More serious singing and ~ Compare these!!

Recently I went to this Public T.V. singing event where they were choosing twenty singers from 250... in Nishio, near home.

Good friend Elena Tanaka was chosen to show off her fantastic singing abilities! Elena is from Romania, often we talk in Japanese with each other, but her English is pretty good! Her Japanese is awesome though- and her singing too, which she does in Japanese too! Elena and her hubby are Taka and my tennis buddies too.

Oh, but check out Elena's hand, she had the lyrics written out in case nervousness made her draw a blank!


I finally go to to go back to one of my favorite IZAKAYA's. It's the ATMOSPHERE of the place. And the prices are right! But I've been meaning to show the service they provide, which is not always typical of Japanese drinking establishments (where foods totally hit the spot as well)...

Check out the mouth wash....

and the little cups they provide...

then in the little box wrapped in red plastic are TOOTHPICKS...

and behind them.........

Q-TIPS!!! now is that SERVICE or what?!

They EVEN provide sanitary napkins for free!

Oh, Japan~~

It's "little" but finally a big difference for people who care about having comfortably clean ears. This is one thing Taka hates too! It's funny- but I really understand- cause check it out. Guess which Q-tips are from the U.S. and which are from Japan?! This is how they are always bought- as far as I've ever found. Who wants cotton possibly left behind in their ears? Who cares about how well such a "little" thing is made?

Ahhh, well maybe many foreigners don't know how almost fanatical Japanese have been- with mothers/wives cleaning their kids/husbands ears FOR them!! Not with Q-Tips, but with little ear shovels! Sorry- Taka- that's just one thing I can't get into!!!