§ Ｅｎｇｌｉｓｈ　Ｃｏｌｕｍｎ　―　ＨＯＭＥ　―　

　My birthplace is quite a big city, but was no more than a village
when I was a child. My father was a dairy man. Apart from selling
milk, he himself had a small farm. He kept cows and other animals,
made compost, and grew vegetables and trees. My parents were
always busy for working, while I never got bored playing outside.
I still remember the rattling sound of milk bottles at dawn, the smell
of earth after the spring rain, and the cold wind from the mountains.

As time passed, things changed drastically.
One day, a farmer sold his land to a big factory. Soon, another farmer
did the same. Then, the others followed. In this way, the paddy fields
around disappeared little by little. Many houses were built. Lots of
new-comers came, and complained to my father about the smell of his
cowshed. My father gave up keeping cows and farming. Instead, he
mechanized his factory, borrowing money from a bank. There was no
farm any more.

I don't go back to my birthplace these days because it is not my home
that I remember by heart. It is no fun seeing a range of buildings
instead of that of mountains.

I am now living in a mountainous part of Komagane City. Though cold in
winter, it is a very beautiful place. I keep animals and vegetable garden,
and that reminds me of my good old days.
I was not born in Komagane actually. However, if you live in a place,
and love the place, is it not your home? After all, my home is where my
heart is, is it not? If you ask me now, my home is Komagane, the
mountains of Shinshu.

Where is your home? (Y)

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