January 3, 2002
Fifth Log: Chihiro and Masaaki

Chihiro: Hello, Masaaki.
Chihiro: It's Chihiro from school.

Masaaki: Hi Chihiro!
Masaaki: What a surprise!
Masaaki: Happy New Year!

Chihiro: Happy New Year!
Chihiro: And thank you for the New Year's Card.
Chihiro: I'm sorry, I didn't send you one.

(Translator note: It is a tradition in Japan to send New Year's cards, "Nengajo".)

Masaaki: That's ok, you don't know my address here.
Masaaki: I didn't know you had my screen name.

Chihiro: I got it from Risa.
Chihiro: You remember her?

Masaaki: Sure I do.
Masaaki: What a coincidence, I just thought of her.

Chihiro: Really? Why?

Masaaki: I got the book "Install" from Risa Wataya from my uncle.
Masaaki: Just the name resemblance.

Chihiro: Oh, that book.
Chihiro: It's quite popular now.

(Translator note: Risa Wataya won with her first novel "Install" ("Instoru") the prestigious Japanese Bungei Literary Award 2001 being only 17 years old. The book came out November 2001 and sold 150,000 copies in the first three months.)

Chihiro: Did you take a look at it yet?

Masaaki: Not much.

Chihiro: I'm not sure whether I'm interested in reading about Internet chat rooms…

Masaaki: You're chatting right now!

Chihiro: I know, but, I don't do it much.

Masaaki: What an honor for me.

Chihiro: Actually I wanted to talk to you about something.
Chihiro: Do you remember the last time we talked at school?

Masaaki: Sure I do, and I'm sorry for having said what I did.

Chihiro: I want to apologize, too.
Chihiro: I shouldn't have run away like I did.
Chihiro: It's hard for me to talk about my dad's job.

Masaaki: I can imagine.
Masaaki: I've done some reading too, about CITES and the IWC, like you said.
Masaaki: It seems the whole thing is quite complex.

(Note: CITES: Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species, IWC: International Whaling Commission.)

Chihiro: It's not all black and white.
Chihiro: And my dad is not a whaler, he's also in research.

Masaaki: The "Scientific Whaling"…

Chihiro: Yes, but he's not out on the ships. He travels a lot.
Chihiro: We all want to stop whaling, but we know so little about it all.
Chihiro: And there are many different opinions about it all.
Chihiro: Did you know, there are about 100 different species of whales, dolphins and porpoises?
Chihiro: Well, we have to know more about their environment.
Chihiro: On the other hand, it really is wrong to kill them, I believe that just like you.

Masaaki: That's all true.

Chihiro: My dad also tries to negotiate between the countries, so results of all the research is shared.
Chihiro: I admit, there are people who think quite different.
Chihiro: But even those aren't all bad, I guess.
Chihiro: I'm sorry, I always get excited when I talk about this.

Masaaki: That's ok.

Chihiro: Maybe we can meet sometime and talk about it more.
Chihiro: Although even my father doesn't tell me all…

Masaaki: I'd like to.
Masaaki: Where does your father travel to?

Chihiro: Norway and Germany mostly, also Iceland, and to the USA.
Chihiro: He speaks fluently Norwegian, and I learn from him.

Masaaki: You speak Norwegian?

Chihiro: Not a lot yet, but it's very interesting.
Chihiro: Did you know they actually have two versions of the language?
Chihiro: An old and a new one, although the new one is actually the older one.
Chihiro: And both are used today.

Masaaki: I don't quite get it, but it sounds interesting.

Chihiro: I'll explain it to you, if you like.
Chihiro: I like languages, they are all different.
Chihiro: Like if they were alive.
Chihiro: My dad sometimes brings foreign books home from his travels.
Chihiro: Then I look at all those words and hope one day I will know what they mean.

Masaaki: I only know English so far…

Chihiro: That's an important language.
Chihiro: I'd like to make an exchange year, later.

Masaaki: Where, in America?

Chihiro: Maybe, I don't know yet.
Chihiro: Maybe in Norway.
Chihiro: But their school year is always from summer till summer…

(Translator note: The Japanese school year always starts April 1st. Spring vacation is usually from March 26th to April 5th.)

Masaaki: That seems to be a dream of you, doesn't it?

Chihiro: No, not really, my dreams are different.

Masaaki: Did you dream anything yesterday?

Chihiro: Yeah.
Chihiro: Did you?

Masaaki: I know I had a strange dream, but I can't seem to remember any of it.
Masaaki: It was like from another world.

Chihiro: I know what you mean.
Chihiro: I don't always remember mine very clearly.

Masaaki: So you too don't really remember yesterday's dream?

Chihiro: No yesterday's dream I remember quite well.

(Translator note: There is believe in Japan that the first dream of the new year (January 1st to January 2nd) is of importance.)

Masaaki: Tell me about it.

Chihiro: I don't know, it's quite personal.

Masaaki: Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude you.

Chihiro: That's ok, it was nothing embarrassing.
Chihiro: It was pretty short, but I dreamt it several times that night.

Masaaki: Always the same?

Chihiro: Yes. It started with Mount Fuji, and a hawk flying up high.
Chihiro: Then Mount Fuji changed into another mountain, with lots of ice.
Chihiro: Maybe even a volcano.
Chihiro: And the hawk changed into a dragon.
Chihiro: When the dragon came close to me, I always woke up.

Masaaki: Hm…
Masaaki: I don't know what that means.
Masaaki: But Mount Fuji is a good sign, don't you think?

Chihiro: Maybe.
Chihiro: I hope so.
Chihiro: I dream a lot, but not of Mount Fuji.

Masaaki: I believe, there is some truth in dreams.

Chihiro: I believe so too.

Masaaki: I hope your dreams will come true one day.

Chihiro: I hope so too.
Chihiro: What are your dreams about?

Masaaki: Oh, all kinds of stuff.
Masaaki: Mostly weird stuff, that wouldn't come true anyway.
Masaaki: I'd like to become a professional musician.
Masaaki: I decided yesterday to start learning playing the Koto.
Masaaki: Maybe it was part of my dream, I'm not sure.

Chihiro: I like traditional music.

Masaaki: Hey, you dreamt of a dragon, and a Koto is like a dragon.
Masaaki: Quite a coincidence, don't you think?

(Translator note: the Koto is a traditional Japanese instrument with 13 string, between 60 and 80 inches long. Some parts of the Koto are named after a dragon: Ryuko (dragon's back), Ryubi (dragon's tail) and Tsume (claws). Japanese schools are starting to teach more traditional music now.)

Chihiro: There is often meaning in coincidences.
Chihiro: Even if we don't see it.
Chihiro: Will you learn in High School, or take private lessons?

Masaaki: I think I didn't tell you yet.
Masaaki: I'll be visiting the High School here, and move to my grandparents.

Chihiro: You're moving away?
Chihiro: Why?

Masaaki: The High School here is much better in teaching music. There are more clubs, too.
Masaaki: I have better chances after school.
Masaaki: And I still know some friends from when I lived here.

Chihiro: Oh,
Chihiro: I wish you luck, then.

Masaaki: Thanks,
Masaaki: I won't be going until April, of course.
Masaaki: Do you know yet, which High School you want to attend?

Chihiro: Not really, I still have a year left to think about it.
Chihiro: But I guess I'll visit the local one here.

(Note: the actual name of the High School was mentioned, but will not be made public.)

Masaaki: Yeah, it's not that important yet.
Masaaki: What you do after High School is far more significant.

Chihiro: I don't know about that, either.
Chihiro: There're always a lot of thoughts in my head.

Masaaki: I'd like to hear them.
Masaaki: We can always chat online, after I move away.

Chihiro: I know, but…
Chihiro: I don't like it that very much.
Chihiro: I'd rather write emails, gives me more time to think what I write.

Masaaki: Fine with me.
Masaaki: Did you do anything special to celebrate New Year?

Chihiro: Yes.
Chihiro: Yesterday I traveled with my mom to see the "Sumida River Shichifukujin", that was a wish of mine.

Masaaki: How was it?

Chihiro: It was nice, but really crowded.
Chihiro: Especially the Mimeguri Shrine.
Chihiro: I don't like crowded places so very much.

(Translator note: Shichifukujin (The Seven Deities of Good Fortune) are displayed in Shrines and Temples throughout Japan at the beginning of each year, mostly one of the Gods dedicated to one location. The Mimeguri Shrine, starting point of the Sumida River Shichifukujin in Tokyo, is one of the oldest and most popular ones.)

Masaaki: Me neither.
Masaaki: Although I think it's good, that people remember their roots and traditions.

Chihiro: Yes, I think so too.
Chihiro: I wish they wouldn't only think of it once a year.
Chihiro: During the rest of the year people have other things on their minds.

Masaaki: That's true.
Masaaki: Well, the world is difficult enough with what there is to think of every day.
Masaaki: They all have their own problems.

Chihiro: I guess so.
Chihiro: I don't blame them.
Chihiro: I'd like to live somewhere with only few people around.

Masaaki: Well, we have a rather dense population here in Japan.
Masaaki: You can move to the north, into the mountains.

Chihiro: I don't know.
Chihiro: Well, I don't have to decide yet.

Masaaki: Right.
Masaaki: Oh, my family is calling me, it's time to go.

Chihiro: Ok, see you then at school, I guess.

Masaaki: Yes, until then.

Chihiro: Bye.

Masaaki: Bye.