中国の上海で「一家庭あたり飼うことができるペット犬を上限一頭に定める」法案が施行されたと報道されました。 オーストリアABCの関連ニュースはこちらABCによると上海の人口1900万に対してペットの数は80万頭で、犬の糞や騒音などの被害が深刻化しているよ…

就任当初から信頼できない人物だと思っていましたが、まあこれをご覧ください。東日本大震災によっておきた原発事故による風評被害に対してまったく他人事のようです。

今日は花見第２弾ということで、造幣局の桜の通り抜けに行きました。 やや曇りかかった天気でしたが、桜並木を歩いているうちに徐々に晴れ間が覗いてきて、温かい日和となりました。 なんとなく気分が乗ってきたので一句詠んでみました。 「青空に 彩り放つ …

今日は雲ひとつ無い晴天に恵まれた暖かい一日でした。 大阪地方の桜が満開と聞きまして、大阪城公園に花見に出かけることにしました。 多くの観光客が訪れていることを予想して昼食は予め食べておいて、食べ物を持たず花見＆散歩を楽しみました。大阪城の外…

今夜、探査機「はやぶさ」に関するドキュメンタリー番組がフジテレビで放送された。 地球から１０億ｋｍも離れた小惑星イトカワからサンプルを採取して地球に持ち帰るという世界初の壮大な計画が成功したことは知っていましたが、実は７年間に渡るミッション…

Thank you very much for visiting the campaign site from Blockhead April. I hope everyone has a happy April fool's day. Laugh and grow fat:-)

昨年末にデジタルテレビを購入した際のポイントで任天堂ゲーム機Wiiを購入し、「グランドスラムテニス」というゲームソフトを購入しました。 発売されたのが2009年７月２日ということなので、世間から遅れる事１年半、我が家にはこのテニスゲームのブームが…

３月11日に発生した東日本大震災について一言。 地震及び津波による災害から生き延びた人たちが生活を立ち上げ、そして自立できるように末永い支援と復興のアイデアが必要となっています。 また、地震による二次災害といえる福島第一原発では現在での放射能…

今日は結婚１０周年記念日です。のん（妻）と結婚してから、楽しいことも大変なこともいろいろありましたが、元気に仲良く過ごすことができました。 ２年３ヶ月のイギリスでの海外赴任もあったし、毎年海外旅行に出かけることもできました。写真は記念に宿泊…

At last I purchased a cork board I have wanted for long, because I planed to put up postcards on the board that I collected during trips across Europe. I see each photo especially the one I bought in Cambridge with deep emotion. The great …

At the first working day of the year, the president or the general manager usually gives a short talk to their employees. The financial year of most Japanese companies starts in April and ends in March, however the New Year is one of the m…

Osechi-ryori are specially prepared New Year dishes which are cooked in order to be preserved for at least three days. We enjoyed colourful dishes at the inn including zoni soup containing rise cake, vegatables and chicken. After that we v…

Nara held celebrations to mark the 1300 year's anniversary of establishment of Heijo-kyo capital last year. We visit Non's parents in Nara every New Year. It's customary for us to stay in a Japanese inn (ryokan) which has a natural hot spr…

I and Non played Old Maid with my brother's family and my mother. It's called 'Baba nuki' in Japan, which means drawing of an old lady. In the Japanese version, players collect pairs and try not to be left with a joker (wild card). I hear …

The first news I heard in 2011 was about traffic disruption because of heavy snow in the western part (west of) of Japan. Over two hundred drivers were stranded at the national highway for 48 hours overnight, which was caused by the breakd…

It is customery in Japan for people to sit around the table with their family, and eat buckwheat noodles on New Year's Eve. The new TV and sofa were delivered today and changed the atomosphere of our living room. I'm looking forward to wha…

Online shopping is both cheap and convenient. We bought daily necessities such as canned beer, seasoning sauces, and soft drinks from a major supermarket. They offer free delivery when the total price is over 3,000 yen (about 23 pounds). I…

Mr Kenji Miyazawa is one of the most famous poets in Japan. One of his masterpiece is 'Night Train to the Stars' published after his death in 1933. It was my favourite poem in my childhood. I happened to find a English version of the story…

CNN English Express is a monthly magazine that deals with the latest news broadcasted at CNN. Since the magazine is well designed for English learners, it provides them with opportunities to learn natural and practical American English. I …

A driver's license in Japan has to be renewed every three or five years, while the license in the UK is valid for ten years. The renewal period is between one month before and one month after the driver's birthday, which is easy to remembe…

Miss Mao Asada finished 2nd in the ice-skating competition. I heard that she had been in an awful slump this season, though she won the silver medal in the last Olympics. I'm glad to see that she's recovered her form, and that she is throu…

We've decided to buy a new new digital TV set, because the current analogue TV will not work any longer next summer. We have chosen a TV, because there is a built-in DVD recorder. In addition, it's the company I work for.

Today is my birthday. I've become 30 plus something. I and Non went to a Japanese style grill restaurant to celebrate. The cook served a 4 course meal over a grill counter where he cooked meat, fish and vegetables, and elegantly dished the…

I haven't reviewed this Tuesday's lesson yet, and neither updated my daily expressions nor studied phrasal verbs in the textbook. I was supposed to finish reading a novel for teenagers in English before leaving the UK, but actually couldn'…

I'm impressed by many aspects of this country in terms of efficiency. At the office, all the shelves are specially designed for standard ring files. There are small basins in the toilets specifically for brushing teeth, and free vending ma…

I took a web English lesson for the first time after I moved back to Japan. There were no technical problems with video communication using Skype. So the first lesson was successful and fruitful. I'm determined to continue to take this Eng…

That turned out to be a groundless fear. While I was working at the office today, everyone was nice and kind as usual. I feel comfortable working at the office.

I feel like I've getting nervous when I think about my first day back in the office. I wonder how long it will take some time for me to adjust to the Japanese culture and work habits. That was why I couldn't sleep well last night and myy h…

We went out for eating inner organs of cows and vegetables cooked at the table. This type of dishes is called 'Nabe' in Japan. We could choose from several vegetables and meat to add to the hot pot. The stock tasted wonderful and really hi…