No sweat!

タイトル：大したことなく！

The High Court dismissed the appeal by the MOFA ex-intelligence analyst Masaru Sato, now known better as a writer, and formerly better known as House member Muneo Suzuki's attendant. The ruling upheld the District Court's ruling sentencing him to 2 1/2 years of imprisonment with 4 years' stay of execution.

There was a possibility Mr. Sato could have been ruled "not guilty", but the judge did not buy any of the stories he had told at the hearings. And all I had prepared for (if he was somehow acquited!), went to ruins. Well, we can't tell what the judges will say till the last moment, and that's how my work is done... We have to prepare even though there's only a fraction of a percent an acquittal is pronounced!

ah... perhaps about a waste of about ten plus hours this time!! MAN!!

everybody hanging around Mr. Sato after the judgement...

高裁が外務省の佐藤優元情報分析官の控訴を棄却した。彼は作家として知られてるが、元々、鈴木宗男議員の付き人として知られていた人物だ。地裁の懲役２年６か月、執行猶予４年の判決を維持させた。
佐藤氏が「無罪」となる可能性もあったが、裁判官は彼が話したことはどれも採用しなかった。（ひょっとして無罪となったときのために）準備していたすべては無駄となった。まぁ最後の瞬間まで裁判官たちが何というか分からんのだから、こういう仕事をするしかないんだよ…。無罪の確率がほんのわずかだったとしても準備をしていないといけないんだ！
ああ…今回は１０時間ちょっとの無駄だったかな！！くそ！！
写真：判決後みんなで佐藤氏にぶら下がり…

Another big day at the courthouse...

タイトル：裁判所でまた大事な日…

So many judgements given out today... just as always at the end of the month, it was another busy day at the courthouse.

The bigger story of the day...

this time, the plaintiff were outraged! (photo by Jiji)

A short version article from Kyodo...

きょうもたくさんの判決が出された…いつも月末はそうなんだが、裁判所ではまた忙しい日となった。
この日の大きめの方の話は…
写真：今度は原告らは怒ってるね！（写真は時事）
以下、共同の短い記事…（和訳は略）

◆Court dismisses state damages to war-displaced Japanese
TOKYO, Jan. 30 KYODO
The Tokyo District Court on Tuesday rejected a demand from 40 war-displaced Japanese nationals for compensation from the state for failing after World War II to swiftly repatriate them from China and provide adequate support once they returned.
''Damage suffered by the plaintiffs should be seen as coming from the war, and this court cannot reasonably acknowledge the state's legal obligation to swiftly repatriate them to Japan,'' Presiding Judge Kenichi Kato said in the ruling.

And another judge ruled that Governor Shintaro Ishihara misused public money for meals... I had to rush to read the judgement papers and write up the stories for timely broadcasting... it's always a killer to read a bundle of papers in minutes and write'em up!

もう１つの判決は石原慎太郎知事がメシのために公金を違法に使ったと判断…。急いで判決文を読んで、放送に間に合わせるために原稿を突っ込まないといけなかった…いつも数分で文章の束を読んで書き上げるのはマジできついよ！

The Right to Edit...

タイトル：編集権…

A crucial judgement concerning the right to edit was given out at the High Court today.












the plaintiff nailed a clean shot! (photo from Jiji)

Article from Kyodo...

きょうは高裁で編集権について重要な判決が言い渡された。
原告がきれいに勝ったね！（写真は時事）
以下、共同の記事… (和訳は略）

◆High court orders NHK redress over sex-slave 'trial' program
TOKYO, Jan. 29 KYODO

The Tokyo High Court on Monday ordered Japan Broadcasting Corp. and two TV production companies to pay 2 million yen in compensation to a women's rights group over a 2001 television program on Japan's wartime sex slavery.
The court acknowledged that the national broadcaster known as NHK altered the contents of the program, which was based on a mock tribunal organized by the group on the issue of so-called ''comfort women,'' after taking into account the remarks of politicians, but it fell short of recognizing intervention by Shinzo Abe, who is now prime minister, or other senior politicians.
NHK said it will immediately take steps to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.
Presiding Judge Toshifumi Minami said the broadcaster's senior officials thought the program could affect the Diet's approval of NHK's budget plan and ''took the words of parliamentary members more seriously than necessary and guessed their intentions, and changed the program to a safer content.''
He further said the program aired by NHK had ''betrayed the trust and expectations of the plaintiff'' as it significantly deviated from what had been explained to the plaintiff beforehand.
The judge also said NHK failed to fulfill its obligation to explain the changes to the plaintiff sufficiently.
But the ruling fell short of recognizing the plaintiff's claim that politicians, including then Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe, directly intervened in the editing of the program.
''I believe the ruling has made it very clear that politicians have not intervened,'' Abe told reporters in the evening when asked to comment on the case.
Members of Violence Against Women in War-Network Japan (VAWW-NET Japan), nonetheless, called the ruling ''an overall win'' for the group and expressed joy.
Rumiko Nishino, the group's co-leader, said, ''I was nervous that if this ruling certified that the case still falls within the range of NHK's editing rights, political interventions would be overlooked under the name of editing...But I am happy now.''
Rutsuko Shoji, also co-leader of the group, said, ''We want NHK to read the ruling and apologize to us, and we want them to broadcast from a citizen's point of view.''
The group, which organized the Women's International War Crimes Tribunal in December 2000, initially sought 20 million yen in damages at the Tokyo District Court saying its members felt betrayed because the defendants in the suit reedited the program without explanation to the group.
It then raised the compensation claim to 40 million yen at the appeals court, arguing that NHK bore heavy responsibility for allowing political intervention.
The group helped the defendants produce the program in which the late Emperor Hirohito was found guilty by a mock tribunal of crimes against humanity for accepting institutionalized sex slavery. The sex slaves, mostly from Korea, were referred to as comfort women by the Japanese authorities.
Abe has admitted urging NHK to alter the program as he felt the contents were ''biased,'' but he denied having pressured the broadcaster and NHK has also said it made the changes in the course of regular editing operations and on its own initiative.
The reedited program omitted certain elements, including the mock tribunal's ''guilty'' verdict on the late emperor, who is posthumously known as Emperor Showa, testimonies by former soldiers and the name of the event organizer.
The group also said during the appeals court hearings that the reediting of the program would lead to a further coverup of the issue of wartime sex slavery and tolerance of political interventions.
The mock tribunal was intended to urge the Japanese government to take legal responsibility and to compensate women forced into sexual slavery for the Japanese military before and during World War II, according to the group.
The ''ruling'' by the mock tribunal was handed down by a panel of four judges led by Gabrielle McDonald, the former president of the International War Crimes Tribunal on the Former Yugoslavia.
In March 2004, the Tokyo District Court ordered one of the production companies to pay 1 million yen to the group over the case, leading the company and the advocacy group to file appeals. The district court dismissed the group's demands for redress from NHK and the other production company.
Abe and Shoichi Nakagawa, another senior lawmaker from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, were reported to have pressured NHK to refrain from broadcasting the content that was later removed.
NHK is chiefly funded by viewers' subscription fees. Its budget and business plan require parliamentary approval. The government also provides funds to NHK's international shortwave radio service and is authorized by law to issue orders on what to air on its international shortwave radio programs.
Under Abe's administration, the government issued an unprecedented order to NHK in November to place emphasis on the issue of North Korean agents' past abduction of Japanese nationals in its international shortwave radio service.
Kyodo

After participating in the confusion, or rather a festival at the press club, I went out to drink with my sources...
It's always tough to be a journalist, but nothing's new about building a relationship of mutual trust with sources!
I think we all know that... and that nothing's inexcusable!

記者クラブで混乱というよりお祭り騒ぎに参加したあと、取材先と飲みに出た…。
ジャーナリストでいることは厳しいことだが、取材先との信頼関係構築は真新しいことをやってる訳じゃない！
みんな分かってると思うよ…言い訳ができないこともね！

Overestimated...

タイトル：過大評価した…

I think I overestimated my abilities, as I thought I would be able to finish work with no sweat. I was wrong!

After returning back home last night, I just couldn't resist sleeping... I fell asleep at around 9PM and couldn't wake up till 10AM today...

I finally started doing work before noon... getting ready for this coming week...












the first thing to do: reading...

After taking a brief nap, I went out to my office... I worked till 11PM, and still had work left... I'll get to the press club early tomorrow to finish them... oh, man...

自分の力を過大評価してしまったかも。仕事をあっさり終えられると思ってたから。ダメでした！
昨夜家に戻ってから、どうしても起きられなかった…。夜の９時ぐらいに寝てしまって、今日の朝１０時まで起きられなかった…
ようやく正午前に仕事をし始めた…次の週の準備をして…
写真：最初にやること：読書…
また短く寝た後、職場に出た…夜１１時まで仕事をしたのに、仕事が残った…明日記者クラブに早く出て終わらせるか…
あ～あ…。

A short day...

タイトル：短い日…

A warm Saturday...
After sleeping till noon, I went out to Iidabashi to attend a symposium. A very informative one about worker's accidents and death and suicide from overwork.
















heading home... riding the train...

After going home, I couldn't control myself to stay awake and start doing other work I had to do for next... the sandman started its attack and I lost the fight, falling into sleep...

暖かい土曜日…
正午まで寝た後、シンポジウムに出席するために飯田橋に出掛けた。労災と過労死についてかなり有益なものだった。
写真：家に向かって…電車に乗って…
家に戻って、次にやらないと行けない仕事のために起きてようと思っても体が言うことをきかず…睡魔が攻撃を仕掛けてきたが、戦いに負けて、眠り込んでしまった…。

49!

タイトル：４９！

Fourty-nine is a bad luck number in Japan, as 4 stands for death and 9 for pain...
Today, Horiemon's hearings concluded... and this was the reason I couldn't go home last night...
So what does 49 have to do with this news?

it was announced the sentence will be given out on March 16th!

Yes! It's 49 days till the judgement.
Bad luck for us, as we have less than 50 days to get ready for another "media war day"!
And for who would it be the tough luck day? Horiemon, or the prosecutors!?
Let's see... I still have some time to get ready... just only a little bit though...

四九は日本では不運な数字だ。４が死で９が苦を意味するからだ…。
きょう、ホリエモンの審理が終わった…そしてそれが昨夜家に帰れなかった理由だ…。
ということで、４９がこのニュースと何の関係があるのかって？

写真：判決は３月１６日に言い渡されると宣告された！

そう！判決まで４９日なんだ。
俺たちにとっては不運だね。再び来る「メディア戦争日」に備えるために、もう５０日間も無いんだよ！
そしてそれは誰にとって厳しい日になるんだろう？ホリエモン、それとも検事たち！？
どうなるかな…。準備をするのにまだ少し時間がある…ほんのちょっとだけだが…。

For the first time...

タイトル：初めて…

I decided to stay overnight at the press club. I was too busy on Thursday, I wasn't ready for Friday, so I just decided to stay...
It was the first time I stayed overnight at the press club I belong to now... I've always went home however late it was, even in late August or early September, when it was the busiest ever!

記者クラブに泊まり込むことにした。木曜日は忙しすぎて、金曜日の準備が出来てなかった。だから残ることにした…。
現在所属している記者クラブに泊まり込むのは初めてのことだ…。どれくらい遅くなってもいつも家に帰っていた。最も忙しかった８月の最後の方も９月の初めの方も！


P.S.
topics of the news in the afternoon...

two completely different types of news lined up in each of the papers! I hope Mr. Hoshino does well! and another wave of "quake-resistant camouflage" starting in the west...

(written on Friday night)

追伸
午後に入ってきたニュース項目…
写真：２つの全く違いタイプのニュースが各紙並んだ！星野さんには成功して欲しいね！そしてまた別の「耐震偽装」の波が西から始まった…
（金曜日に書き込み）

Yes, I am happy!

タイトル：はい、嬉しいよ！

I was able to get back home just a little bit early tonight. Not just because I went out to have drinks and the party ended a little bit early.

It was quite a busy day, and I had to do both some work I really didn't want to and some work I really wanted to. Ah, ending the day with a pleasant drinking party adds up to satisfaction.

hey foxie! what are you looking at! don't worry... I'm happy...

今夜はほんのちょっぴりだけ家に帰ることができた。飲みに出て、飲み会がちょっぴり早く終わったからじゃない。
結構忙しい日だったし、あんましやりたくない仕事も、やりたい仕事もやらなければならなかった。楽しい飲み会で１日を終えられて満足だ。
写真：へい、きつねくん！何を見てんだよ！心配すんなよ…楽しいよ…

A mild winter!?

タイトル：暖冬！？

It was warmer than I expected in the morning...

walking by the off-track betting shop! no, no... that's not where I have to go!

It became colder than I expected in the afternoon...
Maybe it's just because I was under the sun in the morning, and out of it in the afternoon...
But it's definitely a mild winter this year and I like it rather than it being a boldy cold one!

朝、予想以上に暖かかった…
写真：場外馬券場の横を通って！いや、いや…そこに行こうとしてる訳じゃないよ！
午後、思ったより寒くなった…
たぶん朝は太陽の下にいて、午後は日陰にいたからかな…。
でも間違いなく今年は暖冬だ。極寒のよりマシだけどね！

Linesmen scoring by recovering fumbles, an ace quarterback tripping on his own, receivers dropping easy ones, but more than anything... it was a very close and splendidly exciting championship game I ever saw!
Though I gave up watching the NFC championship which I happened to see the result of the game unintendedly, I went on to watch the AFC match-up though it was way over midnight... but it was worth it!!

a historic comeback from 3-21! wow!

And Mr. Manning is finally playing for the Vince Lombardi Trophy! Against the undoubtedly strongest team of the year, the Bears!

ラインマンたちがファンブルをリカバーしたり、エースＱＢが自分でずっこけたり、レシーバーたちが簡単なのを落としたり、でもそれ以上に…とっても接戦で、今まで見た中でも最高にエキサイティングな王者決定戦だった！
偶然に試合の結果を見てしまったＮＦＣの王者決定戦を見るのは諦めたけど、ＡＦＣのマッチアップは見た。夜中の零時はとっくに過ぎてたけどね…でもその価値はあったね！！

３対２１からの歴史的なカムバック！すげー！
そしてマニング氏はようやくヴィンス・ロンバルディ杯のために戦うんですね！誰もが認める今年の最強チームのベアーズとの対戦だ！

Bid rigging nation...

タイトル：談合の国…

Again...

the news of the day was about bid-rigging, this time in Nagoya

Will the major construction companies ever learn?

For me, it was another sad start... Being told I'm not doing my job effectively. Yes, I know... I know... With limited talent and strength, I have to meet the high demands... ugg...

まただ…
写真：トップニュースは談合について、今回は名古屋で
ゼネコンはいつになったら学習するんだろ？
俺にとっては、また悲しい始まりだった…仕事が効果的に出来てないと言われて。ああ、分かってるさ…分かってるさ…限られた才能と能力で、高い要求に応えて行かないといけない…むぐ…

Another try!

タイトル：再トライ！

It was a peaceful night and after returning home, I took a nap in peace.

At night, I went to the press club to work just a little bit more.
While I was heading to the club with my car, the news popped into my phone!

Governor Sonomanma! another comedian governor elected... it failed pretty much in Tokyo and Osaka in the past... will he make it through in Miyazaki?

平和な夜だった。家に帰って、落ち着いて休むことが出来た。
夜になって、もう少しだけ働くために記者クラブに行った。
車でクラブに向かっているときに、ニュースが電話に飛び込んできた！
写真：そのまんま知事だ！またお笑いの知事が選ばれた…東京と大阪ではかなり失敗に終わってるんだけど…宮崎ではどうかな？

Ready to go!

タイトル：準備万端！

Last night, it was my first day I'd gone out to have drinks this week, and the Korean food and drinks at Okubo hit me pretty hard. I still had a headache when I woke up before noon...

To get started, I finished watching the fourth playoff game!

this no-good FG attempt lifted the team of the decade again to the AFC championship game! and so it's the match-up between the great two QBs again! a great game to look forward to next week! I saw NFC Seattle almost pulling off a big one against the number one seed, but perhaps experience makes an upset!

After taking a nap for a couple of hours in the afternoon, I think I'm ready to head for overnight duty... or am I!?

昨夜、今週初めての飲みだったけど、大久保の韓国の料理と酒が結構きつくて、正午に起きたときには、頭が痛かった…。
手始めに、４つ目のプレイオフゲームを見終えた！
写真：このフィールドゴールの失敗がここ１０年で最高のチームを再びＡＦＣ王者決定戦に進出させた！また偉大な２人のＱＢ同志にマッチアップだね！来週楽しみな試合だね！ＮＦＣのシアトルがもうちょっとで第１シードに大番狂わせを演じるところだったけど、結局は経験が番狂わせを生むんだね！

午後に数時間昼寝をしたし、泊まり勤務に行く準備はできたと思うよ…たぶんね！？

At last...

タイトル：ようやく…

This week, I only had one day, on Monday to go out to eat lunch.

At last, I finally had my second lunch this week...

but only at Doutor, a chain store cafe...

At last, I finally get a chance to go out drinking tonight... tomorrow I have to get into overnight duty, so at least I can enjoy now...

今週は、１日だけ、月曜日に昼飯に食べに出ただけ。
ようやく、今週２回目の昼飯をやっと食べることができた…。
写真：チェーン店のドトールでだけど…。
ようやく、今夜飲みで出るチャンスがやっとやってきた…明日は泊まり勤務だし、今だけ楽しむことができるのさ…

Still not in the mood...

タイトル：まだそんな気分じゃない…

I just can't find a reason to smile. Unsatisfaction in what I'm doing with my job is of course the main reason.

Change of pace... I went to my office, leaving the press club before nine, and went home before midnight, a little earlier than usual.

Watching the recording of my favorite sport might cheer me up!

a NFC playoff I was looking forward to watch!

どうしても笑う理由が見つからない。仕事での不満が最大の理由であることは間違いない。
ペースを変えよう…。９時前に記者クラブを離れて、職場に行った。家には午前零時前に帰った。いつもより少しだけ早く。
大好きなスポーツの録画を見たら元気になるかも！
写真：楽しみにしていたＮＦＣのプレイオフゲーム！

12th Anniversary...

タイトル：１２周年（１３回忌）…

Just another stressful day around the press club.
But another anniversary for the people in the west.

the papers in the east still spare the front pages for the memorial news...

The 12th anniversary is a special year for the families of the dead in Buddhism, a popular religion in this nation. I'm not in any position to write about the quake anymore and I don't have any relatives that lost lives 12 years ago, but I have spoken to many who have lost their loved ones, and I believe I have the right to mourn for the dead... sleep well everybody and give us strength to all who believe in the joy of restoring...

And for me... I hope one day I can return to this continuously reviving area in the west!

記者クラブの周辺でまた単なるストレスだらけの１日。
でも西の人たちにとってはまた記念の日だ。
写真：東の新聞もまだ一面をきねんのニュースに割いてるね…
１２周年（１３回忌）は、この国でたくさんの人が従う仏教で遺族にとって特別な年だ。もう地震のことについて書く立場ではなくなったし、１２年前に親戚を失ったこともないが、愛する人たちを失ったたくさんの人たちと話したことはあるし、亡くなった人の冥福を祈る権利はあると思う…みなさんのご冥福を祈ります。そして復興の喜びを信じている我々みんなに力を下さい…。
そして俺にとっては…常に復興に向かって進む西にいつか戻れることを祈ってますよ！

Already filled with...

タイトル：すでに一杯になって…

Stress!
My stress-meter has already crossed the half-way line... It's still not in the red zone, but it may well be soon enough!

I had a bad start yesterday, and today was not better... This is reality and I have to get used to it soon enough!

ストレスで！
俺のストレスメーターはすでに半分のラインを超えたよ…まだレッドゾーンには入ってないけど、たぶんもうすぐにでも行くよ！
昨日悪い始まりだったが、今日も良くならなかった…。これが現実で、なるべく早く慣れないとね！

ps
at midnight, I felt like my body was sinking down in my bed... I thought I was dreaming... but the culprit...

was this fairly big and deep quake!

追伸
夜中に、体がベッドの中で沈んだような気がした…夢を見てるのかなと思った…でも犯人は…
写真：この比較的に大きくて、深い地震だったんだ！

A rough start...

タイトル：厳しいスタート…

Back to work... for real... and it was not a slow start at all!
No doubt, it was a busy day. I had to gather precious information, and I had a tough time catching my sources on the phone all day...
I even had to talk for long outside the building to be sure no one is listening!

and it was pretty gloomy and cold outside at Kasumigaseki... oh I hate this...

Oh, I thought I would easily handle my comeback... I was too optimistic...

仕事に戻って…マジで…全然ゆっくりとしたスタートではなかったよ！
間違いなく、忙しい日だった。重要な情報を集めなければならなかったが、取材先を電話で捕まえるのに一日中苦労した…
確実に誰も聞いてないところで聞くために長い間外で話してたぐらいだ！
写真：霞ヶ関の外は結構暗くて、さみぃんだよ…ああイヤだな…。
ああ、復帰は軽くこなせると思ったんだけどなぁ…楽観的すぎたな…

One last day of rest...

タイトル：休暇の最終日…

Waking up before noon, my last day off flew by so fast... faster than an arrow...

I went to the movies to watch "Lucky # Selvin" (titled "Lucky Number 7" in Japanese). I love films where everything fits into place at the end, and this one fooled me to the end. Entertaining, it was. And pleasantly I have spent my last day off with a reason...

In the evening, I got a haircut, and went to the press club with my car to bring many of my belongings to my base camp from tomorrow.

at night taking a peek at the new TV serial drama... watching TV relaxes me too...

Oh, these three weeks... have I had enough rest!?
Anyways, I shall truly return to the battlefield. This time the endless heat shall continue till March.
Yes, I better be ready!!

昼前に起きて、最後の休日はあっと言う間に過ぎ去った…弓矢より早く…。
「ラッキーナンバー７」を見に行った。最後にすべてが理解できる映画は好きなんだが、最後まで騙されたね。面白かったよ。とにかく最後の日にちゃんとした理由で、楽しく過ごせたよ…。
夕方には紙を切りに行って、基地に明日から必要な多くの物を持って行くために記者クラブに出掛けた。
写真：夜になって新しい連ドラを覗き見しながら…テレビを見ると落ち着くんだよね…
ああ、この３週間点十分休めたかな！？
どちらにしろ、戦地に戻らないといかない。今度は、３月まで限りのない熱気が続くことだろう。
そう。準備できてない訳にはいかないんだ！！

Uncontrollable affairs...

タイトル：コントロールできない事柄…

I went to my office in the morning to check out the morning papers to see if I was in trouble... luckily I wasn't and I was told I can take this weekend off!
Happily, I went home after renewing my mobile phone I use for work at a Docomo shop, as the old one didn't seem right.

When I was ready to take a rest, I heard an unfamiliar sound from my new mobile phone... an e-mail... then the same sound again... a couple of e-mails... then the same sound again! more e-mails!! They were all about tsunami warnings given out to some parts of Hokkaido... unpleasant infos from the Weather News' mobile paid services of warning annoucements...

After blasting to my office with my car, I moved on to JMA to stay there for quite a while... uh...

JMA at night...

The tsunami warnings were announced at 1:36PM and graded down to tsunami attentions at 5:59PM... the attentions were then lifted finally at 10:10PM...

Yes, it was supposed to be a day off... can't control the doings of nature... never... Well, this is how I earn my living!

But, I sure hope no crazy happenings will attack me tomorrow!

ヤバイことになってないか見るために、朝、職場に出て朝刊をチェックした…幸いにも問題はなく、週末も休んで良いと言われた！
ドコモショップでどうもおかしかった古い携帯を新しいのに新調した後、喜びながら家に帰った。
休もうかなと思ったら、新しい携帯電話から聞き慣れない音が聞こえてきた…メールだ…また同じ音が鳴った…いくつかのメールだ…そしたら、また同じ音が！もっとメールが来たんだ！！北海道に出された津波警報を知らせるメールだった…ウェザーニュースの警報配信サービスから不快な情報が…
車で職場に飛んでいった後、気象庁に転戦して、長い間そこにいた…うー…
写真：夜の気象庁…
津波警報は午後１時３６分に発表され、午後５時５９分に津波注意報に下がり…最終的に午後１０時１０分に解除された…
そうだね、休暇になるはずだったけど…自然が成すことはコントロールできないよね…絶対に…まぁ、このために給料をもらってるんだからね！
でも、明日は狂ったようなことが起きないことをマジで祈ってるよ！

If I was wiser...

タイトル：もっと賢ければ…

I would've predicted that I could've had one last day to rest. I was only wise after the Governor's press conference that I was free. But without any plans, I stayed at home all day, just making a couple of calls to confirm that.

あと１日休めると言うことが予想できたのになぁ。自由になると理解できたのは、知事の記者会見が終わった後だ。でも予定は入れてなかったし、そのことを確認するために何本か電話した以外は、家にずっと残ってた。

So it became nighttime so quickly, I had no time to satisfy myself feeling the joy of having this one last day of vacation. And watching the American version of "Shall We Dance" and reading a book, was all I can do tonight.

reading the Earthsea stories... I love to read the originals after watching the films, but this time a bit different... the film, "Gedo Senki - Tales from Earthsea" differs so much from the original work by Ursula Le Guin... it's like two completely different masterpieces with the same characters in the same kind of world!


ということで、あっという間に夜になって、休暇の最後の１日を満足げに楽しむ時間は無かった。洋画版の「シャル・ウィ・ダンス」と、本を読むことぐらいしか今夜はできなかった。
写真：アースシー伝説を読みながら…映画を観た後に原作を読むのは好きだが、今回は少し違うかも…映画の「ゲド戦記」とアーシュラ・ルグウィンの原作とかなり違うかも…まるで同じ登場人物と同じ世界観で、２つの全く違った佳作なのかも！

Another day off... perhaps...

タイトル：もう１日休み…たぶん…

I did work today in the morning, but not in the afternoon... so I thought it wwas fair enough to keep it a day off, and hope I don't have to work on Friday either. Then, I will be able to finish off my vacation, which I must have had to spend till the end of March, and spending it after next week will probably be impossible with so many judgements and sentences ready to be given out till March.

朝働いたけど、午後は休めた…ということで、休みしちゃう方がいいだろうと思った。金曜日も働かなくても良いことを祈るよ。そうすると、３月末までに消化してしまわないといけない休暇を消化できる。３月までに大量の刑事や民事の判決が言い渡されるので、来週以降消化することはたぶん不可能だから。

After taking a long nap till the evening, I finally started cleaning up another quarter of my room. I think I was only able to clean up a fifth rather than a quarter, as I only had about four hours to engage in this rather painstaking work and I was taking peeks at the Eagles-Giants wildcard playoff game while cleaning up.

夕方までゆっくり寝たあと、部屋の別の４分の１を片付けだした。このどちらかと言えば疲れる作業をやるのに４時間くらいしかなかったから、４分の１というより５分の１程度しか片付けられなかったと思うけど。イーグルス対ジャイアンツのワイルドカードプレイオフの試合を見ながらやっちゃったしね。

At night, I decided to spend my time, trully like a day off.

starting with Pirates! I finally can watch the first one... I already had watched the second film last summer with my sister...

Oh, will I still be enjoying another day off 24 hours from now, or will I be working dreadfully... only God knows...

夜になって、ちゃんと休みみたいに時間を過ごすことにしたよ。
写真：パイレーツから始めて！最初のヤツをようやく見られるよ…妹と去年、２つめの映画は観ちゃったもんね…。
ああ、今から２４時間、休みを楽しめるんだろうか、それともだらだらと働いてるんだろうか…神様にしかわからんね…

Day of cleaning up

タイトル：片づけ日

After clearing things up about work, I finally started cleaning up my room at around noon...
My room... it was worse than a bloodbath after some slaughters by Jason... it was more like a dustbath after the birds have flown away! uhh...
I couldn't clean up a quarter of my room though I had battled for six hours. I gave up and went out to eat dinner at Nakano-Shimbashi.

the first blowfish dish of this year!

Oh it's Wednesday... it could well be the end of my vacation...

仕事のことを片づけた後、正午ごろにようやく部屋を片づけ始めた…
俺の部屋…ジェイソンの虐殺後の血の海より非道い状態…どっちかと言えば、鳥の砂遊びのあとみたいだよ！うう…。
６時間もの間戦っても部屋の四分の１も片づかなかった。あきらめて、中野新橋にメシを食いに行った。
今年最初のフグだ！

ああ水曜日だ…これで休暇も終わりかも知れない…。

Watching the NFC wildcard playoff game I'd recorded yesterday. It was a wild wildcard game... kickoff return TD, overturned calls, a critical safety, and the most critical was...

"Cinderella boy" Tony Romo dropping the snapped ball to be held for the go ahead field goal with only a minute left... so many twists in the last half of the last quarter and the Seahawks made it through with a 21-20 victory over the Cowboys...

And now I shall go on to watch the Patriots-Jets game!

昨日録画したＮＦＣワイルドカードのプレイオフを見た。ワイルドなワイルドカードゲームだった…キックオフリターンＴＤ、ひっくり返る判定、決定的なセーフティ、そして最も決定的だったのが…
「シンデレラボーイ」のトニー・ロモが残り１分しか無い中で、逆転のフィールドゴールを蹴るために押さえるスナップ・ボールを落としたこと…最後のクォーターの後半に何度もどんでん返しがあって、シーホークスが２１－２０でカウボーイズに競り勝った…
そして、次にペイトリオッツ－ジェッツ戦を見ることにしますか！

What days off are for...

タイトル：休日が何のためにあるのか…

Waking up before eleven o'clock, and though I still have 6 more days off, I had to get to south Tokyo to meet some people about a civil suit. After getting home at around 2 o'clock, I knew I had to start cleaning up my room, but I really didn't have the momemtum to get on to it...

having a lonely lunch at home...

１１時前に起きた。まだ６日間休みがあるんだが、民事訴訟の関係者たちに会うために東京南部に行かなければならなかった。２時ぐらいに帰宅して、部屋を片づけなきゃいけなかったんだが、何かその勢いが無かったんだよな…。
家で寂しいランチを…

I didn't feel so good, and went to sleep right away. I shouldn't forget that I'm taking days off to get myself into the best condition when work starts! Tonight, there were news that I might have to cut short my vacation and go back to work on Thursday. I hope not, but I must always be ready to be able to fulfill my job!

あんまり気分が良くなかったんで、すぐに寝た。忘れちゃいけないのは、休むのは、実際に仕事が始まるときに、自分の体調をベストのコンディションに持って行くためだということ。今夜、休みを早く切り上げて木曜日に仕事に戻らなきゃいけないかも知れないというニュースが入ってきた。そうならないと願ってるが、いつでも仕事が完遂できるように準備できてないといけないね！