派手なイケア電車 Colourful Ikea train

It seems a new Ikea shop opened earlier this year in Kobe, and so to advertise it they decked out the monorail Portliner with Ikea furnishings. I'm sorry to have missed that - it finished in May...

Copy and paste the link to see pictures...
http://www.cluster.eu/2008/04/17/colorful-ikea-kobe-train/

本土時、北小金 Hondoji Temple, Kita Kogane

今日友だちと本土時寺に行き紫陽花を見た。綺麗だったよ。私は本土時に行くことがうれしかった。北小金に住んでいたとき、本土時に行かなかった。しかも三年間ぐらい千葉に住んでいるが本土時に行くことがない。4度目の正直！　昼ご飯においしそばを食べた！　

もっと写真が左リンクに。

Today I went to Hondoji Temple with a friend to see the hydrangeas. It was beautiful. I was really pleased to go there. Even when I lived in Kita Kogane, I never went to Hondoji. What's more, in over three years of living in Chiba, I've never got to Hondoji during opening hours, and not during hydrangea season. Fourth time lucky! And we had delicious soba (buckwheat noodles) for lunch!

More photos at the link to the left.

吹上しょうぶ公園と青梅 Fukiage Iris Garden and Ome

日曜日青梅に行き吹上しょうぶ公園を見た。家から2時間ぐらいかかって土砂降りの雨が降ったが骨折りがいがあった。綺麗だったよ！

でも、携帯から写真をうつすことがとても長い間かかた。

もっと写真が左リンクに。

On Sunday, I went to Ome to see Fukiage Iris Garden. It took about 2 hours to get there and was bucketing down, but it was worth it. It was beautiful.

It's taken a long time to transfer the photos from my phone.

More photos at the link to the left.

一週間 One week duration

ああ、このブログは一週間ぐらい書きなかった。忙しくてちょっとぶしょうだった。今日は写真をつけるつもりである。

Oops, it's been about a week since I've posted to this blog. I've been busy, and also a bit lazy. But today, I'm going to post some pictures...

湘南乃風の純恋歌 Junrenka by Shounannokaze (furigana version)

これはふりがなで純恋歌だ。もうすぐ訳をしてみる。
Furigana version of Junrenka, attempt at translation to follow...

5　純恋歌(じゅんれんか)

※目(め)を閉(と)じれば　億千(おくせん)の星(ほし)　一番(いちばん)光（ひか)るお前(まえ)がいる

初(はじ)めて一途(いちず)になれたよ　夜空(よぞら)へ響(ひび)け愛(あい)のうた

大親友(だいしんゆう)の彼女(かのじょ)の連(つ)れ　おいしいパスタ作(つく)ったお前(まえ)

家庭的(かていてき)な女(おんな)がタイプの俺(おれ)　一目惚(ひとめぼ)れ

大貧民(だいひんみん）負（ま）けてマジ(まじ)切(ぎ)れ　それ見(み)て笑(わら)って楽(たの)しいねって

優(やさ)しい笑顔(えがお)にまた癒(いや)されて　ベタ惚(ぼ)れ

嬉(うれ)しくて嬉(うれ)しくて　柄(がら)にもなくスキップして

「好(す)きって言(い)いてぇ」　おぼろげな月(つき)を見(み)つめる君(きみ)に釘付(くぎづ)け

守(まも)りたい女(おんな)って思(おも)った　初(はじ)めて

まじめな顔(かお)して　ギュッと抱(だ)きしめた

※ Repeat

あれからずっと一緒(いっしょ)だよな　お前(まえ)と俺(おれ)

最近(さいきん)付（き）合(あ)い悪(わる)いと言(い)われるけど

なんだかんだ温(あたた)かく見守(みまも)ってくれてる　優(やさ)しい連(つ)れ

「なぁ」変(へん)なあだ名(な)で呼(よ)ぶなよ　皆(みんな)バカップルだと思(おも)うだろ

でもいつも落(お)ち込(こ)んだ時(とき)

助(たす)けてくれる　お前(まえ)の優(やさ)しい声(こえ)

きっとお似合(にあ)いな二人(ふたり)　共（とも）に解(わか)り合(あ)って　重(かさ)なり合(あ)っても

折(お)り合(あ)いがつかない時(とき)は　自分(じぶん)がってに怒鳴(どな)りまくって

パチンコ屋逃(やに)げ込(こ)み　時間(じかん)つぶし　て気持(きも)ち落(お)ち着(つ)かせて

景品(けいひん)の化粧品持(けしょうひんも)って　謝(あやま)りに行(い)こう

目(め)を閉(と)じれば　大好(だいす)きな星(ほし)　あんなに輝(かがや)いてたのに

今(いま)では雲(くも)がかすめたまま　それが何故(なぜ)かも分からぬまま

会(あ)いに行(よ)くよ...

桜並木照(さくらなみきて)らすおぼろ月(づき)　出逢(であ)った(ふたり)二人(ふたり)の場所(ばしょ)に帰(かえ)りに一人寄(ひとりよ)り道(みち) 変(か)わらぬ景色(けしき)　変(か)わったのは俺(おれ)ら二人(ふたり)　すべて見えてたつもり

目(め)に見(み)えないものなのに．．．

馴(な)れ合(あ)いを求(もと)める俺(おれ)　新鮮(しんせん)さを求(もと)めるお前(まえ)

お前(まえ)は俺(おれ)のために　なのに俺(おれ)はのため

春(はる)の夜風(よかぜ)に打(う)たれ　思(おも)い出(で)に殴(なぐ)られ 傷重(きずかさ)ねて　気付(きづ)かされた大事(だいじ)なもの握(にぎ)りしめ

今(いま)すぐ会(あ)いに行(yu)くよ　手(て)を繫(つな)いで歩(ある)こう

絶対離(ぜったいはな)さない　その手(て)ヨボヨボになっても

白髪(しらが)の数喧嘩(かずけんか)して　しわの分(ぶん)だけの幸(しあわ)せ

二人(ふたり)で感(かん)じて生(い)きて行(い)こうぜ

LOVE SONG　もう一人(ひとり)じゃ生(い)きてけねえよ

側(がわ)に居(い)て当(あ)たり前(まえ)と思(おも)ってたんだ

LOVE SONG　もう悲(かな)しませたりしねえよ

空(そら)に向(む)け俺(おれ)は誓(ちか)ったんだ

LOVE SONG　ヘタクソ(へたくそ)な歌(うた)で愛(あい)を　バカな男(おとこ)が愛(あい)を歌(うた)おう

一生隣(いっしょうとなり)でいいててくれよ

LOVE SONG　何度(なんど)でも何度(なんど)でも

LOVE SONG…　何(なん)でも(ば)話(はな)そう

LOVE SONG…　約束(やくそく)しよう

※ Repeat

目(め)を閉(と)じれば　億千(おくせん)の星(ほし)　一番光(いちばんひか)るおまえが欲(ほ)しいと

ギュッと抱(だ)きしめた夜(よる)はもう二度(にど)と忘(わす)れない　届(とど)け愛(あい)のうた

Japanese man finds woman living in his wardrobe...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/japancrimeoffbeat;_ylt=AqzudlIc4SBKvOB34qDwHcEjr7sF

Strange to think that someone could be living undetected in your home for such a long time...

雀蜂 Sparrow bee/ Asian Giant Hornet/ Yak Killer Hornet

これは大きすぎる！金網は6センチメートルだ。これはちょっとこわいらしいだった。写真は危なさが分からなかった！

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_giant_hornet

Sparrow bee, eh?! No kidding! This was rather big... I took the photos before I discovered on the internet that 70 people die from the sting of these things in Japan each year, although it must be said I did feel a little scared taking close-up photos... But how often do you get the opportunity to see something like this close-up?! To give an idea of scale, this hornet was a tiny bit smaller than my little finger, the wire netting has 6cm square holes...

ホールウイートパン Wholemeal Bread

さて、この特別のぜいたくが160円ぐらいかかった！でもとてもうれしいだ！これを近くのスーパーで見つけた。しあわせ！

Well, this particular luxury set me back by about 80p, but look how brown it is! You have no idea how hard it is to find wholemeal bread! I'm very pleased with this! I found it in a supermarket a few train stops down the line. Oh happy day!

(It's possible to get German-style wholemeal bread in bakeries occasionally, but not wholemeal bread in the style of Tesco or Sainsbury long-life bread! I know, I know what this sounds like, but this is the only product that I get periodic cravings for! I rarely eat bread these days, usually brown rice, but today I fancied brown toast!)

すいか Watermelon

65万円ですいかを買いませんか。

How about buying a watermelon for about £3000?!

http://www.japantoday.com/mobile/view/premium-black-watermelon-auctioned-for-record-y650000

非常時のチョコ Emergency chocolate!

両親をありがとう！おもしろくてとつぜんのプレゼント！すごい！

Many thanks to Mum & Dad for this funny and unexpected present! Fantastic!

http://www.japantoday.com/mobile/view/law-requiring-backseat-passengers-to-wear-seatbelts-takes-effect

Finally, a law that people must wear seatbelts in the back seat. And it will ensure that taxis have to make the seatbelt accessible too! I also liked the addition about urging cyclists not to use mobile phones or umbrellas when they are ride. This is something that struck me when first visiting Japan, I haven't seen people doing this in any other country...

自分の名前の漢字 My name in kanji

土曜日に中学生とうけつけと名前の漢字を見つけた。なかなかよいだ！


On Saturday, a junior high school student and the receptionist found me a kanji name. It's not bad!

Alison: 愛璃楚夢　(love/cute-lapis lazuli-clean-dream)

Cicadas

For the first time this year, I can hear the cicadas this evening. Summer has started. The sound of the cicadas in summer is one of the things I love in Japan. I don't know why but listening to that sound really moves me. I have a feeling you can even hear it on the Studio Ghibli animations but will need to rewatch to check!

Bizarre...

Well, that was bizarre. There were the usual groups of film students on Omotesando today. I didn't take any notice until I was caught by an 'Excuse me, can I take your picture?'outside Gap. Well, I guess... 6 shots through and I imagined she'd finished and was about to go. She looked slightly dismayed and said, 'No, this is a 36 shot film...I want to do portraits of people...' So somewhere, in some photography student's portfolio, there will be a series of photos of Alison ranging through the relaxed phase, through the bemused, and back to relaxed, ignoring the camera and letting it get every possible angle of my face...

No wonder they need a 36exp film!