I've just had my first Japanese lesson and it turns out I'm a 'word-pro baka' (person so used to typing, they've forgotten the written language)! Argh. Still, it's nice to have proper lessons.
It's very strange comparing the Japanese language programmes on TV to all the other foreign language programs. The key thing is that the Japanese is at the lower end of normal speaking speed and done entirely in the target language. The latter is understandable, considering the wide range of nationalities that might be watching. But all other languages are done at the slowest speed possible using the easiest words possible. Some of the English classes have taken this to such an extreme that they seem almost like a parody.
Another strange thing about TV is that there seems to be no one programme that everyone watches. There was the Japanese version of 'Quiz The Nation' on the other day, which is based on a British show (I think). If I'd asked a room full of British people whether they had watched it back home, I could be pretty sure of getting plenty of yeses(sp?). But here... nothing.
Oh, speaking of Japanese,
kuroe nervously handed me what looked like a tube of toothpaste the other day and asked me what I thought it was, because he really hoped it was toothpaste. I looked it over and pointed out the katakana that said it contained menthol, a good sign. I also pointed out that it was covered in the kanji for 'teeth', another good sign. Most of the ingredients looked promising, in fact, after many minutes of close examination. I was about to hand it back to him, when I noticed the word TOOTHPASTE written in big letters in ENGLISH. We laughed about that for ages...Random: Porno Graffitti are doing five days of gigs very soon... And that includes my days off! Ho~w do I get tickets!? I can't seem to get the site they suggest to work. Ah well, probably all sold out anyway...
Also random: The local conveni has run out of Yakitate-brand pan... I am sad.
