2018/10/04 Laos

Sabaidee! I am the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. You can find me in southeastern Asia, and I am about the size of mainland Japan. Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China and Myanmar are my neighbors. Actually, they surround me. There are about six point nine million people living on my land. About seventy percent of my land is mountains. Most people are buddhists, so there is a Buddhist temple in every village. People live simple, peaceful lives. They also have some interesting manners. For example, Do not touch anyone’s head, and Do not show the bottom of your feet when you sit.

I am hottest during April and May. In my capital city, Vientiane, temperatures sometimes reach around forty degrees Celsius. There is a special festival held during such hot weather. From the middle of April, there is a three-day festival called Pi Mai Lao. It is held to celebrate our new year. Pi means year, Mai means new and Lao is for Laos. Usually, Lao people aren’t noisy. But during this festival, they show a different side of their character.

Let me tell you about this festival. People go to temples to wash Buddhist statues. They invite family and friends to join in a formal prayer ceremony. Did you know there is a nickname for this festival? It's called the Water festival. You can splash water on anyone including the oldest villagers, your parents and people you love. Can you imagine adults splashing each other with water? It's fun, but they do it to say they're sorry for all bad things they did in the past year. Everything is wet during this festival.

This tradition comes from an old story. A god was killed, but before he died, he told his seven daughters to keep his head wet. He told them, If my head becomes dry, the world will be in danger. So people started to splash water on each other during the hottest time of the year. If you go to the world heritage city of Luang Prabang, people start to splash water before the festival. And if you go near the Mekong River during the festival, people throw wheat flour and sometimes mud. So, be careful.

People also make small Buddhist towers from sand along the Mekong river. Some people buy live fish and crabs from the market, and then let them go. They hope to do many good things in life so that they can be happy when they are dead.

I am often called the Land of fantasy. Here you often see morning mists, monks wearing orange robes and people giving prayers. If you are lookng for peace, please come and visit me.

2018/10/03 Platform three

Excuse me. Which platform does the Shinkansen for Tokyo leave from?

Platform number three.

How many Shinkansen trains have left so far?

Well, Shinkansen trains go to Tokyo every thirty minutes, so … eight have already laft today.

Eight? Okay. Thank you.

Oh, no. Eight have already left? I can't believe my alarm clock broke on such an important day. I hope I can find him.

Natsuko?

Kenji-san?

What are you doing here?

Kenji-san graduated from my high school this March. He is one year older than me. We were both members of the swimming club.

Your voice is so loud. I could here you all the way from the entrance of the station.

So, are you going somewhere today?

My dad is coming home from a business trip, so I’m going to meet him here.

Oh, he's coming back pretty early.

I know. It's crazy. Are you going somewhere, Keinji-san?

Actually, I’m moving to Tokyo today. Didn’t I tell you? I’m going to university there.

Ah, yes. Now I remember.

That was a lie. Of course, I know. I came to the station to see Kenji-san one last time.

Well, it's time to go. See you.

Wait. You'll come back once in a while, right?

Maybe, but not that often. Say hi to everyone for me, won't you?

I will.

Great. Bye!

Now he is really gone. I wanted to tell him something, but I was nervous and told a stupid lie. Now it's too late. I can only see Kenji-san with his large backpack. The escalator slowly takes him away from me.

The Nozomi Super Express bound for Tokyo will be arriving shortly. Passengers, please go to platform number three.

I look over and see a couple hugging and saying good-bye.

Oh, why didn’t I just tell him? Maybe there’s still time.

I buy a platform ticket. Then, I go through the ticketgate and run up the stairs to platform three.

The Shinkansen is arriving. Please stay inside the white line.

It's hard to get through all the people on the platform, but I keep going. I have to find hime. Finally…

Kenji-san.

Natsuko? What are you doing here?

I came here to tell you something. Kenji-san, I,I,I.. I realy like you.

I can see Kenji- san’s face through the window. He is smiling, but his face is turning red. I suddenly notice that everyone is looking at me, but I don’t care. I run alongside the Shinkansen. I can see Kenji-san saying, I'll write to you. I secretly tell myself, Well done, Natsuko.

2018/10/02 The sparrow with the cut tongue

Once upon a time, there lived a kind old man and his greedy old wife. She only loved money.

One day, the kind old man went to walk in the fields. He found a sparrow with a broken wing.

Oh, poor little sparrow. I'll help you.

The old man brought it home and took care of it.

A week later, the kind old man went to the hills to gather firewood. The greedy old woman was at home making glue from rice.

She told the little sparrow, Don’t eat the glue while I’m gone, and left for a little while. But the old woman hadn’t given the little sparrow any food. The sparrow was so hungry that it ate all the glue.

The greedy old woman came back, and she saw the glue was all gone. She became so angry she cut off the bird’s tongue. The little sparrow cried and flew into a bamboo forest.

The kind old man heard the story from his greedy wife. He went into the forest looking for the bird.

Little sparrow, little sparrow with the cut tongue.

Deep in the bamboo forest, the kind old man found the home of the sparrow. The sparrow’s mother welcomed him. The kind old man said, I’m so sorry about your little sparrow’s tongue.

The little sparrow came out and said, Don’t be sorry. I’m okay now. I’m glad you came. I wanted to thank you for taking care of me.

The sparrows invited the kind old man into their home. They sang for him and did little dances. They gave him wonderful food.

Soon it was time for the kind old man to go home. The sparrows brought out a big basket and a small basket and said, this is a present for you. Please take one of these.

The kind old man said, Well, I’m not so strong, so I'll take the small one, and took it home.

When he god home, he opend the basket… and it was filld with gold coins. The greedy old woman saw this and said, I’m going to get a basket, too.

The greedy old woman walked into the forest and found the sparrows’ house.

Little sparrow with the cut tongue, it's me. I've come to see you. She walked into the house without waiting.

The sparrows started to dance and sing for her, but the greedy old woman said, I want my present right now. When the sparrows brought out a big basket and a small basket, she took the big basket and said, I'll take this one. Then, she ran out of the sparrow’s house.

She didn’t wait until she got home. She opened the basket and… it was filled with garbage. Snakes and centpedes were everywhere. The greedy old woman was so shocked she fell down and cried and cried.

2018/10/01 A&B @ Naritasan Shinhoji temple

This is delicious. I didn’t know unagi taste is so good.

I’m glad you like it.

There are many unagi shops on this street.

Is it specialty around here?

Yeah. Unagi and yokan.

Yokan? I want to try that, too.

Ben, I spent three days looking for you.

Don’t you feel sorry at all?

Don’t be so mad.  I’m here now. Let's enjoy the food. We can't put on a good performance if we're hungry.         

Ben.

I’m Akito. Ben and I are a street performance duo called A and B. We met at a school for circus performers in France. We are in Japan to do as many shows as possible and become better performers. The plan was to meet at Narita airport three days ago, but…

I went to be airport at three, just like you said.

I know, but my flight arrived early.

Then, why don’t you wait until I came?

Oh, Akito, you know me. I’m a curious person. I just had to go to Naritasan Shinshoji Temple.

You disappeared for a really long time.

I didn’t know the danjiki fasting program was going to be for several days.

But you know, it change me, and now I enjoy simple things and simple food, like this unagi. I feel like a new person.

While you were becoming a new person, I was worring about you.

I know, but I couldn’t contact you.

Why not?

We couldn’t use our cellphones or computers during the program.

Then, why didn’t you call me before it started?

I didn’t have time. Anyway, the program was great. We took part in the Goma prayer each morning. Then we read books about Buddhism and meditated. It was very interesting.

Oh, well, you're here now. After we eat, we shold leave for Tokyo. We need to find a place to stay.

Uh, no.

What?

I’m going to join a Buddhist scripture copying session this afternoon.

You mean shakyo?

It says that Japanese people can finish copying it in about an hour.

But it might take me more time. That’s why I made a reservation for us at a guest house nearby.

So we're staying in Narita tonight?

Yeah, the Narita drum festival will take place in a few days.

Aroud one thousand five hundred drummers will be there. I think we can learn from them.

But we sing and juggle. We don’t play drums.

We are performers. So we will learn something. Oh, it's time to go to the temple.

Ben. Wait. You haven’t paid for the unagi.

Ben is always like this. When he sees something, he wants to do it right away. I made a schedule for our time in Japan, but I guess we won't need it. Maybe we won't even need a map.

今年度後期について

前期のエンジョイ・シンプル・イングリッシュの放送は本日で終わりです。
見続けてくださった方々、どうもありがとうございました。

一番最後の夏目漱石の話が最も難しかったような気がします。

後期は前期（４月～９月）の再放送を行うようなので、同じ内容ですが改めて淡々と続けていこうと思います。

今後ともよろしくお願いします。