Rocking in Hakata

I love Korean food, and as sad as it is to say – it may be one of the greatest benefits I have received by coming to Japan. How’s that? Well, I come from South Carolina. Those of you reading this in South Carolina right now will understand me when I say that there is a very small amount of available authentic foreign food – even in the hustle and bustle of Chucktown (that’s Charleston, for everyone who doesn’t get SC slang).

I have discovered Indian food, Korean food, Thai food, Vietnamese food, etc., all because I left the country for a bit and did a stint in Asia. Was it worth it? Speaking solely on culinary terms, YES. I am now addicted to the wonders of ishiyaki bibinba and its brethren. I even met my host family during Tokyo Orientation (pictured above) at a Korean place. Why? They also know that Korean food rocks.

It was on my mind today because I went to a party last night. The 2nd house-based (versus restaurant or karaoke based) party that I have been to on Hakata was great. It was a Kimchi-Nabe party. Kimchi is a Korean spicy pickled cabbage. Nabe means pot in Japanese. (No, not the drug, people.) Basically, it is a social form of eating – a form of which I am a huge, scary, bare-chested, painted in team colors, brandishing a large foam finger American football type fan. My best guess is that my hero, Alton Brown, would agree with me on this point. But I can’t speak for the guy.

Anyway, after eating 3 people’s worth of veggies and meat stewed in spicy goodness and downing more than my fair share of Asahi Super Dry, I kicked back with the 5 teachers and watched some classic variety show style Japanese TV, and then walked back to my apartment. I had a great time, despite being the only male present. (And no, not because I was the only male present. Coworkers, guys. Get that through your heads.) Yum. Korean.

Deas Customary Drivel

The question is not “To be, or not to be?”
The question is “What to be?”

I was reading about the tendency with blogs lately to fall into one of two categories. It seems that people are either thinkers or linkers. Thinkers tend to write their own articles. Doesn’t mean that they are brain heavy on most of them. Just means that they do a different kind of work than linkers, who basically find interesting stuff and bring it to their readers. I think the success of sites like the Drudge Report, YouTube, and Digg are responsible for this kind of activity. They act as aggregate collectors for the internet and filter out some of the lame stuff. Admittedly, trolls are increasingly active on the social sites where content is controlled by a great number of people. Even spammers have their way with the Digg crowds recently. But, the idea of entertainment, or rather, the ideal of entertainment – for me, at least – is for someone else to get something interesting and let me enjoy it. (You know, how you argue over who will go rent the video?) Well, on these kinds of sites, the content is just kind of brought up by the community. They have a tendency to get whiny and old sometimes, but I find tons of amusing things on those sites. They are where I head for mindless enjoyment. They are also, coincidentally, where I head for some very mindful enjoyment. I read a few blogs, and I follow links and discover things and viewpoints that I hadn’t considered before. I find them refreshing, and really am entertained – just in a more active than passive mode.

My issue is – to be a thinker or a linker? I love linking to random junk, but you can get that pretty much anywhere. So…be a thinker? I have no problems with writing, but…let’s face it…I am never going to be of Pulitzer quality. I am kind of a joke. I write armchair commentary about things I think, or wishes, or irks, or whatever. But there is no reason a crowd will draw around for that stuff. Thank goodness I am ok with nobody reading this site. Ha ha. It is mostly intended for friends and family and people who are curious about what life is like on a remote Japanese island.

So…for now I choose to remain unallied, because, like I said before – I don’t know what this blog will look like yet. Ha ha. Just mentioning it. I assume that this entry would be marked “thinker” – but it isn’t particularly heavy stuff. Thank goodness. Till next time.

Deas Customary Drivel

Being a sick and twisted individual is hard work. Some people think that it just comes naturally. These people are wrong. (“There is also a school of thought that claims Spain is…here…those people too are wrong… “ 45 points for that reference.) So what you find below is a messed up activity I came up with thanks to some internet research and my electronic dictionary.

I basically translated a few English tongue twisters into Japanese, and then translated some Japanese tongue twisters back into English. That way, everyone knew what the heck we were saying – or at least what we were attempting to say. Overall, I think Japanese tongue twisters are harder. Not just because I have lame Japanese language skillz, but because they are HARD. Even for Japanese people. (Some of you are asking….why did you bother with the latter half of that activity? You teach English for crying out loud.) Yes, I do. And I want my students to know that I am in the same boat as they are. If they are going to attempt some sadistic project I cooked up, I am going to show them that I stand by them as they fight through their consonants and vowels. In short, I want them to see that I am willing to try and screw up, and hopefully it will inspire them to try. (I don’t aspire to inspire people to screw up. They do that on their own.)

Tongue Twisters (早口言葉)
She sells seashells by the seashore.　彼女は海の近くで貝を売っている。
Black bug’s blood.　黒い虫の血。
Rubber baby buggy bumpers.　ベビーカーのゴムの緩衝(かんしょう)装置(そうち)。
Toy boat.　玩具の船。
To soothe her suitor she too sued her tutor.　
彼女も、彼氏を宥(なだ)めるために、先生を訴(うった)えた。
The sun shines on shop signs.　お店の看板(かんばん)に太陽が輝く。
Rows of roses all alone line the lonely road to Rome.
ローマに通(とお)る寂(さび)しい道の側にバラが並(なら)んでいる。
Cook cooked a cup of cold creamy custard.
料理長が冷たくて、クリーミーなカスタードを１杯作った。
This snail’s stale. His tail’s stale. This snail’s tail’s stale and still it’s a stale tale.
この蝸牛(かたつむり)は古い。尻尾(しっぽ)も古い。この蝸牛(かたつむり)の尻尾(しっぽ)が古くて、この話は面白くない。
I slit a sheet, a sheet I slit, and on a slitted sheet I sit.
私は紙の一枚を切り開いた。一枚を切り開いた人は私だ。今、その切り開いた紙の一枚の上に座っている。
How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
He’d chuck as much wood as a woodchuck could if a woodchuck could chuck wood.
ウッドチャックは木を投げられたら、どれぐらい彼は投げるだろう？
ウッドチャックは木を投げられたら、彼は投げられるだけ木を投げるはずだ。
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, then where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
パイパー・ピーターさんは漬けの唐辛子を１ペック**選んだ。パイパー・ペーターさんが選んだ１ペックは漬けの唐辛子だ。もし、パイパー・ペーターさんは漬けの唐辛子を１ペック選んだなら、あのパイパー・ペーターさんが選んだ１ペックの漬けの唐辛子はどこにあるの？

** 1 peck = 8 quarts, 1/4 bushel, ~ 9 liters. (一ペック＝８クォート、１／４ブッシェル、約９リットル)

早口言葉 (Tongue Twisters)

バスガス爆発 （ばすがすばくはつ）(basu gasu bakuhatsu)
Bus gas explosion

赤巻紙青巻紙黄巻紙（あかまきがみあおまきがみきまきがみ）
(akamakigami aomakigami kimakigami)
Red rolled paper, blue rolled paper, yellow rolled paper

お綾や、親にお謝り。お綾や八百屋にお謝りとお言い。
（おあややおやにおあやまり。おあやややおやにおあやまりとおいい。）
(Oaya ya, oya ni oayamari. Oaya ya, yaoya ni oyamari to oii.)
Oaya◇, apologize to your parents. Oaya, say “apologize to me” to the grocer.
◇◇ Edo period girl’s name

カエルぴょこぴょこ三ぴょこぴょこ合わせてぴょこぴょこ六ぴょこぴょこ
（かえるぴょこぴょこみぴょこぴょこあわせてぴょこぴょこむぴょこぴょこ）
(Kaeru pyoko pyoko, mipyoko pyoko, awasete pyoko pyoko, mupyoko pyoko.)
A frog bobs along. 3 jumps plus more jumps becomes 6 jumps.

骨粗鬆症訴訟勝訴（こつそしょうしょうそしょうしょうそ）
(Kotsusoshyoshyososhyoshyoso.)
Victory in the osteoporosis lawsuit

新人歌手新春シャンソンショー（しんじんかしゅしんしゅんしゃんそんしょー）
(Shinjin kasshyu, shin shyun, shyanson shyoo.)
New singer, new spring, chanson show.

スモモも桃も桃のうち　桃もスモモももものうち
（すもももももももものうち　もももすももももものうち）
(Sumomo mo momo mo momo no uchi. Momo mo sumomo mo momo no uchi.)
Plums and peaches and fruits in the peach family, peaches and plums and fruits in the peach family.

スモモも桃、桃も桃、桃にもいろいろある
（すももももももももももももにもいろいろある）
(Sumomo mo momo, momo mo momo, momo ni mo iroiro aru.)
Plums are peaches, and peaches are peaches, so there are many kinds of peaches.

東京特許許可局長今日急遽休暇許可拒否
（とうきょうとっきょきょかきょくちょうきょうきゅうきょきゅうかきょかきょひ）
(Tokyo tokkyo kyoka kyoku cho kyo kyuukyo kyuuka kyoka kyohi.)
Tokyo Licensing Sanctions Bureau Chief in a hurry today to deny special permission for holiday leave

隣の客はよく柿食う客だ（となりのきゃくはよくかきくうきゃくだ）
(Tonari no kyaku wa, yoku kaki kuu kyaku da.)
The next customer over is a customer who frequently munches on persimmons.

隣の竹やぶに竹立てかけたのは、竹立てかけたかったから竹立てかけたのさ
（となりのたけやぶにたけたてかけたのはたけたてかけたかったからたけたてかけたのさ）(Tonari no takeyabu ni take tatekaketa no wa, take tatekaketakkata kara, take tatekaketa no sa.)
The reason why I leaned the bamboo against the neighboring bamboo grove was that I wanted to lean it there.

生麦生米生卵（なまむぎなまごめなまたまご）
(Nama mugi nama gome nama tamago.)
Raw wheat, raw rice, raw eggs.

にわの庭には二羽の鶏は鰐を食べた
（にわのにわにはにわのにわとりはわにをたべた）
(Niwa no niwa ni wa niwa no niwatori wa wani o tabeta.)
In the Niwa’s● yard, two chickens ate a crocodile!
●● Niwa is most likely a family’s name.

引き抜きにくい挽き肉は引き抜きにくい温い肉
（ひきぬきにくいひきにくはひきぬきにくいぬくいにく）
(Hikinukinikui hikiniku ha hikinukinikui nukui niku.)
Minced meat that is hard to pull out is hard to pull out warm meat.

坊主が屏風に上手に坊主の絵を描いた
（ぼうすがびょうぶにじょうずにぼうずのえをかいた）
(Bouzu ga byoubu ni jyouzu ni bouzu no e o kaita.)
A Buddhist monk expertly painted an image of a Buddhist monk on a folding screen.

海軍機関学校機械課今学期学科科目各教官協議の結果下記のごとく確定、科学幾何学機械学国語語学外国語絵画国家学
（かいぐんきかんがっこうきかいかこんがっきがっかかもくかくきょうかんきょうぎのけっかかきのごとくかくてい、かがくきかがくきかいがくこくごごがくがいこくごかいがこっかがく）
(Kaigun kikan gakkou kikaika kongakki gakka kamoku kakukyou kankyougi no kekka kaki no gotoku kakutei, kagaku kikagaku kikaigaku kokugogogaku gaikokugo kaigakokkagaku.)
The results of consultation with every instructor have been decided and follow　hereafter. The Naval Facilities School System will benefit from these courses in this term’s curriculum: science, geometry, machinery, Japanese linguistics, and foreign language national pictorial studies.

鹿もカモシカも鹿の仲間だけれどしかしアシカは鹿の仲間ではない。
（しかもかもしかもしかのなかまだけれどしかしあしかはしかのなかまではない。）(Shika mo kamoshika mo shika no nakama dakeredo, shikashi ashika wa shika no nakama dewanai.)
Deer and antelope are good friends, however, sea lions are not friends with deer.

魔術師が美術室で手術中 （まじゅつしがびじゅつしつでしゅじゅつちゅう）
(Majyutsushi ga bijyutsu shitsu de shyujyutsuchuu.)
A magician is in the midst of operating in the art room.

I hope you enjoyed yourself. It was fun watching the kids attempt these, and they watching them laugh as I attempted the Japanese ones. Whooo…haha.

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Deas Customary Drivel

I shall start this blog with the words of a great fictional man:

“Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!”

For those of you who are confused, here’s his happy proclamation translated into Japanese (by a professional, not by yours truly):

「そーれ！わっしょい！こっらしょい！どっこらしょい！」

Yes, that is correct. It makes no sense in Japanese, and it makes no sense in English. But it is excited, exuberant, and most definitely rocking. So rocking, in fact, that I decided to steal it for my opening.

For those of you who have not yet deciphered the above, fear not. An explanation is found within this self-referential paragraph. These lines were hollered by Albus Dumbledore at the opening ceremony of Harry Potter’s 1st year at Hogwarts. Why did I choose such an odd opening? I liked it. And because Harry Potter has been on my mind quite a bit recently.

You see, I am currently reading through the first book in the series in Japanese and in English. I chose it because it is still reasonably popular here, and since I read it years ago, it is difficult to get completely lost. I read a chapter in Japanese, then check my understanding by following up in English. It is slow going, but quite entertaining. The dialects are challenging, as are onomatopoeic devices, but the overall experience is rewarding.

Also, since children here think that I resemble Harry Potter (which, for those who have looked at any photos on this site can tell you, I don’t), they have taken to calling me Daniel (as in Radcliffe). I was encouraged to milk this strange fascination for a Halloween party thrown in Yoshida – quite far from my island. On the other side of the prefecture, in all honesty. So, I had my ridiculously cool twin sister send me a package including a costume (and some really freaking cool reading material, candy, and a local newspaper). I looked basically…like Harry Potter. I even grew my hair out to absurd lengths. I think it went well. How can I make this type of judgement? My line was the longest line at the cookie making station. All the cool kids wanted to make cookies, and perhaps take cellphone pictures, with Harry Potter.

Anyway, I don’t know what this blog will be like, but I invite you to come along for the ride. It could be quite entertaining. (Then again, it could be so bad that it makes you want to put your finger through your eye, into your brain, and swirl it around. Ahem. I hope that that is not the case.)

Deas Customary Drivel