スパってなんですか

たんじょうびに、NJでパーチィーをしました。NYCのちかくにとてもかんぜんなところがあります。

Traditional Costumes

It has so far been this blog’s policy to normally refrain from personal posts unrelated to language or culture issues. However, on occasion of my birthday, I will make an exception. Attached is a picture of a Cossack, ethnicity or, rather, a cast my ancestors belonged to.

For more on national costumes, please check out this.

あしかがフラワーパーク

「はなのこうえん? Oddly enough, in Russian, there is no native word for "park" at all. Well, it is certainly a possibility that, before the foreign word was adopted, noone would bother to plant anything he would not eat.」

たぶん、これはもっともうつくしいところです。とくに、このアルレージェントは。

パイプライン

• Childcare, something else, and feeding kids with style – cooking for kids as a product of art. Amazing.
• A zillion of links for JSL students, similar to Saboten
• A US-educated guy posts on what’s hot right now, somewhat similar to Gothamist
• An owner of J-list, an online store selling random stuff originating from Japan, keeps a personal blog, some of the topics of which may be of interest to language students. A lot of his merchandise is not G-rated though; please beware of stupid cartoons (which I myself hate, but you may not) and numerous タレントreproductions (which may have the opposite effect)
• An interesting magazine on design
• Random interesting stuff from a popular blogger; some material may not be suitable for those too young
• Finally, high-end technology employed in VERY mundane activities

えのテスト

"Visitor" by Daisuke Nakayama, featured on TokyoArtBeat.

いらっしゃいませ。

2007ねんにげつふつかからにがつじゅごにちまで10かいかまくらまつりがおこなうました。レポートをみませんか。

Writing Letters

Welcome back to all the spring breakers. Many new quality links are awaiting in the pipeline.

In the mean time, a note on how to write a proper letter. Indispensable for the tomorrow's assignment.

not a day without a useless link

This time, it is

• a ring of websites dedicated to studying Japanese; includes a number of useful sites including http://www.nihongoweb.com
• a useful manual for visitors of Japan; contains some handy material on how to survive and not get lost
• for dessert, a few vintage photos

good news

Google maps at work. Follow it in real time.

sounds; no links this time

Compared to its relatively simple grammar, listening comprehension of English was always the biggest challenge for me as a student, especially in New York City, where everyone seems to have their own unique accent, all of which are equally accepted. The reason for that, other than the carriers’ heterogeneity, is perhaps that there are, in fact, fewer distinct sounds in my native language. Even now, it is very hard for me to tell, for instance, “bad” and “bed” apart from each other. According to rumors, Chinese languages employ, for example, many different versions of “s” at the same time; this probably eliminates for me any chance whatsoever of learning them.

I am glad to acknowledge, though, that the sounds of Japanese appear to be easier to discern. Fortunately, there seem to be few, all of them comprehensible; perhaps I will get away without seven S-s this time.

comedy

As it turns out, the aforementioned abomination was performed by Rahmens, a popular comedy troupe. Their localized version of the Apple commercial was featured in today’s WSJ, and The Journal, as the most respectable periodical imaginable, is a good enough underwriter for me.

The instructional video is a part of Japanese Tradition DVD Series, which is to be offered by Amazon starting tomorrow.