One recent night I woke up to the sound of clicking that came from the living room. Turns out it was Atomo, standing on the TV set on his two back legs, front paws high up in the sky and switching the light on and off!! Well it's his new favorite game now and he plays it till exhaustion. Have you ever seen a cat doing this? If yes, send me a comment and share your story with me! 
We had high expectations before visiting Spanish restaurant and gallery El Cid and we were not disappointed. As soon as we entered we felt like we were leaving Japan and embarking on a Mediterranean journey to the Iberian peninsula. And while we indulged in jamon serrano ham, queso manchego cheese, chorizo sausage, garlic shrimp and other delicacies, Don Chemmy, the founder, owner and a renowned painter, shared with us fantastic stories from his dramatic and adventurous life that sounded like out of a novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The walls of this cozy tavern are adorned with dozens of paintings created by Don Chemmy over the course of many years. As for wine, we had a bottle of Rioja Diezmo and no regrets. El Cid, South 5, West 24, Phone 011-551 22 32
Ricky 札幌 の 英語 と スペイン語 の 先生
This kitten is not big into chasing mice in the fields. Leonardo's prey of choice are lizards in all shades of the Arizona desert, his hometown is Phoenix and his foster mom is Liz who recently celebrated her birthday. Favorite pastimes are taking naps in the bathroom sink (see pic) and playing hide-and-seek with his human mom. 
I will never forget the day I entered Hiromi-san's house for the first time: Meows from upstairs, from downsters, cat toys, climbing trees and frisky felines everywhere! Most cats are super social and they were all over me as soon as I got comfortable on the sofa. That's where I found Atomo with his big paws and curious eyes, always looking for action. Hiromi-san picks up stray cats from the streets and cares for them until she finds suitable homes. Check out her website: http://www.nyans-protect.com/ 
Whenever I open the freezer, Atomo comes running (flying almost!) and tries to jump into the ice box. He has this thing for ice cubes and plays ice-cube-fishing whenever I leave a chilled beverage out. So now I cover cups and glasses with a coaster and, to not completely deprive him of his second-favorite game, I now put ice cubes into his bowl of water every morning. Fishing them out keeps him busy for at least a half hour.
Share your experiences with me! Do you have a cat or another pet? Would love to hear your stories. 
Yes, there are many soup curry eateries in the North 24 neighborhood.� But only one can claim to offer the original taste from South India, namely Curry Dining mayoor.� The chef is from India, and so are all ingredients which makes for a unique meal experience.� I tried the herb chicken soup curry and I was delighted.� The rich soup is flavored with exotic herbs and spices, the vegetables are fresh and tasty, and so is the chicken.� There are three spice levels to choose from which makes ordering quite straightforward:� very spicy, kind of spicy, not spicy.� I like it hot and went for the very spicy stuff.� No regrets!� Mathew, the owner, came to Japan from India 19 years ago and is Sapporo's best-known master of yoga (chances are good that you've seen him on TV).� For him, opening an Indian restaurant was his personal reward for years of hard and dedicated work.� � Without doubt� one of the best soup curries� in the neighborhood.� Curry Dining mayoor, North 22,� West 4.� Tel. 011-757-5500.� Soup curry from 850 yen
Ricky� 札幌 の 英語 と スペイン語 の 先生 
Yesterday I got a new cell phone strap (red and white flower) from a friend who brought it from a temple in Kanazawa. Upon returning home I placed my cell phone on the table as usually and the next thing I knew, Atomo was dragging the strap and the attached phone (yes, in this case it's the other way around) all over the house and it was tough taking it from him cause he was so obesessed with it! The new cell phone currently gets all his attention. He goes crazy when he only hears the sound of the little attached bell. 
Age: about 10 months
Born: on the streets of Sapporo
Personality: bold, fun-loving, intense 
I found Mercedes at a vet's office in Mexico City in the spring of 1998. She was recovering from a car accident she had had during her first life as a street cat. As soon as I walked into the office and sat down, she jumped into my lap and started purring. Unlike other cats, she was not locked up in a cage. Soon I noticed that she was physically different from other cats: her right front leg was missing. The vet then told me that after the accident her leg was amputated in order to save her life, and there she was, 6 months later, bursting with the desire to live and eager to find herself a home. I adopted her immediately and she is my favorite cat of all times.
Mercedes died of heart failure on October 6, 2006. She lives on in my many fantastic memories with her. What a passionate, loving cool cat she was.
Note: "Mercedes" is an old Spanish name for girls meaning "Mercies". Japanese people usually associate this name with cars, but that is as if associating Suzuki only with motorcycles when it is actually a very common family name. 
