Gigil(ing) Grandmas

GIGIL: A most perplexing Tagalog word. Watch this video and find out what it means.

Talking with Miss Lulu (YouTube - BruneiDoLL)

Lulu is a breath of fresh air. She's got a keen sense of observation and international humor which can be seen in her many YouTube posts. She speaks four(?) languages fluently! Through our mutual friend, Nina, I learned about Lulu and found out she's a fellow karateka (Oss!). When not spending time in the dojo at home in Brunei, she's attending university in Australia. The following is an observation she made...

Story of Teenage Rebel:



Since all my closests friends, here in California, have moved out of state to find new lives and new careers in this tough economy, and even though I keep in touch with them by phone, for weekly and daily contact with people I've come to rely on the friendships I've built on YouTube and Blogger to keep me sane. Lulu and Nina are the kid sisters I never had, so it's cool joking around with them. And Aviva from Bowmansinoki (Blogger), has been a real lifesaver and another sister to me. Back on subject: Lulu asked at the end of her video if her viewers were going through a "rebellious phase" with their parents...

My Video Response:



By the way, Lulu is an absolute choco-holic! Mention chocolate, and she perks up. She also takes pretty good pictures as a hobby. See her self portraits and those of her friends and associates (and love of chocolate) here at passion4cocoa!

Hakkakukei Nunchaku Episode 6 - Bonus

Here's the bonus footage promised:

Ernie's 5 Facts - Tag Game

Them YouTubers keep tagging me to say "5" of this or "5" of that...



This was a good exercise in organization and optimizing production and post-production time.

What's Bugging Wilson?

When I get really bored looking at my own blog and YouTube channel, I'll randomly enter in search words or I'll find a video (but not watch it) and click on related videos listed in the side bar.

I don't know how I arrived at YoolerTV. It's a Chinese YouTube channel that usually won't end up on an American/English search. Yet, here it is:



I have no idea what the girl is saying, or why Wilson the cat is so annoyed. The rest of YoolerTV seems to be a bit pervy. But, as an audio technician, I think those canned sound effects in the background are "corny cool!"

Walking Around SF Japan Town

SF Sakura Matsuri 2008 J-Town Champloo

Aviva's Future Gear

Aviva is a fellow Blogger and fantastic photographer. She's tagged me. She's challenged my limited Japanese language skills. So, I thought I'd poke fun at her where it hurts the most...


Aviva...If you brought this home, would Craig think you found the keys to the ordinance locker? "Hey Sarge! Where's the rocket launcher?"

OR---


On your next day trip, just throw this simple 160 megapixel 6x17 Seitz in your ruck. How the heck do you pull focus on this thing? And, does Lowepro make a bag to carry it?

OR---[and here's my favorite]


When you're back Stateside, get yourself a surplus stepvan and build yourself a portable (and drivable) gigantic pinhole camera. Let Mia design the paint job.

Actually, Aviva is a great sport. She and her family are based in Okinawa (Hubby is a Marine). Her blog and photos can be found here.

Kiki's Delivery Service

I'm a big Japanese animation fan. From early Tatsunoko Productions (Speed Racer, Space Cruiser Yamato, and Macross) to Studio Ghibli...

which brings me to:



I have many Studio Ghibli DVD's, but Kiki's Delivery Service (aka: Majo no Takkyubin which translates as "Witch's Delivery Service.") just happens to be my favorite. We're all supposed to go through rites of passage or go on separate journeys to go find our true selves. This film captures that spirit of discovery.

I have both the English and Japanese versions, and both are nice to compare. The essence of Miyazaki's vision carries on in the English. When I want to sit back and enjoy the story, I'll watch it in English. If it's time for me to brush up on my Nihongo, I'll throw on the original version and switch on the subtitles.

This is a nice cozy family film. Get the DVD, make hot coco and snuggle with your little one(s) and/or sweetheart.

Not sure how long these links will last, but for your convenience preview the English version here:

part 01
part 02
part 03
part 04
part 05
part 06
part 07
part 08
part 09
part 10

Samurai Sword Mekugi Repair

YouTuber karlos91 from Mexico asked how to fix his loose handling daito:

Sarcasm 101

I enjoy a good dose of sarcasm. Sarcasm is what keeps me sane. Too bad some people confuse sarcasm with "rude insensitivity." I believe the Brits are the best at it. Rowan Atkinson is a master of it (check out his Black Adder series).

Who would've thought, we had a sarcasm expert on this side of the pond. Check out Jennifer's lesson here:



Her choice of presenting from her living room makes me feel comfortable...NOT!

This is Just Silly

Japanese TV Show: Silent Library

Uchinaguchi is Making a Comeback

The people of Okinawa almost lost their native language. In my youth, I thought since Okinawa was part of Japan that they always spoke continental Japanese. After I started practicing karate, my sensei encouraged me to do historical research. Most karateka (practitioners) know the story of the Satsuma invasion and annexation of the Ryukyu Kingdom. The banning of swords led to the development of kobujutsu (improvised weapons) and uchinadi (empty hand fighting).

Like several other indigenous peoples such as Australian Aborigines, New Zealand Maori, Native Americans, and even recent immigrants and their children to the USA subject to the education policies of the 1970's (Assimilation-Acculturation models), the Uchinanchu (Okinawans) were compelled to stop speaking their language and use Japanese since the 1800's.

Recently, the elder population of Okinawa have been promoting the use of Uchinaguchi (Okinawa Hogen). They have opened schools and sponsored speech competitions in order to promote and preserve their native language. Of all places to find resources for preserving Uchinaguchi is here in the USA. Southern California and the Mid-West have the largest concentrations of Uchinanchu population outside of Okinawa. Some of these elders were interned along with Japanese-Americans during WWII. Without the influence of the Japanese education system, these native speakers have been speaking pre-WWII Uchinaguchi. There are also other populations in South America.


Yaeko Yokota competing in a language tournament in December 2007.
The subtitles are for people who only speak Japanese!

Byron Fija, son of an American, grew up in Okinawa and teaches the Uchinaguchi he learned from all the "aunties" and "uncles" that raised him.

Majime - 真面目

Majime - 真面目 translated means: Sincerity. But, it means more than just that. The word to me emotes a deeper feeling because of its kan'ji's alternate pronunciation: Shinmenmoku - しんめんもく. Through this alternate reading, others have interpreted it to mean, "one's true character." This is so since the first character 真 (shin) is "truth," the second 面 (men) is "head," and the third 目(moku) is "eye." The flow of the characters is like a zoom lens into the mind through your eyes. Have you ever judged anyone by the look of their eyes? It's a human instinct.

I don't meditate as much as I used to when I was a college student. A working professional life limits me to weekends. When I do make the time, I sometimes use "shinmenmoku" as a mantra. It's a nice break from chanting the common Sanskrit phrases Om ma ni pad mi hum or Gate gate paragate parasamgate ("Hail to one's Overself" and "Gone, gone, gone far beyond," respectively).

Greek mythology is resplendid with examples of how hubris (over confidence or too much pride) in hero figures are humbled by the gods through loss or tragedy. So, it's often said that the only cure for hubris is nemesis (downfall or punishment).


(Image from www.dottyparker.com)

A week ago, my pick up truck needed a new water pump. It had been seriously leaking anti-freeze everywhere I parked. For the past couple of years, I've been taking my vehicles to service stations for repairs. But lately, money has been tight. So, I decided I'd tackle this job myself. I knew from past experience, the local shops would charge me around $450 (that's the pump, gasket, sealant, coolant, new fan belt, toxic waste fee, and labor). I've changed my own water pumps in the past, and I knew I could do it.

I took two days off of work because I knew that by the time I bought all the parts and supplies, half the day would be over (after inserting a good lunch at my favorite diner). The other half would be taken up with draining the radiator, removing the pump, and scraping off the old gasket. The next morning, I slapped the pump on, waited two hours for the sealant to cure, filled the radiator, installed a new fan belt, ran the engine with the rad cap off to bleed out any air bubbles in the cooling system, test drove it and was done. No more leaks!

That night, I bragged to my dojo mates that I saved a ton of money and I did the work myself. I was patting myself on the back a bit too much. I was being really smug about it. The next morning, on my way to work, I heard something bouncing underneath my truck as I crossed an overpass. I thought, I hope the fan belt didn't snap. When I parked at work, I opened the hood and found that the fan belt was still in place.

Later that day, going out for lunch, I discovered I had a flat tire. The object that was bouncing around underneath my truck was a padlock that had fallen off of a trailer, perhaps. It still had the keys in it. The lock had fallen away, but one of the keys had cut a one inch gash into the tread. I jacked the truck up to remove the wheel and discovered that my factory lug wrench wouldn't fit the aftermarket wheel lock for the new rims I had bought awhile back. I went to the maintenance shop of the warehouse where the mechanics there work on forklifts. So I knew they've got plenty of sockets that would fit my application.

I slapped on the spare and took the flat to my local wheel and tire shop, where I had bought all four wheels and tires new. I'm glad I bought the "no questions asked" guarantee and got my tire replaced for free. I cut my hand on the padlock key that was still stuck in the tire when I unloaded it. And, by now, my lunch hour was over and I had to get back to the office.

Next time I fix my car, I'm keeping my mouth shut. I should have been content with the good feeling that I wasn't polluting the environment (as much) with anti-freeze leaking out like a waterfall anymore. Lesson learned...practicing what I preach. Shin...Men...Moku.

Ernie's First Video Post

I was rifling through my video archives to find something to use as a test file for my YouTube account.

Here's something from the 2006 San Francisco Cherry Blossom Festival. I'm disappointed that the sound is out of synch. It seems they prefer .mpeg files, whereas my video was encoded using .avi. Well, I guess that just means I have more software to install.



This just goes to show, I can't get Okinawa and food off my mind. Sorry...

Why Japanese Baseball is More Entertaining

Lucky Catch!


Unlucky Uno Masaru's Blunders Chronicled Forever


Hoshino Aki strikes out a player who can't keep his eyes on the ball!

Here in the USA, we have the 7th Inning Stretch. In Japan...

You can have canned Yankee Stadium beer from this guy, or fresh keg beer from this gal at the Tokyo Dome.

This little dude blowing his horn to a really hip groove.

Japan doesn't have Gatorade. But they do have Tough Man Energy Drink! (Image from allthingsdigital.ca)

OMG! Bi-Lingual Bandits!

Minna-san, onegai shimasu!. Ki-o-tsuke. Kono wa bideo mitte kudasai. Ato de taka waraeba ii'n desu yo.


It's an English language education program from Japan. The scenario...so so. The acting, again, so so. The "aerobic" repetition instructors??? Moshiwage arimasen.

I'm hoping that the travel advice given to Japanese tourists in Western countries these days includes "don't wander by yourself" and "be prepared to fight off weirdos, perverts, and serial killers."

Basho - Haiku Poet

Natsu-gusa ya
Tsuwamono domo ga
Yume no ato

Summer grasses
remains of stalwart warriors
imperial dreams afterwards

Matsuo Munefusa (his real name) lived between 1644-1694. Rejecting his noble samurai background, he spent part of his life wandering and studying Zen. During his latter years, he settled in Edo (present day Tokyo) where he composed his major body of work. He took on students after developing a reputation as an excellent poet, thus he was able to make enough money to support himself.

Munefusa would often retire to a simple hut woven out of banana leaves to work on his poetry. In Japanese, this style of hut was called a basho which was how he chose his pen name. Due to his many years of living in poverty and being alone for very long periods of time, his style of haiku is considered to be the most elegant in their simplicity and deep contemplation. He had the uncanny ability to capture poignant moments in nature and humble life in words.

Kono aki wa
Nan de toshiyoru
Kumo ni tori

This autumn
Why am I aging so
A bird flies towards the clouds

The basic formula for a haiku poem is: Three lines. Line #1 = 5 syllables. Line #2 = 7 syllables. Line #3 = 5 syllables. Usually, the first line mentions the season of the year, but can be at the end too. Obviously, the English translation/interpretations offered here don't follow this rule since the English equivalent to many Japanese words will differ in syllabic inventory.

Things Not to be Forgotten

This beautiful singer's name is Rimi Natsukawa. I'm simply touched by her voice. She's from Okinawa, so she sings in Uchinaguchi (the Okinawan dialect) and not in Japanese, though the two languages have several commonalities.

The song is called "Wasurete wa ikenai mono" which means "Things not to be forgotten." It's a lament about lost love and missing the things taken for granted (I think). I studied the Tokyo dialect for a couple of years at SFSU, so translating this song might take me a long while because I don't have a Uchinaguchi-Nihongo dictionary in Romaji, yet. Luckily, it's subtitled so I'll be spending the next seven years figuring it out...Enjoy:




Other songs performed by Rimi-san:

Tinsagu nu Hana Traditional Folk Song
Irayoi Tsukiyohama This one makes me cry, but I don't know why.

Take Your Education Seriously!

I just had to share this! This is a TV show where the object for the players is not to laugh. Watch the "punishers." Am I imagining, or did this TV show hire skilled swordsmen to handle the shinai? Or, were they golfers? I'm undecided. They're not just swatting, they're cutting.