Weekly Topics/Archive
June 2013
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On June 15th, the annual family reunion took place.
It's the gathering that family members of my three brothers and my family
gather together
and enjoy chatting over drinks.
It is held every June.
My eldest brother passed away and is now in another world and so my sister-in-law
joined in it.
This year, seven people gathered from four families.
This time, my youngest brother is the coordinator for it.
He organized an nteristing and smart event.
The site for the main evnt is in Osaka Minami.
All of us got together in front of the information booth of Takashimaya near Nanba station
on the subway line.
It was unfortunately raining.
We walked through a busy shopping arcade.
It seems to me that the air reeks of Naniwa.
The place we arrived at was “Namba Grand Kagetsu”.
Photo by wako-san |
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Yeah right, it's such event that we come here, and laugh seeing the comedy show
like manzai,
rakugo and the new comedy by Yoshimoto comedians.
Manzai is a comical conversation exchanged by
two comedians.
And rakugo is comic stories recited by
professional storytellers.
We watched the 3rd perfomance at 3:45 pm.
You can see a performance program in the photo below.
I've watched the comedy show on TV but it's the first time that I do that
in the theater.
Comedians I know in this performance are only three ones, Ikuyokuruyo Ima
as a manzai duo, Bunchin Katsura as a rakugo performer and Shigeo Tsujimoto
as a comedian of the New Comedy.
All the comedians really crack us up.
Although audiences are laughing, there are times when I can't laugh.
It might have been difficult for me to understand their stories?
I sometimes laughed after guessing from the context.
There were even scenes in which it took long to laugh. 
As might have been expected, rakugo recited by Bunchin Katsura was very
funny!
He who is a veteran rakugo performer can perform rakugo ad-lib.
I can even feel he has an air of dignity somehow.
His stories are related to our daily life but make us laugh a lot because
they're
well-conceived.
The Yoshimoto New Comedy was performed in the latter half of the performance.
Shigeo Tujimoto played the leading part in it.
I had watched the Shochiku New Comedy played by Kanbi Fujiyama,etc. and
the Yoshimoto New Comedy by Kiyoshi Nishikawa, etc. on TV.
It is such kind of comedy.
I think it must be a really funny comedy for children.
The curtain was dropped at 5:30 pm.
Commemorative photos was taken in front of Kagetsu.
It had stopped raining.
We went straight to the place where after-party is held.
We got across an intersection on Sennichimae Street in front of Nanba Station
to go
toward the Hozen-ji Temple.
On the way, we stopped at Mizukake-Fudo.
In my student days, I had worked part-time as a tutor to a high-school
student at
the home in front of Nanba Station.
It seems that it's been 48 years or so since then.
According to a local legend, people can be granted their wishes when they pour water
on a statue of Fudo-myoo.
It was wholly covered with dark-green mosses due to water poured and barely outlined
itself.
Off course, I also prayed for my family's health, while taking photos of
Fudo.
There was an izakaya, “Mingei-Syubou Bokusui”, which is a place for after-party
near Mizukake-Fudo.
I heard it is an izakaya my youngest brother has used regularly since his
career.
It has a good atomosphere and also servesd various side dishes which are
perfect
as nibble for drinks.
Well, they were very delicious !
Photo by wako-san |
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We had a lot of chat about comedy at Kagetsu and current status about our
family member,while drinking.
I felt good because it had been a long time since I saw everyone.
And so, perhaps I drained a bottle of Imo-Syochu almost exclusively.
After the after-party, I stayed at my youngest brother's place in Gakuenmae,
Nara City.
Bursting out laughing, we had a delightful and pleasant family reunion.
Everyone, thanks a lot.
[Note] family reunion ； ファミリ−会, over drinks ； 飲みながら
Osaka Minami； 大阪ミナミ, get together； 集合する
reek of 〜； 〜の臭いがする,〜がプンプン臭う, Naniwa ； 浪速
Namba Grand Kagetsu ；なんばグランド花月, Yeah right； そうなんですよ
comedy show； お笑いショ−、manzai； 漫才, rakugo； 落語
Yoshimoto comedians； 吉本のお笑い芸人, exchanged； 交わされる
recite； 物語る, 暗誦する, storyteller； はなしか,manzai duo； 漫才コンビ
rakugo performer； 落語家, performance； 公演
crack someone up = make someone laugh a lot；大笑いさせる, 爆笑させる
context ; 文脈,前後関係, it take long to 〜；〜するのに時間がかかる
veteran； 老練な, ad-lib； 即興で, perform rakugo；落語をする
have an air of dignity； 風格(威厳)がある, well-conceived； 練られている
play the leading part in 〜；〜で主役を演じる, curtain drops ； 幕を下ろす
go straight to 〜； その足で〜へ行く, Mizukake-Fudo； 水掛不動
work part-time as a tutor；家庭教師のアルバイトをする, legend ； 伝説
grant one's wishes； (人の)願いを叶える,聞き入れる
pour water on； に水をかける
Fudo-myoo； 不動明王, moss； 苔, barely ； かろうじて〜する
outline； 輪郭を描く, side dish； おつまみ
nibble for drinks； 酒の肴, nibble ； ひとかじりの(少量の)食べ物
drain a bottle of wine；ワインを1本空ける, exclusively； 独占的に,単独で
burst out laughing；大笑いする,爆笑する, burst out； (感情を) 爆発する
Japanese Diary / No.540−2013.06.15 / 「2013・第6 回ファミリ−会」
The recent average temperature in Yokohama has been within the normal
range.
But it was a tropical day when I came back to here in Kusatsu.
(Note) “A tropical day” in Japan means a day on which the temperature rises
above
30 ℃.
Especially, the weather forecast on TV says today's temerature in Otsu,
a city next to
Kusatu, will reach 34 degree Celsius.
As you can see, the thermometer in my room stands at 30.3 ℃ and 50 % relative
humidity at 1:01pm.
Wow, it's so hot today and the sweats exude one after another.
And so, I decided to make cold somen ideal for heat for lunch.
Some of essential ingredients to it like dried somen, soup stock of dried tuna and
seaseed, dried laver and finely-chopped raw leek were stored in the refrigerator.
Only chopped leek was expired.
But I thought it would be OK because it was refrigerated and kept green.
However, these are without colors in themselves.
I tried to go out by bike to buy eggs and hams and garnish somen with their
ingredient.
Surprisingly, the air of front tire is missing.
Because of its missing yesterday too, I ride my bike after pumping air
into it.
I was convinced it must apparently have gone flat.
It's too hot for me to go out to buy them by foot.
I decided to stop shopping.
Is this what I get out of joint ?
So, a dish that was ready was plain somen.
Cold somen make us feel coolness, don't it ?
It tasted pretty good.
Anyway, there's nothing like this during the hot summer.
This is low-malt beer as Orange-Shiga prize which I won in the “Nigiyaka
Charity Golf
Competition” held in my home town last month.
Come-ons printed on the beer can label are “Lusciousness up! Creamy beer head.
Clear aftertaste.”
A cool breeze blew up in the evening.
I started fixing a flat tire.
It was lucky for me not to have a flat tire while pedaling.
But this is the first time I fix a flat tire of my bike ESCAPE.
I have trained for puncture several times.
I do a performance cold today.
A manual for how to fix a flat tire for which I prepared is very useful.
Now my concern is the speed of fixing.
It took 27 minutes to complete the fixing.
The sooner I complete, the better.
It's very good for the first time.
I was able to identify the exact location of pancture.
It was a hole on the tube at the root of a valve.
At the same time, I cleaned the whole of the bike and then lubricated a
chain and other
mechanical moving parts with oil.
My bike has been completely cleaned up.
Incidentally, my bike's gear didn't get out of joint.
Although it was still evening, temperature was like this.
[Note] tropical day ； 真夏日,within the normal range ； 平常の範囲内
thermometer ； 温度計, exude ； (汗などが) 滲み出る
cooled somen ； 冷やしソ−メン，ingredient ； 食材, soup stock ；だし汁
dried laver ； 干し海苔，finely-chopped raw leek ； きざみネギ
be expired ； 期限が切れている, garnish 〜 with − ； 〜を−で添える/飾る
missing ； 抜けている, 不足している
pump air into a tire ； タイヤに空気を入れる
the tire has gone flat ； タイヤがパンクした, I get out of joint ； 歯車が狂う
plain somen ； 素ソ−メン, there's nothing like 〜 ； 〜に限る
come-on ； 売り文句, low-malt beer ； 発泡酒, beer head ； ビ−ルの泡
lusciousness ； (味の)うまさ,おいしさ
aftertaste ； 後味, cool breeze ； 涼しい風, blow up ； 風が吹き始める
fix a flat tire ； パンクの修理をする, have a flat tire ； タイヤがパンクする
train for 〜 ； 〜に備え訓練する, puncture ； パンク
do a performance cold ； ぶっつけ本番でやる、The sooner, the better ； 早ければ早いほど良い
It's very good for the first time ； 最初にしては上出来です
identify the location of 〜 ； 〜の位置を特定する
lubricate 〜 with oil ； 〜に潤滑油を差す, moving part ； 可動部分
clean up ； きれいに掃除する, incidentally ； ちなみに
Japanese Diary / No.539−2013.06.13 / 「草津は今年初めての真夏日」
I enjoyed Shinobu-kai golf competition held on May 29 last month after
a long interval.
Shinobu-kai means a golf club that consist of members, who are regular customers
at the Shinobu restaurant, featuring fine Japanese Kappo cuisine, near
my home in Yokohama.
Since an elder's facilitator for the club passed away and the Shinobu's owner also was
in poor physical condition, it has been in recess since the 23rd competition
in October 2010.
As he got better, Ishizuka-san, one of younger members, took a leadership role in
holding the competition this time.
The golf course is Kamogawa Country Club in Kamogawa City, Chiba Prefecture.
20 members participated in it including four ladies.
We gathered in front of Shinobu restaurant at 6 AM to go to the golf club
by reserved bus.
We had a bus trip to Kamogawa near Sotobou through Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line.
As far as in the map, there is a long distance from Yokohama to there!
We got to the club house around 7:45 AM.
When I asked Ishizuka-san about the reason why he chose such a far-away
golf
course, he answered me that it has offered the most reasonable package
plan for golf.
For your information, it costs 13,800 yen including green fee (including
a lunch and
one drink ), the cost of the party (including several kinds of snacks and
1 hour unlimited
drinks ) and the round-trip bus fare.
In addition, we need to pay 2,000 yen for membership fees (for prize money
) .
An honor of the first group teed off at 8:28 AM and I did that in the
5th group.
Rain clouds were hanging low in the sky and it looked like it was going to rain at any
second.
Sadly, I shot a nine on the 1st par-5 hole in the out course.
However, pulling myself together, I had a par on the next par-3 hole.
And also I won the the closet-to-the-pin prize.
On this day, I got the hang of hitting with a driver.
The starter of the golf club explained us several characteristics of the
course and
the local rules.
Well, that's good, but, moreover, he taught us how to hit with a driver
and recommended
it for us.
I, who have suffered from a bad driver shot lately, agreed with him and
tried his recommended way.
To my surprize, I could hit the ball longer distance and more straight
than usual.
When he saw the tee flied behind after my tee-off, he advised me that the tee is small
in length and then gave me a lot of long ones.
Off course, needless to say, thereafter I used these tees.
I thought, “How kind the starter is! ”
Until now, I have alternately repeated acquiring and forgetting of skill.
The point is how long I can maintain the right skill I acquired.
I need to go out into the field more.
Does this mean practice makes perfect ?
After the competition, an awarding ceremony was held.
A usual handicap system had been applied as our competition rule.
But this time, double peoria system was applied because the competition
was interrupted for more than 2 years.
I got the hang of the swing, and so could have a gross score of 100 and
below for the first
time on my fifth round of golf this year.
My score was as follows.
Gross Score = 96 (Out ; 48, In ; 48), HDCP=19.2, Net Score = 76.8
I finished in 12th place.
I was lucky to win a closet-to-the-pin prize and also the bet of keiba.
The weather forecast said it was going to rain in the afternoon.
But we were lucky again that it rained lightly only for a little while.
Anyway, a swing recommended by the starter was the basic one.
I got the hang of the swing with a bit of his suggestion.
So, this golf competition was beneficial for me.
[Note] feature ；〜を特徴とする, Japanese Kappo cuisine ; 割烹料理
facilitator for 〜；〜の世話役,in poor physical condition ；体調不良で
in recess；休会中, take a leadership role in 〜：〜で音頭を取る
Sotobou；外房, Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line；東京湾アクアライン
as far as in the map；地図で見る限り, far-away；遠く離れた
for your information ；ちなみに、 _hours unlimited drinks ; _ 時間飲み放題
round-trip ； 往復の, membership fee；会費、honor；( golf ) 最初にティ−ショットする人
hang low；( 雲などが )低く垂れこめる
it looked like it was going to rain at any second；今にも雨が降りそうでした
Sadly；悲しいことに,pull oneself together ；気を取り戻す
have a par on the _th hole；_番ホ−ルでパ−を取る
closet-to-the-pin；ニアピン, hit (with) a driver；ドライバ−で打つ
get the hang of 〜；〜のこつ(方法,扱い方)を会得する,開眼する
needless to say；言うまでも無く, thereafter ；その後,それ以来
alternately；交互に,practice makes perfect；継続は力なり
double peoria system；新(ダブル) ペリア方式
have a score of _ ；_のスコアを取る、 a score of _ and below ； _ 以下のスコア
for a little while；少しの間, beneficial；有益な, 役に立つ
Japanese Diary / No.536−2013.06.02 / 「久し振りの『忍会』ゴルフコンペ」
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