100万語

In buying the final volume of the Harry Potter series, I'm wondering which version of it I should get, the original UK version or the US?
What do you think about it?
Though a part of me would more like to read the original novel than the translated one, another part of me is more attracted to the US one because I'm a little more interested in American English than British, and because the price of the US one is about 400 yen cheaper than that of the UK.
Hmm..., I'm going to do some hard thinking before I decide which to buy.

Also it's another cause of my concern that the Harry Potter vol.7 ga eigo de tanosiku yomeru hon, one of the reference books which can make it possible that you read the Harry Potter series in English more easily, is still not available.
Though I came to think I don't necessarily need the explanations of the meaning of words, its descriptions of spells and English culture etc. help me deepen my own understanding in reading the Harry Potter series in English.
And what's more, I think it's really helpful that it explains characters and incidents which appeared or happened in the previous installments because I've forgotten most of them. (^^;
The reference book of the seventh volume seems not to go on sale for the time being, so I decided one more thing!
I swear to read through the all installments of the Harry Potter series!!

As I wrote on this blog the other day, accoding to the guidebook of the Harry Potter series,

vol.1:  77618 words
vol.2:  84993 words
vol.3: 107583 words
vol.4: 191694 words
vol.5: 258220 words
vol.6: 169907 words  total: 890,015 words

And if you get through the all volume of it, it means you read more than 1 million words, which number is set as a goal for extensive reading, one kind of methods for learning English.
I think the number itself is nothing but a sort of pass point and doesn't have much meaning.
At the same time, however, I also feel like my reading skill has been improved a little now that I finished reading the third and sixth installment of it.
Maybe it's just my imagination, but I'm going to stick it out to the end.
I don't know when I can make it.  (^^;

100万語読んだから何なんだと言われればそれまでですが、何となく、ホントに何とな～く、３巻と６巻と読み進めるにつれて英語を読むのが楽になってきてる気がするんですね。
Vocabulary は確実に増えたと思うし、毎日ウィークリーを読むのが前よりずっと楽。
できるだけ良い英語にたくさん触れようと思いつつ、楽しくないとなかなか続かないし、楽しく読める本に出会えるのって結構稀だったりするわけです。
せっかく楽しく読める本に出会えたのなら、とことんお付き合いしちゃおうかなと思います。
さて。　第７巻はUK版とUS版のどっちにしましょうか。
１冊ぐらいUS版に手を出してみてもいいかな？
400円近い値段の差は大きいし・・・ね。　~(=^‥^A

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* thick skull *

I spent almost two days in the bed with reading the English materials very little.
I only read the three articles in the Mainichi Weekly, chatted with my SO and watched the recorded program featuring Keisuke Kuwata's live show having been played this summer which I had never watched.
And there's only one unacceptable thing as to the program.
It's a silly short movie cut in between each song!
Besides, playing three different absurd roles in it, he is showing his poor ability as an actor!!  (T-T)
Dear NHK..., please don't accept any of his foolhardy demands, and NEVER let him do anything but his musical activities!!!

Though I think I got ample rest, my brain is still not working well enough to write this diary.
I feel as if something like cotton penetrate my thick skull.

今年の夏に録画こそしたものの、一度も見ることなく放置してきた桑田さん出演番組のうち、NHKで放送されたミニライブ映像を見ました。
・・・演奏の音が小さいじゃないか。ソロライブは演奏が魅力なのに・・。
・・・・よりによって 『Merry X'mas In Summer』 の曲中に下ネタを挟まないで・・・ (T-T)
・・・・・なんで１曲ごとに安っぽくもくだらないショートムービーが割り込んでくるの・・・
・・・・・・しかもなんでショートムービーの中で桑田佳祐が下手な笑えないクソ芝居を披露してるのぉぉおお！！　(/_<。)ﾋﾞｪｪﾝ！
周囲の人間が止めるべきだろ。
ＮＨＫも今度からは必ず断るように。
『そっかぁ。天は二物を与えずってこのことかぁ・・・』 と、最近とみに涙もろくなった目頭を押さえながら感慨にふけった午後でした。
（でも３つの役のうち、流しのオッチャンの役が一番似合ってたのはサスガ♪　久しぶりに『茅ヶ崎は今日も黄色い』が聴きたくなりました）

あ。　"I feel as if something like cotton penetrate my thick skull." って、ハリ・ポタの３巻でSnapeがNevilleに言ったセリフのパクリです。

"Tell me, boy, does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours?"

"thick skull" って随分な言い方だわ。　~(=^‥^A
Snape先生らしい言い方だと思ってたら、"thick skull" という言い回しは普通にあるみたいですね。
それと、"something like cotton" という言葉に対して "penetrate" を使っていいものかどうかについても判断いたしかねます。m(__)m

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ハリ・ポタ６巻終了～♪

I finally managed to get through the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince! (^^)v
And now, what are filling my mind are a feeling of accomplishment after reading through the book as bulky as a dictionary, and an enormous empty feeling, though I don't know if it's because I have nothing to read now or I was shocked at the death of an unexpected person, and an excitement of me hoping to read the next and final volume of the Harry Potter series as soon as possible!
While the last 4-5 chapters are admittedly full of such painful and kind of disappointing scenes as the scene of HIM being killed so easily by HIM, there're some scenes which made me smile.
Who can penetrate the true reason of Tonks's changes?　(^m^*)
Even after me having finished the sixth volume, there seems to be still a pile of problems to be solved on the path Harry, Ron and Hermione have to go down.
I wonder how they can make it in the last only one volume, though I can't help hoping this, without sacrificing anyone irreplaceable any more if it's possible.

Now, to order the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows right now or to get rest until the end of the month...
Maybe I'll choose the latter.  (^^;

こんな分厚い本、本当に読めるのかと思ったものですが、何とか無事読破☆　＼(^O^)／
UK版の裏表紙に描かれている奇妙な鉢、ずっと Pensieve かと思っていたんですが、Pensieve-like な全くの別物だったんですね。　~(=^‥^A
この物体（？）が出てくる章、Inferi がゾロゾロと襲いかかるところはドキドキしながら読みましたが、その前のシーンでは本当に他に方法がなかったのかと、ちょっとモヤモヤ。
しかも文句を言ってる割に、その後のシーンではちゃっかり泣いてしまったし。（ちょっとだけ・・・ね）　σ(^_^；
Fawkes 君まで私にこんな悲しい思いをさせるなんて！　(/_<。)ﾋﾞｪｪﾝ

さて。本当にあと１巻で終われるのか、どうやって全部を決着させるのか、とぉっても興味津々ではありますが、ちょっとだけ休憩しちゃおうかな・・・？
今月いっぱいぐらいは許されるでしょ。
なんか・・・、読み終えた達成感や興奮よりも、喪失感というか虚無感というか、このやるせない読後感にちょっと呆け気味です。
↑で 『読むべきものがない』 と書きましたが、今週号の毎日ウィークリー君が私のこと睨んでるし。　~(=^‥^A

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寄り添うだけの・・・

I usually use mugs only when I have breakfast and some coffee in the morning before Ruu the budgerigar comes out from his cage, so he rarely sees any of my mugs.
With the approach of colder weather, however, he gets chances to face my mug, one of his favorite things, because I start drinking hot cocoa in the evening.
Gazing absent-mindedly at its rim and the white fluffy steam drifting up from it, he cuddles up to it keeping enough distance not to touch it, fluffing feathers of his head contentedly, and he sometimes stretches out his beak and pecks its rim affectionately.
They (Ruu and one of my mug) seem like a cute but funny couple having just started going out or something, and make me smile.  (^m^*)
I wonder what of mugs attracts Ruu so much.  (^^;

Also I'm now reading the chapter 25 of the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
I can't help getting excited and a little worried about what lies in wait for me at the end of this book.

先日書いた 『こたつ』 のように、ほとんどの物はしばらく見ないだけでルー君の小さな脳みそから消し去られてしまうんですが、マグカップとくら○んの塩昆布（？）だけは何故か絶対に忘れない。
ひたすら求愛ダンスを披露してみせる対象たる鏡や、愛情表現なのか恐怖のあまりに理性を失っただけなのか、異常なまでの好奇心を示す塩昆布の袋とも違って、マグカップに対しては付かず離れずの距離を保ちつつ、時折くちばしをそっと縁に運ぶという、まるで付き合い始めたばかりの恋人同士のような態度を見せるルー君。
寄り添うだけの関係なのよね。
ちょっと不思議～・・・。 (^m^*)
暖かいから側にいたいのかしら？
私がココアを飲むためにカップを持ち上げると、心配そうに２・３歩追いかけ、テーブルにカップを戻すとまた近くに寄りそう１羽と１個・・・・。
変だろ。

ハリーポッター第６巻も残り100ページをきりましたが、６巻のラストがどうなるのかサッパリ見えてきません。
これからラストにかけて怒濤の展開を見せるのか、ほとんど何も解決しないまま７巻になだれ込むのか・・・
はい。　気合いを入れて読むしかないですね。
頑張ります。　~(=^‥^A

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おこた♪

I finally took out a winter down comforter, and the kotatsu too, from the closet yesterday.
Though I thought it was a little too early to start using the kotatsu, I turned it on because of the chill in the air while reading the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince at midnight.
It was so warm and comfortable, but I have no idea how I'll deal with the cold weather when a full-fledged winter comes. (^^;

Meanwhile, Ruu's reaction to the kotatsu I placed in the center of my (and Ruu's) room was no good.
He, who is getting more nervous about unfamiliar things as he gets older, only glared at it from a distance, looking terribly unpleasant as if he wanted to say he had never seen such a thing before.
Though I tried perching him onto it once, he jumped onto my hand as if seeking the help of me as soon as he landed on it, which was, though I'm sorry to say this to him, dangerously cute.  (*^^*)
Well, I think he'll get used to it soon as he did every time I changed furniture.  (^^;

今頃からこたつを引っ張り出して、真冬には一体どうするつもりなんだと思わないでもないですが、やっぱり気持ちいいです。　＞おこた♪ (*^^*)
ルー君は 『そんな奇妙な物体見たことない！』 とでも言いたそうに遠巻きにこたつを睨み付けてましたが・・・、毎年見てるでしょ？
こたつもこたつカバーも何一つ変えてないのにこの態度。
毎年こたつの上を餌をけ散らかしながら走り回ってるのに、久々の対面に近寄りもしないなんて、何て薄情な脳みそなの。
そんなとこも可愛かったりするんですけどね。 (^^;
昨日はほとんど読書できなかったから、今日は頑張ろうと思いつつ、もう既に睡魔が・・・。 orz

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Darling

I'm in the seventh heaven because I heard the news that my dearest Keisuke Kuwata will release his new single, Darling, on December 5th.
Releases of three singles in a year!  Good job!!
By the way, how's his new album going?
He surely doesn't intend to produce it this time as everyone else is saying, does he?
If so, it's nothing but a disappointment to me because I was really looking forward to the release of his first solo album in five years.
Well, I can't complain about it.
All I can do now is to be waiting for the release date of his new single to come.

I took out a copy of the Mainichi Weekly from the post this morning which I guess must have arrived yesterday because it's kind of wet.
Its astrology column says I might get into a sort of restless mood this week.
When I'm told like that, I tend to get ready to do as I was told.
This kind of thing happens sometimes around you too, doesn't it?  (^^;

Now, I finished reading the chapter 21 of the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince yesterday, and I'm going to read about half of this week's issue of the Mainichi Weekly today.
Maybe....  (^^;

く・・・・・・・、　　首が痛い。　(T-T)
いや～～な予感がするので、今日は気楽に読める毎日ウィークリー中心に読書にいそしむつもりです。
ハリーポッターの方もそれなりに読み進めてますが、登場人物の数の多さに混乱することしばし。
最終巻では200人以上登場するんだっけ？
単なる通りすがりだと思っていた人物が、あとでそれなりに意味を持って再登場（？）することもあるので、混乱はひとしお。
何度も読み直している人が多いのも納得。

それにしても、久しぶりにソロアルバムが聴けるだろうと思っていたのに、発売しないのかしら？
シングル３枚出すから辛抱しろってこと？
来年もソロ活動・・・・ってことはないわよね、きっと。　(/_<。)ﾋﾞｪｪﾝ

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もうすぐ２／３！

It's getting chilly, isn't it?
Especially early in the morning when I open the window and let in cool, clear and fresh air, I feel it not only refreshes me, but makes me a little shiver.
Hmm..., though I'm now using a summer down comforter, I think it's about time I put it away and pulled out one for winter from a closet instead.
Have you already changed your comforters for the new season?

And I'm now reading the beginning of the chapter 19, 380 pages out of 606, more than half of the Harry Potter and the Hal-Blood Prince.
I was shocked all the more at the incident which attacked Ron in the last of the chapter 18 because it was shortly after I laughed and laughed in reading what had happened to him before that.
Also the scene where Nevile came back to their dormitory with his pants singed, it's a blast. (^m^*)
This book seems to me to be funnier where it should make us laugh than any other volumes.
And I can't help feeling it's become much harder to read than the third volume I already read because there're a lot more sentences of which I can't understand the meanings precisely in it, though I can guess them judging by the flow of the story.
(I think one reason of me feeling like that is that while I haven't read the sixth volume translated into Japanese before, I have once read the Japanese version of the third.)

Hmm..., that's all for today. (^^;

いい加減に夏用の掛け布団をなおさないといけないと思いつつ、なかなか実行できずにいます。
羽布団だと夏用でもソコソコ温かいのよね・・・。
ドンドン寒くなってくるし、そのうち痛い目を見そうだわ。　~(=^‥^A

ハリ・ポタ６巻も、今日か明日にでも２／３を読破できそう！
18章では大いに笑わせてもらいました。　(^m^*)
事件もどんどんひどくなっていくけど、笑うべき所では他のどの巻よりも笑えた気がします。
ネビルが服を焦がして帰ってくるシーンや、ロンがある想いに我を忘れて語りまくるシーンでも笑わせてもらいましたが、状況が飲み込めたハリーがそんなロンに対して抱いた感情にも大ウケ♪

さて。　何とか10月中には布団を入れ替えて、６巻も読み終わりたいんだけど・・・、できるかしらん？

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iPodで演歌

As I wrote on this blog, my mother brought Enka CDs to my home yesterday so that I could install them to her brand-new iPod shuffle.
I expected she couldn't have so many CDs, so I couldn't conceal my disappointment when she took out about 20 albums and a few singles the number of which was much beyond my expectations from inside her bag.
After finishing all the troublesome work, now I can see more than 150 titles of Enka music listed on the hard disc of my dear PC, which makes me feel a little depressed for some reason despite my loving to see her delighted face.
Well, it's all over!!
I have to concentrate on my reading much more.

Speaking of reading, I've just finished reading chapter 14 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
To be honest, I don't like the way Ginny talks to or about Ron.
It's so terrible that I can't believe she is the same person who appeared in the second volume of the Harry Potter series!
However, it seems to be not only Ginny but also Harry, Ron and Hermione who are facing various, especially human-relation problems.
Though I feel like it's no longer one kind of children's book, maybe I like it. (^m^*)

自分の大事なPCのハードディスク上に演歌のタイトルが並んでいるのを見ると、何故か滅入ってしまいます。　~(=^‥^A
ＣＤを取り込む際に、たまに音飛びすることがあるし、母様の持ってきたＣＤが傷＆指紋だらけなので、一応チェックだけしておいた方がいいかな～と思いはしたものの、氷川きよしとチェウニ（？）を４，５曲聴いた時点でギブアップしました。
よい子のみんなは絶対にＣＤの光沢面を素手で触らないように！　d(^-^)ネ!
ただ、お母さんの年で、iPodで音楽を聴いてるのって可愛いぞ。
たとえそれが演歌でも・・・

それとハリーポッター。
４巻あたりからハリー達が徐々に難しい時期に入ってきているのを感じてはいましたが、『ジニー、おまえもか・・・』 という感じ。 orz
大きな事件も起こり始めて、いよいよ面白くなってきました。
毎日ウィークリーのロアルド・ダールの小説も、クラシックな展開ではありますが、連載２回目にして目が離せなくなってきましたよ♪
ビールもこの週末で全部（私と彼のお腹の中で）処分したし、今週はもう少し読書に集中できるよう頑張ります。　p(^^)q


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母様とiPod

When my mother told me on the phone the other day that she would come to my home the next day because she had a favor to ask me, I had a bad feeling running through my mind.
On the following day, she appeared as she'd said, and showed me a little plastic case in which a tiny something was placed, beaming at me delightedly.
Getting a better look at the white and blue one, I was surprised to find what it was.
"iPod shuffle!!  How did you get this?  Is this for me?" I asked her, without thinking of the possibility of her using it because she's not good at using any kind of high-tech gadget.
She, however, said flatly, "No, it's mine.  I'm going to use it for myself.  I just want you to make it available for my use."
Then she handed it to me, saying, "I won it in a game!  I want to listen to Enka with it."

.... Enka, Japanese traditional ballad!!
Did you tell me to import or download Enka to my old but important PC?  (T-T)

"Do you have any CDs you want me to import to it?  If so, will you bring them to my home?  If you want me to download some music data from online shops, though it costs you about 200 yen per track, are you okay?" I asked her resignedly.
She said to me she would bring some CDs at a later date, holding out to me two cans of beer and packed meals she'd cooked, perhaps as a token of her appreciation.
I don't know why she chose beer of all things....  orz

どうしてお母さんがわざわざiPodで演歌を聴かなきゃいけないのか、さっぱりわからないのですが、どうやらiPodに音楽を取り込む役は私に（勝手に）決まったようです。
私はPCに音楽を取り込むのに Windows Media Player を使っているので、わざわざiTunesをインストールするところから始めないといけない。
かな～～り面倒ではありますが、まぁ、それぐらいはやりましょう。
問題は、ゲームの賞品に別売りの充電用アクセサリなど付いているはずもないので、最悪、充電が切れるたびに私がPCで充電しなきゃいけないかもしれないこと。
（一応、そういう物が売られているからと母様に話してはみましたが、理解してもらえたかは謎）
しかも、その労力のお礼がビールとおかずってどういうこと？
お酒はできるだけ飲まないようにしてるって、前に言わなかったっけ？
まぁ、結局ありがたく頂いちゃう私も私ですが・・・。　~(=^‥^A

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１／３

I'v read 202 pages out of 607 of the sixth installment of the Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince.
It's almost the end of the chapter 10, so though I think I should have finished reading it, I couldn't do it due to having been overcome with extreme sleepiness.
Through reading the third installment of it, I thought I'd memorized considerable amount of words used in it, and that I would be able to read the sixth more easily than when I had read it, but it turned out to be an overoptimistic view.  (--;
I have to look up a lot more words than I thought in dictionary in spite of my hope that I want to avoid using it as much as possible.
It's so hard for me that I think I would give up reading it if it were not one of the Harry Potter series or as interesting as it.
According to the reference books of helping you read the Harry Potter series in English, about 107,583 words are used in the third volume of it and about 169,907 words in the sixth, and if you read from the first to the last volume of it, it means you read more than 1 million words.
1 million words!!
It's beyond the bounds of my imagination...  (^^;

ハリ・ポタ第６巻の読書が思うように進まないので、日記も滞っているうえに、いつも以上にいい加減になってますが、それはもうこの際ほうっておいて・・・。　~(=^‥^A
明日かあさって、下手すれば今日中にも今週号の毎日ウィークリーが届いちゃうだろうし、冷蔵庫を開けるたびに、先日のバカ騒ぎの名残たる２本の缶ビールが私を誘惑するし、昨夜突然電話をしてきた母上様に面倒なことを頼まれそうだし、ＰＣラックの上ではルー君が思う存分かまってもらえない不満からか、恨めしげに私を見下ろしているし、なかなかいい感じに焦ってます。σ(o^_^o)
それにしても、３巻を読み終えて、結構な量の基本的な動作や感情表現を表す単語を覚えた気でいたんですが、まだこんなに知らない単語が出てくるのか・・・と、ちょっとメゲ気味。
ただそれ以上に、英語でこんなに生き生きと表現できるんだ、とよく考えなくても当然至極な事実にず～～～っと圧倒されっぱなし。
それが自分の英作文に活かされないのが悲しいところではありますが・・・。

今までで一番面白かったのは、学期最初の日、ハグリッドのセリフに対してハリーとロンが交わした会話かな♪
もう１科目ぐらいとってあげてもいいのに、とポツリ。　(^m^*)

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誰のせい？

I usually devote 1-2 hours after lunch and a few hours from 10pm to when I go to bed to my reading, of course it depends on my physical condition or something, though.
It's such a precious time to me that I don't want to let anyone interrupt it, but...I wonder it was all because of the so-called elation of three-day holiday.
One of my friends came to my room after 9pm on Sunday, without letting me know in advance.
I and my SO could say to her nothing but "Please at least call me before you come!"  staring at her passing through the door into my room with a innocent beaming smile on her face.
The worst thing to me, however, was tons of beer she brought with some snacks and delicious packed meals.
It made me feel so sleepy and so much more foolish that I had difficulty reading the sixth volume of the Harry Potter series after she went home around 12pm(!).
I know well it's not her but ME who's to blame without being told, because I was aware I would get drunk more easily than before due to having cut down on my drinking for the past several years.
Yeah, I'm the one to blame for my terrible hangover too!
Besides, other friend of mine called me at night yesterday, and we talked for more than an hour....  orz
I know..., it's also my fault.
I'm always the only one to blame for everything!!  (T_T)

諸々の理由で飲酒を控えるようにして早幾年。
並の男には絶対負けないぐらいお酒が強かったのに、缶ビール数本でいとも容易く酔えるようになってしまいました。
まぁ、安上がりではあります。
ただ、飲酒を控えていると自分に言い聞かせつつ、勧められるとホイホイと手を出してしまう自分が情けない。
することがあるとわかっていて、長電話を止められない自分にもガッカリ。
そうね。　ぜ～んぶ私が悪いのよ。　(/_<。)ﾋﾞｪｪﾝ

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５章終了

I've finished reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince up to page 102: the end of the chapter five.
Although it's still the introductory part of it, and the main part seems not to have begun yet, it gets more unputdownable as each familiar character's come into action one after another.
Especially, a description of Hermione's movement:

Hermione's hands were shaking so much she was making her whole owl tremble

made me imagine such a cute situation, and smile.  (^m^*)
Also I remembered some more things I'd forgotten, for instance, about the Black's house, Tonks' ability, etc!
Recollected memories..., it's undoubtedly one of what causes me great feeling.  (^^)
And although I can see that Harry, Ron and Hermione have been growing up, it's Ginny who surprised me with her dramatic growth!
In my memory, she was only a child!!
How fast children grow up...

I also browsed about half of this week's isuue of the Mainichi Weekly while I read the sixth volume of the Harry Potter series yesterday.
Roald Dahl's short story having newly started since this issue seems to me easier to read than Agatha Christie's.
Well, It's only begun, though.  (^^;

予想通り、６巻はちょっと（？）暗い雰囲気に包まれていて、笑えるシーンになかなかお目にかかれなかったんですが、やっぱりお馴染みのメンバーが出てくると笑えます。 (^m^*)
う～ん、ハーマイオニー、可愛すぎる。　（揺らされちゃってるフクロウ君も♪）
"half a panda" でも可愛い☆
それにしても、『内気でシャイな小さな女の子』 というイメージの強かったジニーが、すっかり生意気でマセた女の子しちゃってるのには驚きました。
（私の中では） ４・５巻のジニーが抜け落ちちゃってるだけに尚更。
抜け落ちちゃってた記憶の幾つかは徐々に戻ってきましたが、５巻は絶対もう一度読み直そう！（いつになるのかは不明ですが）
忘れてた記憶が戻ってくる瞬間って、なかなか快感です。

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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

For me, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", (one of ?) which I got long after lunch yesterday, is full of mystery, puzzles, astonishing facts and my old memories brought back from the bottom of the Lethe for the first time in years.
It's because I have little recollection of the story of the fourth and fifth volumes of the Harry Potter series.
From the first chapter, most pages are filled with the names and incidents I don't remember at all!!
At the same time, there're also several passages that reminded me of, for instance, the place where Black was killed and what a weird building it was, which makes me excited in a strange way and want to reread the Harry Potter series from the first volume.
Just thinking about rereading them, I feel kind of dizzy, although I already felt like running away from the truth: a big bulky book in front of me, yesterday. (^^;
I wonder how long it will take me to finish it.

That's all for today.  (^^; (^^;

覚悟はしてたけど・・・・　すっごく分厚い！！　＞ ハリ・ポタ第６巻
ペーパーバックというより、ちょとした辞書以上の厚みなんですけど・・・。
これだけ厚みのある本を２冊に分けずに売りに出しちゃうなんて、意地悪なんだか親切なんだか・・・。
値段的には１冊にまとめて貰った方が安くあがるんだろうけど、ペーパーバックの魅力たる『持ち運びやすさ』は皆無よね。

それと、多少忘れている箇所があっても、６巻を読んでるうちに思い出すだろうと高を括っていたんですが・・・
誰それ？　何それ？　そんなことあったっけ？　殺人事件？　大脱走？？？
とりあえず思い出せたのは、第５巻の舞台になった場所と、その場所が（詳しく思い出せないけど）とても奇妙な建物だったことぐらいかな。
『あ～、そうだった！』 と、妙にババくさく感慨にふけってしまいました。
ある意味、とってもスリリングな読書となっております。 ~(=^‥^A

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趣味・嗜好

Did you watch the new Chocolife and Wonda TV commercials starring Keisuke Kuwata?
To be honest, neither of them suits my taste.
I saw some women of his fans wrote as their impressions of the one of Chocolife on the Net that he, who is winking at viewers after giving a Chocolife wrapped in his handkerchief to a lady who is sitting alone in tears at a bar counter, was so cool, and that many women would fall in love with him at once, if he did the same thing for them.
Do you think so?  I doubt it.  (^^;
I think he isn't a so-called handsome type of guy.
I prefer his previous Chocolife commercial, in which he was made to do housecleaning in maid costume as a penalty of having lost a chess game. (^m^*)
It's kind of interesting that there're various types of people even in one artist's fans, isn't it?

I bought a book from Amazon yesterday despite not having finished my second round of reading "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban".
It's, needless to say, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince". (^^;
Because I hardly remember the plots of fourth and fifth volumes of the Harry Potter series, I wonder if I can understand it.

桑田さんがバーで一人泣き濡れる女性にチョコを差し出すというショコライフの新しいＣＭを見て、私は実は軽くサブイボ（＝鳥肌）が立ったんですが、いろんな好みの人はいるもので、ある人曰く、『桑田さんにあんなことされたら、女性はイチコロ』 なんだとか・・・。
そうかぁ～？　(--;
美人のお姉さんに気をとられている間にチェスに負けて、メイド姿でお掃除に励む桑田さんの方がウン十倍可愛いくて素敵だと思うんだけどな～。
まぁ、ネットを彷徨っていて、桑田さんを『王子』と呼ぶ一軍に出くわした時ほどのショックではないかな。
『王子』は絶対違うでしょ。　どっから見ても立派な（個人的には）可愛いジジィでしょうに。
好きだから『王子』に見えるのか、『王子』に見えたから好きになったのか・・・。
いずれにせよ、他人の趣味・嗜好は計り知れない。
ちなみに、こんな私でも桑田さんファン。
彼のシャウトを聴くためなら、大金をつぎ込んだって惜しくない。
ただ、持ってないだけ。＞大金　orz

それと、ハリ・ポタ第６巻のUK版、買っちゃった～～！ （ヒェ～～！）
３巻のオーディオブックは１１章まで聴いて、また最初から聴き直しているところです。
楽しんで聴いてはいるんだけど、新しい展開、もしくは刺激を求めてしまうのです。
問題は４巻と５巻の内容をほとんど覚えていないこと。
ハグリッドに好きな人ができたような気がするんだけど、どうなったんだっけ？
第５巻であの人が死んだことは覚えているんだけど、闘っていた相手って誰がいたっけ？
ま、いっか。　６巻を読むうちに思い出すかもしれないし。
ダメなら、４巻から読み直しかな。
また買い直さなきゃいけないのが辛いけどね。　~(=^‥^A

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変わり目

I can't believe it's October already!
On the other hand, I welcome the fact that it's got really cool without suffering from scorching heat and intolerable humidity even in the daytime.
I pulled out long-sleeved T-shirts from deep inside a wardrobe, and brought an electric lap blanket being used only for my little Ruu, a 7-year-old budgerigar, into use because he's easily affected by sudden change in temperature.
Though I don't know if it's thanks to the heating appliance, Ruu, who is perching on top of my PC rack, singing to the music, grooming his feathers, sometimes running up to the closest edge of the rack to me and looking down at me as if checking what I'm doing, is in top shape today too. (^^)

Agatha Christie's serial novel in the Mainichi Weekly I'd looked forward to is to be over this week, and Roald Dahl's serial short story is to start from next week's issue.
Roald Dahl!!
I wanted to read his "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", which is well known for being made into a film of the same title starring Johnny Depp, for a long time!
I hear his every short story is also interesting.
I can't wait for the next issue!!  (^^)

昼間でも我慢できないほど気温が上がることもなくなりましたが、もう１、２回ぐらいは暑さが戻ったりするんでしょうか？
ルー君（我が家のセキセイインコ）は急激な温度変化に弱いので、この時期は油断大敵です。
早々とカゴにかけてもらったルー君専用電気ひざ掛けのおかげかどうかはわかりませんが、ルー君は今日も絶好調。
このまま季節の変わり目を何事もなく乗り切れますように。 Amen.

それと、毎週楽しみにしていた毎日ウィークリーのアガサ・クリスティーの連載が終わります！！
『いや～ん、ショック』 と思ったら、来週からはロアルド・ダールの短編が連載されるというお知らせが・・・♪
一度は読んでみたかったロアルド・ダール！
偉いぞ、毎日ウィークリー。
それでこそ３ヶ月の定期購読から６ヶ月の契約に切り替えた甲斐があるというもの。
楽しみだぁ～♪♪♪　=＾-＾=

季節の変わり目には、身の回りのいろいろなことにも変化があるようですね。
一番大きな所では郵政民営化が今日から本格的に始まりますが、何よりもまずは、お体を大切に・・・　m(__)m

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