Screenplays

In our English conversation club too, the first half of the current year is over. The next session is going to start in October. We attempted to complete one project for a month as an achievement of this session. The project was to write screenplays and to act on the stage, though it is a small stage.

As I wrote about our activities before, we chose two characters freely from the world’s history, movies, manga, novels and something like that. Next, three or four members got together and wrote a screenplay using six or eight characters. Finally, we memorized the part of the conversation and acted on the stage.

Our first, and probably final, cinematic attempt has been completed ,and our plays have been recorded into a DVD by the help of some students in Kobe Foreign Language University. It was my first attempt to think about screenplays.

It was very exciting to play Hillary Clinton and Melanie in the film “Five Women in A Host Club” which we had written. I am glad to have good memory with the members in the English conversation club.



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The Eighth Temple Pilgrimage of Shikoku(2)

This is Ishiteji- Temple 石手寺 near Dogo Hot- spring in Ehime Prefecture. This temple has large grounds(境内) and is well- known as a popular scenic spot around Matsuyama. There is a big golden 五鈷 Goko in front of the main temple. The color of curtain(幕) looks like the one in Tibetan temples.



This temple has many interesting things to see.



To my regret, I didn't have enough time to go into this weird cave. I'm sure you can enjoy Mizuki Shigeru's or Miyazaki Hayao's world in it. Children must be very excited.



This cup is Tobe ware (砥部焼), which is well- known nationwide.



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The Eighth Temple Pilgrimage of Shikoku (1)

I took part in the 8th bus trip to Shikoku as a part of 88 Temple Pilgrimage on Aug.24 and 25. There were 27 tour members this time. The weather was good and it was cool in the morning and evening, but it was still hot during the daytime. I visited eight temples in Ehime Prefecture for two days. This picture is 岩屋寺 Iwaya-ji Temple, which is said to be the hardest place to visit among 88 Temples. There are many huge rocks with holes around the temple.

It was very tough to go up the mountain to reach the temple. This time, most of the members were younger than my husband and I. Young people could reach the temple in about 20 minutes after getting off the bus, but it took about 40 minutes for us to finally reach the temple. My husband is three years older than I ,and he had to stop going up many times halfway. Anyway, we could pass through the hardest pilgrimage.





To be continued.



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Basic Study

I began to read 速読英単語 several days ago, because my grandson, who is in the second grade of senior high school, was reading the book while staying in my home during the Bon holidays. He was using 必修編.

I became interested in the book and bought 上級編. I make it a rule to read one essay in the book every day. There are fifty essays in it and I will be able to finish reading it in 50 days. It is useful for me to increase English vocabulary and I can make sure if I remember the English words, using red semitransparent plastic board. I feel as if I took a university entrance examination.


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He Changed His Mind.

I went to the cinema with my younger grandson during Obon holidays. My older grandson had already seen the movie with his girlfriend in summer vacation. Therefore, he stayed at home and did his homework. I felt a little bit lonely, because he didn’t want to go with us.

Anyway, my younger grandson and I reached the movie theater. We intended to see 崖の上のポニョ. Many people and children had lined up in front of the ticket counter. There was △ mark on ポニョ at 9:20 in the list of the movies. We were afraid if we got the tickets, but perhaps we could make it.

However, my grandson suddenly changed his mind in front of the ticket counter, where beautiful young girls were working. He wanted to see Hana yori Dango(花より男子), which his big brother had already seen. I asked him why he changed his mind. He answered that ポニョ was kind of childish. I liked Miyazaki Hayao’s animatin very much and wanted to see it, but followed him. He has reached adolescence. I felt it was the last time to go see movies with him.


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A Midyear Present

My son's family gave me four bottles of vinegar as a midyear gift the other day. At first glance, I expected sweet juice, but it was vinegar. Alas, vinegar! I felt a little bit disappointed. However, gradually, happiness welled up from deep in my heart. Thank you, my son and daughter-in-law. They must have thought that vinegar was good for my health while choosing a present. Yes, of course, vinegar is much better than juice for keeping my health. I can drink these bottles of vinegar as juice if I weaken it to 4~6 times with water.

Some people drink vinegar every day as health food. Vinegar weakens oily soup. People eat Hikone Champon with vinegar in Hikone 彦根, Shiga Prefecture. Miraculously, soup becomes less oily. When you visit Hikone, please try it. Ii Naosuke was the lord of Hikone Castle.


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Visit to My Family Tomb

My husband and son went to our hometown, Shiga Prefecture to visit our family tomb yesterday. Bon holidays have already started in some companies. My son drove a car in place of my husband. The expressway, Meishin, was not so crowded, though I couldn't go there with them. They cleaned the tomb ,and offered flowers, candles, incense and cakes. They visited both tombs of my husband's ancestors and my ancestors.

Tukudani of ayu was given by my father. Tsukudani 佃煮 means "food boiled down in sweetened soy sauce".Ayu is a specialty of Lake Biwa ,but to my regret, the numner of the fish is getting fewer.






A lot of eggplants were given by my neighbor in my hometown. I sliced one eggplant and pickled it with　asaduke-no-moto 浅漬けの素 this morning. I will be able to eat it in 30 minutes.



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A Funny Cup

My grandson gave this strange cup as a souvenir of Okinawa to my husband. He took part in a graduation trip to Okinawa the other day. He got around looking for souvenirs to buy. He wondered what to buy for my husband. He knows very well that my husband likes alcoholic drinks very much and my grandson has seen his grandpa got get drunk before. So, he must have thought that it was better for his grandpa not to drink too much.

By chance, my grandson found this cup in which a Shisaシーサー( a talisman to protect one from evil in Okinawa) was glaring fiercely. If you pour water or other drinks over some extent, say 80 %, all of it will run down from the hole of the bottom. That’s quite funny. My grandson doesn’t understand this system. My husband says that it might use siphon effect, but he isn’t sure. I hope this cup will work well on my husband.



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A Story Using Two Characters

As I talked about our actibity in the English conversation club before, I chose two characters, i.e. Melanie ( in “Gone with the Wind") and Hillary Clinton, and then made a story.

Melanie was a thoughtful woman. She always cared about others more than herself. Many people were helped by her kind and merciful mind. Scarlet ( a heroin in Gone With the Wind) took for granted that she should have been was treated like a queen by surrounded surrounding men. She was selfish and thought that even Melanie’s husband loved her better than Melanie. On the other hand, Melanie covered up Scarlet even when the bad rumor between her husband and Scarlet had spread.

Hillary Clinton was Melanie’s granddaughter and sometimes visited her grandma’s house in the South. Hillary was logical and very smart and often helped weak people by her job skills as a lawyer. She always thought that Melanie should express herself more openly and should demand Scarlet to be more moderate. She was often irritated by the fact that Melanie was too patient. However, she was also comforted by Melanie. When Hillary was worried about her husband’s affairs and felt depressed, Melanie consoled her and cheered her up, saying “You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember God forgives you, so you must forgive others.”



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