Weekly Topics/Archive
October 2008
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Last night，the annual Halloween Party took place at MACS English Conversation
Class.
In the classroom，a poster saying "Happy Halloween." was displayed
on the wall.
The carved pumpkin lit by a candle inside，which was one of Halloween's most prominent symbols
in US and was commonly called a jack-o-lantern, was placed on the table.
Some posters of monster such as ghost, witch, bat, goblin, zomby, Dracula
and Frankenstein were
also displayed on the black board.
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| A poster saying "Happy Halloween." |
A jack-o-lantern on the table |
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| Posters of traditional characters displayed on the black board |
One of classmates got dressed up in the costume of Little Red Riding Hood.
We listened to the teacher about Halloween, while having a can of beer
or some juice with some
cookies which school prepared for.
Halloween is celebrated on the night of October 31 in several countries
of the Western world.
Irish immigrants carried the tradition of halloween to North America in
the nineteenth century.
It originated in Ireland and from an ancient Celtic festival that celebrated
the autumn harvest.
People also believed evil spirits would return to this world on this day,
therefore they dressed up
in scary costumes to frighten them away and lit bonfires to ward off evil
spirits.
This led to the tradition of wearing Halloween costumes.
Costume parties and parades have become popular as well in US.
Today，Halloween has become a family event that adalts and children enjoy
together.
On this day, children carve pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns and place it on their home's doorstep
after night to frighten evil spirits away.
They also dress up in various scary costumes and walk from neighboring
house to house asking
for candy，saying "Trick or Treat !"
These lanterns were first carved from white turnips in Ireland，but immigrants
to America began
to use pumpkins because they were readily available and much easier to
carve than turnips.
By the way，Halloween is unfamiliar to Japanese people.
I think it may be because we enjoy regionally traditional autumn festival
throughout the country
in this season.
［Note］ Little Red Riding Hood ： 赤ずきんちゃん、 a can of beer ： 缶ビ−ル
prominent ： 有名な、 Celtic ： ケルト（民族）の、 harvest ： 収穫、 evil spirits ： 悪霊
scary ： 恐ろしい、 frighten away ： 怖がらせて（おどして）追い払う、 light bonfires ： 焚き火を焚く
to ward off evil spirits ： 魔除けに、 carve ： 彫る、削る、 doorstep ： 戸口の上り段
Trick or Treat ： ごちそうくれなきゃいたずらするぞ、 unfamiliar to 〜 ; 〜にとって馴染みが薄い
regionally； 地域に，地方に
Japanese  Diary / No.95−2008.10.29 / 「ハロウィ−ンパ−ティ」
This afternoon，I went to the family dentist in Kamiooka I made an appointment
with in the morning.
It was because one of my dental crown came out of the base of tooth with
a candy when I ate it
the day before yesterday.
After I talked about my dental situation to the dentist，he checked my
teeth and then said to me,
"You had better replace the filling with new one because the base
of the tooth chipped partly."
I agreed to his proposal.
After a while，he grinded down the tooth and then took out my tooh profile
with some clay.
After that，I also had my teeth of lower jaw cleaned.
Next week，I will have new dental crown put in.
Today's dental cost was three thousand yen.
Anyway，the dental cost was really expensive though everybody can use the
health insurance.
It must be a heavy cost burden for all of the pensioner like me.
[Note] family dentist ： かかりつけの歯医者、 dental crown ； 歯冠
come out of 〜 ； 〜から外れる、 replace A with B ； A をBと取り替える
filling ； (歯の) 詰め物、 grind down ； 削る、 tooth profile ； 歯型、 clay； 粘土、 jaw； 顎(あご)
cost burden ; 費用負担
From October 11th through the 13th，I enjoyed yacht cruising from the marina
in Ito to Niijima
island and Shikine one of Izu island chain.
The crew members were seven regular crews and a new comer，Australian who was a friend of
one of the crew.
First day，it was cloudy in the morning，and fine later.
The sea was calm.
On the way to Niizima island，we enjoyed a drinking party on the deck and
also trawling.
We caught two big shiira，also known as Mahi-mahi in Hawaiian.
It took about seven hours to Wakagou fishing port in the island.
After getting off the yacht，we got the landlord to pick us up there and
stayed at his traditional
Japanese-style inn.
Before dinner，we quite refreshed and relaxed by a public outdoor hot spring
bath at Yunohana
seashore.
After that，we enjoyed glasses of wine with some nice nibblies at the seaside,
looking at the sunset.
We got the landlord to make some sliced raw fish and cook some meuniere
from fishes we caught.
We enjoyed them as an appetizer with some alcohol at dinner.
Second day，we sailed to Shikine island next to Niizima island and landed
there.
We walked around the island and also enjoyed natural outdoor hot springs
bubbled up close to
the seashore.
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| Jinata Hot Springs |
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Ashitsuki Hot Springs |
A variety of wild flowers of autumn were blooming here and there in the
island.
I took a lot of photographs of them because they were really beautiful.
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| The corolla of bougainvillea |
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The corolla of cosmos |
Last day，we had a sail for the home marina in Ito.
It was very fine but the sea was so rough because it was windy.
And so we were often hit by sea spray.
The yacht got into the marina，taking about nine hours because it sailed
against the wind.
Anyeay, I had nice three days. Thanks so much，everybody.
[Note] Izu island chain ： 伊豆諸島， Mahi-mahi ： シイラ[ハワイ諸島での呼び名]
landlord ： (旅館・アパ-トなどの)主人、 tradititional Japanese-style inn ： 民宿
walk around 〜 ： 〜散策する、 nibblies ； (酒の) つまみ、 bubble up ： 湧き出る、 corolla ； 花冠
Japanese Diary / No.91−2008.10.20 / 「新島・式根島クル−ジング(１日目)」
Diary / No. 92−2008.10.23 / 「新島・式根島クル−ジング(２日目)」
Diary / No. 93−2008.10.24 / 「新島・式根島クル−ジング(３日目)」
Last Saturday，I got an urge to leave my house because it was a nice autumn
day.
And so I was just going out for a stroll around Nihon-Odori street where
was a 10 or 15-minute walk
from JR Kannai station.
I came to the Yokohama Archives of History，passing the Port Opening Memorial
Hall on the way.
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| The Port Opening Memorial Hall ( A nationlly-designated Important Cultural Asset ) |
The Port Opening Memorial Hall was the beautiful historical architecture
built
with red brick，which was one of the representative building of Yokohama．
I just had to press the shutter button of my digital camera many times．
I visited Yokohama Archives of History.
America's Great White Fleet visited Yokohama and Tokyo in 1908.
The centennial exhibition has been held there in memory of it since the
end of August.
I looked around a lot of the exhibit about welcome ceremonies，the manners
and customs of
Japanese and media's reaction with the historical background in those days
with interest.
And then I went to the movie at cinema hall in Basyamichi.
The title of the movie was "The good shepherd."
It was the story about a secret agent's conflict between both family of
his family and CIA.
It was a kind of suspense and so I was very exciting to see that.
Anyway, I had such a fruitful day.
［Note］ get an urge to do something ： 〜したくなる、 go for a stroll ： 散歩する
Yokohama Archives of History ： 横浜開港資料館、 archive ： 公文書保管所
Port Opening Memorial Hall ： 横浜市開港記念会館、 brick ： れんが
just had to do 〜 ： 思わず〜してしまった、 America's Great White Fleet ： 白船艦隊
centennial ： 100 周年の、 look around 〜 ： 〜を見学して回る， with interest ： 興味深く
The good shepherd ： 良き羊飼い、 secret agent ： 諜報部員、 conflict ： 葛藤
have such a fruitful day．： 充実した1日を送る
a nationally-designated Important Cultural Asset： 国指定の重要文化財
Japanese Diary / No.88−2008.10.04 / 「白船来航展と映画観賞」
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