Am I a peach or a thigh???
| Your Japanese Name Is... |
 |
posted by Angie @ 9:23 AM
1 comments
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Ah yes..."scientific" validation of the obvious!
| You Are a Henna Gaijin! |
 You're not Japanese, but you wish you were! You can use chopsticks with your eyes closed, and you've memorized hundreds of Kanji. You even answer your phone "moshi moshi." While the number of anime videos you've seen is way higher than the number of dates you've been on, there's hope. Play the sexy, mysterous gaijin, and you'll have plenty of Japanese meat. |
posted by Angie @ 10:13 PM
2 comments
Still "Japan-ing" - A Top Ten List of Recent Events
Number Ten
Bought a new kanji book called " A Guide To Remembering Japanese Characters" by Kenneth Henshall. Unlike Hessig's book which makes up stories to help you remember the kanji (eg "picture a samurai slicing a watermelon..." or some such) this book actually explains the historical meaning of each component. Personally I feel this is a more useful strategy for deciphering new/unfamiliar kanji. Its damned interesting
anyway. However, the mnemonics run the gamut from good to bad to ugly. For example:
Useful: 意ーいーA Thought Is A Sound From The Heart
Not so Useful: 育ーそだつーEducate Child Upside Down Like Piece Of Meat
Number 9
Going with coworkers to see Pornograffiti in concert in April!
Number 8
How can something so good be so bad? I finally broke down and bought an ipod on Saturday. Oh how I loathe the fact that, of all brands, I bought an ipod. But truthfully I haven't been able to put it down since I got it. So I finally joined the millenium and retired my sorry old discman.
I ruv ipod.
Number 7
Joined Mixi. http://mixi.jp/
Was tortured for an hour because I mistakenly posted an introduction (友人から紹介) for a person with whom I shouldn't really act that familiar yet. I actually meant to send a casual email but instead posted my private message on the main page of his mixi blog. After freaking out because it took me light years to search for the (nonexistant) delete button I decided to alter the text to make it more appropriate for an intro. Of course it took forever to determine what to say. Then I resent my original message via the correct channel. When I finally got back to my homepage I realized that there was a sort of mixi management button which finally allowed me to delete my mistake.
Phew! Boy, learning Japanese sure is..."fun".
Number 6
Worked out with K today. Our "light and easy" workout turned into a walk/jog from Yawatahama all the way to Ozu!!! Hurray for us!
Number 5
Wow...I was actually asked by a teacher to "smell his finger" today. I don't care to elaborate on the details. Please tell me, I haven't lost all cultural objectivity yet, have I? I mean, that is weird, right? Eeewww!
Number 4
Went to M Bar in Matsuyama with K, A and Rae. Had an awesome time as usual. 飲みすぎた！I have photographs I'd love to share but they might reveal the location of the best kept secret in Matsuyama or compromise the secret identity of Shyoumi, the most amazing bartender in all of Shikoku. Hey K and gang - did that evening really end the way I remember it, or did I just imagine that friendly farewell with us out on the street with Shyoumi?;)
Number 3
I bought my first manga. Chicago friends - I fear I'm crossing over to the dark side! ;) Other red flags include: daily consumption of Kat-tun pop songs, the mysterious appearance of a pair of long white slouchy socks in my wardrobe, and the fact that I wore three different shades of pink to elementary school the other day.
If you don't know who Kat-tun is, check out this video. And yes, be afraid. Be very afraid. I - gasp - like it. Oh, the shame! C'mon - they're sooooo pretty...
Number 2
The most horrifying, embarassing thing EVER happened to me. Long story short: At a Friday night enkai (party) with a bunch of Ikata yakuba folks, this guy made me swear that I'd come visit him on the second floor office on Monday and give him a high five. He then proceeded to consume gi-normous amounts of alcohol throughout the night. As you must've guessed, Monday afternoon arrived, and off to the yakuba I went. I high-fived him (before a large audience nonetheless). And...
He had no idea who I was or what I was doing.
sigh.
But despite this debacle, I'm pleased to announce that...
Number 1
I've signed my recontracting papers. I'll be in Japan for a fourth year!
Bought a new kanji book called " A Guide To Remembering Japanese Characters" by Kenneth Henshall. Unlike Hessig's book which makes up stories to help you remember the kanji (eg "picture a samurai slicing a watermelon..." or some such) this book actually explains the historical meaning of each component. Personally I feel this is a more useful strategy for deciphering new/unfamiliar kanji. Its damned interesting
anyway. However, the mnemonics run the gamut from good to bad to ugly. For example:
Useful: 意ーいーA Thought Is A Sound From The Heart
Not so Useful: 育ーそだつーEducate Child Upside Down Like Piece Of Meat
Number 9
Going with coworkers to see Pornograffiti in concert in April!
Number 8
How can something so good be so bad? I finally broke down and bought an ipod on Saturday. Oh how I loathe the fact that, of all brands, I bought an ipod. But truthfully I haven't been able to put it down since I got it. So I finally joined the millenium and retired my sorry old discman.
I ruv ipod.
Number 7
Joined Mixi. http://mixi.jp/
Was tortured for an hour because I mistakenly posted an introduction (友人から紹介) for a person with whom I shouldn't really act that familiar yet. I actually meant to send a casual email but instead posted my private message on the main page of his mixi blog. After freaking out because it took me light years to search for the (nonexistant) delete button I decided to alter the text to make it more appropriate for an intro. Of course it took forever to determine what to say. Then I resent my original message via the correct channel. When I finally got back to my homepage I realized that there was a sort of mixi management button which finally allowed me to delete my mistake.
Phew! Boy, learning Japanese sure is..."fun".
Number 6
Worked out with K today. Our "light and easy" workout turned into a walk/jog from Yawatahama all the way to Ozu!!! Hurray for us!
Number 5
Wow...I was actually asked by a teacher to "smell his finger" today. I don't care to elaborate on the details. Please tell me, I haven't lost all cultural objectivity yet, have I? I mean, that is weird, right? Eeewww!
Number 4
Went to M Bar in Matsuyama with K, A and Rae. Had an awesome time as usual. 飲みすぎた！I have photographs I'd love to share but they might reveal the location of the best kept secret in Matsuyama or compromise the secret identity of Shyoumi, the most amazing bartender in all of Shikoku. Hey K and gang - did that evening really end the way I remember it, or did I just imagine that friendly farewell with us out on the street with Shyoumi?;)
Number 3
I bought my first manga. Chicago friends - I fear I'm crossing over to the dark side! ;) Other red flags include: daily consumption of Kat-tun pop songs, the mysterious appearance of a pair of long white slouchy socks in my wardrobe, and the fact that I wore three different shades of pink to elementary school the other day.
If you don't know who Kat-tun is, check out this video. And yes, be afraid. Be very afraid. I - gasp - like it. Oh, the shame! C'mon - they're sooooo pretty...
Number 2
The most horrifying, embarassing thing EVER happened to me. Long story short: At a Friday night enkai (party) with a bunch of Ikata yakuba folks, this guy made me swear that I'd come visit him on the second floor office on Monday and give him a high five. He then proceeded to consume gi-normous amounts of alcohol throughout the night. As you must've guessed, Monday afternoon arrived, and off to the yakuba I went. I high-fived him (before a large audience nonetheless). And...
He had no idea who I was or what I was doing.
sigh.
But despite this debacle, I'm pleased to announce that...
Number 1
I've signed my recontracting papers. I'll be in Japan for a fourth year!
posted by Angie @ 8:34 PM
4 comments
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Final Words
I only have two minutes to write - I'm about to deliver an impromptu lesson in front of the PTA, yikes! I didn't really know about this lesson until this morning. I just got a lesson plan from my JTE an hour ago.
So consider these my final words before crashing and burning in front of the parents in my community: "AAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!"
How ironic that I was asked to guide the workshop on "team" teaching this week...
So consider these my final words before crashing and burning in front of the parents in my community: "AAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!"
How ironic that I was asked to guide the workshop on "team" teaching this week...
posted by Angie @ 9:54 PM
0 comments
