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Weekly
Diary (6/14/2009)
I have been watching animations a lot this weekend again.^^; Last
weekend, I wrote that I would think of this year's goal this weekend, but so far
I have not thought about it at all... Now I am sure that I am stupid and lazy...
hahaha...^^;
But anyway, I am doing at least exercise and read some Japanese books. Reading books is a very good habit!^^ My good habit may be coming back! I read two Japanese books which are easy reading books, but they are related to accounting. Each book has about 200 pages, but I can read such book in only one and a half hour. Reading speed is extremely fast! I can read Japanese books so fast. I wrote that I used to read 100 books per year. This can be achieved kind of very easily because I can read books very fast in Japanese! However, reading speed about English books is extremely slow. I may need to spend almost whole one day for reading 100 pages book written in English. I need to read such book for only one hour!!!!! I must do that. Otherwise, I cannot obtain information from English books so much. I read so many Japanese books and got so much information from Japanese books. I wanna do the same thing about English books. If I had been staying in Japan, I could have read so many books and got a lot of information. I might have lost such opportunity. But if I had been staying in Japan, I could not have learned English so much. It is a kind of dilemma and offset. I wanted to learn English, so I gave up opportunity to read Japanese books. I do not know what would have happened "If" I had stayed in Japan instead staying in the U.S. Nobody knows. There is no "if"s in our real life. I am happy to meet many international students and I am happy to get away from stupid Japan and Japanese society. I like Japanese Sushi and I like Japanese animation and I like Japanese individual persons. However, I hate Japanese society and Japanese schools. People come together and they become a crazy group. Each person is good, but once many people come together, they will become a crazy group. We must obey common rule, such as traffic rule. We must obey law. It is obvious. We must not kill people. We know that. But there are invisible rules among groups. Such rules are not written. But people among a group are expected to obey such rules. I know many other countries have similar rules and sometimes it is very important to obey such rules. However, I hate such invisible rules in Japan. I know there are such rules in the U.S. But they look much better than Japan. For example, I rarely see that people in the U.S. wear mask for avoiding swine flu. But in Japan, so many people wear it and if one person does not wear it, this person may be criticized and be forced to wear a mask. How stupid Japanese people are!!! In Japan, over all, individual opinions are not respected and people tend to be forced to obey invisible rules. About twenty years ago, Japanese emperor died. Then every economic activity seemed to be stopped. I know people should be morning for the emperor's death, but it was too extreme. All TV programs are related to emperor's death all day long! So many people went to rental video shops because there were no drama, no shows, no animation, nothing but news about emperor's death. How stupid Japanese TV stations are!!!! Japan is extremely strange and stupid for me. So I am happy^^ to get out from Japan. I might loose the opportunity to read many books, but instead, I can get a normal life. In Japan, for me, there is no normal life. Many people are depressed and not happy. Happy^^ life is the most important for me.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (6/7/2009)
I went on a business trip around Lima, OH and
Mansfield, OH last week. I heavily rely on car navigation system, but this time,
I got some trouble about this system. I input the address of a customer factory,
and I follow the directions of navigation system. I finally arrive at the
destination, but I could not find the customer factory!(>_<) Only 10 minutes
left for meeting time, I was sweating very much. I stopped my car and checked a
map. It is fortunate that a customer factory was not so far from that position.
Finally I got there and I was on time for the meeting.^^ From this incident, I
really learned that I should not believe the directions of navigation system so
much and I should get there first and check the location of a customer factory.
I spent too much time for taking lunch, so I should have arrive at the
destination first and check the location.
After the meeting, I left for a hotel. I was driving on a highway. I drove for a long time and I realized that navigation system was frozen and did not work at all!!!(>_<) Oh my God! I missed the exit. I spent one hour more to get to a hotel.^^; How wasteful it is! Time is money and time is precious. After this incident, I checked navigation system frequently.^^;
Meanwhile, I gradually get used to living in Cincinnati. My daily life came back. I should do something gradually. I made excuses not to do anything. I am busy, so I cannot study English. I am busy, so I cannot read books. I am busy, so I cannot do exercise. etc... Buuuuuuut, I have to begin to do something. I set this years' goals, so I have to make an effort to achieve them!^^ Anyway, this weekend will end soon, I will think of it next weekend.^^ (<- Am I stupid????)
Meanwhile again, I am doing exercise and reading English books a little. I have a bench and weights, so I can do exercise anytime I want!^^ Good environment is very important. I have read two English books recently. One of them is "The one minute entrepreneur" and the other is "Fish!^^." These are business books. I like business books. I used to read 100 books a year, but now I can read only 10 English books a year. To improve my ability, I need to make an effort day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year. I know I need to have good habits to improve my ability. Oh... I wrote this 1000000 times in the past.^^; I know it, but it is extremely difficult to implement it. Oh... when can I be a great person?^^; I just believe in me and try to get good habits as much as possible!^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (5/31/2009)
Visteon and Metaldyne filed for chapter 11. Both of them are
automotive parts manufacturers. Visteon was separated from Ford and Metaldyne's
main customer is GM. GM will file for chapter 11 tomorrow, maybe. Automotive
related companies are having very difficult time now. I am working for
automotive related company now and our company is having difficult time.^^; Last
fiscal year, Toyoda produced enormous loss and in the next fiscal year, it is
expected that Toyota will produce loss again. Sub-prime loan problem and Leman
shock affected automotive industry a lot. Now we may think that American
financial system and many American financial companies were doing wrong things.
They produced profits by using dirty methods. The U.S. is a country of freedom
and the U.S. is a commercialism country. Government should not manipulate
private companies and should not manipulate market system, but unfortunately,
government should set regulations for financial systems and financial companies.
There are traffic rules and we must follow them so that we can drive a car
safely. We must not throw away garbage on the road or in the forest. Children
must go to school to study basic things to live with others. We must follow such
rules, but rules should be minimized so that we can live in our community as
freely as possible. I am not sure, but there were not so many regulations for
financial companies. They earned a lot of money by using unethical method and as
a result, it might cause current extremely bad economy. We like freedom. But, we
have to take responsibility for this freedom. We may be able to do whatever we
want, but we have to take responsibility for what we did. The U.S. government
supported Citibank and AIG because they are too big to fail. I know it is
reasonable because if they go bankrupt, economy may become much worse than now.
However, people who worked for these companies and who were doing wrong things
should take responsibility for what they did. Absolutely, their high salary
cannot be justified. GM will file for chapter 11, so I think AIG also should
file for chapter 11, but I am not sure. I am not a financial specialist and am
not so familiar with AIG and its situation. Anyway, I am kind of happy to see
Leman shock happened. Because of this incident, some bad (?) people such as
Madoff were arrested and evil people were cleaned up. If this incidents had not
happened, these such people would have earned much more dirty money and much
bigger incident would happen a few years later. Actually, current impact may be
big enough. We were too late to notice that many evil people were doing evil
things. Government may have responsibility for it partially and we may have
responsibility for it partially. We have to build much better system for our
countries to live better lives. Current would is too complicated and one country
cannot survive alone. Even if one country makes an effort to keep clean ecology
system, other countries may pollute the air and its air pollution may affect
many other countries. Countries need to communicate with each other and
establish mutual rules all over the world.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (5/24/2009)
Tomorrow is a memorial holiday. We have three days off this
weekend!^^ But two days have already passed... I watched Gundam a lot yesterday
and today.^^ I am happy very much.^^ Watching Gundam is the most happiest thing
in my life!^^ (<- I am an Otaku.^^;)
I watched "Gundam Seed" that was broadcast in 2002. I was studying in Texas Tech in 2002 spring semester. Then I came back to Japan in May 2002 after finishing final exams. I began to work for YED from June 2002. I was lucky to get a job soon. I was thinking that I would be back to the U.S. in one year. But I could not earn enough money, so I changed my schedule and I stayed in Japan for two years. In May 2003, I got a car accident and I was hospitalized, so even if I had earned enough money, I could not have been able to go back to the U.S. in 2003. I got surgery operations two times. My body had been weakened so much. After I came back to the U.S., I began to do weight training and my physical strength was gradually recovered. Now I can lift up about 180 pound weight as a bench press. When I was a university student, my dream (?) is to lift up 100kg weight. However, I could not achieve it. My max weight is 97.5kg. 20 years later, I am going to achieve it. My dream will come true!^^ What a long long way it was! Continuous effort makes my dream come true. Purchasing weights and bench press bench is the key for achieving this goal. I can do weight training anytime I want because I have weight and bench. Good environment is very important and a key to success. There is a saying, "The environment that surrounds the person is important to bring up the person." I really agree with this saying. I am happy to live in the U.S. The apartment is much bigger than in Japan. I may not be able to put weights and bench in the Japanese apartment. I got a good environment for weight training. To get a good study environment, I want to live near the university. But it is not so easy. I want to live near to my current office, so I cannot live near the university. I need to make my study environment better and better. At least, a public library is located relatively near to my apartment, so I will borrow books sometimes. To improve my English, getting married with the American girl^^ should be the best way, but I know it is very difficult. I need to come up with some good ideas to improve my environment about studying English.
Ummmmm.... my brain does not work as always... that is all for this week's diary
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (5/17/2009)
I am so lazy this weekend again...^^; I have been watching DVDs and
internet animation TV programs. I like Japanese animation very much.^^ I like
Gundam.^^ I watched it over and over and over in the past. But after I came to
the U.S., living in the U.S. has much higher priority than watching Gundam, so I
quit watching TV and animation DVDs. However, I have begun to watch Japanese
animation since last December. I can watch Japanese animation through the
internet!^^ Now I am watching Japanese animation a lot. I believe Japanese
animation is NO.1 in the world. It is much better than Disney animation. Someday
in the near future, Japanese animation will be distributed to all over the
world!^^
It is very fortunate for me to be born in Japan because I can watch Japanese animation in Japanese!^^ I hate Japan and Jap (except for young, cute, Japanese girls.^^) but I love Japanese animation.^^ It is unfortunate that I cannot learn English from Japanese animation. So I am watching American drama. ER and 24 are my favorite dramas. Now I am watching drama. I rarely see Japanese in this drama. Only one nurse (Yosh) is Japanese, but I think I have never seen Japanese patients in ER. But I hear Sushi^^ sometimes. I like Sushi^^ very much. And in the ER season 9, there is a episode "A thousand cranes." In Japan, there is kind of superstition that if people make a thousand paper cranes, a patient will be better and cured. When I was a child, I used to make paper cranes for patients sometimes. Yosh is Japanese, but Yosh was acted by Gedde Watanabe and he was born in the U.S. I guess he cannot speak Japanese or he speaks Japanese very little. So if a Japanese patient comes in ER, Yosh may not be able to talk to that patient. On the other hand, doctor Chen speaks Chinese very well and there have been many (?) Chinese patients. There were no Japanese patients and no Korean patients maybe because there are no Japanese speakers and no Korean speakers. ER has already ended, but I wish Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura in Heroes) would appear in ER...
Yesterday, I went to a library and borrowed three books. I have to read two books this month, but.... oh, how lazy I am!^^; It is difficult for me to begin to read books. I tend to watch animation and ER... ER may be OK because I may be able to improve English, but watching Gundam too much make me too lazy^^... hahaha...
I will take a TOEIC (English test) next month!!! I will study English!!! I wish I could speak English like native English speaker!!! I can do it!^^ I will make an effort to make my dreams come true!!!
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (5/10/2009)
I am so lazy this weekend... Oh, not only weekend but also always I
am lazy...^^;
Laid off by previous company and moved to Cincinnati is kind of a big event. I am still struggling to adapt to my new life in Cincinnati. Yesterday, I moved my stuffs from the office to my apartment, so finally my moving has been finished. However, still I have to take care of many stuffs in boxes... I still need some time to get back to my normal life.
I wrote my this year's resolutions, but absolutely I am behind schedule. I could not read the English books in March. I read one English book in April. I think I need to read two English books in May, but I have not read any book yet. I know I need more time to adapt to this new environment, but I need to do one by one, step by step. I need to achieve my goals!^^ If I could not achieve my goals this year, how can I think I can do it next year? We can do much less things than we are thinking, I think. We cannot become a genius in one night. Continuous effort makes me genius^^ someday.
As I wrote many times, good habits are very important. I am doing weight training regularly. Only one thing I have a good habit that is the weight training. I know I need to learn English more and more and more, but I cannot study English regularly. Why??? I can do weight training, but I cannot do study English. Maybe I need to think how to study English. Method is very important and the motivation is very important. Maybe partially because I got a car accident and I was hospitalized, I am feeling good heath is the most important thing and I got a motivation to do weight training.
I wrote that I miss baby geese in Michigan last week. I miss Michigan libraries, too. So far, I went to Fairfield library, Hamilton library, and Oxford library, but I think they are not as good as Michigan libraries. It may be difficult to find my favorite books there. There are many Cincinnati libraries, so I will try to visit one by one.
Sorry... my brain does not work... I need to take a rest... I have been so busy in March and April. I hope I can take some days off in May, June, and July. Oh, my best friend may come to the U.S. this year, so I hope I can take one week off to travel with him.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (5/3/2009)
Yesterday, I went to Miami University. It is not located in Miami,
Florida.^^; It is located in Oxford, OH. From my apartment, it takes about 40 to
50 minutes to get there. Fairfield city (where I am living now), Hamilton city,
and Oxford city may have an alliance about library network, so I just tried to
visit Oxford to see what kind of city Oxford is. It was kind of long way. It was
a extremely rural road from Hamilton to Oxford. Around Oxford city, there is
nothing.^^; Kind of similar to Lubbock. Population of Lubbock is about 200,000,
but population of Oxford is about 22,000 that is about one-tenth of population
of Lubbock.
Absolutely, Oxford is a university town like Denton where University of North Texas is located. But Denton looks much bigger than Oxford. Oxford may have only Miami university (I just drive around the university, so this city may have a mall or some big facilities, but I am not sure.) Denton has a highway I-35 and has a big mall and has an old downtown. Highway may be a key point. Many cars go through Denton, but Oxford is kind of isolated and nobody will stop by this city if he/she intentionally want to visit there.
After driving through the rural road, suddenly I encountered Oxford city and Miami University. I did not expect that Miami university is so big and beautiful! This city looks beautiful! Campus is beautiful! Oh... unbelievable... in such a rural city, there is such a beautiful university... It was Saturday, but there are many students on campus. Maybe they are studying for final exams. There are many young, cute, gal students.^^ They are wearing short pants.^^ Oh... how wonderful campus life is!^^ I want to become a university student again...
After I came back to my apartment, I took a look at the internet and investigate about Miami university. This university is much better than Texas Tech in many ways!!! I did not know that. According to US News ranking, ranking of Miami university is 66th overall, and 26th among public universities. Oh... Great!!! I did not know much about Miami university. In Ohio, Ohio state university is the most famous university. I do not know other universities so much. I do not have to, but I want to learn more about universities in Ohio.
Meanwhile, our company office stuffs were moved from Michigan office to Cincinnati office on 4/28. Gradually we will open boxes but it may take a little more time to finish making arrangements about all stuffs. Oh, when I leave Michigan on 4/27, I stopped by a lake and said goodbye to geese. I miss geese in Michigan so much. Here is a photo. Many baby geese were born this year again. It is only one thing I am enjoying in Michigan is to see baby geese growing up. I really miss baby geese...
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (4/26/2009)
Sorry... this week, again, I am busy... I drove
from Cincinnati to Michigan and worked a little at Michigan office today
(Sunday). As wrote in my last diary, I passed the driver license test and got a
license. Here is the photo of my Ohio driver license.
ummmm.... It looks blur.. and I look not so good.^^;
To get an Ohio license, I was required to submit a company letter that states I am employed by a company. What??? A company letter??? My H1V VISA states that a company supports my VISA. But Ohio still required to submit a company letter. What a stupid regulation it is! Now government is trying to reduce the unnecessary documents. This is exactly the unnecessary document!!! Ohio state is not trying to reduce the unnecessary documents??? Who made this rule??? Maybe Ohio does not want foreigners to stay in Ohio. If I establish a company, I would NEVER make a company in Ohio. In Michigan, there was a stupid regulation that foreigners cannot get a driver license. This the the most stupid regulation I have ever heard. Michigan does not want foreigners to stay in Michigan. If I establish a company, I will NEVER make a company in Michigan. I will make a company in Texas.^^
To get an Ohio license, I created a company letter. Please see this letter. "Takashi^^ Engineering" is an imaginary company, but when I submit a company letter, I wrote a real company name. This form can be used for any company.^^ If we ask a lawyer to make such a letter, it may cost $500 to $1,000??? I am not sure, but anyway it cost a lot. We should make such a stupid document by ourselves. Ohio officers do not check the signature, so I can write a general manager's signature. What a stupid regulation it is!
Ok... I got a go...
See you next week!
Weekly
Diary (4/19/2009)
I am lazy^^ so I will write a little this week.
Here are some topics.
1. I passed a written exam of Ohio driver license yester day (4/19).^^
2. I got a library card of Fairfield library.^^
3. I got an Ohio license plate.^^
4. Health insurance
5. 401K
Ummmmmm.... only 5 topics... and they look like not so interesting....
For me, the biggest issue was to get an Ohio driver license. When I get a Michigan license, I did not have to take written test. However, in Ohio, we must take a written test even if we have other states' license. Thereforee, I had to study Ohio traffic rule. Oh... I hate studying...^^; I got a book and it has about 90 pages. I did not read all, but I read about 70%. I think 70% is enough, so I went to take a written test yesterday. There are 40 questions, and if I got 30 correct answers, I will pass. I got 4 wrong answers and 30 correct answers, so I passed the test.^^ In 1998, I took the written test in Texas. At that time, test was a paper test. This time, test was a computer test. There is no time limitation. I spend a lot of time^^ to answer questions. After passing the test, I tried to get a license, but I could not because I did not have a company letter. But anyway, I passed the test.^^ I can get a license anytime I want.^^ I am relieved to pass the test!^^
Sorry, that is all for this week.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (4/5/2009)
I was fired^^; on March 31, and I was hired by a
new company on April 1. I was staying in Michigan until April 3 and
Weekly
Diary (4/12/2009)
I started working in Cincinnati, OH from 4/6
(Mon.). Parent company of an old company and a new company is same (a little
different. Subsidiary of parent company of the old company is owning a new
company. Subsidiary is 100% owned by a parent company, so we can say they are
same companies.). My job is almost same. Big different is that the location has
been changed from Farmington Hills, MI to Cincinnati, OH, and many staffs has
been terminated. (Laid off) There were 11 staffs in the past, but absolutely 11
staffs are too many. Now there are only 4 staffs. This means one staff needs to
work two times more than before?^^; Of course, no. The old company held too many
staffs. To survive under this severe economic situation, we need to reduce cost.
Labor fee may be the most expensive expense. In the U.S., it may be easy to fire
staffs, but in Japan, it is much difficult to do that. Once a company hire a
staff, this company may has to pay salary until this person's retirement even if
a company think this person is not worth being hired. Japanese companies cannot
fire employees, so they ask employees for voluntary leave by paying additional
payment. Also, many Japanese companies have hired a lot of temporary staffs, so
they terminated such staffs instead of firing permanent employees. Our old
company is not a Japanese company, but an American company, so this company laid
off 4 employees at our branch on January 30, and other all employees including
me are laid off on March 31.
A new company hired 4 employees including me. Some old staffs could not join a new company because they could not move from Michigan to Ohio. Now many our customers are located around Cincinnati, so to save our travel expenses, we needed to move to Ohio. I do not know why Japanese parent company established a company in Michigan. Maybe executives hoped to penetrate big 3 market. However, now big 3 is in danger of extinction. Our old company has been existing for more than 10 years, but we could not sell our products to big 3. Now there is no reason to stay in Michigan.
Old company has two divisions that are semiconductor division and measuring equipment division. I belonged to the measuring equipment division. This time, a new company has only measuring equipment division. Parent company will control semiconductor division directly. Semiconductor division produced the enormous loss. This is the biggest reason why the old company was dissolved. Previous American president was fired and previous Japanese chair man was fired. They tried to develop a new machine in the U.S., but they failed and produced a lot of losses. Competition in semiconductor industry is very severe and product life cycle is very short. They failed to develop a new product and they could not sell even only one machine about new product. It was too risky to develop a new machine in the U.S. Challenge and reckless are different. They spent too much money for nothing.
Anyway, my life in Cincinnati has started. So far so good.(?) In my first impression, Cincinnati is much better than Michigan cities. I will enjoy my new life in Cincinnati!^^
See you next week.
moved to Cincinnati, OH on April 4. I hate moving.^^; I have too many stuffs. I was completely exhausted. I was working until 8PM on April 3 and began to clean up my apt. I got up at 5AM on April 4 and cleaned up my room. Time Warner internet service needs to be installed into my new apt at 1:30PM. From Michigan to my new apt, it takes about 4 hours. I left Michigan at around 9:20AM.^^; I did not have time to throw away all garbage, so I left memo that said "Please throw away these garbage." I deeply apologize for that.
Anyway, I arrived at my new apt at 1:30PM and Time Warner staff had already arrived and waited for me in front of my new apt. I apologize for that, again.^^; Anyway, everything has been done well.... I guess...
I worked too hard and got a headache. I need to take a rest. So that is all for today. Hopefully I can write many more things about moving and a new company.
Here are my old apt and my new apt movies. Please enjoy watching them!^^ (?)
Old apartment movie
http://www.geocities.jp/utsugi3/1.wmv
New apartment movie
http://www.geocities.jp/utsugi68/2.wmv
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (3/29/2009)
Only two days left for March. Our company will be
dissolved on March 31.^^; Only two days left for our company.
My friend who lived in NYC left the U.S. last Friday. I met him when I came to the U.S. at UNT in 1998. He came to UNT from Japanese university, Kansai Gaidai university. After he returned to Japan in 1998, he worked for Seven Eleven company, and a few years later, he became a public servant. One day he saw the advertisement that Japanese government needs some staffs who work in the U.S. Only public servants can apply for this job. He applied for it and he got this job! He was working in NYC for two years. Then, he left NYC last Friday. He will return to his position that he used to have before he came to the U.S. I am sure that he is feeling that two years is very short. I am feeling so, too. I met him two times while he was staying in the U.S. this time. I went to NYC one time. And he came to Novi one time. NYC is not so near, but much nearer than Texas. I have not visited Texas since I graduated Texas Tech university. Three years has passed. Time flies very fast.
I know that I do not travel a lot. Maybe I do not like traveling. Yeah, I do like traveling, but I do not like traveling alone. I need a friend. I want to travel with friends. I tried to travel alone several times, but I enjoyed almost none of them. I need a friend if I want to enjoy traveling.
Sorry... I am tired a little these days. I am very busy as always.^^; This week, many things will happen. I will write these things next week. Please look forward to it.^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (3/22/2009)
It becomes very warm and the ice in the lake has
melted completely. Spring has come!^^
I got an email from my Korean friend. He said that he got admitted to join graduate school of engineering at university of Michigan!!! Great!!! Unbelievable!!! But I know he is genius.^^ He just proved it.
Now economy is extremely bad, and it is extremely difficult for international students to get a job in the U.S. But he will graduate two years later, so maybe situation will be much better than now.
I know starting salary of graduate students of U of Michigan is extremely good. It may be around $80,000 to $90,000. However, I do not think that international students can get such high salary. I do not have so many friends, so I may not have much information about excellent students salary information. Even though so, I have never heard that international students got such high salary. If somebody got it, rumor would spread. But I have never heard even such rumor.
I addition to current bad economy, now it is very difficult for international students to get H1B VISA. Until 2006, we can get H1B VISA, if all conditions meet criteria. However, there were too many applicants, so the U.S. determined how many applicants can be accepted regardless their eligibility. Applying for H1B become a lottery. It is 50% to be accepted. Even if we are eligible to get H1B VISA, we may not be able to get it depending on the result of lottery. Because of this change, it became much more difficult for international students to get a job in the U.S. Usually we can use OPT status to work for one year in the U.S. However, students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics can get 29 months OPT period, so they can apply for H1B VISA at least two times. Probability to get a H1B VISA became 75%. But still it is risky for companies to hire international students.
I heard radio news that H1B worker should be reduced because U.S. workers are fired because of them. It may be partially right. H1B workers' salary is lower than that of U.S. workers. So firing U.S. workers and keeping H1B workers are reasonable for companies that want to survive under this bad economy. To protect U.S. workers, reducing H1B workers may be reasonable. However, this problem is much more complicated than we think. I think H1B workers are not so many compared to U.S. workers. H1B workers can work for only 6 years in the U.S. Every year 65,000 applicants can be accepted, so 65,000X6=390,000 H1B workers may be working in the U.S. I do not think this number is so big. there are about 300,000,000 U.S. residents. So 390,000 is only 0.1 % of total population. But I understand that fired people get mad at H1B workers. So I hope H1B workers' salary should be increased by U.S. law.^^ Then my salary will be increased!^^
Anyway... I am happy to meet my Korean friend in this fall at U of Michigan. I am really looking forward to seeing him again. Some people are leaving the U.S. and some people are coming in. Our lives are changing day by day. I just live my own life.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (3/15/2009)
I wrote that I would visit Texas in March or April, but I am not sure
now. My friend who live in Denton may leave the U.S. soon, so I want to meet her
before she leaves. I emailed her, but she is not sure when she is available. So
I will wait for her reply about her availability.
I encountered a big trouble with Texas Tech University. I needed a transcript to renew my H1B VISA, but Texas Tech refused to issue my transcript because of outstanding payment. I did not know what kind of outstanding payment it is. I extremely got mad. Texas Tech issued my transcript on 9/18/2006. I graduated on 12/17/2005, so at least there were no problems for 9 months after graduation. Then, suddenly outstanding payment came up. I totally do not understand. Why did not Texas Tech notify of this outstanding payment before graduation or soon after graduation. Anyway, I needed a transcript, so I called student business services. The staff told me that I needed to call money collection agency. I called it and asked why I needed to pay. This guy said he would investigate and call me back. But he never called me back. He told me that I needed to call another company to pay this payment. I did not know why I have to pay, but anyway I call this company and paid. I called Texas Tech transcript issue office and asked her to issue my transcript. But she said that still there was a hold on my status. She told me to call student business service center. I called it. This staff told me to call other office in Tech. I called it. This staff told me that I did not return a book to a library, so I needed to talk to a library. I explained that I paid anyway, and asked him to call money collection agency. Finally he removed my hold. I called a library. President (?) of the library reply and she forwarded my call to another staff. She said that I did not return a map. I remember a little about this map, but now I do not remember well because it was three years ago. I called transcript issue office and finally she said she would issue my transcript as soon as possible.
Why did not notify me of this outstanding payment soon? I do not understand. If it is my fault, I will pay for it. I do not want to pay money. I just wanted Texas Tech to let me know soon and why. Texas Tech did not contacted me at all. If you get a notice to pay something but no reason on the notice, will you pay for it??? Any bill shows the reason. If there is not description, how can I think that this payment is correct? Texas Tech may say I need to pay $10,000 without no reason. How can I pay for it. If there is a reason and it is my fault, I will pay for it. I cannot understand what Texas Tech did to me.
I am donating $500 to Texas Tech every year, but I will never do that any more. This problem makes me mad extremely. Texas Tech must explain why. No reason, no payment.
I wrote that Accretech USA will be dissolved on 3/31/2009. I will be fired on that day. I will move to Cincinnati. I will be hired by a new company. Last weekend, I went around Cincinnati area and found a new apartment. I will need to pack my stuff and move down to Cincinnati. In Michigan, it is too cold for me. In Cincinnati, the weather is much milder than here. I am looking forward to living in Cincinnati.^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (3/8/2009)
This weekend, I am on a business trip and I have
been very busy, so I do not have time to write a diary.
Sorry...
I decided to visit Texas in this March or April. When I make a schedule, I will write in this diary.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (3/1/2009)
I wrote that
dissolution of Accretech USA was announced in the Accretech Japan homepage. Our
company notified us that there is the English announcement. Here are web
addresses.
http://www.accretech.jp/english/news
http://www.accretech.jp/english/pdf/news/news090206_1e.pdf
Accretech USA will disappear, but there are many Accretech products in the U.S., so parent company of Accretech USA will establish a new branch in the U.S. and this company will take care of Accretech products, so customers do not have to worry about maintenance, repair, service visit, spare parts, etc.
Accretech USA has two divisions that are semiconductor division and measuring equipment division. I am belonging to the measuring equipment division, and as I wrote in the last diary, our branch may move to a different place. Executive of our branch's parent company will come from Japan to our Detroit office tomorrow (3/1) and explain about our future. Deep fog may be cleared tomorrow.
Recently, I have watched Japanese animations^^ a lot. I like Japanese animations very much and I used to watch them a lot. However, I decided to come to the U.S. and study English. Then I decided to spend my time to come to the U.S. I came to the U.S. in May 2001 to study English. I went back to Japan in May 2002 because I did not have money^^;, and worked for two years to save money and come back to the U.S. in August 2004. I completed MBA at Texas Tech in December 2005 and joined Accretech USA. So, since May 2001 I have not watched Japanese TV programs and Japanese animations. Actually, I watched some Japanese animations by borrowing them from the U.S. public libraries. But there are not so many Japanese animations in the U.S. public libraries. Then, I found out that we can watch Japanese animation for free!!!(^^)(^^)(^^) Oh... It must be illegal, but anyway, I can watch many kinds of animations. I have not watched animations for 7 years. It was a long time. Now I can watch animations. I cannot refuse the temptation to watch them. Then, I have watched animations a lot.^^ It must be a rebound. I can settle down to a certain level and I will restrict my time not to watch animations so much. I know time will solve my problem. I may be bored with watching animations in a few months.
Anyway, I did not imagine that I can watch so many Japanese animations in the U.S. Well, we are living in a very convenient and happy times. Internet changed our lives a lot. Current young generation have a cell phone can the internet. I kind of envy them. But still I am happy to live in such a wonderful world.^^ I really appreciate for such a world. I was lucky to be born in a lucky world. I will enjoy living in this wonderful world!^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (2/22/2009)
Finally my cold is gone. This time, it took so
much time to recover from a cold. Because of this cold, I could not do training,
reading books, studying, working well. I will be careful not to catch a cold...
Accretech Japan has announced that Accretech USA will be dissolved. However, this news was announced on the homepage of Accreteh Japan, not Accretech USA, so I think not so many people know this news. No customer asked me questions about liquidation. Well, it is good for us. We do not have to explain about it to every customer.
Another thing was announced in our branch. Our office may be moved. There are no reasons why our branch is located in Michigan. Our big customers are located in OH, IN, and KY. So we may move there. I have stayed in Michigan for three years, and I have to say good bye to Detroit. It is cold in Michigan and there may be no fun places (?) in Michigan for me, so moving to another state may be exciting for me.^^ I like Texas. I want to live in Texas. But our branch cannot be in Texas. Accretech USA is located in Austin, TX, but its branch is semiconductor division. I am working for measuring equipment division. I wanna move to semiconductor division....
It was snowing a lot yesterday. This year, it snows a lot...
Last Tuesday, I went to watch NBA Pistons game with my bosses and a corporate layer. One of my bosses got a lucky to get 4 tickets for this game. I met this corporate layer for the first time. He told us many interesting stories. He was involved in a trial between IBM and Hitachi. One of my bosses used to work for Hitachi and he was involved in this case. So they were talking about this case a lot. I usually do not talk to Americans privately, so this time, I was very interested in his stories. He knows many things. He is very smart. Oh... I wanna have a friend like him.... I am living in the U.S., but I do not have an American friend. So it is very difficult to learn American culture. I can learn some from TV programs or movies or dramas. But the information is limited. Sometime things happened in dramas are not realistic. I wanna know REAL American life. I know I have to make an effort to do something, but I am lazy...^^; While I was studying at Texas Tech, I had many classmates, but I rarely talk to them privately. We were very busy to study. Especially for me, I cannot read text books so fast, so I had to study for a long time. I did not have time to talk with American classmates. I wanted to join some club activities, but absolutely I did not have time. To learn REAL English and REAL American culture, I think I should join club activities at the university. If I were a undergraduate student, I would have joined a club activities. I really recommend international students to join club activities.
My ex-classmate is visiting the U.S. now. I met her in August 2003. Since then I have not seen her. She is visiting Denver now, and maybe not come to Detroit.^^; She is Taiwanese. I have been thinking that I will visit Taiwan someday, so maybe I cannot meet her this time, I may be able to see her someday when I visit Taiwan.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (2/15/2009)
I still have a cold. I do not have high fever and
I am physically fine, but I have heavy cough. In the daytime, my cough is not so
serious, but when I go to sleep, I have very serious cough and it is very
difficult to sleep. I have got a cold for more than 10 days. Oh...this time I
might get a terrible cold. Now I am getting better and better, so I hope I can
recover complete soon.
Last last Friday, Japanese parent company of our company Accretech USA announced that it would dissolve Accretech USA on March 2009. Accretech USA produced large amount of debt and our sales have been down significantly and it is forecast that sales would not increase. Therefore, parent company thought that it is difficult for Accretech USA to survive under such severe situation. Oh... Accretech USA will vanish from the U.S. All employees will be fired on March 2009 and maybe will be rehired as an employee of parent company's US branch. However, still there many unknown things. Can I survive????^^; Can I stay in the U.S.? Do I have to be back to Japan? My future is in a heavy fog.^^; hahaha...
It had been very warm in Michigan last week, but it was snowing yesterday again. This year, it snows a lot. I hope spring will come soon...
When I was in Japan from May 2002 to August 2004, I was working for YED that is a subsidiary of Yamaha motor corporation. I left YED in Augutst 2004, and after that YED was disolved in 2005.^^; The objective of establishing YED is to accomplish special project. However, this project disappeared, so Yamaha decided to dissolve YED. This time, Accretech USA was dissolved. I experience two consecutive liquidations.^^; Am I Epidemic god???^^;
I want to establish my own company. I want to be independent. I want to live my one live, not other persons'. I wanna go on my own way.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (2/8/2009)
I caught a cold.(>_<) I have been sick for a week.
I worked outside without wearing coat for one hour and caught a cold. How
careless I am! Since I came to Michigan, I rarely got sick, so I misevaluate my
ability of my immune system. I thought I become strong^^, but this thought was
wrong. I need to be careful not to catch a cold. I had a high fever and I had a
sore throat. Oh.... I cannot work well, I cannot study well, I cannot play well,
I cannot watch ERO^^ videos well!!! Good health is the most important thing for
me.
I slept almost all day long yesterday and today. I wasted weekend.
Sorry... I am sick... that is all for today.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (2/1/2009)
This week end, it has been fine.^^ But I have been staying at my apt
all day long... hahaha...^^;
This year, it snows a lot very much. I went on a business trip to Ohio last Wednesday. It was snowing a lot. I left my apt at 7AM. Usually it takes about 3 hours to get there, so I expected to get there at around 10AM. I was supposed to have a meeting at 11AM, so I was thinking that I can take a rest and eat branch somewhere between MI and OH. However, because of heavy snow, I could not drive a car so fast. 40 ~ 50 mph was the maximum speed. I began to worry that I could not get there on time and I would be late for a meeting. I tried to speed up and then, an accident happened!!!(>_<) My car hit a snow block and I lost the control. My car was drifting across the road and plunged into snow on the right side of the road. There were some cars around my car, but they managed to escape from crashing into my car. Oh my God!!!(>_<) My car went about 1m down to the side of the road and was stuck in snow. I could not get out of there by myself. One car stopped and talk to me. "Are you all right? Do you have a cell phone?" "Yeah, I am OK. I have a cell phone. Thank you.^^" It was extremely fortunate that I did not get injured and car did not have any damage. It was a miracle.^^ God saved my life.^^ Thanks, God!^^
Anyway, I needed help, so I called AAA. I was not a member of AAA, so I joined it. My membership was effective immediately. While I was talking to AAA, the police came. After I asked AAA to send a special car with witch, I hang up a call and talked to a policemen. He asked some questions and checked something by using his PC. Maybe he was checking my criminal records or car accident records. He made sure that I got a membership of AAA and I asked AAA for help. After he said, "Good luck!^^," he left. I was waiting for help from AAA. I got the accident at around 10AM and finally AAA came at around 1PM. AAA car tried to pull my car by winch, but after that, he tried to drive AAA car and pull my car. However, my car was too heavy to be pulled out, and to make matters worse, AAA car was pulled into the down side of load and could not get out of there, too! Oh... AAA stuff called anther big truck. Finally my car was successfully pulled out from the down side of the road. Absolutely I had to cancel my meeting. After my car was rescued, I drove my car and made sure that there were no damage. Oh... It was a miracle.^^ I stopped by a McDonald's and ate late lunch. After that I came back to the office.
I really felt that I should be careful to drive a car especially under the snow condition. The meeting with a customer is important, but my life is much more important! Tight schedule may cause me to hurry up, so I will try to make a schedule that should not be tight in terms of time flame.
Lastly, I really appreciate many people who stopped and talked to me. All of them said, "Are you all right?" I really appreciate that. Thank you very much for all people who stopped and worried about me. Thank you...
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (1/25/2009)
Last weekend and last last weekend, it was snowing
a lot. However, this weekend, it is fine.^^
Yesterday (1/24), I went to Detroit to see North American international Auto Show with my bosses. In 2003 (I guess...^^;) I went to see Tokyo Motor Show. So, I went to see Auto Show tow time. Tokyo Motor Show was held in a suburban area, so there were huge spaces. However, Detroit Show was held in Cobo Center that is located in downtown in Detroit. So Cobo Center does not have much space compared to Tokyo Motor Show. In addition to the space, I saw some differences between Tokyo Motor Show and Detroit Auto Show.
There are many cute gals^^ in Tokyo Motor show, but Detroit does not. I am not so interested in automobile, so gals^^ may be the most important for me to go to Auto Show. So I am disappointed with Detroit Auto show a little.
There are many parts manufacturers in Tokyo Motor Show, such as piston makers, VVT makers, shock absorber makes, etc. However, there are no such parts manufacturers in Detroit Auto Show. Target customer for Detroit Auto Show is end customer who will purchase cars, not people who have business related to automobile industry.
There are many technical explanations in Tokyo Motor Show, but Detroit does not. One of target customers for Tokyo Motor Show is engineers who are working for automobile companies or parts makers. So, many parts makers exhibited their products and showed detail explanation of their products.
As I mentioned before, I am not so interested in automobile now. When I was a child, there was a boom for super cars. I was extremely interested in watching super cars, bus now I am not. For me, I do not care about shape or performance. As far as cars work well and carry me to the destination, I do not care which car it is. Of course, I need a fuel efficient and cheap^^ car, so my current car, Nissan Sentra is good enough for me. Some people like sport cars, some people like big trucks. But I am not.
I know many people are fascinated with the automobile, and they have a different taste from mine. So it is good for me to watch Auto Show and to learn market trend. But... well, there is a proverb "Who likes not his business, his business likes not him." I really agree with it.^^; I will find my own way. (I should become a ERO^^ video maker?^^)
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (1/18/2009)
It was snowing heavily. This year, it snows a lot. I drove on a high
way yesterday and saw some cars crashed and span out. One of them even rolled
over and car became upside down. During daytime, road conditions were getting
worse and worse. I was extremely careful to drive.
Last Monday, I got a severe headache, so I had to take a day off. I know I have chronicle headaches often, but they are not so severe compared to the one I got last Monday. Usually I take Japanese cold medicine and get well soon. However, last Monday, that medicine did not work. That headache was so severe that I wanted to cut off my head. At 3pm, I got well a little and next day, I got well completely. Often, maybe twice a year, I get such headache. I want to take a good medicine, but so far, I think Japanese cold medicine works best. However, I cannot buy such medicine in the U.S., so I bought it in Japan by using the internet and asked my parents to send it to the U.S. Now I have plenty of Japanese cold medicine, so I can survive for two or three years.^^ I should try American medicine and I should buy American medicine if I want to live in the U.S. forever. But, now my time is extremely precious. We are all busy. It is kind of difficult to take a day off. When I was a child, I used to take a leave of absence for one week from school. However, I cannot do that for work. I need to get well soon. So, I tend to rely on medicine that I know well.
Meanwhile.... I sent my new year cards to my friends, so some of them replied to me. I get in touch with them just one a year in January.^^; However, one time is good enough.^^ Actually I do not want to contact many people so often. If I have 40 friends and I need to write to them every week, actually I cannot do that. Once a year is enough. I just want to know where they are and how they are living.
Sorry.... that is all for today.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (1/11/2009)
I put my new year card 2009 on index page. When I printed out this
new year card, I made a mistake and right side was not printed out correctly a
little... Sorry...^^; After I printed out all cards, I noticed this mistake, so
I could not modify it...
Long vacation has ended and I began to work from Last Monday. I feel very tired because I became lazy during vacation.^^; I need rehabilitation.... hahaha...
Now economy is extremely bad. Not only in the U.S., but also in Japan and all over the world. It is hard and painful for us. Personally I got a pain^^; from this bad economy, too. In addition, yen rate is too high. I need to send money from the U.S. to Japan because I need to pay Japanese pension money. US dollar is depreciating... Oh... it is painful.^^; This year must be a tough year. I do not like it and I think everybody does not like it.
However, regardless this pain, I am thinking that I really appreciate this bad economy because evil persons were cleaned up and abnormal situation may be collected. I am not a communist, but absolutely, salaries of American CEOs are not normal. They were doing wrong things and caused this bad economy situation. They need to pay a fine. Especially CEOs and executives of investment banks should pay a fine. I am not a communist, but I believe commercialism does not work well by itself. Free business activities may be the main idea of commercialism. However, this idea can be used if business persons act based on right business ethics. Some investment bankers were selling bad securities by cheating investors and lending a lot of money to persons who does not have ability to pay them back. Absolutely investment bankers did not have business ethics. They were thinking only how to earn a lot of money. Commercialism and free business activity do not mean business persons can do anything. Regulations should not be introduced as mush as possible, but as far as business persons do not have business ethics, the government must make business rules. Commercialism must be modified.
I really appreciate this bad economy because such evil business persons were cleaned up. The world must be changed. Unfortunately, human being is a very weak animal. Some evil persons are trying to cheat others. It is regrettable, but we need make regulations to eliminate such evil persons.
Unfortunately, invisible hand of God cannot save American commercialism.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (1/4/2009)
Time flies very fast... Today is the last day of my winter
vacation...
Anyway, here is my resolutions in 2009!^^
1. Read 15 books written in English.
2. Bench press 200 pounds (about 90kg) 5times X 3 set
3. Start my own business
4. Get 960 points at TOEIC test
5. Pass PE exam
Regarding No.1, I have already started reading English books. I borrowed 8 books from a library. Each book has only about 100 pages.^^ These books are written for young students!(^^) (Maybe from upper elementary school students to junior high school students.) More than 100 pages are too many for me. These books are appropriate for my English ability.^^ Yesterday I read a book whose tile is Sadako. Sadako is a real girl who died of leukemia because of atom bomb in Hiroshima. I borrowed some biographies, such as Warren Buffet, Michael Dell, Ford, etc.
Regarding No.2, now I am lifting 180 pound, so I need to increase the weight by more 20 pound (about 9kg). My physical strength has been increased, but it will reach the limit someday. I do not know what is my limit. Now my weight is about 66kg, and it is usually said that the two times of our weight can be lifted, so my limit may be 66kg X 2 =132kg! I may be able to increase the barbell weight by about 40kg ~ 50kg. My limit may be far from current weight level. I need to continue to make an effort to become an iron man!!!^^
Regarding No.3, this must be the easiest resolution!!! I will achieve it as soon as possible (hopefully in January.).
Regarding No. 4, I got a result about TOEIC that I took in December 2008. Total score is 920.^^ I could not get 960, but this score is so-so OK because this score is more than 900. The score of reading section is 445. I have not got more than 450 so far. Usually Japanese are good at reading section, but I am not???^^; I need to study reading and writing more and more and more!!!
Regarding No. 5, I think it is very difficult for me to pass PE exam this year. I will just try to take this test this year. This may be the most difficult resolution. I know I need to study hard, but I also know that I am lazy.^^; hahaha...
Anyway, I wanna be a better person than last year. I wanna improve year by year. And finally I will become a great person!!!(^^)
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (1/1/2009)
A happy new year!^^
But... sorry again.... I did not write a diary yesterday.
I am so lazy...
Here is my resolutions in 2008.
1. Read 10 books written in English.
2. Bench press 160 pounds (about 72kg) 6times X 3 set
3. Start my own business
4. Get 960 points at TOEIC test
Regarding No.1, I achieved it!^^ I read 10 English books! I am proud of myself!^^
Regarding No.2, I achieved it!^^ Now I am doing bench press 170 pound X 1 time and 180 pound X 2 times. I am proud of myself!^^
Regarding No.3, I failed to achieve this.(>_<) Oh... Why cannot I achieve such a easy resolution!!!???
Regarding No.4, I took TOEIC test in Dec., but I have not received the result yet. However, I know that I cannot get 960 on that test. My English ability has been worse and worse in these few years.
I achieved 2 resolutions, so I think it is so-so ok. But of course, I am not satisfied with this result. Especially, I could not start my own business. I should be shame on myself!!!
Anyway, I will come up with my resolutions in 2009 and write about it later.
See you sooooooooon!^^ (Hopefully tomorrow.)
Weekly
Diary (12/30/2008)
Sorry.... I forgot to write a diary last Sunday. I
entered into a winter vacation from Dec. 23 (Wed.). This year, economy is
extremely bad, so no job during Christmas shutdown at our customer factories. So
I can take a long winter vacation this year. It is a 12 days vacation. It is
first time for me to take such a long vacation. While I was a student, I used to
take such long vacations often.^^; Students can take long vacations every summer
and winter. Oh... I wanna be a studendt forever...
I have already spent 8 days. I have been lazy^^ at apt. I have browsed the internet all day long...^^; Oh... I am wasting my time... I have only one day left this year. I think I need to do many things...
Sorry... I am busy (?) now, so I will write a diary tomorrow again...
See you tomorrow!
Weekly
Diary (12/21/2008)
It was snowing heavily last Friday. It was fine last
Thursday, and I did not see any snow when I went to sleep. However, when I got
up Friday morning, there were heavy snow everywhere. Fortunately, my car was
able to get out of a parking lot. But road condition was extremely bad. I was
driving a car very slowly. Last week, I got a car accident because of snow, I
was extremely careful to drive. At 6:50am, it was still dark. It was snowing
very much. Road condition was worst. Oh... It took a long time to get to the
office.
On that heavily snowing day, we had a pot luck lunch. Everyone brought some food and eat lunch together. I was thinking that I would bring Subway sandwiches.^^ However, I changed my mind. I decided to cook Japanese curry rice. I usually do not cook, but it is very easy to make Japanese curry rice and it is very delicious!^^ When I was studying at university of North Texas, I cooked curry rice with other international girls^^ students.^^ It was kind of fun to cook. I am lazy, so I usually do not cook, but because of this pot luck lunch, I thought I would cook sometimes.
I brought curry rice, but just in case, I was thinking that I would buy some sandwiches. Kroger supermarket opens at 7AM, so I thought I would stop by Kroger in the morning. However, it was snowing heavily, so I could not stop by Kroger. I appreciated that I changed my mind and made curry rice.^^
I will work on 22 and 23, then I will take a long vacation from Dec. 24 to Jan. 4. It is 12 days vacation. When I was a student, I can get such a long vacation. However, I have never taken such a long vacation while I was working for a company. This year, there are many company holidays around Christmas season, so I will take only 3 days off. Other days are company holidays and Saturday and Sunday. I will be lazy^^ at my apt and watch ERO^^ video all day long!(^^)(^^)(^^)
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (12/14/2008)
I got a car accident.(>_<) It was my fault. I hit a
car a little. No injuries. My car has damage a little , but there is no problem
to drive. The other car has a dent on the bumper.
There was a lot of snow on the ground. The front car was stopping in front of my car. I tried to stop, but when I was braking, tires were locked and I lost the control. My car slipped on the snow and hit the front car. The police came and gave us the accident memos that the insurance company needs. It was my first accident in the U.S. It was fortunate that the accident was not so serious. I will be careful to drive a car very much.
I got the accident in the early morning and the insurance company called me in the afternoon. The damage of the other car was taken care of by the insurance company, so I do not have to do anything. I was relieved. My car has damage a little, but my insurance does not cover my car, so I have to fix it by myself. My car is old, so maybe I do not have to fix it. I may be able to fix it by myself. Anyway, I will handle my car damage during my Christmas vacation. Even if I do not have to fix it, it looks not so good.
Yesterday, I took a TOEIC test. This is my third TOEIC test in the U.S. This time I took it in Novi. Two and a half years ago, I took it in Battle Creek. It took one and a half hours to get there. One year ago, I took this test in Ann Arbor. It took about one hour to get there. This time I took this test in Novi. It took 15 minutes^^ to get there. Oh... how convenient it is to have a test center in Novi. I think that ETS is not stupid, so ETS took a look at the applicants' addresses and there might be many Novi residents. This time, all applicants are Japanese.^^; TOEIC is famous only in Japan and in Korea. Other countries may not care this test.^^;
I watched a lot of DVDs in three years in the U.S., so I thought that my listening ability would improved a little. But.... I could not do well about listening test.^^; Oh... I need to watch DVDs more and more and more!!! I know that my English ability cannot be improved dramatically. I will continue to make an effort to study English. When I get a result, I will show my score in this diary.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (12/6/2008)
It is snowing now. High temperature is below zero
degree C. It is freezing. Winter has come completely.
I went on a business trip from last Monday to Thursday. When I left Michigan on last Monday, it was snowing. I was worried about this weather. I had to drive a car for many hours, so if I had encountered heavy snow, I could not have arrived at a customer factory. But it was needless worry. After I drove a car for 30 minutes, snow was gone. I think only partial northern Detroit areas encountered heavy snow. So I drove down to the destination without any trouble. No snow, no traffic jam. I arrived at the city much earlier than I expected. Even though so, it was a long drive. I was tired. I actually do not like driving for many hours. I need to take a rest often.
As I wrote in my last week's diary, I was very impressed with ER 8th season. So I took it to a business trip. I thought I would watch it at a hotel by using my PC. However, I forgot an AC adaptor!(>_<) PC battery can run a PC only for 30 minutes. Oh... I was so stupid. Sometimes I forgot something. I forgot the AC adaptor several times in the past. I have to come up with the countermeasure for this problem. Anyway, I wanted to watch ER, so I tried to buy an AC adaptor at Wal-Mart. However, its price is about $80!!! It is too expensive!!! I always bring two PCs that are my private PC (Compaq) and a company PC (HP). The connector of HP PC cannot be connected to Compaq. However, I went to a Radio shack shop and bought a connector!^^ I tried to use this connector and I succeeded to use HP AC adaptor for Compaq PC!(^^)(^^)(^^) Oh.... How hard I was working for it! Usually I was so lazy.^^; However, I worked hard because I wanted to watch ER! I really thought that the motivation is very important. I want to do something, so I can work hard. To achieve my goal, I do not care about how hard its work is. In order to get a cute girl, men are working very hard!^^ hahaha...
I watched ER a little, but not so much because I was so busy at work during a business trip. My hard working did not pay off so much...^^; Anyway, I am happy to make an effort to modify the AC adaptor. I realized that I can do it!^^ Usually I am lazy, but if I am interested in something, I can make much more effort than usual. Motivation is very important for doing something.
Meanwhile recently I read some Japanese books, but I am not so impressed with them. To encounter good books, probably I have to read many books. As I wrote before, I read more than 100 books in a year when I was living in Japan. I will try to read books as many as possible.
Today, I watched "The last lecture (lectured by Randy Paush)" by using Youtube. Still it is a little difficult for me to understand native English. Sometimes the audience laughed, but I did not know why. I know it is a long way, but I will keep going on. I will continue to make an effort to learn English and the U.S. culture.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (11/30/2008)
Four consecutive holidays are ending... As I wrote
last week, I watched DVDs all day long... I did nothing special. Oh...I am so
lazy...^^;
I watched ER season 8. I am extremely impressed with its episodes. I watched season 7, but I got bored with it, so I stopped watching it. However, I read the article that ER will end at season 15 and Mark Greene will appear in season 15. I became interested in ER again, and started watching season 7. Then, I watched season 8 and I was extremely impressed with it. The biggest reason is that Mark died because of his brain tumor. He was told that he could live only for a few months. After that moment, I was being impressed with his strong mind. He worked as usual. He decided not to do chemotherapy. He chose his rest of life with his daughter, Rachel. He did not want to lie on the bed in the hospital. He might be able to live longer if he had chemotherapy, but he chose not to do so. I wanted to spend quality life with Rachel, not lying on the bed. I want to choose the same way as Mark did.
I am feeling strange. ER is a drama. It is a fiction. But I am feeling it were real and I am impressed with Mark Greene's way of life. I am very happy to watch ER. I am very happy to watch Friends. What wonderful dramas they are! If I had not come to the U.S., I might not have watched these dramas. Each country has each good culture. Japan has good Manga and animation. I like them very much. The U.S. has Hollywood movies and dramas. I like them, too. Maybe other countries have good cultures, but for me, so far I am satisfied with Japanese manga and animation and the U.S. dramas. Regarding music, I like Japanese music more than the U.S. or U.K. maybe partly because of language. I think Japanese music is so-so good, but in the U.S., Japanese music is far from being popular. Maybe because Americans do not understand Japanese language. However, manga and animation are relatively popular in the U.S. compared to music, so if Japanese culture is really good, it should become popular in the U.S. There is no borderline between countries about culture. Regarding food, I think there are many good Japanese foods, but not so many of them are popular. Only Sushi or Tempura is popular. Why is not there Ton katsu (deep fried pork)? Why is not there Japanese curry rice? Why is not there Japanese fried chicken? Why is not there Ramen? Ummmm...? Maybe Japanese taste DNA and American taste DNA are different.
One Japanese guy introduced Tully's coffee into Japan. Now he is trying to introduce Quiznos into Japan. Oh, I will introduce Japanese rice ball in the U.S.^^ I will become rich by selling rice balls!^^ hahaha...
Today is Nov. 30. Only one month left. I will have to come up with a good business idea in one month...
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (11/23/2008)
Texas Tech lost against Oklahoma...(>_<) I watched
TV, but I turn off TV after half time. Oh... our dream disappeared... I hope
Tech Tech will win the championship someday.
Well, what did I do this weekend? I read a book a little and watched ER a little and do some weight training... That is it. There is nothing special.
Oh, right now, stock market is crashing, so I tried to buy some stocks. I opened my account in TD Ameritrade, and I bought some stock about one month ago. However, this time, I could not send my money from my bank account to my Ameritrade account. Ameritrade requested me to register my bank account. I was not asked to do so last time. I tried to register my bank account, but I did not know what is Wire and what is ACH.^^; I was thinking that Wire is the internet money transfer, but after I registered, I could not send money! Then I realized that ACH is the internet money transfer. Oh... I need to study about bank system and buying stocks. Even if there is a chance to buy stocks, if I do not know how to send money and how to buy stocks, I would lose such chance. I need to learn how to do it usually. I need practice. Practice makes perfect!^^
Regarding money transfer, I got a trouble with Paypal, too. So I was thinking that regulation about money transfer became strict??? I am not sure, but I feel so. Now big stock brokerage companies has been bankrupt, and many financial company got into trouble, so this may cause such strict financial regulation. I am paying my Japanese pension money by YEN, so I need to send money to Japan regularly. Probably I will use postal international money order to send money to Japan. I many need to study how to send money more easily to Japan...
I gotta go... Thanks giving holidays are coming. We can take 4 consecutive holidays!^^ What should I do ? Maybe I will watch DVDs all day long...^^;
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (11/16/2008)
I have been extremely busy in these two weeks. Then,
this weekend, I have been sleeping all day long...^^;
One employee came from Japan, so we will visit Point Pelee national park of Canada, Niagara falls, and Toronto downtown last weekend. It was so cold last weekend, so it was not so good timing for sightseeing. We went to Point Pelee first. From Detroit, it takes about 2 hours, so it is located not so far from Detroit. Point Pelee is a cape facing Ontario lake. There is a sand beach. I saw a picture taken a long time ago (around 1964). It shows that many many people came to go swimming here. Now this beach became a national park, so it is prohibited to swim. It may be a beautiful beach, but it was a really stormy weather last weekend, I could not enjoy sightseeing so much. There are big waves and it was rainy. Ontario lake is a lake, but why are there so big waves???^^; We took some pictures and got out of there soon.
Next we went to Niagara falls, but when we got there, it was already dark and rainy. We bought an umbrella and walked a little. Falls were lightened up, but I barely see falls. When we drove to a motel, there were fire works. Of course, they were beautiful, but compared to Japanese fire works, they were not as good as Japanese fire works. We stayed in a motel near Niagara falls and went to see falls next morning. The price of motel was not so bad. I think it was about US$60. I was thinking it would be more than US$100. Actually this motel is located a little far (about 2.5 miles away from falls), but we can drive a car, so 2.5 miles is not so bad. It is too far for walking to falls, but as far as drive a car, this location is not so bad. Next morning, we walked around falls.
Next we went to downtown of Toronto. I went on a business trip around Toronto several time, but it was first time to stop by downtown. We went to Toronto tower. I am not good at staying in a high building and looking down the scenery.^^; I am scared easily. We took a subway and went back to a parking lot. We parked our car in a hospital parking lot by accident. We were looking for a parking lot and I saw a parking lot mark, so I entered it without thinking deeply. When we were walking around, we found some parking lots, so next time I will park my car there, not in a hospital parking lot.
I enjoyed traveling around Canada, but I also felt that I am not good at traveling and I do not like sightseeing so much. I do not like shopping so much. I do not like casino. I do not like watching famous scenery. I DO like playing softtennis. I DO like going to a public bath together with my teammates. I DO like eating lunch and dinner together with my teammates. I realized that I like to do something WITH my favorite people. Scenery itself does not matter. Contents of lunch and dinner do not matter. People DO matter. If I can go somewhere with my friends, I can enjoy traveling. So I rarely travel alone. Of course, sometime I do, but not so many times. If nobody go together, I prefer to stay at home. I like people. I like friends. Friends may be most important for my life. It is very difficult to find friend at work, so I may be better to go to a university to make friends with young cute university girls!(^^)(^^)(^^)
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (11/9/2008)
Sorry... This weekend, I have been extremely busy, so
I will write a diary next week. (Or sometime this week, but please do not expect
it.)
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (11/2/2008)
Texas Tech won over Texas last night!!!(^^)(^^)(^^) I
was so excited!!!^^ I am not purchasing the cable TV program, so I was thinking
that I cannot watch the game. However, it was broadcast in the national TV, so I
was able to watch the game on my TV. I have only air antenna and I can watch
only three TV programs. However, ABC program that I can watch on my TV broadcast
this game. Tech was leading Texas 1:29 before the end of the game, but Texas
upset Tech by TD and was leading Tech 33-32. Only 1:29 left. Tech needed only a
field goal. Tech needed to rush as closely as possible to the Texas goal. Then,
unexpected drama happened. Tech got TD just 1 second before the end of the game.
I could not believe it. What a dramatic ending it is!^^ I was so happy!^^ Tech
still need to face strong teams after this game. I hope Tech will will all and
get a national championship title.
Yesterday, I watched the movie "Sex and and the city."(^^) I like Sex and the city, but this movie may be so-so.^^; I enjoyed it to a certain extent. But it was not so great. 145 minutes is a little bit too long. Only one thing I was impressed is that 40 years old women are enjoying their lives very much. I used to think that 40 years old is kind of very old.^^; But these 4 women are so young and they are enjoying their lives very much. We can enjoy our lives at any ages!^^
I read one book written in Japanese yesterday. It was a very interesting book!^^ I purchased it in January 2008 when I went on a business trip to Japan. When I was living in Japan, I sometime purchase some books, but I did not read them. Then one day I suddenly recall these books and read some of them. It takes a little long time to read books, so if I am very busy (always very busy?^^;), I cannot read books soon. Anyway, I read it and I was so impressed about its contents. I read some books written by this author before, so I like this author. Reading books make my brain waking up and working well. I like reading books.^^ Total page is 158 and there are no so many letters in one page^^;, so I was able to read it in 3~4 hours. If it is written in English, it may take 10~15 hours. I achieved this year's goal to read 10 English books, so now I want to enjoy Japanese books. I purchased some Japanese books, so I look forward to reading these books!^^ Reading books is fun for me and lean how to enjoy my life and how to become rich!^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (10/26/2008)
I went on a business trip to Canada from 22 (Wed.) to
25 (Sat.). I came back to Michigan on 25 (Sat.) at noon. I am exhausted very
much. I eat lunch and slept until 5 PM. I could not do anything on 25. Today,
what did I do? I did nothing.^^; Oh, I watched a DVD. Its title is Breaking
Vegas. I watched "21" last weekend, so I wanted to watch the related DVD.
Absolutely, "21" is a little different from the true story. True members told
that they were burned out. "Counting" requires strong concentration, and players
have much stress. So they cannot do it for a long time. Also, casino got them
out. "Counting" is not illegal, but casinos do not allow players to do this
strategy. Therefore, it is a kind of dirty business. I do not want to take such
risk and I do not want to cheat casinos and I do not want to do dirty business
that can last only for one or two years. I do not want to spend my precious time
learning how to cheat casino. One thing I learned from this Video is I want to
establish my own company, but it must be a clean business. Sometime some dirty
companies earn a lot of money, such as Enron, World Com, etc. I do not want to
do such a dirty business. I need to come up with my business, but I am sleeping
all day long today again...^^; I am so lazy. I am always tired and exhausted. I
have to change my life as I wrote in last week.
Oh, last week, I did one new thing. I opened an online trading account and purchased stocks for $4,000.^^ Now is the time to purchase stocks!^^ This may be a huge step for me. I am not as smart as Warren Buffet, but I may be able to simulate his investment way. Buy stocks and keep them for a long time. Anyway, opening my account is a good step for me. I need to learn about how to buy and sell stocks more and more and more. I will learn how to invest my money into the stock market and I will become rich!^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (10/19/2008)
Texas Tech won over Texas A&M!^^ Now AP ranking is
No.8!^^ Oh... This year's Texas Tech football team must be the strongest in
history...^^
Last weekend, it was hot^^, but now it is getting colder and colder. There was the ice on the windshield of my car, so the low must be below 32F.
I tried to study about TOEIC, but my brain does not accept TOEIC text book this weekend.^^; Then I went to a libray and borrowed DVDs and watched them. Oh... I am so lazy...^^;
I watched the movie "21" yesterday. It was interesting!^^ Genius MIT students got a lot of money at Las Vegas. Black Jack is the only one gamble that player may be able to win. This movie is based on a real story, but I know some of contents are not real. I just enjoyed watching it.
I watched the movie "A beautiful mind" today. It was NOT interesting.^^; This movie won the award, but I do not understand why this movie won the award. It was not interesting as an entertainment, and it does not inspired me anything. I got nothing from this movie. Maybe I am so stupid that I could not be aware of how good this movie is. People are different. People's tastes are different. Some people like mathematics, and some people like engineering. My taste for the movie may be different from many other people's tastes. I was impressed with this year's Nobel Prize, so may expectation for the movie "A beautiful mind" might be too big.
Every weekend, I am only taking a rest. I am working hard on weekdays and I am tired and exhausted on weekends. Probably I have to change this cycle. My brain refused TOEIC text book because I wanted to take a rest and there are some other reasons. I know the reason that I want to take a rest is not the only one reason for refusing a text book. I have to make up my mind to study it. I may not be ready. I know people are weak. I am weak. I tend to eat a lot and became fat.^^; I am on a diet now, but still I tend to eat too much. I cannot reduce my weight dramatically, so I will reduce my weight gradually. It may take a year. I need to study English, but I cannot improve my English dramatically. I will improve my English gradually. Daily diet, Daily study are important. Good habits make me improve. Continuous effort is very important.
Do not be hard on myself so much. Take it easy!^^ I have already achieved two goals this year. They are weight training and reading 10 English books. I am proud of it. I will try to change my daily life and aim to the higher standards. I will become a person who I want to be!^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (10/12/2008)
It has been very hot^^ in a few days. Summer came
bask!!!(^^)(^^)(^^)
I like summer!^^ I do not like winter.
Tomorrow is Monday and tomorrow is Columbus day, so tomorrow is a holiday!(^^)(^^)(^^)
I have been very lazy this weekend. As I wrote last week, I went to a business trip from last Sunday to last Tuesday. It was a very tough business trip. I have been very tired. I got almost sick. Because I was tired and exhausted and I got a stress, I got a pimple on my nose. I used to have such pimple when I was a university student. This means, I am as young^^ as a university student is!!!(^^)(^^)(^^)
So, I am taking a rest. But I have to move on and on and on. Because I am very busy at work, I tend to forget my goal. I tend to live a routine daily life. I tend to forget to move forward. I tend to forget my dream.
I know I need some time to think deeply about my life, so I may not be able to have enough time because of busy daily life. But I have to manage to create some time and use this time to make my dream come true.
I know people tend to live a easy life. I know many adults are very busy. Time flies extremely fast once we get into our working life. I studied at Texas Tech for one and a half year. It was very very very very long time. But after graduation, two and a half year have already passed. It was very very very very fast time. I am thinking I did many things at Texas Tech, but I am feeling I did almost nothing at work. I know I need to change my daily life. I am lazy^^ but I need to stand up and go forward!!!^^
I have been living in the U.S. for 4 years since I came to the U.S. in 2004 August. My English has improved? Maybe. But not so much. I know years does not matter. Even if I live in the U.S., if I do not make an effort to use English and learn English, my English will not improve at all!!! One of my biggest goals is to learn American culture and learn real English. So I may need to start something for it.
Meanwhile, this year, four Japanese won Nobel prize. Two of them are living in the U.S. I heard that English of one of them is not so good^^; even if he has lived in the U.S. for more than 30 years. We need to make an effort to study English even if we live in the U.S.
Their works have been done long long time ago (35 years ago). Oh... They are lucky to live a long life, so they can win this prize. One Japanese died this summer. He has been called "The person who is the nearest to the Nobel prize." But he got a cancer and he died at the age of 66. If he had lived longer, he could have... I know there are no ifs.
I am impressed with their lives and their works.^^ I may not be able to become a Nobel prize winner, so I will make an effort to become rich!!!(^^)(^^)(^^)
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (10/5/2008)
It has been very cold for a week. It was nice^^ and
warm^^ just a week ago. But the weather has changed rapidly and dramatically.
Last Friday, the ice was covered on my car's windshield. This means that the
temperature was less than 32F. Winter has come suddenly.
Last last week (9/23 ~ 9/24) I went to Missouri as a business trip. It was hot!^^ Absolutely, hot. Many cicadas were singing loudly.^^; There are many many cicadas in Japan, but almost no cicadas in Texas and in Michigan. I was kind of surprised that so many cicadas were singing in Missouri. Anyway, it was hot in Missouri. I was thinking that weather in Missouri is different from in Michigan. However, when I came back from Missouri, it was very hot^^ in Michigan, too. But... one week later, suddenly winter came in Michigan.
I flew to Missouri, then this time, $15 was charged to check-in baggage. Also, in the airplane, small snack was not given to customers. Now many airline companies are cutting costs. Actually I do not need small snacks, so I think it is good^^ for us to cut them. Also, I think juices are not needed. Water is enough. In the past, it was unbelievable that alcohol was free! Alcohol is expensive and I do not drink alcohol. This means I am paying for alcohol that other people were drinking. Absolutely, it was unfair. I am glad that airplane companies cut such services.
Regarding a car, not many people cares a lot about gas mileage. In Japan, gasoline price is very high, so Japanese are very sensitive about gas mileage when they purchase a car. But Americans used to not care about it. Now situation has changed. Gas price soared dramatically, and many Americans care about gas mileage, and small cars became popular. It is good to care about gas mileage environmentally. The U.S. is emitting CO2 most in the world, but I think almost no American cared about it. I do not know if they ware caring about it now, but at least they are caring about gas mileage now and as a result it is good for environment. I know people are basically lazy and many are selfish. If there is no merit for us, we tend to not do something actively. How stupid Human being is...^^;
I will go on a business trip today again. I have been very busy in a few weeks. (as always?^^;) But next next Monday is Columbus day, so there are 3 consecutive holidays!^^ I will take a rest next weekend...^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (9/28/2008)
Yesterday was Saturday, but I went to a business trip
to Canada from Friday to Saturday, so I was working yesterday. It takes about 5
hours to get there, so I and my co-worker drove a car, and I was exhausted...
I have been very busy (always?) this week.
Sorry... I am tired and lazy^^; so that is all for this week's diary.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (9/21/2008)
Now I am reading tenth book. One of my this year's
resolutions is to read 10 English books. I am sure I will achieve it.^^ I am
proud of my self! I have to spend a lot of time reading English books, so it was
a long way to achieve this goal and I had to give up something to do because I
needed to spend a lot of time reading book. I want to watch TV, I want to watch
DVD, I want to watch ERO^^ video, I want to read Manga^^, I want to take a nap,
I want to go for shopping, I want to be lazy.^^ But, I know that reading books
is necessary for me. I used to read books written in Japanese and I enjoyed it a
lot. Originally, I hate reading books.^^; But I got used to it and became it was
fun.^^ Now I am struggling to read English books. Sometimes (always?^^;) it is
painful. However, I need to read English books. I need to be patient. I need to
practice reading English books. No practice, no achievement. I wanted to be
lazy, but I was patient to read English books. Then I will achieve reading 10
books. Oh... I am proud of myself. After this achievement, I will take a break
and I will start doing other things. I need to study English to take TOEIC test.
I got 930 points at TOEIC test, but it is not enough. I need to improve my
English more and more and more.
My brain does not work well... I have been very busy as always. I need to take a rest. (<- I guess I took 4 consecutive holidays around Labor day...^^; But it is not enough...) Now one of my most interesting thing is to read Manga^^ (Inu-Yasha) and watching DVDs. ER is getting boring and boring. I am watching season 7, but after watching it, I will stop watching ER. I am spending (wasting?) too much time watching ER. I need to do other things. As I wrote above, I need to study English, and next year, I am thinking I will take an Engineering exam. I need to be prepared for it. I know how difficult to it is to pass this exam. I need to study really hard. I will start studying Engineering gradually.
Sorry... that is all for this week's diary. I have had nothing special recently. I may need to change my environment...
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (9/14/2008)
It has been rainy in these days. Especially, it
rained a lot today and yesterday. Because of hurricane, it rained a lot??? I
read the article a little about hurricane that attacked Houston. Huston got a
big damage. In Japan, there are many hurricane (typhoon), so we kind of know
that how powerful the hurricane is. Now Huston is kind of the most popular city
in the U.S. Average salary is high, now economy is very good in spite of bad
economy in most other cities, weather is good, etc. However, regarding weather,
typhoon may be only the bad factor for Huston. Basically I like Texas, so I want
to live in Texas, especially in or near big cities, such as Houston, Dallas, San
Antonio, and Austin (ummm... Lubbock may be too rural...^^;). Are there
available job openings for me in such cities?^^;
Anyway... I received the navigation system. I have installed and tried to use it!^^ Here is a photo.
I have not got used to using this navigation, so I need to do practice more and more. I know the road around here, so do not have to stare the navigation all the time. However, if I go on the unknown road, I am a little worried if I can get the instruction correctly. Anyway, if even if I took a wrong way, this navigation system will re-calculate the new road soon. It is so smart!^^ I will keep using it and become a navigation master!^^
This photo shows no wire. Right now I am using internal battery to use this system. Power can be supplied from cigarette lighter. However, my car is too old and cigarette light does not work at all. I need to get power supply from somewhere in the car. I did some investigations about wiring last last weekend. Today, it was rainy, so I gave us wiring today. Internal battery can be used for 8 hours, so there may be no problem as far as I drive around Detroit area. I will do wiring next weekend.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (9/7/2008)
September has come. It is still warm (hot) and
weather is nice in Michigan.^^
Last Sunday, I decided to buy a navigation system. I went to Circuit city and Bestbuy to try to use several navigation systems. I made a big mistake when I bought a PC last time, so this time, I was very careful to choose the navigation system. My requirement is 1. There is Canada map, 2. There is post office information, 3. There is library information, 4. It is easy to use (user friendly). Michigan is located next to Canada, and there are some customers there, so I need Canada map. Sometimes I need to go to a post office, so I need to have post office information. I like library.^^ I want to visit libraries, so I need library information. After testing some models, I came back to my apt and tried to find the information by using the internet. There are many useful information and reviews about products. I finally chose Garmin nvi 350.^^ I bough it at Amazon. Amazon is very convenient and price is reasonable. I may receive it around 9/11. I look forward to receiving it.^^
I have been feeling that I needed a navigation system. Sometimes I need to go on a business trip and I rarely know the place where customer factory is located. It is very annoying to make a copy of Yahoo map. In addition, sometimes I need to visit other customers because of sudden accident of our products. In such case, I may not be able to get where it is and I easily loose my way. Navigation system is very useful, and the most important thing is that I can save my precious time! Loosing the way and investigating the location make me waste a lot of time.
I went on a business trip to Canada, and car became empty on the highway. We called AAA and ask it to bring some gas. We wasted about 1 hour. However, there was a gas station near that location. It was a rural area and I could not see any gas station. However, there is a one gas station over the hill near my location! If I had had a navigation system, I could be able to go to that gas station! Oh... I wasted a precious one hour... Navigation system has gas station information, so if something happen to my car, I can find a nearest gas station instantly. I really look forward to obtaining a navigation system.^^
Meanwhile... "Inu Yasha" is interesting!^^ I am addicted to this manga. I have read vol. 1 ~ 10 so far. Oh... I am wasting my time to read manga...???^^; Anyway, reading manga is one of my most favorite hobbies, and reading manga makes me happy.^^ I am enjoying manga very much. I really appreciate that some libraries has mangas. I will continue to enjoy manga very much!^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (8/31/2008)
Three holidays have passed... Time flies so fast.
Tomorrow is labor day and it is the last holiday about my 4 consecutive
holidays. I am feeling I have done nothing so far.^^; Absolutely, I am lazy...
hahaha...
On the first day, I got a phone call from a customer, so I worked for 4 ~ 5 hours. Then, I watched ER^^ and read manga "Inu Yasha.^^" I found many Japanese mangas in a library, so I borrowed "Inu Yasha." This manga was drawn by my favorite author, Ms. Rumiko Takahashi. She is one of the most famous, and most popular cartoon artist in Japan. I used to read her manga a lot.^^ Now I am reading English manga. Japanese manga may be the most excellent manga in the world!^^
Anyway... I read "Max strategy" last weekend. I enjoyed reading it a lot. I read the same book translated into Japanese a few years ago, but I had forgot almost all contents.^^; This time, I re-read this book and I was impressed with its contents a lot.
This book states, "Most people don't know what work they love, what job they'd want to do all day, every day, the rest of their lives. Oh, they might enjoy tennis, say, and would gladly be a world-ranked tennis player, but they know a career as a tennis star is beyond them. So what does that leave?" and "Eventually, when a kid realizes that he or she is not going to be a pro athlete, it leaves a big hole. Most of the time that hole never gets filled."
In my diary on 7/27/2008, I wrote that I wanted to become a top ranked softtennis player in Japan. I kind of noticed that I did not have a talent to become a top ranked softtennis player, but I did not admit it. I spent too much time for playing sottennis and played softtennis too seriously. I should have admitted it when I graduated from a university. But I did not want to. I wanted to prove that if I make an effort to practice very hard, I was able to did it. Hard training and hard practice can make my dream come true. However, finally I gave up and I admitted that I did not have a good talent and retired. Absolutely, I got a big hole. So big. Too big. I quit my first job partially because I retired from softtennis. It was kind of burn out. I worked hard and practiced softtennis hard, too. I could not take a rest well. I spent almost all weekends for practicing softtennis. I burned out. I should have noticed that finding my talent (good talent) is much much much more important than hard training and hard effort. I should have read more books like "Max Strategy." Now I know it, but I am still struggling to find my talent. What talent do I have? I need to try many things. This is the only way how to find my talent. I know I should not give up something after spending a little time for trying something. I need to do it seriously to a certain extent. That is why it is difficult to find my talent.
Trial and error is the only way. Have I tried something recently? Have I failed something recently? No failure, no trial. I need to keep trying new things.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (8/23/2008)
My physical condition has not been great since last
Monday. I got up at 4AM and left the office at 5AM to go on a business trip. As
far as I can take a good rest after that, I would have been OK. However, I
had to work at night at Hotel. If I go on a business trip, I cannot do office
work. I cannot check emails during daytime. As a result, I have to work at
night. This time, same thing happened. I got up 4AM, but I went to bed at
0:00AM. I definitely need to take a rest.
Because of such business trips, my physical condition was not so good last and last last weekends. I have been exhausted since last Monday, and I got a headache last Thursday, but I managed to recover from suffering yesterday. So I am fine now anyway. I am happy to use my holiday for watching DVDs^^, not for sleeping all day long.
I have been doing weight training in Michigan for about two years. However, because of my bad physical condition, I am in plateau. In addition, about a month ago, I got injured a little about my right hand while I was doing bench press. Weight might be too heavy. So I have been using light weight. In addition again, I am on a diet^^ a little, I do not eat a lot. Because of all these things, my muscle has been weaken. Before I got injured, I used to use 180 pounds weight (about 80kg). However, now I am feeling this weight is very heavy.^^; My injured hand has been cured almost completely, but still I am feeling something wrong. Also, I am afraid of being injured again, so I may not be able to use my 100% potential to lift up weight. I tend to think that I may get injured again if I use my muscle too much. I know I need to take my time. I will try to recover from this point gradually. Even if I am in a rehabilitation mode, I should continue to do weight training. I should move my muscle a little. Stop training is not good for me.
I have been working for a company, so I usually do not notice college calendar cycle. In many colleges, next week may be the start week. Next weekend, there is a labor day holiday and our company has 4 consecutive holidays!^^ Maybe I should do something, but I have been busy and tired, so I could not have time to make a plan to do something... Of course, it is an excuse, but I really need to do many things. I need to read English books, I need to study English, I need to watch DVDs^^, etc.... Oh, I wanna buy a navigation system!^^ Ok, I will try to choose which one is good for me during next weekend. Every time I go on a business trip, I easily loose the way. A few years ago, almost no navigation system in the U.S. I could not believe it. In Japan, navigation system has been very popular. Now in the U.S., it has become extremely poplar, too. I am sure that we can save a lot of time. Time is Money, absolutely! I really want to buy time.
Time flies fast... but my life has not been changing so fast... Sometimes I need to be patient. I just keep trying to achieve my goals (this year's resolution!^^).
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (8/17/2008)
I read "The Secret (written by Rhonda Byrne)" last
week. I wrote this book is suck^^ and now I cannot believe that such stupid book
is a best selling book in the U.S. I think there are many stupid people in the
world. In Japan, this book was a best selling book, so there are many stupid
people in Japan, too. If I wish to have a great^^ car really strongly, I can get
it??? What a most stupid way of thinking it is! I know the U.S. is the country
of freedom. Anybody can write anything as far as it does not hurt anybody.
Anybody can believe anything. I do not care as far as I am not annoyed. In my
opinion, this book does not help people at all. Sometime somebody misunderstands
something. I know it is our responsibility whether we believe it or not. I
really hope that nobody believe the contents of this book.
I know some contents are useful. I know positive thinking is much better for us than negative thinking. However, too optimistic way of thinking will end up serious disappointment. We have to see the reality. In the book "Good to Great (Written by Jim Collins)," there is the Stockdale Paradox. I do not want to explain the details. This Paradox shows us that too optimistic way of thinking will end up serious disappointment, so we have to see the severe reality. I am not saying that we should not think positively. I want to say that it depends. I know it is a very difficult thing. But we need to distinguish between positive thinking and reckless thinking. I know sometimes our common sense was wrong, and real genius was right. Sometimes we, not talented people, cannot understand genius, and we call that person a strange person. But at least we know this person looks like a stranger, not normal person. Normal, not talented, people may have to use our common sense and information so that we can make a decision to do something. Positive thinking is OK, but at least we need to back up this thinking by using some information or evidence.
For example, it is very very difficult to enter Tokyo university. If a child wants to enter Tokyo university, but his scores at elementary school and junior high school were not so good, how can we tell her/him that she/he can enter Tokyo university? She/he may be able to spend 10 years for studying to enter Tokyo university. But is it good for her/him? When she/he graduate from the university, she/he would be 32 years old. Of course, it is up to her/his life. If she/he wants to do that, I do not care. Just go for it. However, if I were a teacher, I would really recommend this kid to spend only one or two years studying and to enter her/his appropriate university. Tokyo university is not the only one university.
If we can get anything we want if we really wish it, why do not we wish to enter Harvard university? Steve jobs dropped out from the university. Bill Gates quit Harvard university. We have many choices to use our own special talents. Even if we wish, we may not be able to make it come true. We have to see the reality and find our own ways.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (8/10/2008)
I went on a business trip to Canada from 8/5 to 8/8.
I got up at 5AM everyday and went to bed at 0:00AM.... oh... I am so tired...
I had a headache yesterday again and I slept all day long again... My weekend exists only for taking a rest and getting well from be tired... oh... I have been so busy in these few weeks.
I completed reading "The secret." I could not borrow ER season 4, so I read this book all day long. Absolutely, this book is suck.^^ I read this book because I wanted to know why this book is a best-selling book in the U.S. and I wanted to train myself for reading English books. I gradually have got used to reading English books. This is a good habit!^^ I wanna read English books more and more and more. I wanna read English books faster and faster and faster. Reading speed is so slow that I cannot get a lot of information from books. I used to read a lot of Japanese books in Japan and I could get a lot of information form them. If I were in Japan, I could learn much more than in the U.S. I may be wasting my time. Now many books are written in English. So it is a big advantage if we can read English books. If I had started to study English earlier, I would not have wasted a lot of time now. I know "it is no use crying over spilt milk." I will think positively. I can learn English from now on. I can improve my English more and more and more!
In Toronto, there is a Japanese restaurant. Its name is Cafe Michi. This time I stayed in a motel near Toronto, so I went to this Japanese restaurant. Its food is very good!^^ Coffee and cafe are good!^^ I enjoyed Japanese food so much. I grew up in Japan, so my taste is completely made up for Japanese food. I think taste depends on the culture and environment. I am an adult now, so probably I cannot change my taste.
Sorry... that is all for this week's diary. I am so tired because of business trip to Canada.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (8/3/2008)
ER is very interesting!^^ I am addicted to ER.^^ I
usually go to a library and borrow ER DVDs. I have watched Season 1, 2, and 3,
so far. I wanted to borrow season 4, but it has been checked out. I made a
reservation, but I have to wait until at least next weekend. Oh.... my hands are
shaking...^^; Is it a symptom of ER addiction??? hahaha....^^;
I was not feeling good yesterday. I might be tired. I had a headache. I was sleeping almost all day long...
I could not watch ER, so I borrowed some other DVDs. I watched "When harry met sally." When I watched TV, this movie was ranked No.2 as a romantic? movie. However, for me, it was not so interesting. After watching first 10 minutes, I tried to stop watching it. However, anyway I kept watching it and found out this movie is suck!!! Oh... I know I sometimes encounter bad movies and bad books. It is difficult to avoid them. If I want to encounter good^^ movies and good^^ books, I have to try to watch many movies and many books that include bad ones.
I borrowed "Seinfeld" too. When I came to the U.S. to study English in 1998. I heard that "Seinfeld will end soon!" However, I did not know what Seinfeld is.^^; I sometimes watched a little about Seinfeld on TV, but I could not understand why this sitcom was so popular. I did not want to watch this sitcom so much, but to understand US culture, I think I need to watch it. I have to stand even if Seinfeld is not so interesting so much. Regarding ER, I was not interested in ER and this drama was not so interesting. First, I did not watch blood.^^; I am so weak at watching blood. So, I have been thinking I could not become a medical doctor at all. However, I was forced by myself to watch this drama because I had known that this drama was one of the most popular drama in the U.S. After watching whole first season, I became an addict to ER.^^; I need to try it even if I do not like it for the first time. I may become to like it later.
I have no American here and I have no religion and I have no connection with American society, so only DVDs are my source to know the American culture. I will watch DVDs as much as possible!^^ (<-oh... how boring my life is....)
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (7/27/2008)
Time flies very fast. July has almost ended. It has
been fine in a few weeks in Michigan. Actually, we encountered some thunder
storms and heavy rains in the evening. However, I rarely go out side and stay in
my apartment and watch DVDs^^, so they do not affect my life so much.^^
I read a book ""Yes" or "No"" written by Spencer Johnson today. It has only 100 pages and contents are easy and letter size is big^^, so maybe Americans can read this book in an hour. however, I spent about 5 to 6 hours reading this book. It was still very tough for me to read books written in English. However, I have read 6 books so far this year and I am feeling I gradually get used to reading English books!^^ Even if I read books in Japanese, it is difficult to concentrate on reading books sometimes. Also, I know now may Japanese do not read books. I used to read books a lot. It was my good habit. But after coming to the U.S., this habit disappeared because I did not have time and I did not have Japanese books and I could not read books written in English. Oh.... there are so many excuses...^^; Anyway, now is the time to re-start my good habit, reading books!^^
I want to show you some sentences from the book ""Yes" or "No"" below.
"When we hide from
the truth, we feel more frightened. ...
I became angry when someone tried to tell me the truth and I didn't want to hear
it. ...
I didn't know that integrity, telling myself the truth, was really nurturing for
me."
I remember that the book "Good to Great" states the similar thing. "We need to see the reality." Sometimes we do not want to accept reality and hide from it. It may sound strange, but I wanted to be kind of a professional sport player. I used to play softtennis. There is no professional softtennis player, but I wanted to become a top ranked softtennis player in Japan. I was thinking I could do it. But I somehow knew that I did not have good talent to become a nationally top ranked player. I won some championships in the local tournaments, but I never won at the national tournament. I did not want to admit that I did not have a good talent. I should have retired from softtennis earlier. I have been feeling that I wasted a lot of time playing softtennis. I know "it is no use crying over spilt milk." I made a bad decision. But it is my decision. I am responsible for it. I am learning from the past.
I hope that my brain has become more flexible than before. I can learn from the past and I can listen to other people when they tell me the truth. I will keep improving and try to make a better decision!^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (7/20/2008)
Well, my life has been going on day by day, week by
week, month by month... There is nothing special. But I know this is life.
Yesterday I did weight training and watched "Friends^^."
I created a bulletin board on this page yesterday. It is offered by Infoseek. This homepage space is also offered by Infoseek. It is a Japanese company, so this bulletin board is written in Japanese, sorry... but you can figure out which portion is the title space and which portion is the name space if you try it.
I also wanted to add access counter, but Infoseek does not offer this service. I will try to find other companies free access counter. Infoseek offers access analysis function, but only I can see the access number. I will write the number of page view next diary.
Sorry... my brain does not work this week... I need to take a rest...
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (7/13/2008)
I wrote that I bought business suit in my last diary.
I bought it because I could not wear my suit that was purchased in Japan.
Absolutely, I became fat.^^; Now my weight is about 146 pound (about 66.3 kg).
My height is 173cm (about 5 feet 8inches), so 146 pound is not so bad. However,
my weight used to be 63kg (about 139 pound). 63 kg does not have to be an
appropriate weight, but anyway, I need to reduce my weight a little. I think I
need to reduce about 5~6 pound. Now I am on a diet.^^ I am eating almost
normally, but I am reducing the amount of food gradually. It may take a few
months to complete this program. I criticized my friends about being fat, but now
I am fat.^^; hahaha....
66 kg used to be my best weight while I was a softtennis player in Kanazawa University. After retiring from softtennis, my weight became about 72 kg.^^; Absolutely, I was fat. However, I started to work for a company, and I worked hard at a factory, I became thinner.^^ I was not on a diet intentionally, but working at a factory was too hard for me. I was working from June to Spetember. It was hot everyday. Temperature in the factory was almost 100 (40 degree C). I was working for 12 hours and I had to stand up all day long. I worked in a daytime shift and next week I worked in a nighttime shift. I hated nighttime shift. I could not sleep well. My weight was reduced dramatically.^^; Every new employees need to do their factory training. After finishing this training, I was relieved so much. Anyway, this training made me thinner. Now I think my best is around 64 kg. I need to reduce 2~3 kg.
As I wrote in my last diary, I am watching ER a lot now.^^ I am kind of obsessed with watching it. This weekend, I completed watching season 2. I want to watch season 3, but season 3 was checked out!(>_<) Oh my God!!! I cannot watch ER until next weekend. Should I rent a DVD at a Blockbuster store??? Ok, now I am addicted to ER, so it is a good chance to cool down my fever to ER. I need to do many more things than watching DVDs.
As I wrote in my last diary, I started reading books written by Spencer Johnson. I completed reading "The Present" and "The one minute manager." Totally I have read 4 books.^^ My goal is to read 10 books, so I need to read 6 more books. However, I may be able to read one book in one weekend, so I may be able to complete reading 6 books in 6 weeks. I think "The one minute manager" is a good book for me. I learn a lot from this book. While I was reading it, I was thinking that I was a bad captain of softtennis team in Kanazawa University. A manager and a captain are similar. I easily got mad and scolded teammates. I should have read this book when I became a captain of the team. I know it was too late. But I deeply apologize for my team mates. To make my future better, I have to learn from my past. This is the word of "The Present." Books written by Spencer Johnson are very good and useful for me.^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (7/6/2008)
Sorry... I wrote that I would write a diary later
last week, but I did not... I am lazy....
Anyway, today is the last day of 4 consecutive holidays. July 4 is the independence day and our company set July 3 as a holiday, so we had 4 holidays. I have watched "ER season 1" almost half of all holidays...^^;
I also read two English books. One is "Who moved my cheese?^^" and the other is "One minute $ales person." One of my new years resolution is to read 10 English books. I thought that it was very difficult to achieve this goal. However, I found out that it is easy for me to read "Who moved my cheese?^^" Then, I realized that the author of this book wrote many similar books. Contents of these books are kind of easy, and there are about only 100 pages, and letter size is big^^ , so there are not so many words in one page. They looks kids' books. However, they are best selling books in the U.S. I appreciate his books. They are very good English training text books.
What did I do during these holidays? I watched ER a lot.^^ I read two English books. I bought business suit and business shoes. I did some weight training. That is it. It looks there is nothing special. However, I do not have to do special things during holidays. For me, reading two English books is a great thing. Realizing that books written by MD Spencer Johnson is great English text books for me is a great thing. I had not realized it. I am enjoying watching ER and enjoying reading English books. As I wrote many times before, one of my biggest goals in my life is to learn English and to learn American culture. I can get them by enjoying watching ER and reading books. The key points are "Enjoy^^" and "Continuous effort." If can enjoy something, I can continuously do it without painful^^; effort! I may not consider that such effort is the elaborate effort. I am just enjoying it! I will make them my good^^ habits.
Now I cannot fully understand the contents of ER because they are speaking too fast and there is no English subtitles. However, someday I wish I could understand it well. It may be a long road, but I will enjoy walking on this road.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (6/29/2008)
I am writing this diary at the airport. I am going on
a business trip to Kentucky and come back to the office on 7/1(Tue.).
After I passed the security check, I was walking to the gate 27A. Then, suddenly a siren started going off and a shutter came down and passengers were isolated and could not get out of the area where where they were. About 15 minutes later, the shutter was opened and passengers were released. There was no explanation why passengers were enclosed. Was there a criminal?^^;
Sorry... I do not have time... I will write a diary later.
See ya!
Weekly
Diary (6/22/2008)
What am I doing now? I was working yesterday morning.
After that I went to a library to borrow some DVDs.^^ However, when I came back
to my apt, I felt not so good. So I could not do anything but sleep.^^
(Actually, I sit back and relaxed and watched DVDs.^^)
This morning, I read a book a little, I learn some English words, watched DVDs.^^ Oh.... my life may be boring and meaningless???^^;
I have much fun to watch DVDs.^^ To understand the contents, I listen to what actors and actresses are saying. I am not bored with watching DVDs!^^ This is a good habit for me!^^ I can enjoy learning English!^^
This is very important. Good habits make me a great person!^^ Sometimes making an effort to learn something or to obtain some skills is elaborate and sometimes even painful. However, if I can enjoy something and it is a good habit to learn something, I will not get bored with it and I can improve it very much. Studying English by using text books is not fun, but watching DVDs is fun^^ for me. I have motivation to learn English.
Motivation is very important. If there is no motivation, we cannot do anything. Finding what is fun for me is important. Maybe what I am interested in may be related to my talent. But not always. I know. I like playing tennis. I used to be enthusiastic about it. But, I cannot became a No.1 player in Japan. I know I have some talent about playing tennis, but not so great as the one that Roger Federer has. I do not have enough talent to became a professional tennis player. So I need to find other talent to earn a lot of money!^^
I know it is extremely difficult to find what talent I have. So I just need to keep challenging. I must not forget about it.
"You may say I am a dreamer.^^ But I am not the only one."
I am lazy, but I will keep trying to do daily small challenges. I cannot make a big leap in a shot time. Accumulating small challenges will make a big leap for me.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (6/15/2008)
What am I doing now? I am staying at home and
lazy.^^; I kind of lost the way. I need some time to rebuild my life.
As I wrote in my last diary, one of my objective of my life is to learn English. I try to read and memorize English words, but I easily get bored. Memorizing words is so boring. But I have to do it to a certain extent. I know that. If there are many unknown words, I cannot read English books. If I know many English words, I can infer the meaning of unknown words from contexts. So, I need to memorize certain amount of words first. I know that. Still now it is difficult for me to read English books because there are so many unknown words. I cannot use a dictionary every time when I encounter the unknown words. Yes, I can, if I have time. If it takes one day for me to read Japanese business book, it takes maybe more than 10 days to read English business book. How can I make such time? I have lived in the U.S. for about 5 years. I am feeling that my English has not improved in these few years. I know. I need to continue to make an effort. Learning speed is sometimes very slow. It is plateau. I know.
Now I am doing weight training. I read many books about weight training, so I kind of know that how to do weight training and it is effective. I purchased the weight training set and I have been doing weight training for about two years. I usually writing and speaking English, but I am not studying English. Probably I have to do it. If I do not try to memorize English words, I cannot increase vocabulary and my grammar cannot be corrected. Oh... I need to be patient to study English day by day.
Compared to weight training, partially because there is no perfect way to learn English, I may be doubt about the method of studying English. Some advertisement states that "You can speak English just for one month study!^^," but actually this kind of ad is exaggeration. I know learning English is not so easy. Another reason is that it is difficult to see my result from study about English. How can I know my English has improved? I can take a test, but sometime this kind of English test does not work at all. Regarding weight training, relatively it is easy to see the result because we can see the mirror and see how much muscle I can get. "Oh, my body is so beautiful!!!(^^)(^^)(^^)" .....well, persons who like weight training are narcissist?^^;
Anyway, now I may be mentally plateau. There are long term goals and short time goals. To achieve long time goals, I need to make an effort day by day and I have to have good habit to improve myself, such as regular weight training and learning English words. I may be losing short term goals??? I do not know. We are living now. So we should enjoy now. What do I want to do now??? I do not drink, I do not smoke, I do not play games, I do watching ERO^^ videos... I used to play soft-tennis and tennis used to be all for my life. I enjoyed playing soft-tennis so much. Now... I have nothing. I tend to think that I am wasting my time in vain??? I may be losing my passion to do something. That is all right. I know I need to take my time. I know it is kind of plateau and kind of burning out. I will do nothing!^^ I just take a rest!^^ I will watch "Friends^^" and "ER" DVDs!^^ I will enjoy now!^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (6/8/2008)
Last Saturday, I came back to my apt at 8:00PM from a
business trip. I drove for 5 hours, so I was so tired. I could not take a rest
well last Sunday, so I had been tired last week. So, this weekend, I took a rest
a lot.^^ I have been lazy.^^ I took a nap frequently.^^
Then I do not have time to write this diary.^^; I took a rest too much???
I started reading a book "First, Break all the rules" that is translated into Japanese a few weeks ago. There are many pages, and contents are so good, so I could not read it fast. Usually, I can read one business book in one day. (Of course, it depends.) However, I had to spend a few days or more to read this book. Today I finished reading it.^^ I read it about 4 years ago when I was in Japan. However, I forgot almost all contents.^^; I am sure that I need to read good books again and again and again. I need to understand contents perfectly and obtain how to use these contents. I need to make them my habits. When I encounter the problem, I have to come up with solution that is written in this book. Only reading is not enough. I have to lean contents and understand them and obtain good habits.
Maybe, this book is the best book that I ever read. I will try to read this book in English. I used to read 100 books in a year when I was in Japan. Now, I cannot read even 10 English books. I know it takes a long time to get used to reading English books. But reading English books fast is one of my biggest objectives in my life. Why? It is cool!^^ hahaha... I read a Japanese comic whose title is "Area 88." There is a scene that hero was reading the English news paper. I thought "He is cool!^^" Oh... how simple my brain is... how easily I am influenced by a comic book hero...^^; Anyway, I want to read English books easily. My final goal may be reading 100 English books a year!!!(^^)(^^)(^^) Oh... how many years do I have to spend to learn English???
Anyway, to become a cool^^ person like a comic hero, I will continue to make an effort...
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (6/1/2008)
Last Sunday, my friend's
family (him, his wife, and two children) came to Novi from New York City. He
drove his car all the way to Novi. It took more than 10 hours... Oh, it must
have been a long way... However, I and my friends used to travel around Grand
Canyon, and sometimes we drove for more than 10 hours per day. So the distance
between NYC and Novi is not too far.
I met him last Summer at NYC. We had not seen for about 8 years. He looked exactly same as 8 years ago.^^; I look exactly same as 8 years ago, too!(^^)(^^)(^^) I am 26 years old!^^ hahaha...
We had lunch together at Korean BBQ in Novi. He told me that his coworkers came to Novi to visit Novi mayor's house. This incident was broadcast on TV!!! In Novi, there are so many Japanese and Japanese companies. Novi mayor visited Japan before, so in return, this time Japanese government staff visited Novi mayor. I do not know why there are so many Japanese in Novi. The company which I work for is located in Farmington Hills that is the neighbor city of Novi. I just tried to find an apartment by using the internet, and I picked the most cheapest^^; apartment around this area. At that time, I did not know that there are so many Japanese in Novi. Fortunately^^, my apartment is located so far from the downtown Novi, and I rarely see Japanese.^^ However, around here, cellphone's radio wave is a little weak. In addition, there is no high speed ADSL. I see... that is why rich Japanese are not living around here. Oh, thank you very much for this rural area.^^
Anyway, after we had lunch, we went to Detroit downtown. We entered GM building. Kids are happy to see GM cars. I am happy to see them happy.^^ Last Monday was Memorial day, so there was a music festival in Hartland park next to the GM building. There are so many people there. We tried to enter the park, but we needed to buy a ticket!!! Ticket price was $25!!! Oh... $25 is too expensive! We gave up entering the park. But we enjoyed atmosphere around the park. When I visit this park with my professor in March, nobody was there. It was a weekday and at around 2PM. What a big difference it is! Absolutely, festival is fun.^^ When I was living in Texas, I had some international friends and we went to see festival. However, in Michigan, I have never seen festival except for last Sunday's festival. Going festival alone may not be fun. Internet surfing at my apt is much more fun!^^ hahaha...
My friend's family went back to NYC after visiting Detroit downtown. He will stay in the U.S. until next March. I hope he will enjoy American life and hope to see him sometime in the future again.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (5/24/2008)
Last week I wrote
that there was a trouble about Paypal. However, finally I solved it!^^ I called Paypal and my restriction was removed. Oh... I am relieved so much. I save more
than $1,000 in this Paypal account, so if I cannot withdraw my money, I would
have to sue Paypal! hahaha...^^; I need to send my money to Japan to pay my
Japanese pension money, so Paypal account is the most convenient account for me.
If I use other bank account, exchange fee is much more expensive. I really
appreciate to Paypal.
Now it is near end of May. College students should be taking summer holidays. Some should be starting their working lives. I hope they are having happy days in their working lives. For international students in the U.S., I have been hearing that it was getting difficult for them to get a job. When I was studying in the University of North Texas in 2001, I heard that nearly 80% of international students could not get a job in the U.S. I do not know if it is true or not, but I was feeling it was true. I rarely heard that international students got a job. In addition, from 2007, H1B Visa became a lottery because of too many H1B visa applicants. Because of this limitation, many companies hesitate to hire international students. I hope many international students can find a job in the U.S.
Tomorrow, I will meet my friend in my town, Novi. I met him at the University of North Texas in 1999. It was almost 10 years ago. Time flies fast. He was working in Japan as a city hall official. He applied for a job in the U.S. and he was selected! The term is two years and the location is NYC! I think He came to NYC in April 2007, so one year has passed. After returning to Japan, he will become a city hall official again. It is a temporary transfer. I met him when I visited NYC last summer in 2007. This time, he will come to Michigan tomorrow!^^ I will meet him and his family. I look forward to seeing him again. I will write about it next week.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (5/18/2008)
I have got some trouble recently. I do not want to
write one of them. Oh... Damage is so big, but not as big as my life itself?^^;
hahaha... Anyway, I lost my credit card last year, then I made a new one. New
credit card has a new credit card number. I used the old one for several
auto-payments, so I had to change them. It was OK for that. Then, in March, I got
a trouble that I used my credit card too much and total amount became more than
my limit. Then I got a trouble. Credit card company stopped my credit card. I am
using this card for several auto-payments, but some companies could not access my
credit cart because my card was suspended. I got some past due payments. I had
to pay manually. I thought I cleared up everything last week. But I got a phone
call last Friday. She said that my payment is past due. She also told me
that my credit card number was the old one. What???? I lost my old credit card
last year. How did I pay by using this old number until today???? I could not
understand, but anyway I asked her to change my credit card number. Oh, one more
thing. I usually use one main credit card, and we pay business trip expense by
our own credit card, and we got paid for it later. Therefore, if I go on a
business trip for a long time , I have to pay a lot of money by using my credit
card. For example, if I stay in a hotel for one week and one night fee is $70,
total amount is $490. We also have to pay gasoline and meal, so sometimes I have
to pay about $1,000. My credit card limit was $2,500. In March, I traveled to
Boston and Washington DC with my professor. Total amount may be near $1,000.
That is why total amount I used in March was over my credit limit. Credit
card company called me, and told me that I was in trouble. I asked the credit company
to raise my credit limit. It approved my favor instantly. I think usually they
check and investigate my credit history scrutinizingly to raise my credit limit.
However, they agreed to raise my limit instantly maybe because I usually use
$1,000 to $2,000 every month. Now my credit limit is $4,500. I think rarely I
will use over $4,500.
I got another problem with Paypal, but I have not solved this problem yet, so I do not want to write now.
Anyway, I hate payments. I need to pay for a lot of things. Apt rent, gas, electricity, cable internet, two cell phones, American express credit card, Master card, Discover card, Japanese pension plan, college loan in Japan, etc. I easily forget about these payments, so I pay these payments by using auto-payment as much as possible. Some of them do not have auto-payment function, so I need to pay manually. Especially, I think credit card companies intentionally do not have such function. They are trying to get late fees. Oh... What stupid credit companies they are!!! I should not use them! But in the U.S., credit cards are necessary. Oh... every system has good points and bad points. In Japan, credit card has auto-payment function, and there is no bank account fees. I was surprised that there is a bank account fee in the U.S.!!! I know it is reasonable to collect bank account fees, but in Japan, it is free! (actually not free. Interest rate is low to keep free bank account fee.) Different country has a different system. I encountered a lot of problems, and then, I gradually learn American system and get used to it.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (5/11/2008)
Baby geese^^ watching
is one of my most favorite things. Now is the time to watching baby
geese!!!(^^)(^^)(^^) I took a picture of baby geese at the lake near my apt.
Last weekend, I went to a library and borrowed some DVDs. I have not watched DVDs for about one and a half months because I was so busy. I borrowed ER and Friends^^. I watched all ten seasons of Friends one time, but I can watch them again and again and again! I like Friends very much. I have not watched DVDs for a long time (?), so I am stuck to watch Friends.^^;
This time, I watched ER, too. This is kind of my challenge. I do not like a drama about the hospital. However, I know ER is one of the most popular drama and in Japan, this drama was broadcast. Therefore, I was thinking I should try to watch it one time. This time, I watched only one story. As I thought, I do not like this drama so much. However, anyway I watched whole one story. If I had watched it when I was 20s, I would have stop watching it in the middle of the drama. Watching whole one story is a great thing for me!^^ hahaha.... I grew up and I have changed a little about the hospital. I got a car accident and I was hospitalized. Staying in the hospital was kind of very precious experience for me. It was a very painful experience. I got surgeries too times. Surgery was done while I was sleeping. Then I woke up and I realized my body was totally different from my previous body. I could not move at all. I could not eat. I could not sit. I could not do anything. After this experience, drinking water normally is an extremely happy thing! While I was hospitalized, always bloods came out from my mouth. So taste of water is kind of blood taste. Also, I found and realized the biggest thing. People are spoiled very easily. I was lying down on the bed. My body was getting better. However, I felt that I wanted to lying down on the bed forever! I became lazy! I was surprised. Many cute^^ nurses were taking care of me. I became to think that I did not want to leave the hospital. People are weak. People tend to choose the easy way. I realized my weakness. It was a precious experience.
Anyway, from my experience, I got used to watching medical things. So I was able to watch ER. Every weekend, I will try to watch one story of ER. I want to know why this drama is so popular.
Now it is the commencement season. I wanted to visit Texas around this week, but I decided not to do so. I want to say congratulations to all graduates and hope to have nice new working lives for them. This is the commencement. This means it is only the beginning.
See you next week.
Baby Geese!!!(^^)(^^)(^^) Taken at the lake near my apt. (5/11/2008)
Weekly
Diary (5/4/2008)
May has come. It has been warm in Michigan.
Definitely Spring has come!^^
I have been extremely busy since I traveled with my professor. I need to take a rest. I am taking a rest this weekend.^^
I read two books (written in Japanese) recently. They are "How to Win Friends and Influence People (Author: Dale Carnegie)" and "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (Author: Dale Carnegie)." They are extremely good books. I should have read them in 20s, especially while I was a Kanazawa University student. I have read many books and many of them are useful. However, few books are more useful than these books. Working life is totally different from Studying life, and we encounter many different problems in our working lives. We can be prepared well for them if we read these books. These books are written long long time ago, but still now their contents are very useful because these books show us the truth about human being. I think nobody has recommended me to read books. Maybe somebody did and I forgot. I know there are so many books that we should read, but our time is limited. I am happy to meet these books and to read these books even if it is a little too late. But it is mush better than not to read them at all. Now I know very important technique (?) that I should use in my life.
I would like to site one thing from "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living" below.
"If there is one any one secret of success," said Henry Ford, "it lies in the ability to get the other person's point of view and see things from that person's angle as well as from your own."
I like myself.^^ I care myself. I know everyone cares himself/herself. So we usually see things from our point of view, not from other persons'. Probably it is the most difficult thing to do. Henry Ford is genius. Some genius persons can do it unconsciously. However, we, ordinary people cannot. We have to learn how to do it. I am not sure we can learn how to do it and use this skill in our lives. We may be able to obtain such such skill to a certain extent, but not to Henry Ford's level. I know. But even though so we should make an effort to learn it. I believe we can do it to a certain extent.
Henry Ford is not the only one person who is successful, so there are many other ways or many other secrets for success. Above thing is one of them. Sometimes it is very difficult for some people to lean it. In such case, we should find another way. I will continue to make an effort to find my own way.^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (4/30/2008)
I am so sorry again. I had to go on a business
trip on Sunday evening, so I did not have time to write a diary.
I know this is an excuse.... This means that my priority to write this diary is getting lower... Making a home page is a little more difficult than writing a blog. I will try to write a blog....
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (4/20/2008)
Sorry, I do not have time to write a diary. I
uploaded my travel photos in the address below. Please take a look at it.
http://www.geocities.jp/utsugi2/
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (4/13/2008)
I worked this Saturday, too. I had to work at
weekend three times consecutively...Oh... I am so busy and tired... I hope I can
take a rest next weekend.
Oh, today, it was snowing in the morning. When I got up, I felt it was a little cold. But I did not expect snow. Today is April 13, but still it is cold in Michigan.
On 3/18(Tue.), we went to down town in Detroit. We visited GM building and ate lunch in its food court. We just took a look at Comerica stadium, and went back to Novi. Then, we went to Palace to watch Detroit Pistons' game again. Before we went there, we had already been very tired.^^; So I talked to my professor. "Isn't it better for us not to go to watch game?^^; We need to get up early tomorrow. We should go to bed early." Professor replied, " well....it may be a good idea... but anyway let us go. And we should leave early!^^;" Finally, we left Palace after 3rd period.^^;
On 3/19(Wed.), we took a flight to go to Boston. Departure time was 7:15AM, so we got up at 5AM and went to DTW. Oh, before that, last night (3/18 night), my professor slipped in the bath when he was taking shower and he hit his head on the corner on the bath tub. He was worrying if he got damage on his brain. I went to Kroger to buy some medicine and I gave him the ice. Fortunately, he was fine, anyway. Injury or sickness is the most unfavorable thing for travel. If we get injured or sick, we cannot enjoy our travel. We should be careful not to get injured.
Our flight was delayed. From Detroit to Philadelphia, we arrived at Philadelphia about one hour late. We walked fast and moved to the next gate. Next flight was also delayed.^^; Finally, we arrived at Boston about one hour late. We wanted to check in a hotel, so we tried to take a subway. However, we did not know hot to get to the subway station.^^; Finally we took a bus to the station and took a subway. Regarding our trip to Boston and Washington DC, we walked a lot. A lot!!! My professor likes walking. I said, "Can we take a subway or taxi?" He said, "No! It is not so far. Let us walk!" Oh... I should have recommended him to take a taxi strongly... We were extremely tired because of walking too much...^^;
In Boston, we went to Copley. My professor's professor died there. He was shot by a criminal. This criminal has not been arrested. It was about 16 years ago. We prayed that his soul may rest in peace.
After we visited Copley, we went to Fenway park that is Boston Red Sox' ball park. This year's season had not opened yet, so we just took a look at the park by walking around it.
Ok... that is for all for this week's diary...
See you next week!
Taken in GM building on 3/18/2008 (Tue.). Sorry... Sun light is coming from our back, so our faces are dark...
Weekly
Diary (4/6/2008)
I worked last Saturday and Sunday, and I worked
this Saturday. Today I can take a rest today on Sunday. In this morning, I had
to make a tax form. I send some work emails.... Oh... I have been extremely busy
for a few weeks. (But you know, in any situation, I am always busy....)
I will write a little about my travel with my professor. Photo shows that we went to watch Detroit Piston's game. Originally, that gage was supposed to start in the evening, but a week before that gage, gage starting time was changed to 1PM. We moved from Chicago on that day (3/16 Sunday). We got up at 5:20 and left our friend's house in Chicago at 5:30. We drove my car to go to Michigan. It takes about 5 to 6 hours from Chicago to Novi, MI. It is a long drive. We made it!^^ and we watched a game from the beginning. These photos are taken by my professor's camera, so date is Japan date (One day ahead).
After the game, we went to Hooters.^^ But.... I do not like Hooters in Novi. They were unfriendly. They ignored us. I will never visit Hooters in Novi!!! I think there are many many many Japanese in Novi, so I think many many many Japanese visit Hooters in Novi. I guess Japanese manner toward waitress is not so good. That may be why they ignored us. Japanese are suck!!! I hate Japanese.
Next day, we went to Niagara Falls. That was just one day trip. We drove a car for 10 hours. It was a long long drive.^^; We ate lunch at rest house of Niagara Falls. Last time, I was irritated by too slow operation of FAST food shop. I went to a different shop, but I was irritated by too slow operation of that shop, too!!! Oh... I start to think that Canadians work very slowly??? I experience the same thing at the rest area of highway. Oh... I am complaining a lot in this diary...
Anyway... I will write about our travel next week again...
See you next week.
We went to watch Detroit Pistons. (3/162008)
I am on frozen Walled Lake near my apt. (3/16/2008)
Weekly
Diary (3/30/2008)
I am so busy that I cannot write a diary...
Sorry...
I will try to write a diary about traveling with my professor next weekend.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (3/18/2008)
I am sorry for my late upload this diary. I am
very busy now. This photo is taken at Chicago on 3/15/2008 with my professor at
Kanazawa University and
elder friend. Here is my rough schedule.
3/15 Visit Chicago to meet my professor and my elder friend. Stay in my elder friend's house.
3/16 Come back to Michigan with my professor and watch NBA Detroit Pistons' game at Palace.
3/17 Go to Niagara falls
3/18 Go to a shipping mall and watch NBA Detroit Pistons' game at Palace.
3/19 Fly to Boston from Detroit. Visit Westin Hotel at Copley and Fenway park.
3/20 Go to MIT and Harvard University.
3/21 Take a train to Washington DC.
3/22 Go to White house
3/23 My professor will go back to Japan and I will be back to Detroit.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (3/9/2008)
Snow has come.^^; I
am on a business trip now. I came down to the southern area, but it was snowing
yesterday. In Michigan, snowing in March may not be unusual. But here, it is
unusual.^^;
This weekend, I have been working at a customer's factory. So I am writing this diary at a Hotel.
My professor in Japan will come to the U.S. next weekend. I owe him a lot. I asked him to write a recommendation to Texas Tech. If he had not written it for me, I would have not been able to enter Texas Tech and not been able to come to the U.S. I owe him a lot.
He was a head coach of softtennis team in Kanazawa University. He was head hunted by a private university, so he decided to quit Kanazawa University. Japanese school year starts from April (in the U.S., from late August), so there is a spring break from late February to the end of March. My professor usually go skiing to teach students, but this year, he decided to come to the U.S.
Now he is in Hawaii. Maybe next Wednesday, he will come to Chicago. One of my older teammate is living in Chicago, so my professor will visit his house. I will go to Chicago to join them next Saturday. I look forward to seeing him. I have not seen my professor for about 8~10 years. I do not remember when I met him last time.^^;
We will come back to Detroit next Sunday. He will stay in my apt for a few days and then we will travel to Boston and Washington DC. In the past I traveled around the U.S. with my friends by driving a rental car. These travels were kind of reckless. We drove a car for 20~22 hours straight. One person drive for 3~4 hours and next person will drive... It was a reckless travel... We were lucky not to have an accident. We were young, so we were kind of OK even if we drive all night. Now, definitely I cannot do that.^^; I wanna take my time and take good sleep and enjoy traveling. I am worrying that I am not good at travel, so I may not know how to take a train or how to take a bus. I will tell my professor that I may loose my way^^; and apologize for it in advance.
Ok... I gotta go...
It is very fine today. I hope it will be fine while my professor is staying in the U.S.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (3/2/2008)
Mach has come.^^ It has been very warm this
weekend. I hope spring will come soon...
I have been very busy, so I will write briefly. Last Monday I purchased my private laptop PC. It is Compaq C751NR. It is the cheapest one.^^ Its price is $450. There is a kind of Japanese saying that cheaper product has lower quality. Maybe it is not a saying. It is obvious. Specifications look good, but my PC has extremely bad deficit or bad quality or bad fault. Cursor jumps randomly while I am writing. I will try to find a solution, but if not, I may have to buy another one??? Is it PC's fault? or is it Vista's fault? I am totally screwed by a new PC. Vista is Suck and a new PC is Suck!!!!!!
Anyway, last weekend, I wrote my diary by using Word. I purchased a PC and installed FrontPage. I copied my diary to FrontPage and uploaded it to my homepage. I need to install a lot of software and do many set ups. Oh... It takes a long time to do set up of my PC...
I have been cleaning up my room all this weekend, so I am tired and exhausted... So that is all for this week's diary.
Next weekend I will have to work, but I will try to write my diary. Next next weekend, my professor will come to the U.S. and come to my apt. I will write about it.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (2/26/2008)
Finally I purchased a new PC. I wrote my diary
below by using a old PC and Word, but I could not use, FrontPage, so I installed
FrontPage into this new PC. I will write details next week...
Weekly
Diary (2/26/2008)
I am writing this diary by using an old company PC. My new company PC
was broken because I dropped it.^^; Now my new PC is being repaired. I know I
must not use my company PC privately, but actually I did. Sometimes I have to
work at home in the evening after going back to my apt because sometimes I need
to talk to Japan. There is a jet lag between the U.S. and Japan, so we may have
to work at night. Therefore, it may be reasonable to use my company PC at home.
Even though so, I have to use my private PC for my private use. I know, but my
private PC was broken. This is excuse, so now I am taking a look at PC makers
homepages and I am trying to find a good one for me.
My private PC was broken and my new company PC was broken and my digital camera was broken. Oh I must be a destroyer for electric gadgets. I know I am using them roughly, so I will be careful from now on. I bought protective covers for digital camera and backup hard drive. Its price is $20 per each! What an expensive cover it is! But no protection, no safety. If digital camera is broken, it cost me more than $100 dollars. If a backup hard drive is broken, data cannot be taken and it is worthless! I cannot buy my data! I have to be careful to handle a backup hard drive.
Because I could not and cannot use my new PC and the Internet properly, I have got a lot of frustrations!!! PC is too slow and the Internet is also too slow. Sometime, even I cannot connect the Internet. I do not know why, but I happened a lot!!! Oh. I have to invest my money properly. I definitely need a new private PC and I need fast Internet. The old PC and slow Internet drive me crazy!!! Time is money and time is very precious for me. I do not want to waste my time for fixing the old PC痴 setting and the Internet connectivity. I can buy time by buying a new PC!!!!!
I did not know that PC is so weak and vulnerable. I usually carry PCs, but it is not so good for PCs. I will not carry PCs as much as possible and treat PCs appropriately not to have damage. I am learning a lot from my stupid treatment about PCs
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (2/17/2008)
My physical condition has not been so good for a few
weeks. Since I came back to the U.S. from Japan a few weeks ago, my physical
condition has not been so good.
In addition, I had to work last weekend, so I had not taken holidays for two weeks...I definitely need to take a rest...
I watched Sex^^ and the city yesterday and I was lazy^^ at my apt. Then, today, I got a headache.(>_<) I am always saying that good health is the most important for me. Because of this headache, I could not do anything in this morning. After 1PM I got well a little. At least, headache disappeared. So I went to a library and checked out Sex^^ and the city season 5. Oh... I need to do many things to achieve this years' resolutions, but I am lazy, so I tend to live a easy life. I watch DVD and eat chips.^^ Oh... I am spoiled....
Now I am feeling that I have not improved since a new year has come. At least I continuously do exercises every week. This is a good habit. Yes, this is a habit. I need good habits. One of my resolution is to get 960 at TOEIC test. However, I have not studied about TOEIC at all. I need a habit about studying English!!! "Ok, tomorrow, I will study TOEIC.^^" This does not work at all!!! I need to do it step by step and a little by a little everyday or every week. I have to make it a habit!!! "Tomorrow I will do it" will not work forever!!! Yes, good habits are very important. I do not have to do it all day long. I can do it for 30 minutes for the first time. Then, I can make it longer and longer gradually.
Sorry... I am still a little sick and my brain does not work... I cannot work too hard and working too hard makes me sick and as a result, my life will be ruined. Working hard, but after that, I need to take a rest. Good health is the most important for me.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (2/12/2008)
I went on a business trip from Feb 8 to Feb 10 and
had to work at a factory. I wrote my diary at the airport, but I lost that
file.(>_<) Sorry...
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (2/03/2008)
Jet lag is killing me right now. I came back to the
U.S. last Sunday, and I thought that jet lag disappeared soon. However, I got a
headache last Wednesday and took a day off on that day. I worked on Thursday and
Friday normally. Yesterday, I slept until noon. Today, I slept until 1:30PM.
Oh... Jet lag still remain and it is killing me so much. I am so sleepy at
daytime and could not sleep at night well. Jet lag is so problematic...
This time, I really realize that I am bad at traveling. I usually do not travel, so I am not good at it. I carried a very big travel bag and two other medium size bags. Totally there are two bags. Carrying two bags are not so easy. I flied to Narita (Tokyo) and took a train. I have to walk from the air port to the train station by carrying big bags. After getting off at Shinjuku station, I had to walk up and down the stairs because there is no elevators and no escalators!!! How inconvenient it is! Japanese train stations are extremely unfriendly for disabled people. How could wheel chairs can go up and down the stairs? What a shame!
I booked a hotel that is located about half miles away from Shinjuku station. First, it was very difficult to find right exit. Second, I had to walk for a long distance to reach the exit. Third, it was too far for me to carry three bags to reach a hotel. I realized that I am stupid. Carrying there bags in Tokyo is suicidal. I really leaned how to travel around Tokyo.
Our company is located near Nagoya, so usually I fly to Nagoya directly and rent a car at the airport. i can carry big bags by a car and I can go to a hotel directly. Therefore, I did not think that big bags are problematic. However, this time, I flied to Tokyo. There are some friends in Tokyo, so I decided to fly to Tokyo. But.... Flying to Nagoya and flying to Tokyo are almost completely different. I learned a lot from my travel this time.
Anyway, I had dinner my friends and had a good time with them. I bought a lot of books.^^ I like books.^^ I bought an electrical dictionary. I lost it last time when I went on a business trip to Japan. I used it for more than 8 years. It had only English-Japanese and Japanese-English dictionaries. However, currently the electrical dictionary has roughly 10 kinds of dictionaries!!! Oh.... it has been improved very much. How convenient it is! We do not have to carry big, heavy dictionaries! I appreciate for high-technologies. I went to 100 yen shop.^^ I like this shop very much. It is similar to $1 shop.^^ However, in my opinion, 100 yen shop has much more variety of products and their quality is very high! I like 100 yen shop more than a department!^^
I do not like Tokyo maybe partially because everything is so expensive. I can go around Tokyo, but I have to pay a lot of money to enjoy Tokyo, I think. Would somebody let me know how to enjoy Tokyo without paying a lot of money? Maybe that is why I like traveling to Grand Canyon.^^ I like nature.
I am not good at traveling, but I gradually get used to it. I will travel to Boston and Washington DC with my professor, so I have to be cool^^; to travel around these cities. I hope he can enjoy the U.S.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (1/29/2008)
I came back to the U.S.^^ Sorry.... I am exhausted
and tired, so I will write my diary coming weekend.
See ya!
Weekly
Diary (1/21/2008)
It has been very cold in Michigan.^^; Warm weather
became cold weather. Oh.. weather changes so fast and so frequently....
I took a flight from Detroit on 19 and arrived at Tokyo on 20. Now I am writing this diary in a hotel in Tokyo. I met my friend yesterday evening near Shinjuku station and stayed in a hotel near this station. Around this hotel, there are many host clubs and soap lands.^^; I am not sure that host club is correct English. Host club has many handsome men^^; and treat girls like a queen (?^^;). This town name is Kabuki cho. I heard this name so many times and probably every Japanese knows this name. However, I did not know well about this town. Kabuki cho is a host club town.^^; There are some very rich hosts. They usually have rich women patrons. I heard that some times this rich women give their host Benz or very luxury car and even money. Such host get more than $100,000 per year even if they are 20's. I think, younger is better.^^; When they become old, they may not be able to earn much money. They sometimes sleep with old rich women as a job. Oh... it must be a hard job...^^; I want to earn $100,000, but I do not want to do such job...
My parents house is located about 70 miles way from Tokyo, so 70 miles is not so far. I often (?) visited Tokyo, but I did not go sightseeing in Tokyo so much. In addition, I used to live in Tokyo for one year. I was attending a prep-school to pass the entrance exam to the university. I was studying so hard (?^^;), so I did not go around Tokyo. I was living in Tokyo, but it is a rural^^; city in Tokyo. Therefore, I am not so familiar with Tokyo and this time, I am kind of surprised at Kabuki cho's situation.
There are many many many many people in Tokyo. Now I am living in the U.S., so people look like small because American people are big.^^; In NYC, there are many many many people, but there are many foreigners. There are foreigners in Tokyo, but still many of people are Japanese. Do I like Tokyo? I am not sure, but maybe no. Do I like NYC? I am not sure, but maybe no. I traveled around NYC last summer, and I enjoyed that trip very much. However, traveling and living are different. I think I like a rural city near a big city. I do not like completely rural city.
Sorry... my brain does not work well because of jet lag (? maybe my brain does not work always... ^^;). I could not sleep last night well. Now it is 9:00AM in Japan (7:00PM in the U.S.). I am taking a day off today, so I will try to enjoy Tokyo.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (1/13/2008)
It has been very warm in Michigan. Walled lake was
frozen completely in December, but now ice melted down completely and Walled
lake is filled with water! Oh... unbelievable... Last week, one day I woke up
and went outside and I felt too warm. It was about 17degree C (around 65
Fahrenheit?) in the early morning!!!!! 17!!! Too warm in winter!!! But I like
warm weather.^^ I like Texas weather.^^ I hope temperature in Michigan will come
warmer and warmer. (Then, global warming problem will become a big problem.^^;)
I will go on a business trip to Japan from 1/19 to 1/27. I need to be prepared for it. I am planning to meet some friends in Tokyo, so I need to make a reservation to stay in a hotel and study about how to take a train.^^; I am not so familiar with Tokyo area, so I need to study. I have to make things to buy list. I want to buy a lot of books!^^ I like books!^^ I need to make a list!
I know one big book store around Tokyo, but I do not know where I can find book stores or internet cafes or something. Last time I went to Tokyo in Nov. 2007, I extremely felt that I do not know anything about Tokyo. I met friends at Shinjuku station. I wanted to use the internet, but I did not know where the internet cafe and how to connect my PC to Hot Spot. Internet is still not so available in the public space like a telephone. I wrote about it in this diary in the past. If I can use the internet, I can find a hotel and I can find a restaurant. Buuuuuut, I could not connect the internet!!! I wasted a lot of time waiting for my friends at Shinjuku station....
Sorry... my brain does not work so much... I have been lazy since this year comes... Regarding my this year's resolution, I began to read "First, break all the rule" and do some exercises. I will slowly start my engine.^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (1/06/2008)
Happy new year!^^ New year has come. I put my new
year card below. Please take a look at it. One of my relatives was thinking that
pictures in my new year card (a wild boar (last year) and a mouse) was drawn by
me.^^ However, these were drawn by great artist, Ms. Rieko Saibara who is one of
the most famous Japanese cartoon artists. Actually, she is admitting that her
pictures look not so good.^^; But, she is very popular and her cartoon is very
popular. Picasso drew very strange pictures. Ms. Rieko Saibara's pictures may be
re-evaluated 100 years later and she will become a greatest artist!^^ hahaha...
Anyway, my new year card's layout is same as last year's.^^; This is an excuse,
but I did not have enough time...
OK, here are my 2007 year's resolutions!^^ (things to do) (<-These are also similar to last year's.^^;)
1. Read 10 books written in English.
2. Bench press 160 pounds (about 72kg) 6times X 3 set
3. Start my own business
4. Get 960 points at TOEIC test
The most important thing for me is good health!^^ So I will continue to do weight training. I could not achieve to read 10 books last year. I will definitely do it this year!!! I will improve my English by reading and writing and study grammar of English. Then, I will get 960 points at TOEIC test! My final goal of my life (?) is to start my own company!^^ I can do it! I will do it!^^
That is all for this week's diary... Sorry, I am a little tired. I took a lot of holidays, so I became very lazy.^^;
See you next week!
Weekly
Diary (12/30/2007)
Only one day left for this year. Here is my 2007
year's resolutions (things to do).
Here are things to do in 2007!^^
1. Read 10 books written in English.
2. Pass FE exam
3. Bench press:60kg, Squat: 80kg
4. Start my own business in weekends
I wrote these things in my 4/15/2007 diary. I should write my resolutions in the first diary of the year. I do not know why I wrote these in 4/15.^^;
Anyway.... I failed first resolution.(>_<) I bought some English books and now I am reading one of them. However, you know, my reading speed is extremely slow and I am lazy.^^; I will try to read 10 books next year!^^ By the way, I read at least 10 Japanese books. One of them is kind of biography of founder of McDonald's in Japan. His name is Mr. Den Fujita. He is an extremely great person. He was born in 1926 and died in 2004. While he was a Tokyo University students, he read about 500 English books. 500??? English books??? When he was a student, Japan lost against the U.S. about world war 2. During world war two, Japanese were prohibited to learn English. After the war, Mr. Fujita asked Japanese government to become an interpreter at GHQ. Oh... he is an extremely great man. Now we are living in a peace world. I can go to a public library and it is possible to borrow many books there. My study environment is much much much much better than Mr. Fujita. Oh... I really respect him. He read 500 books for 4 years. So 100 books for one year, and 10 books for one month. My resolution is to read 10 books for one year.^^; Oh... should I read 10 books for one month?^^; Anyway, I will do my best.
I achieved 2nd resolution!!!(^^)(^^)(^^) I did it!^^ I am proud of myself!^^
I failed 3rd resolution.(>_<) 60kg is too heavy for me right now. I am constantly doing weight training, but only two times per one week. I may need to increase weight training dates.
I failed 4th resolution.(>_<) I should start something. OK, I do not have to think of what I should do. Just I need to establish my company!^^ I will think of what I should do later!^^
So, I won one and I lost three.... this result may not good, but except for 4th resolution, I have been making an effort to achieve them. And I achieved one! It much much much much better than no effort! I am sure I can say I have improved this year a little!^^ Continuous improvement and continuous effort are extremely important for me. I will continue to improve next year!^^
I will write my 2008' resolutions next week.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (12/23/2007)
Happy holidays!^^ Tomorrow is Christmas eve!^^ 24,
25, and 26 are company holidays!^^ I will watch DVD all day long!^^ hahaha...
I received the TOEIC test result yesterday. My score is 890.(>_<) Last score is 930, so my score become 40 points down this time. I know TOIEC test is not perfect and there is about plus minus 50points error, so I think my true (?) score may be around 910 ((930+890)/2=910). Time time, listening score is 450, and reading score is 440. Last time, listening score is 485, and reading score is 445. I lost 35 points about listening score, but 450 is reasonable for me. I am feeling 485 is too high for me. Maybe I was lucky to have easy questions, and I got some lucky guess last time. I wanted to get over 900, but 890 is still good compared to most Japanese. While I was working AISIN and Yamaha, I did not meet employee who got over 900. 890 is still good enough. Buuuuuuuuuut, of course, I am not satisfied with this result. I will study English more and tried to take TOEIC test again.
When I was studying at IELI (Intensive English Language Institute) at University of North Texas (UNT), I had a young, cute, smart, Japanese girl classmate.^^ When she was junior at UNT, she got more than 950 at TOEIC test. Oh... she is great... So, next year, I will get more than 960!!!^^ I will win over her!^^ I will continue to improve my English ability!!!
I have 5 days consecutive holidays, but I have already spent two days for almost nothing.^^; hahaha... Oh, I am reading a book. Reading books is one of my extremely favorite things. Reading makes my brain wake up. Reading inspires me a lot. During these holidays, I hope to read books as much as possible. I also have to do some things, such as cleaning up my room, making a plan to travel with my professor, making new year cards, watching DVDs^^, watching ERO^^ videos, etc... Oh... I must be very busy...
I declared my resolutions in January. How many resolutions have been achieved??? I will write about it next week and I will make my next year's resolutions.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (12/16/2007)
It snowed a lot last night and now it is snowing.
This is the first heavy snowing this year in Michigan. Oh... I cannot go out
side... Ok, I should stay at home and watch ERO^^ videos!!!(^^)(^^)(^^)
...anyway, I went to a library yesterday. When I borrow "Friends^^" DVD, I realized I did not have my library card. (>_<) I gave up borrowing DVD at this library and went to Farmington community library near the company. I have two kinds of library cards. One is Novi library card. I am living in Novi city. The other one is Farmington Community library card. I am working for a company located in Farmington Hills. I borrowed "Sex^^ and the city" at Farmington community library.
I went back to my apt and tried to find my Novi library card, but I could not. (>_<) Oh... I definitely need this card because recently my most favorite hobby is to go to a library and to borrow DVDs!!! I went to Novi library and asked a librarian to reissue my card. Usually the cost of reissuing a card is $2. However, this time, it is fortunate that my old card almost expired, so I got a new card for free!^^ I borrowed "Once upon a time in America" DVD at Novi library.
Once upon a time in America is a 229minutes (almost 4 hours!) movie. 4 hours is too long!!! I watched it for one and a half hour last night and watched the rest of it this morning. To tell the truth, I am not so impressed with this movie. I think one of the reason is that 4 hours is too long. I cannot stand it. Second reason is that I think I do not like this kind of old time movies. I like Rocky^^. I like Back to the future^^. But I do not like Titanic. I do not like Troy. I do not like The lord of the rings. I do not like Pirate of Caribbean. I do not like Aviator.
I like to watch DVDs, and I like watch Friends^^ and Sex^^ and the city. Maybe I like short movies. But I cannot stand long movies and I do not like them. I think this movie is a good movie and this move won some awards. But I do not like it and probably I will not watch it anymore. People have different preferences.
There is a reason why I watched this movie. I read one book published in Japan. The author is Mr. Shin Fujita (Japanese) who run IT venture company in Tokyo. I like him.^^ I admire him. When he was 26 years old, his company did IPO (Initial public offering). 26 years old is the youngest in IPO history. He has been running his company for about 10 years so far. In his book, there is a description that his former boss recommend him to watch this movie. Mr. Fujita respect his boss and he watched it. I wanted to follow his way to become rich^^, so I watched it. I am feeling that this movie gave me me nothing. I could not get anything from it. Maybe my sense to catch something did not work. People are different. Different people are impressed with different movies. No pain, No gain. I will continue to find my favorite movies that impress me very much.
As I wrote before, I used to read a lot of books in Japan and some books inspired me a lot. I learned a lot from books. Probably some movies inspire me. I will go to a library and watch movies sometimes.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (12/9/2007)
My internet life has improved dramatically. My two
year contract with wireless internet will expire in December 18, so I decided to
use cable internet. Cable company staff came to my apt and installed the model
last Friday (12/7). Then, now I can use extremely high speed internet!^^ I can
download ERO^^ video very fast!!!(^^)(^^)(^^)
In addition, I bought wireless router at Wal-Mart. Its price is $99. Now I can use the internet anywhere in my apt without connecting the Ethernet cable. How convenient it is!^^ My internet life has improved dramatically.
I wanted to use DSL internet, but my apt is located very far from junction station of telephone company, so I need to use cable internet. Its cost is about $55. Cost of DSL is about $15, so Cable internet cost is 3.7 times higher than DSL!!! Oh... how expensive it is.... Actually, my apt fee is much cheaper than others that are located in more urban (?) area. Wireless phone wave strength is weaker around my apt. There is a Japanese saying that cheaper things have worse quality. Oh... economy is so simple...
Yesterday, I went to University of Michigan. There is a Language canter near university and TOEIC test was held there. I applied to take a test at this center, but there was no available seat, so I applied to a center located in Battle Creek, MI. However, there are too few applicants to this center, so test was cancelled!(>_<) I called ETS (Organization that is offering TOEIC test.). ETS staff told me that if somebody does not show up and there is an available seat, I can take a test. So I decided to go to a language center in Ann Arbor. Last year, I visited Ann Arbor many times, but this year, I have not visited so much. It was Saturday, but there are some students walking on campus. I like campus very much.^^ There are many young cute smart girls there!!!(^^)(^^)(^^) I ate lunch at a student union and went to a language center for waiting for cancellation. Two people did not show up, so I was luck to have a seat and to take a test. I took an FE exam, but other than that, I usually do not take a test, so I did not want to take a test. I do not like a test. But after finishing a test, I felt goooooooooood!^^ I think this time I could not solve problems well, but anyway, I felt I did it!^^ Result may be worse than last time, but anyway, I did it!^^ Sometimes some people stop making effort when they become older. But I do not want to stop improving. I want to improve more and more. I am not satisfied with my English level at all. I want to improve my English! Continuous improvement makes me a great person!^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (12/2/2007)
I purchased a cheapest cell phone two years ago. Now
I am renewing my two years contract. AT&T offered me free upgrade^^, so I have
received a new camera phone. My old cell phone does not have a camera. I just
unpacked a package from AT&A and charge the cell phone. I need to study how to
use it.^^;
Recently it has been colder and colder and colder in Michigan. High temperature became less than 0 degree C. Walled lake near my apt is becoming frozen. Michigan's winter is very severe for me.
Usually I got a heavy jet lag after coming back to the U.S. from business trip to Japan. However, this time, my jet lag disappeared soon. I do not know why, but I am happy^^ that I was not suffering from jet lag.
In Japan, I went to Tokyo to see my friends. From Nagoya to Tokyo, I took a bullet train (Shinkansen bullet train). This time, I took the one that does not stop between Nagoya to Tokyo. It takes only one and a half hour. Distance between these cities is about 366km (280miles). Oh... how convenient it is... If we use a car, it takes about 3.5 hours. But it assumes that we use US highway and the speed is 70mph. In Japan, there are heavy traffic jams, so absolutely, it takes much longer time from Nagoya to Tokyo if we use a car. Train system is extremely convenient in Japan (Japan island is so small and population density is very high, so train system is very useful and a car is not so useful to use for a long distance.).
When I was working in Japan, I used to use a bullet train between Nagoya to Tokyo. One day I took a bullet train on weekday. I there are so many passengers, so I could not have a seat. I asked a conductor to give me a reserved seat. However, all reserved seats were full. I was standing all way long from Tokyo to Nagoya. I was surprised that there were so many passengers that took bullet train from Tokyo to Nagoya and many of them looked business persons. I think because of high demand, new non-stop bullet trains were developed. Oh... a real economy system might be applied to this situation. Demand increased, so supply increased, too!^^
Now gasoline price is very high, so demand for fuel efficient cars became high! Oh.. economy is so simple...?^^;
In Japan, many house holds can use the internet, but in public place, it is very difficult to find the place where the internet can be used. Price of the internet in a house in Japan may be cheaper than in the U.S., but still I am feeling that it is difficult for me to find the internet spot. Maybe I am not familiar with the situation in Japan, so I may have to learn more. In the U.S., I am feeling that the situation about the internet is a little better than Japan, but still not enough. Still now we cannot use the internet like a telephone. iphone may be only the first step. I really hope that ubiquities will be realized and we can use the internet anywhere we want.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (11/24/2007)
It was a long long business trip to Japan this time.
I am exhausted very much. Because of jet lag, I could not sleep well on the
first few days. Totally, my average sleeping time is about 5 hours. Usually I
sleep for more than 7 hours, so I need to take a rest now.^^; I am very happy to
have thanks giving holidays now. If there were not holidays on Thursday and
Friday, I would have been sick...hahaha...^^;
I arrived at Japan on 11/7 at 6PM. In Japan, there used to be two big international airports in Tokyo and Osaka. Our company is located in Nagoya where is in the middle between Tokyo and Osaka. Recently (about 5 years ago?), a new international airport was open in Nagoya, so it is very convenience for us to take flights to go to Nagoya.
I rent car and moved to Toyota city. As you may know, Toyota city is named after Toyota Motor Corporation. There are headquarters in Toyota city. I stayed in a hotel near Toyota station. I used to work for AISIN company that is a family company of Toyota and is located in Kariya city (next to Toyota city), so I used to live in Toyota city and Kariya city. However, I almost forgot everything about these cities. If my rental car had not equipped the navigation system, I might not have been able to arrive at a hotel.^^; Originally, I am not good at memorize the road. I am not good at memorize persons' names, too.^^; Oh.... I am an ungifted person???^^;
I worked on 11/8(Thursday) and 11/9(Friday), and I moved to Tokyo to see my friends on 11/10(Sat.). I saw 4 friends there. I had not seen my best friend, Mr. Tanaka, for one and a half year. I had not seen my Texas Tech friend for two years. And I had not seen my Kanazawa University softtennis club friends for more than 10 years!!! Oh.... time flies very fast...
On 11/11(Sunday), I traveled around Nagoya area with my customers. We visited Nagoya castle and Oosu shopping area.
From 11/12(Mon.) to 11/16(Fri.), I worked at our Nagoya branch. Our customers came from the U.S. and Canada, so I came to Japan as an coordinator and an interpreter. On 11/12, an professional interpreter came with our customers. She speaks English very well!!!! (Oh... she is a PROFESSIONAL interpreter. I am kind of surprised that she speaks English so fast and translate English into Japanese so fast. How about my English....????^^;)
Still now not so many Japanese speak English. If there were many English speaking engineers in our company, I would not have to come to Japan. I really hope that Japanese English education system will be improved and many Japanese will speak English in the near future.
On 11/17(Sat.), I moved to Iwata city where I used to live. I visited a curry shop that my friends are running. Every time I visit Japan, I visit this curry shop.^^ I had a good time with my friends.
On 11/18(Sun.), I came back to the U.S. It was a long long business trip. I have many follow up items about my jobs from this business trip. I worked hard 11/19(Mon.), 11/20(Tue.), and 11/21(Thurs.). I am lucky to have thanks giving holidays now.^^ I can take a rest. I can get used to American time zone. These holidays save my life... hahaha... ^^;
Have nice thanks giving holidays!^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (11/18/2007)
I have been very very very very busy for two weeks. I
am so sorry that I could not write my diary last week.
I came back to the U.S. today. Here in Michigan, it is much colder than in Japan.
I am exhausted very much....
See you next week...
Weekly
Diary (11/4/2007)
I have been very busy this weekend, so I will try to
write a diary later.
I will leave for Japan on 11/6.
See ya!
Weekly
Diary (10/28/2007)
This weekend, I have been fine.^^ I do not have a
headache and I do not have back pain. Being healthy is extremely gooooooooooood!^^
It has been very cold in Michigan. A few days ago, front glass of my car was filled with the ice. I scratched it out and wiped it out. This morning, front glass was filled with the ice again. The low became below 0 degree C. Winter has come. A few weeks ago, the high temperature was 25 degree C. Then suddenly the low temperature became below 0 degree C. The weather in Michigan changes rapidly.
I began to read "Grinding it out." But there are many unknown English words.^^; I just skip these words and guess what these mean. For now, it is OK to do that for me. I know I need to learn and memorize many more English words. But it takes a long long time. For now, I will just skip these and read through a whole book. Being used to reading English books is more important. If I use a dictionary for every single word, I may need one year to read one book. I just need to get used to reading English books.
I am very impressed with many things about "Grinding it out" when I read it in Japanese. I will pick one of them here.
"One thing I flatly refuse to give money to is the support universities in the land, but I tell them they will not get a cent from me unless they put in a trade school. Our colleges are crowded with young people who are leaning a lot about liberal arts and little about earning a living. There are too many baccalaureates and too few butchers. Educators get long faces when I talk like this and accuse me of being anti-intellectual. That's not quite right. I'm anti-phony-intellectual, and that's what too many of them are. I'm definitely not anti-education. As a matter of fact, I have an advanced degree. Dartmouth College made me an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in June, 1977."
I kind of understand what he means. I agree with him. I like universities. I like to study various things and some of them look like kind of useless. But sometimes such USELESS (?^^) things help us to come up with very important things. Steve Jobs mentioned in his speech at Stanford University graduation ceremony that he took a calligraphy class. At that time he had already decided to drop out from a college, so he decided to take his favorite class. Even if I took this class, may be I do not (and will not?) use this skill in my working life. While Steve Jobs was taking this class, he also did not imagine that this skill would be used in his work. But he did. He used this skill for making a beautiful fonts for computer words. So, sometime we need to lean or study various things.
Even though so, still current many universities need to modify the contents of subjects. As Mr. Ray Kroc said, students needs to learn about earning a living. We need to earn to live our lives. This is fact and we must do it. There is a very good Japanese saying, "People who do not work must not eat." Oh, what a good saying it is!^^ Studying is not the objective of our lives. Studying does not produce anything. Studying does not make us earn money. We need to study, but the purpose of studying something is to earn money to live our lives. Working is the objective of our lives. "People who do not work must not eat." College student should study much more about earning a living.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (10/21/2007)
I got a headache yesterday again...(>_<) My physical
conditions are becoming worse and worse??? Fortunately I am fine today.^^ I lied
down all day long yesterday, but anyway now I am fine. I am so happy and I
appreciate for being fine now. As I wrote many times, good health is the single
most important thing for me.
I usually do some exercises on weekends, but I could not do them yesterday because of headache. I tried to do them and did bench press. Then I tried to do squat. Then my back was hurt.^^; Oh my God! I got injured on my back when I was a university student in Japan. At that time my injury was so serious that I could not bend my back and I felt pain so much. I do not remember how long it took to heal my back. Maybe it took a few months. My back could not be healed completely. Since then, I have felt something wrong with my back and I cannot stand up for a long time because my back pain starts. However, except for back pain in some cases, now I am fine. I can play tennis and I can do squat and I can drive a car for a long time. As far as I do not do extreme things, my body is fine. However, I got sick yesterday, so I lied down all day long yesterday. Today, I am fine, but I just recovered my sickness, so my body is still weak. I was not careful and I did not notice that my body is so weak today. Then, I tried to do squat by lifting 65kg weight, and my back was hurt.^^; I know I am stupid. I have to be careful. Now my back is getting better.
I received books that I bought at Amazon today. I am so excited!^^ These books are "Grinding it out," "Pour your heart into it," "First, break all the rules," "Leaving Microsoft to Change the World." I read first three books in Japanese. I have not read the last one. Instinctively I took "Grinding it out" first. I read this book in Japanese just a few weeks ago. I was so impressed with this book. I want to read this in English again.
"Pour your heart into it" is my favorite, too. I am very impressed with Mr. Howard Shultz' life. He grew up in a poor family but he succeeded as a sale person about furniture. Then, he threw away his success as a sales person and became an employee of Starbuck coffee shop. He threw away high salary. He just wanted to do what he was enthusiastic about. His life is great. He took risk, then he succeeded. He is a great person.
"First, break all the rules" is distributed to every Starbucks manager. I read this book in Japanese and I remember that I was very impressed with it. However, I forgot almost everything about this book.^^; So, I want to read it again.
Only two and a half months left this year. I will try to read these books in this year. I set up a goal that I would read 10 English books this year. I may not be able to make it, but still I have time. I will do my best. If I cannot do it this year, why can I do it next year? I will continue to make a effort to make me become a great person!^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (10/14/2007)
October has come... but it has been very cold since
last Wednesday. Hot^^ weather became cold weather now. Fall has come, and winter
will come soon.
I read a book about Mr. Ray Kroc. This book is written in Japanese. Ray Kroc is a founder of McDonald's. I am impressed with his life very much. I respect him. I admire him. He is a great person. I know sometimes some stories about biography are a little created or modified and sometimes bad things are hidden. Even though so, still I respect him. Of course I do not know him in person, but I can imagine how he worked hard and how he achieved great things from this book. He is a real American hero. He got an American dream! I really respect him.
The English title of this book is "Grinding it out." After reading Japanese book, I wanted to read this book in English. I know sometimes translation is not so good. And sometime translators re-create or modify stories. So I want to read the original book. I have already ordered this book by using Amazon.^^ I look forward to reading it.
I have been very busy last week again. So I got a headache. I used to have headaches often, but I have not had so many times for these few months. I guess I was so busy in last two weeks that I might get a headache. Some people say that people's ability is almost equal, so if you work hard, you can achieve great things. I really do not think so. I do not deny that making an effort is a very important factor for success. However, we cannot work for 24 hours. People who say so ignore this point. They say that people who do not have good talent have to work harder and longer than talented people. What a stupid way of thinking it is! That is why there are may Karoshi people (people who die because of working too hard). Being able to work so hard and work for a long time is one of the talents. Many of us need to take a rest. Some specially talented people can work hard. Some people can sleep only for 4-5 hours. I cannot do that. I need to sleep for at least 7 hours. I need to take a rest on Saturdays and Sundays. Sometimes great people do not notice this fact. Ray Kroc worked so hard. He worked until 2AM and got up at 7AM. He slept only for 5 hours. I cannot do that. That is why he became a great person. He had a great talent to work hard. For me, even if I became rich, I would die soon if I slept for only 5 hours. A dead person cannot use money. Good health is the most single important thing for me. As long as I am healthy, I can enjoy my life. I had a headache yesterday and the day before yesterday, so I could not do anything. I just lied down and slept. I could not do anything. Good health is the most important for me.
Now I am doing some exercises every weekend. One of my goals in this year is to achieve 10 times 60kg bench press 3 sets. Doing exercises makes me endure hard work(?) and hard travel(?^^;)! I am making a next year's travel schedule for my professor. This schedule is so tight.^^; I may not be able to survive this travel.^^; We will watch an NBA game until 10PM and go home at around 11PM and have to get up at 5:30AM. Can I make it?^^; Anyway, I am doing exercises so hard that I can survive this travel!^^;
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (10/7/2007)
October has come... but it has been very very very
hot!^^; Why is it so hot in October? High is about 80! I like warm weather. I
like Texas!^^
I went on a business trip last week, so I have been a little tired this weekend. I drove a lot and I lost the way to a customer factory.^^;
I wrote that my professor in Kanazawa University will come to the U.S. next year. Now I am making a plan to visit Boston and Washington DC for him. I am going to travel with him, so I am making this plan not only for him but also for me!^^ but.... you know, I am lazy...^^; I rarely travel. Even if I decided to travel, I usually do not make a detail plan. Just I go!^^ Oh... how lazy I am....
Buuuuuut, this time, I am making a detail plan. My professor may be the most important person in my life. My best friend may be important, but I do not care about my best friend if he comes to the U.S. Oh, I care about him a little, but it is OK even if I am busy and cannot take of him. He understands my situation. However, I am feeling that I have to take care of my professor! I cannot let him be in the U.S. I owe him very much. Both my best friend and my professor are important, but there are difference importance!
Anyway, I rarely travel around the U.S., so I am looking forward to visiting Boston and Washington DC. In Boston, there are many(?) famous universities, such as Harvard University, MIT, etc. In Washington DC, there are many famous things, such as White House, Congress, etc. I visited some big cities, such as Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Detroit, etc. However, I am feeling that Boston and Washington DC are different from these big cities. Houston, Dallas, and Detroit are business cities, so I think there is nothing special in terms of amusement. Houston has NASA, but I do not like NASA so much. Boston may be similar to these big cities, but I think Washington DC is different. I just Googled^^ about Washington DC and I found many places to see. I look forward to visiting Boston and Washington DC.
My professor told me that there is a reason why he wants to visit Boston. His teacher died in Boston. On February 19, 1992, his teacher (president of Chukyo university) was killed in Hotel in Boston. Suspect has not been arrested. The purpose of killing him may be robbing money. He was 72 years old. When I heard this story from my professor, I did not know this news. Absolutely, this news was a big news in Japan. At that time, I was writing my BS thesis. I was very busy, so I might not be able to read news paper. I did not know that. After completing my BS degree, I was studying to complete MS degree, so I had a lot of chances to talk to my professor. But I think he did not talk about this news with me. This news might be such a sad news that he might not be able to talk with someone. We will visit Boston and pray his soul may rest in peace.
By the way, I will go on a business trip to Japan next month, form 11/7/2007 to 11/18/2007. I have not visited Japan for one and a half year. I may need to do many things. I will try to make a detail plan!^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (9/30/2007)
It has been very beautiful in these weeks in
Michigan. High is around 70 and low is around 50. Now is the most beautiful
season in the year.
I was obsessed with watching DVD a few weeks ago, but now most of this obsession has disappeared. What a relief it is!^^ Staying in an apartment and watching DVD all day long is not so good. Now I began to read books in an apartment all day long.......^^;
Now I am reading "Blue ocean strategy." I did not know what Blue ocean means. I did not know this book. This book was translated into Japanese and published in Japan in 2005. At that time I was studying at Texas Tech. I was so busy to study that I could not have time to find and read such books?^^; Anyway, I have read 4 chapters so far, but I am not so fascinated with it. I think this is a good book, but not as good as "Good to Great^^." I will write about this book after finishing reading it.
September has ended. Three months remain in this year. I achieved one goal that is to pass FE exam. However, I have not achieved any other goal. I am now working out, so I may be able to lift up 60kg weight.^^ But I do not think I can read 10 books written in English. I need to start my own business in weekends. Okeeeeeeeeeeeeey!^^(?) I have still three months!^^ I can do it I will try to do my best! I will try to read books in English as much as possible. Even reading one book is much better that nothing! Never give up! I have been tired so much for a few months, but I know it is a excuse. I will recharge myself and make it possible!
Anyway.... I will take a rest today and make an effort to achieve my goals from tomorrow....^^;
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (9/23/2007)
I got a flat tire.^^; Last Thursday morning, I drove
my car to the office. It was 7:10AM. I felt that car vibration was getting big.
Finally, I could not drive a car. I drove my car very slowly and parked my car
in an apartment parking lot. I got a flat tire. Front left tire was flat. It was
fortunate that the distance from that parking lot to the office was not so far
(about 1 mile), so I picked up my bag and walk to the office.
For these few weeks, I have felt that big vibration occurred while I was driving on the highway. So, last weekend, I was thinking that I would change front tires. However, a tire shop was closed on Sunday, so I was thinking that I would change them this weekend. Oh... I should have changed them as soon as possible, like last Monday or last Tuesday... I did not imagine that tire would be flat.
On that day, I went home by using a company car. Next day, I and my boss tried to change a flat tire to a spare tire. However, tire nuts are so tight that we could not loosen them.^^; Nuts have rusted out very much. We went back to the office and picked up an iron pipe and anti-rust chemical WD-40. This time, we were able to loosen nuts and changed a tire. However, a spare tire did not have enough air so I could not drive my car. We gave up fixing it.^^;
Yesterday, I went to a tire shop and asked to change a flat tire to a new tire. I brought it to my car and changed a spare tire to a new tire. Finally, I went to a tire shop and changed another front tire.
Now my car condition is very good.^^ There is no vibration on the high way. The cause of vibration is tiers!
I leaned a lot from this incident. I have to check tires every month. I have to prepare appropriate tools. I went to Wal-Mart and bought a pump, and I went to Lowe's and bought an iron pipe and WD-40. Now I am prepared for a flat tire!^^ I learned a lot from this incident.
I did not realize that a tire is one of most important part about a car. A tire is a wear part. We have to change it regularly. I was just checking only oil. For me, oil is only one that is the most important thing for a car. But a tire is very important, too. Now I understand why there are so many oil change shops and tire change shops.
I am fortunate that I got a flat tire on the way to the office on an ordinary road, not on the highway during a travel. I am so lucky....
I will check tires every month!^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (9/16/2007)
It was hot^^ last weekend. Many people were swimming
in the lake. However, this weekend, it is a little cold.^^; It became cold a few
days ago. Weather has changed dramatically. Summer has ended. Fall has come. And
winter will come very soon...
Recently, I received an email from my teacher. He is working for Kanazawa University in Japan as a gymnastic professor. While I was studying at Kanazawa University, I belonged to a soft tennis club. He is a director of this club. I was a captain of this team and I was a coach while I was a graduate student. So we talked a lot (?) for 6 years when I was in Kanazawa city, and we know each other well. However, after I left Kanazawa, I have not visited Kanazawa so often and I have not talked to him a lot. I just send my new year card to him. Therefore, I was a little surprised when I received an email from him.
Because I sent my new year card from the U.S., he knows I am living in the U.S. Now he is planning to visit U.S. next year. He wrote that he wanted to meet me and stayed in my apt. I am so happy that I can meet him in the U.S.!^^ I owe him very much. I learned a lot from him at Kanazawa University, and I asked him to write recommendations for MBA applications. If he had not written my recommendation, I could not have joined MBA program. I owe him very much.
I am very happy to help him. I received his kindness a lot. Now I can give him back my kindness!^^ I am so happy.
So far, I have met my old friends four times in the U.S. When I was studying at Texas Tech, my best friend came to the U.S. and we traveled around Texas. Next time, my friend came to Detroit with his wife as a vacation. Third time, my friend came to Detroit as a business trip. Fourth time I visited NYC and meet my friend. They are all old (?^^;) friends. We know each other at least 9 years. I think we can make friends when we are university students. However, after graduation, it is very difficult to make friends. I rarely meet new people. My daily life is a routine (?^^;) life. Probably I have to meet new people intentionally. While I was studying at University of North Texas and Texas Tech, I met a lot of international students. However, many of them left me.^^; I know it is very difficult keep in touch with Japanese friends, so it is much much much difficult to keep in touch with international students. There are a language barrier and cultural difference. I have not talked to my teacher in Kanazawa University for more than 3 years, but I am feeling that I am comfortable to meet him and I am happy to meet him and I am even feeling he is my family. 6 years relationship at Kanazawa University bonds us forever!(?^^;) Hahaha.... Now I recalled that I called my teacher one time on 9/11/2001 or 9/12/2001. He emailed me at that time. I was studying at the University of North Texas. He asked a lot of questions, so I called him. I think I have not talked to him since then.
Anyway, I am so happy to meet him next year. I will clean up my room^^; and be prepared for his visit!^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (9/9/2007)
This weekend, I have been watching a drama "24" all day long.^^; I
started to watch American dramas when I found DVD "Friends^^" in a library.
Since then I have been obsessed^^; with American dramas. How interesting they
are!^^
About one and a half ago, when I talked to a young cute Korean girl^^, she told me that she watched 24. At that time, I did not know any American drama, so I did not know 24. I see, 24 is interesting. However, Friends is the best.^^ Anyway, recently I have been wasting (?) time so much watching DVDs. I know it is not so good for me. I need to read books, I need to do exercises, I need to study, I need to travel, etc.... I have been out of DVD or TV for about 5 years. When I went back to Japan in 2002, I decided not to watch TV in Japan. I determined to come back to the U.S. in a year, so I needed to focus on working hard to earn enough money to come back to the U.S. and I needed to study hard. I do not want to waste time by doing something that is not related to my coming back to the U.S. My plan had to be changed because I could not earn enough money in a year. I worked for two years in Japan and I came back. I came back to Texas Tech. While I was studying at Tech, I decided to focus only on studying. I did not have enough time. I wanted to complete MBA as soon as possible before I spend all my money. I had to spend one more semester that I expected because of my reckless schedule^^;, but anyway, I completed MBA and got a job in the U.S.
My point is that I did not have enough time to watch DVD or TV. Now I am trying to FEEL and FIND what American culture is. It is hard to join American society because of several reasons, so DVD and TV may be good tools to know American culture. But I know that watching them too much is not good for me. I will try to reduce time watching DVDs. I just need some time to reorganize my life. I have been extremely busy since last December 2006. Sometimes people eat too much when they are busy and much stress. In my case, I am busy, so I am watching DVDs so much.^^; I used to be in the similar situation several times, so I can handle it. I keep doing exercises. I know good health is the most important thing for me. I will keep working out.
I was supposed to take the FE exam next time, but accidentally^^;, I passed this exam last time. I did not expect that. I was thinking that I would take some classes about the FE exam this summer, but it was cancelled. Even if I have not cancelled it, I could not have been able to attend classes because I was so busy. But anyway, I did not have pressure to study hard. This gave me some spare time and spend time watching DVDs.
Anyway, I will start to reorganize my life and start to study from next week. (not today?^^; Today, I have to watch DVDs, so I do not have enough time to study.^^;)
I will continue to make an effort to make my dreams come true!^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (8/31/2007)
I deeply apologize that I did not update this
diary. I came back from NYC. I enjoyed trip to NYC very much.^^ I tried to write
my diary, but my PC was dead, and I am lazy^^;, so I did not update this diary.
On 8/22 I came back to Detroit. I arrived at DTW airport at around 7:00PM. I arrived at my apt at around 9:00PM.
I was trying to write a diary, but I was lazy.^^; On 8/26 (Sunday) I went to the office and tried to prepare for my business trip. Then, I found out my company PC was dead. My personal PC has been dead for about a month, so I installed FrontPage into my company PC. However, my company PC was dead, so I could not write my diary... I was upset and sweating because I did not create a back up data about my company PC. Everything, every data was in there. I had known about my PC had a problem for a few weeks, so I had already asked a company to provide me with a new PC. New PC was on my desk.^^ Oh, God! how lucky I am!^^ If no PC, I would have been in big trouble. I installed some software into my new PC and left the office to move to a city where I had a meeting with a customer.
In my diary 8/5/2007, I wrote that my private PC was broken. Before that, I had encountered some problems with my PC, but a few days later, it became fine. However, this time my private PC have been dead and never recover.^^; I am sure that PC needs to be fixed. Then, my company PC was dead. Now I am aware that I need to be prepared for such unexpected (?) trouble. I should make a backup and I need to have at least two PCs. When my private PC was dead, my back up PC was my company PC. I did not imagine that my company PC would be dead so fast! I need to be prepared....
Sometime my stinginess cost me a lot. Cost down is very important, but we should not cut cost that is so important for us. I know it. But sometimes (many times?^^;) I hesitate to spend money for important things. Oh, there is one thing I am proud of. I spent a huge money for my education!^^ (Should I be proud of it????) If I had not spent a money to study in the U.S., I would not be able to live in the U.S. right now!
Anyway... I need to fix my PC or I need to buy a new PC. I think that it still takes a few weeks to get back to my previous PC life (?). My laziness sometimes cost me a lot.^^;
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (8/20/2007)
I am sorry again... I could not write my diary
yesterday. I have visited NYC since August 18. NYC is great.^^ I love NYC!^^
I flew from Detroit to JFK airport. Then I took the air train and then I took NY subway to get to Manhattan. From port authority bus terminal, I took a bus to go to NJ where I made a reservation in Super 8. Hotel price in Manhattan is too expensive!
Yesterday, I met my old friend at Columbus circle near Central park. I met him at University of North Texas. We have not seen each other for about 8 years. He looks exactly same as 8 years ago.^^; He came to NYC this April. He is supposed to work in NYC for two years. He is kind of in charge of JET program (Japanese Exchange Teacher? program).
I walked a lot and I was exhausted. I will try to write something this week again.
See ya!
Weekly
Diary (8/13/2007)
Sorry... I have been very busy this weekend. I will
write my diary next week.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (8/5/2007)
This week, my PC was broken again. Finally I decided
to install FrontPage into a company PC. I know FrontPage has a program bug, so
this is just a temporary thing. I think it is the time to buy a new PC. My PC is
only 3 years old, but I installed too many software and there are so many files
and PC is messed up completely, so maybe I have to buy a new one. If there is
only the software problem, I maybe able to fix it. I can delete all files and
install all software from scratch. Probably it takes a long long time to fix it,
but I may be able to do that. However, there may be a hardware problem,
especially a battery problem. If I cannot boot up, I cannot do anything. I may
have to send it to Sony to fix it, but I do not know how much it is. Also, Sony
staff may see my completely messed up software and files (Especially ERO^^
files). It is embarrassing. Anyway, I will try to investigate which PC is good
for me.
Sorry... that is all for this week's diary.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (7/29/2007)
My weekly diary of 7/22/2007 is totally confusing, and it is
difficult to understand some parts of it.^^; Sorry... I was writing in a hurry.
Please try to figure out what I was trying to explain.
Last week, my PC was kind of broken. I encountered the same problem for these few months. Sometimes the AC adapter does not work. My PC warn me that the battery is almost empty, so please charge the battery or connect AC adapter to this PC. I always connected the AC adapter to my PC, but sometimes it did not work, so battery was used. As a result, battery is easily out. Because there is almost no battery, my PC was shut down automatically in a few minutes. I wrote last week's diary in a few minutes.^^; As I wrote in my last diary, I am making this homepage by using FrontPage software. I have FrontPage only in my PC and I cannot use this software and modify my homepage without this software. Word, Excel, Power point, etc. are very popular and almost every PC has these software, but not FrontPage. As I wrote last week, this is the one of the biggest problems when we make a homepage. Now Blog is much more popular than homepage. I really understand why and it is reasonable because we do not need special software to make Blog. If we have a PC and this PC can be connected to the Internet, we can make Blog anywhere anytime anybody.^^ Absolutely, Blog has some weak points. Blog is almost only specialized in writing diary, so there are not so many useful functions, such as uploading many files, and designing layout, etc. However, in my case, I usually update my weekly diary about my homepage, so Bog may be better for me. But, still I like homepage because I can keep my many stuff in one place, my homepage!^^ Also, I wanna keep my skill about making homepage. (Actually, my skill has not improved at all.^^; But at least, I know some. These some are very much more important than nothing!!!^^)
Word, Excel, and Power point are very popular, and absolutely they are defacto standard. However, FrontPage is not. Skills about using these software are a MUST for college students and business persons, but skills about using FrontPage and making a homepage are not. We can use a PC at a library, but I think almost all library PCs do not have FrontPage. Oh, wait a minute, I need to check this out. Next time I visit a library, I will check if there is FrontPage in a PC or not. In Texas Tech, FrontPage is installed in its PCs. But I am not sure about public library's PCs.
Learning new things are sometimes very hard. Email is very popular because it is so simple! Simple is best!^^ I hope making homepages will become much simpler in the near future.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (7/22/2007)
Sorry... My PC is broken.... I will try to fix it
and write a diary next week. (I have
FrontPage only in my private PC.... This is one of the
biggest problems to make my homepage.)
See you next week!
Weekly
Diary (7/15/2007)
Typhoon attacked Japan this weekend. From around middle may to middle
July, there is a rainy season in Japan, and many typhoons attack Japan. I do not
like rain so much. I used to use a motorcycle to go to work and I did not have a
car (because I am poor!^^), so I had to wear rain wear when it rained. I like a
motorcycle^^. But rain is the biggest problem for motorcycle riders. In
Michigan, it rarely rains in the summer season from around May to August. So it
is very comfortable to live here. However, winter season is much worse in
Michigan. It is so cold and it snows a lot. I like Texas.^^ But tornado may
attack Texas.^^; How about Florida? Ummm.... Hurricane may attack Florida. There
may not be a perfect place.
Yesterday, I donated $500 to Texas Tech.^^ How generous I am!^^ hahaha... In Japan, donation is not so popular. If a disaster happens, of course many Japanese people donate many for it. However, we usually do not donate. However, in Japan, many adults are telling children that earning money is not a good thing and money is not important. How strange it is! and how wired people they are! I admit that partially they are right, but many Japanese do not donate money although they are saying money is not important! They are telling a lie to children. If they are thinking they are not, they have to prove it by themselves.
In the U.S., there are many Christians and they usually donate money to the Church. Although this is not a pure donation and it may be a KIND of participation fee to Christianity. I watched TV news about a priest and a Church. He said that Christianity is a GOOD BUSINESS! I see... I know that there are many similar people and similar religions in Japan. However, I believe many priests and Churches are not thinking like that. Anyway, what I want to say is that in the U.S. donation is much more popular than in Japan. Parents can teach their children that donation is very important and we have to support with each other. However, in Japan, many people are thinking that it is taboo to tell children about money. I know that it is same in the U.S. to a certain extent. But much better in the U.S. than in Japan. Many Japanese people and Japanese teachers are telling a lie to children.
Oh, I remember one thing. I read an article about Google and the job interview skill to get a job at Google. One of them is "Don't talk about MONEY^^." hahaha.... The situation is becoming same in both the U.S. and Japan.
People are suck. People are not satisfied with their situation at all. People are thinking that they need more money. They do not have extra money to donate. Especially most Japanese are thinking so. I know partially it is good because we should aim higher goals day by day, year by year. If people are satisfied with current situation, they will not make an effort anymore. But we have to think of contribution to the society. If everybody thinks of only himself/herself, what would happen? It is said that Japan is the only one successful socialism country (please understand this is irony.). I think this is correct to a certain extent. There are not so many super rich people and not so many super poor people. There are many mediocre rich people. There seems there is no big difference between people. However, Japanese people do not have a spirit of donation. They are stingy. They are thinking only their own profit. Japan have been changing, but not enough. Toyota tends to decrease the export cars from Japan to the U.S. and to establish factories in the U.S. and to create a lot of Jobs. Japan gradually has changed, but not enough.
I will become rich!^^ I will donate a lot of money!^^ I will establish "Takashi^^'s college of business administration!"(^^)(^^)(^^)
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (7/8/2007)
It is very hot today. Now summer came in Michigan.
In Japan, there is a rainy season around May, June, and July, so it is hot and humidity is very high in Japan. If humidity is high, it is very uncomfortable. In Michigan, there is no rainy season. It is hot, but it is not so uncomfortable.
I have been on a business trip to a customer factory since June 29, so I have been very busy and my brain does not work at all...
Sorry... I need to take a rest and wake up my brain and write a diary next weekend.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (7/1/2007)
July has come.^^ The weather in Michigan has been
very nice.^^
Today and yesterday, I worked at the customer's factory to install the machine. So, there were no holidays this weekend. Absolutely, I am very busy. And I am very tired and sleepy right now...^^;
While I was a senior at Kanazawa university in Japan, I belonged to an internal combustion study group and wrote a thesis about diesel combustion system. I was wearing a overall work cloth and operated a diesel engine and took data. A overall work cloth is very useful.^^ I did not care how dirty the engine and other mechanical things are. Since then, I have not had a chance to wear a overall work cloth. However, this time I should have brought it to install the machine. I will try to buy such cloth after going back to Detroit.
I used to enjoy breaking up.... oops, fix a motorcycle, so when I was fixing it, I used to wear a overall work cloth. However, I became lazy and I did not take care of my motorcycle. And at last, my motorcycle became maintenance fee!^^; hahaha... It is dangerous, so please check the motorcycle regularly. I even did not add the engine oil, so finally my motor cycle broke up.^^; Because of few lubrication, piston was melted down.^^; There was a big hole on top of the piston. I changed whole engine.
Now I am driving a car, not a motor cycle. Again, my car is almost maintenance fee^^;, but I always keep in mind not to forget adding the engine oil. This is the almost most important thing. If there was no oil, the engine would be melted down! So far, my car condition is very good.^^
Probably I cannot take holidays on next weekend... In this July, I am so busy. I hope to get summer holiday sometime in late July or August...
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (6/24/2007)
Summer has come.^^ The weather in Michigan has been nice for these
few weeks.
There are many lakes in Michigan. I visited one of them last week. It is a kind of small lake. It is located on the way from my apt to the company. I pass it by everyday. I was thinking that I would visit someday. Then someday came last week. The lake is a kind of state park. There are benches and small bridges and barbeque stuff. I just walked around the lake. I saw some parents and children geese.^^ I like geese. Especially baby^^ geese. This year's baby geese have already grown up very much. They seem to be ready to fly in the sky. I found baby^^ swans. They are still very small. They are so cute.^^ Mating season of swan may be later than geese. I enjoyed walking around the lake. Around my apt, there are some small lakes and there are geese and swans. I found there were baby^^ swans there, too. I do not have to visit state park. I can enjoy watching geese and swans around my apt!^^ I like nature. I like to live near nature.
Since I received Japanese business books form Japan, I have already read two books, and I am reading the third book. Absolutely, it is extremely easier for me to read Japanese books. It depends on the volume (the number of pages), but regarding typical thin (about 200 pages) business books, I can read them in a few hours. I wrote that I used to read two books in a week. This means I can read about 100 books a year. One of my this year's things to do is to read 10 English books. Just one tenth of Japanese books. However, it is extremely difficult for me. Oh.... I know I have to be patient.
The title of books I have just read is "Smart persons cannot earn a lot of money." I want to earn a lot of money^^, so I thought I needed to read this book.^^ I got some clues from this book. One of them is "Make an effort until you break through the threshold. Mediocre people make an mediocre effort. Even if they make an effort until 95% of the threshold, the result is failure. There is no difference between 95% and 0% if the result is failure. Mediocre people do not make an effort until they break through the threshold and give up. We need to make an extraordinary effort.
I am reading one book and I am feeling this book is very helpful for me. The contents are not special and many other writers wrote them, but people (including me) forget them easily. This book reminds me of many important things. One of them is "People read books and lean many things from them, but they do not implement them." Book smart is a very good word that explain why smart people cannot earn a lot of money^^. We should not become a book smart. Learning something is very important, but implementing them is much more important. Leaning something and keeping it inside of me and do not use it at all does not mean anything at all. It is useless. We need to apply things that we learned to a real business. Welcome to a real world!^^
My brain is gradually waking up again. I need to read books. Reading books is my favorite thing!^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (6/17/2007)
I do not want to say, but.... I was so busy last
week...^^; I went on a business trip from last Tuesday to Friday. I had long
meetings at customer factory and I was exhausted...
Yesterday, I opened my mail box and found one mail about FE exam result. The result is Pass.^^ Oh, My, God!!! I did not expect at all that I would pass this exam. Actually, I am happy, but I have a mixed emotion. As I wrote on 4/22/2007, I was thinking that I was defeated by this exam completely. Regarding the morning exam, I felt I was able to solve 60% to 70% of all problems. 60% or 70% is not so bad. However, in the afternoon exam, I felt I was able to solve 20% of all problems. How could I imagine that I would pass this exam? Anyway, I passed!^^ I am genius!^^ hahaha.... Now I can prove (?) that I studied mechanical engineering. (<- Maybe... but I am not satisfied with myself. I will continue to study mechanical engineering.)
I have been working so hard for these two weeks. I need to take a rest... but I need to work hard for a few more weeks... I will just do my best.
On 4/15/2007, I wrote things to do in 2007. I achieved one goal!^^ I think I can achieve weight training. Other two things may be difficult for me to achieve, but I will try. I thought that passing the FE exam was the most difficult one, but actually I achieved it. I will just try. No challenge, no gain.
Sorry... that is all for this week's weekly diary.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (6/10/2007)
I got books.^^ I have received a package from
Japan. There are many books in it. I am happy!^^
I read an illustrated book that was written and drawn by a Great artist, Rieko Saibara.^^ You can see her drawing below in my new year card. I read her illustrated book in 30 minutes. She is Great.^^ I like her work very much.
From last Sunday, I have been very busy at work. I need to take a rest. So, I took a nap a lot and watched "Friends^^" all day long in this weekend. Actually I worked a little, so not all day long today. I was in the busiest week in 10 years...
I read another Japanese book whose title is "White flag Management." I read it in one hour.^^ There are not so many sentences. It is very easy to read. The number of pages does not matter. Contents do matter. There is one thing with which I was very impressed.
"You should do things that everybody can do much more times than others do. "
Ummmmmmmm...........my translation is not so good.^^; For example, we can do one mile running. It is easy. Everybody can do it. But, can we do one mile running every day for 10 years? The answer would be no for me. I can do one mile running, but not everyday. There is a Japanese saying, "continuous effort is the power." Above sentence is kind of similar to this saying. There is another saying, "Many a little makes a mickle." We all know that these sayings are true and very important, but it is very difficult for us to do continuous effort for a long time. I am lazy^^;, so I cannot make an effort to study hard for a long time.
I know I am lazy, but I wanna become a great^^ person, so I am trying to do several things continuously. Studying English may be one of them. I used to try to study English seriously when I was a junior high school student, a high school student, and a university student. However, I easily got bored and gave up studying English. However, I have changed after I came to the U.S. and studied English at UNT. I enjoyed studying English very much. I had so much fun^^ at UNT. My motivation became very high and still now I keep my motivation to study English. If we can enjoy something, we can do it continuously for a long time. If there is no fun, how can we continue to do it? I was so lucky to find my favorite thing.^^ I was so lucky to choose UNT for studying English.
I do not have much fun to study mechanical engineering.^^; But maybe I have to study it. I will try to find some fun in mechanical engineering... hahaha...^^;
Now I am doing weight training. I used to do it hard while I was a university student, but I quit it when I began to work. I should not have quit, but I could not have my right way to do it and work at the same time. I was so busy at work. I was so tired when I came back to the apt, and I was tired in weekends, so I could not do weight training. I know it is an excuse, but I did not have a motivation. At that time, I was thinking that I had to do the same training that I was doing when I was a university student. It took about 2 hours and it was a very hard training. Now I changed my mind. I do not have to do so hard training. I made a training menu that I can handle now. It takes about 45 minutes and I am doing it only weekends. I do not have to work out too much hard. I should enjoy it. I should have fun!^^ I do not like mechanical engineering, but I like weight training!^^
I have been studying English for 9 year. I will continue to enjoy studying it and became a Semi^^; native English speaker!^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (6/3/2007)
I am writing this diary in a parking lot.^^; I am on a business trip.
I drove a car on the highway and sometimes I encountered heavy rain. Heavy rain
was so heavy that I could not see almost anything. Many cars stopped besides the
road and wait until heavy rain stops. I continued to drive and 5 minutes later,
heavy rain disappeared. Even the road was dry. Only 5 minuets! Maybe about 1 or
2 miles driving. I was surprised that weather is so different in two
places that are only 2 miles away from each other.
While I am writing this diary, heavy rain has come again. I rarely encountered such heavy rain in Japan. I think weather in the US is much wilder than in Japan. Actually there are tornado, hurricane, tsunami, and earth quake in Japan. However, we rarely encounter tornado, tsunami, and earth quake in Japan. We encounter hurricane a lot. When I was study at UNT and Texas Tech, I was living in a dorm. I was informed that how to evacuate when tornado happens. However, in Japan, I was not informed about tornado, but we practiced how to evacuate a lot when earth quake happens. Absolutely, A LOT!!! When I was an elementary school student, we practiced how to evacuate more than once per year. I encountered the earth quake many times, but it is fortunate that I did not encounter a big one like Kobe earth quake. When Kobe earth quake happened, I was living about 300 miles away from Kobe. However, I felt the earth quake. This earth quake was so big. Now I am living in a safe place.^^
I have never seen tornado in Japan and in US. Actually, we rarely encounter tornado in Japan. However, I watched TV news in Michigan that tornado hit Dallas area. I was living about 40 miles away from Dallas. Oh.... if I live in Texas for a long time, probably I will encounter tornado...
Anyway.... I have watched "Frineds^^" a lot in these two weeks. I cannot do other things until I finish watching all series and get bored with them..... Oh.... I am kind of sick. I got kind of high fever about "Friends^^."
Oh, I want to write one thing. I bought Japanese books at Amazon.co.jp. Amazon will send me these books from Japan. Recently, I have not read books, so my brain does not work at all. I tried to read English books, but still now it is very difficult for me to read English books. To stimulate my brain, I decided to read Japanese books. They are supposed to be delivered to my apt in a week. I look forward to reading these books!(^^)(^^)(^^) but...... I need to watch "Frineds^^".... Oh.... This must be a dilemma.... It is unfortunate that in June, I am extremely busy. Oh... how can I create time??? I will try to reduce time watching ERO^^ videos. This time is not so productive. How smart I am!^^ (really???)
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (5/27/2007)
Oh my God!!! Today is 27. Now it is 18:23! Three
days of my 4 days consecutive holidays has almost passed....(>_<) Time flies
very fast...
I am completely crush on "Friends^^." In these three days, I have watched "Friends^^" for many hours. I did not travel, I did not go to a mall, I did not go to a downtown. I just stayed in my apt and watched "Friends^^" all day long...^^; This drama is so interesting! I cannot stop watching it. I am a watching "Friends^^" junkie. Absolutely this drama is a kind of marijuana (just example. I have never smoked marijuana and even I have never smoked a tobacco). It is unbelievable for myself that this drama is much interesting than ERO^^ videos. I cannot believe myself!
I really want to watch all "Friends^^" movies, but absolutely, I do not have enough time. I will watch one by one and then I will take a long vacation and watch this drama all one week long!^^ hahaha...
Although I could not understand what they are saying in English in this drama, still it is interesting. If I were able to understand 100%, how much more would it be interesting?^^ I wanna improve my English much more and more and more. For me, this drama's English is very difficult. There are many unknown words and I could not understand jokes. I need to know the background situation of jokes. I need to know many things to laugh at these jokes. How can I study English more? Just study English is not enough. I know I have to do something different. I need to go on to the next step.
I think there are many interesting things and interesting worlds. If I do not try, I cannot get them. I know our time is limited and I am not rich. I cannot do all the things I want to do. I will just try to find fun things that are available for me. I know space travel is not available for me. It may be very interesting, but I cannot afford to get it. But I can borrow "Friends^^" in the library. It is free!^^
I will try to mine hidden treasure like "Friends"!(^^)(^^)(^^)
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (5/20/2007)
It has been a little cold last week. Especially in the morning,
temperature was around 40 F. It has been a chilly morning.^^;
I have worked so hard last week. There were so many things to do. I had a headache a little yesterday. I think I worked so hard, so I was so tired and exhausted. As a result, I got a headache. I need to take a rest. Next weekend, there will be a memorial holiday.^^ From next Friday through Monday, there will be 4 consecutive holidays!(^^) I will sleep all day long!^^ hahaha...
Yesterday, I went to a library and borrowed movies. One of them is "Crouching tiger hidden dragon," and the other is "Friends." I had know that "Crouching tiger hidden dragon" was very popular and "Friends" was also popular, however, I did not have a chance (?) to watch them.
When I came back to the U.S. in 2001, I was asked by Taiwanese, "Did you see "Crouching tiger hidden dragon"?^^" Unfortunately, I said "No." It is kind of regrettable that I disappointed him by saying No. I did not watch it, and I have not watched it until today. Usually I do not watch a movie, and I did not have a VCR and a DVD player. I was thinking that if I had such players, I would have watched a lot of ERO videos.^^ I wanted to concentrate on studying English, so I intentionally did not have them. Anyway, now I have a DVD player in my PC, so I can watch movies. As I wrote before, watching movies is good for learning English.
I watched "Crouching tiger hidden dragon" in Chinese with English subtitle. It was difficult for me to read subtitle so fast.^^; I could not understand the contents perfectly, but anyway I enjoyed it. I see, I understand why this movie was so popular and this movie received several awards. It is interesting.^^ I did not know that Ms. Zhang Ziyi and Ms. Michelle Yeoh were acting in this movie. I watched "Memoirs of a geisha" last year. In this movie, these women were acting. However, for me, Ms. Zhang Ziyi does not look Japanese. She is cute.^^ But she is not a Japanese and she does not look Japanese. I did not understand why the movie director asked her to act in this movie. But now I guess that she is a "HOT" actress and she is famous in Hollywood, so he decided to ask her to act in this movie. I think this movie director made a huge mistake. She is so cute^^ and famous^^ and HOT^^, but she is not a Japanese. Probably Americans cannot notice the difference between Chinese and Japanese, but we do. Japanese culture and Chinese culture are almost completely different. Personally I like Ms. Zhang Ziyi very much^^, but in my opinion, only Japanese can act a Geisha. For example, if a Spanish actor who lives in Mexico acted the US president in a movie and spoke Spanish English, what would you think? Does its movie have a reality? American should act the US president, right? Anyway, "Crouching tiger hidden dragon" is a great Chinese movie.^^
Regarding "Friends," I will write about it next week.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (5/12/2007)
Last Thursday, when I was on the way from the
office to my apt, I looked at the glasses beside the road. There are many baby
geese with their parents.
How cute they are!!!(^^)(^^)(^^)
I like geese. They are so cute.^^ In Japan, geese are so popular. Especially geese live around emperor palace are so popular and sometimes their daily life are broadcast on TV.
My car license plate was renewed last month. I chose a geese plate.^^ Here is my plate.
My donation will be used to protect geese!^^ I love geese so much!^^
Meanwhile.... Last Sunday, my computer was broken.(>_<) Computer said that there is no battery and no AC adapter is connected. I did connect AC adapter to my computer, but somehow computer did not recognize it. I guessed that maybe some electric line was cut. I have not used my PC for a week. I was thinking to fix it this weekend. This morning, I tried to start my PC, it worked!(^^) What was wrong with it??? One of the reasons may be software problem. When I started my PC this morning, PC shutdown one time and restarted. Then, everything is fine. Last week, I tried to restart, but I could not. Anyway, I am happy^^ now. If I could not use it, I would not be able to write this diary. My company PC does not have FrontPage. I will buy a new battery for my PC and I will think about buying a new one. I bought my PC about 3 years ago. 3 years is not so long, but I used it so hard. I installed so many software, so hard disc and settings are messed up. I downloaded so many ERO videos.^^ Anyway, I wanna buy a new PC this year.
Since I took FE exam in April 21, three weeks has passed. I began to study engineering a little. I need to study a lot!!! to pass this exam. I know I am lazy^^; but I need to prove I can do it!!!(^^) I used to hate adult people very much because they are always saying to children "Study hard!" I hate adults. I do not want to become adults. But now I am kind of a adult that I hate. I need to study hard!^^ I do not want to hate myself!^^ I can do it! I will do it! I never give up!^^ Today, I studied for one hour.^^; I know it is no enough, but much better than nothing. I am not dead. I still keep motivation to study new thing. I will continue to keep it forever!^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (5/6/2007)
I am sleeping all day long this weekend.... Oh, it
must be same as usual...^^;
I got an email from my friend who visited Lubbock last week. Lubbock seems to become bigger and bigger.^^
When I was in Lubbock, I used to ride a bicycle to get to Wal-Mart. It takes about 10 miles! It was a long long long way... buuuuuuuuuuut, a new Wal-Mart store was established much near from Texas Tech! Oh.... I wish it had been established before I arrived at Tech.... Anyway, the environment in Lubbock seems to be becoming better and better. I really hope that many students enjoy their lives at Tech. I kind of enjoyed, but I also had a lot of hard time. I know that the university is the place where students should study. However, in my opinion, students should not only study but learn many more different things, such as interpersonal skills. Belonging to a club is a good idea. Hanging our with friends is a good idea. Unfortunately, I did not do such activities so much. It is an excuse, but absolutely, I could not do that because of some reasons. I was so busy to keep up with classes. My English is not good enough to keep up with classes easily. I had to spend so much time to read text books. My reading speed is so slow. I could not understand what professors were saying. I could not take notes. But anyway, I read text books and I was able to complete MBA.
While I was studying English at University of North Texas, I kind of enjoyed campus life so much. Studying English at the intensive English institute is not so hard compared to MBA. I traveled around Grand Canyon with international students. I joined a party. I kind of enjoyed a lot. I really wanted to join MBA at UNT, but my application was denied. Texas Tech accepted me. It is a life. It is a destiny. Sometimes I think of what I would be doing now if I have been accepted by UNT. But it is only in my dream. And I met a lot of friends at Tech. If I did not come to Tech, I could not have met them. I really appreciate I could joined Texas Tech. It is a destiny.
Sorry.... my brain does not work this weekend, so that is all for this week's diary.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (4/29/2007)
I watched a movie "Rocky Balboa" yesterday. I made a reservation to
borrow this movie at Farmington Hills Community library, but there are 40
reservations, so I may be able to borrow it 5 to 10 months later.^^; Therefore,
I try to find it in another library and found it in Walled Lake public library.
At this library, I have to pay $1 to borrow one DVD. There are full of
reservations at Free^^ DVD at libraries, but no reservation at $1 rental
library.^^; Walled Lake public library is very near from my apt. It takes about
10 minutes.
My first impression after watching this movie is that "to tell the truth, it is no so good.^^; (I am so sorry, Mr. Stallone. I am honest.)" But after watching several times, there are some impressive scenes. I really agree with the theme of this movie that Never give up!^^, but in terms of entertainment, I could not enjoy this movie so much. I like Rocky 1 very much^^, and I like Rocky 3 very much^^. I respect Sylvester Stallone. I respect his challenge sprit. I hope he will change next big thing. Age does not matter. We can challenge and we should challenge forever. No failure, no success. People do not fail anything means people do not challenge anything. No challenge, no success. Sometimes people are stuck in the same life cycle. I do not say that it is a bad thing. Some people prefer stable life to challenging life. But people who like stable life do not have right to blame people who are challenging new things.
Meanwhile, today it is very warm.^^ Temperature is about 77F. Finally spring has come in Michigan!^^ April has almost ended. May will come soon. Very good season is coming. In Japan, there are long consecutive holidays from April 29 to May 6. We call it Golden Week. Many people go abroad and travel to a resort. However, there is no such holidays in the U.S.^^; I may think of traveling around the U.S. this summer, but I am not sure....
Oh, I forgot to write two things. Two Japanese friends came to the U.S. I met one of them at University of North Texas. He was an international student. He came to NYC in this April as a staff of JET program. He will stay in NYC for 2 years! JET program is to find good English teachers in the U.S. and to send them to Japan. JET program is a Japanese government program. I met him about 8 years ago. I have not seen him for about 5 years. I have never been NYC, so I will visit there to meet him someday in the near future.
Another friend is my ex-teammate at Kanazawa University Softtennis club. He came to the U.S. last last week to attend SAE world congress. He gave academic presentation in English. SAE world congress was held at Cobo Center at downtown of Detroit. Cobo Center is very near from GM world head quarter. He was staying in Marriot hotel just beside the GM head quarter. I met him at a hotel lobby. This hotel is very very very very very nice!^^ I think this hotel is one of the highest level hotels and one of the best hotels. I did not go around, but I think from Marriot hotel, people go to GM head quarter building. I have never stayed in such a hotel.... My friend became a manager. He is working for a very big automotive related company. His future looks promising. Oh... I envy him. I rarely talk to a person who is working in a different field, so I got a lot of energy from him. I was motivated by his talk. I have to do it!^^ (What?) I will study hard and pass FE exam!^^ hahaha....
I am very glad to meet my friend. I hope I can meet many friends in the U.S. Time has changed. Now many engineers and many managers have to speak English and have a meeting in the U.S. Still many Japanese cannot speak English, but time has changed. No English, no promotion. Japanese have to study English more and more. Please come to the U.S.!^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (4/22/2007)
Yesterday, I woke up at 5:30AM and went to a
community college in Warren city to take FE exam. Examinees are required to come
to a test location at 7:15AM. Oh.... it is so early morning... It took about 30
to 40 minutes from my apt to the community college and I arrive at there before
7:00AM. There were so many cars parked there. Many examinees were making a line
to wait for the open of exam room in the sports center. Last time 6 months ago,
I took the same exam at the same college, but at a different building. Last
time, there are many small rooms and examinees are assigned to each room. This
time, all examinees took the exam in one big room, sports center. My seat number
is 334, so I think there were more than 300 examinees there. They came from
different places around Detroit area that may include University of Michigan,
Ann Arbor.
I think that it is a good idea to have this kind of exam for engineering major students because sometimes students do not study hard but get an engineering degree. University levels are different between different universities. So, one common exam can be a good barometer about how students achieve its academic study level. In Japan, there is no similar exams to this exam. I was majoring in Mechanical engineering in Bachelor degree and I completed master degree in Mechanical engineering. However, I know I did not study hard.^^; However, anyway I got bachelor degree and master degree in Mechanical engineering. Sometimes graduating from a university does not mean anything at all. Some university professors are very hard on students, but some are not. Some university students average level is very high, but some are not. It depends on university level and depends the average students level. For example, there are passing levels in class at Tokyo university. If this passing level is applied to Kanazawa University, maybe 90% of Kanazawa university students would fail in classes. Therefore, one national common exam can be a good method to measure how much students achieved in classes and how mush students learned.
Medical exam, bar exam, CPA are kind of similar exams. They are much well-known exams among the public. FE exam is a fundamental exam before taking PE exam. PE is a certified registered professional engineer, but in many cases, mechanical engineers do not have to have this certification. So, for us (mechanical engineers), this FE exam and PE exam may be useless in terms of doing business. However, this shows engineers' academic level and it is a very good method to enhance engineering students level and motivate them to study hard. In Japan, popularity of engineering has been getting down and down. Partially because there is no certification exam like FE exam and PE exam, students think that they cannot show their academic ability when they do job hunting activity. Sometimes some engineers want to change their jobs, but it is very difficult to prove what engineers has achieved in the engineering field in the previous company. Therefore, FE exam and PE exam are a very good barometer.
I took FE exam yesterday, but I was defeated completely.(>_<) In the morning exam, it took 4 hours, and in the afternoon exam, it took 4 hours. Total exam hours are 8 hours. Oh..... it is too long.... I was exhausted completely. This exam is so difficult for me. I need to study very hard. This is my second time to take this FE exam. I want to pass this exam this fall, but to achieve it, I need to study extremely hard.... I can do it!^^ I will do my best!^^ I should cut my time of watching ERO video!^^ I should spend 1 hour studying in weekdays and 8 hours in weekends!^^ I will improve everyday!^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (4/15/2007)
Winter is still here in Michigan...^^; I watched TV news yesterday.
In Kansas, it was snowing heavily. Where is the global warming???
For university students, final exams are approaching. Usually there are final exams in early May, and after that, they will have a long summer holidays. For our business persons, there is no such cycle. I am feeling I am always busy...^^; I know I have to make my life exciting!^^ but.... I am so lazy... I usually sleep all day long in weekends...^^;
Here are things to do in 2007!^^
1. Read 10 books written in English.
2. Pass FE exam
3. Bench press:60kg, Squat: 80kg
4. Start my own business in weekends
Ummmmmm....... For now, it is very difficult for me to achieve all these things... buuuuuuuuuuuuut, I have to make me wake up!^^ and do my best!^^ If I do not do them this year, probably I would not do them next year, either!^^; So, I need to change my life habits a little. I know I am lazy and I cannot change myself dramatically, but I can DO little things. I may be able to study for 30 minutes everyday!^^ (ooops, it is the most difficult thing for me, I think....) I can do exercise for 30 minutes every weekends! I can read books for 15 minutes everyday! I do not have to change myself very much, but I should, I have to change myself a little and I have to make an effort to improve myself a little. Good habits make me a great person!^^
I was exhausted last week because I went on a business trip to a customer's factory and had an important business meeting there. So, I need to take a rest this weekend.^^ (<- my words above may be inconsistent with this word.^^;) I watched DVD and relaxed.^^ I watched "Pirates of the Caribbean, the curse of the black pearl." In my opinion, this movie is not so interesting for me. I enjoyed it, but probably I will not watch this movie anymore. In my opinion, this movie is similar to "Titanic" and "The load of the ring" and "Troy." For me, these movies are same kinds of movies. I am not interested in these movies so much. I like "Rocky^^" very much. I like "Austin Powers^^" very much. I like "Pink Panther^^" very much. I did not noticed, but now I know that I have kind of strong preference for the kind of movie. Anyway, watching movies is kind of good method of learning English, so I will continue to enjoy movies!^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (4/8/2007)
Winter has come...^^; Last weekend, it was so warm, but this weekend,
it is so cold.^^; It was snowing yesterday. Winter has come again...
Last Friday was a company holiday because of Easter. I watched TV and I realized that news casters were saying "Good Friday^^." I do not remember whether last year people said Good Friday or not. However, I am sure that it is similar to Happy holidays^^. Now Christmas is called Happy holidays in the U.S. There used to be so many Christian in the U.S., but now there are many kinds of religions. People who are not Christian do not celebrate Christmas and Easter, so US government may change the name. US is the country of freedom!^^ Anybody can have any religion!^^ US is improving year by year!^^
Thanksgiving does not have religious meaning, so its name has not been changed. There is no thanksgiving in Japan, there is no Easter in Japan, but there is Christmas in Japan!^^ Japan always copies a good thing from foreign countries!^^ There is no Christmas holiday in Japan, but many Japanese celebrate Christmas.
Meanwhile.... I have submitted tax form by using the internet. I checked my document status and found that my form was accepted!^^ Okeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey!(^^)(^^)(^^) I had to pay some additional tax ($118), so I sent my check to IRS. This is my first time to submit tax form in the U.S. I submitted one time before, but at that time, I joined a university tax seminar and instructors and accountant helped me a lot to write a form. This time, I did all things by myself. About my case, I am single, and there is no dependents, and there is no house, and there is no loans, so it is very simple and easy to complete a form.
Thanks to Texas Tech's tax exemption form, I was able to use it for deducting my tax very much.^^ Thank you very much, Texas Tech!^^ If I could not use this exemption, I would have to pay more than $1,000! I need to talk to a company about the amount of tax that is deducted from my paycheck.
I am gradually used to living in the U.S.!^^ I love U.S.!^^ I will enjoy living in the U.S.!(^^)(^^)(^^)
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (4/1/2007)
I watched a movie "Austin Powers The spy who
shagged me." I wanna become a man like Austin Powers!^^ I wanna get cute
girls!^^ I wanna shagge!^^ I am influenced by a movie easily!^^ hahaha...
I borrowed three books at the library, but finally I returned them without reading them. I read some. Only about 20 pages.^^; Now I know I should BUY books. For me, it is very difficult to read a book in three weeks. Even if I borrow books at the library, three weeks is not enough for me. I used to read at least one book per week in Japan. I like reading. I can read Japanese books easily. I want to read English book easily, but it takes a long (10 years?^^;) to achieve it. I cannot improve my reading speed in English very fast. I will improve my ability day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year, decade by decade, and century by century!^^ I will just do my best.
April has come. It has been very warm. Spring has come. In Japan, April is the start of fiscal year and schools begin in April. April is kind of special month in Japan. University students graduate from the university in March and begin to work in April. In the U.S., university students graduate in May, August, and December, and they begin to work in different timing. In Japan, almost all students begin to work in April. April is the special month in Japan.
Ummmm... my brain does not work today... Reading makes my brain work well, but I have not read books recently. I need to be patient to study English more and more and more... once I can read books in English, my brain will work very fast!^^ I can read one or two pages articles in a magazine. I could not do so 8 years ago. I have improved!^^ I will improve more and more.
Sorry... that is all for this weeks' dairy.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (3/25/2007)
I have watched the movies of Rocky series
recently. They are so interesting!^^ Especially Rocky 1 and 3 are my favorite.
After watching them, I wanted to become Rocky!^^ I want to become strong!^^ I am
a so simple ma~n!^^;
These movies may be a good motivator. Adrenalin will increase in my body. When I was a Kanazawa University student, I belonged to a soft tennis club, and I studied how to win the match. I read some books and one of them stated that watching Rocky^^ movie increases adrenalin and increase my performance. I really agree wit it. This is kind of mental and image training. Practicing for many hours is not always effective. We need mental and image training. We need motivation. Motivation is extremely important.
I wanted to win the game, and I wanted to become a strong player, so I began to do weight training. In Kanazawa soft tennis club, no one did weight training. There are a lot of books about training and many facts are revealed that old style training are useless, such as just running for may hours, not to drink water during practice. There may absurd training methods and training theories when I was a junior high school students. In Kanazawa University soft tennis club, still some such stupid ways of thinking remained. No one believed that weight training is useful for soft tennis. They just focus on practicing to hit the ball. In Japan, so many people believe that running for many hours is extremely important for tennis and baseball. Many Japanese sports players must be stupid. Many Japanese sports coaches and players are so conservative. Even Japanese baseball players are very conservative and many of them believe that running for many hours is good for baseball players. I heard that Mr. Daisuke Mtsuzaka was surprised at American way of practicing baseball. In my opinion, Japanese professional baseball players are doing too many useless training. They are feeling that they are exhausted, so they worked hard. But actually, their training is meaningless. They just think being exhausted means they worked hard. Japanese are so conservative about sports. Many talented players have been destroyed by stupid conservative coaches.
Now many Japanese professional baseball players are playing in major league. I hope when they go back to Japan, they can change the way of training in Japan. Japanese are good at copying other countries' good methods. They can import American training style. I know some American training styles are not so good, so Japanese baseball player should steal just good things.
I used to do weight training. But after I retired from soft tennis, I quit weight training. Now I began to do it again. I bought weight training bench last year. When I was a university student, I wished I had a training machine in my apartment and used it for 24 hours. Now my dream comes true!^^ I will do weight training and become a man like Rocky!^^
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (3/17/2007)
It was very very very very very warm a few days ago. Temperature was
about 20 degree C! It had been so warm for two days (I think it was warm on
Tuesday and Wednesday.) Then, in the Thursday morning, I got up and saw a lot of
snow on my car.... Weather has changed very dramatically... I wished it
had been warm, but cold weather came back. I had not seen geese for a while, but
yesterday and today, I saw some. I guess geese thought spring has come!^^ last
Tuesday, and came back to Michigan. But.... it became cold again... I feel very
sorry for geese...^^;
Yesterday (3/16), it snowed in Tokyo. It had not snowed in Tokyo this year. But finally it snowed. I expected that there was not snow this winter in Tokyo! Oh... I was kind of disappointed...^^; This is the new record that it is the latest first snow day in Tokyo.
I began to read books. I read one chapter of "The blind side." However, it is not so interesting for me. So I began to read "Liar's poker." It is so interesting for me!^^ There are so many attractive factors in it, such as Warren Buffet, John Meriwether, Wall street, MONEY!^^, etc. Maybe I will read this book first. I should eat a piece of cake^^ first.
In my previous diary (3/4/2007), I wrote that I read "Unlimited power." Now a similar book is selling well and became a best selling book. The title is "The secret." I watched TV news about this book. A newscaster said that some people were really fascinated with it and some said it was stupid. I have not read it and I do not know the contents of it, but I know it is stupid.^^ How do I know? Because I am GOD!^^ hahaha... There are many similar books and there are many similar seminars. I read a lot of books. I have not attended a seminar. But I know it is stupid. Ok, stupid is too rude. Absolutely, I learned a lot of things from such books, so they are not useless. We can learn a lot of things and use very useful things. But the most important thing is that even if we do everything that is written in such books, many of us would not be able to be successful. Maybe 2% or 3% of people who read a book can become successful, but they had potential good talents before they read such books. They needed a trigger. They needed an inspiration. Such books are only a trigger. Of course, as I said before, we can learn many things from such books, but many of conclusions are stupid. "If you think of it strongly, it will come!^^" What a stupid way of thinking it is!!! I cannot believe why so many people believe such a stupid way of thinking. I have read a lot of similar books. That is why I can know what is useful and what is useless. Knowledge is power!^^ I really recommend to read such books. There are many good things and useful things. But there are damn things, too. We have to improve our ability to distinguish good things and bad things. If you do not read them, you may not be able to distinguish these things and you may become a victim (?^^;) of these books. I really recommend such books.
I began to read books in English. I will enjoy reading!!!(^^)(^^)(^^)
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (3/11/2007)
Daylight saving time has started today at 2AM. I
have to get up one hour earlier than before tomorrow. It is only one hour, but
it is a big impact for me and maybe for everybody. I need a few days to get used
to it, but I know it is worth it. We can get a great benefit from it. Yesterday,
sun set time is about 6:30PM, but from today, it is about 7:30PM!^^ We can enjoy
our time under the sun light! I was running around the apt at 7:30PM and it was
dark. I was wearing dark clothes, so one car could not recognize me. It is
dangerous. But today, it is still bright at 7:30PM. I can enjoy running
safely.^^
Last Monday, it was so cold. Temperature on last Monday was about less than 10 Fahrenheit. However, it was very warm yesterday. Temperature was about 50 Fahrenheit.^^ Spring has come!^^ I like warm weather. I can go outside and enjoy running.
I went to a library and borrowed movies, "Rocky" and "Rocky 2." I enjoyed them very much.^^ Especially I like Rocky 1. I used to like Rocky 2, but now my sense of seeing movies have changed. I used to think that Rocky 1 had a lot of dark stories that made me feel kind of uncomfortable and I thought Rocky 1 was not so interesting for me. However, now I am thinking that Rocky 1 is very interesting and it is a great movie! I am not the same person that I used to be. I got much more experiences than before. I got much more knowledge. I read a lot of books. I am not the same person that I used to be. I can see the same movie in the different way. I find a different things from the same movie. Studying new things and experiencing various things make me change and make me improve so much.
I went to a library and borrowed three books. They are written by my favorite author, Michael Lewis. The tiles of these books are "The blind side," " The new new thing," and " Liar's poker." As I wrote in the last week's diary, I need to read a lot of English books. I need to improve my English. I need to get much more knowledge from books. I used to read at least one book a week in Japan. It is very easy for me to read books written in Japanese and it is extremely fun and probably the most favorite my hobby is reading books. However, it is very difficult for me to read books written in English. I need to read books in English. I hope one day (hopefully within a few years) I want to enjoy reading books in English so much. I have just started. I may need a lot of time to achieve it. But anyway I have to start right now. I will do exercises (20minutes) and reading books in English (30minutes) and study (30minutes) everyday. Only one hour and 20minutes. This will make me change very much and this will make me improve very much. I know it is very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very difficult to continue to do these things. I am busy as always.^^; I know it is an excuse. I will try it. I have to start to do them right now. I will change myself.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (3/4/2007)
I am very busy (as always ? ^^;) this weekend, so I will write in
brief.
I received an air mail from Japan. My mother forwarded me some mails whose attention is me. She enclosed one book for me. The English title is "Unlimited power" that shows how to become rich!^^ hahaha... I like this kind of book^^, so I read it this weekend. It takes about 4 to 5 hours. It is very easy for me to read a Japanese book. 4 hours is not so long. I used to read one book per one week when I was living in Japan. But now.... I do not read books in English at all....^^; I like reading, but it is very very very difficult for me to read books in English right now. I know I have to try. I know reading speed in English is much slower than in Japanese. But I have to start reading!!!! One year has passed since I began to work in the U.S. If I do not start right now, I may not start in the future, either. I know it takes a long long long time to get used to reading books in English. To achieve great things, it takes a long time.
I get bored with something very easily, but now I know continuous effort is very important for achieving great things. Some genius who got good luck can be successful immediately, but many of us have to spend a lot of time to achieve great things. I got 930 points at TOEIC test (English as a second language test). It is an extremely great thing for me, but it takes 8 years to achieve it and now I am not satisfied with my English level. When I was 26 years old, I was thinking that it was almost impossible for me to get 930 points, and a person who got 930 points can read and speak English fluently. But now I do not think so. 8 years is not enough. I need to continue to learn English more and more.
Working hard and studying hard and reading books a lot and doing exercise a lot and etc.... we do not have enough time to do all of these things! But we can do them a little per a day. I may be able to do exercise for 10 minute a day. I may be able to study for 30 minutes a day. I may be able to read books for 15 minutes a day. Good habits make me achieve great things in the long run. I will change my daily life style and get a lot of good habits and finally, I will become a great man!^^ I will enjoy my daily life!
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (2/25/2007)
Detroit is not a capital of Michigan. Lansing is.
I went to Lansing yesterday. I was sleeping too much yesterday morning, so I felt bad and my brain did not work at all. I needed to feel better, so I drove my car. Driving is much fun for me if I do not drive for many hours. More that one hour is too long. But from my apt to Lansing, it takes about one hour. It is a good distance for me.^^
There is a Michigan state university in Lansing. I like walking in a campus. I like university campus. I like university atmosphere. I went to Michigan state university. It was cold yesterday and I did not have enough time, so I just went to a library. I like a library.^^
The library was not so big as that of University of Michigan, but it is surprising that this library is open 24 hours! Oh... Michigan state university students must be studying very hard.^^ In other libraries, such as University of Michigan, Texas Tech, and University of North Texas, libraries are closed at around 2:00AM. Good environment creates good students. Not all libraries do not have to open 24 hours, but there should be some libraries like Michigan state university.
It is surprising again that Michigan residents can get a library card! I asked a librarian to make it for me!^^ I can borrow any books at Michigan state university library!^^ Oh... how convenient it is...
I think many Japanese university libraries are not open late like at 2:00AM. Kanazawa University library is closed at 8:00PM. I know many (almost all?) Japanese university students are not studying hard. However, Japanese academic level is not so bad, I think. Why??? Ummmmm.... It is a Japanese mystery.
Many Japanese companies usually do not expect students to study hard at a university partially because many subjects are useless for real business. I kind of really agree with it. I studied about combustion system of diesel engine at Kanazawa University. After graduation, I got a job at AISIN company. I became a piston application engineer, but I had never used thermodynamics. Then I became a quality control engineer. I needed to study statistics and Six Sigma theory that I did not study at Kanazawa University. I think many (almost all) students are not using their specialty that they studied at their universities. However, I do not think that study at a university is totally useless. We are studying the methodology about how to solve problems. University study affect students total ability in the long run. If people do not study variety of things, they may not be able to adjust to various things and to keep up with dramatic changes. Older people tend to be stuck to the old method. They may not be able to improve at all. University study may be able to make students' way of thinking flexible. I like study at a university. I like to study new things. I like to challenge new things.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (2/18/2007)
This weekend, there is a national holiday in
the U.S. on Monday, so there are three consecutive holidays!^^ but.... probably
I have not plan to go to any particular places... I think I will sleep all day
long in my room...^^;
Anyway, one day (yesterday) has passed. I slept in the morning and went to some places in the afternoon.
First, I went to a library and read Fortune magazines. I just took a brief look at two magazines and read one article. It is an interview to Jim Collins. I like him very much.^^ He wrote "Good to Great". He said that when great companies started their business, many of them did not have great ideas. Even some of them started with failure. Does he want to say, "That is why you should just start your business!^^ and the difference between great companies and failed companies are great, continuous effort!"??? I read his book almost one year ago, so I forgot many details. I need to re-read his book. Anyway, I do not think that we should start our own business without no preparation and I do not think that the only one difference between great companies and failed companies is great effort. I really think that the "Talent" is one of the most important factors to become a great company.
I believe everybody has some special talents. Some have a good talent about singing a song, and others have a good talent about writing computer programs. However, many of us do not know what kind of talent we have. Therefore, I really agree with Jim Collins that "we should just start our own business!" because we do need to challenge various things and need to find out what we are really good at. I may have a good talent about American football. However, I have never tried it, so I do not know if I am good at it or not. I may have a good talent about selling automobiles. However, I have never become a automobile sales person, so I do not know if I am good at it or not. Therefore, if I do not challenge anything, I will not, cannot find my good talent. However, our life is short and we cannot try too many things. We have to work to earn money to spend our daily expenses. As people become old, they become very busy and tend not to try new things. They stop trying new things. I understand it. But, I will try to continue to do new things. One of the biggest factor between great companies and failed companies is a great, continuous effort!^^ We may not be able to find our good talent in our lives, but I will try.
Reading books makes my brain wake up!^^ I like reading.^^
I went to a BIG LOTS store and bought some things. Many things are very cheap!^^ I like cheap!^^
After that I went to Twelve Oaks Mall. I bought Converse shoes and shirt and socks.
Finally I stopped by Kroger and bought some doughnuts.^^ I like doughnuts.^^
I was exhausted, but I enjoyed shopping.^^ I will sleep all day long for left two days...^^;
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (2/11/2007)
I went on a business trip to Kentucky last Sunday and last Monday.
Temperature was minus 2 Fahrenheit.(>_<) It was so cold. Too cold. I could not
walk even 100 meter outside. Global warming has gone???^^;
Yesterday and today, it has been fine. No snow, and very warm.^^ As I wrote many times, I hate cold weather. I want to live in a warm state.
In Tokyo, it has not snowed yet this year. This is the slowest record that it does not snow in Tokyo in history. If there is no snow in Tokyo this year, it is the first time that there is no snow. In the past, 2 days snowing is the fewest record. This year may be no day snowing. Global warming attacks Tokyo?^^;
I am very weak at cold temperature. As many people know, it is very cold in the buildings in the U.S. Even if in summer, it is extremely cold inside of the buildings. Especially in movie theaters, it is freeeeeezing!^^; Anyway, in my office, it is very cold, too. So I brought my own heater in my booth to warm my legs. It is so comfortable!^^ I should have brought a heater earlier. I cannot work without a heater anymore. But, last Friday, I forgot to bring it to the office! Oh.... I cannot stand.... Human being is so weak. Once we get used to useful life environment, we cannot live without such usefulness. In Japan, it is so cold inside of houses because gas price and electricity price are so high. Japan does not have any natural resources, such as natural gas and gasoline. In the U.S., room temperature is almost always about 70 Fahrenheit. Americans may be surprised at cold temperature inside of houses.
I need to have a heater in the office, so I went to buy a heater at Wal-Mart. There are several kinds of heaters. I saw one heater that has a remote control. "Oh! There is a remote control! So nice!^^ and price is reasonable!^^" I may be still very old time generation, so a remote control has very big impact for me.^^; I almost decided to buy this model, but.... I changed my mind after seeing a different model. That model does not have a remote control and does not have a sleeping timer. However, there is one description that had a huge impact for me. It is a silent design. Currently I have a heater, but it is very noisy. I was surprised when I bought this heater last year. Too noisy and too loud. I did not understand why this heater was so noisy. In my room, the air conditioner is also very noisy and in the office, the air conditioner is very noisy. Many things are so noisy in the U.S. Maybe many American believe that noisy equals working very hard and no noise means no working. Electronic companies should teach consumers that noise is bad and silent is good. In Japan, silent is Goooooooooooood!^^ Oh... Marketing is so different and difficult... We need to know what Americans are and what Japanese are, and companies have develop different models for different markets...
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (2/3/2007)
It has been very feeeeeeeezing these days. Near my
apt, there are Walled lake, and this lake is frozen completely. There are some
small houses on the lake. Some anglers are finishing on the ice!^^
February has come. It is coldest in February among 12 months. I need to stand this weather one or two months more.... In Texas, I believe it is very warm in March. But in Michigan, it is still cold in March...
I have been very very very busy for a few months. But I have finished some very big jobs. I hope I can take some vacations in February. I need to go on a business trip tomorrow(^^;), so I will continue to be busy....
My old friend will come to NYC to work there for two years! He will come to the U.S. in April. I made a promise to meet him. I met him at the University of North Texas. Since then, 9 years has passed. 9 years!!! I cannot believe it. 9 years is a very long time. It is very rare for me to get in touch with friends for 9 years. There are many classmates at Kanazawa University, but I get in touch with NO friend now. I belonged to Soft tennis club and I get in touch with many teammates. The relationship with club teammates is much much stronger than classmates. I think studying in the U.S. is kind of club activity. That is why I get in touch with him for 9 years, I think.
He said that he will be working on JET program. In my understanding, the objective of this program is to send American native English speaker to Japan as an English teacher. In Japan, there are not so many native English speaker teachers in junior high and high schools. I think average Japanese English level is too low. I hope many American go to Japan and increase Japanese English level.
I have never been to NYC, so I want to go there to meet him. It is a good chance to visit NYC!^^ I am lazy, so I need to have excuses to go there!! hahaha....^^;
I look forward to meeting him in April.
See you next week.
Walled Lake. It is frozen completely. (Taken on 2/3/2007)
Weekly
Diary (1/28/2007)
Stress management is very important. I have been really busy
recently, so I need to take a rest sometimes. Currently, my hobby is the
internet surfing and watching ERO Videos.^^; But sometimes the internet surfing
and watching ERO video makes me exhausted, too. I need to go outside.
When I was a child, I used to sing songs a lot. Absolutely, I was singing a song everyday. When I feel the stress, I sang a song, then I relaxed and the stress disappeared. When I became a junior high school student, I began to play softtennis. I hit a ball, then my stress disappeared.^^;
Now I stopped playing softtennis and stopped singing a song. Singing a song may be good for me, but in an apt, I cannot sing a song. My voice may be heard by my neighbors, so I will feel ashamed. Apt contract states that we must not make a noise to bother neighbors. My voice must be a noise.^^;
So, now one of my stress relief method is a shopping.^^ I went to Wal-Mart yesterday and I enjoyed a shopping. I was walking in a store and found one good thing. It is a weight scale. Good health is my No.1 priority in my life. Over weight causes various kinds of diseases, so I usually care my weight. However, I did not have a scale. I was checking my weight by my trousers and a belt. If I feel that trousers are too tight, I gained weight too much. However, it is not so good method because trousers sometimes shrink because of a dryer. Therefore, checking my weight by a scale is absolutely the best way.
I came back from Wal-Mart, and I scaled my weight. It is 137 pounds (62kg)!(^^) Oh, it is much lighter that I expected. My height is about 5 feet and 8 inches (173cm). Current my weight is very good for me.
I felt that I gained weight about one month ago. So, I have been on a diet a little for a month. I did not eat meat so much. Therefore, I can recover my appropriate weight easily. It is important to check weight regularly. Once I gain weight, I begin to be on a diet soon. Fast action is also important. Gaining too much weight is too late. In such case, it is very difficult to recover from that situation. Move fast!
Weight is one of the most important factors to scale our health, but of course, there are some other factors. We need to do some exercises. We need to put stress to our muscle and bones. If there is not stress on bones, bones will become weak and be easily broken. Especially, old people have this problem. We have to make our bones strong from young age. After we become too old and our bone become too weak, it is too late. We need to begin exercises right now.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (1/21/2007)
Winter has come finally...^^; It snowed last week.
But not so much. Just about one inch. Walled lake near my apt froze partially.
Some people were walking on the frozen lake.^^ I heard that this lake usually
freezes almost completely and people can drive a car on the frozen lake!
Actually, last year, I saw the lake freeze completely. This year, weather is so
mild. Many people say that global warming caused it. Global warming is not good,
but I like warm weather. I like southern areas. I am very weak at cold weather
because my body temperature system has something wrong. I cannot keep my body
temperature, so my hands and feet become cold very easily. This causes a skin
problem. My hands skin become rough easily. There are cracks on hands and blood
comes out from these cracks. I hate cold weather!
I have been busy for a few months (<- absolutely, this is an excuse.^^;), so I could not read books or articles so much. My brain does not work if I do not read books. I need to input information into my brain. No input, no output.
My brain has not been working for a few weeks... However, finally (?) my brain was waken up by one article. This article is written in Japanese. It states that one guy became a president of a music company and found some talented singers. He is so successful now. He is 44 now. Talented singers sometimes may not be successful because of lack of talented producers. I am sure that this guy is a really talented producer. He became a president at the age of 39.
I read some books that explain how to become rich!^^ ..... oops, how to become successful!^^ However, many of them just state that the continuous effort will make you successful. Unfortunately, this theory is completely wrong. In my opinion, talent is the most important factor to become successful. Of course, continuous effort is necessary. There are three big factors to become successful. They are talent, effort, and environment. This is the perfect theory!^^ I call this theory Takashi^^ theory.
Talented singers need continuous effort and talented producer (environment). This Takashi^^ theory can be applied to almost everything! If a person has a talent in sales and receives an appropriate training and make an effort to become a great sales person, he would be able to become a successful sales person. Many people say that effort is the most important and if we make a great effort, we could be able to achieve anything! What a stupid way of thinking it is! I am not denying the effort. I am saying that the talent is much more important than an effort. If we make a great effort, can we become a great golf player like Tiger Woods? No!!!!! Tiger Woods is really talented and he is genius!!! Many people intentionally ignore this fact. I cannot believe it. I know they want to emphasize the importance of an effort, but I really recommend that people should find their own talented skills.
I know some doctor students are studying for a long time (more than 10 years), and there is no remarkable achievements. How can we know that this person has a talent in this field? This person may want to spend another 10 years to achieve a great thing? Maybe. But how can we know that? As far as this person is happy to be a doctor student for a long time, I have nothing to say. Sometimes some mediocre persons achieve great things. Nobody knows who has a talent and what kind of talent this person has. I know some successful doctor students, but they are really talented. They published their publications in very famous magazines and even published books! I easily understand they are talented.
I hope everyone can fined his/her own talent and become successful. Please do not waste time and money.
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (1/14/2007)
I put my new year card 2007 in this page. Please take a look at it.
There is a very cute big.^^ (Actually, not a pig, but a boar.)
I sent my new year cards to Japan after Christmas holidays, but I heard that some cards arrived at my friends' house January 1st! Oh... how fast it is! I did not expect so at all. In Japan, there are more than 2 million (more than population in Japan!) new year cards are delivered, so I thought that my cards cannot be delivered on January 1st because post offices are so messed up by so many new year cards. Post offices usually announce that new year card should be posted by December 24th. Otherwise, new year cards cannot be delivered on January 1st. I posted cards after 24th....
Anyway... absolutely postal mail system should be improved year by year. Now Email is very popular, so many people stop sending new year cards, but they send new year emails, I think. Cost can be reduced very much.
Oh, improving year by year remind me one thing... One of my friend emailed me about my new year card and said that I looked better than before.^^ But I think this friend might want to say that I looked worse before.^^; hahaha.... Ok, I am improving day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year, decade by decade, and century by century!!!(^^)(^^)(^^) I know I am getting older and older, but why don't people think that we can look much better than before? Young people study hard. Young people play hard. Young people eat a lot. Young people do exercise a lot. Young people work hard. Young people are interested in being on a diet. Why don't older people do the same things?
Older people do not study. Older people do not do exercise. Older people give up being on a diet. Older people do not do effort to improve themselves. Older people are making a lot of excuses, such as I am very busy so I cannot do it. (<- Am I saying so always?^^;) I am extremely hard on older people!!!(^^)
When I was living in Japan, I watched a TV program. One teacher said, "You are not a teacher, so you cannot understand teachers' jobs, and you do not have the right to criticize teachers!" In my opinion, I think this teacher must be stupid. But I will apply her theory to older people. I have the right to criticize older people because I am old!(^^)(^^)(^^) (How old am I???)
Older people easily become inflexible. Once people start doing the same routine their own daily lives, they easily want to stick to it and refuse to change. I am not saying that such life is not good as far as they do not bother other people. However, sometimes older people are too arrogant and they do not accept other people's opinions. I know some example people who became very arrogant and inflexible. Such people sometimes criticize young people. A few thousands years ago, there was a description that older people criticize young people. Human being has not improved at all for thousands years!^^; hahaha...
I am hard on older people.^^ Generally, after people become 30 years old, they become inflexible. I really recommend people change the environment and challenge new things and make their brain wake up and make their way of thinking flexible!
See you next week.
Weekly
Diary (1/7/2007)
I wrote that I spent 8 years to complete an MBA
and I am proud of myself. But please do not misunderstand one thing. My method
is not good for everyone and I really do NOT recommend my method. I believe that
business persons should get an MBA by the age of 30.
One more big thing. Work experience is extremely, extremely, extremely important. If there is no work experience and spend 8 years for completing an MBA, in my opinion I do not think that person is smart nor wise. Why do we study? Because we need to work finally!!!! Study itself is NOT the objective. WORK is the objective. We need to work, that is why we need to study! Please do not misunderstand it. (Especially I am speaking to my two friends who are studying now.^^)
Anyway, happy new year!^^
It has been very warm these days. I am happy that it does not snow. This winter, I can drive a car very easily!^^
I have been very busy from last December, and probably will be busy in this January, so I am planning to take a vacation in February or in March. Actually, I was working yesterday...hahaha....
This year, I will study about several things. FE exam is one of them. I am working and studying at the same time!^^ I know how hard it is to do study and work at the same time. But students who have no work experience never understand it. Actually, some students do. When I was studying at Tech, I took a taxi and went to the airport. The taxi driver was a Texas Tech student! I was surprised. He was working as a taxi driver and studying at Texas Tech at the same time. I respect him. He said he wanted to study law and to become a lawyer. Some students are working as a TA or a RA, but those jobs are completely different from Full time regular job. Absolutely, those jobs are much better than nothing. But I really recommend students to work for a few years and come back to a university if they need.
I will try to enjoy working and studying!^^ This year what will I accomplish? I will do my best!^^
See you next week.