Obama girl

I have learned that "Obama girl" has been very popular in the USA by today's newspaper. This is interesting thing, I think. I tried to find "Hillary boy" or "Clinton boy" on the Internet, but I could not.

P.S. I can find the song's lyrics, here, thanks to Marian-san.

P.S. Thanks to joshf-san, I could learn about this song by "Hillary girl". I think it is very catchy and like it than Obama girl's. But I have not been satisfied with it yet because its singer is a girl, not a boy.

"Kata-pan"

Last Sunday, I bought a "Kata-pan"（堅パン） for my daughter's "Oyatsu"（おやつ）.

There was a national ironworks named "Kan-ei Yahata Seitetsu-syo"（官営八幡製鐵所） in the nothern part of Kysuhu. It was taken over a private company, and its name is "Shin-Nihon-Seitetu"（新日本製鉄）.

"Kata-pan"(堅パン )was invented as a light food that was given to its workers by the national company. And it has become a familiar snack to people who live in this area.

When I was a child, I used to eat it. But, in those days, it had only one taste, plane(milk taste). But, now, it has three tastes, strawberry, spinach and sesame besides plane.

"Kata-pan" is well-known for its hardness. But when I ate it last Sunday, I felt that it was not so hard in comparison with what I used to eat in my childhood, and I felt it was a little bit unfortunate thing.

P.S. "Oyatsu " or "O-yatsu" is a general name of light meal that people eat between lunch and dinner. It comes from a traditional time's name "Yatsu-doki"（八つ時）means time between about 2pm and 4pm. Generally, people call a light snack taken at about 3pm "Oyatsu", but you can use it in anytime to call a light snack.

Penguin Cafe Orchestra

The Penguin Cafe Orchestra is a music band that was popular in the 1980's with its unique sound. There is a music with a long title by the band. It is "The sound of someone you love who's going away and it doesn't matter". I like it.

I would like you to listen to the music and tried to find it on the Internet. But, unfortunately, I could not find a full version, but could find a very short version, here.

And I write its long Japanese title in this pictute.

result of "Mikan-gari"

I have regretted that I should take a photo that people was harvesting "Mikan".

"Mozu no Hayanie"

I found "Mozu no Hayanie" on a branch of Japanese apricot in my yard. It is, I think, a kind of stinkbugs "Kamemushi"（カメムシ）.

"Syugaku-ryokou"

Last week, my son went on a study trip "syugaku-ryoku"（修学旅行） to Osaka（大阪）, Kyoto（京都）, Nara（奈良）.

About thirty years ago, I went on a study trip when I was a third-year student. But my son is now a second-year. And we went to Kyoto, Nara, but didn't go to Osaka.

"Syugaku-ryokou" is a great fun for almost junior high school and high school students in Japan.

I found a small booklet "siori"（しおり） that was used for my study trip. Above is my son's , and below is mine in this photo.

I feel how a peaceful country Japan is because almost same events have continued for thirty years.

"～-gari"?!

I have a plan to go "Mikan-gari"（みかん狩り） on November 25. So, I have collected several Japanese words added with "-gari（狩り）" that means harvesting or hunting.

"Fruits（フルーツ）-gari"
People pay an admission fee before entering a fruits plantation. Once they enter there, they can eat fruits as much as they could. In other words, they can eat them without limit（食べ放題）. And, when they leave there, they can bring some amount of fruits that they take. (Generally the cost is included in an admission fee, but occasionally people are required to pay another cost.)

There are several patterns of Fruits-gari. It includes Mikan（みかん）-gari, Ringo（りんご）-gari, Nashi（なし）-gari, Budou（ぶどう）-gari and Kaki（柿）-gari.

"Momiji（もみじ）-gari"
In Autumn, the leaves of some trees in mountain area turn beautifully red, orange and yellow. To go to enjoy beautiful Autumn's leaves is called "Momiji-gari". But people do not harvest or hunt anything there, I don't know why the word has "-gari".

"Shiohi（潮干）-gari"
In Spring, mainly May, family enjoy going seashell gathering. It is called "Shiohi-gari".

"Oyaji（おやじ）-gari"
This word is recently invented. It means that young people attack a drunken man to steal his money or only to abuse him. Japan is becoming less safety country now, I think. I have to be careful for myself because I am "Oyaji"!!. (I'm only half-kidding.)

P.S. There is another word that has "gari". But, it is written as "刈り" in kanji. (Occasionally it sounds "kari", not "gari".) It means cutting or "cut and harvest".　Don't confuse it with "gari"（狩り）. Example;スポーツ刈り、坊主刈り(a kind of hairstyle),稲刈り(ine-kari)、芝刈り(siba-kari)

today's result (fishing)

I went fishing again. The result was only four. But I am satisfied with it because it included a "Kochi"（鯒）.I got it for the first time from my birth.

The biggest one in this photo is the "Kochi". Others are "Haze"（ハゼ）. "Kochi" is popular and expensive for its good taste.

"Mozu"

In this season, I can often find wild birds in my area. One of representative wild birds is "Mozu". In Kanji character, it is written "百舌". "百" means one hundred, and "舌" means tongue. Why?

Mozu has a habit copying several other bird's voices, so it is called "百舌".

And it has another odd habit. It is called "Mozu no Hayanie".

It hunts several small animals like frog, lizard, grasshopper, and it leaves them on a branch of a tree. Some people say that it saves them to eat later. But, it often forgets them. No one has known real reason.

There is a Autumen's song that almost Japanese have known. "Mozu" appears in this song. You can listen to it, here.

like a "Isoginchaku"

A Wii remocon's cover was sent to my son from Nintendo because he is a platinum member of it.

When I saw it first, it seemed just a like "Isoginchaku"!!

P.S. There is a custom to eat an "Isoginchaku" in the southern part of Fukuoka prefecture. But I have never eaten it yet, and do not want to eat it because of its strange form.