I decided to move the blog to a new location at http://yokohamabrad.wordpress.com/
It has better stats and a cleaner interface that Blogspot.
So once again, all new posts will be at http://yokohamabrad.wordpress.com/
Friday, September 5, 2008
New Blog - Fine Filter
I just started a new blog today called Fine Filter. The slogan is "Awesome shit from the world of entertainment" so if that kinda thing interests you then check it out.
I have a ton of posts ready to go for this blog so I plan on doing another post-marathon tomorrow morning/afternoon.
I've been working on the new blog for hours now and it's time to go to sleep.
Music: Myspace.com/TheNationalPool
Email: thenationalpool@gmail.com
Pictures: Flicker/TheNationalPool
I have a ton of posts ready to go for this blog so I plan on doing another post-marathon tomorrow morning/afternoon.
I've been working on the new blog for hours now and it's time to go to sleep.
Music: Myspace.com/TheNationalPool
Email: thenationalpool@gmail.com
Pictures: Flicker/TheNationalPool
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Second Fireworks - Enoshima
Over the Summer months, hanabi (fireworks), is a very popular pastime in Japan. During Erin's visit we went to two hanabi, one of which was at Enoshima. Fireworks here differ greatly from those that I've seen in America. While most fireworks in the U.S. last for only 15 minutes or so, here they can last for upwards of two hours.
When we first arrived there were so many people that it overloaded the cell phone towers so I wasn't able to get in touch with Rory to find out where to meet. Just as we were about to leave the beach to check the local surf shop, I saw a pirate flag and remembered everyone's obsession with pirates and knew that it had to be the place. As luck would have it, I was right and we were instantly greeted with cool drinks and food.
After several hours of watching fireworks, Tetsu, an old friend from months ago, broke out the guitar and I played a few songs for everybody. At the end of the night, Tetsu gave a speech and then proceeded to lift everyone up in the air. The night concluded with some guy who was too drunk to stand trying to pee completely naked. Good times!
Music: Myspace.com/TheNationalPool
Email: thenationalpool@gmail.com
Pictures: Flicker/TheNationalPool
Music: Myspace.com/TheNationalPool
Email: thenationalpool@gmail.com
Pictures: Flicker/TheNationalPool
Japanese Lingo - それがし
There are plenty of resources online where you can learn "regular" Japanese, so here I decided to let you know about words and phrases that I learned not from any textbook, but during conversations with native Japanese speakers.
それがし, pronounced "So-Ray-Ga-Shi," is how samurai's used to refer to themselves. As cool as it may seem to use the same word for "I" that the samurai's did, often times people won't understand this word because it's so old. Once they do understand it, it probably won't even get a laugh unless you're talking about samurai's at the time.
I learned it from a guy at T.G.I. Friday's during happy hour if that helps paint the picture any better. Whatever...I still think it's pretty cool.
Here's a quick example sentence:
Kanji: それがしは食べたいです。
Hiragana: それがしはたべたいです。
Romaji: Soregashi wa tabetai desu.
English: I wanna eat.
それがし, pronounced "So-Ray-Ga-Shi," is how samurai's used to refer to themselves. As cool as it may seem to use the same word for "I" that the samurai's did, often times people won't understand this word because it's so old. Once they do understand it, it probably won't even get a laugh unless you're talking about samurai's at the time.
I learned it from a guy at T.G.I. Friday's during happy hour if that helps paint the picture any better. Whatever...I still think it's pretty cool.
Here's a quick example sentence:Kanji: それがしは食べたいです。
Hiragana: それがしはたべたいです。
Romaji: Soregashi wa tabetai desu.
English: I wanna eat.
Japanese Music - The Band Apart
From time to time I'll bring you a Japanese musical artist that catches my attention and would probably be worth your time to listen to. For the most part, don't expect many Japanese people to know about these artists since I tend to like some pretty weird and rare music.
I first saw The Band Apart play in Nashville for only $5 at The 5 Spot and it was a great time. Their music is poppy yet intricate and smart. I had the chance to talk to them and try out some of my Japanese skills for the first time after their show and they were really nice people. I found a flyer for one of their shows in Japan recently and the price was a staggering $50-$70.
Here's the video for my favorite song by them called "Still Awake." It's kind of a boring video, but a great song:
Here's the link to their Myspace page.
I first saw The Band Apart play in Nashville for only $5 at The 5 Spot and it was a great time. Their music is poppy yet intricate and smart. I had the chance to talk to them and try out some of my Japanese skills for the first time after their show and they were really nice people. I found a flyer for one of their shows in Japan recently and the price was a staggering $50-$70.
Here's the video for my favorite song by them called "Still Awake." It's kind of a boring video, but a great song:
Here's the link to their Myspace page.
Another Enoshima Day
After a usual day of drinking and swimming at Enoshima beach with Rory, we later met up with Shaun, another teacher from our company. We walked around the beach for awhile and ended up at one of the many bars on the beach for a few minutes. With surprising ease, we were able to talk the bar hustlers down from $7 tequila shots to a mere $3...at which point we drank many.
Rory and I were quickly in the mood to find a party after that, but Shaun went home so we went to the other side of the beach where we rarely go and had a blast. I talked to a group of about 10 girls from Tokyo for awhile and we lit off some fireworks. When Rory came back from wherever he was, we went to hang out with a group of about 15 dudes who were way too excited to have the day off. We later met yet another group of people and drank Sho-Chu for awhile. I left to catch my last train not too long after that, but Rory stayed since he lived in the area.
Here Rory and I are making the "I have no idea what's going on" face:
Rory and I were quickly in the mood to find a party after that, but Shaun went home so we went to the other side of the beach where we rarely go and had a blast. I talked to a group of about 10 girls from Tokyo for awhile and we lit off some fireworks. When Rory came back from wherever he was, we went to hang out with a group of about 15 dudes who were way too excited to have the day off. We later met yet another group of people and drank Sho-Chu for awhile. I left to catch my last train not too long after that, but Rory stayed since he lived in the area.
Here Rory and I are making the "I have no idea what's going on" face:
Volleyball At The Beach
A couple weeks ago Erick, Rory, Nana, Craig, and I decided to play some volleyball at the beach. We rented a ball from somewhere and played for about two hours. It was a great time but for the next two days I was in intense pain since I normally don't do any physical activity of any kind.
As we were playing, one of the major TV networks was shooting a bunch of famous people who I didn't recognize playing volleyball. We had to take pictures of them in secret and were turned away when we tried to get autographs. Apparently, you can see us playing volleyball in the background of several shots and we were in the commercial for the episode for a second! If I remember correctly it aired this past Sunday but I didn't get a chance to see it.
Here's one of the pictures that we managed to get:
We later met up with Kazumi at Free Culture for a couple drinks and went home.
Here's one of the pictures that we managed to get:
We later met up with Kazumi at Free Culture for a couple drinks and went home.
Food Review - Squid
If I remember correctly, the first time I had squid, or Ika, was at my favorite sushi shop called Yoroi. It was one the times I spent all night talking to people and ended up drinking Sho-Chu all night with some old lady. After awhile, she started ordering item after item for us to eat and one of those items was squid. I was instantly hoooked and now it's one of the first things I order when going out.
You can resonably expect it to be prepared the same way every time, but once when Rory and I ordered it in Fujisawa it came out uncooked with a tiny grill so we could finish the job that the cooks didn't do. No matter how long we left it on the burner, it was still too rubbery and inedibile.
Ika comes in two sections, the first is the body sliced to make O rings. This part is usually a little rubbery, but not too much. The second part is the feet or tentacles which are usually quite crispy. It's typically served with a side of mayo, a lot of salt, and sometimes with sauce on it like the picture above.
It will usually run you about $3-$5 depending on how high class of a restaurant you go to. I think at Yoroi it's about $6, but well worth it. I've made store bought squid twice in my apartment but it's never been too good. I always end up making too much and get sick of it. If you've never had it, I suggest you try it next time you get the chance.
Ika comes in two sections, the first is the body sliced to make O rings. This part is usually a little rubbery, but not too much. The second part is the feet or tentacles which are usually quite crispy. It's typically served with a side of mayo, a lot of salt, and sometimes with sauce on it like the picture above.
It will usually run you about $3-$5 depending on how high class of a restaurant you go to. I think at Yoroi it's about $6, but well worth it. I've made store bought squid twice in my apartment but it's never been too good. I always end up making too much and get sick of it. If you've never had it, I suggest you try it next time you get the chance.
Japanese Lingo - じゃん
There are plenty of resources online where you can learn "regular" Japanese, so here I decided to let you know about words and phrases that I learned not from any textbook, but during conversations with native Japanese speakers.
じゃん, pronounced "Jah-n" or like "John," is one word that I'm pretty sure I never heard until I came to Japan. It's kind of a slang word native to Yokohama and to some extent Tokyo as well. It's pretty much just a tag word used at the end of sentences to mean "isn't it?"
Usually the "n" part of the word is only loosely pronounced, with most of the emphasis being on the "Ja" part of the word. Although it's certainly acceptable practice to say it around Yokohama and Tokyo, you may get some looks of surprise for saying if you are a foreigner. Nonetheless, you should at least know what it means in case it comes up in coversation.
Here is a real quick example sentence:
Kanji: ああ、 凄いじゃん！
Hiragana: ああ、 すごいじゃん！
Romaji: Ah, sugoi jan!
English: Whoa, pretty cool huh?!
じゃん, pronounced "Jah-n" or like "John," is one word that I'm pretty sure I never heard until I came to Japan. It's kind of a slang word native to Yokohama and to some extent Tokyo as well. It's pretty much just a tag word used at the end of sentences to mean "isn't it?"
Usually the "n" part of the word is only loosely pronounced, with most of the emphasis being on the "Ja" part of the word. Although it's certainly acceptable practice to say it around Yokohama and Tokyo, you may get some looks of surprise for saying if you are a foreigner. Nonetheless, you should at least know what it means in case it comes up in coversation.
Here is a real quick example sentence:
Kanji: ああ、 凄いじゃん！
Hiragana: ああ、 すごいじゃん！
Romaji: Ah, sugoi jan!
English: Whoa, pretty cool huh?!
The Truth - Robots
As an foreigner, I was very surprised by a lot of things when I came to Japan. Additionally, I think there are a lot of misconceptions about Japan, and for whatever it's worth, I'm going to throw my two cents in.
I've been here for 6 months and counting and I still haven't seen a damn robot.
Music: Myspace.com/TheNationalPool
Email: thenationalpool@gmail.com
Pictures: Flicker/TheNationalPool
I've been here for 6 months and counting and I still haven't seen a damn robot.
Music: Myspace.com/TheNationalPoolEmail: thenationalpool@gmail.com
Pictures: Flicker/TheNationalPool
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Surfing = Fail
I tried surfing for the first time ever recently on Rory's board which was pretty exciting, but just as I expected I couldn't do it at all. Every time I finished trying to ride a wave the board would fly up in the air in front of me. As such, for the safety of those around me I decided to stop. All in all, I tried on two different occasions and although fun, it was vastly frustrating. As far as I know, Rory has also decided to quit surfing as well.
Below is a pic of Rory's 1980-riffic board that we used:
Music: Myspace.com/TheNationalPool
Email: thenationalpool@gmail.com
Pictures: Flicker/TheNationalPool
Below is a pic of Rory's 1980-riffic board that we used:
Music: Myspace.com/TheNationalPool
Email: thenationalpool@gmail.com
Pictures: Flicker/TheNationalPool
Japanese Music - Cornelius
From time to time I'll bring you a Japanese musical artist that catches my attention and would probably be worth your time to listen to. For the most part, don't expect many Japanese people to know about these artists since I tend to like some pretty weird and rare music.
Cornelius is one artist that has already had some degree of popularity in America, but if you haven't heard about him yet I highly recommend checking him out. I first found out about him from Uhh Yeah Dude and then I downloaded The Gum EP. It's pretty experimental Electronica/Rock that often has catchy hooks.
I'll let the video speak for itself.
Cornelius is one artist that has already had some degree of popularity in America, but if you haven't heard about him yet I highly recommend checking him out. I first found out about him from Uhh Yeah Dude and then I downloaded The Gum EP. It's pretty experimental Electronica/Rock that often has catchy hooks.
I'll let the video speak for itself.
Saturday Nights
One thing that really surprised me about Japan is that most people only go out on Saturday nights. There was one instance I remember that perfectly exemplifies this. In late Spring I was out on a beautiful Friday night with some ladies walking around the Sakuragichou area. It's a great place to spend an evening with plenty of Izakaiyas, coffee shops, a nicely lit harbor area, and even a ferris wheel. Despite all of this, there was hardly anyone in sight.
When I asked why no one was out enjoying their weekend after a boring week of work, they didn't really have a good answer other than that's just the way it is. I suppose if you're going to be spending an extended period of time in Japan and want to meet people it's something to take into consideration.
When I asked why no one was out enjoying their weekend after a boring week of work, they didn't really have a good answer other than that's just the way it is. I suppose if you're going to be spending an extended period of time in Japan and want to meet people it's something to take into consideration.
Visiting Japan? Get A Suica!
This is somewhat of a dry topic but it will probably save you a lot of time and energy whether you're living in Japan or just visiting. If you live here, chances are you already know about it and have a Suica card, but if you only staying for a week or so it could slip right by you.
Suica is a rechargeable magnetic debit card that is able to be used on all of Japan's train systems. At first, it will cost you 2,000 yen ($20 US), 500 yen of which goes to the purchase of the card itself and is completely refundable when you leave. While a rechargeable train card may not seem like groundbreaking stuff, it really helps in that you don't have to stare up a big map in the train station written entirely in Japanese in order to figure out how much your train ticket will cost.
Furthermore, it can also be used at stores both in and near the train stations. Since all money in Japan lower than $10 is in coinage, it can really help to cut down on how much change you have to carry around. Plus the penguin is pretty cool too!
Furthermore, it can also be used at stores both in and near the train stations. Since all money in Japan lower than $10 is in coinage, it can really help to cut down on how much change you have to carry around. Plus the penguin is pretty cool too!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Random Picture - Sleeping Cat
Erin and I came across this cat one day while walking around Kamakura. I couldn't get over how cool it was so I figured I'd post up the pic in case you haven't seen it on my Flickr account yet.
Photo credit: Erin Raduazo
Photo credit: Erin Raduazo
First Fireworks - Yokohama
The first night that my cousin Erin spent in Japan we went straight to Kazumi's apartment to watch the fireworks, or "Hanabi," over the downtown Yokohama area.
We simply couldn't have asked for a better night, or a better first night in Japan for Erin. From the top floor of the building it was a perfect view for watching fireworks. I also got to catch up with people I hadn't seen in awhile and also make some new friends.
The food was great with a full spread of sushi, pizza, and countless other dishes. The highlight of the night by far aside from the fireworks was shotgunning beers. Craig, who had never done it before, sprayed beer all over the nice furniture when he stabbed the beer can. I was far too full from dinner to do it properly and most of mine went right into the sink. Rory however took it down like a champ.
We simply couldn't have asked for a better night, or a better first night in Japan for Erin. From the top floor of the building it was a perfect view for watching fireworks. I also got to catch up with people I hadn't seen in awhile and also make some new friends.
The food was great with a full spread of sushi, pizza, and countless other dishes. The highlight of the night by far aside from the fireworks was shotgunning beers. Craig, who had never done it before, sprayed beer all over the nice furniture when he stabbed the beer can. I was far too full from dinner to do it properly and most of mine went right into the sink. Rory however took it down like a champ.
After the night ended, Erin and I headed off in search of the train station, but since I didn't know that area of Yokohama too well I wasn't sure about where to go. Luckily we met an old married couple in front of the apartment building who were waiting for their son to pick them up and they gave us a ride to the station. I thanked them profusely and we were able to make it back in time before the last trains hit.
Japanese Music - Perfume
From time to time I'll bring you a Japanese musical artist that catches my attention and would probably be worth your time to listen to. For the most part, don't expect many Japanese people to know about these artists since I tend to like some pretty weird and rare music.
Perfume is the first major label group that I've heard and liked since I've been in Japan. I found out about them from an ex-girlfriend and they're by the far the most poppy and girly group I've ever heard. However, Perfume's teeny-bop is steeped in Electronica and House which is why I took a liking to it. I can really only take listening to one or two of their songs before I get fed up. I wouldn't say that they're great...only interesting mainly because of the production behind them.
Here's a link to a fansite I found.
Here's is a video of the only song I really like called "Electro World."
Perfume is the first major label group that I've heard and liked since I've been in Japan. I found out about them from an ex-girlfriend and they're by the far the most poppy and girly group I've ever heard. However, Perfume's teeny-bop is steeped in Electronica and House which is why I took a liking to it. I can really only take listening to one or two of their songs before I get fed up. I wouldn't say that they're great...only interesting mainly because of the production behind them.
Here's a link to a fansite I found.
Here's is a video of the only song I really like called "Electro World."
Japanese Lingo - "無謀な挑戦"
There are plenty of resources online where you can learn "regular" Japanese, so here I decided to let you know about words and phrases that I learned not from any textbook, but during conversations with native Japanese speakers.
Recently when I was at my local sushi restaurant, Yoroi, I told the chef about my friend Rory who was driving his Gentsuki, or moped/scooter, all the way from Yokohama which is in the middle of Honshu up to Hokkaido, which a completely different island in Japan.
At the thought how crazy this was, he used a word that I had never heard before which was "無謀な挑戦" and in Hiragana it's "むぼなちょうせん." In normal English pronounciation, or Romaji, it's pronounced "Mu-bo-Na-Chou-Sen." It's a combination of two different words, the first meaning "reckless, mad, or foolhardy" and the second word meaning "to challenge, or to attempt." The "na" in between the two words, as far as I know, marks the adjective of the first word.
Although everyone at the time he used it understood the word perfectly, I have gotten some strange looks when I've used it in other situations. However, after showing the person I was talking to the kanji, or Chinese characters, involved in the construction of the word, they instantly understand and got a good laugh about it.
Recently when I was at my local sushi restaurant, Yoroi, I told the chef about my friend Rory who was driving his Gentsuki, or moped/scooter, all the way from Yokohama which is in the middle of Honshu up to Hokkaido, which a completely different island in Japan.
At the thought how crazy this was, he used a word that I had never heard before which was "無謀な挑戦" and in Hiragana it's "むぼなちょうせん." In normal English pronounciation, or Romaji, it's pronounced "Mu-bo-Na-Chou-Sen." It's a combination of two different words, the first meaning "reckless, mad, or foolhardy" and the second word meaning "to challenge, or to attempt." The "na" in between the two words, as far as I know, marks the adjective of the first word.
Although everyone at the time he used it understood the word perfectly, I have gotten some strange looks when I've used it in other situations. However, after showing the person I was talking to the kanji, or Chinese characters, involved in the construction of the word, they instantly understand and got a good laugh about it.
Engrish - Smoked Person
I found this awesome Engrish at Hakone. It's by far one of my favorites. You may need to click it for a larger version since the formatting is acting up. Enjoy.
Music: Myspace.com/TheNationalPool
Music: Myspace.com/TheNationalPool
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