Getting ahead of yourself

Sakibashiri

The Pumpkin Daddy decided this past Sunday was a good day to put lights on the tree in our front yard and bring out the Christmas tree. Most years, I insist upon waiting until at least American Thanksgiving day (fourth Thursday of November), but our family schedule was such that it would be either this past weekend or the first Sunday of Decemmber, and who knows what that would bring?



A picture of the Pumpkin Princess taking a picture of the Pumpkin Daddy stringing up the lights



Finished product



Our Christmas Tree for this year. We need a new tree skirt.

You're going to get in trouble

Okorareruyo

Last night, Prince William's engagement was on the news. The point they seemed to be trying to make was that Wills and Kate are not getting the attention that Charles and Diana got from Britain three decades ago. Which, well, OK, the world is a different place than it was 30 years ago.

Except, one of the ways they made their "point" was by going to Buckingham Palace and showing the crowds around the palace and showing that it was mainly tourists from other countries adding to the head count. They did this by sticking a microphone in front of said tourists and asking "are you English?" and showing lots of people saying "no".

Apparently, most of the Japanese population does not understand that there is a difference between "English" and "British", and that not understanding this difference causes as much, or perhaps more, annoyance as when the average Japanese gets mistaken for a Chinese.

Basic knowledge

Kiso chishiki

As you know, I am 100% Japanese but spent my formative years in the American Midwest. I have a working knowledge of American culture, at least up until the mid-80's, and what's fit for a 14 year-old, anyway. I know all the songs in "Sound of Music" and "My Fair Lady", and I have seen all the Star Wars movies.

And I've seen "Wizard of Oz". I don't know how many times I have seen it, but I know it wasn't once. Or twice. Or three times.

At work today, I was trying to explain the plot of "Wicked" to my co-workers.

"The basic premise is that the Wicked Witch of the West and the Good Witch of the North are college roommates. Are you familiar with Wizard of Oz?"

"Yes, I've read the book."

(pause)

"Have you seen the movie?"

"No."

Oh.

Well, I guess the average American doesn't know about Chuushingura or Byakkotai, so it all averages out, more or less.

Why here?

Naze koko de?



I could have sworn you were napping in another room. What are you doing here in the kitchen?

Twice as good

Nibai ii!

The other day, the Pumpkin Daycare had its annual field day.

There are two Chinese families in the Pumpkin Princess's class (a pair of twin girls and a boy). I was talking to the boy's mom, and the twins' mom showed up and they started chattering away in Mandarin Chinese. I picked up exactly two words, "Nihao" (hello) and "arzi" (son).

So since the average Japanese person would probably only have picked up "Nihao," it's safe to say that my Mandarin Chinese is twice as good as most people, right?

Which is it?

Docchi nano?

Dear Pumpkin City,

I can understand that you want to screen for developmental delay. Early intervention is important.

I also understand that child development has a very large individual variation.

But please do not tell me the Pumpkin Prince needs a detailed evaluation of his development because he speaks 5 words at 18 months instead of your very strict cutoff of 6 words, and then give me a brochure about how child development has a very large individual variation.

And please don't tell me it's for my own peace of mind. I think the Pumpkin Prince is developing just fine. You're the one who is all worked up over his lack of a single word and asking me to take the Pumpkin Prince to the pediatrician where the pediatrician and I will waste each other's time as he will judge the Pumpkin Prince to be healthy, happy, and developing normally, and give me his standard issue talk on individual variation.

(Disclaimer: I am not a developmental pediatrician, nor do I play one on TV, but, well, come on, this one is plain old fashioned common sense.)

This is serious.

Yabaine.

So there's this shopping mall. And it has a food court. This is a picture of the food court at around three in the afternoon.



Oh dear.

I give this place six months, a year tops.