Bentou

My wife made o’bentou for our child.

On the menu: Fried Zucchini, Boiled carrot, Meat potato patty, Lichi.

Doesn’t it look gorgeous?

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SMAPxSMAP 2007.08.20

If you know SMAP, there is no need for an introduction. If you do not, why bother?
This week’s SMAPxSMAP:
1) Kusanagi’s Batsu Game
2) Bistro guest Sato Eriko (佐藤江梨子) – images
3) Song (awful one)

Let’s start with the bistro. Wasn’t that interesting, Sato Eriko certainly looks nice, and talks nicely, and sooo boring.
She asked to eat whole rice and Cheese desert, and explained the many ways of keeping a beautiful face and body.

I just found a video on you tube showing Eriko as Cutie Honey. Is there really a reason for her to run around wearing her underwear?
Eriko Sato:
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Shingo as Cutie Honey, as part of the Oishii usual Shingo impersonation.
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Winners  were Kimura and Katori:
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And to the more interesting part: Kusanagi’s Batsu game. During the last SMAPxSMAP love awards, Kusanagi Tsuyoshi lost, and was subjected to a game selected by Goro.

Kusanagi had to dress up like one of Goro’s characters, and go shopping on Omote Sando Hills.
Kusanagai Tsuyoshi feeling embarrassed:
Omote Sando

Buying a Necktie for himself:
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Buying wine for Goro, he had to talk in Samurai Style:
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Kusanagi was asked if this is a Batsu-Game, which he answered: “Chigau de gojaru”, still in Samurai style:
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Buying Sexy underwear for Nakai, talking like girl:
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Dondake-:
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Kusanagi buying glasses for Kimura speaking Korean. (If you don’t know Kusanagi can speak Korean fluently):
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Buying Bonsai for Katori Shingo to make him relax after his recent hard work. This specific Bonsai cost about 1000 Dollars:
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Kusanagi then had to sing a song to the audience which they enjoyed very much and asked for more14-singing.jpg
That’s is. I enjoyed the Batsu-game very much. Kusanagi did it wonderfully!
(And then SMAP sang a very stupid song).

London Hearts 2007.08.14

Two parts:

1) Under 30 (U-30) female participants who discussed “Which one is considered better for love?”

2) A visit to the beach, measuring waists. Aoki Sayaka (Miss angry face) was there too.

First part:

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Participants this week, top to bottom, left to right:

1) あびる優 – Abiru Yu

2) マリエ -Marie – 玉木パスカルマリエ

3) 磯山さやか – Isoyama Sayaka – Gravure Idol – her blog , images .

4) ギャル曽根 – Gyaru Sone – Video link – Can eat a lot!

5) 堀越のり – Horikoshi Nori

6) 鈴木紗理奈 – – Suzuki Sarina

7) 熊田曜子 – Kumada Yoko – Gravure Idol – images

8) 安めぐみ – Yasu Megumi – Gravure Idol – Official website

9) ほしのあき – Hoshino Aki – Gravure Idol

10) 森下千里 Morishita Chisato – Gravure Idol – images
Atsushi opened a big mouth:

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Hoshino Aki was selected (draw) to explain her ranking, with the prospect of winning 1,000,000 YEN, if her ranking matches the survey’s.

Hoshino’s ranking below:
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Hoshino believes Yasu Megumi is the best for a relationship/love.

Then, Atsushi went berserk:04-berserk.jpg
And Kumada was labeled as having a “liar’s face”:
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Following are the survey results:
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Observations:

– Yasu Megumi was also selected by the survey. (I still don’t like her face).
– Top 3 are Gravure idols
– Worst is Morishita Chisato

And to the second part:
A very simple game. A couple is selected from the crowd. The guy has to guess his girlfriend’s waist size. If he is right, he gets some money. Aoki is also guessing, and supposedly she is good at that.
I have learned something very important: The average Japanese female waist is 70cm!
Beach:
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Measuring waists: The guys were ALWAYS wrong and guessed a lower figure. Now, if you were in this situation wouldn’t you do the same. It is better to lose money than angry your girlfriend!

What men guessed on the left, actual on the right:
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London Hearts also asked for weight, which provided the same results: The guys and gals always guessed reported lower weights. Surprising, isn’t it?

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Almost done, Aoki was surprised that her measurements will be taken. The result: Waist: 70cm, Weight: 54.6!
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I need a Panda

Just something my wife told me yesterday and caught my ear.

I was talking about the Google analytics report for my site, and how to attract readers. My wife simply said: “You need a Panda”. My obvious response was: “What?”

Explanation:
Panda bear attracts visitors to Zoos in Japan. I need a “Panda”, something exotic and interesting to attract readers to my “zoo”. Do you have a recommendation?

London Hearts 2007.08.07

London hearts is a TV show aired every Tuesday on Asahi TV. The Official website

The show is hosted by Tamura Atsushi and Tamura Ryo. Not Related! Atsushi is the rude guy with big teeth. Ryo is the pretty boy with dyed hair, who doesn’t talk much.

As I watch it once in a while, I have decided to write a summary to some of the episodes.

In this week’s show (7th of August, 07), the participants (all female) went shopping. The rules are simple: they shop for whatever they want, but cannot see the prices. If together, they manage to use between 950,000 Yen to 1,000,000 Yen, then they can get what they bought for free. Otherwise, they have to pay for everything from their own pocket.

Sounds like fun, but, before that: “オシャレゲート” -> the fashion gate. Through the gate this week walked:

Suzuki Ami – A singer which releases a new single on the 22/8. I wonder how they timed her new release with this appearance. The god of marketing works in mysterious ways.

In a few words – Fashionable, but not over the top. Reasonable prices.

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Issa – A fashionable guy from DA-PUMP.

In a few words – who cares what guys wear? – I don’t. Oh, there were two interesting bits: 1) The guy has nail polish! Very masculine, don’t you think?

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2) Wears a Rolex Daytona – cost 3,000,000Y (about 25,000$)

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And back to the main event:

Participants:

1) 青木さやか – Aoki Sayaka – Announcer turned TV personality. – Over exposure, she is everywhere!
2) ほしのあき – Hoshino Aki – men’s favorite, a few links for a quick reminder: Official , Google Image Search
3) 近藤春菜 – Harisen Kondo – Comedian (?)
4) 森下千里 – Morishita Chisato
5) 熊田曜子 – Kumada Yoko
6) 青田典子 – Aota Noriko
7) 夏川純 – Natsukawa Jun
8) 磯野貴理 – Isono Kiri – The “loud” one
9) 杉田かおる – Sugita Kaoru – The “older” gal.
10) 安めぐみ – Yasu Megumi – I don’t like her. Difficult to explain why. Just annoying, I guess.

Venues:
1) Bic Camera in Shinjuku (Odakyu) – I have so many pleasant memories from this place. I don’t understand how come I didn’t go there during my last visit to Tokyo.
2)Tokyo Pacific in Omote sando – Love the street, the shop is not for me. Brands for women.

Before they started, the “rude” Atsushi went through their wallets. Let’s play the game, how many Louis Vuitton wallets can you spot in the following image?

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I don’t want to review their shopping. I found out a few brands I have never heard of. So, let’s do it in another way, award style:

The winner of the most unusual purchase: Kumada Yoko for buying a CDJ.
The winner of “why the hell did you buy it?”: Natsukawa Jun – Refrigerator. Do you think she really needed that?
And the winner of “Come on, you are on TV, try to be more interesting”: Yasu Megumi – Electric bicycles.

Summary:
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They lost, as they bought for 1,014,700 Yen. Just 14,700 over. And why? because Aoki Sayaka offered to buy 10 alarm clocks priced 2200 Yen each!!! Is it her fault? probably not, as they all agreed to it, but it brought another set of yells, and Aoki’s astonished/angry face. (yawn).

23 short Korean stories

I have found yesterday in the Korea Times’ community forum 23 short Korean stories translated to English.

All Translated, edited, adapted by Lim, Sunjae, a former English teacher.

Link

Contents:

1. A Potato – By Kim, Dongin (김동인) in 1925
2. A Korean Mariners’ Song – By Kim, Dongin, 1921
3. A Crazy Artist – By Kim, Dongin, 1930
4. His Toes Look Just Like Mine – By Kim, Dongin, 1932
5. A Woman’s Honor & a Fee – By Hyun, Jingun, 1929
6. The Sudden Rain – By Kim, Yoojung, 1935
7. The Camellia Flowers – By Kim, Yoojung, 1936
8. A Most Genuine Love Story – By Chae, Mansik, 1938
9. The Scene of A Weird Tree – By Chae, Mansik, 1939
10. A Mona Lisa Frozen to Death – By Chae, Mansik, 1925
11. The House of A Wild Apricot Tree – By Lee, Hyosuk, 1937
12. A Tragic Story of a Mountain Valley – By Lee, Hyosuk, 1941
13. A Reunion – By Kim, Eesuk, 1964
14. An Outgrowth – By Kim, Eesuk, 1964
15. Yongchil, the Fool – By Choi, Taewoong, 1939
16. Springtime – By Choi, Taewoong, 1937
17. A Hobby & a Daughter – By Hyun, Jingun, 1929
18. Old Kim Is Mad – By Choi, Taewoong, 1961
19. The Sun´s Legacy – By Yu, Juhyun, 1957
20. A Seaside Village – By O Youngsoo, 1953
21. An Horrible Story in Hidden Valley – By O Youngsoo, 1961
22. Sorry Kim – By Song, Byungsoo, 1957
23. The Black Kite Mountain Valley – By Song, Byungsoo, 1974

Nandakke Paella – 何だっけ パエリヤ

On Friday we bought 3 shrimp like, crab like creatures. They were still alive, so we couldn’t miss the opportunity of eating some fresh sea food.

Friday’s Paella is becoming a tasty custom. A short visit to Tiv Taam provides shell fish, shrimp, or whatever looks fresh and Mika cooks. Because I wasn’t sure we can cook them with the paella, we first boiled them and only then placed them on the rice (We have used the boiled water in the Paella, to preserve the juices).
Nandakke in Japanese means: “What is it?”
I couldn’t find the name of the creature we have bought. The receipt said: “Raka”, but still no information found in Google.

Hence the name: “Nandakke Paella”.

Before:

Alive
Boiled:

Cooked

Paella:

Paella

Hirame – Proverb

Hirame (ひらめ) is the Japanese name of “Olive Flounder”, a kind of Halibut/Flat fish. Hirame spends most of his time near the bottom of the sea. Flatfish share an interesting characteristic  of having both eyes on one side of the head.

Japanese businessmen use “Hirame” when they want to describe a person who only looks up to the management, and doesn’t care about his colleagues and subordinates.

Are you a “Hirame”?

Hirame