I Survived A Fake Japanese Game Show

We're watching "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" right now. While it's awfully cool to be hearing Japanese come out of my TV on a network channel here in New Hampshire, so far the show seems kind of lame.
I read somewhere that it's not an actual Japanese game show, but a game show put together by ABC that was filmed in Japan with a Japanese host who is based in L.A. So it's more "faux reality".
I'm finding the fake over-reactions of the host and the Japanese audience annoying. But then again, mochi has finally made it to American prime time.
Mostly I'm bracing myself for all the questions I'm going to have to answer from my newbie students in the fall about stupid crap from this show.

你好 to Language Week!

I found out through Kinga's blog that next week is Language Week, which means blogging in a language I don't usually use for blogging. I'll probably mostly use Japanese, but I might even try out some of my uber-primary Chinese and Spanish skills as well.

Is This What You Get When You Mix Jewish and Buddhist?

"The psychic told me I've lived thousands of lives!" my mother told me, excitedly.
And you still haven't transcended? was my initial reaction, which I kept to myself.

I'm blogging from Jott....

I'm blogging from Jott. It's really cool, it's really pointless, but I'm excited. listen

Powered by Jott

My Asia Perspective

With the popularity of G4's nightly broadcasts of Ninja Warrior, aka Sasuke,and MXC (which I can't stand) I suppose it was only a matter of time before something like ABC's new show called "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" came along.
It's so odd how Japan has become so popular and mainstream now, about 20 years after its global political and economic relevance peaked. Don't get me wrong. This burst of popularity certainly works for me and my chosen careers and I won't deny how fascinating Japan is, but if I were young and starting out on my path, I'd be learning Chinese. As a matter of fact, despite my mid-pathness, I am learning Chinese. (It gives me something to do with my brain while scraping paint from the house. Think global, work local?)

It Takes A Family

I'm not sure if my family would have even been able to deal with it, but I wonder if something like this had been available if things might have turned out different with my younger sister.
I always found it so weird that none of her doctors, psychiatrists or therapists ever asked me about anything. We were a year apart and had mostly the same group of friends for so long. I always thought I could have provided a lot of insight if anyone had bothered to ask. Instead what I got was some directive to practice "tough love" and to not let her in if she came home. That was fucked up.