Official Language in office

Some companies in Japan started to make English the official language.

What do you think about it?
If you agree to this, try thinking about the demerit.
If you disagree to this, try thinking about the merit.

Some people insist that
"To speak correct Japanese or Japanese ability is more important
for current Japanese people. Before starting English,
Japanese must have an opiniton and enough content to talk about,
and improve ability to transmit first."

I understand this idea very much,
but anyway such people will not start English forever,
because through communicating with non-Japanese people in English,
people notice that those skills are also important,
and they can get them through learning English at the same time.

Therefore, such people who say Japanese skill is first
are same as the people who do nothing.

Peope naturally study a thing or make themselves study it
by themselves (without being forced)
when they have such a circumstance.

Hay Fever

Last night my hay fever started this year, too.

I have hay fever twice unfortunately, in spring and in autumn.
However, my hay fever starts at the beginning of every April.
So it is caused by pollen from cypress tree, not cedar.

Anyway l couldn't sleep well last night.
This made me awake until 3:00 a.m. So now I am very sleepy.

My vernal hay fever began when I was 20 years old,
but it stopped once when I lived in Hong Kong
because of no cypress trees there.
Unluckily it re-began when I came to Japan.
I was very disappointed.

Five-sixths of this year

November is coming soon. It suddenly got cold last night. Will winter come soon?
Five-sixths of this year 2010 is going to finish soon. Time flies really fast.
On our school days, one year was very long.
We had to take an examination five times in a year,
and the three-years was really slower than current three-years.
This is like theory of relativity, isn't it?
I want to enjoy rest of this year and want to let it be good.

Haneda International Airport

The other day I tried going to Haneda International Airport.
I went there two days after it opened.

There were many visitors (not travelers!) to observe the airport.
I was very surprised, but it was enjoyable.
Especially Edo Komachi which is a shopping arcade is good.
Edo town is designed there for foregin tourists.

However, Haneda International Terminal is much smaller
than Narita Airport, as you probably know.
Haneda has still many problems to overcome,
but it will be more convenient in the future.

On the other hand, I wonder how Narita will be.
This airport also has had many problems for a long time.
It is also far from central of Tokyo.

Incheon Airport in Seoul also has problems.
This airport is very big and now it is a hub airport,
but it is also very far from central of Seoul city.
I wonder if Incheon will be similar to Narita in the future.

Airports near the central are really convenient.
Now Haneda is really close to the central though,
the capacity is small unfortunately.

Anyway I wonder how these three airports will be
and if I will go abroad from Haneda someday.

Colorful Train

Trains in Tokyo are really very colorful and well-designed.
Each line has each own specific color,
so we can recognize the line if we see the color.

About JR, Yellow Green is for Yamanote Line,
Orange is for Chuo Line, Blue is for Keihin Tohoku Line,
Red is for Keiyo Line, and so on.

Tokyo Metro also has such a color system.
Also subway in Seoul has it. Subway in Hong Kong has it, too.
Subway in Los Angeles has it, too.

In the past each train car had only one color.
However, recent car is made of stainless steel,
so the whole base color is kind of silver
and the color of the band is its own specific color.
I like this design very much.

Probably this design started in Japan,
and it spread all over the world.

Japan is great!!

Pasta

I'm going to see two friends of mine after work tonight.
We haven't met since this summer,
so I am looking forward to seeing them.
They are going to come to my office, and after that,
We'll go to the Italian restaurant near my office,
because we can eat pasta at half price now. Isn't it great?
However, this service ends tomorrow. Do you know this restaurant?
One of my students introduced this service last week.
I am lucky and told some of my students, too.
What am I going to eat tonight? I am excited!

Composers I respect

I like music and listen to it very much.
Also I have lots of my favorite composers,
but I strongly look up to two great composers.

Have you heard the names, David Foster and Andre Ganyon?
You probably have heard of their numbers somewhere
even if you have never heard ot them or don't know them.

Some of his famous works are that,
he made the numbers of "Celine Dion" or "Chicago".

You may be able to recognize their names or numbers
if you type "David Foster" or "Andre Ganyon" on the inter-net.
You may be able to listen to their works.
(Ask someone around you how to listen to them if you can't do it.)

Now David Foster is staying in Japan
(for his promition?!) and this is a very rare case.
This morning I was watching one TV program とくダネ on Channel 8,
and he was there. He was invited to the program.

The main personality Mr. Ogura was also very impressed
because he also loves David Foster's numbers.

Anyway for a long time I have respected these two composers
most strongly of all composers all over the world.
I am glad if you listen to their numbers and get to like them.