Category Archives: Daily Sketch

Ikaga desu ka? I am doing well.  It’s very hot here and it rains alot as well.  The college courses I’ve taken so far have gone well. Boku wa Nihongo o narattei imasu. But I don’t get to speak japanese every day though.  I’ve learned asking question so that I can go shopping.  I can ask to try thinks on an how much they cost, but I haven’t had any real conversations with any Japanese people. I can usually under stand most of what people are saying if they speak slowly.

The people on the train don’t really wanna be botheded they just stare at the floor or close there eyes and sleep until their stop.   I moved from my old apartment to a new one in Nokendai, which is in Yokohama city. I also have internet access so I can write to you more often. I hope Continue reading →

 
　５月２２日、祖父の７回忌法要のため、日帰りでハワイ島、コナの実家に帰りました。午前５時半の飛行機でホノルルを発ち、６時半頃、コナに着きました。空港には、母が迎えに来てくれました。家に着くと、母は朝食を用意してくれました。法要は、１１時からコナ本願寺で行なわれました。そして、寺の外にある納骨堂にお参りをしました。

　今回、ご住職は英語だけで法要を行ないました。初めてのことでした。今までは、日本語だけでした。日本語での法要は、まったく理解できませんでしたが、英語だけになると、不思議な感じでした。言葉の意味は、全てわかるはずなのに、まるで言葉に意味がないかのようでした。何かが失われているような気持ちがしました。 Continue reading →

May 22nd was my grandfather’s Seven Year Service.  I flew to Kona at around 5:30am.  My mother picked me up at the airport and took me home.  She made my sister and I breakfast.  The service started at 11am at Kona Honganji Mission Temple.  It’s the same temple I’ve been going to since I was a child.  I was baptized there.  My two aunts and uncle flew in from Oahu like me.  It was a small service.  There were about 12 people.

This day’s service was different from all the other funeral services I’ve been to before.  It was delivered in English.  Reverend Shindo has presided at Kona Honganji since I was a child, and the services have always been in Japanese as he and his family are from Japan.  I guess there less people now that understand Japanese.  I know I didn’t understand it as a child, and still don’t understand most of it today.  But there was a comfort in listening to the Japanese.  It felt more authentic. Continue reading →

I’ve been very busy since my arrival in Japan.  I live in Yokohama now. I have recently begun to get settled in which has freed up more of my time.  I gone to Kamakura to see the temples and the large Budda statue.  I plan on exploring more of Japan now that I have more free time. I’m also taking Japanese language lessons again. 

It’s getting really hot and humid here.  I still don’t have Internet in my house but I will have it soon.  I have to open a bank account at the bank of Yokohama.  The Internet providers won’t accept payment from American banks. Continue reading →

Last weekend, I had both days off. After graduation, I worked at the Shipyard either Saturday or Sunday for two and a half years so, I felt lazy not working one of those days.
 

仕事が人生

　先週の週末は、久しぶりに２日間の連休でした。パールハーバーの造船所に就職してから２年半、ほとんどの週末は、土曜日か日曜日のどちらかに出勤していたので、私は、怠け者になったような感じがしました。
 

しごと が じんせい

　せんしゅう の しゅうまつ は、ひさしぶり に ふつかかん の れんきう でした。パールハーバー の ぞうせんしょ に しゅうしょく して から ２ ねん はん、ほとんど の しゅうまつ は、どようび  か にちようび　の どちらか に しゅっきん して いた ので、わたし は、なまけもの に なった ような  かんじ が し ました� Continue reading →

 しがつ と ごがつ の できごと

　４月に、２回、酒を飲みに行きました。１回目は、友人数人とキングストリートカフェです。そこで友人の彼女の就職祝いをしました。最後にみんな酔っ払いました。２回目は、ベッドラックに行きました。友人の一人が、５月にカウアイ島に帰るので、これから毎週、酒を飲む予定です。今度の週末は、、、、（つづく） Continue reading →

 
マンガのしつもん

ドロドロ。　そうしないとドロドロの感情が溢れてきて

方々。　先ほど生徒会の方々が捜していらっしゃいましたよ

とんでもないです

四の五の言わず行きましょうね

常々。　私。。。実は常々行ってみたいと思ってたんです

外見だけはテンチョにそっくりだね

ズズイ。　ズズイと出ちゃってくれたまえ

熱血小僧。　熱血小僧のお帰りだね

びびる。　あっちが勝手にびびるんだ

すっかり。　はいもうすっかり

ばっかり。　ボケ女のばっかりしてさ

そいつ。　そいつはてめぇの小間使いでもなんでもねぇぞ Continue reading →

 My Hometown of Lawtey

In my hometown of Lawtey, there is no public bus system. To go somewhere, I must have my own car or ask somebody for a ride. Another possibility is that I can borrow a car.

 There is no tall buildings except for public buildings, such as one school building and one post office building. The school building is at Lawtey Elementary, which goes from kindergarten to the eigth grade. Everyday life for everyone in Lawtey,  consists of going to the Lawtey Supermarket, which is very small and is the only one in town and also the Shell Gas Station which sells great Bubble gum ice cream.

For buying clothes people have to go to Starke, which is about 7 miles away from Lawtey. There is a court house and Bradford High School in Starke. The court house is the tallest building in this town. Continue reading →

 はじめてのレッスンです。

まず、ヴァイオリンの構え方と、弓の持ち方を習いました。

ボーイング (bowing) の練習を、しています。上げ弓、下げ弓、音を聴きながら、弓をまっすぐ弾きます。

なかなかいい感じです！ Continue reading →

 
A Misunderstanding

In April this year, all the high schools in the state participated in the final speech competition of the school year.  I was a judge, and while other judges were in the first round, I had free time, so I read a magazine.  Soon after I had started reading, a guy I didn’t know came up to me and said, “Excuse me, am I bothering you?”  I replied, “No, it’s okay,” so the guy sat down next to me and started chatting.

The guy told me that he was a senior in college, and then asked, “How old are you?”  I told him that I had graduated from high school in 1997, and he exclaimed, “Wow!  That’s old!”  Afterwards, the guy was talking about using computers, and he mentioned that he was terrible at it, so I said, “But you guys are supposed to be good at using computers!”  I really meant, sarcastically, “Nowadays, young people are all supposed to be good at using computers.  How can you not know!”  While that guy had been talking about computers, I had been thinking about his “Wow, that’s old!” comment from before. Continue reading →