The Year-End Party, 2009

Year-end parties with friends or co-workers are said to be an annual event in Japan.
Most office workers have, at least, two to three times year-end parties in December.

A few weeks ago, I had a year-end party with my tennis friends.
I always feel more relaxed having a party not with coworkers but with tennis friends.

It's really interesting talking with people from different walks of life, including a medical doctor, engineers, a mechanic, a sales person, house wives, a college professor and a tennis couch for kids.

It’s my last working day in this year tomorrow. New Year Party season is not far: it’s coming soon. lol

Family Pictures

 Even email is very popular among Japanese, we still have a custom of sending New Year's Day postcards to our friends and relatives as Westerners send Christmas cards to their friends and relatives.

I'm not the exception of Japanese.
I always make my New Year's Day postcards using my family pictures in the middle of December.
I took pictures for the postcards yesterday at home.

It’s hard to know the growth of my daughters because I live with them and see them everyday. But, when I compare the following pictures, I realize that our daughters have grown amazingly.

The picture I took yesterday.

Year 2008

Year 2007

Year 2006

Tennis, Tennis and Tennis.

Mr. Ikeda and I became runner-ups at the Ichikai doubles tennis tournament a few weeks ago. The prize was two right hand gloves for tennis players.

Mr. Takano and I won the CANON Utsunomiya division employee’s tennis tournament a week ago. 5,000 yen, about US$45 worth restaurant coupon was the prize.

Ms. Tajima and I became runner-ups at the Mohka beginner’s level mixed doubles tennis tournament today. We got two middle size towels as a prize.

I have been a tennis bum for almost one month, he-he.

To tell you the truth, I have tons of things to do within this year. One of the biggest tasks is to take family pictures and make new-year greeting cards. I may need 48 hours a day.
Time really flies … sigh.
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Utsunomiya Marathon 2009

Rina, my younger daughter, earned a bronze medal at the 2009 Utsunomiya Marathon.
Congratulations Rina!

There were half marathon, 10 km, 5 km and 2 km races for both men and women, being divided into their age groups at the Utsunomiya Marathon.

She took part in the women's junior high school students division in which about one hundred athletes participated.

Even it had passed a few months after she retired her track and field club at her school, she did a great job.

Most of Japanese high schools have the same policy or practice that all third grade students should finish their club activities in autumn and start to prepare for their high school entrance examinations.

But, after retiring her club, Rina kept running long distance on Saturday or Sunday morning alone till the day of the marathon race.

Unfortunately, she could not beat other two competitors nor her last year's her own record, I'm proud of Rina.
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