2018/12/05 Dance moves

I’m home. Hey, what are you doing? I’m setting up the video camera.

Why?

Well, the parents of the kids at the kindergarten are going to put on a show. It's for the graduation ceremony.

Are the parents going to act in a play?

No, the parents did that last year.

So what are you going to do this year?

We are going to do a dance performance. I’m going to create the dance moves.

You are? Really?

Hey. Don't laugh.

I know you were in the dance club at university, but you haven’t danced more than ten years.

Well, none of the other parents have any dancing experiece. I’m going to record myself dancing, and then share it with everyone else. That way they can remember the dance moves.

That sounds like a lot of work.

Well, you can help me. We are in the same dance clubat university. You can check my dance moves.

I'd rather eat dinner. Is it ready?

No. I'll make us dinner after I finish recording.

What?

I'll start the music, and then you press the record button on the camera. Okay. Move to the rhythm. Now let's move into a circle. One, two, three, four. Clap your hands and move to the right. Now move to the left. Turn around and jump. Now this is the difficult part. Kick high and…

Ouch!

Are you all right? Can you stand up?

No. my back hurts. I’m going to rest a little.

You know, I think the dance moves are too difficult.

Really?

You have dancing experience, but you fell down. It’ll be even more difficult for the other parents.

You may be right. What do you think I should do?

Don't use that kick you tried to do before falling down. You can move your hips like this.

Isn't that too easy?

You can move your hands and move your hips at the same time. Like this.

That might work. Can you try from the begginig?

Why?

Because I’m going to record it.

Record it?

My back hurts, and I can't move. I’m going to record your dance moves and share them with everyone.

What? That’s so embarrassing. Everyone will laugh at me.

No, they won't. You are a better dancer than I am. They’ll think it's cool.

Oh, okay.

And one, and two and move your hips. Now turn around and.

Bravo. Your dance moves are great. And they're very simple, too.

Now I’m all sweaty. I’m going to take a shower. Could you have dinner ready by the time I get out?

Uh, no.

No? Why not?

Because my back hurts, and I can't move. Could you make dinner for us tonight?

2018/12/04 How the old man lost his wen

Once upon a time, there lived an old man who had a big wen on his right cheek. He didn’t like the wen, but there was no way to cut it off.

One day, the old man went to the mountains to gather firewood. He went deep into the mountains and was gathering wood when it suddenly started to rain.

He thought it might rain all night. The old man found a tree with a big hole in it. He went inside, and he soon fell asleep.

The old man woke up to the sound of lively noise and music. Near the tree, about 20 demons were eating and drinking.

At first, the old man was afraid. He didn’t want the demons to eat him. Then, the demons started dancing, and they seemed to be having a wonderful time. The old man loved dancing, and the music slowly pulled him out of the tree. Then he was dancing with the demons.

The old man was a great dancer, and the domons loved watching him dance.

Hey old man. Dance some more.

The old man danced and danced.

Suddenly, the sun started to come up. The demons had to go.

The head demon said, Hey. Old man. Make sure you come back tomorrow. Give me something important. I will give it back to you when you come back.

The old man, without thinking, touched the wen on his right cheek.

The head demon cried, Aha. Old man, that wen is important to you. Okay, leave it with us.

The demon pulled the old man’s wen. It came off his face with a pop. The old man touched his face and was surprised. The big wen was gone.

The old man danced all the way back to his village.

Next to the old man’s home, there lived another old man with a wen on his left cheek. This old man saw that his neighbor didn’t have a wen anymore. His neighbor told him the story, so he went deep into the mountains too.

The old man was waiting in the tree just like his neighbor did the night before. Then, the demons came. They started eating and drinking.

The head demon shouted, I can feel someone watching us. It must be yesterday’s old man. Come out.

The old man was afraid, but he walked out to the demons. This old couldn’t dance at all. He tried to dance but was not very good.

The demons were not happy. That’s not dancing. said one of them. Take your wen and go home. The demon threw the wen at the old man’s right cheek.

The old man ran back home crying. Now he had a wen on his left cheek and a wen on his right cheek.

2018/12/03 A&B @ Yama-dera

So Akito, who is Matsuo Basho?

He's a famous haiku poet.

Haiku is a traditional style of a Japnese poem, right?  My teacher taught us how to create haiku in junior high.

I always had five syllables in the first line, seven in the middle line, and then about 20 syllables in the last line.

A haiku is 5-7-5, not 5-7-20.

I know, but I always had something important to say.

Well, Matsuo Basho had important things to say, too. He wrote a famous haiku here at Yama-dera.

Quiet

goes into the stones

the cry of the cicadas.

That’s a nice poem. Let's go.

Hey, Ben. Wait. Were you listening to the poem?

I’m Akito. Today, Ben and I are at Yama-dera temple in Yamagata Prefecture. I want to enjoy this calm place in the mountains, but Ben is acting strange today. I wonder why.

So this is sanmon gate. It's really old.

Yama-dera was created in 860. But there were many fires, so most of the buildings had to be rebuilt. Sanmon gate is from the Kamakura period. Hey, Ben. You're not listening again. What's wrong with you today?

I'll tell you later. You know, I heard that you need to climb more than 800 steps to get to the temple building at the top.

Okay.

It is said that with each step you will forget a little more about things on earth and become closer to heaven. I'll tell you what I’m thinking after I climb these steps and become a new man.

Sure.

Here I come, Yama-dera. Help me forget.

Uh, Ben, are you sure you're all right?

Yama-dera means Mountain temple. Its official name is Hoju-san Risshakuji. In one of the buildings, there is a holy fire that has been burning for over 1000 years. It came from Enryakuji Temple near Kyoto. Enryakuji burned down in the sixteenth century, and when they rebuilt it, the fire from this temple was taken to Enryakuji.

Akito, what's this?

It's a stone mouument called Semizuka. A piece of paper with Matsuo Basho’s haiku is buried here. Hey, Ben. Where are you going? I’m still talking.

Ben is like this all the way to the top. He asks questions but doesn't listen to my answers.

Phew. Finally, the last step. We did it.

Wow. Check out this view. Let's take a picture.

We don't need to take a picture. We can just remember this nice view.

Well, I like taking pictures, and… What? My camera is broken. Ben, did you?

It wasn’t me. It was the old me. After walking up all those stairs, I’m a new man. But the old me says he is sorry he dropped your camera.

Ben.

Oh, well. My camera can be fixed, and the view is nice. I guess I should try to be nice, too.

2018/11/30 The nose / Episode four

Naigu became unhappier day after day. His nose used to hang down to his chin. It was now shorter and more normal. But he found that people were laughing at him more. Naigu started shouting at the young monks.

Don't just stand there. You haven’t cleaned enough. If you have time to sleep, read the Buddhist texts. Naigu was angry with anyone nearby. He even became angry with the young monk who helped make his nose short. That was too much. People said bad things about Naigu.

I’m sure Naigu will be punished by Buddha,

Even with people just talking about him, Naigu was still angry. He was especially angry with a young monk who loved to play tricks.

One day, Naigu heard a dog barking very loudly. So he went outside to see what was happening. He saw the young monk waving a long wooden stick at a thin dog. The young monk was saying, Do you want me to hit your nose? Don't get your nose hit.

Naigu took the stick from the young monk and hit his head very hard. The young monk cried, Ouch, I’m sorry.

Naigu was very angry because the wooden stick was the board monks has used hold his nose up.

After that, no one talked to Naigu. All his troubles started by making his long nose short. Naigu was now unhappy with his nose. He had never thought he would miss his old nose.

Then, one cold windy night, the sound of wind chimes from the tower came loud and clear to where Naigu was sleeping. When you were old, it is difficult to fall asleep with loud sound and cold bed. Naigu couldn’t asleep.

Suddenly, his nose started to itch. Naigu touched his nose. It felt a little wet and a little bigger. It also felt hot. Naigu thought, Maybe I tried too hard to make my nose short. I must be sick. He touched his nose gently as if he was putting flower on a Buddhist alter.

The next morning, he woke up early as usual and saw that the temple’s garden was golden. The leaves had fallen overnight. The nine rings on the temple roof shone brightly in the morning sun. Suddenly, a feeling he had almost forgotton came back to him.

What is this? Could it be?

Naigu quickly touched his nose. It felt different from the day before. It was not short anymore. His nose came all the way down to his chin again. Naigu’s nose had returned to its original size. He felt free just like when his nose had become short.

I’m sure no one will laugh at me anymore. Naigu spoke quietly to himself. His long nose gently moved with the morning autumn wind.

2018/11/29 Jordan

Hello. I am the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and my capital is Anman. There are about 9.5 million people living in my land, and most of them are Arabs. My land is about one-quarter of the size of Japan, and 80 percent of it is desert. My northern  neighbor is Syria, and my southern neighbor is Saudi Arabia.

Do you know about my country’s magic salt? It ha a special power to keep people youg and healty. It is said thata Cleopatra loved this salt. This salt is from the Dead Sea. It's called a sea, but it's really a lake. One of the borders between Israel and my country runs right in the middle of the Dead Sea.

The water is very, very salty. How salty is it? It's about ten times saltier than seawater. So you don't have to try to float. You just float. Also, not all the salt can melt into the water, so there are salt crystals on the bottom of the Dead Sea. And there are 21 natural minerals in this salt.

Also, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth. So there is more air here that can protect people from the sun’s ultraviolet or UV rays. The magic salt and protection from the sun are both wonderful for people’s health. So many sick people come to the Dead Sea to get better.

I heard that your country has a rainy season. But here near the Dead Sea, it only rains a few days a year. Still, people grow many types of delicious vegetables in this area. The farmers make a special mixture with the magic salt. They use it with underground water to make the vegetables better. The salt is not only good for people but great for growing food. Magical, right?

The Dead Sea has been popular for a long time, but recently it has become an important tourist spot with many big resort hotels, it has created jobs for my people, but it means that more and more water is used.

Also, there is less river water going into the Dead Sea every year. If we compare with ten years ago, the level of the Dead Sea is dropping more than a meter every year. It makes me very sad to see this. But my people have a plan to do something about it. I hope it works. The Bedouin people living in the desert say, When the Dead Sea becomes dry, something will happen. And it will be the end of this world.

My country is full of beautiful scenery, historical places, and friendly people, too. I hope you will come to visit me someday and enjoy a swim in the Dead Sea.