Category Archives: Daily Sketch

When I was a kid, we hung up stockings for Santa to fill, even though we didn’t have a fireplace.  My mom said that one year, she put money in our Santa stockings, and then the next year, my sister and I put lots of little stockings up on our Christmas tree!  Plus, after that year, we kept making more big stockings to hang up.  I think that the last time we put up Santa stockings, my sister and I had two or three each, and then we also had stockings for our two cats and our dog!  Of course, we got to keep the money that Santa gave to our pets. Continue reading →

I attended Japanese school for a few years during elementary school. However, by high school, I’d forgotten most of it.  I took Japanese from 10th grade in high school, but instead of learning, we played cards and watched anime.  Therefore, I wasn’t prepared when a Japanese tourist in Waikiki asked me a question.  (I was in 11th grade then.)  I said, "wakarimasen," and she laughed and said, "oh, Japanese student!"  Exactly! Continue reading →

Do you know Mayuko Matsumoto’s mailing address?  I wrote her a card and then　realized that she only gave me her email address.  I wanted to send her a card,　because I wrote my message in Japanese, and I can’t send her a Japanese email.  Thanks!

Allison

　松本真由子さんの住所をご存知ですか。彼女にカードを書いたのですが、メールアドレスしか貰っていないことに気付きました。残念ながら、私のコンピューターからは、日本語のメールを送れません。彼女に日本語でカードを書いたので、是非、送りたいと思っています。宜しくお願いいたします。

アリソン拝 Continue reading →

When we go the Onsen I always have problems finding a Yukata that is big enough. The first Yukata that I tried on only came to my knees.  My wife’s mother called the front desk and had them bring a larger one. That one came to half past my knee. Wife’s mother kiyoku-san called the front desk again. They finally found a XXX large yukata that fit. I guess they don’t see many tall americans at that Izu onsen.

温泉に行った時のお話です。聞いてください！

　温泉に行くと、私に合った大きさのゆかたを探すのに、いつも苦労します。私 がはじめて着たゆかたの丈は、私の膝までしかありませんでした。そこで、義理の母、きよ子さんがフロントに電話をしてくれました。そして、もっと大きい ゆかたを持ってくるようにと言いました。次のものは、膝とかかとの中間まででした。母は、また、フロントに電話をしました。旅館の人は、ついに、私に合う 超特大のゆかたを探して来てくれたのでした。恐らく、あの伊豆温泉の旅館では、背の高いアメリカ人は、そんなに多く見かけないのでしょう。 Continue reading →

 
In order to help improve my Japanese language skill and visit some friends, in November of 2002 I went to Japan for two weeks.

First I went to the Kansai area (Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe), where I stayed with my friend Motoki and his family in Kyoto.  Kyoto is very rich with history.  There are many temples, shrines and streets that are hundreds of years old.  To ensure these places are not overshadowed; new buildings in Kyoto are not allowed to exceed a certain number of stories.

While in Kyoto I visited numerous places.  It would take several pages to tell of everything I saw and everywhere I went.  So I’ll only write about two of my favorite places.

 The first is Ryoan Temple.  It is most famous for its rock garden, which was built in the 15th century by a painter and gardener named Soami.  The garden is very simple.  It has a total of 15 rocks surrounded by white gravel.  All but two of the rocks sit on islands of dark green grass.  There are no trees or bushes in the garden.  It is very simple but unique.  I was told that there are not five islands of grass but actually six.  And to see the sixth you must close your eyes and allow your spirit to find it.  I still haven’t seen it.  But I like the garden anyway. Continue reading →

In order to help improve my Japanese language skill and visit some friends, in November of 2002 I went to Japan for two weeks. During my trip to Japan I meet many people and had many new experiences.

One new experience was the ofuro (Japanese style bathroom). An ofuro is very different from an American style bathroom. It is a bathroom and bathroom only. There is no toliet in the room. Just a bathtub and a shower nozzle (which is on the opposite side of the bathtub).

(There is just a bathtub on one side of the room and a shower nozzle on the other side.).

There is a drain in the middle of the floor and usually a stool to sit on. To use the ofuro first you soap up and shower off outside the tub. The whole family uses the same bath water, so you have to make sure you’re clean before you get in the tub. Continue reading →

butter mochi recipe

4 cups mochiko
3 cups sugar
3 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups milk
1 block butter, melted

Combine all ingredients and pour into a greased 13 by 9 inch baking pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F for one hour. Continue reading →

 
20 degrees Farenheit equals about -6 degrees Celcius.

華氏２０度は、約摂氏マイナス６度です。

かし ２０ ど は、やく せっし マイナス ６度 です。 Continue reading →

God Grant me the Serenity to Accept the things
I cannot change, The courage to change the things
I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference.

ちいさな おいのり

かみさま　 わたし  に おあたえ ください。
じぶん に かえられない もの を うけいれる
おちつきを！
かえられる もの は  かえてゆく  ゆうき を！
そして、ふたつ の もの を みわける  かしこさを！

小さなお祈り

神様 私にお与えください。
自分に変えられないものを受け入れる落ち着きを！
変えられるものは変えてゆく勇気を！
そして、二つのものを見分ける賢さを！ Continue reading →

Hawaii has very clean drinking water.  This is because of the artesian water beneath the islands.  When it rains here, the water soaks all the way through the ground until it reaches the seawater underneath the islands. The volcanic rock that the islands are composed of acts as a filter, so by
the time the rainwater has filtered through the ground, it is clean, drinkable water.  I think the fresh water doesn't mix with the salt water because salt water is more dense, so the fresh water floats above it.  I learned all of this in elementary school, so hopefully I haven't gotten confused.

Continue reading →