30/5/2003
I just come to know about Sogo, a Japanese Super Market chain, when I visited Hongkong and Bangkok. People from Fukuoka seen to know about it just after a Sogo shop was opened in Kurozaki. A shop named Sogo was opened in Yangon. Do they use only the name of Sogo. Goods on display seem to be made in China. Are they made in Taiwan. It is a boutique shop for middle age woman. Sogo is forming a partnership with another department shore because business in slow in Japan now. They might not know this. It is not a serious matter for this country and China to take the famous names of Japan. (K.K)

28/5/2003
This is a building in Tamwe which cannot be seen from my apartment. Rows of such building can be seen on your way to the heart of city. It has stairways in the middle. Number of building decorated with glass is on the increase. But, there are a few buildings with lift. Five years ago, I lived in a such apartment building with the only entrance is always locked. A visitor to the building, has to shake the rope and ring the bell of the apartment to let the host know that he comes. There are 14 ropes dropped to the ground floor in an eight-storey apartment. The apartment I lived was on the fourth floor. Take-away bags, basket and newspaper are attached to the clip at the end of the rope. A member of each family draw up these things to the apartment they live. This is a note to make of living in Yangon.

27/5/2003
This is a building in Tamwe which cannot be seen from my apartment. Rows of such building can be seen on your way to the heart of city. It has stairways in the middle. Number of building decorated with glass is on the increase. But, there are a few buildings with lift. Five years ago, I lived in a such apartment building with the only entrance is always locked. A visitor to the building, has to shake the rope and ring the bell of the apartment to let the host know that he comes. There are 14 ropes dropped to the ground floor in an eight-storey apartment. The apartment I lived was on the fourth floor. Take-away bags, basket and newspaper are attached to the clip at the end of the rope. A member of each family draw up these things to the apartment they live. This is a note to make of living in Yangon.

26/5/2003
This is a building in Tamwe which cannot be seen from my apartment. Rows of such building can be seen on your way to the heart of city. It has stairways in the middle. Number of building decorated with glass is on the increase. But, there are a few buildings with lift. Five years ago, I lived in a such apartment building with the only entrance is always locked. A visitor to the building, has to shake the rope and ring the bell of the apartment to let the host know that he comes. There are 14 ropes dropped to the ground floor in an eight-storey apartment. The apartment I lived was on the fourth floor. Take-away bags, basket and newspaper are attached to the clip at the end of the rope. A member of each family draw up these things to the apartment they live. This is a note to make of living in Yangon.

23/5/2003
Yangonites have recently experienced electricity blackout. It is not strange for me who have lived in Yangon for about six years. I have made necessary preparations for these occassions. There are electricity back up syatems at high-class condominiums such as Sakura residence, Golden Hill tower and Marina residence. I live in a so-called high class building which includes underground car park and two elevators. When there is a blackout, a backup generator supplies electricity for the lift not for the apartments. For this reason, every apartment has their own small generators. I don't keep one because of exhaust gas and noise. I have two battery power system, which can produce enough power for a television set, a fluorescent light, a fan and a computerset. For other places, I use emergency light. It can be carried to the toilet. It is satisfactory to use such devices. It is out of the question that the fridge and washing machine cannot be used. We can wash our clothes when electricity comes. I use one-door fridge which has some problem. I have a lot of ice cubes made in the freezing room. When there is no light, I can use these cubes. It is not a difficult time for me even if a electricity backout lasts for about eight or nine hours. This way of living can improve intelligence of the people. (K.K)

22/5/2003
Summer is from March to May. The coldest month in Japan is February. It is getting hot in February in Myanmar. Before this time it is coldest and the period is called cold season. Myanmar language adjective for hot is "Pu Tho"."A Pu" is heat. It has negative meaning like concern, problem and sorrow. Antonym of hot is ""Aye" meaning cool. It has other meanings like peaceful and cool-minded. If "Chan tha" is added the word "Aye Chan tha" means "prosperous". Hot has negative meanings while cool has good meaning. School holiday is long from March to the begining of June. This boy come to Yangon from the country. He is younger brother of a staff of my restaurant. The boy is very innocent. He keeps a young parrot fallen from a tree. He take it wherever he goes. The parrot was eating a tomato with the sharp beak of it. I can't say for sure, it did because it feel hot. (K.K)

21/5/2003
An auto show of industrial zones was held at Kyaikasan Ground from May 9th to 22nd. Engines and parts are second hand. Frames are made in Myanmar. The show potrayed mainly jeeps. There were cars like Hilux and Pajero. They are priced lower than that of Japan-made used cars.

20/5/2003
When I was standing by the door at the 9th floor flat one evening because cool breeze came, a creature filed in to the room. Bats and dove entered two times before. This time, the creature was about 6cm big. Its back was red and making a strange sound "Shu Shu". It was like long-horned beetle, which I saw in Japan in my childhood. When I asked Myanmar people what it was called, they said "no". Anyway, a lot of insects came into the room. (K.K)

19/5/2003
A wide variety of vegetables are available in Myanmar. Some of them have the same name like in Japan. But, there are more vegetables, which have the same name and different forms. Especially, carrots are small. (Bigger carrots can be found in Shan State.) Chinese mustards are about four times smaller than that of Japan. Tomatoes are usually small. If they are big their form is not fine. Among them, cabbage and sweet pepper are almost the same like Japan. It is called "Nga Yoke Pwa" in Myanmar language. Nga Yok Thi means Chili. Onion is "Kyat Thon Ni", onion tope "Kyat Thon Meik" and garlic "Kyat Thon Phyu". It is interesting to note that garlic is included in the species of onion. (K.K)

14/5/2003
This is a plan at the condo introduced the other day. Prices are of two kinds __K 71.65 million & K 65.45 million __according to area of the flat. After about two months' sale, 64 flats have been sold out and only about 10 units are left. This is artist impression of the building.

13/5/2003
An internet cafe was opened at the second floor of Dagon Tower near Myenegon traffic lights. It cost K 1200 for one hour use. Plans are underway for openning of five more shops. It opens 9:00 to 23:00 hours seven days a week. Political sites, hot mail and fee mail may not be available there.

12/5/2003
It started raining at the beginning of May. It is still hot even after the rain came two times. I feel relectant to tell you the story of me. Prickly heat broke out on my body due to the increasing heat starting a week after the rain came last year. Despite the hope of disappearing of it this year, it has become worse in May. I have red prickly heat all over my body including elbow and face. I am thinking of going back to Japan or visiting accquaintance in Taunggyi at the season. It is also the same for Myanmar people around me. After consecutive days with sleepless tropical nights, it rained heavily in the morning on 11th May. Because down pour, water was flowing like a water fall from the roof of orange building to the right of my apartment. Young people went out into the rain. It is believed the rain can make prickly heat disappear. I imitated them and went out into the rain. After ten minutes of down pour, the rain stopped. I think some prickly heat has disappeared.(K.K)

09/5/2003
Plans are underway to build high rise building of over 20-storey along the main Pyay Road in Yangon. About five buildings have been announced to be built. The project is said to finish in 2005.

08/5/2003
A lot of street vendors come to the cars at the traffic lights. Cigarette, flowers (to be hung in the car), pamphlets advertising opening of shops, various journals are on sale. I bought a journal to have price idea because I heard that the price of cars have down when I came back from Japan. The journal did not carry exact price of the cars, which suddenly went down. Does it mean I have to ask by phone? A sign of telephone is printed at the place of price. I was in a situation in which I cannot know how the price of cars is changing. I felt depressed to hear that the Toyota pick-up, which I bought with K 10.5 million, was said to be priced K 5 million. The price may seem to go up a little after I came back to Myanmar. (K.K)

07/5/2003
The Thingyan (Water festival) has over. It is still hot. It rained during Thingyan in some years ago. There is still no sign of rain. We can see a lot of people with shaven head. People spend the Thingyan holiday in two ways. Most go around the city in cars to the temporary pandals to douse water. Some people spend the holiday at meditation centers. Some men and young men join holy order for a short time. Novices are called "Ko Yin" in Myanmar. (K.K)