Presentation to students

I gave a presentation to students about my company. The theme was engineering but not technical topics. I really enjoyed talking to people. I could be very relaxed at the speech because it was not a kind of reviewing or a presentation in English.

The organizer gave me an USB memory with the logo. Yey! I've copied some mp3s to it soon. :)

(22:59 - 23:06 7min)

I gave a presentation to students about my company. The theme was engineering but not technical topics. I really enjoyed talking to people. I was able to be very relaxed at the speech because it was not a kind of review or a presentation in English.

The organizer gave me an USB memory stick with the company's logo. Yey! I've just copied some mp3s to it. :)

1 soup and 3 dishes

We are completing the style of dinner. That's a traditional Japanese style 一汁三菜 (ichi ju san sai). It means a combo of 1 soup and 3 dishes (you can change the size of rice ball to L for free). 1 soup is typically a miso soup and 3 dishes consist of 1 main dish and 2 side dishes. Quote from my wife "The main dish for protein and the side dishes for vitamin".

I sometimes take pictures of dinners :)

(23:40 - 23:50 10min)

We have nearly completed a style of dinner known as 一汁一菜 in Japanese. That's a traditional Japanese style cuisine. It means a combo of 1 soup and 3 dishes (you can change the size of rice ball to L for free). 1 soup is typically a miso soup and 3 dishes consist of 1 main dish and 2 side dishes. Quote from my wife "The main dish is for protein and the side dishes are for vitamin".

I sometimes take pictures of dinners :)

• known as 〜 in Japanese

New earbuds

I had used normal earbuds bundled with iPod, but I bought new earbuds today. I had a trouble that it was difficult to listen audio programs with the normal earbuds on a train. When it's noisy, the voice sounds too small. On the other hand, when it's silence the voice sounds too big. I could not find a suitable volume.

My new earbuds are canalphones. It fits to my ears. I could listen audio programs much clearer. It was good deal.

1,980 yen.

(22:47 -22:56 9min)

I had been using the normal earbuds that came with my iPod, but I bought new earbuds today. I had been having trouble as it was difficult to listen to audio programs with the normal earbuds on a train. When it's noisy, the voice sounds too small, and can be difficult to hear. On the other hand, when it's silence the voice sounds too big. I could not find a suitable volume.

My new earbuds are canalphones. They fit to my ears. I was able to listen to audio programs much clearer. It was a good deal.

1,980 yen.

I had used normal earbuds bundled with iPod, but I bought new earbuds today. I had a trouble listening to audio programs with the normal earbuds on a train. When it's noisy, the voice sounds too small. On the other hand, when it's silent the voice sounds too big. I could not find a suitable volume.

My new earbuds are canalphones. It fits to my ears. I could listen audio programs much clearer. It was a good deal.

1,980 yen.

Getting back my hours

Although there're still busy days, I'm getting back my hours. I'm happy that I can go to bed till the midnight :)

Words from wife.

Exploit (v)/ exploitation (n): 搾取

Busy days

Busy, busy. I'm afraid these busy days continue forever X-|

Bro's visit

My brother stayed 2nights at my house on last Sunday and Monday. He came for a lecture about the security of handling laser. However, he did not bring any pens or notebooks... So, we went to a 100yen shop to buy them. He could not stop buying unnecessary items. He bought a pen light and two laundry bags even though I forcasted that he would never use them.

I'm expecting my forcast will be true.

(0:22 - 0:30 8min)

Words of Today

ESL Podcast 417 – Getting Travel Documents

in time for: 〜に間に合うように We have to go the party in time for the beginning.
vaccinations: 予防接種
consulate: 領事館｛りょうじかん｝ (Embassy 大使館 is a sort of consulate)
my kind people: people like me
deport: 強制退去させる

Working Saturday

Even though it's Saturday today, I was in the office. It's unusual and I'd better take a rest. However, I wanted to finish it asap. That's life. Tough but fun.

(0:34-0:37 3min)

Words of today

ESL Podcast 415 – Being Clean and Dirty

• pigsty: pig house
• pitch in: assist

ESL Podcast 416 – Finding a Niche in Business

• run a risk: take a risk
• go far: success
• diversify: become diversity (多様化する)
• decisive: 決め手となる
• conventional wisdom (CW): common sense
• at one's request: ~ の要求で

2nd anniversary

Yesterday (Oct 15) was 2nd anniversary of our marriage. I took a day off and went to the restaurant where we had the wedding party. Tomoko gave me a lovely letter. I should put it on my desk for several weeks ;)

I didn't think the stuff of the restaurant remembered us, and it seemed right. However, they gave us message plates celebrating our anniversary in French. Surprise!

I'm still suspecting they reminded it during serving dishes.

(0:32 - 0:39 7mins)

Doc It

Today was a DocIt day of our project. That was a day focusing on documentation about our project. I hoped I could finish it within today. However, it seemed I overestimated me. I might need a couple of days more. I will start lonely DocIt days from tomorrow.

If I would not post a blog tomorrow, it does not mean I'm loosing the habit, but I'm satisfied writing English.

(21:50 - 21:55 5min)

Going to bed

This is just a placeholder. I'm so sleepy now. See you next time :)

(21:31 - 21:31 0min)

Review of the previous lesson

The secret museum in Atami

• frothy: くだらない
• gondola: ロープウェイ
• tongue-in-cheek: silly joking
• peephole: のぞき穴

Gambling

• rake: 場代, 手数料
• a hand: 持ち札
• EV: expected value
• zero-sum-game

Misc

• suck up: ゴマをする / suck up to them

Shopping

On this weekend, I bought various things; shirts, a belt, an umbrella, a pajama, a book about shortest path, a brush and a sponge for bath cleaning.

I had troubles to spell umbrella, pajama, brush and sponge so that I took a longer time than I expected.

(0:00-0:06 6min)

Soused mackerel

My ex-office mate came to Japan from NY (Mr. A.C.). He will stay in Tokyo till this weekend. My wife said he somehow looked like Jude Row. However, I did not know who the guy was :)

By the way, I went out to lunch with him. It was a standing sushi bar. Low price but tasty and menu in English. He found that shimesaba (〆サバ) was translated into "soused mackerel" and said that sounded like a drunk mackerel. He might had said "it should be mackerel with souse".

I also learned the word, Ferris wheel.

(22:53 - 23:04 11min)

Office decoration

My office mate (T.O.) had been out of office for a whole day yesterday. So we decorated his office. We made his working space empty and set carbon boxes as his desks. We put up wallpaper made of news paper, and replaced his books with comic magazines. That looked a modern art of homeless.

(23:21 - 23:26 5min)