Hato Sabure

I received some Hato Sablé the other day from a nice young man who comes from Kanagawa Prefecture. Although I had eaten the sablé (cookies) many times before, I didn’t know anything about their origin.

Hato Sablé were created by Toshimaya's first owner, Hisajiro Kubota (久保田久次郎), who had received a gift of cookies from foreigners visiting his store. When Kubota tried to make them himself, he was unaware that butter had been a main ingredient. After much trial and error, the Hato Sablé was created.

The dove shape of the cookie was chosen because Kubota revered Kamakura’s famous Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine which has many doves.

サブレー (sablé) is French and refers to a cookie that has been made with flour, butter, and eggs.

Note: the word “biscuit” has different meanings for Americans and the British.

1｟🇬🇧｠ ビスケット, クッキー(｟🇺🇸｠ cookie)

▸ a chocolate biscuit

チョコビスケット

▸ a packet of biscuits

クッキー1袋.

2｟🇺🇸｠ ビスケット〘小型のさっくりしたパン〙

▸ beef stew with biscuits

ビスケットをそえたビーフシチュー.

4 ｟米俗･古｠ 〖女性への呼びかけで〗かわいこちゃん.

That's the wáy the còokie crúmbles.

｟主に米･くだけて ｠ (不運な出来事に接して)世の中ってそんなもんだ.

tòss [snàp] one's cóokies ｟米俗｠ (げろを)吐く, 戻す.

Back to School

Well, it’s back to school for our boys today. Years ago, I don’t recall how many, the summer break in Fukuoka lasted from July 20th to August 31st. Forty days in total. Today, it is only 35 days long. Not only have summer breaks become shorter, but kids today have school on Saturdays every now and again.

Students often ask me about summer in the US.

Although summer break there is much longer than in Japan, they tend to go back to school sooner. My niece’s children in Georgia, for instance, return in mid August.

In the United States, summer break can be about two to three months long, with students finishing the school year in late May or early June. The new school year starts in mid to late August or early September. About 4 percent of public schools in the U.S. have a different calendar, where they have shorter breaks throughout the year and a shorter summer break.

When I was a kid, Memorial Day (last Monday of May) signaled the start of summer break which then ended after Labor Day (first Monday of September). I could be wrong about this or maybe I am just confusing California and Oregon's academic calendars.

What I do know is that those long, carefree summers are a thing of the past.

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The way schools plan their year comes from changes made in the 1800s to make sure schools across cities and countryside areas were the same. Before that, schools were open for a part of the winter and a part of the summer. But as schools combined into bigger groups and people in charge of schools organized things, they thought it would be good to have the same schedule for everyone. This was linked to how taxes were set, laws about going to school, and the idea that school was very important for kids.

When schools all started following the same schedule, leaders looked at different things to decide when breaks should happen. They looked at how many students came to school and how hard it was to keep the buildings cool. Rich families would leave hot cities in the summer and go to cooler places, so not many kids would come to school. As trains became cheaper, more middle-class families did the same thing, keeping their kids home in the hottest months or going on vacation.

I personally spent the entire summer break in the mountains two hours from Los Angeles.

Leaders also wanted breaks so students and teachers could rest. Many educators in the 1800s and early 1900s believed that learning a lot in hot weather was bad for health and could make kids tired. They thought younger kids could get hurt from too much learning when it was hot. So, the long summer break was a way for kids and teachers to rest. Teachers would use this time to learn and grow too.

One more thing, people often believe that summer break was needed because children helped their families with farming, but that's not true. Most crops were planted in the spring and harvested in the fall.

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Incidentally, only 11% of kids in the US walk to school. The vast majority either take the school bus or are driving. I would say over 90% of kids here walk. The rest, who attend private schools far from home, take public transportation.

The Palm Springs Air Museum

Americans love air museums and all over Southern California you can find museums featuring collections of military and civilian aircraft. The Palm Springs Air Museum is one of the better ones that I have been to over the years. Most of the airplanes on display are from WWII. The SBD ("Scout Bomber Douglas"), pictured above, was the US Navy’s main carrier-based scout/dive bomber from mid-1940 through mid-1944. It played an instrumental role in the Battle of Midway in June of 1942.

Side view of the Dauntless.

The Vought F4U Corsair (above) was an American fighter-bomber which saw service in WWII and the Korean War. I love the design, particularly the shape of the wings. It was flown by the Navy and Marine Corps.

The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk is a retired American single-seat, twin-engine stealth attack aircraft developed by Lockheed and operated by the United States Air Force. It was the first operational aircraft to be designed with stealth technology.

The F-117 was widely publicized for its role in the Gulf War of 1991. The U.S. Air Force retired the F-117 in April 2008, primarily due to the fielding of the F-22 Raptor.

For an extra twenty dollars you could fly a simulator. Yu-kun managed to shoot down two of three enemy fighter jets, but unfortunately crash-landed his jet.

Rikkun is ready for take off.

Beltane

Today (May 1st) is Beltane or the first day of the Irish or Celtic summer.

ベルテーン祝祭（スコットランドとアイルランドで May Day に行われた昔のケルト族の祭り）

The following is an Irish blessing and its English translation for the day.

Beannaich, a Thrianailt fhioir nach gann,

Mi fein, mo cheile agus mo chlann,

Mo chlann mhaoth’s am mathair chaomh ‘n an ceann,

Air chlar chubhr nan raon, air airidh chaon nam beann,

Air chlar chubhr nan raon, air airidh chaon nam beann.

Bless, O Threefold true and bountiful,

Myself, my spouse and my children,

My tender children and their beloved mother at their head,

On the fragrant plain, at the gay mountain sheiling,

On the fragrant plain, at the gay mountain sheiling.

California - Limousine

From Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) we took a “limousine” to Palm Springs, a small resort town about two hours east of LA. Now, a limousine may sound luxurious, but it was actually just a chauffeur-driven minivan. This was our second time to travel this way and I recommend it for getting out of the city. One, you don’t need to contend with the heavy L.A. traffic, and, two, you can sleep like my family did all the way from the airport to our destination.

The limousine service we use is called Xpress Shuttles. Although a bit pricey, it provides peace of mind when you are exhausted from a long flight like we were.

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The thing that surprised me the most during that two-hour-long drive was how green California was. Thanks to record-breaking rains and snowfall this winter, the hills and mountains were greener than I had ever seen them. As the weather started to warm up, these same hills and mountains exploded with color as wildflowers started blooming.

America

From March 17th to April 6th, we traveled to America. Well, actually, just Southern California. It was our first trip back to the US in almost five years. Five Years! We had originally planned to return in the summer of 2020, but then the Covid-19 pandemic closed the world down. It was good to be back, as you can see from the excitement in my face.

In the coming days and weeks, I will be sharing our adventures.

Stay tuned!

Happy New Year 2020

2019 was another busy year, so busy I can’t quite remember what I actually did. One of the highlights, though, was my younger son starting elementary school, a bittersweet moment, as the kindergarten years were very happy ones for us.

As for the best memory of 2019, that would have to be our trip to Miyazaki for a karate tournament. There, after five years of practicing, our elder son would win his first title—a huge confidence builder that would lead to another title a few months later.

The few days we had in Kagoshima were nostalgic ones for my wife as she used to spend her summers there when she was a child.

Next summer, we will once again be traveling to the US, a trip we are all looking forward to.

Fall Foliage

紅葉のブログをアップし忘れていました。

上２枚は京都で写した写真です。

京都の紅葉は本当に色鮮やかで美しいです。

最低気温が８度以下になると、葉が緑から赤や黄色に変わるそうで、５〜６度以下の日が何日も続くと一気に紅葉が進んで、色も鮮やかになるそうです。

京都は盆地で昼夜の寒暖の差が激しいため、より紅葉が美しいのですね。

京都紅葉　→　https://caede-kyoto.com/京都の紅葉のベストシーズンはいつ？？2018年の京/

下２枚の写真は、佐賀県基山町にある大興善寺の紅葉です。

大興善寺　→　https://daikouzenji.com

Yutoku Inari Shrine

福岡から車で約２時間。ずっと行きたかった、佐賀県にある「祐徳稲荷神社」へ行ってきました！

色使いがカラフルな門。

風に揺れる風鈴の音色が、とても心地よかったです。

風鈴に願い事が書いてありました。

山の頂上まで登ると、いい景色を見ることができます。

結構な急勾配でしたが、子供たちはサクサク登っていきました！

わざわざ見に行く価値がある、素晴らしい神社でした。

＊祐徳稲荷神社 → https://www.yutokusan.jp

Coffee County

生徒さんから一番美味しいコーヒーだよ、と教えていただいた

「Coffee County」へ行ってきました。

中米から豆を輸入し、久留米で焙煎し、販売されているそうです。

試飲中

ぼくはコーヒーに砂糖を入れて飲む人なのですが

ここのコーヒーは砂糖が入りませんでした。（驚！）

酸味と苦味がほとんどなく、ミルクだけで十分！

わざわざ飲みに行く価値のある本当に美味しいコーヒーでした。

Coffee County → http://coffeecounty.cc

Kaho Parts Center

子どもの夏休みの自由研究を手伝っています。

科学館で購入した手作り掃除機（1000円）をパワーアップさせた

手作り掃除機２号を作成することにしました。

モーター、電池ボックス、プロペラなど

今泉にある「カホパーツセンター」ならほとんどの部品が揃います。

色々あるのだな、と見ているだけでもかなり楽しいお店です。

夏休みの自由研究に迷っていらっしゃる方はぜひ行かれてください。

アイデアがたくさん浮かぶと思います！

カホパーツセンター　→ http://www.kahoparts.co.jp

Souvenir from Okinawa and Kyoto

沖縄土産に「ちんすこう」をいただきました。

ここ１０年ぐらい、ちんすこうは美味しく改良され

お土産人気を盛り返しましたね。

しっとりとした口当たり。ほんのり甘いミルクの味。

クッキーとはまた違う食感で、とても美味しいです。

そして、京都土産に、

聖護院八ツ橋をいただきました。

ニッキの独特な味が苦手な方も多いと思いますが

苦手な方でも食べられるように？

だいぶ控えめに味付けしてありました。

さすがは京都土産、箱が可愛い

ですね。

Souvenir from Asakusa

浅草名物・人形焼をお土産にいただきました！

シンプルな味で、ぼく、大好きです。

人形焼は、東京都中央区日本橋人形町が発祥の地だそうです。

雷門の提灯、鳩、五重塔などをかたどってあって、

同じ味でも、形の違う人形焼を楽しみながらいただきました。

ふわふわのカステラにあんこが入っていて

緑茶が飲みたくなる美味しさです。

ありがとうございました(^^)

Kona-Cafe

Aloha!!!

大好きなKona-Cafeへ、４年ぶりに行ってきました。

一押しメニューはやっぱり、ロコモコ！

コナカフェのロコモコは、世界一美味しい！！！

本場 Hawaii のロコモコは、大雑把なアメリカンの味で、

一口食べてがっかりしたことを今でも覚えています。

日本のロコモコは、本場のロコモコの味を優に超えていました。

福岡のお店の中でも、Kona-cafeのロコモコが一番美味しいですよ。

トロピカルなカクテル、Mai Tai （マイタイ）

甘くてとても飲みやすいのですが、アルコール度数が高くて

最高です。

大濠公園にお散歩がてら、ぜひKona-Cafeへ行かれてください。

kona-cafe(コナカフェ)
　福岡県福岡市中央区荒戸２丁目１−１２
　092-752-1237

　夜 ６時ごろから営業（電話確認お願いします）

theomurata

お土産にいただいた

theomurata（テオムラタ）の貴腐マスカットショコラ。

大人の味のチョコレートで、オシャレなパッケージです。

ありがとうございます！

スピーク英会話サロンは、

今日も元気に英語のレッスンをしています！

Teishoku

天神今泉にある「天神わっぱ定食堂」

清川にある田中田という高級居酒屋さんが出された定食屋さんですが

それはそれは美味しくて、たちまち大人気に！

数年前、初めて食べた時、白ご飯とお味噌汁の味が違いすぎて

衝撃だったのを覚えています。

山盛りのごはんと豚汁。

子どもたちにもヘルシー。

おすすめです。

天神わっぱ定食堂　http://teisyoku.net/tenjin/

a souvenir from Kamakura

生徒さんから大好きなお土産をいただきました。

このデザイン。一度見たら忘れないですよね。

神奈川県鎌倉の有名なお土産「鳩サブレー」

「サブレー」って、最後を伸ばすのですね。

シンプルな味で、ぼくが大好きなお菓子です。ありがとうございます！！！

ひと休み、ひと休み

The Wisteria and Azaleas of Maizuru Park

There really isn't a better time to visit Japan than the spring. During the first half of the year, a series of flowers bloom in a fashion as orderly as the Japanese themselves: narcissus (水仙) and camellia (椿) in January; ume (plum) blossoms in February; peach blossoms (桃) and magnolias (木蓮) in March; sakura (cherry) blossoms in late March or early April, depending on the weather; wisteria (藤), azaleas (ツツジ), and peonies around Golden Week (late April to early May); hydrangea (紫陽花) from late May; irises (あやめ) in June, and so on.

Before coming to Japan I couldn't have identified a peony had my life depended upon it, but two decades on I'm practically a botanist. Much of my knowledge of the flora Japanica has come to me passively, through dating women who either taught, or were learning, ikebana (flower arrangement). The rest has been filled in by students, many of whom are invariably trotting off to, say, Mount Kuju to view the wild azaleas in June, foraging their local woods for horsetails and bamboo shoots in early spring, or joining tours to see a famous, centuries old sakura tree. (Seriously.) I must be turning Japanese, because I too willingly (and gleefully) partake in these flower-viewing festivities.

Life's a Beach

Many, many years ago, there was a popular bumper sticker (宣伝用のほか, 政治･宗教的なメッセージを含むバンパーにつけるシール) in America that said “Life is a beach!” This was a play on words (ダジャレ) on the common complaint that “Life is a bitch” (人生はやっかい事, 面倒なもの, 不平). I guess the idea behind the message was that we should stop grumbling (ぶつぶつ文句を言う) and head to the beach.

Anyways, we finally had some sunny weather in Fukuoka, so on the second day of the new Reiwa Era (令和時代), we went out to one of our favorite beaches for beach-combing (浜辺に落ちている物を拾う).

You never can tell what you will find on the beach. Our boys usually end up with pockets full of sand, shells, sand, bits of colored glass, sand, an occasional hermit crabs (ヤドカリ), and more sand. Today, Daddy found a large pebble (海岸･川底にある磨耗で丸くなった小石) with the message: 笑顔で完歩 (Finish the walk with a smile on your face). Good advice from a rock.

Elementary school

アメリカの小学校は、教室の中がカラフルです。ミニスカートの先生も多いです。

バランスボールに座って勉強したり、床に座ったり、リラックスして勉強しています。

日本は姿勢を正さないと怒られますよね。先生に対しての礼儀を大切にしているからかな。

ここらへんは、文化の違いですね。

次男が４月から小学１年生になりました！

「小学校、ぜんぜん楽しくないーーーーー！！！！！（怒）」

を毎日、連呼しています。ですよね(- -;)

幼稚園で３年間、毎日泥んこになって遊び倒してきました。

机にじっと座ることから、小学校はスタートです。

アメリカの小学校の一日はこんな感じです。

アメリカ、日本の小学校、それぞれいいところ、悪いところがありますが、

コミュニケーション、プレゼンテーション、ディスカッション能力を身につけるのはアメリカ。

算数、数学が強くなるのは、圧倒的に日本。

我が子は算数が得意科目なので、日本の義務教育で理系科目を伸ばしていけたらと思っています。