Wednesday February 15, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

zaichik's past comments

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zaichikSep. 12, 2008 - 05:28AM JST

she became the recipient of the “Gold Make-Up Award” by the Japan Make-Up Association in Tokyo.

Best make-up-ist?

The question is, does she actually have any talent beyond looking pretty and vacuous?

Posted in: Marie spreads a bit of cheer
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zaichikSep. 12, 2008 - 05:24AM JST

she became the recipient of the “Gold Make-Up Award” by the Japan Make-Up Association in Tokyo.

Posted in: Marie spreads a bit of cheer
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zaichikSep. 09, 2008 - 11:15AM JST

I saw some of the exhibits in the Cow Parade in Manchester a few years ago. I think it's a rather good idea, personally.

Posted in: Cow Parade Tokyo Marunouchi 2008
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zaichikSep. 05, 2008 - 12:37PM JST

Oh dear, I'm afraid to say that I did laugh when I read this. Not a good day for this poor chap.

Posted in: Temple burns down as monk attacked by hornets
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zaichikSep. 05, 2008 - 06:18AM JST

those terrifyingly complicated tomes

Not that complex - I started using the Nelson when I was 17 and found it perfectly logical and easy to use. If you're using it regularly, as I was later, during my third year at university, you can open the dictionary in more or less the right section for the radicals you look up more frequently.

As with any aspect of learning a language, it's all about practice. My kanji knowledge improved dramatically when I was doing a lot of translation for courses during my third year, and again when I started working in Japan and had a lot of translation work to do. If you don't use kanji in everyday life, your knowledge won't improve and you'll be reliant on these gadgets.

Now, if they could develop one of these to read Japanese doctors' handwriting (equally illegible as doctors' handwriting in English), I'd buy it like a shot!

Posted in: No longer lost in translation
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zaichikAug. 30, 2008 - 02:00PM JST

Nice prince Albert on your Johnson sir :p

Assuming the security screeners can tell a Prince Albert from an ampallang....

This would seem to be a security measure too far. By all means, claim the right to arm bears if you want, but I don't want the authorities and their designated drones to be able to see my La Perla and beyond.

Posted in: Body-revealing scanners now widely used at U.S. airports
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zaichikAug. 28, 2008 - 06:39AM JST

Good grief, is that Kume?! He's lookin' old as hell!

That was my reaction, Sarge....

Posted in: Hiroshi Kume to host TBS's new infotainment program
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zaichikAug. 28, 2008 - 06:26AM JST

I loved Lego as a child....

And of course, there's the Eddie Izzard Death Star Canteen sketch enacted in Lego:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv5iEK-IEzw

Posted in: Building blocks
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zaichikAug. 27, 2008 - 06:03AM JST

Japan is generally a good place to eat out - quite a good variety of food and not overpriced. I've come to appreciate it even more since moving to Auckland, where I haven't yet been able to find a decent Italian restaurant.

When I lived in Niigata, I'd occasionally go to a rather wonderful Thai restaurant down in Kashiwazaki - totally authentic, and the shop below it used to sell things like fresh lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, which it just wasn't possible to find in other shops in the prefecture.

There was also a superb Korean restaurant in Kashiwazaki. I think the presence of a number of large factories in the city, employing cheap labour from overseas, has led to the development of some really good ethnic cuisine restaurants there.

Posted in: Critics dispute Michelin regard for Tokyo food
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zaichikAug. 26, 2008 - 08:18AM JST

I don't think there's a vast amount of crime among the (comparatively small) Japanese community here in Auckland....

Interesting that this guy is still on PR status, when he could have obtained NZ nationality years ago. Presumably he's keen to hang on to his Japanese passport.

As Stanoue said, people in NZ with PR have almost all of the rights of those with NZ citizenship (including eligibility under the reciprocal health agreements with Aus and the UK). We'll be applying for NZ citizenship just as soon as we're eligible (after 5 years as permanent residents). An NZ passport is far more convenient for international travel than a Russian one....

Posted in: Japanese man to become police officer in New Zealand
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zaichikAug. 26, 2008 - 07:19AM JST

An admirable ambition, but I hope he's checked the wording of his travel insurance properly, because it would be a shame if the money he raises ends up having to be spent on Japanese hospital bills....

Posted in: Adventurous Brit plans to skate down Mt Fuji for charity
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zaichikAug. 26, 2008 - 07:10AM JST

Sounds wonderful....

Posted in: Tread in the footsteps of Edo-era travelers
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zaichikAug. 22, 2008 - 06:43AM JST

Sounds like she was in denial about the whole pregnancy, if she chose to give birth at her friend's house.

Posted in: Mother arrested for killing new-born baby at home in Yamanashi
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zaichikAug. 20, 2008 - 06:17AM JST

I read this book as a student - don't remember much about it now, but I did find it an interesting read at the time.

Posted in: The Doctor's Wife
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zaichikAug. 18, 2008 - 07:26AM JST

Sometimes what begins as an extramarital affair can turn into a rock-solid, lasting partnership. Mr Zaichik and I were both unhappily married (both having married rather young) to other people when our relationship began. What we found in each other was someone who appreciated the other for who they were, rather than criticising them for who they weren't. I left my husband, he left his wife, and we've been living together for four years, far happier than we were with our exes. We've gone through some very trying times together and this makes us appreciate our relationship all the more.

I don't think that deceiving one's spouse is a good thing. I merely seek to suggest that there are shades of grey, and that a rush to judgement is not the most positive response.

Posted in: The do's and don'ts of having an affair
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zaichikAug. 18, 2008 - 07:03AM JST

Yukata, rather than kimono, but yes, nice to see them being worn by members of the younger generation.

Posted in: Yukata
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zaichikAug. 13, 2008 - 07:30AM JST

One of CB's better offerings, apart from the snipe about Japan enthusiasts of today.

Posted in: Things Japanese: Being Notes on Various Subjects Connected with Japan
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zaichikAug. 12, 2008 - 06:00AM JST

I'm not convinced about substituting Maria Bello for Rachel Weisz. At least there's still the lovely John Hannah. Don't think I'd bother seeing it in the cinema, however....

Posted in: Mummy's boy
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zaichikAug. 01, 2008 - 11:06AM JST

Natsukashii!

TO be fair, it's hard to take a bad picture when the sunflowers are out at Tsunan....

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zaichikJul. 27, 2008 - 06:07AM JST

I love matcha, which is why I'm not keen on most green tea flavoured things, but this Haagen Dazs "Crispy Sandwich" used to be a favourite of mine a few years ago. Not convinced by "black syrup" as a translation, however - brown sugar syrup might be better....

Posted in: Green tea ice cream from Häagen-Dazs