My diary: Why Japanese people like cherry blossoms? Cherry blossoms have started blooming in Tokyo. I got overtime work and finally got off work at 10:00 pm and then I saw many people on the way home, who enjoyed eating and drinking with friends or coworkers under the bloomed cherry blossoms. Since it was blue Monday, I just thought the reason why most Japanese people like cherry blossoms so much. First of all, it goes without saying that they are beautiful. Since they bloom for a very short period, they are often linked to the fragility of human life. They remind us how beautiful life can be and the importance of each moment that we experience. Furthermore, there are many people who reach a turning point of their lives in this season. Because Japan holds graduation ceremonies at the end of March and the new school year starts in April. Japanese companies also start their new business years. So cherry blossoms make people think of new beginnings. Even if people don’t have any changes in their lives, they would remember themselves who survived the last turning point, such as taking an entrance exam, getting a job, and parting with friends. They would appreciate that they owe what they are to what they were and then would be motivated to do what they should do. To conclude, I think seeing cherry blossoms is to celebrate our new beginnings after looking back the way that we chose. The cherry blossoms stand from the summer heat to the winter cold in Japan and then bloom for a short period in the spring. So Japanese people must compare ups and downs of their lives with the cherry blossoms. The beautiful cherry blossoms may symbolize our happiness or success, and seeing them encourage us to keep going on the way which we believed in. The following is a picture of cherry blossoms along the Meguro River. How beautiful they are!

My diary: Learning languages I think that languages are one of tools which I can communicate with others, put my thoughts into words, and shape my thoughts. As I get older, I have come to understand several different ways to express something in Japanese. Just like many other people, I learned lots of words through education and understood the meaning of those words through my own experience. Recently, I have tried to express what I’m feeling without making it sound too much of an overused phrase kind of “never give up.” Actually, using a phrase is an effective way to communicate with others. However, since I’ve heard phrases so many times, they don’t really hit me deep anymore. I also think if I neglect efforts to think things by myself due to using phrases, it would diminish my ability to think. That's why I try to let out what's floating in my head in my own words (when I express things in Japanese). Meanwhile, I have a lot of phrases which I have to learn in English. Sometimes I find some English phrases which don’t have appropriate Japanese expressions and vice versa. I mean I find the new expressions and when I want to use the expressions, it makes me think more deeply. So learning languages are to find the way to express my feelings and deepen my thoughts.

Please correct a birthday message for my friend. Since I'd like to send a birthday message to my friend, who is a girl and is living in other country, please correct the following message. ------------------------------------------------------------- Happy birthday! I'm pretty sure you thought that I made a mistake about your birth day, right? No, I wanted to surprise you. I know your birth day is March 5th and that time you have a plan to go on a trip to Paris! We couldn't find time to talk from the new year to the present day, thus I just wanted to give you words of congratulations first of all. I am not being driven by Facebook’s notification and I wanted to express about I am thinking about you. That’s why I send you this message earlier than your birth day. - Take care of your health. - Just follow that heart and keep smiling. - Spend time on what you really want to do. - Try whatever you want without being afraid of failure. - No matter what happens, I know you can do it. You will be fine. Everything is going to be okay. - No matter when you are frustrated, disappointed and discouraged, I will smile you. - I’m believing in you.

My diary: Today’s snacks are chocolate and Purple smoothie! Today is in the middle of this week. I was a little tired at work and then I found snacks which made me feel better in order to survive this week. I enjoyed chocolate with buttery toffee crunch, while drinking Purple smoothie. Since the chocolate was made in a Hawaiian confectionery company, it reminded me that I swam with wild dolphins in North Shore Oahu the summer before last. The Purple smoothie consisted of grapes, berries, and purple sweet potatoes. Since it was rich in dietary fiber and iron, I could take the essential nutrients which aid digestion and make my blood. When I am busy and can’t take a balanced meal, I make it a habit to supply nutrients that I tend to lack through vegetable juice. Vegetable juice is capable of easily taking the quantity of nutrition which are required each day for a healthy life. It is necessary to keep in mind that I drink juice which contains iron, because I have experiences that I fainted from anemia on my way to work on a subway train a few times in my life. Anyway, today’s snacks helped me with both my physical and mental health. I’ll do my best tomorrow! The following is a picture of today’s snacks.