Warm Weekend

This spring has been uneasonably warm.

Though only the first weekend in April, the cherry blossom season in Tokyo is over.

Normally, it is only just starting.

It was a tumultuous week for Kangaeroo, as mentioned in the previous post, but continuing over the weekend.

All sorts of stuff happened, punctuated by a couple of really long rides.

Fucken knackered!

Cop A Gander At These Rippers Too...

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    Reminiscing: The First Time Australia Mattered in Kangaeroo’s Japan

    Kangaeroo has lived in Japan since the late ’80s, just as the Showa Era (reign of Emperor Hirohito from 1926-1989) drew to a close. Japan back then had possibly an even stronger fascination with English than it does even today, especially as it was far less accessible in a slower, less connected world. But English and overseas meant America and Japan had an obsession for the United States. Occasionally, news would filter through from other powers, such as then recently reunited Germany, France, Italy, Britain and the crumbling Soviet Union and Russia. It was rare, pretty close to unheard of, really, for Australia to attract much attention in a Japan…

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    Why Do Aussies Ride On A “Deadly Treadly?”

    What Does “Deadly Treadly” Mean? Aussieはなぜ自転車を「Deadly Treadly」と呼ぶの? Imagine you’ve just bought a brand-new bicycle. You wheel it out of the shop, admiring the shiny frame. An Aussie mate walks over, grins and says, “Nice deadly treadly!” Nobody thinks the bike is dangerous. In fact, it’s a compliment. Deadly treadly is one of those classic Aussie rhyming expressions that simply means “bicycle.” It’s playful, memorable and unmistakably Strine. 日本で自転車といえば、「自転車」「チャリ」「ママチャリ」など、いろいろな呼び方があります。Aussieにも、ユーモアたっぷりの呼び名があります。それが、”deadly treadly”です。意味、とてもシンプル。「自転車」。それだけです。でも、語感がよく、一度聞いたら忘れられないのがAussie英語らしいところ。\友達同士で使う、親しみのある表現です。 Expression Deadly treadly Pronunciation /ˈdedli ˈtredli/ Meaning 自転車。 特に日常生活で使う普通の自転車を親しみを込めて呼ぶ表現です。「deadly(命にかかわる)」という本来の意味はほとんど意識されておらず、リズムを楽しむ言葉になっています。 Example I rode my deadly treadly to work today. 「今日は自転車で会社へ行ったよ。」 また、 My old deadly treadly finally gave up. なら、 「長年乗った愛車の自転車が、とうとう寿命を迎えた。」 という意味になります。 日本語で言うと? 日本語なら、「チャリ」「愛車」などが近いでしょう。ただし、”deadly treadly” は少しユーモラスな響きがあり、「チャリ」よりも遊び心のある言い方です。 Australia–Japan Connection オーストラリアは広い国ですが、シドニーやメルボルンなどの都市では、自転車を通勤や通学に利用する人も増えています。休日にはサイクリングロードを家族で楽しむ姿もよく見られます。日本も自転車文化が盛んな国。だから “deadly treadly” という言葉は、日本人にも親しみやすいStrineのひとつかもしれません。 Aussieは、何でも短くしたり、語呂を楽しんだりするのが大好きです。”deadly…

  • Japanniversary

    This week marked 37 years since I arrived for a six-week trip in Japan way back in 1988. I’ve never really thought much about the anniversary of arriving in Japan, but recently started work in an office that provides a spot where I sat and waited for a friend to meet me upon my arrival way back on that winter day, and I guess it evokes many memories. I never imagined I’d be blessed with life in this country for so long, and have lived a journey beyond my wildest dreams. My gratitude to the friend who brought me here, the people I have interacted with and the country itself…

  • Mates’ Paws

    We had a busy and fruitful weekend, welcoming friends over for a party yesterday, working for a new future and getting to enjoy kangaroo paw that others are growing. As I’ve mentioned repeatedly, I grew kangaroo paw from seeds and got amazing results, which I delighted in “sharing” with friends and neighbors. It wasn’t until I’d given out a dozen plants that I realized I wasn’t presenting people with an exotic decoration of considerable expense was perhaps an unwelcome nuisance. So I didn’t push too hard to hand over plants to people who visited. It was a wonderful weekend for realizing how blessed I am by the people who surround…

  • どんなオージーでも大好きな「ロリ」

     オージー英語で「ロリ」は「国民的な大好物」と言っていいほどの物であり、特に子供なら100パーセントが大好きだが、当然日本語での「ロリ」とは意味がかけ離れている。 Aussies have a great love for “lolly,” and that applies especially for probably 100% of kids, but naturally it’s a far cry from the “Loli” used in Japanese.

  • Lolly/お金

    lolly Australian English Most commonly, lolly is the word used to describe candy or sweet. However, it can also be used as a synonym for money or earnings. 日本語 1) あめ。キャンディ。 2) お金。給料や資金。 Plain English 1) Candy 2) Money, cash, wages, costs or earnings. Strine Dictionary