Letter 1 ( Dec.08.1998 )
Dear friends,
How are you getting along?
I'm fine.
Christmas is drawing near so I read the Bible today.
"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good things of great joy, which shall be to all poeple. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethelehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them." (the Gospel according to St.Luke) Everyone knows this story but reading it at this time of the year, I am always moved freshly.
How about you?
Well, I wish you all
A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!!
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Letter 2 ( Jan.10.1999 )
Dear friends,
I hope you are getting along quite well.
I'm fine.
This month I'll give you a question in math.This question, which I found in the Readers' Digest, is very interesting to me. Please solve it.
"A woman drives to work at an average speed of 60 miles per hour. She returns home over the same route at an average speed of 45 m.p.h. What is her average speed for the round trip?
a)45 m.p.h. b)48 m.p.h. c)51 m.p.h. d)53 m.p.h. e)56 m.p.h."
Did you solve it? Here's the answer.
Let it be supposed that the distance between home and work is x miles. Then the time required from home to work is x/60 and the time from work to home is x/45. So the turnaround time is x/60+x/45=7x/180.
What is the average speed for the round trip? 2x*180/7x=360/7=51.428, that is, c) is a right answer. Do you understand?
By the way, on Jan.2, I went to Mt. Kootsu in Tokushima, which is about 1,100 meters high and on its top there is a Buddhist mountaineering asceticism's temple called Kootsuji-temple. Powdery snow was falling and both the mountain and the temple were clothed in their coat of snow.
See you next time in February!
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