We combined our blogs into one. ブログお引越しのお知らせ

You can see our blog here.

アブちゃんと私のブログを一緒に見られるように１つにしました。今後ともあたたかく見守ってください。

新しいブログはこちら。

A Wonderful Saturday

It was a nice day.  We should have enjoyed outside, so we decided to go bike riding.

We wore bike shorts for the bike ride.  It's not comfortable because it has many pads.  It feels like a diaper.  You could guess how uncomfortable it is to walk.  I thought about babies' feeling.

Avram is a professional biker in Korea, so I followed him.  His butt was sexy.  

In Busan, many people our parents' age go hiking and bike riding in professional clothes.  They really look like serious. 

 

Last year I lost my way to our hotel in the mountain as usual when I climbed Mt.Jang, 634m, by myself.   I saw an old man, around 70.  I followed him.  He didn't look he walks so fast, but he was very fast.  I had to run and jump from a rock to rock to catch him.  He looked like he was going warp speed.  I lost him and my way again after a while.  Then I realized Korean old people are in excellent shape for their age.  So I rode the bike hard to not lose the race to them during our bike ride.  I won.  Yes!

We went to a nice restaurant for a Korean pancake.  The restaurant has been open for over seventy years.  According to our guide book, it's a very famous restaurant and serves the best pancake in Korea.

It was good.  I couldn't close the button and zipper of my pants.  I make the same mistakes again and again.  Sigh.

After our bike riding, we went to a public bath.  I was surprised at a woman who was drying her pubic hair with a hair dryer.  I told it to Avram.  He said, "Why not?  It's also hair.  I think many men do that."  But before, he said he still might be able to keep some hair on his chest even if he gave one hair to each of the Koreans in the men's public bath.  It's a little famous that Koreans are not hairy.  Probably they don't need a hair dryer for their chest.  Now I wonder how many percent of people in the world dry their pubic hair by hair dryer.

That night, we went to our friend's birthday party.  He is a cool man.  His wife, too.  I mean she's a wonderful "woman."  They are very nice to people.  They have nice smiles.  Their sons are cute and interesting.  We all were glad to celebrate his birthday together.  They reminded me of a proverb, "Fortune comes in by a merry gate."  I understood it well that night.  It was a very good night.

We came home after 12:00.  We could sleep very well that night until 10:00 in the next morning.

Yuki and Konan

My younger brother, Takaaki has a daughter and a son. Her name is Yuki, 6 years old. His name is Konan, 5 years old. They love Avram.

They are comfortable to talk to foreign people in English more than other Japanese children. Actually Konan thinks he speaks English, but no one understands him. He loves to talk to Avram on the phone in English he makes up. He keeps saying, "ahhhhhhh....um.....eh....." Avram tells his stories in English. During their conversation, they don't listen to each other. They both are speaking. I can't translate for the two of them. After they talk, it's funny - both of them are satisfied. Yuki seems like she understands a little bit. She answers Avram, yes or no.

They're interested in pictures we send. One time I sent the picture from Las Vegas. Avram likes Star Trek, so we went to the cafe and took pictures. Now Yuki and Konan believe there are aliens in the U.S., so they shouldn't go there. Yes, it's true many aliens live in the country, but it's different ones.

Kids are cute and very interesting to watch.

One day, we were tired from a long drive and got hungry. According to their mother, they had had enough snacks in the car, so they shouldn't have eaten any more. But their mother, Asako was sleeping. We all ate ice cream except Asako. It was supposed to be a secret. When we were walking to the car after eating ice cream, Takaaki said "Oops!" When we saw Konan, he had ice cream on his face and T-shirt. We couldn't keep the secret, so we bought an ice cream for Asako. She didn't punish us. Food works very well.

A few years ago, Yuki got some chocolate chip cookies from Avram's mother. She liked them very much, especially the chocolate chips. She wanted to eat only chocolate chips and found a good excuse not to eat the cookie dough. She said, "I'm sharing my cookies with ants." Then she gave the cookie crumbs to ants in the living room and ate the chocolate chips.

Konan likes to take a bath with Avram. We went to a public bath together last December. Avram and Konan went to the men's side. Asako, Yuki and I went to the women's side. Before they went into their side, Asako and I told Konan he should listen to Avram. Konan said, "Yes!" When Avram and Konan came out after the bath, Avram looked very tired and Konan looked very happy. Konan enjoyed standing on the chair, splashing, and speaking loud. He didn't listen to Avram at all. Poor Avram. We Japanese learn the manner and etiquette for bathing at home. We follow them in public baths too, so kids learn how to be nice to other people.

Avram understands Konan. He knows how much fun playing is wherever he goes and whatever he does. I hope Avram will be a good father, he not only plays with kids but also shows good things.

Yuki knows I make some accessories with beads. She says, "Sell them and make money. Then buy good food to eat. Also come back to see us." She thinks we don't have enough money. But she thinks we're very rich when we stay at a hotel for Avram's business trips. Then she often asks me, "Are you rich?" I say yes. She is relieved. Thanks to his job.

I miss them very much, so I should sell my accessories to make money and buy tickets soon.

Bookaholic

Hello everyone,

Thank you very much for visiting our blogs and giving some comments:) I'm very glad!! I learned some new English words from your comments.

Writing is a good way to tell people about myself. I can take time to write, so it's more comfortable for me than speaking English.

Yesterday we went to a library. Uh ooh, Avram looked very happy. He loves books. While he is reading books, he doesn't look at me, doesn't listen to me, and even doesn't remember that I am there. Reading is his happy time, but his reading time is my boring time.

As soon as we got to the library, he said "Play with the computer. I have to look for books." It was like a father and his daughter's conversation. "Play with your doll. I have to work." He left me at the computer and ran to books.

After thirty minutes, I asked "How long do you need more?" He said "Fifteen minutes." I was done with the computer. Just like the girl was tired of playing with her doll.

When we left the library, Avram said "That's a shame. I have only two hands to hold books."

I asked "Then how do you hold my hand?"

"Well, I can hold your hands with my butt," he answered.

I said "Why don't you hold your books with your butt and hold my hands with your hands? You can use the mirror on your bike helmet."

"Then it will be back words:( Oh, maybe I can use two mirrors for it!!" Avram got excited with his idea. I felt disgusted when I imagined that I put my hand into his bXXt.

He put his many heavy books in his backpack and carried with a smile. On the way home, "I don't have enough time to read. Can I read while we are playing games?" he asked. I told him, "Whatever you want, you can ask me. I just write them in my blog and get some help from our families and friends to let you know my situation." He stopped talking about books.

We got a train to home, but we couldn't get seats together. He's usually sad about it, but he looked all right yesterday because then he could read as much as he wanted.

Today he took a bus though he usually bikes to work. It was not for reading, but he looked definitely happy even though we have to be far from each other for a while. He was almost skipping. He looked like a skipping spirit in a fairy tale.

I hope he will finish reading all of books he got yesterday, but then he will look for more books.

It is like a holic. I wish reading helps to make people smart to think of their partners.

P.S. He has worked very hard for my immigration for two months. I thank and love him very much. Please don't worry. We've still been nice to each other:)

A Joke ジョーク

I told Avram I didn't have a nice picture for my last blog entry. Then he said, "A picture is worth a thousand words, but a thousand well written words are worth more than a picture. Yours is like that."

He is good at making people happy.

We went walking as usual in the evening. He sometimes tells me jokes. American jokes have a different sense of humor from Japanese ones, so I usually don't get them.

Yesterday he told me this joke.

Two Indians went hunting and discovered a spirit. The spirit granted them each a wish. The first wished to be the smartest man in the world and his wish was granted. The second said he wanted to be smarter than the smartest man in the world. The spirit turned him into a woman.

I got it very easily because I see it between us:)

I'm kidding.

「昨日のブログに使えそうな写真がなかったんだ。」とアブちゃんに言ったら、「『写真は千の言葉より価値があるけど、千のいい文章は写真よりも価値がある。』君のブログはそれと同じ。」

彼は人に自信を与えたり幸せにしたりすることが上手です。

夕べもいつものように散歩に出かけました。アブちゃんは時々ジョークを教えてくれますが、アメリカンジョークは日本のユーモアとはちょっと違うので私は時々理解できません。

昨日のはこういうのでした。

２人のインディアンが狩りに出かけ妖精を見つけました。妖精はそれぞれの願いを叶えてやることにしました。１番目の男の願いは世界で１番賢い男になること、そしてそれは叶いました。次の男は世界で１番賢い「男（man）」よりも賢い「人（man）」になること、そしてそれは叶えられました。その男は女になりました。

このジョークは簡単に理解できました。なぜって私たち２人みたいだから。

冗談です。

Our placement test （韓国語レベルテスト）

Avram and I had a placement test for our Korean class last night.  We know our level is really beginner's, but the office said we should take the test.

At the beginning of the test, one woman explained about the test and the schedule for the new semester in Korean.  We couldn't understand at all.  While she was talking, Avram was practicing "Hello" in Korean to me many times.  I was pretty sure it wouldn't be in the test.  I was right.

We can read Korean, but don't understand the meanings.  I tried to understand and solve the questions.  Avram was doing something next to me.  I saw him.  He was drawing a picture on the sheet.  I thought my husband is smart because he was answering the test for a long time, but he wasn't.  I mean he wasn't solving the question.

After we finished the test, I saw his paper.  I was shocked.  He was ordering the numbers to each questions.  For example, he answered 1 to Q.1.  A.2 is for Q.2.  Then he answered 25 to Question 25 even if we had only four alternative.

We want to learn basic Korean to understand it better, so he didn't try to do the test hard.  I think we don't have to worry we will go to the intermediate class because of our poor Korean, but I took the exam seriously.

Now Avram worries I have to go to the Intermediate class if my guessing worked and I got a good grade.  I am just worried that Avram and I get the same points even if he enjoyed drawing and I answered seriously.

When he gave his test sheets to the woman, she saw the picture and was surprised.  She opened her small eyes as big as she could and said good-bye to us.  Her face drawn with the shock.

Our class will start at seven in the evening next Monday.  I hope we'll be in the same room and Avram won't fall asleep after 8:30 pm.

昨夜は韓国語のレベルテストがありました。初心者だとわかってはいても、実力把握のために試験を受けるように言われ行ってきました。

試験について韓国語で説明がありましたが２人ともさっぱりわからず、顔を見合わせて笑うしかありませんでした。その間も、アブちゃんは「アニョハセヨ」を何度も私に向かって練習していました。私がそれはテストに出ないと言ってもそればかりもごもご唱えていました。

テストはチンプンカンプンでどうしようもありませんでしたが、とりあえず解きました。隣を見るとアブちゃんも何かしています。よく見ると解答用紙の裏に落書きをしていました。それはやがて４分の１の範囲に及ぶほどに大きなものになっていました。黙々と解いて賢い夫だと安心したのも束の間、試験中力が抜けてしまいました。

試験が終わり、彼の解答用紙を見てさらに衝撃が走りました。たくさん回答してあると思ったそれは、なんと順番よく数字をふってあるだけだったのです。たとえば、問題１の答えは１、問題２の答えは２、問題２５の答えは２５。たとえ選択肢が４までしかなくても、答えは２５らしいのです。

彼は初心者のクラスで２人で一緒に勉強したいからまじめに試験を受けなかったらしいですが、それは無用な心配だと思います。彼の心配は私だけが中級クラスにいかないかということ、私の心配は遊んでいた彼とまじめに解いた私の点数が同点になりはしないかということです。

問題と解答用紙を試験監督の女性に手渡すとき、彼女がアブちゃんの落書きを眼にして衝撃のあまりその細い瞳をできる限り見開いて驚いた表情をしていたことを私は見逃しませんでした。アブちゃんは完全に見逃していました。

来週の月曜日からクラスは始まりますが、２人同じクラスであることとアブちゃんが８時半になったら居眠りをしださないことだけを願ってやみません。

Screaming from the kitchen

Last December I was so excited to be cooking at home after one month of hotel life.

One day I was looking forward to making white rice. I can't live without WHITE rice. One of my American friends gave me a rice cooker made in Japan because she couldn't read the directions. I was very happy to have it.

I was using it that day. I plugged in, then it made noise and sparked. I said, "Uh ooh" to myself. I remembered Avram told me we have to use a transformer for our electrical appliances. I couldn't give up about white rice, so I tried again with the transformer. This time the rice maker jumped, made louder noise, and smoked. I was surprised, so I jumped with it too. I smelled something burning. It was my beautiful rice maker.

When I told about it, Avram said "Lucky you. If it was a hair dryer, your head would get burnt." Oh, no! Then I would have a burned head like in a comedy show. I don't want to die with that hair style.

I make rice in pots now, but you know I can't succeed every time. I often smell something is burning.

Officially Avram and I don't have any secrets, but I did this week.

Last week I was going to get sour cream, but I bought cream cheese by mistake. Even if we ate it everyday, it was a lot for two of us. I decided to make a cheese cake which I don't need a oven because we can't use our American gas oven here. I used a pan. It worked for a while. It smelled good, but it was ugly when I opened the cap of the pan. It looked like vomit. I was sad to see it even if the taste was good, so I didn't tell we have the cheese cake to Avram.

Today we got hungry, but didn't have enough food at home. Finally I had to ask him if he wants the vomit. Of course, he said yes. I made him close his eyes and eat them. He liked it.
Yes, he is good at making me happy.

The other day, I heard a man was yelling or shouting outside even if I was on the 11th floor. A man was there and a woman was bringing her knives from her place and asked him to sharpen them. We needed to do that too, so I brought him our knives. After he finished sharpening them, I asked "How much?"in Korean. I heard "$10.5, "but I was not sure if it was $15 or $10.5. I showed $15, then he took it and said thank you. Hmmm..., I was wrong. I should have asked how much it was again and again. I told it to my Korean friend. She said that was too expensive and gave me advice I should give $5 (cheaper money) first and leave there.

In Korea you often see shops that don't show or put prices on their stuff. Every time I go shopping, I learn how to shop in this country.

Avram sometimes hears my screaming from the kitchen when I make mistakes or get shocked. He sometimes calls me to ask if I am all right with the house work from his office. He's scared of my life as a home maker.