Replacing Desk Scissors ― 2023/07/23
A handle of my desk scissors got broken. I hadn't thought scissors could be useless while the blade is still sharp enough. This means (at least for me) this thing died too young without fulfilling its given role. I know I am exaggerating.
ハサミの柄が折れました。刃は大丈夫なのに、こういうことで使えなくなることもあるのですね。大袈裟とは思いますが、このはさみは天寿をまっとうできなかったなあ、と思いました。
To avoid this kind of tragedy, I found all-metal scissors at Standard Products, a new brand Daiso has launched recently.
で、こういう悲劇を避けようと、今回はスタンダードプロダクツ（まあ、ダイソー）で. 全部金属製のはさみを見つけました。
770 yen
I hope they will last while I am alive.
私が生きている間はもってくれるといいのですが。
Instant Jewelry Making ― 2023/04/29
I have been looking for a necklace with a frog pendant ever since I saw this in a style book a couple of years ago.
この本で見たカエルのネックレスが欲しいなあと思って、
As the credit read that it was from George Jensen, I tried to find it online (as we were in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis then), regardless of whether it was new or second-hand, without success.
コロナ禍の間、ネットで新品・中古を問わずに探してみましたがありませんでした。本にはジョージ・ジャンセンのものだとありましたが、もちろん廃番。
After a while, I came up with an idea that I might be able to make something similar by repurposing parts of my old jewelry sleeping in my drawer.
そのうち、家にある古いアクセサリーを再利用して似たようなものが作れないかな？と思いつきました。
The material came from these: a short necklace and earring that I got over 30 years ago at a shop called Baghdad Moos located in Ohashi.
チャームには30年以上前に買ったネックレスを使うことにしました。大橋にあった、「バグダッドムーン」という店で購入したものです。
At that time, so-called "ethnic" jewelry, made mainly in South-East and East Asian countries, was so affordable, almost the same price as a thin paperback, that I bought some with no particular reason--I just wanted to own them myself.
購入当時は、東南アジアや東アジア各国で作られた「エスニック」アクセサリーは廉価で、大体薄目の文庫本1冊くらいの値段で買うことができました。なので、ただ持っていたいから、という理由で何点か購入したものがあるのです。
Now the pendant charm was ready. I needed some supplies to turn the pendant into a complete necklace.
ペンダントヘッドはこれでいけるということにして、ネックレスに仕立て上げるにはパーツがいくつか必要です。
I first visited a jewelry supply store called Kiwa Seisakusho in PARCO where I was treated in a rather humiliating manner. Probably I was not their preferrable customer. In current Japan, customers are no longer merchants' gods.
Anyway, then, almost in tears, I went to another parts store called Parts Club in SORALIA STAGE above Nishitetsu Fukoka Station.
部品調達のため、まずはパルコの貴和製作所というところに行ってみましたが、けんもほろろの扱いを受けました。きっと私はお店にとって望ましい客ではなかったのでしょう。もはや「お客様は神様です」は通用しない世の中です。
それはさておき、ちょっと泣きそうになりながら、次にパーツクラブに行ってみました。こちらは西鉄福岡駅の上にあるソラリアステージにあります。
Image retrieved from 店舗情報 九州地方 | Parts Club
There I was served (or looked after) nicely. A shop assistant gave me a literally helping hand; suggesting everything I needed, guiding me how to handle them, and even offering a space and tools to assemble them on site.
ここでは親切にしてもらえました（というより、介護されたというべきかも）。お店のお嬢さんは必要なものをすべてそろえてくれて、その使い方も教えてくれて、なんならお店の道具で作っていったら？とまで言ってくれる、まさにかゆいところに手の届く接客ぶり。
I bought a one meter of chain （280 yen), a set of connectors (110yen) and a pair of hooks （140 yen), and started my project with the girl's encouragement.
そこで、1mのチェーンとなんかつなげるための金具と、留め金にするフックを購入し、お嬢さんの励ましを受けて作業を始めました。
Here the process of my necklace making:
1. Cult the chain at the desired length. This time I went for 80cm as I needed a quite long necklace so that the pendant would not hide under what I wear even if it was a deep V-neck.
1．チェーンを好みの長さにカット。今回はVネックを着てもペンダント部分が福に隠れないよう、80㎝にしました。
2. Connect a tiny ring called "Maru Kan" to both ends of the chain, which was toughest part for me and my eyes.
2．丸カンという小さな輪をチェーんの両端に取付け。ここが一番私の目には厳しい工程でした。
Without the shop assistant's encouragement and a series of advice, I would have given up the whole project at this point.
お嬢さんの励ましと助言がなかったら、この時点で挫折していたでしょう。
3. Attach the hooks to the maru-kan.
3. フックを丸カンに取付けて出来上がり。
Ta-da! My new necklace was born! Took around 15 minutes of tears and sweats. With a cost of around 570 yen (including tax).
制作（？）所要時間は約15分、費用はおよそ570円（税込み）でした。
DIY Battery Replacing ― 2023/04/17
My 7-year-old cheap Casio has run out of its power. As I didn't like to spent a fortune to get a professional (the watch itself cost 980yen and professional battery replacement comes at over 1000 yen), I tried it myself which cost 110 yen. A great saving!
7年前に買った安いカシオの腕時計の電池が切れました。980円で買った時計の電池交換に1000円以上払うのは嫌だったので、自分でやってみたら、費用は電池代110円で済みました。得した気分。
Details of DIY battery replacement can be found here.
Splash Out at Dentist ― 2023/03/02
I used to splash out on all-night Karaoke, taxi rides and European-made shoes and clothing...but you can't stay in bubble age forever.
Now my shopping sprees usually take place at reception at my dentist's office where today I bought two toothbrushes, a tongue brush and a foaming tooth paste at around 2300 yen in total.
You need to spend more in order to (wishing to, to be more precise) avoid pain and death, rather than to improve your appearance or to enjoy a good time. You know this only after having lived a half century with three emperors.
かつてはオールナイトカラオケやタクシーやヨーロッパ製の服や靴にうつつを抜かしていた私ですが...いつまでもバブルのままではいられません。
今、私がガンガンお金を使うのは、歯医者の受付となりました。今日は歯ブラシ2本と舌ブラシ、泡歯磨き粉に2300円ほど、パーっと行きました。
半世紀も生きて、天皇陛下も3人も変わると、見た目を良くしたり、楽しくしていることよりも、（できれば）苦しんだり死んだりしないためにかかるお金が増えます…。
Update on 100-yen Shops ― 2022/02/16
At a local Seria, a more stylish sort of 100 yen shops in my opinion, I have found there were much less metal goods, such as ladles, clips and small trays, than there used to be.
In fact, I was looking for a small metal tray that should work as a "ladle rest" in the kitchen.
The shelves were filled with things made of melamine, plastic and vinyl. I had to compromise on a plastic bowl, thinking metal is no longer available for this type of shops due to the ever-rising commodity prices. On my way home, I realized we are going through a massive stagflation.
Then, only after getting home did I realize that plastic bowls could be melted or distorted, and may even produce toxic gas when used close to fire.
Then, a couple of days later at Daiso, another 100 yen giant, I easily found exactly what I had been looking for.
Idiot me...I could have checked Daiso's online store in the first place.
Gloves of Hope ― 2021/12/14
107 yen(including tax) at a local hardware store
A pair of stretchy warm gloves are essential to walk or cycle around in Fukuokan mild winter. The beauty of this kind of gloves is freedom of movement: they allow me to pick up changes putting them. They also withstand well with carrying heavy shopping bags and steering the handle bar of bicycle throughout winter (though they will be entirely covered with lint by March). If it get much colder, I just put on another layer of them.
Last year I even didn't think I should buy them because I didn't go out at all. So, it might be nice to get them this year, which mean at least I am thinking about going out little further and more often than I did last year. It might even be possible to pay a Hatsumode visit to a local shrine during the New Year period, which I couldn't this year.
I Couldn't Agree More! ― 2021/07/31
I like this newspaper advertisement, which points out exactly what I feel about recent "personalized" web advertisement.
It reads (roughly and biasedly translated by me):
You can see us (the add) with a peace of mind as we do not try to use you in unfair ways.
- We don't say; "tell us whether you want to buy the advertised product after seeing this"!
- We also don't say: "We give you some points, you give us your personal information"!
- We don't count how many of you stop reading this particular newspaper advertisement before the end!
- We don't say: "you have seen this add. Then you must see that add, too"!
- We don't say: "You have bought this after seeing the add. Then you must buy this once again"!
- We don't want to know when and where you come across this add!
- We don't scrutinize what you would do after seeing this add!
- We just hope you might think..."Oh, I haven't seen this, maybe I will try this one day"...
The advertiser Kincho, has been known for its edgy advertisement despite of being a long-established iconic company. And I personally think that it is very good at dealing with individual consumer inquiries. Actually when I call the company to ask where I could get one of their relatively rare products, I was so impressed by their niceness even through the phone. So impressed that I even tried to get their shares to cheer them. But they are not listed, which might be their only shortcoming.
Filleted Slippers ― 2021/02/17
This is my first time to have seen slippers dismembered.
I got them in December last year and two months later they fell apart.
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