2019-03

#825 Ichiro, thank you for all the joy you brought us!

Ichiro announced his retirement after his last game in Tokyo.

March 21, 2019 was a big day for a lot of baseball fans, especially the ones in Japan.
The legendary baseball superstar, Ichiro Suzuki announced his retirement after his last game with the Seattle Mariners in Tokyo.
After playing 28 seasons in Japan and the US, the beloved Ichiro finally decided to put an end to his amazing career.

He is legendary.

I am a big fan of Ichiro and the Seattle Mariners. Ichiro is such an amazing player. He holds so many records and awards. He is like the God of Baseball to me (and to a lot of Japanese fans I am sure). He has a really beautiful style. Every time when I saw him played, I just wanted to cheer for him.
He inspires his fans to work hard and keep challenging ourselves, no matter who the opponents are.

When I was studying in Seattle many years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the “Kingdome”, the old Mariners’ stadium. I wish I could be there to watch Ichiro played in his prime years.

It felt like a transition of the generation.

In Ichiro’s last game, Yusei kikuchi, another Japanese player in the Mariners, made his MLB debut. He played 4.2 innings, and showed quite a solid performance.

I watched the whole game at home. It was an emotional moment when Ichiro announced his retirement at mid-game. Kikuchi cried. A lot of fans cried. I also cried in front of the TV.
It was a coincidence for Kikuchi to make his debut at the last game of Ichiro. It felt like a transition of the generation. The retirement of a Japanese baseball star and the rise of another Japanese young star. I wish both of them the best of luck.

Thank you for all the joy you brought us, Ichiro!

Small joy!(2019.3.22)

#826 “bicerin” ~historical cafe in Italy loved by celebrities~

“bicerin”

The other day I went to the Hankyu department store at Umeda. There was an event about world-wide cookies. It was quite interesting. As I was going through the wide selections of amazing cookies from around the world, I saw a staff promoting a new coffee drink called “bicerin”.

It was loved by many celebrities.

He told me that this coffee drink was loved by many celebrities such as Giacomo Puccini (Italian opera composer), Friedrich Nietzsche (German philosopher) and Ernest Hemingway (American journalist and a Nobel Laureate).

It is made of espresso, drinking chocolate and whole milk served layered.

The drink is made of espresso, drinking chocolate and whole milk served layered in a small cup.
I tried it at this event-limited coffee bar and it was delicious!
At first, I tasted the cold milk (or cream?). Then the warm mixture of coffee and hot chocolate came into my mouth. I was pleasantly surprised by the texture and taste of this fantastic drink, because I’ve never had such an experience before. It was wonderful!

The “bicerin” came with a biscotti. I was told to dip the drink with it. The biscotti was great too!

I hope I can try “bicerin” in Osaka in the near future.

“Bicerin” is also the name of a cafe in Italy. The cafe is 255 years old. It is said that Hemingway chose this drink as one of the 100 things that has to be preserved in the world.

Unfortunately, this coffee stand does not have branch in Osaka. There are 4 shops in Tokyo, and one in Nagoya.

I hope I can try “bicerin” in Osaka in the near future.
I just want to have another cup!

Small joy!!(2019.3.8)

#827 I love my mom’s “kusamochi”. ~It was the smell of spring~

Kusamochi

I got a package from my mother today.
In the box, some food and two shawls which my mom weaved by a handloom.

One of items was my mom’s handmade “kusamochi”. Kusamochi is a rice-flour dumpling mixed with Japanese mugwort(yomogi herbs). I love my mom’s kusamochi.

My parents picked yomogi herbs at the river bank.

I called my mom on the phone to say thank you. She said that she picked the mugwort at the river bank with my father few days ago.
When I opened the box of kusamochi, I could smell the mugwort. It was the smell of spring.

I was imagining my parents picking the mugwort together at the bank, when I was eating the kusamochi.

Yomogi tastes like spring.

My mom used to take my brother and I to the river bank and picked the mugwort together when we were still kids. It was a lat of fun. She only took us there once a year and it was always the beginning of spring.

Every time when I see this mugwort, it reminds me that spring is just around the corner.

↑These are two shawls which my mom weaved by a handloom.

Small joy!!!(2019.3.7)

#828 Bed time story

My secret pleasure

Before going to bed every night, I have a secret pleasure.
I like to read a chapter of a book before going to sleep. Recently, I am reading a book called “Unmei no e”(Paintings of fate).

The book explains the story of famous paintings in Europe. Since most of the paintings are quite scary, the stories behind them are just equally frightening. But I’m fan of the author Kyoko Nakano because I like her writing.

Paperback or e-books?

Recently when I buy books, I don’t know whether to choose paperback or e-books. I usually decide depending on the contents of books. For example if the book has many pictures, I would buy paper book.

In this case, since the book has many color pictures I bought the paper book. I think I made the right choice.

Even though the stories are scary, I enjoy immersing myself in them when I fall asleep, at the same time warring about seeing them in my dream. What a strange person myself!

Small joy!!(2019.3.7)