Monday, December 30, 2024

12月30日(月曜日)2024 
 2、3日前から少しずつ新年を迎える準備をしています。母の実家から借りている三幅対の掛け軸を掛け、友人作の若松、カフェ玄関の松竹梅は適当にそれらしく。巳年の笑門絵馬を新しく掛け、神棚には新しいお札、そして、今朝は絵馬通りのしめ縄張り。あとは床の間の鏡餅です。

 寒いけどお天気の中で午前8時からそれぞれの家の脇に竹を立てかけ縄を渡して藁と御幣(ごへい)と呼ばれる白い紙を切ったものを藁に挟んでいきます。御幣は神様の寄り代となるそうです。初めてこの作業をした時は紙や藁の挟み方がわからず近所の人に教えてもらいましたが、今ではコツもマスターして全部一人でやりました。ただ、縄の括り方などはどう見ても頼りないところがあり、今後研究の必要ありと自覚しました。しめ縄張りも近年は空き家や住人の老齢化で後片付けのことも考え辞退する家もあり少し寂しいです。という私自身もあちこちガタがきているので、いつまでできるか自信ありませんが。

 今年も残りわずか。色々な情景が頭をよぎります。そして、新年の準備をしながら次第に引き締まった気持ちになっていくのが不思議です。この何とも風情ある年の瀬のしきたりと雰囲気は独特のものであり日本の良さであるように思います。

I have been preparing little by little these days for the new year. I hung three gorgeous special picture scrolls which came from my mother's parents' home, and placed a New Year’s symbolic seven pine branches which were decorated by my friend. At the entrance of the café I put a pine, plum and bamboo decoration which I made myself, and additionally I put a wooden plaque on which ”laughing gate" and "year of the snake" were written. I placed a new paper amulet from the shrine at the Sinto altar. Today, I put a sacred straw rope under the eaves along the street.

It was cold and clear this morning. The work of putting the sacred rope is neighborhood work and we put bamboo trees which were cut to the height of the roof, on both sides of the house. At first when I worked on this several years ago, putting straws and papers was so difficult and I needed my neighbour's help, but now I learned the technique and could do everything by myself. However my way of knotting the rope was not very good and I thought that I should master how to do it by next time.

It is almost the last day of the year. Many scenes that occurred this year are coming up in my head and in the process of preparing things for the new year, I get to feel more and more determined toward the coming year.

These traditional activities and customs for the new year are very unique compared to other countries and I think they are very Japanese and beautiful.










Friday, December 27, 2024

12月26日(木曜日)2024
 今月3回目の東京行き。ワインのお代わりをしながら青山のライブハウスでのロネとジージのショーを大笑いで楽しみました。

 声をあげて笑う.....日本女性たるもの時代を遡(さかのぼ)るならあり得なかったこと。私はいつから思うままに笑っているのだろうと考えます。体調が悪かったり、精神的に苦しい中では「笑いの世界」は遠くにあります。心から笑える自分をありがたく思います。

 そして、飛び切りの笑いを届けてくれるロネとジージに言います。ありがとう!

This was my third trip to Tokyo. I enjoyed the live show of Clown RONE & Gigi while holding wine glasses, which I could request as many as I wanted.

I laughed out loud because it was so funny. If I were in the old Japanese era, I couldn't do such behavior because traditional Japanese women should have done this more quietly and elegantly. They were never allowed to laugh out loud in any situation.

I wonder since when I have been laughing out freely when I feel something is funny. People don't laugh when their physical condition is not in a good condition or they have a mental problem such as depression. The world of laughter is far for them. I thank myself for laughing out without any problem.

One more thing I would like to say "thank you" to RONE & Gigi who always give us many laughs.











Saturday, December 21, 2024

12月20日(金曜日)2024 
 12月に入って2度目の東京行きでした。時間があったので友達と渋谷で会うことに。と言っても渋谷駅はここ何年も大工事で以前とは様相が変わって、互いに共通認識できる待ち合わせ場所が分からず、結局定番の「ハチ公前」にしました。

 地下で電車を降りてから人の流れの中を数々の表示をたどって歩きに歩いてやっと地上に出ると、そこにあった東横デパートがすっかり消えてまさに工事中。いつごろどんな建物ができるのだろうと思うもその横に「ハチ公」の銅像は変わらずありました。ところが、以前は多くの人が周りに立って相手がくるのを待っていたのに、銅像の周りに人がいないのです。実は、手前に大勢の人が列を作って順番にハチ公の前で写真撮影をしている為、皆手前の観光案内所の前を待ち合わせの場所にしていました。つまり「ハチ公」は外国からの観光客の写真スポットになっていたのです。記念写真を撮った人が次の人と入れ替わる僅かのタイミングにこの写真を撮ったので、周りに誰もいないハチ公のように見えています。すぐそばのスクランブル交差点も外国の人には珍しいらしく大勢の人がカメラを向けていました。

渋谷の後で浦和まで行き、友人のミュージカル公演を観てから都会を離れて滋賀に帰り、近江鉄道に乗ると乗客は数えるほどしかいなく、あと一駅という頃にはついに私一人になっていました。人の密度の激的な格差は芝居を見ているようで面白いと思いました。


It was my second time going to Tokyo in this month. Since I had time in the morning in Tokyo, I called my old friend to meet her in Shibuya. Shibuya station has been under a lot of construction these past several years and changed very much, so at first we did not have any idea where we will meet. Finally we chose the place of a bronze monument of Dog Hachi.

After getting off the train in the basement at Shibuya Station, I followed several signs, and got out to the ground level. I was surprised to find the station department store didn't exist any more but the dog monument was still there in the same spot. People used to be waiting for their appointed person around the monument, but nobody was there. As a matter of fact, it became a place for the tourists from outside of Japan to take commemorative pictures with Hachi Dog, so they were making a line on the side to wait for their photos and Japanese people who were waiting for somebody were standing in front of the information center which was also this side. I took this picture at the moment when people finished the photo so it appears in the photo that no one is around Hachi Dog. There is a scramble intersection near the monument and tourists also were taking pictures because it is curious for them, too.

After meeting with my friend, I went to Urawa to watch a musical performance by my other friend. Then I left Tokyo and headed home. When I got on the local train, the passengers were very few and finally the only people on the train was me. Why is the density of people so different between a big city and a rural area like my place? I saw them both in a day. It was funny and I laughed at the difference.









Thursday, December 19, 2024

12月16日(月曜日)2024
 カフェ定休日の今日は書き出しておいた予定事項を朝から順に片付けようと、まずは駅コミュニティーセンターの野菜市へと自転車を出しました。角を曲がろうとした時、出会い頭に軽バンが目の前に現れあわやというところで私は右にハンドルを切り、相手の車も止まり大事には至らず。私の左手は車を押さえていました。向こうもびっくりしたと思います。怖い一瞬でした。事故というのはこのように起こるのだと痛感しました。


 お昼前に今度は彦根へ買い出し。朝のことがあるので気をつけながらペダルをこぎました。買い忘れも一つあったけど、とりあえずは数箇所の用事を済ませて走っていると、駐車場から出てきた車が歩道を塞いで道路に出るタイミングを待っています。先を歩いていた人が車の後ろを回って先に行ったので、私も同じように自転車で回ろうとしました。駐車場の出口は夜間扉を閉めるため、かなり深いレールが敷いてあります。自転車の車輪がレールと並行になって跨ぐことができずに、自転車は転倒。私は大丈夫でしたが、前後のカゴのバッグ3つは歩道に放り出される始末。バッグの口を閉めておいたので中のものが飛び出さなかったのは幸いでした。横着して自転車を降りなかったことを後悔。

 何事もなく終わりましたが、気をつけなければと肝に銘じた一日でした。

Since it was the regular closing day of the cafe, I wanted to do the things which I scheduled beforehand. Then in the morning I headed to the local market by bicycle. When I was about to turn to the right at the corner on the way, a light van suddenly came in front of me. I turned the wheel to the right in the nick of time and the car stopped there. My bike didn't touch the car although my left hand pushed the body of the car. I didn't get hurt but it was a scary moment and I realized that a traffic accident must have happened.

Before noon, I went to the supermarket and other shops to buy groceries and year-end gifts in Hikone by bicycle again. I paid more attention to riding my bike because of the morning incident. When I was riding back home, I saw a car coming from a parking lot and stopped on the way which was for pedestrians and bicycles in order to catch the timing to go to the car road. A man who was walking ahead of me went around the back of the car to move on, so I decided to do the same thing riding my bike. There were rails between the parking lot and the walkway and they are for the sliding doors in order to close the parking lot at night. I tried to go over the rails but the front wheel of my bike didn't go and I lost my balance. I was all right but my bicycle fell down and my shopping bags were thrown out from the basket which was on the bike. Fortunately the things didn't come out from the bags because I closed the zippers of all my bags. I thought that I should have gotten off and walked with the bicycle instead of riding.

I was lucky because I didn't get hurt through these two incidents but I really thought that I should be more careful when riding my bicycle.



Wednesday, December 18, 2024

12月14日(金曜日)2024
 今週は予約のお弁当とランチの他に夕方から大鼓の大倉正之助先生の飛天双◯能の説明会とその後の夕食、翌日の多賀大社での大鼓奉納の後のお茶会が私どもで行われたので、会場作りと食事の支度、加えて朝は小・中学校の読み聞かせもあったため、それぞれに支障がないようにと注意深く多忙な毎日でした。そして、すべてがともかくも無事に終わりほっとした翌日の今日は、朝の新幹線に飛び乗って東京へと向かいました。

 二期会に所属する友人のチャリティーコンサートで久々にYちゃんの懐かしい歌声を聴きました。音大で声楽を勉強し、その後も歌を生業として活動し続けているYちゃん、衣装も歌も素敵で堂々としていました。それにしても、女性3人、男性2人。皆さん流石に二期会のメンバーだけあって歌が上手なこと!聞き慣れたオペラの曲も大笑いするようなコミカルな歌も鍛えた体と声楽の技法を魔法のように使って丁寧に大らかに、そして時に繊細に聴かせてくださいました。それほど大きくはない教会いっぱいに響き渡る声に引き込まれるように聴き入り楽しい時間を過ごすことができました。声楽家の方々が歌う20数曲すべてを一人で弾いていらしたピアノ伴奏も素晴らしかったです。

 帰りの東京駅のホームから見えた満月がやさしく澄んで見え、楽しく過ごした一日を締め括るように心を落ち着かせてくれました。

I spent a busy week making space for the talk event by a big drum master of Noh, Shonosuke Okura and preparing dinner for his guests at my cafe in addition to preparing and delivering lunch for a previous reservation. I also did story-telling both at local elementary school and junior high school in the morning. I could finish all these things anyhow without any problems and felt free finally. Then I went to Tokyo for my friend's Christmas Charity Concert.

My friend, Ms. Y, belongs to NIKIKAI which is a professional opera singers association. It was nice to hear her singing after a long time. Three female singers including Y and two male singers sang amazingly.
Some of the music were numbers from famous operas, and a couple of them were very comical music which I couldn't help laughing at. I was overwhelmed by their singing and enjoyed them very much. I was also impressed by the pianist who accompanied all their music by herself beautifully.

On the way back home, when I was waiting for the bullet train at Tokyo station, the full moon was shining quietly over the roof of the station platform. Looking at the moon, I was thankful for the day during which I had a pleasant time at the concert.



















Thursday, December 5, 2024

11月30日(土曜日)2024 
 瞬く間に11月が駆け抜けていきました。11月はロネとジージ、それにマギー、3人のクラウンがやってきて、ライブ2回と講座を開いてくれたほか、我が家は滋賀の各地や京都でのライブやイベント出演の拠点となり、皆と過ごす毎日は何とも賑やかで楽しいものでした。

 クラウンライブにお越しくださったO様からいただいた郁子(むべ)の実が、ライブを終えて元の和室にもどった床の間を優しく静かに飾っています。アケビより小さく常緑の上品な「むべ」の葉と実の美しさは格別です。皇室にも献上されているとのこと。今年お亡くなりになり、私自身大変お世話になったお兄様を偲びながらライブを楽しんでくださいました。ネットで「むべ」を調べて「郁子」という漢字があることも初めて知りました。花言葉は「長寿、幸福」。

 素敵な花瓶に入れて郁子をお持ちくださった優しいO様、こんな楽しい素晴らしいライブがあるのかと大喜びしてくださった大勢のお客様、そんなお客様の反応を受けて超絶な技と笑いを披露してくれたロネとジージ。皆様の温かさを感じつつ11月の最終日を迎えました。ゆったりとした豊かな気持ちです。いつまでも郁子の実を見ていたいです。

November passed quickly. Three clowns, Rone, Gigi and Maggie, came to me and held two Clown Live Performances and Clown Talks at my cafe. They also had a couple of shows and events at several places in Shiga and Kyoto and my place served as a home base for them while they were working in the Kansai area. My house was full of joy and laughter. I was so pleased with them.

Ms. O, who came to the Clown Live, gave me Japanese staunton-vine. I put it in the alcove in the guest room which returned to a normal Japanese room from a temporary Clown Live stage. It is evergreen and the fruit is smaller than chocolate-vine. It looks so elegant. Ms.O let me know that it is presented to the imperial family. Ms. O, who lost her brother early this year, enjoyed the show thinking of him because they had been coming to every event which was held at my place. I received so much support from him as well as Ms.O. The flower language is long life and happiness.

Ms.O brought Japanese staunton-vine with a very nice vase. I thanked her thoughtfulness. A packed audience enjoyed the Clown Live and Talk saying they had never seen such a funny and skillful show. I am grateful to them. Lastly, I thanked RONE and Gigi who gave an amazing show and talk in response to the audience’s wanderful reactions. I am now in a relieved and rich state. I would like to keep watching this beautiful Japanese staunton-vine.









Sunday, November 24, 2024

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

11月10日(日曜日)2024
 東近江市あかねホールでの「ロネとジージの赤い鼻の魔法」は実に贅沢な楽しい公演でした。

 ビッグイヤーズショーは私自身これまで何度も見てきましたが、今回のような劇場公演は初めてで、序奏となるプロローグから始まってお馴染みのロネジジのビッグイヤーズショーの流れ、加えてロネのマジック、迷子の子供に扮した二人のハンドベル演奏、いないはずの人と怪しげに抱き合うジージのマイムなどが展開し、もうびっくりするぐらいの妙技に、会場は子どもたちの歓声と大人たちの感嘆の拍手に包まれていました。ジャグリングだけでも一体何種類見せてもらったでしょう。照明と音響はロネジジたちを知り尽くした東京のプロのスタッフの力でステージは一層盛り上がりを見せました。


 東近江市の人たちにホンモノを見せたいと今回のロネとジージの招致にご尽力くださったOさんの熱意は観客にしっかりと伝わったと思います。クラウン・ロネとジージの実力に今更ながら脱帽です。

I went to watch the Clown show "RONE and Gigi's Red Noses Magic" at Akane Hall in Higashi-ohmi city. It was a fantastic and joyful performance!

I have watched their Big Ears Show many times before but this time was the first time for me to go to their show on the theater stage with lighting and sound by professional people from Tokyo. It was much longer than the regular Big Ears Show. They started with prologue and magic by RONE, handbell played by two clowns who looked like lost children, pantomime by Gigi which looked like two people holding each other, followed by the regular Big Ears Show. It was really amazing! The hall was full of children's screams of delight and applause by adults.

I was thinking of Ms.O who invited clown RONE and Gigi to the area, saying it is important to show the authentic performer to the people and put her efforts to make it come true. I think her enthusiasm came to fruition and I was overwhelmed by those two clowns' high leveled technique and ability to entertain.


(写真:クラウン劇団OPEN SESAME 提供)








Wednesday, November 6, 2024

11月1日(金曜日)2024
 薄曇りの少し肌寒い霜月のはじまり。今日から11月。別名のように昔の人は白い霜や雪に季節の趣を感じていたのでしょう。

 さて、開店の支度をしていると、表にどなたか立っていらっしゃる。見ると彦根のA先生。慌てて中へお入りいただくもお急ぎのご様子。新聞紙の包みを手に持って「福島の蓮根です」と渡してくださいました。ご高齢のご兄弟を訪ね昨日の朝採ったものをお持ちくださったのです。いくつも繋がった蓮根の前兆は50センチ余り、直径も8センチぐらいある立派なもの。泥の中から蓮根を収穫するのは大変だと聞いていたので、どれほど貴重なものかわかります。店頭で見る蓮根は土つきか洗ったものですが、採りたての蓮根は白くて透明感あるものだそうで変色してしまって申し訳ないとおっしゃいました。いえいえ、こんなに新鮮で立派な蓮根を手にするのは初めてで恐縮しているのは私のほうです。

カフェで提供するいなり寿司には蓮根を入れるし、お弁当のおかずにもよく蓮根を使っており、いくつかレシピが頭に浮かびました。蓮根の効用をみると沢山ありすぎて列挙しきれないくらい、実に健康的な食材です。

11月のお朔(ついたち)は新鮮な蓮根の到来からはじまりました。

November has just started with a cloudy and a bit cold morning. Since it was called "Shimo-tsuki (Frost Month)" by people in the past, it seems they felt beauty in nature in white such as frost and snow.

When I was preparing my cafe, I saw someone standing outside the cafe. It was Mr. A from Hikone. I opened the entrance sliding door and let him in. He seemed like he didn't have much time and gave something wrapped in the newspaper to me saying it was lotus root from Fukushima. He said that he visited his old brother in Fukushima and the family member took some lotus roots from a bog just the morning of his leaving day. It was a beautiful fresh lotus root which was about 50 centimeters (1.64 feet) and 8 centimeters in diameter. I heard that taking lotus root is very hard, so I appreciated this precious gift. We find two kinds of lotus root at the shop, one is with mud and another one is washed, but according to Mr. A, it's white and clean when it appears in the air. He apologized for being late to bring it to me after it had turned a darker color. It was the first time for me to receive such a fresh lotus root. I thanked him very much.

I like lotus root very much and use it often in my cooking. It is also a very healthy ingredient. There are several recipes in my head.

My November has started with receiving a fresh lotus root!



Saturday, November 2, 2024

10月31日(木曜日)2024
多賀町中央公民館での月3回のヨガ教室。今日は「外ヨガ」と称して紅葉が少し始まった胡宮神社で行われました。

銘々ピクニックシートの上にヨガマットを敷いて、北京子先生の指導のもとにヨガが始まるのですが、自然の中でのこうしたレッスンは精神的にさらに解放されて呼吸も深くなります。名神高速道路のそばなので、騒音が気にならないと言ったら嘘になりますが、ヨガの開始とともに集中力のせいか騒音はどこかへ行ってしまい、時折、木々を飛び交う鳥のさえずりや遠くでキャッキャッと猿とおぼしき鳴き声も聞こえ、暑くも寒くもない外気の気持ち良さを実感。視界に入る木々の緑やほんのり色づき始めた紅葉に囲まれての贅沢な時間に身も心もすっかりリラックスできました。

終わって遅いお弁当タイム。それが終わると、参加者ほぼ全員がカバンからオヤツを出して、円く座った私たちのところに回してくださったのには、びっくり!皆様さすがにお気遣いが半端ない!私ですか?コンビニでシュークリームを一つ買ってそれを自分だけ先に食べ、その後、次々に回ってくるおやつも食べるというチョー浅ましい有様。皆様、ご馳走さまでした!!

I am taking a Yoga lesson three times a week at the town community center. This Thursday, the lesson was held outside and it was on the grounds of Konomiya Shrine.

Each person put a yoga mat on one's picnic sheet, and took the lesson by Ms. Kita's instruction. It was a very different feeling because of the atmosphere. Usually we have a lesson inside the building but this time we were outside and had the very fresh autumn air. I was so free both mentally and physically. Since the highway was near the field, the noise disturbed us, but it was not a big problem. We could concentrate on hearing the instructor's voice and follow the movement. We even heard birds singing and monkeys' voices far away. The temperature was perfect, it was neither hot or cold and I felt so good. We were surrounded by the green of the trees and some autumn foliage which had just begun. It was really gorgeous and I appreciated the valuable time to be able to relax.

After yoga, we had a late lunch and after the lunch, I saw most of the participants took out candy packs or some small sweets from their bag and circulated them to us. I was surprised at this sight. They brought something for others! I didn't have anything for others. What I did was that I ate my own sweet which I bought at the convenience store and ate other candies and sweets as well. I was embarrassed but I enjoyed the treats anyhow.




















Friday, October 25, 2024

ロネとジージのコメディライブIN多賀「ムーンライト セレナーデ」とクラウン講座のチケット状況:

11/16(土)14:00~15:30 クラウンライブ 残席あり
11/17(日)12:30~14:00 クラウンライブ 満席
11/17(日)16:00~18:00 クラウン講座  残席あり

日本には、漫才・落語、新喜劇、狂言など様々な「笑い」がありますが、ロネ&ジージの笑いはそれとはまた別のコメディスタイル。チャプリンを生んだ欧米の笑いの作法を使い、さらに独自に歌やダンスを入れて、ロネジジならではの笑いの世界を創ります。その実力とセンスの良さには圧倒されます。芸達者な二人の笑いを皆さんの目と耳と肌で体感してください。


チケットのお申し込みは:多賀あさひや(0749-48-0186)またはFBでどうぞ❗❗

Comedy live by Clown RONE & Gigi in Taga. Here are seat availability.

11/16(土)14:00~15:30 Clown live show      Few available seats
11/17(日)12:30~14:00 Clown live show      Full
11/17(日)16:00~18:00 Clown's Talk            Few available seats

There are many laughter styles in Japan such as Manzai (a funny conversation by two), Rakugo (traditional comic storytelling), Shinkigeki (new comic plays), and Kyogen (traditional short comedy play). However, RONE & Gigi's comedy style is different. They use the method of Western laughter style which was also used by Charlie Chaplin, who was a great English comedian. RONE & Gigi add dances and songs and create their own world of laughter. We are overwhelmed by their ability and comedy sense. We hope you will enjoy the sights and sounds of their show first-hand. 

Please reserve the seat at Taga Asahiya (749-48-0186 ) or by email.

Monday, October 21, 2024

10月14日(月曜日)2024
 朝のもんぜん市で「おやっ?」と思って、見たら「綿の花」と書いてありました。初めて見るものです。
アメリカ南部のプランテーションで黒人奴隷が労働力として綿花を積む姿が頭に浮かびますが、まさか多賀でこれが見られるとは!

「綿の花」と言っても、実際はこれは花ではなく夏に咲かせた花が後で実をつけ、その実が膨らんで10月ごろから12月にかけて中からこの白い綿毛を出すそうなのです。これが木々についているのを見ると、まるで白い花が咲いているように見えるとのこと。

ふわふわっで、まるでぬいぐるみのウサちゃんのしっぽ?それとも他に何を連想するかなぁと思いながらじっと眺めています。こんな純粋で赤ちゃんみたいな無垢のものを前にすると、却って現実の重さがひしひしと感じられます。

When I visited local morning market, I found interesting things which was written "Cotton Flowers" on the label. I saw them for the first time. My image of cotton flowers is the scene in which black slaves were picking cotton in the field in a southern plantation in the US but I have never imagined that I would see it in my town.

People call it "Cotton Flower", but it actually is not a flower of cotton. It is more akin to a dandelion. Cotton balls begin to fill and open up where the flowers once were. People say it looks as if white flowers are blooming on the cotton tree.

It's fluffy like the tail of a stuffed rabbit or maybe something else I can imagine. It's so pure and innocent like a baby. Returning to reality, I feel some complicated depressing problems around me.




Monday, October 14, 2024

10月11日(金曜日)2024
 秋晴れの爽やかな一日、午前8時過ぎに丘の上の中学校へ向かいました。朝の読み聞かせです。「ぼくは川のように話す」。これはジョーダン・スコットというカナダの詩人による「吃音」の少年を描いた絵本です。作者自身の体験です。

 教室に入って、吃音と書いて読める生徒がいなかったので「きつおん」と読み方を書き、それでも意味が分からないようだったので「話し始めのタイミング障害」=「どもる」と補足して読み始めました。インパクトのある絵と原作の英語を原田勝氏が日本語訳にした大変いい本です。最後に著者自身の後書きも読み加えました。

 吃音で悩み学校でもいじめられる少年が、川のそばで父親に「川の水。あれが、おまえの話し方だ」と言われます。川は自分より大きなもの、広い場所をめざして、気負わず、たゆまず流れていく。だけど途中で泡立って、渦巻いて、波をうち、砕けていく。そして、急流の先でゆったりと流れ、なめらかに光る川となる。これが僕の話し方。川だってどもってる。こうして少年は自身の障害に納得し自信を持つようになります。

 後書きに、「自分にしか分からない恐ろしいものを言葉にするためのイメージや表現があることを知った。父が吃音を自然の中の動きにたとえてくれたおかげで、自分の口が勝手に動くのを感じるのが楽しくなった。」と書いています。吃音でなくても、話すことにコンプレックスがあったり、話すことを避けている思春期の中学生は少なからずいるはずです。そんな子供たちへの応援歌となれば幸いです。

It was a refreshing autumn day. After 8 am, I went to the local junior highschool which stands on a hill in order to give storytelling for the students. The title of the book was ”I Talk Like a River" by Jordan Scott/ Smith Sydney and it is a story about a boy who is a stutterer and it was the written author's actual experience.

In the classroom, I wrote the word "stuttering" in Chinese letters, but since nobody knew the word, I wrote how to read it and the meaning like "it is a timing problem when people start to speak" and added the common name. All the pictures are very impressive and the translation into Japanese is also very good.

The boy is bullied at his school because of stuttering. One day his father took him to the river and pointed at the river and said "Look at the river flow. your way of speaking is just like that.". The river flows toward a bigger and wider place without feeling pressured and continuing. It, however, bubbles, swirls, undulates and breaks in the middle of flow. Beyond the rapid stream, it flows relaxingly and becomes a smooth shining river. The boy thought it was his way of talking and the river was also stuttering. He accepts his difficulty and has confidence.

The author wrote in his afterword that he found the image or the way of expression other than the word which he felt frightening. He also wrote that because his father compared his difficulty to the movement of nature, it really made me feel lighter and I was able to enjoy the feeling that my mouth moves on its own.

There must be some young students who are not stutterers but have a complex about a way of talking and therefore avoid talking. I hope this book encourages them.