2018/09/14 I am a cat Episode two

My master was a teacher. After he came home from school, he spent all his time in his study. All the people in the house thought that he was a hard worker. But the truth was he slept with his head on his books. It made me think that teachers have an easy life. If I were a human, I would become a teacher.

My master wasn’t very good at anything. But he loved to do everything. So he tried haiku, new style poetry, Engligh, archery, the violin. He was never good at any of them, but he did try very hard. Then, one month after I came to this house, my master came rushing home with a big package. He had bought some watercolor paints, brushes and some paper. He said that he was going to start painting. So from that day, he painted all day long. But when people looked at my master’s paintings, no one knew what they were. My master also must have thought that he wasn’t good. One day, I heard him talking with his friend. His friend’s specialty was art.

When you look at other people painting, it doesn't look so hard. When you tried to do yourself, it's not easy.

It's natural to be bad at first. And you can't stay inside and paint by using just your imagination. A great Italian painter named Andrea del Sarto once said, If you are going to paint, then you have to paint nature as it is. The stars are in the sky. The birds fly, and animals run. Nature itself is one big living painting. If you want to be a good painter, go outside and try sketching.

My master was impressed with his friend’s answer. But I saw a smile in the friend’s eyes. He was making fun of my master.

The next day, I was sleeping comfortably on the porch as usual. Then, I felt my master doing something behind me. I opened my eyes just a little and saw that he was drawing a sketch of me. It was funny. My master was following his friend’s advice.

I tried to be a good cat and not move for him. But after my long nap, I wanted to strech my body. After a while, I couldn’t stand it anymore and stretched. Next, I decided to go to the back of the house to pee. Then my master said in a loud voice full of disappointment and anger, You fool.

I find that people are too proud of being humans and their own power. It's time that humans meet something that is more powerful than them. Or else their bad attitude would will not stop.

I think I can forgive selfishness. But I have heard something that is much worse and sad about humans.

2018/09/13 Slovenia

Hi. I am the Republic of Slovenia. My population is about two million, and I used to be part of  Yugoslavia. I am about the size of Shikoku, and about sixty percent of my land is forests. My capital is Ljubljana, and it's one of Europe’s greenest and most charming capitals.

I have four seasons just like your country. You can enjoy a nice summer day by the Adriatic Sea, or in the winter, you can ski and snowboard in my mountains. I’m a small country, so you can visit both the mountains and the sea in a few hours. If you want to see a scene from a fairy tale, you have to visit Lake Bled. It's a beautiful blue lake with a charch build in the middle of it.

If you come visit me, you will find that I am a country with many landscapes forests, mountains, rivers, caves and the sea. And I am surrounded by four countries-Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia.

These two factors have made my country’s food culture very interesting. You will find many delicious and different kinds of food in my country. I’m even devided into 24 different food areas, and there are about 170 traditional Slovenian dishes.

Some people say that my people eat more buckwheat or soba than the Japanese. But we don't use buckwheat for noodles like your country. We use it in sweats, powder for warm milk, and many other ways. And there's even a dish that’s similar to sobagaki.

Humans aren’t the only ones who like buckwheat. These Bees love buckwheat flowers. The honey from those bees is really delicious. In Europe, I’m famouse for my honey, you know. There are more than 8000 beekeepers in my country. That’s about four out of every 1000 people. Honey was an important food for people living in the mountains. It kept them healthy during the long, cold winters. Beekeeping is an important tradition here with a long history.

We also have cave tourism. Actually, I was the first country to have it. A lont time ago, my land was under the ocean, so the ground here is made of limestone. Limestone is a type of rock that comes from dead sea animals, and it's not very strong. So rainwater can change its shape. That is why there are many caves of different sizes here.

Skocjan Caves are a World Heritage Site, and Postojna Cave has lots of interesting things for you to see. There are even a post office and a train inside.

I could tell you many stories about how interesting I am. But I want you to find out for yourself. So make sure to add me to your next travel plan.

2018/09/12 Think before you act

Excuse me. Don't run here. This is a hospital.

I’m sorry. It's my wife. She's… honey? Are you all right?

Wow. Did you run here?

Huh? You're okay?

Of course, I’m okay. Why were you running?

I was told that you were taking taken to the hospital in an ambulance. I got here as quickly as I could.

Did you ask anyone why I’m in the hospital?

Umm, not really.

You always act without thinking.

I know. But. Hey. You have a cast on your leg.

Yeah. The surgery went well.

Surgery?

Uh-huh. I tore my Achilles tendon.

Your Achilles? Are you okay? That’s a big injury. Did you do it when you were playing futsal?

Yeah. But.

That’s why I told you to stop playing.

Don't be angry. It's good exercise. I’m just doint it for fun.

If it's just for fun, why did you hurt your leg?

Well, that’s because..

Listen. I know that in university, you were good enough to go to the national championship. But you were are older, and your physical strength isn't saying the same anymore.

I know that.

I don't think you do. That’s why you got hurt.

Listen to me. I didn’t get hurt because of futsal.

What do you mean? You just told me you got hurt while playing fotsal.

Well, not really. Let me explain. You always start talking when I’m still talking.

Okay. I’m listening.

Well, our team had a practice match scheduled for today.

Oh, yeah. You were saying something about your uniform this morning.

Yeah. So I got to the soccor field and was going to change. But it wasn’t in my bag.

What wasn’t in your bag?

My uniform.

Really? What happened?

Well, I washed it last night and left it hanging to dry in the living room.

That was very careless of you.

I’m human. I sometimes forget. And you do things like that all the time. You never think before you act.

Wait. But if it was a practice match, you didn’t need to wear a uniform, right? Practice jerseys are all right for practice matches.

Yes. But at that time, I forgot that it was just a practice match, and I thought I needed my game uniform. So I ran home.

I see. And then, what happened?

This happened.

What do you mean?

This happened?

When I ran out of the changing room, a funny sound came our of my leg. It sounded like something broke. Then, I couldn’t even walk.

Wait, you weren’t playing futsal when you got hurt?

I told you before. Futsal is part of the reason, but the main reason is because I suddenly ran before doing my stretches.

Huh. I see. I’m glad you're okay, but next time, think before you act.

What?

2018/09/11 Princess Kaguya

Once upon a time, there lived an old man and his wife. They had no children. The old man went to a forest every day. He cut down bamboo trees to make baskets.

One day, he found a strange bamboo tree. A bright light was coming from it.

The old man thought, What is that light?

He cut down the bamboo tree and found a cute little baby girl inside.

Don't cry, little baby. You must be a present from God.

The old man happily took the baby home. The old couple named her Kaguya-hime, which means princess of light. They brought her up with love and care.

The baby girl grew into a very beautiful woman. The beauty of Kaguya-hime became famous, and five young men came to propose marriage.

Kaguya-hime said, I will marry the man who brings me what I want.

She asked each man to bring something difficult to find. But none of them could do it.

Then, the Emperor heard about this beautiful woman and wanted to see her. So he sent messengers to her house again and again. But Kaguya-hime always sent them back without an answer.

The emperor did not give up. I must see her, even for just a second. One day, he was hunting near her house. On the way home, he decided to stop by Kaguya-hime’s house. The emperor stood behind a fence. He saw her. She is more beautiful than I imagined. I would like to get to know her. The emperor started sending letters to Kaguya-hime, and then she finally wrote back.

After a while, Kaguya-hime started to look at the moon every night. September came, and she started to cry every day. The old man and his wife asked her why she was so sad.

Kaguya-hime said, I am sorry. I am not from this world. I am from the moon. On the night of the next full monn, someone from the moon will come for me, and I will have to go back. I have no choice.

The old man and his wife were shocked.

They went to the Emperor to ask him, Please send us some soldiers to stop anyone from taking Kaguya-hime. The Emperor agreed.

The night of the full moon came. The old man put Kaguya-hime into a room at the back of his house and locked the door. On the roof and on the walls, there were 2000 soldiers.

At midnight, the house was lit up brightly. Soldiers from the moon appeared in the night sky and came down to the earth with a beautiful flying carriage. The Emperor’s soldiers tried to fight, but they could not mover their arms and legs. Suddenly, all the doors in the house opened.

The old couple could not do anything. Then, Kaguya-hime came our out of the room and said, Thank you for taking care of me. But now I have to go.

She got in the flying carriage and silently flew up into the sky.

2018/09/10 A&B @ Arita pottery

You're doing a good job, Akito.

Don't talk to me, Ben. I’m trying to concentrate. I can't think about anything else.

I just want to give you extra support.

You can support me by not talking. Oh, no.

Again? You are not very good at this.

I can't do it right because you keep talking to me.

I’m Ben. Today, we are entertained in the twon of Arita in Saga Prefecture.  Akito told me that this twon is famous for pottery. That’s why we are taking a pottery class.

I’m going to try one more time.

Making a cup on a pottery wheel seems to be very difficult.

Akito-san, you needto relax. Try taking a deep breath. Don't think so much. Feel the clay in your hands and concentrate on your finger.

It's like talking with nature.

Ben. I told you not to talk to me.

I think you're trying to hard.

What?

Why don't we take a break and chat so you can relax?

Sounds like a good idea.

Did you know there are two types of pottery?

I didn’t know that. What's the different between the two?

Well, one is heated in an oven at a temperature of 1000 to 1300 degreees Celsius. The other is heated at a temperature of more than 1300 degrees.

How does the temperature make them different?

They look different. Also they make different sounds when you attack tap them.

Sounds?

The first one sounds like this.

It's a low-pitched sound.

That’s right. Now listen to the other one.

Ah, it's a high-pitched sound. It sounds like you're hitting a middle of metal cup.

In Arita, we make the second type of pottery.

I know these cups are made of clay, but they are shiny like glass.

The clay we use is like the material used for making glass. Around 400 years ago, it was found in Arita.

Is Arita the only place you can find this clay?

You can find it in other places, too. But the quality of clay found here is very good for making this type of pottery.

Ah, I see. Do you paint it after you heated it in the oven?

Not exactly. First, we shape the clay and heat it in the oven at around 900 degrees.

Then, we draw a simple sketch on it. After that, we put a special liquid on it. When you heat the liquid, it becomes shiny like glass. Next, we heat it again at about 1300 degrees. Finally, we add the colors and heat it one more time at about 800 degrees.

Wow. That’s a lot of work.

It is a lot of work, but that’s why the finished producut is so beautiful.

You're right. These plates and bowls are amazing.

So Akito-san, are you ready to try one more time?

Sure. Done.

Wow, Akito. It didn’t fall apart this time. It looks great.