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toasteri · 2 years

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Behold, the Lamb of God!

1st Rdg: Is 49:3,5-6/ 2nd Rdg: 1 Cor 1:1-3 Gospel: John 1:29-34

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB

Last week’s First Reading spoke about God’s Servant who would bring justice and light to the world. And today again, the First Reading speaks of how God’s servant will lead the people of Israel back to God and bring God’s salvation to the whole earth. There are four passages in the book of Isaiah that speak of servant known as the “Suffering Servant”. They are known as the Servant Songs of Isaiah and were written about 500 years before Jesus was born. They beautifully describe God’s perfect servant, Jesus.

We can’t speak about Jesus without speaking about sheep and lambs and servants because these are all words Jesus and those surrounding Jesus use to describe Him. Something I found interesting is that at the time of Jesus, the Jews looked down on shepherds, but they loved sheep. They did not care for shepherds because they considered them low class, dishonest and unsanitary because of their usually being so close to their animals.

The Jews, however had a high concept and placed a high value on sheep as part of their economy and culture. The sheep provided wool for clothing and food for meals both in the context of small family celebrations and large communal and ritual celebrations. Sheep are very docile animals. They were prescribed in the books of the Law as the preferred animals to be offered to God in sacrifice.

Lambs are important to us even today even though most of us may not never have seen one in real life. They are important to Christians because Lamb of God is one of the titles used to refer to Jesus Christ. John the Baptist refers to Jesus as the Lamb of God in today’s Gospel. It is the image of the lamb offered in sacrifice we invoke right before Communion.

What does the symbolism of ‘Lamb of God’ mean? There are three important references to sheep or lambs in the scriptures that can help us understand:

The first Reference is the Paschal Lamb: About 1300 years before Jesus, when God was about to free the Jews from their slavery in Egypt, Moses instructed the people how to protect themselves from the last plague that would descend over the land of Egypt. That last plague would be the Angel of Death who would take the life of every firstborn male of any age, human or animal in the whole land. Moses told the Jews to sacrifice a pure lamb, take its blood and sprinkle it over the doorpost of their homes and that the Angel of Death would pass over the homes who did this. Then, they were to roast the lamb and have a meal as a family and eat the meat of the lamb. That meal became the annual Passover meal; the annual commemoration of God setting His people free.

The second reference is to Isaiah’s Suffering Servant. There are four sections in the Book of Isaiah that describe the Suffering Servant. They are known as the Servant Songs because of their poetic and melancholic style. Today we heard about how the servant has a great responsibility to “bring [God’s] salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Is. 49:6). This is to be accomplished through the Servant’s suffering and His rejection.

Isaiah quotes the people witnessing the suffering of the servant who then realize what has happened and say, “While we thought of Him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted (as if for his own sins, yet), he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins. By his stripes [those are his lashes and wounds] we were healed. (Is. 53:4-5) “Like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers, He was silent and opened not His mouth. Through His suffering, my Servant will justify many, and their guilt He shall bear.” (Is. 53:7-11). These lines were written 500 years before the birth of Jesus Christ.

At first, these four Servant Songs were not thought to apply to the Messiah because the people expected a Messiah who would be a king or a priest who would be a powerful, glorious, majestic, or some victorious figure or leader – not a suffering servant. It was only after Jesus’ death and resurrection that these servant songs were seen to clearly and perfectly apply to Jesus, the Messiah.

The Third Reference to Jesus as the Lamb of God is perhaps the most obvious and is from the Book of Revelation. It clearly combines the suffering servant with the symbol of the lamb when Jesus is described in the following: “Then I saw standing in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and the elders, a Lamb that seemed to have been slain. He had seven horns and seven eyes.”

Seven, in the Bible means fullness. It means complete, totality. The seven horns means that He had fullness of power, complete and total power. The seven eyes mean fullness of knowledge, complete insight. That He had complete and total knowledge. In the Book of Revelation, the main title for Jesus is the “Lamb”

All this comes together here with this image of the Lamb who seemed to have been slain standing in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures.

One of the most interesting aspects of the four living creatures is that they demonstrate that Jesus, the Lamb of God, is equal to God Himself. Their worship of the Lamb in Revelation 5:6-14 is clearly directed towards Jesus Christ (Revelation 5:5;9-10), and they say “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:11-12) and “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever” (Revelation 5:13) and they fall down and worship the Lamb, along with “Him who sits on the throne” – God, the Father.

Toward the end of the Book of Revelation, St. John tells us that the Wedding Feast of the Lamb has begun. This is a symbol of God’s reign, when there will be no more death, no more mourning, no more pain. Then the angel said to St. John, write this: “Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” (Rev. 19:9).

This is the invitation right before communion, we are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb, at every Eucharist, you are invited to be blessed with the Most Holy Body and Blood of the Lamb of God. Be Blessed by the Blessing of the Lamb of God. You are blessed by the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Even if you don’t take communion, His Body and Blood still Blesses you in a Spiritual Communion through the blessing you are invited to walk up to receive. NEVER be ashamed to come up to receive HIS blessing. His grace is sufficient for YOU. If you don’t receive His body and Blood in the Sacrament of Holy Communion because you are not Catholic or because you are not in condition to receive, you are still invited to receive HIS blessing. It is not the priest's blessing or the minister’s blessing; it is the blessing of Jesus Christ the Lamb of God, our Lord and Savior. No priest worthy of his ordination should deny you the blessing OF JESUS CHRIST during communion or any other time.

Amen.

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agirlinjapan · 6 years

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Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars (Week 7)

Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars By Noriko Ogiwara A Translation

Miss the last piece? Read it here!

Check out the RDG Translation twitter!

Help me pay for my next translation project on Ko-fi.

Last week was an unintentional break from RDG. Sorry for the wait and thank you being so patient with me as I balance life, translating, and for the next month, National Novel Writing Month. Things are getting a little wacky right now.

This is the last week in chapter 1 of RDG 6.

Translation Note:

Jinbei, what Daisei is wearing in this episode, is a type of casual, traditional festival wear from Japan. They make good summer pajamas as well because they’re light and comfortable to wear. Jinbei are traditionally worn by men, but in recent years, women have begun to wear them as well. I have a cute Hello Kitty jinbei set myself. :)

Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars By Noriko Ogiwara Chapter 1: Disappearance Part 3 (3 of 3)

The email’s main text was followed by instructions on how to work the video chat. She turned the possibility of seeing and speaking to her father over in her head a few times, her heart beating fast all the while. Then she checked the clock and saw that there was still an hour or so left until nine.

Mayura will probably be back in the room by nine. It looks like it will take me a bit to set everything up, and I don’t know if everything will work the way it’s supposed to. Maybe I should just start getting ready to call him now…

If she did video chat with her father, she would definitely want to introduce Mayura to him, she thought. Daisei would want to meet her roommate as well. Izumiko excitedly started getting ready.

As it was the first time, a few parts of the set up puzzled Izumiko, but the software installation wasn’t particularly complicated. It was finished in much less time than she had expected. When she tried to see if placing a call would work, Daisei immediately appeared.

“Oh, Dad.”

“Hey, Izumiko.”

“It’s not nine yet already, is it?”

“It’s not.” Daisei wasn’t the sort of person to be surprised by the unusual. He smiled at her through the screen. “I wasn’t quite ready yet either, but there was a necessary change in plans.”

“There was?”

“Yes, because my one and only daughter called me.”

Daisei, who worked for a programing company, seemed nonplussed to still be sitting in front of his computer in the middle of the night, as strange as the situation might have been. He was visible from head to shoulders on the screen and was sitting in front of a bare, pale green wall. As usual, he wore his round glasses and his hair was uncombed. His clothes could have been pajamas or loungewear—either way, he always wore traditional garb of some sort when he was dressed casually. Right now, he appeared to be wearing an indigo jinbei.

“How have you been? Is school fun?”

“Dad, you’re being too carefree.” The complaint was out of Izumiko’s mouth before she realized it. “You already know what’s going on, don’t you? Mom came to the festival, and Mr. Sagara’s here at school. Things were hard before that, too. It hasn’t been anything like fun.”

“But you look happier than you did before. Just looking at you makes me feel better.”

“Please don’t feel better just because I’m in front of you now.”

“Anyway, it looks like the video chat is a big success. I can see you while I’m at work now. I’m never this happy! From here on, we can see each other whenever we want!”

Daisei’s voice was filled with glee, and with it, Izumiko’s shoulders relaxed. The video chat definitely was something to be excited about.

“Yeah. I’m happy too. There’s a lot of stuff I want to talk to you about.”

“Then we can get right to that. Your powers that you’re still figuring out influence spirits. Something in that process interferes with electromagnetic waves. That’s why electronics break around you. Even if you haven’t found a way to control that influence you have over electronics, it doesn’t mean there aren’t other options to address the problem. For example, what if there were ways to manipulate your abilities unconsciously?”

Izumiko opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, Daisei quickly continued.

“That laptop was a daring interpretation of an idea of mine, and it was a try at something new. You’ve had a very hard time using the internet until now, but the actual reason for your troubles was the opposite of what you’d think. Your abilities tap into the actual computer networks very easily, and, as a result, change the range of the wavelengths. It must be my genes. I’m very easy to get along with. Common sense would say that your laptop shouldn’t be able to connect to the internet. But you’re the last piece of the puzzle. You supply the wavelengths that connect the machine to the web.”

“Wait a second. I’m part of the set up?”

“Let me put it this way. Asceticism is founded on mental concentration through chanting sutras, right? It’s sort of like that.”

Izumiko stared at her triumphant looking father in utter confusion. “I have no idea what you’re saying, Dad. I thought I just became the goddess for real a few days ago, but you’re saying I’ve always been the goddess?”

Daisei seemed to notice that he had said too much as he often did. He lowered his voice a little and said, “Ah… Well, yes. We’ve known that for a while. Sorry for not saying anything up until now. But there was no easy way to tell you until you noticed it yourself. No one really knows what it means to change the future. Even your mother can’t say anything for sure.”

“Why did you enroll me at Houjou Academy if you knew it was the school where they were choosing the World Heritage Candidate from the start?” After asking the initial question, Izumiko’s tone relaxed as she continued. “You knew about the future the goddess is talking about. Will I probably become the World Heritage Candidate?”

Daisei nodded, his expression deadly serious. “I discussed it with you mother and we both decided on sending you there. Hey, Izumiko. Becoming the World Heritage Candidate won’t be a bad thing for you. You’ll be recognized as someone who contributes to the whole world, and the amount of people looking out for your safety will grow, too.”

“But the goddess…”

“The goddess didn’t bring the world to a sad end in the future because she became the World Heritage Candidate. The problem is that her abilities span in many directions. As ascetic monks, our job is to use the goddess’s powers to interact with this world for the better. But think about all the people who aren’t interested in her for that reason.”

With Izumiko rendered speechless, Daisei continued.

“The more your power is used in a stable manner, the less dangerous the world will come to recognize it as. Your powers are completely unknown to the world, and because of that, research organizations from all over the globe will probably want to desperately get their hands on you. Then there will be many people who want to profit off of you as well. Just the simple fact that you can break electronics without touching them could have military and weaponry potential. And that’s just the start of what your abilities could be used for.”

Izumiko involuntarily looked down at her hands. “Military weapons?”

“All of human civilization is coming to rely on electronic communication. In this age, my Izumiko could probably move satellites in outer space all by herself.”

“I wouldn’t do something like that.”

“Of course you wouldn’t.” Daisei gave her another easygoing smile. Quickly letting tension go was another one of his qualities.

“However, all those people out there don’t know that you’re not that kind of person. That’s why we’re all working so hard to protect you. If there comes a time when someone tries to deceive you into thinking they can teach you about your abilities, we’ll be there to step in. Hopefully that won’t happen for some time longer, though.”

“Are the ascetic monks studying me?” Izumiko asked, confusion evident in her voice.

“If they are, it’s to find out how to prevent the future’s destruction.”

“Are they studying my actual body to do that? They’ve done experiments too, haven’t they? They’ve done them on Miyuki, as well.”

“Do you not want those tests to happen?”

“They make me uncomfortable.”

Unable to come up with a more logic based explanation, Izumiko had no choice but to say “uncomfortable.” However, uncomfortable was only the very beginning of how she felt. She wanted to resist all that was happening to her without her knowledge with all her very being.

“Dad, you’re an ascetic monk, right? Someone who prays and trains in the mountains? The ascetic monks learned the knowledge of the mountain spirits at some point, so unlike the diviners and ninjas who have the same beginnings as them, they were able to distance themselves from the country’s government and grow from there. That’s what I heard at least, but I’m guessing it’s mostly right.”

Izumiko paused to check that she was correct. When she saw Daisei nod, she continued. “I have a feeling that what you and the others are doing is separate from what the other ascetic monks are doing. I mean, right now there’s no way you could be training in the mountains when you work at an American company. I have a really bad feeling about this research. How would you describe the goddess’s powers? Would you say that the ascetic monks control her power? Does that mean they have a power that could become military weaponry?”

“Stop, Izumiko. It’s not like that.” Daisei shook his head sharply. His expression was pleasant, although somewhat troubled. “I’m a sucker for my field of study, and I have a tendency to get completely absorbed in what I’m working on. The ascetic monks are not involved in any sort of conspiracy. Besides, think about who your mother is. She’d never let me fall into anything like that.”

He was right, Izumiko admitted. Angering Yukariko would be an incredibly terrifying thing to do.

“So you’re saying Mom’s alright with all this testing?”

“That’s…” Daisei began to respond, but then paused for a moment.

“That’s?”

“You need to understand that any organization, no matter who they are, needs a source of funding. In order to achieve our goal of protecting the goddess, we need the appropriate funds to come from somewhere. If we don’t want a government sponsorship, the need for that money to come from undisclosed routes becomes that much more important. In the past or now, that sort of thing doesn’t change. Do you understand?”

“About the money?...”

“It’s something that’s unavoidable. I know about making money. The American company I’m working for now is a cover of some sort for something else that has plans to eventually start up as an independent company in its own right. For the time being, the ascetic monks don’t know about it.”

“You’re making a new company in America? You’re not coming back to Japan?”

“For now, I’m planning to start the company here,” Daisei answered excitedly. “Before, you said the ascetic monks couldn’t do anything in America, but that’s not true. There’s even a Native American group much like us here.”

Izumiko was quiet for a bit, but then she said in a small voice, “You’re doing this all for yourself.”

“No I’m not. I’m only thinking about y—”

“I’m ending the call now.”

“Wha? Wait, Izumiko?”

Izumiko saw the surprise on Daisei’s face, but she clicked the end button anyway. The call screen went black, and the room went back to being silent.

Izumiko stared at the blank screen, and let out a long sigh as she considered where her anger had come from.

…Of course Dad didn’t understand at all. Neither of my parents spend any time around me. Obviously they wouldn’t have a clue about how I feel.

Like a child with a new toy, her father was completely caught up with living in California. Thinking about her too easily distracted father made her feel reproachful of him. He had said he was doing everything for her over and over during their discussion on the screen, but if that was the case, Izumiko would have preferred that he come back to Japan.

Realizing that Mayura hadn’t returned to the room in time for her to meet Daisei, Izumiko pondered this thought for a bit along with everything else. At this point, Izumiko doubted that she would have been able to happily introduce the two to each other.

Dad acts like a kid when he’s at home, but he’s really an adult man. He lives in a world I know nothing about…

Doubt hung over Izumiko like a grey cloud. Daisei wasn’t the sort of person to have ulterior motives, but while he might have thought he was doing everything for her, the things he had wrapped himself up in were anything but that.

To Izumiko, the idea of living and working in a faraway country was a bit hazy to her, but it was still something she could get a sense of. Was her father just an easygoing man with a pleasant disposition who had been placed in a difficult situation?

My powers flared up at the festival and I broke the electronics, made the shikigami disappear, and flew into that other dimension all because Takayanagi and the diviners thought that they could control me. But if I really think about it, the ascetic monks have been doing the exact same thing from the very beginning. They’re planning to eventually use the goddess’s powers for themselves.

Izumiko clenched her fists tightly as she thought about this. She remembered the things Yukimasa had told Miyuki. They were the sort of things he would certainly say. And before that, Yukimasa had told Izumiko that once she left school, she would live a life surrounded by endless security.

Of course that meant that the ascetic monks would be the ones guarding her.

If the goddess’s power is dangerous just like Dad said, and it’s something people want to get their hands on… obviously the ascetic monks would want to get their hands on it, too.

For the first time, Izumiko grew distrustful of the people who had been around her throughout her whole life. She had always felt uncomfortable with something about her situation, but it hadn’t stemmed from a suspicion of her home or the ascetic monks. Now though, a new viewpoint was forming inside of her. Nonetheless, there was still a chance that she could be wrong about everything.

What should I do? At this rate, I won’t be able to trust anyone around me, no matter who they are….

Just like that, Izumiko realized how easy it would be to hate people. The makings of such a feeling had been inside her from the start.

Deep down inside of herself, she had been holding onto this terrifying trait all along without ever knowing it, and now it had come to the surface. She was sure she could overcome the hatred somehow. But if she did manage to get rid of those frightening feelings, she couldn’t help but know that the same things that had set her off would happen again, and cause those same feelings to come rushing back to her.

Keep reading!

#rdg #red data girl #rdg my wish on the night of the shooting stars #rdg 6 #rdg 6 week 5 #translation

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brotherseph · 3 years

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Many Believed in Him

March 26, 2021, Friday Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent (Violet) CYCLE B - YEAR I RDGS: JER 20:10-13/ PS 18:2-3. 3-4. 5-6. 7 GOSPEL: JN 10:31-42

The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus.

Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?" The Jews answered him, "We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God." Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, 'You are gods"'? If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came, and Scripture cannot be set aside, can you say that the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world blasphemes because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? If I do not perform my Father's works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father." Then they tried again to arrest him; but he escaped from their power. He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained. Many came to him and said, "John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true." And many there began to believe in him.

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

This passage reminds us of the trouble Jesus has in being accepted by the Jewish authorities as speaking on behalf of God. We are coming closer to Holy Week when we recall the huge costs to Him of this rejection. His ability to love us to the very death points to His divinity from which he received the power to carry through to the end. Our way of praying today is to ask for the awareness and realization of this great love the Lord has for you. In this realization lies the depth of our thanksgiving.

The works of Jesus are the works of love. This is the love we know of him – love unto death. What we see in Jesus, we can see of the Father. What the Father sees in Jesus, he sees and loves in us. We pray that our hearts may be made like the heart of Jesus.

PRAYER:

Show me, Lord, where my life falls short of what I profess. Close the bible up and show me how The Christ you talk about is living now.

#bibleverseoftheday

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nightmare-afton-cosplay · 5 years

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Bless! Converted Church From 1873 Is This Week’s Most Popular Home

realtor.com

Praise be! A Pennsylvania church converted into a cozy home sent clicks soaring toward the heavens this week. The former house of worship from the late 1800s wound up as this week’s most popular home on realtor.com®.

From the heavy wood double doors to the original stained glass and church bell, the property has held onto certain features of its ecclesiastical past, while being effortlessly transformed into a bright, airy family house.

Apart from this divine cathedral conversion, you also clicked on a brand-new castle in Illinois decorated in a pristine Scandinavian aesthetic, designer Betsey Johnson‘s $2 million hot-pink beach mobile home, and a Spanish Colonial Revival in the O.C. with a crow’s nest rooftop deck to take in water and city views. Plus there’s an appearance by former Packer wide receiver Randall Cobb, who’s selling his home in Green Bay, WI, after parting ways with the team last year.

No helmet required—but we ask you to tackle the complete list of this week’s most popular homes by scrolling down…

10. 16810 Springfield Rd, Pekin, IL

Price: $995,000

Why it’s here: This is a castle decorated in Scandinavian style, built in 2018. This large five-bedroom residence has over 5,000 square feet of airy living space. Highlights include white-oak hardwood floors, a grand white-oak staircase, 57 black casement-style windows, third-floor media room, and a walk-out on the lower level. The 12-acre lot offers rolling prairie views from almost every vantage point.

Pekin, IL

realtor.com

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9. 12F New Freedom Rd, Berlin, NJ

Price: $1,750,000

Why it’s here: This sprawling 37-acre estate is known as “Valley House” and overlooks Timber Lake and the Pine Valley Golf Course. It’s rumored to have been the home of Al Capone and his crew at one time. Built in 1920, the main house includes a studio, exercise room, vault room, game room, and an antique bar with views of the lake. There’s also a separate 2,400-square-foot guesthouse, heated pool and hot tub with cabana bar, European courtyards, seven-car garage, and tennis court.

Berlin, NJ

realtor.com

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8. 10675 Cavallo Rdg, Eden Prairie, MN

Price: $6,500,000

Why it’s here: Love the slopes? Built in 2013, this lavish European estate in the Minneapolis suburbs comes with its very own ski hill and tow rope. It sits on a 4.7-acre lot on the riverbank and offers Minnesota River Valley views from nearly every room. Over-the-top amenities include a glass-enclosed sport court and fitness room, home theater, billiard-room, and woodshop.

Eden Prairie, MN

realtor.com

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7. 206 N First St, Jeannette, PA

Price: $30,000

Why it’s here: Ten bedrooms for less than the price of a car! There’s a big catch, though. This huge, three-level property is in need of major renovation. The old mansion has lovely details, like the huge front porch, two kitchens, a chapel, and a large stairwell, but its condition is dire. The property does offer the opportunity of housing a business on the lower floor, or it could be converted into a multifamily dwelling.

Jeannette, PA

realtor.com

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6. 935 N. Broadway St, De Pere, WI

Price: $1,190,000

Why it’s here: Built in 1858 on the Fox River, this seven-bedroom home includes 10-foot ceilings, five fireplaces, maple hardwood floors, and exposed stone millwork. Outdoors, the nearly 2-acre lot has an in-ground pool, outdoor living area, and 200 feet of river frontage.

De Pere, WI

realtor.com

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5. 232 Paradise Cove Rd, Malibu, CA

Price: $1,950,000

Why it’s here: This isn’t your average mobile home. This hot-pink beaut is situated on Paradise Cove, along one of the most sought-after stretches of beach in the world. Belonging to the legendary fashion icon Betsey Johnson, the beach boho dream is awash in audacious color and has several entertaining areas, like a pergola-covered outdoor living area, as well as a backyard with outdoor soaking tub.

Malibu, CA

realtor.com

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4. 1707 E. Bay Ave, Newport Beach, CA

Price: $8,750,000

Why it’s here: Built in 1928, this dramatic Spanish Colonial Revival bay-front villa was designed by the celebrated California architect Wallace Neff. The five-bedroom, four-story home was completely restored in 2003. It’s the tallest structure on the Balboa Peninsula, with spectacular views of Newport Harbor and Fashion Island from the “crow’s nest” rooftop deck. The property also includes a pier and slips for two boats.

Newport Beach, CA

realtor.com

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3. 761 W. Eads Pkwy, Lawrenceburg, IN

Price: $499,000

Why it’s here: This historic four-bedroom home was built in 1835 and now needs a renovation. Highlights of the 19-acre property include seven fireplaces, hardwood floors, as well as original elements like the lights, doorknobs, and slide locks.

Lawrenceburg, IN

realtor.com

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2. 618 Marble Rock Cir, Green Bay, WI

Price: $649,900

Why it’s here: This home of over 4,300-square-feet is being sold by Packers wideout Randall Cobb, who was released by the team after the 2018 season. Highlights of the prairie-ranch house built in 2013 include the hand-hewn hardwood floors, wine cellar, theater room, fireplace, and a mud room with lockers. Cobb’s already caught an offer—the home is already pending sale after just three weeks on the market.

Green Bay, WI

realtor.com

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1. 3172 Route 212, Springfield Township, PA

Price: $325,000

Why it’s here: Holy moly! This charming church from 1873 still has its original bell, double doors, and stained-glass windows. It’s been converted into a modern two-bedroom, 2.5-bath home, complete with a finished walk-out basement, which could be used as an office space.

The open floor plan is whimsical yet functional, and takes advantage of the structure’s high ceilings and altar. The 2,800 square feet of interior space can be reformatted to adapt to almost any owner or lifestyle.

Springfield Township, PA

realtor.com

The post Bless! Converted Church From 1873 Is This Week’s Most Popular Home appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

from https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/bless-converted-church-pa-most-popular/

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davidoespailla · 5 years

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Philly Home on America’s Oldest Residential Street Is the Most Popular This Week

realtor.com

A historic property sitting at the end of Elfreths Aly—the oldest residential street in America—in Philadelphia is this week’s most popular home on realtor.com®. It’s listed for $1.2 million.

Built in 1703, the home is a National Historic Landmark and within walking distance to shops, restaurants, galleries, and historic sites such as the Liberty Bell.

The history is visible in the listing photos, even below ground! “The basement is like a fortress,” says listing agent Ryan McManus. “It was used as a root cellar.”

Other clues to the two-bedroom home’s rich history include the now inoperable outhouse just off the kitchen.

Elfreths Aly with its cobblestone streets is a year-round tourist attraction and homes in the area rarely go on the market, says McManus. The current owners have had this property for more than 30 years.

But not everyone was looking for 18th-century properties this week.

Other homes you clicked on include a Bucks County, PA, mansion with fire damage that’s headed to auction; a four-story, Mediterranean-style mansion in Florida with water views and private beach access; and the Washington estate once owned by department store magnate D.E. Frederick.

So whether you are a Yankee doodle dandy, shopping for a family home in Tennessee, or just want to dream about living lavish on the beach, there’s something in this week’s top 10 just for you. Take a look!

10. 151 NW Highland Dr, Shoreline, WA

Price: $4,750,000 Why it’s here: This historic estate was built in 1931 by architect Lewis P. Robert for D.E. Frederick, owner of department store chain Frederick & Nelson. The 15,000-square-foot, 10-bedroom, and 6.5-bathroom chateau is built entirely of concrete. It includes a Venetian room that was transported in its entirety from an Italian castle. The original crystal chandeliers, antique paintings, and Otis elevator are just a few of the perks that come with the home.

Shoreline, WA

realtor.com

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9. 200 Cherry Dr, Franklin, TN

Price: $290,000 Why it’s here: The price and prime location just outside downtown Franklin is what makes this three-bedroom home so appealing. Built in 1970, the split-level home has been updated throughout and is conveniently close to freeway access.

Franklin, TN

realtor.com

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8. 1517 Douglas Ave, Nashville, TN

Price: $324,900 Why it’s here: Built in 1920 and fully remodeled, this home has granite countertops, modern fixtures, and a fenced backyard. Its heart pine wood flooring has been refinished.

Nashville, TN

realtor.com

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7. 226 Windcrest Dr, San Antonio, TX

Price: $169,900 Why it’s here: This three-bedroom ranch house was built in 1959 and has nearly 1,500 square feet of living space. Located just a short distance from Randolph Air Force Base and major freeways, the home has a two-car garage, a new roof, and a new HVAC system.

San Antonio, TX

realtor.com

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6. 160 Burnet Rdg, Fort Thomas, KY

Price: $182,000 Why it’s here: The updates throughout make this cute brick ranch a big draw. Built in 1917, the two-bedroom home boasts light and airy interiors with wood floors, a roomy kitchen, and new lighting. Outdoors, the exterior railing and landscaping are new, while the front porch and mature trees shroud the home in privacy, making it a serene retreat.

Fort Thomas, KY

realtor.com

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5. 9 Exeter St, Danvers, MA

Price: $559,900 Why it’s here: This seemingly plain ranch home recently received an incredible makeover, including new plumbing in the kitchen and baths, a new water heater, new electric and heating systems, windows, and roof. Originally built in 1960, the four-bedroom home is now modern and stylish.

Danvers, MA

realtor.com

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4. 322 Water View Dr, Franklin Lakes, NJ

Price: $1,950,000 Why it’s here: Familiar to all who enjoyed the drama of the first seven seasons of “Real Housewives of New Jersey,” the custom-built estate of Jacqueline Laurita just had another price cut. While Laurita has left the show, she hasn’t been able to unload her mansion. Yet

Franklin Lakes, NJ

realtor.com

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3. 5781 Stoney Hill Rd, New Hope, PA

Price: $700,000 Why it’s here: Up for auction, this mansion has fire damage and is being sold as is. Built in 1989, the six-bedroom home measures over 5,500 square feet. Sitting on over 10 acres, the home comes with an attached three-car garage and a detached three-car garage with second-floor storage. There’s also a pool and a woodworking shop.

New Hope, PA

realtor.com

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2. 4720 Ocean Blvd, Destin, FL

Price: $5,999,000 Why it’s here: This gorgeous seven-bedroom, Mediterranean-style beach house has four levels and incredible water views. Upgrades include an elevator, covered patios on each floor, a private courtyard, private beach access, and media room.

Destin, FL

realtor.com

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1. 139 Elfreths Aly, Philadelphia, PA

Price: $1,200,000 Why it’s here: This remarkable home dates to 1703 and sits at the end of Elfreths Aly, the oldest residential street in the country. The two-bedroom, one-bathroom home is a National Historic Landmark and is filled with reminders of its storied past.

Philadelphia, PA

realtor.com

The post Philly Home on America’s Oldest Residential Street Is the Most Popular This Week appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

Philly Home on America’s Oldest Residential Street Is the Most Popular This Week

#TRUSTED LOCAL REALTOR #Philly Home on America’s Oldest Residential Street Is the Most Popular This W

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olko71 · 2 years

Text

New Post has been published on All about business online

New Post has been published on http://yaroreviews.info/2023/01/train-strikes-people-returning-to-work-face-more-strikes

Train strikes: People returning to work face more strikes

Getty Images

By Noor Nanji

Business reporter, BBC News

People returning to work this week after the Christmas break are being urged to avoid travelling by rail because of strikes.

The walkouts by RMT members on 3-4 and 6-7 January, and by Aslef drivers on 5 January, will “significantly impact” services, said Network Rail.

RMT union members have rejected offers in a dispute over pay, job security and working conditions.

Train drivers at 15 rail companies, in the Aslef union, are striking over pay.

Network Rail – which maintains the rails, signals and stations – said the combination of strikes will result in only about 20% of services running, with many areas not seeing any trains at all.

Services across England, Scotland and Wales could be affected by the strikes.

The train strike days in December and January

Strikes and cost of living to hit new year parties

If no one comes we close early, says pub

“We’re sorry to have to, once again, ask passengers to avoid using the railway this week,” a spokesperson from Network Rail said.

The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents the train operating companies, also urged people only to travel if “absolutely necessary”.

Trains that do run will start later and finish much earlier than usual, with services typically running between 7:30am and 6.30pm on the days of the strike.

There may also be some knock-on disruption to services on 8 January.

Passengers are being advised to allow extra time for their journeys and to check before they travel.

It is the latest in a series of strikes across the rail network, which have caused major disruption.

The two 48-hour walkouts on Tuesday and Friday involve around 40,000 RMT members on Network Rail and 14 train operators.

The RMT’s general secretary Mick Lynch insisted that his members wanted a settlement, not further disruption.

“There’s been too much disruption on the railway caused by government policy and if we can get sensible proposals we can work up towards a solution,” Mr Lynch told the BBC.

He accused government ministers of “sitting on their hands” and failing to help secure a deal.

“They keep saying that they’re facilitating a deal. And I think it’s absolutely the opposite to that.”

However, a Department for Transport spokesperson rejected this, saying: “The government has demonstrated it is being reasonable and stands ready to facilitate a resolution to rail disputes.

“It’s time the unions came to the table and played their part as well.”

Meanwhile, Network Rail said the deal it has put forward to the RMT is “fair and reasonable”, and urged the union to “sit down with us” and revisit it.

Upcoming strike action

DEC 29 DEC 30 DEC 31 JAN 1 JAN 2 JAN 3 JAN 4 JAN 5 JAN 6 JAN 7 JAN 8 JAN 9 JAN 10 JAN 11 JAN 12 JAN 13 JAN 14 JAN 15

THU 29 DEC

Rail disruption continues

Staff at West Midlands Trains (WMT) and Great Western Railway (GWR) are on strike until midday

This includes staff working in ticket offices, station management and guards

Border Force strikes

Some Border Force staff are striking in England, Wales and Scotland meaning delays are likely for people arriving in the UK

Birmingham, Cardiff, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow and Manchester airports, and the port of Newhaven, will be affected

Driving test centre strikes

Some driving examiners are on strike in the East Midlands, West Midlands, east of England and parts of London

The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams

FRI 30 DEC

Possible road disruption

Some National Highways traffic officers are on strike in the West Midlands and south-west England

The strike involves control centre staff and traffic officers who deal with the aftermath of accidents

Border Force strikes

Some Border Force staff are striking in England, Wales and Scotland meaning delays are likely for people arriving in the UK

Birmingham, Cardiff, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow and Manchester airports, and the port of Newhaven, will be affected

Driving test centre strikes

Some driving examiners are on strike in the East Midlands, West Midlands, east of England and parts of London

The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams

SAT 31 DEC

Possible road disruption

Some National Highways traffic officers are on strike in the West Midlands and south-west England

The strike involves control centre staff and traffic officers who deal with the aftermath of accidents

Bus drivers on strike

Bus drivers in London are taking industrial action

The routes affected are mostly in south and west London

Border Force strikes

Some Border Force staff are striking in England, Wales and Scotland meaning delays are likely for people arriving in the UK

Birmingham, Cardiff, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow and Manchester airports, and the port of Newhaven, will be affected

Driving test centre strikes

Some driving examiners are on strike in the East Midlands, West Midlands, east of England and parts of London

The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams

SUN 1 JAN

There are currently no national strikes planned for this date

MON 2 JAN

There are currently no national strikes planned for this date

TUE 3 JAN

Rail disruption continues

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) are on strike

The RMT strike will affect services in England, Scotland and Wales and people are being advised to avoid travelling if possible

Read more: What are the train strikes about?

Possible road disruption

All National Highways traffic officers across England are on strike

The strike involves control centre staff and traffic officers who deal with the aftermath of accidents

Driving test centre strikes

Some driving examiners are on strike in the East Midlands, West Midlands, east of England and parts of London

The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams

WED 4 JAN

Rail disruption continues

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) are on strike

The RMT strike will affect services in England, Scotland and Wales and people are being advised to avoid travelling if possible

Read more: What are the train strikes about?

Bus drivers on strike

Bus drivers in London are taking industrial action

The routes affected are mostly in south and west London

Possible road disruption

All National Highways traffic officers across England are on strike

The strike involves control centre staff and traffic officers who deal with the aftermath of accidents

Driving test centre strikes

Some driving examiners are on strike in London, south-east and south-west England and Wales

The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams

THU 5 JAN

Rail disruption continues

Train drivers across 15 rail companies represented by the Aslef union are on strike

The rail companies affected are: Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, Greater Anglia, Great Northern/Thameslink, London North Eastern Railway, Northern Trains, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway, SWR Island Line, TransPennine Express and West Midlands Trains

Read more: What are the train strikes about?

Bus drivers on strike

Bus drivers in London are taking industrial action

The routes affected are mostly in south and west London

Driving test centre strikes

Some driving examiners are on strike in London, south-east and south-west England and Wales

The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams

FRI 6 JAN

Rail disruption continues

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) are on strike

The RMT strike will affect services in England, Scotland and Wales and people are being advised to avoid travelling if possible

Read more: What are the train strikes about?

Possible road disruption

Some National Highways traffic officers are on strike in the East Midlands and eastern England

The strike involves control centre staff and traffic officers who deal with the aftermath of accidents

Driving test centre strikes

Some driving examiners are on strike in London, south-east and south-west England and Wales

The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams

SAT 7 JAN

Rail disruption continues

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) are on strike

The RMT strike will affect services in England, Scotland and Wales and people are being advised to avoid travelling if possible

Read more: What are the train strikes about?

Possible road disruption

Some National Highways traffic officers are on strike in the East Midlands and eastern England

The strike involves control centre staff and traffic officers who deal with the aftermath of accidents

Driving test centre strikes

Some driving examiners are on strike in London, south-east and south-west England and Wales

The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams

SUN 8 JAN

Driving test centre strikes

Some driving examiners are on strike in London, south-east and south-west England and Wales

The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams

MON 9 JAN

Driving test centre strikes

Some driving examiners are on strike in London, south-east and south-west England and Wales

The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams

TUE 10 JAN

Bus drivers on strike

Bus drivers in London are taking industrial action

The routes affected are mostly in south and west London

Teachers in Scotland

Some primary school teachers in Scotland are on strike

Members of the NASUWT union are taking action as part of an ongoing dispute over pay

Read more: Which schools will teachers’ strikes affect?

Driving test centre strikes

Some driving examiners are on strike in London, south-east and south-west England and Wales

The industrial action will not affect theory tests but might have an impact on practical exams

WED 11 JAN

Ambulance staff on strike

Ambulance staff in London, Yorkshire, the North West, North East and South West of England are on strike

The strike affects non-life threatening calls only and people are advised to use the 999 service in an emergency

Read more: Why are ambulance staff striking?

Teachers in Scotland

Some secondary school teachers in Scotland are on strike

Members of the NASUWT union are taking action as part of an ongoing dispute over pay

Read more: Which schools will teachers’ strikes affect?

THU 12 JAN

Bus drivers on strike

Bus drivers in London are taking industrial action

The routes affected are mostly in south and west London

FRI 13 JAN

There are currently no national strikes planned for this date

SAT 14 JAN

There are currently no national strikes planned for this date

SUN 15 JAN

There are currently no national strikes planned for this date

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Separately, the Aslef strike involves train drivers across 15 rail companies.

The one-day strike will result in even fewer services running, with some operators expected to run “very significantly reduced timetables”, the RDG warned.

The Aslef union said it had been pushed into taking action because the train companies had not put forward an offer.

“Six months after we had the temerity to ask for a pay rise for train drivers who have, now, not had an increase for nearly four years, we have still not had an offer from the train companies which employ us,” Keith Richmond, Aslef’s spokesman, told the BBC.

“The companies, or the government which stands behind them, could end this dispute now by making a serious and sensible pay offer. It is up to them.”

Daniel Mann, director of industry operations at the RDG, said no-one wanted to see the strikes go ahead.

“This dispute will only be resolved by agreeing the long-overdue reforms to working arrangements needed to put the industry on a sustainable footing, rather than unions condemning their members to losing more pay in the new year.”

The rail industry is under pressure to save money after the pandemic left a hole in its finances. Bosses say reforms need to be agreed to afford pay increases and modernise the railway.

But unions say salaries should increase to reflect the rising cost of living.

The rail strikes come at a time of widespread industry walkouts across the country.

Ambulance drivers, nurses, driving examiners, highway workers and postal workers have all gone on strike in recent weeks.

More on this story

The train strike days in December and January

23 December 2022

Strikes and cost of living to hit new year parties

31 December 2022

If no one comes we close early, says pub

21 December 2022

0 notes

olko71 · 2 years

Text

New Post has been published on All about business online

New Post has been published on http://yaroreviews.info/2022/12/train-drivers-announce-new-january-strike-date

Train drivers announce new January strike date

Getty Images

Train drivers across 15 rail companies will stage a fresh strike on 5 January in a long-running row over pay, the Aslef union has said.

It will add to major rail disruption in the first week of January, with the RMT union already planning strikes on 3-4 and 6-7 January.

Aslef said drivers did not want to go on strike but had been “pushed” to do so by the train companies.

The Rail Delivery Group said it wanted to work with Aslef to end the dispute.

“No one wants to see this strike go ahead, and we can only apologise to passengers and to the many businesses who will be hit by this damaging disruption,” said a spokesperson for the RDG, which represents the train operating companies.

But Aslef boss Mick Whelan said: “The train companies say their hands have been tied by the government. While the government – which does not employ us – says it’s up to the companies to negotiate with us.”

The union said the strike would bring services on affected lines “to a halt”.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said Aslef’s decision was “incredibly disappointing”.

“We urge Aslef to rethink, call off strikes and speak to employers to agree a new way forward,” they said.

The rail companies affected by the Aslef strike are:

Avanti West Coast

Chiltern Railways

CrossCountry

East Midlands Railway

Great Western Railway

Greater Anglia

Great Northern/Thameslink

London North Eastern Railway

Northern Trains

Southeastern

Southern/Gatwick Express

South Western Railway

SWR Island Line

TransPennine Express

West Midlands Trains

Aslef has already held five one-day strikes this year in its pay dispute. It wants any pay offer to reflect the rising cost of living

“The companies need to come to the table with a proper proposal to help our members, their drivers, buy this year what they could buy last year,” the union said.

The larger RMT union is in a long-running dispute over pay, job security and conditions with both the train operating companies and Network Rail – which maintains the rails, signals and stations.

Meanwhile the rail industry is under pressure to save money, after the pandemic left a hole in its finances. Bosses say reforms need to be agreed to afford pay increases and modernise the railway.

Watch Make Sense of Strikes on iPlayer and find out more about why people are striking and whether industrial action works.

On Monday, Network Rail warned passengers to avoid travel on Christmas Eve when further strike action by RMT members is due to start. The walkout is scheduled to begin at 18:00 on 24 December and continue until 06:00 on 27 December.

RMT members are also taking part in an overtime ban at 14 train companies which began on Sunday and will last until 2 January.

The rail strikes come at a time of widespread industry walkouts across the country. More than 10,000 nurses walked out on Tuesday and ambulance drivers will take action on Wednesday.

Further strikes by Royal Mail workers belonging to the CWU are due to take place on 23 and 24 December – some of the busiest days for pre-Christmas deliveries.

How will you be affected? Share your experiences by emailing [email protected].

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:

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The train strike days in December and January

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olko71 · 2 years

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Rail strikes: Passengers warned not to travel by train next week

Getty Images

By Michael Race

Business reporter, BBC News

Train passengers are to be told to only travel next week if it is absolutely necessary, even if rail worker strikes are called off at the last minute.

Workers at the UK’s biggest rail union, the RMT, are set to begin a series of walkouts from 13 December.

The industrial action is the latest in a long-running dispute between the unions, railway companies and Network Rail over pay, jobs and conditions.

It is understood disruption will be inevitable even if strikes are aborted.

Network Rail, which owns and maintains Britain’s railway infrastructure, said 50% of the railways will be shut down on strike days, regardless of whether the walkouts go ahead.

Only 20% of services will operate between the hours of 07:30 and 18:30 GMT, it added.

When are the next train strikes?

Workers are set to stage two 48-hour long strikes next week on 13-14 December and 16-17 December.

Further industrial action is then planned from 18:30 on Christmas Eve until 27 December, and on 3-4 January and 6-7 January.

About 40,000 rail workers employed by Network Rail and 14 train companies are expected to take part, and there is likely to be disruption on the days around the strikes as well.

Several meetings between unions bosses, train companies and Network Rail have so far failed to prevent strikes on the railways, which have been happening on and off for months.

The RMT is involved in two negotiating battles, one with Network Rail, where it represents signallers and maintenance workers, and the other with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents the 14 train companies.

The union has rejected an RDG offer which included a 4% pay rise both this year and next.

It has decided to put Network Rail’s offer, which includes a 5% pay rise this year and a 4% rise next year, to its members in an electronic referendum, but has called for it to be rejected.

Even if members back Network Rail’s offer, the timing of the vote means it would be too late to avoid disruption.

The rail industry is not the only sector facing strike action, with postal workers, bus drivers, teachers and nurses all set to walk out this month. Ambulance staff across many parts of England and Wales are also set to strike on 21 and 28 December.

Workers are demanding better conditions and pay rises that match inflation, as the cost of living rises at its fastest rate for 41 years.

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December train strikes: Extra walkouts planned over Christmas

EPA

Extra rail strikes have been scheduled over the festive period, the RMT union says, including Christmas Eve.

Staff at Network Rail comprising about half the workers involved in a pay dispute are expected to walk out from 6pm on 24 December until 27 December.

A new offer was made by the company on Sunday but the union is urging members to reject it.

Network Rail has accused the RMT of using passengers and workers as “pawns in a fight with the government”.

The new strike dates, which are likely to affect many people travelling for Christmas, are in addition to walkouts by rail workers which have already been announced and begin next week.

Tim Shoveller, Network Rail’s chief negotiator, said the RMT “are playing fast and loose with people’s Christmas plans and the new strike dates announced deliberately target vital engineering work designed to improve the railway”.

The RMT represents staff at Network Rail, who maintain the railways and include signallers and maintenance workers. It also represents workers at 14 train operating companies involved in strike action.

The union is involved in two sets of talks in a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions

As well as the strikes on 24-27 December, industrial action at 14 train companies across four 48-hour periods will take place on:

13-14 December

16-17 December

3-4 January

6-7 January

Despite these strikes going ahead, the RMT will continue to hold talks with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents the 14 train companies, on Tuesday.

Passengers had already been warned to plan their travel well in advance over Christmas, with some 5% of the rail network shut for engineering works – although many trains do not run over Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

When are the next train strikes?

The strikes taking place in December

The RMT union is putting a new offer from Network Rail to its members in an electronic referendum, which will close in a week’s time. But they are being urged to reject the offer, which its general secretary Mick Lynch said was “not acceptable”.

Network Rail had said the latest offer was its “best and final”. It includes:

A 5% pay rise this year and 4% next year

No compulsory redundancies for workers who are not managers and controllers until 31 January 2025

A 75% discount on leisure travel for staff and their family members

A government minister said the RMT had rejected a “good settlement” on pay and conditions.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb told BBC Breakfast the government understood financial pressures, but added: “This thing will only become worse if we agree to unaffordable pay settlements”.

Labour has called for the government to do more to prevent strikes this Christmas, but Mr Gibb said the transport secretary had facilitated talks to find a deal.

The rail sector is not the only industry facing strike action, and walkouts are expected to affect postal deliveries, bus services and teaching in schools this month as demands grow for better working conditions and pay increases in line with rising prices.

Nigel Goddard in Croydon, south London, says the industrial action means that his family’s Christmas has been “ruined”.

He will not be able to see his son in Newcastle this December, and will miss visiting his six-month old granddaughter over the holidays.

“We have three possible days that we can meet up for Christmas lunch but there are strikes on all three of the days,” he told the BBC.

Nigel Goddard

The last time Nigel saw his son was September 2021. He said he will also miss out on his staff Christmas party.

“Mick Lynch needs to get into the real world and realise he is crippling the railways,” he added.

Passengers warned over Christmas rail disruption

On Sunday, the RMT rejected the first offer from the RDG.

The group had proposed a number of changes to working practices which it said would help to fund a pay rise for staff of 4% this year, backdated to the beginning of the financial year, followed by another 4% next year.

These include repurposing or closing ticket offices, with staff having new “multi-skilled” roles and Sunday working where it is not in place already. Other proposals by the RDG to “secure the future of the industry” included drivers operating the train doors in more areas, although it insists guards would still be on board.

There would also be a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies until April 2024.

‘Compelled to take action’

Following a meeting to discuss the offer, Mr Lynch said it was “unfortunate that the union had been compelled to take this action”.

“We remain available for talks in order to resolve these issues but we will not bow to pressure from the employers and the government to the detriment of our members,” he added.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the latest developments were “incredibly disappointing”.

“The RMT has failed to play its part and our rail network now faces more harmful disruption rather than helpful discussion,” he suggested, pointing towards the fact that a smaller union, the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA), is putting an offer to its members from Network Rail.

The TSSA had been due to strike on 17 December but that has been called off.

The RMT, along with other rail unions who have also been striking, is seeking pay rises that keep up with the surging cost of living as well as improvements to working conditions.

The inflation rate, which measures how prices change over time, increased to 11.1% in October.

But pubs, restaurants and cafes have said they are worried that if the rail strikes go ahead in the upcoming weeks they will be severely affected, as Christmas is usually their busiest time of the year.

UK Hospitality recently warned that the strike action will cost the sector about £1.5bn in lost sales.

About 40,000 rail workers across Network Rail and train companies are expected to walk out. There is likely to be disruption in the days around the strikes as well due to trains not being in the right places.

The industry is under pressure to save money after the pandemic left a hole in its finances, and bosses say reforms are needed to modernise the railway and make pay rises affordable.

How will you be affected by the strikes? Share your experiences [email protected].

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:

WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803

Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay

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When are the next train strikes?

10 hours ago

Passengers warned over Christmas rail disruption

21 November

Christmas strikes don’t make me a Grinch – union boss

23 November

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agirlinjapan · 5 years

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Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars (Week 22)

Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars By Noriko Ogiwara A Translation

Miss the last piece? Read it here!

Check out the RDG Translation twitter!

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Happy Mother’s Day! The timing of this installation played out really well... I’ll let you read on to find out how. :P

Translation Note:

Namahage is a Japanese demon from Akita Prefecture.

Angelica mentions that her father has asked her to use the word “父上/Chichiue” when she’s speaking about him in Japanese. Izumiko and the others find this funny because it’s a very polite, somewhat antiquated way of referring to one’s father. I’ve chosen to translate it to “highly esteemed father” because it has the same, very polite, antiquated feel to it.

Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars By Noriko Ogiwara Chapter 3: Winter Solstice Part 2 (2 of 2)

The next day when Izumiko went to the student government room, she found blonde haired Angelica sitting in a chair there, enjoying a conversation with Honoka. Upon seeing Angelica, Izumiko stopped dead in her tracks. Angelica, on the other hand, grinned happily when she noticed Izumiko.

“Ah, hello, Izumiko. How are you?”

“It’s been suggested that we invite a few of the exchange students to help with the party, too,” Honoka explained calmly. “It was President Murakami’s idea. When Angelica heard, she was excited to offer her help. She’s in my class, too.”

“The exchange students still feel like guests here, so we were really happy to get this opportunity from the student government,” Angelica said, batting her thick eyelashes. Her words were genuinely heartfelt. “Let’s put together an awesome party.”

With just the two smiling girls inside, the room felt calm. Honoka’s half Japanese heritage seemed more evident than usually as she sat talking next to Angelica.

Just then, the second year bespectacled duo came in. Overwhelmed by the girls’ showy presence, they grew stiff and unable to speak. Instead, they simply sat themselves down at computers and stared solely at the screens, their eyes quickly scanning back and forth across them. When Miyuki appeared with Claus, the two of them didn’t look surprised. However, when they saw the tall, widely built young man’s ruddy face, their interest focused on him.

“He looks like him, doesn’t he?”

“For sure.”

Hoshino and Okouchi got up to stand on either side of Claus. Then they said in unison, “Be our Santa Claus.”

Claus scratched his head and let out a gentle sounding laugh. “I had a feeling that someone would ask me that.”

The two second year boys began talking unabashedly to Claus about this and that. “Seriously, can we ask you to dress up as Santa? Claus, you’re from Germany. It would be completely different than one of us playing Santa.”

“I know, right? We’re so happy we have someone who looks like you here.”

“I’m Catholic, so I celebrate the Festival of St. Nicolas on December sixth,” Claus said, his blue eyes sparkling. “St. Nicolas traditionally delivers presents on the eve of that day. Protestants don’t worship saints, so they say people like Christkind or Santa Claus brings presents on the 24th, Christmas Eve. Santa Claus is the name people living in America and Holland have given St. Nicolas.”

“Old traditions, of course. As to be expected in Germany.”

Claus grew visibly pleased at Hoshino’s interest. “I understand how Santa Claus is portrayed in Japan, too so I have no problems acting out the Santa people expect at celebrations here. He’s a smiling Father Christmas. That’s what people in Germany call Santa Claus, you know. Father Christmas. Actually, St. Nicolas is a bit more of a frightening person to children. He brings a scary faced helper with him, and gives presents to the kids who have been good all year. But it’s said that his helper, Farmhand Rupert, steals away the bad kids.”

Hoshino brightened at Claus’s story as well. “That’s like our Namahage here in Japan. Or the Wild Hunt in Europe.”

As Izumiko listened to their conversation, Mayura came over and said softly, “This is all President Murakami. He wants to use this Christmas party as a way to win over Angelica and Claus.”

“Win them over… to the student government?”

“Yeah. If those two become our allies, we’ll be able to get more information about what’s going on overseas.”

While Izumiko mulled over Mayura’s words, Honoka casually asked Angelica, “I heard your father might be coming to our party. Is that true?”

“That’s right,” Angelica said enthusiastically. “My highly esteemed father, Pierre, is coming.”

“Highly esteemed?”

“Pierre wants me to say that when I speak about him in Japanese.”

Honoka laughed lightly. “Your knowledge of Japanese culture must have come from your then father, huh?”

“Definitely. He’s an otaku.”

Angelica’s tone was light, but it was uncertain of what she had meant by her use of the word “otaku.” At her words, the second year bespectacled duo ended their own conversation and turned their attention towards Angelica for a moment.

“Your father turned his hobby into his job, didn’t he? He’s the head of UNESCO’s East Asia division, and he’s come to Japan a number of times. He’s a big fan of Akihabara, right?”

Honoka glanced at the bespectacled duo for a second, but then continued to speak to Angelica. “So your father works for UNESCO? Isn’t their headquarters building in Paris?”

“Yes! My maman, Cecile, also works at UNESCO. She works for a different division though.” It seemed like Angelica didn’t have to call her mother ‘my highly esteemed mother.’ She continued speaking. “I have a photograph of Cecile. Would you like to see? Cecile’s never left Paris, so she always sends me a current picture of herself.”

Angelica searched in her handbag, and pulled out a small tablet. She pulled up a photo on the screen.

“Wow. You can tell it’s your mom by just looking at her. Who’s the other woman with her?”

“That’s Rochelle. She’s Cecile’s cooking friend.”

Intrigued, Izumiko and Mayura moved forward to see. The photo showed a blonde woman who looked like Angelica and an Asian woman. Both women seemed to be about the same age. They were relaxing in a room that might have been in Angelica’s home. The table in the photo was covered in food.

“Cecile is learning how to cook Japanese food from Rochelle. She’s teaching her how to make dashi and when and how to use soy sauce… stuff like that. Cecile’s really interested in Japanese cooking right now.”

“Is Rochelle Japanese?”

“She is. She was married in France and lives in Paris. She speaks French really well.”

It made Izumiko feel strange to think about teaching a woman in a European home how to cook with konbu and katsuo.

“No matter where you are, people who know how to cook are the best, aren’t they? Maybe I should learn how to cook Japanese food too…” Izumiko said. She suddenly felt badly for just having eaten Sawa’s food without learning how to make the dishes. If a woman who had gone as far as to marry internationally and move to Paris had mastered this aspect of Japanese culture, why hadn’t she?

Someone snickered at her. She turned to find Miyuki. Apparently he had been listening as she had spoken. Like Sawa, he knew very well how little Izumiko could cook and, as a result, how unusual the words she had just uttered were.

It’s not something to laugh about though…

Izumiko grew irritated, but she did not snap back at Miyuki. The boys had also moved closer to get a look at the photograph, and Miyuki’s attention had already shifted to the tablet.

“Is she also a UNESCO—” Miyuki began to ask Angelica, but then he changed his mind and closed his mouth, letting the second year boys speak instead. Izumiko didn’t catch his eye, but with all the talking going on, it seemed like she was the only one who noticed Miyuki’s sudden reaction.

He sucked in a quick breath as he gazed at the photo, but then hid his surprise. Outwardly, it looked like nothing had changed, but he did not open his mouth again for a few moments.

After those few moments, he asked a casual question, but it wasn’t want he had begun to ask before.

“Does your mother’s cooking friend work in the same division as your mother? Does she live near your family?”

“Yes to both, I think. Her house is in the suburbs, but it’s near my parents,” Angelica answered to Izumiko’s surprise.

Miyuki recognizes her. Could that woman be…

Izumiko’s heart began to beat rapidly in her chest at the thought. While she tried her best not to draw attention to what she was doing, Izumiko couldn’t help but glance towards Miyuki.

When the student government meeting finally ended and they could talk freely among themselves, Izumiko could wait no longer. She caught Miyuki at the end of the hall and asked in a whisper, “Rochelle is someone you know, isn’t she? Who is she?”

Miyuki looked at Izumiko in surprise. “You noticed?”

“I did.”

“Shit. I guess I haven’t trained enough,” Miyuki said under his breath, looking away, clearly upset that there was a crack in his poker face. Izumiko didn’t want to say she had noticed because she knew him so well.

“You were so surprised when you saw that person. Is she…”

“Yeah,” Miyuki answered, sounding as if he had given up. “She looks like Kaori. I don’t think it’s just a look-alike either.”

I knew it…

Izumiko had been so sure she was right, but she took a deep breath all the same. She tried to recreate Angelica’s photo in her mind. The woman’s black hair had been in a bun and she had definitely seemed to be Asian. There had been a soft smile on her face, but Izumiko had gotten the sense that she had the strong core of a person who was suited to living internationally in Paris. Just from the one photo, it was hard to tell if the woman looked like Miyuki, but she wasn’t petite. She was tall, although thinner than Cecile and most other people Izumiko knew. She had a simple beauty to her as well.

Rochelle didn’t look anything like what Izumiko had imagined Miyuki’s mother might look like up until now, but now that she was thinking it over again, she didn’t have any trouble seeing possible similarities.

…So that’s what Kaori is like.

“Did you actually know she was living in Paris?”

“No.” Miyuki’s voice was low. “I didn’t know she was living there, and no one told me she had remarried. When I tried to look for her on my own, I had no idea where she was living, but I kind of had this sense that she was abroad.”

“This a huge coincidence,” Izumiko said, surprise coloring her tone. “And better yet, she’s friends with Angelica’s mom.”

‘I know, right? But is it really coincidence? I mean, it’s right in front of me, but I’m still shocked.”

Miyuki continued in a self-deprecating tone. “I haven’t seen her since I was seven, and I haven’t seen a photo of her since then either. Even though I think I only remember her face a little, I would know her if I saw her. I wonder why.”

It was clear to Izumiko that his mother’s appearance wasn’t something that Miyuki could simply be happy about. The feelings that had bubbled up in him after seeing the photo were far too much for him to handle.

“Are you going to try and find out if it’s really Kaori?...”

Miyuki’s words were severe as he responded. “Maybe I will. I don’t know. Izumiko, don’t tell anyone about this. Obviously, you can’t tell Angelica.”

“But what would happen if you asked her specific questions about Rochelle without telling her anything? You can’t really do that,” Izumiko pointed out.

Still, Miyuki refused outright. “What would happen if I didn’t do anything. Right now, all we know of her whereabouts is that she’s hidden herself overseas. You definitely can’t tell Yukimasa that I saw someone who sort of looks like Kaori either. It’s better that he doesn’t know.”

“Then I won’t say anything. This is your business, after all,” Izumiko confirmed. Miyuki had made up his mind, and there was no point in saying anything against that decision now. No matter how good a person’s intentions might be in trying to change his mind, he wouldn’t listen.

I have things that I can’t share with anyone else, too. We’re the same. Everyone has something like this…

Izumiko considered this, staring somewhat sadly at Miyuki.

Only then did Miyuki’s tone turn softer. “Don’t get the wrong idea,” he said apologetically. “I’m a little surprised you noticed. But to me, Kaori isn’t a necessary person. I’ve lived longer without her than I have with her. It’s better that I don’t think too much about her.”

“Really?” Izumiko looked up to catch his eye, but he had already turned away.

“The people around me now are more important to me than a distant mother. But enough about that. I’m going to teach you how to break that protection charm I taught you. I heard Takayanagi broke through your barrier. If you learn this technique, you could probably do the same thing to one of his.”

They exited the school building, and, just like he had the time before, Miyuki taught Izumiko another charm. Seeing as Izumiko had only vaguely considered that there must be a way to break through a barrier before this, she was glad Miyuki hadn’t wasted any time teaching her how to do it now.

“Thank you. You’ve taught me so much…”

She felt so grateful for what he was doing for her, and more than anything, she wanted to express that gratitude.

If I told him that I wanted to give him a Christmas present, I wonder if he’d accept it without making a scene…

Unaware of what Izumiko was thinking about, Miyuki said, “I’m not doing anything big. You’re already powerful enough on your own that you can get rid of the shikigami on campus by yourself. Don’t forget that. And it’s not just me saying that. Yukimasa wants you to be more self-aware of your abilities, too. Because of everything you can do now, I have a feeling that he’s going to leave the school. His responsibility of watching over your competition with the diviners is over, after all.”

This time, Izumiko did meet his eyes. “Huh? Mr. Sagara is going to stop being a teacher?”

“He hasn’t been around since the end of term exams. You haven’t noticed?”

Izumiko sucked in a breath, realizing that she really hadn’t seen him since then. It was most likely only due to the fact that classes had ended after the exams that she and the other students hadn’t noticed his disappearance and made a fuss about it.

“What will Mr. Sagara do now, then?”

“Do you think he’d actually tell me something like that in advance? If he feels like letting me know, he’ll do it after breaking all contact with me for a while,” Miyuki said, a hint of ire in his voice. “When he shows up, it’s out of nowhere, and when he leaves, it’s sudden too. I have a feeling he won’t show up for the Christmas party. It means that he trusts your ability to act as the leader of this academy.”

“Something about the way you said leader gives me a bad feeling…”

Ignoring Izumiko’s grumbling, Miyuki said, his expression serious, “If you forget that you’re leading this school, there’ll be a lot of problems. Takayanagi will turn into a headache. Still, he’s the figurehead here, and we don’t really know if people are happy with that. I bet there’s going to be trouble at this party.”

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agirlinjapan · 7 years

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Red Data Girl: My Longest Day of School (Week 6)

Red Data Girl: My Longest Day of School By Noriko Ogiwara A Translation

Miss the last piece? Read it here!

Check out the RDG Translation twitter!

First off, I posted an extra week of RDG last Sunday so if you didn’t see that, make sure you go back and catch up. :)

It took me forever to find an apartment in my new town but I finally found a good one! I can even have a cat! (Which I definitely will adopt asap.) I get the keys on Tuesday although I won’t officially move in until the 20th or so. Wee! Exciting!

Red Data Girl: My Longest Day of School By Noriko Ogiwara Chapter 1: Groundwork Part 3 (1 of 2)

After the meeting was over, Mayura gathered Miyuki, Izumiko, and her brother, Manatsu to talk. As soon as the three of them were together, she immediately crossed her arms and said, “First off, it’s obvious that the third year’s haunted house has become our biggest problem. The ghosts from the Hachioji Castle ruins must be showing up.”

Miyuki looked thoughtful.

“I have to wonder how bad this is going to get. If the guests keep getting sick, who knows what will happen.”

The Souda siblings stood next to each other in their kuroko outfits. Dressed in the same clothing, they somehow looked indistinguishable but also somehow different. Manatsu’s skin was darker and he was two or three centimeters taller. Their differences as male and female also seemed more noticeable than usual. On the other hand, with the black hoods hiding their hair, the shape of their forehead and straight eyebrows were duplicates of the other’s and the similarity in their expressions was easy to see. They weren’t identical siblings but it was obvious that they had the same genes.

“I’m interested in the fact that only girls have been affected. The trouble in the middle school is happening in the girls’ dorm, too,” Mayura said and gazed appraisingly at Miyuki. “Sagara, what are the chances that you could do an exorcism?”

“I have no idea how to do one,” Miyuki answered uneasily. “It’s not exactly something you do on a normal basis, I can say that much. I don’t even know what I’d be exorcising,”

But then he reconsidered a bit and continued. “If I had to though, I might surprise myself… So, what do you think, Mayura?”

Mayura shrugged.

“I thought an ascetic monk might have a better chance of handling an exorcism. We have something— well, something like it, too. You know that Masumi absorbed the spirits that had become shikigami… it’s a little different but you could call it exorcism. We haven’t had many opportunities to exorcise anything on our own yet though.”

Mayura and Manatsu turned their gaze to the other two. Izumiko and Miyuki glanced at each other.

Finally, Manatsu said, “…But that’s normal. We’re only high schoolers after all.”

They didn’t have much experience so all they could do was make logical assumptions. They were completely different from the adults who had already learned how to handle spirits.—As she thought about this, Izumiko hesitated and then said,

“I told the middle school students that no ghosts have appeared in the high school girls’ dorm but I just thought of something. Didn’t Masumi show up there before? Maybe ghosts can’t go near places where divine spirits have been.”

Izumiko had a feeling that she would never see a ghost in her dorm room. When she dug into this idea further, the memory of Masumi climbing up the ladder to Mayura’s bed in room 208 rose up in her mind.

“Couldn’t you say that there’s a divine spirit in the high school dorms because Mayura’s there?…”

Mayura broke in quickly.

“If you say that, couldn’t the same be said for you, Izumiko? Isn’t it because you’re in the girls’ dorm?”

“I get it. You could think of it that way.” Miyuki’s voice was a little brighter than before. “Now that you mention it, Masumi’s also been in the boys’ dorm. A divine spirit is such a powerful being that it can probably purify a place by just being there. People who are connected to divine spirits might exorcise the places they go without even knowing it.

“What?” Manatsu said in surprise. “So you’re saying the four of us can’t see any ghosts where we are because of that?”

“We’d have a hard time controlling them because we can’t see them though,” Mayura claimed. “But it feels like we’re being protected. If there’s no room for a ghost to get close to me because I’m someone connected to a divine spirit, I bet I could help the middle schoolers. I want to try going to their dorms with Manatsu but… what would we do?”

Manatsu nodded quickly.

“Let’s go. I want to know what’ll happen too. Plus, I’m going to be one of the high schoolers from the riding club who are participating in the middle school parade.”

Their plan began to come into focus. The best arrangement was for Mayura and Izumiko to trade patrols. In the afternoon, Mayura would head towards the gym. However, she looked worried.

“What about you, Sagara? Is it okay for us to leave you to deal with the haunted house problem all by yourself?”

Miyuki nodded. “I should be able to figure it out somehow. I can’t imagine that any attraction being judged in the school festival’s popularity contest would get so out of hand that it would be dangerous. If I go to the haunted house, I should be able to figure out the root of the problem.”

“I think it would be better if you couldn’t figure it out so easily,” Mayura said.

Miyuki gave her a flash of a smile.

“Do you think I’d go overboard with this? Still, regardless of whether or not I can exorcise the area, I’m pretty confident that the ghosts won’t attach themselves to me.”

This was due to the fact that Wamiya was already possessing him—although he didn’t say that. However, the way he talked and acted showed that there was a reason for his confidence. Mayura seemed to recognize this. Instead of saying something about it though, she turned to Izumiko.

“Please don’t push yourself too hard, Izumiko. But I think you’ll know when you get close to anything dangerous.”

“Right. I’ll be careful,” Izumiko answered, smiling. Seeing as the self-defense charm that Miyuki had taught her worked, she could now protect herself from magic. She could also see the threats against her on her own. She thought about this.

After finishing their lunch of store bought bread which they ate standing up, the four of them broke into two groups and separated at the open space in front of the main gate. The Souda siblings headed towards the middle school classroom building while Miyuki and Izumiko walked up the hill road in the middle of campus.

The road was bustling with activity and outside visitors that wouldn’t have been seen on a normal day at the academy. It was clear to see that the crowds had increased since noon. When they came to the point of the road where they could see the library on their left and the gym on their right, they found that the area was much more chaotic than they had expected. It showed just how popular the haunted house was. There were also plenty of people walking through the guardians’ bazaar in front of the library.

“Wait in front of the haunted house, Izumiko,” Miyuki said as they walked. His veil was pulled over his face.

“Huh? Why?” she asked.

He gave her a strange look.

“Think about it. It’s too much of a risk for you. Only girls have been negatively affected.”

Izumiko was mostly surprised that he wanted to go in alone.

“But I’ve taken over Mayura’s responsibilities here. Besides, there’s no reason why a booth entered into the popularity contest should be dangerous. Didn’t you say that yourself?”

“That’s just the general consensus. It don’t apply to you. So don’t try anything crazy.”

“But there are probably things in there that only I can see. That means I’d know if there was anything dangerous inside faster than you would. If there was anything dangerous ahead of us, I’d know while we were still a ways away from it. I can get rid of some of the risk at least.”

“That’s our ace,” Miyuki said in a short voice. He turned in the direction they had been heading before. “We still have tomorrow’s game ahead of us. The diviner probably has friends in the third year classes… The chances of that are high but… they just haven’t shown their faces yet.”

“Is tomorrow’s game going to be the showdown?” Izumiko asked, somewhat surprised. “Is that what you’re thinking?”

“The teams for the game will be chosen based on the results of the popularity contest. If there’s a reason for everything Takayanagi’s been doing, the obvious assumption is that he’ll make his move after that. Tomorrow, it’ll be even harder to monitor everyone than it is today. Plus, no one has any idea of what will happen during tomorrow’s game.”

As Miyuki said this, he began walking towards the gym. There was a creepy sign leaning against the outside wall, fueling the spooky atmosphere. “The Hachioji Castle Tragedy” was sprawled across its surface in letters dripping with blood.

There was a line waiting to get in at the entrance to the gym. A student was holding an informational sign that announced where the line ended. Izumiko gazed at the people in interest.

“It’s amazing how popular it is…”

“I’m going to use my special privileges that come with being dressed as a kuroko and jump the line. Maybe you can wait for me.”

Miyuki moved smoothly through the front of the line and into the gym’s lobby. When Izumiko followed behind him, she saw that the walls of the lobby were covered in posters explaining the castle’s history. There were a lot of people looking at them as well. The haunted house was through a hidden door covered with a blackout curtain. Only a few people could enter at a time which only increased the waiting crowd’s expectations of fear.

“Izumiko, wait here in the lobby or at the entrance. If I decide to talk with some of the third years behind the scenes, I might be gone for a bit but it shouldn’t take too long for me to come back.”

Lately, Izumiko hadn’t been able to help but feel like this was the way things were always going to be. She didn’t mind when she thought about it as Miyuki looked out for her but more than that, there was another feeling behind that one and it had grown stronger as of late.

“Can you really say it won’t be dangerous for you? Doesn’t Takayanagi already see both of us as magic users?”

Takayanagi’s declaration that he was “making preparations” worried her. Now he even knew that Miyuki had the ability to break through his spells.

“I bet he’s just glad he doesn’t have to deal with anyone who’s beneath him.”

Izumiko couldn’t see Miyuki’s expression through his veil but she could hear the amusement in his voice. He seemed perfectly fine with the possibility of a fight.

“This is a perfect chance for me to see what I can do with Wamiya possessing me. I want to get a better feel for what it’s like to really know that I can go up against magic users, too.”

He’s really getting carried away with this…

Izumiko wanted to point this out but when she thought about how Wamiya was the goddess’s retainer, she couldn’t bring herself to say her current thoughts in front of him. There was desperation somewhere in his tone as he told her what he wanted to try and it surprised her.

When Miyuki finished speaking, he gave her a wave and headed towards the entrance to the haunted house. He had a quick exchange with the third years working at the entrance and then slipped behind the blackout curtain.

I never thought I’d want to see what a haunted house is like… Izumiko thought, sighing.

Still, somehow she knew thinking that was selfish of her.

Even though Miyuki was trained as an ascetic monk, he still wasn’t someone who dealt with spirits too often. Izumiko didn’t know what kind of agreement he had with Wamiya but it worried her. Even she didn’t know what to do with the goddess who possessed her bloodline. However, when it came to things happening out of no where, Miyuki probably had more experience. She guessed he was more anxious than he looked.

I’m probably the one who makes him feel like that…

Izumiko questioned herself about this, her emotions heavy in her chest. She couldn’t help but wonder if there was a way she and Miyuki could be happier together.

According to the third years working there, the haunted house had been popular with the students since its preparations had begun. Izumiko heard a little bit about the attraction through listening to what was being said around her.

The floor of the gym had been partitioned off with black paneling, creating a maze that was not easy to get out of. One only had to glance inside the blackout curtain’s opening to see how dark it was inside. The point of the haunted house was that while visitors walked around, searching for the exit, they would encounter surprise attacks where people tried to scare them.

Loud, female screams occasionally escaped from the maze. However, enthusiastic screams could also be heard. The people waiting in line stirred excitedly as they heard them, their anticipation rising.

Unlike the other people though, Izumiko was not in a state of mind to wait calmly. In an attempt to conceal her feelings even the slightest bit, Izumiko tried reading the posters in the lobby.

The explanations on the wall gave the facts surrounding the fall of Hachioji Castle, something Izumiko was very familiar with now. At the end of the Warring States era, Hachioji Castle, Odawara Castle’s secondary stronghold, had been attacked by Hideyoshi Toyatomi’s army. It was said that he made an example of the causalities during the siege. A large number of people such as farmers and the women working in the castle’s manor had been killed.

After the enemy’s army had set the manor on fire and the women working there had lost any way of escape, they had stabbed themselves and each other with short swords and then thrown themselves into the pool at the bottom of the garden’s waterfall. One could only wonder what sort of emotions had run through that place during the tragedy.

Although Izumiko’s eyes rested on the words in front of her, her thoughts were more on Miyuki than the women’s misfortune. No one could say that Miyuki was happy either, she thought with a start.

He’s got an intense personality but that’s how he was raised. His mother left when he was really young…

His father, Yukimasa had gotten divorced when Miyuki was in elementary school. They had only had each other as a single father and an only child but Yukimasa had barely been there as Miyuki had grown up. For one, no matter how one looked at him, Yukimasa was not a father-like person at all. His appearance made him look more like Miyuki’s older brother. Even with his actual age in mind, he was still barely old enough to have a high school aged child.

Izumiko supposed that with a life like his, it had been necessary for Miyuki to become a person who could deal with anything on his own. He could interact flawlessly with the world around him but in reality, his heart was closed to everything. He had not come from a life where he had been treated kindly, softly, or carefully by other people.

I know that’s why he’s so impatient with me. I was raised in the exact opposite way he was. People were too careful with me and they made me think that I couldn’t do anything up until now. But…

Izumiko didn’t think that she, having been raised the opposite way as him, had been happy either. Although a person possessed by the goddess was well taken care of, they lived an extremely isolated life. After all, their lives were rather different from other people’s. Izumiko had her family and people who were devoted to her but they were all so far removed from her.

Izumiko had wished for someone, even just one person, to be closer to her. Possibly, this wish had taken a spirit from Tamakura Mountain and created Satoru Wamiya.

Due to the time it would have taken to read everything and the amount she was fidgeting, Izumiko gave up reading the posters’ small words. Just as she was about to put her veil back over her face, she heard a voice.

“Oh, wait! Wait, Izumiko!”

It was a boy’s voice. Izumiko paused and turned around but she didn’t recognize the face in front of her at all. Judging from the samurai style hakama he was wearing, he was probably a second year student.

“Um, is it okay if I take a picture? It’s so that I can remember today.” He held up a cellphone for her to see.

…I guess everyone likes the kuroko.

They had been told to be accommodating towards the normal guests but nothing had been said about whether or not this applied to the students as well. Izumiko considered this.

The boy in front of her seemed to sense her doubt.

“Oh, no. This isn’t for me… There happens to be a few fans of yours in my class.”

Two boys dressed the same as he was came up behind him, snickering.

“What are you making excuses for? Be a man!”

Izumiko took a step back but the jeering boys only continued with their rude behavior.

“Do me a favor and take a picture with these guys. Oh, and take off that hood.”

“Why?” Izumiko did her best to stay firm.

“Aw, don’t be like that. There’s been some super rare information going around about you since this morning.”

Their words made her eyes grow wide. One of the boys raised his cellphone and showed her.

“See, look.”

Just as their words had suggested, someone had taken a picture of her with her hair in its buns and colorful hair ties.

It must have been taken without her knowledge while she had been working at Class 1-C’s food stand. Someone had even written the unnecessary comment “super rare” under the photo.

“Who took this picture?...”

Seeing the color drain from her face, one of the second year boys said uncomfortably, “Oh, you didn’t know about it? Your picture’s been going around online a lot lately.”

“That’s right. That picture of Princess Mayura and another princess.”

“Today’s rare photo of you has definitely joined it,” one of the other second year boys pointed out.

All of the boys laughed. The first boy who had spoken laughed weakly, possibly embarrassed by the others who were speaking so seriously about the topic.

“You don’t have to take a picture with us. We were just hoping for your photo. We weren’t planning to ask you out or anything. But… if you were willing to consider that, that would be even better though.”

Izumiko opened and closed her mouth but no words came out. Desperately, she looked left and right around her. All she could think about already was escaping this place.

“…I have a job to do for the student government. Excuse me,” she said, words finally coming to her. But of course, the boys did get her meaning.

“We can hang out after you’re done. We’ll come with you.”

“Will you give us directions around the campus, too? That’s what the kurokos are supposed to do, right?”

“No, I’ve got patrol duty. In there.”

It seemed like going into the haunted house was the only way to shake off the second years. Miyuki had been able to go inside without waiting in line so she would be able to as well. Before she could give herself any time to think over what she was doing, Izumiko nodded towards the third years in charge of the maze’s entrance and escaped into the darkness of the haunted house.

Keep reading!

#rdg #red data girl #rdg my longest day of school #rdg 5 #rdg 5 week 6 #translation

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agirlinjapan · 5 years

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New Red Data Girl!

I have begun posting my translation of Noriko Ogiwara’s Red Data Girl short story book, Ice Shoes, Glass Shoes!

This book is a collection of four short stories that take place throughout the series, starting with the summer Miyuki comes to Mt. Tamakura in middle school and continuing up until after RDG 6. While the original series was told from Izumiko’s point of view, these stories are told through the eyes of other characters; the first three are from Miyuki’s point of view while the last, the one that takes place after RDG 6, is from Mayura’s.

My translation schedule for this book will be a little different from the previous books. Each story is broken up into three or so pieces, sort of like the RDG chapters were except that each piece is only a few pages long. (That makes sense, seeing as they’re short stories.) Each time I finish translating one of the stories, I’ll start posting it piece by piece on a weekly posting schedule. That means that I’ll post three or so weeks in a row, but then I might not post again for a while depending on how quickly I can get the next story out.

Right now, I’m on winter break, and I’m hoping to get a decent amount of translation done which will speed up the process.

Click here to read the first installation of Ice Shoes, Glass Shoes’ first story, “The Puppet Show.” New installations--when I have them ready to share--will be posted on Sundays at 5:20 PM EST, just like the original RDG installations were.

If you’re new to Red Data Girl, click here for my translation master list.

#red data girl #rdg #isgs #ice shoes glass shoes

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agirlinjapan · 5 years

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Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars (Week 23)

Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars By Noriko Ogiwara A Translation

Miss the last piece? Read it here!

Check out the RDG Translation twitter!

Help me pay for my next translation project on Ko-fi.

It’s nearly summer! There’s another twenty or so days left of school and then we’re done! I think we’re all ready for the vacation (students and teachers), but we still have some fun things to do before we say goodbye including a major class trip and the musical. It should be a good last few days!

RDG will be going back to a weekly posting schedule starting on June 23 and going through the end of August.

We will be finishing RDG early in September!

Last year, Noriko Ogiwara, the author, published a book of RDG short stories titled Ice Shoes, Glass Shoes. I bought this while I was in Japan last summer, and I do plan to translate it like I have the rest of the series. However, I’d like to start a new project after RDG 6 ends and then speckle those short stories in here and there as I go.

I’ll have more information on what that next project will be as we get closer to the end of RDG. I tend to post more detailed information about my translation on my RDG translation twitter. Click the link above and follow if you’d like to hear more.

Finally, happy 5 year anniversary to the RDG translation! I can’t believe it’s been this long!

Translation notes:

This is what a Heian era nobleman would wear.

This is an ascetic monk/mountain monk outfit.

Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars By Noriko Ogiwara Chapter 3: Winter Solstice Part 3 (1 of 2)

With Mayura’s help, Izumiko quickly decided on what she would wear to Saturday’s party.

Coming to the conclusion that buying something that could only be worn to a party would be a waste, they had decided to buy outfits they could wear on a normal day out and then accented them with corsages and jewelry. During the holiday season, any accessory shop was full to the brim with cute items. Izumiko and Mayura had gone from one to another, enjoying themselves, and buying things here and there.

But then, two days before the party, it was time to carry the decorations over to the space where the party would occur. Hoshino, the planning chief, declared their new outfits unnecessary.

“We placed a rental order with the same group we used for the festival, so we have professionals to help us set up and break down. Plus, we get ten costume rentals included in the price. We have the teachers’ permission to use those rentals, and we’re planning to have the student government wear them. Claus has dibs on the Santa Claus costume, but we have costumes for the rest of the members, too. This is my decision as planning chief.”

The only people looking at each other in surprise were the first years. The second years appeared to somehow already be aware of this decision. They all looked calm.

Angelica was also at the meeting that day. “I always planned to go to the party in costume, so I’ll be attending in my own outfit,” she said brightly. “My highly esteemed father brought me one.”

The first year student government members looked at each other again. It was becoming clearer that Angelica’s showy Warring States era costume from the festival had been a product of her father’s interest in anime. They were sure her next costume would be something amazing, too.

“Will we be able to… choose the costume we like?” Shimamoto asked the chief nervously.

“You can choose from what’s being ordered,” Hoshino replied sternly. “Choice number one is the Cinderella series. Choice two, the Little Red Riding Hood series. Choice three, animal costumes. That’s it.”

“What? Just those three?”

“During the school festival, we could only dress as kuroko, right? This time instead of just that, we’re all going to work at this party in the showiest costumes possible. It’s important that we make our guests feel welcome.”

Once Hoshino was finished speaking, Honoka spoke up, her voice serious as well. “Right. Obviously, Ichijo Takayanagi will be planning to talk himself up in one way or another while Izumiko does her best to not draw attention to herself. I think it would be good for Izumiko to choose an animal costume so that she can hide her braids. Everyone else will choose whatever showy costume they want, and do their best to make it hard for Takayanagi to stand out. President Murakami can’t make it on Saturday, but those are the instructions he’s left for us.”

Mayura appeared to automatically agree with the plan. “I get it. So that’s how we’re going to do it,” she murmured enthusiastically.

Manatsu raised a hand quickly. “I’ll choose an animal costume, too. I’ve always wanted to try one on.

“What costume are you going to choose, President Kisaragi?”

Once asked, Honoka puffed out her chest, and answered. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m going to be the prince from Cinderella. I wouldn’t give up that costume to anyone else.”

Knowing that she would have never chosen a princess costume, all eyes turned to Hayakawa who was looking visibly upset over this development. Clearly, he had been hoping for this costume as well.

On the day of the party, once everyone was changed into the costumes they had rented and got a chance to see what everyone else was wearing, it was plain to see that Honoka’s prince costume was far more impressive than anyone had expected. The whole Cinderella series had an early eighteenth century Rococo look to it. The prince costume was comprised of a tailcoat embroidered in gold and silver thread, a frilly shirt, shoes complete with ribbons, and a curly, white wig. No one had ever seen such a formally dressed prince costume before this.

The second-year bespectacled duo had chosen to dress as the prince’s attendants and were wearing something similar to Honoka with black hats tilted far back on their heads. They would walk around carrying a glass shoe, looking for a girl who might be able to fit into it.

It had been decided that Izumiko would wear a reindeer costume. It would go well with Claus’s Santa suit, thus keeping the spotlight off of her.

In a spare room, Izumiko slowly tried to pull the brown costume on over a t-shirt and light pants. Seeing as she was so petite, the pants attached to the bodysuit were far too long, but not so oversized that she wouldn’t be able to walk in it.

“This is the first time I’ve worn an animal costume…”

“Generally, I’d say there aren’t many people who have.” Mayura laughed as she closed the fastener at the back of Izumiko’s costume. She was wearing a kerchief over her hair with a patched blouse that matched a well-worn skirt and apron. There was soot on her face as well. For the second half of the party though, she would change into a Rococo princess dress, which would make her the flashiest person in the room.

“The chairman will probably be on the party floor today, so Sagara and I will make contact with him and try to figure out what the adults here have planned,” Mayura informed Izumiko. “You, on the other hand, should stay as far away from the chairman and the other adults as possible.”

“Right.”

The reindeer head was overly large, and looked as silly on Izumiko as it would have on a child. As a result, there was something charming about the way the antlers and muzzle rested over her head and face. Unfortunately, however, the mask’s big, round eyes were at the height of her forehead, and the only way she could see out was through the mask’s mouth. The opening there had netting stretched across it, creating a small window. That made Izumiko’s line of sight narrow, and when the head shifted even slightly, Izumiko lost her view. All in all, it was difficult for her to see the world beyond the inside of the reindeer head.

The polyurethane crafted head might have been a pain to wear, but at least it wasn’t heavy. Still, it was difficult to move in seeing as she couldn’t see her feet very well. What was more, as she didn’t know how tall she was in the reindeer head and kept bumping into this and that as she made her way out of the empty room. The whole getup was much harder to manage than she had thought it would be. Mayura held her hand all the way to the auditorium where the party was being held.

And so, when they arrived in the hall, they were surprised to see someone in a wolf costume, not unlike Izumiko’s, jumping around excitedly. Obviously, it was Manatsu, but Izumiko still couldn’t believe he could move around like that.

Mayura was also amazed by her brother.

“What’s up with you bouncing around like that? Is it really that fun to wear an animal costume?”

“Nah. That’s not why I’m so happy,” the wolf with its tongue sticking out said in Manatsu’s voice. He pointed towards something with a gloved hand. “If you look at Little Red Riding Hood, you’ll know why the wolf is so excited.”

They turned their heads to see a cute girl wearing a bright red cloak and holding a basket. She was standing nearby, surrounded by second year students. It was Wataru Shimamoto, grinning from ear to ear from all the praise he was getting.

Staring at the very cute Red Riding hood, it sounded very much as if Mayura muttered under her breath, “Oh no. He’s going to get way more attention than me.”

There was someone dressed as an old witch in a black cloak standing next to Shimamoto. It was Rena Akinokawa in the outfit, which only made Shimamoto seem that much more innocent in his own costume.

“The student government went all the way with this. Do you think it’ll be enough that Takayanagi will give up on standing out?”

Manatsu answered his sister’s question, his voice uninterested. “You don’t need to worry about that. Look over there.”

Izumiko reached up and moved the reindeer head with her hand so that she could look in the direction he had indicated. Ichijo Takayanagi had just walked through the entrance to the hall. Indeed, she could see why there was no need for them to worry about him tonight. Takayanagi’s costume was a Heian era noble’s outfit. The overshirt he wore with hakama pants was dark blue and the shirt underneath was red and white. To complete the look, he wore a tall, black, narrow hat on his head. The whole ensemble made Takayanagi’s small frame larger than it normally appeared.

…He went way too far…

Izumiko and Mayura were left speechless as they watched Takayanagi approach. The costume didn’t make any sense in the context of a Christmas party, but it certainly matched the wearer.

“Thank you for dropping your barrier today,” Takayanagi said in his Heian attire. He stared straight at Izumiko in her reindeer costume. “I knew as soon as it disappeared this morning. I made a new shikigami. Isn’t that great?”

“…Ah, sure.” Izumiko emphasized her words with a careful nod of the reindeer head. First thing that morning, she had recited the charm Miyuki had taught her. However, as she hadn’t sensed anything change, this was the first time since then that she knew for sure that it had worked.

Right… There are going to be shikigami around today, and I’m going to have to deal with them.

“Don’t use your shikigami for anything so big that you make trouble for the people around you,” Izumiko said, intending to sound firm, but Takayanagi was unfazed.

“I can’t really guarantee that. No matter what you might tell me, I’m the one in charge today.”

Mayura, standing there in her housekeeper’s costume complete with a long broom, scowled. “If Izumiko says to do something, you do it,” she broke in. “You’re just a diviner who uses minions to do your bidding. If you do what you want to do, we’ll kick you out of here.”

Takayanagi ignored Mayura. He turned back to Izumiko and continued on in the same tone as before. “Izumiko, you should be more receptive towards shikigami. We diviners are well versed in using spirits. You should know more about what we do just in case you ever want to join us. True cooperation cannot be achieved where there is no understanding, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I’m guessing you want me to say that from here on out, I’ll let you use shikigami anytime you want on campus?” Izumiko responded cautiously.

“I’m acting as the top of the school’s public face because of your own strategies, aren’t I? Being who I am, I want to know a little more about you seeing as you’ve hidden yourself away from the public eye all this time. That way, I can be useful to you on my own terms even when you do not lift the seal on my abilities. While you might have sworn that you will not release the bonds you have placed on me, might it be correct that we’ll never fully come to a true understanding of each other as long as we are held within this arrangement?”

What he’s saying is true… Izumiko thought.

No one wanted to be controlled, Izumiko considered vaguely to herself. With that said though, she seemed to be fine being the one controlling someone else. She hadn’t thought about it that way until now, and it made her inwardly cringe.

“That’s true, but… Takayanagi, is there any way that I can convince you to stop using shikigami for good?”

“Using shikigami is the foundation of diviner’s magic. That’s something you’re unwilling to accept, isn’t it? However, like the Soudas, you can’t say that you feel uncomfortable dealing with the spirits of the dead. You’re working with one right now, aren’t you?”

Again, Izumiko couldn’t help but think over the words Takayanagi had said so confidently.

“Izumiko, don’t listen to him,” Mayura said sharply. She had not been tempted to rethink her opinions. “He was born talking garbage.”

Miyuki’s voice was suddenly audible from the side of their small gathering. “That’s so true. Save all those fancy words you’re trying to confuse Izumiko with for after this party. You should know that whatever you say, it’s not going to work anyway.”

Izumiko hadn’t seen Miyuki in the auditorium before now, but it seemed as if he had been close enough to hear the conversation that was going on. She turned the reindeer head to look at him and her eyes instantly went wide.

“Sagara… that costume…”

“It’s just a costume.”

“But it’s…”

“I said, it’s just a costume.”

Miyuki’s appearance was shocking enough to rival Takayanagi’s Heian outfit. He was dressed in full ascetic monk garb, complete with a wide shouldered traditional vest adorned with soft, pom pom looking decorations worn over hakama pants. There were cloth wrist coverings on his arms and straw sandals on his feet. He was wearing a stiff looking hat on his head and a braided cord wrapped around his waist held a small leather pelt in place against his back that would have been useful if he had needed to sit down on wet or dirty ground. And of course, he was holding a staff in his hands.

This was the first time even Izumiko had seen Miyuki dressed in full ascetic monk attire. However, she had absolutely no clue why he had gone to such lengths.

“But that’s not the costume the student government rented,” Izumiko said.

Miyuki answered in a strained voice. “One of the other students grabbed mine before I could get to it and the only costume left was Cinderella’s sister. I wasn’t crazy about either of them, but between the two, this seemed like the better choice.”

“Those are some interesting choices…”

Mayura looked as if she were about to say something, but she held her tongue with Takayanagi there with them.

Shimamoto, standing a bit apart from them, had something to say though.

“Oh man, too bad, Sagara!” he called over. “So I’m really the only guy dressed as a girl here?”

“Shut up. You can’t complain about something while everyone’s complimenting you on it,” Miyuki retorted.

He looked towards Takayanagi next. “I don’t think Izumiko’s power and your magic really have much in common, but if you’re saying you want to work together, we can probably come up with some sort of compromise or agreement. From here on, we need focus on figuring out more about how the goddess works.”

Tayakanagagi took in Miyuki’s outfit with interest, just like everyone else.

“Are you saying that as the ascetic monk’s representative, Sagara?”

“Probably not. Who are the people who are coming to see the World Heritage Candidate student today? Are they parents of exchange students?”

Takayanagi’s tone relaxed at Miyuki’s question. “It’s not necessarily going to be all foreigners. There could be some Japanese inspectors too. Either way, they’ll be people who know a lot about World Heritage.”

“Can they see shikigami?”

“Maybe. Maybe not. People’s understanding of shikigami most likely varies from place to place. A Japanese inspector would be more likely to know the same things we do because they’re Japanese.” Takayanagi readjusted his hat with a hand and then continued. “That’s the case with anything based in history. I don’t believe most average people in the world today can distinguish between diviners and ascetic monks. Therefore, I see nothing wrong with what I said before. It would be possible for Izumiko to join the diviners.”

Keep reading!

#rdg #red data girl #rdg 6 #rdg my wish on the night of the shooting stars #rdg 6 week 23 #translation

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agirlinjapan · 6 years

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Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars (Week 2)

Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars By Noriko Ogiwara A Translation

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It’s hard to believe that the summer is almost over. While admittedly, I can’t say that it feels like it just started, it definitely doesn’t feel like we’re so close to the end. Where I work, the teachers’ first day is September 4th, and the students return on the 6th. That means I have just over a week left of summer. Wow... It’s been a great one though! I’ve focused on my translating this August, and have translated over 100 pages in less than a month. By the time school begins again, I expect to be about 60% finished with the RDG 6 translation. Isn’t that crazy?!

Translation note: In Japan, students stay in their classrooms while teachers travel from room to room to teach classes. Without a “designated classroom” which “belongs” to each teacher, teachers instead have all their desks together in the teacher’s room. Generally, teachers return to this room to collect what they’ll need for the next lesson in the 5-10 minute break that occurs between each class. Students often use this time to visit the teacher’s room and ask their teachers questions or help bring materials up to the classroom.

Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars By Noriko Ogiwara Chapter 1: Disappearance Part 1 (2 of 2)

The next morning, many students, unprepared for returning to the normal school schedule, barely made it to their classrooms on time.

Izumiko, her hair back in its usual tight braids, was later than usual as well. She had stayed up late the night before, finally feeling awake after sleeping the morning away.

As she flew into 1-C, Miyuu Hatano called out from a group of girls directly behind her.

“Good morning, Izu! We haven’t seen you in a day or two.”

“Good morning—huh? Izu?”

“You’re Izumiko, so ‘Izu.’ It’s okay if we call you that from now on, right? You’re one of the girls, after all.”

What’s going on? It sounds like they’re trying to say Isolde, like that girl from Tristan and Isolde…

Izumiko was reminded of the heroine from the world famous legend. This was what happened when you were raised by your grandfather on a mountain and only read classics. Still, it made her happy that her classmates had a nickname for her. She responded, saying that she didn’t mind the name at all.

“Is it okay if I call you Myu from now on?”

“Of course!”

After everything 1-C had been able to put together and accomplish together for the school festival, they seemed to be closer than ever. Karin Hasegawa and Mako Sagawa, who were standing next to Miyuu, also asked to call Izumiko by her nickname. They chatted for a bit, but the conversation never touched upon her dance or the ghosts.

Relieved, Izumiko headed towards her desk. Only then did she see Manatsu Souda just ahead of her. He was seated at his desk, currently in the middle of a large stretch.

I wonder if Manatsu slept completely through the days off, too…

Izumiko gave an absent smile as they noticed each other.

“Ah, morning. I thought I’d ask you something if I saw you. Do you know where Shinko went over our days off?”

Izumiko’s eyes went wide. “Huh? Sagara went somewhere?”

“I haven’t seen him around the dorm at all. I tried asking his roommate, and he said Shinko’s been off campus. People are saying he’s at the hospital.”

“What? I didn’t know… I didn’t hear.”

She stood there, staring at nothing. This was unexpected. She knew she had gone pale. Manatsu, who was always so carefree, didn’t look so happy at the moment either.

“I’m sorry. I thought he would have said something to you. Let’s not worry too much until we know exactly what’s going on. Going to the hospital could just be a story he’s using to cover up something else.”

Their conversation ended for the time being as their homeroom teacher, Mr. Sasamoto, came into the room. Still, Izumiko couldn’t concentrate on the homeroom discussion or the class that came after it. She began to shake more and more as she thought about how she had slept for so long, doing nothing.

He didn’t tell me anything…Something serious happened, and I didn’t even have the slightest idea…

When first period ended, Izumiko hurried to 1-A. Worried about how flustered she was, Manatsu followed after her. When they peered inside 1-A’s classroom, Miyuki, as suspected, was nowhere in sight. Mayura, however, was there, a frown on her face. When she noticed Izumiko and Manatsu, she joined them out in the hallway.

“Yeah, Sagara’s absent. But he must have given some notice about it because our teacher didn’t seem particularly surprised. It is a little strange that Takayanagi’s absent too, though.”

“Takayanagi, too?”

“Claus as well.”

Izumiko’s worry grew larger and larger. She put a hand over her mouth. “What if Sagara and the others never woke up in the nurse’s office?...”

“That didn’t happen,” Manatsu quickly put in. “If that was the case, I would have heard more about it in the boy’s dorm. Shinko went back to the dorm. But his roommate, Hiraoka, doesn’t know when he left campus either. I was sleeping yesterday and the day before that, too, so I didn’t look for him.”

“When did you know that Sagara wasn’t in the dorm?” Mayura asked her brother. “Did you try texting him?”

“I heard it from Hiraoka this morning at breakfast. I tried calling him, but his phone seemed to be dead. I haven’t gotten an email or text from him, either.”

“…If he’s really at the hospital, we’d know that too, though.”

“What about Takayanagi? Did you ask about him?””

“Ask about him? How could I ask about a guy in a white yukata?”

“You live in the boys’ dorm. Keep a better eye on our opponent!”

After the exchange between the two siblings, Mayura said it Izumiko, “I don’t think we have to worry right now. Sagara and Takayanagi probably have completely different reasons for being absent. They’ll probably be back this afternoon. If they don’t come back to school today, I’ll start asking around quietly. Let’s just keep our eyes out until then. You can do that, right?”

Izumiko had intended to nod her agreement. However, she found that she couldn’t.

“…This has to be my fault…”

“This is exactly why I said we were going to wait before jumping to conclusions,” Mayura said worriedly. “Hang in there, Izumiko.”

As hard as Izumiko tried, she couldn’t wait quietly by for something to happen. She couldn’t sit still.

That’s right. Mr. Sagara will definitely know if something happened…

Izumiko rushed away without taking the time to respond.

After watching her go, Mayura turned to her brother. “It must have been hard for her to hear this so early in the morning. First Masumi and now this. Do you think Izumiko can handle it?”

“I can’t say. But I know how you feel,” Manatsu replied.

They both turned back to watch Izumiko go.

Arriving at the teacher’s room in the administrative building, Izumiko took a deep breath and peered in from the door. However, beyond that, she didn’t know where to look or where Yukimasa Sagara’s desk was. They were currently in the short interval of time between first and second period, and people were hurrying in and out of the room.

Izumiko watched a number of people come and go, and then finally worked up the courage to ask one of them.

“Um, Ms. Miyamoto. Excuse me. Is Mr. Sagara here?”

Ms. Miyamoto was an English teacher in her twenties who was quick to raise her voice. She looked at Izumiko’s demure expression before frowning.

“Too many girls have asked me that this morning. It’s getting exhausting. Maybe I should put a sign on the door. Mr. Sagara’s out today. Visiting teachers don’t have classes every day, alright?”

Her tone was cranky enough that Izumiko couldn’t bring herself to ask if Yukimasa’s day off had been unexpected. Izumiko watched Ms. Miyamoto go, thinking she should get back to class, but she had absolutely no interest in sitting through more lessons.

Maybe I’ll go to the nurse’s office. I doubt Mr. Sagara’s volunteering there today, but maybe I should check…

Heading back towards the stairs, Izumiko noticed for the first time that Manatsu was standing nearby. The expression on his face was less serious than it had been before.

“Where are you going?” he asked. “Are planning on skipping class?”

“I’m going to the nurse’s office for a bit. You don’t have to go with me though.”

“That’s okay. I’ll join you.”

Cheerfully catching up to Izumiko’s quick steps so that they were walking side by side, Manatsu asked, “Can I ask you something? Why did you go looking for an English teacher because Shinko isn’t here?”

Realizing she had made a mistake with her immediate reaction to Mayura’s words, Izumiko remained quiet for a few seconds. But then, she soon began to feel badly about the secret she had been keeping from the Souda siblings up until now. She knew there was nothing left to do but tell Manatsu.

“Because he’s Sagara’s father.”

Manatsu laughed. “So even you tell jokes.”

“I know it sounds like a joke. He doesn’t want anyone to know, so please don’t tell anyone, even Mayura,” Izumiko said then hurriedly added, “It’s on the same level as how no one knows Hayakawa’s from Togakushi. You get it now, right?”

“Wha….. What?”

Manatsu flung both arms over his head and jumped back as if a horse had made a leap for him. The action conveyed his true astonishment.

“How is he Shinko’s father? That English teacher Mr. Sagara is so young! Is he like a stepdad or Shinko adopted or something like that?”

“No. He’s his real dad.”

“…I feel like I just heard this century’s greatest mystery.”

Manatsu was always so indifferent to the things happening around him. What he was saying now though made Izumiko rethink a few things. If a run in with ghosts hadn’t fazed Manatsu, then the identity of Miyuki’s father very well could have been the more unbelievable phenomenon in his mind. The only reason Izumiko wasn’t so surprised by the news along with him was because she had already known.

“Manatsu, the problem isn’t that they don’t look like father and son. It’s that talking about his dad makes him angry. Please understand that.”

“When you say angry, you’re talking about him releasing a total waterfall of rage, aren’t you? He really would be pissed off...”

Izumiko arrived at the first floor nurse’s office with Manatsu walking at her side, grumbling his thoughts. She knocked on the door, and Ms. Sakakiba appeared from the other side.

Before Izumiko or Manatsu could open their mouths, the nurse said, “Mr. Sagara isn’t here. He was only here for the school festival, so go right on back to your classroom… Oh, You’re Izumiko from 1-C, aren’t you?”

Izumiko lowered her head into a small bow so quickly her braids swung back and forth. “Thank you for helping us on the day of the school festival.”

Ms. Sakakiba’s expression softened immediately. She usually was an easy going woman.

“Well. You didn’t come all this way just to say that, did you?”

“No, we didn’t…”

Seeing whether or not Yukimasa was there was only half of why she had come to the office.

“Ms. Sakakiba, you know how Miyuki Sagara and Ichijo Takayanagi were sleeping here after the festival?” Izumiko asked before she could change her mind. “Do you remember how much longer they stayed here after I left?”

“I woke those two up before dinner. They were just snoozing, and they didn’t have fevers. Nothing else seemed to be wrong with them either. It was just sleep deprivation. First years aren’t used to the big events here, and they overexerted themselves.”

“Both of them are absent today though. Did you hear anything about that?”

Ms. Sakakiba looked surprised at Izumiko’s insistence. “Huh? Are they absent? I haven’t had a chance to look at the morning health check list yet. The attendance just arrived.”

She returned to her desk, flipped through the papers on it, and then said, “There certainly are a number of students out sick in 1-A. But I don’t know any details yet. However, the health office is only given names when a student has an excused absence.”

Izumiko was disappointed. She hadn’t learned any more than what she had already heard from Mayura.

“Thank you very much. Everything’s fine then, I guess…”

“Wait a second.”

Ms. Sakakiba’s worried voice stopped them as they were about to walk back out into the hallway. “Izumiko, I’m curious about something. You and those two disappeared in the middle of the festival, and then you showed up here all together. That’s been bothering me.”

It was natural that she would be suspicious. As Izumiko fumbled over how she could possibly respond, the nurse continued. “If you’re worried over something you can’t say to your friends, would you consider speaking to a counselor? Do you want me to make you an appointment? Do need to talk to someone?”

…Ms. Sakakiba definitely lives in this reality, Izumiko thought. Knowing this made her feel an emotion that was something like a mix of relief and loneliness. The school wasn’t only populated by teachers and students with connections to sacred spirits and ghosts. She felt that fact quite vividly just then.

“I’m okay for now.”

As Izumiko left the nurse’s office, Manatsu gave a quick bow to Ms. Sakakiba, and then followed after his friend.

Izumiko walked out the building’s front door, and did not stop until she had reached the small stone bridge further down the path. There, she looked up at the autumn sky dotted far above with little white clouds. The day was peaceful and bright, but that light did not reach all the way to Izumiko’s heart.

Something’s definitely going on… But even so, Sagara hasn’t necessarily disappeared from the school.

“Izumiko, you should just wait patiently for now. That’s what Mayura said,” Manatsu stated from behind her. He was still a few yards down the path. “If you don’t want to sit around in the classroom, how about going to the barn? Taking care of horses calms people down.”

“Thanks, but I think I’d rather go back to my own room,” Izumiko replied without turning to look at him. “Don’t worry about me. I won’t leave the school or anything. They’ll notice if there are two people missing from the classroom, so you should go back to class.”

For a moment, Manatsu stood there, reluctant to leave Izumiko on her own. However, he didn’t have the time to walk her back to the girl’s dorm, and so he grudgingly gave up his objections to the situation.

“If you’re going back, promise that you won’t leave the room. Mayura can look in on you there, so don’t move.”

Keep reading!

#rdg #red data girl #rdg 6 #rdg 6 week 2 #translation #rdg my wish on the night of the shooting stars

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agirlinjapan · 6 years

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Red Data Girl: My Longest Day of School (Week 31)

Red Data Girl: My Longest Day of School By Noriko Ogiwara A Translation

Miss the last piece? Read it here!

Check out the RDG Translation twitter!

Help me pay for my next translation project on Ko-fi.

Here we are. We’ve made it to the end of Red Data Girl: My Longest Day of School. This is the final installation of book 5 in the Red Data Girl series. From here, there’s only one book left in the series! We’re almost there!

I began posting RDG 5 just over a year ago. In this time, a lot has changed in my life for the better. I also feel like I’ve made a lot of improvements in my translation abilities. Translation is a learning process, both from a mechanical language base and a cultural base. With each page I translate, I learn new vocabulary and grammar, but also how to make a Japanese story accessible to a new language audience.I look forward to continuing my translation journey with every book and story I work on from here out.

As always, I want to say thank you so, so much to all of you who read this translation. I enjoy translating, but I honestly, don’t think I would have come this far with RDG if it wasn’t for the support of my readers. I love hearing from everyone who reaches out to me, whether that’s through messages or comments here on Tumblr or through tweets on the translation’s Twitter page. All of you make the translation process fun and rewarding, even through the hard parts.

I also want to make a special shout out to my amazing Ko-fi donors who have helped support my next translation project. I can’t say enough how much I appreciate your generosity.

Not only is RDG 5 the penultimate book in this series, but it’s also the last book whose events are covered in the anime. Book 6 will begin a new part of the story that even fans of the anime may not know yet. I will be posting the title and back cover eye catch for this new (and final!) book sometime later this week. Then next Sunday, August 19th, RDG 6 will begin on this blog.

Without further ado though, please enjoy the final installation of Red Data Girl: My Longest Day of School.

Red Data Girl: My Longest Day of School By Noriko Ogiwara Chapter 4: Choice Part 5 (1 of 1)

The students weren’t the only ones who came back to their senses at the loud sound of the helicopter. Izumiko did as well.

Oh, I’m back…

The fan she was holding had disappeared, and when she looked down at herself, she was wearing her kuroko outfit. While all of this was a relief to her, she couldn’t help but notice that the only thing that hadn’t gone back to the way it had been before, was her long, unbound hair. It remained wild and loose.

Why were my hair ties the only thing that didn’t come back?...

As she touched her unbound hair, Miyuki rushed up with so much speed it looked as if he was being chased. The staff was still clutched in his hand.

“Come here, Izumiko.”

When she didn’t respond, Miyuki grabbed her hand and pulled her into a run.

Once again, they were surrounded by the scenery of the campus. However, Miyuki was leading them in the opposite direction of the classroom building and everyone else. When Izumiko looked behind them, she saw all the costumed students packed together, looking up at the sky as they pointed and said this or that to each other.

Izumiko looked up as well. There was a helicopter descending down through the clouds towards the ground. That wasn’t all, though. A wire rope had been lowered from the helicopter and there was a person hanging from it. It looked like a search and rescue officer. Obviously, everyone was surprised by what was going on.

“What’s happening?” Izumiko asked, but Miyuki did not answer. “Where’s Takayanagi?”

“He’s fine. He’s on his way back. More importantly than that, do you see Yukariko?” Miyuki asked, looking restlessly up at the person in the sky.

Surprised, Izumiko looked back up as well. The figure was not wearing the bright colors of a rescue uniform. Instead, she was wearing all black. Now that Miyuki had said something, the person did look female.

“But why’s she in a helicopter?”

“They’re going to land on the sports grounds. Let’s go see.”

Izumiko and Miyuki arrived at the field faster than anyone else. Thanks to this, they were able to meet the person hanging from the wire ladder while the helicopter hovered just above the ground. The woman let go, landing gracefully on her feet.

With a helmet and sunglasses on from her trip in the sky, it was hard to see her face. However, it could only be Yukariko.—Both Izumiko and Miyuki were sure of that.

Izumiko held her loose hair tightly in both hands so that it didn’t fly around in the wind. With it secured, she and Miyuki approached her mother.

It didn’t seem like the helicopter itself was going to land at the school. The ladder began to rise back up. It was difficult to see into the cockpit, but as it flew away and rose back up into the air, Miyuki was sure the pilot was Yukimasa.

Does he act the way he does because of Yukariko?... he wondered.

Yukariko’s long hair blew around in the wind as she took off her helmet. Izumiko noticed that her mother’s hair was longer than it had been when she had seen her over summer vacation. But after seeing the difference in Hodaka’s hair from one day to another, she couldn’t bring herself to be surprised. However, she was more than impressed by her mother’s entrance and the razor-like, black suit with gold buttons she was wearing.

“Mom, you look like some kind of phantom thief.”

“Isn’t this a costumed school festival? Wouldn’t you say my outfit’s just right, then?”

“Our theme is the Warring States era.”

Yukariko held her helmet under her arm, but didn’t take her sunglasses off. The dark lenses made it hard to see the emotion in her eyes, but her red lips were clear to see as they twisted into a smile.

“I may be a parent of a student here, but I also came for work. Did you forget my job in the police force? I need to expose a suspicious organization, and collect evidence against them.”

Izumiko and Miyuki’s eyes grew wide.

“Could this have anything to do with… the balloon?”

Yukariko did not answer Izumiko’s question. However, her smile widened.

“You’ve worked hard today, Izumiko. You too, Miyuki. Both of you did very well. If you can get through this, you’ve taken your first steps towards who you’ll become in the future for sure.”

There was something about her mother’s tone that Izumiko could not comprehend. “Did you become the goddess today?...” she asked, the words slipping out of her mouth before she knew what she was saying.

“Mmm. Something like that. Let the adults clean up the last few troublesome details. We need to settle things amicably with the people gathered here, as well. I’ll go to the board of director’s office and have a chat with the adults there. Go take care of your own business.”

The brisk words were all she said before she turned her back and walked away. It was the same blunt way she always acted, but it was probably all she could have done with so many students watching them now. Awestruck by the sight of Yukariko with her hair blowing in the wind, the students parted to let her by.

Honaka’s voice cut through the air over the outdoor speakers, calling the students back.

Everything was working again.

“I need to find Mr. Nonomura and return the staff, ” Miyuki, who had been unusually silent in front of Yukariko, said quietly. “There’s no reason for me to keep it.”

“Mr. Nonomura is here? I want to see him, too.”

Izumiko glanced towards Miyuki to find exhaustion written all over his face. The emotion hadn’t been there a moment before. She could feel her own body growing heavy, and knew that she was near her own limit.

“Where did you see him?”

“He was by the bazaar, but he’s probably gone somewhere else by now.”

Neither of them wanted to join the student gathering. They were tired and knew that they wouldn’t be able to handle all the questions that would certainly come at them from everyone at school.

Miyuki leaned heavily on the staff as he walked. “I feel like I need this as a cane so that I don’t trip…” he grumbled quietly. “I haven’t eaten or slept in ages.”

“Now that you mention it, we missed lunch.” Izumiko said, growing anxious over Miyuki’s condition. It looked like his legs might give out on the way to their destination, but she couldn’t be certain of that by just looking at him.

Luckily, when it seemed like they wouldn’t be able to take another step further, they spied Mr. Nonomura. His large form made big strides forward until he was in front of them. He was the sort of trustworthy person who could make someone feel better with just a look.

“Mr. Nonomura.”

“Izumiko. I’m glad to see you again. Good work, Miyuki,” Mr. Nonomura said in his powerful voice, a large grin splitting across his face. As always, he didn’t say any more than was necessary.

When Miyuki reached out to hand him the staff, the man immediately said, “Miyuki, you should go to the nurse’s office before you collapse. I’ll go with you, and talk to the teacher there. You should do the same, Izumiko. You’ll experience some backlash after what you did today.”

With Mr. Nonomura watching over them, the two made their way to the nurse’s office only to find ever-calculating Takayanagi already sound asleep in one of the beds. While the nurse, Ms. Sakakiba, showed obvious suspicion towards the previously missing students, their exhaustion was evident, and with Mr. Nonomura accompanying them to the office, she welcomed them in without much fuss. When she heard that they hadn’t eaten lunch yet, she brought them bentos and bread, along with drinks. Miyuki grateful drank a sports drink, but announced that this was all that he could manage at that point in time. Then he went to sleep in the bed next to Takayanagi’s.

The bento Izumiko received consisted of red rice, fried shrimp, and roasted fish. As she ate, a thought suddenly crossed her mind.

…If I had gone to the palace and eaten there, I wonder what kind of food would have been at the feast…

It was something she would never know. Sitting in the nurse’s office, she couldn’t help but feel as if she had been two completely different people today; who she was now, and the person who had considered all humans, including her parents, to be her enemy, and had thought about leaving forever with Masumi. Regardless of what it felt like, those had certainly been her thoughts, and now they were rooted deep down inside of her beneath her outer thoughts and opinions. There was still plenty of time to process the trials she had been through today.

Izumiko slowly finished her bento. Even when she had eaten it all, there was no chance of Miyuki waking up anytime soon, so Mr. Nonomura brought her back to the girl’s dorm. She had planned to put her hair securely back in its braids, but when she looked at her bed, she instantly know that she had reached her limit. She fell into a deep sleep before she could do anything with her hair.

When the rest of the students besides the three sleeping off the day’s events had gathered back at the front of the school, the final battle with all its balloons commenced and continued on until the scheduled end time. The game did what it had been intended to do, and the students soon relaxed and regained their earlier competitive spirit. After all the cheering, there was a short explanation on what had happened that day, but no one seemed too worried about it thanks most likely to everyone having recovered from the group hallucination.

While what had occurred on campus was strange, all the students and visitors were fine. What was stranger yet was that after everything was said and done, no one spread any more rumors about what had happened. There was not one complaint about the electrical breakdown, the Warring States era ghosts, or the other troublesome events that had happened. Luckily, none of the people working at the school that day filed any claims either, and no formal investigation on what had happened ever occurred.

That didn’t mean the students had completely forgotten about what had happened, though.

After the electronics came back on, the students spent even more time on their phones and laptops than they usually did.

“She really did look great in that costume.”

“I think so, too.”

“She made such a great princess.”

“I wish I could have gotten a picture of that dance…”

Everyone was looking at the picture of Izumiko from the kimono demonstration.

It was at this time that the top student was chosen. The decision was made based on the criteria of the other students’ consensus, but more importantly, by who had stood out the most. It was not Ichijo Takayanagi nor Mayura Souda who Hodaka Murakami chose in the end. However, Izumiko, along with the other two students sleeping soundly in the nurse’s office, would not know the reason for this decision until much, much later.

#red data girl #rdg #rdg 5 #rdg 5 week 31 #rdg my longest day of school #translation

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