I quite often think these days that we face risk where we go.Then, where we should go, go within where you can take your own risk.Of course, if you are in the airplane,you leave your life to pilot.When I went to London often I even remembered pilots’ name and techniques for taking off and landing on.Yet, you still leave your life to pilot.

What surprised me most at this earthquake Himaraya there were about 1000 people at the base camp of 5300 metres above sea level.At first I thought my hearing deteriorated to hear 1000. 100 was acceptable figure to me.

If 1000 people stay there, accordingly the surroundings are polluted.Mountains do not like themselves to be polluted, they like to or we should show respect mountains as sacred places. Now in Japan the limit of existence of village is social matter.Sooner or later these villages will disappear.And 1000 is population of these 3-4 villages I do not know what I am writing, even I should write or not, sorry.

Lastly I would like to express my sincerest condolences.

My banana cake. “I will bake banana cake if I have bananas here’ I said to  my husband.In ten minutes or so he went out to buy bananas. This is the banana cake my friend said ‘Want to eat million times’.

Toward the end of last year, floor heating stopped all the sudden.For a couple of days we were without floor heating.It was end November and we let an old oil heater we keep for emergency work.This oil heater works without electricity.This keeps you warm with oild match or lighter, so we keep this in case of all electricity gone.

Repair man came and changed a part.OK, all OK I thought.A week later, floor heating stopped again and  according to an error message on remote control repairman changed two parts.

Having regular visitors during New Year our aircondition which we bought about 20 years ago had to be renewed.It’s not working since summer.I asked a repairman to come and see whether possibilities of repair lies or not.He said he could not find anywhere wrong except sensor.But they do not produce the same type any longer so I did not have any other coice than buying a new one.

We went to a couple of shops and found a shop they could instal one on 30th December. On 31st December, New Years Eve we have visitors and I was afraid that floor heating is out of order again.Anyway on 30th we had a new air conditioner.

It was only a few days ago when a large oil heater at my second house went off. Oh lala nad it was in the evening and not during office hours.The following day a repairman came and his explanation was exactly same as the case of airconditioner. Nothing wrong other than so and so part but this has been discontinued. Well, what should I do.Can you suggest alternative way, oh yes go without and be frozen dead. Exaggerating? No, I believe Japan’s pruducts are highly ranked in quality and will last minimum 30 years. However, despite the fact of good quality they keep parts for 8 to 10 years. incredible, indeed incredible!! …to Japanese

There lives a phantom of the opera in my head for some time.To say more accurately music of the phantom of the opera is on all the time.When I stop doing something I hear the music in my left brain.Indeed there lives songs and music in my brain and they start playing whenever they like.I

I am a repeater of this musical and whenever I have an opportunity to be in London I see it once or twice.The musical is structured of overall songs and music and beautiful stage scenes attract audiences and this is the most distinguished of this musical.Moreover in addition to this there is  heartbraking story of the phantom .That’s why I am a repeater.Then, now all the sudden the music stays with me.Without finding the reason, but  I guess perhaps London calls me, I have not been there several years now?

This is Hokkaido limited edition card.

I was asked to get a Starbucks Card in Hokkaido.Starbucks cards are now sold in several prefecture as area limited edition. So one must go to Hokkaido to buy one.We see Starbucks here and there, if I am not exaggerating we see them at every corner. But in Hakodate there are only two Starbucks, one at Nishihatoba(West harbour) and the other in the suburbs. They open shops according to the population I think, hearing the news that in Tottori prefecture they open their first shop recently.

Japanese tea towel by Takeshi Takahashi.He does print Tenugui by the traditional way of dying, by using the patterns. On a long roll of cotten he prints patterns until the roll ends. Here are the pictures before the rolls are cut to Tenugui size.

Next year is the year of sheep, it is in Chinese astrology and still many shops distribute year’s Tenugui as a small gift for the new year or new year’s campaing etc.

Tenugui, tea towel but there are so many variations to use.For example of course as tea towel, as Hachimaki for matsuri festival, as to protect dirt along neck and cover the heads in order to protect them from dust  when they clean the house with broom or cover the head when coocking.

There are several pictures I’d like to show but I cannot up them as I forgot cord to connect digital camera and computer. So please wait for a while…………………….

Cucumbers from garden

What is your main diet? What do you think is main diet of Japanese people?Rice? No. Bread? No.The right answer is cucumber.At present we eat lots of cucumbers from garden.Rather than we love to eat we have to eat.Cucumbers seem to have  taken over the position of main diet, only for a couple of months in summer. I sow seeds twice this year as the first one did not appear soon. And my neighbour said to me if our main diet is cucumber and as my neighbour said we face the reality. Over 100 British size cucumbers we harvested.

pickled cucumbers salad fried with minced meat sweet &sour pork without pork  gratin  That’s all I can think of.

Director of German national soccer team

is called Germans Masao Kusakari in Japan. As being said he looks like him maybe so. As being said he does not look like him it is all right.

Just before the World Cup started I bet German national team will be champion. I was very positive ‘cause they seem to have stronger will for winning and also I felt they are united for one purpose than any other team. They were shining bright and my sincere congratulations on their contenious endevour to keep motivation. It was matches between the countries and I thoroughly enjoyed them.
Thank you!!!

＊Masao Kusakari, Japanese handsome actor

I found red rhubarb I was looking for quite some time. I found them at Wadajuku which is located at the border of Nagano and Yamanashi pref.Last year I saw red rhubarb on TV and knew where they grow them. I contacted Fujimi machi in Nagano  but they are a bit more expensive. Now, I see red rhubarb in front of me. Incredible thing. I bought some for trial and then bought 4 kilos of them. They look american cherry pink pink and so good to taste!!!

At Kyoto station a beverage company was distributing sample tea bottle, so everyone around station had SAME TEA BOTTLE of “O-I OCHA”. Interesting!