A Journey to the Levant
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?
Makuya is a Christian sect operating in Japan.
Below, a video of one of their visits to Israel.
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.
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?
2) Wears a Rolex Daytona – cost 3,000,000Y (about 25,000$)
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?
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:
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).
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.
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
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:
Boiled:
Paella:
Attached a few photos of Tel-Aviv beaches taken in July 2007
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”?
From Mainichi :
“The Japan Sumo Association (JSA) on Wednesday suspended Yokozuna Asashoryu for two upcoming tournaments after he played in a charity soccer game in Mongolia despite having sat out a regional sumo tour in Japan after claiming to be injured”.
I guess this means Hakuho (白鵬) will win the next two tournaments.
Ingmar Bergman died Yesterday.
The Seventh Seal is one of the few DVDs I own, and is probably the one I cherish most. An amazing film, from an amazing director.
We have invited a few Japanese friends and their children to celebrate Tanabata on our roof.
I hope everyone enjoyed it. It was a bit hot, but the children didn’t care. Maybe we should arrange a pool next time.
Photos attached (not of people, as I didn’t ask for their permission to post).
