New Job found

I decided to quit current job few monthes ago.
Yesterday, I recieved a offer letter from a company and got new job.
It's hard to change job in these economic circumstances, but I am very lucky.
New job starts next month, so I may be off on skype lots of time from next month.

Super Mario Brothers on Browser

Do you know the game named "Super Mario Brothers"? It may be that the name change some in other country. It's a geme of Nitendo Family Computer (maybe you call it NES),
I liked it when I was at elementary school.
Now, I can play it on Web Browser, for no charge.
Push S button to jump, push A button to dush, and you can use left and right button to control mario.

Please try it. I brought back memories :)

Seijin-no-hi

昨日は日本は休日でした。大人（２０歳）になることを祝う日で、成人の日と言います。昔は、１月の１５日でしたが、ハッピーマンデー制度が施行されたため、１月１５日の前の月曜に移動されました。成人式と呼ばれる祝賀会が各都市で開催され、着物を着た２０歳の人達が参加します。


Kinou ha nihon ha kyujitsu deshita. Otona(hatachi)ni narukotowo iwau hide, seijin no hi to iimasu. Mukashiha, 1gatu no 15nichi deshitaga, Happy Monday seidoga sekousareta tame, 1gatu 15nichino maeno getsuyouni idou saremashita. Seijinshiki to yobareru syukugakaiga kakutoshide kaisaisare, kimonowo kita 20sai no hitotatiga sanka shimasu.


Yesterday was holiday in Japan. It's a day to celebrate to be adults(20 years old), this day is named "Seijin no hi". In the past, it was on the 15th of January, but a regulation of Happy Monday was enforced, the day moved to Monday before 15th of Jan. The celebration ceremonies that called "seijin shiki" were token place at every cities, and 20-year-old people who get dressed up in kimono take part in it.

Sukikoso monono jyousu nare

I have talked with many foreign people, sometimes they remineded me of a Japanese ideom.
That is "好きこそものの上手なれ(Sukikoso monono jyouzu nare)". I cannot translate it well, so I found translated passage from web. Here is follow passage.



Your fondness helps improve your skill - who likes not his business, his business doesn't like him.



I think it's so suitable for people who learn languages.

Some of Japanese custom of new year

I often recieve mails that they enjoy to know about Japanese culture. So I explain some of Japanese culture about the new year.

Oomisoka means the day before 1st of Jan, and Ganjitu means 1st of January.
And Gantan mean between the night of Oomisoka and the morning of Ganjitu.
And we spend to be watching tv program that is called Kouhaku-Utagassen and Yukutoshi-Kurutoshi at night of Oomisoka. I had a work Kohaku, so I couldn't spend with my family at Oomisoka.
Hatsuhinode is the first sunrise of the year. It's happy thing that we can watch Hatsuhinode, so we go to watch Hatsuhinode. But I didn't go this year.
And Hatumoude is the first prayer of the year. So we went temple to pray something at Gantan or the next day of Gantan. I went near temple and I prayed and wished my children grow up well.
And Osechi is a name of dishes for new year. There is a custom not to cook for mother's rest between 1st and 3rd in January. So mothers prepare Osechi before the new year, and we eat only Osechi between 1st and 3rd in January. But acutually I hate to have same foods for 3 days , so we have some other foods :)
Koma and Tako are familiar with play of new year. Playing Tako need large space without electric wires, therefore it's a little difficule to play Tako around my house. My sons played that at my wife's parent house, and this morning my elder son was playing koma with his classmates at preschool.

Bus at Tokyo

長男と一緒にスイミングスクールにバスで行きました。バスは東京での移動手段として便利です。でも地下鉄の方が便利なので、主に地下鉄を利用します。東京の23区内の多くのバスの料金は定額です。なので、乗り込む時に支払い、降りるときには支払いません。現金とスイカ・パスモなどの電子マネーを使うことができます。スイカとパスモは東京ではすごく便利なので、東京に来たときは是非買ったほうがいいと思います。JRや地下鉄の券売機で買えます。

Chounanto Isshini swimming school ni bus de ikimashita. Bus ha tokyo deno idousyudanto shite benri desu. Demo chikatetsuno houga benrinanode, omoni chikatetsuwo riyoushimasu. Tokyono 23kunaino ookuno busno ryoukin ha teigakudesu. Nanode, norikomutokini shiharai, orirutokiniha shiharaimasen. Genkinto suika/pasumo nadono denshi money wo tsukaukotoga dekimasu. suika to pasumo ha tokyo deha sugoku benrinanode, tokyoni kitatokiha zehi kattahouga iito omoimasu. JR ya chikatetsu no kenbaiki de kaemasu.



I and my elder son took a bus to his school of swimming. The bus is a so useful way to transport to other place at Tokyo. But mainly we use to transport by subway because of it's very useful. Inside 23 wards at Tokyo, the cost of most bus is fixed amount. So we pay for our fare when we get on, don't pay it when we get off. And we can use cash and some of electronic money that called suica and pasmo. Suica and pasmo are very useful with life in Tokyo, so you had better you buy it when you visit to Tokyo. You can buy it by ticket-vending machine of JR or Subway