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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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Every other month, the
Every other month, the Daily Yomiuri hands out a little premium to its subscribers–this month we received a small cookbook titled “Dinner meets French Dishes: asian ingredients and herbs bring out the taste” It’s full of unique recipes. Would you like to try Miso Ratatouille, Green Onion Saute with Red Wine Sauce, or Squid &…
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Today is “Labour Thanksgiving
Today is “Labour Thanksgiving Day” in Japan, a national holiday. What are we celebrating? Are we supposed to be thankful for having jobs? Perhaps so. I’m (unthankfully) working today trying to juggle half a dozen deadlines with cleaning. So far, working has won. Nothing’s been cleaned. Maybe tomorrow.
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Shichimencho is the word
Shichimencho is the word for turkey in Japanese. Literally translated, it means 7-faced bird. Shichimencho is not a popular food in Japan; the meat is too dry for Japanese tastes. I think back to some of my own Thanksgiving meals and I have to agree.
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Fifty 16 year old
Fifty 16 year old girls are an intimidating audience. Until you get them to laugh. Yesterday, I went to a girls’ school in Kamakura to present “IT Careers for Women” on behalf of DigitalEve. Three classes combined to form a sea of sailor-suited uniforms. Although I heard horror stories from friends who teach about the…
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I hung my head
I hung my head out the window for 90 minutes last night and was rewarded with about 80 sightings of Leonid meteors. The best ones were jaw-dropping, luminous pink fireballs that streaked across the sky, leaving lime green smoke trails. I watched the smoke from one trail dissipate and I swore I could smell it.…
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