Travel to Hong Kong and Macau

I totally forgot to blog here for a long time...

This summer, I went on a trip to Hong Kong and Macau with my friend for the first time. Our main purpose was to visit buildings which were registered as world heritage in Macau.

Macau is very wonderful and interesting place. We can see very old Chinese buildings mainly, Portuguese ones sometimes and very neon casinos. Most people speak Chinese, but I had no idea it was Mandarin or Cantonese. Some people cannot speak English at all so that we had to point at a picture or menu name to order foods.

We walked a lot there. We visited all 30 world heritage places in one day. However, there are so many ups and downs, many stone-flagged streets are killing my foot. Looking back, we should have used bus more, which is much cheaper Japanese one.

Where was the most impressive place for me?  I think it was St. Lawrence Church and Sedina Square. The church was very beautiful, especially turquoise blue ceiling. Regarding Sedina Square, we visited there many times because we originated there to visit other places every day during our stay.

Then, what was the most impressive food for me? Well, it's kind of difficult. Most foods in Hong Kong and Macau were very very yummy! I can't choose one. I absolutely recommend you rice soup in Hong Kong and Portuguese foods in Macau.

Anyway, we enjoyed all places where we visited. If I have a chance to visit again, I would like to visit Hong Kong mainly next time. I want to visit Stanley area where I had no time this time.

Happy New Year 2011!

During new year holidays, my brother's family and I stayed at our parents' place. Since my brother got married and his son was born last year, it was the first time for my sister-in-law and nephew to spend time together for such a long time.

My nephew, Yuuto, who is 4 months old, is very easygoing, but is getting interested in everything. He absolutely became expressive of his feelings more than when I went to see him two weeks before. How quickly he is growing up! He liked bright colours, jingle of bells, music, touching what he saw, getting attention from us, and girls. However, he does not like cameras. Therefore, my father could not take pictures of his smiling. All his actions were really cute, so that my parents and I were fighting over him to hold ad play. I really want my baby some day.

However, Japan is facing the serious concerns of rapid aging and very low birthrate now. I think it is because insecure employment situation. Permanent workers are decreasing, temporary ones are increasing rapidly, so that many people cannot make a steady income. Thus, they cannot afford to have their families. The Japanese government gives money to families who have young children, but I do not think it works. The government had better provide support for the employment of young and middle generations, and supports their marriage.

Regarding of myself, I think I should eat cheese because someone on TV said cheese contains PEA, which is love hormone. I am not sure if it is true, but it is worth to try.

These are my new year resolutions: get a good job after the current contract will be end, and eat cheese to find my Mr. right!

Eight-Month Study

Oh, my goodness. I have not written my diary for a long time. What have I been doing?

I got a job last December on a contract that will end next February, because the permanent employee who is currently on maternity leave will be back. Therefore, I decided to pass the book-keeping examination to help get a new job next year. So, why bookkeeping?

First of all, I have been interested in it since I was working as an income tax and return service agent in Vancouver. Secondly, the agency told me that having a bookkeeping skill is useful all over the world. Thirdly, the tuition fee is not so expensive compared with other examinations in Japan.

I started to go to school in March, and passed the third grade of the exam in June. I kept going to school to pass the second grade, and took it yesterday. The test result will be announced on December 14th. According to the example answer by the school, I think I have managed to pass it! I can't wait for the result.

Studying new things is interesting. I think I can enjoy it more than when I was a student. Of course, it is much harder to master things than when I was younger, but much more fun. I really hope that I have passed yesterday's exam and will get a good job next year!

Job Seeker

I am a job seeker now. My ex-workplace gave me notice that they would not renew my contract again in July, and my contract finished at the end of September. I have applied to some companies and registered with some employment agencies. However, it is really hard to get a good job.

First of all, since this financial crisis occurred last year, there are very few job offers, especially in local cities. Thus, there is a lot of competition for one position.

Secondly, there is still an age limit at some companies. One company told me not to apply for them because I am over 30. In spite of which, they want experienced workers in their industry. Huh? They don't know the real world, do they?

Not only I, but also many people are looking for a job now. Whenever I go to "Hello Work", which is a government employment office, there are many people in there. Even at the employment agencies, I see many male job seekers whom I had never seen before. (I had seen female job seekers only at employment agencies.) Every time I go such places, I realize there are many job seekers.

However, American executives at companies bailed out with taxpayer's money still get a huge salary. Many people have lost their jobs even in their country. Therefore, I think the US government made the right decision to order pay cuts.

Anyway, I really want to get a new job soon…!

Disposing Garbage in Fukuoka

I recently moved out from my parents' place to live in Fukuoka City on my own. The new place is near my work place, which takes only ten minutes on foot. It is like a dream come true because it used to take about two hours to commute! Even if by chance I cannot renew my current job contract, I have more choices to find a new job than living in my parents' place.

I'm getting accustomed to this city but the most surprising thing is disposing our garbage. First of all, a garbage collection truck comes at night. In other places, it usually comes in the morning. Secondly, in places where I have lived, we had to separate plastics, magazines and newspapers, or kitchen garbage. However, these are all combustible in this city. It is easy for us to dispose it, but it is definitely not eco-friendly, is it?

Then, what can we do for an eco-friendly life in this city?
First, use a bicycle as mush as possible. Secondly, use an electric fan instead of an air conditioner as much as possible in the summer. Thirdly, try not to buy plastic bottles to reduce our garbage. I usually bring my thermos with tea. Fourthly, try to use recycled or energy-saving devices. However, new energy-saving home appliances are so expensive that I bought a used fridge and a used washing machine this time.

What else? I think separating garbage is very important for an eco-friendly life. The city government ought to reconsider it.

Nikkei Newspaper

Last week I went to a workshop held by Nihon Keizai Shimbun Inc., which is the only economic newspaper company in Japan. Also, they gave their newspaper to all participants as material for a week for free. What a generous! In the workshop, a female entrepreneur talked from her experience about why we should know about economics, how good the newspaper is, and how to read it.

I actually was not interested in economics at all in the past. I had thought economics was necessary only for business managers, and all we had to do was to pay national pension premiums in preparation for our old age. However, after the big pension scandal happened a few years ago, I do not believe the government any more and need to learn about the economy. Thus, the workshop was very useful for me.

Regarding the newspaper, it was easier and more interesting than I expected, but I have a problem: I do not have enough time to read it every day...!

Therefore, I am thinking of subscribing to NIKKEI WEEKLY, which is a weekly economic paper in English published by the same company. I can learn both economics and English. It's like killing two birds with one stone, isn't it? I will decide after receiving the sample.


By the way, I wonder if the government could give the economic newspaper to all jobless workers until they find a new job. It is like imitating France's policy, but good for economic recovery, I think. Don't you think so?

We Are Not Disposable!

Due to the global financial crisis, cutting jobs is a big problem in Japan. According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, 30,000 people will lose their jobs in a few months. However, it is much more serious.

CANON's 1,100 term employees got laid off at the end of last month and were forced to move out of their dormitory. Thus, they are complaining and asking the company to let them stay until they find a new job. Some companies withdrew employment offers so that some students cannot start working from next April. In addition, those companies forced them to sign documents that they had declined the offers because of personal circumstances, which is definitely illegal.

This is only a part of the problem. At my workplace, some temporary workers will be laid off at the end of this month. I was able to renew my job contract until next March, but I have no idea if I can continue to work here after that. God only knows.

The thing is the government has not taken any effective action yet about it, although we had already predicted such circumstances since the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers. I personally do not care who the Prime Minister is and which party takes over the administration. We just need politicians who seriously carry out politics for the benefit of the people. We do not need politics at play. Also, we are not disposable workers!

What Happy People Don't Do

I saw an interesting article on The New York Times: What Happy People Don't Do. According to sociologists at the University of Maryland, a new study found out that happy people spend a lot of time socializing, going to the church and reading newspapers. On the other hand, unhappy people spend a lot of time watching TV or sleeping. However, it was not mentioned how they categorized people happy or unhappy.

Thinking about myself, I actually used to watch TV or sleep all day in my free time when my job was really hard several years ago. I was so exhausted that I did not want to do anything. I enjoyed TV at that time, but was not satisfied. Since I quit the job, I have seen many new friends and co-workers. Then I realized that I like socializing and it is really great to broaden my perspective.

Now I still like watching TV, but I do not watch it so often. I have a lot of things to do: meeting my friends, studying English, taking Pilates lessons, going shopping, reading books, surfing Internet, watching movies, and so on. I am busier but much happier than before!

Speaking of which, what should I do if I get tired of socializing because someone is tiring to me? Probably it is time for me to travel and take a break. Also, I should maintain balance about socializing. This is because human being cannot live alone and his/her private time.

Next President

Obama won!

His victory speech was impressive to me.

Pilates Trial

I went to a Pilates trial lesson today. I have been interested in Pilates or Yoga for a long time but I could not afford it. Then I finally found a nice studio at a reasonable lesson fee in Daimyo, Fukuoka, and asked for a trial.

I was the only person for today’s trial so an instructor taught me one-on-one, which was lucky for me.

First of all, she taught me how to breathe. We need to do diaphragmatic respiration during Pilates, not abdominal ones. It looked difficult at first, but I actually was able to do it easily. Secondly, she checked my distortion in my posture and modified it. She pointed out that I had such poor abdominal muscles that I had a poor posture. In addition, my body leans a little to the left because I often hold my bag on my right side. Finally, I lay face up and learnt how to do up-and-down movements of my arms or legs whilst keeping the proper diaphragmatic respiration and posture, which was very hard.

However, the instructor told me that I did not do badly for my first try. It might have been flattery, but I was glad. Moreover, I enjoyed the trial and felt refreshed. Therefore, I decided to take lessons from next week.

I believe that continuing to practice Pilates is good for my health. Thus, I will try it as long as possible.

IF THE WORLD COULD VOTE?

A few days ago, my American friend e-mailed me to tell me about an interesting website called "If The World Could Vote?" On this website, we can cast a vote for the next president of the United States of America even though we are not American citizens! It is a virtual one, of course, but we are able to see the result from each country.

According to the result, Barack Obama will be elected with overwhelming support in most countries, except for Macedonia, Albania and Lesotho. I would vote for Obama as well as other Japanese people. The reason why is that the first African-American president must be a symbol of the beginning of a new age for people in the world. On the other hand, if John McCain wins, I personally think that the stock markets could plunge again because his policy seems not so different from Bush's one on the economy.

Well, let's get back to the subject. I think that the website is the proof of world interest in the election. We wish we could vote. Seriously. This is because the president of the United States has enormous influence in the world.

The world would vote for Barack Obama, and who will American citizens vote for? All the people in the world are waiting with breathless interest who will be the next president of the United States of America.

Nightmare

I had a nightmare a few days ago. When I was walking on a street, I saw a lot of dead, bloody, cats and big dogs. I did not know why black ones only. It was a little scary, but I kept walking down the street. I usually forget what I dream. However, when I saw a headless pigeon, which was real and shocking to me, it brought back a memory.

I have heard that dreams we see sometimes have a message to us. Therefore, I checked out a few websites about oneirocritics.

First of all, black cats mean that something bad could happen to me. However, it also means that I could meet someone of the opposite sex. Secondly, hurt or old dogs mean that something bad could happen, and especially big dogs mean people around me. Thirdly, although black means that something bad could happen, I have a strong power to get over it. Fourthly, dead animals mean that I have a low self-e steem now, which is actually true. Finally, bleeding means spending money or a signal of a disease.

From all of the above, I guess that something bad could happen to me or to the people around me, but I could get over it. Of course, I am not sure but I should be careful of. As it happens, I was going to visit a few temples with my friend on that day. Thus, I prayed for my happiness very much. I really hope that it works!

Bankrupt

I heard about the bankruptcy of Gateway21, which was an agency to support international students. I actually asked for their support while I stayed in Canada with a working holiday visa about four years ago. In Canada, they found a nice host family for me, received mail for me and helped us with many circumstances. In addition, they let us use their office address as a contact so that we could open our bank account and subscribe cell phones. Thus, I appreciate them.

However, they had changed. Although they got paid from students, they had not paid for school fees, support fees to each of their offices in the world, not host families for these several months. Then they filed for bankruptcy. Someone said that the company president started a new business using the money but fell down.

Many people have been working very hard and saving their money to go abroad. However, because of the bankruptcy, all of them cannot get any support any more and might not be able to get any refund. Moreover, some of them cannot go to school, some have to move out from their host family's place, and others have lost their shirts. I think that it is a kind of fraud, isn't it?

I have no personal damage, but have mixed feelings about it now. I just hope whoever already stays or plans to go abroad through the agency will have a great time and reach their goals.

Peace Thinking Month

August is an important month for Japanese when we think about war and peace. The reason why is that two atomic bombs were dropped by the United States on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the 6th and 9th of August in 1945 leading Japan surrendered on the 15th of the month.

Every year a peace memorial service for atomic-bomb victims takes place in each city on each memorial day. Each mayor of the city makes a peace declaration, which is a remarkable statement each time. I was especially impressed by the speech of Nagasaki City’s mayor.

He asked the United States and Russia by name to try hard to decrease nuclear weapons because they have 95 percent of these weapons. In addition, he asked the Japanese government to legislate for three non-nuclear principles and to act as a global leader for elimination of all nuclear weapons.

However, I wonder if his speech really reached the ears of the United States and Russia. The United States has not attended the ceremony, although they are invited every year. The US President, Bush, was in Beijing this year but he was just watching the Olympic Games. Russia attended this time but they have just started taking military action in Georgia.

I really want them to know how terrible it was and how many people are still suffering from the after effects. They should try to decrease such terrible wars and weapons.

The Final Of The Festival

The Hakata Yamakasa Festival finished on the 15th of July.

Elderly Lech

I went to a drinking party with some people, including my friend last weekend. It was a kind of matchmaking party so that I met all the guys for the first time. One of them saw me off when I had to take the last train, but he held my hand and slipped his arm around my waist, which made me sick. I was NOT interested in him at all and we even did NOT hit it off with each other! I immediately e-mailed my friend that I loathed him.

However, he called me many times. I have not answered, of course, but he is persistent. Therefore, I told my friend about him by e-mail and she e-mailed me back that he did the same things to another girl and asked her for her phone number many times after I went home. In addition, he did not want to pay for drinks although he was the host of this party. What a lecherous and rude man! While we were e-mailing about him, he called to our cell phones alternately. Ew! We should have kicked his ass.

Obviously I do not think that he respects women. Thus I personally do not think that he respects others as well. I really loathe such a person and never want to see his face anymore. We will ignore him for the rest of our lives.

Now, let's put him out of our mind. We should focus on finding out a nice and gentle guy!

The Final Rehearsal

The Hakata Yamakasa Festival is drawing near to the climax. I went to see “Oiyama Narashi”, which was the final rehearsal, on Saturday. Eight floates are carried and run through the town and vie for speed. Many people were waiting for two hours. It was tiring to wait under the hot and humid weather, but I really wanted to see it since I have not seen it yet.

The first carried float starts at 15:59. The floats goes into Kushida Shrine, makes a round of a long pole called “Seido” and all men sing a song called “Hakata Iwai Uta” which is a traditional song of celebration in Hakata. The only men who carry the first float are allowed to sing it. Then the float goes out of the shrine and runs through the town. The other floats start every five minutes later in order.

The right float is so big, as well as a decorated float, that I could enjoy the dynamic and brave running.

It was really hot and humid on that day but I enjoyed it. The finale is in the early morning on the 15th of July. I am going to see it with a few friends and really looking forward to seeing it!

The Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival

The Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival has started! This is an annual festival in Fukuoka held from the 1st to the 15th of July. They have two kinds of floats, which are called "Yamakasa" or "Yama" here, Kazari-yama (Decorated float) and Kaki-yama (Carried float). Kazari-yama is publicly released at 14 places in the city during the festival, and I went to see one of them at Hakata Station.


This is really beautiful. Each Kazari-yama is 12 or more meters high and weighs 2 tons. In the olded days, this sized float used to be carried. However, electrical cables had been wired since the late 19th century, the floats often cut the wires. Therefore, they had to separate the floats into two types.

Speaking of Kazari-yama, I hear that it costs about 10 million yen to make a Kazari-yama. However, one of the sponsors cancelled its cooperation and it endangered the continuation of Kazari-yama. Fortunately, officials scrambled to find a new sponsor and a few local companies such as rail companies and oil companies kindly agreed to observe the traditional culture. Then it was January that the continuance was decided because of the new sponsors. Thus thanks to many people's efforts and cooperation, this festival can be continued now.

Anyway, the festival brings us to summer! I would like to enjoy it as much as possible.

Japanese Traditional Art

I learnt something about Japanese traditional art forms last week.

Firstly, I took a paid holiday and went to a workshop about Kabuki on Wednesday. I learnt what Kabuki is, how it developed, why only male actors are able to act in it, why many stories are so complicated, how to enjoy it and so on. It was very interesting for me that I could watch it.



Secondly, I had lunch with some friends in Tenjin on Sunday, then went and watched Rakugo, Japanese traditional humorous story-telling. This was my first time to watch a Rakugo live show. Storytellers usually talk about recent topics at first, make us laugh and then relay the topic to classic storytelling using gestures and facial expressions. It was a lot of fun, but their topic sounded jumpy for me. Some of my friends actually slept for a moment. If they could relay the topic more naturally or arrange a classic in a modern style, it would be more interesting, I personally think.

But still, it was good for me to know about Japanese traditional culture this week. There are a lot of things I do not know about. Life is full of lessons, isn't it?

Hotel California

I really love this song!