Japanese Londoners

Hi, there! How is your summer? FINALLY, it is time to write about my summer trip to Europe!!
I LOVE visiting Europe! I have been to Italy, Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. However...wow! It's been eight years since I went there! I like Japan and America, but the European culture has been still attractive to me!!I
So, I was REALLY looking forward to this trip...going to Paris, London, and Brussels. Take a look at the picture! I got Japanese guidebooks and English ones. I enjoyed reading those before the trip!! I didn't want to spend much money for this trip, so I searched & searched a lot. Then I found cheap fares and booked all the hotels under $150 per one night even though our trip was at peak of the tourism season. I was quite satisfied with the results!
However...eventually, our trip was a kind of combination of good memories and bad?? memories. I mean, I experienced the gaps between"the Dream Europe" and "the REAL Europe." It will be a loooooong story...let's begin!!

On July 10th, my hubby and I were in the Chicago O'Hare Airport. We started to wait in a line for checking into the Virgin Atlantic flights. As you know, this airline is one of the biggest British airlines. We used it for the first time because they provided us VERY good fares($1,500 round trips, for the two of us!!) However...while we were waiting, my hubby showed me an anxious expression and said, " Where are we going to? Israel or somewhere?" You know what? Almost all the staff who worked for the Virgin Atlantic Airways at the O'Hare Airport looked as if they were from the Middle Eastern area (even though it was a British company.) Surprisingly, almost all of them!! We had no idea why...but later, we would see why.

London is five hours ahead of the Central time in the U.S. After an eight-hour-flight, we arrived at the London Heathrow Airport! Yeah!
Even though it was early morning (8:00am,) I was VERY excited!! Then, we noticed the gap between the DREAM Europe and REAL Europe...ALREADY.
Here was the first gap; DREAM= We are about to enjoy a gorgeous trip in Europe! Yeah!!
REAL= What!? What is this HIGH exchange rate!!?? One British pound is two dollars and twenty cents!? It's ridiculous!! Everything costs over double!!
It was the middle of July. Tourism was at it's peak, and coincidentally, the rate of the British pound (and unfortunately, Euro also was...) WAS sky-high!! In the airport, we looked for the way to get to the nearest station. Then we found that... we could take the Heathrow Express (train... the picture!) that takes 15minutes to the Paddington, the nearest station, but it cost ￡15.5 per person. It meant, we had to pay $64 just to get to the NEAREST station!!
OK, calm down, don't be upset, our enjoyable journey has just started... We tried not to visibly frown because of anxiety...

In London, the "tubes (subways)" get through all over the city. It is very convenient for Londoners and tourists. We got on the very crowded tube with our BIG luggage, but there were many tourists like us! Some of them had much bigger luggage than us & babies!! We talked, "If we had had a child, we couldn't have done that.." Oh, they did it!! Probably, because tourists knew the high prices in London, they avoided using taxis as possible as they could. That was our understanding.
While we were taking the tubes, we noticed there were...many people who were from the Middle-East!! Also, many of them wore their traditional clothes which looked obviously Islamic. In the United States, we also have many Islamic people...but most of them don't wear their traditional clothes regularly. Actually, our hotel clerks looked Islamic, and many shop owners around the Paddington area were similar.
Then, we recognized the staff of the Virgin Atlantic Airways were not special. In London, there just were many Islamic people!!
Now, America is sometimes called "racial salad"(not "melting pot" anymore) because people of many different races live together in the same country. However, we noticed England is the same thing...or, could be more obvious.

Our hotel was near the Paddington station. I booked it because it might be convenient. It was! However, again, here was the second gap;
DREAM= Our hotel was not gorgeous, but comfortable enough because it's not very cheap!
REAL= Is this our room!!?? TOO SMALL!! We can't open the bathroom door fully because of its small size!!
I suppose the culprit was the exchange rate. A $150-per-night hotel room is not so bad in the U.S. But because of the poor exchange rate, every value became half! Maybe, our hotel was like a $65-per-night hotel room in NY. If we think about that...it must not be so good!!

Anyway, we left the hotel early to try to forget the trapped feeling. Which place did you think we visited first in London?
The London Tower? Buckingham Palace? or, the British Museum??
Actually, we went to...お好み焼き（Okonomiyaki=Japanese pancake) restaurant! We had been taking a looong flight(even though it was much shorter when we go to Japan..), so we needed our favorite & plain food!! My hubby is from the Western area in Japan, and the Japanese pancake is famous as the area's speciality. "Abeno" is the restaurant's name, and here is the Okomomiyaki! It was good, but actually too small for hungry us... But It was a pretty good sum for lunch... Please don't think I am a miser because I have been talking about money in this article!! I just want to show you the differences. The sum was ￡50, which was almost $100! One hundred dollars for Okonomiyaki lunch!!

We went to the British Museum after the lunch. The British Museum was good because the entrance fee was free...OK I know, I AM A MISER!!
As we heard, it was very crowded. We especially enjoyed watching Ancient Egyptian, Roman, and Greek works. This Rosetta Stone is very famous! Do you understand the hieroglyphics in 196 BC?? Impossible!! But many people tried to understand what was written on the stone...it made me smile.

After that, we walked in the Soho area which is one of the busiest areas in London. What did we find? Actually...many Japanese restaurants & shops!! Of course there were various shops, but we just cared for our mother country ones. Here are photos: the casual "Taro" restaurant, the ordinary "Manga" cafe, the "SPAR" convenience store, the "UNIQLO" retail shop, the "MUJI(無印良品）"variety shop, etc, etc... Then I remembered I heard London has the second largest Japanese population in a non-Japanese city. The first one is L.A, if my memory is correct. Well, it's good! If London has also a "racial salad" like U.S. cities, there must be many Japanese! Not only Islamic people!! Go! Go!! Japanese-Londoners!!!
My hubby and I went to the Japan Center, which is a combination of a Japanese book store and supermarket. We checked what kinds of Japanese food they had(the photo)... What!? We should visit Japan instead of Europe? Don't say that...

Oh, here is the THIRD gap between "the Dream Europe" and the "Real Europe."
DREAM = In London, the official Language is English! We can speak English, so we have no problem at all!!
REAL = What!? What are they talking about !? We can't understand the British accents!!
At night, we went to a British Pub. We ordered fish & chips as many tourists did so. A girl brought the dish to our table. We said, "Thank you." then she said, "Poperon."
.....??? My hubby and I looked at each other confused.
He said," What does it mean "Poperon?" It didn't sound like "You're welcome" at all...Isn't that a kind of code or something???"
I said,"She may have said," Macaroon..." Oh, never mind, that is a French sweet's name!"
Later, I asked an American girl who lived in London. She laughed at our guess, and answered, "I'm sure the girl said, "No problem!" British people pronounced it like that. " REALLY!?? She didn't sound like that...
When we went to a convenience store, a clerk often said, "Espresso! Espresso!!"
...We were sure he said,"Next person! Next person!" because he said it to a person who was in a checkout line.
But we couldn't ....understand their English!!!!!!

Exhausted from the time difference, the price difference, the language difference, and a long walk, we went to beds around 9:00pm.
But about 10:00pm...the EMERGENCY BELL rang loudly!! First, we had no idea what it was. We opened the door to figure out what was going on. Then we heard someone screaming, "Fire! There is a fire!!!"
"Fire!?? Let's evacuate!!" We raced out our room. However, because of the London hotels' characteristics??, our hotel (and another hotel we stayed in later also) had many doors in the corridors and stairs!! Even though our room was on the second floor (in the British way, "the ground floor,") it was like a MAZE!! We had to get through many doors & stairs... "Where was the exit??" Our room was very small, but it took time to get out of there!!

Finally, we could get to the exit. We went to the lobby, and asked, "What happened?" to a receptionist.
She smiled," Don't worry, it's nothing! Someone smoked in a non-smoking room. That's it! You can go back to your room!!"
....Hah...???? Then I remembered, I heard the same emergency bell several times from another hotel which was across the road.
I was wondering, "What is it?" But I was so tired that I went asleep...
Later, I heard from the American girl who lived in London, " In London, it is very strict for smokers! If you smoke in a non-smoking area, the emergency bell rings soon. I often heard it in my apartment. " I see...I didn't know that!!

But you know what? Because it was not very late at night, most people who evacuated wore regular clothes. We went asleep deeply at that time! My hubby had curls on his hair because of his deep sleep. I was too relaxed, so my pajama pants were untidy!
I tried not to lose my pants while I was running... Also, what did I have at that time? I was so upset that I just grabbed "something" when I evacuated. Actually I grabbed, ①a Belgium guidebook ②ear plugs ③an eye mask.... They are not "emergency needs" at all!!
My hubby was very calm, and said,"It's fine! It was not a real fire, so far, so good!! We can think it was emergency evacuation practice."
Then he looked at what I had, and said, "....Probably you needed to do that."
Ladies and gentlemen... It is better for you always to be prepared for "emergency!!!"
However, how come some people screamed, "Fire! There is a fire!"??? It was just a prank?or they tried to break into some rooms??
Anyway, we should be careful especially when we are in big cities!!

Now, I will conclude the first article of the summer trip... Have you noticed?? This is just about "the first day" of our trip. This trip lasted 9days.
I think now you can easily understand my hubby often says to me,"So...what!? Tell me just your MAIN POINTS!!"
Sorry, but I'd like to write more!! Can you follow me? You don't have to...but please do!!

Summer Kimono

Before summer is gone... This is the script of my 8th Toastmasters speech. The project theme was "Get Comfortable with Visual Aids." I wore my Yukata(a summer kimono, in the photo!) and showed some visual aids by the power point. Let's begin!!

Good evening, fellow Toastmasters. Today, I am wearing Japanese traditional clothes. Do you know what it is called? Yes, it looks like a Kimono, but actually, it is not. This is a Yukata, a Japanese summer Kimono. I will talk about the differences between Kimonos and Yukatas, and how Yukatas are popular in Japan.

In the movie, Memoirs of a Geisha, the actressed wore gorgeous Kimonos. The costume designer of this movie took the Academy costume design award.

A Kimono(着物) means a thing to wear outside. Kimonos are made from silk and brocade, which has a pattern of gold and silver threads. That is why they are expensive. A long time ago, Japanese aristocrats used to wear Kimonos as daily clothes, but now, we wear them just for special events like weddings because it is difficult to wear them. Kimonos have many layers and heavy materials, so we have to ask a person who has the skill of putting on Kimonos when we decide to wear them.

On the other hand, they are (Look at photos! All of them are Yukatas☆) Yukatas(浴衣). They look very similar to a Kimono, but originally, it was a bathrobe. A Yukata is made from 100% cotton and has one layer, which makes them cheaper and cooler than Kimonos. Also, even though they are not very easy to put on, we can wear them by ourselves if we do some practice.

Therefore, Yukatas are very popular as special clothes especially for summer events like seeing fireworks.

By the way, these fashionable Yukatas are like public Yukatas. We have two kinds of Yukatas. Public ones and private ones. Private Yukatas are like pajamas, bathrobes, as the original meaning. If you stay at a hotel in Japan, a private Yukata is prepared in your room like this one.

Actually, the Yukata is getting well known among American people. I saw Phoebe, who is a character in the famous TV sitcom Friends, wearing a bathrobe which has a Yukata print. However, I felt weird because our tradition is to wear the Yukata with the top side to the right like I am doing. Kimonos are also worn with the top side to the right.

But Phoebe wore it with the top side to the left, opposite. But in the Japanese tradition, we do this when we die! When a family member dies, we let him or her wear the Yukata or Kimono with the top side to the left. I know western people don’t mind which side is the top, but Phoebe’s bathrobe looked like a Yukata, so it was weird for me.

Let’s go back to the living people’s interest. In the modern Japanese society, public Yukatas are very popular clothes for summer dates among young girls because they know Yukatas make Japanese girls more attractive. It is almost impossible to wear Kimonos on casual dates, but Yukatas look like Kimonos, beautiful traditional Japanese clothes. Even though you are a very active and aggressive girl, a Yukata makes you look like a quiet, humble, and traditional Japanese girl. You have to walk quietly with very short strides like this because the Yukata’s bottom around the ankles is very tight. This movement reminds us of Japanese culture.

However, people say, “Boys, don’t touch your girlfriends while they are wearing Yukatas even though they look attractive!” because if you hold her shoulder, the Yukata’s collars come loose. If you put your arm around her waist, the Yukata’s belt becomes untidy. It is always hard to keep traditions.

What do I want to say in this speech?

First, if you have traditional clothes from your country, let’s enjoy wearing them if you can. The traditional clothes have a sense of traditional beauty.

Second, ladies, when you can wear special clothes, don’t miss the opportunities. Enjoy being ladies!

Gentlemen, when your girlfriends or wives wear special clothes, please pay more attention to her than usual. She is supposed to have taken time and effort to wear this kind of outfit.

While I am speaking…I know my Yukata has already become untidy. So I am going to finish my speech. Mr. Toastmaster.

Well...have you made some "summer" memories with your special "summer" clothes?

It's never too late! Summer is not over! Good luck☆

Good job, boys!!

I wrote about my favorite athlete's WINNING in the last article. However, here, I have to write about another favorite athletes' (a team) LOSING. It made me feel..."Oh my God, my summer is over!!"

I explained what the Japanese Summer Koushien was in this article, http://keikobanquet.blogspot.com/2006/08/summer-koushien-in-2006.html

Summer Koushien is The National High School Baseball Tournament. In each prefecture, sooooo many high school baseball teams competed in pre-tournaments. Forty-nine winning teams became representatives of their own prefectures. (Two big prefectures, Tokyo and Hokkaido, have two representatives)

My hometown area representative team, Komadai-Tomakomai（駒大苫小牧) is famous nationwide because the team won this National Tournament for two years in a row, 2004 and 2005. Last year, they lost the final game, but it was quite on the edge. The two teams were tied in the final game, so they had the "second final game" the next day. Many people were really impressed by the two teams' guts, so even now, people talk about the unforgettable games.

This year, the Komadai- Tomakomai team became the representative team again! It was fantastic!! Nowadays, the Japanese high school baseball world is really competitive. Actually, even the last year's winner, the Waseda-Jitugyo（早稲田実業） team couldn't become the representative this year. I imagined it would be hard for Komadai-Tomakomai...but I believed they got through it!

However, unfortunately, they lost the first game. They almost won, but in the last inning, some fielders made mistakes, and the competitor's team got 3 scores in the inning. I know, the players must have been really depressed and they did their best...but I was very sad.
My hometown island, Hokkaido, is a very cold area. Therefore, people said, "Northern boys can't beat anyone in the humid hot field, Koushien!" It was true. Most northern teams lost the first games. However, Komadai-Tomakomai had been like a "northern whirlwind" in Koushien. They were on the "away" ground, but they played like it was their "home" ground and they became No.1!!! People were astonished about what they did.

It may be rude for the top athlete boys, but actually, I reflected myself on their fantastic accomplishment. When they won the first time in 2004, it was my first summer in the U.S. I, a northern Japanese girl, was struggling with assimilating into American culture and their language, English. Then, I saw what they did. They had been working hard on their field, and were successful on another field. Can I be successful like them? I thought it (Being successful in another field... I mean, in the U.S.) was almost impossible, they they did what people thought was "impossible!"

I thought the first summer in U.S. (2004) was special for me because of their accomplishment. However, they had been really strong for three years in a row! It means, since I came here, I had been STUCK in front of PC (to see the flash news of the games' result in Japan) every summer because of them!!

Not only me, but also many northern Japanese were encouraged by them. I think players of Komadai-Tomakomai also were encouraged by the majority support, but sometimes, it made them really stressful. The director, Mr. Koda, felt it the most. Therefore, unfortunately, he resigned the manager's job. I understand his decison.

However, I really appreciate them. In past three years, they had given me "courage". This year, maybe I can encourage them.
"Listen to me! There is nobody who can always win!! Life is long, so sometimes we win, but sometimes we lose. Don't be discouraged!! When we lose, we can learn MORE than when we win. Whatever you choose in your life, the most important thing is "continuation." The REAL winner is someone who grabbed what YOU need from what you have been doing. It could be sport, study, or job...you can choose it. Live YOUR life! and, never give up!!"

...But probably, I don't have to encourage them...don't you think so? They are supposed to learn that by themselves through severe trainings & crucial competitions!!

I'm sure they don't want to listen to my words, from such a lazy girl!

So I am just going to say, "Good job!!" to them. Thank you very much for making my summer exciting for a long time!!☆☆☆

Congratulations, Natalie!!

Two weeks ago, 24-year-old professional golfer, Natalie Gulbis grabbed her first LPGA victory at the Evian Masters in France!!! This was fabulous news for us!! Natalie Gulbis is not just "a golfer." She is beautiful, charming, sexy, funny, and VERY friendly!! Every year, her "swim-suit" (not "golf wear") calenders are issued and many people (not only golf lovers) are interested in getting it! She is a fashion model for a fashion brand, sports magazines, a hotel, etc. She was even an ex-(not "current")girlfriend of Peyton Manning, one of the most popular American football players!! But, I think many people are attracted to not only her beautiful appearance, but also her sincere &friendly character. We can recognize she really appreciates her fans. Whenever I saw her on LPGA tours, she always smiled at everybody, didn't refuse writing her autograph, even agreed to photographs!! Basically, fans shouldn't bring cameras to LPGA (of course, PGA also) games. But we know she is really generous, so many people ask her to have photos taken with her... Actually, my hubby also had a picture taken with her!!
In winter, my hubby and I enjoyed watching her seasonal reality TV show, "The Natalie Gulbis Show." We were happy to know she had very supportive family & friends, and was popular as a beautiful athlete icon.

Anyway, even though she has been such a popular golfer for six years, she had never won any LPGA tour. Last year, she "almost" won...but lost in the sudden-death play off. Some people compared her with a beautiful American golfer who was active a few decades ago. I forgot her name, but she also didn't ever win . They said, "Probably beautiful golfers can never win because they are busy as fashion icons." However...Natalie did at one of the most biggest tours, Evian Masters!!

After she beat Jeong Jang in the breathtaking playoff, she stammered, "Finally!" Yeah, Natalie, finally you made it, and it's huge!! Not only did you get the first your professional victory trophy & honor, but also $450,000, which is almost double the amount of regular LPGA tours!!
I admire her persistence & perseverance. She just came back from her back injury. She is always smiling whenever her play is good or bad.
However, she must have been working hard for her first win!!

Also, my hubby and I could easily imagine what made her delighted the most after the win. It must be her father!! Her father is a sweet dad, but he doesn't look like Natalie's father...because his hair is awfully long!! He determined, " I will never have my hair cut before Natalie wins!!" But you know, Natalie hadn't won for SIX YEARS, so his looks had been getting dirtier & dirtier... We were worried that her father might not be able to cut his hair FOR EVER!!! However, the father's wish came true! Congratulations, Natalie!! We are really relieved that we don't have to look at your shaggy (sorry!) father ever again at the Natalie Gulbis Show!!

Worldwide Homeroom Teacher

This article is also from my Toastmasters' speech! I made it in April. I have been working on the Toastmasters' basic manual. In this time, my assignment was "Your body speaks." Thereofore, I used lots of gestures!! Then, I got my...maybe, fourth time?? "the Best Speaker Award"!!!!


If you are asked, “Who is the most unforgettable and admirable person you’ve ever met？Or someone like a mentor?” whom do you think about? I will definitely answer, “Norisawa!” Norisawa was my homeroom teacher in high school. Norisawa is his nickname. His real name is Noriyuki Sawa, but after he became FAMOUS WORLDWIDE in a specific field, people started to call him “Norisawa.” Why did a high school teacher in a small city in Japan become famous worldwide? I will tell you later, but at first, let’s go back to my high school days.

In Japan, homeroom teachers are very important for students. They are not only teachers, but also like mentors and counselors. I clearly remember the day when I met Norisawa the first time. He was a young, handsome, and passionate teacher. He looked so excited about welcoming us because it was the first time for him to be a homeroom teacher. The amazing thing was he had already recognized everybody’s name and face in a class.
"Hello Keiko Ohashi! How are you Cathy Campbell? Nice to see you Angela Valadez!"
He had memorized our names perfectly even though we met the first time.

Later, he told us his secret. Everyday, he had spread out students’ application forms with photos in his room. He let his wife read our names, and tried to pick up a photo of the name, like a card game. “Keiko Ohashi!” “There she is!” like that.

In front of the amazed students and parents, he did another surprising thing.
He showed us a puppet and said, “I am an art teacher, but privately, I am a puppet master.” In his honor, his puppet was not like stuffed dolls in the picture...
You can see his handmade puppets if you visit his Web-site;
http://www.puppet-house.co.jp/nori/sawa.htm
Many of his puppets are Shakespearean characters. Yes, he was a puppet artist for adults!!
At that time, we knew he might be “somebody.” He was a very unique homeroom teacher!!!

I was a lazy, inactive schoolgirl. I often visited his office, and said, “Mr. Norisawa, I don’t like studying, I don’t like school, I don’t have a dream, I have nothing! Nothing to do!” He always laughed and encouraged me,
“ Com’on, Keiko! You can do anything! You have much more possibilities than me! Let’s start to enjoy your daily life!”

One day, we tried to decide what our class would do at a school festival. We were thinking about opening a food shop. I spontaneously said, “How about a revolving sushi bar?(回転寿司)” Do you know what is a revolving sushi bar?
In this bar, the upper table is revolving slowly like a conveyor belt, so you can select and pick your favorite dish and eat at the lower table.
…Now you know, I was just kidding. It seemed impossible for high school students to do!
But, Norisawa didn’t laugh. He seemed to be thinking for a second, and said,” We can do it.”
“What!? I was just kidding!” I was surprised, but he was serious.
“Keiko, you can be a leader of a project team for making a revolving table.”
“What…!?” It was too late…

The preparation started the next day. Norisawa, some of my friends, and I visited a construction company and asked what we could do. They suggested making small revolving tables for 4-5 people. We bought cheap lumber, monitors, and made revolving tables!!
I, a fifteen-year-old, small girl at that time, used a big saw and a hammer to make revolving tables! I regretted having entered a girls’ school…I couldn’t say,
“ Oh, I am a weak girl, so I can’t do that!” to boys.
But actually, I didn’t hate it. While I was cutting lumber, I remembered what Norisawa always said, “If you can’t find what you want to do, start to enjoy your daily life!” I didn’t love the “carpenter thing,” so it didn’t become my dream...
But it was quite fun! Finally we made several tables. Our revolving sushi bar got really popular at the school festival. Maybe it was the first time when I felt “Wow! I made it!”

A half year later, Norisawa did another surprising thing. He quit the school. He got a governmental scholarship and went to France to study at a puppet university. Before he left our school, he said to us.
“I am 29 years old. If I am over 30, I may not go to France. People’s possibilities never become zero, but the older you get, the less your possibilities become. That’s why I am always saying, “You have many more possibilities than me.” That’s why I decided to chase my dream right now.”
When I was 15 years old, his words were not so realistic. But lately, I am often reminded of his words.

After Norisawa went to France, he was recommended to go to the Czech Republic where puppetry art was the most active in the world. His monologues of Shakespearean plays got really famous there, and he made an international theatrical company. He became a professor of the Academy of Performing Art which is famous for having the highest quality puppet education.
He started an annual world tour!!
I have just read an article of a Japanese newspaper when he performed in front of the English Prime Minister(at that time,) Tonny Blair.
Surprisingly, our Japanese local Norisawa became worldwide Norisawa!

Now, let’s go back to the very first question. “Who is the most unforgettable and admirable person you’ve ever met?” If you think for awhile, I bet you will remember a few names. You have met many people and some of them have influenced you very very much. You do not need to recall them everyday, but think about them sometimes. Try to make contact with them if you can. I am sure they, like Norisawa, can always give you power to follow your dream.


Believe it or not... I went to the Czech Republic to meet Norisawa 8 years ago!
This summer, I may be able to meet Norisawa again in Paris! I am really excited!!
I will visit Paris, London, and Brussels from July 10th to 19 th with my hubby.
I will tell you what happens and show you Europe's pictures!!
See you later, and have a nice summer!!

The Road to the Longest Life Expectancy

This is the script of my third presentation at the Toastmasters. My project theme was "How to say it."

I wanted to explain what makes Japanese have the longest life expectancy. I brought some Japanese food, and explain them serving some Japanese characteristic snacks. I gave this presentation in March.

Here is a quiz for you!

Which food (snack) is more popular among the Toastmasters' members? Most of them are Americans.

1. Smoked squid(するめいか)

2. Roasted seaweed sheet(味付けのり)

Have you guessed? Before I gave you the answer...let's listen to my presentation!

Fellow toastmasters and guests, now, it’s…7:00 o’clock. Aren’t you hungry? Would you like to have some snacks? I can serve you! This is smoked squid, from my country. Japanese people are health-conscious. Even when we eat snacks, we try to eat nutritious ones.

Actually, Japan has the world’s longest life expectancy. That is 82 years old. Just for the record, the U.S. is 77 years. It is said we live long because of our food. To tell you the truth, my mother is one who helps to keep our long life expectancy. She was a nutritionist. She has been making everything from scratch. Not only dishes, but also snacks, sweets, sauce, and salad dressing. After she got married, she made this chart with members of the Japanese National Women’s Friendship Group. Today, I will share my mom’s secrets of how to have healthy food. I know eating customs are different from the U.S. and Japan. But let’s find out what kinds of foods people eat with the longest life expectancy.

My mother’s main policies are two. One is to eat 30 different kinds of foods in a day. The other is that 30 kinds of foods have to be divided into eleven groups: the Grain Group, Meat and Fish, Dairy Product, Egg, Vegetable, Fruit, Potato, Beans, Seaweed, Sugar, and Fat Group. Fat means butter or oil. We have enough sugar and fat even though we don’t notice them. So, I will explain the other 9 groups. How much you are supposed to eat is depending on your sex and age.

First, the Grain Group indicates mostly white rice (our staple food is rice,) bread, and pasta. If you skip eating grain, your total energy from food is not enough. To be energetic, you should eat a grain at every meal. You need 7.4 ounces(210g) of grain per day if you are a girl in your thirties.

The second group is the Meat and Fish Group. However, you should be careful to take fish and meat in almost the same amount. Not much more meat. Ground meat and bacon have much fat, so you should not take them too much. Japanese often eat fish instead of meat. We love sushi, and, we have different kinds of fish snacks as I served you. They have good calcium.

Third, the Dairy Product Group. The younger you are the more you need them. But remember, you should make variations to have 30 different kinds of foods. If you need to have 10.5 ounces(300g) of dairy products, just drinking up the same amount of milk is not enough. I recommend you drink 7.5 ounces(200g) of milk. To take another 3 ounces(100g), get cheese or yogurt, whichever you want. So you can have different nutrition.

Fourth, the Egg Group means to have 1 egg per day unless you have high cholesterol readings. Egg has almost every nutrient expect for Vitamin C.

Fifth is the Vegetable Group. All of us have to eat 14 ounces of them daily. But, 14 ounce! If you take 14 ounces(400g) of veggies from salad, it seems too large quantity. Therefore, you should cook them in many ways like boiling, simmering, or adding salt to pickle.

Sixth, the Fruit Group. It is the best way to take 3.5 ounces(100g) of fruit in the morning to use up these calories of sugar. Fruit has too much sugar to eat it at night. You can take enough Vitamin C from potatoes. This is the seventh group. Vitamin C in fruit goes out in our urine. However, Vitamin C of potatoes is not vulnerable. It can be stored inside our bodies.

The eighth and ninth groups are Japanese characteristic food groups.　One is the beans group, another is the seaweed group. Japanese food has many variations of bean foods; tofu, nattou(fermented soybeans), aburaage(deep-fried tofu), yuba(a sheet of soy bean boiled milk), and so on. (Look at the photo!) They have much good protein and calcium. But of course you can have your favorite beans! Seaweed has much calcium, iron, and fiber, and is also good for healthy hair. This is called Nori, which is a roasted seaweed sheet. We often eat this. Please try the taste.

Now, my mother is 68 years old, and my father is 74. Whenever they go to hospitals to be checked, doctors are surprised because their bodies have nothing wrong. They are very healthy because of keeping this chart. I have been trying to follow my mother’s way. However, my husband’s most favorite food is this one. Instant curry which is a Japanese-style fast food with a lot of fat! Usually I take much time to cook from scratch, but when I use this, he always says, “Wow! You have become good at cooking!”

Well, thank you for your kind attention! Oh, the answer of the quiz! It is...

No.1, smoked squid!! I thought they preferred seaweed because generally, American people didn't like chewy food like squid. But they said the taste of roasted seaweed was very unfamiliar & weird for them. However, they liked the chewy squid!!

If you want to get your audience to be VERY attentive, serve some food!!

Interview Principles and Practices

The reason why I couldn't republish this blog during May is ( I am always making this kind of excuse,,.) I took a summer class at Purdue.
As you know, most American college students study hard. Some of them take double major, and a minor. For exmaple, one of my friends majors are management and finance, and his minor is Chinese. Therefore, most American universities ( I suppose) have classes during summer seasons!! Because of student's convenience( I suppose,) some classes have various schedules.

I took "Interview Principles and Practices" class as an auditor. This is one of the communication major classes. I took this class from the middle of May to the middle of June because I will go to Europe in July!! This class is a regular class, so usually, it meets twice a week.
However, in summer , because of the compressed schedule... we had the class every morning!!
It was hard to read the THICK textbook & do the workbook everyday! Look at the picture to see these textbooks I used!!

I was a wedding emcee, so I often did casual interviews with guests. Also, I enjoy watching some interview TV shows. I always wonder how I can be a successful interviewer, so I was interested in this class. But in this class, the teacher didn't teach about such casual interviews!!
It made sense, this is a university class!! She taught everything about "job interviews."

The professor was Mrs.Pamela. She has many experiences as a teacher, an interviewer, and interviewee.
What I was interested in most was using legal quetions. Being different in the U.S, some common questions in Japan are apparently illegal. First, applicants "shouldn't" attach their photos on their regimes. Second, recruiters shouldn't ask about the applicant's age, nationality, marriage status, religion, political preference, hadicaps, etc, etc..because interviewees are protected by private laws ( many laws) which prohibit discrimination against age, sex, nationality, religion, etc, etc!!
Some "unlawful" questions are very vague.

For eamples,
1. Where were you born? →　could be nationality discrimination!!
2. How often do you drink alcoholic beverages? → could be discrimination against alcoholic!!
3. When do you plan to retire? → could be age disctimination!!
4. Do you live in China Town? → could be nationality discrimination, again!!
5. Is that an engagement ring? → could be marriage status discrimination!!
6. What organizations are you active in? → could be political preference or religious discrimination!!

Wow!! If I were an interviewer here, I should be really careful... What if I were an interviewee, and asked such an unlawful question?
What if I were single, and asked " Do you have a boyfriend?" Should I say, "Oh, that's an illegal question!! I will sue you!!"??
Mrs. Pamela said it would not be wise because I wanted to enter the company!!
She said, "You should try to figure out what the interviewer really wants to know. In that case, the interviewer may want to know if you can transfer to another branch or not, or you can get into the job or not. You might say, " I am ready to do this job. I have been working hard to be qualified for this job. If I have to transfer to another city, I think I will understand." Then, you don't have to answer whether you REALLY have a boyfriend or not."
OK! Probably I will not be asked a "boyfriend" question because apparently I am married...but, this solution is helpful to me!!

By the way, a summer course is really hard to finish!! In this class,students have four writing assignments, four interview roleplay assignments, and two tests. I was an auditor, so I just listened to every class & every student's roleplay. But what if I had to pass this class?
I think the students studied really hard!!
A summer course is hard for not only students, but also instructors.
Mrs Pamela is a working mother who has two children. She said, just after this class finished, she would fly to Washington D.C to accompany her high school student daughter who would perform there as a chorus singer of a scholl activity.
I said, " If I can help you, please let me know!" to her. Then? Actually, she asked me A LOT!!
Whenever we did interview assignments, we divided into two rooms because we had many students. She introduced me" My PERSONAL SPECIAL assistant, Keiko!" to the students, and asked me to supervise one room when they did roleplay assighments, record every interview, time those, give them back their final exams, collect their survey numbers, etc etc...
I knew nothing about her job, so I just did what I was told... but some students thought I was a REAL assistant, so asked me some difficult questions like, "How does she evaluate our assignments?" " How do we count this evaluation?" etc, etc...
I couldn't answer them, but they still wondered about me, "She may be a NOBODY, but could be a SOMEBODY who was asked to do a special evaluation from Mrs. Pamela??" If they had asked me, I would have said," Oh, I am just an auditor!!" But nobody asked me, so I just kept my secret.

Anyway, taking a summer course was a wonderful experience for me! The most impressive thing was ....You Tube!
You Tube is a visual Web-site that you can find any videos on even TV shows you watched yesterday!!
Maybe almost all American students know this site, but I didn't know it!! Mrs. Pamela used this site a lot to show us good interview examples.
Since then, I have enjoyed many MUSIC CLIPS at You Tube!! What? What did I do in this class?? Fogive me, early morning class(It was from 8:30 am) is so hard for me, so I was often daydreaming during the class!!
Thank God I was an auditor...