Fever - 元気印ついにダウン

Misha has been through ups and downs since late January, started with fever and her first ear infection. She took antibiotics, amoxicillin, for the first time in her life at 16 1/2 months. She looked much better for a week or so, then again, she came down with fever past weekend, and even worse this time, accompanied by stomach flu. She was again diagnosed with ear infection, and now on another round of antibiotics, Clavamox. She looks better, singing and dancing a bit, but her appetite remains low.


I think illness has affected many of our friends this winter. Our friends in San Diego wrote about their little ones having flu and mild pneumonia, my family and friends in Japan had severe stomach flu, and our dearest friend, Toshimi, in San Diego was hospitalized for pneumococcal infection, resulted in severe pneumonia. I hope all of them get well very soon - and hope this flu season goes away ASAP. Take care, everyone!


　1月中旬から体調不良が続くミーシャ、先週末またの発熱で2回目の中耳炎の診断を受けました。今回は胃腸風邪でお腹もこわし、昨日今日と自宅待機です。というわけで、勉強はおあずげ、今日締め切りの翻訳原稿もあわてて仕上げました。熱さえ下がれば、元気になるのだけれど、いつもの食欲はどこへやら。やっぱり本調子ではありません。この冬は日本にいる友達や家族が、たくさんノロウィルスにかかって、サンディエゴの友達も多く体調を悪くしてます。ありきたりのフレーズだけど、健康なくしては何もはじまりません。手をこまめに洗って、体には十分気をつけましょうね。

Mission Impossible ミッション・インポシブル

1 2 3 4

Photo 1: " What is that, Papa?"
Photo 2: "How do you do that?"
Photo 3: "OK, here are my legs, I need to cross one of them....."
Photo 4: " Hey, I can't do it, Papa! I at least tried it! "

（来年の冬に着る服を探しにウィンター・セールに行くため、車に乗る直前の一コマ）
足を組んでいるパパをみて、自分もやりたかったのだけれど・・・・思ったより難しく今回は断念！
また今度ね、ミーシャ。

獣医大の教授より日本の皆さんに質問

お世話になっている教授から、質問を受けました。

「日本では牛肉が高いときいているが、どれくらい高いのか？」

というわけで、どなたかスーパーに行ったついでにちらっと覗いて報告してもらえますか？どの部分（肩とか）で100グラムあたりいくらだったか。彼はとっても面白く、面倒見のいい先生で、世界の食肉事情にとても興味があります。

どうぞよろしく！

今週のびっくり：アメリカでは馬肉が法律違反なんだって！食べないことは前から知ってたけど、まさか法律まで制定されているとは・・・　青森（五戸町）の馬肉のおいしさを伝えられないのが残念！

In this posting, I am asking my friends in Japan to report how much beef costs in Japan. One of the professors at Tuskegee said "I know it is expensive over there but how expensive is it actually?" we will see.

Just out of Curiosity - Is it cold over there?

「アラバマは寒いの？」

よく聞かれる質問にお答えします。名古屋と同じくらいかな。今週は寒波が来ていて、今日の気温は最高気温7度、最低気温は－3度でした。おかげで、電気使用料はサンディエゴに比べて2倍になりました（先月55ドルくらい）。

そちらの気温はどれくらい？（地名も一緒によろしく）

Weather in Alabama - today's high was 46F low was 25F.

We have a bit of cold weather this week. Unlike San Diego, we need to rely on our A/C, and our electricity bill became double (around $55 last month). So purely out of my curiosity, can you tell me where you are, how cold it is, and for this only if you don't mind sharing, how much do you pay for your electricity?

I just want to know!

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

This year's Valentine's Day started with a little surprise from Temesgen in the morning - he had a nice card and little present set on the table for me.... With a little one running and us chasing, every day passes so quickly and it is sometimes hard to take a moment to appreciate our partners. I am glad we did, and I hope you had some time to smell the roses with your loved ones, as well.

So here comes Miss Misha, enjoying the very best Valentine's Day - spending a whole day with PJ! The two teachers for Toddler I class (10 kids) at her daycare organized the pajama party and we, parents, brought some things for the class. I stopped by in the afternoon and saw all the kids having fun eating cupcakes, grapes, cookies..... Nice sweet Valentine's, really! They even went home with a goodie bag. I told Temesgen how the party went, and he asked me "Why kids for Valentine's Day?" Hmmmm..... I don't know! Because they are sweet!?! Maybe some of our American friends can answer this question - is it common to celebrate Valentine's Day with kids in America? Did you grow up celebrating it?

保育所でバレンタインを祝うミーシャ。先生たちがパジャマ・パーティーを開催。10人の子供たちはみんなパジャマで一日を過ごし、おやつにバレンタインのお菓子を楽しみました。クラスのお友達（のママ達ね、実際は）がミーシャの名前が入ったカードやケーキをくれました。

In Japan, Valentine's Day is the day when women give chocolate to men, which even include male coworkers (this custom is nicknamed 'Obligation chocolate'). But most importantly, this is typically one of the few days in the year when women, especially teenage girls, have an opportunity to 'confess' their love to someone. I remember back in the high school days, quite a few girls were waiting for their favorite boys in the morning at subway stations - all had nicely-wrapped chocholates and nice cards. Some popular guys, like baseball players, received dozens of them on Valentine's Day. So who enjoyed those chocolate? I bet it was their mothers and sisters!

コメント方法

皆さんからのコメントも楽しみにしています。このサイトでコメントする場合は、投稿下のコメントをクリックして、出た画面右下の青字　Sign　Upをクリック。そこに自身のメールアドレスと、このサイト用のパスワードを書き入れれば、手続き終了です。途中英語になってわからなくなった場合はメールしてください。

The best toy ever!

The best toy - telephones! She actually downloaded some games on the cell phone and 'subscribed eBay' as well - we found that out on our bill! Temesgen called the customer service and they were kind enough to credit them back (thanks Cingular Wireless!) and blocked the internet use on the cell phone. we did not expect it happen before she reaches high school, you know!

左：テメスゲンがオフィス用に中古で買ってきた（たったの4ドル）電話で遊ぶミーシャ

右上：手作りクッキーを送ってきてくれたサンディエゴのとしみさんにお礼電話をする（?）ミーシャ

下：携帯とおもちゃの電話を同時に操るミーシャ

ミーシャは先月、携帯でゲームを勝手にダウンロードしてうちに請求書が来ました。

A year passed....

Last February Misha was as the same size as her little friend, Amy (see the left photo). She is now 22lbs and much taller, and she actually learned her little friend's name is Amy - she will bring her if you ask her to do so. What did we learn in 1 year!?! Well, what I learned last year was that we actually have to work a bit hard to lose the holiday pounds!

左写真：ミーシャ一年前の写真

うさちゃんのぬいぐるみ、エイミーちゃんと一緒に。

初の日本語ブログ投稿

先週末、獣医のセミナーに行ってきたのだが、午後の講義を聞いているうちにふと頭に浮かんだのがこのアイディア：「ブログを作ろう！」　

というわけで今夜、こうして一回目の日本語ブログを書いている。

文才がないことは重々承知の上、ブログを作ろうと決めた主な理由は、

１．ミーシャの成長を書き留めて、遠くにいる家族や友達に見てもらうこと

２．観光都市サンディエゴと違って、ここアラバマは何か理由でもない限りまず観光には来ない場所なので、比較的なじみの薄い南部の文化、歴史、生活スタイルなどを紹介すること

３．アメリカの獣医事情を、日本やドイツと比較しながら紹介すること

世界のいろんな場所にちらばっている友達が、「あーそういえば、彼女たちどうしてるかな？」と思ったときにクリックすれば会える、そんな場所にしたい。

というわけで、ミーシャ・徳子・テメスゲンのアラバマ便り、今夜スタートです。

Officially alabamian

Officially Alabamian! California plate is now souvenier! unless they demand that we send it back. T.

Finally we changed our license plate - it was hard to say good bye to California, I have to say. N