Clay posted this quiz on his site first. I did it this morning because I’ve been told countless times that I don’t sound “Southern.” People don’t believe me when I tell them I’m from Charleston, South Carolina. And yet…I am. Sure, I lack the stereotypical drawl or twang, but I frequently use Southern slang like “y’all” and “fixin’ to…” Actually, I guess that’s a lie. I can’t remember the last time I’ve said fixin’ to without it being a purposeful joke. Alas. It’s what happens when you grow up in a port city in the south. You don’t really come off as Southern. Now, if I’d picked up the accent around my area, I likely would have ended up with an older Charlestonian accent, which is much closer to British pronunciation and cadence than it is to the hillbilly sound that many people immediately conjure up. Anyway, since I teach English here (and therefore, I teach my accent), I thought it would be fun to let this internet quiz attempt to sort out my particular situation. Here’s where it got me.
Mid-Atlantic? What the? I mean, I’d kill for a Cheesesteak Sandwich right about now, but I’ve been to Philadelphia and Baltimore…and they picked me out immediately as a visitor. Curious. Most curious, indeed. 
Properly pronouncing words seems to throw off the calculations a bit. And one of the ones that has grabbed my interest was omitted. Do you say “pen” and “pin” the same way? If so…why? They’re completely different words with different meanings and different vowels. Pull yourself together. Sheesh. Ha ha.
Deas Customary Drivel
It’s officially that time again, folks. That’s right – 梅雨 (tsuyu). The kanji transliterate as plum and rain, but the meaning according to my battle-hardened Canon Wordtank G50 is as follows.
the long spell of rain weather in early summer; the rainy [wet] season; the monsoon
Ok, maybe “monsoon” is a bit over the top, but it is a real downer. Basically, from the second week of June to the second week of July, there is a classic Japanese drizzle – that ceaseless sprinkling of rain that’s just enough to deter you from going outside but not enough to be an enjoyable show. I like storms, but I like them big and electrical. I want a full out thunderstorm if I’ve got to be stuck inside. That way I can enjoy the sounds, the sights, and the benefits that they bring – falling to sleep quickly, feeling “cozy” for no particular reason, and nostalgia. Nostalgia? Yes, nostalgia. It is a rare thing for a full out knock-down drag-out thunderstorm to find me – the closest thing are the typhoons. Thunderstorms remind me of home.
Anyway, I’ve decided that tsuyu has definitely begun. Why? I nervously packed my stuff this morning (forgot my pair of shorts, so I’ll be wearing the same pair of long dress slacks for three days…marvelous…) as I eyed the weather. There was a looming gray wall over the ridge visible from my back veranda. Needless to say, in classic form, it held off. That is, until the very moment I stepped outside. Then it rained. As I biked to the port. I was soaked. On top of that, I’ve got four classes today in a row that will impede on lunch, and multiple evening plans. Normally, that would be cause for celebration. I don’t have much of a life, despite what you might think in your misguided rumor mongering. It’s just that after going to Oshima for 2 days and then taking a group of Hakata kids to the 村上水軍博物館 (Murakami Suigun Hakubutsukan, Murakami Pirate Museum – entry coming on that, by the way) by bicycle, I am wiped out. From Monday morning to when I got home on Wednesday, I rode my beat-up hand-me-down loaner of a bicycle about 36 miles. And just to think…next time I get to do it in the drizzling rain…
Hey, comes with the territory, I guess.
Deas Customary Drivel
Not the first to report on it, I know. Clay claims it causes severe gastrointestinal distress (e.g. explosions). Japan Probe covered it yesterday, too.
However, I dropped by the Lawson’s and purchased 2 new things. I was the first person on Hakata to get their new Sausage Egg & Cheese biscuit, which I was sadly stoked about – until I discovered that they had slathered that sucker in mayo. Who puts mayo on eggs, for crying out loud?? I ended up binning that thing. Sad. The other thing I tried out was the new Ice Cucumber Pepsi. Weird? Yes. Refreshing? Actually…yeah. I’m gonna buy it again, I think. It’s odd. Not particularly cucumbery – but I suppose that’s good? It has the detectable Pepsi base, for those who’ve tried the cinnamon, golden, clear, or other questionable Pepsi varieties. Much in the same way one can detect Mountain Dew’s base in Code Red, Ice Cucumber has some obvious shared genetic material… The coloring is a really light green, too. I dunno – reminds me of what a blue gummy bear might taste like if you washed it down with juice squeezed from the green part of the rind of some watermelon, just add the bite of soda water. That’s as close to approximating the oddness in words as I can get. Anyhoo – just thought I’d share.
Deas Culinary, Customary Drivel, Unsolicited Commentary
Let me first say that I think some of these things are worth talking about and valuable to understanding the modern state of the United States of America. Having said that, let me say that it is ridiculous to use them as the top keywords necessary for obtaining a basic grasp of the country and its position in the world. I present to you the 4-word-long list found on pages 15 and 16 of The English Odyssey (英語百科). Incredulous is not the right word. Saddened or dismayed might be more accurate.
1) WASP
2) Civil Rights Movement
3) Affirmative Action
4) Ebonics
That’s it. The list of keywords necessary for comprehending America. Anybody but me sensing an agenda in this textbook? Where are words like “representative government,” “checks and balances,” “constitutional democracy,” “democratic republic,” “freedom,” or even the archaic language that marked into our history the concept of humanity’s “unalienable rights?” Ha ha. Nowhere to be found. You see, America is about racial conflict. No more, no less. All bad history, no good history. Sigh. Sure, there are tensions in America, but of all countries, Japan? If I had to pick the most important concept out of the above, I’d go with the Civil Rights movement, hands down. But seriously. There is more to America than this, folks. I just hope that some students go on to discover what can really be like. 
There are faults in every country, but for a cursory overview of America, this is adamantly bleak. Uncool, textbook. Uncool.
This book is hard to track down online. The ISBN is 4-469-34239-4. It’s put out by Taishukan Publishing (website is crappy, but works – may take forced refreshing and re-encoding of characters, though), and is listed in an Excel file alongside other English texts like the Genius, Captain, and Departure books. Nice. Just thought you’d like to know. (I’ll get some pictures up later, if possible.) In the meantime, what four words would you choose as keywords to represent your country to Japanese school kids who’ve never seen it? There are entries about loads of other countries, so I’m willing to bet that yours is in there too. Thoughts?
Deas Customary Drivel, Politics, Unsolicited Commentary
Well, there’s not much to write about. NOT. The Kobe Conference is over, and I’m back in the swing of things here on Hakata. The content of the conference was pretty predictable. Anybody who remembered the mind-numbing hazy sensation from the Matsuyama (regional) Orientation, or the Tokyo Orientation pretty much knew what to expect. If you’re curious, and even if you’re not but you just really want to see the quick video at the end of the post, click the more link and follow along. Read more…
Deas Customary Drivel, Media, Photos, Trips, Unsolicited Commentary, Video
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Deas Customary Drivel, Media, Music
