母の日のプレゼント

カーネーションは娘から、チョコレートは息子からの母の日のプレゼント。先日娘が買って来たカカオ７５％のチョコレートを私がムシャムシャ食べていたのを見て、ならば、と９９％のを買ってくれたみたいなんですが、これはまずかった、、、みんなで一粒づつ食べたのですが、全員「にが～」。息子よ、チョコレートを買ってくれた気持ちだけありがたく頂戴するよ。
普段食べているチョコレートって実は大部分はお砂糖なのね、と思いました。

A carnation is a present from my daughter and a chocolate is from my son, for mother's day. He bought this chocolate containing 99% of cacao maybe because I chomped one containing 75% of cacao the other day, but this one isn't as good. Everyone who ate one piece said, "Yuck, it's too bitter." Don't mind, my son, I am just happy that you took pains to buy it.
I am pretty convinced that chocolate I usually eat is actually a bunch of sugar.

三線のおけいこ開始 Starting sanshin lesson

いよいよ三線のおけいこ開始！写真は、私のカンカラ三線に弦を押さえる位置を示すシールを貼ってくれているテーゲーの会の級長さん。シールをくれた金城さん、ありがとうございます。差し入れの雪塩ちんすこうもとっても美味しかったです。
予想以上に難しくて全然思うように弾けませんが、頑張ります！

Finally I started sanshin lesson! The picture shows our head of the sanshin class, putting stickers on my tin can sanshin so that I can see where to press on the string. Thank you very much, Mr. Kinjo who kindly gave those stickers to me, and Yukishio-chinsuko, his compliments, were very good, too.
Playing sanshin is more demanding than I expected and I cannot play well at all, but I practice hard.

連休後半 Latter Days of Golden Week

子供の日は日本科学未来館へ。予想通り混雑していましたが、見るものを絞り計画的に動いたため、イライラはなし。写真はアシモのショーの会場に吊るされていたジオコスモス。何千枚ものLEDパネルを張り合わせたもので、見ていて飽きません。アシモも可愛かったんだけど、思わずこちらをパチリ。

We went to National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovationon Children's Day. It was as crowded as we expected, but focusing on a limited number of exhibition and moving as planned, we were free from frustration. The picture shows Geocosmos hung in the site where we saw ASIMO's show. According to an interpreter, it is made with some thousands of LED panels and I can never be bored with watching it. So I took picture of it, rather than ASIMO, though he was cute.


アース・ストーリーという３D映画を観るため、メガネをつけた子供たち。このメガネは記念に持ち帰り可でした。面白かったんだけど、私は忌野清志郎のナレーションが心地よくて、途中から爆睡^_^; 母は疲れていたんだと思いますぅ。

My kids wearing glasses to watch 3D movie "Earth Story." They could keep their glasses as memento. Though the movie was interesting, I soon slept tightly because narration by Imawano Kiyoshiro was so comfortable. Maybe mother was too tired.

こんなところにもシーサーが！嬉しくて思わずパチリ。住環境の展示コーナーで 見つけました。暑さをしのぐ工夫に満ちた住居ということで、沖縄の伝統的な民家が紹介されていました。

I was so excited to find a shisa in such a place that I took a picture instantly. I found him in exhibition site where traditional Okinawan house was introduced as a residence full of devices to beat heat.



連休最終日は東京ドームで巨人‐ヤクルト戦を観戦。古田は出場せず、巨人が勝って私にとってはビールだけが楽しみの一夜でしたが、４本ものホームランが飛び出して、子供たちは生の迫力に狂喜していました。

We watched a baseball game Giants - Swallows on the last day of Golden Week. As Furuta didn't play and Giants won, my happiness lied only in beer, but kids were very excited and happy about seeing vigorous 4 homeruns live.

日光‐鬼怒川への旅 Trip to Nikko and Kinugawa

我が家の黄金週間メインイベントで、日光・鬼怒川へ一泊の旅へ出かけました。東京へ来て初めての日光行きでしたが、結構楽しめました。華厳の滝もゴールデンウィーク期間中は増水して、この通りの迫力。でも普段どんな感じなのか知らないので、実は有り難味はありません。＾_＾；
息子が記念コインが欲しいと言うので買ってやったら、３０円で記念の文字を打刻してくれるという案内があり、早速例に倣って2006年４月２９日　息子の名前を打刻しようとしました。でも２を打った後どうしても続きが打てず、一文字３０円であったことに気付きました。それ以上コインを入れる気が無いことを承知している息子、意味も無い２と打刻されたコインをゲット。「これからはこんなところで、こんなものを欲しがらないことね」と私。深くうなずく素直な息子でした。

We went on an overnight trip to Nikko and Kinugawa, Tochigi prefecture, which was our main event during Golden Week. And we had a good time for our first vist there. Kegon-no-taki Fall was spectacular because they increased the amount of water for Golden Week, but as I didn't know how it looks like usually, I couldn't appreciate it very much.
My son wanted to buy a cheap coin for remembrance so I bought it and found the sign saying we can punch mark the coin if we pay additional 30 yen. So we paid it and tried to punch mark "2006, April 29, son's name," but after marked "2," we couldn't next letter. Then we found out that we had to pay 30 yen per letter. My son knew I had no desire to pay more, he got a coin punch marked meaningless "2." I said to him, " Now you should know you had better not buy such things in such a tourist site." My obedient son nodded agreeingly.

２日目は鬼怒川ライン下りを楽しみました。山々はまだ咲き残っていた山桜やつつじ、新緑に彩られ鮮やかだったし、結構流れが速くてスリルもあったし、期待以上に楽しめました。ただ、スタート直後に船頭さんが思わず手放したオールが私の左腕を直撃したのは、痛かった・・・

On the 2nd day, we enjoyed a boat tour on Kinugawa river. It was faster and more thrilling than we expected and the mountains surrounding the river were exceptionally beautiful, colored with remaining cherry blossoms, azalea and fresh verdure of spring. Unfortunatelly; however, a boatman released his oar in spite of himself because of rapid stream, and it hit me on my left arm. Ouch!