Two Random Surprises

Here are a couple of random things that have come up in these early days back in Australia.

Punctuality

Not much starts on time in Australia. We've not noticed that before, but have been a bit shocked with our punctual Japanese hats still on!

Japanese accent? 

Someone new I met the other day pondered why we didn't have japanese accents. I pointed out that we really did, when we spoke Japanese words like kimono or origami. Or when we say place names like Tokyo or Sapporo.

But in general we haven't picked up Japanese accents in our English (although you might here some Japanese expressions come out occasionally). This comic video might explain why:

By the way, good internet is still a couple of weeks away, sorry for my lack of blogging, it's not easy to get the basics done online, let alone blog posting!

STOP IT

Today is another full day of Thrift Shop preparation, though it tends not to be quite as busy in the afternoon, I'll still be tired this evening. So I'll post this before I go to school this morning.

The following video we saw at the coaching workshop I attended a couple of weeks ago. It it is both hilarious and a tiny bit scary at the same time. If you ever summons up the courage to go to get some mental-health advice from a professional, you certainly don't want to meet someone quite as insensitive as this fellow. 

On the other hand it makes me want to say "STOP IT" more often to my boys! Enjoy.

A fun diversion from work

I'm a bit snowed under with last minute magazine edits at present. It's driving me a little crazy, not how I like to spend a Saturday at all!


So for a bit of fun I thought I'd include a Youtube video giving some basics of our favourite sport, cricket.


Here's a good 4 minute overview. Brought to you by Kansas Cricket association (with an English accent).

Here's a more lighthearted explanation of fielding terms. You get the idea that the game is very complex.

Here an American comedian gives an explanation of cricket:

And this is a slightly tongue-in-cheek video describing some of the terminology for cricket.

Enjoy!

Embarrassment at the gym

I finally found time to get back to the gym. Since David started work last week it's been very difficult to get away. But I have to tell you about the funniest thing that happened there today.

I was exercising away, minding my own business. At Curves you do about 14 machines in rotation, 30 seconds per machine and 30 seconds at a recovery station between machines. On the recovery station you are supposed to keep moving. Everyone interprets that differently. In Japan they seem to interpret it at a much more sedate level than in Australia. In Australia the gym instructors encouraged us to do all sorts of "moves" at these places. In Japan mostly people walk or slowly jog. I figure, I'm paying to come here, I may as well have a good workout, so I usually go at it pretty hard. Jogging and interspersing that with other "moves". Like opposite hand to foot, or twisting at the waist.

Occasionally I spend one of the 30 seconds kicking my feet out in front of me up as high as I can and clapping my hands underneath my legs. I love this one, but it freaks other people out. Sometimes I get remarks, but today the response was over the top. A few ladies started talking about me and then one said, "You're so young, you aren't 30 yet are you?" I assured her I was on my way to 40 and her response was basically: "No way!!!" She then immediately went to all her neighbours and spread the word. That must have convinced these ladies that they weren't so old after all (I'm guessing they were in their 50s or 60s) and they started to try to kick their legs up too. It was both embarrassing and hilarious. However I am pretty happy with the "age" compliment.

Big egg in Japan

This video is fun. Simone had it on her blog, but it was too fun (and too Japanese) to leave there.

 

Here's a scientific explanation (in English):

Hilarity after tea

Often after our evening meal while we're still at the table (if we aren't running late or some other disaster occurs) I read to the boys. Not too long ago we finished reading Ruth Park's "The Muddle Headed Wombat". Hilarious! It was a hard act to follow. But lately we've been cycling through a variety of books including:

• "Window on the World" a children's version of "Operation World" 
• "Time Outs for You and Your Kids" by Grace Fox (this is especailly useful if we ARE running late and not able to do individual with the boys in their rooms), it is a short devotional.
• miscellaneous other books, picture books as well as longer chapter books.

Tonight I randomly picked up a book we picked up at the school library the other day.  "Hot Potato mealtime rhymes". There were some side-splitting poems inside. Two of them had us almost on the floor. "Mommy Slept Late and Daddy Fixed Breakfast" and "Hot Food". I'd type them here, but I think that poets are pretty particular about Copyright. But I do heartily recommend the poems to you.

Flush away your problems

This video is both funny and sad - a 'holy' toilet in Japan to flush away your problems.

Ancient Japanese Proverb you can read

Laws of Parenting

I know my Dad is fond of the Good, Clean Funnies website, and in search of a short 'funny' for a newsletter I'm writing, I stumbled upon it again. I found these parenting gems: Laws of Parenting

1. The later you stay up, the earlier your child will wake up the next morning. 2. For a child to become clean, something else must become dirty. 3. Toys multiply to fill any space available. 4. The longer it takes you to make a meal, the less your child will like it. 5. Yours is always the only child who doesn't behave. 6. If the shoe fits...it's expensive. 7. The surest way to get something done is to tell a child not to do it. 8. The gooier the food, the more likely it is to end up on the carpet. 9. Backing the car out of the driveway causes your child to have to go to the bathroom. 10. The more challenging the child, the more rewarding it is to be a parent...sometimes