Busy, but not so bad

I think I fared better this week.

Apart from the problem of pc, things are getting well. I don't like my guide job, well, to say exactly, speaking certain things clearly in front of some people. Bet it's getting better for me. Now I can think in better way, I mean, I can have some motivation of self-improvement, so.....I'll try some more things next week.

Talking about my English, I've also decided to try to do a little new things, or some routine tasks everyday. I am not confident that I can keep doing, but all I can say now is ... just I'll do it!

CBC News - Vancouver No. 1, Toronto No. 5 on most livable cities list

Vancouver No. 1, Toronto No. 5 on most livable cities list
Vancouverが最も住みやすい都市のトップに。Torontoは5位。

Vancouver has been ranked the best place to live in the world for the fifth year in a row in a survey by the Economist magazine, while Toronto took fifth place out of 132 cities.
「エコノミスト」の調査によると、世界の132都市のうち、5年連続でVancouverが世界で一番住みやすい都市に選ばれた。また、Torontoは5位にランクインした。

The two Canadian cities rank among the top five because they have low crime rates, little threat from instability or terrorism, and a highly developed transport and communications infrastructure, says the survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
エコノミスト誌の調査機関(EIU)の調べでは、カナダの2つの都市が上位5位に選ばれた理由としては、その犯罪率の低さ、都市自体の不安定要素の少なさやテロの危険性の少なさ、そして交通手段や生活基盤としてのインフラが整っていること、などがあげられるとしている。


Vancouver scored a livability index of 1.3 per cent, with zero indicating exceptional quality of living and 100 indicating life there is intolerable or severely restricted.
生活のし易さを示す「居住性指数」については、Vancouverは1.3パーセントであった。（指数ゼロが最高ランク、100は大変厳しい生活環境、または耐えられない苦痛がある環境であることを意味する。）


Toronto's livability index was 3.0.　Australia also fared well in the survey, securing four spots among the top 10 cities. Algiers came in at the bottom of the ranking. Nine cities, including Algiers, present the worst-case scenario in which most aspects of living quality are severely restricted, according to the survey.
Torontoの「居住性指数」は3.0であった。オーストラリアも住みやすい国としては上位に入っており、4つの都市が10位以内にランクインしいる。アルジェ（アルジェリア民主人民共和国）が最下位となっており、本調査によると、アルジェを含む9都市が、生活水準の低さや利便性の悪さなどの様々な面からもっとも好ましくない都市とされた。


The EIU's livability ranking is part of the magazine's Worldwide Cost of Living Survey.　The survey considered 40 individual factors in categories such as stability, health care, culture, environment, education and infrastructure.
EIUのこの調査は、エコノミスト誌の世界の生活コストに関する調査の一環として実施され、生活の安定度、ヘルスケア、文化、環境、教育、生活インフラなどのカテゴリーから40の要素を元にして行われたものである。



◆掲載資料

上位10 都市 　居住性指数 (%)*
1. バンクーバー 　1.3
2. メルボルン 　1.8
3. ウィーン 　2.3
4. パース　　2.5
5. トロント　　3.0
6. アデレード 　3.0
7. シドニー　　3.2
8. コペンハーゲン　3.7
9. ジェノバ　3.9
10. チューリッヒ　3.9　
(*0% は生活水準最高値、100%は耐えがたい生活水準を示す。

a small solution

Well, I finely hardly succeeded to input something, after having great patience this past few weeks. I am not sure what was the reason.... could be my silly trial to open and fix my pc, and my keyboard of pc went crazy...

Anyway, after many many struggling, I came back.


Thinking back on this 2 weeks...... I was depressed more than ever.
Did I choose wrong thing?
How dare stupid I am!
I hate myself....

Since I have too much time to think, or just because of my bad nature, I could not put myself to think in positive way... and the result was, I was suffered a sort of homesick, self-hating, and being envious of someone's position.


These are things I have to overcome, I know.
I am weak, tiny, powerless and no-talented in special.

However, I have to be here.
Don't blame anything, but me, myself.

I cannot live without PC....

Hi, there.

You know what!? Something has been wrong with my PC these few weeks, and this problem is getting worse now. Yesterday I tried to use my laptop, but weired system sound kept coming and coming, and finally, my keyboard system of Japanese went crazy.....

I'll do my best to fix it, otherwise I have completely no confidence to survive without PC, especially Internet.... how different the life here in Canada is, think about that of NZ.

Please keep your fingers crossed for my PC !

Never lasting trial

Hi, there. How're you doing?

It's getting cooler, thinking back on days some weeks ago, but it's still hot, very humid these days.

In this 3months, the time I've spent in this huge country, Canada, well ....... nothing happened, but something happened.


I am having a ball in my work in some meaning, but in other meaning, this is same old crap working working working boring stuff.... Whatever, here is very peaceful, and maybe I'll hang in there for a while.

Before my birthday, I've got the other, might be the last... working holiday visa to Australia. Honestly speaking, I am not sure what I am expecting for life abroad..... What I want, Where I want to be, and Whom I want to be with..... NO idea. My English, nothing to mention about French, is far from good... well... better. Having worked for English/French native speaker, it can be said, the fluency in languages is a must.

So...... I set this August as English(and hopefully French) enhancement campaign!

Do you think I'm gonna be the boy who crys for wolf!?!??!
You'll see, wait till next month! :p

now 1month in Canada

It's already more than 1 month since I came to Canada.　

So far, I am doing ok, enjoying my life here. I've got a job on my 14th-day in Canada and this job is perfect for me because I like people working with me, and my work is all about wine!

Sometimes it could be boring due to less tours and things to do, but most of time I am comfortable to be there.

I arrived in Voncouver in one piece!

I arrived in Voncouver in one piece!

After loooooooooooooong waiting in a short line in the immigration office in Van, I finally managed to get workpermit in Canada and checked in one tiny funny hostel.

It's much warmer than I expected and the downtown of Vancouver seems to be as small as Auckland's. I am not sure how long I'm gonna stay here, but at least I'll move out from this hostel soon, due to security reason. Moreover, it's too far from DT to go there.

It was such a long day. so.... good night!

Farm ladies

Well, here my house is located in a very high place..... so just a few glass of wine were good enough to make me drunken! Hahaha! Yes, it could be said Oyo is drunken. Anyway, though I had many things to write on, as time passed other new things happen.... that's the way, ha???

I'm having very enjoyable days here in rural area, Nagano. Sometimes I go shopping, sometimes I go out with my doggies, and sometimes...... I do Wwoofing!

In fact, this small village is so old and small, that as with always the case with Japanese traditional... oooops, to say exactly, with a depopulated village, mainly manpower here are of ... the elderly persons'.

But their energy is more than we imagine. What makes me surprise is... their rich wisdom. My mon is such an instant farmer that she does know very little .... yes! we need helps from our landlady, who is one of the greatest women in this village. She knows almost everything about this small, but old village, and her experience as a farmer is ...... beyond description!! She knows who are key persons in this village, when is the best season for each veges, what are of the best use when we do farming. This afternoon, I and my mom became her agriculture pupils and started to harrow our ground.

So..... hopefully, that might be enough reason to allow me to take a hot nice bath and got drunken. :)

Good night!!!

Most of events were over!

After spending 5days in Tokyo, I came back home & brought myself back to reality.

I had very very good time in Tokyo with many of my precious friends. I stayed with my brother's house and also had such nice time with him.

I have too much things to refer now.... well, good night!

Happy & peaceful days

I heard it snowed in eastern part of Canada. It must be freezing there, just like here, Nagano!

Well, I'm having very peaceful and happy days with my mom and two doggies.

I have to admit that I am anything but diligent, because I haven't even started what I should do before I go to Canada. Well... that's what is called "survival language"..... very very basic French expression. Actually the friends I want to see in Canada live in French Canadian region, so if I visit them, it might be useful to know some basic French. What makes worse, I don't study English at all after moving in this rural place. My excuses are .... "Here is too slow!" "Many things are waiting to be done.... " Haha !


Anyway, I am enjoying country life in Japan now. After I quit my temporary work in the end of February, we had to prepare for moving, and my mom was also busy with her last job. Finally, most of things were settled in lately, and we could have relaxing time these few days. Due to sudden death of my best friend's mom, I keenly realized the importance of treasuring my family, especially my dear mom, so I feel I am in one of of happiest times of life now.

I am very looking forward to spending different life in Canada, but life with my family now is special as well.



I'm going to have "NZ-Reunion" in Tokyo tomorrow. I can't wait! :)

Sad choice

Again, I haven't blogged for a while.

Many things have happened to me, especially last week..... The beginning was one shocking news.... I was informed that my best friend's mom passed away so suddenly last Monday. I, my mom, my brother and his wife went to Utsunomiya, where my best friend live, and had a nice time chat with her mother last summer. I'd heard quite a lot about her mom and got to know that she and my mom have very similar background in their life, and actually their taste and thoughts about their retirement life was just alike. For these reasons, they seemed to enjoy sharing their dreams and actually, they were already good friends, like me and my best friend.

So, just after I got this sad news, I booked highway bus and rushed to her house last Tuesday. The situation was harder than I expected, because not only sadness was there, but also many difficulties were happening to her family business. I tried to help her out , but it didn't take so long for me to realize that there are limits to what I can do for her.... Well, of course I know I can do some helpful things for her, but..... this could go on forever.... I already decided to go to Canada and am in preparation. If I give up to go, I'm not confident of this choice... maybe someday, I might regret this decision. I really would like to keep our precious friendship, and at the same time, want to make the most of every minute with my own mom before I leave Japan, therefore.... I stayed with her for a few days and came back home now.


All I can do now is.... May her soul rest in peace, and wish that my friend will recover from the shock of her mom's absence.

Beer and hot springs

Add to this panoramic view and kind people, what makes me happy among rural charms is....... hot springs! There's one nice hot spring near my new country-side house. It's quite local one, and after 5pm, we can use this sulfur-rich public bath at lower costs!! It takes only 5 mins by car, so I can enjoy beer just after hot-hot spring! How rich my life is!

So...... as usual.... I unwind and enjoy the good things in life in this warm and cozy room with a glass of wine. How happy !

Oyo's back!

After loooong absence here in this English blog, I managed to put myself back on.

During this lost one month, I got my working holiday visa to Canada and moved out to rural area, Nagano-prefecture. To my surprise, weak public air wave disables our TV, radio and even mobile phone in this renewed old house, so I can access new information only through Internet now. (Such a great relief to force telecoms company to get through!) ..... In fact, this type of life reminds me the one in NZ. Just after coming here, I was a little bit sad because I felt so isolated from bright side of Japan.

Well.... as the proverb says, "Time heals all wounds". How true! I've worried about a plenty of vague things, but they seemed to work themselves out in time. By changing my negative view to positive one, I am relishing this slow life in Nagano ---- beautiful scenery, fresh vegetable and warm people..... I realised it's a much better idea to enjoy what I have, rather than to sigh over what I lost.

Now that I've almost got our moving done, let's move on.... preparation to Canada!!

Just depressed.....

Yes, it's already latter half of February, but my visa hasn't come yet. I've got to know that people who's going to Canada on May, later than me, began to get their visa...

Why why ??? Did I miss something? I checked and checked my documents when I sent them. Regarding the way of issuing visa, I chose "by email". Was that something wrong ? I enclosed an envelop with a stamp, just in case.... According to Canadian Embassy's homepage, they say they won't answer questions of applications..... Huuum, is there anything I can do now ???? This situation is enough to make me depressed....

Be myself and relax!

I met and had dinner with one of my friends today. I got to know her through our blogs, so when we saw first time, we felt as if we have known each other all our lives. Without period that we checked and shared our thoughts through our blogs, we couldn't felt at home being with each other. I was really startled anew by the power of blogs.

I am prone to underestimate myself, or look negative part of me. Sometimes that hungry feeling might be good to motivate myself, but could be result in losing self-confidence.


Ok, let's enjoy slow time now I have.
I don't have to work hard all the time..... just relax and ok to do what I can do now..


Maybe now is the time to do so.

Peaceful, but........

Bonjour, a tours, a tous.

..... ben...... seems to be wrong.... anyway, I am lucky to have chances to see emails in French, but still they looks.... all Greeks to me.

Ok, it's happy Friday again! Yeah!

I've got used to working at new office now and.... got a little bit bored these days. My assistant work itself is ok, and all the people, of course my boss and expats are so nice people that I feel no uncomfortable feeling here. Maybe that's what we call..... peace! I really know it's good thing to work like this, but.... for me, I prefer more changeable and stimulating environment, I realize now.

Anyway, it's ok for me to work there because it will only a month to go.

-----------------

Since I have plenty of time to spare, and I should make use of this time.... Knowing that thing, though, I've been doing nothing since I'd got this job. OK, I've decided to have this February to be ...... FRENCH month !

I joined "discus", discount rental DVD membership, so I'll watch much movies as possible, during this month.

To my disappointment, I haven't got working visa yet, but I believe it'll come soon... Until then, I'll wait and watch movies.

Wow! It's Friday !

Such a loooong week's over now! Yeah, actually, this new job rarely annoyed me, except being just slow, which was worse than being hectic for me..... well, it might be only a problem of time or the way of thinking, but anyway, I still am blaming myself of being lazy..... not just because I haven't "studied" enough, but been satisfied by my work. I know I am just a temporary staff and that's the main reason I decided to take this job, but no expectation is too much for me to lose my motivation some extent..... ok, now it's time I changed my way of putting and controlling value on my work.

Well... when it comes to people in my office, everybody is so professional....... they are working on the first wave of product development. I cannot help but admire the tireless work of them. In addition to that, they commands some languages, mainly French very well. I realised that it must be one of the big secrets to have our own way and pursue personal interests, if men want to master other language..... Anyway I am looking forward to encounter or find mine.

I'll be in Nagano again this weekend, and...... will get ready to learn more next week!

My jobs in Japan

Well.... while I neglected to update this blog, I had some small changes in my life.


Last Friday was my final day in Saudi Arabian company. I believe that this painful(!) clerical/secretarial job would be my significant work experience later on. I am quite not sure that this kind of career would be the most appropriate for me, but at least I learned much and I could contribute to that project to some extent. Anyway...... no more Arabic for a while, please!!

And it was too hasty, but I started to work again from this Monday. Luckily enough, I got a new short-term job in French company. My boss is very smart Japanese woman who speaks French very fluently. There are some French expats and a very elegant madam is working behind me. Her French sounds so nice for me because this is the first time for me to spend in French environment except short trips to France. Moreover, my boss uses French in her work, so I am exposed to French surroundings I know it's only just a little little thing, but thinking about going to Canada, I must admit I am super lucky to have this job as a preparatory exercise.


Ok, all I have to do is just taking it easy and studying French and English!

a half glass of water

When I see a half glass of water, I might find it "wow! Only half left!!", not "still half of water is remaining." I am the sort of person who tends to look underside most of time. That is one of my weak points that I've wanted to overcome.

My new agent did quick work to arrange a job interview, I had one in Tokyo this early afternoon. Actually I had no chice but accept decent offer at the moment, but the company that I visited today looks good for me.

I've got to work for bossy boss tomorrow..... well, let's keep my fingers crossed for good news!

NZ Reunion

Gee, it's almost Sunday.

After getting back to work, could be because of my boss' something like an arrogant, imprudent attitude, I completely lost motivation for work there. I know I should have more professionalism, but if so, I wouldn't be myself anymore. It might be nicey-nice way of me to conceal my real feeling and play our expected role, but... whatever, I decided to take some days off and start to prepare for next job.

Today, on Saturday, I visited my friend's new flat. She just moved from Osaka and settled down to Tokyo. I already mada an appointment to meet another boy who came back from NZ today, so inviting other friend, we held a kind of reunion at her place.

Before we met in Sugamo, so called "granma and grampa's HARAJUKU", we'd been to Okubo, Korean town in Tokyo. To my amaze, it's very like Seoul ! ---- in terms of people, atomosphere, smell, sound.....and so on! We got some Korean food and mada Korean Kimuchi-hot pod and pancake(Chijimi), and most of food was so nice that we completely forgot about time.... I mada 100% charred pancake!!! Haha!


Whatever, I've got refreshed and motivated !! Thanks, mate!

Came back to a real life!

I came back from a dream lazy world to a real one. I totally forgot how to get on train and work in the office, because of these 11days off! Actually I was stupid enough to open emails of work, and made myself ... depressed by snapping myself back to reality.

Whatever, 2 more weeks to go!

Snowed a loooot!

I woke up to find out that this cottage was coverd in clean, soft white blanket of snow. It was so chilly outside, but my doggys were overjoyed by digging into unknown white thing.




Mom came back all the way from Tokyo in this snowy day, but she and her friends were too powerful for me to follow with. (Especially, they drank like fish!)

Whatever, it would be nice to think...... that it was enjoyable day!

My goals for 2007

A happy new year !

I am still in the small cottage in Tateshina, Nagano with my doggy.
Here is so quiet, but today's sky is nothing but blue. Clear and fresh.

I've just started to put myself togather again and made my goals for 2007 .

BE ACTIVE, PROACTIVE, and BECOME PROFESSIONAL！

• KEEP real life alive, being even more adventurous!
• SMILE as much as possible and have strength that is strong enough to be tender and kinder.
• BE intelligent in my behavior and exert every effort I can.
• FIND MY WAY I can feel a real sense of fulfillment.

What are your goals for 2007?