So Unusual about Singapore

What’s so unusual about this scene in Singapore? Power poles.

Sakurada Junko and "Uku Uku"

産経新聞（電子版）が桜田淳子の芸能活動再開への意欲に全国霊感商法対策弁護士連絡会がこれに反対する声明を改めて発表したと報じている。（www.sankei.com/entertainments/news/180314/ent1803140003-n1.html）「静かな老後」を考えてもいい年齢になってから、「芸能活動再開に意欲を見せる」のはなぜなんだろうかと思う。20年以上も活動停止状態で、この人を引っ張り出してカネ儲けしたい人たちが背後にいるのではないかと、疑う。

先日、近くのスーパーでまたもや怪しげな日本語を見つけた。きょう夕方、写真を撮ってきた。

「カップタッチ」って何？自分が知らないだけで、当たり前の現代日本語？「うクうク」は「うきうきワクワク」の略として使えそう。もしかすると、わざと「うクうク」にした？（そんなわけない…。）でも「操作らくらく簡単」では「らくらく」と書けているのに、何でこの２行は「うクうク」なんだろう？
Shame on you, Lessie!!

Xaлba

仕事柄ということもあって、米原万里の著作はほとんど読んだ。10年ほど前に読んだ『旅行者の朝食』をきょうまた読み始めたところ、「トルコ蜜飴の版図」のページで（万里さんが通っていたプラハのソビエト学校で学友だったイーラが（トルコ蜜飴より）「百倍美味しいわ」と言った）ハルヴァ」に関する記述に出くわし、気になったことがあった。2012年12月、いっしょに仕事をしたベラルーシのアレクサンドルがおみやげにくれたお菓子。普段、甘いお菓子は食べないが、印象に残るおいしさで写真に撮っていた。「靴磨きのクリームが入っている缶のような形とサイズの青い容器」には入っていなかったが、やっぱり「Xaлba（ハルヴァ）」と書いてあるではないか！トルコへ移住したいと言っていたアレクサンドル。今、どうしているのか、知らない。

Shame on you, Lessie!!

Japan Trip, Another Mistake of Lifetime and LIfe Insurance Work

I went back to Japan to visit the local pension office in Kyoto and the temple in Osaka where mother rests (for the first time). My original plan was to depart Changi at 1:30 of February 19th by SQ618 and Kansai at 23:00 of 20th (SQ615), a one-night trip.

I expected to receive an e-mail from Singapore Airlines asking me to check in online for the return flight to Singapore. I didn’t receive it. I signed in to its website to search my booking. It said there was no such flight booked.

I could’ve gone to the Kansai Airport without further checking. But I felt really strange and decided to call the number listed on the website.

I explained what was happening and the person I talked to said “The flight booked was for yesterday.” It was not possible as I arrived only “yesterday.” Then, she said, “Your return flight is booked for MARCH 20.”

Because they were mid-night flights, I paid my very close attention only to the dates and times, not months… I had booked the wrong flight.

I cancelled the March flight and booked SQ619 departing Kansai at 11:00 on 21th, costing me 67,700 yen (S$859.12) for rebooking and 13,400 yen (S$170.04) for an extra night at the hotel. This is the kind of mistake you can make only once in your lifetime. My schedule was to go to Senai in the afternoon of 21th, which became impossible, causing trouble for my client.

I delivered the last life insurance file yesterday. That concluded a job of about six months.

Still Working on "Life Insurance" and Decision to Return

I keep working on the last file of “life insurance.” It began with Dr. Solomon Huebner and I believe I’ve learned something about the philosophy and system of life insurance, though personally I find not many things applied to me as the system assumes familial love and bonds, which I don’t have. I’m someone who don’t, can’t, share their idea.

After some hesitation, I decided almost impulsively with the help of alcohol to return to Japan after the lunar new year holiday just to make payments into my pension scheme, get slips necessary for more payments and visit the temple where Mother rests, almost two years after her ashes were brought there. Departure, Singapore on February 19 (1:30) and Osaka on 20 (23:30).

Shame on you, Lessie.