papasmurfinjapan said...

papasmurfinjapan at 12:33 PM JST - 25th July

I bet he's wondering "how the hell does Sonomanma Higashi have so much time to fit in his almost nightly TV appearances?"

At least he seems to be taking his job seriously which is a good sign.

Posted in Weighty issues for Osaka Gov Hashimoto at 12:33 PM JST - 25th July
papasmurfinjapan at 11:23 AM JST - 24th July

The NPA once tried to fully enforce the ban out of safety concerns but dropped the plan in the face of strong opposition from users

What a toothless tiger the NPA is.

Mums tell the NPA to shove their new law up their bums, and they do. hahaha

What other…

Posted in Ban on riding bicycles with 2 kids to be lifted at 11:23 AM JST - 24th July
papasmurfinjapan at 09:54 AM JST - 24th July

I don't worry about cancer, but I sometimes get a strange, probably scientifically unfounded sense of foreboding that sticking my phone in my jeans pocket next to my crotch for 12-15hrs a day may be affecting my reproductive potency.

Posted in Do you worry about the risk of getting cancer from long-term cell phone use? at 09:54 AM JST - 24th July
papasmurfinjapan at 08:55 AM JST - 24th July

Never heard of anyone working at this.....What exactly is it?

Maybe I am mistaken, but I presume it is not recycling per se, but the exporting of used Japanese cars and electrical goods to less affluent nations. I have heard it can be quite rewarding for the middle man.

Posted in High-level skills abroad don't guarantee job in Japan at 08:55 AM JST - 24th July
papasmurfinjapan at 02:56 PM JST - 23rd July

Well I suppose you could say you are getting two books for the price of one! But at this price I guess it really is two books for the price of two. Have to hate to lug that thing with me on the train ride to work.

Posted in Japanese translation of final Harry Potter novel goes on sale at 02:56 PM JST - 23rd July
papasmurfinjapan at 12:37 PM JST - 23rd July

Cleo

I agree. I don't advocate ignoring it or fudging it, but sometimes making an educated guess with a translator's note outlining the ambiguity is the best one can do.

I have, however, occasionally come across clients (usually the type that request a translation every 2-3 years for a trade…

Posted in No substitute for human touch in translating at 12:37 PM JST - 23rd July
papasmurfinjapan at 11:59 AM JST - 23rd July
In the last two cases the translator is failing to do his/her job

In principal I agree. But there are many cases where the translator has no access to the original author of the article. The original author: - may be dead.
- may be anonymous.
- may be known,…
Posted in No substitute for human touch in translating at 11:59 AM JST - 23rd July
papasmurfinjapan at 11:43 AM JST - 23rd July

Some of it is humdrum of course, but you also get to read a lot of stuff (some of it secret) that would never come your way otherwise, which can be pretty interesting.

Yes, those NDAs and licensing contracts are a barrel of laughs. :)

Posted in No substitute for human touch in translating at 11:43 AM JST - 23rd July
papasmurfinjapan at 08:56 AM JST - 23rd July

From my experience, Japanese employers are wary of highly skilled foreigners because they are "troublemakers". Ambitious, proactive, efficient workers want to do things "their" way, not according to the backwards methods their employers impose on them.

To succeed in a Japanese business environment, as thepro says, keigo is certainly important…

Posted in High-level skills abroad don't guarantee job in Japan at 08:56 AM JST - 23rd July
papasmurfinjapan at 04:16 PM JST - 16th July

I wish they could have been a little more open minded...

How about "we disagree with your government, but understand that young Japanese are not to be held responsible for the bad judgement of their leaders, nor necessarily agree with their decisions. We welcome you as friends and neighbours, regardless…

Posted in S Korean city cancels home stays for Japanese children at 04:16 PM JST - 16th July