今日のはいく Haiku of the day

まんじゅうを

たべるゆうがた

うめのはな

in the afternoon
after a lunch of dumplings
plum blossoms beckon

ユビキタス ラーメン

ユビキタスというのはどこでも存在するという意味です。

In Japan, there is such a thing as the ubiquitous ramen shop. A chain called 'Dosanko Ramen,' for example, you can find pretty much anywhere in Japan, BUT --- 

every shop has an entirely different menu.

どさんこラーメンは北海道ラーメンで、

みそコーンバターはとても美味しいです。
Basically, though, 'Dosanko Ramen' is Hokkaido-style ramen 
(ramen noodles in a miso broth topped with corn and butter) 
which happens to be rich and delicious!

いただき！

Bring it on!

いぇーい！

This gyoza was incredible.

いつも思うんですけど、
なぜラーメン屋さんのなかに漫画が

いっぱい置いてあるかしら？
As always (at ramen restaurants in rural Japan), 
I saw this bookshelf and wondered, 
'Is it really possible to eat ramen and read a manga comic book at the same time?' 
Never actually seen it done.

半チャーハン

Post ramen satisfaction feeling.

ロボット

ふじもら先生：どんなかんじ？

ロボット：ボク、ロボットナリタクナイ。

写真はtalking breakfastからです

http://talkingbreakfast.tumblr.com/post/19395115442?ref=nf

一年前 a year after the quake

３月１１日２０１１年, 東京 国立に住んでいた。

A year ago, on the day of the Tohoku earthquake, 
I was living in Tokyo.

あの日は、国分寺（国立のとなりにある町）で
仕事をしていた。

地震のとき、１００円 LAWSON のなかにいて、はことか缶が落ちて来たから、とりあえず外に出た。地震はもっと強くなって、スローモーションなかんじがした。

ゆれが終わったら、みんな（私も）ぼーっとした顔をして、おそるおそる動きはじめました。

なにも考えずにLAWSONにもう一回入って、

ひよこ豆を買って、国分寺駅に行きました。

駅に着いてすぐ電車が動いていないことが分かりました。

それではじめて国分寺から家まで歩きました。あんまり道が分からなくて、とりあえず線路ぞいのみちを

ずっと行こうと思いあるいた。

その途中でこんなの見つけました。

That day, I was teaching English in the nearby town of Kokubunji.

I'd just finished my last class and was picking up a few things at the convenience store when suddenly things started shaking. It started out slow, but when boxes and cans started falling off the shelves, I put my shopping basket on the floor and went outside quickly. There were lots of people outside on the street looking around like 'Where should I go?' The earthquake intensified and it felt like everything was moving in slow motion. When it was finally over, a bunch of spaced out people (myself included), slowly started to go back to 'real life.' For some reason, which I still can't understand, I went back into the convenience store, bought the two cans of chickpeas I had contemplated buying earlier, and went to the station, as if everything were normal. Naturally, the trains weren't moving and I thought, 'Well, I'll have to walk home.'  I didn't know the way, but 'If I follow the train tracks, I should be able to make it,' I thought. Which I did. 

On the walk home, this is what I saw.

歩きながら、いろなことを考えていたけど、
まずは家まで歩いてすぐ

帰れるくらいのところにいたことに、
すごく感謝をしました。

As I walked home, a million thoughts were going through my mind, but, overall, I was just grateful to be alive and able to walk home.