decoration in my room

The wall in my room is getting busy because of Christmas cards my friends gave me.
I am really happy to see them!
And I also put the receipts I have received during these two weeks. They are contributing the decoration on the wall so much as well.
Today, I sent some Christmas cards and it cost 10 pounds. .. Some of them are to Japan and so it is expensive.

I LOVE LONDON

I wanted to do something Christmas. So I decided to go out at night with my friends.
We wend to Liverpool street station and walked around and entered a Pub. We did not choose that pub before. We just decided when we walked down the street.
I did not expect much to the shop. I have been some pub before, so I expect something like them. But this pub was a little different.
The building was supposed to be a storage place in the old time and then reformed inside for the use of the pub.
On the ground floor, it looked just a usual pub and we drunk some beers there. There is a third floor. (The first and second floors were not accessible.) The third floor is a small attic and there are some sofas there. There was some home nuance. Customers could dance and drink there. The light was not so dark so we were able to see each other enough.
I talked with some people there. There were bankers or engineers and refugees and students and so on. I was also able to find Santa clusus. He was drunk. I understand that his work must be demanding especially this season, so he also needs to let his hair down and relax.

I like this pub so I will be there again or other pubs nearby it ! I LOVE LONDON!

Oh my PC !

My PC is a kind of broken and does not allow me to use Japanese.
Moreover, it is not allow me to check my web mails and preventing me to chat on MSN messenger with my friends, but it still allow me to see other web pages
I need to use Japanese to send E-mail to my mother and edit my Japanese blog pages.
My mother is non-English speaker and send me her E-mail in Japanese.
I've had to reply to her in English so I just write "Tomoko" which is my name and
I was trying to say "I am fine and still alive. Do not worry!".
She said before that she can not read English but she can read my name in English.
So I did this.
But She did not know what is going on and worried about me.
I think I should have attached my picures to the e-mail and told her that I was fine.
Using pictures is one on the powerful way of expression.


I have used this note PC for two years and wanted to use more two years.
What a shame….
I am still using it now and thinking about the necessary of buying new one.
My lovely friends! Please note that I am not able to reply you e-mail immediately just because of my stupid PC not I am fine.

“Mistletoe”

“Mistletoe”
Today, I worked at the charity shop and learnt many things. Today I got the word “Mistletoe”. Important thing is that we should not pronounce the “t” inside it. It is a Christmas plant and it is a parasite on the oak trees. You can find at any flower shop or Christmas pine tree shops. The word “parasite” is not so cool but this plant has huge effect on us.
I heard that Bellow mistletoe, boys can kiss girls without asking and girls can not blame about it because she is bellow mistletoe. I have never known that. If you are a girl, you should bring the mistletoe and be just beside the man she fancies. Or if you are a boy,
you can call the innocent girl you fancies to just below mistletoe, and he can kiss her without asking and no blaming.
I have no idea why people can kiss under mistletoe. Cf. mistletoe; a plant with white berries and green leaves. Mistletoe grows on tree. Cf. Mistletoe is used as a decoration inside houses in Britain at Christmas time. There is a tradition of kissing people “under the mistletoe”. (Oxford student dictionary)

usual day

What I did yesterday is not much. Studying and cleaning my room and doing the ironing. Mt life seemed boring one but sometime I have to have this kind of boring days. About my studying, actually, I am having a hard time and feeling frustrated.
My course is not an engineering one but some of my assignments require me to program. I want to learn how to analyze things according to the risk and other factors in this course. It is not directly relevant to the programming but still I need to know some programming to submit my assignments.
What I need to use is not difficult language according to the teachers. The languages I need to use are XML and JavaScript and CCS and so on. Those languages are basically for the use of the web. Some of my classmates have learnt Java or C++ language. Those languages are comprehensive and more difficult than what I am using. XML and JavaScript are kind of included in those languages in Java or C++. I am studying those language on my own basically and do not have any person I can ask. Teachers are saying that we can visit their office anytime and we can ask what we can not understand. Actually, it is difficult. They seem to be busy and hectic and the amounts of my questions are quite much.
I think, especially learning the computer skill requires some special environment. We need the environment we can ask teachers in front of the PC immediately when we come across what we can not understand. Information Technology has made long distances disappear and change the world but leaning it require us being close. I think I will visit teachers and try not to give up.
My disadvantage is not only the lack of the programming knowledge but also the English. In spite of these difficulties I am still fine.

the breast research cancer shop

I worked at the Breast Research Shop Today.
From the window, I was able to see some peoples who were selling the Christmas tree in the road. In Japan, we usually have artificial trees in our house because it is difficult to get the real one.
I heard the authentic trees smell nice.
Today, I got a new word, “rein deer”. One customer asked me “Is there any rein deer outfits for children?” It was a difficult question for me because I knew neither “outfit” nor “rein deer.” In my shop, there are many rain deer dolls and even if they did not have reins on their backs, they are called “rein deer”.
I learnt the difference between “beetles” and “lady bird”. In the shop, there are some cute chairs as products and some of them have lady bird pictures with the word “beetle”. One customer said the “This word should be “lady bird”. I heard Lady bird is a cute kind of beetles and the word was not really wrong. The chairs were made in China, so it is difficult to demand the accurate English.

TA

When I was working at the Brest Cancer Research Shop, one customer said to me TA.
What is TA???
TA seemed not a word but just some sound.
My colleague told me that TA is the Abbreviation of “Thank you”.
Nobody can imagine the TA can mean “Thank you”, can’t they! I am watching BBC every morning but they have never said TA.
I think this must me the real conversation and I need to learn on by one.
I learnt two more things. When one customer bought a Video tape and said “ Anything good?”. I though he was asking us if there was more nice video tapes in the shop. I thought if he wanted to check, he could see the video tapes on the selves by himself.
My colleague told me that he was asking us if video he was buying is worth to see or not. How can the sentence “anything good” can meant that!!
My colleague answered to him “it is must”. I though that she recommended the video saying it is a nice video and he must see it. But in really to she meant that he must see the video to judge it is nice or not.
Still I could not understand well.

a piece of Japanese curry paste

I bought a piece of Japanese curry paste when I went to the centre of London. I didn’t realize that they charged more than I had the pay on my curry paste because I bought other ingredients and paid altogether. When I paid I thought it was a bit expensive and strange but the shop was crowded and I need to move out soon after I got my change. A piece of Japanese curry cost ￡1.5 but they charged me 4.5. They charged me three times as much as the usual price. I called them but the reaction of them was really bad.
The person who picked up the phone said that the many I dealing with was quite small. Moreover he said that the place I lived in is not so far from the centre of London so I should come as soon as possible.
I felt against him and said that if he thought it is not far he should bring the money to my place. He could not say no logically because he himself said that it was not so far to me.
He said he would bring but need time to arrange many things.
I know he may not be a bad person but bit too honest. Even if he thought the money I was dealing with was not so big and the place I lived was not so far, he should not have said that to me. I can not believe he comes.

I am a Nerd

Today, I decorate my room for Christmas.
I cut the wrapping paper in the shape of a boot and a Christmas tree. My room is small and I don not have many dolls or something which represent my personality.
In the night, I cut wrapping paper on my own. After I put the papers I feel great satisfaction seeing it.
I though I might be a Nerd but never mind. Nerd is my new word and I found this word interesting. In Japan, I have seen many Nerds and they are my friends. I attended an engineer course in my University and most of the students were Nerds, I am afraid.
In a dictionary, the word Nerd is defined that the person who is not fashionable and has boring hobbies.
Usually my friends in the university are not so fashionable sometime they have boring hobbies such as collecting stamps and pins. Moreover they are not really good at communicate with other people but, bad at communicating does not necessarily mean they are not kind. Many of us are nice but do not know how to express.
I guess, Japanese Nerd and English Nerd may be different. .Same? If you know about some information about English Nerd, let me know!

Thank you Mr.Santa Clsus!

I got a letter which told me that I was accepted by a UK family as a guest at New year days!
I applied the home staying programs which are organized by some UK non profit organization. The programmes are foreign students in UK who want to experience the staying at UK family house. The region is Suffolk and my host family’s house is a farm.
Nobody can imagine how happy I am with is.
Actually, it is beyond my wish.

Moreover, they invite me at Christmas also.
Staying a farm house in UK at Christmas!
Mr.Santa　Clsus came a bit early to me.
Thank you Mr.Santachros!