April 2007

The Archives

Baby, Life in Japan, Odd
The torture device
04.26.07 | Permalink | 5 Comments

Baby Belle has a cold of mythical proportions. When she sleeps, snot bubbles expand and deflate from her nostrils. So we bought a phlegm extractor. There are two ends. You put one end into the nostril. The other in your mouth. You suck on one end and the mucus flies from the nose into a [...]
Blogging, Japan, Life in Japan
Unleash the drafts
04.25.07 | Permalink | 1 Comment

Part of blogging is that you are supposed to keep posting new stuff. It’s a newsy medium which is why blogs that focus on current events are so popular. They can get the news out before the TV Bulletin and the Japan Times. As I’ve said before a team of blind and deaf rats could [...]
Japan, Life in Japan
3 Reasons I’m glad I’m not in England anymore
04.23.07 | Permalink | 8 Comments

I like to write posts denouncing Japan. I have drafts of several in my drafts’ folder. But the truth is I like a lot of things about Japan. And there are many things in England I’m glad aren’t around me anymore. 1: Chavs. There are many excellent photos there which I’m not allowed to link [...]
Cherry Blossom, Japan, Life in Japan, Photo
Pink Snow Cherry Blossom
04.19.07 | Permalink | 1 Comment

The cherry blossom has mostly gone here in Osaka.　　There are a few brave stragglers refusing to die. But when the cherry blossom trees were in full bloom it was a glorious sight.
Japan, Japanese, Life in Japan
Japanese textbook curse
04.11.07 | Permalink | 5 Comments

I’m trying to better myself by studying Japanese further past level three and I’ve come across a big hurdle. When I studied for level three, all the grammar textbooks had English explanations. Now for level 2, every single textbook I can find has EVERYTHING in Japanese. This includes meanings and explanations. This seems crazy to [...]
Cherry Blossom, Japan
3000 cherry blossom trees
04.10.07 | Permalink | 3 Comments

3,000 cherry blossom trees an hour away from my house and nobody told me? via the novel Keeping Pace in Japan
Cherry Blossom, Japan, Photo
Hanami Lantern
04.07.07 | Permalink | Comment?

I love cherry blossom time.
Food, Japan, Osaka, Photo
Smallest takoyaki shop in Japan
04.05.07 | Permalink | 5 Comments

Whilst walking through the narrow passageways under Umeda train station which I like to call Salaryman Central, I came across this takoyaki shop which bills itself as the smallest takoyaki shop in Japan. It had newspaper cuttings to prove its point. Takoyaki is fried octopus pancake balls and is a speciality of the Kansai region [...]
Japan
Kawaii
04.02.07 | Permalink | 2 Comments

I was at Costco the other day and I heard a girl scream, “Kawaii” (cute) at a plain white beer cooler. In Japan it’s impossible to escape the glare of Hello Kitty or the various wide-eyed manga characters. With this in mind, I read an excellent article in the Japan Times about the kawaii phenomenon [...]