The Behaviour of My Dog I have a dog in my house. She is a small Yorkshire terrier. She has been a part of our family for 12 years. At first, I was a little scared to interact with my dog, because it was my first time to have a pet. My dog also seemed nervous when I rubbed her. Over the years, I was able to stroke her without the fear of being bitten. I have noticed my dog seemed relaxed in my arm too. I was very happy to find this out. I thought she may sensed my attitude towards her. How clever a dog is!

Thank You Note I would like to say 'Thank you' to all who took their time to read my notebook entries and corrected my mistakes. I am learning a lot from my mistakes. Some people are very kind to leave encouraging comments for me which makes me want to learn English more. Sadly I am not able to help them back with their learning, as not everyone is learning Japanese. Today, I just wanted to express how much I appreciate their help. I am very lucky to find this amazing community.

The Reason Why I Started Sewing I went to a sewing lesson in Tokyo today. I have been learning to sew interior accessories and garments for more than five years. My mother used to make dresses for me when I was a child. I remember that I adored these dresses more than the ones purchased from shops. This is why I started taking sewing classes. At first, I felt it very difficult and I was disappointed about not being inherited the creative talent from my mother. However, as I kept practicing, I became able to make items which seemed impossible to make at the beginning. A big achievement can be brought by small effort combined together.

Easy Recipe: Cod and Vegetables in Tomato Soup I cooked dinner for my family today. I made cod and vegetables in tomato soup. It is easy to make and contains high nutrition. First of all, cut onions, carrots and potatoes into a little bigger than bite size, then fly them with olive oil and a bit of garlic. Secondly, pour water which is enough to just cover the vegetables and boil until they are soft. In the meantime, fly cod with olive oil until the surface gets nicely burned. Add cod and tomato soup into vegetables. Finally seasons with salt and pepper if necessary. I sometimes like to add cheese for extra taste.

My Summer Holiday Memory in Yukata I wore a Yukata which is a traditional Japanese costume especially worn in summer. Yukata is a light-weight costume than Kimono. Japanese people usually like to wear Yukata for watching fireworks and going to summer festivals. There were not any special events around my neighbourhood today, however my mother and I wanted to wear Yukata in order to make a good memory together. We went outside to take pictures and have tea and cakes. As I do not often wear Yukata, I was struggling to wear it nicely. Wearing Yukata is not straightforward, therefore we need to learn and practise. Yukata can be seen as summer symbol in Japan. I am curious what people associate with summer in their own countries.

Out Visit to Jindaiji Temple in Tokyo I visited Jindaiji Temple with my ex-colleague today. It is the second oldest temple in Tokyo after Sensoji Temple. Although it was Saturday, there were not many visitors. Maybe because the weather was very hot. The name 'Jindai' derives from the name of the God of water, therefore there were several ponds around. They were very beautiful and we could find some carps and birds in the ponds. We saw Budda which was created more than 1200 years ago and is now desgnated as a national treasure. It is a very good place for enjoying historical archtecture and nature in Tokyo away from many tourists.

Afternoon Baking on Friday Evening I made plain and cocoa biscuits today. Those are in the shape of teapots, rabbits and hearts which look very adorable. I like baking because I enjoy following the sequential process of measuring ingredients, mixing and putting them in a oven. Unlike cooking meals, baking often involves accuracy. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. During the process of baking, I usually think about persons who I want to share the sweets with.

Does seeking for a passion the best way to find a job? I was running a interior design business after I graduated from university. Interior design and being creative has always been my passion and I was very sure that I would like my job at that time. I was required to handle everything. I created a e-commerce website, arranged imports of textiles, managed finance and produce soft furnishing products. Consequently, I forgot to enjoy weekends. Activities which I enjoyed as hobbies became compulsory, hence they were not my hobbies anymore. I needed to give up what I truly wanted to adopt, in order to keep product costs lower. I found some business clients, however I was alone most time of a day. Even though my business was growing, I have decided to try a completely new occupation. I had a chance to work in a trading company as an administrator. To be honest, I was not sure if I would like the work at that time because I was not particularly interested in office paperwork. Despite the fact, I found myself being very happy to go to the office every day. I could get over difficult tasks by cooperating with my co-workers. I have learnt a lot of skills from my colleagues. Once again, I had some spare time to enjoy my hobbies. Some encourages me to find a field which I can be really passionate about. I think this can be a good approach to find a dream job. However, I have learnt that is not the only way to find a suitable job for me. I still enjoy selling my soft furnishing products as a hobby.

Positive Attitude I strongly believe that being positive and having a can-do attitude bring me better outcomes. When I meet someone, I talk to them with a smiling face so that they can also feel positive. Even if I was tired at work in the evening, my level of stress was decreased when my colleague spoke to me with her smiling face.