VS Starting New Fiscal Year

I joined a second stage party of my friend Sayaka and Kouchan's wedding party last night. Their life's new stage started with the party. It was happy for me to watch their happiness. And, everytime I watch other's happiness, I feel I can get some portions of it by them.

Before going to the party, I went to Yasukuni Shrine, to watch cherry blossoms.
There is a big statue of a person who established Japan's army in Meiji period on the center of the shrine. I forgot his name. That's why I tried to check a name plate on the statue. However, I couldn't. In this cherry blossom viewing season, a lot of food shops, liquer shops, and restauranst are built temporarily in the shrine.
Hidden by one of them, nobody can know who he is. And it's ok for the people coming to the shrine. I lost the interest in the name of the statue soon, and enjoyed Yakitori and Beer for a while.

I am going to work in Tokyo from this new fiscal year. I have to say good-bye to Yokohama soon. I am still attached to my working place and great friends in Yokohama, but we couldn't start anythig without finishing something. I had better be looking forward to my new challange.

I will have another cherry blossom viewing party next weekend. But, it must be late for the party on the day, because the life time of cherry blossoms are short, and all flowers on the trees will have gone then.
However, we can enjoy the leaves hidden by flowers. The party will be the good chance for me to recognize the beauty of the trees' hidden side.
I have to prepare Yakitori and Beer at first.

VS COACH

I bought COACH's bag recently. Because my business bag was old with a broken fastener ,and I am going to a new division in my company soon, a new bag is needed in order to refresh my mind.

I was not interested in branded bags before, but I went to a COACH shop because I heard in my English class that COACH's men's bags are very good. I didn't know what they are good for. But, I had a strong interest in COACH then.

When I visited COACH's shop in Yokohama for the first time, there was no customer except for me. However many staffs were working or standing. With an old broken bag, I asked a female staff if I could look at COACH's men's bags. The staff called another staff, then introduced her to me. She seemed to a representative for men's bags in the shop.

At first, she showed me the newest model released recently. On the bag, the name, COACH was printed by red color. It was oviously COACH's men's bag.
I checked a price tag. It was very good (for the staff).
After that, I looked at other bags in the shop. But, to be honest, any bag was okey for me. So, I asked the staff, "When a sales person with COACH's bag comes to your house or office, you wanna buy something from the person?"

I think now that her answer "Yes" was fast but a little weak. But, because I could listen to it enough, I decided to buy the newest model soon.

In addition to the old broken business bag, two more bags of mine was threw away on the day of trash. Now, everytime I go out, I have COACH's men's bag. Yesterday four people asked me, "COACH?"

"COACH?"
"Yes. COACH."
"COACH!"
"YES. COACH."
"Why?"
"...."

I don't know why people ask me why? That's why I can't give any clear answer to it. But all I can say is that people are interseted in COACH more than my business talk.

VS Tale of Genji

Tale of Genji is one of the most famous Japanese novels. It was written just one thousand years ago. So, this year is a memorial year for the story.
Genji is a name of a character in the story. He is a charismatic playboy, and has many relationship with women.
I don't read the story, not because I envy him, but because the story is long. But many people read and study it not only in Japan but also all around the world. Recently, the story's French-translated version was published, and I sold it to my customer. It was a very beautiful book with many colorful pictures.
1000 years ago, we didn't have the technology to print publications. So, of course, all the book at the time were hand-made.
The hand-made original version was copied many times by somebody. Then, many people could read the story.
That's why Tale of Genji has many copied versions. Last week, one of the copied versions in Kamakura era (about 800 years ago) was found out in an old restaurant in Kyoto. From the view point of book-salesman, it must be priceless.
One of my business partners who sells antique books, is trying to sell another version of Genji. But, because the price is too expensive, nobody can buy it!
The way to a playboy seems to be costly.

VS Interpreter

From this spring, I will work in Tokyo. I miss Yokohama, but it must be my great challenge to work in the center of Japanese economy. I'm looking forward to my new place. However I don't change my living area. My root seems to be growing deep under the soil of Atsugi. Long hour commuting must be the waste of time. So, I had better use the time for English lesson. Recently I haven't praciced English listening for a long time, because there is no sound-making electorical equipment, like TV or CD-player, in my room. Thus, I feel my English listening level is going down.
It might be better for me to buy a machine like I-Pod.

I found a funny program in YouTube. It show us the difficulty of interpreters' job.
Interpreting is the final goal for all English learning. We can learn a lot from the program.