Typhoon 18 expected track. Another thing to keep an eye on.
2016-09-29 09:02 JST 2016 Typhoon 18 expected track. Another thing to keep an eye on. ↗ View original post on Facebook For a link to the original post on Facebook, open this page on a computer. Reactions: 2 · Comments: 2 · Shares: 0 ← 2016-09-28 14:01 JST 2016-09-29 21:59 JST → Around this time … 2016-10-01 13:18 JSTKumanichi reports that the two-car diesel train which had been stranded at Aso's Akamizu Station on JR's Hohi Line since the main quake of 4/16 has been loaded onto trucks and sent to Kitakyushu for refurbishment. The train had been running passengerless to Miyachi Station when the quake struck and was derailed; after being rerailed, it was able neither to return to Kumamoto nor continue to Oita due to landslides and bridge outings, so it was parked in Akamizu.The article notes that train service was restored between Oita and Kumamoto's Kurokawa in July, but restoration of the remaining portion remains undecided. This has placed a burden on local residents, who must now use buses to access Kumamoto City, greatly increasing travel time.http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20160929013.xhtml震災で脱線したＪＲ車両撤去 阿蘇市の赤水駅－熊本のニュース│ くまにちコム 2016-10-01 01:29 JSTTo American expats reading this page,Regardless of who you favor in the upcoming election, expats like us should vote. This service makes it easy to prepare the document that you need to mail in to register to vote from Japan. I just filled it out myself. It was painless and easy. Now all I need to do is sign it, mail it in and wait for my ballot to come in the mail.-- KirkP.S. Believe me, if we all vote, this is going to be HUGE, I promise you. ;)The October surprise that will end Trump 2016-10-01 07:40 JSTToday is Kirk Masden's birthday. I do not know how old he turns, just that it is far older than I. Kirk has been and remains a pillar of generous support for so many, and his self-effacing calmness pays tribute to his intellect, his Midwestern upbringing, and his decency.I invite all Kumamoto International members to wish Kirk a very happy birthday here, below. - William 2016-09-30 22:07 JSTWilliam has already posted about the typhoon that is approaching but I'd like to chime in too. The image you see is the prediction for 96 hours (4 days) from today. That would be Tuesday night. The good news is that the predicted route seems to be far enough south that Kumamoto would not get the worst of if (though that is bad news for Kagoshima). On the other hand, the bad news is that the prediction is for a VERY significant storm -- a category 3 -- when it is closest to us. Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005, was a category 3 storm when it made landfall. (It had been a category 5 but, at the time of landfall, it had weakened to a 3.) So, a category 3 storm would be significant. I'm hoping that it turns out to be milder than expected and that it misses Kyushu entirely but I think it's wise to be aware that this storm system may turn out to be very dangerous. More to come . . .-- Kirkhttp://tropicalstormrisk.com 2016-09-29 21:59 JSTWe received an inquiry about how to meet people in Kumamoto:"I would like to meet more foreign friends living in Kumamoto or Japanese who can speak English.Do you have any suggestions about what I should do? Should I join the Yahoo! group that you made?Do you hold gatherings for foreigners?"I have never tried to organize a get-together for reads of this Facebook page and it's been a long time since I did something like that for the mailing list. If some of you who are reading this post would be so kind as to offer a suggestion or two I would really appreciate it. -- KirkP.S. Joining the Yahoo group (https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/kumamoto-i/conversations/messages) might be a good idea. I think that if you post an inquiry to the group, you will probably get quite a few responses. In that group there are quite a few people who don't like to post publicly but who are happy to respond in a private e-mail. 2016-09-29 09:02 JSTTyphoon 18 expected track. Another thing to keep an eye on. (this post) 2016-09-28 14:01 JSTA note from the Kumamoto International botany desk: It is that season again when the whole neighborhood smells like bubblegum! What could it be? Look around a bit and you'll find an unassuming evergreen festooned with thousands of tiny orange blossoms. This is the fragrant olive (kinmokusei, 金木犀 - or, if white, the ginmokusei 銀木犀 - not actually related to the olive). Japanese gardeners are careful to cultivate plants which invite enjoyment in every season, and the pervasive, delightful fragrance of the fragrant olive stretches from late September through October.Kanji fans might have noticed that 犀 is normally pronounced "sai" in Japanese and means rhinoceros. The name derives from China, where apparently the bark of the plant was considered to resemble the skin of the rhino (the Javan rhinoceros used to range through southern China but is now on the verge of extinction with only some 60 animals left).The tree is relatively unattractive, but the fragrance is heavenly and a harbinger of autumn. Enjoy it while it lasts! - William https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmanthus_fragransOsmanthus fragrans - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 2016-09-27 16:23 JSTWhen I first wrote about this "pinky promise" or "pinky swear" project I also wrote about the origins of these phrases. Personally, I thought what I wrote was fascinating ;) but it didn't get a single comment. :( I'm giving it one more try. Once again, here's my take on the Japanese origins of these English expressions. There's no need to massage my ego with comments but I hope those of you who are interested the influence of Japanese language and culture on English will take the time to read it. :)"I hate to admit my own ignorance, but when I first saw the words "pinky swear chain" I thought it was an example of a translation of Japanese ("yubi kiri genman") that didn't really make sense in English. In fact, however, it seems that "pinky swear" has been used in English since at least 1860:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinky_swearWhat I think is even more interesting, is that "pinky swear" (along with a song much like the Japanese "yubi kiri genman" song) came into English at a point in history when only a handful of English speakers would have had direct contact with Japanese people. I imagine Commodore Perry, or a member of his crew, performing a little "yubi kiri genman" ceremony with a Japanese samurai and then introducing this exotic ritual to his compatriots upon return to the U.S. :) "Redundantly yours,Kirkhttps://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1094213633985401http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201609260053.html‘Pinky promise’ for quake-hit Kumamoto sets world record：The Asahi Shimbun 2016-09-25 23:19 JSTA while back I wrote about plans to break a Guiness World record by making a human chain that extended over all of the five Amakusa bridges:https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/1094213633985401Well, they did it! Click on the image to see the Japanese video.http://news.tbs.co.jp/newseye/tbs_newseye2876990.html-- Kirk 2016-09-25 22:06 JSTI learned recently that there is a non-profit organization in Kumamoto that was established to help children and young people of mixed roots study Japanese, finish their homework, and perhaps even more importantly interact with teachers and other young people that understand the challenges, both academic and interpersonal, that children of mixed roots often face in Japan. My daughter has been helping out there recently and saying "if only I had known about them when I was in school!" If you are the parent of a child whom you think might benefit or would be willing to help as a teacher or supporter, please contact the groups founder and representative, Tomoko Takemura, at the e-mail address you see in the 4th image. -- KIrkP.S. I'm concerned that the people who might be most interested in this information may not see it. If you know someone who you think might be interested, please share this with them. 2016-09-25 15:09 JSTI'm searching for someone in Kumamoto called 'Ide Rie'. A letter turned up at my house during the summer with a jumbled address - I think the postman delivered it to my house because it is written in romaji and I am the only foreigner in the area. I found someone on Facebook in Kumamoto by the name Ide Rie but have received no response. The letter is marked 'priority' so perhaps the content is important. As the return address features some katakana, it is possible that the senders (Volker and Gerda Esslinger) used to live in Kumamoto. If you know either Ide Rie or perhaps the Esslinger's, please leave me a message so I can find out how to pass on this piece of mail. Thanks,Celia
