「Association with foreigners」
In 1965, I got acquainted with an American's family in Yokohama through my club activities of English
Studying Society in my university.

During English conversation with them, we came to a topic on thefamous novelist, John Steinbeck.

I said, "I only know the title of one of his best works, Angry Grapes."

They burst into laughter.

I was taught that it is "The Grapes of Wrath."them in America for a month.
Angeles.

Around 1977, I stayed withDuring my stay there, they accompanied me to Disneyland in Los

I enjoyed myself there very much.

A few years before 1995, I got acquainted with an American psychiatrist living in U.S. by way of NIFTYSERVE, a former name of @nifty.

We both were absorbed in computer games so deeply that wefrequently contended online against each other between U.S. and Japan.
Command&Conquer, Starcraft, and Diablo.

The games wereBut, yesterday's enemies could be today's friends, indeed.

In due course, we agreed to work out a plan to cope with the strong common enemy of Computer
named Diablo.

The head quart of the strategy meeting was set up at his house in 1996. I visitedthen and stayed with his family in U.S. for about a week.
Diablo in a good collaboration.

At his home, we fought a good fight against

While I was fighting with my sword face to face with Diablo, my war

buddy aimed his bow at the enemy from behind a door a little far away.
we firmly believed but in vain.
extremely strong.

The strategy was excellent

We were completely defeated in quite a short time.

The enemy was

We did not want to talk over the game of Diablo any more, murmuring "it is not sointeresting a game." And we began to further enjoy Ultima Online as a next game.

His family visitedus in Tokushima in 2002, and I visited them again in U.S. in 2007. Cheers for our friendship!
Kenichi Ikuta （生田健一）(^-^)

「Stay in Hannover」
The following is based on my vague memory and poor English.

I stayed in Hannover in West Germany

from September through October in 1973, and afterwards travelled a month in Belgium, England, andFrance.

I enjoyed living in Hannover very much and I remember meeting with a German guy (probablya student) and (I suppose now) his girlfriend at night in a pub(?).

The girl's name was Sabine and I

explained how I translate the pronunciation of Sabine into Kanji characters.

'Za' means 'sitzen',

namely 'sit' in Japanese, and likewise, 'bi' is 'shoen', namely 'beautiful', and 'ne' means 'schlafen',
namely 'sleep.'

So, Sabine can be written in Japanese Kanji characters as 'Sitting-sleeping beauty!'

They seemed very pleased with my explanation.
magic using a 5 Mark coin.
magic.

Her (probable) boyfriend showed me a piece ofI was greatly interested in it and lastly, he disclosed the secret of theThereafter I visited England by way of the Straits of Dover and arrived at Victoria Station.

After a few minutes turning around the station, I got to the same place I got out of. There wasseemingly a TV announcer there making speech in front of a TV camera(?). He may have beenreporting a bomb-explosion affair occurred just now in the station.

I conjecture now the affair may

have been caused by IRA, although I do not know the details of the conflict in those days even now.
During my short stay at an inn for foreign students in England, I once took a bath or used shower there.
Then I spent as much water for a long time as I do in Japan.
severely scolded by the (seeming) owner of the inn.
because of my ignorance of cultural differences.
and that I take interest in very much.

When I got out of the bathroom, I wasI think I have made so many mistakes thus far

So, I have to learn cultural differences much more,Kenichi Ikuta (生田健一)