"Kurisumasu made ato ikkagetsu arimasu."
There's still a month until Chrismas.
My mother still speaks fondly of the Christmas decorations at the local mall, a half-hour drive from where we used to live. This was over two decades ago, and the commercialism and saccharine of the holiday season wasn't as, well, downright scary as it is in the present day US.
Unfortunately, Japan is catching up. And fast. I have already been hearing Chrismas songs on the radio for at least two weeks. At least in the US, you have Thanksgiving as a barrier for the Christmas craziness. Here, all we have is Halloween, if that. I can understand how Japan would not be celebrating the anniversary of a non-harvest non-feast (three grains of parched corn?? And the locals brought you food, and you show them thanks by systematically killing their prey animals, taking away their land, marching them across the continent so that the majority of them die from exhaustion and cold, and force them on reservations. Um, way to show gratitude, Pilgrims?) in a then-non-country on a different continent, but could we please at least wait until the month of December?
And could we go easy on the commercialism here? Or, if you are going to do the commercial thing, could we please have a Christmas tax, for every lit-up shrub and hair salon door, you pay a tax that goes to a legitimate Christian church in Japan, or perhaps the Japanese Salvation Army, that helps people in need?
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Writing skills
"Sore, okashiin ja nai?"
Isn't that wrong?
I like to think that my writing skills are above average in both English and Japanese. Since I'm the in-house authority of all things English (as in language) at the workplace, I am the proofreader (read: re-writer) of most of the English literature generated from our department. This can be anything from a scientific paper to a quiz question directed at visiting students from Mongolia to an e-mail asking confirmation of hotel reservation status. I try to do my best to be clear, consice, and gramatically correct (and that's the order of importance I place on anything I write). Sometimes it's difficult to get a message across without losing anything in the translation, and the latter two (i.e. consice and gramatically correct) may suffer.
Any time I feel badly about the quality of the English I produce, I read a random blog.
I know, I am so petty and evil.
It's one thing to have bad spelling, punctuation and usage. These things happen. However, when someone becomes rightious and calls those who ask for proper spelling, punctuation and usage "uptight" or "perfectionists", that's quite another. And when said person is TEACHING English?
Oh. My.
Isn't that wrong?
I like to think that my writing skills are above average in both English and Japanese. Since I'm the in-house authority of all things English (as in language) at the workplace, I am the proofreader (read: re-writer) of most of the English literature generated from our department. This can be anything from a scientific paper to a quiz question directed at visiting students from Mongolia to an e-mail asking confirmation of hotel reservation status. I try to do my best to be clear, consice, and gramatically correct (and that's the order of importance I place on anything I write). Sometimes it's difficult to get a message across without losing anything in the translation, and the latter two (i.e. consice and gramatically correct) may suffer.
Any time I feel badly about the quality of the English I produce, I read a random blog.
I know, I am so petty and evil.
It's one thing to have bad spelling, punctuation and usage. These things happen. However, when someone becomes rightious and calls those who ask for proper spelling, punctuation and usage "uptight" or "perfectionists", that's quite another. And when said person is TEACHING English?
Oh. My.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Entry for November 08, 2006
"Ittou dokusai seiji"
One-party dictatorship government
So it's election time on the other side of the pond. Sometimes I wonder if there were any way for us ordinary citizens in other countries to affect US elections, as what happens politically in the US so very heavily influences what happens to, well, the entire planet. However, since there's no way that's going to happen, my opinion is not important. I will say this, though, to Americans screaming about the prospect of continuous one-party rule.
That's what Japan has pretty much had for the past 50 years.
It's messed up, yes, and it should change, yes, but we do respect that our country is not the disaster area it might be without regular elections.
One-party dictatorship government
So it's election time on the other side of the pond. Sometimes I wonder if there were any way for us ordinary citizens in other countries to affect US elections, as what happens politically in the US so very heavily influences what happens to, well, the entire planet. However, since there's no way that's going to happen, my opinion is not important. I will say this, though, to Americans screaming about the prospect of continuous one-party rule.
That's what Japan has pretty much had for the past 50 years.
It's messed up, yes, and it should change, yes, but we do respect that our country is not the disaster area it might be without regular elections.
Pale Pumpkin? I don't think so, but...
"Chotto dake."
Just a little.
On her 7 month checkup, the Pumpkin Princess was told she was anemic. The pediatrician said it was probably because her mommy is constantly dieting (I don't) and drinks too much coffee (I have about two cups a day) and is anemic herself (the blood test I had the month before this incident and 2 months after it showed normal values across the board). Then she shouted "next!" and the next mommy in line came in with her baby.
I was like, um, whatever (in her defense, the pediatrician probably examined and counseled well over 50 babies and their parent(s) that afternoon). I took another look at her results. Her hemoglobin was 10.8 mg/ dl, and the cutoff value was 11.0. I was like, um, whatever, the Pumpkin Princess is a healthy Pumpkin Princess, and I will take her for a re-test at a proper pediatrician's when I get the time.
Fast forward three months. I get a message on my answering machine from the city department of health telling me that they've not heard from my pediatrician regarding the Pumpkin Princess's anemia, and that I should feel free to call them with any questions.
I should probably go to the pediatrician's before the next call comes from the department of children and family services, shouldn't I?
Just a little.
On her 7 month checkup, the Pumpkin Princess was told she was anemic. The pediatrician said it was probably because her mommy is constantly dieting (I don't) and drinks too much coffee (I have about two cups a day) and is anemic herself (the blood test I had the month before this incident and 2 months after it showed normal values across the board). Then she shouted "next!" and the next mommy in line came in with her baby.
I was like, um, whatever (in her defense, the pediatrician probably examined and counseled well over 50 babies and their parent(s) that afternoon). I took another look at her results. Her hemoglobin was 10.8 mg/ dl, and the cutoff value was 11.0. I was like, um, whatever, the Pumpkin Princess is a healthy Pumpkin Princess, and I will take her for a re-test at a proper pediatrician's when I get the time.
Fast forward three months. I get a message on my answering machine from the city department of health telling me that they've not heard from my pediatrician regarding the Pumpkin Princess's anemia, and that I should feel free to call them with any questions.
I should probably go to the pediatrician's before the next call comes from the department of children and family services, shouldn't I?
Entry for November 01, 2006
"Ijime ha yokunai."
Bullying is bad.
Well, of course it is.
(This is one of my "let's show the 2-person readership that the Pumpkin Mommy has things on her mind other than the Pumpkin Princess" posts, so be warned!)
The past couple of weeks, the Japanese news has been filled with reports of teenage suicide associated with bullying. The media attacks the school system, the school system tries to protect itself (and the bullies), the media (and the victim's parents) attack some more, and then you get TV footage of the schoolteachers and the school board officials bowing their heads or on their hands and knees in apology.
I suppose the schools are partly to blame, and the bullies (and their parents) are to blame, but I also think that Japanese society and culture are to blame as well. (Plus, don't the media attacks qualify as a form of bullying??)
1. Japanese tend to follow strong leaders. Likely every culture has the same percentage of potential bullies (borderlike personalities/ sadists/ kids with abusive parents who don't know any different). But an American kid who sees a bully doing his/ her stuff will at best put a stop to it, and even at worst probably be like "um, whatever". At worst, a Japanese kid will join the bully (who is a strong leader in his/ her own way). And at worst happens more often than it would in another culture.
2. Japanese tend to take subtle hints. Overt words are frowned upon, and when they are used, they are seen as a very strong message. So if someone tells you to your face you are "gross", you naturally assume you are pretty darned gross to have actually earned the remark. Plus, insignificant remarks and gestures tend to make more marks than they would in other cultures.
So I'm beginning to wonder, what the bullying environment is like in cultures that share these characteristics? I'm thinking China and Korea share the above aspects, more than the Americas or the western European cultures do. so I'm interested in what the bullying culture (?) is like there.
Bullying is bad.
Well, of course it is.
(This is one of my "let's show the 2-person readership that the Pumpkin Mommy has things on her mind other than the Pumpkin Princess" posts, so be warned!)
The past couple of weeks, the Japanese news has been filled with reports of teenage suicide associated with bullying. The media attacks the school system, the school system tries to protect itself (and the bullies), the media (and the victim's parents) attack some more, and then you get TV footage of the schoolteachers and the school board officials bowing their heads or on their hands and knees in apology.
I suppose the schools are partly to blame, and the bullies (and their parents) are to blame, but I also think that Japanese society and culture are to blame as well. (Plus, don't the media attacks qualify as a form of bullying??)
1. Japanese tend to follow strong leaders. Likely every culture has the same percentage of potential bullies (borderlike personalities/ sadists/ kids with abusive parents who don't know any different). But an American kid who sees a bully doing his/ her stuff will at best put a stop to it, and even at worst probably be like "um, whatever". At worst, a Japanese kid will join the bully (who is a strong leader in his/ her own way). And at worst happens more often than it would in another culture.
2. Japanese tend to take subtle hints. Overt words are frowned upon, and when they are used, they are seen as a very strong message. So if someone tells you to your face you are "gross", you naturally assume you are pretty darned gross to have actually earned the remark. Plus, insignificant remarks and gestures tend to make more marks than they would in other cultures.
So I'm beginning to wonder, what the bullying environment is like in cultures that share these characteristics? I'm thinking China and Korea share the above aspects, more than the Americas or the western European cultures do. so I'm interested in what the bullying culture (?) is like there.
Entry for October 30, 2006
"Ii uchi ga tatsu to ii desu ne."
I hope your house turns out to be a nice one.
So today my husband and I took the day (or half day in my case) off from work to take part in a pre-house building ceremony. We bought property near my parents' house that was for sale and have spent the past six months planning and discussing with an architect. We will have central air (yay!) and a large bathtub (yay, says my 183 cm husband) and a full kitchen (including a dishwasher but not including an oven).
In Japan, you are obliged to perform a ceremony called jichinsai before you start building something. Translated, I suppose it means something like "ceremony to quiet the earth". In theory you could skip this, but we decided to go with tradition. Just in case.
The carpenters had built a little alter with offerings of fruit, fish, rice, salt and sake. I was amused to find pineapple and banana among the fruit offerings. I suppose the gods aren't particularly nationalistic or protectionist these days...(or maybe it was an Okinawa pineapple?) The priest, clad in a purple robe, chanted and waved paper streamers and poured sake on what would become the four corners of our house in about six months or so.
We then marched around the neighborhood with the carpenters and the architect and the sales rep from the house building company and said hello, we're the Pumpkin Clan and we'll be building a house and your usually quiet neighborhood will be very loud and you will have lots of large trucks and machines going in and out of your road and disturbing you so here is a towel as a token of our sincere regret for the trouble this will cause you.
Nearly all the neighbors were our parents' age. I'm eying them to see if I will have any potential emergency babysitters for the Pumpkin Princess.
I hope your house turns out to be a nice one.
So today my husband and I took the day (or half day in my case) off from work to take part in a pre-house building ceremony. We bought property near my parents' house that was for sale and have spent the past six months planning and discussing with an architect. We will have central air (yay!) and a large bathtub (yay, says my 183 cm husband) and a full kitchen (including a dishwasher but not including an oven).
In Japan, you are obliged to perform a ceremony called jichinsai before you start building something. Translated, I suppose it means something like "ceremony to quiet the earth". In theory you could skip this, but we decided to go with tradition. Just in case.
The carpenters had built a little alter with offerings of fruit, fish, rice, salt and sake. I was amused to find pineapple and banana among the fruit offerings. I suppose the gods aren't particularly nationalistic or protectionist these days...(or maybe it was an Okinawa pineapple?) The priest, clad in a purple robe, chanted and waved paper streamers and poured sake on what would become the four corners of our house in about six months or so.
We then marched around the neighborhood with the carpenters and the architect and the sales rep from the house building company and said hello, we're the Pumpkin Clan and we'll be building a house and your usually quiet neighborhood will be very loud and you will have lots of large trucks and machines going in and out of your road and disturbing you so here is a towel as a token of our sincere regret for the trouble this will cause you.
Nearly all the neighbors were our parents' age. I'm eying them to see if I will have any potential emergency babysitters for the Pumpkin Princess.
Entry for October 24, 2006
"Sore ikura?"
How much does that cost?
After work, it took three tries to find an open pastry shop (my favorite one, closest to our home, was closed, another one had gone out of business, must be the local economy or lack thereof). My husband brough home a small bottle of champagne (actual champagne, not sparkling wine). The occasion? Our second wedding anniversary. Two years ago, we got married. The day before the wedding, there was a big earthquake. The trains got stopped and my out-of town friends and relatives got stranded in various locations including but not limited to train stations, elevators, and unprepared homes of fellow relatives. I'm still getting comments about how my marriage was an earth shaking event.
On our first anniversary, we re-created our wedding banquet. For the first time, I actually got to taste what we'd served our wedding guests. It was good (just as it should be for what we we'd paid for it!), but not the sort of thing that we could pull off with the Pumpkin Princess in tow (at the time she expressed her pleasure at the lobster by turning somersaults inside me :P) so we opted for the more simple celebration.
How much does that cost?
After work, it took three tries to find an open pastry shop (my favorite one, closest to our home, was closed, another one had gone out of business, must be the local economy or lack thereof). My husband brough home a small bottle of champagne (actual champagne, not sparkling wine). The occasion? Our second wedding anniversary. Two years ago, we got married. The day before the wedding, there was a big earthquake. The trains got stopped and my out-of town friends and relatives got stranded in various locations including but not limited to train stations, elevators, and unprepared homes of fellow relatives. I'm still getting comments about how my marriage was an earth shaking event.
On our first anniversary, we re-created our wedding banquet. For the first time, I actually got to taste what we'd served our wedding guests. It was good (just as it should be for what we we'd paid for it!), but not the sort of thing that we could pull off with the Pumpkin Princess in tow (at the time she expressed her pleasure at the lobster by turning somersaults inside me :P) so we opted for the more simple celebration.
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