I Started Yoga Because…

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Sep. 5, 2005

(日本語は英語の後にあります。）

It was a coupe of years ago, in London, when I decided to start practicing yoga. I went to reflexology near Kings Road. I had a sharp pain in a certain point of the feet when the reflexologist pressed. I asked her why I had a pain there and she told me it’s because my lower back was bad. I also asked what I could do for it. She told me yoga is the best!

As soon as I came back to Tokyo from London (I was there only a week or so), I started going to yoga class. The first time, I felt good after the practice. But next day, I suffered from sore muscle, which I had never had before.I went to the same class several times, but stopped going after a while. I just felt it was a pain I had to go to Roppongi. I had a chance to do pilates and exercise in the gym after that and it made my body fit and strong. I had to leave the gym since our office moved. (I’ll write more about pilates and me later.)

I tried to find a place where I could practice yoga or pilates. I found a wonderful studio with very warm atmosphere and cheerful & kind teachers in Meguro. Since then I’ve been practicing yoga for a year. Yoga is superb! I went to the class today. It made me feel so good even though sky was full of deep gray clouds (see the picture!) and rain was pouring uncomfortably.(Although I wrote about yoga and pilates together here, and I’ve heard pilates was influenced by yoga, in my experience, I think yoga shouldn’t be regarded almost same as pilates or vice versa. This is only about how I started yoga and I’ll write about how wonderful it is later.

(Japanese version)

ヨガを始めようと思ったのは２－３年前のことで　ロンドンで行ったリフレクソロジーがきっかけだった。足の裏で妙に痛いところがあったので　リフレクソロジストに聞いてみると腰が悪いからだと言われた。治すために自分でできることはないかと聞いてみるとヨガを勧められた。

東京に戻ってから早速ヨガ教室に通い始めた。初めてのヨガを終えた後はすごく気持ちよかった。でも翌日それまでに経験したことがないようなすごい筋肉痛に見舞われた。同じ教室に何回か通ったけれどしばらくして行かなくなってしまった。わざわざ毎週六本木まで行くのが面倒くさくて。それからオフィスの隣にできた新しいジムでトレーニングとピラテスを始めた。おかげで体が強くなったし引き締まってきたのだが　会社が引越しをして行けなくなってしまった。残念だけど・・・

しばらくヨガかピラテスができるところを探していたところ　今通っているヨガの教室に巡り合ったというわけ。目黒にある教室はとても暖かい感じがするし先生達がとてもフレンドリーで素敵な人ばかり。そこに通い始めてから約１年、ヨガはすばらしい。今日の６時半からのクラスにもいつも通り出席。どんよりした空模様だったし雨も嫌な感じで降っていてなんだか冴えない日だと思っていたがやっぱりヨガの後はhappyな気持ちになれた。ヨガは始めてから今に至るまではこんな感じなのだがヨガがどんなにすばらしいかについては後日もっと書きます。

（ヨガとピラテスを並べた書いてしまったし　ピラテスはヨガから生まれたみたいなことを読んだことがあるけれど　私の経験からはお互い似たようなものだと考えるのは違うように思える。今日の写真はオフィスから見たどんよりした空。）

Record Rainfall in Tokyo

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Sep. 4, 2005

I was brushing the teeth. I heard announcement outside. It was the warning about the heavy rainfall. I called a friend living near the river to ask him if he and the river were OK but he didn’t answer. Maybe he was out. Just after that, it started rain, unbelievably heavy. Turned on the TV and saw the news saying it’s record waterfall in Tokyo and surroundings. It’s more than 100mm/hours!!! I’m scared thinking about the natural disaster happening all over the world… Tried to take pictures though it was dark outside (now 23:00)and I knew it was difficult to catch rain drops. But you can see the drops!!! (click the picture to enlarge). Typhoon is approaching to Kyushu.

Crazy for Football!

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Sep. 4, 2005

England won to Wales yesterday in the European Word-cup qualifier. I’m so glad. But I felt something was strange when I was watching it on TV. Something didn’t work in the team, I think. I couldn’t find what it was as I fell a sleep in the middle and the match was over when I woke up!!! I’ve had jet lag for a week and thought it would be easy to stay awake. But I finally recovered from it and was totally exhausted yesterday for the week of sleepless night. I was worried if I missed something critical in the match and read BBC web page. It seems I didn’t miss it! I saw Joe Cole scored. (anyway, Michael was not there.) About J. Cole, did he copy Michael Owen’s old hair style and beard??? I liked him when he was in West Ham but not anymore.. (guess why!)

About “Flying Girl”

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日本語は英語の後にあります。

"I want to write!", I’ve been thinking for ages. But I felt lazy for ages. (I feel lazy for almost everything except being worried about and cheering up Michael Owen 😉 Ideas have been in my brain all the time. Finally I screamed "I can’t help writing!" in my mind. It took some time to find a good server where I can write about what I got interested, surprised, and excited and put a lot of pictures to share what I saw with friends. It took a day to think about the name of the blog, which expresses "ME", "Flying Girl". I started writing yesterday. And I’m excited now : ) I decided to write both in Japanese and English about the same thing to share it with both Japanese and non-Japanese friends. Please remember I’m not translating from one language to the other language. Please do not try to use my blog as a dictionary to find translation of some words or phrases. It wouldn’t work 😉 And forgive me, my English might not make sense sometimes 😉 -smileyumi

書きたい、書きたい　とずっと思ってはいたけれどなんだか面倒くさかった。（マイケル・オーウェンの心配と応援以外ほとんどのことは面倒だと思うのだが。）　でも　ついに書かずにはいられなくなった。サーバー探しにちょっと時間がかかった。自分の発見、感動したことや興奮したことを書くスペースが十分にあって写真もアルバム風にたくさん載せらるのに、これだってものを見つけたかったので。それに自分らしいブログ名を決めるのに１日かかった。結局　"Flying Girl" に決定、ブログに夢中になりつつある。日本人の友達にも日本人じゃない友達にも読んでもらって私の発見や感動をシェアしてもらいたかったので日本語と英語の両方で同じ内容について書くことにした。でもこれは翻訳じゃないのでご注意を。これって英語でこんなふうに言うんだーなんてくれぐれも思わないでください。違うので。-smileyumi

TGI Friday

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（日本語は英語文の後にあります。）

Sep. 2, 2005

Though the weather has been quite comfortable since I came home from Helsinki, it was hot and uncomfortable today. Plus, I couldn’t sleep much for jet lag last night. I was very tired and don’t remember how many times I said I’m tired at work! But I went out to see Noriko-san, who I met at Seoul airport on the way back from London two years ago.

She suggested to go to soup curry restaurant in Shimokitazawa (central Tokyo, close to her and my place). Though she asked me whether I have other ideas, I didn’t dare do it. It’s fun to go somewhere I haven’t heard or thought about before. It’s always fun to see, taste, hear something new!

When we met, we tried to remember when we met last time. It was probably a year ago or longer. We haven’t seen each other for long time. We talked a lot of things to catch up and have a good time.

By the way, the curry restaurant, Magic Spice was quite fun! I liked it so much. The decoration was very unique, the curry was special and the girl who served us was very very friendly. We could ask her a lot of questions about their curry when we’re ordering. It’s not that easy to choose something from the menu as their curry is so special! I can’t explain how special it is as it’s so special. But you’ll know it just when you enter the restaurant. The food is special but the philosophy the owner has is the most special, I think. They say it’s the Indonesian soup curry which wakes up your DNA! Before you eat it, you might no understand it (and I didn’t), but you might believe it when you start eating. And it seems to be good for your health! Naturally, as well as other curry restaurants, you can choose how hot you’d like to have your curry.

I didn’t have camera today but took pictures by mobile. Not good quality in the dark place but I think I could grasp the atmosphere. Nariko-san gave me permission to put her name and photo in my page. Thank you!

(In Japanese)

ヘルシンキから帰ってからずいぶん東京もずいぶん過ごしやすくなったと思っていたのだけれど今日はまたかなり暑くなった。さらに時差ぼけで昨日も良く眠れなくて今日はバテバテ。でも　夕方　のりこさんに会いに出かけた。彼女とは２年前にロンドンから帰る途中　ソウルの空港で友達になった。（詳しくは後日）

のりこさんの提案で下北のスープカレーの店に行くことに。どこか行きたいところがあれば言ってくださいと言われたが自分が知らない店に行くいいチャンスだと思ってあえて考えなかった。友人のお勧めの店にはいつも思わぬ発見があるし。

彼女と会うのは久しぶり、いつが最後だったっけって二人でしばらく考えたりして。もちろん会えば話が弾み、時間はあっという間に過ぎてしまった。

　ところでこのカレーレストラン、とてもおもしろかった。カレーはちょっと斬新でおいしかったし　ウェイトレスの人もとってもフレンドリー。ちょっと変わったメニューなのでオーダーするときにいろいろ質問しなくちゃいけなかったけど　どの質問にも丁寧に笑顔で答えてくれた。（ちょっと男っぽいコメントか）　カレーがどんなふうに斬新なのかここで説明するのはちょっと難しい。オーナーが特別な思想を持っているとも言えるかも。詳しくはwebで。ＤＮＡを覚醒するカレーってなんだよって思うかも知れないけど一口食べるとわりと納得したりするかも（って私はした。）そして体にもいいらしい。もちろん辛さも選べてメニューにないさらに辛いレベルも何段階があったりするんだって。

今日はカメラを持ってなかったけど、携帯で写真とってみた。店は暗かったし携帯なのであまりいい画質ではないがそれなりに雰囲気は分かると思う。のりこさんが名前と写真を載せてもいいと言ってくれました。ありがとう！