March 2010
49 posts
On Holiday at the mo...
…so no serious posts for a while. Studying my Japanese like crazy though. See you guys in a couple weeks. 
Mar 30th
you know what word I really like? 地平線.
baileyeverywhere: 地平線 (chiheisen) is the horizon, on land. The characters are earth + level + line. (There’s also 水平線 suiheisen, in which the first character is water.)
Mar 20th
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Mar 20th
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Mar 20th
253 notes
the only pokemon fact that has blown my mind
colinh: balboa: hrrrld: Okay, stay with me here. This is cool. Each generation, there are at least 100 Pokemon added.  Right now, I'm focusing on three electric-types of each generation. Generation 1: Electrode, Magnemite, Pikachu Generation 2: Elekid, Mareep, Pichu Generation 3: Electrike, Minun, Plusle Generation 4: Electivire, Magnezone, Pachirisu Starting to notice a...
Mar 20th
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Mar 20th
1,324 notes
Mar 17th
9 notes
Mar 16th
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Mar 16th
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Mar 15th
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The Dumps: Japanese University Students and the...
theoutsiderjapan: One of those brainy professors on tonight’s HONMADEKKA!?TV (ホンマでっか！？TV) on Fuji Television claimed that Japanese university students that find themselves unable to eat alone on campus turn to a place where they can’t be spotted while they shamefully eat alone. This practice is called Benjo-meshi (便所飯) which translates into “bathroom/toilet/lavatory/wc meals.” Read More
Mar 15th
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Mar 15th
This weekend, earthquakes hit both Indonesia AND...
likearobroy: I’m saying it now - California will not be connected to the USA by the end of 2010. Fuck this end-of-the-world shit.
Mar 15th
Mar 15th
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Japan: It's not Funny Anymore
From this article by Tim Rogers Via elvis-shrugged SOME JAPANESE OFFICE TRADITIONS ARE GENUINELY TERRIFYING Every once in a while, you’re outside, and you find a huge crowd of people in suits and ties. They take up all of the sidewalk. They’re all drunk. They just got out of a mandatory company party in the nearest wooden-submarine-like Japanese restaurant whose menu consists of...
Mar 14th
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Mar 14th
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Mar 13th
Top 10 Japanese Etiquette Mistakes →
juststart: Good to know!
Mar 13th
Mar 13th
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Mar 12th
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Listenmilyncha: Shissou by Last Alliance
Mar 12th
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Mar 11th
Japan town baffled by 'kangaroo' sightings →
zebrasomg: TOKYO — It may seem odd, but the locals swear it’s true. People in a Japanese mountain region have reported a number of kangaroo sightings, and journalists are now trying to stalk the marsupials. (AFP)
Mar 11th
Mar 11th
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Mar 9th
Mar 9th
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Mar 9th
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WTF Japan Seriously →
Mar 9th
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Weird Asia News →
See title.
Mar 9th
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Vocabulary 2.1
Illnesses かぜをひきます • catch a cold あたまがいいたいです • have a headache おなかがいいたいです • have a stomach ache はがいいたいです • have a toothache ねつがあります • have a fever せきがでます • have a cough はなみずがでます • have a runny nose ちがでます • bleed しょくよくがありません • have no appetite けがをします • have an injury やけどをします • get burnt かゆい • itchy インフルエンザ •influenza どうしましたか • what’s the problem? げりをします • have diarrhoea ...
Mar 9th
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“Parents in Japan swear by KitKats when their youngsters are taking exams. The...”
– Snack Stand-off: Banana v. Kitkat -BBC They even have apple flavoured KitKats.
Mar 9th
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Grammar ~ The Giving and Receiving of Actions
In the Japanese language there is the concept of giving or receiving an action. We don’t really have this concept in English and just use the word ‘for’  if someone does something for someone else. E.g ‘My sister wrote my sakubun for me’. But in Japanese, it’d literally translate to:　My sister gave me the writing of my sakubun. In order to do this, we need to...
Mar 9th
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Mar 9th
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Mar 9th
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Mar 9th
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Mar 8th
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“私は父に母をもらいました。- I received my mum from my dad.”
– Ella P practicing もらいます and getting confused about a lot of things.
Mar 8th
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Mar 8th
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Kids Web Japan →
Might seem rather childish but is actually full of information about legends, food, social norms, etc. Games are infuriatingly addictive. Spent 20minutes on a game about recycling habits in the Edo period in order to get a time machine back from a thief.
Mar 8th
2 tags
Mar 8th
1 tag
Vocabulary 2.7
Flash cards for this set are here. Verbs 飼います • keep (a pet), raise (an animal) 建てます • build (道を) 走ります • run, drive (along a road) (休みを) 取ります • take (a holiday) (きょうしつを) ひらきます • hold, set up, open (a class) (山が) 見えます • (a mountain) can be seen (音が) 聞こえます • (a sound) can be heard (くうこうが) できます • (an airport) is made, completed, come into existance おどります • dance かみます • chew, bite (大学に)...
Mar 8th
GenkiJapan.net →
If you want to drive yourself insane, then use this website. It’ll work. (Admittedly, I don’t think I’ve ever be able to forget words for the weather after watching their video. I kind of want to forget it.)
Mar 7th
1 tag
JapanesePod101 - Youtube →
Five different playlists: Kanji Corner, Word Origins, Everyday Kanji, Learn to Speak, and Japanese Culture Over 150 videos I haven’t watched many because about 5 seconds into any video, I’m torn between wanting to hug the person or squeeze them to death.
Mar 6th
1 tag
マルチメディア『にほんごをまなぼう』 →
Listening practices Has animations featuring practical situations e.g. calling in sick Doesn’t seem too annoying It’s all in Japanese, which makes reading instructions a tad difficult. Aimless clicking helps.
Mar 6th
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Nihongo.fr  →
Amazing online practice 50 lessons Each lesson has phrases, exercises, vocabulary, slides, etc Disregard dodgy illustrations
Mar 6th
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Grammar: Giving and Receiving
あげる／あげます あげる is used when the speaker is giving something to someone else. The item moves away from them. So I can give flowers to a friend (私は友達にはなをあげます。) or Ella can give Kara a pencil. (エラさんはカラさんにえんぴつをあげます。) あげる is a ‘safe’ choice of verb when taking social dynamics into account. However there are other choices if you want to be more specific about the recipient’s social...
Mar 6th
“Maybe they are a gay couple.”
– Ms Roddis on Quentin and Arnold’s questionable relationship.
Mar 6th
1 tag
Vocabulary 2.5
Nouns おじいさん • grandfather, old man おばあさん • grandmother, old woman じゅんび • preparation いま • meaning おかし • sweets, snacks おべんとう • traditional box lunch Verbs くれます • give me つれて行きます • take someone つれて来ます • bring someone おくります • escort, go with someone しょうかいします • introduce あんないします • show, take around せつ明します • explain いれます • make (beverage) じゅんぶします • prepare Other せんぶ • all じ分で • by...
Mar 6th
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Vocabulary 2.6
Flashcards for this set here. Nouns 大使館 (たいしかん) • embassy おく • hundred million いなか • countryside, hometown グループ • group チャンス • chance 新聞社 (しんぶんしゃ) • newspaper publisher じゅうどう • judo ばしょ • place ボランティア • volunteer 今度　• next time Adjectives つごうがいい • convenient (time) つごうがわるい • inconvenient (time) 気分(きぶん)がいい • feel well (気分 being mood or feeling) 気分(きぶん)がわるい • feel ill Verbs 着きます(つ) •...
Mar 6th