Sean: So next *** *** *** *** *** *** river *** **** basket *** *** Ribena? Liv: … pardon? Sean: I said **** **** racket *** *** Marlena, like. Liv: … what? Sean: “Hi diddly dee, ho diddly dum, ho ho ho, tra la tra lee tra la!” That’s all you hear when I talk, […]
The Acquisition of Language
American English to Irish English Dictionary: Part I
American English: Don’t you go in there! Irish English: You’re not to go in there! * American English: Do you want me to call the realtors? Irish English: Will I ring the lettings agent? * American English: He just graduated from college. Irish English: He’s just after graduating from university. * American English: Have a […]
いいな？
Sean and I are having lunch in Little Tokyo on St. Mark’s before our yoga class. Little Tokyo wasn’t Little Tokyo when I moved to Japan. There were a couple of sushi places, a JAS Mart, and the now-famous Kenka Ya; one of New York City’s first izakayas. I visited Kenka Ya once with Erma. […]
Rain Rain Rain
Eva: So every weather report I see for Dublin is rain, rain, rain. I guess I should buy some woolens and a pair of wellies for when I move! Sean: Wellies? Oh my lord. Wear normal shoes. No one wears rain boots; you must be joking me. Eva: You don’t wear wellies? Sean: I haven’t […]
The 英語の先生’s Top Ten List
If you teach English at an eikaiwa, the higher ups will probably prefer that you arrive in Japan with little to no Japanese ability. This, they believe, improves the chance that you’ll comply with their “English Immersion” policy – i.e., the idea that one hour of exposure to English without translation per week can teach […]
Your 171-Word Mini Florida Culture Lesson
There are any number of vermin, reptiles and insect life here on the great limerock state of Florida. I hate most of them, especially the snakes. They are horrible and beady-eyed, writhing sickeningly through the grass. They often blend in with the blades so that every step on a lawn could set off a flickering […]
Slàinte
So there are certain things one does when one is preparing to move abroad. I’ve been told by quite a few people in the past 2 years that they wish they could do what I’ve done – “simply run off” to a foreign country. Well, while I’m flattered by the admiration, moving abroad is far […]
Nihonjin, I presume?
There’s a Japanese grocery store just a few blocks away from my brother’s apartment. I’ve been eyeing it since before Sean left. Every time I pass it, though, it happens to be closed. It doesn’t help, of course, that I rarely leave the apartment before 8 these days. I’m inside, avoiding the siren call of […]
For Better, For Worse: Ways I’ve Improved Thanks to My Time in Japan
Great success – Diego has, in fact, noticed that I am the New and Improved Liv with Increased Sudsing Action! Not only did he high-five me several times on Cleaning Sunday, but I even overheard him telling his girlfriend on the phone that I am “earning [my] keep.” This pleases me greatly; I did so […]
Keluar Bahaya Bilik?
The official language of Malaysia is Bahasa Melaya. Bahasa Melaya is written in the Roman alphabet, unlike other Asian countries’ languages which are written in scripts that are beautiful but undecipherable to tourists. By the time we arrive at the guest house, my Bahasa Melaya vocabulary has grown to a modest but exciting 5 words: […]