A new scratching post

The cats have a "scratching post". This is a stand with a post in the middle, that is wrapped with rope. The cats use it to scratch on. Maybe scratching like this is a natural cat behavior because ALL cats do it. If you don't have a scratching post, they will scratch your walls :(


Anyway, the old scratching post was becoming old and the rope was coming off, so we bought a new one. This new one has 4 mice hanging from the top. Kuro LOVES them and started pulling them immediately. Dusty tried to look but Kuro growled and hissed at him.

If you watch the video below, you can see them playing and listen to Kuro hissing. Dusty is trying to bite the string holding one mouse so he can run away with it.

A day at Costco

Yesterday some friends and I went to the Costco in Misato. Luckily we were there about 9:30am because it was already open (the official opening time is 10) and there were already LOTS of people inside!

When we left, the store was absolutely packed with people, all pushing giant sized carts here and there. Actually I think it was too busy and that it would be much better if Costco limited the number of shoppers who are in the store at one time.

At a glance, things seem to be cheap, but please be careful because if you calculate carefully, some things are not cheaper than in stores in Tsukuba. The things I bought are cooking ingredients that I cannot buy near here.

I'd only been to Costco once before and that was about 8 years ago in Makuhari. I think the Misato store is smaller and with less variety.

Anyway, going on a weekend is probably not such a good idea :)

Not all my things!
We shared one cart for 3 people.

Cherries, figs, dark chocolate for cooking.

"service", not "サービス" = 0

In katakana, the word "サービス" usually means "for free" or "a discount" (on the price).

BUT in English, "service" doesn't mean that, so please be careful :)

So in a shop ....
"I'll give you this one for free."
"We baked a new kind of cookie. Here, would you like to try one?"
"It's almost closing time, so bread is 10% off."
"I'll give you a 20% discount if you buy 3."

Please check "service" in your English dictionary to find all the regular meanings. There are lots!

Today, I took my car for its 6 monthly service. What does that mean? Well, every 6 months I take my car to the dealer where I bought it and they check that it is running smoothly. If you look at the photo, you can see all of the points they check.

My car is now only 18 months old, so it has no problems at all. This morning, it only took 30 minutes for the mechanics to service (verb) the car. To be honest, I was a little disappointed it was so fast because I was having a good time reading my book in the comfortable waiting area :)

Who's in your family?

Here is a quick quiz of words you need to explain who is in your family. Try to translate the English words into Japanese, as quickly as you can ....

ancestors
aunt
brother
child
children
cousin
daughter
descendants
father
grandfather
grandmother
great aunt
great grandmother
great-great grandfather
mother
nephew
niece
parents
siblings
sister
sister-in-law
son
uncle




-------------------------------------------------------------------

ancestors 先祖 aunt おばさん brother 兄、弟 child 子供 children 子供たち cousin いとこ daughter 娘 descendants 子孫 father 父 grandfather 祖父 grandmother 祖母 great aunt おばあさんの姉 greatgrandmother ひいおばあさん great-great grandfather ひいひいおじいさん mother 母 nephew 甥 niece 姪 parents 両親 siblings 兄弟 sister 姉、妹 sister-in-law ぎりの姉 son 息子 uncle おじさん

Something delicious

Have you ever had something delicious that was so memorable that you truly couldn't forget it, even years later?

In 1995 or 1996, I had Ogawa-ken rum raisin cream biscuits for the first time. I LOVED them! They were so unlike anything I'd ever had before. The taste was great and the texture of the biscuit part was so nice :)

But then I didn't have any for about 14 years ....

Two years ago a friend gave me some as a souvenir and then last year I found they are sold at Seibu Department Store in the special local area sweets section (sweets from different local areas around Japan). Usually they appear on Thursdays.

This brand is perhaps the original one in Japan, and surely they are the most delicious and famous. But nowadays I've become a little tired of them - maybe because I know I can eat them any time I want to.

By the way, there are 10 in a box, but if you can't eat them all, put them in the freezer and you can keep them for a few weeks :)

Vocabulary - temperature

These days the temperature is fluctuating very much. Here are some words you can use:

1. freezing
2. cold
3. chilly
4. cool
5. warm
6. hot
7. boiling
8. scorching

1. freezing
Casual English - this word is used in casual English when we want to say it is very, very cold.
"Ahh, today is freezing!"

2. cold
Cold is usually a negative meaning, that is, the temperature is cold and we don't like it.

3. chilly
Chilly is also negative. We use it when the temperature is too low for us, but it is not "cold".

4. cool
Cool seems positive, but if it is in autumn, then maybe it is slightly negative. In summer it is positive.

5. warm
Similar to cool, warm is usually positive.

6. hot
For weather, most people use hot as a negative meaning.

7. boiling
Casual English - this is used when we want to say it is very, very hot.

8. scorching
Casual English - this is the same as "boiling" but "scorching" means the heat is dry.
"I went to Las Vegas and the weather was scorching."

Event - special guest talking about Israel

Click to make map bigger

On June 19th (Sunday) there will be another special international guest - this time from Israel.

If you'd like to come, please read the information below and then let me know and I'll save you a seat.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

"世界の会"　

外国人のゲストを迎え、特別クラスを開きます   

日時:    6月19日 (日曜日)

場所:   小野川公民館   [1階の会議室]

時間:    午後1:15 – 2:45

費用:    500円 

　　　(同じ日の部屋に入る際にお支払い下さい)

ゲスト:             Meirav　（イスラエから）

トピックス:

- 母国について、どのように育ったのか

- 文化と言語

- 仕事、なぜその仕事を選んだのか

- なぜ日本に来たのか、日本のことをどう思うか

- 将来は何をしたいか

- 趣味、 家族、 ペット、 他

彼女に聞きたいことを何でも質問して下さい。彼女もあなたに日本の文化について尋ねるかもしれません。ただし、あまりデリケートな質問はしないで下さい。

できれば出席される方は、事前にメールで知らせるか、直接口頭で私に言ってください。

Mulberries!

Have you ever eaten a mulberry? They are a kind of a 'wild fruit' that you cannot buy in the shops. If you are a little older, you probably ate them when you were a child but nowadays it is very difficult to find a tree.

I heard that mulberry trees were especially numerous in Ibaraki because this was a silk producing area. Why mulberries + silk? Well, mulberry leaves are what silk worms eat :)

The fruit are a very, very dark wine red. So dark they are almost black. (Sorry, it is difficult to take a good photo.) There were two kinds: small and very big ones.

For several years I've been asking everyone if they know where I can find a mulberry tree, but it seems most trees were cut down. BUT ..... Y-san brought me a box of mulberries today! I was so happy!

I ate a lot as they are (fresh), and the remainder I made into simple jam. I didn't simmer them for too long, so they still are quite big.

They taste a little like blueberries but are more sour and 'sharp'. Some people in Europe even make mulberry wine with them.

I love eating mulberries but now I have a big problem - the nails and skin on my fingers of my left hand are PURPLE! (From pulling out the stems before I cooked them.)

Tsuchiura First High School Festival

Today I went to a school festival at Tsuchiura First High School. I'd never been to a school festival before so I didn't know what to expect.

The first thing we saw was an amazing gate! I guess they use it every year.

Each student was wearing a class T-shirt that they'd designed themselves, and as guests left they could vote for which was best.




And each class had planned, designed and created a different theme for their classrooms. They'd spent a lot of time decorating the outside class wall and inside, too.

Some were really interesting, but the funniest was a 'haunted house' - junior high school girls who were visiting were screaming but I couldn't stop laughing!




I also found that the school still has one of the original buildings dating from 1902. The design is lovely and is based on western architecture. It is only open to visitors a few times a year, and inside some rooms are used as a museum. If you have a chance, I really recommend you go and see it one festival day.















 

Creatures ...

A skink right by my front door.

A frog on a window.

(Actually I put it there for Dusty to look at but he wasn't interested in it at all.)

Shopping basket

Here is my shopping basket. Yes, Kuro is in it :(

Cats LOVE sitting in something. When I put a basket, box or bag on the floor, both cats immediately run and sit inside. Of course it is not very hygienic that he is sitting in it. But it's okay - I have alcohol wipes in the entrance and wipe out the basket before I take it shopping the next time.

A full tank of gasoline

One of the things I learned after the March 11 earthquake is that it is surely better to keep a full tank of gasoline.

Before then, I'd always let the tank run down to almost empty, and it was just pure luck that I'd filled the tank only three days before the disaster.

Since then, when the tank indicator drops to 3 bars from the top (so about 3/4 full) I drop by a gas stand on my way to work and fill it up again. It means I have to go every few weeks, and I dislike self service gas, but at least nowadays I never have to worry that I won't have gasoline if any trouble strikes in the future!

June 1st

Wow, it is unbelievable that today is June 1st! New Year's Day just seemed like yesterday.

The last few weeks have been so busy ...

First, I needed to keep catching up on my own work and clients' work that was postponed because of the disasters. Luckily it seems that the end of May brought and end to the backlog of tasks :)

Second, last Friday I had a board meeting to attend. I left home at 7:45am and got back at 11:45pm. Worked Saturday, then Sunday I was in Yokohama all day! Hmmmm, I think I'm getting old because nowadays the metropolis makes me tired, not excited :)

Third, I had a lovely time last Thursday catching up with old friends for lunch. We were trying to work out when it was that we met last. Maybe almost 4 years!

Things have been so busy that I decided not to make a reservation at my hair salon. If my hair looks a bit strange lately, it is because I cut it by myself. Scary.

I'm really sorry that this blog has taken a backseat to everything else. I'll try my best to post every day again :)

Rustling in the grass

On Monday morning I was watering my flowers when I heard something rustling in the grass. "カサカサ"

At first I saw a small lizard as it ran away. Next there was a louder sound  カサカサ.....

It was a young snake! Not a baby from this year, but maybe one born last year because it was only about 50cm long. It was a lovely color with chocolate brown spots. Just recently I had been saying to my husband that I hoped to find a baby snake. (Baby ones are very cute.)

I'm sorry, I couldn't take a picture because I didn't have my camera and it was very shy and slithered away quickly. I copied a picture from another person's blog, so please visit that page and look at it. 

Aodaishou 

It was an "aodaishou" NOT a viper! Vipers have triangular heads and flatter bodies. My snake was long and thin with a very slender head and was very shy. In English they are called "Japanese Rat Snakes". They live here and there in Tsukuba. You can probably find them in Doho Park or in the land around your institute, or surely in the university grounds. It is nice that these green spaces are like mini-wildlife parks and protect the native creatures.

Nice biscuits

On the weekend I went to Tsukuba Bagel and found that they are selling a new item - biscuits :)

I tried two types and they were really good. Especially the raisin ones were delicious. You should try them.

Left - Pumpkin and Raisin
Right - Spinach (sweet)

Map of location of Tsukuba Bagel

New class for young researchers

I'm opening a new class for young researchers (or even older researchers who don't have much confidence!).

Please see below for the details. Feel free to mention this class to your friends and colleagues if you think they might be interested. It is NOT suitable for office staff - in this class the students must make some presentations about their research sometimes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

プレゼンテーション、ミーティング、ディスカッションクラス

英語を仕事に使うことのある研究者ですか? 新しいクラスは英語のプレゼンテーションとディスカッションにもっと自信をつけたい方が対象です。

時間：     火曜日の18：20～19：20                                  

メンバー ：　6人

内容:

リスニングと議論 –

ネイティブスピーカーのインタビューを聞き、グループでそのトピックについて議論します。リスニング、文法、議論、グループでのコミュニケーションに焦点をあてます。ミーティング、セミナーなどでのフリーディスカッション、質疑応答などに役立ちます。

さらに、

プレゼンテーション –

プレゼンテーション英語を学習します。仕事に関する短いプレゼンテーションを行い、他のメンバーのプレゼンテーションも聞きます。質疑応答をして、プレゼンテーション方法、パワーポイント等によるプレゼンテーション資料の作成に関するアドバイスなどを行います。プレゼンテーション方法、リスニング、質疑応答、文法、記述、デザインに焦点をあてます。

レベル: 中低級～中級。若い研究者、英語によるプレゼンテーション経験の多くない方、英語によるプレゼンテーションの自信のない方、英語によるプレゼンテーションスキルを向上させたい方を対象にしています。

お一人様あたり、月に￥7000。(￥1750×4) + ワークシート代 (￥1,000/半年)       入会金 8,000円

Click here to download a PDF flyer with the details and contact information.

BBQ season has arrived!

Golden Week usually brings good weather, and that means ..... BARBECUE season has arrived! We had one BBQ in the holidays, and then another yesterday. (Just my husband and I.)

I like BBQing food because the method of cooking usually means most foods taste better. Meat surely tastes best when cooked over real charcoal.

Here are the foods I cooked/made for the past two BBQs:

- ethnic lamb kebabs on bamboo skewers
- pork spareribs in honey and soy marinade
- pork steaks in honey and soy marinade
- herbed chicken wings
- tandori chicken

- roasted sliced onions in olive oil
- baked red onion
- baked zucchini
- grilled eggplants
- grilled mushrooms
- grilled fresh pineapple

- fresh pineapple and red onion salad

You can find the recipes on my food blog :)

Tsukuba International Exchange Fair 2011

This weekend the Tsukuba International Exchange Fair 2011 is being held in Tsukuba Center, on the pedestrian walkway and open space between Nova Hall and Right On. 

Lucky the weather is perfect this year - for the past 3 or 4 years it rained or was cold and cloudy. 

You can find all types of international food and some booths selling ethnic crafts. The Tsukuba City International Division also has a booth with the city newsletter in different languages, and please take a few minutes to fill out the questionnaire they have regarding the earthquake. If you need help with any language barriers, the Organizers' Tent has some volunteer interpreters who can help you. 

This year a percentage of the sales of each tent will be given to the victims of the Tohoku disaster, so it is even more worthwhile to buy some delicious foods, enjoy them and know you are also helping out those in need. 

Have fun! 

Messages of encouragement from Tsukuba's sister cities, etc.

Sorry for my silence

Hi,

Sorry I haven't posted for a week. First of all, I was really busy, and secondly, the blog provider "Blogger" was closed for a few days for maintenance. We could read blogs, but not write on them.

Actually, for blogs or websites, we don't use the word "closed". If an internet site is not working we use the word "down". So ...

The Blogger log-in page for bloggers (blog writers) was down for a few days and I couldn't log in.

Today's talk about Uganda

Today we listened to Josephine speak about Uganda and herself. It was really interesting to hear about her country, culture and life.

It was amazing to hear that a bride's family is very strong in the negotiations for their daughter to be married!

If you would like to read about Uganda, please go to Wikipedia.