Thursday, December 30, 2021

12月30日(木曜日)2021

    年も押し迫った本日、友人のHさんがご主人とお正月の花を生けに来てくださり帰りに運良く彦根のスーパーまで車に乗せていってくださいました。買い物を済ませ停留所でバスを待つも30分経っても来ない。次の時刻は2時間後。この雪で時間通りには運行していない可能性大。あてのないバスを待つより歩くのが賢明と出発することに。

    問題はしこたま買い込んで重くなったバックパックと手にはエコバッグと財布の入った手提げかばん。しかも、いつも自転車で走る歩道は除雪されておらず完全にアウト。つまり歩くのは車道。もう一つ、雪道用に履いてきた長靴の右つま先が痛くて仕方がない。幸いお天気は回復して遠くの山々を眺めながらひたすら左右の足を前へ出していれば家には帰れると前方を見ようとするも、背中の荷物が肩に食い込んで重く視線は下ばかり。

    江戸時代の人に思いを馳せながら途中のローソンでまずは一休み。座りたいけど椅子はなく立ったままコーヒーと肉まんを食べてまた出発。ごぼうとネギを突っ込んだ背中の荷物が妙にリズムを作っていました。

    多賀駅でベンチに腰掛け二度目の休息。若者が3人雪遊びをしているのが楽しそう。休んだ後のカバンは一層重く感じます。家に帰って重さを計ったら9キロ近くでした。

    Today is almost the end of the year, and my friend, H, came to arrange flowers for the new year with her husband. On her way back home, she kindly offered to give a ride to the grocery store in Minami-Hikone by car. After the grocery store, I was waiting for the bus to get home at the bus stop for about 30 mins but no bus came. The next bus was scheduled to come two hours later and it was uncertain to come due to the traffic condition caused by the previous snow. I decided to go home by foot.

    I had several problems, though. The first one was my backpack. It was very heavy with groceries. The second one was about the way I walk. Usually I take the sidewalk by bicycle but it was full of snow. The last problem was my right toe hurts because my right rain boots don't fit well. Fortunately it was a fine day and the mountains were so beautiful but I couldn't enjoy the view because my backpack was so heavy and it dug into my shoulder which made me look down on my way.

    I was thinking of the people who were walking in the same way two hundred years ago in Japan. Since there was a convenience store, I took a short break to have coffee and Pork bun. While I was walking, I could hear some noise but it made a certain rhythm inside my backpack which was full of groceries.

    I found benches at Taga Taisha station so I took a second break. I was watching three young male people playing with snow. It looked so pleasant. My backpack was very heavy, especially after taking a break. I scaled it at home and it weighed almost 9 kg (19.8 lb).










Monday, December 27, 2021

12月27日(月曜日)2021

    大したことにならないようにとの密やかな願いも叶わず一昨日から降り続いた雪はものすごい積雪量となってしまいました。絵馬通りは融雪装置で何分か毎に水が噴き出て道路に雪が積もらないようになっているのですが、大した効き目もなく、車の轍(わだち)のところだけ雪が溶けてあとは水を含んだ重い雪が真ん中と両側に残っています。朝から表の雪かきをしていると勤めに出る人たちが長靴で雪のないところをせっせと歩いていかれます。見ると多くの人の手には短いシャベル。なるほど、雪かきできていないところを進む場合は自分で雪かきをしなければならないので、それを考えてのことかと地元ならではの知恵に感心しました。
 
    さて我が家の心配は屋根の雪です。瓦の修理を今年中にと瓦屋さんにも相談していたのですが、諸事情で来年の2月に延期されたため、ズレている瓦や折れている桁がこの1メートル近い大雪でどんなことになるか心配でたまりません。

    お正月の多賀大社への参拝客にもこの雪の影響は大きいでしょう。

    Despite my wish not to get very much snow, an awful amount of snow accumulated this morning. There is a snow melting device on the road and the water spouts out on and off to melt the snow but it doesn't work very well with this amount of snow. Heavy snow remains at the center and both sides of the street and only the part where cars pass has no snow. While I was shoveling the snow on the street in the morning, many commuters were passing by with snow boots and I found that many of them were carrying short shovels with their hands. Probably because they felt they might need to eliminate snow by themselves as they passed through and I was impressed by their idea.

    Well, I am very much worried about the snow on the roof. The roof tiles are very old and they are slipping down year by year. I was consulting with a local roofer. At first, they expected to fix the roof in Dec. but later for some reason, it was postponed to February. I am hoping that this heavy snow will not damage the roof.

    I am also afraid that this snow will remain for new year and many people might give up on visiting the shrine.

 





Thursday, December 23, 2021

12月23日(木曜日)2021

    昼が短く夜が一番長い冬至の翌日。今朝はきれいに晴れ上がり久しぶりにロングコースの散歩にでました。午前7時過ぎは厳しい冷え込み。多賀大社では初詣のために大きく作られた参拝枠の外で打つ柏手の音も乾いた響きで身の引き締まる思いでした。

    遠く琵琶湖西岸に見える比良山系の山々は白く、多賀町と米原町それに岐阜県をまたがる鈴鹿山系の霊仙山の薄い雪化粧の美しい姿はしばし立ち止まって見惚れるほど。目的地「きまぐれ市」の野菜自動販売機でトマト(300円)菜花(100円)それにみかん(200円)を買って、帰り道ではあんなに寒かった体もホカホカになっていました。味噌作り用の大豆を持ってきてくださったNさんからの立派な「多賀にんじん」も一緒にカメラに入りました。

    Today is the next day of the winter solstice. It was a clear day, so I went for a long walk after a long time, but the temperature in the early morning was so low. At Taga Taisha (shrine), they have already set the place where many visitors will come at the beginning of the new year. I stood outside the board and greeted God as one does at the shrine.

    Mountains which were visible at the west side of Lake Biwa were covered with snow. Ryozen Mountain which crosses over Taga town, Maibara town and Gifu prefecture were also covered in snow lightly and it was so beautiful. I was amazed by this view. At the vegetable vending machine in Kimagure Market, I got tomatoes, rape blossoms and mandarin oranges. My body felt very cold in the beginning of walking, but it got warm on the way back home. I took a vegetable photo, and I added "Taga carrots" which were from Ms. Nishizawa who brought soybeans for Miso making in the end of January,







Wednesday, December 22, 2021

12月20日(月曜日)2021

    多賀中学校の評議員を仰せつかっているので、先日他の評議員の方達と一緒に生徒たちの給食をいただき、その後教室でいくつかの授業を参観しました。母校といえど校舎は移転しお昼も私の時はお弁当でしたから、高台の気持ち良い校舎のランチルームで整然と給食を食べる中学生の姿に年月の経過を感じましたが、間違いなく皆多賀の生徒たちであり親しみをもって様子を見せてもらいました。

    給食は小学校が学校で作っているのに対し、中学は業者に委託していると聞いていたのであまり期待していなかったのですが、ご飯が温かくて美味しく野菜スープも熱々なのに感激。ご飯の量は大盛り、中盛り、小盛りと選べます。メニューはこの日ハンバーグかミートボールのどちらかを選択。写真では少なそうに見えますが、私にとってはまあまあの量(成長期の男子生徒はどうかな)でした。コロナ禍で全員がランチルームに入ることを避け2、3年が先、1年生がその後、それぞれ20分という決して十分な時間ではありませんが、二つに分けた状況では仕方ないことだと思いました。

    さて、授業参観は英数社会音楽など各学年の教室を回ってそれぞれ7分程度見せていただいたのですが、板書をなさっていたのは社会の先生だけであとはみなスマートボード?で授業を進めていらっしゃいました。国語が見たいと思って昨日再度行って廊下から見た教室では逆にほとんどの先生が板書で授業。新しい機材を有効に使っての教え方に感心しましたが、それでも先生個人の持ち味や教え方でクラスの雰囲気や生徒の反応が違うのは興味深かったです。先生と生徒との交流も一方通行でなかったのはよかったのですが、生徒の教室内での先生への話しかけが殆どタメ口だったのに正直驚きました。気持ちはそれでいいのですが立場的にはどうなのかな…と。

    Since I was appointed to be a member of the board of trustees at Taga Junior High School, I went to the school to eat School Lunch and followed by class visits in several classrooms with other members. Although I graduated from the same school, it was relocated from the original place and School Lunch was not provided when I was a student, so there are many differences from then and now, but the students are all from the Taga area and I felt very close to them.

    The School Lunch at the Elementary School is made in the school but in contrast the lunch in Junior High is made by a lunch service provider and brought from outside the school, so I didn't expect much. However, the meal was not bad. Warm rice came with hot vegetable soup and they tasted good. Students can take the bowl of rice among three different amounts (large, medium and small portions). As for the main dish, on this day, there are two choices, meatballs or hamburg steak. Personally, I was ok with this meal and amount but I wondered if it might be not enough for the male students who are in the middle of growing up. Due to avoiding too many students in the lunchroom because of coronavirus, the first twenty minutes are reserved for senior students and the next twenty minutes is for junior students.

    Well, after lunch, we visited several classrooms to observe Math, English, Social studies and Music class. Most teachers were using smartboard (?) to teach their subject and only one teacher wrote on a blackboard with chalk. It was interesting that each class had a different atmosphere and students' reaction depending on the teacher's method and nature. I was glad to see that there were some interactions between teacher and students and the students in the classroom were acting. The students in the classroom were not acting in a passive way. However, they were mostly talking to their teacher in a very casual manner which surprised me. I cannot judge whether it is good or bad but it is very different from my school days.

      



Saturday, December 18, 2021

12月17日(金曜日)2021

    日帰りで埼玉まで行った帰りの新幹線は19時半過ぎの「ひかり661号」。自由席の二人掛けを占領できるほど楽でしたが、豊橋あたりでスピードダウン。車内アナウンスで強風のためブレーキをかけながら走行していることを知り、更に岐阜羽島を過ぎて雪で遅れが生じているとのこと。幸い近江鉄道の終電にも間に合い無事多賀大社前駅に到着。雪をめぐり憂鬱なことはたくさんありますが、今年の初雪に心は密かに踊り、人ひとりいない絵馬通りを歩いて帰宅。会場で買ったスープで本日の締めとしました。

    I left Taga for Urawa in Saitama prefecture to see my friend's stage performance in the morning and took Shinkansen (bullet train) Hikari 661 which departed 19:33 at Tokyo Station on the way back to Taga. It was easy and relaxed in the car but in the Toyohashi area the train ran slower because of the strong wind and after around Gifu-hashima it was delayed because of the snow. I was worried about not catching the last local train from Maibara station to Taga but fortunately I could get on the train and arrived at Taga safely. It was snowing and I could see a beautiful snowy night town although I can imagine lots of problems coming up due to the snow. I walked home from the station through the street where I didn't see any people or cars. I warmed up the retort soup which I bought at the hall which I visited.






 

12月16日(木曜日)2021

    彦根のYさんがお持ちくださったお庭の草花を飾らせていただきました。12月も半ば。師走の慌ただしさはまだ私の周りには来ていません。静かな落ち着いたひとときです。

    I decorated flowers and leaves from Ms.Y. who planted them in her garden. It's already the middle of December. It is the busiest season in the year, but I don't feel that way at this moment yet. I am glad to be in a quiet and calm atmosphere.








Thursday, December 16, 2021

12月15日(水曜日)2021

    スマホを手帳代わりに使っている人が多い中、私は時代に呼応していないと自覚しています。令和4年(2022年)の滋賀県民手帳を初めて購入し使い始めています。滋賀県の情報満載なので色々勉強できそうです。琵琶湖の面積が日本一であることは誰でも知っていますが、滋賀県は男性の平均寿命が81,78年で1位、酒類消費が少量順で1位、即席めん類、麻織物の出荷額が全国1位、1世帯当たりの牛肉の年間支出金額が全国1位など面白情報も載っています。今まで百均の大判スケジュールノートを使っていたので、ポケットサイズの県民手帳に小さい字で書き込みができるかどうか、乱暴な字の私には挑戦で心配ですが一年間仲良くお付き合いできればと願っています。

    I know that I am not the person to be up to date among many people who use their cell phone as a notebook. I bought a small schedule notebook for 2022 which contains a lot of information about Shiga prefecture and have just started using it. I am able to learn a lot of things about my region from it. Everybody knows that Lake Biwa is the biggest lake in Japan. I knew that the average lifespan of men in Shiga is 81.78 years old and it is the longest in Japan. Shiga is the top of low consumption of liquors. Both shipment value of instant noodles and hemp fabric are top in the country. Expenditure of beef per house is also top in Japan. There is more interesting information in this notebook. I have been using a large notebook from a 100-yen shop ( a dollar shop), so I am afraid that I will get used to writing in small letters which fit the notebook. It is a challenge to me, as I usually write roughly. Hope I will be getting along with this notebook next year.





Monday, December 6, 2021

12月6日(月曜日)2021

    穏やかな晴天の日曜日、朝から多賀大社への参拝の方も多かったのではないでしょうか。イザナミランチは;ほうれん草の白和え、揚げ野菜のマリネ、桃原(もばら)ごぼうの牛肉巻き、人参のナムル、巾着たまご、コンポートトマト、サバのカレー風味煮、銀杏ごはん、漬物二種、鮭粕汁でした。召し上がってくださったお客様には心からお礼申し上げます。
 
    さて、16時から18時までは北川津良さん(多賀町在住)のギーター弾き語りコンサートがありました。ライブの機材も充実し、北川さんの優しく美しい響きに皆聞き入り、時に手拍子も入り終始温かい雰囲気で盛り上がっていました。

    It was a fine first Sunday of December and I guess many people visited Taga shrine. The menu of Izanami Lunch (special lunch for the first Sunday of the month) was the following; Spinach salad dressed with tofu, white sesame and miso, Marinated with fried vegetables, Beef wrapped around boiled local burdock root, Carrot namul, Boiled fried-tofu pouch containing egg, Tomato compote, Boiled mackerel with curry, Gingko nut mixed rice and Miso soup with a sake lees. I appreciated the guests who ordered this special lunch.

    By the way, a concert of guitar and vocals by Tsuyoshi Kitagawa (resident in Taga) was held at my cafe from 4 to 6 pm. Audience listened to his beautiful voice with rapt attention and sometimes they beat time with their hands. It was a warm and very nice concert.




Friday, December 3, 2021

12月1日(水曜日)2021

    吹く風が日ごと冷たくなり、ついに師走に突入。信じられない月日の速さです。今週の日曜日(5日)は多賀大社境内では日曜朝市が開かれます。イザナミマーケットはお休みですが多賀あさひや恒例のイザナミランチはご用意いたします。ご希望の方はご予約お願いします。(0749-48-0186)

    また当店では当日16時−18時まで北川津良さんのギターの弾き語りがあります。北川さんのどこまでも優しい歌声に聞き入ってしまいます。ファンの方も初めての方も是非お越しください。入場無料です。コーヒ・もち粉ケーキセットもご希望であれば500円(通常550円)でご提供いたします。

イザナミランチ(+お汁)1373円
イザナミランチ(+お汁)+コーヒー 1600円
イザナミランチ(+お汁)+コーヒー+もち粉ケーキ 1700円
お持ち帰り(汁なし) 1000円
白玉クリームあんみつ 750円

    The wind is getting colder day by day and we are in the final month of the year. I feel that the time is passing so rapidly. Sunday morning market at Taga shrine will be held this coming Sunday, Dec.5th. Although Izanami Market is cancelled, Taga Asahiya will serve a special lunch as Izanami Lunch, so please call us beforehand if you would like to. (0749-48-0186)

    There is another good news: there is a concert on the same day, 4pm-6pm, Dec. 5 at my cafe. Mr. Tsuyoshi Kitagawa will sing with a guitar. His voice is so beautiful and I am sure you will listen attentively to his music. His fans and people who will listen to his playing are all welcome to his concert. It's free of charge but you will be served Mochiko cake and coffee for 500 yen upon your request. (usually 550 yen.)