クリスの家には、かわいい、かわいい、子猫がやって来たそうです。

This week I adopted a cat. She is only six weeks old and she is so cute. This is the first time I have owned a cat and I was so surprised because even though she is young, she is very independent. She knows how to use the litter box and comes when I call her.

It is different than owning a dog. Actually I grew up with dogs. I remember training them required much more effort. Dogs need to be housebroken. They also need to be walked. When you walk a dog and it goes to the bathroom you have to clean up after it.

I am still learning a lot about cats, but I already read some interesting articles about cat behavior. Cats are sometimes famous for using their claws on the furniture or even people! The article suggested that because cats are predators, they need a healthy way to act out their predator instincts. For this reason playing with them is very important, and if you are sure to play with them, a lot of their bad behavior will disappear.

I enjoyed reading this article, and I liked the writer's way of thinking. Every day, I set aside time to play with my kitten. Actually, I think maybe the article is right because so far she has been so good, and it is easy to care for her.

Here is a picture of her sleeping and one of us playing together. I had to take a lot of pictures of her to try to get some good ones because she doesn't like to sit still!

今回のクリス・ブログは、おすすめのレストラン紹介です。

Eating out in Tokyo can get expensive if you do it all the time. New York city is no different! If you are traveling on a budget or even living here and want to eat out, I suggest going to lunch. New York is full of amazing food and there are many delicious things to eat that. If you take advantage of the lunch specials, you can sample the great food and it won't cost you an arm and leg! (Do you remember that expression from our first episode in Times Square?)

There is an expression in English that means it's great or it's absolutely wonderful. That expression is “It's a gem”. A gem is a valuable stone like a diamond or sapphire. If you call a person a gem, it is a compliment. It means that they are rare, special, and wonderful. Anyway, the restaurant that I am going to introduce is an absolute gem. If you are in NYC and looking for delicious cheap lunch, you can't beat this place.

It is called Lannam. It is a Vietnamese restaurant they are looked at the corner of 13th street and University Place. So it is conveniently located near Union Square. The lunch service goes from 11:30am to 4:00 and the lunch specials are all very cheap. They are only $6.50 before tax and tip. Not only are they cheap, but also the service is very good and the restaurant is very nice and clean. Also the portions of food are very large here, so no matter what you order, you definitely won't leave hungry!

As you can see in the picture, today I ordered stir-fried rice noodles. Some of my other favorites are grilled beef, sesame chicken, and Pho. Except for the noodle dishes, the all the food is served with rice.

So if you are in Union Square around lunch time, definitely eat here. It's great!




Lannam
121 University Place (corner of 13th street)
Tel: 212-420-1179

This week, I spent to the week in Washington DC. It was my first time visiting there so I was really excited. DC is like New York in the sense that both cities have a long history with lots of interesting arts and architecture, but they both have a very different feel to them.
In general I think DC is a lot more conservative than New York. I took a bus from New York, and arrived in DC at 5pm on Friday. When I got off the bus, I was the only person wearing jeans. Everyone in DC was wearing a suit!

By the way, if you are staying in New York for an extended period of time, or you are in Washington DC and want to visit New York, I will recommend the bus service that I used. The bus service is called BoltBus. You can see their website at www.boltbus.com
Their bus service leaves from midtown in Manhattan and goes directly to the center of DC. The trip takes 4 hours, and the tickets are cheaper if you book them in advance. In fact, if you book seats far enough in advance, they are only $1.

I had a really busy time sight seeing. There are so many famous places and museums to see! Since I was in Washington DC of course the first thing I wanted to see was the White House. In the picture you can see lots of clouds in the sky. It gives the picture an interesting effect because the building seems to pop out the picture even more!

In this second picture I am at the White House, but I am taking a picture of the Washington Monument. You can see me having fun in the picture!

Actually the White House and the Washington Monument are very close to many famous Museums in DC. This area is called The Mall. Everyone knows it, and it is very easy to get to because it is clearly marked on the subway maps. Nearly every train line stops near it!

DC was a lot of fun, but I am glad to be back in New York. It is more laid back, people wear jeans, and it feels like home to me!

前回に引き続き、クリスさんのブログはミュージカルRENTについてです。
といっても、舞台ではなく、RENT好きの人が集まるカフェのお話。

Lately I have been obsessed with Rent. Last week I wrote about my
experience going to see the musical live. I have been listening to the soundtrack all week, and I think I am becoming a Rent-head. A Rent-head is a slang term for someone who is a huge fan of Rent.

In this first picture, I am standing in front of the Life Cafe in the East Village. This cafe is featured in Rent the musical and also in the movie. The Life Cafe is an actual place. It was started as a tiny coffee house in 1981. They served inexpensive food and hosted many types of artistic shows including poetry readings, music, performance pieces, and visual art. The writer-composer of Rent, Jonathan Larson, used to hang out there. This cafe was an important location for the East Village art scene during the 1980's and that is why it is featured in Rent.

Many Rent-heads go to visit the Life Cafe. In Picture 2, you can see a Rent poster, posted on the window in front of the cafe.
I wanted to try to get a shot of the poster and the window, but the picture is not clear because there is a reflection in the glass.
It is kind of an interesting picture though because you can see both the interior of the cafe and also the park behind it.

The third picture is a shot of me inside the cafe. I am holding“The Rent-Head Register Volume 2.” When a rent head comes to the cafe they can sign the register, and leave a note. Volume one was completely filled up and I signed volume 2.
Reading through the register, people left notes that included song lyrics from the musical, comments about a rent show they have scene, or comments about their favorite characters. It is interesting to read them.

If you are a Rent-head, visiting the Life Cafe is a fun stop in New York. It is located on the corner of Avenue B and 10th street.

Life Cafe
343 E. 10th Street
Corner of Avenue B
New York, NY 10009
P: 212-477-8791
F: 212-388-0010
info@lifecafe.com
www.lifecafe.com

クリスさん愛用のパソコンが壊れてしまったんですって！今回のお話はその悲しい体験についてです。似たような経験をした方も多いのではないでしょうか。

This week was an unlucky week for me because my computer died.

It was Saturday morning. I checked my email at 9am and then left the house in order to go to a meeting.
When I arrived home it was noon. The first thing I usually do when I get in the door is check email.
I went to my computer. It was in sleep mode. I hit enter on the keyboard and waited. It took longer than usual to wake up.
When it finally did wake up, the screen opened to my email. That was the last program I was using before I left the house. Then I moved the mouse, but the mouse movements didn't match the pointer on the screen. I knew something was wrong and when I tried typing every different letters appeared than the one I typed!

I turned off the power immediately and brought my computer to the computer store.

They tested my laptop and told me that the logic board needed to be replaced and also there could be a problem with the hard drive.
To replace the logic board cost 280 dollars and that was broken for sure. If the hard drive also needed replacing the cost to repair it would be 820 dollars.

I was really sad. I have been using my computer for five years and I haven't had a single problem and now it suddenly died. I guess I should look on the bright side. When I bought my computer new, it was about 1500 dollars. It cost me less than a dollar a day to own.

I think when it comes to computers, if repairs cost more than 400 dollars it is better to just buy a new system. My computer will cost a minimum of 280 to fix, but it is already five years old so I decided not to repair it.

I am a little sad my computer died. I know it was old for a computer, but I only used it for email and typing so I don't need anything very powerful.

Sorry, I can't take pictures this week. I have no computer!

「家を眺めながら散歩をするのが好き」だというクリスさん。今回は、伝統的で美しい家並みを見ることができる、NYの地区を紹介してくれます。


One thing I have always enjoyed was walking and looking at houses. When I was young I often spent long afternoons walking around the neighborhood just looking at houses.


New York City has a lot of really beautiful neighborhoods to walk around.
I recommend walking around the Upper East Side. The architecture here is very old and beautiful. I particularly like the houses. These places are very expensive. Some of them are expensive apartments. Others are expensive houses, boutiques, museums, or even embassies.


In picture one you can see a row of buildings lined up next to each other. There is one place that has flags.
I don't know what the flags are for though. Notice that these builds are tall and thin. Also the construction of the windows, doors, roofs and other features is very detailed. Although each building has its own particular flavor, the basic design is similar.


It is hard to recommend which buildings to go see, because there are so many interesting ones to look at. If you are in New York and the weather is nice. Here is what I would do. First take the 6 train to the stop 68th Street and Lexington Avenue. Then wander the streets between 68th street and 90th street. You don't need to go all the way to 90th if you don't want to. If you walk around for an hour or so, you can get a good feel for the neighborhood.


When you walk around the neighborhood, remember to stay on the streets. Streets in Manhattan run East and West. Avenues run north and south. So most of Manhattan is a grid. For the area that I am talking about, you should stay between Lexington Avenue and 5th Avenue. 5th avenue is easy enough to remember and it runs right along Central Park.


The area is really nice. I don't know if there is anything I can say to convey that. I tried to take pictures so that you can see for yourself.
The houses and picture two are beautiful and you can see that the area is very different than Mid-town. Mid-town is full of tall office buildings and it is very crowded!


Walking around the upper east side, is beautiful, but it is also an escape from the crowds.
I think they try to keep the area people-friendly. There are nice buildings for people to live in. They try to plant many trees and plants to make the area nicer. Check out picture three. This building is covered with ivy. I don't know for sure, but I guess they grow it that way on purpose for style.


Okay I hope you like the pictures and enjoy the walking tour if you get a chance.
You can spend a long time walking around there. I think though all you need is about an hour, maybe two if you enjoy walking and architecture.


Remember stay on the streets (running east and west) between 68th and 90th.
Stay between the Avenues Lexington and 5th.

クリスさんのブログ、今回はおいしい「クレープ」のお話です。

I first ate crepes when I was living in Tokyo. I was in Harajuku and when I walked down the street I could smell the sweet delicious smell.

Sometimes when I am in the mood for something sweet, or when I am feeling nostalgic for the taste of Harajuku crepes I go to my favorite cafe in Astoria. It is called the Euro Delights Cafe.

The Euro Delights Cafe is a little great cafe and creperie. It is located on Broadway Street in a neighborhood called Astoria in Queens. This picture of the cafe was taken at night, and it captures the sign and the address. I don't know if you can see it clearly but, the cafe is on a street corner and they have large glass doors that open fully. On a nice day, it is wonderful to sit by the doors and watch people go by.

At the cafe they have many types of crepes. One of my favorite crepes has Nutella and walnuts. I can't remember if Nutella is famous in Japan. In the United States, some people know about Nutella, but it is not so famous. Nutella is a kind of spread made from hazelnuts and chocolate. It is very sweet. Other popular crepes have different kinds of fruit or sweet sauces like butterscotch.

In picture two you can see a picture of the crepe and hot tea that I ordered. I am a chocolate addict, so usually I get a crepe with Nutella. Today I decided to order a different flavor. The crepe was filled with cream cheese, almonds, and butterscotch. It was very nice with hot tea. In the picture, you can clearly see the butterscotch and powdered sugar on top of the crepe.


Here is a picture of me with the crepe before I started eating. I had a busy day and you can see the tiredness in my eyes. Usually I am clean-shaven, but in this picture, my beard is just starting to grow a little. On weekends, if I don't have to perform, I prefer not to shave.
It gives my skin a little time to rest. I am smiling because I want to eat my crepe!

If you are in New York, and you decide to visit Astoria, the Euro Delights cafe is a great little place. It has a good atmosphere, friendly service, and good food. By the way, it is not just for desserts. They also have a great selection of food for a regular meals as well.

Euro Delights
3202 Broadway
Long Island City, NY 11106

今回のクリスさんのブログは番外編！　結婚式に参加するためコロラド州を訪ねたときのお話です。

This week I had to leave New York to go to a wedding in Golden, Colorado.
Golden is a town in the mountains not far from Denver. To get to downtown Denver from Golden it only takes about a half hour by car.

In this first picture I am sitting in the lobby of the Golden Hotel. The wall behind me is actually a stone fire place. In the winter you can enjoy sitting in front of the fire. The picture above me is a picture of a cowboy. It is representative of Colorado's history of having cowboys, ranches, and being a part of the wild west. I am wearing a new hat, but it is not a cowboy hat!




This second picture shows a lamp in the lobby. It is fun because it is made from real cow hide. In this picture I am petting the fur.








The third picture is a nice shot of the entire lobby. The design is like an old west ranch house, or maybe an old west lodge. It has wood paneled walls and a stone fire place. There are wooden banisters on the stairs, and everything has been stained its natural color.






Outside the hotel there is a path where you can walk and see　historic buildings and old style farm houses. I guess this is what an old style ranch might have looked like.




The final picture is a view of the mountains and sky. I love New York, but New York City does not have any views like this! You can see so far here and the sky looks so big!
There are many paths you can walk on in Golden and near the hotels.
It was a beautiful place for a wedding.

Golden Hotel
800 11th Street
Golden, CO 80401
(303) 279-0100

今日のクリスさんのブログは、いつもとちょっと趣を変えて、園芸のお話です。NY生活の緊張感を和らげるために、クリスさんが育てている自慢の植物たちについての話、お楽しみください。

I heard that having houseplants makes a person healthier. This is because plants are supposed to remove impurities in the air and change carbon dioxide into oxygen. I don't know if it is true or not, but I enjoy having plants because they look nice and they are fun to grow.

In my apartment right now I have 3 plants. 2 of these plants are bamboo. In picture one, the bamboo plants are easily recognizable by the blue and white Chinese style vases.
I bought these vases in China town at the Pearl River Mart.

The middle plant is bamboo, and actually it is a bunch of bamboo growing together in the same pot. I have had it for close to year and it is very healthy. It is getting taller and taller, and there are many leaves growing from each stalk.

The tall thin stalk of bamboo on the far left is my newest plant. I actually got it yesterday so there are not many leaves yet, but overnight it grew a lot. It is very healthy.

I like bamboo because it is easy to take care of. All you have to do is keep the bamboo in a pot of water and had some plant food to the water regularly. I use stones in the bottom of the pot to keep the bamboo plant stable. My bamboo has been very easy to take care of.
The third plant on the far right is called a Coleus. Actually there are many Coleus plants in the Coleus family. I didn't buy this plant, a friend of mine was leaving New York and she gave it to me.
Compared to the bamboo, the Coleus plant is much more temperamental. I need to keep its soil moist, but not too wet. Also, if the plant gets too dry, it gets weak very quickly and starts to sag.

In photo two, notice that the brilliant red leaves are quite pretty, but I find with too much sunlight the color starts to fade.
This plant requires much more attention than bamboo.

Pearl River Mart is located at 477 Broadway, SOHO area between Grand St. and Broom St.
URL: www.pearlriver.com

今回クリスさんが紹介するのはGay Pride March。個性を尊重するニューヨークならではのパレードです。クリスさんのリポートをお楽しみください。

Today was the Gay Pride March. It is held every year in New York City.
The parade begins in midtown and ends at Christopher Street in the Greenwich Village.

Like most parades in New York City, the Gay Pride March is free, but it can be very crowded depending on where you watch. I heard that 500,000 people participated in the march and over 1 million people came to watch it.

In photo one you can see a large crowd in mid-town Manhattan watching the march. A scooter races by. Attached to the back of the scooter are two rainbow flags. The rainbow flag is a flag symbolizing gay pride.










Photo two is a picture of marchers in midtown. You can see that they are all ages and all races. Many of them are also waving gay pride flags. The woman in the center is the city council chairperson for Queens. She officially came out before the parade.


Photo three is a great shot of Fifth Avenue. The march moves down Fifth Avenue from midtown. In this picture you can see very far. The streets are lined with spectators watching as floats, dancers, and other participants go by. You may notice that some people in this photo are holding umbrellas. At the time I took this photo, there was no rain, but it stormed two or three times that day.
Many of the dancers were shocked by the cold rain and ran for cover!


Photo four is a shot of colorful drag queens marching. You will notice that the colors on their outfits match the colors of the Gay Pride Flag.

One of the great points about New York is that it is very open to people of all races, genders, and sexual orientations.






NYりばてぃさんの記事「ゲイ・パレード」はこちら。http://nyliberty.exblog.jp/3016372/

今回クリスさんが紹介してくれるのは、ルーフトップ・ガーデン。ビルの最上階で、最高の眺めを楽しみながらゆっくりお酒を楽しめる場所です。クリスさんの最新NY情報、お楽しみください。

Rooftop Garden

This week I went to an interesting nightspot in Manhattan. It is called Rooftop Garden.
Rooftop garden is a lounge on the top floor of a tall office building in mid-town Manhattan.

Depending on your budget, it maybe a little bit expensive, but you can enjoy a stunning view of Manhattan while having drinks with your friends.

Here is a photo of me in Photo 1. Behind me you can see the Empire State building! The View of it is a great because it is only about six blocks from the Rooftop Garden.

I have a big smile on my face because I am enjoying myself. There is a crowd of people behind me. The night I went, the bar was packed with people! It is very popular.

I am wearing a stylish white button-down and a cool pair of black slacks. My friend told me to dress “chic” or I wouldn't be able to get in.

You may not be able to notice from the picture, but there is a strong wind blowing my shirt. It makes me look bigger. Soon after this photo was taken, we had to go home because it started raining.

I tried taking many photos of the bar, but they were not so clear. In photo two, I wanted to capture the feel of the bar, but the photo did not turn out well. My flash is strong, and in the picture the light is hard. I don't know if you can imagine the scene from my words. We were on a rooftop 20 stories high, the bar was lit with a soft light, and we were enjoying a cool summer night. It was great!



Photo three is blurry, but it captures the feeling much better than photo two. There is a palm tree and the Empire State building is bright white. Actually the Empire State building changes colors every night. Sometimes it is red, sometimes it is blue, and sometimes it is white.

This is just my opinion, but I think this is a good place to people who are visiting New York City! You can check the Rooftop Garden homepage at www.230-fifth.com

The address is
230 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10001

クリスさんの第一回のブログは、スーパーマーケット。
日本とは陳列方法も商品も、ずいぶん違っています。
この果物コーナーで、クリスさんは、最近はまっている、とある果物について教えてくれました！

I love supermarkets. They are great places to observe cultural differences.
Everyone has to eat, so everyone goes shopping.

In New York City generally people use public transportation such as buses and subways. Also people walk a lot. For this reason the supermarkets in New York City tend to be smaller because people have to carry whatever groceries they buy.
In other parts of the United State, where owning a car is necessary, supermarkets are simply huge because people buy more groceries each time, but go shopping less often.

In the first photo, you can see me standing in front of the deli counter at the supermarket.
Here you can buy lunchmeats, cheeses, sandwiches, and other kinds of prepared food.
This shot is interesting because you can see many sausages hanging from the ceiling. I think this is different than Japan.

In the second photo I am buying apples. Not only are apples delicious and healthy, but also they are easy to carry around with you so they make great snacks. Above me you can see the names of different apples- McIntosh, Granny Smith.
Right now I am buying Gala apples. Recently I have been eating Gala apples every day. They are a very sweet apple- like candy.

In this third shot, I am in the Asian food aisle. Behind me you can see many kinds of sauces such as soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, and others. Hanging next to the soy sauce you can see dried seaweed packs.
Of course, soy sauce is very common in America, because Chinese food is very popular, but I was surprised to see dried seaweed in a normal American grocery store. But recently more and more places are carrying it.
In this photo, I am holding a big bag of rice. I love rice. I have loved rice since I was a young child. Maybe that is one of the reasons I lived in Japan so long!