Well, there are times when Y's not intending to finish his greetings on his own. In that case, something is probably going wrong and he must not be feeling very well. Sometimes there are rare occasions when an impatient staff cuts him off, by saying the last 'masu' part instead. In this case, Y loses control over himself going out of order.

Y doesn't become violent, he just keeps mumbling inexplicable words that might mean something to him but not to us, with an additional yell or two but he never yells at other people. He's yelling at himself or to someone or something that we can't see. In that sense, he's never harmful to other people.

Or maybe he was irritating himself, for letting the staff disturb his morning routine.

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

I thought I can understand how Y might feel. Well, it sure wouldn't feel good if someone interrupted my daily routine ... .

Now, imagine a bunch of gathered people including some grown-ups, standing there in the middle of a flock of cock-a-doodling chickens, waiting for Y to finish his 'Oha..Oha..Ohayou...go..go..gozai...ma........' when suddenly someone has cut in saying 'su' instead of him, with Y losing his temper yelling and mumbling 'sssendakara-u,unnto-ittemo-na-na-nai...', words that you haven't even heard of.

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

In a way, I do sympathize with him when he's been interrupted by someone else, for he is absolutely serious and he's not trying to be funny. So I tried to hold down myself from bursting into laughter, but I couldn't help gigling since Y's reactions seemed so ... adorable.

At this time, I was just a student who still didn't know much about anything, and there were care home staffs around me so I was actually a little tense, though in times like this when Y went out of control, I couldn't help myself from gigling. Y's reaction would blow away my tenseness, putting me in a completely relaxed mode.

And there was always a gentle warm period of time left after Y's overdrive, with a happy atmosphere that everybody who happened to be there at that time, felt like gigling and smiling at each other.

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

Most autistic people seem to me somehow like Y in some way. They seem to have some healing sort of power that reduces the tension, and fill the atmosphere with a gentle relaxing mood.

Say, couldn't that be called a talent?

I wish the world would treat these loveable people more gently with warm hearts. And if this article could be of some help to change the situation around them, I'd be grateful.

As I was closing up this story of Y, my head starting to droop with my brains halfway in my dreams refusing to think, I suddenly remembered that I forgot to buy my weekly horse racing magazine ... .

Caterpillar

There's a weekly horse race magazine called 'Keiba-Bukku ( literally, horse race book )' in Japan, that has the results of all the former weekend's races, as well as the data of the recent five races of each horse, registered for the coming weekend's races.

I've been hooked on horse race for a while, and it has become my habit to buy this weekly horse race magazine, every Tuesday on my way home.

But last Tuesday, I couldn't find them near the counter of Lawson ( a Japanese conveience store ) where I ususally get them. "Oh well, I'll try another convenience store on the way," I thought, but I forgot to drop by another before I reached home, and it was entirely out of my mind until I suddenly remebered about it late that night.

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

There's a weekly horse race magazine called 'Keiba-Bukku ( literally, horse race book )' in Japan, that has the results of all the former weekend's races, as well as the data of the recent five races of each horse, registered for the coming weekend's races.

I've been hooked on horse race for a while, and it has become my habit to buy this weekly horse race magazine, every Tuesday on my way home.

But last Tuesday, I couldn't find them near the counter of Lawson ( a Japanese conveience store ) where I ususally get them. "Oh well, I'll try another convenience store on the way," I thought, but I forgot to drop by another before I reached home, and it was entirely out of my mind until I suddenly remebered about it late that night.

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

I started with the Seven Eleven closest from my house, trying 2 more other conveience stores around the nearest station, and still I couldn't find it anywhere. I decided to extend my trip searching for Keiba-Bukku to the next station, peeping into every convenience store on my way.

I'm not exactly sure how many stores I've dropped by, until I happened to walk into a Sunkus ( another Japanese convenience store ), to find another magazine called Gallop featuring my favorite horse Admire Cozzene on the cover, though there weren't any Keiba-Bukku left in the shelf.

You see, Gallop and Keiba-Bukku are the two most selling weekly horse race magazines, though I've always preferred Keiba-Bukku for it had more data than Gallop.

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

Oh gee ... what am I gonna do with this? I can't just walk away as if I hadn't seen anything ... I've been keeping a file of any kind of this horse's record from pictures to articles, and there was no doubt that he was a special horse to me.

But it costs just as much as Keiba-Bukku ... that means I'll have to pay double in order to get them both ... . I hesitated for a while since I was on a tight budget, though I gave in to my desires in the end.

When I was paying money at the counter, I asked the staff just to make sure if there were no Keiba-Bukku there. The staff answered, "it's sold out."

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

WWHAAAAATTT!? What-do-ya-mean SOLD OUT? They must print and sell about half a million copies or maybe even more, and you're telling me they're SOLD OUT? How could they be SOLD OUT?

I'd understand if they'd been sent back to the publisher or something, but SOLD OUT means that they've all been bought.

Since when did horse race become such a major sport eh? Or did big buddies come flooding in and buy them all, to check on the winner of the 'Deep Impact ( a Japanese race horse, a tripple crown winner of last year ) Arc de Triomphe Grand Prix tour'?

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

Well, that IS actually one of the reasons why I'm so determined to get a copy myself, but isn't there ANY LEFT?

The staff just coldly answered "no."

I reluctantly dragged myself to a kiosk at the nearest station from that Sunkus, hoping to find some leftovers but the lady inside the counter, smiled at me with an 'I'm sorry' sort of look on her face and told me, that she'd sent them all back to the publisher that morning, since it was already Friday and not many people bought weekly magazines on Friday.

So I was a bit too late ... .

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

Well, at least I've got Gallop.

I was about to give up my searching for Keiba-Bukku and go home, when my eyes caught a glimpse of another Sunkus. Convincing myself that this was going to be the last to try, I stepped inside.

And THERE IT WAS! I've found it!! I've finally found Keiba-Bukku!!!

It felt just as though my effort to find Keiba-Bukku, had overcome the unluckiness of not being able to get even one copy of a weekly magazine.

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

That day I ended up spending more than an hour to bring home a Keiba-Bukku, and it also cost me twice as much as usual, since there was an unexpected expense of Gallop. But I was somehow quite satisfied feeling a sense of acomplishment.

I flipped through the pages to check on the results of the giveaway, as soon as I got home. I felt like everything was going in the right direction, until I saw the announcement ... .

I drew a blank, and my name was nowhere to be found on that announcement.

What was all that searching for? Of course, it wasn't just for the giveaway, but I've walked a good hour underneath that glittering summer sun, you know? Couldn't there be something nice happening to me at least once in a while, or am I asking too much?

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

I dropped a deep sigh and went out on the balcony to have a smoke.

Why do I always end up this way? Well, thinking about my screwing things up, I haven't won a race recently ... .

Completely disappointed and feeling down, as I looked up after I've lighted up my cigarette, my eyes fell on the window of my room, which I had cleaned and polished up so enthusiastically at the end of last year.

There, I saw bird's droppings flattening itself on my window ... .

Oh please, don't do this to me ... .

The End

Caterpillar

I remember writing about my special lunch menu during the hot summer days, and there in the ingredients of that dish, I remeber that I've wrote Myouga, as a part of condiments.

I didn't know the English name for this ... vegetable at that time, so I'd like to have this opportunity to explain alittle about it here.

This time, I did some searching and found out that its English name was 'Japanese ginger' or 'Mioga ginger'. Now, there's a start.

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

Myouga seems to be a perennial plant, that mainly grows in shady damp thickets throughout Japan. The stems and leaves that grow above the ground die back in winter, though they ususally come out again in the next spring.

Well, there's some growing in the back of our kitchen, and the Myouga I use in cooking ususally come from here.

However, you have to get your mind ready, to have more than at least 5 mosquito bites when picking them in those thickets ... . Though I believe the smart readers of this 'Murmur', would prepare beforehand by spraying mosquito repellent on arms and legs, when picking Myouga in thickets.

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

Generally in Japan, the blossom buds and the young tender shoots of Myouga, are eaten as pickles, salads, Tempura ( a typical Japanese dish fried in vegetable oil ), or in Miso-soup.

That's a new discovery. I didn't know that shoots could also be eaten, since I never had a chance to try them.

Myouga has a distinctive smell and slightly hot flavor, that it is often used as condiments too. It is said to have an orexigenic effect as well as perspiration, wich may be one of the the reasons why Myouga are eaten in summer.

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

Another reason for eating Myouga in summer, is that the blossom buds and young shoots usually come out of the ground, from around June to September. It seems that the heavenly bliss of some rain shower, and high temperatures of summer help the growth of Myouga, and it is not that difficult to pick a handful of them in the back of our kitchen, almost always on a clear day after some rain.

Although the season for Myouga is mainly from June to September, nowadays you can find them in many super markets all over Japan throughout the year.

So you can get them all through the year, I suppose. Then it also may be a good idea to eat them during winter, when you've caught a cold and have fever, concidering the effects they have.

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

When choosing a Myouga, it would be better to pick the blossom buds that are smaller and firm, for such buds are said to have better taste compared to the ones that already has bloomed flowers.

Incidentally, it is said in Japan that eating Myouga makes you forgetful. This is said to derive from a legend, that one of the disciples of Buddha had become forgetful from eating too much Myouga, because of its orexigenic effect and the good taste, that he got too drowsy and become forgetful.

The relation between Myouga and forgetfulness is not scientifically proved, I think, though it still seems to remain as superstition in Japan.

The End

Caterpillar

I was riding on a train the other day, when I happened to hear someone talking in English.

There were two businessmen standing not so apart from me, having some English conversation. One of them seemed to be Japanese mostly listening to the other guy speaking in English, and though the speaker also had an Asian looks, he definitely didn't seem like a Japanese native, speaking fluent English with an American accent. I didn't mean to eavesdrop on them, but the businessman's voice with perfect pronounciation intrigued me, and I turned an attentive ear to what the man was saying.

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

"...yes, it's harder 'cause I've brought my kids along. You see, parents and children have different interests, and we ( I suppose it's him and his wife ) get so tired whenever we go to places that THEY'RE interested in ... ." After that, I couldn't quite follow him because the train had stopped at a station, and his words were vanished by the sound of footsteps and rustles of the passengers getting on and off.

The train started to move again, though I was able to catch his words again this time only by snatches.

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

"...to Disneyland ... my son ... he said it must be the same everywhere, so I said no, no, it's different, they have different attractions and .... came back ... said it wasn't that fun ....waiting ...." That was about the best I could hear, for the train at that time went underground into a tunnel with a loud roar.

Putting together the information I've collected from the man's fragmentary words, he seemed to be having trouble finding a spot that meets both his and his son's interests, here in Japan.

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

Now, this is a good question. I've never even thought about attractions for young tourists. I thought it may be a good chance after all, and decided to look up for something that could interest both children and adults.

Well, follow my logic here. There were various kinds of attractions, and I think it's impossible to show them all in one time, though I was planning to do so.

So I'll tell you what. I'll try writing reports introducing them one at a time.

Meanwhile, I hope foreign tourists especially with children, would find the following introduction of local festivals informative.

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

During summer and autumn season, there are a number of local festivals held in shrines and temples. On festival days, you can see a line of Yatais ( stalls or stands ) along the streets of the shrine or temple, selling a variety of goods from strange souvenirs, or masks of characters that are familiar to Japanese children, to candies, sweets, and Japanese fast food.

Local festivals are like small carnivals or fairs, and there are also games that kids can participate in besides food stalls. So I think it would be fun for children to enjoy some games, while their parents enjoy the ethnic atmosphere and food. If you're staying in Japan during this season, it might be a good idea to go out for such local festivals.

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

To check out if there are any local festivals held near the place where you are staying, I guess it would be best to ask the staff at your hotel or Ryokan. As for foreign residents living in Japan, you can usually find out by your community bulletin board, when the shrines and temples in your neighborhood is holding a festival.

And now, here are some of the traditional and typical games you can find in a local festival all throughout Japan.

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

Shateki

Shateki is a simple game to shoot at targets which often happens to be the prize. Usually the prizes are set on shelves, and you can win yourself a prize by hitting it and tipping it down on the shelf. So you'll have to choose the target carefully, in order to get one. And in case you want to know, the guns and bullets used in this game are toy guns and cork bullets.

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

Kingyo-Sukui

Kingyo-Sukui is a goldfish scooping game, to scoop swimming goldfish from a small tub with a tool called 'Poi', which is either made of paper or wafer. The 'Poi' gets weak when dipped in water, and can be easily torn by water pressure or the weight of goldfish, which makes it harder to scoop a goldfish. You can go on with your challenge if you succeed in scooping a goldfish, until your 'Poi' is torn and you're not able to use them.

However, there is a little trick to it.

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

1) Choose the goldfish swimming close to the surface of the water.

2) Aproach the target either from his sides or tails, not from the heads.

3) Try to put in your 'Poi' parallel to the water suraface, and draw them out of the water in the same way. This way you can reduce the water pressure, and enjoy the game longer. Needless to say, chasing around goldfish with your 'Poi' too long in the water, can easily break your 'Poi'.

Once you get the knack of it, you'll be able to scoop as many as 10 goldfish with one 'Poi'. Though tourists won't be able to play this game, since the prize for this game are the goldfish that you've scooped.

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

Yo-Yo-Tsuri

Yo-Yo-Tsuri is a game to catch floating Yo-Yos ( small balloon Yo-Yos containing a little water ) from a tub with a twist of paper, that has a hook attached to the end. If you succeed in pulling out a Yo-Yo, you can go on with your challenge until the twist of paper gets torn, and you're no longer able to catch one, just like the goldfish scooping. The Yo-Yos you've catched will be your prize, and you can enjoy them by wearing the rubber band attached to the Yo-Yo on your middle finger, and bouncing them like real Yo-Yos.

To be Continued ...

Caterpillar

Wanage

Wanage is a familiar game of ringtoss. In most cases you will win a prize if you can succeed in all five tosses.

Ame-zaiku

Ame-zaiku is not a game, but usually a stall that sells candies. They sell candies that are shaped and designed mostly like animals, or popular characters such as Pika-chu. Make your choice according to the list shown at the stall, and the staff there would shape hot candy into the shape you have chosen. The handwork of shaping candies is a fantasitic sight to see, and you can also enjoy eating the candy. Larger characters or characters with complicated shapes, usually tend to be more expensive than the smaller ones.

The End

Caterpillar