A Palavra Japonesa do Dia
17 years ago
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
On Turning 29 & 24 Months Old
They say the third time is a charm, which I have found to be certainly true with my 29th birthday.
The week preceding my birthday (4/29-5/6) is Golden Week, or 黄金週間 (pronounced, "Ougon Shuukan") in Japan, which is a blanket holiday that knocks out the following: Emperor's Birthday, Greenery Day, Showa Day, Constitution Day, Countryman's Day, and Children's Day (天皇誕生日 "tennou tanjoubi"、緑の日 "midori no hi"、昭和の日 "Shouwa no hi"、 憲法記念日 "kenpou kinenbi"、 国民の休日 "kokumin no hi"、 and 子供の日 "kodomo no hi", respectively). Yes, the Japanese are efficient with their holidays, too.
During the earlier part of the week, Yoko and I went to the Ueno Zoo, the first time that I have been to a zoo in perhaps 20 years. Good news, the animals are still the same as they were 20 years ago. Bad news, animals are still so rude. They do nothing but poop, urinate, fornicate, and fight.
Yoko and I both quickly became fans of the Slow Loris, a nocturnal animal of the Nycticebus genus typically inhabiting the southeast Asia area. It's eyes are a prized ingredient in local medicine and the associated over-hunting of the Slow Loris pushed it into the endangered species list. Guess that's what happens when you move slow and have the reflexes of a pothead. In any case, it is cute as snot and its abnormal movement had us cracking up in the dark room at the zoo.
We also had an interesting run-in with the gorillas, with whom we could communicate through two approximately 1-inch glass walls that punctuated their otherwise enormous habitat enclosure. It is safe to say that they were not the least bit interested in us. However, one of the gorillas did in fact approach the glass wall where were standing and sat down with his or her back toward us. After a few minutes, the gorilla turned around and (seriously) smiled at Yoko. Later, he (or she) turned around a second time to smile at Yoko again. Yoko evidently did not keep up her end of the bargain as the gorilla quickly became uninterested, spotted a nearby pieces of fresh feces on the ground, and proceeded to eat it. Gross, I was less than a foot away from a poop-eating gorilla. Luckily, the zoo provided us with a chart nearby listing the bios of the captive gorillas so that we could spot out our new acquaintance who, because of my discriminating eye for gorillas, I was able to narrow down to 6 candidates from 8, in which case his/ her name is either Fifi, Bobo, Jiji, Juju, Kiki, or Koko. Repeting syllables is an important habit for naming children in gorilla culture. Also, the gender remains undetermined.
Oh, yeah, I had a birthday this week, too. Yoko took me to a 旅館 ("ryokan" or traditional Japanese inn) that featured an Onsen (Japanese bath) located about an hour by train outside of Tokyo. We rented a traditional Japanese room for about 4 hours (G-rated), which featured room service of a traditional Japanese meal and a patio with an overlook. It happened to be raining that day, so it was extra relaxing. See the pics!
As I write this, my internet sucks and will not upload the photo album. I promise to get it up shortly.
The week preceding my birthday (4/29-5/6) is Golden Week, or 黄金週間 (pronounced, "Ougon Shuukan") in Japan, which is a blanket holiday that knocks out the following: Emperor's Birthday, Greenery Day, Showa Day, Constitution Day, Countryman's Day, and Children's Day (天皇誕生日 "tennou tanjoubi"、緑の日 "midori no hi"、昭和の日 "Shouwa no hi"、 憲法記念日 "kenpou kinenbi"、 国民の休日 "kokumin no hi"、 and 子供の日 "kodomo no hi", respectively). Yes, the Japanese are efficient with their holidays, too.
During the earlier part of the week, Yoko and I went to the Ueno Zoo, the first time that I have been to a zoo in perhaps 20 years. Good news, the animals are still the same as they were 20 years ago. Bad news, animals are still so rude. They do nothing but poop, urinate, fornicate, and fight.
Yoko and I both quickly became fans of the Slow Loris, a nocturnal animal of the Nycticebus genus typically inhabiting the southeast Asia area. It's eyes are a prized ingredient in local medicine and the associated over-hunting of the Slow Loris pushed it into the endangered species list. Guess that's what happens when you move slow and have the reflexes of a pothead. In any case, it is cute as snot and its abnormal movement had us cracking up in the dark room at the zoo.
We also had an interesting run-in with the gorillas, with whom we could communicate through two approximately 1-inch glass walls that punctuated their otherwise enormous habitat enclosure. It is safe to say that they were not the least bit interested in us. However, one of the gorillas did in fact approach the glass wall where were standing and sat down with his or her back toward us. After a few minutes, the gorilla turned around and (seriously) smiled at Yoko. Later, he (or she) turned around a second time to smile at Yoko again. Yoko evidently did not keep up her end of the bargain as the gorilla quickly became uninterested, spotted a nearby pieces of fresh feces on the ground, and proceeded to eat it. Gross, I was less than a foot away from a poop-eating gorilla. Luckily, the zoo provided us with a chart nearby listing the bios of the captive gorillas so that we could spot out our new acquaintance who, because of my discriminating eye for gorillas, I was able to narrow down to 6 candidates from 8, in which case his/ her name is either Fifi, Bobo, Jiji, Juju, Kiki, or Koko. Repeting syllables is an important habit for naming children in gorilla culture. Also, the gender remains undetermined.
Oh, yeah, I had a birthday this week, too. Yoko took me to a 旅館 ("ryokan" or traditional Japanese inn) that featured an Onsen (Japanese bath) located about an hour by train outside of Tokyo. We rented a traditional Japanese room for about 4 hours (G-rated), which featured room service of a traditional Japanese meal and a patio with an overlook. It happened to be raining that day, so it was extra relaxing. See the pics!
As I write this, my internet sucks and will not upload the photo album. I promise to get it up shortly.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
花見 ("flower-viewing," pronounced "hanami")
Yoko and I went to a popular area of Tokyo for cherry-blossoming viewing on Saturday. There are some pretty pictures and spectacular photographic work in the associated folder to the right.
Classes started today. I am taking six Japanese language classes: 2 "all-purpose" classes and one each for speaking, writing, reading, and pronunciation. I should be in prety good shape when I return to the U.S. Additionally, I have nailed down about 1300 kanji characters (2000 is considered "smarty pants" by the Japanese Ministry of Education), including the anywhere from two to six readings than any one character may have. My Japanese friends are thoroughly impressed with my progress, but then again the Japanese are impressed when we (Westerners) can intoduce ourselves properly in Japanese (In fact, I once was complemented on my Big Mac ordering skills at McDonalds).
Lastly, I have added captions to the 花見 (Hanami) and previous folder file, so that you know what is going on.
Classes started today. I am taking six Japanese language classes: 2 "all-purpose" classes and one each for speaking, writing, reading, and pronunciation. I should be in prety good shape when I return to the U.S. Additionally, I have nailed down about 1300 kanji characters (2000 is considered "smarty pants" by the Japanese Ministry of Education), including the anywhere from two to six readings than any one character may have. My Japanese friends are thoroughly impressed with my progress, but then again the Japanese are impressed when we (Westerners) can intoduce ourselves properly in Japanese (In fact, I once was complemented on my Big Mac ordering skills at McDonalds).
Lastly, I have added captions to the 花見 (Hanami) and previous folder file, so that you know what is going on.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Some Random Pictures
I have posted some random pictures in archive to the right. They include photos of my new place (with the gaijin-unfriendly low door frames), my new neighborhood, the area around the Waseda campus, and Yoko's trip to Seoul, South Korea.
What else is new? Class starts again on Monday of next week. The cherry blossoms are starting to come out and flower-viewing season (a HUGE deal here) is coming. Oh, North Korea flew two missiles recently: one that landed to the west in the Japan Sea and the other that flew over our head to its destination somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. Kim Jong-Il promises that he was not trying to hit Japan, but the United States. Whew, that's a relieve; thought I was in trouble. In any case, it has been in the news here 24-7.
What else is new? Class starts again on Monday of next week. The cherry blossoms are starting to come out and flower-viewing season (a HUGE deal here) is coming. Oh, North Korea flew two missiles recently: one that landed to the west in the Japan Sea and the other that flew over our head to its destination somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. Kim Jong-Il promises that he was not trying to hit Japan, but the United States. Whew, that's a relieve; thought I was in trouble. In any case, it has been in the news here 24-7.
Monday, March 16, 2009
久しぶり! Part 2
Holy crap, I have not written in a while. Plenty of things have happened since I wrote last.
For starters, Valentine's Day came and went. In Japan, Valentine's Day is split into two holidays: Valentine's Day proper, where the woman treats the man; and White Day, where the man treats the woman (White Day was two days ago). Anyway, for Valentine's Day Yoko and I went to an Italian restaurant at my request. We ordered a bottle of prosecco (Italian Champagne), of which I drank 75%, she a glass. Like fire and gasoline, prosecco and 95 lbs. Japanese girls do not mix well, so Yoko was hammered. We finished dinner and Yoko was becoming noticeably boisterous, so I promptly paid the bill and ushered her out of the place. She stopped near the front door to examine thoroughly the various advertisements and classifieds posted at the front door (like we all do) at which time she began to hiccup loudly, which she continued in the street, on the train, through the train station, and all the way home. The Japanese are wont to prolonged stares and this exhibition drew a few. After a few second-looks from passing pedestrians, I began gesturing to everyone in a manner to assure them that I was not taking advantage of her. In any case, it was a fun night up to that point.
I moved. If anyone has not figured out yet, I am not returning to University of Chicago until the Summer quarter, or around July. I found out that classes at Waseda for another semester were free for me, so I decided to stay to load up on Japanese courses. Also, a 20% drop in the USD/Yen exchange rate, approximately 40% drop in the S&P, a spike to 80% in the VIX, and the general speculation that all US Banks were either "zombies" or "de facto nationalized" led me to conclude that now was not the time to return to finish my MBA and get a job in finance. I'll hang in there for a few more months; I am not THAT tired of eating rice. In any case, I will have some pretty pictures of my new haunts up in a few.
I finished my semester. I had two intensive courses in February to cap it off, including an Operations Management course that included field trips to the Hino Automobile and the Suntory Beer Factories. Oh yeah, fun time. The latter included (I am not making this up) an after-party with snacks and bottomless beer (seriously). The Suntory trip pictures are in the gallery to the right (G-rated), but there is nothing of Hino. Face it, it's a lame-ass automobile plant; what did you want to see? Joking aside, I was impressed with the efficient manner in which these two plants operated and the ethos of their employees.
Tonight Yoko and I ate Mexican again. This time it was a restaurant run by real Mexicans! They spoke Spanish; it was great! The food was legit, too; not Texas quality, but much better than before.
Really important: There is a Denny's within walking distance of my new apartment.
For starters, Valentine's Day came and went. In Japan, Valentine's Day is split into two holidays: Valentine's Day proper, where the woman treats the man; and White Day, where the man treats the woman (White Day was two days ago). Anyway, for Valentine's Day Yoko and I went to an Italian restaurant at my request. We ordered a bottle of prosecco (Italian Champagne), of which I drank 75%, she a glass. Like fire and gasoline, prosecco and 95 lbs. Japanese girls do not mix well, so Yoko was hammered. We finished dinner and Yoko was becoming noticeably boisterous, so I promptly paid the bill and ushered her out of the place. She stopped near the front door to examine thoroughly the various advertisements and classifieds posted at the front door (like we all do) at which time she began to hiccup loudly, which she continued in the street, on the train, through the train station, and all the way home. The Japanese are wont to prolonged stares and this exhibition drew a few. After a few second-looks from passing pedestrians, I began gesturing to everyone in a manner to assure them that I was not taking advantage of her. In any case, it was a fun night up to that point.
I moved. If anyone has not figured out yet, I am not returning to University of Chicago until the Summer quarter, or around July. I found out that classes at Waseda for another semester were free for me, so I decided to stay to load up on Japanese courses. Also, a 20% drop in the USD/Yen exchange rate, approximately 40% drop in the S&P, a spike to 80% in the VIX, and the general speculation that all US Banks were either "zombies" or "de facto nationalized" led me to conclude that now was not the time to return to finish my MBA and get a job in finance. I'll hang in there for a few more months; I am not THAT tired of eating rice. In any case, I will have some pretty pictures of my new haunts up in a few.
I finished my semester. I had two intensive courses in February to cap it off, including an Operations Management course that included field trips to the Hino Automobile and the Suntory Beer Factories. Oh yeah, fun time. The latter included (I am not making this up) an after-party with snacks and bottomless beer (seriously). The Suntory trip pictures are in the gallery to the right (G-rated), but there is nothing of Hino. Face it, it's a lame-ass automobile plant; what did you want to see? Joking aside, I was impressed with the efficient manner in which these two plants operated and the ethos of their employees.
Tonight Yoko and I ate Mexican again. This time it was a restaurant run by real Mexicans! They spoke Spanish; it was great! The food was legit, too; not Texas quality, but much better than before.
Really important: There is a Denny's within walking distance of my new apartment.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Tokyo Disneyland
Last Thursday Yoko and I went to Disneyland because that's what you do in January. It was cold; we got there at around 11AM and I was ready to leave at about 2PM. Check out the pics to the right.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
地震 (earthquake, pronounced "jishin")
Yoko and I were rattled a little this morning by this:
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/406138/1/.html
By the time it reached us, it was nothing but a little shaking. It was like laying in a therapeutic, vibrating-bed set to low.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/406138/1/.html
By the time it reached us, it was nothing but a little shaking. It was like laying in a therapeutic, vibrating-bed set to low.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
風邪が 引く!
As the title implies, I am currently sick. Yesterday I woke up at 2PM (don't laugh) because I felt horrible. I took a shower shortly afterward and became nauseous while rinsing off. I almost puked and passed out. I went back to bed promptly afterward. I had an internet interview yesterday that I had to postpone until next week. 18 hours of sleep on Tuesday and about 10 hours today (so far). Yoko stopped by after work and gave me a bag of Japanese oranges to eat.
I am feeling better now, but still a ways to go.
I am feeling better now, but still a ways to go.
明けましておめでとうございます! (Happy New Year!)
New Year’s seems to be as popular here as in the United States, but it is celebrated differently. Generally, Japanese families will congregate at home and watch television, presumably New Year’s based shows. Traditional practice involves waking up early to watch the sun rise, attending a Shinto shrine to wish for good luck for the new year, and eating soba noodles (wheat noodles) on New Year’s day. The focus is clearly less on partying and more on starting new; the Japanese in the title literally translates, “Congratulations on a New Beginning!”
I got together with the Waseda B-school gang for dinner at a local Japanese restaurant. Afterwards, a few of us went to a popular Shinto Shrine near Tokyo Tower, which serves as the city’s best proxy for Times Square for New Year’s celebration.
Here is the countdown (copy & paste in a new URL):
http://www.facebook.com/video/?of=348900225#/video/video.php?v=502684896770
Just like NYC, getting home afterward was a pain-in-the-ass. There was a mass exodus from the celebration spot, and the sparse number of running trains meant an hour and 30 minute commute and hanging around drunk people. I have a video of a drunkard standing next to me in line for the train, but I can’t figure out how to upload it.
Check out the pics in the folder.
I got together with the Waseda B-school gang for dinner at a local Japanese restaurant. Afterwards, a few of us went to a popular Shinto Shrine near Tokyo Tower, which serves as the city’s best proxy for Times Square for New Year’s celebration.
Here is the countdown (copy & paste in a new URL):
http://www.facebook.com/video/?of=348900225#/video/video.php?v=502684896770
Just like NYC, getting home afterward was a pain-in-the-ass. There was a mass exodus from the celebration spot, and the sparse number of running trains meant an hour and 30 minute commute and hanging around drunk people. I have a video of a drunkard standing next to me in line for the train, but I can’t figure out how to upload it.
Check out the pics in the folder.
Christmas
Christmas is popular in Japan (or at least Tokyo) and, in many ways, mirrors its observation in the United States. Stores began decorating and playing Christmas music shortly after Halloween; there was a plethora of Christmas TV specials (I have pics); and I even saw a Harley motorcycle gang of Santas drive through Harajuku. However, Christmas stops on Christmas Day; everyone goes to work as usual and everything is still open.
I spent the 23rd and Christmas Eve at Yoko’s, which compensated for not being near family. We cooked: She and I both made gyouza (餃子, Japanese dumplings) and I made Tiramisu. The gyouza was the best I have had here Japan (honestly) and the Tiramisu turned out perfectly, making three 6in x 6in tins (I was surprised that I could even find the ingredients). The Tiramisu lasted about three days; I (215 lbs.) had three bites and a 96 lbs. woman ate the remainder of the three pans. Do the math.
The Christmas picture folder has been out for some time, but I have updated it with new pictures.
I spent the 23rd and Christmas Eve at Yoko’s, which compensated for not being near family. We cooked: She and I both made gyouza (餃子, Japanese dumplings) and I made Tiramisu. The gyouza was the best I have had here Japan (honestly) and the Tiramisu turned out perfectly, making three 6in x 6in tins (I was surprised that I could even find the ingredients). The Tiramisu lasted about three days; I (215 lbs.) had three bites and a 96 lbs. woman ate the remainder of the three pans. Do the math.
The Christmas picture folder has been out for some time, but I have updated it with new pictures.
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