Yogurt

I used to eat chocorates for a snack. Because I love that's strong sweet taste. And it is easy to manage to calorie-controll. One is about 30kcal.

But thesedays, I don't eat much chocorates for my stomach, so just now I'm trying to find my new favorite snack!

Today I ate yogurt with blueberry sause after dinner.

Yogurt contains much protein and calcium and bifidus.

It's low fat and healthy snack.

If you add some fruit's sause, that's calorie is under 100 kcal(per 100g).

People say, "Fruit and yogurt for breakfast is good." But recently I've noticed that bowel movements becomes smoother when I eat yogurt at night more than morning.

Surely, good bacterial might grow in the intestine during night.

But then, I like a western-style breakfast, so it might be difficult to make eating yogurt at night into a habit.

Next, it's a matter of taste.

Halloween Party

Today I took part in a Halloween party.

It was designed by new maneger for new English teacher, Josh.

One requirement was that dressed up for Halloween.

After thinking, I dressed as a pumpkin, plant's image, to wear a smoky yellow knit of mohair yarm. I made a light dark knit hat and a pumpkin bag. I just wanted to give thanks to Josh's professional mind.

The party was so nice as I thought. Josh prepared some games for us. I had a great time.

In the truth, from my indrawn character, I really don't like to attend these parties.

But I wanted to know how people were learning English.

Recently, I feel it's very hard to keep my motivation for English because of my busy days.

Participants ranged to variety careers, company's employee and doctor and cram school teacher. Almost of them told me that they needed English for their job. That was different than me.

I wished to make English friends to keep my motivation.

But I wouldn't solve my business by this party.

And, I'd whined a bit about my worry which I started to wonder what I'm working for, at the party. And then, one participant said to me, "you should quit, a lot of people wished to become a teacher."

Exactly, I've realized, now I have nothing to depend on and I am being easily swayed

I should build up my identity and recognize for what purpose I do.

Well, I came back near the midnight after a long time ago, my mother got angry very much!
At that time, I remembered that my mother had almost called the police, whenI didn't come home by midnight.

An Inconvenient Truth

Today I was staying at home, because I couldn't go to school. It wasn't my feeling.

Fortunately, I'd done efficient a huge amount of jobs, so I could go to my favorite library in Mishima before noon.

Usually, I go to the library every Saturday. I picked up some magagines. Now, there are a lot of events in Novem, I have to prepare that I would be busy as a bee. My stomach might get worse(_).

Well, in the library, I found one DVD, it's "An Inconvenient Truth". I've missed the time I watched it with Sophia, and, I borrowed it.

I watched twice, and I've noticed that my impression changed a little.

Before I was moved by his contribution which spread "global warming" throughout US.

This time, I was impressed by his due consideration. It is like his autobiograhy. What curious me is the beautiful narration and effective projections, encouraged the beautifulication.

However, it is surely that this film imspired American to do push the eco movement.

Of course I do a lot of eco activities. Next time I would like to introduce my movement!

http://www.read-the-truth.com/

After that

Today I took a gastric camera at Shikokutyuou hospital.
Though it's getting to small by the tecnological progress, it was a hard work for me as I thought.
After all, my doc found a gastritis in my stomach, so I have to continue to take medicines more 1 month.
The result of a gastric camera was out of mind, because, some how I was convinced I must be well. Maybe, I placed too much trust in my health.
It became a lesson not to place too much trust in my experience.
I know the cause of a gastritis, I have to see other place.

Well, I decided to take part in the Halloween party on 25 by my teacher's eager offer.
One reason, he said "the Japanese teacher would take part in the party."
After all, I decided to go to tha party. Because, in fact, the Japanese teacher is my friend, since my childfood.
After the class, I send an email to her about the halloween party.
She replyed me today.
"I didn't take part in the party, recently I quited the job. because my mother in law became a pancreas cancer. How was the new teacher?"
I've fallen short of expectations.
Oh, no! I have to speak with new people! And then, I have to think for my costume.

Udon tour in Kagawa

Today I went to Kagawa Prefecture to eat "Udon".
Udon is a thick wheat-flour noodle, it's one of popular Japanese cuisines.
Udon is a local dishe of Kagawa, because Kagawa has been dry wheather, so people have been cultivating wheat, and Kagawa is faced on the sea, so it was not hard to get seaweed and fish. And now, there are a lot of small udon chains in Kagawa.

"Great sanuki udon" which is a tour guide book introducing udon shops, the first was published in 1983 and it sparked the Udon tour boom in Japan. And now it's still going on.

Every chain has its own taste, making it fun to try udon at different shops. Udon is usually served hot as noodle soup in a mildly flavoured broth, in its simplest form as kake udon, served in kakejiru made of dashi which is seaweed soup, soy sauce, and mirin.
It is usually topped with thinly chopped scallions and grated ginger.

Other common toppings include tempura, often prawn or kakiage, or abura age, a type of deep-fried tofu pockets seasoned with sugar, mirin, and soy sauce.
Shichimi or sesame can be added to taste.

Today's udon shop is a popular udonshop "Nagata udon", it was still crowded, when we visited there after 3pm. I ordered a small udon boll, it was 250yen. one of my friends ordered the special udon boll which was three times of mine, it was 600 Yen. it was so big.
I liked the soup which was not too strong and weak, good seaweed taste, and udon which was very smooth and felt elastic.

Next time, I would like to go to other udon shop. Any way, I really had fun for eating udon.

"The Setting Sun", "No longer Human" by Osamu Dazai

At first, I read "Syayo"and"Ningenshikkaku".
Shayo (The Setting Sun, 1947) is depicted the decline of the Japanese nobility after World war 2 was published, Shayo made him a star. This work was based on the diary of Shizuko Ōta. Ōta was one of the fans of Dazai's works and first met him in about 1941. She bore him a daughter Haruko in 1947.
I feel offended after reading. this novel also was depicted a part of his life. As a result, he used her as a means to write the novel. His behaivior seems to be brutally self-indulgence.

Ningen Shikkaku ( No Longer Human, 1948)was also his quasi autobiography.
He completely abandoned his wife and children, and in the end drown himself with the other woman.
Ningen Shikkaku deals with a character headlong towards self-destruction.

I felt that this novel looked his scream which is suffering from isolation and low self-esteem.
He sold off in pieces of his life every time he wrote a novel. I think, he wanted to be recognized his existence by the people. But, even if he is an alcoholic and depression, it was morally unforgivable acts.

Any way, the book is one of the classics of Japanese literature, the masterpiece is difficult to comprehend by ordinary people, like me. I'm not his wife. I shold do what I want.

"Viyon's wife" by Dazai Osamu

Today, my mother asked me to check a movie's schedule. It's "Viyon's wife" which is based upon a histrical fact written about in the novel by Osamu Dazai.Well, I'm wondering why often hear his name in TV these days. According to my mother, The movie will be released for the 100th anniversary of his birthday.
Osamu Dazai was a Japanese author who is one of the foremost fiction writers of 20th-century Japan. He is noted for his ironic and gloomy wit, his obsession with suicide.Yasunari Kawabata, Ryuunosuke Akutagawa, Souseki Natsume, and other writers are all internationally famous writer that are products of this era, the late 19th and early 20th century.
As they are tossed about by the" dramatically change in society", and they produced many works that reflected their own new views, which were produced by the change in their sense of values.
For this reason, thier works were recognized as masterpieces.
And, I tryed to read "Viyon's wife"in 1947. It's a very short story, so I could read soon. Well, my impression is that, it's awful!
He depicted a his dissolute life. The narrator is the wife of a poet, who has abandoned her. She takes a job for a tavern keeper from whom her husband has stolen money. Her determination to survive is tested by hardships, rape and her husband's self-delusion, but her will is not broken.I grew depressed thinking of his wife read this novel.She was just trying to accept him the way he is. Strength grows stronger by being tried.When I think about it, it is too much to bear.
Why does he and his novels hold such an attraction for the Japanese?
For one thing, when I read it, somehow I could see a little bit of myself in one character, living under harsh circumstances, of the novel.
Everyone could find out somethig from his life, the self-torturously life.
And, the humor of this novel might be in the contrasting characters "his delusion and weakness, and her honesty and strength. I would like to read other his books.

English class

Today is my English class day.
Usually, I go to an English school, GEOS, every thursday night. GEOS is one of popular English conversation shools in Japan.

English class is still one of my pleasures in my busy days.
I take part in the active conversation class. At first, I just wanted to keep my English level. But recently, I'm getting to look forward to go to there as I thought.
Now, there are a lot of Japanese people who are eager to learn English.
I think that English classes are not useful not only for practicing English conversation, but also for cultural exchange.
Because, I can get interesting views from different professions, and widen my perspectives through being exposed to different values.
Almost my friends are teacher. So, it's precious for me to meet other world.

And I'm impressed by the GEOS's staffs are really high quality.
Now, my English teacher is Josh, he is American, and he has some interesting fields, political science and English teaching.
At the first class, he told us his motivation to live in Japan. Now he is gathering good experiences to be a university. I've never meet such a person vow to walk his way.
Well, we also get good experiences from him.

However, apart from GEOS, there is still no opportunity for me to actually speak English.
No matter how much time goes by, my Enghish won't improve.
I must study English by myself except thursday.

He suggested us to have a hallowin party on October 25, but nobody attends to the party.
I feel really sorry. I want to make English friends enjoy English together.

But now, I'm satisfied I really enjoy English class, even if I can't improve it.
It's important to enjoy myself.

Oriental zodiac

I watched an interesting news in TV, which preparing the fortune Oriental zodiac goods for next year.

Oriental zodiac is an old Japanese calender which is based on Chinese signs of the zodiac.
The zodiac signs were introduced in Japan in the 6 century.
There are12 animals in the zodiac, mouse, cattle, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, bird, dog, wild boar. The animal zodiac operates on a 12-year cycle.
Many Japanese still believe people's characters and fates are determined by the animal sign of their birth.
Each of the zodiac animals have its own distinct characteristics, which people born in that year are said to share. According to Japanese tradition, each year reflects the character of a different sign of the Oriental zodiac. Of corse, I didn't believe it, it's just a superstition, but these types of thing is a creative attitude to handle daily routines differently. So, I enjoy this event as expecting.

Well, next year's animal is a tiger.
Getting back to what I was saying, one shrine was preparing unique tiger fortunes which front paws rasing to invite peace and happy, they look really like "manekineko."
A maneki neko is the decorative figure of a seated cat, with one of its front paws raised to invite people in.Items that invite good fortune, such as daruma and maneki neko, are called "engimono".
I also hope bring me good luck.

Workbalance

During 3dayholidays, my younger brother family came back to Shikoku.

I'm also looking forward to see Yuiko who is my niece, and she is 3 years old and my love.

I'was surprised by his children who were polite and endearing gesture, and impressed by my brother and his wife who worked together.

We talked about our recent lives, and he advised me about my work.

"You should think your workbalance. Teacher's salary is very low, you just should do worth of your salary, so you shouldn't spend such a hard life."

I really know about it.

Recently, I've been weary from much working.

Usually, I'm in school, from7am to 8pm. After having dinner, I get redy for the next day's class for 2hours. There are 5 or 6classes everyday. And, I take charge of school library, I have to manage it and books. Even if I go to school on Saturday, I can't see the end.

Besides, I work to improve some student's problem behavior. I'm thinking about students on a 24-hour basis.

In addition, I'm single. Everyone knows I can work hardly.

The harder I do my best, the easier much work will come. And As getting years, I might get to notice to details.

Sometimes, my chief told me thanks. Maybe, I must do to chief's area.

Well, I have to learn to say "no."

Now, it is all about my work. I should reduce work to 40%, at least 50%.

And then, I would afford to think myself.

During 3day holiday's I sticked to think about cooking, I could feel nonworking mother's feeling. I had a fun.

They came back to Kobe. I really miss them. For new year day, I'm looking forward to see them.

Political ferment

When I see this country's confusion these days, I can't help thinking the political poverty.

In US, it just so happened that president Obama's awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009. The Nobel Committee hopes the award will help for him, and to inspire nuclear powers to move toward nuclear disarmament.
But he took it in stride, because the Nobel Prize is understimated in US and he is plagued with so many problems, the rise in unemployment and backlash of the old guard in every policies.
When you look dispassionately, he makes his intention clear and his policies seem to be very smart and stand reason, he is a true political leader.
But I've heard his rating has still fallen.
There's saying,"Bread is better than the songs of birds." which describes recent political issue perfectly."Honorable poverty" means living a pure and indigent life without regard for personal desire.
Everyone knows it, but in reality, it is easier to commend poverty than to endure it.

In Japan, there is a different type of confusion.
The problem with leadership is a big problem with Japanese politicians themselves.
There are many leaders who are always fighting with each other resulting in very little success.
So, when one leader was elected, at least, everyone should promise to cooperate with the leader.
They must first put some rules that deal with the cooperation.

And the Japanese leader needs to cultivate leadership.
I think that the principle of leadership is charismatic, it can improve by human efforts.
It is important to make the atmosphere as a leader. The appearence includes that deep and well-projected voice and better position. The political sense includes that strong identity and assertion and steadfastness.
And in the election, people easily depend on circumstances. So political party and politician could use psychographic strategies. I've convinced that some American politician use it.

Any way, the world won't change just by complaining. I want to be interested in politics and have my opinion.

Affection

Today, I went to the Legal Hotel in Nihama, to see my friend's wedding.
Her marriage ceremony may be small and intimate with only family and a few relatives attending. But we would like to see her wedding, so we went to there secretly.

One of my friends didn't know her marrige before seeing her wedding dress.
She was left speechless. We really had a fun.
Well, it was surprised us that her partner was out of our mind. Because, she is quiet type of person, but he is a opposite person, a very sociable person. Additionally, he invited us to their house.

As I call, I was wondering how type of person would be made for each other, opposite or similar.
In my case, I've been thinking I'd like someone is similar to me and understand me. But I'm realized it's really hard to find such a person. Everyone is different. I should make efforts to compromise and understand others.

Thinking about it, it had been difficult for me to find someone I love, but it is not difficult to make a friendship with somemen.
Whenever I feel someone's earnest affection, I felt some kind of fear and left from him. Maybe, I thought that I couldn't return such a serious question. Because, if I answered something, I will have a hevy responsibility on my answer. I went into my shell and I couldn't understand even my own feelings.

Probably, this explain the reason that there is a thin line between love and hate.
The more I have strong feelings to him, the more he has strong sentiment to me.
And sometimes it would become love. Sometimes it would become hate.
Once the love bond breaking, the more it's strong, the more it's gone beyond the point where it can be repaired.
Onece there is a divorce, the line is cut, even two people promised to love each other.
I'm stunned by the fact that the emotional of human works complexity.

I don't think mine's going to be like others.
I think that I will always like the man I came to love.
I'm looking foward to see whether it is true or not.

In addition
I've heard that she decided marrige 2 month ago, and they had their marriage registered 1 month ago, and today they hold a ceremony. Up to the day they were legally married, their relationship had progressed at an incredible speed. So nobody knows about her marrige like us.
It's hard to believe!

ＵＮＩＣＬＯ

Every Saturday morning, I'm overwhelmed by the ad of UNICLO.
UNICLO is Japanese clothing fashion brand. Now, UNICLO is leading trend in Japan.

I'm impressed by UNICLO's mind, competitive prices and unsurpassed quality and simple and up-to-date style!

For example, today's special is the velvet jacket. it's only 3,990Yen, it's 1/7 of regular brand-name jacket, I have. It's not discernible to the eye.

I must question the value of buying expensive brand-name clothes at the department store.
http://www.uniqlo.com/jp/

Now a days, UNICLO is trying to advance overseas.

I'm convince it would come up. Because UNICLO is needed by the people, place value on the other things, not clothes, UNICLO has caputured fans in the educated class, and especially low-income earner.

And That's style, vivid color and stylish design is for Foreigner maybe even better than Japanese.

I feel that we ought to welcome riging of these fashion brand, having clear strategies.

However, I feel a bit scare, because now the fisical resession still remain, a lot of fashion-brands are competing for dwindling territory.

Inefficient and weak ones will die out.

UNICLO must make a lot of efforts to provide inexpensive and high quality goods.

If he is popular, that doesn't mean he is coining money.

UNICLO's today's stock price 13,200 Yen

dividend yield a year 160.00（2009/08）

Sony's today's stock price 2,550Yen

dividend yield a year 42.50（2009/03）

They slash prices and compete on volume. I've seen tough facts of life in the fashion industry.

But, in some means, the rise of UNICLO will give hope to Japanese. And it will create and expand employment not only production ,but on the circulation. And to express a strong desire and clear vision to the world would increase the value of the company. In fact, the CEO of UNICLO could get a great deal of money riging UNICLO's stock price.

Any way, I ought to wellcome this current condition as a consumer without thinking.

Thank God,it's Friday!

Today I went back to home before 8 pm, because, it's Friday.
I'm behind in my works for 3 days. Now, I've been able to breath.

At dinner time, somehow, I started to talke about blood investigation's result of the previous consalutation at the hospital.
When I went to hospital for upset stomach, I got the blood investigation before consultation.
I was wondering why I have to do it. I got it at the consultation. The doctor explained the reason, to check the serum amylase, from mydisrrhea after taking fatty things.
As the result, it was not high level, so the doc decided to see me to take medicine.
And then, I'd realized that it was hard for even the doc to cause of patient's condition. Perhaps, they make judgments by the date of test and see how it works, to prescribe some drugs.
Actually, it can't be helped, because the cause of desease occurred as a result of various overlapping. there is not only phisical sign, but daily habit or psychological and environmental causes, etc.
Recently, I'm interested in the matters related to swine flue, production of antibodies and allergen reaction and drug effectiveness. Just one desease, there are complex movements in my body.
I've realized the doc can't understand everything at the molecular level. They have no time.
In the end, if patients get well, it is enough to prescribe drugs, unless severe symptoms.

High Yen

One week ago, I gave up writing blog, because of sleepiness.
I added some my opinions oh the previous blog.

The yen is still getting strong against the dollar.I had predicted a couple of years ago, because house prices of US were so expensive. As thinking a career wage of ordinary people, it’s not a real price but an expected price.
Well, how do they buy a house?They paid money to purchase a house, even take out a loan. It’s a dream, as an expectation house price will be rising, for their future. I feel a little jealous of American positive thinking.It was supported by strong expectation and huge amount of dollar in the market.
US population is growing, The strong expectation is supported by this reason, Actually, growth population will lead to intermittent inflation.
Japanese gorverment also trys to promote this fiscal policy, issue a huge amount of government bonds in prospect of economic growth and inflation.
It seems like shoesstring operation. It isn't secure. Luckily, A lot of Japanese companise are fighting against the inflation. Inflation might generate new risks of instability.
I think, today there are huge amount of extra dollars on the market. In fact, it brings an increase in excess investment. It sometimes flood on areas that generate profits, and when investor give up on, it flow out to new areas that generate profits. It's like a game.
I think the root cause of extra dollars, comes from not collecting the dollars by the Federal Reserve. Federal Reserve just has been printing of dollars. Doing bad-loan after recession by printing of dollars, eventually, will depress the dollar's value.
It also will cause wealth and a secure future loosse.
In the other hand, in Japan, due to an aging society, the population of wokers is rapidly decreasing. We can hardly expect rapidly economic growth. but we don't like inflation, because, we have huge amount of savings. We afraid of depressing the Yen's value.
I think that IMF in general should take initiative for such things. I guess dollars had been too strong. I look forward to successful reform in IMF.
Well, Japan already is a mature society. So we don't need a lot of things, we should maintain in our lives. we just hope for a stable society. We know, we should do the reformation of society, from manufacturing industries toward service industries.

Now, globalization is undergoing rapid progress in Japan. We can't avoid even financial globalization, we should know that movements on the world stage .

Addition 2009.10.11
The October 7 of news week issue had an article which is cautious about American inflation fear.
Rather, he believed the inflation will occur by things deficiency and extra money, and he recomended positive economic stimulation. I think that the resent weak dollar happend by fallen credibility from printing huge dollars.

Dietary education course

Today, I went to Matsuyama to help my friend's "Daetary education course" as a cooking staff.
A nonprofit organization (NPO) called "Jmacs"organized this project.
Jmacs hopes to provide effective dietary education to children.
My friend, Itsuko Nozaki is a food coordinator, living in Mastuyama and she is striving to promote dietary education and local production for local consumption to the world.

I would like to help her, becaurse I just like her, and I sympathize with Jmacs way of thinking.

Besides, cooking is one of my hobby, so I really enjoy this activity.
The course includes 3 classes in this year. Today is the second, and the theme is "hot tofu".
She introduced some local organic vegetables, tofu and eggplant.
And I played trivia of eggplant to children. Eggplant is the second disliked vegetable among children, so I thought 10 eggplant's quiz children would get interested.
The most popular was the color change of eggplant peel caused by lemon.
It turned from purple to red, because lemon is strong alkaline property, so it changed purple pigment , one of anthocyanin.
I found that children get interested in more off center things.
Recently, I've been worring about myself, whether I suit my job, teacher, or not.
I believe this kind of activities, good experiences, also might be helpful for my job.

And all administration officers of Jmacs and staffs are really nice people. So, I cheer up just by seeing.
Any way, I had a great time by this event. I can't wait for the next!

Ｄevelopmental disorder

During this week, I often talked with sturdents's parents after school, almost everyday.
Some how, some students became fidgety after a field day, and made some troubles.

I've been struggling to manage my class since the beginnig of this year.
The main cause is the two children act at their own discretion without thinking for other classmates, and require me like to their mother.
I was involved in their voltage. So, I often had a talk with their mother, and they also have been feeling difficulties for nurturing children.

Actually, recently I feel developmental disorders are incresing in a class.
In my class, there are 5 children who have some kind of difficulties, low intelligence or ADHD or pervasive development disorder, in my class, are 31 children.
It'a high ratio!

I think problematic children lack in communication skill.
They might have some difficulties by nature, like baiased development and developmentally-handicapped and oversensive etc.
So, the mother had felt difficulties for nurturing the child, and then, decreased communication, and then, the child could not develop smoothly and learn a language.
It becomes a vicious circle.

In the other hand, There are problems in their family background, for example, severity or poverty or abuse or neglect etc.
This may cause developmental problems.
They, however, can't possible concentrate on lerning, if they have such a daily worries.
I believe that educational backgraound is more important than high birth.
So, I've been trying to teach sturdents to improve their abilities, to get out of this terrible situation.
But, I know, it is really a difficult issue to deal with, in most case, everything will get back on the track.
Humans are weak, we can't go on living without relying on something.

I've realized, there are something I can't do, if I do my best.
There is more to life than work.
I would like to think positive and I hope a peace.