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I’m off to buy
I’m off to buy a color printer today. I’ve been putting off this purchase for a long time. Black and white is fine for me, really. But I designed a holiday card that looks better in color and I have no time to get them professionally printed. So I have to do it myself.and that…
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The Crown Princess of
The Crown Princess of Japan delivered a baby girl on Saturday. The economists predict an upswing in the economy due to this happy news. Baby goods manufacuturers are all excited for their prospects now that there is a new princess. Maybe they expect a surge in the purchase of rattles as gifts for the new…
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The scope of hairdressing
The scope of hairdressing products on the market is remarkable. Foam, wax, gel, spray, mousse…water. Not just any water, this is Morning Water. The pictures on the spray bottle tell the story. A man in striped pajamas is in for a really bad hair day. His mop is sticking up all over and he’s grimacing…
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A Japanese ice cream
A Japanese ice cream parfait is a confectionery Frankenstein. I remember parfaits from my childhood: a tall glass filled with layers of sweet sauce and ice cream, topped with whiped cream and a maraschino cherry. The waitress at Genetti’s sometimes gave me an extra cherry which made me feel very special. The Japanese go a…
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Yesterday I bought a
Yesterday I bought a copy of a book written by my shiatsu doctor. It’s a thin volume, illustrated with cute drawings and it gives instructions on how to do your own shiatsu (which is called accupressure in the US). Some of the suggestions are a little strange. Warm your ankles with a blowdryer before sleeping.…
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“Ohisashiburi, okaasan*!” I said
“Ohisashiburi, okaasan*!” I said to my mirror. My mother, circa 1976, was looking back at me after my haircut. Wow. I had no idea that the style I’d pointed to in a magazine was going to look like this on me. It looked swoopier on the model. My hair embraces gravity. But I hope that…
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Loose change adds up
Loose change adds up fast around here. With coins worth up to 500 yen (about $4), the total in a change purse or a pocket can easily buy lunch or more. Our stuffed elephants, the Zous, have been saving for a trip to America. They’ve found over 12,000 yen in spare change just lying around,…
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The news is full
The news is full of national leaders’ children. The Imperial Crown Prince & Princess are due to give birth to their first child any day now. If it is a boy, he will be in line for the throne. If the baby is a girl, probably not. The Japanese constitution (written with help from the…
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Thank goodness for Jim
Thank goodness for Jim Breen’s online Japanese dictionary system WWWJDIC. It’s got an ugly interface and a strange name, but it is the handiest thing out there for translating e-mail, web pages and even i-mode screens if you know some Japanese but aren’t strong on kanji.
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Perhaps, if you’ve tried
Perhaps, if you’ve tried to pick up a phrase or two of Japanese for a trip, someone has told you a trick for remembering douitashimashite (you’re welcome) as “Don’t touch my moustache.” Of course it doesn’t sound like that but it’s easy to remember. Japanese learners of English memorize similar nonsense to try to pronounce…
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