"Ume"

The "Ume"（梅）, Japanese apricot, in my house's yard has started having its flowers.

This tree has a small history on my family.

About thirty years ago, my elder brother received a small "Ume" tree at the coming-of-age ceremony. My father planted it on a ground where now my house stands. Since then, the "Ume" has grown to an adult tree that have its flowers and fruits every year.

This year, it is expected to have many flowers and fruits even though it had fewer flowers last year.

I can remember my father who died last month when I see its flowers. I think that it is good idea to plant a tree as a memory because it make people remember something important.

work in nursing home

The population of elder people is increasing, and it has become a serious social problem in Japan. And less people want to work as care worker in nursing homes because of relatively less payment, and it has another social problem.

This article says that two Indonesian care workers have started working in a nursing home in the city of Kitakyushu. This movement is based on the EPA (Economic Partnership Agreement) between Japan and Indonesia. They have to take a national license in three years to stay in Japan for working as care worker. It is very difficult for foreign workers to pass the test because its texts do not have "furigana"（ふりがな）.

I have been interested in "international cooperation" work for a long time. But, it is difficult for me to work aboard now because I am not so young and cannot resign my job for economic reason.

However, I can do support them along their needs even though I have stayed in Japan. I think that it is a kind of "international cooperation" work. I am going to meet them in near future and I would like to help them if they need my support.

a funeral

My father died of cancer earlier last week. He was 79 year old. Generally, people in Japan hold two funerals for a person who died. They hold the first funeral called "Tsuya"（通夜） in an evening as soon as possible. And at the day after "Tsuya", they hold an official funeral called "Soushiki"（葬式） or "Sougi"（葬儀）. My father's "Tsuya" was January 20, and "Soushiki" was 21.

He was identified as having lung cancer in the end of October last year. He started taking anti-cancer drug in a hospital in the first of November. But, he stopped receiving this treatment in the first of December because the doctor could not find any good sign of treatment, only found bad effect against his body. He was back to home, and spent time with his wife (my mother).

He checked in the hospital again on the Christmas day after staying home for about 2 weeks because he felt severe problem in his body. We (I, my mother and brother) recognized he had weakened day by day since then.

My father's death did not cause a strong emotion to me during the funerals because I am not so an emotional person, but I am slightly filled with tears when I see my mother sobbing.

By the way, I have grown peas in my garden. The seeds of them were taken from last year's peas. The original peas were given to me from my father in 2008. I will continue to grow these peas as possible as long, and I can remember my father when I eat them.