Weekly Topics/Archive
December 2009
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Yesterday, 22nd of December, was the Winter Solstice.
The Winter Solstice is one of 24 points in the 24 sekki and signal the
arrival of winter.
The 24 sekki means days that divide a year in the Lunisolar calender into 24 equal sections.
Astronomically, the winter solstice is when the sun lies at 270 degrees
in ecliptic longitude.
In the Northern Hemisphere，the sun's daily maximum position in the sky
is the lowest.
And so it is marked by the shortest day and longest night of the year and
the days aregradually
getting longer starting from this day.
The cold let up throughout the country.
It had been snowing heavily for a few days until yesterday on the Sea of Japan side, but the snow
changed to rain.
On the Pacific side，the weather has been fine.
Temperatures here in Yokohama reached over 10 degrees Celsius during the
day.
At this time，many people in Japan have a custom to take yuzu bath.
I used to take yuzu bath at the neighborhood sento when I was young.
It's said that yuzu bath has an effect which prevent from catching a cold
and make a skin stronger.
Yuzu bath is indeed toji itself for curing disease by taking yuzu bath.
The weather forecast says that tomorrow's temperature will increase higher than today and so
the daytime temperature will reach as high as 13 degrees Celsius.
The humidity is 20 to 30 per cent.
Be especially careful with fire at this time because the air is so dry,
everyone！
[Note] Winter Solstice ； 冬至、 24 sekki ； 24 節気、 signal ； 伝える、合図する
astronomically ； 天文学的には、 ecliptic longitude ； 黄経、 Lunisolar calender ； 太陰太陽暦
Northern Hemisphere ； 北半球、 the cold lets up ； 寒さが緩む
on the Sea of Japan side ； 日本海側では、 on the Pacific side ；太平洋側では、 yuzu bath ；ゆず湯
sento ； 銭湯、 have a custom to 〜 ； 〜する習慣がある、 toji ； 湯治
cure disease ； 病気を治す，humidity ； 湿度、 be careful with 〜 ； 〜の扱に気をつける
Japanese Diary / No.217−2009.12.22 / 「今日は冬至です」
Last Tuesday, I was at the year-end party of the Ikoikai Society Reunion
from the evening.
The Ikoikai Society Reunion means the official Kanto chapter of our class
reunion.
It was held at an Izakaya, “Achou-sakanaya” in Kanda，Tokyo, where was
our regular hangout.
It’s the Izakaya which Mr.Kunisawa’s eldest son runs with his sister.
Mr．Kunisawa is a permanent general organizer of the society.
More than 100 varieties of shochu and plum wine, tasty dishes and fancy
tableware are the sales
points of this Izakaya.
We can enjoy leisurely dining with a reasonable budget.
Eleven members including a couple got together on that evening.
There were some members who were at the party after a long absence.
They were Muraoka-san and Naka-san.
Muraoka-san has still worked in the Cabinet Office.
Naka-san has done volunteer activities for forest conservation more than
two days every week
in the mountaious area in Ura-Takao.
As may be expected of currently active people，they looked very fine.
This year，some of us got sick.
Someone had a cardiac infarction and has been in hospital, and someone
had a operation
for prostate cancer.
Fortunately，they both fully recovered from them and were at the party.
I'm really happy for the both of you.
In 1,966，the 41st year of the Showa period，when we were young like young
Japanese cedars,
we graduated from university.
We made professional progress at least in a variety of areas getting older
and then became big
old trees.
However，our health have recently begun to deteriorate gradually due to
aging.
We would like to live long like a 100-year-old tree taking good care of
ourselves.
For evryone's healthy-looking appearance, please visit the following link.
Picture / The Others / 「いこい会忘年会2009」
(You must know the password in order to look at the picture.)
[Note] Ikoikai Society Reunion ； いこい会(クラス会の名称)、 chapter ； 支部，〜版
hangout ； 溜まり場、行き付けの場所、 more than 100 varieties of 〜 ； 100 種類を超える〜
plum wine ； 梅酒、 tableware ； 食器類( 皿、ナイフ，フォ−ク、コップなどを集合的に表す)
leisurely dining ； くつろいだ食事、 get together ； 集う、会合する、 after a long absence； 久し振りに
Cabinet Office ； 内閣府、 do volunteer activities；ボランティア活動をする
forest conservation ； 森林保護・管理、 mountainous area ； 山あいの地域
Ura-Takao ； 裏高尾、 as may be expected of 〜 ； さすがに〜だけあって
currently active people ； 現役の人々、 cardiac infarction ； 心筋梗塞
have an operation for 〜 ； 〜の手術を受ける、 prostate cancer ； 前立腺がん
fully recover ； 全快する､ the 41st year of the Showa period ； 昭和41年
Japanese cedar ； 杉、 make professional progress ； 職業人として成長する
deteriorate ； (身体機能などが)低下する、 due to aging ； 老化により
100-year-old tree ； 樹齢100年の木、 healthy-looking appearance ; 健康そうな様子
Japanese Diary / No.216−2009.12.11 / 「いこい会忘年会」
At the end of November，I enjoyed the year-end golf competition of the Ikoikai
Society Reunion.
In the past, it has been held at the golf club in Katsuura in Chiba prefecture.
But Mr.Kunisawa ( hereinafter called K-san ) who has been a general organizer of the society
happened to be treated at home and to lose an opportunity for planning
this event.
And so，Mr.Yamato ( hereinafter called Y-san ) arranged it at the golf
course in Togane, Chiba
prefecture on behalf of him.
K-san consulted his doctor a few days before the event and got a clean
bill of complete recovery.
So he could openly join in the golf competition which has been away from
for some time.
Unfortunately, it was raining from morning and a little bit cold on that
day.
I received a cell-phone call from one of our partners that he would be delayed by the heavy traffic
due to the rain.
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| The view of the golf course of Shin-Chiba Golf Club |
We decided to change a reservation for tee-off time and to postpone it
for 50 minutes.
We teed off at around 10 o'clock.
Although we teed off in the light rain, we felt less stressed because the
weather forecast had said
that it would be rainy in the morning，and cloudy later.
But we don't feel like playing golf in the rain，right ?
There are some reasons for it.
Firstly, we have to play golf holding an umbrella.
Secondary, I often have some raindrops on my glasses and then become difficult
to look forward
clearly.
Thirdly, many grounds on the courses were muddy, and so when I shot the ball, I often take some
pieces of dirt on my glasses.
Anyway，my golf score was too bad.
It was no wonder because both my putts and shots weren't good and so I drove out of bounds four
times a round and had three putts on many holes.
Somehow，every partner seemed to be in a slump had a bad score and all
of them had low level
of scores.
In such a situation, Y-san who was a member of this golf club and a local
became a champion
getting a home-court advantage.
Although his sand shots were as weak as ever，he won by much better putting
than before.
Y-san, congratulations！
Although K-san has just fully recovered, he often hit his beautiful tee
shots and threatened
Y-san's position as the long hitter.
It's proven that he's completely recovered.
K-san，congratulations!
Please plan the golf competition next spring.
Everyone, take care!
See you again at the year-end party on Dec.08.
［Note］ hereinafter called 〜 ； 以下〜と称する、 be treated at home ； 自宅で療養する
on behalf of 〜 ； 〜の代理として、〜に代わって、 get a clean bill of 〜 ； 〜であるとのお墨付きをもらう
be away from 〜 ； 〜から遠ざかる、 heavy traffic ； 交通渋滞、 tee-off time ； ゴルフの出発時間
postpone A for 〜minutes ； Aを〜分延ばす、 tee off ； ゴルフをスタ−トする
feel less stressed ； 気が楽である、 don't feel like doing ； 〜する気になれない，気が進まない
raindrop ； 雨滴、 muddy ； ぬかるんでいる､ dirt ； 泥、 it's no wonder ； 当然だ、不思議でない
drive out of bounds ； OBを打つ(ゴルフ)、 patt ；パット(ゴルフ)、 a local ； 地元の人
home-court advantage ； 地の利、 as 〜 as ever ； 相変わらず〜、 sand shot ； バンカ−ショット
have just fully recovered ；病み上がりだ，completely recover ；全快する
Japanese Diary / No.213−2009.12.01 / 「散々の忘年ゴルフコンペでした」
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