No plan to go abroad this summer, but I am excited to think about doing many things still. How much of them can I do, I wonder. First, I have to wait for my new furnitures from my brother ( who is moving to India soon ) and throw away my junks. I really want to make a better chashaku, bowls and plates, also want to make a obi from the cloth I bought. I haven't really made soap this year, so I might do it, too. Oh, but the summer vacation is not long enough, and will finish very soon, I know.
I've been recording people's voice using MD recorder for 1 months. But my disc was suddenly broken,( I don't know why ) and about 12 to 13 people's voices on that disc were gone. I was so shocked, and couldn't believe it. Not knowing what was wrong, I again started to do it again from the beginning. This time, it worked well, and when I had almost finished with it, it happened again! Almost 16 people's voices were gone this time. There had not been any wrong operation, and I was sure it was not my fault. I hate digital technology! Guess what existed some seconds ago disappear in one moment?! How unreliable it is! If it was a tape, it couldn't happen. I may have recorded something wrong, but not everything will disappear. I was so mad that I was about to throw my md recorder toward the wall. Now thinking about various digital things, comparing with analog or old things. The data of the pictures taken by digital cameras would break or disappear, this blog as well, the emails would be erased easily, keeping the address book in computer is also dangerous. I'd better keep diary than writing this blog, I wonder. Does digital technology make our lives better?? Oh, I know it does, but I doubt it.
When I first bought my digital camera, I was very frustrated how inconvenient it is. I must power on it, the battery is becoming dead often, the delays of the shutter, etc. I used to think "Why have I bought such a thing!" I don't like the people who always look back on the good old days, but I am sure that old things are sometimes much better than high-technology things.
最近は実家によく泊まります。一ヶ月に一度は顔を出しているかも。出張があるのも事実ですが、親に会わなくちゃって思うことが多いから。盆や正月にも実家に帰らず、海外旅行にばかり出かけていた親不孝娘の私にとって、これは驚くべき頻度です。 実家に帰ると、よく両親の写真を撮るようになりました。庭仕事をしている父の姿や、居間の様子など、なんでもない風景をついカメラに撮りためてしまいます。写真を撮るのは、いつかこの風景が見られなくなるということを、現実として感じているからで、両親が健在な時の実家の様子がどんなだったか、忘れてしまうのがこわい、という気持ちもあります。滅多に家に帰れないお兄さん達にも、この写真をいつか見せてあげたいなぁ、とも思いながらとるわけです。そんな気持ちでカメラを覗くと、どうしてもっと一緒に過ごしてあげなかったんだろう、とか、お母さんから教わっていないことがまだたくさんあるのに、とか、私くらいの年齢の時、両親はどんなだったけ？とか、なんとも切ない気分になってしまいます。 写真を撮るという行為は、もうその風景にあえなくなるようで、寂しいものでもあります。 Recently I stay at my parents' often, maybe once a month. It is not only because I have some meetings to attend in Nagano, but I feel like going to see them. It is a very surprising change about me, because I was not a type to care about my family. I would fly to other countries when I have holidays, and never come home to see them. In Japan oshogatsu ( new year ) and obon are the time to go to their hometown, but I never did that. For me, traveling abroad was the most important things. But these days, I often go home, see my parents and take some pictures of them, their garden, their living room, etc. It is just like getting prepared for the future when they both die. I am afraid I would forget what my home was like with my parents. They are in good health now and I don't have to worry so much for now, but the day will surely come. I shall show those photos to my brothers who have few chances to come home. Looking at them through my camera, I feel some kind of sadness. Why have they got old so fast, why didn't I spend more time with them, why didn't I learn more household things from my mother, what were they thinking when they were at my age,, Taking pictures makes me sad and nostalgic.
This year, I made some preserved food from plums. In Japan, we call this kind of work "Ume-shigoto." I wonder why only the works with Ume ( plums ) have this name. It is a kind of very typical and traditional Japanese housewives' works. Thinking if I am getting like a old-styled Japanese housewife. Another thing I started trying this year is to make cha-shaku ( bamboo tea-spoon for scooping matcha powder.) I have bought several tools for making it, such as a saw, a hatchet, a hammer, a mallet, and a knife. My very first work was finished recently. It is not suitable for practical use, because it was just for practice, but I am very happy with it. My knife has lost its edge after making my first cha-shaku, so I've finally bought a whetstone! Having been afraid about disturbing my neighbors with my sawing sound or mallet sound at night, but what would they think if I am sharpening my knife on a whetstone night after nignt? A scary woman.
I was surprised to know that there is no English word for Kamishibai ( storytelling illustrated by a series of pictures.) I am doing a Kamishibai translation project in my class. It is interesting to notice that there are various onomatopoeic words. I was not aware of this variety of experssions in Japanese. I really love those words listed above, which I cannot put into English though. It is nice to make some words from the sound.
Found a very small baby killifish in my water tank. It is less than 1 centimeter long, looks like a black wasted thread, but it is alive and moving. So cute!
