Good-bye and Hello

The end of the year 2015 today, I say good-by and hello for the next year 2016.
It's said it's been dog year or mouse year in recent occasion in the 21 Century because of rapid technology development and advanced communication. The world has got a small one like light going through.
But human life has not reached to ultimate completion. The rich and poor, hate and love, peace and war, fair and unfair and so on.....there are differences around the world.

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
"Imagine" by John Lennon

This song always reminds me of my mind set, always start from this. Thank you for all this year.
Thank you every one for the goodwill. See you soon!

The Eve of the end of year

It's really warmer than usual year end.
It alarms "hot winter" in the world because of terrible El Niño.
We're worried about extreme amount of snow fall after the strange weather in winter.
I hope normal and mild weather not having abnormal and unexpected phenomenon.
Every one, be sure for the worst and take care of yourself but enjoy life each time.
Warm winter

Final check list

There is an sample menu list for osechi. I'm not so eager to cook osechi but some kinds of those which are easy and healthy. I usually cook "osubae", "nishime", "gomane", "kuromame" and "kurikinton". I'd like to check and arrange kazunoko and roast meat( beef or pork or chicken not sure yet).
Anyway I don't want to go to the market so often every day.
I can't make kobumaki, sudako and narutomaki so I'll go to buy them.
Let's check!
Final check list

Wise to survive

Crows are often seen here and there in Japan. They are adjusting to town life to hunt garbages even if lacking natural food recently.
They are sometimes noisy and annoying for us because of their outlooking and arrogant behaviors to drive other small birds away.
But you know they are so smart that they can survive more than other creatures. For example they can make use of tools to catch food. It's unique when they want to eat walnuts they let walnuts to put on the road and hit by a car. So the crushed walnuts can be eaten easily! So cool!
Not only in Japan but also in New Caledonia they are found to survive so smart. The report says the New Caledonian crows can use tools to catch food and never give up to survive. It's owe some.
Wise to survive

Useful video 2

When you go on a trip by air you need to check which you can take in the bag.
I remember at the baggage check that alarm noticed in my bag.
They banned my a small scissor to cut eyebrows. It was not allowed to take in the bag but I should have put it into the check in baggage. It was too late!
Fortunately I could get it at the destination airport.
I'll never forget it.
Everyone be careful and check your carry-on baggage.
What is OK to take?

Useful video

It's a useful video for busy daily life recently.
Cooking everyday recipes especially around New Year holidays.
If you are bored special food in New Year you can refer to this site.
It may help you.
Useful video

A small charity

It's a great project that you can donate small and give charity for the people who needs help.
For the new year greeting cards which couldn't be sent of failure can be helpful.
If you don't get refund of them you can give charity instead.
It'll be a small gift but help a lot.
Charity

Freeze and stock

It's so useful to keep food economically.
I can't use it all of the stuff of vegetables. Leftovers are sometimes thrown away so I hesitate to buy whole things.
It's getting smaller of family size with a couple or a single. It's no need to buy a lot.
It's very useful to freeze and keep leftovers even for vegetables.
Homemade freezing requires a big freezer....it's another problem/;_;\
Freezing stuff

Citron in the bathtub

It was winter solstice yesterday.
On the day we have a habit to eat pumpkin and take a bath with citrons.
I was hoping to get citron bath at the public bath in my neighborhood. It's very popular and busy among bath lovers especially full on the weekend. It's almost occupied and no empty locker.
I guessed it would be crowded because of many people rushing to take citron bath.
Then I decided to make my citron bath at home. There was a set of three citrons package for the citron bath at the supermarket. I bought it and enjoyed my own citron bath.
It costs ¥198 (excluded tax), while the public path fee is ¥420(actually I have tickets ten for ¥3880)
Anyway I finally saved a little money and relaxed at home.

A blind cat Stevie

It's amazing that a man takes a walk for his cat to the mountain. And the more the cat is blind.
It's really incredible for a cat to be leaded by an owner.
Cats are not so faithful as dogs to put collar and lead on the neck.
But this blind cat obeys the owner and keeps in good company and taken for a walk.
It's so rare and interesting.
How wonderful their relationships!
A blind cat

Gorgeous mountain view

It was brilliant sunny and beautiful yesterday. It really seemed like a gift and so appreciated from the sky.
The great range of Mt.Tate was awesome.
My dear friend John sent me the gorgeous view and let it share with us. Thank you John for the great scene.

Weekend trip info

It's so interesting video which two press workers were searching articles on trip.
It was very amusing and delicious one even for seniors.
It seems one of the compact and one day trip in there just like ours having trotter to the Mt.Tate, Unazuki or going cruise on the bay areas.
There're a lot of nature and healing spots in the local areas in Japan.
Having a fun trip

Weekend short poem: the year end

I've noticed some year-end funny short poems and edited them into English.
I hope you can enjoy and share them.

1. "I hope you have a Happy New Year" here and there hear and say

2. Let us start to change "sigh" to "deep breath" for the new year

3. Often see "black cats running in the town" in December

4. Reading books piled up in this year end

5. Clear and clean nothing left dust nor money

Topic about pain

I've been having pain from the right arm, next to right shoulder and finally the left lower back for more than two months.
I had treatments from a bonesetter and a physician(pain clinic). I don't know which is better but I've known that I needed moderate exercise and care for my affected parts.
I've tried to make exercises regularly and felt like pain gradually fainted.
So what's happening?
I heard " Brain's false memory" for pain. Once your brain had a pain it would memorize the pain and wind up until it comes to end.
I'm learning about my brain offends and battles with pain to care myself.
I'm very surprised how much self-defense system is working.
I appreciate for my brain and body.
I would not cause pain to myself.
Pain 1

Pain 2

Pain 3

A strange hotel

I watched a funny topic about a strange hotel. It's just the "Strange Hotel" at Huis Ten Bosch in Nagasaki.
It says hotel staffs are robots, front receptionists or porters.
They are very unique and new management as well as a good cost performance.
Do you want to stay there?
A strange hotel
A strange hotel 2

Weather forecast

It's reported that for two weeks forward to the end of the year.
As normal winter the Northwest Pacific Ocean area will be snowy and the Pacific Ocean area will be fine. So we will not able to see the full moon on Christmas Eve.
We have a lot of differences in Japan such a small island but various cultures in our country.
I hate coldness because it's inconvenient to do things, coldness brings bad condition for the health and depression. That's why I'd like to move to the warm country in winter. Though the warm place has some other problems such as big insects, virus and tropical monsoon.
We have cold winter for a reason to refresh the land and expect the renewal products in spring. We can share the good effect from the severe nature.....so I never complain just appreciate for it even the cold weather.
Weather forecast for the Christmas season

New Year's greeting card

I'm getting tired sending New Year's greeting cards for years.
So it's going to decrease both getting cards as well as sending.
Nowadays....I'm being lazy until just after NewYear when I've got cards. So I only reply only which I get. It's the least energy and politeness for me.
I know keeping in touch with people who I can't see so often is very worthy via New Year's card but I already knew some important addresses in my phone and can contact with them if I should.
I'm just off road from the formal regulation. I'm be off traditional standard. Is it lazy?
New Year's greeting card

Full moon on Christmas Eve '15

It's reported on Christmas Eve this year would be full moon.
I'm not sure whether the night of Christmas Eve would be fine and visible or not.
Today Is already in the middle of December is very special for us, which is the last month of the year, the busiest one and resolute for next year as well as result of the passed year.
I hope we'll be happy at the end of the year and welcome the new year soon.
Christmas Eve full moon
Full moon on Christmas Eve

Weekend topic

The movie which was released two years ago " Seeing Piccolos' mother" was very heart warming.
I had looking forward to seeing it on the roadshow but it didn't realize in my area unfortunately.
I could finally watch it on Netflix I try to subscribe.
There are human love and pathos between the aged mother and son facing aged problem. But the main theme is " It's not so bad aging and going senile." In this movie.
It has also a beautiful song in the movie. " Kasumiji ", it means for
invisible and vague path to go as getting old.
Anyway we are not afraid of getting old as long as having gentle and peaceful mind so far so long.....is it true?
The Piccolos

Kasumiji

Aging problems

It's reported that research for old cats are mostly infected by Alzheimer's disease which causes dementia just like in human.
Aging problems happen not only in the parts of body but in the brain, which is more often and serious than ever.
As the longevity of life is getting longer and longer both of animals and humans, it's a bit sad to think about how life would be.
I hope life would be healthy of body and brain in balance as long as being alive. Let the time of our life be precious to the end.
Aging problems

Working animals

There are 7 kinds of animals working for the international Airport.
The first one is a therapy dog at the Los Angeles airport.
The second is at the Manchester Airport a mascot cat is loved by the people.
Third is the falcon which works threatening other birds to invade the air in the U.S.
The fourth is the goats, which are being trial to use in Portland as cleaning the landscape by eating grasses. There is no need to use chemicals to die the land.
The fifth at the Portland international Airport to use llamas: The bodyguards for goats from coyotes.
The sixth is the mice at Amsterdam; The security agents for the explosive system sensor because they have an excellent sense of smell, are easy to train and are small, hence easy to transport.
The seventh animal worker is the bees;The anti-drug wardens.
Researchers from Germany's University of Giessen found that honeybees could be trained to detect drugs.
Those 7 kinds of helping creatures are working with effective and also cost-effective!
Working animals at the airport

Parents worry

Every parent wants children to grow well and happy to get old.
I was asked by a young mother who has lower teenagers if she allows them having a smartphone which they really want.
As a parent she worries about her daughter might get into trouble because a smartphone would cause problems as well as convenient and useful effects.
I remember when my daughter was a junior high school student she wanted a cellphone. I couldn't accept her desire easily at once but took time for two years.
It's very tough to persuade young children how parents worry about.
I can understand how hard adults make effort to show their honesty and love.
The most important is having good relationship in a family.
I'm sure using the device rightly and control the safeguard by a parent would be better if you allow young children to use a smartphone.
Smartphone for children

Alarming for PM2.5

It's alarming for PM2.5 the highest level in Beijing.
It's so awful to be in such polluted place but we're also worried about the bad effect that polluted air PM2.5 come into the air above us.
We need to be careful for wearing masks or drying the clothes inside.
PM2.5

PM2.5 forecast

Giving name

I've often heard of "kirakira name " as recent baby name. It's not like old ones ○○子 or ○○郎.
What's Kirakira name ?
Then what about kirakira?
Kirakira name list
But I've known the "shiwashiwa name" for the first time.
What's that?
You'll know how hard to name for babies.
Kirakira or Shiwashiwa?

Bird sanctuary

I walked to the park with my dog yesterday. When I saw the canal a lot of birds warbling and having on the water. But I found something strange.
I used to see some kinds of ducks familiar to me but this time very different kind. They are black and grey body but face and beak are white. I've never seen these before. And the more, as I observed them they dove into the water and caught food in the water.
I thought them cormorants first but they didn't look so large as cormorants.
I searched on the internet immediately and found out what they are!
They are coots which are immigrant from China.
I'm anxious where the regular winter birds have gone.
Are they kicked out by the new invaders?









The coot

Enechange

I was informed at the mobile phone counter that they will offer the electric energy next year.
So it'll be more economical to use the same electricity career as the phone. It doesn't need any material options nor settings but just the document sign up.
I'm not sure it will be helpful for me but hopefully the amount of payment of both electricity and mobile phone would be lower than now.

Energy change

Coffee with strange topping

It's familiar "morning service with toast and boiled egg" by Komeda coffee. "Shironowarl" Topping soft ice cream on Danish bread is also one of its top menu as well as popular red bean paste.
This time new taste coffee will be released "coffee with red beans paste".
I don't really want it but it would be new coffee taste drink like Japanese Cafe-An.
It's so challenging to attract customers but I like the original deep and strong coffee.
Why don't you try the new taste?
Coffee with sweet & bitter red bean paste

When you catch a cold

It's s very important issue how to avoid catching a cold.
I've often caught a cold when I got up and found myself in a bad condition having sneeze or sore throat. It was when I young but not so healthy at all. I had been having a cold every season and taking medicine a lot.
Fortunately I'm not so often catching a cold recently. That's why I'm careful and eating good food to warm myself.
I try to use vinegar, ginger and onion more than salt and sugar.
I'd rather drink hot than cold.
It's very useful to be strong and effective for defense system.
I'm sure having different problems from the younger days.....
When you catch a cold

Useful expression

It's very interesting and useful to read this article for the English learners.
The first step to learn language is to know and use different expression as it is.
You can enjoy and learn the communicative expressions easily.
Expression

How to treat with straight neck

Have you heard of "straight neck"?
I was diagnosed as straight neck from the X-ray picture.
You know I had having problem with my elbow first and next shoulder and upper back having pain.
Yesterday I went to see the physician if I needed medical treatment, he found my neck problem. He just advised me not to have tension when I go to sleep and gave prescription of relaxant to avoid sleepless from the pain.
So all I need is to have my self-treatment such as training to strengthen my muscle.
Thanks to the Internet, it's good for me to search for the key word of "straight neck" on the net. It will be useful for me to learn to treat by myself now.
Straight neck

Self-health check

It's publicly casting on the web page that Takeda pharmacy supports for the self-health check.
Do you think it very helpful ?
I'm wondering how my bad condition might need to be cared.
To see doctors is the last thing for me and I like to do self-check before having medical care.
What about you?
Anyway the first thing is not having cold and stay warm when it comes cold winter.
Takeda Web page