宮城県に行ってみた。

6月2日～3日という短い時間を利用して、宮城県は山元町にボランティアで行ってきました。

現在働いている環境コンサルタント会社で、既に宮城・福島などに入っている同僚がおり、会社の仲間何人かで行ってみました。
半年振りに訪れた仙台の町並みはそれほど変わっていませんでしたが、山元町に付近に入るにつれて、津波の被害がまだ残っていることに驚きました。

海水が引かない田んぼ、そこに残っている家財道具、基礎しか残っていない家。

私たちは側溝の泥上げなどを中心に、地元で活動するＮＧＯと共に作業を行いました。
でもこれから暑い夏に向けて、その辺一帯の衛生状況なども心配になりました。



自分が被災地に行ったところで何ができるのか、悩んだ末での訪問でした。
しかし、現状を見ることで、まだまだやらなくてはいけないことがあることを実感しました。


明日からは大阪出張です。
人生2度目の大阪。
あんなにも中心部で仕事ができること、心配もありますがワクワクします。


被災地への毎週の訪問は難しいですが、絶えず自分がやらなくてはいけないこと、できること、そしてやりたいことを考えながら過ごしたいと思います。

地震発生から8日が経ちました。

地震発生から8日が経過しました。

3月11日は仕事で茨城におりました。
外で井戸掘削のボーリング作業を見ていたところ、地震が起こり、最初はすぐに収まるだろうと思っていたのですが、収まらず。業者さんと一緒に敷地外へと避難しました。

どこが震源なのか、何がなんだか分からずに居たところ、会社より連絡。
思った以上に被害は深刻らしい・・・。
作業も中断、私は体調を崩していたこともあり、一足先に業者さんと東京に戻ることに。

電車や信号機は止まり、道路は陥没。
コンビには停電で、渋滞に巻き込まれる前に何かを購入しようと並ぶ人々。
結局私は24時間かかり都内へと戻ってきました。

車の中で見た津波の映像。
これまで生まれ育った東北の変わりようにショックというか、言葉がありませんでした。

今までは途上国に居る人を助けたい、と言う気持ちでやってきていました。
それがこのような状況になり、自分には何ができるのか、改めて考えています。

日本に帰国して6ヶ月が経ちました。

2011年、明けましておめでとうございます。
今年は久しぶりに実家青森でお正月を過ごしています。新幹線もついに開通し、新青森駅まで新幹線での帰省となりました。

6ヶ月ぶりの更新ですが、お陰様で中身の濃い半年間でした。
何をしていたのかというと、、、

1.筑波で非常勤研究員(7月位から9月まで)
2.親知らず抜歯3本
3.横浜へ引っ越し
4.就職(10月から環境コンサル)

色々な方のご支援のもと、帰国してから直ぐに茨城に行ったものの、その2ヶ月後には神奈川へ引っ越しという、バタバタした日々でした。

ブログ上ではありますが、改めて日々支えて下さる皆様へ御礼を申しあげます。
ありがとうございます。

去年の今頃はまさか自分が神奈川に住むとは思ってなかったのですが、色々と考えた末ひとまず(と言ったらまずいでしょうか？)就職してみました。

仕事も幸い楽しく、体には気を付けて今年も過ごしていこうと思います。
ということで、今年の目標は・・・

1.仕事とそれにまつわる専門知識を付ける
2.英語のブラッシュアップ(まさかこんなに英語を要求される職場とは思いませんでした・・・)
3.健康追求！

ざっくりこんな感じです。

今年もよろしくお願い致します。

日本に帰国しました。

昨日の午後3時、2日の移動を経て無事ボリビアから日本に戻りました。

ボリビアと日本は13時間時差があるのですが、まだそれといった時差ぼけは出ていません。
ボリビア→マイアミ→ダラス→成田と移動したのですが、日本に着いてから結構驚くことがあります。
忘れないうちに、驚き項目を挙げてみたいと思います。

・トイレットペーパーが流せる。(ボリビアではトイレットペーパーを流すと詰まるため、ゴミ箱に捨てます。アメリカに入ってから、トイレの個室にゴミ箱が無くてしばしどうしたら良いか考えてしまいました。)

・成田に着いたら日本人がいっぱいいた。

・サービスが丁寧。

・どこでも何でも美味しい。

・お釣がくる。(ボリビアだと、例えば5ボリの価格の物を100ボリ札で購入しようとするとたいてい拒否されます。なぜならお釣を出すのが面倒だから。なので、小さい金額の物を買うときは、事前に小銭を用意する必要があります。日本はどこでもきっちりお釣が出るのがすごい。)

・レディーファーストがない。(自分がレディーかは置いとくとして、ドアの前とかで男性が普通に先に入るのが興味深かった。ボリビアや南米(多分欧米も？)は、車の乗り入れ、店の出入り、料理が出る順番など、みんな基本は女性が最初でした。そしてたいがい知らない人同士でも戸を開けてくれる。)

・みんな携帯いじってた。


今日買い物に行ったら、間違ってスペイン語を喋っていてビックリしました。。。
もうしばらくすると色々と慣れるとは思うのですが、たった2年離れていただけでも驚くこと・興味深いことがたくさんあります。

Asakusa

Today, I went to Asakusa to meet my mentor. I've never met her before. She is a Ph. D student at Davis and helped me a lot, like looking for an apartment and sent me a lot of information. So, I was so happy to meet her today. I asked some questions about study and life there.

Littler bit worried but much more excited.

Anyway, I have to clean up my office until tommorrow...

My last day...

Yesterday, I went out for drink with my teachers. I ate a lot of delicious foods, beer and Sake.
They encouraged me. Thanks a lot!! Yes, I will promise to make a reading list in this blog.

Today, I went out for lunch with my econometrics teacher and friend. He studied at Wisconsin to get the Ph.D and I took his classes all the year round. He gave me some advice, like notkeeping the house and going out, starting your assightment when you receive it. When he stayed there, he did a lot of sports. I don't know why he could play so many kinds of sports not only study.
So, he also advised me to play some sports. Now I don't know I can play sports there, coz I'm eorried about my study. However I want to, so I'll try to manage it.

Oh, today is my last English lesson. I have studied there more than one year and really like the staff. They are kind and very lusty. And very respected teachers. They helped me a lot when I wrote my essay and application forms to Davis and Santa Barbara. Also, when I faced some problems and felt serious, they listened to me and gave some useful advices. If I could not meet them, I can't get this chane to go to the US. So, thank you so much!! Please look forward to meeting me again. I keep good my promise.

There is nothing more valuable than good health!

Yesterday, I went to the dentist and ophthalmology to check my health.

First, I reserved the dentist and then went to the ophthalmology to buy contact lenses. Usually I use one-day disposable contact lens. It' s so easy to take care and clean. But the cost is little bit expensive for me, so I wanted to one-month disposable contact lens. However I bought a year's worth of one-day disposable contact lens . Coz including meintanance product for one-month contact lens, the cost of it is as same as one-day! The doctor also told me that he was afraid if the one-month lens was not adapted.

Then I went to the dentist again. I go to the dentist once a half year to check and clean my teeth.
Also removing plaque. That's so fun!! I had a really little cavity so treated it. I will go there two more again to remiving plaque. Yes, I found two withdom teeth! I hope that they don't hurt me....

Going dentist and ophthalmology are so fun, aren't they? I really likes it. But, I hate otolaryngolog. Yuck!!!

Gosh!

What rotten luck! I've had a few troubles since tomorrow.

First, my PC was broken and didn't work at all on 13th. It's bright new one, I bought it only two months ago. I tried to operate by myself, but..... So I brought it to the electrical store near Tsukuba center.

Again a problem againsted me. I had got a flat tire. This was not the big deal, coz there is the bike shop near my house. However it was closed on such a day.... So I had to go to another one which is little bit far from my house and devious. Today is so humid, isn't it? Only to do these things made me so exhausted.

Oh, yes, one more. This morning, I had to call for Davis because of my tuition payment. But couldn't use my PC, forgetting the number and flatter tire, I shuttled between my house and school twice on foot this morning.

These things don't seem big deals. But for me, I have little energy left to prepare for my seminar. And my PC will be back on 28th, it's the day befor moving to Narita!!

I hope it comes to my hands on time.

Thanks again!!!

皆から頂いた色紙＆サングラスです♪


いやはや、今日はテンション高いので日本語で失礼します！！

岩手大学地域マネジメント学講座の皆さま、本日おがっちょより色紙＆プレゼントを頂きました！！
全く予想していなかった出来事で、本当に本当に嬉しかったです。
ありがとう！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！

最近、渡米前の不安からなのか鬱々とした気分でしたが、一発解消。
ちょうど、２日前にも卒業時に皆から頂いた色紙を読み返し、気持ちを新たにしてました。

がぁ～、嬉しいよ。
１年後、頑張ってきたと言って帰国できるよう、向こうに行っても気持ちを引き締めて頑張ってきます。
本当に、みんなの気持ちに感謝です。
みんなも健康に気をつけて、充実した１年を過ごしてね。


I can't believe it!!!
Thank you so much for my friends at Iwate Univ.
Today I received your present and messages.
Again thank you and see you again!!

Thanks for all!!!

Oops, I did it again. I ate sooooooooo much last night.

Yesterday, my senior at university held a send-off party for me. First, we went to an all-you-can-eat mutton barbecue restaurant. We spent great time in a beer garden.

Then again, we went to an all-you-can-eat sweets cafe in Ginza. There were many kinds of sweets and some drinks and we could stay there only 80min. So I ate as much as I could. But, because of so much mutton, there was not enough space for dessert.

Enough about that, I want to say thank you for all member who attended yesterday!!! Not only for the member yesterday, but also for all people who concerns me.

You always help me a lot and give me useful advice. Without your help, I cannot make it this far.

Just want to say thank you so much for all.

I extend to you all good fortune and happiness for the future.

Coming of July.

Today is 4th of July. Time passes so early, doesn't it??? Time flies like an arrow....

I was really excited to go to the US so far. However these days I cannot explain my own feelings.... Excited and wobble, two feelings are mixtured.

To move here, I threw out recycled waste-paper yesterday. My room seems desolate a little. When I moved from Iwate, I didn't feel like such feelings.

Anyway, I have to mind my own business.

I got a Visa to the US!!

Last Wednesday, I went to the embassy to take Visa interview. There were sooooooooo many people. It took about two hours to finish all procedures.

This morning I received it. I also have reserved my airplane ticket!!

Anyway, I'm going to enjoy my remaining one month in Japan...

Talk of the town.

Last night, I stayed at my research room and studied. Then, one of my friend came in and said "Let's watch world cup game tonight!!"

I don't know the rules of it, so am not willing to watch the games. However if my friends ask, I always watch them Of cource, I don't know what happen when the situation is complicated. However, I like the atomospher!! Watching the game over beer and snacks. It's really exciting time, isn't it?

Last night, three Chinese students and two Japanese students came to my room. We bought beer and snacks. Ready to watch!!!

Anyway, Japan lost...

I could not believe my eyes. Coz, Australian players got three goals in the final six minutes.
I thought that my eyes played trick on me. I drunk a lot, so I was not sure it was true or not.

Too much water drowned the miller. So, I hope for next match.

By the way, recently many comapnies and associations have the the commercials which are related the World Cup 2006. On of my favorite is an ad for WFP. Ronaldinho appears on it. When I first saw it, I could not understand what ad was for. But after watching the ending, I got it.

If you have chance, please watch it!!

Cultural chasm.

These days, I feel communication with other cultural people is sometimes difficult.
First, language and second, cultural chasm.

I have a lot of procedures must be done in English. Just reading English is not big deal for me.
If I face some words don't know, just look up them. However, writing e-mail in English gives me trouble. Of cource, I have sent English e-mail. But just for my friends, never for person who I don' t know.

I think I had sent rude e-mails for them. For example, I thought the person was woman.
Because it looked like woman's name. So I sent ' Dear Ms. ～ ', but the person was man!!!
Additionally, I did not take much care for grammer. I tried to sent polite e-mails, but I should care about it more and more. Someone might feel bad. It is said that, it depends on your writing I can get the responce or not. I have not received some responces yet.

Now, I'm trying to write correct grammer writing. I also try to read some books which are written about how to write English e-mail. I have a lot of opportunity to write English e-mail from now on. So, I want to brush up my writing skill and e-mail manner.

Cultural chasm is also dfficult for me. Today I reconfirmed one important thing. If I have some opinion, do not hesitate to talk about them. If I don't talk to the people, nobody knows! I think I will face a lot of cultural chasm in the US. I will try to talk and tell them about my own feeling.