Sakae's diary

We had the first snow in Sapporo a few days ago. I started using a heater and put on a down coat.



My father turned to be 88 years old (米寿) last month. Since I really wanted to tell him just "Happy birthday!" in person on that day, I flew to see him. I'm not sure that he will have his another birthday.
My brother brought him from a nursing home to my parents' house for two nights to celebrate him.

To my sorrow, my father's condition has been worse. He was too weak to come out his voice. He said something to me, but I couldn't understand what he said, except "Thank you."
Moreover, it became worse that he couldn't move his left parts of his body, even his left eye. When my brother carried him from the chair to his bed, my father looked very painful.

We dressed my father a special costume, and took some photos of us. A neighbor made some red rice with beans for him.

My brother made proper food for his father, fed him, brushed his partial dentures including his own some teeth, using even floss, slept next to him, changed his diapers, put some cream on his body, washed his body, cut his hair, .... you name it, my brother did it.
He has brought his father to his parents' house every weekends still now.

I hoped that my father felt happy for his special birthday.






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I took the Eiken test (Grade 1) on October 6th for the first time.
I bought a book titled '文で覚える単熟語' for Eiken about three years ago, and I had studied one third of it then. And I studied the rest of it for a few months before the test. I read loud each article for twenty times with the CD, and I wrote each new word for ten times. Even so, I forgot them only a few minutes later. As I had expected, I didn't pass it. I think I will take the test more than ten times at least in the future.



The Writers' Workshop 10月号問題文 「ホモ・サピエンス」の解説

In 1991, a man's mummy was found in the Alpine valley on the border of Italy and Austria. Later, it is called Iceman because the body had been frozen in the glacier.
The result of the study was announced that this Iceman living about 5,000 years ago, in the Neolithic era, was died from the wound in his left shoulder by the arrow, at the age of between 25 and the middle of in his 40's.
The era he was living was making the progress from hunting and gathering to agriculture. It is thought that they had fierce tribal conflicts. The appearance of Iceman supported this theory.
A historian, Steven Pinker concluded in his book, 'The better angles of our nature' , that this era was the most violent in the humankind, after studying of ruins and indigenous people in the prehistoric times.
Pinker estimated the number of human on earth of the era, and calculated the probability of dying from the violence in one's life. Surprisingly, the result showed that it was reached 60% depended on tribes, and even the average was 15%. Pinker described that this era was the right "a condition of war of everyone against everyone" told by Hobbes.




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I went to see an Ikebana exhibition in Sapporo.
I haven't arranged any flowers since I moved here, so, I have been looking forward to seeing the exhibition.

The theme flower material on that day was delphinium. So, I had expected that all works were used them, but in fact, some of works were used them.

I was very surprised to see that there was a waiting line at the entrance. Moreover, there were many young people including even young men. They accompanied with young women though. Maybe, they looked college students.
When I lived in Hakodate, I've often heard that the number of young people who learn Ikebana is decreasing. However, I found that Ikebana is popular with young people as well. I went there on Friday. I bet more people will come on weekend.
I want to resume Ikebana as soon as possible.


↑This was at the entrance.





















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Toad Lily (ホトトギス)


Haskap Berry Curry

When I went to a grocery store with my son, I found this curry.
Haskap berries grow in Hokkaido. I've eaten its jam, but I've never eaten its curry. My son doesn't want to try it, so, I bought one. I'll tell you how it is after I try it.

It's cold in Sapporo.
I saw many Yukimushi (snow insect) yesterday. Maybe, we will have first snow before long.
Some school classes are closed because the flu is going around in Hokkaido.



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Japanese anemone　（秋明菊）

I've lost weight since I moved here.
I usually do radio exercises twice a day, for twenty minutes in total, and I often walk instead of driving. Moreover, I've eaten less sweets than before.

Actually, it takes four minutes on foot from my apartment to my parking lot. It's really inconvenient. However, if I walk ten minutes or more, I can go almost anywhere, such as a convenience store, a drug store, a station, a bank, a post office, and a grocery store.
I don't want to carry heavy things, so, I hardly buy extra things.




The Writers' Workshop 9月号問題文　「スヌーピー」の解説

What or who is Snoopy?
I sometimes wonder about it.
‘A dog.’ is not a right answer. It’s enigmatic to categorize Snoopy.
(An omission)
Snoopy is not personified. He is surely a dog owned by Charlie Brown. However, he ponders, criticizes, reflects, and philosophizes. Snoopy is a friend who is independent, a critic who always complains, and sometimes a hermit who has a philosophical thought, rather than a pet dog.
Snoopy has an older brother named Spike although this character doesn’t appear in this episode. He somehow lives in the desert alone. There, he is always meditating, and he sometimes talks with cacti. He is absolutely a philosopher living in the desert.




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