New Year's Eve

Today is the very last day of this year. I will write about a reflection of this year and a plan for the next year.

At first I will start from my jobs.

I could not work well suffering melancholia in several years, so it is great for me to be able to work steadily all year long.

In October two years ago I thought of myself out of use in direct department, and I was transferred to back office. But I didn't work with my boss well, so I had absences often with stress. Last October I was transferred to another section again. At that time I could work with my boss well, and I was relaxed. But I had a little thing to do, and I spent free time.

And last June I was transferred to the section in which I am working now. The main mission of this section is supporting execution of projects, so called “PMO” (Project Management Office). In addition I was assigned to the project of development of the next information systems of my company. So I was getting busy suddenly. I was anxious that I could hold up, but I could do the jobs positively. I got a sense of fulfillment to work.

Next year according to the schedule of development of the information systems I will do my job and work for PMO. This year I could just get used to the job of PMO, but I am willing to reform it. My boss recommends me to get a certification of PMP (Project Management Professional). If I have time and energy, I will try it. Anyway I will not do too much for my health.

Next I will write about my hobbies.

I've been to Bali this year. I had thought that it might be fun to visit Bali, but I've never been there because I felt that Bali was too touristic. Once I visited Bali, it was very fun. I visited Ubud where was in mountainside, it looked like a rural area in Japan in old days. Most of Japanese tourists are couples in thirties, but older people could enjoy Ubud, Bali.

Next year I'd like to visit New York City to see a game of MLB in summer vacation. After 9.11 I've not been there, I should visit the Ground Zero. In Japan I'd like to visit Kyoto to have a drink with my friend Inamoto in an authentic Japanese-style bar.

Since last October I go to a golf school, and I get to be able to feel fun of playing golf. Next year I want to score under 110 stokes. (At heart I want to score under 100, but it may be impossible.) This year I went to swimming pool to swim 1,500m. Next year I will keep pace with this year.

On Internet I started Facebook, GREE and Lang-8. I can't use Facebook well, but I could make friends on GREE and Lang-8. I began to write my weblog in English, because I've heard English News on Podcast and my wife recommend it for me. I am willing to continue it next year. I'd like to interact overseas people.

A TV program about Professor Sandel inspired me to read books on the contemporary philosophy (Michel Foucault, Claude Lévi-Strauss, John Rawls, Michael J. Sandel and more). I also read book on the philosophy in Edo period, for example Masao Maruyama's works. Next year I'd like to read books on Japanese history and western classic novels. And I will try to read books written in English.

I have a lot of plans in next year, and it is not bad because I can't have such motivation for a long time.But health of my family and me is most important, so I will take care of it well.

To Make a Natural Expression in Foreign Language

When I correct Japanese journals written by foreigners on Lang-8, I find that their Japanese isn't natural-sounding because they quote expressions directory from dictionaries.

I guess I also do the same thing when I write in English.

I have cut and pasted from a translation website before and the resulting English was unnatural-sounding.

Fun of Translating

Recently I’m interested in writing English. (I don’t know how long will last.)

I used to like to translate English to Japanese and Japanese to English. It is fun translating English to Japanese and Japanese to English. Each is fun and a little different.

When I translate English to Japanese, I consider how to write it naturally in Japanese. It tends to become literal translation, but it is fun for me to rewrite it to smooth Japanese presuming true intent of English.

When I translate Japanese to English, it is fun like figuring out a puzzle. My English is poor and I can use limited vocabulary and expressions. It is fun for me to express what I mean by my limited English.

A Strawberry Dream

Iｎ it there is a clear red strawberry on a desk.

I see a vine growing out from the hull of the strawberry in slow motion.

The vine is growing and growing to be twisted. In a winding motion the vine twists and distorts as it grows.

Meanwhile, as a result of the vine growing bigger, the strawberry itself is starts to shrivel and shrink.

The vine then entangles itself around my index finger.

At first it wraps itself around just one finger, but it then soon covers all of my hand.

Whilst looking at my hand, I vaguely ponder about how it is doing this.

Keeping a Dream Journal

Recently I have a dream so often that I begin to keep a dream journal.

I just try to describe my dreams precisely without any feeling. I am very surprised that some people enjoy my dream journal.

After I changed antidepressant drugs, I have dreams more often. It might be effect of drugs. It is true that my recent dreams may be fantastic.

Because I get good comments about my dream journal, I will try to remember my dreams and keep a journal. But I can’t control my dream by myself, so I am not sure that I will have fantastic dreams or not.