韓国旅行１ 遊ぶ

　遠縁のいとこに出合ったような…。韓国は初めて訪れる私にも、どこか懐かしさを感じさせる国でした。

　到着初日は、まずペディキュアとまつ毛エクステンション。肌のきれいな女の子が丁寧に仕上げてくれました。細かい作業は、やはりアジア人が上手いと思います。滞在中に2度食べた焼肉も、気の利く店員さんたちのサービスが印象的でした。また、中国やアメリカと比べると、ソウル市内の路地はずっと清潔でした。

＊通貨レート
100円 = 1300ウォン = 1.16ドル
＊物価参考
ペディキュアとまつ毛エクステンション：セットで100,000ウォン（交渉後）
焼肉とビール二人前：60,000ウォン


Trip to Korea 1 -Having fun

It felt like meeting a distant cousin… It was my first time to visit Korea, yet it felt like I was there for the second time.

I had my pedicure and eye-lash extension done right after arriving in Korea. A young woman with beautiful skin did a great job for me. In my opinion, delicate works like these are Asian people’s specialty. The service by attentive servers at BBQ restaurants - we had Korean BBQ twice during our stay - was also impressive. Additionally, the streets in Seoul were a lot cleaner than in China or the USA.

*Exchange rate
1doller = 86 yen = 1121 won
*Prices
Pedicure and eye-lash extension: 100,000won as a set (after negotiation)
BBQ dinner with beer for two persons: 60,000won

私の夏

私の夏を表わす三つの言葉。
子供の頃は「蝉」「プール」「アイスクリーム」
結婚前は「日焼け止め」「ビキニ」「花火」
今は「エアコン」「昼寝」「枝豆」
11日からは、いよいよ韓国旅行です。

My summers
Here are three phrases to describe summer at different stages in my life.
In my childhood: “cicada” ”swimming pool” “ice cream”
Before being married: “sunscreen” “bikini” “fireworks”
Now: “air conditioner” “nap” “edamame”
At long last, Eric and I are leaving for Korea from the 11th.

三つ = mittsu: three, three pieces
子供 = kodomo: child/ children
枝豆 = edamame: green soy beans
いよいよ = iyoiyo: at long last, finally

命

　無事、神戸に戻りました。祖父母の仏壇に手を合わせ、両親の顔を見て、兄夫婦のところの甥っ子二人の成長に驚き、「自分は生かされている」ということを感じました。与えられた命に感謝して、毎日を過ごしていきたいものです。

写真：神戸－碧南間の道中には、沢山のトンネルがありました。

Life
We came home safely. After making a prayer at my grandparents’ altar, seeing my parents and being surprised with the two nephews at my brother’s, who grew up so much in a few years, I felt “I am living a life which was given to me.” I would like to live everyday with appreciation for this life of mine.

Picture: There are a lot of tunnels on the highways between Kobe and Hekinan.

仏壇 = butsudan: Buddhist altar
手 = te: hand (s)
甥 = oi: nephew (s)
トンネル = tonneru: tunnel (s)

計算

　お盆は旅行に出かけるため、今週末に帰省します。レンタカーの運転はちょっとドキドキしますが、エリックとのドライブを楽しめたらいいなと思います。3日間のレンタル料＋保険料＋碧南までのガソリン代＋高速代の総額は、二人分の新幹線代よりも高くなりそう。移動手段は、目的によって上手く使い分けたいものです。

Calculation
Since Eric and I are traveling during the Obon period, we are visiting my parents this weekend. We are not used to driving a rental car and feel a bit nervous, but it will still be a fun event. It costs more to drive to Hekinan, when we add up the rental fee and the insurance fee for three days, the gas and the toll fee, than to use the bullet train for the two of us. We should choose transportation carefully depending on what our purpose is.

お盆 = Obon: August 13th, 14th and 15th are the three days in which the Buddhists hold a festival to recognize ancestral spirits
ドキドキ = dokidoki: “thump, thump” – a noise to describe racing heart when nervous or excited
ドライブ = doraibu: driving
目的 = mokuteki: purpose (s)

大暑

　梅雨が明け、とても暑くなりました。昨日は暦で大暑だったということです。エアコンがなくては頭も身体もまともに働きません。なんとなく家事もおろそかになってしまう今日この頃です。

＊今日の天気
晴れ
最低気温27℃　最高気温34℃

Big heat
Once the rainy season ended, it became very hot. According to the Japanese calendar, yesterday was Taisho, the big heat day. Without an air-conditioner, my brain and body do not work properly. I am afraid that I have not been doing house keeping very well for this reason.

*Today’s weather
Sunny
Hi 93F, Lo 81F

暑い = atsui: hot
暦 = koyomi: calendar
エアコン = eakon: air-conditioner (s)
家事 = kaji: house keeping

USJ体験

　仕事の関係で、フランス人の母娘をUSJ（ユニバーサル・スタジオ・ジャパン）にお連れしました。実は私も行ってみたかったテーマパークだったので、ラッキー。ローラーコースターは苦手なお母さんと私を尻目に、13歳の娘さんは一人で次々制覇していきました。

写真：ランド・オブ・オズのステージで開かれたショーの一場面。

Experiencing USJ
I took a mother and a daughter, who came from France, to USJ (Universal Studio Japan) as a part of my job. Honestly, it was a theme park I wanted to go to myself and I felt so lucky. The thirteen-year-old daughter conquered roller coasters one after another, leaving her mother and me on the ground.

Picture: A show on the stage in Land of Oz.

フランス = furansu: France
実は = jitsuwa: honestly
13歳 = jyu-san sai: thirteen years old
娘 = musume: daughter

Cassadaga

　雨降りのうっとうしい日が続いています。こんなときに思い出すのは、NY州西端の田舎Cassadaga（カサデガ）にある義父母の別荘。緑に囲まれ、夏でも涼しくて、食事はポーチでいただくのが習慣でした。今すぐにでも行きたいなぁ。

写真：ポーチの外には、鳥の餌を吊っています。去年の7月中旬に撮影。

Cassadaga
It has been rainy and gloomy for a while. I miss Eric’s parents’ summer house in the west end countryside of New York State, especially in this season. Surrounded by green, still cool in summer, we used to have meals on the porch. I wish I could go there right now.

Picture: They hung bird-feeders outside the porch. This was taken in mid-July, last year.

うっとうしい = uttoushii: gloomy
緑 = midori: green
涼しい = suzushii: cool
鳥 = tori: bird (s)