From the Heart of Tokyo 東京の中心から

SL

I'm borrowing this from Martin's Japanese mixi blog.

SL= steam locomotive

Martin wrote: Since I was a kid, I’ve always liked trains.  When I was growing up and my family vacationed in Colorado, I was amazed by old railroads and museums with steam locomotives.

In November, we took a family vacation to Shizuoka. We road the SL from Kanaya to Senzu, and I took these pictures.  Actually, it is difficult to take pictures of the SL when you are riding on it, but on our return I was able to take a few more pictures.  The SL is an amazing machine.

Go here to see some train pictures.  電車の写真を見にここに見てください。

マティンはこれを書きました。　　子供の時から、列車は好きです。　育っていた時に家族とコロラド州で休暇をして、古い列車の写真とか、列車の博物館とか大好きでした。

１１月、家族と静岡の休みを取りました。SLで金谷から千頭まで乗って、この写真を撮りました。実は、SLに乗りながら、列車の写真を撮るのはちょっと不便だけど、寸又峡温泉から戻って、もっと写真の機会にきました。すごい機械でしょう。

I'm a Car Guy

僕は車の人だよ。　　Guest author:  Martin

専門は自動車のエンジニアですが、趣味も自動車です。会社（ゲネール　モータース）はいろいろな種類の自動車を量産しているけど、アジアの仕事が多いから, 忙し過ぎで、運転の機会があまりないんです。先週末に日本ゲネール　モータースからすばらしい車を借りました。Corvette はGMの一番ハイーパフォマンスのスポーツカーです。４２０馬力のエンジンがあって、スタイルはすばらしいです。すごい車だと思いますがパメラはも美しいと思いませんか。

My trade is automotive engineering, but fortunately cars are also my interest and hobby.  My company, General Motors, manufactures a variety of different types of cars, but I have so much work in　Asia、 developing hybrid projects, that I rarely have a chance to drive.  Last weekend I borrowed an awesome car from the office: a Red 2006 Chevrolet Corvette.  The Corvette is GM’s top sports car, with a super-torquey 420 horsepower engine, 6 speed manual transmission, and very cool style.  We went cruising through the hot spots of central Tokyo、loving the low rumble of the engine and the looks from the crowd.  It is a fantastic looking car…but don’t you think Pamela looks just as fine??

12回後引き分けになった４－４。

It was a tie、4-4, after 12 innings.  guest author: Jonah

もちろん、野球を大好きです。ジョナの気に入り日本のチームは西武ライオンズです。今週に私はモニカとジョナとアランを学校に会って、電車でさいたまにゲームを見て、連れて行きました。　下はジョナの英語で物語です。

I went to the game with my friend, Alan.  He also likes baseball.  Seibu Dome is a long  ways from my house.  You have to take 4 trains to get there and it takes a couple of hours.  (not counting the wrong trains my mom took).  When we finally got to the correct station we took the "Leo Liner" which is a train that goes directly to the stadium.  After the 10th inning, when the score was still 4 to 4, we were really tired and we had a long way to go home, and we had school the next day, so we left.  Later we found out that the final score was a draw.  The score was even 4 to 4 and me and Alan knew that in America the game would go longer than 12 innings until someone scored. 

When we were getting ice cream, we saw through a gap in the crowd that Cabrera  hit a long home run that hit the scoreboard.  During this game, Wada also hit a homerun.        It was a great game!

プレーについて

Martin's review of the High School Play "Seussical"

  先週に家族と子供の学校でこうこうのプレーを行て見ました。　 プレーはミュージカルだから、歌う人が多かったです。　学生のパフォーマンスはとてもすごかったです。　百人の学生も参加しましたから、調整の努力はとてもすばらしかったです。　このアメリカの学校（ASIJ)の先生はいつも一生懸命子供に手伝ていますから、とてもいい学校だと思います。

Last week I went with my family to a high school play at the kids' school.   Since it  was a musical, there were so many singing parts.  The performance of the students was amazing!  Since about 100 students participated, the coordination effort was enormous.  Because the teachers at the American School put all their effort into helping students, I think it is a great school.                     

Follow This Link to see more photos from the play.

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-    -    -    -    Thank you, Martin.  Speaking of Dr. Seuss.  I was talking to one of my Japanese friends recently, and, mind you, this is a very sophisticated guy, who is fluent in at least three languages, and he's "been around."  BUT, he's never heard of Dr. Seuss!  Since my parents read the Dr. Seuss books to me when I was a small child many decades ago, and since I've read them to my own children many, many times, I was surprised.  I would say that Dr. Seuss is an American Icon.  The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, Hop on Pop... etc. And of course, there's the GRINCH who stole Christmas.

I have been reading to my kids at bedtime from the very beginning of their lives, so that goes back over 25 years when Jay was a baby.  Long before they could understand, I would read stories at bedtime, lay in bed with them and let them hear the words and feel the emotion wash over them, lulling them to sleep with my voice.  It helped inspire a love of books from early on.  Of course, they can all read to themselves now, but at bedtime Jonah still lets us read to him.  Here is Daddy reading a special book, The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss.  His Mom used to read it to him, and now he reads it to his own kids.

Basketball (M) and Dog (J)

モニカとジョナはこれを書きました。

 

BY MONICA　　

Volleyball is my favorite sport, and I was on the team earlier in the school year, but this session I chose BASKETBALL because volleyball wasn't offered..  It's really fun.  We practice twice a week after school, and usually have games on Saturdays.  Every Saturday I have to get up really early and either take a train or bus or sometimes my parents drive me to the various schools where we play.  I think I'm getting better because of the practices.  The coach is good, and I like my teammates, but there's so many girls on the team, I don't get as much playing time as I like.  We had a slow start this season, but we've won the last three games.  GO MUSTANGS!

バレーボールは一番好きのスポーツでも、今バスケットボールをします。楽しいです。毎週 学校の後で練習をします。大体土曜日にゲームをする。いろいろ学校に行かなくちゃ。そして、早く起きて、一人で電車かバースで行って、時々両親は車で運転をします。練習からだんだんよくになっていると思います。コーチとチームメート達はいいでけど、たくさん女の子あるからプレーな時があまり十分でわない。最初あまり下手だけど、最近３ゲームを勝ちました。　（Don't blame Monica for this terrible translation...  Mom did it.）

BY JONAH

There's a dog that lives right below me and I play with him on the roof.  His name is Kaio. (like the famous sumo wrestler)  Now, Kaio is moving to Hong Kong., so I lose another dog playing experience.  I felt like Kaio was my dog, and I wished it too. I even had a dog when we lived in Tennessee.  Her name was Shelby and she was a Shelty (Shetland Sheepdog).  I still miss Shelby, and now I will miss Kaio.  I hope I get another dog someday.

下に住んでいるで、犬はある。いつも屋根で遊びます。犬の名前はかいおです。（有名相撲取りのようです。）　　でも、今かいおはホンコンに引っ越します。そして、犬の遊ぶこと経験を失います。テネシー州に住んだ時に、犬をありました。　そしてシェルビのようにかいおをさびします。いつか外の犬をほしいです。　（Loose translation by Mom.)

Camera カメラ

このポーストはマーティンによって　This Post Contributed by Martin

カメラ

子供の時から、カメラに興味を持っています。中学生の時、両親に初めてカメラをもらいました：ミノルタSRT201（このカメラまだ持っています）。バシクなカメラだけど、露出の可能性は無限でしょう！それから、写真を撮る興味は大きくなって行きました。日本に来る前、デジタルのカメラを買いました（日本のフィルム現像についてぜんぜんわからなかったから！）。そのカメラは便利だけど、写真の品質は“まあまあ”です。僕の一番好きな写真は露出時間が長いので、デジタルのカメラはよくなっかたです。でも、去年キャノンD20を買って、デジカメについて考え方が変わりました。機能が多いし、写真の品質は良いし、それに長い露出時間の可能性があります。ときどきフィルムのカメラは役に立ちますが、これからそのD20はいつでも使いたいです。ここにD20で写真を見てください。

From the time I was a kid, I was interested in cameras.  In grade school, my parents gave me my first camera: a Minolta SRT-201.  It’s a basic camera, but the exposure possibilities are endless!  Since then, my interest in photography has expanded.  Before coming to　Japan、 we bought a digital camera (since I didn’t know anything about getting film developed in　Japan!).  The digital camera was handy, but the picture quality was so-so.  Since my favorite pictures are long-exposure night shots, the digital camera just wasn’t that good.  But then last year I bought a Canon D20 and my way of thinking about digital cameras changed.  So many functions, great picture quality, and even the ability to take decent night shots!  Sometimes, film cameras are still useful, but from now on I want to use the D20.  Please see some D20 pictures here.

天気がいい (マーティンによって）

Good Weather  (Guest Author, Martin)

(above: leaving MSP)

（left: Ｓｈａｎｇｈａｉ，　ｅａｒｌｙ　Ｄｅｃｅｍｂｅｒ）　　

１２月の出張は大変でした．中国、韓国、アメリカ、ハイブリッドの開発するのは増えています。特に、上海の活動は忙しくなっています。日曜日デトロイト行へて、月と火の中国の関係の会議があって、火曜日の晩ミネアポリスで友達に会いました。ゆべ帰って、娘の家族と誕生日のディナーをしました。今日、仕事の友達と横浜に野球をしました。アメリカの北の所に比べて、東京の天気はよくて、とても楽しかった。忙しすぎて、疲れただけど、家族の時間を楽しみにしています。クリスマスの後でスキーとスノーボードに行きます。４人だけ。

It's been a busy month of business travel.  In Shanghai, Korea and the USA.  Hybrids are hot. Monday and Tuesday for China related meetings in Detroit before stopping in MN on the way back home to visit with Brett. 

Last night touched down in NRT then to Zest in Roppongi for a Birthday dinner with Monica and the family.  Today we played baseball in Yokohama with my friend’s team.  Compared to the northern parts of America, Tokyoweather is so nice!  (& the air is so clean compaired to Shanghai)

I’ve been so busy recently that I’m tired, but I really look forward to family time.  The day after Christmas we will go ski and snowboarding together in NISEKO just the four of us.