h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello there,
I found that you also wrote about Japan
As I found some misunderstandings/wrong phrase, image about Japan, I wrote my journal so that all who are interested in our journal can join and discuss, chat about Japan

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/class...ead=3985077&post=46759066#p46759066

Hope you'll peep this jouranl and join this

Taamyu, an old Japanese

Hello Tammyu

I am realy pleased to hear from you. I do hope you approve of the entries about Japan. I will keep in touch with you and invite others to join us.

I had a big peep at the journal and found it very interesting, thank you.

Bob an old English

Hello Bob,
for your reply
I'll do my best.
And please tell me if my Eglish writing is incorrect instead
It's lovley that I've got many friends here

Hi Taamyu

I hope I did not make to many mistakes in the Japan entries I found then lost in the flea market. The subject was to important to be left there so
I rescued it edited it and added some things and split the original into 3 parts.

We suffer from poor research material it seems I hope you can help to put it right.

If you want tell me a little of your home and life...

Bob.

Hi Bob

Like we. Japanese have got many wrong views to western people's lives, I understand that you do, too. That is because, as you pointed out, both of us have very poor information through the guide s It's very difficult for us to understand different countries' real cultures lives.
Believe you me, although I studied English literature at university including your culture/history, but the information was too limited to understand your real life, and I knew that the Mother Day in England is the third Sunday of March instead of May, LAST YEAR through my friends here and BBC local radio

As I'm very slow to reply, but I'll do my best. I'll read those articles carefully and tell you if there is something wrong in those articles.

My life???? lol it's bit weird, but I may tell you about our life or home...

Keep in touch,

Taamyu

Taamyu to you.

Thank you for your reply and I look forward to your next reply about the entries.

I will post again soon.


Bob...

Hello Bob
How are you?
I'm okay, though I can't wake up because of unbelievable speepiness lol
That's one reaso why I havn't popped into here
It is getting warmer and warmer here in Japan. The warm spring has come, at last..... however we had an unusal warm winter this year

As I'm losing my English ability day by day, as I get old, I'm really worried if I forget English This is another reason why I haven't been here for weeks. hahhahahaah I always am not on confident on myself nor on my English. Surely my English speaking ability is going down and down...

I'll try to come here as much as I can otherwise all friends here forget me as well as I forget ENGLISH

Stay in touch

by the way, my first name is Taeko. There is no Japanese name as Taamyu I named it by myself as my nickname so you can call me both Taeko and Taamyu

Hell Taeko

Thank you for the
I am glad to hear from you and I hope you are well. I like that name Taeko nice what dose it mean.
Dont worry about your english you just need practice so we will do your english good as we talk. By the way your english is very good.

The weather is stange here one day warm and the next cold or wet. The cats love the sunny days and the mice are about and they enjoy the hunt.

And yes I will try to stay in touch you to I hope will stay in touch.

Bob...

Hello Taeko

Happy Easter

Bob...

Hi bob
Happy Easter Monday Believe you me, I think, most Japanese hasn't got any strict religion (our culture... most of us believe both Buddhism and Shitoism.... lol I'm quite sure, most of us don't know what Buddhism means exactly... When we are born, most parents/family members take their new-born baby to Shrines, then when we die most of us are buried @ Buddhist graves... funeral ceremony also hold in Buddhist style...), then we exchange gifts @ Christmas, recently, Pumpkins @ Halloween and Eggs @ Easter... except for Christians in Japan don't know what they mean... hahahahaha They know Christmas, but most of small children don't know Jesus Christ And Strange thing is that 8th of April is known as HANA MATSURI (FLWER FESTIVAL/CEREMONY).... Guess what! It's Buddha's birthday, but not only young people but also middle aged (some sinior people too) don't know Hana Matsuri itself hahahahaha.

Well, well, like most of us, I don't have any strict religion. But as a Priest who keep our family grave has been helping/supporting me mentally since I got serious mental damage, I often go to his temple and go to our family grave. It's in very cool and sacred place called Koyasan that is one of the biggest Buddhist sectors in Japan.

I'm glad to know that you like my name Taeko. Ta for saying so
I'll tell you how to pronunce it at first.
Ta-E-Ko..... Ta for Ta ta for now's !ta! E for Egg's 'E' and Ko for COcoon's 'CO'
When I was in Exeter, one of university students left a message and in this message she wrote TIEko, instead of Taeko for her it sounded like 'Tie'ko lol
Recently we've lots more female names than before, but when I was born, most girls named with the words 'KO' this means Child in Chinese character. and if you see KO in the last letter of Japanese first name, it means female name.
If people named it with Chinese chracters, then it may have any meaning.
And some of people named their children thinking of their name's meaning, but some won't name their children without thinking about any meaning like my case My great grand father (my paternal granmum's father) named me as Taeko.
My father's name is TAichi, and my gran's name is Emiko, then my great gran used Ta for my father's name and E for my gran's name then add KO
but afterwards, when I tried to search for each chinese character's meanings and found that 'Ta' means 'many' and 'E' means 'big (huge) river'.... my name in Chinese character may mean 'many big river'
There are many female whose name is Taeko, but the name's meaning is defferent depending on their Chinese Characters. If they don't use Chinese characters, and use Japanese Hiragana characters only it's difficult for find what it means except the meaning is very clear even if we name it in Japanese hiragana only.
Sorry that this is a bit complicated for you to understand.

Now most of cherry blossoms is fully bloomngss here in Osaka the warm sleepy Spring has come here
http://blog.tamakara.sub.jp/images/i-7f-osakajyo-u.jpg
http://dorachan.moe-nifty.com/blog/DSC04841-thumb.JPG
http://xoox.cocolog-nifty.com/photos/kama/dan065.jpg
Hope you can see those images of Japanese Cherry Blossoms (Sakura in Japanese)

How are you? I hope you enjoyed lovely Easter

Take Care and Enjoy Yourself,



Taeko

Hi Taeko

Thank you for your wonderful long letter I hope you have had a good Easter. I am fine thank you I hope you are good.

I am glad you get support from your family priest I hope you are better and he helps you. If I can help ask, it sounds like you need to talk some times.

I am glad I know how to say your name, it is very nice so is your mothers name. I wont pretend to understand Chinese characters or Japanese Hiragana characters, but I understand the principal.


Look what I found she has your name.
http://www.maths.lancs.ac.uk/~rowlings/Photographs/Japan/koyasan.html

This looks a wonderful place you are very lucky to have a temple like this to visit. Your family are in a nice place it dose not happen here.

What did you study at Exeter, I hope you enjoyed your stay as Exeter is a nice city. You do like our culture such as it is a mixture of all European groups, Japan has much more stable history and culture that I like.

Thank you for the pctures of the blossom it is vary buitiful and it was nice of you to take the trouble to find it for me. I hope you enjoyed HANA MATSURI I wish I could see it, please tell me about it if you took part.

Please take Care and Enjoy Yourself too,


Bob...

Hi Bob
Thank YOU for reading my looooooooooong message

Yup, the priest is such a wonderful person. His philosophy is acceptable to me who hate too much religious theory. As you may know, not only Buddhist priests but also all priests, monks, archbishops, popes..... may have universal philosophy and more or less great/wonderful/good ones's philosopies are more or less the same
Luckily, not only my priest but also my ex-charge doctor(female) who also has helped/been supporting me mentally since I went into hospital. She's such a wonderful woman as well as wonderful psychiatrist... and a few of my freinds (esp. my overseas friends... lol) as well. and now you!!! I'm such a happy person who has got wonderful friends even though the number is not so many.

.... I do correct one thing on your message....
It's my GRANDMOTHER'S NAME that my great grandfather used for my name, not my Mother . hahahhaha strange conbination... My father's name and my GRANDMOTHER'S name were used for my name
I'm veeerrrryyyy bad relationship with my mother .... My Granmother was like my mother. Sadly she was gone 2 years ago My father died a few years ago...
My grandfather whom I respect died 20 years ago ... Though my mother lives, I haven't seen her since my Grandmother's funeral My brother looks after her... thanks god! if I were with , I would die ... We've got very complicated relationship... Dont misunderstand me because I speak ill of my mother.


Wow Indeed, the woman on the photo is the same name with me
http://www.maths.lancs.ac.uk/~rowlings/Photographs/Japan/koyasan/7.html
But I am surprised that YOU found this page

>Look what I found she has your name.
>http://www.maths.lancs.ac.uk/~rowlings/Photographs/Japan/koyasan.html

If you're interested in Koyasan, just pop into this site, please
http://www.shukubo.jp/eng/index.html
Here are some more images of Koyasan
http://www.st.rim.or.jp/~success/okunoin_1.JPG
http://inoues.net/club/kohya3_014.jpg
http://naruto.blog.mo-hawaii.com/image/page/26.jpg


(Believe you me, I've got MA in English Literature (@ Japanese University) I got it with unbelievably easy way... lazy way, I can say cos most of my thesis were corrected by my supervisor ) After I graduate postgraduate corse in Japan, I realised that I couldn't speak nor listen nor wrote nor read English properly, (still now, though) I've not been on any confident on my English. And going to England was one of my dreams, I really wanted to go to England and feel the atomosphere what English life is like, what culture is like, blah blah blah.
And I studied English (functional English) @ the Language Centre of the University of Exeter only for 3 months then I stayed there 3 more months cos my grandmother who was my 'patron' asked me of coming back to Japan though I wanted to go to the postgraduate course of that university and kept studying.... but it's toooooo expensive for my gran to support me financially, so I had to go back to Jpaan It was in 1989.... soon after I've got pancriatitis because of stressful life in Japan had got many unbelievable hysterical symptoms That's why I haven't been able to go back to England for ages..... Fortunately I get better and better year by year, so I do hope that I can visit there and can meet all my friends there soon

So, you can easily find why I haven't got any confident on my English and I worry so much if I forget English, cos I haven't spoken to English people for ages (except for telephone calling with my friends (but it costs too much so I can't it so often)
This is one reason why I registered on h2g2. I found that there were not many Japanese here and most of you use living English that I didn't know.
Through here Ive got some English friends like you, too, that's good, isn't it?
And now I can chat by messenger if both of my friend and I wake up at the same time... (there is 8-hours time difference (during BST), 9-hours time difference (GMT) betweem the UK and Japan) We are 8 hours go forward to you....
for example:
12.00 pm Tuesday, 10th April in Japan, 4.00 am Tuesday, 10th April in the UK.

*********
I slept the whole days on 8th of April (hana Maturi) lol. So I missed it

Which part of england do you live, Bob? Hope the place/city "name" that I know

It was very fine and warm today, and I was very very sleepy AS WELL

I hope you do enjoy English lovely Spring

Take Care and Enjoy yourself

Taeko

PS SO SORRY FOR THIS LOOONG MESSAGE. I FOUND THAT AFTER I WROTE THIS MESSAGE

You are MAN OF KENT It's very famous city
I think there is a very very famous Canterbury Catherdral in Kent, isn't it ?
To my regret, I haven't been to Kent
I think there are so many Japanese in Kent, because it's one of the very famous cities in England.

Taeko

Hi Taeko
You write a very good Letter.
I am glad your Priest is good to you, ask him if he thinks as I think, that there are many faiths and practices, but possably only one religion.
Kent is a county in England a province in Japan I think (like Tosa is a region) I cone from Sittingbourne on the coast. Do you like the sea. Kent is a farming county and called the garden of Enfland. Canterbury is a famous city and Canterbury Catherdralvery is very famous as well look at this,
http://www.canterbury.co.uk/cgi-bin/buildpage.pl?mysql=296

I live near Stafford now in the middle of England. Look at this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stafford

By the way I have an entry on the front page today
'The Peasants' Revolt: The Shadow Of 1381'

I hope you are better hysterical symptoms dont sound nice and its been nearly 20 years since you came home, you must visit here soon where are all your friends living. Cant you get an internet phone I have one and all my calls ar freeI use the Tesco phone it is very inexpensive and I call New Zealand free

Dont worry about the time differance we can still talk long letters are good. It was very fine and warm day here today and sleepy is good. The English Spring lovely and the plants ar growing now it is the best time of the year.

I am not sorry for your long message it is good you take the time and trouble


Now you musk take care and enjoy yourself I look forward to your reply.


Bob...

Hi Bob,
Glad to know you enjoy my long message
Thank you for your telling me those site of kent and Stafford. It looks very interested.
Is Stafford near Wales, too? I heard that Wales is very beautiful place, too

To tel the truth, I prefer mountains to see.... the thing is that I love and Im good at . I like see if I just only go to the sea and enjoy the scenaries ... cos I'm very bad at swimming and because I'm very short-sighted, so it's bit boring when I go to the sea (only bathing or swimming) cos I can't see anything without glasses (I have't got contact lenzes at the mo ) So I can say, I like walking along the sea .. not only the sea, but also I like beautiful, quiet/calm nature seanaries they relaxed me a lot.

I installed skype before, but I rarely used it. Recently we can do voice chat by messagner, I don't use any internet telephone
I'm surprised to know that TESCO provide its original phone Is the TESCO the same company with the TESCO which I know as a supermarket I loved TESCO'S APPRICOTT TEA

It's really warm today, too. My sleepness never ever gone
How about you Bob? hope you are fine and enjoy yourself
Take care and Enjoy English Spring I miss English cherry blossoms and sheep lol

I wonder if you were here so that you could teach me English speaking and so i can tell a bit about Japanese language as well as its culture

See you soon
Taeko

Hi Taeko

Thank you for your letter.

Stafford is near Wales and is beautiful. I had a go at skiing but I was not very good . It is good you like it. I like the sea and walking in the country and take a camera when I can


Yes TESCO is the TESCO which you know as a supermarket, the one that sells the wonderful APPRICOTT TEA

It's really warm here today too. My sleepness never ever gone either we must like the warm springs, I am not keen on the hot summers though. If I was there I could teach you English speaking it would be fun but your English is better than my Japanese
I would like to study the culture and history though

You enjoy the spring too and say Hi to your priest I rather like the sound of him and you can tell him so please.

What are you planing to do with yourself this week keeping busy are you or sleeping

What do you do are you a lady of leasure you are lucky if you are or do you have a nice interesting job you live in a wonderful place and have the opportunity to do lots of interesting things.

See you soon


Bob...

Hi Bob,
I'm so happy that we can 'chat' here
I really miss Tesco's apricott tea. To me. Fortnma, I prefer Tesco's Apricott Teat to Fortnum Maison, Wedgwood or M&S

I should visit Statfford, Wales next time when I go there
As I studied Wuthering heights by Emily Brontë, I did go to Haworth twice, (that is really WONDERFUL PLACE if no Japanese are there ) because of 'poor staying in the UK', I had to save money and tried to go places where I first wanted to go. So, I couldn't go even Lake Discrtc Yup I love Peter rabbit and Beatrice Potter!

To my regret, I haven't visit my temple/grave since January, so I think it's tiem for me to visit there sooner or later
The priest told me 'you shouldn't come here regularly. the thing is that you wo'nt forget people who love you and if you think of them even only second, at home, that's FINE!! We can pray anywhere even we remember those people. That's the point..' You know, when I lisetned to him, I found his a kind of universal philosopy (not narrow person) that's why i can trust him. So my doctor , too

Iby the way,Bob, have you ever done internet MESSENGERS???? LIKE YAHOO MESSENGER, MSN MESSENGERS, AIM.... If you have got one account of them, then we cna live chat by messenger
Last months, i've got Power mac Cube by auction and found it's really practical and enjoyable computer

well if you do messenger when we have the same spare time, we can chat on live

I do hope you have a super lovely weekend

doh, it's bit impolite question, but will you tell me how old are you? or what generation you've grown up... Me,... 444 my young time (as a school girl till University student lol), I can say I'm in '70s
very old story, isn't it?

Well, Enjoy yourself, Bob.

Chat soon

Taeko

I LOVE being alone at home without doing anything lol. I'm not social person.
But I like British rock, noverls, chat with trustworthy friends. films. I still lean French once a week, and Japanese Calligraphy, too. If I have enough energy left, I may go skiing every single year but not now. I love tennis, but I can't as my friends play tennis
at the momet, im absorbed with Korean films as well as UK TV cmedies like Little Britain, ABFAB and Cahtrene Tate show

How about you>????

Hi Taeko

YAHOO MESSENGER
What now how do you establish contact

Hi Bob
I use Yahoo messenger, too... (MSN, ichat (Mac) ) the thiing is that if we can voice chat, then I can learn speaking English..... lol slight joking
So, if you don't mind, and if you want to, add me into your friends list of Yahoo messenger.
If the chat here is fine, then we keep our thread only
Even if we do yahoo chat, our time to chat limit because of time difference, so it's better to keep our thread, too what do you think of it?

My Yahoo ID is
taamyu

Take Care and Enjoy Sunday afternoon

Hi
Yahoo message sent