ゼノブレイド Xenoblade Chronicles

更新が怠りました（＾＾；最近は色々と忙しくて・・・いや、それだけではなく、Ｗｉｉの新作ゼノブレイドにはまっていました！！（今もはまっています）ゼノブレイドとは去年日本で発売されたＲＰＧで、ストーリーが面白いのはもちろん、、遊べる範囲が多いゲームとして大人気です。内容としては巨神と機神、大昔に二人の神が戦い、あまりもの凄まじい戦に共倒れ。そして彼等の上には多くの生き物が誕生し、躯の上で生活をしている。だが、戦いは終わったわけではなく、巨神と機神の生き物は互いに今でも忌み嫌う。巨神から生まれた主人公のシュルクはその復讐の連鎖を止めるべく、様々な種族と協力し合っていく。

現時点でプレイ時間が１１０時間ぐらいですが、まだまだコンプリートまで遠い！だけどコンプリートしたい！そう思わせるゲームはなかなかありません。私が 良く遊ぶＲＰＧはフルコンプリートまで７０時間前後ですが、その倍ぐらいかかりそうです。だけどそれでも飽きないゼノブレイドは本当に良く考えられたゲー ムだと思います。ストーリー、キャラクター、音楽、クエスト等全てが充実、ＲＰＧも遊んだことがない皆さんも是非ゼノブレイドの世界 をご堪能下さい（＾＾）

I have been slacking on my blog because I've been a bit busy... well, not only because of that but I have been so into Wii's new game Xenoblade Chronicles!! (and still am into) Xenoblade Chronicles is a RPG released in Japan last year and it is a very popular game of course because of the interesting story but because there are so many aspects to play. The story is about Mechon and Bionis, two gods which fought long ago and had both fallen in the intense battle. Many organisms were born on them and live on the bodies of these gods. However the battle has not ended and the organisms of the Bionis and Mechon both still have a vehement hatred toward each other. The main character Shulk, born from the Bionis cooperate with many different races in order to stop this cycle of vengence.

Currently I have played for about 110 hours but I am still far from completing!! But I do want to complete! There aren't many games which makes you feel this way. The RPGs I usually play takes about 70 hours to fully complete but it seems this game will take twice as long. I think it's a very well thought out game because regardless of the long hours I've put in, I still am not bored. The story, character, music, quests, etc everything is rich in content. Even those who haven't played RPGs before, I hope you will enjoy the world of Xenoblade Chronicles :)

お肌の曲がり角？ "Turning Point of the Skin"?

日本では良く｢２５才がお肌の曲がり角｣という表現を聞きますが、英語圏では全くというほどないです。もちろんほとんどの女性は皺・しみ・たるみ・等、気にしているのは確かですが、日本人、（アジア人？）ほど若くして肌に気を使っている人種はいないと思います。実は私は数年前までは英語圏の方のようにあまり気にしたことがありませんでした。高校生の頃は深刻に、にきびには悩みましたが大学生以降は特にあまりお手入れすることはなかったです。若かったというのもありますが、しみはそばかすみたい、皺は表情と思っていました・・・しかし最近はパリに住む他の日本人と比べて私は老化が早いかも！？と気づき、お手入れに励むようになりました（＾＾；

このことを言うのは３回目になると思いますが、フランスのお水はカルキたっぷりの硬水！まぁ、お肌の敵ですね。よってアトピーが再発してしまった私は乾燥皺に悩み、周りに相談したり、ネットで調査した結果、先日買ったのがLa Roche Posayの化粧水！La Roche Posayは２万５千人の皮膚科医がお勧めするドクターズコスメ。ウェブサイトで読んだらこの化粧水は｢皮膚を和らげ、落ち着かせ、皮膚本来の機能をサポートします｣と。昨夜試したら、いつもは目元が痒いはずが少し落ち着いた模様。他の基礎化粧品がなくなったら少し筒こちらのブランドに変えようと思います・・・

In Japan we often hear the saying that "25 years old is the turning point of the skin", however I have almost never heard any similar phrases like this in English speaking countries. I'm sure that many women do care about wrinkles, pigmented spots, sagging, etc but I feel that Japanese (Asians?) are a race that take care of skin at a really young age. Actually, until a few years ago I was like people from English speaking countries and didn't really care about my skin. I was troubled by acne in high school but after university I didn't do much. It was because I was young but I thought that pigmented spots were like freckles and wrinkles are your expressions... but recently I noticed that I am getting older faster compared to the other Japanese in Paris! so I started to put an effort in taking care of myself :( 

I think this is the 3rd time to say this but the water in France is hard water full of chlorine! Basically, it's your skin's enemy. And so my eczema came back again and I have been worried about my dry wrinkles. I consulted people around me and did research on the internet and came to buy La Roche Posay's toner! On their website it said "soothes sensitive skin irritated by outside factors (sun, dermatological treatments, etc.) and helps prevent skin ageing". Last night when I tried it, it seemed that my usually irritated eye area calmed down a bit. When all my other products are gone, I think I am going to switch to this brand...

アフターヌーンティー Afternoon Tea

今度はロンドンに行ってきました！一泊しかできなかったのでかなり短い旅行になりましたが、帰り間際にアフターヌーンティーを堪能することができ、満足です（＾＾）さて、このアフターヌーンティーとは名前の通り、午後のお茶ですが、ロンドンでは高級ホテルや老舗のお店でのアフタヌーンティーが人気です。私はマンダリンホテルで予約し、ちょっとおめかしをして行こうと思ったら、ロンドンはパリと同様、残暑で着いた時には汗だくだく（＾＾；でも、スタッフは温かい笑顔で迎えてくれてほっと一安心。メニューは好きな紅茶を選び、食事はシェフが選んだフィンガーフードのセット。私はシトロン（レモン）とミントの紅茶を選び、これが美味！すっきりした味でポットから出るアロマがとっても良い香り！そして食事はスコーン２種類、フィナンシェ、ケーキ５種類、サンドイッチも５種類ほど。残念なことに最初に写真を撮っていたらスタッフより撮影を断られ、肝心な食事とティーの写真が撮れませんでした・・・だけど、それでも本当に優雅で素敵なマダムのような時間を過ごすことができ、また近いうちに行きたらと思います。

This time I went to London! I was only able to stay one night so it was a really short stay but I was able to enjoy afternoon tea before I left so I am satisfied with the trip :) Well, the name is self explanatory and afternoon tea is often enjoyed in London's high end hotels and traditional salons. I made reservations at the Mandarin hotel and thought I should dress up for the occasion but same as Paris, London was going through an Indian summer and I was drenched by the time I got there :( But was relieved when the staff greeted me with a warm small. The menu was a pot of your choice of tea and some finger food which the chef chose. I ordered a brew of citron and mint tea which was delicious! It had a fresh taste and the aroma coming from the pot was amazing! There were 2 types of scones, financier, 5 types of cakes, and 5 types of sandwich. Unfortunately I took some pictures when I just sat and was asked to stop as they had a no camera policy so I wasn't able to take pictures of the food and tea... But I was still able to experience a luxurious and elegant time. I hope I will be able to go again sometime soon...

フランクフルト Frankfurt

最近本当に忙しくて更新が怠っていました・・・（＾＾；実は月曜日より二足の草鞋を履くようになり、毎日がばたんきゅーの繰り返し。更には木曜日はとある理由で一日だけフランクフルトへ行ってきました。私は子供の時に（２５年前ほど）ドイツへ家族旅行したようですが、全く記憶がありません。なので、今回は初めてのような感覚でした。

ドイツは同じヨーロッパ国なのにフランスとは１８０度違うのでカルチャーショックを受けました。ほとんどの人が英語が話せることができ、またパリではわりと冷たくあしらわれるのに、とても優しく対応して頂きました。東京みたいに街をキレイにしており、だけどパリ・東京より緑が更に多い。勤勉なドイツ人、日本人と似ていてなんだか親近感を抱きました（＾＾）

I have been so busy lately that I haven't been able to write in this blog... :( Actually I started "to wear two shoes" from Monday and everyday have just passed out when coming back home. On top of that, for a certain reason I went to Frankfurt on Thursday just for one day. Apparently I went to Germany when I was a child (about 25 years ago) with my family but I have no recollection so it felt like the first time.

Germany is a fellow European country but there was a cultural shock for me as it's a 180 degree difference from France. Most of the people spoke English and they were really kind whereas in Paris I get the cold shoulder. The city is kept clean but there is much more green than in Paris or Tokyo. Hard working Germans, they are similar to Japanese and that made me feel close to them :)

Centquatre 104

金曜日はラオス人姉妹と最近話題のCentquatre104に行ってきました。Centquatre104とはコンテポラリーアートセンターであり、少し治安が悪いイメージのある１９区にあります。１９区はパリの北にあるのですが、多くの日本人は避けますが、ここのアートセンター近隣はとても閑静でした。そして中に入ると、こじゃれた感じで、コンサートを開くための準備でスタッフが忙しそうに働いていました。レストランがそこに２軒あり、私たちはLes Grandes Tables of 104に入りました。残念ながらこの日はカメラを忘れてしまったのですが、店内は広々としていて、アートスタジオの雰囲気が漂っていました。私はステーキ（サラダ・フライドポテト添え）を注文しましたが、これがびっくりするほど美味しい！お肉は適度に柔らかく、またサラダが新鮮でポテトもあつあつのサックサック！あまり行かない地域なので全く期待していなかったのですが、新しいエリアも挑戦すべきだな、としみじみ思いました。

その後はバスに揺られ、モンマルトルの丘まで行き、辿り着いたのが２０１１年のベストバゲットで選ばれたブランジュリー（パン屋さん）。正直バゲットはいつも行っているエリック・カイザーの方が好きですが、Ｅがレモンタルトを好きなので買ったら、大ヒットだったらしく、絶賛していました（＾＾）

On Friday I went to Cenquatre104 which is currently the recent talk of the town with 2 Laotian sisters. Centquatre104 is a contemporary art center and located in the 19th district which has a bit of a shady image. The 19th district is in the north of Paris and many Japanese tend to avoid this area but the neighborhood of the art center was very calm and quiet. Once we went inside, it seemed chic and the staff were busy preparing for a concert. There are 2 restaurants and we went to Les Grandes Tables of 104. Unfortunately I forgot my camera this day but the inside of the restaurant felt like an art studio. I ordered a steak (with salad and fries) and it was shockingly good! The meat was tender enough, the salad was fresh, and the fries were hot and crispy! I had no expectations at all as it's not an area I go to often but afterward I felt that I should try new areas.

Riding the bus later, we went to the hill of Montmartre and arrived to the boulangerie (bakery) awarded the best baguette of 2011. Honestly, I prefer Eric Kayser which I always buy from but the lemon tart I bought for E because he adores them, was a big hit and he raved about it :)

Centquatre 104
5 rue curial 75019
01 53 35 50 00

Final Fantasy 6

ファイナルファンタジー６をＰＳ３にダウンロードして、毎日熱中しています！Ｅも私も６はファイナルファンタジーシリーズの中で一番好きで、私が遊んでいると良くＥが横でぼそっとこれはこうした方がいいんじゃない？とアドバイスしてくれます（笑）なぜ６が一番好きかと言うと、やはり魂のこもったストーリ！また、合計１４人キャラクターがいるのですが、これだけいても各キャラクターの性格や背景がしっかりしており、愛着がわきます。通常はバトルでは４人しか操作できないので、選ぶのが大変！そして他のＲＰＧとちょっと違うところが、自分の好きなように進められるところが多いこと。キャラクターも仲間にしたいかしたくないか決めることができ、またどこに次行くかを自分で選ぶことができます。ファイナルファンタジー１３は画像がとても綺麗で、魅了されるのですが、唯一直して欲しい部分と言えばこの進行具合でしょう。

最初に６を遊んだのが１２才の時。あれから１５年以上経ちますが、今でも私とＥを虜にするファイナルファンタジーはすごいと思います！

I downloaded Final Fantasy 6 on our PS3 and have been engaged in it everyday! E and I both love Final Fantasy 6 the most and when I play, E will often come next to me and advise quietly what to do :) The reason why I love 6 is because of the soulful story! There are also 14 characters which is a lot, but each character has a strong character and background that you have in love with all of them. Normally in battle you can only control 4 so it's hard to choose! What's different about this game from other RPG is that in many areas of the game, you can play how you like. You can decide which characters you want as part of your group and also choose where you want to go. Final Fantasy 13's graphics are very beautiful and allures me but one area I wished they would have fixed was the way the game proceeds.

I first played Final Fantasy 6 when I was 12. 15 years have gone by since then but I think it's amazing how Final Fantasy can still keep E and I captive!

活気を取り戻しました Back to being lively

パリは９月上旬になって皆がバカンスより戻り、街は活気を取り戻した感じがします。８月と比べ物にならないほど人が多く、車もビュンビュン通ります。学校にまた通う生徒、仕事にまだ戻る社員、様々な人がリフレッシュされたような顔つきで歩き、なんだかこっちまで頑張ろうと意気込みます。

フランスは有給休暇が多く、ほとんどの人が夏に２週間ほど休みをとるのが当たり前です。日本では年に２０日間の有給休暇が通常の考えからすると本当に驚きます。最初はそんなので良く国がやっていけるな・・・と思いましたが、今となってはその休みがあるからこそ、それを糧にして戻った時に良い気分で働くことができるのではないかと思っています。日本では働くお父さん・お母さんはちょっとしか取れない休みで子供に楽しい休みのを想い出を作るのを必死で、気が付いたらもう休暇が終わりというパターンが多いのではないでしょうか？そういう点ではフランスを見習っても良いと考えます。

It's beginning of September and people are back from their vacations, Paris seems as though it's regained its liveliness. It's incomparable the amount of people and cars passing by. Students going back to school, employees going back to work, many people walk looking refreshed and it even motivates me to want to work harder!

France has many paid vacation and most of the people take about 2 weeks for summer. Coming from Japan where paid vacation is about 20 days in a year, it's real astounding. At first I though, how can the country run itself with a system like that... but now that I think about it, I feel as though they use that time off as their energy and work in a great mood. I think in Japan, the pattern is working fathers and mothers desperately try to create a great vacation memory for their children and after notice it's time to go back to work. In that regard, I think that we can learn from the French.

タコス Tacos

タコスを作りました！と言っても、タコスのパッケージを買ったので、調味料パウダーを炒めたひき肉に交ぜて、野菜を切るだけの簡単料理です（＾＾）タコスは大抵の人は美味しいと思う料理なのに何でアメリカ・メキシコ以外ではあまりメキシカンレストランを見かけないんでしょう？Ｅもタコス・ファヒタス等のメキシカン料理が大好きなのでフランスでアメリカのタコスチェーン店、タコベルが出店したら大人気になると思うのですが、アジア・ヨーロッパ進出計画はないのかな・・・？

Made some tacos! Well, actually just purchased a taco kit so it's an easy recipe, just add the flavor powder to cooked minced meat and cut vegetables :)  Most people think tacos are delicious but I wonder why we don't see many Mexican restaurants outside of the U.S. and Mexico? E loves Mexican food such as tacos and fajitas so I think that if American tacos franchise Taco Bell opens up in France it will be a huge success but I guess they don't have any plans to come into Asia or Europe...?

9/11

あの身も凍るような事件から１０年が経ちました。学校から戻ると、母が顔面蒼白でテレビにくぎ付け。最初はその映像は映画のワンシーンとしか思わず、気に留めなかった。だが母がこれが現実に起きた、姉と連絡がとれないと緊張した声で言う。当時、姉はワシントンの大学院に通っており、ペンタゴン（国防総省）がそう遠くなかった。幸い、数時間後に姉と連絡をとることができ、無事を確認しました。

多くの犠牲がでた想像を絶する事件。理由は何であれ、大抵被害にあうのは無実な人々。 何が正しいかは誰もが決められない。だけど、命は尊い、唯一それだけは正しいと思う。

10 years has gone by since that incident which sent shivers down my spine. I came back from school and saw my mother's pale face glued to the TV. I didn't think much of the footage thinking it was a scene from a movie. But my mother told me in a nervous voice that it's happening for real and that we can't get in touch with my sister. At the time, my sister was going to graduate school in Washington and it wasn't very far from the Pentagon. Luckily, after a few hours we got in touch with her and confirmed her safety.

An incident which no one could have imagined and with many losses. Whatever the reason, it is usually the innocent who suffer. Nobody can decide what is right and wrong. But I think the only thing that is right is that life is precious.

震災から半年・・・ Half a year from the earthquake

私の両親は二人とも宮城県出身。父の実家は津波に流され、母の実家は津波に耐えたのも、ヘドロが流れ込み、家の中がめちゃくちゃに。半年経って、母は今、田舎に戻っています。母は今は何を思っているのだろうか？伯父に送ってもらった写真では、凄まじい破壊の爪痕が見れる・・・海外で生まれ育った私は、２～３年ごとの夏休みに両親の田舎に戻るのが楽しみだった。従兄弟が多く、毎回、姉が率先してゲームを作ったり、花火をしたり、伯父や従兄弟が育てた野菜や果物を食べた。帰国してからは東京に住むようになったけど、今でも日本の想い出と言うと宮城で過ごした夏休み。

約半年経ちますけど、私は忘れない。皆さんも忘れないで下さい。

My parents are both from Miyagi Prefecture. My father's family house was washed away from the tsunami and my mother's family house endured it but the house is in shambles due to the sludge that washed inside. Half a year has gone by and my mom is currently back in Miyagi. I wonder what my mother is thinking right now. In the pictures my uncle sent me, I can see the aftermath of massive destruction... As I grew up overseas, I always looked forward to going to my parent's hometown every 2-3 years for summer vacation. I have many cousins and every time my sister would be the one to create games, we would have fireworks, and ate the vegetables and fruits my uncle and cousins made. After we returned to Japan we lived in Tokyo, but even now my memories of Japan are the summers I spent in Miyagi.

It's been almost half a year, but I will not forget. Everybody, please do not forget.