Not too long ago I blogged about untranslatable words and since then a whole bunch of untranslatable phrases have jumped into my head, mostly from Japanese. I wonder if it's because Japanese is such a "polite" language (people too!), or just because they have a whole bunch of valuable traditions …
Japan
Picture pirouette: Spring reminders, because it’s spring down here
Down here in Perth the weather is just perfect at the moment - warm, sunny spring days with flowers all out, not to hot to be wilted yet and warm enough to run around in T-shirts and shorts. I love it! And so, while I'm feeling all spring-like, I thought I'd drag out my cherry blossom photos from …
Picture pirouette: A temple in Nara, Japan by night
Ah, Nara. It was the capital of Japan in the eighth century, and now it's just a beautiful place. I lived in Nara Prefecture, immediately east of Osaka, during the second year I spent in Japan. I could ride my bike past the local rice paddies down to Nara Park, get attacked by the famous deer there, …