It's plum-blossom time in Japan. My history-buff, Classics major son is visiting us for Spring break, so we wandered around to view some late blooming sites, including Osaka Castle Park. A big secret to view some gorgeous plum blossoms without the massive crowds is to head to the Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farmhouses in … Continue reading Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farmhouses in Osaka
It's nothing short of a miracle. I can speak Japanese. At least broken Japanese, spewing out a lot of basic verbs and nouns to get the message across (mostly) or ask directions, put a friend in a cab to the Kansai Airport, direct a cab driver to my apartment or tell him when he's at … Continue reading I’m Speaking Japanese! I Really Think So!
Halloween in Japan has been growing a lot. This year I noticed far more Jack'o'lanterns and Western style Halloween decorations than last year. As if it were a orchestrated event, as just about every store or restaurant had some kind of Halloween theme or promotion. Fun! I was excited to take a friend who is … Continue reading Halloween at Universal Studios Japan – Good Kawaii Fun! In Photographs
I love language. Having been denied fluency in the Dutch language from my late Dutch father, who spoke only English to us kids growing up, I was envious of my European cousins who spoke several languages and perfect English. Determined to be a polyglot, I took four years of French in high school and received … Continue reading We Are Learning Japanese, We Really Think So!
