Trip to The States #2

We came here in Orlando, staying at Chris's home.

Trip to The States #1

We arrived in the States!! A wonderful trip has started. :-)

My Travel Agency Bankrupts

I have been very busy preparing for coming trip to the U.S. We leave Japan March 26th and come back April 7th.

In the midst of these busy days, a terrible thing happened to me.
My travel agency bankrupted last Monday and all workers in the office disappeared.
The office has been locked since then and the telephone line has been always busy.

I had to give up our air tickets to the States. They cost almost $4,000.
I found the bankruptcy more than one week before our departure day, so I could buy air tickets again for $5,000. The $4,000 will not come back to me, sigh.

I found on the web that some customers of the agent went to Narita airport and found that all airlines’ reservations were cancelled because the travel agent had not paid the money.

The $4,000 is heavy on me but I’m lucky I don’t have to give up the trip.
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New Video: Tokyo 2009

I made a video, “Tokyo 2009” and uploaded it on YouTube site yesterday morning. After that, I took part in Mohka tennis tournament with my colleague Mr. Ikeda. Then, I went to T-PAL tennis team party at night.
It was a very hectic day yesterday.

I embedded a “Tokyo 2009” link on this blog. I’m happy if you watch the video.

World Baseball Classic: Japan vs. Korea

I took a day off from work today and went to Tochigi Drivers’ License Office for having it issued an international driver’s permit.

The office is open on weekday only, so it’s a good excuse for me to take a day off.
After finishing the chore, I took a rest at home and enjoyed watching WBC (World Baseball Classic) Japan vs. Korea game on TV with my younger daughter Rina.

For we rarely watch baseball games at home, Rina doesn’t know the ball game rules at all.
I explained the rules every time their play proceeds.

Comparing tennis and Rina’s favorite long distance running, I realized again that the rules of the ball game are really complicated.

Ofuda: Paper Having Holy or Magical Spells

My mother living in western Japan Shimane prefecture sent us Ofuda last week.
She sends Ofuda every year in this season.

Ofda is a strip of paper or a piece of wood which has been blessed and sanctified by a Japanese Shinto priest or a Buddhist monk.

It's said that Ofuda is to bring the bearer good luck or protection against those with evil.

My mother, my brother and my sister living in Shimane are rather religious comparing with me.

The power of Ofuda expires at the end of the year so people must buy new ones for the New Year.
This custom has lasted over several hundred years in Japan, I guess, and is a very clever custom for sellers.

They are usually sold at shinto shrines or buddhist temples, recently they are sold on the web, too.
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