Friday, May 26, 2023

5月24日(水曜日)2023

    図書館で借りた本を何冊か見ていたら「まめつぶこぞうパトゥフェ」という絵本がありました。先週、小3の子供達に「一寸法師」を読んだばかりで、これはスペイン版「一寸法師」とでもいうか、カタルニア地方の小さい男の子のお話。国民性が違うとこれほど明るく愉快になるかと思うほど大らかなお話です。 

    元気のいい男の子がおつかいに行ったり、お父さんのお弁当を届けに行ったりしますが、豆つぶほどの体なので踏み潰されないように大きな声で歌いながら荷物を持って歩きます。途中で牛に飲み込まれてしまいますが、牛のおならで飛び出てくるというお話。小4の子供達が相手でしたが、皆面白がって聞いてくれました。終わって後ろにいた男の子から歌をもう一回とのリクエストがあり、「え〜っ?テキトーに歌っただけなのに....」と戸惑うも今更恥ずかしがってもと思って、元気よく歩いている調子で「パタン パティン パトン〜」と歌いました。(こんなこと初めて!)

    スペインのバルセロナで40年ちかく頑張って生きてる古い友人を想いながら、この愉快なお話と四年生ろ組のニコニコ顔に出会った1日でした。

    I found a picture book named "Boy looks as tiny as beans" (original title:En Patufet) among several books which I borrowed from the library. I read "One Inch Boy" last week for story telling to the third graders and I thought this book was the Spanish version of One Inch Boy. It was a Japanese picture book but the original story was from Catalonia in Spain. It is a very funny and easy-going story which fits the national character of Catalonia.

     Patufet is a healthy boy and he is willing to go on an errand for his mother, bringing lunch for his father. Since he is very small, he sings a song loudly so as not to be smashed under people's feet. On the way to his father, a cow swallowed little Patufet, but finally he was out by the cow's farting. Fourth grader kids listened to this story pleasantly. After reading, one boy requested me to sing a song which I did in the reading one more time. I was surprised because I just did it impromptu. I was embarrassed but I sang one more time cheerfully upon his request.

    Remembering my Japanese old friend who has been living in Barcelona for forty years, I was happy to encounter such a fun story and had a chance to do this storytelling to cheerful and lovely children.










Tuesday, May 23, 2023

5月19日(金曜日)2023

    水曜日に今学期初めての小学校での読み聞かせに行きました。実はもう少しで当番に穴を開けるところでした。気づいて準備不足を恥じつつもどうにか小3い組の教室にはいれて胸を撫で下ろした次第です。

    家にある数少ない絵本の中から慌てて選んだのは講談社の「一寸法師」。10分で読み終わるという第一のハードル通過のほかに古典的で穏やかな絵の美しさに魅かれました。一寸がどれぐらいの長さか子供達と確認した上で話をスタート。全てがナンセンスな展開ですが「ゆびにたりない一寸法師 〜」と歌があったことを思い出し、この昔話のメッセージを考えました。大きな恐ろしい鬼に立ち向かう小さな一寸法師の勇気を讃えたものか、あるいは出世して美しいお姫様と結婚する成功談か。取り立てて感動する話でもないけれど、読み終えて爽やか、元気になれる昔話といったところでしょうか。

    Last Wednesday, I went to the elementary school to read aloud to children, and it was my first visit this semester. As a matter of fact, I was about to miss my duty because of my careless mistake but I could catch the schedule fortunately.

    I picked a picture book "Issun boshi (One Inch Boy)" which was on my bookshelf. There were two reasons I chose it. One of them was that I could finish it in ten minutes and another reason was the pictures were classic and so beautiful. In class, before I started reading, I confirmed with the kids how long "Issun" was. I thought, what was the message of this story? Is it to praise the courage of a small boy who fought a big demon? Or is it a success story of a man who was promoted and finally got married to a beautiful princess? It is a simple and not very exciting story, but we feel better and more cheerful by this old folktale.














Thursday, May 18, 2023

5月15日(月曜日)2023

    心配したほどの雨にならず多賀あさひやでの能楽イベントは大勢のお客様をお迎えして無事終了しました。

    一部では源氏物語から摂られた能「葵上(あおいのうえ)」の背景や人間関係、また心理描写を物語の進行とともに登場人物の動きや詞(ことば)また囃子の入り方などを分かり易くシテ方能楽師の鵜澤久、鵜澤光の両氏が解説してくださいました。途中、六条御息所の生霊(いきりょう)の謡の一部をシテの先生について練習するという場面もあり、大いに盛り上がりました。お囃子の三人もそれぞれの楽器の説明や拍子の掛け方を教えてくださり、これまで能に縁がなかった殆どの方が能への理解に一歩近づいたのではないでしょうか。

    二部では同じ六条御息所を主役としている能「野宮」の後半部分を舞囃子として鑑賞しました。

    紋付袴の能楽師の方々が目の前で実演してくださるのを見るのは貴重な経験であったと思います。能楽師の方達も熱心なお客様の反応が良かったのでとても喜んでくださっていました。

    こうしたイベントが古民家で催すことができたのは、素晴らしい能楽師の方がたと雨の中をわざわざ出向いて下さったお客様のお陰です。また、会場作りから後片付けまで一生懸命手伝ってくださったスタッフの皆さんの力なしでは実現しませんでした。イベントが終わった今、皆様には感謝するばかりです。ありがとうございました。

    Fortunately it was very light rain and the Noh event was over successfully with many people in the audience. 

    In the first half, two of the Noh actors, Hisa Uzawa and Hikaru Uzawa explained clearly the characters, relationship between characters, movement on the stage, effect of the instruments. Audience had a chance to sing together with the most emotional part in the play. They seemed very pleased and excited. Three players explained about their instruments.

    In the second half, we watched Nonomiya, whose main character is the same as Aoinoue. 

    It was a very valuable experience to watch Noh actors showing their dance and singing in front of the audience. Noh actors and players said that they were also very happy to get a good reaction from the audience. 

     I, as an organizer, would like to say thank you to both the excellent Noh players and the audience who came to the cafe for the event on such a rainy day. I also would like to say thank you to the staff who worked very hard to set up for the performance and cleaned up after the event. Without their help, I could not have had this event. Thank you so much!
















Sunday, May 7, 2023

5月5日(金曜日)2023

    「子供の日」の今日、カフェにはお子様連れのお客様が何組かお見えになりました。子供さんたちは偶然にも全員男の子。床の間の武者人形も未来ある若き男子諸君に声援を送っていたことでしょう。

    ご近所の一人暮らしのご婦人から父への供養にときれいな和菓子をいただきました。彦根のいと重の練りきりや上用饅頭、それに胡桃の入ったお菓子でした。仏壇にお供えした後、抹茶でいただきたいところでしたがコーヒーで。練りきりは何の花でしょうか。一つは端午の節句に因んで菖蒲かと思うのですが、あとの黄色と紫はよく分かりません。それにしても美しい色合いのデリケートなこうした季節のお菓子は日本が誇る職人技だと感心します。

    It's Children's Day and we had a couple of families with kids in the cafe. Kids were all boys, coincidentally. The two warrior dolls displayed in the alcove must have been celebrating and encouraging those promising boys.

    I received Japanese sweets from a woman who became a widow last year and is living alone in the neighbourhood. She said they would be offering for my father who passed away many years ago. She bought them at an old sweets shop at Hikone. They are a good match to Japanese powder green tea, but after offering them to the Buddhist altar, I appreciated some of them with coffee. These Japanese sweets are made with a delicate color and shape by confectioners and I am amazed by those Japanese craftsmanship.








Wednesday, May 3, 2023

5月3日(水曜日)2023  

    多賀の実家に帰って古民家を利用したカフェを始めて七年目になります。この間、色々な方にお世話になり支えて頂きながら今日までこられました。すべて感謝以外言葉がありません。

    経験がなかったので、コーヒーやお茶の淹れ方を教わり、ボストンにいた時に日本人の方が餅粉を使って焼いて日本語補習校などで販売していた「もち粉ケーキ」を少しアレンジして作ったケーキと、学生たちにも人気だったいなり寿司、あとは地元同級生の糀店の甘酒を提供するだけという覚束ないスタートでした。その後、色々アドバイスをいただいて少しずつメニューも増やし、最近は注文でランチやお弁当まで提供するようになりました。

    このほど、カフェを案内するパンフレットの制作と、メニューを表示した外のメニュー看板、それにイベントを案内する掲示板用フレームの設置をしました。それに伴い、昨今の食材の値上がりで料金も一部変更させて頂きました。 

    今後ともどうぞよろしくお願いいたします。

    It's been seven years since I started the cafe in an old folk Japanese house which I grew up in and had been empty for thirty years since my father passed away. I have received various help and support from many people since I came back to my native town, Taga in Shiga prefecture. I have no words other than gratitude to those people.

    Since I had no experience opening a cafe, I learned the way of making coffee and Japanese tea, baked Mochiko cake which I learned and arranged from a person in Boston who made from Mochiko (sweet rice powder) and sold it at Boston Japanese School, prepared Inari-Zushi (vinegared rice wrapped in deep-fried bean curd) which I often made and brought to the students party, and I also prepared Amazake (sweet drink from fermented rice) from friend's malted rice shop. It was a very simple start. After that, I gradually added new menu items and recently I began to serve lunch or box lunch ahead of reservation.

    My friends made a new brochure for my cafe and a menu board outside of the cafe. I also bought a poster frame and this sits near the entrance. I decided to raise some of the prices because of recent raw material prices rising.

    I would appreciate your continued support. Thank you very much!







 

5月1日(月曜日)2023

    爽やかな5月の幕開けです。自転車で図書館に本を返しに行き、その後田んぼの中の道を通ってもう一箇所へ。水を張った田んぼからはグァッ、グァッと元気なカエル君たちの声が耳に入り、新緑に包まれた山々とすそに佇む集落が向こうに見えます。何と気持ちの良い、何と美しい景色でしょう!自転車を止めて新鮮な空気をいっぱい吸い込んで、穏やかな5月の朝を満喫しました。芹川の水音も心地よく初夏の感が。

    我が家の庭もいささか伸び放題ですが、今年も元気よく緑が出揃っています。

    It's a fresh May beginning. I went to town library by bicycle to return books, then moved to another place through a road where both sides were rice paddies. Hearing frogs croaking, I saw mountains and a small village which were on foot of the mountain. The mountains were covered with fresh green. What beautiful and nice scenery they were! I stopped my bicycle and took in the fresh air enjoying the calm morning of May. Water of the Seri river sounded nice, which made me feel like it was early summer.

    In my little garden, It looks like it has already overgrown but I am glad that I can see fresh green coming out from branches energetically.