Formerly worked at a travel company in Tokyo. Now writing a journal of a life in time of Covid 19 from a little corner of Japan
Keeping up with language skills during COVID days
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One of the most difficult thing during the self-isolation period was to keep up with language. I read newspaper every day, chat with my family, read articles on the internet, listened to radio. These were just not enough. I needed somewhere to communicate more with other people – particularly with my colleagues, partners, and clients. I missed the communication with them. Contacting my old friends was a daunting task, even just for a chat, knowing that they were busy working or taking care of kids at home.
To put aside the worry, I took myself for reading novels. There are conversations in most of the novels, and that was what I was looking for. I heard few years ago that some of the doctors recommend hospitalized patients to read novels to keep up with language – especially conversations. Novels do have many conversations, just like in reality.
Once I finished my daily routine, I took some time to read novels from my TBR pile. Novels on business settings would have been more appropriate, but I gave up this choice. There are millions of books out there, but none of them seemed to have been set on travel industry.
Here are some of the books that I read during May 2020.
This novel is based on historical fact about the riot of silk weavers in London, which took place in mid-18th century called Spitalfield riots. This novel was also inspired by a silk designer called Anna Maria Garthwaite, who lived from 1728 to 1763. She produced many patterns for damasks and brocades, many of which are today in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The book was not serious, had a light touch of romance with historical background. I enjoyed it very much.
This was written by Roald Dahl. The book was written before he wrote children’s stories such as “Charley and chocolate factory” or “Matilda”. This is a collection of short stories, all in macabre settings. It was not a best choice during Covid days, but the stories were brilliant, gripping with unexpected ending.
This is perhaps one of the best stories that I enjoyed during the self-isolation. A detective story which travels from Paris to London, ending in Scotland. Knowing the fact that no one can travel, this novel helped me to imagine myself traveling with the protagonists, while deciphering the mystery given by one of the character.
One important thing during the quarantine was to keep laughing or smiling. This book did help me to keep laughing. This is the third sequel to “Crazy Ritch Asians” which became a film few years ago, and is the final of the trilogy. Very gorgeous, hilarious, and heart-warming in the end. Quite satisfied that my own life have nothing to do with billionaires. As the title suggests, the problems were deep and utterly beyond imagination.
It was about 30 years ago. I was waiting for my plane at the Heathrow airport. I was on the way back to Japan after studying at a university in UK for a year. The final exam date was not out until last minutes, and it was difficult to fix the day I leave the country. I booked the seat only 3 days before the flight. As soon as the exams are over, I sent out my text books and belongings from my college room, said goodbye to my friends, and headed for London. It was slightly late in the afternoon when I arrived at Euston station. I went straight to a youth hostel in city centre, whic had a good access to Piccadilly line which has direct connection to the Heathrow airport. I slept soundly, and got up early to catch the underground bound for the airport. After check in, I sat at one of bench in airport lobby, waiting for boarding announcement. Then, there came a group of soldiers. They were walking in a line, wearing khaki army outfit. When they got c
Many years ago, during my stay in the UK, I was aware that pubs offered cidre, known as "cider" in English. However, for some reason, my British acquaintances strongly discouraged me from ordering apple cider. They claimed it was not something young people should drink, that it wouldn't suit Japanese taste buds, and that Japanese people were not accustomed to strong alcohol, which they believed apple cider to be. Their opinions, particularly the insistence that "it doesn't suit Japanese palates," left me puzzled. Despite their claimed familiarity with Japan, it seemed they were determined to prevent me from trying apple cider. Looking back, I suspect they may have had a negative experience recommending it to a Japanese person in the past, perhaps to avoid disappointing me. After several decades, I finally had the opportunity to savor British-made apple cider. A Tokyo-based restaurant had a menu featuring about eight types of apple cider. Recalling my past en
A tale from the distant past unfolds when a colleague from the travel agency bid us farewell, prompting the team to gather for a celebratory meal. Opting for the favorite Spanish cuisine of the departing comrade, our second-year colleagues discovered a delightful eatery nearby in Tokyo. Run by a Spaniard, the restaurant was conveniently close to the office, and on that day, they had arranged a private room for our group. As we indulged in classic paella and fine wines, the jovial atmosphere escalated, and the affable owner inquired if we desired anything more. It was then that someone exclaimed, "We'd love some sangria!" The proprietor's momentary hesitation upon hearing this request left me a lasting impression. Returning from the kitchen, the owner presented us with three large pitchers of sangria. Brimming with oranges and other fruits, this chilled concoction was a refreshing delight for our somewhat inebriated selves. However, the lingering ex
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