Thanks everyone who came to our halloween parties on Sunday. I hope you had fun. I really enjoyed myself, even though I was busy helping kids do my big puzzle, and also controlling my pet cormorant, who wanted to bite everybody (I could open & close his mouth using a string in my hand. Hehe.)
My costume was an `ushou`, a Japanese cormorant trainer/handler/master. Cormorant fishing is a 1300-year-old tradition in Gifu, and nowadays is a famous tourist attraction. Have you ever been to seen cormorant fishing in Gifu?
For those of you who didn`t see my halloween costume last year, here are some pictures. I was a (Japanese-style) grave-stone.
It was useful for hiding when my boss was looking for me. But it was difficult to pick things up from the ground if I dropped them...
My costume this year is a secret. If you come to our Teragoya Halloween Party on Sunday you can see it, and afterwards I`ll post photos here on my blog. I haven`t quite finished making it, but I think it`ll be pretty good, and pretty funny, like last year.
Thanks Naoaki for reminding me about the Kakamigahara airshow on Sunday.
I went there with my son, Owen. We arrived just in time for the Blackhawk helicopter display, but Owen seemed more impressed by the big cargo planes. He also got excited about the `Blue Impulse` formation flying display and wasn`t scared by the noise, which I thought he might be.
Afterwards we looked at the stalls (yatai) and I bought him a set of small Blue Impulse jet-shaped magnets. I wanted to buy more geeky (otaku-poi) stuff to make my wife roll her eyes and sigh (tameiki o tsuku) but it started to rain, so we headed home.
It`s an annual (every year) event, so next year I recommend you go – it`s easy to get to by train and free to enter.
At our Kids Halloween Party this Sunday there will be a bazaar with some cool stuff for sale, including this M&Ms dispenser which a student kindly donated.
By chance, when Suzette returned from Canada recently, she brought some M&Ms, so we put them in the dispenser, and when you move his left arm down, an M&M chocolate comes out – Amazing! What a useful toy!!!
By the way, the money we receive at the bazaar will go to The Teragoya Foundation, which helps orphans (real ones, not just M&M toys), so it`s a great, guilt-free way for you to spend a little money. Please come and have a look.
Oh, and if you have anything to donate, please give it to your nearest Teragoya school. Thanks!
These are two songs by English singer/songwriter Damon Gough (his stage name is Badly Drawn Boy). The music videos are pretty funny.
"Something To Talk About" from 2002. This song was used in the movie "About A Boy", Have you seen it? Hugh Grant is in it. I recommend it!
"Disillusion" from 2004.
Sample Lyrics:
Seems you created your own illusion
Fuelled by an image of me
![Recipe: Lemon Delicious Pudding]()
This was my favourite dessert when I was a kid. Nowadays I don`t often cook, but I make this sometimes. It`s pretty easy.
Here is the recipe:
220g sugar
90g butter (soft)
2 lemons: juice + grated skin
3 eggs: separated into yolks (tamago no kimi) & whites (shiromi)
125g self-raising flour
600ml milk
- Preheat oven to 180deg.
- Beat (using electric mixer) sugar, butter & grated lemon skin
- Add egg yolks & beat
- Add flour & milk alternately (koutai ni?) & beat
- Add lemon juice & mix a little
- In ANOTHER bowl, beat egg whites until stiff (katai?)
- Add egg whites to first bowl & mix in softly (yasashiku)
- Put into buttered cooking dish(es) & cook for 30-35 minutes
Notice in the picture that it has a lot of sauce - that`s normal; it`s not a cake.
As I said, it`s pretty easy (if your oven doesn`t hate you & you can find where your mother-in-law has hidden all the utensils (kitchin-yougu) again...) and you don`t need any special ingredients (zairyou), so you should try making it!
If you do, please tell me how it went.
I`m not really interested in Formula One racing, but at the moment an Australian, Mark Webber, is leading the standings. Also, he came second at Suzuka circuit last Sunday. Well done!
Australia hasn`t had a successful F1 driver for a while - nowadays the winners are usually Europeans or Brazilians (just like World Cup football!)
To celebrate, I made this collage.
Are you interested in F1? Do you have a favourite car or driver?
Do you have a collection of small model F1 cars that you keep in a special display case that your wife says you should get rid of because you are too old for such a silly hobby?
It`s time for Bohme Teragoya`s big, fun, exciting, funny HALLOWEEN PARTY! We have this party every year, & everyone always has a great time. Don`t miss it! Or you will regret it!
Paul Kelly is an Australian singer/songwriter I`ve liked for a long time. He`s starting to get old now - like me & Jack Bauer - but he`s still making nice music. This is a song called "King of Fools" from 2004.
Chorus:
I`m the king
I`m the king of fools
The King Kong king of fools
(full lyrics are here.)
Another song of his you might like: "Before Too Long" (+ lyrics) from 1986. This song & music video makes me homesick for Australia.
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PSPINC JP 
birdy 
エメラルド 
KUMA 
内倉憲一 
bokushi 
mokomoko 
yukio 
田仲なお美