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I'm studying Mandarin Chinese atm. Getting the pronunciation right is really difficult. I bought a very simple phrase guide at the Daiso (100 yen shop), and so I'm actually translating the Japanese to English, then practicing the Chinese. So far, I'm finding the katakana makes it easier to pronounce the Chinese compared to the English pinyin.
Anybody want to teach me some handy curse words? *grin*
I watched the first five eps of Stargate Atlantis. So far, I like it. There's nothing outstanding about it, but it's decent. It reminds me of Star Trek, and you can tell I'm a trekkie since I've spent two days trying to decide which series it reminds me of more. In looks, it's definately closer to Enterprise, but in feel... hmmm. I either need to get ahold of the rest of the series or download it though since I have no more time to rent before I leave Japan.
Reading wise, I'm finding Steven King's Apt Pupil kinda boring. A complete lack of sympathetic characters does that to me, and while I admire writing a story like that, I'm not sure if I care for reading it. If it doesn't improve soon, I'm going to start skimming.
Manga-wise, I finally found a cheap copy of Vinland Saga, which is a manga about Vikings (and that's really all you need to know, ne? *grin*). The art is really nice with a very good portrayal of battle scenes and lots of detail (and pretty gruesome too... there's this one panel with an eyeball impaled on an arrow. yum.) The author is also surprisingly good at facial expressions. It's got furigana, and I've found it a really easy read, mostly because I seem to know all the fighting vocabulary already *tries to look innocent* The main character, amusingly enough, looks like a cross between Yondaime and that blond samurai with the red coat in Samurai Seven. History wise, I think the author either got her time period or her terminology crossed, but it's not all that bad. (The plot is basically 'vikings' raiding Frankish land ie Normandy.)
It's weird to think my birthday's in a week. I think I would have forgotten, but my parents remembered to ask me what I wanted. I'll be in China for the actual day of course *g*
Sunday, I finally got around to going to Tokiwa park in Ube. The weather was gorgeous and the park was really nice. It's set around a big lake which is filled with swans (white and black), cranes, and ugly, big ass pelicans. There's a pretty shrine out on the water, a small amusement park, and for some very odd reason, a monkey zoo. It had a lot of common varieties and you could pretty much feed or even touch the monkeys if you wanted to. There was also a giant pirate ship that a huge troupe of monkeys lived on. Arrr! I visited the Ube City Coal Mining Museum. What they don't really like to mention is that during the world wars they were basically using Koreans as slave labour and forcing them to work in the mines, so there's lots of Korean dead in abandoned tunnels that riddle the bottom of the city. Ah, history. The museum actually has a short length of tunnel with recreations of mining scenes. It was empty at that point so I was down there alone with some seriously creepy manikins - and you're talking to someone who crawls through chambered tombs with only a flash light for company so yeah. I also found Ube's only bagel shop. They had a decent cheese bagel with a layer of cheese baked in, though their plain was only so so.
Anybody want to teach me some handy curse words? *grin*
I watched the first five eps of Stargate Atlantis. So far, I like it. There's nothing outstanding about it, but it's decent. It reminds me of Star Trek, and you can tell I'm a trekkie since I've spent two days trying to decide which series it reminds me of more. In looks, it's definately closer to Enterprise, but in feel... hmmm. I either need to get ahold of the rest of the series or download it though since I have no more time to rent before I leave Japan.
Reading wise, I'm finding Steven King's Apt Pupil kinda boring. A complete lack of sympathetic characters does that to me, and while I admire writing a story like that, I'm not sure if I care for reading it. If it doesn't improve soon, I'm going to start skimming.
Manga-wise, I finally found a cheap copy of Vinland Saga, which is a manga about Vikings (and that's really all you need to know, ne? *grin*). The art is really nice with a very good portrayal of battle scenes and lots of detail (and pretty gruesome too... there's this one panel with an eyeball impaled on an arrow. yum.) The author is also surprisingly good at facial expressions. It's got furigana, and I've found it a really easy read, mostly because I seem to know all the fighting vocabulary already *tries to look innocent* The main character, amusingly enough, looks like a cross between Yondaime and that blond samurai with the red coat in Samurai Seven. History wise, I think the author either got her time period or her terminology crossed, but it's not all that bad. (The plot is basically 'vikings' raiding Frankish land ie Normandy.)
It's weird to think my birthday's in a week. I think I would have forgotten, but my parents remembered to ask me what I wanted. I'll be in China for the actual day of course *g*
Sunday, I finally got around to going to Tokiwa park in Ube. The weather was gorgeous and the park was really nice. It's set around a big lake which is filled with swans (white and black), cranes, and ugly, big ass pelicans. There's a pretty shrine out on the water, a small amusement park, and for some very odd reason, a monkey zoo. It had a lot of common varieties and you could pretty much feed or even touch the monkeys if you wanted to. There was also a giant pirate ship that a huge troupe of monkeys lived on. Arrr! I visited the Ube City Coal Mining Museum. What they don't really like to mention is that during the world wars they were basically using Koreans as slave labour and forcing them to work in the mines, so there's lots of Korean dead in abandoned tunnels that riddle the bottom of the city. Ah, history. The museum actually has a short length of tunnel with recreations of mining scenes. It was empty at that point so I was down there alone with some seriously creepy manikins - and you're talking to someone who crawls through chambered tombs with only a flash light for company so yeah. I also found Ube's only bagel shop. They had a decent cheese bagel with a layer of cheese baked in, though their plain was only so so.
