Future Car

I was watching a Discovery Channel last night. The program called "Future Car" was on. It was quite interesting and educational!!!
As an environmentalist and being in the auto industry, I've heard all sort of new technology. Bio diesel, Ethanol, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Solar car and electric car.

But last night, I found out there are people trying to make the "Air Car". The car which will run with the compressed air and emits air! No pollution & no petroleum necessary. Only needs air, which is available everywhere! So efficient!!! How incredible! The original idea was by Jules Verne. The French science fiction writer from 19th century.

I was just so amazed. It would be so awesome if we are able to use this air car someday!!!

クッキング三昧？

母が1ヶ月いた間は、見事なまでに
全く料理をしませんでした
そのせいか、母が日本に帰ってからは
何かいろいろクッキングしたい気分の毎日です。

2週間前に農家でグランドフィナーレがあり
大量の野菜が家にあり、どう料理しようか
毎日悩んでいます。

日本ではあまり使わないような
野菜が多いので、どう料理していいのか
分からない。。。
どんなものをもらったのかと言うと、

セイヨウニラネギ
エイコーン・スクワッシュ
スパゲティスクワッシュ
バターナッツスクワッシュ
カブカンラン
パンプキン
ブルーハバード
カリフラワー
センポジア
コラード
メキャベツ

などなど。（これだけではないです）

2日前は、セイヨウニラネギを使い、
チヂミに挑戦。
味はそこそこでした。
今日はまたネギを使って
ポテトスープに挑戦。
うまくいくのか？！

Socializing with people

It's been a long time since I spent time with my college friend, and I was very impressed how she was around the people once again. When I emailed her how much I admired her qualities, she responded to me and taught me something important.
She said
You can always find something in common with someone you've just met.
also said
You never know what you will learn.

How inspiring! I'm always (somewhat) closed around the people whom I felt very different from me. But I think my friend is right. There is always SOMETHING IN COMMON. Always something to talk about. Having a conversation with new people seemed very difficult to me before, but I am encouraged by my friend to notice something, anything!!

初雪

初雪です。
ミシガンなので驚くことでは全然ないのですが。。。
ここ数年、ミシガンの寒さに慣れてきたためか、
気温0度と聞いても、驚かなくなりました。
（今日の最低気温はマイナス）

はじめの年は、こんな寒いところに住んでいられない！
と思ったものですが、こんなところでも、住めば都

ですが、今週末はジョージア！
今でも20度を超える暖かさです

パンプキンの種

かぼちゃの季節です。
農家から山ほどのかぼちゃをもらい、
昨日はパンプキンブレッドを作りました。

いつもは捨ててしまう、かぼちゃの種、
今年は同僚からRoasted Pumpkin Seedsを
薦められ、作ってみる事に

作ると言っても、実はオーブンで焼くだけ。
塩をふりかければ出来上がり



これ、実はものすごくいけます！
母、妹は「種なんて食べるもんじゃない」と言って
嫌いなようでしたが、実は栄養もたっぷりあって
健康食です。

こんなにおいしいもの、今まで捨ててたなんて
なんてもったいない。。。

（日本のかぼちゃの種が同じように
食べれる物なのかは不明）

再び床下へ

今年の初めにCrawl Space（床下）へもぐり
断熱材をパイプに巻いたばかりですが、
つい最近、その断熱材が少し取れかけているのを発見。
寒くなる前に修復しないと！と思い、
週末、再びCrawl Spaceへ。

2度と入りたくなかったのですが、
パイプがまた破裂するような事になったら
もっと大変な事になるので。。。

今回は簡単な修復だけだったので
前回よりもずっとラクだったのですが、
這いずり回ったおかげで、
足はアザだらけ、体のあちこちが筋肉痛です

Language Barrier

I work for a japanese company and since we are in US, about half is japanese and half is non-japanese. I've heard some Americans have complaints here and I had a chance to hear it on my own yesterday.

It just so happened that Japanese workers tend to get together on their own and they don't invite non-Japanese. For example, they all go out together to eat/drink; or someone has a private party and all Japanese are invited but not non-Japanese. Americans are not so happy about being excluded.

One American worker asked one Japanese worker why they were not invited, and this Japanese person answered it wrong. She explained that the company was not paying for a dinner; she was paying for herself. It sounded like Americans are cheap, equals they cannot afford paying for a dinner/drink so that's why they are not invited.

That is not the actual reason! I heard once from my boss (japanese) why they don't go out with Americans. It's because of the language. He told me he cannot have a good relaxing time if he had to speak English. Japanese workers (most of them) do not want to be forced to speak English outside of the office!!

I kinda understand that. For me, it was my decision to come to this country; but for most of japanese people working here, they were sent by the parent company. So they were forced to study/speak English... I can see why they do not want to use their head while having a good time eating/drinking...

But I also understand that we should not exclude Americans when having a party. That's discrimination!

So I come between those two groups. I am not on either side actually. But I hope that I can give American people a good reason why they were not invited... I'm not sure how much they understand how difficult for foreigners to communicate with language other than their own...