2016-12-24 12:20 Christmas and Expectations
Y (Kuma's owner)
It's finally Christmas Eve today. I like the decorations and an atmosphere of Christmas. I live in Australia now, but I had been living most of my life in Japan. Most Japanese are not Christian but there are lots of Christmas decorations at shopping centres, department stores and public spaces. I don't know how the custom of decorating Christmas was widespread.
There are many customs that came from overseas as well. One of them is Valentine's Day. There's a famous rumor about Valentine's Day that said one of the famous chocolate companies used Valentine's Day for increasing sales. That rumor also indicates the real company's name and that makes the rumor sound more realistic. Therefore, in Japan, people buy only chocolates for Valentine's Day.
Regarding Christmas, I have no idea how it started in Japan. As at least I know, Christmas has no religious meaning for most Japanese. Japanese are not religious. There is a very simple way of thinking, Christmas means Santa Claus or gifts. Christmastime is the season of beautiful decorations, Christmas trees, cakes and gifts. That's what most Japanese think of. I wonder what people who are pious Christians think of these customs?
For people who work for retailers or other businesses, Christmas is the best chance to sell products or services in the year. For children, this is the big chance to get their favorite toys. People have expectations individually.
Whatever reasons we have, people love Christmas.
2016-12-19 06:31 My Cat has a Hobby
Y (Kuma's owner)
Do you think that it is only human beings that have a hobby? As at least I know, one of my cats has a hobby. A hobby that is annoying!
His name is Midon. He loves to tear up advertising, letters, wrapping paper and receipts. It won't be serious issues even if he tears up advertising or wrapping paper, but receipts are different. I have to keep them for at least five years. This is decided by law.
Whatever human beings say, he doesn't care at all. He does what he likes. One day, I was doing bookkeeping and left some receipts on the desk. At the time, I didn't know that Midon loves to bite and tear off papers. I left the desk only for a bit and when I came back I saw him biting a receipt. He was trying to tear the receipt to pieces! I said "No, no!" then I grabbed him and put him onto the floor.
Since that has happened, I have been very careful. Every time I left the desk I made sure that the all the receipts were in a plastic holder.
I don't think it will happen but if the taxation office ask me to show them a receipt, what can I say?
"That receipt was torn to pieces by my cat and I don't have it."
I think it sounds like a lame excuse.
I always scan receipts because the ink on receipts loses its colour little by little and I don't think it would last for five years. This procedure is also effective for a countermeasure to Midon but keeping originals is important too.
Midon is a genius to find papers, therefore I have to put things in order on the desk all the time. Thanks to Midon, my desk became neat and tidy now.
2016-12-15 10:14 Having a dream of Santa Claus
Y (Kuma's owner)
It's the 15th of December already. Santa Claus is coming over in another nine days. I don't know why but the town where I live, there is Santa Claus sitting in front of Coles (an Australian supermarket chain). I had been believing that Santa Claus is only one person. But, maybe he is not.
At this time of the year, I see the website of NORAD. NORAD prepares special pages for Christmas. They have a special service called "Santa Tracker", where we are able to see where Santa is on Christmas Eve. It's just an animation of Santa traveling all over the world, I know it but I cannot help watching it. Almost every Christmas Eve, I watch NORAD's Santa Tracker and when Santa passes the area I live, I would say "Oh, he has come!" I know I am not able to get a gift, yes this is the actual life. The life is not easy. I think it is good to imagine something dreamy once a year, isn't it? Not only children, even grown ups needs dreams.
This coming Christmas, I'm having my friends over from Sydney. It's going to be a fun Christmas this year. I and my husband are planning a Christmas BBQ at home. This is the Aussie way of celebrating Christmas, I guess. It's a good chance to meet friends, so I'm going to invite other local friends to the BBQ too.
Santa Claus will come to town along with a smell of BBQ.