2023

A field and track event@Nissan stadium

Nissan stadium 2023/05/21

For the first time, we went to watch athletics.

KERLEY Fred san won 100m. It’s stopped twice and had to restart twice.

We both wanted to watch Nozomi Tanaka san in 1500m competition. Tanaka san is up and raising in middle distance races, she has something draws people’s attention by her running style.

She is fast and very energetic. And very unique.

I was in field and track when I was junior high school, I ran 800m and that distance was tough, it’s not long but it’s not short, running with sprint-speed is expected so that pacing was difficult.

For Tanaka san, 1500 looked like a short distance, she was fast for the first six laps, and became faster for the final lap that did not allow others to compete with her.

I watched her running with my eyes, didn’t take out my smartphone so There was no photo or video.

Because these days someone else does video for us and share in YouTube, I found the one! This is exactly what we watched.

Tanaka san in 1500m competition at Golden Grand Prix.

Videos are always great, and live is better! I think many people gathered for her, we also saw a former professional football player was there to report about Tanaka san. That was on TV.

Back in 2021, we were going to watch marathon and some competition in 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic, however it was held anattended for the corona pandemic in 2021.

It was held under very strict rules and conditions for protecting athletes, there was tension that made us staying at home and watching through TV screen.

Due to that it was unreal and felt like occurring somewhere else not in Japan. Though they were competing in venues where only 30mintute away by train.

This time we could go and watch, hope there is another opportunity near future. We’ll follow Tanaka san!

Since this May how to treat corona infection has changed, we are taking off our masks at last. This summer will be easy to breath w/o them. It’s been three years.

Earthquakes

Lately we had earthquakes in many places. At first, it was in Hokkaido, next Ishikawa prefecture in Hokuriku region, and here in Kanto. Yesterday and today we had quakes in Kagoshima, Kyushu, also the islands of Tokyo. You know there are islands of Tokyo, and my friend is living in one of them Hachijo-island. I sent text to her she text back saying “yes there are many quakes”. I said stay safe.

Earthquake, heavy rain, whatever, against natural disasters we are powerless. When it occurs we just wish no further damages, and pray for safety.

In the map it looks like this.

It’s occurring top to bottom, left to right.

We are not surprised by earthquakes, we know what will come. I wonder what’s going on underneath of this island. I heard that there are several plates layering from different directions, and those are moving without stopping.

Time never stops so does the earth. I wish you are all safe. 🌎🌍🌏

Getting back to school in 2023

Three cats sniffing outside air.🐈🐈‍⬛🐈

My first term started and I have finished what I had to finish for the wk1 at last. Due date is tomorrow.

I chose computer science associate degree. As a part time student, I’ll take maximum two courses at once, so it will take two to three years to complete all of required courses.

Getting back to the university at this age is just fun, as an adult I know what I want to learn and I can focus on related courses only. Learning new thing together with new people, I have many classmates now.

Wk2 starts from tomorrow, it requires me to spend weekends to finish discussion and prepare a journal to apply.

What makes this back to school possible is work from home and the Internet. I have time and I have means to access to the online university anytime from anywhere.

One of our cats is biting my desk.

Then, napping.

Japan won 2023 WBC!

Wow, unbelievable ending. Trout vs. Ohtani. Since yesterday, the entire Japan is looking at the games. Okamoto hit HR and Murakami hit HR, I think baseball has deeply rooted again!

Shota Imanaga who started the Japan team is from NPB DENA Baystars for which I am a big fan! Can’t wait to watch him pitching for the season starting soon, really proud of him.

Ima chan! You did a great job!

A cat litterbox

Our youngest cat he came here last December, one day all of a sudden peed in a bathtub.

I thought he was confused or so. he is six months old now.

Anyway we closed a door, we usually keep it open to release humidity after a bath.

Then a few days later he used a washbasin as his litterbox.

It’s less issue as it can be cleaned easily, but something is not okay for him therefore I needed to think about cause.

He was fine until recently, using a regular cat litterboxes with other two cats.

We didn’t change a sand or its layout, keep those clean as much as possible.

What’s wrong?

We closed a washroom’s door as well.

Then, he started meowing when he wants to go to a bathroom.

I open the door, he jumps in to the washroom bowl and pee or poop.

Mom gave me a spare box. And I placed it right next to a washroom room.

He used it several times only when the door is closed, if we are there for brushing teeth, washing hands, he’ll jump in and pee or so, it’s quick and he looks like needing it immediately, really hard to stop or move him to his restroom.

The first option is a washroom, secondary is a kitchen sink, then a litterbox.

My concern is that he is holding himself until we open the door, that is not okay. He may become sick.

Thanks to Google, there are so many results for search keywords “cat” “toilet” “washbasin” “kitchen”.

It’s such a relief, there are many blogs meaning it’s not unusual, also there are advices and solutions available.

keep water in a washbasin or make it not available somehow
Place a cat litter at close place as an alternative
Block a kitchen sink, somehow
Wait and see

We used to have more than five cats and I don’t recall anything like this happened back then.

After some research I found a successful example which is to place a litter box in a restroom. Also applied a cover to make it his private restroom.

Appreciate my health when I get sick

Last weekend we went out watching a rugby game. It was cold outside, I think 6,7 degrees.

We both got our warm down jackets however it was really unbearably cold. I bought a blanket that helped us for the second half.

I think since then my partner got a little cold, and I got it too from yesterday or day before.

It always occurs to me when I get sick, how lucky I am to have strong body. And regret that I was not pay proper attention to maintain, myself.

Now one of my family got Covid, even we live totally separate rooms, I had to worry about infection. Did a antigen test and it was negative.

Still, having fever and sore throat are not happy. Maybe the air outside and inside are too dry this winter. I’m hanging wet towels as much as I can it’ll supply humidity.

You too, take care of yourself. Health is not guaranteed, tomorrow’s health depends on how you live today.

Have a wonderful dinner!

Rugby Would Cup 2023

This year RWC is going to be held in France 🇫🇷.

It was in Japan in 2019. Already next RWC, how fast the time flies.

In Japan there was a huge boom in rugby in my parents era, but I think it’s been faded by the time I was small. I’ve never thought or had chance to watch rugby in my life.

I was more fond of soccer, baseball, and Sumo.

My parents love rugby and mom told me they went watching rugby matches even during very cold winter.

Things would have been different if they brought me to the field when I was small. What you are exposed to when you are small influences very long time.

So, rugby was always right there, and by the 2019’ RWC finally it’s become one of options when you look for some sports as entertainment. Some people who really wanted to make it one of mainstream sports have seriously started working on it.

The opportunity holding the event that attracts people from all over the world also attracted Japanese who know but didn’t have particular interest in it.

In 2021, a new rugby league was established, and searching and booking a game have become easier.

Yesterday we went to watch Canon Eagles vs NEC Green-rockets match.

It was cold outside, better had some blankets and hot drinks.

François “Faf” de Klerk from South Africa is in Canon this year.

We are so happy to see him play. Once he is in the field, the game changes immediately. It’s really obvious even I know only a little about rugby.

Somehow his passes go through and speed up the game. He is fast and his presence is eye catching.

We were freezing while players were sweating and steam rising above them.

Canon won the game, NEC put up a brave fight though. They’ll come back to the same field in Feb we’ll be there too. Can’t miss as this venue is probably the smallest capacity field for a professional rugby game, we can see the play from very close distance.

Hope to visit France for the rugby games. Months will pass and summer will be here soon.

Happy New Year 🐇

Let the old year end and the New Year begin with the warmest of aspirations. Happy New Year!

Choro is growing fast

My dad used to tell me that when my dad’s dad, my grandpa alive my dad took grandpa and grandma for a drive, back then camcorder was booming and my dad bought one for making memories of his parents.

My dad was a oldest son and really close to my grandparents.

We were living together where my grandpa had built a house when he was still a single young man, later my grandma married to him and started living, then my dad was born so were two of my aunts, my dad’s sisters.

Where we are living now is purely on e of my grandpa’s assets. I really appreciate it.

Back to the camcorder, my dad made some videos, but once grandpa passed away my dad stopped watching.

Making video by ourselves was not ordinary thing in 1980s. My dad said he didn’t think much about what those videos can do in a pleasant way also in a sad way.

Even my dad was in his 40s, he was still a son and a boy of my grandparents. In those video he could see grandpa is moving and talking that make him sad.

When I make videos that mostly my cats, this dad’s story often comes back to me.

Like Choro he came join our family, getting bigger and bigger every day.

I must think of how faster our cats growing, need to understand and accept the law of nature. Above all I appreciate and take care of them with responsibility.

A new year is filled with possibilities, so dream big and believe in yourself this year 🐇

Every day is a new day and comes only once, live fullest no procrastination no regret and most importantly have fun!

PGA ZOZO Championship 2022 in Japan

Keegan Bradley san won this year! 2022/10/16

It’s day3, we went to Chiba. Left home at 4:50. Arrived at Narashino golf club at 6:40.

ZOZO championship is a rare opportunity to see professional golfers from overseas including Japanese golfers who play mainly in the US, here in Japan.

Tiger Woods won his 82nd PGA in 2019.

Last year Hideki Matsuyama won the tournament.

How about this year? We’ll see tomorrow.

Anyway, we were able to see many many golfers today. We walked 12,000 steps, and enjoyed it.

We are all crazy about Hideki Matsuyama san.

And most exciting thing was the sound of driving.

ビューン

キーン

シュゥゥ

パーン

Excuse me, since I have no idea how to say in English. I am not sure any equivalent expressions exist or so.

Collected snapshots

We’ll go to driving range tomorrow morning, while what we watched are still fresh we better imitate as much as possible.

And I have to share the winner Keegan Bradley-san’s emotional tweet here.

I cried. Just how wonderful family is.

Boiled apple

Work Life Balance of Behavior Psychology C