2012年1月26日木曜日

Going on a diet



It’s been one week since I started going on a diet.

I have already tried some diet methods before but this time, I’ve chosen the one called ‘recording diet.’ It’s very simple and all I have to do is just write down my daily weight and body fat count.

To facilitate this, I’m using a free iPhone application “Simple Diet.” The photo above is the icon of the application. It’s quite nice to have the cute bear character as my companion all the way to my goal.

I think that this method is effective if you want to get rid of your bad eating habit caused by stress.

In my case, when I zero in on my senses, I’m aware that there is clear difference between real appetite and eating binge. Now, I’m trying not to eat unless I feel hungry so that I can avoid eating snacks and junk food.

I’ve just lost about 1.5kg in one week and I hope that my new habit doesn’t fizzle out soon.



にほんブログ村 英語ブログ 英語ライティングへ
にほんブログ村

2012年1月19日木曜日

Manyo Club in Yokohama



There is nothing like a hot spring on a cold day.

It’s not only half the fun of living in Japan but also just what the doctor ordered.

There are many spa facilities in the middle of big city and you can enjoy having a bath without going all the way to mountain areas.

The one I went to last weekend is called Manyo Club in Yokohama.

It’s a hot spring complex and it provides us with a variety of spa such as open-air baths, a cypress bath tub, a feet bath and a stone sauna. That’s not all.

To my surprise, the location is amazing.

It’s in the center of Yokohama Minato Mirai area, where the Landmark Tower, an international convention center, a shopping mall and a big Ferris wheel are all located. You can appreciate the scenery of modern aspects of port of Yokohama while tapping your feet in a bath.

The quality of water is not bad because they deliver, every day, hot spring water from Yugawara, which is know as one of the best hot springs in Izu.

After staying there for some hours, I was warmed completely and felt very good.

I’m off to a good start this year.




にほんブログ村 英語ブログへ
にほんブログ村

2012年1月13日金曜日

Red Torii in Bangkok?



A friend of mine who is living in Bangkok uploaded an interesting picture on SNS. There was a tall, red and simple structure in her picture and it looked like a torii or a gate to a Japanese shrine. I wondered if there were some shrines in Bangkok. Suddenly, I started feeling very curious about this monument.

According to one theory, the torii originates in an entrance gates to Akah village, a minority group in Thailand. Then, this object may possibly be another origin of Japanese torii.

Soon, the structure turned out to be just a giant swing. It’s about 25 meters high!

It is located in front of a Buddhism and Hindu temple, Wat Suthat.

The swing was used for an annual ceremony to celebrate harvest and to express thanks for Shiva.

In the ceremony, an arch was said to be hung with six ropes from the top of the structure. Four Brahmas got into the arch and they swung it until the ropes became parallel to the ground.

It was a very dangerous swing and due to accidents, the ceremony was banned in 1932.

I think they should have equipped with safety belts.



にほんブログ村 英語ブログへ
にほんブログ村