English names

There are many difficult linkages for me to learn abbreviations for English names.

Abbreviations -- Original names
Mary --- Elizabeth
Bob --- Robert
Dick --- Richard

I can find the Bob and Dick in my dictionary but can not find the Mary part. Actually I've learned it from an American guest the other day. I felt this earth almost went round the opposite when he told it to me! :o

I asked him"How can I notice Mary = Elizabeth!? "
He just laughed and said " No idea, some people just say that way".


If it's Eliza, it's easy and no problem. If it's Beth, still okay but..... why Mary! Grrr

There are some other interesting combinations around. Jay is for Jason, Jim is for James. When J for Jim is replaced into T ( Tim ), it's for Timothy.
Chris could be both for Christopher and Christine, Christina.
Steph could be Steve and Stephanie.

I know English is complicated because it's not my mother tongue. Wonder this kind of things are not tough for English speaking people or not ....

Hayaokidori website

First snow and autumn foliage

A distant view of the symbolic Hakuba 3 mountains with the first snow. Please click the picture to see the thumbnail!






I took those autumn foliage pictures early in the morning today when I walked around. They look clearer early in the morning. Please click each picture to see the thumbnails, so beautiful.

Hayaokidori website.

Harvested sweet potatoes 2007

Have to take them out very gently or they break in two.






All potatoes we harvested this year. The green things are sweet potato runners. When people in the generation survived the WW2 find this sweet potato runners, they cook them telling younger generations that they ate them at that time because not enough things around to eat - especially in big cities where not enough farms were around.


A dish of fried sweet potato runners. Nothing special in taste, but I guess even this kind of things must have been very important thing to fill stomaches if there were not enough things to eat. Lately people seem to have better opinions for it becuase they have much dietary fiber.



Daikon - the Japanese raddish. What should I cook with it for tonight?

Hayaokidori website

Repainting sidetables

Done all before it gets too cold to do the work.

First snow 2007 in Hakuba

Snow has arrived at the top of mountains for the first time this autumn.

You can find autumn leaves at the upper part of the ski slopes in this picture, still greener leaves at the bottom. Then snow at the top of background mountains. That is what people call "Sandan Koyo" (3 color autumn leaves if dare translated ) here.


Smoked some rice shells. A seasonal stuff at this time of the year in my place.

Hayaokidori website

Autumn leaves at Hakuba Happo one

Autumn leaves have been coming down the mountains, now it has come down around 1,400 meters above sea level here in Hakuba.


Grasses at the ski slopes are still greener than other leaves around.
I think autumn leaves are now coming down the mountains 1 or 2 weeks latter than usual. Probably the peak around our place will be around at the end of this month to the first half of next month. Join us to enjoy autumn leaves here in Hakuba.

Hayaokidori website

Swedish gratin

Saw this receipt on TV yesterday though they didn't mention what to prepare. I just tried to cook one by myself on my way. Prepared some potatoes, anchovies, onions, butter, flour, milk, macaroni, salt and white pepper. Anchovies are so salty, so I used less salt than usual for other stuff.

I put some macaronis at one side of the plate, didn't put any at the other side to check the difference. Some prefer this plate with macaroni, some do without macaroni. It seems it depends on who has it.

Hayaokidori website