Annual Jazz and Reggae Live @ UCLA

This is my favorite annual event in May. This live is held on Memorial Day weekend for two days, Jazz live on Sunday and Reggae live on Monday. I usually attend the reggae day but this year I tried the Jazz day because my favorite singer, Erikah Badu was coming on the day! I have loved her since I was a college student in Japan. She was very popular at that time. It was the time many Japanese young people started to listen to Hiphop, R&B, and Reggae music importred from the US. When her album came out I ran into the record shop with a long ethnic dress like she dressed. I tried to copy everything about her...wrapped my hair with a scarf and got curly hair and braids. I wanted to be like her because she was very unique and had her own world. I was kind of funny look with Erikah badu style but I really enjoyed it! Anyway, this time I was not wearing any ethnic dress and scarf and she did not dress like that either.... she still has her own style though.

Gyoza Party

Gyoza (dumpling) is a very popular side dish originally from China. Gyoza consists of a ground meat usually pork and a variety of vegetable filling wrapped into a thinly rolled dough. Gyoza can be pan fried, boiled, or steamed. This time we tried pan fried. Crispy out side and juicy filling with soy-vinegar sauce specially made for gyoza. You can't stop eating!

We made gyoza from the fillings. First, cut all vegetable into very small pieces. We used cabbage, green onion( called nira), onion, garlic, and ginger. Then mix the cabbage and salt, put all vegetable together and squeeze them. You will put the ground meat into the vegetable and mix them. It looks messy but the more you mix them the better the gyoza tastes. Wrap the fillings and cook on the pan. Pour some water and cover the pan. Let it cook until the water evaporates.

Every year on the memorial day, I enjoy Jazz and Raggae concert at UCLA. After the concert my friends come over and make gyoza, eat and drink until midnight....

Hayakuchi kotoba (( Tongue Twister ))

Kaeru pyoko pyoko mi pyoko pyoko (Frogs are jumpin' jumpin' three frogs jumpin' jumpin')

Awasete pyoko pyoko mu pyoko pyoko (frogs jumpin' jumpin' six frogs jumpin' jumpin'..)

Tonarino kyakuwa yoku kaki kuu kyaku da (the neighbor's visitor eat a lot of persimmon!)

Tokyo tokkyo kyokakyoku cho ( Tokyo patent office chief )

These are traditional tongue twisters widely known among Japanese. A tongue-twister is a phrase that is designed to be difficult to articulate properly. Tongue-twisters may rely on similar but distinct phonemes (e.g., s [s] and sh [ʃ]), unfamiliar constructs in loanwords, or other features of a language. (defined by wikipedia)

As an English learner, I found that English tongue twisters would help me English pronunciation, especially the sounds which are different from the ones of my mother tongue. For example, /s/ and /sh/ are difficult sounds for Japanese learners even though we have similar sounds. Here is the example of English tongue twister.

She sells sea shells by the seashore.

The shells she sells are surely seashells

So if she sells shells on the seashore,

I’m sure she sells seashore shells.

Can you say these quickly??

American Wedding or Japanese Wedding?

Two weeks ago, I had a great opportunity to visit my boyfriend's best friend wedding ceremony. It was my first formal American ceremony here in the U.S. I was panicked....because I did not know their customs very well. I had to ask my boyfriend everything from what 'a best man and bridemaids' are, what I am supposed to wear, etc.

Today, in Japan, many young people tend to celebrate their marriage with Western style wedding ceremony at a Christian church, wearing a white dress and black tuxedo, and exchanging the rings. Some still prefer traditional religious ways such as wearing kimono and ceremony at a shinto shrine.

If you are invited to a Japanese wedding ceremony....

1. bring cash as a gift

You are expected to bring cash as a gift enclosed in a special envelop called 'syugi bukuro'.

2. do not bring a guest

You are invited individually so you cannot bring any guest with you.

3. dress formally

Female guests usually wear dresses, suits, or kimono, and male guests wear black formal suits.