Listen to an inner voice!

Today is the limit to submit a contract to open a franchise cram school for elementary school kids. Still now I am in doubt. That means that I may not be attracted by the franchise system.

There is a saying.

When in doubt, do nowt.

Now I'm trying to listen to my inner voice.

Is that a thing you are really willing to do?
- I can't say yes.

Can you develop skills of the children by using those materials?
- I'm not sure because I don't realize the good things.
I don't think they work for every kids.

I may know the answer already.

The first interview

Today I was interviewed for the first time in my life by magagine. I am always the person who interview someone. Actually I am a member of PTA publication department.

The magagine is A-N-To-Re, which means entrepreneurs. That's the most famous magagine for people thinking about starting new business on one's own.

http://entrenet.jp/?vos=nentadwwkc0000602246

My page will be up around November.

I remembered the time when I started manabos, my company. I realized I haven't accomplished most of my dreams I had when I started my business. I should think what I want to do once again and try harder. This interview helped me wake up. Thank you for interviewing me.

July 25, 2010

Airin played the piano on her second piano recital. She was able to finish playing the piece without skipping or big mistakes those are usual patterns while she practiced. That made me relieved so much. I envy her because she can gather her energies in important occasions.



My brother's family and my parents came to the recital and we could enjoy dinner together first time after a new year party.

Friday, July 16, 2010

This is the last school day before summer break.

Airin and me woke up at 4:30 incidentaly so we decided to go for a bike ride to our favorite park.

We saw many people, especially old people running, walking, walking their dogs but no children and parents. That made us feel good like we were doing something great. Airin enjoyed playing with big toys.

Soon after we were back at home, Airin returned to her bed. Oh my!!

Today's Echhart Tolle's words are;

Realize Deeply

that present moment is all you ever have.

Make the Now the primary focus of your life.

今この瞬間があなたが有するすべてのものであると深く実感しなさい。

今をあなたの人生の一番のものとして集中しなさい。

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Airin participated in the preliminary game of Boso Card Games Tornament. It was an event held in her elementary school yesterday.

KARUTA is a traditional Japanese game.

Boso Karuta consists of 44 cards and each card introduces famous tourist spot in Chiba. It's a fixed verse form of seventeen syllables arranged in a five-seven-five pattern.

Children can learn Japanese and Chinese characters through the games and that's fun!　I love Boso Karuta.

For example, The card about TDL is,

「みんな仲良し　遊んで楽しい　ディズニーランド」

This means like that; Disneyland is a place where everyone gets friendly and has a great time.

Airin lost the game but that's OK because it was a great fun!

Saturday, July 11, 2010

I saw the flamenco live show for the first time in a decade. That was performed by a famous flamenco dancers family, Masumi Suzuki.
I was deeply moved by her mother's performace. She is now 77 years-old and I could feel the deepness and sorrow of the life.

The intense sound of the guitar touched my soul and reminded me the days when I was hooked on flamenco sound. I have been devoted myself to practicing flamenco guitar and flamenco dance those days.That was when I quit a compamy and I didn't know what to do next. I wondered I could be a professional flamenco guitarist.

Now ten years have past, I am just an ordinary woman who has an expensive flamenco guitar.
I'll play that guitar someday.

Airin's First Taste of Skating!

Friday, June 10, 2010

Last Friday Airin experienced skating for the first time. She joined a biginning class for children. She found a good companion and practiced walking around the rink with her, holding on to the railings before the class started. Her companion, Kotoha, was very cute and friendly. She taught Airin how to walk on ice and she made Airin feel relaxed. I love her smile!

After the lesson, Airin could walk by herself without holding on to the railings.　Good job, Airin!

The next day we went to the same skating rink again because Airin wanted to practice more. She kept walking on the rink carefully and walked aound the rink more than ten times.

I enjoyed skating after two decades. At first I was afraid I couldn't skate any more but fortunately I was able to skate pretty well, although I can't spin, nor jump.

Airin can't wait for the next skating lesson.

Today's words from Echhart Tolle are;

Break The Old Pattern

of present-moment resistance. Make it your practice to withdraw attention
from past and future whenever they are not needed.
Step out of the time dimension as much as possible in every day life.

今に在ることに抵抗している古い慣習を打ち破れ

過去や未来が必要とされていないのに注意をはらってしまうことのないよう訓練しなさい。

日常の中であらゆる限り、時間の拘束から逃れなさい。

My Crazy Clock

Friday, July 9, 2010

I have an atomic clock.　　I like it because I don' have to adjust time and replace batteries.

This clock is getting crazy. It sometimes shows one hour ahead. I get panicked when I wake up and check the time. Oh no! I am late. I should wake Airin up right now! After that nervous moment I notice the clock is one hour ahead. I think it better than one hour behind.

Today's words from Eckhart Tolle are.

Presence Removes Time.
Without time, no suffering, no negativity, can survive.

ただ今にあることで時の概念を無くす

時がなくなれば、あらゆる苦しみ、あらゆるマイナス感情も存続できなくなる。

時は誰にでも平等だと思うけれど、なんと私たちの生活は時間の制約を受け

息苦しくなっていることだろうか。

Thursday,　July 8, 2010

I have had a pain at around the base of right thumb for about two weeks and I can't open canned juice. Maybe I have a tenosynovitis.　My daughter advised me to see a doctor. She is always my good adviser. So I went to the hospital to see a orthopedist. Unfortunately the orthopedic surgery is closed on Thursdays and I returned home. Anyway I applied a cold compress and fixed with tape. I hope it will work.

Today's words from Echhart Tolle are,

Every Time You Walk

up and down the stairs in your house or place or work,
pay close attention to every step, every movement, even your
breathing.
Be totally present.

あなたが歩くあらゆる瞬間を
階段を上や下に上るとき、あらゆる動き、呼吸までも
すべての瞬間にじっと注意をはらいなさい。
完全に今にありなさい。

Bullying

Tuesday, June 6, 2010

This morning my daughter told me that she was bullied by her school mates.
Some of her shool mates gave my daughter stern looks. When Airin, my daughter asked A chan the reason, she said, "That's why I don't like you." And her friends answered, "We are friends of A chan." I told Airin that those things happen at school and you shouldn't look back crossly at them. Don't care about them. You should pretend to be kinder and nicer. They will stop bullying you soon.

I hope Airin to grow up with a kind, strong heart.


Today's words from Eckhart Tolle are,

See If You Can Catch Yourself Complaining,

in either speech or thout,
about a situation you find yourself in,
what other people do or say, your
surroundings, your life situation, even
the weather.
To complain is
always nonacceptance of what is.

文句を言っている自分に気がついたら

自分の状況や他人の言動や、自分の環境、状況、天気にさえ
言葉や思考の中で文句を言っている自分に気がついたとしたら
現実を受け入れていないということである。

Thursday, July 1, 2010

I will start a new English Class, Eiken Koza today. I will do all my best to pass my students on the next 5th grade test. I hope all my students to be more confident.

Today's words from Echhartl Tolle are,

Observe How The Mind
labels an umpleasant moment and
how this labeling process,
this continuous sitting in judgement,
creats pain and unhappiness

どのように思考が不快な瞬間を決めていき、
どのようにそれが進んでいくのかを、観察してみなさい。

このような継続的な判断が行われていくことで
苦しみや不幸せが生まれてくるのである。

Thought of Michael Jackson

Monday, June 28, 2010

I spent my weekend thinking of Michael and listening to his music. He passed away one year ago at 6am on June 26th, Japan time. That's why I felt like seeing the movie "Michael Jackson Comemorated."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD19YTqRVZQ

That was not the movie but just a home video shooting by one of his ex-managers. To be frank, It was a big torture to keep watching for 2 hours. But It was good that I could see the real Michael in front of his familiar guys. He was exchanging blue jokes with them and got embarassed when he noticed he forgot taking off his michrophone when he was using bathroom. He was also a human like us.

Rest in peace, Michael! I love you!


Today's words from Eckhart Tolle

Feeling will get you closer to the truth of who you are than thinking.

MRI Brain Scan Day!

Friday, June 25, 2010

Yesterday All of my family, my daughter, my husband and me,
got MRI brain scans and that's why I namede the day MRI Brain Scan Day!

I have a migraine and my husband pursuaded me to take brain scan. I didn't like the big sound during the scan. It caused me another headache. My husband didn't mind the noise and he could take a nap!

In the afternoon on the same day, my daughter got MRI brain scan, too. Her doctor recomended that scan because she has got slant trouble on her eyes and she falls too much.
She didn' t care the big sound and she could take a good nap.

Like father, like daughter!

Today's Eckhart Tolls words are;

Whenever You Notice

that some form of negativity has arisen within you,
look on it not as a failure, but as a helpful signal that is telling
you: "Wake up. Get out of your mind. Be present."

I will put Japanese translation from now on.

あなたの中に否定的な気持ちが沸いてきたときは失敗と思わずに、
「目覚めよ。　思考から抜け出し、いつも今にあるように」
そう、気づかせてくれるサインだと思いなさい。

雑念よ！　あっちへ行け！

Performance Studies

I have just read the book written by Sato Ayako. She is a leader in the field of performance studies in Japan.

The title of the book is キレない心を育てる！キレない心を育てる！

She shows that how we should cope with our negative feelings and change them to positive ones.
And also she emphasizes the importance to teach children that they should ask for help when they have things they cannot solve by themselves.

She cited the Serenity Prayer and I realized the importance to practice this in my life.

God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage
to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the
difference.

God! I need all of them, the wisdom, the serenity, the courage.

I found the similer words from Eckhart Tolle's Meditation Deck.

Wherever You Are, Be There Totally.

If you find your here and now intolerable and it makes you unhappyp,
youhave three options:
remove yourself from the situation, change it, or accept it totally.
If you want to take responsibility for your life, you must choose one
of those three options, and you must choose now.
Then accept the consquences.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

I bought a cell phone for my father yesterday.
He is in his late seventies and a bookworm and never uses the digital instruments.
I don't think he will like this cell phone. Anyway, I will send it today!


Today's words from Eckhart Tolle are here.

Are You Worried?

Do you have many "what if" thoughts? You are identified with your mind, which is projecting itself into an imaginary future situation and creating fear. There is no way that you can cope with such a situation, because it doesn't exixt. It's a mental phantom.

A Cat Who Lives Now!

Friday, June 18, 2010

I visited my frined and met her cat, Rui.

He has something noble and never come closer to people voluntarily.　　

It reminds me Louis XIV de France. Rui's behavior was so graceful.

He doesn't care anything about his outer world.

He forcuses only on his inner consciousness.

He lives NOW.

Hereunder is the citation from Eckhart Toll's Power of Now Meditation Deck.

Realize deeply that the preseint moment is all you ever have.
Make the Now the primary focus of your life.

Restart my English blog!

I nouticed I have left this blog unupdated for about 2 years. That made me feel embarassed.
So I decided to restart this blog to improve my English skill. And also I would like to introduce my favorite words of Eckhart Tolle, he is a spiritual leader and an author of A NEW EARTH and THE POWER OF NOW. His words help us to find inner peace and greater fullfilment in our lives.

I hope you can enjoy my blog.

I hate sunburn!

We went to the swimming pool, Wellsanpia Chiba, near the hospital where my husband got the second check of the polyp in his stomack yesterday. I hope that isn't cancer. We will know that in two weeks. Anyway It's no use worrying about that before diagnosis.

The swimming pool was one of the facilities of Wellsanpia Chiba and so many water atractions like water coasters and water sliders and watering pool. My daughter had a great time there. She loves water play and didn't get bored and kept playing in the pool all day long. I imagine she was a fish or something in her previous life. Playing with her made me totally worn out!

I hate sumburn so I put sunscrean before geting into the pool but I forgot wearing cream on my back. That's why I had a terrible sunburn on my back. My daughter got tanned too.

We visit my husband 's father today. My daugher wants to go to a swimming pool again. I don't want to get burnned any more!

Happy Birthday to me!

I became 43 two days ago. I have been looked back on the past year in recent days.
After quitting the comopany, I accomplished the short stay in Seattle with Airin and started my own English School, Bears Enlgish Club and finished 4 seasonal events and got a licence of J-shine. I think I have done quite well. I will be proud of me by myself.

But my struggle has just started and this second year would be more important one for my school to be put to the test. I should improve my students' ability to gain a good reputation.
The first thing I should do as a teacher and a school owner is to believe that all my students can be bilingals. I will praise my students as much as I can and I will give them as much confidence as I can. This is the starting point of the second year.
Happy belated birthday to me!

Attending a preschool!

It's really hard to attend the preschool. This is the first time to attend a preschool for my daughter. I get up at 4am and do the lundry and make lunchboxes for my daughter and hasband. It is a long way from Soga to Komazawa Park. We need 2 and a half hours to reach that school.

Last night I was totally exhausted and I missed a timing to sleep and now I feel terribly in a trance because of lack of sleep.
Now is the time to start preparing. Can I cope with this kind of life? Oh, I have to get started!