flowers – Agony or Fun?! Second Language Learning

Photographs that I took just one year ago in the campus.

Now it’s a dream-like illusion that I had been there.

A Small Shrine where I played 50 years ago, Cherry Flowers, and Sadogashima far behind

Cherry Blossom Yesterday, though Sky was not so Clear

If I took pictures today, it would have been more beautiful because the sky was clear today. But I had been working on my field.

What I saw while I was walking in the paddy fields in Niigata, Northern JAPAN(2).

I saw these trashes thrown onto the ground.

In the old years, rice had been hung on that trees to dry them up.

It is rare to see green leaves because it’s still early spring.

Cattle’s droppings can be a good fertilizer.

As of April 1st, It was declared that Cherry flowers had started blooming in Niigata.

Two Chinese Restaurants have gone out of Business

I got on a bus in front of JR Niigata Station.

I went to the old downtown area of Niigata today. I got an influenza vaccination on my shoulder in a small clinic there. Since it’s the “old” downtown, anything there is going down. I think the reason of declining comes from multiple factors; Japan’s aging society, spreading of commercial districts from city center to surrounding area due to motorization, the long economic downturn of Japan aka “lost thirty years”, and so on.

Old Downtown of Niigata, a northern city in Japan

There used to be three Chinese restaurants in that district. I mean that “Chinese Restaurant” is of serving Chinese food cooked by Chinese people. Having visited there today, I got to know that two of three such restaurants had been closed and taken place by another shops. One of the three, only “鵬龍” survives.

騰翔飯店 was replaced by an Italian Food Restaurant

After the flu shot, I took my lunch in “鵬龍”. 広東麺 was hot, so it took a time for me to eat. And then I got on a bus to JR Niigata Station. I just wanted to go home soon. Getting off a local train, I bought a small flower bundle in my village in order to offer to the altar of my deceased father.

Today, in my Garden

Chinese cabbages are growing bigger and faster that I thought

Leaf Lettuces are not growing well.

Radishes are still thin. I want them to be thicker.

It will probably be the only fig that I can get in this fall. Many figs fell down during drought in summer.

Black Persimmons. It is a rare species.

A Flower of Rose “Papa Meilland” was eaten by insects. So, its shape is bad.

A small Blue Berry Tree has got its Leaves Red.

That’s all for today.

I found Two Roses blooming in my Garden. What a Peaceful Autumn Day

I worked in my garden in the morning hours, went to a supermarket for shopping in the afternoon, practiced piano at 4p.m., and cooked supper. Now today is going to end.

This rose’s name is “Princesse de Monaco”

Persimmons on the tree are getting color

What I bought today. I have already eaten the horse mackerels by grilling

Oh, by the way, I wrapped one persimmon three days ago in order to get rid of bitterness. I didn’t expect, but it had turned to be soft. If I had waited some days more, it would have melted. So, I have already eaten it just before. It was not good. Soft but not sweet. I guess that is because the persimmon was not ripened well. I will try again to remove bitterness of persimmons with fully yellow one.

Big Letters on Smoking Booth

There is a Smoking Booth near Bandaiguchi-Exit on JR Niigata station. Oh, but let me tell you, I am not a smoking person. I have never ever smoked even a single cigarette through my life of more than a half century. Passive smoking was terrible when I was a young company man, but I have already retired from company work. Now I am free from smoke of others.

Anyway, I took the photo above, and then I walked to the other side of this smoking booth. What I found there was…

Smoking Booth with Warning Written in Big Letters

It reads;
BAN on Smoking Outside This Facility;
A lot of complaints are coming (to the City Office) due to part of users with bad manner. If this situation continues, this smoking booth would need to be demolished. We ask you to smoke only inside of the facility.

As if these big letters indicate how the Niigata municipal government is angry with bad smoking people.
And I thought that, if there are a lot of complaints, it would not be “part of users” but it might be “many of users”.