In the Japanese version of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid”, the lyrics for “Under the Sea” include “Subarashii* … unda da shi ….” and Ursula refers to Prince Eric as “Hansamu Man.” *fantastic!
Month: September 2008
Good Bye
I’m an incurable cosmetics junkie; my love for beauty products began at the age of 6 when I begged my mother to buy me a tube of Coty Nature’s Blush that I’d seen advertised in her Glamour magazine. 22 years later, I can still spend over an hour in one drugstore, rubbing my hands in […]
Your 167-Word Mini Japanese Culture Lesson
Renting an apartment anywhere can be expensive, what with deposits, agency fees and moving costs, but renting an apartment in Japan comes with an added expense: key money. Key money, or reikin, is an extra fee that is paid to the landlord on top of deposits, brokerage fees, maintenance fees, fire insurance, and moving costs. It […]
Strike That; Reverse It
We keep roll books for each class of children and are expected to keep detailed records for each day we teach. Naturally, we must keep our remarks professional and we should, of course, say something about each student’s progress so the staff will be able to give some good news to their parents. We check […]
Too Spicy, Too Late?
This is typical – I’ve lived in Korea Town for 6 months but it isn’t until I tell my landlord I’m moving out that I become obsessed with the Korean Market down the street. I blame the Korean food article I read recently for making the visions of chijimi, gimbap and kimchi dance in my […]
Your 65-Word Mini Japanese Culture Lesson
In many Western countries, when a person wants to signify themselves they point to their chest. In some cases, they point to their face, with their index finger held several inches away. The Japanese version of this self-signification? Touching their nose with their index finger. This is why every time I quiz my students on […]
A Very Funny Day
I’ve decided to start doing Mad Libs with my adult students as a way to warm them up before the horror that is English grammar. I chose today for the denouement of what I hope will become a fixture in my lessons, if only to give me a new way to help them, bust out […]
- Food Culture
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You Are Jealous of My Lunch
From the sushi stand on the corner near work; rolled within seconds by a gruff sushi master and wrapped lovingly by a woman I would love to assume is his wife, so seamless is their teamwork …. I knew you were jealous.
Honey
A conversation between myself and a neighborhood man this drizzly afternoon, as we rode our bicycles past the honey store on the corner of my block and he saw me whispering to the blue-eyed cat that sat in the store window, surrounded by colorful jars of golden honey with hand-printed labels: Him: Are you looking […]