We always hope our life will go well, but sometimes it doesn't. It is my hope that, at the moment that I die, I will be able to think that,"You know, my life really wasn't so bad at all".
Bike is a good tool for improving the quality of my life.
In this season, many Sake brewers held an event called "Saka-Gura-Biraki"（酒蔵開き） that means a brewer opens its brewery to sell its newest Sake. I visited a Saka-Gura(Sake brewery) named "Mizokami Syuzou（溝上酒造）" to buy a bottle of this year's Sake. The brewery names it "Shibori-Tate Nama-Zake"（しぼりたて生酒）"(in my direct translation) Freshly squeezed, raw Sake ".
I enjoyed the Sake with "Kiritanpo-nabe"（きりたんぽ鍋） for dinner.
Taiwan has arrested an army general on charges of spying for China. Defense ministry officials say Major General Lo Hsien-che was arrested on January 25. He led the army's tele-communication's department. Officials say that he was reportedly hired by China when he was working in Thailand in 2004. The defense officials say he had limited contact with secret documents since he has returned to Taiwan in 2005. Some Taiwanese legislators want defense minister to resign because of the general's arrest. They say General Lo has brought shame to military.
台湾で、陸軍の幹部が中国のスパイ容疑で逮捕された。台湾の国防省によると、１月２５日に逮捕された羅賢哲少将は、情報システム部門の責任者で、２００５年タイに勤務していたときに中国から買収されたのことである。（I could not translate the underlined part into Japanese well. I might have not transcribed it correctly.) 数人の議員は、羅少将は陸軍の恥だと言って、彼の逮捕を受けて、国防大臣は辞めるべきだと言っている。
An American newspaper is reporting that computer criminals called "hackers", illegally entered the comptuer system of a stock exchange. The Walls Street Journal reported late Friday that the huckers broke into the Nasdaq system several times over the past year. The newspaper said it spoke with the people close to the case. It said the part of the system makes stock trade was not affected. One person said the activity was like someone entering a home illegally, but not stealing anything. The newspaper said that secret service and Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the incident.
Now, I can buy vegetables at a JR station near my house, but I can not find any clerks. So, it is called "Mujin Hanbai"（無人販売） that means people can buy goods without seeing a clerk. The seller is a farmer who lives in a town next to my town. All vegetables are sold at a same price, 100yen.
I have never bought vegetables at this store, but it is very interesting attempt, I think.
An employee of the American diplomatic office in Lahore, Pakistan appereared in court Thursday on murder charges. The appearance came the day after the man, an American, shot and killed two Pakistanis. He claims the killings were in self-defense. The judge ordered him held in jail for six days while the police continued the investigation. Police said the American was stopped at a traffic light when two men on a motorcycle shot at his vehicle. Officials said he fired a gun at the attackers and reported the incident to an American security team. The two men later died in a hospital. Pakistani's officials say the third Pakistani was killed when he was hit by the American diplomatic vehicle that had gone to the aid of the American employee. The incident has worsened the feelings against Americans in Pakistan. Friday, "the Nation" newspaper published a story that read "American Rambo Goes Beserk in Lahore".
Last Thursday, I went to the city of "Shimonoseki"（下関） in my business. The city locates in the western edge of the Honshu（本州） island and belongs to Yamaguchi（山口） prefecture. It is also a historical city and has many sight seeing places.
It took about half an hour from my office, so the city locates in near area. However, it is rare for me to go there except for special events.
Every day morning, on my way to work place I listen to the news program on VOA Special English downloaded on my i-Pod shuffle. But, VOA does not offer any scripts of the News on its web-site. Now, I will try to dictate it on this blog to brush up my English. And also I will try to translate it into Japanese.
(If you find my mistake in the script, please tell me correct words.)
"The temporary cabinet of the government in Tunisia says it will recognize political parties that have been banned. It will also agree to pardon to political prisoners. Officials announced their decisions Thursday after the cabinet held its first meeting since the ouster of president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. The cabinet also said theythere would be three days of mourning beginingbeginning Friday for victimesvictims of the unrest that forced Mr. Abidine to flee."
Recently, there have been heartwarming news in Japan that is called "Tiger Mask" movement.（タイガーマスク運動） In the end of December of last year, a man who called himself "Date Naoto"（伊達直人） gave "randoseru"（ランドセル）, small school backpacks to children living in orphanage. Several days later, another "Date Naoto" appeared in another place and left several gifts to an orphanage. And also third "Date Naoto" appeared in a different place. Finally, these kind of donations have been over one thousand.
"Date Naoto" is a main character of an animation movie named "Tiger Mask" in the 1970's.(Its original is a comic.) In the story, "Tiger-Mask" is a masked professional wrestler and no one knows that he is "Date Naoto". "Date Naoto" donates several gifts using the name of "Tiger-Mask" to an orphanage where he grew up.
When I was considering this movement, a spiteful idea appeared in my mind. If the first donor used the name "Kan Naoto"（菅直人）, the Japanese prime minister, how much the movement might have spread?
Many people say that the animation's ending song is one of the saddest songs in Japanese animation movies.
On January 3 of this year, my family bought a TV set that can receive "digital terrestrial broadcasting" because "analogue terrestrial broadcasting service" in Japan will end July of 2011.
"Chi-Deji-ka"（地デジ化） is an abbreviated form of "Chijyou-Digital-Housou-ka"（地上デジタル放送化） that means "analogue broadcast will fully switch over to digital broadcast by July 2011. But, for most people including me, it means that people in Japan buy the latest TV set that receives "digital broadcasting".
The 37" TV set is a product of Toshiba and its price was 128,000 yen. I felt that it is a little bit expensive but I have been satisfied with its beautiful picture and its monitor size.
In Japanese custom, people exchange new year message card called "Nenga-jyou" （年賀状） between close members on January 1st. But, people who lost their close family member do not send "Nenga-jyou", instead, they send "Mochu-hagaki" （喪中はがき） in the first of December.
But, I did not follow this custom because it passed about one year from my father's death and I won't let my friends to know my father's death in this kind of style. So, this year, I decided to send a simple "Nenga-jyo" to friend who sent it to me on January 1st.
In this season, many Sake brewers held an event called "Saka-Gura-Biraki"（酒蔵開き） that means a brewer opens its brewery to sell its newest Sake. I visited a Saka-Gura(Sake brewery) named "Mizokami Syuzou（溝上酒造）" to buy a bottle of this year's Sake. The brewery names it "Shibori-Tate Nama-Zake"（しぼりたて生酒）"(in my direct translation) Freshly squeezed, raw Sake ".
