Makoto understands Japanese very well, but almost everything he says, he says in English.  Ask a question in Japanese, out comes an answer in English.

Anyway, after Yumi said that, there was silence for a few seconds.  I thought Makoto was just moving on to something else.  Instead, this is what I heard:

NORIMAKI.

And then:

Do you like me, Mommy?

I didn’t get it at first, but Yumi started laughing.  Makoto spoke Japanese (norimaki — sushi roll) and imagined that would qualify for Mommy to like him more. 

She slowly coaxed more full sentences out of him, but at least he knew “norimaki” was Japanese.

We are #1 under Alphabets and #3 in Travel > Asia > Japan.

Now that I have used my iPad and Kindle for a while, I have a few observations.  But… that will wait until next time.  Now back to Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography.

]]> https://1nichi.wordpress.com/2010/10/04/two-of-our-apps-featured-in-itunes/feed/ 0 1nichi1kai Featured in iTunes https://1nichi.wordpress.com/2010/10/04/huge-update-for-iphoneipad-japanese-phrases-app/ https://1nichi.wordpress.com/2010/10/04/huge-update-for-iphoneipad-japanese-phrases-app/#comments Mon, 04 Oct 2010 14:41:58 +0000 1nichi1kai http://www.1nichi1kai.com/?p=1258 Continue reading →]]> The (opens in iTunes) has a new update.

New to this Update:
* Lessons section totally redone (this is what took us the longest!) — 95% of the negative reviews were about the lessons section crashing, unresponsive, or otherwise ugly. Now the entire lessons navigation is controlled natively by iPhone controls (previously, it was just a bunch of HTML files). All Japanese words in the lessons have audio (tap to hear!).
* Spaced Repetition – Mark words/phrases as “Mastered,” “Familiar,” or ” Unfamiliar” to have that phrase appear more often or less often when ordered.
* Random order - In addition to having categories ordered by Spaced Repetition, you can also have it displayed randomly.
* Stats! Now a glance at any category will tell you how many words you have “Mastered” and how far you have to go.
* Better use of space – the bottom menu is gone! Now all pages are accessed from the front page.
* Option: Choose number of questions to be quizzed in the Quizzes
* Auto card - Have the cards change automatically (new on iPhone)

I already uploaded an update to this update fixing a few small things I forgot to add to this update. The next update will include retina enhanced images (for iPhone 4) and/or additional kanji lessons. I’m planning on doing both, but if I get one done before the other, I may just upload it as is.

Arriving late one night into Tokyo, I checked into my hotel room to discover the world’s most complicated toilet.

I’ve said this before, but the Japanese have both the highest high-tech and lowest low-tech toilets in the world.  There are the traditional squat toilets that are little more than a hole with a flusher:

And then there are these: (continuing from Mr. Long’s account)

There were hoses and nozzles where hoses and nozzles probably shouldn’t be, and along the side there was an alarming set of button and switches, which made the entire contraption look like a neat freak’s electric chair.

And…

It’s difficult to convey, in a magazine dedicated to the higher pursuits of political philosophy and national renewal, just how fantastic the Japanese toilet was. It’s impossible, especially, within the civilized parameters set by the editors and their assistants, to describe what a revelation it was — after a few eye-popping mishaps with the electric controls and one of the smaller nozzles — to discover that there were still things to perfect about an act we’ve all come to take for granted, still improvements to be made on the entire system, and that the Japanese had done it.

…In addition to the water in the toilet itself, there’s the additional water for all of those clever nozzles — you can set the pressure for each of them, but I learned the hard way that it’s best not to be a hero.

There is a happy ending.  After returning to the U.S. he found a supplier (surely Toto) and bought himself one.  One day, I plan to do the same.

This reminded me of a time shortly after I first arrived in Japan.  A friend and I sat down at a Gusto’s Family Restaurant to enjoy Yamamori Poteto Furai (big mountain of fries) and some pizza.  After ordering, he excused himself to visit the little boys’ room.  A full fifteen minutes later, he returned to his now cold food with a contorted look on his face. All I could get out of him was:

Don’t ever touch any of those buttons!!!

It took a few years, but now I am confident enough with my Japanese to use and want the high-tech Japanese toilet.  There’s no place like the bathroom at home, Toto.

If you are a beginner to Japanese, you may want to consider the Japanese in MangaLand books (3 textbooks) as your textbook or to supplement (probably a better idea) you current textbook.

The Kanji in MangaLand books are also on sale.

All books 32-35% off today.

Click here to learn more.

When someone commands someone else to do something in an arrogant manner, you can use this idiom. It literally means, “use people with your chin.” Just using one’s chin to direct someone to do something can be insulting.

Well, the other day–in all seriousness, this really did happen–Makoto walked up to mommy with a flyswatter behind his back.  (see illustration below)

Looking up at her with a straight face and wide eyes he said, “Mommy, you be a fly.”

Much to my dismay, mommy chose not to play his game.  As a result, I can’t tell you what happened next…