Month: May 2007

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Episode 17 – Walking Through Asakusa

Rainy Day

I took the chance during this rainy day to walk around Asakusa and just spout random thoughts into my cell phone. Listening back, it wasn’t all that bad so I’m posting it as a podcast episode. This one feels a little more intimate and fun I think. Plus, there is all sorts of great things to listen for in the background. Enjoy!

Show Notes:

  • Another haircut at QB House
  • Looking for headphones in Asakusa
  • Eating breakfast at Denny’s (menu photo 1 / menu photo 2)
  • Comments on restaurants in general
  • Children’s book I’m reading
    • Link to Amazon.co.jp page for it
    • book.jpg
  • Coffee episode coming soon
  • Comments on various store fronts I pass by

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Being Sick, Japanese Translation

This evening I sat down to do a writing exercise that is due next Monday. We have to turn in two short writings about our Golden Week weekend. Since I spent most of mine up until Thursday sick, I tried to describe this as best I could in Japanese. I’m really passionate about the subject right now. 😛

Anyway, in reading my short story, I was pretty proud of it so I’m posting it here. The Kanji I know I’ve included as well. I think there are probably many mistakes, but again that’s the goal of having homework corrected. Feel free to butt in if you see something glaringly wrong and can’t possibly stand me handing in something like this. But its probably better I get it corrected so I learn something.

わたしのゴールデンウィーク＃１

ゴールデンウィークのあいだじゅうに、私はかぜでした。先週の日曜日から今週の日曜日まででした。たいへんでした。月曜日に、ぐすりやへ行きました。そのぐすりのねだんは１６５０円でした。くすりや員は、私に「毎日、三回一つをたべて下さい」って言いました。それから、そうしました。でも、私は木曜日まで、もうかぜでした。だから、木曜日にクリニックへ行きました。いしゃは、私にもっといいぐすりをくれました。私は「本当にありがとうございました」って言いました。うちにかえって、ねました。金曜日も、ねました。

Translation

My Golden Week

During golden week I had a cold. It was from Sunday of last week to this Sunday. It was terrible. On Monday, I went to the medicine store. The price of the medicine was 1,650 yen. The medicine store guy told me, “Take one three times every day”. So, I did it. But, on Thursday I still had a cold. So, on Thursday I went to the clinic. The doctor gave me some better medicine. I said, “Really!!, Thank you very much”. I returned to my house and went to sleep. I also slept on Friday.

Right! I’m off to write the second on talking about my experiences in Ueno Park and Asakusa today. I saw 50s greaser dancers and got denied entry to a restaurant because of my gaijin status. What fun!! 🙂

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Episode 16 – Medicine and Parks

66838065_d6eeab4a43_b 1.jpg

Is it true? Is it true? An audio episode?! Yes, I know its been a while but I pulled up my bootstraps and got myself in front of the mic for a good hour today. After editing out all the coughs and false starts, this one comes down to about 41 minutes or so. A full episode follows, complete with a brief sound scene at Mos Burger, only in Japan segment, and two big topics. Listen to my gravel-like voice in true stereo as I whisk you through the Japanese medical experience and my reflections on the park.

Show Notes:

  • Golden Week and what I’ve been doing
  • Being sick in Japan
    • This cold is kicking my ass
    • Pharmacy / medicine store experience
    • Japanese medicine
    • Japanese clinic experience
      • Armpit thermometer
    • Comments on Japanese health-care system
  • Park visit today
    • Had to get out of the house
    • Listening to Jazz while biking through Tokyo
      • Comparing Japan to New York
    • Mos Burger Sound Scene [3 mins]
    • Only in Japan: How many dogs can you take to the park??
    • Japanese park teaches me to relax and enjoy life
  • Another story about my bike
    • Proof that I’m not the only manly-man riding a mama-chari bike
  • Updates
    • Computer work
    • Yurikamome video footage
    • New episodes
  • Hi’s and Hello’s
  • Rock concert podcast ending [it takes for ever]

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Episode 15 – Biking Through Tokyo

Bike bike bike

Yeeeesssssssss. Here it is. The episode you’ve all been waiting for, “Biking Through Tokyo”. I hope I didn’t talk it up too much prior to this. I edited this over the weekend. The footage had been sitting on my drive for about 2 weeks, just dying to be put to good use.

I had to be a little creative with the editing since alot of it was bumping. It’s alot like drinking too much coffee the way it runs now. Please don’t eat anything while watching this. Hopefully you will enjoy some of the sights of Tokyo as I did on that day. Oh, and instead of shownotes, here are delicious time-code notes where I’ve marked points of interest that I don’t mention in audio.

Show Notes

  • 0:00 – Fancy-schmancy intro as always
  • 1:00 – The dreaded Nissan’s Business Japanese makes a guest appearance
  • 1:06 – Note the super-secure bike lock
  • 1:37 – じてんしゃ is Japanese for Bicycle (pronounced “ji-tenn-sha”)
  • 1:47 – That is a highway on/off ramp
  • 2:18-2:25 – If you look closely, you can almost see the kitty-cat sticker on the bell. LOL
  • 2:58 – Ferrari
  • 3:40 – Notice how many different types of sidewalks there are yet??
  • 3:47 – I pedal through people in Asakusa-bashi w/o touching my feet on the ground – You have no idea how hard it was to navigate that with one hand and film at the same time. ^_^
  • 4:22 – The Asahi Beer building

Special thanks to Gustav Young from Oddioblender for letting me use the track “Frantic Footsteps” for this video. Please check out the site for more great glitchy nerdcore music. I listen to this album constantly!

Alternative video link (Google Video)

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