Monday, March 31, 2008

"how dose she know you love her?"


(you will see the ending here?)
last night, i saw the movie "enchanted" in shijuku with my ex-coworker A-san, after an exam class.

actually, A-san didn't want to see the movie at first since disney movies should be for children, but eventually she liked it :)

***
the story was like...Giselle (a princess of a fantasy land "andalasia") was exiled to today's new york, before her wedding.

she had no idea where she was, & was salvaged by a handsome divorced-divorce lawyer Robert (Patrick Dempsey).

Giselle originally liked to go back to andalasia, but she had feeling for Robert...

***
the story was not exactly fantasy. many ads explain that's why the movie is "new". however, the movie is nothing new in a good way. i mean it surprisingly follows a golden movie baseline, which is

"a girl meets a boy, & finds the true love."

***
of course, it was a happy-ending movie, but besides that, my point is happiness for three main character: Robert, Prince Edward, & Nathaniel (!).

Nathaniel was seduces by a bad witch/step mother (played Susan Sarandon), but after he got to new york following Giselle & Prince Edward, he saw a TV sitcom, then he realized that he wouldn't be able to get the witch's love!

in the end-title roll, he was becoming a bestseller writer, or something.

Robert & Edward found the true loves, of course.

my favorite song "that's how you know":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRYU4cqUAUs

***
you will see the ending there?

official site english:
http://adisney.go.com/disneyvideos/liveaction/enchanted/
japanese:
http://www.disney.co.jp/movies/mahokake/

***
by the way, this evening i was embarrassed a little bit.

when i typed some on a screen, i smelled something fried potatoes. then i asked about that to the osaka lade M-san, like...

me: "do you smell someone's having fried potatoes from a mac or something?"
M-san: "oh! it 's me. i'm starving & eating this."

she showed me a bag from a mac...

Saturday, March 29, 2008

grappa!


last night, i went eating out with my ex-cowakers, A-san & N-chan, to a italian restaurant @roppongi, & that was fun time for i guess all three of us.

***
some how, i talked about interesting things in my new company. for example, translation team.

our company has a translation team, & one day i attended a meeting with them. since i was new to the meeting, i had a little speach in japanese, & i said, 「入社したばかりで右も左も分かりませんが。」 after the meeting, i was so wondering how the translator in the meeting explained about that.

A-san got, "i don't know anything about it, but..." something like that.

***
another translating story was... in a meeting, one guy (non-japanese, but asian) was too excited about the discussion, then a japanese guy said also in exciting, 「おまえにそんな事を言われる筋合いはないっ!!」 in べらんめい口調.

i believe a translator in the meeting translated that, but i don't know what she said...

N-chan, actually she is a translator as well, tried to translate, like "you are not authorized to tell me such a thing." (だったかな?)

***
by the way, most pleasant thing in the dinner was we got to know how to drink grappa really! (A-san & i tried once, but it was very very embarrassing...)

grappa: italian sprit made by vines, like shouchou or gin in italian. grappa is after meal alcohol, & have to drink "straight" so that we can enjoy pure taste & flavour of grappa.

to be honest, i was kind of too full & had a little stomach stiation, but after drinking a shot of grappa, it was gone!

& with favour of a sommelier @the restourant, we could try to drink three kinds of grappa! my favorite one was the last one, actually, it was not really grappa, the sommelier explained that, but it was so nice :)

maybe, i will try to visit the restaurant agiain, & drink different grappa to find the best one for me.

***
originally, we would have three more people, but unfortunately they had emergency situations, like family or business matter. it was petty, but maybe next time in the very near future!

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

teach someone! & tell three people, at least!!


recently, i get a new co-woker, M-san. she is an interesting osaka lady in my team, & this afternoon M-san & i talked about "education". sounds very academic, doesn't it?

***
actually, it was very casual talk.

i'm going to take an IT related certification exam, & my new boss kind of has pushed me to pass the exam, then M-san told me that...if i would like to pass the exam, i should teach her about the contents of the exam by using very easy worlds.

current my team is under a legal/complainace department, but very close to IT. on the other hand, M-san is not an IT person at all, so if i could explain her about the IT exam very well, means she dose understand even if she totally doesn't have IT background, i totally understand the contents of the exam...

M-san said, "teaching someone is #1 method for achieve the knowledge. #2 is studying by myself, & #3 is being taught from someone, right?"

also, M-san told me about a comedian Shinsuke Shimada. he tells that if someone gets a good funny story, he should tell the story three people at least & as soon as possible, then the story would be in good shape (小慣れた感じ?).

it's also true, isn't it??

***
by the way, today i saw cherry blossoms that will full bloom very soon.

Friday, March 21, 2008

後期高齢者医療と待機児童

(本日は日本語でお送りします。)
この春分の日のお休みを挟んで日本の抱える二つの社会問題を垣間みる機会がありました。二つの問題とは『高齢化社会』と『少子化』です。

***
まずは高齢化社会から。

実は転職にあたって母と祖母を社会保険の扶養家族として申請しました。申請自体は通りましたが、一ヶ月もしない内に二人は強制的に扶養から離れる事になります。何故なら4月1日より75歳以上の後期高齢者医療制度がスタートするからです。

後期高齢者医療制度とは、75歳以上の国民、全員を対象にその保険料を対象者の年金から自動的に天引きされる健康保険の仕組みです。

どうやら相変わらずの「老人の医療費は、老人から」の発想ですが、年金、道路問題からも分かる様に、きちんと運営されていない政府から金だけ出せと言われて、「はい、はい、そうですか。」と素直に納得が出来るものなのでしょうか?国を運営している人達は、国民が納得の上、同意が得られると思っているのでしょうか?

ちなみに道路、年金、あたご問題と併せて「DNA」と呼ぶそうですよ。

***
次は少子化。

実家でたまたまTVを見ていた所、TBSの小倉弘子さんの産休直前のドキュメンタリーの様なレポートがやっていました。

小倉さんは、予定日一ヶ月前までニュースキャスターとして勤務し、産休に入られたそうですが、社会で活躍する女性にとっては、出産は大きな負担になる様です。

例えば0歳児保育。

小倉さんの予定日は3月だったのですが、年度の始め(=4月)から預けないと待機児童として登録され、次の4月まで入園は出来ないそうです。しかし翌4月の時点では、小倉さんの赤ちゃんは既に1歳のため、0歳の待機児童に順番が先に回されてしまいます。

ここから分かる事実は、人間が社会の仕組みに合わせないと、十分な制度の恩恵を受けられないと言う事です。

何でも少子化対策委員会みたいなものがあるそうですが、一体全体、そこでは何を議論されているのか疑問です。

***
今まで社会を支えてくれた世代と、これからを支える世代をないがしろにする社会に、未来はあるのでしょうか?

個人的には将来、子供を持つ事が考えにくいですが、昔ある人が「女性が自立出来なければ、男性も自立出来ない」と言っていました。「自立」を「安心して社会生活が送れる事」と置き換えると、今の日本では大変難しい様ですね。。。

Thursday, March 20, 2008

moult & pupate



during cleaning, i was aware that my green caterpillar kun moulted(脱皮ね) & became a pupa(サナギになるね).

these couple of days, he (she?) didn't eat anything, & eventually became not to move at all. i thought it died.

but this morning, i found he (she?) was trying losing his skin (almost finished), then i got what it meant. yes "moult". at that time, his head part was very very yellow green.

after i got to home in this evening (just now), i again found his yellow green part has tuned kind of brown & it's exactly silky.

now he (she?) is becoming a cocoon. & maybe become a butterfly... no it will be a moth!

calendars















since i'm having a relaxing rainy holiday, i decided to do house keeping things.

it means basically cleaning, then i've realized that somehow i have many calendars in my room. they are from my friend, a bank, a travel company, & my previous agent, buta why do i keep them?

one is enough, right?

Sunday, March 16, 2008

"The Darjeeling Limited"


since i will be die if i couldn't see any movies within a week, going see a movie was the first priority for this weekend, then i saw "the darjeeling limited" in ebisu.

of-course, it was because my favorite actor Jason Schwartzman in the movie, but what i was surprised at was...the short film before the movie. it was a kind of a prequel of the darjeeling limited.

in the movie, there were only two main characters; Jason Schwartzman & Natalie Portman (!), & she was naked (!). listen, not "almost naked" or "seems to be naked". totally naked. Natalie, I'm proud of you!!

about the movie, it was a good load movie; i should say that. especially, clothing. if the story would have more connections among each small episode, it would be nice.

see production notes on videos (kind of heavy site, though):
http://www.foxsearchlight.com/thedarjeelinglimited/

***
by the way, before watching the movie, i went to a bali style head spa. i realized that my neck was really stiff, & head massage helped this recover.

i should go there (movie & head spa) once a while :D

Monday, March 10, 2008

isn't she lovely?

i, as her grand son, shouldn't say that, but isn't she really lovely?

***
YES, she is my lovely grand mother & she has turned ninety nine years old today. i just want to say to her,

"be your self as long as you like & please take care of me!"

yes, she always thinks of taking care of me, especially about eating!!

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

still... who is my type? - part.3




today's my type is Jason Schwartzman from "Marie Antoinette".

he played as Louis XVI, & point was both of them (Schwartzman & Louis XVI) are not tall, actually short. i think he is cute...buta do i have unique taste?

***
in the picture, he was with Ryan Gosling & Kirsten Dunst.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

look!! he is growing up!


he has a big a appetite, & growing up now :D

Sunday, March 02, 2008

barber is good for my facial skin!


somehow, yesterday was for my above my neck...sounds strange, right? but actually good for me.

***
first, i visited to my dentist for a regular tooth check.

I try to keep visiting the dentist every three months for checking my teeth & plaque control. it's out of my health insurance, so not so cheep, but i think good as preservation, right?

***
then second, i visited a barber shop (in ginza!) for shaving my beards...because coming monday will be my first day of my new company!

i haven't visited any barber shops since...when? maybe around my high school days?

anyway, i just asked shaving my beards, but it was so good to shave by a professional. i mean his magic hands could not only shave them, but also shave my facial hairs, especially could re-shape eyebrows. i didn't notice that, but after shaving them, my facial expression has been slightly changed. maybe mild but sharp.

see more details:
http://www.ginza.jp/yanagi/edomae.html

***
i think i will meet a good start :)