 |
I am sure many of you know the 48 year old Scottish
singer Susan Boyle. For those of you who don't. She was a contestant
on the British TV show "Britain's got Talent", one of the talent shows
that have become extremely popular recently in America, England and
many other countries. Others include "The X Factor" and "American
Idol".
The talent shows hold auditions all over the country and then hopefuls
try to impress the judges to get through to the next round. In the
show "American Idol" over 100,000 people audition and over about 3
months, this is reduced to the eventual winner. Each week, the singers
perform and after are criticized by 3 judges, but it is the American
public that decides who is eliminated from the competition. After
watching the show the public call special telephone numbers to vote
for their favorite each week. The contestant with the lowest votes
goes home. Many new stars have been found from these shows. I know
Japan has NHK's "Nodojima" But it is very different from these other
shows. I am hoping that one of Japan's TV companies will start a similar
program and we will have an active voice in choosing Japan's next
stars. How about you? Would you like to watch and more importantly
would you take the time to call and vote for your favorite singer? |
| The other day, I entered an empty elevator and pressed
the button for the 10th floor. Soon after a mother and her young son
entered and pressed the button for the 9th floor. The doors closed
and we started upwards. Then suddenly, the little boy quickly pressed
all the buttons. The mother shouted at her son, but it was too late.
She apologized to me and we slowly went up, stopping at each floor.
Luckily, I was not in a hurry, but it made me wonder about something.
Why is there no cancel button on elevators? It is very cheap and easy
for the makers to put one in. Many times, people press the wrong button
or decide to go to a different floor while riding on an elevator.
Everyday all over the world thousands of elevators are stopping at
floors, where nobody gets out. It seems such a waste of time, energy
and money. |
What to do with my money?
|
Over the last few months there has
been a lot of discussion in the media about Prime Minister Aso s plan,
to give every citizen of Japan a little money. Some people think it
is a waste of the taxpayers money and that it will not help the economy.
But now that it has been decided to give it out. We need to think,
what we will do with it. Shall we spend it on a nice dinner at a restaurant,
a new bag, a day at the pachinko parlor? Shall we save it in the bank
or shall we donate it to some charity?
I have decided to help Prime Minister Aso, the environment and my-self.
I will change all the light bulbs in my house with the new fluorescent
bulbs. They last longer, save on electricity bills and they are made
by a Japanese company. What will you do with yours? |
Wearing a mask! (A cold, or not a cold?)
|
| Whenever people come to a new country
to live, they try to copy many of the customs and habits of their
host country. But also they try to keep as much as possible the habits
and customs from the country of their birth. One custom in Japan which
I don’t copy, is wearing a mask. The first reason is: I have failed
to understand when I should wear a mask. Should I wear it, if I have
a cold, if I have hay fever, or if I am af-raid of catching a cold
from people around me? When I see someone wearing a mask, I always
wonder, why they are wearing it. The second reason is: In England
people only wear masks if they are a doctor or den-tist. No normal
citizens wear masks on the train, going shopping or at work. |
Something needs to be done.
|
| I read recently that some local governments have
been placing Torii gates in areas where people show away rubbish illegally.
It sounds like a good idea and Torii gates are beautiful, but I think
people will only find a different place. To get people to stop completely,
the local governments have to make it easier and cheaper for people
to get rid of their trash. One way that they do this in England,
is to set up areas where people can come and throw their garbage away
legally. People call this place “The Dump”. There are about 6 very
large containers divided into several materials. For example: metals,
paper, wood. It is open 24 hours a day and people go there in their
cars. You can throw away anything. Each day a truck comes to empty
them. |
Vocabulary
Synonyms. :同意語
For example: Trash, garbage, rubbish,
dust. |
Setagaya Ward vs. Arakawa Ward
|
| Around my neighborhood there are several animal lovers. Each night they put out about a dozen bowls of pet food to feed the growing number of stray cats living near. Last month,Arakawa Ward in Tokyo has passed a new law. From April 2009 anyone feeding stray cats and dogs or un-owned animals could be fined up to 50,000 yen. One of the stray cats likes to sleep on the bonnet of my car after I return home. Mainly it does for the warmth from the engine. But each time he jumps on my car he leaves little scratches on the new paint. But I am so glad I live in Setagaya Ward.Because seeing these animals around my house brings a little joy in a very crowded city.So, Setagaya ward, please don't try to copy Arakawa ward. |
Vocabulary
Fined: Having to pay some money as a
form of punishment. :罰金を課せられる |
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