One of the funny things about learning a language as an adult is that there are holes in your vocabulary. Yesterday, walking home, the kids in front of our apartment were all having fun with jump ropes. When I thought about it, I knew how to say, the children are jumping, but I didn't know what the word for a jump rope was. So I stopped and asked ( Read more... )

Another TV ad that I think is great.

The ad starts with the camera looking past someone's shoulder at a young man who is peering at a cell phone in his hand. He glances up and asks, "What's the difference between candy crush and candy soda?"

At this point, the camera pulls back, and we see whose shoulder that was. A tall man is kneeling on his ( Read more... )

There is a TV ad running now in Japan, by one of our cell phone companies, that I find very interesting. Here's what it looks like ( Read more... )

Most of the time, being in Japan doesn't baffle me too much. However, right now I'm fighting a cold, and part of the treatment ( Read more... )

This morning, while I was fixing breakfast, I found myself chuckling over a memory from years ago. I was making toast, and deciding whether to have honey, or perhaps raspberry jelly and peanut butter. And I remembered one day in elementary school ( Read more... )

Akemashite omeditou gozaimasu! Otherwise known as Happy New Year, except ( Read more... )

I think that's a mistake. There's a new movie coming out here in Japan, apparently from Warner Bros.

If I understand correctly, the movie is based on a book called Sasara Saku. In this case, Sasara is a town, and Saku is the woman who has just moved there with her child after her husband died. But apparently from the teasers, his ghost is hanging ( Read more... )

Ever wonder what a story looks like before all the polishing? Wen Spencer is busily writing bits and pieces from a story that grabbed her, right over there on Facebook. So go take a look! Be aware -- no nitpicking, spelling, typos, grammar and continuity come LATER. Right now, she's exploring, writing by the seat-of-her-pants and finding the story ( Read more... )

Interesting! Have you ever seen a baby planted in the sand? A recent TV show visited New Caledonia, and among other things, showed us a baby planted in the sand. Up to about his waist, I guess, and he was quite happy, waving his arms and smiling, with his legs buried in the sand ( Read more... )

I've forgotten whether I posted this or not -- back on May 29, this is what I saw ( Read more... )