Zoo

The shinkansen (2)

[2008年11月27日(木) ]

The Shinkansen
Part 2

A man who had been standing next to the payphone between the two cars decided to give it a try.
He was obviously not alone.
He pulled his son ― he must have been 5 or 6 ― from behind the door,
and told him

to sit next to me.
As soon as he

saw me,
he turned around and flatly

denied,
thereby unwittingly giving me the second punch in less than 20 minutes.
His father, however, pushed him back
and I gently pulled him by the arm onto the seat.
Next to me.
The woman with her daughter started talking to this boy,
but to no avail.
He left after a couple of minutes
and stood next to his father for the rest of the trip.

I won’t have to explain that this was quite a shock

to me.
I teach many children,
some as young as 1 year or so,
and never ever has anything like this happened to me before.

In the evening,
on my way back home,
I decided to take luck into my own hands,
and sat on the other side of the train,
which has only 2 seats,
next to a

young woman.
She did NOT stand up,
neither did she change seats or start

yelling.

Lucky me!

2/2

The shinkansen (1)

[2008年11月26日(水) ]

The Shinkansen
Part 1

It may have been because of the 3 consecutive holidays,
or maybe it’s just because I don’t take the Shinkansen often enough to know,
but last weekend it was full beyond its capacity.
I was lucky enough to be able to take an aisle seat in the first row,
took my computer out of my briefcase and started preparing for my classes.

It was hard to believe there were so many people standing.
The person occupying the center seat got off, like many others, at Shizuoka station,
and others boarded and tried to find a space to sit down on.
Now there was one place between me and the person having the window seat.
A woman and her young daughter

came into the car,
and, as soon as she saw the empty seat next to me,
told her daughter to sit down.
This girl ― she must have been 5 or 6 ― was obviously surprised at seeing me
and she started to

yell “No, no, no!” in the Shinkansen!
Her mother was not going to give up the seat,
sat down herself
and took her daughter in her arms.
This girl was terrified.

As if I were a terrorist.

Or a bad guy.

A criminal wearing a business suit.

I tried to avoid her.
I didn’t dare to look at her, but somehow,
I could see on the computer screen that she was constantly staring at me.
Every time I glanced at her she quickly turned her head in the opposite direction.
Anyway, this girl’s ordeal finished at the next stop,
where the woman who was sitting on the window seat got off,
and the mother moved to that place.

Away from the

bad guy.

Lucky me.

1/2
[Go to part 2]

The phantom ship (b)

[2008年11月11日(火) ]

One early summer day
in the life
of a phantom ship

幽霊船の初夏の一日

Oh no!
Not even 5 o’clock and the sun starts to rise.
Why does it have to wake so early?
まったくまったく！
５時にもなってないのに、もう日が昇ってる。
なんであんな早く起きなければならないの？

Can’t it just wait a little bit longer, until everyone else gets up, too?
Everyone else?
Forget about the fishing fans… they seem to imitate convenience stores, awake 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Do they ever find time to sleep?
みんなが起きるまでもうちょっと待ったって、いいじゃん！
みんな？
釣り人を忘れた．．．コンビニみたい！一日２４時間起きてて、一週間７日も同じ調子。
寝る暇ある？

Ouch! My back hurts!
Maybe the load I carry in my belly is getting too heavy for me.
Or last night might have been a bit too rowdy for someone my age.
Who cares about age? Only the people around you!
痛ッタッタッタ！腰が痛い！
お腹の荷物が俺にとって重いかも。
それとも夕べはあまりにも騒いだせいか？
もう年だし．．．
年、気にすることない！
周りだけが気にするもんだ。

No fun, no life!
Mine doesn’t quite look like a life suitable for an ordinary citizen in this port.
With all the stones I won’t go far, mortals assume.
What a useless boat, they think, nothing more than a counter to put some stuff on.
What a blunder!
楽しみのない人生は人生とは呼ばない。
まあ、俺はこの港の極普通の一般市民じゃないけどね。
人間様は　「この石で遠く行かない」　と思ってるらしい。
「なんて無駄なボートなんだ！」　しか思ってない、「物を置くのにピッタリだけどね。」
それは大間違いなのよ！

City dwellers may enjoy their barbecue, we don’t!
The smell of charcoal frightens the living daylights out of us.
We all disgust the idea of burning wood or fire.
A fire on board would mean the end of us.
都会人はここでバーベキューを楽しんでるかもしらないけど、
俺たちは嫌い！
木炭の匂いが怖くて死にそう。
船上の火事なんて、終わりだよ！

Kids find fun in returning the heartless stones to the sea.
They make a game of it, throwing them far out.
They only give me a hard time plucking them to safety again at night.
That’s when I come to real life, fired up by my army of honorable guests.
ガキたちは心のない、冷たい石を海に返すのが好きみたい。
ゲームにして、遠く投げるのよ。
まったくまったく、夜俺の仕事を増やして。安全な場所に拾わなきゃならないだろう。
夜、客の軍団（＝石＝幽霊）に引っ張られて、生まれ変わる（生き返る）。

As the sun sets, we set out.
日が暮れるとともに、我々は出発する。

My guests awaken and we set sail.
俺の客（＝石＝幽霊）は起きて、出発だ！

Off to nowhere.
目的地もなく、出発。

Just for the fun of it.
ただ楽しいから。

We fire up our barbecue.
今度我々のバーベキューの番だ。

And have drinks.
たくさん飲んで、

My guests enjoy singing.
客は歌を楽しむ。

And dancing.
踊りもね！

Some grow merry as a grig and in such high spirits that they brighten up,
talking about the good old times.
何人かが明るくなる（＝光る；英語では「陽気」も「光る」（明るい）も区別しない）ほど陽気になる、
古き良き時代を語る。

When we had fun during daytime.
昼間楽しんでた時代。（＝生きていたころ）

Not only at night.
夜だけでなく。

However bright some of us may be by then,
without lights we can’t risk going too far offshore.
あれくらいのころ数人（＝幽霊）は明るくて（陽気＋光る）しょうがないけど、
ライトなしじゃ陸から遠く離れるのが怖い。

We might ram another boat.
他の船と衝突するかも。

What if we got lost on the way home?
帰り道の途中道に迷ったら、どうなる？

We’d sink under the weight of our great time if we didn’t get home before curfew.
門限時間（＝日が昇るまで）戻らないと、自分のあまりの楽しさで沈むだろう。
（楽しさがあまりにも重くて沈むだろう。日が昇ると幽霊は再び石に化けるから、重くて船が沈む。）

We’d never be able to return from nowhere.
どこも行ってないけど、そこから戻れなくなるだろう。
（大して遠く行かないけど、戻れないかも）

We’d never be able to surprise passers-by anew.
Or kids.
もう二度と通りがかりの人や子供を脅せないだろう。（石がいっぱい積んであるボートなので、それを見るみんなが驚くが、沈めば、驚かせなくなる）

Or charcoal lovers.
No fire would ever scare us again.
木炭が好きな人も驚かなくなるだろう。
火なんて、もう怖くないだろう！

Maybe that’s where we belong...
Or maybe not.
もしかして、我々はそこのものか？（海底にいるべきか？）
違うだろう。

We’d crave the lush evergreen leaves dancing to the gentle tunes of the sea breeze, trying until the end of time to please us.
And appease us.
永遠の緑の葉っぱが恋しくなるだろう。だって、我々を喜ばせるためほのかな海風に揺らされて、永遠に（ときが終わるまで）踊ってくれてるのよ。
そして我々をなだめてくれる。

Or the brick altar, decorated with brightly colored ornaments, constantly keeping an eye on us, this invisible shield protecting us from the forces of even greater evil.
お寺だってそうだよ。
うちらを　ますます大きな悪力から　目に見えない盾（たて）で　守ってくれているじゃん。
あんな派手な飾りつけをして．．．

Our bamboo shower, this spring not hot but cold ― we don’t care a bit, faucetless for whatever reason, would no longer be of use.
我々の竹で出来たシャワー、温泉、いや、冷泉、あったかくなくて冷たいけど関係ないじゃん。何だかの理由で蛇口（注ぎ口）のないけど、（我々はいなくなったら）使い道はなくなるだろう。

What’s more, they’d all long for us.
それに、皆恋しいだろう。

They’d wonder where the phantom boat had gone.
幽霊船はどこへ行ってしまったか不思議に思うだろう。

They’d all wonder what fate had befalllen the phantom flagship.
この立派な幽霊船はどういう運命に合ったのか、皆心配するだろう。

They have yet to realize that fate lies in their own hands.
人間は知らないよね、運命は自分で決めるもんだと。
（人間って、運命というものはないということにいまだに気づないよね。）

The phantom ship

[2008年11月10日(月) ]

[last of 4 stories * jump to 　#1 　 #2 　 #3]

One early summer day
in the life
of a phantom ship

日本語版（英語付き）　

Oh no!
Not even 5 o’clock and the sun starts to rise.
Why does it have to wake so early?
Can’t it just wait a little bit longer,
until everyone else gets up, too?

Everyone else?
Forget about the fishing fans... they seem to imitate convenience stores, awake 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Do they ever find time to sleep?

Ouch! My back hurts!
Maybe the load I carry in my belly is getting too heavy for me.
Or last night might have been a bit too rowdy for someone my age.
Who cares about age? Only the people around you!
No fun, no life!
Mine doesn’t quite look like a life suitable for an ordinary citizen in this port.
With all the stones I won’t go far, mortals assume.
What a useless boat, they think, nothing more than a counter to put some stuff on.
What a blunder!

City dwellers may enjoy their barbecue, we don’t!
The smell of charcoal frightens the living daylights out of us.
We all disgust the idea of burning wood or fire.
A fire on board would mean the end of us.

Kids find fun in returning the heartless stones to the sea.
They make a game of it, throwing them far out.
They only give me a hard time plucking them to safety again at night.
That’s when I come to real life, fired up by my army of honorable guests.

As the sun sets, we set out.
My guests awaken and we set sail.
Off to nowhere.
Just for the fun of it.
We fire up our barbecue.
And have drinks.

My guests enjoy singing.

And dancing.

Some grow merry as a grig and in such high spirits
that they brighten up,
talking about the good old times.
When we had fun during daytime.

Not only at night.

However bright some of us may be by then,
without lights we can’t risk going too far offshore.
We might ram another

boat.
What if we got lost on the way home?
We’d sink under the weight of our great time
if we didn’t get home before curfew.
We’d never be able to return from nowhere.
We’d never be able to surprise passers-by anew.
Or kids.
Or charcoal lovers.
No fire would ever scare us again.

Maybe that’s where we belong...
on the bottom of nowhere.
Or maybe not.
We’d crave the lush evergreen leaves,
dancing to the gentle tunes of the sea breeze,
trying until the end of time to please us.
And appease us.

Or the brick altar,
decorated with brightly colored ornaments,
constantly keeping an eye on us,
this invisible shield protecting us
from the forces of even greater evil.

The bamboo shower, this spring not hot but cold ― we don’t care a bit, faucetless for whatever reason, would no longer be of use.

What’s more, they’d all long for us.
They’d wonder where the phantom boat had gone.
They’d all wonder what fate had befalllen the phantom flagship.
They have yet to realize that fate lies in their own hands.

imitate 真似る
load ... belly　お腹の中に抱えている荷物（＝石）
rowdy　騒がしい、騒々しい
ordinary citizen ...　この港のごく普通の一般市民
mortals assume　（神に対して；命に限りのある）人間
blunder　大失敗
city dwellers　都会人
frightens ...out of us　死ぬほど怖い
disgust = hate, dislike
pluck to safety = rescue
set out = set sail 出発する
fire up 火を熾す
grow merry　陽気になる
brighten up　明るくなる（性格が～；輝く）

however bright　いくら明るくても（ここでは性格よりも明かり、光）
ram = hit, run into　衝突する
sink under ... time　楽しく過ごしている時間のあまりの重さで没する
before curfew 門限時間までに　（日が暮れるまでに）
passers-by 通りがかりの人々　☆a passer-by の複数は passers-by
anew = again

crave = miss ほしがる
lush evergreen leaves 青々と茂った、みずみずしい常緑の葉っぱ
appease なだめる
altar 祭壇
ornaments　飾り、装飾
faucet 蛇口、注ぎ口　faucetless 蛇口（栓）のない
for whatever reason 何らかの理由で
protecting ... evil 我々を益々大きな危険から守ってくれる
long for = yearn for ほしがる
fate befalls　運命（不幸）が起る
flagship 旗艦、主要船
have yet to ... いまだに（気づいていない）

[日本語版]

4/4

The elevator

[2008年11月09日(日) ]

The elevator

Memories seem to revive (1 * 2) as it get colder.

Or ... as people get older???

I won’t deny I am immune to aging,
and ― as proof ― recount one of my memories,
something that happened at the beginning of this year.

I teach at a junior high and high school.

That building has 9 floors and 4 elevators.
The higher you go, the older the students.

One day,
I was on my way to teaching an English composition class
to 6th graders (=3rd year of high school)
with a Japanese teacher in his fifties.
We used the elevator.

A bunch of high school girls,

crammed like canned sardines,
took the same elevator,
to one of the

upper floors.

One of them was clearly wearing make-up.

To tell the truth,
I don’t really care,
... as long as they study.

Neither does the other (Japanese) teacher.
(Let’s call him

“Mr. K”.)

Somehow,
that very day,
I had the impression
that Mr. K was going to say

something.
I won’t say
he was going to complain,
or make a scene

,
but at least give his opinion
on “proper behavior at school

”.

This particular girl

,
however,
was a split second faster.
She said

(in Japanese):

“Don’t stare at me like that
just because you think I’m pretty!”

　　　　　　　OMG!

　　　　　　　　　OMGって？
Mr. K was ― read “we were” ― so surprised

amazed,
astonished,
astounded,
startled,
speechless,

that he (we) couldn’t even give a decent reply
before she

got out of the elevator
on a different floor.

Hardly had the elevator doors closed
before both of us

burst out in laughter.

We enjoyed a fantastic class ― with other students.

Facing defeat has never been more fun!

Untitled (2b)

[2008年11月08日(土) ]

The lake

[part 3 の日本語版] 　　 [English version]

Some of you might think of a lake as a place for watersports.
Indeed!
Here, however, I would like to introduce some photos in the hope that they will throw light on a few aspects that keep drawing my attention.
湖イコール水上スポーツ。だれにでも分かっていることだ。
今回数枚かの写真（photos, pictures）を紹介しよう。
すべて自転車の通り道にあるもの。

The presence of this boat has struck me as bizarre.
先ずこの船。奇怪だね！
It has been moored there for a long as I can remember.
私が知っている限りず～っとここで停泊している。
No one will try to use it: it is full of small pebbles and would sink, not float.
使い道なし。浮くよりも沈むだろう。
I wonder why it has come to be as it is right now.
なんでこうなったのかな？
A typhoon or a storm would have sunk it. So why is it docked?
台風か嵐だったら、沈んだのに。いったいなぜここでこの形に泊まっているの？
There is absolutely no reason why someone would keep the stones in such a place.
この場所で石を取っておく意味もない。
It is obviously useless and isn’t even worth being called an attraction.
無駄で見るまでもない。

Another peculiarity is this small shrine.
もう一つ変わったところはこのお寺。神社かな？（いまだに見分けがつかない。）
It isn’t much more than an altar where a small, brightly dressed buddha statue usually sits.
派手な服装を着た小型仏像が普段座っている祭壇以上何もない。

For one reason or another, the effigy seems to have been on vacation when I took this picture.
この写真を撮ったとき、なぜか仏像は旅行中だったよう。

The stark contrast between its plain exterior and the elaborate decorations on the inside reveals the double-edged standards of many things human, unattainable ideals rather than essence, discernibly non-reciprocal obligations we tend to impose on others.
飾りの無い外側と内側にある苦心して作り上げた飾りが際立した対照となって、人間らしい物事の賛否両方にとれる（あいまいな）基準や本質よりも現実不可能な理想や他人に対して押し付ける明らかに相互でない義務を表す。

Right in front of the altar we can see two pipes coming out of the hill. They must have been spouting cold water for ages. The following pictures illustrate the difference between photo and syashin. (Read the article)
この祭壇の手前に、丘から２本のパイプが出て、永遠に冷水が流れる。
下記のフォートは「写真」と「photo」の違いを説明する。（詳しい記事を読む）

photo 1
The first photo is the one I like best. It’s bright, but that’s exactly how I feel whenever I cycle there. The water looks just beautiful!
お気に入りのphoto。パイプから流れる水は素敵！

photo 2
The second photo reveals some of the background. The small dot near the center, just above the fence is a lone angler. Click on the photo to enlarge it.
多少背景が見えてくる。

写真　３
This is what I would call a “syashin”. It is much more realistic than the two photos, but I think the water flowing out of the pipes is not enough highlighted.
こちらは明らかな「写真」で、最も現実的だが、背景が気になって、パイプから流れる水は目立たない。
個人的にphoto 1 を選ぶけど．．．
Recently fashion magazines tend to prefer photos to syashin.
最近のファッション誌は、どちらかをいうと、photo 1　好み。
Brand-name goods, however, seem to stick to reality.
ブランドにもよるけど、「現実を好む」高級ブランドなら、写真３並み。

untitled (2)

[2008年11月08日(土) ]

[3rd story out of 4 * read the 1st * read the 2nd * 日本語版]

The lake

Some of you might think of a lake as a place for watersports.
Indeed!
Here, however, I would like to introduce some photos in the hope that they will throw light on a few aspects that have drawn my attention.

The presence of this boat has struck me as bizarre.
It has been moored there for a long as I can remember.
No one will try to use it: it is full of small pebbles and would sink, not float.
I wonder why it has come to be as it is right now.
A typhoon or a storm would have sunk it.
There is absolutely no reason why someone would keep the stones in such a place.
It is obviously useless and isn’t even worth being called an attraction.

Another peculiarity is this small shrine.
It isn’t much more than an altar where a small, brightly dressed Buddha statue usually sits.
The stark contrast between its plain exterior and the elaborate decorations on the inside reveals the double-edged standards of many things human, unattainable ideals rather than essence, discernibly non-reciprocal obligations we tend to impose on others.
For one reason or another, the Buddha seems to have been on vacation when I took this picture.

Right in front of the altar we can see two pipes coming out of the hill. They must have been spouting cold water for ages.
The following pictures illustrate the difference between photo and syashin. (Read the article)

　photo 1

The first photo is the one I like best. It’s bright, but that’s exactly how I feel whenever I cycle there. The water coming from the pipes looks just beautiful!

　photo 2

The second photo reveals some of the background. The small dot near the center, just above the fence is a lone angler. Click on the photo to enlarge it.

　写真　３

This is what I would call a “syashin”. It is much more realistic than the two photos, but I think the water flowing out of the pipes is not enough highlighted.
Recently fashion magazines tend to prefer photos to syashin.
Brand-name goods, however, seem to stick to "reality".

3/4

[next]
[日本語版]

Untitled (1b)

[2008年11月07日(金) ]

Vehicles.
I love them.
Cars, bicycles, they take you anywhere.

Maybe it’s partly because I’m too active to stay at home.
I constantly want to go out whenever the temperature is say, above 15 degrees or so.
乗り物。

大好きな乗り物。一台あれば、どこへでも行けそう。
家にいるのがもったいない。ちょっとでも暖かければ出かけたくなる。

■　　■　　■

Europeans establish their own tradition.
One of my friends once told me her husband, a Finn, loves skiing.
Every Friday in winter he goes out at the same time,
heads for the same ski resort,
drops by the same convenience store on his way to the slope,
stays at the same hotel,
in the same room,
every or nearly every weekend
as long as there is enough snow to ski on.
Once, she told me, the hotel was closed for small renovations during the ski season. Her husband didn’t even consider reserving a room at another hotel and stayed home during said (sad?) weekend.
ヨーロッパ人と伝統。
ヨーロッパ人は自分の伝統を確立する。
知り合いのだんなさんはフィンランド生まれで、スキー

が大好き。
シーズン中毎週金曜日同じ時間に同じスキーリゾートの同じホテルに出かける。
行く途中いつも同じコンビニに立ち寄って同じガムを買う。
ホテルもいつも同じ部屋にしか泊まらない。
毎週かほぼ毎週、雪さえあれば。
一度改装のためホテルが閉まっていた時があった。
改装の間、だんなさんは自宅にいた。
during said weekend = 上述の、前記の週末（改築をやっていた週末）
英語の said と　sad は微妙に発音が違うけど、「上述の」週末は彼にとって「悲しい」週末に違いない。

Maybe I’m the same, or similar anyway.
I love cycling. Weather permitting, I never even hesitate about how to spend the morning of my day off. I never doubt about the cycling course either; it seems that, for me, only 2 courses exist, a short one of about 45 minutes around the place where I live, and the longer one all the way to the lake and back, which takes 2 and a half to three hours depending not only on the wind and the traffic lights but also on my physical condition. Both courses are indelibly etched in my mind.
人のことを言えない。
自分もそうだ。
自転車

が好き。お天気さえよければ、休みの日をどうやって過ごすか迷わない。
コースも決まっている：自宅周辺の短いコースと湖までの２パターン。
両方とも目に焼きついている。

It is not only cycling itself, it encompasses more. Though the scenery may not vary but depending on the season, the smell does. I mean not only the smell of flowers, no, there is much more to relish: trees, moss, the unique smell of soil, rice fields, and water.
サイクリングが面白いというより、目の前を通る眺め。
眺め自体は季節毎しか変わることないが、匂いはさまざま。
花だけでなく、木、苔、土の独特の匂い、田んぼや水。

On the way to the lake I cycle along a river for one kilometer or so. Part of that cycling road is sandwiched between some pampas grass and rice fields. They may be 2 kinds of grass, the sound they give off from late August until the rice is harvested is very different. Pampas grass is much taller and sounds lighter, at higher frequencies than the heavier rice plants before the harvest.
湖へ行く途中１キロほど川に沿ってサイクリング。片側はパンパス、反対側は田んぼ。同じ「草」とはいえ、８月ごろから収穫時期まで音が違う。もっと背の高いパンパスは軽くて高い音がする。

Further on, where the river drains into the lake, some ups and downs keep you busy. A 100-meter stretch next to a bushy hill feels chilly all year round. As if the temperature suddenly drops maybe 3 degrees every time you pass there.
もうちょっと行ったところで、起伏の多い道でしばらく「忙しい」。
丘の近くの１００メーターのところは年がら年中寒い。
そこを通る度、気温が３度くらい下がるかのように。

[next]

Untitled (1)

[2008年11月07日(金) ]

[2nd story out of 4 * read the 1st story + 3rd story]

Vehicles.
I

love

them.
Cars, bicycles, they take you anywhere.

Maybe it’s because I’m too active to stay at home.
I constantly want to go out whenever the temperature is above, say 15 degrees or so.

Europeans establish their own tradition.

One of my friends once told me her husband, a Finn, loves

skiing.
Every Friday in winter he goes out at the same time,
heads for the same ski resort,
drops by the same convenience store on his way to the slope,
stays at the same hotel,
in the same room,
every or nearly every weekend
as long as there is enough snow to ski on.
Once, she told me, the hotel was closed for small renovations during the ski season.
Her husband didn’t even consider reserving a room at another hotel and stayed home during said (sad?) weekend.

Maybe I’m the same, or similar anyway.
I love

cycling.
Weather permitting, I never even hesitate about how to spend the morning of my day off.
I never doubt about the cycling course either; it seems that, for me, only 2 courses exist, a short one of about 45 minutes around the place where I live,
and the longer one all the way to the lake and back, which takes 2 and a half to three hours depending not only on the wind conditions and the traffic lights but also on my physical condition.
Both courses are indelibly

etched in my mind.

It is not only cycling itself, it encompasses more.
Though the scenery may not vary but depending on the season, the smell does.
I mean not only the smell of flowers, no,
there is much more to relish:
trees,
moss,
the unique smell of soil,
rice fields,
and water.

On the way to the lake I cycle along a river for one kilometer or so.
Part of that cycling road is sandwiched between some pampas grass and rice fields.
They may be 2 kinds of grass, the sound they give off is very different.
Pampas grass is much taller and sounds lighter, at higher frequencies than the heavier rice plants before the harvest.

Further on, where the river drains into the lake,
some ups and downs keep you busy.
A 100-meter stretch next to a bushy hill feels chilly all year round.
As if the temperature suddenly drops about 3 degrees every time you pass there.

[next]
[日本語版]　

2/4

The culprit

[2008年11月06日(木) ]

The culprit
getting out of hand

日本語版

Fitness gadgets
can shape your body and your mind.
... AND your mind?
Yes!

　The simple grip shown in the photo
and intended to strengthen arm muscles
can change the way you think― anyway, it changes the way I think.
Believe it or not, but yes,
I do think (from time to time)

The culprit: caught red-handed

As “proof” I add 2 short stories about the same subject: 4 pictures,
the first, untitled as yet, with this grip in my left hand,

typed with my right hand.
and the second, phantom boat,

written with the same tool in my right hand, using only my left hand to type.
Check the outcome for yourself.

　WHY?
Actually, some of my friends have told me before
that my email messages are from time to time extremely short and with no frills,
and now and then peculiar, to say the least,
detailed and colorful to say more.
I realized

that, when using my cellphone

to send a message,
its result depends a great deal
on whether I had used my right or my left hand to type it in.

I suppose this behavior also affects which side of the brain I am using since I am aware that much has been publicized about the left brain controlling the right-hand side of the body, and vice versa.

As for the 2 stories, I was planning to write something to demonstrate the difference between photo and syashin.
The result, the second part of “untitled” (where the pictures are) didn’t please me, so I kept it locked in my computer.
The photos, however, remained in my mind, and that’s how “phantom boat” came to life.
Now that I want to demonstrate the difference between using my right hand and my left hand, I decided to add something, the beginning of “untitled”.
Hmmm, well, it is not perfect

, but what is?　