Summer Kanji--Part 1

夏natsu-summer
熱netsu-heat, temperature, fever
祭日saijitsu-festival day, holiday
虫-mushi-insect
酎ハイ-chuhai-delicious drink

蒸し暑いmushi atsui-humid
果物kudamono-fruit
梅ume-plum
梅干し-umeboshi-pickled plum
梅酒umeshu-Plum liquor

休みyasumi-vacation
先輩sempai-elders
扇風機-sempuki-electric fan
石けん-sekken-soap
滝-taki-waterfall

誕生日-tanjobi-birthday
乾いた-kawaita-dry
酒-sake-sake
泳ぐ-oyogu-swim
大井川-Oigawa-Oi River

お祭り-omatsuri-festival
蜘蛛-kumo-spider
蚊-ka-mosquito
花火-hanabi-fireworks
泉-izumi-fountain, spring

地獄-jigoku-hell, inferno
乾くkawaku-feels dry
風-kaze-wind
季節kisetsu-season
公園-koen-park

富士山Fuji san-Mt. Fuji
沖縄-Okinawa
下田-Shimoda
自慢jiman-pride
東京Tokyo

神社jinja-Shinto Shrine
実験-jikken-experiment
人事移動jinji-idou---personal changes
凍るkouru-to freeze, to be frozen
海umi--sea

裸体ratai-nakedness (の)naked
冷却する-raikyaku suru-to cool
冷水reisui-cold water
冷凍する-freeze, refrigerate
冷蔵庫reizouko-refrigerator

お空ozora-sky
運動-undou-sports, exercise
氷-kouri-ice
波nami-wave
暑さ-atsusa-hot weather

Earthquake in Japan

Earthquake Sets Japan Back To 2147

Little bits of Tokyo

I was very disappointed when I realized that formatting a memory card means erasing it. I lost all the pictures of our road trip halfway down the Izu peninsula, the day trip to Shizunami beach, walking around Harajuku, Ikebukuro and our visit to Namco town, which is a little cat theme park created by the inventors of Pacman.
However, I do have a few pics from our fancy shmancy Ninja dinner, and our walkabout through Asakusa shrine. However, after the camera mishap, I lost all motivation to photograph anymore. Here are a few of my sister that she might want.

Website if you're interested in this cool, but expensive restaurant. Reservations are needed.

http://gojapan.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=gojapan&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ninja.tv%2F




Ninja Cynthia and her starry senbai.

Cynthia and our Ninja menu.

The entrance of Asakusa shrine.


Cynthia and the Akasaka night view.

Maybe later, I'll be able to put up a few more pictures of our battle against the typhoon, the creepy Shining hostel we stayed in, and yummy sushi dinner--courtesy of pictures from my friend, Leonie.

It's not my bag, baby!

I did not take this picture. Instead, I googled "bag of urine". Yes, people have captured plenty of bags of urine on film. Now that I look back on it, I wish that I would have photographed my bag of urine. Unfortunately, my camera was broken at the time.

My sister and I had been walking in the rain from Harajuku all the way to Otemosando when we figured that we better take a rest, look at our Tokyo map again, and hit the Toire. So I found the bathroom and rushed inside the stall, and sighed at presence of a pee-riddled squatty. I mean, we were in this super posh shopping district that had 2 story shops dedicated to 5 outfits and a pair of boots, yet all they provided were squatties? So as I fumbled inside the stall with my backpack, shopping bags, umbrella, and whatever else was hanging from my appendages I looked around for hooks to hang my stuff on, all the while pulling at skirt ready to pee. (I had been holding it for awhile)I was able to rest one of my small shoulder bags atop of a little trash pail in the back corner of the stall.

As I balanced above the hole while holding my bags above the floor as to not touch any urine, I successfully kept the bags, my skirt, and my butt from touching any of the affected areas. (At least that's how I'll portray it in my written account) As quickly as I went in, I rushed out. I gathered my stuff, unlocked the door and headed toward Cynthia at the sink, ready to complain about having to use a squatty while she lucked out getting the western toilet right next to it. As I approached Cynthia, washing her hands at the sink, I noticed a look of confusion on her face. "What's that?" Now she must have seen my puzzlement in the mirror's reflection because she turned around and pointed to the clear plastic bag hanging from my hand.

I looked down. I was holding a small clear bag half-way filled with yellow liquid. I must have had on some disgusted look on my face, or perhaps I had shouted an obscenity because after that, Cynthia was laughing hysterically as I held it like one would hold a stinky diaper, running around trying to find a place to put it down. From what I can gather, i must have picked it up from the bathroom stall thinking that it was one of my bags without noticing.

It wasn't until 4 days later, while we rode the train back to Nagoya International Airport that Cynthia brought up the incident again. We laughed, of course, but then began to question why had there been a bag of pee left behind in this Tokyo bathroom stall.

In Touch weekly

Top 5 Headlines from the magazine my sister left on my futon the day before she left.

5 Who wore it better?
4) Their kids wear hand-me-downs
3) Owen's hooked on fake tans
2) At home with Scott Baio
1) How tan is too tan?

I read the entire magazine.

Me/Nutshell

"10:15 on a Saturday night, and the tap drips under the strip light"
--Robert Smith





When I'm bored on the internet, I read that secrets page. I like them.


I almost laughed.



I almost cried.

Longu Longu

Every Wednesday (almost), i go to the 4th floor of my local grocery store and learn Japanese for about an hour and a half. A friend I met there, named Leonie, and I usually go to the yakitori izakaya down the street for a few beers afterward. Since the first time we came to this place, we would joke about getting the Longu longu sausage. It looked so funny on the menu....a long (about 2 foot) sausage that is held to stand by a metal clutching device. Of course, it was always just a joke. However, yesterday, we thought we'd go and order it. When the waiter brought it to our table, we both broke into a hysterical laughter. This thing was fucking ridiculous. Our waiter did not laugh. Instead, he handed us utility grade scissors which we figured was to be used to cut the sausage into smaller pieces for our plates. I'm happy to say that longu longu sausage exists in this world.


Leonie and the sausage


Toby and the sausage