Adventures in Japan

Sometimes I forget I'm in Japan, but then stuff reminds me

I've been trying to do this and that all morning, but I haven't accomplished much. I've been mesmerized by Japanese children's shows. It's happened before, which is why I try not to turn on the TV if I have stuff to do, but today I let myself get sucked in. Japanese TV is always entertaining (if for nothing other than the commercials), but kids' programs are especially weird and/or teach me Japanese. Hosts of these shows say simple things, and speak slowly, and repeat themselves. When they sing songs, the words are usually written on the bottom of the screen. One of the shows taught me some of the finer points of reading and writing Japanese characters. And I understood a lot of it.

As an added bonus, kids' shows in these parts tend to be only 10 or 15 minutes long. I can't concentrate much longer than that, and believe me I've tried.

Now if you'll excuse me, I must watch a man with a thick Chinese accent explain in English how to paint with ink.