今日はユニバーサルスタジオの日、ホテルに戻ってきたのは１０:２０でした。

みんな疲れているにもかかわらず泳ぎたかった。　

今朝は、子どもたち７人が全員１０:１５まで起きなかったのでユニバーサルスタジオの時間がちょっと短くなりましたが、とても楽しかったです。

Curious George(ひとまねこざる) Water Parkで遊ぶのがみんなは楽しかったです。皆ぬれました。とっても楽しいアトラクションにも行きました。その中のシュレック＆シンプソンでは、やすこちゃんはとても怖かったそうです。

明日はサンディエゴのSea Worldとメキシコへ小旅行です。　明日は９時にはホテルを出る予定です。もしみんな疲れていたら、途中でのビーチはスキップかな？

Hello 今、夜１０:２０。　ディズニーランドから10時に戻ってきて、やすこちゃん以外はホテルのプールで泳いでいます。

みちこさんは朝５:３０に目覚め、ロバートは７:３０、そしてほかの人たちは９:３０に起きました。今朝は１０時にマクドナルドに行き、夜の１０時までディズニーランドにいました。とっても楽しかったです。　

ゆうき君はガンシューティングが一番気に入ったようで、はるか君とはるちゃんとみさこちゃんはジェットコースターが一番楽しかったようです。やすこちゃんはディズニーストアがお気に入りでした。なおちゃんとりんちゃんは、自分のオリジナルのぬいぐるみが作れるお店が気に入りました。みちこさんはゆうきちゃんのお世話に大忙し。ランチはホットドッグでした。夕食はホテルで泳いだあとピザとカップラーメンでした。　

ロバートはジェットコースターが一番楽しかった。

明日はユニバーサルスタジオへ行きます(^o^)/

はるちゃんがジェットコースターに乗ったとき帽子を無くしてしまいました。明日見つかるといいんですが。　

Hello　台湾は楽しかったです。

ロサンゼルスでは、空港を出るのに一時間ほどかかり、ロバートの電車ミスがちょっとあったものの6時ごろホテルに無事到着しました。

子どもたちは泳ぎました。そのあとピザを食べに出かけました。

明日は一日中ディズニーランドです。　みんな元気だよ。

Ai-chan hoping to shine at Olympic table tennis

Ai Fukuhara is no longer just a table tennis idol and has been on a crusade to perfect her game against the best players in the world. It is no wonder the 19-year-old, arguably the most famous Japanese athlete in China, has been busy immersing herself in Chinese culture for several years as she aims to bring home a medal with her countrywomen from the Beijing Olympics.

The reality is that Japan will have few chances, if any, to win medals in the men’s and women’s singles, but pulling off a surprise is no dream in the men’s and women’s team events.

Fukuhara and her teammates Sayaka Hirano and Haruna Fukuoka are keenly aware that the odds are well against them, but they will nonetheless be looking to make the podium in the women’s team event after finishing with a bronze for the fourth consecutive time at this year’s world championships in Guangzhou, China.

The Japanese men matched the women with a third-place finish, winning their first world championship medal since taking bronze in 2000. In Beijing, however, the road to a medal is rockier simply because they have to win one more match to nudge their way onto the podium if they are beaten in the semis again.

At any event, the focus of attention will undoubtedly be on Fukuhara, who has helped promote sports and cultural exchanges between Japan and China as a goodwill ambassador and a grass roots diplomat.

‘‘Being a table tennis player helps me deepen friendship between the two countries and it’s a good thing, although I wonder if I’m the best person to play such a role,’’ said Fukuhara, who first learned table tennis from a Chinese coach as a 3-year-old and had practice in China almost every year by the time she became 10.

‘‘I had lunch with (Chinese) players there and everyone helped me a lot, making me feel at home. I didn’t even feel that they were people in a foreign country,’’ Fukuhara recalled.

Fukuhara, who has been named the youngest flag-bearer for a Japanese Olympic delegation and speaks fluent Chinese, played in China’s Super League for two years from 2005 and her popularity in the country is seen as a major advantage in the Olympic competition.

Fukuhara thinks the Beijing Olympics will provide a stage where she can prove that she has grown into a world-class player out of all those experiences that linked her with China.

‘‘It seems to me that in the Beijing Olympics, China will be several times as strong as it normally is. It’s not at home to me but it’s not away, either. I really want to produce results this time. It’s an Olympics that sets the stage for me to return favors to many people all at once.’’

Her teammate Hirano is a four-time national champion and got a big confidence boost when she beat Athens Olympic singles bronze medalist Kim Kyung Ah of South Korea for the first time with a straight-sets win at the Ogimura Cup in May.

Japan women’s coach Kinji Kondo acknowledges Hirano’s mental toughness and says her presence on the team could help in achieving an unprecedented feat.

‘‘The gods of table tennis are always looking out to extend their hands to a player like Hirano,’’ Kondo said.

The team event features four singles matches and one doubles match. Fukuoka is highly likely to play in the doubles match, which is seen as holding the key to Japan’s quest for a spot on the podium.

At 24, Fukuoka is the oldest of the trio and possesses a wide assortment of serves that can dazzle her opponents.

China, headed by world No. 1 Zhang Yining, is in a league by itself and is looking for a gold medal sweep in all men’s and women’s events. Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea are also standing in the way of Japan’s medal quest.

The Japanese men’s team will feature 19-year-old Jun Mizutani, Chinese-born Yo Kan and Seiya Kishikawa.

Mizutani beat Athens Olympic silver medalist Wang Hao at the 2005 Asian championships and has a penchant for performing well on the big stage, while Kan has a variety of weapons in his armory.

Kishikawa became the first high school student in 52 years to reach the semifinals at the 2005 national championships and has experience in Germany’s top league.

Once again China is considered the odds-on favorite and the Japanese men’s practical target is to beat such close rivals as South Korea, Germany, Hong Kong and Taiwan to realize its long-held dream.

Japan has never won a medal since table tennis became an Olympic sport at the 1988 Seoul Olympics but is hoping for a change of fortune in the Chinese capital.

Apple sells 1 million iPhones in first 3 days
Apple Inc said Monday it sold 1 million iPhones in the first three days its newest model was on the market.
“IPhone 3G had a stunning opening weekend,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, in a statement.
However, Jobs did not address widespread software problems that plagued the launch.
On Friday, Apple’s servers buckled as buyers tried to activate new iPhones in stores, while owners of older iPhones and the iPod Touch were updating and reactivating their devices.
In stores, employees who couldn’t get the new iPhones working sent shoppers home to try again on their own later. At the same time, owners of the older phones were left with unusable units.
Reports of activation snags subsided over the weekend, as Apple’s systems apparently recovered, and buyers were able to activate their phones through their home computers. As of Monday, the issues appeared to have been resolved, said analyst Charles Golvin of Forrester Research.
Apple did not respond to calls or e-mails requesting more information about the activation glitches.
Apple had sold about 6 million units of the first-model iPhone since it launched in the U.S. a year ago. The company has set a goal of selling 10 million iPhones by the end of 2008.