Adversity

These days I have faced a big adverse circumstances.
After I resigned my ex company, I had not felt this kind of adversity and enjoyed my life completely without any anxiety and dissatisfaction.

Now it's high time to get back to the normal life which is mixed with good and bad thing.

Wishing to have the strongness to overcome this adversity.

Trip to Hokkaido!!

From tomorrow, on 20th, to 26th I am traveling in Hokkaido for a week!!
Hokkaido is my birthplace and this short journey is for thinking over the origin of myself again.

1.　札幌　Sapporo: my birthplace
To visit the apartment which I lived for three years.
To visit my cousin and his wife and his eight month son!
To meet one family friend, the newspaper writer guy who gave a lot of advice with my job hunting and my life in Africa.

2. 　東藻琴　Higashi Mokoto
This is the small village I was living from three years old to six years old before I moved to Aomori.
My dad was only one dentist in there.
Will visit some old friends. As it is in such a remote place, finally now I have got the time to visit especially in this time with no job!!

3. 　網走　Abashiri
This is the town 40 minutes from Higashi Mokoto.
Will visit the prison museum and drift ice museum.

When I was kid, I used to visit below with family.
http://www.kangoku.jp/world/
http://www.ryuhyokan.com/

4.　知床 Shiretoko
Famous with its beautiful nature.
I must have visited when I was small kids to see the drift ices, but I don't remember at all!
These days, reading the magazines about nature, I was really attracted to see those beautiful natures in Hokkaido so I included this place in the itinerary.
http://www.shiretoko.asia/pamplet_eng.html


In this trip, I will visit the place where I have already been.
But through those old memory places, I want to feel something new and hope it will help to think about myself more deeply and help for the further steps in my future life.

Our Good Old Days, on 19th July

Today, I visited our old house&clinic which was sold in Dec to one female dentist, as it is not good that there was no one to take over machines and facilities and time only passes by for them to get too old.

Of course it was sad for us to part with the house as attached which we spent for 20 years, but we are happy that someone would make good use of them.

Since Apr, one middle aged woman is the new owner who redecorated the entrance and some parts inside. Redecoration is mainly for barrier-free facilities. Regarding the entrance, the stairway was made level with slope. And the storage room was united with toilet for making the toilet space bigger.
It is all for the old or handicapped people with wheelchairs.

After leaving the house, we visited the neighbor, the old man, to say hello after long time.
(Partly because he lives alone after the death of wife?,) He was really happy when he saw us.
I heard from mom that he has some kind of inspiration and that he was even taking advantage of his special power for ex job in personnel department of national railway. One day he told mom that dad came in his dream.
He was looking at us when we were driving back to house from the window with big smile. I hope he could see dad together with us at that time.


Actually, when we look back on the time when dad was dying, we are still really sad. And this is why we have not visited the old house for a long time. Of course we needed some energy to make this decision. But it was such a good opportunity to see that the old house is in good condition with care and that there are some people who still remembers the good memories of my dad.


Now we are relieved and hoping the new owner will have a good business in my old house...

江ノ島 on 17th July

三連休を利用して、なんとまた東京に凱旋しました！！
夏の本陣到来です！東京特有の、だまって突っ立っているだけでも汗がにじみ出てくるこの暑さ。 青森では感じることができませんよ、ほんと。

でも、10回目ってことで多少慣れてきた気がする。まだまだ毎年具合悪くなってはいますが　笑。

江ノ島をまともに歩いたのは2003年の初夏以来でした。 大学2年生の時に、大学時代の旧友の、スージーとあんど～と、まっす～の4人で船に乗った記憶がある。
・・・私、19歳だった！！ あの時は、島の裏側（？）で船に乗った記憶が。
今回は27歳とアダルトになったこともあり、 おしゃれなカフェでランチをし、水族館に行き、浜辺でやってたビーチテニスをみるっていう大人な行程でした。



１．湘南の海について
真夏に来たのは初めてだったんだけど、いやいや、湘南の海、ガラが悪い！ ギャル、ギャル男はもちろん、刺青を大きく入れた人や、指をつめたのではこの人？ っていう人たちが、日焼けした肌を露出していてちょっと怖かったという　汗。

きっとみんなビーチパーティーでの異性からの視線のためにめちゃくちゃ気合いを入れてきたんだろ？って様を見るのがおもしろかった　笑。

やはりイケてるグループに属したことのない私は、 90年ほど前に高校の大先輩、太宰治がトボトボあるいたとされる、地元青森の合浦や浅虫の海岸で十分なのでは。盆を過ぎたら閑散とするあの砂浜で浮き輪にぷかぷか浮くだけで十分楽しめちゃう気もする　笑。



２．水族館のイルカショー
やっぱり、私はイルカが好きだ。先日、親友はっちゃんから、好きな動物は？って聞かれたら、イルカって答えていたくらい。
穏和で知的な感じが心地よさを出してるので、見てて焦ったり怖さを感じたりしなくていいの(^^)
Malawiは内陸国だから、渡航前に見れて本当によかった！！
イルカくんの優しい眼にテンションがあがり、頬が緩みました♪♪

・・・と思っていたら、帰宅後8月ハワイに行く予定のY君とのチャットで、オプショナルツアーでイルカウォッチを取り入れたいとの嬉しい提案が♪♪
渡航前にもう一回見る機会があるだなんて、うれし～♪(^^)

ただ、節電の為に冷房あんまる効かなくて、汗をかきつつ水族館を徘徊せざるを得ないのは、どうかと思う。
皆さん暑さを忘れに水族館に来てるんだから、国の奨励する電力の削減にそのままのっかるのは、ちょっとナンセンスかと。



３．おいしいタルト
http://www.santo-cafe.com/index.html
湘南だから、お昼御飯、海鮮丼とか、サザエの焼き物を食べるのかと思いきや、上記のとおりおしゃれなカフェへ。
ランチセットについてきたデザートのパイ＆アイスクリームがうまかった。ベリーベリータルトおすすめ☆
江ノ島に行かれる方は足を運んでみてください♪


４．小田急ロマンスカー
ちょうどいい時間にあったので、優雅に利用しました♪
2002年、2003年と町田に住んでいたのでバリバリの小田急ユーザーだったわけなんです。
道中では、大学時代の恋愛をひたすら振り返りました。
A駅に元彼のキャンパスがあり、B駅ではその彼と初デートをし、・・・エトセトラエトセトラ。
本当だったら、友人との思い出を振り返ればいいのに。不思議なことに友人との思い出は全然出てこなかった　笑。
・・・せいちゃんらしいでしょ？(^m^)



総括としては、最近青森でずんちゃんと図書館でお勉強したり、ばあちゃんちにお刺身食べに行ったりっていう田舎生活満喫な生活だったので、久しぶりに都会の空気を吸えて楽しかった！！

とまとめたいと思います！！

MAKING SOBA NOODLE/ そば連合での蕎麦打ち, on 10th July

本当なら英語で書くべきなのだけど、なんか今日はそこまでモチベーションがあがらないので日本語で。第一蕎麦の説明がめんどうくさい！！・・・ってことで☆

我が親友、ずんちゃんのpapaが青森から40キロ弱の野辺地という町でおそばを打つサークル「そば連のへじ」を2003年に立ち上げたらしく、月例会に行ってきました。ずんちゃんのpapaとそのお友達が集まっておそばを打つ、というほのぼのな会合です。

ずんちゃんのご両親、ずんちゃん、ずんちゃんのおばあちゃん、犬2匹と公民館みたいなところにいってきました！

生まれて初めて菊練りをしたり、お蕎麦を棒で平たくしたり（←自分の表現力のなさに脱帽）。27歳になっても新たなことを学ぶのは楽しい。脳の刺激大事！

ゆでたお蕎麦はその場ですぐ頂きました。めかぶを入れるとおいしさが格段にUPする。


てか、家族皆がそろって一つのことをするのは楽しいだろうなって思った。
そして、いろんな職業や年代の方が寄り集まって親交を深めるコミュニティ活動、大事だよな～って思った。
小さい頃から行ってたら、人間関係の作り方、文化、マナーその他もろもろpricelessなものが学べるよね。そば連は、残念なことに私たちが最年少だったのだけど・・・(>_<)自分に家族が出来たらこういう集まりに参加しようと思う。

HIV SEMINAR FROM 23RD TO 28TH JUNE

FINALLY MY TRAINING AS JOCV STARTED!!
FOR A WEEK, MANY HIV EXPERTS GAVE THE LECTURE TO US AND THROUGH GROUP WORK, WE STUDIED THE CURRENT SITUATION AND HOW TO COPE WITH HIV/AIDS.

THERE WERE 17 PARTICIPATS. SURPRISINGLY 11 ARE ASSIGNED IN MALAWI. AND SEVERAL OF THEM IN MY DISTRICT, MZIMBA!! I WONDER WHY JICA FOCUS ON MALAWI WITH HIV/AIDS SO ASKED ONE OF THE STAFFS. ACCORDING TO HER, MALAWIAN GOVERNMENT AND JICA DISCUSSED THE MAIN THEMES TO SOLVE AND AT THIS MOMENT HIV/AIDS ARE ONE OF THEM. DUE TO THE REQUEST OF MY DEPARTMENT JICA INVITED US TO THE SEMINAR. I AM GOING THERE FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND THEY ASSUME I HAVE A LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH HIV POSITIVE PEOPLE. THAT IS WHY I ATTENDED.

I AM QUITE HAPPY THAT I MET MANY PEOPLE WHO COULD SHARE THE SAME FEELING FOR GOING ABROAD FOR TWO YEARS. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO FEELS ANXIOUS (OF COURSE WITH EXCITEMENT! HAHA)!
THEY WERE QUITE NICE, KIND AND LOVELY PEOPLE AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING THEM AGAIN IN MALAWI!!



IN ONE WEEK SEMINAR, I WAS SHOCKED TO KNOW HOW THE VULNERABLE PEOPLE HAVE SUFFERED WITH 'STIGMA.'

SOCIALLY VULNERABLE PEOPLE; SEX WORKERS, WOMEN, MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN, CHILDREN, ETC. THROUGH THEM HIV/AIDS WERE SPREAD.AS THEY ARE MINORITY IN SOCIETY OR CANNOT RESIST THE DEMANDED SEX, THEIR PROTEST CANNOT REACH TO THE PUBLIC AND BASICALLY IT TAKES LONGER TIME FOR THE COUNTERMEASURE POLICY TO START.

STIGMA;IN JAPANESE, 烙印。THOSE VULNERALE PEOPLE ARE TEND TO BE SEEN AS DANGEROUS OR SEXUALLY UNFAITHFUL WITH BAD IMPRESSION. SO THEY REALLY CANNOT TELL FAMILY AND NEIGHBORS THAT THEY ARE HIV/POSITIVE AND THEY EVEN CANNOT TAKE THE HIV TEST AS THOSE PEOPLE ARE AFRAID THE CASE THEIR FAMILY REJECT THEM...

SO FAR, I HAD A OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT HIV POSITIVE PEOPLE'S COMMUNITY IN CAMEROON. AS I WAS SO INMMATURE AS NOT TO CONSIDER HOW THEIR SITUATION IS, I THINK I ASKED THEM SILLY AND INCONSIDERATE QUESTIONS...
WHEN I GO TO MALAWI, I HOPE I CAN BE MORE MATURE NOT TO DO IT AGAIN, UTILIZE WHAT I LEARNED DURING THIS ONE WEEK.




IN GROUP WORK, I COULD PUT MY EXPEIRENCE WITH PCM SEMINAR WHICH WAS HELD AT THE END OF MAY TO USE. THE THEME WAS HOW TO INCREASE THE INCOME OF HIV POSITIVE PEOPLE. AS WITH THREE PARTICIPANTS I MENTIONED ALL THE FACTORS WHO RELATE TO THE THEM AND CAME TO CONCLUSION, I GUESS I COULD DISCUSS IT SMOOTHLY AS I HAD ALREADY LEARNED THE WHOLE PROCEDURE TO PLAN THE PROJECT THROUGH THIS KIND OF DISCUSSION.I WAS HAPPY THAT I COULD MAKE USE OF WHAT I LEARNED IN MAY!