using a site, i checked how many countries I've visited before.
only 17countries and 7% of the world.
Only 7%!!
It means I dont know 93% world.
hmm...How many countries can I visit in my life?



create your own visited country map

Gee… I have been so lazy that I didn’t feel like writing my blog. (Sorry for not replying your comments).

I may have caught a cold because I feel cold. I should take a lot of vitamin C. Though it’s a dance lesson tonight, I will skip it and sleep earlier. Take care of yourself, too!

On Sunday, I watched “blast!” Performance. It was really cool.

Blast! is an American art performance group that consists of members of the brass, percussion and visual ensembles. As the name shows, it really blasted my eyes, ears, and heart. It is spectacle. It was the same shock when I watched the movie, “Moulin Rouge!” Blast! enthralled capacity crowd completely.

The physical and musical demands of the show must require that the performers be highly trained athletes. Not only playing instruments, they entertained us dancing and singing. I can’t believe how they managed to go on playing, dancing so hard. Especially I was excited to see drum performances. Whenever drum beat, my heart also pumped fiercely. I was on the edge of my seat. Don’t you think drum is the only instrument player and listener are put in a trance? I desperately wanted to join blast! as a percussion member. I wasn’t the one. Everyone must have been eager to play some instruments when watching the show. We were absolutely fascinated and captivated. After the show, players walked down from the stage. We followed them like kids after the Pied Piper in Hamelin. In the lobby, audiences rushed to shake hands with the players. I was mesmerized so deeply that I wasn’t able to say a word neither English nor Japanese. How dumb I am! I wanted to tell them how much I was moved. But any words didn’t fit in my feeling at that time.
Naoya is a drum player and the only Japanese member in blast!. When I watched he beating drums, I wonder how hard he has been practicing. He sometimes exposed on TV. On a program, he told his performance and his life.
I love his words:
Keep on practicing.
Stay focused.
And find what you love.

My sister and I plan to go to Expo 2005 Aichi next month. Today she is arranging our tickets.

Basically I’m not the person who is eager to go to a crowded place. But this expo is special. Our Sri Lankan friend works there. He and we met in Sri Lanka last summer. He was the guide only for us, so we got naturally close. It was really one of the best travels not only for me but also my sister. We still keep in touch with him. In Spring, he sent me a letter he was in Aichi to work in Sri Lanakan pavilion. After that, my sis and I decided to go to Expo to see him again.

My purpose is only to see him, but my sis enthusiastically visit one pavilion, “Satsuki and Mei’s house”
(http://www-1.expo2005.or.jp/en/venue/experience05.html).
You know a Japanese anime “My Neighbor Totoro”. “Satsuki and Mei’s house” is an exact replica of the house from the anime. My sis loves the anime a lot. When she was young, I had to watch it almost everyday. Thanks to her, I can say every words in the anime and sing “My neighbor Totoro” in Karaoke very well. Unfortunately, the pavilion is one of the most popular houses in Expo, so we have to make a reservation. Do you believe that? Even we make a reservation, if a large number of applications are received, a lottery will be held.
My sister is quite nervous. … I guess even the expo is over, the house must remain in Aichi so we can visit anytime without makding a reservation. But she is too focus to listen to my adivice. It’s her dream so I will follow her.

I have no idea to go anywhere. Just Sri Lankan pavillion and, if possible, “Satsuki and Mei’s house”. Let me know if you have any suggestions.

* expo 2005 Aichi official site
http://www-1.expo2005.or.jp/en/index.html

I played pool with my boyfriend and his friends. We were there to play darts, but darts boards were occupied so we had no choice.

Playing pool is popular among young Japanese. I often see poeple playing in a bar or game archade. That looks cool. But after playing nine-ball pool games, I realized it wasn't my sports. Playing pool isn't easy for people with baby hands! My hands are so small that I can't hold and fix cue well. So how hard I focused on the white ball, the ball went wrong way and made other people laugh :-p

When we were there, a professional player was playing. When he hit balls, the sounds were so big. We tried to make such a big sound, but we just got a bruise on elbows to crash against the board wrongly.

I joined the festival as a volunteer. During the four days, I really had a great time with other volunteers. Honestly, it was so fun to talk with them that I didn’t get enough time to watch many films.

But if you’re interested in the nature, wildlife animal, or environmental, the festival can’t make you disappointed. You can’t find any other places to watch many interesting but thought-provoking movies without charge!! Actually I noticed many people went on visiting the festival every day of the four days. Most of them don’t live in Toyama. They came the festival from Tokyo, Osaka, and other big cities!! They must have looked forward to visiting this festival.

Also, I talked with many well-known filmmakers. They are so friendly. At first, I didn’t get any idea what I talk with them. I’m not animal lover. Actually I’m a kind of zoophobia. As a child, I was often chased by stray dogs. I’m scared when any animal (except human) is getting close to me. And I hate watching any animal programs when I eat. That makes me sick. Oh! I must not spill the beans… You may wonder why a zoophobia joined wildlife film festival. But even a zoophobia, the festival is worth watching movies in the festival. They educate me and open my eyes. Anyway, at first I hesitated to talk with filmmakers. I don’t know about animals well. But once we started talking, it was fun. Most filmmakers were curious about Japan.
I talked about the difference between “geisya” and “maiko”, Japanese traditional festivals, and of course, their projects.

What are you doing during this weekend?
If you don't have any plans but feel like going somewhere,
Why don't you come to Toyama Shimin plaza (near the ANA hotel)?

Japan wildlife film festival is held from August 4th to August 7th.
The festival is one of three biggest wildlife film festivals in the world.
During the festival, you can watch world-class 40 nominated films without charge.
See to the site about the films you can watch
http://www.naturechannel.jp/english_jwf/jwf/Eindex.htm

In addition to 40nominated films, you can watch more than 100 films on VCR, if you're interested in.
And also, you have the chances to listen to behind the scenes because some of nominees come to Toyama to hold a lecture.

* Japan wildlife film festival
http://www.jwffestival.org/Ejwff05/Ejwf05.htm

I tried to make tortillas on Sunday.

Since I spent a month in a Mexican family of Texas when I was 15 years old, I can’t resist tortillas. When I was with the family, tortillas were my staple food. I loved my host mother’s cooking. It made sense that I bought two or three packs of flour tortillas when I got back Japan from Texas.

In Japan, especially in Toyama where no Mexican restaurants run, I haven’t tried real Mexican foods except my Mexican friends cooked for me a few times. Even for them, it was impossible to find tortillas in Toyama. To entertain me, they used their precious tortillas that brought from Mexico or bought in big cities. We, Mexican friends and I, used to cry “I really miss tortillas!!”

That’s why you can imagine easily I was thrilled when I found “taco set” in Mujirushi store. I invited some Japanese friends to cook tacos. They had heard of “taco”, but didn’t guess what it looked like. Following the direction, I added taco-mix and water and kneaded it. I love kneading. That reminds me of playing with clay that was my favorite when I was a kid. After kneading the dough, we separated it to ten balls, and rolled them. We prepared my favorite filling- cheese, lettuce, and ground beef. I wasn’t able to bake and eat tortillas. But one of my friends who were rolling the ten balls found the tortillas were too small to pack the fillings. They were much smaller than my palm! That was hard corn shell, not flour tortillas I have been longed for. But I didn’t give up. We baked small shell and tried to fill the fillings. Even the shell broke into pieces, we didn’t care. We went on eating fillings wrapped by lettuce. This incident makes me long for tortillas more. I wanna make enchiladas next time.

In Portuguese lesson, I studied how to tell the time.

Que horas sao?　= What time is it now?
E uma hora. = It's one o'clock.
Sao duas. = It's two o'clock.
Sao tres meia = It's three half.
Sao dez e vinte e cinco minutos = It's 10:25

Something like that.
Honestly I still can't count from 0 to 10 well, much less more 10!!
Most other classmates can tell the time without looking notebooks.
I really felt miserable. You don't have to say, I know quite well that I'm falling behind.
I should keep counting Portuguese this week.

On Saturday you should go to Kanazawa. You can see many Samurai. Hyakuman-goku festival is held in the downtown of Kanazawa I've never seen the festival, but my sis often go see the parade. According to her, that is way fabulous. From the city hall, the parade starts at 12:30 on June 11. I think it's the biggest festival in Hokuriku area. You would like it. Also, go to Kenroku Park. The park is called one of the three most beautiful gardens in Japan. During the festival, you can enter the part free of charge.

http://www.kanazawa-kankoukyoukai.gr.jp/kanazawa_e/nijushi_05.htm