Cooking Time!

Or you can view this video directly from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/embed/kAeeGZpJq1w

Amazing Japanese Fake Pool!

Look at this YouTube video.  Hope it stays on!

New Inglish

Here's some new Inglish for you.  You know the word "plough"?  How do you pronounce it?  Well, visually it looks similar to "cough," doesn't it?  And so that's how they pronounce it.  "Pluff."

A Glimpse of Christmas in Japan

On December 16, Filipinos start with the "Simbang Gabi" or Midnight Mass, which is a 9-day novena usually held before dawn leading up to Christmas day.  Coincidentally, our Episode 16 features Christmas in Japan.  I call this episode "A Glimpse of Christmas in Japan," and to me, all these Christmas decors, at least at major urban centers, make me feel just a little bit closer to home.  I guess, these bring the outside world into Japan, for locals or residents who cannot otherwise experience Christmas as it really is, for example in the Philippines, in the US, and so on.  As usual, I "filmed" in Atsugi and in Tokyo (Shinjuku, to be more exact).

Part of the video include glimpses as well of Yokohama, where we held our Christmas party (lunch buffet actually, which we ended with a round of applause, a Japanese custom for ending parties).

As a present for you all, the last part of the video is somewhat a how-to on making a Santa Claus origami.  Origami as most of you know is the Japanese art of folding paper.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone!





(This is the low-resolution version of the video.  High-def version will be coming soon.  Also, the Japan! Japan! Video Blog will be back after mid-January.  See you then!)

Nanasawa Forest Park

We took a trip to Nanasawa Forest Park in Atsugi, Kanagawa, Japan, up in the lower hills of Mt. Ooyama, hoping to see some more "momiji," those Autumn red-colored maple leaves.  Also filmed the bike ride to and from.





Or you can view the videos directly on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB9pU5ziasM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur7ndEDWqdw

Last view of Autumn Colors, Kawaguchi Lake, Mt. Fuji

Or, you can view these videos directly from YouTube:
Episode 14: http://goo.gl/blKqC
Episode 14.5: http://goo.gl/lnMqE

Cool washing machine? Or laundromat? Or onsens?

Washing Machine/Air Conditioner Combo Saves Space, Chills Clothes. Wait a minute, air conditioners or at least their blower/indoor component are supposedly elevated and so no space is taken away, right? Ah, their outdoor/condenser component might be the one that doesn't have space. Okay, maybe this'll work. The author though makes a suggestion that people here in Japan could consider as a better alternative: go to a laundromat instead, which saves even more space. But I read from a comment on another blog post that some locals here might not like the idea of using a laundromat because they'll be using the same machine which other people has also used with their soiled clothes. The commentor then wondered, what about onsens where people dip in the same pool? The local guy he was talking to said, it's not the same. Sure, it's not 100%. Because the idea in onsens is the people shower and wash up first before they dip. But still, some bodily fluids (i.e. sweat, because it is hot inside the onsen, of course) creep out of you and you would then be sharing that with others. Meanwhile, some people tend to smell when they sweat, i.e. they have something on their outer skin that interacts with the sweat that causes that smell - you could likewise be sharing that "something" with others! I think a laundromat is better because there is a two degree separation between you and other people - your clothes and their clothes. At onsens, there is just one degree of separation between you and other people - the water. At laundromats, your clothes and their clothes go in there dirty, but they come out clean and the inside is essentially clean (or else your clothes aren't). At onsens, you and they come in there clean - on the outside - but again, it's those bodily fluids and the presence of "something" are still there. Then again, I dunno if they have any effect in hot water. Well, it's all about beliefs. I don't mind going to onsens or using laundromats - onsens are practically the same thing as swimming pools and even the sea! Or public toilets. Just one degree of separation between you and others. I just don't like onsens because of the nudity - yours and others'!

Shinjuku/KoreaTown and Bike Ride to Downtown Atsugi

Or you can view the above video directly from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cdeaSdZnms



Or you can view the above video directly from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IId2aVn8pKY

Harajuku+Yoyogi 2

I visited the Harajuku/Omotesando/Yoyogi area for the 4th time this year, this time by myself though. And this is my second video around the place, but this time I videoed some new stuff. Check it out:



You can view the video directly on YouTube at this link: The Japan! Japan! Video Blog Episode #11.  This and the last 2 episodes are all available in HD. :-D

I also have two new basketball videos.  Wala lang.
The Japan! Japan! Video Blog Sideline #01
The Japan! Japan! Video Blog Sideline #02

Pakbet without bagoong

There is such a thing! http://homecookingrocks.com/pinakbet-without-bagoong/ :-D

Filipino restaurants in Atsugi!

Apparently there are now a couple of 厚木のフィリピンレストラン, Filipino restaurants right here in Atsugi!

This one is a blog post from one of my Japanese friends: KUSINA NI SARAH（厚木）｜食い倒れ猫の食べ歩き.  The place is open from 10:00am to 5:00am, and they do not serve lunch sets on holidays.  The approximate location of the place is: 神奈川県厚木市旭町１丁目２２−２４.

This other one has its own website: http://foodpia.geocities.jp/trespalmas_restaurant/.

Yahoo!

Chanko Nabe

"Nabe" means saucepan or pot. "Chanko Nabe" is the Nabe for sumo wrestlers. Basically one serving is good for 2 to 4 people, but it is meant for just ONE sumo wrestler.



You can also directly view the video on YouTube.

Atsugi Street Arts Festival

7 November 2010. Street performers from all over the world went to Atsugi to perform.  You can view the videos below or view them from YouTube. You can view the videos in HD if you want.

Part 1:


Part 2:


Part 3:


Part 4:

What Happens in the Purikura Booth STAYS in the Purikura Booth.

What Happens in the Purikura Booth STAYS in the Purikura Booth.

Okaasan

That would be Nihongo for "Mom."  "Mama" is also used here.

All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, today and tomorrow, respectively.  This blog post is in memory of this "Kodomo" (child) and all others who have shared in the same fate.

Mother admits activating washing machine with daughter inside › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion

New Inglish Word

Note: Please refer to a previous blog post for a definition of the words Inglish and Engrish.

Usually, PhD students or researchers here need to make a presentation about the progress of their work on a given schedule, but normally some would postpone their presentation a week or more later.  I on the other hand, scheduled for a presentation on November 6, asked to present one week earlier.  So one of the students asked me, "You preponed your presentation?"  I said, "What?"  He said, "Prepone."  I said, "I never heard of that word before."  He said, "It's the opposite of postpone."

So I looked it up on Google.  Did I just not know this word existed in English?  (I'm talking about American English, of course, or even British English.)  So this is the Google search link: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=&q=what+does+the+word+prepone+mean%3F&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=fw.

Apparently, it is not American nor British nor Australian English.  That's why I never heard of "prepone" - because it isn't English.  But it does exist - in the Inglish language.

Eating in Japan

It's not all that bad.  But it's not all that good either.  And it's not the worst. http://www.hackwriters.com/EatinJapan.htm

But if you watched The Cove, you might think again.

Kanji Update

As of today, I know at least 70 Japanese Kanji characters (Japanese because there is sometimes some difference from Chinese Kanji or Chinese Kanji meanings), from the 71 Hiragana characters and 71 Katakana characters (excluding compound Hiragana and Katakana characters).  1,900+ to go!  Some words added on 10:46pm, same post date, are in this color (red).

One to ten: 一 二 三 四 五 六 七 八 九 十

One thousand, ten thousand, yen (currency): 千 万 円

A street/town, a block, a village, a ward, a city, a prefecture (equivalent to a Philippine province or a US county), capital: 町 丁目 村 区 市 県 京.

North, south, east, west: 北 南 東 西

So, Tokyo (east capital) is 東京. And Beijing (north capital) is 北京.

Up, down, stop, entrance, exit, gate, inside, middle/center/central: 上 下 止 入口 出口 門 内 中

口 means mouth, by the way. 心 is for heart, and 目 is actually for eye.

China (middle kingdom) would be 中国.  The Middle East would be 中東.

Year, month, day, minute: 年 月 日 分

Mountain, hill, a slightly smaller hill, river, tree, autumn, field, rice field: 山 丘 原 川 木 秋 野 田

月, 日 also mean moon and sun, respectively.  本 means main or book.  So Japan (land of the rising sun, where the sun mainly originates/rises, to the east) is 日本.  Downtown or central Atsugi where the main station, the nightlife, and where the city hall and other city offices are is 本厚木. 厚 means thick.

Other Kanji I know are:

大 big

大阪 Osaka (oh-saka)

学 school

大学 university

字 system of writing (i.e. Kanji = 漢字)

子 child

人 person

何 what

牛 cow

風 wind

車 car

行 express (as in express train)

新 new 

魚 fish
英語 English (language)

日本語 Japanese (language)

画 painting

工 technical (as used in the words for polytechnics or industrial arts, electricity, engineering) 

私 I

水 water

気 air

雨 rain

半 half
小 small
午 noon
前 before or in front of
午前 before noon; i.e. morning
回 rotate, or counter for occurrences

千葉 Chiba (a prefecture to the Northeast of Tokyo), where Narita (成田) airport is (yes, it's not in Tokyo)

新宿 Shinjuku (a ward in Tokyo) where one of the largest and busiest train stations of Japan is located in

韓国 South Korea

日曜日 Sunday
月曜日 Monday
火曜日 Tuesday, where 火 means fire
水曜日 Wednesday
木曜日 Thursday
金曜日 Friday where 金 means metal
土曜日 Saturday where 土 means soil

I am still trying to memorize/study these: 

都 ???  or 都学means high school?
憶 memory

回憶 to remember/recall/recollect

和 family?

億 100,000

And then the 71 Hiragana and 71 Katakana:

あいうえお かきくけこ がぎぐげご さしすせそ ざじずぜぞ たちつてと だぢづでど はひふへほ ばびぶべぼ ぱぴぷぺぽ らりるれろ なにぬねの まみむめも や　ゆ　よ わ　　　を ん

アイウエオ カキクケコ ガギグゲゴ サシスセソ ザジズゼゾ タチツテト ダヂヅデド ハヒフヘホ バビブベボ パピプペポ ラリルレロ ナニヌネノ マミムメモ ヤ　ユ　ヨ ワ　　　ヲ ン

a  i   u  e  o ka ki ku ke ko da di du de do sa shi su se so za ji zu ze zo ta chi tsu te to da di du de do ha hi fu he ho ba bi bu be bo pa pi pu pe po ra ri ru re ro na ni nu ne no ma mi mu me mo ya    yu    yo wa          wo n

And then there's Akino Ronji: 秋野 論慈 or 論璽.  Where means 秋野 autumn field, 論 means discussion or argument or theory, 慈 means relationship between parent and child, and means 璽 stamp of approval by a king.  The 秋野 part is actually used as a Japanese surname.  For the given name, I think I like 論慈 better, though both choices aren't used as names in Japan.  In Chinese, the sound "Ronji" would mean "honor, very good."  :-D

Business turns buck on the back of Japan PM's fashion

Read the article here: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/BUSINESS/05/25/japan.hatoyama.shirt/index.html?hpt=C1

The saga continues...

In one week, I would have stayed here in Japan or outside my home country for 6 months.  My previous record was 63 days, also here in Japan as a short-term researcher back in 2005 and chronicled in earlier Japan Blog posts.  I've taken a vacation a number of times in the US for more than 60 days, but I was not working then and I was with family and was able to enjoy Filipino cuisine every so often, and so it didn't really feel like away from home.

Alas, I'm visiting home today to see the love of my life, live and in person, once again. And it'll be for just under 48 hours.

Anyways, the Inglish and Engrish experience continues. And yes, those are two different things.

Now, Engrish, I can understand why and how it is so.  Engrish-speaking people do not claim to be good at English. In fact, even if they can speak English quite well, they are humble enough to always say they are not good in it. Though for me, these often humble Engrish-speakers really are good in English, considering it's not an official language nor is it their first language. Now, Inglish is something else. In Inglish, English has been distorted to a point where instead of requiring understanding which you might need to understand Engrish-speaking people, you need instead to just pretend you didn't hear anything. Good luck with that. And these Inglish-speaking people claim it is one of their national languages, and they won't ever claim they're not good in it. In fact, knowing that I'm not from a native English speaking country myself (oh, but they won't think they're not from a native English speaking country), they would even try to correct me at times. Like, about telling the difference between "come" and "go."

You probably heard some Inglish experiences of mine from previous blog posts here. Like "Too much tired is there." And in one video, "Your white will not record it." Here are some recent Inglish experiences I encountered.

Inglish-speaker A wants to BORROW something from Inglish-speaker B. So Inglish-speaker B says, "Inglish-speaker A will lend that something." Get it?

Another Inglish-speaker writes down "Barrower's Log" at one of our ad hoc libraries.  Later, he e-mails a professor to ask if we can "post phone" our class because we are going on a technical tour.

During class, our Japanese professor encountered the term "a priori" in a book. He asks the class, what is it? The Inglish-speakers say, "it means something PRIOR." Yeah right. Look it up on Google, folks. It's not as simple as something prior.

During the same class, our Japanese professor encountered the term "rule-of-thumb" in the same book. He asks the class, what is it? The Inglish-speakers say, "it means THUMB RULE." Oh. My. Goo-Lie.

And last but not least...  Mt Fuji becomes Mt Fugi.  Ali (as in Muhammad Ali) becomes Ally.  Ronjie becomes Rongi.  Philippines, pronounced Fili-Peens normally, becomes pronounced like "Philly Pines."  You know what, Inglish-speakers, I try my best not to misspell nor mispronounce your name.  I hope you do, too. Well, that is if you can understand this English. :D

Anyways, I'm not generalizing of course. I've met and known some really smart Inglish-speakers before, who can actually pass as English-speakers. Always note that these are but just isolated cases.