I got a free ticket of a Rembrandt exhibition from one of my clients. It said it was till August 30th, so I spent some time of my precious day-off and went to see it last Sunday. Though it said Rembrandt, there were also some early works of Gogh and some modern artists' photographs, too. I'm originally not bright in art, so I learned for the first time that the prints or paintings of Rembrandt who is famous for his contrast of light and darkness, actually showed mostly only darkness.

Indeed, a small patch of light in the whole darkness seems to be what tells us that there is hope even in darkness. However. Aren't they too dark? I mean, the idea, the way of expression. How about living a more positive life, huh?

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Related to the recent drug issues of Japanese entertainers, there is a rumor that the son of former prime minister Yoshiro Mori is involved. Cow was gathering information about that on the Internet (he's goofing around as usual), and he hit this article about Mori saying "Who are you?" instead of "How are you?" to former president Bill Clinton at the Okinawa summit in 2000.

I have a memory at that time, of questioning myself if I heard that right, when I happened to catch the scene in the midnight news on TV. But the article said that the whole story was a piece of joke. I did see it on TV, I think... though no one seems to believe me.

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I was so frustrated that I've searched for that movie of ex-prime minister Mori and Clinton for more than an hour. However, I couldn't find it anywhere. I couldn't identify its existance at all. Was it all made up after all?

No, no. I did see it on TV. I'm sure about that. Because I was so stunned and it was so hilarious, I told Mr. N-jima about it when I met him later. Though unfortunately, he probably doesn't remember about it... If there's anyone who has found that movie, please, do please conatact me. I'll appreciate that very much.

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I hate to be abrupt, but people in Yamanashi prefecture seem to eat peaches while they're still firm. In Tokyo, we generally eat them when they're ripe and soft, though it seems that the sweetness don't change whether they're ripened or not. Perhaps that maybe the reason why only firm peaches are sold in supermarkets of Yamanashi, one of the famous peach producing prefectures in Japan. Additionally, they say they eat peaches with the skin because the sweetest part lies between the skin and the fruit, while we eat them after peeling off the skin in Tokyo.

That reminds me of the time when I had a whole peach for a lunch dessert, at the summer camp back in my childhood when I was in the states. I was skillfully peeling off the skin with my knife and eating only the fruit, when my group leader told me to stop it because it was bad manners. Different places, different customs.

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With the victory of the general election held the other day, Hatoyama is to become the next prime minister. But it seems to be his wife Miyuki Hatoyama who is gathering the US media's attention rather than her husband. CNN has introduced Hatoyama having a nickname of "alien" (because his eyes looks like they're popping out), while they spent more time picking up the future Japanese first lady who claimed in her book that her soul rode a UFO to venus.

Oh, please. They're supposed to be representing Japan, you know. I don't mind about her character standing out, but she could be going too far.

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The weather turned out to be fine today, so I've washed my clothes and prepared myself a breakfast of toast with jam, and coffee as usual. I was pretty hungry and I was about to willingly take a big bite, when I noticed approximately 5 milimeters ahead of my wide opened mouth, a fly, staying on the corner of my toast! Heeeyyy!!

I'm not a comic character or anything you know, I'm living in a real world. How could such a thing possibly happen to me? Well, good thing I noticed before I took that big bite of toast with the fly.

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Late last night, I saw a program reporting Sakana-kun on TV. Well, he was hyper as usual, but I was really really amazed by his extensive knowledge of fish and his passion for it as well. I've learnt that people can achieve great knowledge and skills starting from a pure and simple feeling that you like it. After all, his love for fish has now developed into friendship, linking him to fishermen all over Japan.

Another thing that I was surprised by him was that he had been in a TV show broadcasted by BBC. It was pretty awesome to see the show host call him, "Sakana-kun" by his nickname. It made me want to cheer him. Gumption, Sakana-kun!

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Uh-oh. I've done it again. I had two meetings scheduled after this, but I've forgotten about one of them completely. And now I've remembered that I had to prepare some materials for it... what am I going to do? Will I be able to make it in time? Oh no, Oh no.

While I'm almost in a panic, Cow sitting next to me is absorbed in Sudoku on the corner of today's evening paper... Hey, are you looking for trouble, man?

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Yesterday, I've purchased an Amazon gift card for the first time ever in my life. I've ordered some books over the Internet before, though I've been paying on delivery each time. Actually, I've never bought anything from sites that don't offer C.O.D. however, it usually requires extra charge. I've always been thinking that paying nearly 500 yen extra charge for a book about 600 yen is pretty ridiculous, so this time I decided to take a step into the new world.

Buying a gift card was simple enough for even me to follow without any troubles. You use the terminal in a covenience store to print out a voucher, then you bring it to the cashier and pay for the amount of money you want to buy. But. What does Amazon make of it that the minimum face value is 3,000 yen?

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I was in quite a hurry this morning, since I've got up later than I had planned to. My hands blindly searched for a towel that was supposed to be hanging from a stainless towel hanger while I screwed down the tap after washing my face, but they only wandered helplessly through the air. Apparently, JoOusama had left the hanger empty after taking the towel off from it to have it washed. Damn. A short while later, I cursed her inwardly having no sugar left in the sugar pot, as I was about to pour some sugar in my coffee. It was left that way since yesterday morning after I've gathered and scooped up all that was left in the pot.

It always makes me wonder why it has never occured to her to "refill" things, including those toilet paper rolls.

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I usually check the e-mail before I write this "Murmur", and I've always been impressed in a way, seeing the titles of those spam mail. Today there was one that said "2 mail received from your balloon-breasted neighbor wife" in Japanese not to mention. Unspeakable, my jaws dropped while Cow burst into roaring laughter next to me. Surely, this guy was not a "balloon-breasted wife" and nor did he have one.

It's amazing how they could come up with such a title. After we've appreciated it along with some other mail for a while I deleted them all together. Great work.

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While I'm sitting here in front of the computer trying to squeeze out words to tap on the keyboards, that damn Cow is checking the price of movie tickets on the Internet. Well, one of our clients have brought us a pair of tickets earlier this afternoon, for a Japanese movie beginning showing from today. For now, I'm not much interested in it though it seems to have caught Cow's attention somehow, and got him pretty excited.

I had a certain recognition that both Cow and I rather prefered to watch movies on DVDs or on TV at home rather than on screen, because it was more comfortable and also cost effective. Since when did he change his mind?

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As I've started giving temporal English coaching to a high-school-aged boy, I've been encountering numerous unexpected questions that come from simple curiosity, quite natural for a boy learning foreign language at his age. Last week, he came up with an ultimate question, wondering if the English phrases, idioms or grammar rules he has been taught in school were practically used in daily English life. He asked me, "Do they really say ‘How are you?‘ as daily greetings in English speaking countries?" Now, that's a tough one.

I've spent my whole weekend searching desperately for a piece of film, movie, that contained a natural greeting with that particular phrase, in order to convince him that it was actually used. And at last, I've found it in a scene of a couple of not-so-new but famous movies! Look forward to tomorrow's "Murmur" for more details!

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One of the movies I've found with the phrase "How are you?" appearing in it was "No Way Out" starring Kevin Costner. It's a suspence movie and it was a complete coincidence to come across the phrase, as I was checking it out after hearing from one of my clients that it was her favorite film. There is a part in the opening scene when the leading character Tom Farrell played by Kevin Costner, exchange greetings with his friend from college in a party.

Another scene I've found was in that smash hit movie in the mid-80s, "Back To The Future". It's the scene when the main character Marty McFly calls up on his future father, young George McFly in the halls of Hill Valley Highschool back in 1955, trying to introduce him to his future mother. How's that? I hope that teenage boy would be convinced now.

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Hi, I'm Cow, writing this "Murmur" for the first? time, probably. Today I'd like to present to you viewers, a Japanese Anime. The title is "Claymore" written by Norihiro Yagi. It was on-aired on Nippon Television (channel 4) in a late-night slot two years ago, and has enjoyed enormous popularity (at least in me). The story takes place in medieval Europe, featuring half-human, half-creature swordswomen called "claymore", with silver pupils and huge swords under which they were named, fighting out severe battles against various monsters appearing as humans called "Youma".

Howweeverr, I strongly feel that the fascination of this Anime lies in how deeply each characters are portrayed, rather than the battle action scenes. Looks like someone has uploaded the whole series from episode 1 to 26 on YouTube for those who might like to see them in their free time.

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So that was Cow, lately becomming like an Ani-Ota (Anime Otaku, for short meaning Anime geek). It took me a while to translate his Japanese sentences into English with considerable carefulness, so that my expressions don't mislead to something he wasn't intending to say. Boy, that was a task.

As for that Cow, he's been muttering all day about receiving a call from Yukio Hatoyama, our would-be prime minister. He's been complaining that he hasn't got that call to let him know of his joining the new cabinet member... If he was a member of the cabinet, I'd be prime minister.

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The new cabinet member has been announced and they were broadcasting the press conference late last night. As Cow might not have expected it, he wasn't called in the member. Too bad. Though I am not much interested in his terrible jokes any more, because my biggest concern for the moment is what's to become of Seabiscuit and Red Pollard.

You see, I've been reading the book "Seabiscuit" and it's been grabbing my heart since last week. Seabiscuit is the name of the memorable thoroughbred in American racing history, which of course is the leading character in this story, while Pollard stands for the name of the horse's partner jockey. Maybe some of you might rcall the same titled motion picture released several years ago.

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The Biscuit had won! The Biscuit had won! Yesterday morning in the subway on my way to work, I was reading the novel "Seabiscuit" up to the part where Seabiscuit, the legendary race horse, has enetered in the match race against the undefeatable War Admiral from the east side of the U.S. All day at work, I was restless and couldn't wait to read the outcome of the match.

On the homebound train, I came across the part where the two thoroughbreds came out side-by-side on the homestretch whizzing around the last turn, and I just couldn't stand closing the book when I had to get off. I stayed on the platform, settled myself on a bench there, and kept reading until I finally found out that, after all the twists and turns they had to make it to the historical match race, the horse had conquered the undefeatable. Can't tell you how glorious I felt! I went home skipping.

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I've finally finished reading the novel "Seabiscuit" this morning. The horse finished his racing career with the victory of the Santa Anita Handicap, known among the U.S. racing fans as the "hundred grander". The story was amazing, almost too dramatic for a horse and his horsemen. Thanks to the magnificent work of the writer Laura Hillenbrand, it felt like I was actually watching every scene from somewhere close living with them in the 1930s. And although it sounds weird having all this time inbetween since then and now, I've become another Seabiscuit fan just like the that huge crowd that went crazy in Santa Anita.

Just tomorrow, the prep race for the last race of the Japanese triple crown, the Saint Light Memorial is going to be run. My annual starting race fore the autumn season. Only this year, I might have a slightly different angle.

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Perhaps that "slightly different angle" wasn't good after all. Full of ambiotion, I studied the daily racing paper thoroughly from morning and, came to a conclusion that the horses with inner post numbers would monopolize the board from the 2nd to the 5th place, leaving the winner's circle for Admire Major numbered 12.

I was wrong. Despite the confidence I had built since last week that the track was fast and horses with outer post numbers would not be able to take over the runner-ups unless they cut into the pack, the Saint Light Memorial finished with post numbers 17, 11, 14, and 12 lighted up on the top four positions of the board. Oh well, my real target race is the All Commer Handicap next week...

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As I was given a pair of free tickets, I went to see the movie "Katen No Shiro" (literally meaning, a castle of strength and wisdom blessed by heaven). It was a story of a skilled Miya-daiku (temple builder) building an enormous five-storied castle called Azuchi-jou which is told to have been lost in fire only three years after its completion. In general, the film was good. I enjoyed watching the temple builder overcome various hardships risking his life, finally producing fruit as an unhackneyed castle that no one had ever seen before that time.

Though I personally think it would have been better if they'd stuck to the "man's nature" sort of drama, leaving out the romance.

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A couple of minutes ago, the TV news was reporting about the UN Gneneral Assembly and how our new prime minister Yukio Hatoyama and his wife Miyuki, had entered the hotel they were to stay in. The next moment, my out-of-date CRT display showed a closeup of... CDs? DVDs? I couldn't tell which they exactly were, but I had no trouble reading their printed title that read, "Katsura Sanshi Daizenshu" (literaaly, the collection of Katsura Sanshi). Katsura Sanshi is a famous Rakugo performer, now perhaps much well known as the show host of "Shinkonsan Irasshai".

Apparently the CDs or DVDs seemed to peer out of Mrs. Hatoyama's baggage. Well, at least that should make them more familiar.

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During the holidays, I've been reading a book on ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Though I have never been diagnosed as one so far, reading the book I've realized that I have a lot in common with ADHD symptoms such as ; not being able to plan ahead, frequently unable to start tasks which I have to smoothly, unable to keep my room clean, not being able to finish tasks within scheduled time, because I often get attached to something else while doing other things.

Right now, although I do know that I have to finish this "Murmur", I'm having a hard time taking my eyes off the TV showing the game between the Yomiuri Giants and the Chunichi Dragons.

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Probably related to the fact that the past several days of consecutive holidays included the Respect for the Aged Day, which originally used to be on September 15th but was moved to the 3rd Monday of September due to the "Happy Monday" act, one of the "Little Rascals" brought some pieces of banana cake for her grandparents. She seemed to have made it herself, presumably getting her mom to help in every step.

I must say it was unfortunate that JoOusama had left some for me, which I guessed must have represented that she didn't like it that much. Needless to say, it took me some time to summon up my courage to take a bite. I closed my eyes and ate up the leftovers, for I simply don't like to let food go to waste. I hope nothing goes wrong. I'll just have to wait and see.

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Well, it seems that nothing has happened to my body so far. I wasn't suspecting it being poisoned or anything, but just in case, for those pieces of banana cake tasted partly extraordinarily sweet, and partly unexpectedly sour.

By the way, I spent the last holiday (that's 23rd) searching for the payment receipt of my pension payout, since the social insurance office had mailed me some documents showing that there was a certain period left unpaid. Though it wasn't so easy to dig out receipts dating back to as far as eighteen years ago. While I was searching, I happened to find some faded pay envelope from my former workplace. And to my happiest surprise, one of them contained a 10,000 yen bill! I must have forgotten to take it out at that time. Wow, 10,000 yen! Lucky me!

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I've been wanting to hear the speech that Yukio Hatoyama has made in the UN Gneneral Assembly, which has been told to be greeted by applause, though I haven't had the time until today. This morning, I had a chance to let Cow play the movie on U-tube, so I tilted my head to listen.

Hmmmnn. The speech he had written himself I suppose, was pretty advanced full of resolution however, I must say that his skills to read out those beautifully structured sentences have brought me down. Obviously he has articulacy and fluency problems. If the prime minister could spare me three hours, I'd be happy to teach him basic pronunciation with an additional tips in connection of speech.

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Although today's main race the All-Commer was my real target, I've lost it with ease. I put my bet on Eishin Deputy who was supposed to take the lead, though outdone by Matsurida Gogh, he yielded to this defending champion.

I was about to grumble here on my loss again, but I've changed my mind after watching the final match of the autumn Sumo tournament, Asashoryu vs Hakuhou. Asashoryu led the tournament undefeated until today's final match against Hakuhou, who beat his rival and pulled the match into a play-off. I sat biting my nails after seeing Asashoryu lose, shoved out by Hakuhou's irresistless power and speed in the final match. And then the play-off... came as one of the most spectacular Sumo match I've ever seen. Asashoryu who must have reset his mind somehow from his shock of the final match loss in a short period of time, gave full play to his concentration and defeated Hakuhou. Wow, that play-off could go down in history.

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One of my friends has sent me e-mail that she was on a diet. She has had her first child just a couple of years ago, and according to her mail, she has grown overweight finishing up food that her child could not eat so that it won't be wasted. She's told me that she was having an especially hard time when the TV showed food related commercials, and that it was quite surprising to discover there were so many commercials advertising food products.

Well, is that so? Actually, I didn't notice that either until she told me. Let's see if it's really like that. Though I'm afraid we lead a pretty different lifestyle so they might not be running so many food related product commercials during the time I watch TV, which often tends to be after midnight on weekdays.

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I think it's been a while since a very useful pointing device called trackpads have been mounted on lap-top computers. At first, I used to struggle with it to bring the pointer on the specific point on the screen however, now I have got it completely under control that I've been thinking I could be called a trackpad master, if I may say so myself.

Yesterday I was scrolling as smoothly as usual, moving my finger on the trackpad of my lap-top, but somehow the screen didn't seem to move a bit. The pointer also seemed to be not moving. Had it freezed? No, it hadn't. As I dropped my eyes on my hand finally realizing that something felt wrong, I saw my finger sliding back and forth on the surface beside the trackpad... Well, we all make mistakes.

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Lately, I've been reading paperbacks in the subway to and from work to keep up my English. After finishing "Seabiscuite" I've started reading one of the Narnia series, "The Magician's Nephew". In this book, I came across a part that describes what witches are like saying, "I expect most witches are like that. They are not interested in things or people unless they can use them; they are terribly practical."

Why, that's exactly what JoOusama is like. I wonder how C. S. Lewis could have known her.

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