Japan is the home of many things: beautiful art, delicious cuisine, popular music and the craziest game shows. Where else can you see a woman strap raw meat to her forehead and stick her head in a glass box with … Continue reading
Monthly Archives: June 2012
EURO 12: Provide Sports Commentary in German – Ten Phrases
Soccer is the big thing in Germany, especially right now with the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship (or what’s commonly referred to as Euro 2012). Euro 2012 started on June 8th and goes to July 1st, you can try catching games stateside at local … Continue reading
The Legend of Qū Yuán and the History of the Dragon Boat Festival
Last weekend the annual Dragon Boat Festival, Duān wǔ jié 端午节 , was celebrated across numerous Chinese speaking countries and in Chinatowns all over the world. Duān wǔ jié is a traditional Chinese holiday which falls on the 5th day … Continue reading
Italy-England and the Spoon
I am sure you are aware that the Euro 2012 is going on. No, not that Euro (currency), the football thing. Foorball (in the US: soccer) is the second most important religion in Italy. Italy beat England ai rigori (penalties). A penalty-goal by … Continue reading
Les Catacombes de Paris
Hidden under the French capital lay a prodigious network of deep, dark tunnels, chambers and rooms, an ossuary and a maze of gigantic proportions called Les Catacombes de Paris (Catacombs of Paris). One can visit only an infinitesimal section of … Continue reading
La Noche de San Juan: The Night of Fire
San Juan is a festival celebrated on June 23rd, a magical night that welcomes the summer season. The celebration takes place during the shortest night of the year; the summer solstice. It is a celebration that is usually held on … Continue reading
Japan in June: Rain, Umbrellas, and Roll Cakes
June is the rainy month in most parts of Japan. If you are a girl living in a city, June means ‘umbrellas’ and ‘roll cakes’. The umbrella is essential for island life at this time. Japanese girls greet the season … Continue reading
Japanese “Cool Biz”
Summer is here and in Japan that means Cool Biz. Cool Biz (クールビズ kuuru bizu) is a recent government program advocating energy conservation across the public and private sectors. The program targets air conditioning as the single biggest seasonal energy … Continue reading
Woody Allen and Rome
Woody Allen has always been a super-star in Italy since the early 1980s. He is definitely better know in Italy than in the U.S. (excluding, but I would not bet it, LA and NYC). The love and respect seems to be … Continue reading
La Fête de la Musique: A Celebration of Music in France
Also known as ‘World Music Day’, La Fête de la Musique is a free public festival celebrating music and its arts. It takes place throughout France each year on June 21st. Coinciding with the first day of the summer, this celebration … Continue reading