What Next?

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Ms. Piano sings almost every day as Mei-Shun continues Spanish learning. Since her favorite program on radio finished within March, she listens to new one started last month for listening. When new words and grammar come out, how a story goes in half an year, they all depend on an instructor. It is therefore a kind of thrilling challenge to catch what she has already learned.

 

Look @Moon

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Meow, mom resumed kabuki dance lesson at home. She means to remember how to dance 恋の手習い=love lesson part of 京鹿子娘道成寺 within this month. Just go ahead, purr. It is clear today, would let us see a full moon at night. It also should have been a chance for Professor M, her only student to visit her, yet had to be canceled. I wish they can share practice in yukata next month.

Copyright © 2020 Mikan-chan All Rights Reserved.

Japanese Culture@holiday

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Nationwide state of emergency in our country would have expired today, the last of Golden Week holidays. However, it was announced to be extended toward the end of May while partly lifted in areas except for 13 prefectures including Ibaraki. White beauties are seen in many places, perhaps to encourage Shin and Mei-Shun to continue stay-at-home life with smile.

Curtain from yellow to white

Japanese Culture@holiday

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Golden Week, our serial holidays in this month is also a chance to see temporary farmers plant young rice on watered paddy. Mei-Shun also heard a love song by an uguisu or Japanese nightingale boy. Well done, you must have practiced hard to give such a dulcet voice. She cannot treat you to this, yet please just see a box of sweets — popular chocolate collaborated by a patisserie, sister company of たねや.

 

Japanese Culture@holiday

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1st of this month was 八十八夜=hachi-ju-hachi-ya, 88th day from 立春. It is said to be the best timing to pick up young leaves of green tea. Mei-Shun is therefore looking forward to purchase some, yet things are a bit different this year. Her favorite shop seems to suspend sending a pamphlet for order by post. She would wait until they return to normal business.

Great to see you again, little cherry tree.

She Loves

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Here Mei-Shun’s one of favorite months has come. May was full of young green in her childhood, yet such time seems to have got advanced for a few weeks these days. Well, everything changes, why doesn’t she enjoy it? And another reason follows, 柏餅=kashiwa-mochi and 粽=chimaki to celebrate coming Children’s Day on 5th. Thanks a lot, generous たねや for bonus leaf pies added to free delivery.

 

Wild Wisteria

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Mei-Shun feels grateful to see one on the top of backyard camphor tree. It was really by chance for her to catch the flowers of bluish violet into eyes, thorough a wide oriel window in the living room with a wooden bench attached inside. She sat on it chatting with her mother by phone, looked up the sky to keep hung futon mats dry. Now is the time to hang up and bring them in.

Japanese Culture@holiday

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Yes, this is Showa Day, changed from Green Day in our previous Heisei era. Since it was birthday of Emperor Showa, Mei-Shun thought December 23rd, on which Emperor Emeritus Akihito was born, would be a holiday from 2020. However, it has become a weekday after 30 years, while February 23rd a holiday as Birthday of current Emperor Naruhito.

Mom-in-law’s お赤飯=o-seki-han, red-bean rice to celebrate today

Bye and Hi

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Mei-Shun found a fluffy ball of dandelion seed in the eastern veranda. She loves such a strong plant who lives a short, pretty life on narrow soil. Please, honey, come back to see her again next year. Another finding indoors was at the foot of Mademoiselle Vert. It looks all different from little leaf buds grew on her top. Are you going up or down, while to … bloom?

Your cousins in similar blossom, on one bank of nearby rice paddy

Growing day by day

 

Somewhat Siamese

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Hi, cute twins, how have you been? Mei-Shun has seen you for several times on the way to the nearest shrine. Oops, one of you seems to be using a restroom under an azalea bush. That is why the other gave a glance at her. Thanks and sorry, just a photo. It is quite cooler than yesterday, when she drew a bit better omikuji lot 末吉=sue-kichi, the least lucky.

MS goes …

… and returned.

One of them @lunch