car car car

its confirmed, we will get our car on tuesday next week!! yey!!!!

japan shattered, australia still alive

well i must admit, i didnt stay up till 4 am to watch the soccer this time, but after a quick check of the score this morning on the internet, i am pretty happy.

though i could have waited till 8am to watch the tv cause that is all they talk about on the morning shows here...

japan lost again, australia made it through!

i never used to like soccer cause i thought it was a low scoring slow game, but its getting more and more interesting. i might even go and see a game in kashima next month to barrack for the ibaraki team "the antlers".

lots of photos

staying at windsor park golf course

big buddhas and wineries in ushiku

recontractors conference in tokyo

brooke's visit to mito

update

has it been that long since i have had a chance to post? i have been soo bust recently.

since my last real post (there have been some silly ones in there i confess) i have:

- been to tokyo for the recontractos conference, caught up with megu, mai and katie.

- had a movie night at my apartment and confussed all the americans and canadians with "the castle"

- helped out at a kids golf tournament (13 hours i might add) up at windsor park

- been to the 1st winery in japan and the tallest bronze buddha in the world (180 meters). both are about 1 hours drive from mito in a town called Ushiku.

- rode in an ambulance

- judged a speech competition

- made lots of food for a goodbye party in the park

- went onsening in Ajigaura (about 20kms from mito)

- taught a class at university

- bought a car with Tom (11 y.o. Toyota RAV4) but we dont get to drive it for another 2 weeks or so.. so much red tape in japan...

soo much stuff. no wonder i am so stuffed. but i cant wait to get the car. it will make getting around soo much easier...

names of fruit and vegetables in japan

I was making this list for work, but i thought it would be good online. seeing i couldnt find a similar list when i started to make it, you never know if someone else has been looking for it too.

Fruit and vegetables in Japan
English - Japanese - Japanese pronunciation
Apple りんご Ringo
Apricot アップリコット Appurikotto
Artichoke アーティチョーク Atichoku
Asparagus アスパラ Asupara
Avocado アヴォカド Awokado
Banana バナナ Banana
Beans インゲン Ingen
Bitter melon 苦瓜 nigauri
Blue berry ブルーベリー Buruberi
Bok choy チンゲン菜 Chingensai
Broad bean 空豆 Soramame
Broccoli ブロッコリー Burokkori
Cabbage キャベツ Kyabetu
Cantaloupe カンタロープ・メロン Kantaropu-melon
Capsicum ピーマン Piman
Carrot 人参 Ninjin
Cauliflower カリフラワー Karifurawa
Celery セラリー Serari
Cherry さくらんぼ Sakuranbo
Chestnut 栗 kuri
Chili 唐辛子 Togarashi
Chinese cabbage 白菜 Hakusai
Chinese chives にら Nira
Coconut ココナツ Kokonatsu
Corn とうもろこし Tomorokoshi
Cucumber きゅうり Kyuri
Durian ドリアン dorian
Edible burdock ごぼう Gobo
Eggplant 茄子 Nasu
Fig イチジク Ichijiku
Garland chrysanthemum しゅんぎく Shungiku
Garlic にんにく ninniku
Ginger しょうが Shoga
Grape 巨峰 Budo
Grapefruit グレープフルーツ Gurepufurutsu
Green horseradish わさび Wasabi
Green pea グリーンピース Gurinpisu
Guava グアヴァ Guawa
Honeydew melon ハネデューメロン Hanedyu-meron
Japanese hornwort みつば Mitsuba
Japaniese butterbur ふき Fuki
Kaki かき Kaki
Kiwi fruit キウイ Kiui
Komatsuna 小松菜 Komatsuna
Leek ニラネギ Niranegi
Lemon レモン Remon
Lettuce ラタス Retasu
Lime ライム Raimu
Lotus root レンコン Renkon
Lychee ライチ Raichi
Mandarin みかん Mikan
Mango マンゴー Mango
Melon メロン Meron
Mountain vegetables 山菜 Sansai
Mushrooms きのこ Konoko
Nashi pear 梨 Nashi
Nectarine ネクタリン Nekutarin
Okra オクラ Okura
Olive オリーブ Oribu
Onion 玉ねぎ Tamanegi
Orange オレンジ Orenji
Papaya パパイヤ Papaiya
Passionfruit パッション Passhon
Peach 桃 Momo
Peanut ラッカセイ Rakkasei
Pear 西洋ナシ Seiyonashi
Pineaple パイナップル Painappuru
Plum 梅 Ume
Potato ジャガイモ Jagaimo
Pumpkin かぼちゃ Kabocha
Raddish 大根 Daikon
Raisin レーズン Reson
Rapes 菜の花 Nanohana
Raspberry ラズベリー Rasuberi
Red pepper パプリカ Papurika
Rhubarb ルーバーブ Rubabu
Salt-wort おかひじき Okahijiki
Snow pea さやえんどう Sayaendo
Soy bean 枝豆 edamame
Spinach ほうれん草 Horenso
Strawberry いちご Ichigo
Sweet potato サツマイモ Satumaimo
Taro サトイモ Satoimo
Tomato トマト tomato
Turnip かぶ Kabu
Water melon スイカ suika
Welsh onion ねぎ Negi
Yam ヤマノイモ Yamanoimo
Yuzu lime ゆず Yuzu
Zucchini ズッキーニ Zukkini

where the bloody hell are you?

I finally saw the ad on TV in Japan today. they have the voice over saying "where the bloody hell are you" but the japanese says "でなんでオーストラリアへ来ないの？"

its a bit if a different feeling, but i guess thats the best you can do when the word just doesnt ehttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifxists in the language...

i would translate the japanese back into english as "so why havent you come to australia?"

australia has a fancy new site in japanese now to go along with the new ad campain. i might "borrow" some of their maps and pictures to use in my school visits.

video of the art show

try this!

art show at the kencho

Here are some photos i took today of the art show so far. I have been away all week, but apparently lots of people have been to see it so far. While i was down there today a few of the kids who actually drew the pictures came to look with their parents and grandparents. very cute

thorpedo water?

i always knew that ian thorpe or "so-pu" was big in japan, but i never expected this.

now you can buy "thorpedo bottled water"
the ad on tv shows the so-pu swiming around and saying
"you cant change others but you can change yourself"

apparently the water is low GI

i did a bit of a web search and came up with this website thorpedo foods

is this already on sale in australia?

Australia-Japan Children's Art Exhibition 日本・オーストラリア小学生絵画展

The Australia-Japan Children's Art Exhibition 　日本・オーストラリア小学生絵画展 website is up on the E-ibaraki report

I will be putting images of the actual art up as soon as the 1st exhibition is over. dont want to spoil it by showing the art early :)

The show starts on monday at the 11F Atrium of the Kencho.
We are just waiting for the people who are using it this week to clean up so then we can start hanging the works this arvo.