RICKY DLS 英会話 blog

Pic1 Luisa: “How the heck do I get outa here?” Pic2 Atomo: “I did it - I’m in!” Pic3 Zafiro: It stinks to be the smallest. I’m always last. I got Luisa a very cute red and beige Minnie Mouse travel carrier basket for her 13th birthday (see pics). Only problem - she doesn’t really enjoy spending time in it. Atomo and Zafiro on the other hand were eager to try out the new comfy cat basket and waited their turns impatiently.

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Typical summer decoration
Is this the extremely delayed start of summer I’m wondering? Cause the weather had been very un-summerish till today, to say the least. Well, if it stays as hot as it is right now then that’s cool with me.

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Thank you all for attending our movie night! The flick we watched was cool and action-loaded - but the party that followed was even better! Thanks to Kenji for picking that really nice Izakaya with Chinese and Korean food. I still remember that look when I mixed sweet and sour pork with a rice dish … Kenji exclaimed “That’s very American!” I had a ball and learned a few new things about Japanese culture. At kaitenzushi restaurants (”conveyor belt sushi” aah that sounds yucky) local people usually do not touch the sushi that’s on the belt - they order from the menu instead. Why? They say it is fresher. Does it really matter if the fish has been going round and round for ten minutes? To Japanese it does! For me half of the fun is seeing the sushi coming my way and waiting with anticipation to grab it! About an hour into the dinner Yui showed up with her best buddy, both tipsy lol, and so did Kanako who had been celebrating her birthday. Well we celebrated her even more at the Electric Sheep Bar, our next stop, and Ari - a real Mexican gentleman - carried my heavy bag for me. In case you were wondering what was in it - that’s a secret, lol. The bar was quiet for a Saturday night, good for us because we got the best table. The drinks were nice & exotic as usual and we drank the entire menu of martinis and mojitos as we always do. Thanks everybody for coming, Ikuko, Yuko, Nao, Mayumi (she and I were wearing matching pink Zara blouses) and Yuki of course, our most regular party guest. She and I live in the same neighborhood and we actually had a small accident on our way home … And I even have a souvenir from this memorable night: I pilfered Ari’s funky flashing neon lighter … I wonder if he noticed, lol.

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Japan’s biggest asset are the people
Traveling is great but it always feels good to come back. The many thoughtful people are Japan’s biggest asset and make living here worthwhile. To talk about a recent experience outside of Japan, as soon as the plane touched down in Dubai, passengers (mostly Middle Eastern and Western) jumped up, opened the overhead compartments and headed for the exits. I have never seen such impatience in Japan. Also, in Dubai malls, shoppers never give way, not even an inch. They prefer to bump into you rather than move a bit to the side. Don’t get me wrong, I love Dubai for its glitz and glamour - but the people seem quite selfish. If you could find a place as beautiful as the Arabian desert filled with people as nice as the Japanese, that would be paradise I guess, lol. See what others think.

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Due to the brevity of summer in Hokkaido people celebrate it like nowhere else - especially when it comes to edible things and seasonal items. There are numerous foods that are consumed only during the hot months such as watermelons, cantaloupes and peaches. Fruity sorbets replace rich ice creams prevalent in winter, and shoved ice with exotic fudges like matcha or anko are bestsellers at convenience stores and outdoor food stalls. Then there’s eel day (last Saturday), in Japanese “doyo no ushi no hi”, and this is often incorrectly translated as “ox Saturday”, hence the queston “Why do Japanese people eat eel on beef day?” On this day the price of charcoal grilled eel (unagi) goes up by as much as 300 %. Unagi is another delicacy among the numerous Japanese food choices, however, I consider it winter food because it is a) fatty b) eaten hot. On the other hand, Japanese people eat more sushi in the winter even though it is cold and raw and in my opinion makes for perfect summer food! Due to the lack of airconditioning in many buildings you will also see quite a few people with “uchiwa” - round manual paper fans - during July and August. I recently heard from a student that even buildings in southern cities like Tokyo or Osaka are usually not equipped with airconditioning, and I vaguely remember the hot and humid summer during my one-time-stint in both cities. My student mentioned that spending the hot season in the south of Japan without airconditioning really makes us aware that summer is here and hence people enjoy that custom. The drink of choice in summer is beer - the Odori beer garden opened earlier this week, right after Ocean Day - and canned cocktails in tropical flavors. I guess time for me to run down to Lawson and get a pineapple cooler and some nata de coco - another summer favorite. That little Lawson in my building is pretty well stocked with one exception - they don’t carry the indispensable watermelon suika summer ice bar!

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My first choice for our upcoming Movie Night was the multiple award-winning “Slumdog Millionaire” - I saw it on the plane to Dubai and it is def worth all the prizes and attention. However, the flick is not in video stores yet. My second choice was the all-time summer favorite “Vacation” with Chevy Chase and again I was unlucky. So I picked the latest Indy Jones, lots of action guaranteed. We’ll watch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull next Saturday at our DLS Movie Theater. See you there!

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Today the Tanabata Festival is observed on the main island, in Hokkaido we celebrate it a month later on August 7. I heard the reason is that the summer here is delayed - I wouldn’t say so, looking at today’s thermometer indicating 30 degrees, and summer flowers in full bloom (see pics).

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Among the nicest things in the Japanese summer is the gift-giving tradition. Eligible presents are produce, canned foods, edible souvenirs, beer and anything that’s useful and practical. Solid soap bars and salad oil are popular gifts - quite different from Western culture where presents are meant to make someone feel special i.e. something that the person usually wouldn’t buy for themselves are thought to make good gifts. I got a box full of cherries and they were useful (edible!) and made me feel good at the same time, lol (see pic)

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The granddaughter of Cuban revolutionary leader Ernesto “Che” Guevara fights in her own revolution - for vegetarianism. “PETA’s work for animals was one of the reasons why I went vegetarian,” Lydia said. “Moreover, this lifestyle has become a true revolution that is attracting more people and is an alternative that is healthier for the planet and for humankind.” In the campaign which will first be released in Argentina - Che’s birthplace - Lydia sports a bandoleer of carrots, army pants and a red beret, and she’s blessed with the good looks of her grandfather, including that fierce expression in her eyes!

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From the director of “Independence Day” and “The Day After Tomorrow” - here’s the first trailer of the long awaited SciFi Thriller “2012″ WATCH HERE The introduction starts like this: Never before has a date in history been so significant to so many cultures, so many religions, scientists, and governments. A global cataclysm brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors. Now if you’ve been socially active or a regular net-surfer than you’ve certainly heard similar stuff numerous times. There are thousands of websites dedicated to the year 2012, some claiming it is the end of the world, others believing it is the beginning of something new and yet others designed to put an end to escalating doomsday worries. What triggered this curious craze - or should I say crazy curiosity - about 2012 is the fact that the Mayan Calendar ends on December 21, 2012 (12-21-2012). The Maya were a highly advanced pre-Columbian civilization on the Mexican Yucatan and Guatemala, and they had accurate knowledge about the movements of the planets. Their greatest achievement, however, was the invention of a calendar of remarkable accuracy and complexity - The Mayan Calendar. And just as the sudden decline of their civilization remains a mystery, so does the fact that their calendar comes to an abrupt end in 2012. So, what can we really expect? I’d say that’s all up to your attitude and belief system. Personally I think that it is the start of something great. A major shift in consciousness that will make people more aware than ever of what’s really going on, what matters and what doesn’t. Can’t wait!

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