Episode 43 – My Responsibility

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This show is a little heavy. I talk about culture and learning about what my responsibility to my country might be. A little retrospective, a little forward looking, and a little bit of Oni Koroshi sake for the show. I also throw in an audio bit from the redubbed GI Joe PSAs that I love. Enjoy.

Show Notes:

  • Shout out to San who’s closer to Japan right now
  • Discerning Asian languages
  • Culture
    • Distance from my country
    • Cultural interactions within Japan
    • My responsibility back to my country
  • Quick story about umbrella (somewhere in there)
  • GI Joe PSA – Japanese Version (watch on YouTube)

Episode 42 – Worst Podcast Ever!

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I’m in a funk, there are no two ways around it. Well, actually just been really busy and have been enjoying the relaxing with the little free time I have. I do manage to bang out a few topics. Hope it works. Here we go.

Show Notes:

  • Japanese school boys
  • Thanks for the 作文 feedback
  • Better Japanese support in OS X Leopard
  • Shimizu Mega-city Pyramid
  • Meta Talk
    • Ronald Donald MacDonald
    • Coffee episode update
    • Should I start a Mogulus Channel?
    • Almost bought an iPod touch

作文 Hell

Hello everybody, today is your weather report from 作文 (sakubun) hell. Its October, but its still hot hot hot. I really haven’t had time to podcast lately, but I won’t make any excuses. I’ll just have to wait until I get some time to lay down some meaningful tracks.

In the meantime, I figured I’d share a little bit of my essay that I’m writing for my class. Since I compose on the computer and then transcribe to practice writing, I find this approach has the added benefit of allowing me to share it quickly with those who might be interested. Just a quick comparison with my last 作文 post and I can see that enough though I’ve come quite far, I still have so far to go.

So here it is with warts and all. I will be correcting it later this week. Mangled Japanese, 1, 2, 3 …. イコウ!!

Continue reading “作文 Hell”

Fall is Coming

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This picture was taken during the matsuri Alex and I participated in earlier this year. Much like how this little one feels, that’s how I feel today. The weather is finally starting to cool down and although the work is picking up, the spirits are not getting down.

I went up to Asakusa today to head on over to Starbucks for some studying, had an excellent conversation with the folks who try to get money out of tourists for donating to earthquake victims, and am now enjoying getting my life a little organized here at home. The windows are open and there is a nice cool breeze. Do I need any other reason to post to the blog.

Apparently not. Enjoy the pic!

Episode 41 – Drink Review

Alex and I do a quick drink review, I reflect on my life for a hot second, and I attempt to talk about Japanese schoolboys but don’t quite get to it. Banging out the podcasts in less than an hour now, get this episode while its fresh!

Show Notes

  • Genki Intro
  • Audio Clip from Monday night
    • New School Schedule and feeling mellow on a Monday evening
    • Nice to see Tokyo skyline at night again
  • Since Monday
    • Stressing out
    • What does one want to do with their life?
    • “Reading” David Whyte’s – The Heart Aroused
  • Celebrating a difficult week complete with a Shirokirin Beer
  • Drink Review
    • 2 SA’s – Calpis Fizz Light Style
    • 1/2 SA – Nikka, Natural Mizuwari
    • Trying to do math while drinking whiskey
    • NEWSFLASH: Convenience stores in Japan are the first place new drinks are released!
    • Check out Way of the Grape
  • Next topic will have to wait

Episode 40 – Sumo Zombies

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Scott Lockman’s latest episode beat me to the punch on the sumo update, but his update on sumo was much more informative than mine so go check it out. If you want audio from sumo, you can get that in this next episode. Recorded right after I was able to get my cord fixed last week, I touch upon sumo and a few other topics. Enjoy!

Show Notes:

  • More about my power cord
  • AppleCare rules!
  • Homelessness in Japan
    • The guy under the bridge
    • The guy who asked me for “hungry”
    • The guys who live in Internet cafe’s
  • Only in Japan – strangest vending machine to date
  • Sumo Wrestling
    • Audio clip
  • Zombie cleaning crew
    • Audio clip