Morning set

アメリカにはいわゆる喫茶店というものはありません。スターバックスはいっぱいありますけど。日本には、たくさんの喫茶店があります。そして、大抵の喫茶店では、朝、モーニングセットというものを出しています。普通は、トースト、サラダ、ゆで卵なんかがコーヒーとセットになって、通常より安い値段で提供されます。
さて、個性派喫茶店といえば、名古屋です。名古屋には、モーニングといいつつ、閉店までモーニングセットを提供する店や、モーニングにコーヒーと一緒にうどんを出す店なんかがあったりして、ちょっと変わっています。
そして、何と言っても一番有名なのは喫茶マウンテンですね（http://park7.wakwak.com/~nymidi/mountain/）。私は行ったことありませんけど。抹茶スパやお汁粉スパなんてやっぱり食べたくない・・・。でも激辛ピラフは食べたいかな・・・。

There is no so-called cafe in US. But there is so many Starbucks. There are many cafes in Japan. And most of cafes offer “morning set” in the morning. Normally, morning set includes a toast, salad and boiled egg with a cup of coffee, and it is offered cheaper price than usual.
Well, speaking of a distinctive café is Nagoya. Nagoya has a café which offers a morning set until closing time, nonetheless its name is a “morning” set, and a café which offers “Udon” with coffee as "a morning set", so I think Nagoya is very interesting area.
When all is said and done, the most well-known cafe in Nagoya is café Mountain （http://park7.wakwak.com/~nymidi/mountain/）. I have never been to there. I don’t want to eat “Matcha-spa” or “Oshiruko-spa” (they are very sweet spaghetti.)… But, I‘d like to eat very hot spicy pilaf.

S.TEEM （http://www.s-teem.co.jp/）

久しぶりにマッサージと鍼に行きました。エスティームスポーツマッサージは、私が１５年ほど頼りにしている先生がいらっしゃるマッサージです。彼は、私の知る限り、日本一マッサージと鍼が上手です。私は数十人のマッサージと鍼の経験がありますが、他の人とは全くその効果が異なります。私が、腰痛のために歩けなくなりそうだな、っと感じたときは、すでに手遅れだったりするのですけど、先生（元田先生）は、必ず復活させて下さいます。その代り１週間くらい毎日２時間、みっちりマッサージを受ける必要があります。１回５０分で５０００円、１週間通うと７万以上かかりますが、入院することを考えると全くもって安いです。
元田先生は、毎回オリンピックには選手に付き添って長期出張されます。また、その他でも大会なんかがあると、結構長く出張でいません。なので、タイミングを見計らって、腰痛になる必要がありますね（笑）。
ワシントン再渡米が近いこの時期の腰痛にはまいっていますけど、元田さんは今東京にいらっしゃるので、大丈夫です。
私は、この先生と離れるのが嫌で、就職の際に東京にいようと決めたほどです。とにかく、肩こり、腰痛、リラックスしたい等々、お時間のある方は是非一度彼のマッサージを受けてみてください。場所はJR田町駅から徒歩１０分内です。（http://www.s-teem.co.jp/）

It’s been a while since I have gone to see a masseur and received acupuncture. S.TEEM sports massage is the massage where the masseur whom I trust in for more than 15 years is. As far as I know, he is the most skillful person who can do a massage and an acupuncture in Japan (I think, in the world). Although I have experiences that I was given massage and acupuncture from tens of people, the effect of him is completely different from other people. If I feel pain on my back and I think it will become hard to walk, sometimes it is too late for remedy. But he ( Motoda-san) always remedies my back pain. Instead, I have to receive his massage and acupuncture two hours every day, for more than a week. One time is 50 minutes and 5000 yen, so if I go to there for one week, I have to pay more than 70000 yen, but I think it is very cheap, if considering about being hospitalized.
Motoda-san is always on an extended business trip accompanying with the Olympic athletes in each Olympic. Further, if there are some competitions, he goes out for a long time. Therefore, when only the opportunity which he is in Tokyo comes, I can aggravate lower back pain.
I am in trouble, because I have to return to Washington DC soon, but it is fine with me that Motoda-san is in Tokyo now.
He is such an important person that when I found a job after graduating from University, I decided to stay in Tokyo because of him.
Anyway, if you have shoulder discomfort or back pain, or want to relax etc, and if you have a time, please receive his massage. It is so nice.
The place（http://www.s-teem.co.jp/） is 10 minutes walk from Tamachi station of JR.

P.S. I love you

久しぶりに日本語字幕の映画を観ました。テレビで宣伝してたので、見に行ってしまいました。とても仲のよい夫婦の旦那の方が死んでしまって、残された彼女が、死んだはずの彼からの１０通の手紙によって、元気を取り戻していく、みたいな話です。アメリカでテレビを見るときは、英語字幕を表示しているのですけど、やっぱりその速さについていけず、表情から物語を推測する、みたいな見方しかできませんけど、日本語字幕があるのはやっぱりよいかも。それにしても、大人一人１８００円です。映画って高いですね・・・。

It’s been a while since I have seen a movies which has Japanese subtitle. Because the movie whose name is “P.S. I love you” was advertised in TV, I went to the theater. The story is the following. There is very close husband and wife and the husband died. The wife is getting to bounce back by 10 letters from her husband who has already passed away.
When I watch TV in US, although I let it show English subtitle, I can’t follow the speed. Then, I usually do nothing but image the story by his or her expression, but it is very easy to my understanding to read Japanese subtitle. Anyway, fee for one adult is 1800 yen. I think the movie is very expensive.

Indian restaurant

前は自由が丘に住んでいたので、渋谷へは１０分足らずでよく行っていました。これもまた１０年以上前から通っているインド料理やがあるんだけど、久しぶりに行ったら、これまたやっていました。この店（http://www.rajmahal.gr.jp/）はいつも結構込んでます。から～くしてほしい、というと本気で辛いカレーが出てくるのであたしは大のお気に入り。一緒に行った友達は、辛すぎてカレーが食べられず、辛くないものを追加注文してましたけど（笑）。

I lived in Jiyuugaoka in Meguro ward, and I could go to Shibuya within 10 minutes, so I often went to Shibuya. There was an Indian restaurant which I went to more than 10 years ago and I went there after a long interval. To my surprise, the restaurant existed there. This restaurant (http://www.rajmahal.gr.jp/) is always crowded. If I ask to make it very hot and spicy, they cook really hot and spicy curry, so I love the restaurant. My friend who went with me couldn’t eat the curry because it was too hot, so we had to order another curry which was not hot.

Café in Shibuya

土日の渋谷はものすごく混んでいます。なので当然喫茶店もいっぱいなんですけど、１０年以上前からたまに行っている喫茶店があって、渋谷のど真ん中なのに、超空いています。ケーキもいっぱい種類があるし、コーヒーや紅茶もホットだと２杯目からはすべてサービスという超親切な喫茶店です。３年ぶりくらいに行ってみましたが、相変わらず、やっていました。何かが変わらずあるのって安心します。

There are many many people in Shibuya on weekend. Therefore, of course, cafes are packed with people. There is a cafe which I have been to for more than ten years. The cafe locates in the middle of Shibuya, but it is always almost empty. The cafe has many kinds of cakes and if I order hot coffee or hot tea, I can drink the second one at no charge, so I think the cafe is very nice. I went there in about three years, the cafe was still there. I took a comfort in knowing that.

My friend

今週は、横浜の友達の家に泊ってます。一戸建てで、息子と二人で住んでいるので、広くて、超快適です。酒屋も目の前にあって、飲み放題だし。来年、日本に帰ってきたら、しばらくここにいようかと勝手に思ってますけど（笑）。
息子は気がついたらあたしのことをmikaと呼んでいて、それも嬉しかったな。
友達のおうちでは、うさぎをかっていて、それがとてもかわいいです。友達が２階に上がると、階段の下で、ちょこんと座ってまっています。ただ、おトイレ以外でもうんこをするので、注意しないとうんこを踏んでしまいます・・・。でも癒される。

I am staying in my friend’s house this week. As her house is detached house and she lives with her son, the house is very spacy and so comfortable. There is liquor store in front of her house, so I can drink much. If I return to Japan next spring, I wish to stay at her house for a while.
I found her son calls me ”Mika”, so I am very happy.
She has a rabbit, and its name is Tutu. Tutu is so cute. If my friend goes to upstairs, Tutu sits and waits at the bottom of the stairs. But Tutu does droppings outside his toilet, so if I am not careful, I will tread Tutu’s droppings.. But Tutu makes me feel comfort very much.

My sister’s husband’s mother

ところで、姉の旦那さんのお母さんは私のブログを読んでくださっていて、読んで頂いているだけでも恐縮するのですけど、寛クンもときどき登場するので楽しんで頂いているようです。で、なんとそのお母様にお手紙と共にお小遣いを頂いてしまいました！しかもドルです。すっごくすっごく嬉しくて、その気持ちが嬉しくて、大事に使おうと思います。
姉の旦那のお母様は、お野菜や栗ごはんなんかを姉に送って下さるようで、とてもあったかい優しいお母様です。姉の旦那のお母さんということで、普通だとあまりお近づきになれないと思いますけど、あちらのお母様やお父様は、その人柄のせいか、不思議に私はものすごく身近に感じていて、近所に住んでたら遊びに行きそうな勢いです。これからもがんばってブログを更新しようと思いました。

By the way, my sister’s husband’s mother reads my blog. I am very happy that she reads my blog, but she seems to enjoy my blog. And she gave me an allowance! It was in dollars. I was so happy, and I am so pleased about her feeling, and I will take good care of it. My sister’s husband’s mother always sends some vegetables or Kuri-gohan to my sister, so she is very warm-hearted person. I think I would not usually become close to my sister's husband's parents, but they are very lovely people that I feel close to them. If I lived close to their house, I would go to their house. I decided I would try hard to update my blog.

Hironari-kun

月曜日は、姉のうちに行ってきました。イタリアで買ったパスタを持って。寛クンは、今は、まねっ子の時期？だそうで、私が笑うと寛クンもマネして笑います。それがむちゃくちゃかわいい。とにかくむちゃくちゃかわいかったです。
だっこしてないと、泣いちゃうということで、姉は四六時中、寛クンをだっこしてるらしい。大変ですね。寛くんは生後３か月だけど６キロ以上あって、それなりに重たいので、私はきっと腰が痛くなってしまいます。

I went to my sister’s apartment on Monday bringing pasta which I bought in Italy to see her baby, Hiro-kun. Recently, Hiro-kun is in the time when he emulates what we do, so if I smile, he smiles, too. This is very very cute. Hiro-kun is so cute!!
If nobody holds Hiro-kun, he begins to cry. Therefore, my sister always holds him. It is not so easy. I am sure that I will get back pain if I do so because Hiro-kun is no less than 6 kg although he is just three month old.

Tomoki(友貴)-kun

友達の赤ちゃんを見に行ってきました。彼女にとっては二人目の赤ちゃんです。生後１か月だったので、とっても小さかったです。上の子は４歳なんだけど、もうしっかりお姉さんしていました。友くんは自動で揺れるベッドに寝てたんだけど、友くんが泣くと、ベッドを揺らしに行く姿はすっかりお姉さんで、４歳なのにえらいなぁと思ってしまいました。友達はマイホームも買っていてとてもかわいい素敵なお家でした。こんなかわいいお家で、こんな優しいお母さんに育てられたら、私ももっと丸い性格になったのでは、、、と考えてしまいました。

I went to my friend’s house to see her baby, Tomoki. He is the second baby for her. As he is just one month old, he is very small and very very cute. Although his elder sister is only four years old, she knew she was a elder sister very well. Although his elder sister is only four years old, she knows she is an elder sister very well. Tomo-kun was sleeping in a bed which swung automatically. When Tomo-kun began to cry, she went to his bed and she swung his bed. I was very impressed to see that, because she behaved as an elder sister very well in spite of her age. My friend bought her own house, and it was really nice. I thought if she were my mother (she is really gentle and the house is really cute), I could be gentler...

Yamamotoya

さて、名古屋と言ったら、味噌煮込みうどんとひつまぶしですけど、土曜日に久しぶりに名古屋の友達に会って、朝まで飲んでしまって強烈な二日酔いというか、まったく酔った状態だったので、日曜日のお昼は、味噌煮込みうどんを食べに行きました。味噌煮込みうどんと言えば、山本屋です。名古屋駅の高島屋にある山本屋は１時間待ちだったので、栄まで行きました。久しぶりの山本屋。しじみの入っているのにしました。１杯約２５００円。おいしいけど高いですね・・・。２５ドルでうどんを食べたって言ったらアメリカ人は信じてくれないだろうなぁと思いました。

Well, speaking of Nagoya, it is Misonikomi Udon and Hitumabusi. As I met my friends on Saturday, and we drank until Sunday morning , I had a big hangover or rather I was still terribly drunk. So my friend and I went to eat Misonikomi Udon for Sunday lunch. Speaking of Misonikomi Udon, it is Yamamotoya. As we have to wait for one hour at Yamamotoya which is at Takashimaya department store at Nagoya station, we went to Sakae. It’s been a while since I ate Misonikomi Udon. I chose one which as Shijimi in it. It was about 2500 yen. It was really good, but it was a little expensive. I thought if I say I had eaten a noodle at $25 a bowl, Americans won't believe it.

Nagoya

私は名古屋出身ですけど、３連休を利用して、実家に帰ってきました。友達の赤ちゃんと姉の赤ちゃんを見に行くためです。
土曜日は、久しぶりに名古屋の友達と会いました。ワシントン帰りということで、マグロのしゃぶしゃぶに連れていってもらいました。脂がたっぷり乗ったマグロをしゃぶしゃぶすると、意外にあっさりしていて、何枚でも食べられてしまいます。ワシントンには、マグロのしゃぶしゃぶはないので、（とくにスライスがない・・）とってもおいしかったです。

I was born in Nagoya and I had been in Nagoya until 18 years old, so I went back to my parents’ house for three-day weekend to see my friend’s and my sister’s babies.
On Saturday, I met my friends in Nagoya after a long absence.
As I have just returned to Japan from Washington DC, they took me to the restaurant which offered Maguro shabushabu. I did shabushabu Maguro which had plenty of fat, it was non-fatty surprisingly, so I could eat many slices. As Washington has no Maguro shabushabu (specifically, no slice), it was so tasty!

Hot spring

木曜日に帰国して、毎日ものすごく長い睡眠時間を取ってるおかげで、とっても元気です。金曜日には、事務所のみんなに帰国祝いをしてもらいました。土曜日は、友達のお店で再開の祝杯を。ゴーヤのお浸しとか栗おこわとかとってもおいしかったです。
で、日曜日は、せっかく日本に帰ってきたので、箱根の温泉に行ってきました。久しぶりに、のんびりお風呂につかりました。ワシントンのアパートは、新しくなって、一応、バスタブに浸かれるようになりましたけど、やっぱり温泉は格別です＾＾

As I have a long sleep every day after returning to Japan on Thursday, I am very fine. My colleagues in Hibiki had a welcome-back party at Hokkaidou (Izakaya). On Saturday, I met with my friends at my friend’s restaurant in Shibuya and had dinner. I ate boiled bitter gourd and Kuri-okowa, they were really nice!

Then next day, I went to Hakone to go to hot spring, since I came all the way back to Japan. I soaked in hot spring for a long long time. I can soak in the bath tab in my apartment in Washington DC, because I moved to a new apartment, but hot spring in Japan is special for me.

I would like to introduce my boss.

私は、１０月１日から２８日まで、日本に一時帰国します。今までは、ワシントン便りを書いていましたが、日本にいる間は、日と響事務所について書こうと思います。この間、知り合いの事務所を訪問して、響事務所の紹介をしたので、それをここで紹介しておきます。しばらくは、日本食三昧です。楽しみ～

I will return to Japan from October 1 to 28 temporarily. So far, I was writing about my life in DC, but I will write about Japan and Hibiki while I am in Tokyo. I went to Posz Law Group in Reston (http://www.poszlaw.com/), and I introduced about Hibiki. Then I post it on my blog. I will eat much Japanese food while I am in Tokyo. I am really looking forward to it.

Hibiki IP Law Firm was founded in 2001. So, our law firm has been in business for only 8 years.
I joined Hibiki in 2004, so this is the fifth year from I joined Hibiki. When I joined Hibiki, it had less than 10 employees, but after I joined Hibiki, work increased more and more, and then Hibiki has about 50 employees now, which is a medium-sized law firm in Japan.

When all is said and done, a characteristic of Hibiki is Mr. Ieiri, I think. So, I would like to introduce my boss to you.

First of all, he is young. When I decided to join Hibiki, he was only 36 years old. Most of law firms in Japan, a chairman is very old, but Mr. Ieiri is not old. One of the reasons why I joined Hibiki was that Mr. Ieiri was very young.

Secondly, he is a decisive person. Mr. Ieiri always makes a decision very quickly. And as far as I know, he has never made an error in decision. I think this is why he has such charisma. It is not exaggeration that most of employees are attached to his charisma.

Thirdly, he is really considerate to his employees. I have many stories in order to explain that he is really considerate to employees.
For example, I have a back problem for a long time. When I couldn’t work because of pain, I was transported by ambulance to the hospital in 2005. At that time, he said to me to forget all about work and just put my treatment first in everything.

In our law firm, we have a system that when we pass the patent attorney exam, Mr. Ieiri buys for us an Aeron Chair. As far as I know, an Aeron Chair is one of the most low impact chairs for our back. Mr. Ieiri said to me before I passed the patent attorney exam that I had better use an Aeron Chair. But I always said as I haven’t had not passed the exam, I couldn’t get him to buy the Aeron Chair.
Then, when I went to the Office after leaving the hospital, an Aeron Chair was put on my seat. It was Mr. Ieiri’s. He bought a new Aeron Chair for him, and he gave me his previous chair. He thought that nobody complained about that because it was used by Mr. Ieiri and I didn’t need to mind the chair because it was not new. It was very helpful for me.

Further, after my being discharged from the hospital, I couldn’t go to office because of back pain, so he permitted working at home quickly. When I came back to the office, he bought a couch in order to lie down on the couch whenever I felt pain. After it was decided to go to Washington DC, when he knew that I couldn’t sit on an economy seat because of pain, he bought me a business class ticket readily.

In addition, he is very responsible, caring, and tactful person. His personal character becomes evident in his replies of e-mail. For example, when I have 10 questions which would like to ask him, I ask him only three questions because he is very busy. However, whenever I ask him some questions, he answers not only some questions, but also other questions about which I don't ask him. I think he thinks why I have questions, and he assumes other questions.

As previously mentions, when I had a job interview, as Hibiki was very small law firm, so I was not going to enter Hibiki. But, after repeating to exchange e-mail with him, I was very impressed with his considerate and clear responses and I decided to work with him.

Furthermore, he works very quickly. Although he is quick to reach his decision, he is also very quick at other every works. For example, when I send e-mail, he always replies first though he is very busy.

I would like to close by saying that I really wanted to come to US because I am very interested in American people and I would like to make it possible to speak English. But as you know, I can’t speak English well, actually I can’t read and write English well. So I don’t know why he let me go to Sughrue as a trainee. But he never makes a bad decision, and I trust in him completely. So I will definitely learn something which is informative and useful for our clients and Hibiki during my training in US.

Moving house

９月２７日に、オークウッドからボールストンのボールストンスクウェアに引っ越ししました。引っ越しでは、たくさんの友達が手伝って下さいました。とりわけ、ＷさんとＫさんは、朝９時半にきて、荷物の梱包から手伝って下さいました。７人いたので、１時ごろから荷物の積み込みを始めて、３時半には、新しいアパートに荷物の運び込み全部終わっていました。ちょうどトラックの移動の間のみ、激しいい雨が降りましたが、なんとかびしょ濡れにならずにすみました。夜は、みんなでエチオピアレストランにご飯を食べに行きました。皆様、ありがとうございました！

I moved to Ballston Square in Ballston from Oakwood on September 29. Many friends helped my moving. Particularly, W-san and K-san came to my apartment in Oakwood at 9:30 am and helped me to pack. Since there were seven helpers, we could start to put my bags in the truck at 1: 00 pm, then we finished taking the bags into my new apartment at 3:30 pm. As it rained hard only during driving the truck, we didn’t get wet with rain.
We went to the Ethiopian restaurant to have dinner at night. Thank you everyone for
helping me, thank you so much!