New Friends Friend
Color me impressed, ladies and gentlemen. You might have noticed my new link to the Guide to Friends (日本語) on my Japan Blogroll. The actual title of the page is this: シットコムで笑え！海外ドラマ「フレンズ」英語攻略ガイド. You can see why I tried to shorten it up a bit. That translates to something like: “Laugh with sitcoms! English capture guide to the foreign drama ‘Friends.’” I am assuming that capture is used here in the same way that we say “screen capture” or, for people who don’t like to go around their elbows to get to their thumbs, “screen cap.” Anyway, it is exactly what it sounds like – a site that pulls quotes from one of the most quotable sitcoms ever exported from the states. The great thing is that their is discussion of the meaning of the jokes. That’s right folks, this is where “Rach,” the blogger behind the site, attempts to explain some complicated humor in Japanese. (It’s not like I’ve ever tried to do that before…) What I’ve read so far (basically the posts available on the front page) is really great. And from here on out I plan to chip in when something isn’t properly understood or if there are questions. How cool is that?
I’m sure that Rach would welcome English comments, too. Why do I say that? Well, according to her profile (and the subtitle on her blog), her English comprehension is fabulous. Here’s a rough translation. (Sorry if it’s imperfect, Rach. Feel free to fix it.)
名前は Rach（レイチ）です。海外ドラマをDVD鑑賞し、英語を身に付けました。2007年3月に英検１級合格、TOEICは現在945点（リスニングは満点）。海外経験がなくっても、DVDでここまで出来ました（って自慢かよ!?）学習歴 を見ると、私の半生がわかる、かも?
My name is Rach. I’ve got a thing for foreign dramas, which has led to my acquisition of the English language. In March of 2007 I successfully passed the 1st rank of the Eiken (English standardized test) and reached 945 points on the TOEIC exam (Test of English for International Communication – another standardized test) with full marks in listening comprehension. I’ve never been overseas, but I’ve come this far thanks to DVDs. (I guess I’m bragging?) If you take a look at my curriculum, you’ll see where half my life goes.
Needless to say, that is an awesome achievement. Major kudos. Anyhoo, I just wanted to alert you guys to this cool blog if you’ve never hit it before. My first note was to Nicole at The One With Nicole in Japan. If you can’t tell, her blog title is based on the original English episode naming scheme from Friends. She’s a diehard fan, go figure. For the rest of you, though, check it out. It’s good stuff. (By the way, I found this blog when Rach left a comment at Mayumi-san’s Osaka-ben blog – her new podcast is up.) 
Enjoy.
