting for you at
the entrance of the museum at around 14:30.
I'm not sure about that, though.
If I were not there at that time, please forget
it and enjoy your precious time with Emily.
How wonderful it is that you can meet Emily in
reality in Tokyo!
I hope you can share a lot of happy moments
with her tomorrow.
See you tomorrow at "Edo-Shiryokan' if possible.
If not, I'm sorry.
Carrie
2016/03/18 21:05:03
Hi again, arie!
Emily has just called me up saying that she is now in Japan!
So I'll be meeting her at her hotel at 13:00 tomorrow, then
go to Kiyosumi-shirakawa to enjoy "gomadaki" and 江戸資料館.
Her hotel is two station back from Kiyosumi-shirakawa, so
it's really easy to access there.
Maybe you'll be having your own schedule tomorrow; I wish
you would be available and join us too~
Anyway, I'm sooooo excited!!!^^
Carrie
2016/03/18 12:02:36
Hi arie!
Oh, you had the last lesson for the Filipino boy this morning!
He'll miss you so much!!!
But hopefully he'll understand your situation, and come back
to see you again in the future.
Thanks much for your consideration.
I did well at the home concert yesterday.
I really need to perform in front of people to see if my
preparation is enough.
I'd made a lot of mistakes at the previous rehearsals, but
this time, I was able to perfrom like I practice by myself.
All I need to do now is to practice toward the final rehearsal
at a music room in Azamino, to see if I do well with
a different piano.
I now feel ready to meet Emily if she ever comes to Japan!^^
arie
2016/03/17 22:59:37
Hi, Carrie!
Seems like you're having a busy pace of life
making preparations for the concert taking
place two weeks from now.
It's commendable that you gave a home concert
even though you're pressed for time to prepare
yourself for the concert.
Tomorrow will be my last day to give a Japanese
class to my Filipino boy at the junior high school.
I told him about the reason for my quitting teaching
him for the third year.
I hope he understood my desire to improve my
teaching skill of the Japanese language.
I really do hope your preparations for the concert
will go as smoothly as they should so that you'll
leave nothing to be desired before the concert.
Enjoy the process before you reach your goal.
arie
2016/03/16 23:29:27
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks a ton for your message.
How did you enjoy your day today?
Today's closing ceremony went more smoothly
than I had expected.
I had a lot of butterflies in my stomach before
the ceremony, but it turned out that we had a lot
of participants in the ceremony and the rite went
on in a very pleasant and friendly fashion with a
lot of jokes and laughter.
I tried my utmost to let the ceremony go as friendly
and pleasantly so that all the participants'd enjoy it.
After the ceremony, I went to the library in Hanno
City and made some preparations for tomorrow's
Japanese class before I went to practice table tennis
from 19:00 to 21:00.
It was really a long and challenging day, but I fully
enjoyed having a lot to pursue today.
I hope you had another good preparation for your
concert.
I'm sure you're now fully prepared for your concert
on the D-day.
arie
2016/03/15 23:05:29
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks awfully for your cordial messages.
I'm sorry I haven't made a reply to you sooner.
To be honest, I've been busy making preparations
for the closing ceremony of our Japanese language
class for the residents from abroad living in our
community.
The ceremony is to be held on March 16 and I'm in
charge of acting as an emcee.
What is worse, the representative of the class has
just us a message that he won't be able to participate
in the ceremony because of his health problem, which
can't be helped.
I wish, more than anything else, for his quick recovery
from his health problem.
Well, Carrie, thanks a bunch for telling me the phrase
"the Grim Reaper."
I remember that now, and I heartily wish I wouldn't be
caught by the scythe of the grim reaper yet.
I still have got a lot to pursue beforfe I resign myself to
the sickle of the grim reaper.
Spring is a season of partings and meetings.
Enjoy a thrilling time of meeting new people.
See you later.
Carrie
2016/03/12 14:36:55
Hi again arie!
I have more to talk about.
One of my friends confessed that she has cancer, and
has been asking me what she should do by emails and a phone.
She really depends on me, and doesn't think things by herself
at all.
She's never been a spiritual person, but she began to believe
everything she can't see and feel.
I think illness is a sign of awearness and the cancer changed
her mind-set completely.
Like yours, my life has been too hectic.
I really need to concentrate on my practice, and do some
odd jobs for the concert.
Many people had not been sure whether they would be free
on April 1st, so I asked them one by one if they came and
which time would be good for them.
The 15:15 session is almost full, so I really needed to
adjust it.
Sorry, I wrote too much!
There are a lot to talk to you.
But at the same time, I don't have any energy left to write
you everyday...
See you soon~^^
Carrie
2016/03/12 14:27:11
Hi arie!
Many thanks for your lovely message as always.^^
You must have another busy week!
Again, I stepped on a mine this week. >_<
I've been looking for some staff who can help me at the
concert, so I asked my older son if he could help me
by doing the stage lighting on April 1st.
He said "Are you teasing me?" and began to cry.
I couldn't understand why he upset so much at that time,
but later on the day, as I talked to my younger son,
I knew the reason.
I should've known if a person is free on April 1st, that means
the one fails to land a job.
He doesn't do any job-hunting nor part time jobs, so
I thought it would be a good opportunity for him to do
some job.
But as result, I hurt his pride...
He might not talk to me for a while; I'll be under some
stress at home again~>_<
arie
2016/03/10 00:14:26
Hi, Carrie!
What's new?
How nice it was you've come up with a great idea
that you'll collaborate with Chieko-san and Kobayashi-
san, a drummer in a jazz fashion.
I'm looking forward to listening to your concert with
eager anticipation.
I only wish you'd enjoy giving what you've got to your
audience.
I had another busy day today.
I taught Japanese to a Chinese lady in such a way that
she can prepare herself for taking what is called the "N1
Japanese proficiency test".
After that I made a record of the proceedings of what
the teaching staff talked about after the Japanese class
was over.
It took me longer than four hours in all and then I enjoyed
playing table tennis from 19:00 to 21:00 in the nearby
gymnasium.
My daily schedule is tough but I'm happy with a feeling of
having something to do on a daily basis.
I'm ready for a busier pace of life from April on.
I hope I can learn a lot from the Japanese language school.
Keep yourself warm so that you won't catch cold.
See you.
Carrie
2016/03/09 15:11:10
[impartial]
I want to be impartial and treat others equally.
Carrie
2016/03/09 15:10:38
[uncoordinated]
George is uncoordinated and he isn't good at P.E.
Carrie
2016/03/09 15:08:37
Hi arie!
I was so happy to see my spiritual partner yesterday.^^
It's good you'll turn over a new leaf and learn teaching
techniques farther more.
Would-be-students must be very happy to have you as
a Japanese teacher. Or they would be the happiest
students in the world~^^
It was good to get together with Chieko and Mr.Kobayashi,
the drummer, the other day.
We came up with lots of ideas, and we decided to have
a jazz-like session at the very end of the program.
I'd never thought about playing together with a Japanese
drum, but it worked out pretty well.
I'll arrange classical music into Jazz.^^
Would be fun to listen to~
Tomorrow would be cold again!
Stay warm and take care.
Carrie
2016/03/08 13:22:10
Hi arie!
Thanks much for your heartwarmed message as always.^^
Have you decided to take the course?
Tell me about it later~
As for me, we had a session at the hall till 21:30 without having dinner
yesterday.
When I returned home, it was already 23:00.
Another long night! But it was an inspiring and exciting day~
TTYL
arie
2016/03/08 00:59:47
Hi, Carrie!
I'm relieved to hear everything was all right
regardless of your worries about him.
Emergencies will happen to us at any moment
as long as we live in this world.
We must be prepared for those happenings
no matter when they'll happen to us.
I know deep down in my heart that it's no use
worrying about our future, that is, "Don't cross
your bridges before you get to them."
I think you did a great job making sure about
the safety of him at the sacrifice of your precious
private time.
I always think giving our time and energy to other
people around us, or dedicating ourselves to others
is the most important for us to make the most of
our life.
I went to the Japanese language school at T-Baba
to atttend the guidance session this afternoon.
I'm thinking of visiting the school to sign up for the
registration after the morning t.t. practice tomorrow.
It's high time I made up my mind to take the course
after a long period of vacillation.
Have another nice day.
Carrie
2016/03/07 13:36:59
Hi arie!
You must be at Takadanobaba by now.^^
Happy belated birthday to Nao-chan~
I was so relieved to cancel the meeting last night beforehand,
as there was an emergency in the evening.
The next door neighbor of my brother called me up at around 18:00
saying that they couldn't see my brother at all.
The phone was also out of survice.
He lives alone after my mom's leaving a year ago, so we're really
worried about him.
So we had no choice but visited him to see what was happening.
In conclusion, he was all right, but the phone went kaput before
he knew it.
We returned home at around 23:00 and missed the final match!
But we were so relieved he was alright.
I'll be meeting with Chieko and a drummer at the Okurayama
Hall tonight to see how our collaboration works.
See you soon!
arie
2016/03/06 18:56:18
Hi, Carrie!
How're things going?
I quite agree with your proposal.
I'll be here at the same time on Tuesday night.
I'm going to pay a visit to a Japanese language
school tomorrow afternoon after I practiced table
tennis in the morning.
I'm supposed to take a look at two different classes,
which I hope will help me make the final decision
whether or not to attend the school.
This afternoon we celebrated Nao-chan's two-year-
old birthday at Saiboku Ham, which is about 20
minute drive from our place.
She started to speak a lot of words and moved about
more actively than we had expected.
I hope the Japanese TT team will do a great job
this evening.
Both men's and women's teams have done an
excellent job this year, though the women's team
was defeated by the Chinese team at the finals.
Have a nice evening.
＊アナ＊
2016/03/06 09:40:24
"I wouldn't be caught dead using nuclear power." Well that's good! Weapons are dangerous. Duh. Lol. ^^
Have you ever celebrated St. Patrick's Day? It's coming up soon! I am 25% Irish; did you know that? ^^
arie
2016/03/04 00:07:13
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks loads for the out-of-this-world gift.
I've never imagined that, so I was surprised
to find it when I visited this site very late this
evening.
I feel inexplicably comfortable in this clothes.
I appreciate your advice for me to follow the
golden mean, which is exactly what I'm worried
about.
Since I'm prone to move on and on until my goal
is attained, I need someone to stop me from
making a headlong rush.
I think I should be aware of the limitations of my ability
so that I can lead a peaceful pace of life.
Women's table tennis matches are really fun and I
also enjoy watching them every evening.
I hope they will try their utmost in the semifinals
and the final by defeating China.
Have another enjoyable day.
Carrie
2016/03/03 10:08:01
Hi arie!
How are you doing? You sound really busy!
You've decided to go see the Japanese language school.
I think it's a good idea to take a look at the school, but
if you decide to take the class, you should reduce the time
for your other activities.
You have already so much to do; you'll be too hectic again
if you get some irregularities.
I'd like you to be always healthy and energetic, so please
take a moderate course; taking the golden mean is my
resolution for this year too~^^
My family folks have been watching the table tennis matches
these days.
You must enjoy watching them everyday too! ^^
arie
2016/03/01 23:32:54
Hi, Carrie!
How's it going?
How nice it is that your son were able to graduate
from university!
I can imagine how happy you were when you heard
the auspicious and long-awaited news.
I'm sure he'll talk to you as he used to as time goes by.
Time'll work out any kind of problem in the end.
All we need is patience.
I'm afraid something is wrong with my ordinary pace of
daily life.
I feel I'm pressed for time all the time these days, probably
because I've got some irregularities in my everyday life
such as my wife's visit to China, going to my daughter's
concert, helping my Filipino student take the term test on
Monday besides my regular teaching on Thursday and
Friday, and what's more, the increased number of days
when I practice table tennis.
I'm certain it's only a matter of time before I get used to
the busy pace of life.
I think I can make it all right.
I'm thinking of taking a look at the Japanese language
school at Takadanobaba on March 7 before I make a
decision.
Carrie
2016/03/01 14:46:59
Hi arie!
You really had a tight schedule yesterday!@@
I guess you don't need to think about killing time each day
as you always have lots to do~^^
Sorry, I couldn't reply to each of your messages, but
I enjoyed reading them very much!
Here're some good news.
My older son graduated from his university at last!
And he tried to clean his room yesterday, though
he's still not willing to talk with me.
Anyway, I was so relieved that he's become a graduate.
I'll be singing together with one of my friends, who is
a jazz singer tomorrow.
I arranged piano accompaniment for some mantra,
so I'd like her to give me her impressions about it.
Today's a beautiful day! Enjoy the day~^^
arie
2016/03/01 01:07:53
Hi, Carrie!
How's it going?
I had another busy but enjoyable day today.
I practiced table tennis for only one hour before
I went to help the Filipino student take the term
test and I made some preparations for my evening
English class for my adult students.
After I came home from the evening class, I enjoyed
watching a recorded program of the World Table Tennis
Championship which is held in Malaysia now.
It's already past one o'clock, so I think I must go to bed
now so that I can fully enjoy my schedule with a lot of
energy.
See you later.
arie
2016/02/28 00:33:26
Hi, Carrie!
What's up?
It was a long and enjoyable day for me today.
I found one of my former colleagues at my daughter's
concert and we had a great time talking about our
good old days while sipping warm sake at a pub.
To my regret, though, I was not able to join the SESS
session this evening.
I should have been more attentive to the time and left
the place much earlier so that I could make it to the
session.
I'm happy to hear milk and Luna had a great time talking
to each other in the session.
Luna joined us for the first time after a long absence.
I hope she's coming to join us next Saturday too.
How did you enjoy your get-together today?
Hope you got a kick out of talking with your friends
while having delectable dishes and wine.
It's getting late.
I must be going now to have a good sleep for
tomorrow's table tennis practice and some odd jobs.
See you later.
arie
2016/02/27 00:41:45
Hi, Carrie!
I'm glad to find you getting along well with
your hectically tight schedule.
It's amazing you had an opportunity to see
your former piano teacher for the first time in
40 years and both of you recognized each other
at first glance.
I'm sure you've renewed the old relationship with
each other.
Masayo was invited to attend one of her former
Chinese students' wedding ceremony in China.
I cannot help thinking that the world is getting
smaller and smaller.
I had a tight schedule today and I'll have another
busy time table tomorrow, so I think I think I should
go to bed now.
Have a nice day.
See you later.
Carrie
2016/02/26 10:07:28
[wouldn't be caught dead]
I wouldn't be caught dead using nuclear power.
Carrie
2016/02/26 10:05:46
[kick]
I'm on a health food kick.
Carrie
2016/02/26 10:04:13
Hi arie!
Thanks much for your warmhearted message.^^
I guess you are having a tight schedule due to the end of
the term.
However, I'd be happy if you'd find time to read the book.
My younger son and I read the book within a few hours;
it's kind of easy to read and is not a thick book.
I went to Minato-mirai to see Ms.Katano, my piano teacher
from when I was a kid this week.
It was the first time we saw each other in 40 years, but still
we were able to recognize one another. Was really fun!
Then I had a home concert yesterday.
One of my "mama-tomo" came to listen to my music and
we chatted later.
I was surprised to find one of her children(she has 4 ) is
ADHD or Asperger, so we have mutual topic!
I really enjoyed talking with her~
What a pity I won't be able to attend Michiyo-san's concert
this time; I heard the place is really nice too.
Enjoy having a good time tomorrow~^^
arie
2016/02/23 23:32:40
Hi, Carrie!
I'm glad to hear you're doing fine even though
you're having a hectically tight schedule this week.
No doubt you're moving on and on all the time
without any cessation.
I can't help wondering where your exuberant energy
comes from.
You're really a human dynamo.
Thanks for introducing a couple of what seem to be
interesting books.
The first one titled "TPP" sounds a bit serious but
I understand it's one of the must reads considering
the present situation Japan faces now.
I hope I'll be able to find some time to read the book
and share some comments about it with you later.
I'm going to Michiyo's concert on Feb. 27 which'll be
held at 「松明堂音楽ホール」at Shin-Tokorozawa
Station.
It starts at 14:00, so I must rush to the venue after
my English class is over at 12:00.
One of my former colleagues is coming to the concert,
so I feel obliged to go to the concert too.
I hope the books from the library will help you work
out your problems.
Survive the tight schedule.
Take care.
Carrie
2016/02/23 17:30:22
I'll be going to a concert at Minato-mirai tomorrow; Ms. Katano,
my used-to-be piano teacher, will be singing.
Then I'll be having a home concert on Thursday, and another
concert on Sunday.
I have a busy schedule this week~^^
Carrie
2016/02/23 17:22:47
Hi arie!
Many thanks for your encouraging message. You must be
concerned about me!
I'm doing okay, so don't worry about me~.
I'm happy as you always seem to find something to improve
yourself each day. I truely admire your way of life!^^
I've requested some books about Asperger at the library, so
I'll learn how to interact with my older son.
I'm now reading books called "TPPで日本支配をたくらむ者たちの正体”
by 苫米地英人 and "鳥の不思議な生活” by Noah Strycker.
The former one would be a must-to-read book; I didn't know
TPP is a "secret treaty"!
I'd really like you to read this book too.
The latter one is fun to read! You can check "Murmuration"
on YouTube and watch the beautiful art created by starlings!
Oh, those puns were made by someone else!
I believed you made them, as you're a king of puns~^^
arie
2016/02/22 23:35:46
Hi, Carrie!
How're things going?
Hope you feel comfortable with the way you're
familiar with like before.
It's strange we always have something unexpected
happening to us even though we'd like to lead a
regular peaceful life.
Something unexpected might be a gift from the heaven
so that we won't get bored with our present life, because
the same rhythm of life will certainly bore us in the end.
An ideal rhythm of life for us might be a series of ups and
downs so that we can enjoy adapting ourselves to an ever
changing pace of life with a lot of inner excitement.
I'm certain you do have a strong will to cope with a sudden
influx of such unexpected happenings to you in your daily life.
This morning I enjoyed practicing table tennis for three hours
while developing a new skill to return the ball to my opponent.
There must be innumerable ways to hit a ball back to our
opponent's court, but we know only a limited number of them.
It must be fun finding a new way of returning a ball.
arie
2016/02/20 22:56:21
Hi, Carrie!
I admire your great decision to change the moldy wall paper.
Are you planning to do all the job by yourself?
I'm afraid it'll be a challenging one to do the laborious task
all by yourself.
I think you should ask your husband and sons to lend you a
helping hand instead of doing it on your own.
I must have told you at first that the pun works titled 「だじゃれ
日本一周」was made by 長谷川義文 and the book was
published by 理論社.
One of the volunteer Japanese teachers I work with made a
5-minute-speech using the book and she lent it to me after her
speech for my reference.
I'm planning to use them as part of my teaching materials for
my adult students by adding some English clues to each pun.
I'm going to ask them to explain in English about the funniest
point in each work.
Well, Carrie, have a great time giving interview questions to
your examinees tomorrow.
I still vividly remember the days when I was working as an
interviewer too.
Have a nice day.
Carrie
2016/02/20 18:23:01
Hi arie!
I appreciate you trying to ease me up.^^
Your puns are so funny; they are really like yours!
I can imagine how you enjoyed making them up.
It's also a good idea to make "one-minute speech".
You are really a great teacher~
I'll try and put the rest into English later.^^
I was also glad to hear you enjoyed the get-together.
Was it after a long while?
You've really played table tennis for a looooong time!
As for me, I peeled off some of the wall paper which
had been infested with mold.
As a result, my sons stopped coughing! Or at least,
less than before.
All I need to do now is to peel off the rest of the wall
paper and to paper the wall.
But I guess I should put it off until the concert is over,
as it'll take time.
I went out to do some energy work today. Very refreshing!
I'll be an examiner of the STEP test tomorrow~
Talk to you soon!
arie
2016/02/18 20:08:00
Hi, Carrie!
It's amazing you've done a great job answering
all the pun expressions about Japanese prefectures.
You really have an exquisite sense of humor!
Here're the rest of the puns for you, but don't try too
hard to translate them into English.
31. 運動会は ときょうとう
32. あんたのぼうし とっちぎけん (a cap/ to snatch a hat away off your head)
33. 手を挙げて 横断歩道で ひょうごけん (a slogan to promote traffic safety)
34. 手を下げて 百円拾って とくしまけん
35. あっちいかんと こっちけん
36. 泥棒みんなで かごしまけん
37. 富士山登って ちずをかけん
38. 誰が置いたの じゃまないしけん
39. 父さんかばです ちちかばけん
40. そんな顔して えっひめけん
41. この頃成績 やまがたけん
42. 努力の さがけん
43. 私のおでこ ひろしまけん
44. 鼻の下が ながさきけん
45. もうこの辺で あきたけん
46. ほな この辺で おきなわけん
47. 面白かった じゃあ始めから もっかいどう
Carrie, this is the end of what we call "one-minute speech"
we always make during our teatime after our regular
Japanese class so that our students can deepen their
knowledge about Japanese culture.
We're supposed to make such a speech by turns on a
regular basis.
It helps us to understand different aspects of Japanese
culture.
Good luck
Carrie
2016/02/18 10:27:12
Oh, No.12 should be "I can't"!
Carrie
2016/02/18 10:23:33
Thanks much for a nice breather, arie!
It took time more than I had expected~
I used 1000 letters to a T.^^
Carrie
2016/02/18 10:21:41
1.Beautiful flowers are blooming.
2.There are thorns on roses.
3.Let's celebrate the birthday!
4.A gift coupon is good for a present.
5.I'll put some dumplings here!
6.You can take it; no need to be reserved.
7.Women are strong!
8.I'm no match for you!
9.I'll hook you with my left arm.
10.Enough is enough!
11.Here's a Kyo-tofu dish.
12.I can see well with these clouded glasses.
13.The pouch is empty.
14.Nothing is scheduled today.
15.Ouch! The bath is too hot!
16.Oh, my goodness! Was surprised!
17.I'll put your clothes here.
18.You need to see it with your eyes.
19.Let's wipe and clean the butts.
20.Looooong rubber of underpants
21.Here's Sasanishiki. A souvenir for you!
22.Wow! A large helping!
23.How are you doing today?
24.My blood type is Nii.
25.Ouch! I've slipped and fallen over!
26.I've got dark circles under my eyes.
27.Buddha ate "takoyaki" and broke wind.
28."If that is so" said the great Buddha of Nara, and broke wind too.
29.A Shiba dog is in Chiba.
30.Oh, look!Kayama Yuzo!
arie
2016/02/17 22:33:43
Hi, Carrie!
How's it going?
Why don't you take a breather?
1. きれいな花が さいたまけん
2. バラの花には いばらきけん
3. お誕生日をいわってけん
4. プレゼントには ギフトけん
5. おだんごここに おかやまけん
6. 遠慮せんと とっとりけん
7. 強いど女性 ぐんまけん
8. とてもあんたにゃ かながわけん
9. 得意の左 フックいけん
10. いい加減に しがけん
11. おかずは何どす きょうとうふ
12. メガネが曇ってよく みえけん
13. すっからかんの がまぐちけん
14. 今日１日 ひまねけん
15. お風呂に入って あいちけん
16. びっくりしたわ とやまーけん
17. ここに着替えの ふくおかけん
18. その目でしっかり みやざきけん
19. おしりをきれいに ふくしまけん
20. パンツのゴムが ながのけん
21. ささにしきの おみやぎけん
22. あっ、おおもりけん
23. 体の調子 いかがわけん
24. けつえきがたは にいがたけん
25. すべってころんで おおいたけん
26. つかれて めのした くまもとけん (to be tired/ There are dark rings)
27. たこやき食べて おーしゃかぷー ("takoyaki" or octopus balls/ Buddha/ to break wind)
28. それならと だいぶつさんも おならけん (then/ if that is so/ the great Buddha of Nara/ to break wind)
29. しばけん ちばけん (a Shiba dog/ a breed of dog)
30. わっ、かやまゆうぞう わかやまけん (Oh, look!)
I'm thinking of asking my adult students to render
these puns into English with the help of some English
clues in the parenthes.
I hope it'll be good and productive practice for them.
See U.
arie
2016/02/16 22:40:08
Hi, Carrie!
How're things going?
Seems like you're having another difficulty
leading a peaceful daily life.
I hope things'll start running as smoothly as
they should so that you can concentrate on
your preparations for a series of concerts to
come.
Today I had a happy and friendly reunion with
my table tennis teammates in my college days.
We had lunch together and then had a chat
at a cafe until late in the evening.
It's always fun to talk about our good old days.
It's a pity, however, that I've heard one of my
good friends from college passed away three
years ago.
I heard the sad news in the luncheon today,
to my great sorrow.
Nobody knew the cause of his demise though.
All I can do for him now is pray for his peaceful
rest in the heaven.
Don't let your worries eat you too much.
Take it easy.
arie
2016/02/14 21:00:28
Hi, Carrie!
What's up?
It's incredible that we've had an unseasonably
hot day today.
While practicing table tennis, I got soaked with
sweats because of a high temperature.
I'm afraid we're going to have a huge difference
in temperature ahead of us.
It's quige possible that some people cannot adapt
themselves to the sudden fluctuations in temperature.
This afternoon I had a relaxing time making preparations
for my Saturday English class and posting additional
fliers for our English classes at Iruma Silver Personnel
Silver Center.
The number of fliers was very small this time, so it took
me only half an hour to post them in my neighborhood.
How're you getting along with your PC?
I hope it's well under your control now and you don't have
any more frustration with your device.
Personally, I don't like to have any kind of mechanical
problems with my computer because it's beyond my
control in most cases.
See you soon.
Carrie
2016/02/13 08:47:15
Hi arie!
Wow! It's really amazing!
Your Filipino student has really good command of Japanese.
And he's learned it for less than two years!
He's really a quick learner, and I'm very proud of you to be
a fantabulous teacher for him.
You've also been a Japanese teacher for less than two years,
but I'm sure your way of teaching has been just great!^^
I went to the shop to ask for help yesterday.
I talked about the problems I'm having right now with my PC
after updating the new program.
However, a shop clerk kept saying "You were wrong".
I didn't know what was wrong with me at all! >_<
Maybe that's his favorite phrase or his own peculiar manner of
talking.
Anyway, he didn't give me any clues as to what I should do,
and said the new program is automatically updated as I use
the Windows 10 for free.
So be careful. Yours also will be updated, even though you
don't want to.
I'm now working on a new piece "さくら" by 森山直太朗,
as I'll accompany my used-to-be piano teacher singing it
in March.^^
arie
2016/02/12 23:51:28
Hi, Carrie!
How're things going?
I think it's a great idea to go to the specialty
shop to get an instant remedy for your computer.
Having a computer out of our control at hand
will remain an everlasting pain in the neck.
I admire your quick determination to ask for some
advice for the quick recovery of your PC.
This morning I gave a Japanese class to the Filipino
boy in which I had him practice building Japanese
sentences using all the words I gave him.
Some of the examples:
①日本の冬／寒い／起きる／大変：
His answer: 「日本の冬は寒くて朝に起きると大変です。」
②今朝／寝坊／学校／遅刻：「今朝、寝坊してしまい
ましたので、学校には遅刻してしまいました。」
③日本語／上手／話す／練習／必要：「日本語を上手に
なるため、たくさん話す練習は必要だと思います。」
I praised him for building intelligible sentences, but he
knows very well that his Japanese abilities leave a lot
to be desired.
He has learned Japanese only less than two years and
still he can build sentences that make sense.
Don't you think it's great of him to have made good
progress in expressing himself in Japanese?
I hope for his steady efforts .
Carrie
2016/02/12 10:29:04
[laugh our heads off]
We laughed our heads off watching our cats' funny acts!
Carrie
2016/02/12 10:28:02
[ladder]
I don't want to ladder my stockings, so I wear leggings and socks instead.
Carrie
2016/02/12 10:27:21
[crystallization]
I couldn't memorise the notes very well.
Hope I'll be able to perform well as crystallizaion of my efforts
at the next concert.
Carrie
2016/02/12 10:26:16
[fluctuate]
The weather is not fluctuate; it's been sunny and parky.
Carrie
2016/02/12 09:54:32
Hi arie!
Thanks for your advice.^^
I did the same things as you when I updated to W10;
I went to a shop and I decided to use the old version
of the Internet Explorer and mail system, as "Edge"
had caused a lot of problems.
Now I can't use the I E at all; if I try, the screen freezes!
So I have no choice but use Edge. >_<
Following your advice, I'll go to the shop this time again,
and get some advice~.
arie
2016/02/11 22:47:50
Hi, Carrie!
Thanks loads for your reply while you're at
the height of busy times.
Speaking of ”仕末”, 明鏡辞典 carries the usage
of the word at the end of the definition ④:
表記：慣用的に「仕末」とも.
That means 「仕末」is customarily correct, but
it should not have been taught to a student as
standard characters.
Anyway, I was very stupid to think of 「仕末」
instead of 「始末」.
I'm afraid that can happen to us as long as we
engage in intellectual activities.
It was a painful failure, but it turned out to be
a good lesson for me.
I've seen what you call "updated program" this
evening just before beginning to write to you,
but it hasn't done any harm yet.
When I updated to "Windows 10", I had a lot of
problems with the internet and mail, so I was
obliged to go to the shop I had bought the PC.
They told us I should use the old version of the
internet explorer and mail system.
As a result, I haven't had any problems so far.
Why don't you give it a try?
Good luck!
Carrie
2016/02/11 10:05:16
Hi arie!
Hmm...my e-dictionary carries 明鏡辞典 , but these isn't 仕末 there.
My computer also doesn't carry the word.
Why is it in your dictionary? Maybe it used to be used a lot!
Didn't you have the message "更新プログラム" on the display lately?
None of us did anything, but it was automatically installed.
My son said it took four hours to finish updating the program.
Oh, maybe he was the one who pressed "yes" button or something,
though he insisted he didn't do anything at all.
I don't think I can use Internet Explorer anymore.>_<
arie
2016/02/10 23:49:15
Hi, Carrie!
You've done another great job of giving a concert
at a nursing home and found what you should do
to improve your skill in playing the piano.
I know from my experience that we can live well
as long as we can find something new worthy of
challenging in our day-to-day life.
We never fail to find such an exciting challenge
when we try our utmost to improve ourselves.
I changed my Windows to what is called "Windows
10" last year, which caused a lot of trouble shortly
after that, but it's functioning all right now, to my
relief.
I don't like to be bothered by mechanical matters
at all, but we can't help facing them as long as we
live in modern society.
To change the subject, in today's Japanese class for
local foreign residents, I wrote 「仕末」in Chinese
characters when we were talking about 「彼は遅刻を
する、書類は忘れる、その上仕事中居眠りをして社長
に怒鳴られる始末だ」.
One of the students told me the character must be
「始末」not 「仕末」.
I wondered why I wrote the characters, but 明鏡辞典
carried it as common usage.
Carrie
2016/02/10 15:31:49
Hi arie!
Many thanks for your encouraging, warmhearted message as always.^^
I had a concert at a nursing home this morning, and found what I need
to practice more~.
Have you changed to a new version of Windows or whatever on your
computer?
Mines automatically did it, and it's really terrible!
My PC moves so slowly now, and I can't get into Nicotto with Internet
Explorer.
I have to use エッジ, the troublesome software!>_<
Oh, well. I hope it'll work out well soon.
arie
2016/02/08 23:57:41
Hi, Carrie!
How's it going?
I hope you've already learned the knack of playing
piano pieces in a tender way.
It's always nice and thrilling to start something new.
We feel comfortable in our daily routines, but some
people will soon get tired of repeating the same rhythm
of life on a regular basis.
We need some courage to change our quality of life
because it'll bring about uncertainties beyond our
expectation.
But it's worth our efforts to enter into a new phase of
life because it will help us change ourselves.
We can slough off our old skin to free ourselves of a
mannerism.
I admire your determination to change your style of
playing the piano.
I'm sure you can do it.
See you later.
arie
2016/02/06 22:59:02
Hi, Carrie!
I'm glad to hear you're leading a hectically busy life
and you have a pile-up of arrears to catch up with.
It's nice to have something you can concentrate on
in your everyday life.
I hope you'll be able to memorize everything before
you have another concert at a nursing home next week.
I'm positive you can do that because you can always
perform up to your abilities.
Come to think of it, I seem to be memorizing something
all the time for my English and Japanese classes.
I'm certain it is good to give a lot of stimuli to our brains.
Well, Carrie, this evening we had Frost with us in our SESS
session for the first time in quite a long time.
She told us she's going to study philosophy at a university
in Osaka.
I really do hope she'll enjoy her campus life with her friends.
We've decided to make a presentation about the topic "What
is important in cross-cultural communication?" in our next
session.
Hopefully, the participants will enjoy organizing their ideas about
it.
Carrie
2016/02/06 09:48:14
Hi arie!
Thanks much for writing me a lot.^^
I'm glad to hear that your students passed the N2 test,
which is the same level of the pre-1 STEP in Japanese.
Amazing!
Have they acquired the certain level of Japanese within
a year?
I think you really did a great job; you are surely a honorary
teacher! ^^
Hope the Peru student also passed the test.
I happened to read the Asahi weekly yesterday, and came
across some words you mentioned.
I felt as if I was learning those words together with you,
and they stuck to my mind very well.^^
Oh, I couldn't memorise the notes well at the home concert.
I want to check the progress of my work from time to time.
So maybe I should concentrate on my practice more, as
I couldn't have time to play piano these days because of the
other odd jobs. I enjoyed doing them, though.
I'll be having a concert in a nursing home next week, so
I'll memorise the notes by then!
I'm as busy as a bee in real life like you now, so I'll keep
refraining from using my PC.
arie
2016/02/05 23:22:41
Hi, Carrie!
How did your home concert go on Feb. 3?
I'm proud of your determination to open up
your house and give another home concert
for your aficionados.
It's always nice and welcome to have an
opportunity to show what you've got to other
people.
I'm sure your audience must have been impressed
with your energetic performance and got a lot of
power to move on in their life.
Today I gave a regular Japanese class to my Filipino
boy in the morning, cooped up myself in the library
in the afternoon and practiced table tennis in the
evening.
And now I've got a little free and leisurely time before
I go to bed.
Have another wonderful day today.
See you soon.
arie
2016/02/04 22:50:33
Hi, Carrie!
How're you doing?
I know you're very busy in your everyday life,
but don't overdo it.
Nothing comes before your good health.
I'd like to tell you happy news today.
Three of my Japanese language students took
a Japanese proficiency test N2 (Level 2), which is
comparable to the pre-1st STEP test last December
and two of them passed it.
One of them, from Peru, hasn't contacted me yet
about the result.
I hope he succeeded in the test too.
Some of the interesting words and phrases I've learned
today are as follows:
1. as crystallization of their efforts 努力の結果として
2. laugh our heads off 笑い転げる
3. Oh, no! I've laddered my stockings! 伝線しちゃった！
4. The three sides of an equilateral triangle are all the same
length. 正三角形
5. This new material compares favorably in texture with any
existing synthetic fiber, and on top of that it is lighter.
この新素材は生地の強さにおいて、既存の化繊に比べてなんら
「遜色がない」上に、一層軽い。
6. an "honorary" station master 名誉駅長
7. The "brouhaha" over the new National Stadium 大騒ぎ
See U
arie
2016/02/03 23:18:59
Hi, Carrie!
Seems like you're having a tight schedule every day.
I'm glad and relieved to hear you've had a wonderful
time giving a home concert for the first time in a year.
I can imagine you needed a little bit of courage to open
up your house and welcome your friends when you feel
reluctant to do it.
I guess you may feel a wee bit overwhelmed to have
a raft of inquiries about a succession of your concerts,
but in a sense, it's nice to have a lot of external stimuli
because they'll help you feel rejuvenated and connected
to society.
I feel I'm always on the move, but I can't complain because
I've invited such a busy pace of life since I retired from
my regular teaching job at school.
I think I should appreciate having a lot of social activities
even after my retirement.
Don't overstrain yourself.
Enjoy your hibernation.
Carrie
2016/02/03 21:29:32
Hi arie!
How are you doing today?
You sound really busy toward the end of the term
as you need to do some peripheral(Thx!) work as well.
As for me, I had a home concert for the first time in
more than a year this afternoon.
Some of my friends had said that they don't mind the
smelly room, so I'd decided to have one for them after
a long absence.
I really had a good time; I was so encouraged and
rejuvenated to practice more!
Like you, I need to do some odd jobs these days;
giving the info about some concerts including the April one
by mail, emails, and facebook,
replying to inquiries...
I'll also give a couple of concerts this month, so there are
a flurry of replies coming into my mail-box, and I need to
sort them all out.
I might need to hibernate a bit more in this town. ^^;
I know you are a safe driver, so you've never hit the brakes
and you won't jam on the brakes in the future as well~^^
arie
2016/02/02 00:28:39
Hi, Carrie!
Hope you had another wonderful day today.
Concerning the question no. 2, you've hit the
nail on the head.
But "hit/ jam on/ slam on the brakes" means you
apply the sudden brakes in an emergency.
I hope I won't come across a situation in which
I'm forced to slam on the brakes.
When driving, I always keep "Safety First" in mind
particularly when I'm driving with someone else.
Today I had a luncheon with some of the table tennis
teammates without any alcoholic beverages because
I drove to the venue by car.
It's nice to share a relaxing time with them from time
to time.
I'm now beginning to make preparations for the closing
ceremony of the Japanese class which takes place towards
the end of March.
Besides our main duty, we can't escape from odd jobs as
long as we continue working in society.
Personally, I don't like such peripheral jobs, but I think I
should be prepared to accept them as part of my job.
Have a nice day.
Carrie
2016/02/01 09:52:05
Hi arie!
Thanks much for your warmhearted message as always,
and sharing what you learned!^^
I have a question!
The sentence (1) means ブレーキを踏む ?
And the sentence (2) means ブレーキを緩める?
So are they just used when talking about driving?
I know you are not a kibitzer and always behind me~
What the happiest woman I am!^^
arie
2016/01/30 22:58:18
Hi, Carrie!
Hope you're having a leisurely pace of life.
I'm glad it didn't snow in the Kanto area this time.
Any snowfall will paralyze traffic in the Kanto district,
I really do hope it won't snow any more this winter.
Let me tell you some of the interesting phrases I've
learned today:
(1)hit/ jam on/ slam on the brakes
(2)ease up on the brakes
(3)I'm not good at parallel parking.
(4)He's a kibitzer. = He's a back-seat driver.
(5)I'm always behind you. = I always stand by you.
(6)Watch out for "it's me scams."「オレオレ詐欺」
Bundle up so that you won't catch cold.
How long are you going to hibernate before you
come out of the ground?
Take a good rest and restore your energy.
arie
2016/01/29 23:37:52
Hi, Carrie!
Seems like you had a great and comfortable time
bathing in a hot spring at Tenzan.
You must have needed to refresh yourself so that
you can start your daily routine life afresh.
I can imagine how difficult it is to live a day-to-day
life as a mom and wife and an artist because you always
have a lot to worry about.
I hope you can manage to juggle multiple roles in your
daily life so that you can feel comfortable on a daily basis.
I'm glad to hear your treasure was not diagnosed as an A-s
patient.
I'm sure he has resilient enough to get back to his normal
pace of life sooner or later.
All you have to do now is just wait and see with a lot of
patience.
I practiced table tennis this evening after the Japanese class
and some preparations for tomorrow's English class.
How I wish it wouldn't snow tomorrow morning!
Carrie
2016/01/29 14:53:11
Hi again, arie!
I was so happy that my son talked to me at last today!^^
I was steaming some bums when he returned home.
Maybe he couldn't resist eating them as they are his favorite.
I asked the child psychologist about my son by giving her
some episodes of him.
She said he wouldn't have Asperger's; if he had it, I should
have been informed at the check-ups for the kids.
She also said that the smartphone addict is likely to happen
when the one wants to escape from the present situation.
He must know it's not good, but he can't help it.
So I'll take it easy, and try to understand his thoughts and
situations from now on!^^
You sound really busy; your students need you so much!
I'm proud of you helping many people around you including me!
Oh, I must tell you. I got a new EX-word dictionary which used
to be my older son's.
He won't use it anymore, so it's become mine today.^^
Thanks for your info; I'll get the same one as yours when my
gadget is broken in the futrue~^^
Carrie
2016/01/29 12:43:13
Hi arie!
I appreciate your talking time and write to me out of your
busy schedule.^^
Yesterday, I went to Hakone to bathe in the hot springs
to refresh myself.
Mt.Fuji was just beautiful covered with snow and I stayed
Tenzan from noon to 18 o'clock, bathing, having lunch,
having a nap, and bathing again!
I also meditate a lot. I didn't need to thinkg of anything there!
I didn't intend to do this, but to my surprise, I went to Tenzan
on the same date; Oct. 28th, Dec. 28th, and Jan.28th!
It seems my eager to bathe in hot springs comes at a certain
interval. ^^
Must get going. I'll write you more later~^^
arie
2016/01/28 23:47:59
Hi, Carrie!
What's up?
You've worked really hard.
You need to hibernate a little while so that you can
get refreshed and rejuvenated.
I hope your hibernation will ward off colds and recover
your fatigue.
Personally, I gave a Japanese class to the Filipino boy
until 12:30 and went directly to the library to coop
myself up until 19:00 to make some preparations for
the subsequient classes of Japanese and English.
After dinner, I finished correcting two sheets of handouts
from one of my adult students who takes my correspondence
course.
She used to be one of my students in the Saturday English
class, but she stopped coming to the class because of her
physical problem and asked me to correct her assignments
on a monthly basis, which seems to be a little burden when
I'm pressed for time.
Since she appreciates the opportunity to study English with me,
I feel it's part of my duty to keep helping her with her English
studies.
Hope nothing serious is happening to you.
arie
2016/01/27 23:54:48
Hi, Carrie!
Seems like things're not going all right with your
e-dictionary and the flier.
I hope you can straighten them out as soon as
possible.
I think it's a good idea to consult one of your
friend's daughter about your son's present symptoms.
She might give you convincing advice so that you can
take some concrete measures to cope with the
present quagmire.
I've been pressed for time with a lot of tasks to tackle
today, but I'm relieved to have finished all of them now.
I guess I must appreciate having something to do all
the time, even though I feel like whining from time to
time when it seems to be too burdensome.
The e-dictionary I'm using now is XD-K18000, the latest
version of all the Casio EX-word products.
If you're thinking of buying a new one, I think it'll be the
wisest choice to make.
I've recommended it to Eri and she's now using it.
I assure you that you'll never regret it.
Have a nice day.
Carrie
2016/01/27 20:17:22
Hi again, arie!
Talking about brushing up our English, my e-dictionary, EX-word
XD-R910 was broken at last.
I really loved this one; it's so simple to operate and I like the
tiny shape.
I'm now borrowing my hubby's EX-word XD-D8500.
Does it happen to be the same as yours?
Oh, it's so hard to handle it; I wish I had my e-dic back to me!
Anyway, let's continue our journeies in the sea of English
together~!^^
Carrie
2016/01/27 20:09:18
Hi arie!
Thanks much for your advice.^^
I didn't plan to go see a therapist, but after reading your message,
I came across the idea of asking a daughter of one of my friends,
a child psychologist, for some advice on a present stuation.
As you said, it would be wise to get specialist's ideas.
My son hasn't talked to me for a week now; I stamped on the tail
of a tiger this time, so I should be more careful about what I say
and do.
Ana is also helping me understand having Asperger's.
I was shocked to find out that there was a BIG mistake on the fliers.
So I need to ask for reprinting them.>_<
The make-shift fliers weren't delivered on time, remember?
There was always something happened concerning the fliers this time.
arie
2016/01/26 23:08:21
Hi, Carrie!
How're things going?
I'm impressed you're dead set on improving
your English.
I'd like to share your determination to hone your English,
because I have a long way to go before I feel comfortable
in expressing myself in English.
How wonderful it'd be if we could share the process of
bettering our English.
Good luck.
Don't overstrain yourself.
I
スノードルフィン
2016/01/26 21:29:25
こんばんは！庭で猫が小鳥を狙ってるの見ると野性的ですね、逃げられて良かったけど。