Hakodate Night / 函館夜景

Hakodate night is bright. There are a few reasons why Hakodate shines in dark. No no, not because of dancing squids. The most important reason is that the narrowest place which is city centre area only is 2 km and left and right are dark sea. And the second reason is because of narrowness from East to west the air particles are all blown away. The third reason is facts Hakodate people turn light on even no need to. A part of Omotenashi I guess.

函館の夜は明るい。これにはいくつかの理由があって、まず函館の一番狭い所が２キロメートル、その東と西は真っ暗な海であること。次にこの狭さのため空気中のホコリや煙塵が風で吹き飛ばされてしまう事、そして最後に函館人は人口の半分を占めるイカを含め必要がなくても電気を点けている事。北海道電力が歓喜の涙を流す程の無駄使いですがこれもおもてなしなのでしょうねえ。

はやぶさ/ Hayabusa

７月初め被災地でお手伝いした。仕事はドブ掃除と仮設住宅への引っ越し。どうせ行くならスタイルを持ってとアホな事を考え東北新幹線はやぶさ、その前週はバンコックでタイの友人達と遊んだのだがバンコック東京間はファーストクラス。被災地で写真いっぱい撮ろうと意気込んでいたのだが着いて見るとその被害の凄まじさに唖然。とうとう一枚も撮る気になれなかった。自分がはずかしかった。９月末に今度は岩手で土方やったのだがデジカメは札幌に置いて来た。自分の眼でしっかり観ておきたかったし、匂いを覚えておきたかったし、波にのまれてしまうまでそこで生活していた人たちの声を聞いておきたかったのだと思う。僕はもうはずかしくなんかなかった。

Early July I was helping out in Tsunami damaged Miyagi Prefecture. My job were pack&moving man and street cleaner. I was cynical enough thinking if I have to go there, then with high class style; I took new Tohoku Shinkansen HAYABUSA to Sendai Station, and a week before I was in BKK playing with my dear Thai friends and I flew BKK-NRT in first class. I was planning to take a lot of photos in Tsunami area, but once I saw how devastating damaged areas were, I lost my words. I was just ashamed of myself. End of September I was this time in Iwate Prefecture for clean up, I left my Dejikame in Sapporo home. I wished to watch through my own eyes, remember the smell of the towns once were there, listen the voices of people once were living there until waved took them away. I was no more ashamed.

２５０円ランチ / 250 Yen Lunch

A day in 250 Yen Sapporo lunch.
US imported Cola 38Yen
Menchikatsu 68Yen
Uzura Kushikatsu 68Yen
Natto 27Yen
Tofu 26Yen
Rice & Sallad 25Yen
Mixture of healthy and unhealthy foods for lunch. My Swiss home is in a mountain village, what I love in my Sapporo home is there are several supermarkets inside of 200 meters circle. One shop Daiei I can even go through tube pathway, cause I am lucky enough to live just 2 meters from Tube entrance. May unhealthy, but I love it!

札幌でのある日の２５０円ランチ。
アメリカ産コーラ ３８円
メンチカツ ６８円
うずら串カツ ６８円
納豆 ２７円
豆腐 ２６円
御飯サラダその他 ２５円
健康そうな不健康そうな昼食です。スイスの自宅は山村ですので半径２００メートル以内にスーパーがいくつかあるのが便利です。良く行くのはダイエーで、そこへは地下鉄の連絡通路を通れば雪や雨風なんのその、濡れずに行ける。地下鉄入り口の２メートル横に住んでますので。不健康でもいいの。おいしそう！

週末ケーキ/Weekend cake

週末なのでケーキを焼く。スイスで市長のケーキと呼ばれているチューリッヒのケーキである。ごく普通のスポンジに半分に切った林檎が埋め込まれているだけ。林檎はもちろん庭のリンゴの形のいびつなのだし、今回は遊び心でココナッツミルクを加えてみた。スポンジは計らなくてもできる。年期が入ってますから。一人なのに週末にはケーキを焼いてしまう。娘が小さい頃からの習慣なのか、それともただの食いしん坊なのか。あーあ。

Baked cake cause weekend. In Switzerland this is called " Lord Mayor's Cake", I believe it comes from Zurich. Ordibally spongecake with halved apple in, that's all. This time however I added coconuts milk in dough, Homo Ludens's sake. Sponge I can make with guessing, I am used to it. Even I am alone I still bake cakes on weekend. Maybe it is leftover from when my daughter still was young, or I just am a sweets greedy. Hmm...

Sousei gawa

River sousei or Sousei-gawa is a landmark which divide Sapporo from East and West. A civil servant of imperial court from Kyoto Mr. Shima Hangan was ordered to make present Sapporo as capital of Hokkaido in second half of 19th century. He climbed up Mt.Maruyama (240m high), pointed to this river with his climbing stick and said " This river shall divide Sapporo East to West" or something like that. Mr.Shima spent entire yearly budget for Sapporo build ups only in 2 months due to winter trouble and had to resign his job. Later he rent his name to Saga-no-ran, a protest movement against Meiji Emperor and beheaded. He was only 49 years old. In Hokkaido Jingu shirine in Maruyama, you can see his statue (another one in the entrance hall of Sapporo City Hall). Sapporo people were so mad about Shima's death, brought 49 Kyoto Yae Zakura cherry trees and planted in main pass way (omote sando) to Hokkaido shrine, which is dependant of Ise shrine, Imperial house shrine. Still now after 150 years Hokkaido Jingu Omote Sando one can enjoy Yae Zakura bloom for 1 week or so. By the way, "Sousei" means "Creating life". What Mr.Shima Hangan would say if he sees present Sapporo with almost 2 million inhabitancies. His river Sousei, between 1960-2010 was covered under concrete plates, now recreated as small river again as park. I think Mr. Shima would love to take a seat in a bench and watch kids enjoy his river.

Malaria vaccinate / マラリア予防接種完成！

Dr.Marcel Tanner, Director of the Swiss Tropical Institute, Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Basel and Dean of the Faculty of Science has introduced world first vaccinatie against wide spread malaria. According his study it protect 65 percent or normal and 35 percent in deadly type of Malaria disease. The field injection campaign will start in 2014. Over 1 million dead, 35 percent lives saved is a great step forward I believe. This project is mainly sponcered by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

スイス国立熱帯病センター所長、バーゼル大学伝染病／公共衛生学教授、科学学部長のマルセル　タンナー博士はついにマラリアの予防接種のワクチンを開発した事を発表した。発表会にはこのプロジェクトを経済面で支援したビル　ゲイツも参加、世界初の快挙を喜び合った。このワクチンは普通のマラリアなら６５％の、そして死に至るタイプのマラリアには３５％の予防効果があるという。年間１００万人以上の主に乳幼児が犠牲になるのでその３分の１でも救えるのはすごい。アフリカを始め世界中のマラリア危険地域で２０１４年からすべての子供達から予防接種を始めるという。

Adults wanted/大人はどこだ？

Found in Sapporo. Japanese people get more an more childish. Not many grown up people in Japan, that's why Japanese culture is interesting for us I guess.

札幌の道路工事現場でみました。かわいい文化は子供のままでいたいという願望の文化だと思います。だから日本には大人になりきっていない半大人たちで溢れている。ま、それが僕らには面白いんですけどね。

あのクソ暑いバンコックでチーズフォンデュ食うやつが良くいたもんだ

It's always astonishing there are some people who order cheese fondue in hot hot BKK.Nevermind. My Thai friends are piling up sandbags. Hope it won't rain too much. I worry.

バンコックでチーズフォンデュ。そんな事はどうでも良いのですが、タイの友人達は皆砂袋でバンコックをこの大洪水から守ろうとがんばっています。あんまり雨降らないといいんだけどなぁ。とても心配です。

Genesis and I

Book of Genesis I was working on a picture book last months. No no. it's not a bible illustration, I call this " The Apple Book". I just wanted to tell kids how we got apples. I started from the phrase everyone knows; " The beginning was nothing...", but on the same time Genesis says; " The holly spirits were there..." Well, was there something or not. Decide!
By the way I believe Picture books are the very first art books for kids, I use every art elements in my books. Here overworking Genesis the first chapter. I wanted to show kids in symbolic way rather than telling them true lies.
Please religious people, do not get mad. As Anton Chekov said;" There are many ways to shake moustache for flies."
I just express what I feel right. Lucky I am an Zen Buddhist, they don't care what others think. Shintoism isn't bad either. Everything or everybody can become god. In Sapporo Moiwayama, there is a tiny Shinto shrine where Royal Austrian Army Lieutenant is honoured as god.
What he did? He brought ski to Japan and skied in Mt.Moiwa very first time in the history. I don't think his family knows this. Hahaha.

すみません。日本語は面倒でした。さあ英語の勉強しましょう！

Swiss style apple pie/スイス風アップルパイ

Apple pie Swiss style. Apparently with some plums which were not good for raw eating. You may add anything in this pie except your own parents. Apples are from my garden, I use not perfect looking one for the pie making. Baked with eggs and cream/milk with vanilla sugar on. Excellent for tea, a very traditional (except plums) Swiss home sweets.You can go with apricot, cherry or plums. Spread grounded almonds or hazelnuts powder before you lay fruits if you are calorie lover. Tastes good and love it.

スイス風アップルパイです。二つあるとアップルパイパイですね（今思いついたすけべオヤジギャグでした、すみません）。林檎は庭からとれたので、あまり形のよくないのを使います。あまり味のしなかったプラムを混ぜて焼きました。スイスの果物パイはプルーンとか林檎とかアプリコットとかさくらんぼなんかですが共通しているのが卵と生クリームを使ってカスタードで固めます。これに僕はバニラシュガーをかけてキャラメル化させます。おいしいスイスの家庭スイーツですよね。カロリー好きなら果物を敷く前にアーモンドとかヘーゼルナッツの粉にしたのをスプレッドします。とても美味しいしお茶に合います。