Another Hydrangea

This hydrangea is new to me. Different kind of flower and leaf. It caught my eyes when I walked in front of the Ikoma station in Nara.

Life has its ups and downs. Yesterday I posted the first anniversary in delight. But a few hours later, I was quite at a loss.
Because I got involved in the computer trouble. Someone sent an invitation email to my friends using my name (my account). My account was shut down automatically. So I had to solve the problem, sitting in front of the computer for a long time. Luckily I changed my password and recovered my account. But still  I don't know well about what happened to me. I rediscover to take more attention to surf the Internet. There exists various black holes in the net world.
Anyway my first anniversary became unforgettable.

This is my second entry to Floral Friday Fotos and first entry to Weekend Flowers.

First Anniversary

Dear friends
I am happy today. July 12th is the first anniversary to start this blog. I really appreciate all of you for reading and leaving heart-warming comments.
Through one year this blog makes a big part of my daily life. To read interesting and beautfiul posts by many bloggers from other parts of the word is a lot of fun. And now taking pictures for the post is my new hobby.
Your comment is aways welcome!!
Thank you from my heart!

 

This post is part of Nick's Floral Friday Fotos.

Rice Planter

Today I found rice planting  near my house. There used to be a lot of rice paddy fields  a few dacades ago, but most of them turned into big condos and houses, and today it's hard to find rice field near here. For me this is a great experience to see the real machine plant rice seedlings.
Don't you think its moving is gorgeous?
I dedicate this post to Weekend Reflections.

New Record

Friends,
Question time. What are these numbers? Not money.

14th    8,795
15th  17,816
16th  19,401
17th  23,242
18th  13,366
19th  18,902
today  4,819

Answer.......My pedometer shows these steps.  I overworked and overwalked this week. My new record. I know I should take care of myself, especially legs and feet. But I'm thinking of playing tennis tomorrow. I know I am crazy. But I need my time.

Aoi Festival

This is the report of Aoi Festival held yesterday on May 16th in Kyoto. Basically it is annually held on May 15th, but due to the heavy rain, it was postponed to the following day.

Aoi Festival, or Hollyhock Festival is the annual festival of Shimogamo Shrine and Kamigamo Shrine. Along with the Gion Festival and the Jidai Matsuri (Festival of Ages), it is one of the three big festivals in Kyoto. Featured is a gorgeous parade in the style of the ancient Heian Court, everything in the parade is adorned with the hollyhock leaf crest, also called "aoi" _ thus the name of the festival. The parade leaves the Kyoto Imperial Palace at 10:30 in the morning. The 700-meter-long parade passes Shimogamo Shrine and heads for Kamigamo Shrine. This festival offers the opportunity to see the ancient time in Japan, so it makes a great tourist attraction.

   Nowadays, the massive procession illustrates the high regard. There are men on horseback, giant bouquets of flowers, ornately decorated ox drawn carts, and a large retinue of women in kimono accompanying the year's Saio.

this year's heroine, Saio

Traditionally, the Saio was a young female member of the imperial family who served as the high priestess of the Kamo Shrines. During festivals, the Saio performed rituals at the shrines. In the modern era, a different unmarried woman from Kyoto is selected each year to serve as Saio. She must go through purification ceremonies before the festival, and is taken through the procession on a palanquin.

I had a great time to watch the ancient time. I want to add one more thing. This parade is held without music, just quietly and solemnly.

First Birthday Cake

 Happy birthday, Rintaro!!

May 5th is special to me because it is Rintaro's first birthday as well as Children's Day in Japan. I made a birthday cake for him. It's his first time to eat a cake (for babies). It's a big fun to see his eating with his face filled with cream. I pray for his healthy growth.

I also made a paper helmet out of a calendar. This is how to make a paper helmet. If you are interested, please try to make it. It's very easy.

This is the cake I made for his first birthday.

Annual annoyance

a big circus tent I found yesterday

from my window today

This time of the year, there's  annual annoyance that  affects most part of Japan, especially the western part. It is "Yellow Sand" which is stirred up by the wind from deserts in the Chinese continent. It often reaches Japan from March to May every year.
These two days are terrible. The dust has decreased visibility and stained laundry. I feel dusty and have a scratchy throat. For now I haven't heard many health problems due to this dust, but surely it is not good for our  health, at least for my nose and throat. Now I think about hanging laundry indoors and wearing a mask outside.
It is warm and I want to open the windows. BUT I can't  open them.
Come back the blue sky!

Friends, is the sky clear in your place?

Bunraku Puppet Theater

Yesterday I went to the National Bunraku Puppet Theater in Osaka to see the traditional Japanese puppet performance, usually called "Bunraku" in Japanese.  I am a Bunraku fan because it is a very special world. It is unique in various points.

First, the story is narrated by a high-level chanter with the accompaniment of shamisen music, who changes his voice into various characters and attracts the audience.
Second, in most of the world's puppet theaters, great pains have been taken to hide the manipulation of the puppeteers from the audience. But in Bunraku, the manipulators appear openly, in full view
of the audience.
Third, furthermore, each puppet is manipulated by three puppeteers: main puppeteer(head and right hand), left puppeteer and third puppeteer (lower part).
Lastly, the theme is not for kids. Probably you imagine puppet play is mainly for kids, but the theme of Bunraku is for adults, such as  avenge, infidelity and double suicide. Far away from fantasy. Bunraku started in the 17th century when the third military government united Japan (Tokugawa era) and it was under a feudal system. At that time there was a clear status system and it was difficult to love freely. All the stories are based on the lives in the Tokugawa era. Samurai world.

The theater offers earphone guide service  so as to understand the story easily. English earphone guide service is available for YOU.
Enjoy Bunraku in English.

Cherry Blossom Viewing

This is true. As for me, maybe many Japanese too, cherry blossoms are special targets. When the cherry buds swell, I start to be restless. When the cherry blossoms start to bloom, I get around here and there to see as much as possible. I don't know why, but I feel like strongly imprinting them in my eyes. Maybe cherry blossoms only live for a short time, for a week, and fall all too soon.

Today I had a cherry blossom viewing at the park after I got my hair cut. I got something to eat at the nearby convenience store. There are many families and groups opening their lunchboxes and enjoying cherry blossoms. Great day surrounded with whitish pink.

Tough Babysitting

Dear friends,
I've been off line these two days and had  tough days. Let me tell you.


Yesterday was a nightmare. I was in charge of a check-in desk staff of the Holland America Line at the Kobe Port Terminal.It was my first time to sit there as a check-in staff. 
We would've been given enough orientation about what and how we should do, but we couldn't. We only got least information. No way to know!
In addition, over 1200 passengers gathered almost the same time. Impossible! I don't know whose mistake it is.
Some passengers got angry with waiting long or slow check-in.
The check-in counter opened at 11:00 and the next time I could see the time was at 3:15. No lunch, no restroom.
I was too exhausted to do anything.

But today was another tough day.
I have 11-month-old grandson, Rintaro. Today I was a whole day babysitter for him. It was also my first time to care for him at home all day. Raising kids needs stamina.
When I became enough tired, my husband came back home and split hairs over baby care. Suddenly I got mad at him. Saying is easy, doing is another thing. .....We had a row. Too bad.

Have you ever got mad at your partner?

Attacked by Spring Storm

I had a terrible day today.  I usually take a walk and drop into a cafe to do some paper work. When I went out the cafe, it was cloudy.  But on the way back to my home, suddenly a typhoon-like-wind blew and started to rain cats and dogs. My umbrella didn't work because of the storm and it soon broke. My day bag was all wet. Now I spread all the stuff of the bag on the floor to dry. Book, pencil case, wallet, cell phone (it survives)..... I'm sure the climate in Japan is becoming more and more violent than before.

Ingrown nail

Spring is back and forth around here. After two days of rain, we enjoyed a beautiful morning, but in the afternoon suddenly a cold, strong wind started to blow...at last beautiful sunset. Unstable weather.

I have ingrown toenail. But I don't think it's not in a very bad condition because I don't have a constant pain. But since a month ago, the pain became bigger day by day, yet I didn't think if I should go and see a doctor. I was patient. This morning when I talked about this to my husband, he said, "I'll take you to the hospital right now."  Like this way, in my life I have been taken to the hospital by my husband many times.

After seeing my right toenail carefully, the doctor explained about the treatment briefly and performed a surgery for the correction of an ingrown nail using a plastic material. First he injected two local aesthetics, but they didn't show enough effect, then two more aesthetics added. ..Patient. Finally it ended.
I want to see my toenail in detail, but for me it is impossible to check it. Can you?  Maybe my body is not flexible. I hope it gets well soon.
Thank you hubby.

First Anniversary of the Quake

Today is the first anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Across the country, many ceremonies and events were held in order to commemorate the victims and to encourage the affected people all day.

The Great East Earthquake was a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 2:46p.m JST on Friday, 11 March 2011. It was the most powerful known earthquake ever to have hit Japan. The earthquake triggered powerful tsunami waves that reached heights of up to 40.5 meters. The tsunami caused a number of nuclear accidents in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant complex, and the associated evacuation zones affecting hundreds of thousands of residents.
Yesterday the Japanese National Police Agency confirmed 15,854 deaths, 9,677 injured, and 3,155 people missing, as well as 129,107 buildings totally collapsed and more 'half collapsed'.

I live far away from Tohoku region, but I've never forgot what I saw and heard on TV news and the Internet about the victims and the devastation. Actually something changed in me at that time. I came to thank for the ordinary life more strongly and want to value spending time with my family and friends.
I can't do anything to the affected people, but I will never forget about them and keep watching them.

Sumo Stable

 sumo wrestler in kimono

I am a "Sumo" fan.  Sumo is a traditional Japanese-style  wrestling and Japan's national sport. Sumo wrestlers only wear a loincloth and wear a topknot. They do a bout in the ring.

after the practice

The origin of sumo was religious. The first sumo bouts were a form of ritual dedicated to the deities with prayers for a bountiful harvest in ancient times. Even today, sumo includes many ritual elements, such as the use of salt for purification of the ground.

hair staff sets a topknot

There are six Grand Tournaments in a year, three are held in Tokyo and one each in Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka. From next Sunday, March 11th, Osaka Tournament will be started for fifteen days, and now the temporary stables are opened in and around Osaka city.

Today I had an opportunity to visit one of the temporary stables of Azumazeki Stable at Daibutsunenji Temple in Hirano, Osaka city. One of the most popular sumo wrestlers, Takamisakari belongs to this stable.

a banner showing the stable name

I was watching the morning practice by the ring. There were eight wrestlers practicing in a serious manner. The big sound they bump against each other during the sparring bouts were surprising. During the practice taking pictures was strongly prohibited in order not to interrupt their concentration.
After the practice, I was lucky to eat delicious sumo dish, "Chanko-nabe". So yummy.
Had a very special experience. I'll cheer them on TV.

Chanko-nabe

New Dog plan

This is a big news to me.  My family will soon meet a new dog! We lost our beagle Annie last October. She was  a very peaceful and adorable dog and we all missed her very much. We've planned to have a new dog but still couldn't decide the good time for it. Today I talked with my husband about the big loss and how to live more comfortable life.  I spoke my mind to have a new dog to heal our vacancy. He listened to me carefully and agreed with the idea. Wow, thank you, hubby.
I'm looking forward to seeing a new-comer. I believe Annie forgave my decision.

Annie wearing my scarf in 2010

What kind of dog?   I'm thinking ...small-sized brown or black toy poodle. Because it was hard for me to hold 12kg-beagle who hated visiting the vet in my arms, so I want to choose a lighter one this time. Plus my husband doesn't like to see dog's falling hair. I figure toy poodle seems ideal to my family.
Anyway,  I'm planning to find a new family member with my husband this weekend. I'll report about it later.

Feeling better...

Firstly, I am very grateful for all your kind comments and helpful advices. I've been so happy to have my family and friends to support me. I am feeling much better now, but still coughing with sputum.
I tried a various kinds of drinks, such as hot honey and lemon, hot ginger tea, hot milk with honey, ....many cups of  green tea and nutrition-supplement drink.  I stayed in bed all day yesterday. I can't say which one worked the best, probably all I think. Now I feel hungry, it's a good sign. I've lost some weight, which is the only good thing.
Anyway, I learned it takes much longer to recover once I made my cold worse. I should keep  this in my mind from now.
Once again, thanks you to all beautiful bloggers and please take care of yourself to keep in good condition!

This is part of Floral Friday Fotos.

Any suggestion for coughing?

Hello, lovely bloggers.

Today I am posting to ask you something.

Now I'm in bad condition. I can't stop coughing now. I can't sleep due to the consistent coughing.
I saw a doctor the day before yesterday and have taken some medicine. Today I should have stayed calm at home, but I thought I was OK this morning and went out all morning. And now I'm suffering persistent cough. I know I was idiot.
But if you have any suggestion about this situation, please let me know. I'm sure you know many things.

beagleAnnie

17th Anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

At 5:46 in the morning of January 17th, 1995, a strong earthquake struck Kobe area. A magnitude of 7.3, the epicenter of the large-scale earthquake was a mere 16km directly underneath. Known as the Great Hanshin Earthquake, this disaster was responsible for a large loss of life (6,400) and extensive damage of many homes and public buildings (about 240,000), as well as many fires in the aftermath.

 This year more than 5,000 people attended the memorial ceremony held in the park closed to Kobe City Office and prayed for both lives lost in Kobe and in the Great East Japan Earthquake that attacked Japan's northeastern Tohoku Region 10 months ago.

I learned again how precious people's lives are and at the same time, how vulnerable our modern lives are. People were exposed  electricity cut off, gas loss and no tap water for several months. They were forced to live a really tough life for a long time.

I will never forget these two earthquakes, and people who were lost and are still struggling to recover from the disastrous damage.  I strongly  believe that Tohoku region will come back again from the dead as Kobe did.

The Kanji of the year

December 12th is the day of kanji Chinese character in Japan and every year on this day, the kanji of the year is relieased at Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto.

People vote one kanji character which reflects the year most exactly and the largest votes' kanji is designated as the kanji of the year. Each character reflects the social situation.

Today, "絆　kizuna," was written on a large piece of paper by the head priest of Kiyomizu Temple. "絆” means "bond" in Japanese. We feel again the strong ties between our family, friends and community during the Great East Japan Earthquake in March and other disasters happened domestic and abroad. People have felt the importance of human ties  more and more.

The second is "災 sai" (disaster) and the third "震 shin" (quake). We  know how strongly the quake have affected  people in Japan. 

Bad with Computer

It's a shame to say...This is a true story.

My laptop made a strange noise "giiieeeee" at moments and I thought it would break down sometime soon. So I made up my mind to buy a new computer. I bought a brand-new desktop computer NEC VALUESTAR a week ago. I was soooooooo happy.
Then I tried to move the old laptop data to the new desktop by using a software of moving data. I downloaded the software through Internet and prepared to move the data by connecting a cable into both computers. But something wrong. I did my best to find the answer by calling a customer service center but I failed. I was at a loss.
Yesterday my daughter came to my house with her family. I talked about this story to my son-in-law who is good at computers and he came to see my two computers connected by a cable. At first glance, he said "Well, this is not a right cable but for a telephone..." hahaha.  I know I am bad with machines!
Finally I moved the data into my new computer. BUT now I don't know in which place the old data exist!!
 I am at a loss again.

This is a picture of my daughter and grandson Rintaro (7-month-old).

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