Maria, a snow-white girl in quarter breed gave Mei-Shun a beautiful gift: a promotion. It has taken a whole year for her to go two steps up, might be a slow doer. No problem, the most important is to enjoy. Technique learning would follow after she finds her own way to communicate well with that glorious animal. And another reward of effort nicely arrived: a little loss in weight. Her eating a day consists of ample breakfast, lunch and light supper. Sweets are not allowed while a teaspoon of honey, dried/fresh fruits are.
Month: September 2016
Trichosanthes cucumeroides
StandardMaster Mei-Shu had a sudden stomachache the other day. It made a lesson canceled on the way, while her mouth never stopped chatting. Mei-Shun takes it a duty of student to listen to, yet if Master starts to complain, she intends to wander in concentration looking aside.
物言えば 唇寒し 秋の風
MATSUO, Basho said that speaking ill of others makes yourself lowered in above haiku poetry. So did 烏瓜=karasu-uri, Japanese snake gourd it seemed when Mei-Shun left Master’s house.
Fragrant Memory
Standard金木犀=kin-mokusei is one of Mei-Shun’s most favorite flowers. It reminds her of childhood, or accurately happy school days. Festival season used to come with that sweet scent, followed by tiny yellow flowers in bloom. Her parents also love it, planted the other breed of white flowers as well called 銀木犀=gin-mokusei, meaning fragrant olive with silver flowers. Original one means golden flowers with 金, giving young Mei-Shun treasures in garden.
Rosy Sky
StandardHow beautiful! Under this miraculous phenomenon, cicadas sang, humid and hot air held us. Summer seems to postpone his departure. Fiery sunset with orange and red gradation in winter is nice, yet it makes us a bit lonely, doesn’t it? Mei-Shun, who prefers lively pink, blue and green combination, was lucky to see it on walking way to home in the evening. The lane between harvested rice paddies was tinged with scarlet of 彼岸花 here and there.
Showered Out
StandardMei-Shun walked around 乙戸沼 of three fourth, nearly finished when it started raining. She rushed into her car, never likes to get wet or rather prefers umbrellas. Her family is in direct opposition: even in a quite heavy rainfall, they look all the same as going into the sunlight. Do you belong to their side, Tora-chan? You are too kind to welcome Mei-Shun at parking space in rainy mornings when she drives back home. Stay under the roof as Mikan-chan does.
Rain, Rain, Rain
Standard… prevents Mei-Shun from walking for a week, while horse riding class today. Her next reservation is on 30th — well, it does not sound so bad to go up to the next step at the end of month. We had 秋分=shubun, the 16th of 二十四節気 yesterday. It is said 暑さ寒さも彼岸まで, meaning torrid or freezing weather would end at the autumnal/vernal equinoxes. So please, Ms. Stationary Front, leave our archipelago by Sunday, the last day of current 彼岸=higan as summer does.
Visit Ueno
StandardThis is the entrance hall of 伊豆榮梅川亭, Izuei-Umegawa-tei. They serve you delicious 鰻=unagi, baked eels and other Japanese cuisine. It reminds us of Shin’s father who passed away 16 years ago. He was a public servant for Tokyo Metropolitan Government, often contacted his son to dine there. Mei-Shun was always happy to hear his invitation, never interrupted their good communication. Dad-in-law kindly understood her thoughts, always handed Shin 2 cups of 餡蜜, an-mitsu sweets on his way home.
Forward and Backward
StandardMs. I, an instructor at Mei-Shun’s horse riding club, offered her a promotion to the upper class. She will take a test on Friday, feeling so happy. On the other hand, she might stumble in her diet. She knows reasons well — one is that her rule to weigh regularly has been broken. She has done it on Aug. 31, Sept. 2, 9, 10 and 12 so far. Then she tried tonight, an unbelievable amount jumped into her eyes. Now she must make a rectification.
Happy Birthday!
StandardTo you, Mikan-chan. Mom wishes she could go anywhere with you — sorry to bring you up as a lonely girl. She had to leave you at home to visit her mother today, since it is the only day available for them to enjoy chatting on handmade ohagi sweets. Yes, your human grandma will go to 草津 again soon. Thank you so much for staying a good girl every time. Oh, you are turning around following a long, fluffy pole. Sweetest baby, it is your own lovely tail.
Japanese Culture@holiday
StandardAutumn accounts for good moon seeing. 中秋=Chushu, the middle of this season, comes on September 15th. It is said to have a night of the best moon 名月=meigetsu, yet her shape would not always be in full round — two days later in 2016. Unity between name and reality will occur in 2021, one year after the Olympic Game held secondly in Tokyo. Regarding the moon, 松風=Matsu-kaze, heroine of 汐汲 dances a short story in moonlight. You never can catch it in water, that symbolizes her broken heart.
meishunkikunoe 