What's St. Patrick's Day?

Every March 17 is a death anniversary of St. Patrick (original name: Maewyn) who spread Christianity in Ireland and now many countries celebrate that date to take credit for his activity.

When he was sixteen years old, he was abducted as a slave and during he was slave in Ireland, he strongly believed Christianity and thought his task was to spread Christianity to people.

People usually celebrate this date with green items and shamrock because Ireland where St. Patrick spread Christianity, is sometimes called “The Emerald Isle” because a lot of the country is a beautiful green, like the color of emeralds and St. Patrick used a shamrock like clover to explain the Christian message of Trinity (Tri+Unity) simply and shamrock becomes a symbol of Christianity.

Also, people usually drink Guinness, which was originally made in Ireland.

You can see the Chicago River colored in green in Chicago and the tower lighted up in green in New Zealand. Also, you can see many big parades in the U.K, the U.S., Canada, Australia etc where many immigrants from Ireland live.

After the Aliens - yoga

After reading: Alien Alert in Seattle

My hobby is doing Yoga.

It is the most interesting hobbies for me to doing Yoga in my life now. I have started Yoga since 2013. I had wanted to try doing Yoga for long time but I didn’t start as there was no attracted place. Several years later, I found the place to do Yoga. It was really excited to do Yoga and I was fascinated.

In addition, it is interesting not only poses but also Yoga’s history. I studied a history and think human would like to emancipate in any age. Yoga teach me a lot of things. Through Yoga, I learn it is important to live a moment. Especially, it is good when I’m very busy!! Now, my daughter causes my stress sometimes, so I try to doing Yoga as much as possible.

Recently, I would like to add a trampoline my hobby but I don’t do it. I want to bounce!

My city, Matsumoto's Information

Local customs
   There is no special dress code outside of worship places, but you should take off your shoes and hat inside of a temple or shrine. You should avoid wearing skirts and shorts which are too short. You shouldn't talk about good points of Nagano city if you talk with Matsumoto citizens, especially with the old people. It is because the relationship between Matumoto and Nagano cities had been bad for a long time. Now I think it is getting better. You don't need to tip anyone in Japan.

Food & drink
   The local tap water is drinkable and tastes good. Moreover there are many places where you can drink fresh spring water in Matsumoto. Because of the beautiful nature, water is clear and delicious here. You must try Japanese noodle, soba. It is one of the famous foods in Matsumoto. It is also good for your health. You must try Japanese alcohol, sake, too. Thanks to the clear water, local sake tastes really good. You should be careful with Japanese pickles, tsukemono. Some of them might be too salty for you.

Haruka

Crime Scene Investigation

CSI: Miami is an American police drama television series.

It was performed on September 23, 2002 for the first time. Starring David Caruso as Lieutenant Horatio Caine, Emily Procter as Detective Calleigh Duquesne, and Kim Delaney as Lieutenant Megan Donner. The series is the first spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

 Miami is the famous resort place in USA, beautiful beach, white sand and people enjoy the vacation. The tricky and gory crimes are hided in these luxury resort. The team of Miami is the group of expert for investigation with scientific method. They can identify the finger print of criminals by using UV light, and find out who he/she is with the special data base. They are not only stay at the science lab but also going out in order to arrest the criminal with their guns.

Horatio Caine who is the leader of this group is very smart and having a keen sense. He can find out a lot of things with a few clues at the scene. The team member respect him and co-working very well. His team looks perfect but sometimes shows humane side.

 If you are looking for any police drama, you should watch CSI: Miami!

Sightseeing and shopping in Ina

Sightseeing

There is a famous cherry blossom park in Ina city. You can enjoy many beautiful pink-red cherry blossoms in Spring. During the season, there are lots of traffic jams…especially weekends and daytime. So, you should go to there at night or weekday. There are many limited-time-only food stands.You will be satisfied with the flowers and foods at the same time.

In autumn, the park is also famous for the beautiful colored leaves.You should visit there each season. 

Please enjoy the beautiful view!

Shopping

Ina city is famous for Kanten(agar),Sake and Gohei-mocha. If you have no idea for souvenir, please remember these things. For example, you can take a tour of Kanten factory and Sake factory. These tours are very interesting and factories are so nice. So you will enjoy yourselves and get some special souvenirs there!

And...please don't forget to eat Gohei-mochi in the city! It's tasty!

Enjoy your stay in Ina!

Matsumoto city: Safety and Getting around

Safety 

Basically, you don’t need to worry much about safety in the city. Matsumoto is a peaceful calm city. There are no homeless people, any vandalism and beggars. You don’t need to be careful too much even at night. You can walk around alone without worrying. 

Night time in this city is very quiet. It must be really rare but just in case you have an accident or some trouble, go to the police station which is located just besides of the Chitose bridge. 

Getting around.

Matsumoto is a not big city so you can reach most of the sightseeing places. Is it a just right size for walking around. For example, getting to the Matsumoto castle, one of the main sightseeing spots, takes about 15 minutes on foot from the JR Matsumoto station. 

However if you go around the city more actively, you can rent a bicycle. You may feel clean fresh air during the cycling and get the Agata no Mori which is consisting of quaint old-style school and park easily. The rental bicycles station is in front of the Clock Museum, Metoba riverside. It is free! Enjoy explore Matsumoto.

Teruki

The Fisherman and his Soul - an epitaph

I would like to build one nice grave for the fisherman and the mermaid. Hope visitors would grasp their way of life and learn something.

Here lies,

The Fisherman with a monkey soul and the Mermaid with no soul. One fisherman once lost his soul before getting buried here. Mermaid with beautiful voice tried this fisherman to love her and he let the soul go.

Soul with no heart learn good and bad while it's away from the master through the journey. Mermaid gave an ultimate ordeal, as if she is the master monk. Soul of the fisherman experienced greed, anger, and finally understood good, as if it is a monkey. People need heart to love people and to know the good.

If the soul is a monkey, a monkey needs heart to understand minds of people. However, the master monk cannot do anything to help a monkey get enlightened. Fisherman had a heart so the soul learned good. Yet the fisherman was unenlightened.

What happened to the fisherman and how he lived?

He was just no one but broke precious teachings and promised not to go to heaven. Poor fisherman, stay close to your beloved mermaid with the purified soul and a heart fulfilled you.

This story reminds me of the extremely long and complicated Chinese novel, the Journey to the West. There are lots to learn from this book and interesting to read.

Dinner with Ghost

If I can have dinner with a ghost, I would like to have it with my grand father who passed away eight years ago.  He was good at cooking.  I loved the simmered dish cooked by him.  He looked forward I got married while he was alive, but I got married two years ago and could not invite him to my wedding party.  If he knows that I got married and had a baby, he must be very glad.

Imaging I have dinner with him, we go to a super market to get foodstuff and cook hot pot together.  I would like to ask him how the life is in heaven.  I think he would say that people live in zero gravity and watch the world.  The things that they can do is very limited, but there are no wars and people live peacefully because they were polite to other people while they were alive.  He must advise me that I should care for other people and do everything that I would like to do as much as possible.  I will follow his advice to meet him again in heaven.

Kazumi's local (Matsumoto) restaurant reviews

Aburaya

You won't find Chinese food as good as this in town. It's always busy, so the service isn't as quick as some people would like. However, every dish is tasty. I recommend going there late lunch time, as it won't be too busy. You won't be able to have some options (coffee, dessert) but it's as cheap as anywhere else in town.

Reviewed by Kazumi

Find it on Trip Advisor

Maruyasu

Nowhere serves as much salad, rice & miso soup as Maruyasu. You can take advantage of the 'all you can eat' option. This tiny restaurant is always full. You can't book, so I recommend going as early as you can before the restaurant opens. It isn't as expensive as you'd expect.

Reviewed by Kazumi

Find it in Google maps: 7-43 Takamiyaminami, Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture 390-0843

Miyuki's local (Matsumoto) restaurant reviews

Reizan

I've never had Chinese food as tasty as this. Everything on the menu is cooked to perfection. This long-established restaurant is popular with families. If you prefer quicker service, try it on a weekday or week-night, when it isn't as busy as the weekend. It's a little expensive, but you get what you pay for.

Reviewed by Miyuki

More info at Tabelog

Misato

I don't eat at soba restaurants as often as at French and Italian ones. This soba restaurant has a beautiful Japanese garden, so you can enjoy your meal and a romantic view. The house is historic and peaceful, and has a nostalgic atmosphere. The staff are friendly and do everything to make your meal as pleasant as possible.

Reviewed by Miyuki

More info at Tabelog

Would you like to stay in Japanese garden house in Matsumoto?

It's walking distance from Nakamachi Street. It's spacious, with four Japanese-style rooms, a living room, a large garden, two bathrooms and a balcony. The garden has a pond, a river, a lot of "toro" - which are Japanese stone lanterns. For example, the "Yukimi Toro" was built near the pond, because Yukimi is in the fisherman's style - to get fish.

The neighbourhood is friendly and fun. We always join the festival of Fukashi Jinja (shrine). It's perfectly situated for galleries, museums, and the performing arts.

The house is ideal for a family. It's a no-smoking house and sorry, no pets,

("yuki' is snow - "Yukimi Toro" is snow view lantern)

Posted for Kaoru

NB Not actually for rent :)

The letter from Tristan to Rual & his wife

Dear my father and mother,

I know I am not your real son, but please dare let me call you father and mother now.

Thank you very much for your growing me up by now.

And also thank you for your teaching me a lot of things like using a sword, a spear and riding a horse. I was also taught speaking other language and playing the harp.

I grew up and I am a man now. I would like to leave Lyoness and visit my uncle, King Mark in Cornwall. I will try to be a brave knight there. Please pray my success.

Finally, I will never forget your kindness in future. I will return the favor of you.

Best regards,

Tristan

My favorite things to do when it rains

In October, it rained every weekend.  Two big typhoons came to Japan and I couldn’t spend my family time outside.  When it rains, I usually make something by origami paper at home.

Origami is an art of folding paper.  When I was a little child, my grandmother taught me how to fold papers to make bird, box, boat, flowers, etc.  It looked like a magic and I loved the time with my grandmother.

The traditional origami paper is in standard colors with no patterns, but recently there are a lot of origami papers in different types of patterns, like Japanese traditional patterns or modern stylish patterns. 

I also learned there are many blogs introducing ideas how to fold papers to make fancy home decorations.  Then, I started making stars and put them on walls or string them down from the ceiling.  I pick up blue and green papers for summer and replace them to red, green and white for coming winter season.

Now I am preparing a Christmas wreath.  I am going to fold over a hundred origami papers to make flowers, and then put them in a hoop.

A postcard from Italy.

Dear Luna Friends & Teachers!

I'm having a wonderful time in Italy. After appreciated marvelous Renaissance arts in Firenze, visited small charming villages in Tuscany, enjoyed fantastic wine, especially in Montepulciano.
Today I am going to the Riviera. I'm expecting see the lovely small villages 'Cinque Terre'.

Teruki