tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:56:39 +0000Sandra in Japan. Again.http://japandra.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)Blogger300125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-522747690517679409Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:53:00 +00002009-11-11T15:53:59.034+09:00This is "cheese chocolate from Hokkaido."It's chocolate made with cheese. What kind of cheese? "Processed." (This is a common answer to that question, at restaurants or cafes.) How does it taste? Not so great.http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/11/two-great-tastes-that.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-3513355936452676927Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:57:00 +00002009-11-10T16:19:31.016+09:00vending machinessubway Special security measures are in efffect for Obama's visit. There are lots of cops in and around the subway stations and the vending machines have been terror-proofed with packing tape.http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/11/no-can-coffee-for-terrorists.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-3530049622095055453Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:18:00 +00002009-11-09T23:33:12.283+09:00ice creamsignsnot so delicious  "We'll make your own ice cream with your heart. Ice cream of European tradition." I'm sorry the words aren't clearer here - this sign is on top of a sort of pyramid fountain in a little plaza in Ginza. I got enough weird looks from the smokers just by hopping up onto the first tier of the fountain, and the sign was still far away. I'm not sure what European tradition this is referring to. http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/11/blog-post.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-7085000751362629858Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:22:00 +00002009-11-06T16:21:40.342+09:00signsadsmiserysubway   If you don't read Japanese, you probably think I'm being totally unfair here, that this isn't even about the type of IBS we think of - maybe it's International Business Solutions - and that this subway ad doesn't say anything about an IBS fairy. You're right and wrong. It is indeed that IBS. And the sympathetic lady in the flouffy dress is asking "Are you alright? Sudden stomach pain andhttp://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/11/irritable-bowel-syndrome-fairy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-8575429918954357657Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:49:00 +00002009-11-05T16:43:35.019+09:00tokyo metro yellow adssignsbeautymakeup ...at home. This happens in Tokyo as in New York and, I would wager, as in any city that has both women and subways. Every so often someone pulls out some makeup  - maybe just a mascara, maybe a full traveling vanity - and goes to town. Whether it's a touch-up or an overhaul, I can't help watching. It's partly the pull of a good before-and-after story. A powder puff or some blush on a brush http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/11/transform-yourself-into-beeyootiful.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-2149299220686976379Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:40:00 +00002009-11-02T10:44:01.612+09:00 I sat across from this guy on the train on the way back from the Kawasaki Halloween parade. I asked about the skull and crossbones carved and dyed into his hair, if he'd done it for Halloween. He looked puzzled. He pointed out the skulls on his belt buckle, on each jacket button, and on his cloth camo face mask. Skulls are his thing. He stared at my hairline and scalp the whole time we talked. http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/11/how-about-skull-on-your-head.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-5081785581140892078Sat, 31 Oct 2009 07:41:00 +00002009-11-07T19:44:49.126+09:00halloween Our friends made Mario and Luigi costumes. They were mobbed at Kawasaki station by people who wanted pictures with them. They got at least as much attention as any other costume.  They met a whole Mario family after the parade. The Kawasaki Halloween parade was a lot of fun, by the way. I don't remember why I thought it sounded like it would be a nightmare - it was less crowded than your http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/10/super-mario-mario.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-6914273251044984022Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:22:00 +00002009-10-28T08:15:15.796+09:00"It's stupid not to ever see you again."(You'll have to take my word. I don't like taking pics of sleeping people.)http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/10/canvas-arm-patch-on-plaid-flannel-shirt.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-5584837834431898691Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:41:00 +00002009-10-28T15:44:49.145+09:00coffeerainsubway I overslept this morning. A text message from a friend who was probably already at work woke me up. There would have been time to make a quick cup of coffee, except that there was sludge in the French press and no coffee filters. Desperate times, etc: I did my NY usual and grabbed a cup on the way to the train. It's not illegal to take food and drink on the train like it is in DC, but it is http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/10/blog-post.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-7144319084474342396Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:19:00 +00002009-10-28T09:29:19.699+09:00tokyo metro yellow adssignsgiveawaysubway UPDATED RULES - now with more randomness. Just leave your name. I'll use random.org to pick someone at random. I will put your name in twice if you leave an example of bad train behavior you have seen (anywhere in the world) that would be better off Done at Home. I will put your name in three times if you make something visual. That's it.  You've joined me in mocking appreciating the http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/10/hang-it-at-home.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-4344629447689647499Sun, 25 Oct 2009 04:45:00 +00002009-10-25T13:45:58.107+09:00The KFC Colonel is all set for the next few months. Call it a Halloween costume for another week, then ho, ho, ho, all the way til Christmas.http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/10/merry-halloween.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-1799809742469391350Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:24:00 +00002009-10-25T10:50:26.561+09:00signsadsconvenience store joynot so delicioussubwayI want to believe in the idea of a perfect engineered food. I don't think it's possible yet. And if it were, I doubt the second ingredient would be margarine. Calorie Mate is a vitamin-sprinkled shortbread cookie with a very long shelf life that claims to be "balanced food." They've come out with a maple flavored version for a "balanced breakfast."The English press release explains that the http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/10/audrey-hepburn-aunt-jemima-turn-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-1024110528223930079Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:24:00 +00002009-10-23T12:05:09.654+09:00alexpodcastAlex Brooke has been recording a popular Japanese lesson podcast for a few years. I've recorded a few Fun Friday editions with him and assorted other characters. On Fridays, there is no lesson -- just fun. See?In my first Learn Japanese Fun Friday podcast, we congratulated Claytonian, the winner of the anti-groping poster contest, ran through the initial results of Tokyo's groping crackdown, and http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/10/japandra-live.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-354822067373070434Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:03:00 +00002009-10-20T11:31:04.380+09:00technologyfoodLots of produce have these 3D bar codes readable by cellphone camera. (Chew on that, iPhone! Hmm? There are apps for that now? Ah, nevermind.) Anyway, clicking on the QR code brings up info on the produce. Not just nutritional data, but a photo of farmers growing it, background on the climate, annual yield, and the full name of the supervisor.These aren't new. They might even be on the decline http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/10/digital-parsley.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-628199350636750214Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:37:00 +00002009-10-18T00:06:50.909+09:00urban geocacheJim and I loitered at the entrance of a shopping plaza for a few minutes, trying to poke around discreetly. It wasn't until I got down on the ground, put on the photo light on my cellphone, pushed away some damp ivy, and stuck my arm under the magazine kiosk that I found the little tupperware box. I know that doesn't sound so exciting. But it was! It was like Mission Impossible and an Easter egg http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/10/geocache-girl.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-4608499984800663398Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:11:00 +00002009-10-15T08:17:34.207+09:00technologyget an iphone in japanusefulshoppingcell phoneJim got an iPhone this weekend.I wrote a long post a while back about the grief that went into replacing his old Au phone. Rereading it exhausted and antagonized me, though, so I spared you. The take-home lesson was don't lose your phone. Ugh, just saying that, the memories are flooding back - the phone calls from the retail shop desk to customer service, the line at Bic, the forms, the faxing,http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/10/iphone-app-for-your-feet.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-2277017050174711258Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:18:00 +00002009-10-08T18:21:00.088+09:00technologyclipsgadgetsThis little goth geisha lovely is a Poken. What's that, you ask? Glad you asked... Check out my Poken story on Japan-i.http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/10/say-hello-to-my-little-friend.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-384003615564969353Wed, 07 Oct 2009 06:52:00 +00002009-10-07T16:22:16.360+09:00vending machinesdrinkingThere is a new ager I like to listen to sometimes. (She is merged in my mind with the elegant demon lady from the second season of True Blood. This makes me like them both better.) She says that native Americans say that whenever there is a poison in the forest, the antidote is "within a certain number of feet." (This strikes me a little funny. Do people of the forests measure in feet?)Pedantic http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/10/poison-and-cure.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-2345618987427877661Mon, 05 Oct 2009 07:35:00 +00002009-10-06T08:31:42.581+09:00fluadsmaskssubwayThese masks stick right to your face. Too goofy for anyone to wear? I saw a man wearing two of the gappy rectangular ones today, one over the other, so who knows.One thing interesting about these, besides their aerodynamic look, is their angle. The ads for Unicharm masks are all about Japan. The one that say's "Japan's family mask" drives home the point by putting "Japan" in katakana - the http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/10/think-these-masks-will-fly.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-537636177992635697Sun, 04 Oct 2009 13:57:00 +00002009-10-06T08:45:04.903+09:00japanesesportssignsolympicsSport Tokyo - "Bay Side Village" in the heart of the city.These two trailers in a fenced field near Odaiba mark "The Proposed Olympic Village." A few other people going by on bicycles also stopped to look and take photos.These banners have been up all over for at least a year. This one, on a tennis court in Hibiya Park, is appropriately faded.This is one of those cases where the simpler the http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/10/olympics-are-no-go.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-6230760693340231302Fri, 02 Oct 2009 03:06:00 +00002009-10-03T14:21:43.169+09:00sportsrock climbingusefulthings to doThe first time we got to the climbing gym, there was an ambulance out front and a glum young guy holding a pretty handbag, a gym bag, and a pair of pink heels.I hadn't climbed much since college, and this almost turned me back to the train station. But we went ahead, it was fun, and now I go about once a week.There are quite a few indoor rock climbing gyms in Tokyo. I go most to T-Wall. The two http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/09/climb.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-8294845973102948600Fri, 02 Oct 2009 02:27:00 +00002009-10-02T13:49:03.494+09:00tokyo metro yellow adsadscontestgiveawaysubwayA big old arigatou to everyone who participated in the first Japandra Tokyo subway poster giveaway.In addition to a few lovely people who do not seem to have active blogs, I got great entries from these guys.Invisible Gaijin skewers Japanese news and keeps his twitter followers laughing.Jen writes a blog that, despite the name, is a not-so-generic person goes to Japan blog, featuring a killer http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/10/and-winner-is.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-3502029153516551378Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:29:00 +00002009-10-01T12:33:32.235+09:00tokyo metro yellow adsA dig at non-Japanese?http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/10/keep-your-fork-use-private.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-2359920487917105564Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:48:00 +00002009-10-06T08:29:40.504+09:00"Japan's family mask." "For those who can't take time off, Virus Guard."I think these pictures are meant to be reassuring, but I can't say that's the main effect.http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/09/masked-world.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8995408873140200159.post-7132270225215287457Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:42:00 +00002009-09-24T18:42:13.724+09:00He bought them in Ueno.http://japandra.blogspot.com/2009/09/panda-pants.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sandra Barron)1