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Diary

【No. 0607】Traffic Jams due to a Return Home

Aug 16, 2016 07:34
For many Japanese people, Bon holidays will end today.

Therefore, people who returned home will come back to areas where they currently work.

Of course, this will cause major traffic jams all over Japan.

By the way, it is said that most traffic jams on Japanese highways occur in sag sections, where the slope is changed from a decline to a uprise.

Actually, I also had to come back to Tokyo today.

However, since I really don't like traffic jams, I set off at around 2:30 A.M., and arrived at around 6:30 A.M.

I will go to bed from now until noon.
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【No. 0605】Homecoming and Short Sightseeing Part 2

Aug 14, 2016 00:30
Today, I'd like to write the remaining part of yesterday's post.

The second sightseeing spot where I visited was "Unagi Pie Factory."

Unagi means eels, and unagi pie is confectionery created by kneading eel powders into pie dough, which is popular as a souvenir in Shizuoka Prefecture.
(It doesn't have a taste of eels at all.)

At the Unagi Pie Factory, you can see and learn the manufacturing process of unagi pie.

Although it was a short factory tour, I was fun.

I bought a lot of unagi pie as a souvenir.

After that, I returned home, then played with my nephew and niece.

Since I also played with them, I'm exhausted.
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【No. 0604】Homecoming and Slight Sightseeing Part 1

Aug 13, 2016 00:19
Today (technically yesterday since it's midnight), I returned home in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture from Tokyo.

Along the way, I passed through three prefectures: Kanagawa, Yamanashi, and Shizuoka.

In Shizuoka Prefecture, I stopped at two sightseeing spots for a brief time.

The first place was "Komakado Kaza-ana."

(If you search for this cave on Google Images, you can find more beautiful pictures than those I uploaded.)

Kaza-ana means a kind of caves, and this is the oldest one in lava caves that were generated by a large explosion of Mt. Fuji.

Since the temperature in the cave is 13 Celsius degrees through the year, I felt cool.

This post will be too long, so I will write the residual part tomorrow.

【No. 0600】The 600th Post

Aug 9, 2016 11:15
This is my 600th post.

Although there were some dangerous days, I managed to continue to write English without a day off.

Also, my university will have Bon holidays from tomorrow until a week later.

Bon is a Japanese event that enshrines spirits of our ancestors, and we often held festivals and visit graves during Bon.

You may have heard the word "Bon Odori" (odori means dancing), which is often performed in Bon Festival.

Bon Odori was originally performed for recognizing ancestral spirits, but the religious meaning has gradually faded.

Recently, Bon Odori and Bon Festival are popular as entertainment events.
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【No. 0595】A Poster Presentation Event

Aug 4, 2016 23:48
Today, I prepared for a poster presentation event of students for the first time ever since I became a university teacher.

The preparation of the event was more tough than I expected, and I got exhausted.

However, since the event worked smoothly and ended without a hitch, I was really relieved.

This was an interim poster presentation of graduation works, so there were many unfinished studies, but there were also many interesting ones.

After the poster presentation, we ate a lot of delicious food at an end-of-event party.

My mind might not work properly.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure the reason.

Good night.
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【No. 0589】A Hard Day

Jul 29, 2016 23:56
Today was a really busy day.

I went to my university in the early morning, and talked about studies with students for about seven hours in total, and wrote a manuscript of an academic conference for about seven hours.

Since students have to perform a study presentation, they seemed to be under the gun.

However, I was really under the gun, because the deadline of the manuscript was today.

I was able to submit it in the last minute, so I'm being quite relieved now.

This entry, that I decided to post every day, was also submitted in the last minute.

I am really tired today.

Good night.
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【No. 0538】McShake and Breast Milk

Jun 8, 2016 11:05
Since there is a McDonald in my university, I sometimes go there and buy McShake.

McShake is known that it's hard to drink, but there is a reason.

According to the McDonald's study, the most delicious speed that you feel when you drink something is same as the speed of drinking breast milk.

The diameter of the McShake's straw is adjusted to achieve the breast milk speed.

When you drink McShake, you might recall the days when you were babies unconsciously.

Furthermore, you might demand it instinctively.

McShake could be a kind of drug.
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【No. 0531】Bought an iPad mini 4

Jun 1, 2016 10:48
Yesterday, I bought an iPad mini 4.

The storage size is 64 GB, the color is gold, and it's a cellular model.

Although there were rumors about iPad Pro mini and iPad mini 5, I couldn't wait for the next version to be available.

I really enjoyed manipulating this device yesterday.

Also, I played a game (Kingdom Rush Origins) for the first time in a long time, and kept late hours.

I'm sleepy now.
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【No. 0523】Encounter with a Cockroach

May 24, 2016 21:17
It was when I was leaving a fast food restaurant after I ate dinner, I found a cockroach in the outside.

It was very shocking to me.

I've never found cockroaches while living in Nagano Prefecture, and I met a cockroach for the first time in nine years.

For now, I've never found cockroach in my apartment, but my room doesn't clean very much.

I think that my kitchen is very clean (because I don't cook very much), but there are many cardboard boxes in my room.

Also, I heard that cockroaches like cardboard, and they often deposit their eggs in cardboard boxes.

In order to avoid cockroaches, I will do something with those cardboard boxes.
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【No. 0522】Shopping for Clothes

May 23, 2016 17:53
Yesterday, I went to an outlet mall, and bought some clothes after I finished my work.

It's been a while since I chose and bought a cloth for myself.

I think it's the first in 2 years.

I bought a thin jacket and, some shirts and pants.

Recently, I've worn a few clothes in rotation, so such new clothes will be a good refreshing change for me.

My colleagues might have thought something like "you always wear the same cloth," haha.
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【No. 0503】Travel to Nagano Prefecture with My Family [Day 2]

May 4, 2016 18:11
Today, my family and I ate breakfast in a pension, then went to Lake Suwa.

We spent our morning time in a pool or a hot spring, and ate lunch in the facility.

After that, we played miniature golf, and this travel ended.

Since these travel days were the wedding anniversary of my parents and my father's 60th birthday (which is called kan-reki in Japan), my sister/brother and I gave various gifts to our father and mother.

They looked happy, so we were also happy.

I will take a calm rest in my apartment tonight.

From tomorrow, I will resume my study.
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【No. 0502】Travel to Nagano Prefecture with My Family and a Little Car Accident

May 3, 2016 19:45
Today, I visited Utsukushigahara and Tateshina in Nagano Prefecture with my family.

My nephew and niece are very energetic, so this travel was bustling.

Once again, nature in Nagano was beautiful.

However, an unfortunate accident was happened.

It was when I was trying to open the door of my car at the parking area of the top of the mountain.

The door was opened by a gusting wind, and a next car was hurt.

I conveyed my contacts to the car driver, and I will pay the repair charge.

I'm not sure how much I will pay, but it will become a big expenditure.

I'd like to be a more cautious man.
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【No. 0501】A Nagano Prefecture Travel with My Friends

May 2, 2016 23:34
Today, I traveled to Nagano Prefecture with my friends.

We first went to Kamikochi, and looked around immense nature while walking about 10 kilo meters.

I was impressed by the beautiful views.

After that, we went to Daio Wasabi Farm (wasabi means a Japanese horseradish).

Since we could watch a rare wasabi farm, it was fun.

I ate a wasabi soft ice cream there.

Although I felt a little strange taste, it was delicious.

It was a busy day, but it was also a gratifying day.
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【No. 0500】The 500th Post

May 1, 2016 23:53
This post is my 500th post.

When I posted my 400th post, I forgot the number of my posts, and I didn't mention it.

Time goes by very fast.

By the way, today I met my friends.

In this morning, we visited some mountains in Nagano prefecture.

And now, I am having a dinner with my boss and my friends.

I'm drunk right now.

I'm sorry if my sentences are disjointed.

【No. 0499】Shoe Sore

Apr 30, 2016 16:30
Today, I walked a very long distance.

Unfortunately, since I wore unfamiliar shoes, I got a blister.

My skin was barked, and it hurts.

If you ignore your shoe sore, your foot may become arteriosclerosis obliterans.

Furthermore, if you ignore the symptom, there is a risk that causes a myocardial infarction and a stroke.

Therefore, you should wear shoes that fits your feet, and walk with a correct posture.

By the way, since your feet become slightly swollen in the evening, it's better to choose your shoes based on your evening feet.
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【No. 0498】The Death of My Grandfather

Apr 29, 2016 14:06
Yesterday, I received a sad news.

My grandfather (my mother's father) passed away.

Since my grandfather on my mother's side lived in a remote location, I couldn't meet him frequently.

I think that I should have met to him at short intervals.

He was a Christian, and he seem to be in heaven.

I heard that death is the beginning of eternal life, and is not a sad thing for Christians.

However, I think that most people will feel sad more than a little if their familiar person pass away.

I want to pray for his soul to rest in peace
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【No. 0494】My First Paycheck

Apr 25, 2016 20:56
Today was a long-awaited payday for the first time in my life.

I checked my passbook balance at an ATM slowly and tentatively, and confirmed that the money was credited.

I was deeply moved.

Maybe I was smirking.

I'm not sure what I should use my.

First, I will give a dinner and a gift for my parent during next Golden Week holidays.

After that, I'd like to give a dinner for my mentor who taught me at a university.

Finally, I want to buy a new computer and an iPad for myself.

Hehehe.
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【No. 0493】Wrong Screws

Apr 24, 2016 20:26
Today, I tried to assemble a desk, but I missed eight screws.

Therefore, I went to a hardware store to buy screws.

However, I forgot to measure the exact diameter of the missing screws, and I struggled to buy which size.

Sensuously, I thought the size was 4 to 5 mm, and I bought eight screws of M4 and M5, respectively.

Since the hardware store was far from my apartment, I didn't want to go there again.

So just in case, I also bought some other screws that have different length.

Unfortunately, the diameter of the screw hole was 6 mm.

Begrudgingly, I went to the hardware store again.

I will measure with a caliper in advance.
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【No. 0482】My First Seminar and Drinking Party

Apr 13, 2016 23:31
Today, a graduate research seminar was held with my boss and students.

There were fifteen students, and it was difficult for me to remember all of their names.

However, I could remember easily some individualistic students' names.

Also, we held a drinking party at night.

Since I was able to talk with various nice people, I think it was a profitable time.

One disappointing point was that I couldn't finish the party smoothly because of my bad closing speech.

Anyway, I'd like to support their graduation researches earnestly from now on.
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【No. 0481】My First Lesson

Apr 12, 2016 14:48
Yesterday, I performed an exercise lesson as a university teacher for the first time ever.

I made some mistakes, but I barely managed to finish the lesson.

Almost all students paid attention in my talk, so I could survive.

Also, since I was speaking for almost three hours, I was very tired.

I have to do my best my work patiently every week from now.

In addition, I have to spend my spare time doing my research and studying English for my dream.