Another Sunny Day

It's still hot during in the day although getting chilly in the evening.

One day, the kids asked me to take them to the swimming pool. I knew well how they felt. I didn't feel like going swimming but playing with water.

A certain place struck me. Immediately We prepare their bathing suits, heading there.

Because of a weekday, it was less crowded. The water place, which is at the center of the park, is decorated with stones of variable size. There is a large waterfall at the back. It is good enough for children to play.

On arriving, they changed into their bathing suits and began to splash about. I also tried soaking my feet in the water. It was kind of cold for me, but they didn't care. They are in their elements playing with water. It reminded me of myself in childhood.

Have a Spin of Your Propeller

At last I have listened to Arctic Mokeys' new album" Humbug." I had been worried a little about how it would be because their 1st. and 2nd. were pretty good.

But listening to it through, I found it needless to worry...

COULDN'T BE BETTER!

There is no song at all but is needed. Each of the song is interspersed with the melody unique to them. Alex's voice is as attractive as ever. And, above all, I was surprised at how high the quality was as the whole album.

Here is one if their best songs: My Propeller

Too Short a Summer pt.3

On the second day, we went to that beach near our campsite, where though I had brought the kids several times, the second daughter didn't seem to remember that. At first, both of them appeared to be scared of the wave, and wouldn't come close to it. As time went by, they gradually began to take steps forward. They stepped back, however, water coming only up to their ankles.　This repitition ― back and forward ― was enough fun for them. I was watching them frolicking around on the beach while loooking back on these summer holidays. No one in my family might have had more fun than I. Thank you all, my family, for always being with me.

Too Short a Summer pt.2

My wife prepared for dinner while I was make up tonight's "bedroom" and "dining room." The menu for today were barbecue, spaghetti with eggplant and tomato soup.

The dishes she made are always good. And beer with them was special.The kids also ate more than usual. Unfortunately, I failed to take their photos. Hey, Who's snitching food?

After dinner, we had a blast doing fireworks. The kids seemed to be enjoying it. Getting away form daily life, all about them are new experience, and we as their parents feel how they have grown.

Too Short a Summer pt.1

The summer school finished and fleeting summer holidays came here with me. As scheduled, I went out for camping with my family. The campsite, where we visit at this time of every year, welcomed us this year, too with the beautiful sight of the sea and nice weather. On arrving, I had something to do first ― preparing a swimmming pool for the kids.

First, pumped plastic pool and then pour a large amount of water into the pool. I went to a water place a short distance away and back to the pool in front of our campsite with a bucket of water. This movement was repeated more than 20 times. Before preparing for dinner, I took a break, watching them splash around in the water. Their smiles relieve me of my fatigue.

Star Festival

In Japan, the 7th of July is the day of Tanabata, or the Star Festival, when we celebrate the reunion of a couple. I don't know the details, but they seem to have been separated from each other and the only day they allowed to meet is the 7th of July. On the days, Japanese hang strips of colorful papers on which each of us writes his or her wish from bamboo branches. All Japanese don't do that, but this year, My wife and I prepared a bamboo to let our kids experience the Japanese traditionnal event.

Hiyo, the first daughter, who has learned Hiragana or Japanese characters lately, wrote her own wish on a strip. ― "I want to own a chocolate shop in the future." I remember her dream was to be a doctor until recently, though. I'll ask her again in a few days.

Coco, the second daughter, had her wish written by my wife because she cannot yet write letters ( can read them, though ). When my wife asked her what she wished, she said, "I love you, mom!" Probably she meant she wanted to always be with her mother. My wife wrote just as she said ― "I love you, mom!"

Girls, I wish your dreams will come true.

At a slow speed

I went camping for the first time in 8 months. Between- work-to-work schedule was hard for me, but I did enjoyed my self very much enough to forget about work. After the day’s work, I leave the office at 10 p.m. The party had already begun when I arrived the camping site, which is located at the bottom of a mountain, surrounded by trees.

　On arriving, can of beer relieves my thirst and fatigue. At the center of our site is a bonfire. Looking up in the sky, the stars are dispersed. What else should I want? ― NOTHING though I usually need nice music when drinking at home. And here is a conversation with approved peers ― the same talk repeated many times before. But it doesn’t matter.　

　Time goes by peacefully, and in no time, the day breaks. With the sunrise we fall in a short sleep. Next time I open my eyes, a new everyday life starts.

　The story which is boring to others but is precious to me.

Don't you like gazing shoes?

It was more than 20 years ago that I heard "Just Like Honey" ― Jesus and Mry Chain's. Honestly, I didn't like it. It may be more precise that I didn't understand their music ― the sound of the guitar which sounded just like noise and his way of singing, like whispering. In those days my cassette player played the British Pop song such as Culture Club and Duran Duran.

The time went by, and I met the song of "You Made Me Realise." It shook my feeling and gripped my heart at just one time. I didn't know why, but it reminded me of "Just Like Honey" described above. I listened again to it. Though it was not as confortable as " You made ...", I was surely moved.

Since then, I've been listening to, what is called, "Shoegazer." And here with me is the memorable song: You Made Me Realise / My Bloody Valantine

As part of the world

Why have I been studying English? There are many other languages in the world. Nevertheless, I stick to English language. It may be true that English is the most familiar to Japanese people of all foreign languages, for we, Japanese learn English as a second language at school, but that doesn’t lead to the primary motivation for learning English.

What attracted me to English first was the sound it has. It goes with music very much, compared to Japanese. ( I don’t have any negative feeling about Japanese language. I’m sure Japanese is one of the most profound languages. Among languages there is never superiority. ) I just wanted to sing and to understand the world British musician created. As learning, I got interested in it as a means for communication, and thanks to the internet, we noe have available at any time, anywhere, a great deal of information around the world. On the internet, the language most widely used is undoubtedly, English.

No one can live alone. we, all, are related with each other in someway. What makes the relationship stronger is, I think, communication. Also, appropriate information should lead us to better relationship. That's why English is attractive to me.

In closing, I'm sorry for some wrong expressions and I would like to thank you all for your attention.

bitter but sweet

When I heard this song, my soul was shaken. Probably, I would not have been if until then. Unlike the pop music which reflected the days( I mean brit pop ), it sounded to me very classical. But there is somethig clear to move me. The more times I listened to it, more intensely it shook my soul. As listening, I thought brit pop was , in a way, over. Just to tell you, I love brit pop. I think it's the best of the verve: Bitter Sweet Symphony

the apples of my eye

Here are my daughters. Starting from the left, coco and hiyo. hiyo is the our first girl, who began attending kindergarten in April this year. she likes playing outside and often comes back, covered in mud. I hear from her she has a lot of boyfriends in the kidergarten. coco, the second girl, goes her own way. she plays, cries and, sleeps whenever she wants to. Her favorites are vegetables such as green pepper, broccoli, and tomato, which many children probably don't like. But what she likes better than anything else is mother's milk.

love at first sight

It is 5 years since I began camping. At first I didn’t feel going when my girlfriend, who is now my wife, asked me to go out in the field. I liked staying indoors better than moving around in nature. But the things have changed. Now I cannot help going camping all year around ― even winter. I sometimes go though she tries to stop me. There is a reason why I’m deeply absorbed in camping.

Here is the story:

It was 6 years ago that I went camping for the first time. ( I hear my parents took my sister and me out for camping, but I don’t remember. ) When camping out with simple, plain tools, a family of four suddenly showed up in front of our camping cite with tools I’d never seen.

They unfolded the tools out there and had in no time built up their “house.” It had a kitchen and a dining room with a kitchen as well as a bedroom ― not a motor home. Although readers there may think that natural, it was astonishing for me then. It was not camping but their “home” that I fell in love with. Of course, I’ve now learned that’s just like the cart before the horse, but my deep love of “home” blinded me. Since then, I’ve been collecting camping outfits. ( I’ll show them to you later even if you don’t want. )

Finally, I must insist that now I’m trying to rely on tools as little as possible and enjoy nature as much as possible. I’m going to update my camping diary occasionally.

the first meeting with The SMITHS

I’ve heard various different kinds of music and am still listening to new types coming one after another. But few have long been here with me. The SMITHS is not just one of them but the most influential for my life. It was when I was 14 years old that I came across The SMITHS for the first time. I heard their song in my friend’s record. I didn’t understand the lyrics Morrissey wrote at all back then. I didn’t know why, but it gave me goose bumps, though I don’t remember which one of them I heard as that time. ( probably one from their first album: The SMITHS )This time, I have one of them here: What Difference Does It Make?

precious ones

Let me introduce my family members. Starting from the left, me, coco, hiro, and hiyo, I hear from hiyo, who painted this picture. hiyo is the first daughter, who is at a mischivous age now. coco is the second daughter, who is going her own way. And my wife, hiro is well-beloved, with whom I sometimes quarrel.

on sunny days

I have several hobbies. This is one of them: bike riding. I commute on Vannesa, my bike on sunny days. I got seriously injured before, but can't quit.

nice to meet you

began my blog, but i dont know what to do first. first, I hope this will be an outout medium, the place to practice writing English, through which I write everyday event, my dream, or　complaints and so on. You readers out there, please let me know when you notice my English is strange.