The following took place in a mix of Japanese and English.

5th grader:  Karla-sensei, the lead actress  in the Friday Night Movie looked just like you!

Me:  Friday Night Movie?

5th grader:  Yeah, it was all about fashion and stuff.

Me:  …The Devil Wears Prada?

5th grader:  That was it!

Now people on both sides of the Pacific think I look like Anne Hathaway.  I’m definitely not complaining!

Okay, I’m going to try and ease back into this posting thing.  I’ve been going through some old pictures and while they may not have a large overarching theme they’re still neat.  Later I want to write some more posts about learning Japanese… but let’s start slowly, slowly.

First:  Odaiba, an island in Tokyo Bay, has all kinds of shopping and television headquarters and touristy hot springs.  They also have this:

Think what you will.

There’s a neighborhood in Kawasaki called Mizonokuchi.  At first I thought it was Mi*zu*nokuchi, or literally “mouth of the water”… maybe where a creek emptied into a river, or a river into the ocean.  Romantic.  Poetic.  Then I looked up the kanji:

溝ノ口

It turns out mizo actually means “ditch”.  Mouth of the ditch.

Not so poetic.

Haven’t felt much like blogging lately.  I’ve been on a real study kick, trying to squeeze a bunch of new kanji and vocab into my brain.  I’ve taken to tackling lists of things I think I should know – government ministries, planets, major organs.  I’m discovering some neat things while I’m at it.  Example: I’ve always associated Venus with love and pretty goddesses, but in Japanese the word is 金星 or “gold/money planet”.  Now I picture the goddesses’ pockets overflowing with cash.

Another cool word – appendix (the one in your gut) is 盲腸 or “blind intestine”.  Fitting as long as you don’t think about it too hard.

I’m not only studying lists, of course.  I’m working my way through a novel and some test prep books as well as watching a bunch of tv… even getting into anime for the first time in years.  The first show I’m watching is called 君に届け or “Reaching You” and is a high school love story.  Exactly my sort of thing.

The second is just weird.  Six hot guys are physical manifestations of stations on Tokyo’s Ooedo subway line that ride around on a “miracle train” and solve people’s problems.  To see the Japanese definition of hot guys watch the intro:

The show itself is littered with facts a train nut would love.  Did you know that Roppongi’s Ooedo station is the deepest in Japan at 42.3 meters (138 feet) underground?  The train trivia even leaks into the characters.  Shinjuku is the most visited station on the line, so Mr. Shinjuku is the most popular guy in the group.  Shiodome station was the last to be completed so he’s played by what looks like a 14 year old.  And so on.

I think part of me is just thrilled that I can understand most of what’s being said.  It’s brain candy.  Sweet, romance-soaked brain candy.

Nom.

The most beautiful sky is after a typhoon barrels through.  All of the smog is blown away and all that’s left is the sunset and Mt. Fuji.  Wow.

I’m getting a little better at the bento thing.  Here’s what I’ve been taking to school recently:

Roughly clockwise from left: salmon, rice, broccoli, two kinds of pickles, persimmon, garnished with a lettuce leaf.

One day when I opened this some of the sixth graders actually clapped.  But others soon chimed in – the bento box is too small, I need more rice, aren’t there too many veggies in there?  Tough crowd.

Work has started and my life has been turned upside down by the change in schedule.  I feel like I’m relearning how I did my job in some ways.  For example I forgot what time I usually leave the house for each of my five schools.  That leads me to playing it safe… and making it to school 20 minutes early.  It’s been a good week overall, though, and I’m enjoying seeing the kids again after six weeks off.

Story from last week:  I’m sitting at my desk during my planning period when a teacher and a fourth grader come into the staff room.  The kid takes a long look at me and the following ensues (all in Japanese):

Kid (to the other teacher): Sensei, there’s a foreigner here!

Me: Yup, and I can speak Japanese, too.  Good morning!

Kid: ~stunned silence~

Other teacher:  Go on, greet her.

Kid:  G-good morning.

I hope that gives her pause next time she sees a non-Japanese out and about – we may not “look” like we understand Japanese, but sometimes we do.

A friend asked for another supermarket picture post but I found something as soon as I stepped out my door.

A delivery truck for Yamazaki bread.  I thought the retro styling, so 1950′s America, was interesting.  Heck, they have it all the way down to the light haired, blue eyed girl munching away.

Nom.

Ken says I bear a resemblance to Q-chan, a vintage manga/anime character.  He’s a ghost that likes to make mischief and steal other people’s food.

I know Ken’s not alone in this because I heard some of my students saying the same thing under their breath.  Other than both of us having big eyes I don’t see how we’re alike at all.

My friend Valerie from Germany is visiting and we’re having a wonderful time.  Today we visited the small zoo by my house.  My favorite exhibit was the penguins – they were playing with the kids.  No, really.  The penguins raced the kids the length of the tank, doing little jumps out of the water while they were at it.  As soon as the kids left the mad swimming stopped.  If a really small tyke stood by the wall they came to visit.

Cutest thing ever.