maiko-san

When I was 25 years old, I lived in a company dormitory for singles in a country town, Kashiwara-shi, Osaka. The company also provided another dormitory in Asiya City. The Ashiya dormitory is located in an upscale residential town. So, they gave a party party every weekend. A lot of company girls gathrered around and we sang a song together and danced until late in the evening. The chief of the Kashiwara dormitory committee gave a deep thought about this. He was of opinion that we should launch an attractive event to compete with the Ashiya dorm. After the summer vacation was over, he decided to organize Osaka Bon Dancing Festival in September at the Kashiwara dormitory. Immediately we prepared stalls for goldfish, cotton candies and shooting games and so on. I was responsible for lending a Japanese drum("Wadaiko"). I drove to Kyoto to meet with the president of a small chemical company, our client. It was nice of him to lend us an old "Wadaiko". ...

Welcome home Iida-san. We're very happy to have you back with us. I hope you'll enjoy learning English with us again. I've got an important announcement to make. While you were away from us, we have a newcomer. I'd like to introduce to you Mrs. Fujii. She lives in Ikeda-city and goes to her second house in Sanda with her husband on weekends. But I'm sure you will be hung up on her, because she is one of the most attractive and creati woman in this club. As for other memebers of our club, first, I'd like to thank Mrs. Inoue. You volunteered for an accountant, as Mrs. Kitajima tentatively left the club last April. You've done a good job! Next, Mrs Yamaguchi, I am always grateful to you for reserving the classroom every month. And Shimazu-san, thank you for bringing the cassete tape recorder to the classroom each time our English lessons take place. Lastly, I'd like to thank Mrs. Kashiwagi for booking a Japanese restaurant "Shohei" for today...

Condition           AMERI-THINK                                  JAPAN-THINK cut finger:            Band-Aid                                          hospital professional bandage from                                                         ...

My wife always makes me the garbage throw away. She just throws a reproachful look at me and points to the inflammable garbage filled with 40 -liter transparent plastic bags and household rubbish. The rubbish heap is located in the cellar of our condominium. First, I throw the flammable garbage in the big garbage diposal machine. Then the machine rattles and howls ominously. The sound gives me the creeeps. After that I select carefully plastic bottles, beer cans, glass bottles, old paper, batteries, fluorescent lights and ink cartridges. Finally, I throw them away  respectively in the proper blue boxes. I find this job toilsome and boring. Sometimes I have a feeling that I want to throw myself with the garbage into big disposal machine. For better or worse my wife isn't in the least interested in collecting the garbage. After all I'm disposable at 65.

That was the title at German-Japan-Society last month. I discussed about this theme with 10 participants. As I am not the member of the club, I was the last one to speak. I was impatient and anxious. But I could tell them at least the following story. "Well, I can not tell you much about meal, because I can not cook. But I'm responsible for buying things at a supermarket every morning. One day I watched vegetables carefully. We have quite a few vegetables in season, such as spinach, radish, soybeans, garlic, cucumber, soybeans and tomatoes. There were so many choices that I didn't know which vegetables to buy. When it comes to choosing, I am lame. Soon I left the supermarket and dropped in a coffee shop to read a German novel. When I came home, I was surprised to see two cartons of ripe tomatoes sent to us from my wife's friend. I took a picture of them. Now I'd  like to show you these mature tomatoes. So please pass along this photo. Immediately my wife ma...