Category: Strine Strife

Big Australia, Strine Strife

The Times, They Are A Changed

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Imagine this today? No way!

Japan will finally re-open its doors to unrestricted travelers in October 2022, over 2 1/2 years since imposing strict entry requirements (especially on foreigners) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the yen at its weakest against most major currencies since the early 1990s (and effectively even weaker still in real terms as the yen of the early 1990s carried far greater purchasing power than the yen of the 2020s), tourists are predicted to flock back into Japan.

Japan is one of the world’s great tourist destinations and it is Kangaeroo’s belief that the hospitality of many Japanese people show toward tourists make it this way. Japan has an extremely well-deserved reputation for being hospitable toward visitors, and that was also Kangaeroo’s experience.

People are expected to come to the Japanese wonderland to see such treats as the mix of ancient and modern traditions, the neon-lit cities, the amazing food, incredible trains, anime, manga, J-Pop and all sorts of delights.

Not a tourism ad, but an example of the exoticism and sexualization used to deal with Japan in the olden days when Boomers were still young

Things have kinda changed since Kangaeroo first came here, though. In those days, the selling point was the exoticism of Japan, especially its women, and the marketing was highly sexualized in a manner unthinkable in today’s prissy age of political correctness. Back in the day, Japan was plugged as being the homeland of topless pearl divers and geisha girls.

MSA Airlines, the forerunner of today’s Singapore Airlines and Malaysian Airlines, tried in an October 1968 advertisement to entice tourists to the Land of the Rising Sun by saying, “Imagine yourself…in Tokyo, where extravagant floorshows are staged in lavish nightclubs and the precise rituals of a geisha part can be seen in many restaurants.” Imagine yourself nowadays if you tried to sell travel with a line like that? (Or even worse, what they said about Hong Kong, where you could be: “Wandering ‘the world of Suzie Wong’ with its brilliant neon lights beckoning you to sample the exciting nightlife.” Definitely a case of mixing up what’s Wong and what’s right.)

Strine Strife

クロス・コーヒーに感謝

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クロス・コーヒー

　クロス・コーヒーは、東京多摩地区の矢野口にあるサイクリストに大変人気なコーヒーショップである。

　昔は常連だったが、引っ越ししてあまり行かなくなった。

　正直に言うと、最高な評判ほどいい店だと思わなかったです。

　値段が割高で食べ物が美味しくても微量で食べても食べても食べたりない気持ちだけでいっぱいになった。

　でも、スタッフもいいし、仲間もそこで集まるので、とってもいい面もあった。

　だが、今日は、考えRooがクロス・コーヒーに大変助けられ、心底から感謝しています。

　昼のライドはデスマシンであるタイガー車で乗ることにした。ちょっと春らしい天気となって、スピードが出せないリカンベントに乗れる時間があったので、行こうとした。「ツールを持っていけ」と自分に何回も言い聞かせた。ツールがいつもタイガー車となりに泊めているチャリにおいてあるので、わざわざ前に持っているバッグを持ってツールを入れようと思ったが、忘れた。よくあることなので、意識もしなかった。

　しかし、約10キロ走ったら、前輪が揺られはじまった。

タイガー車

　「くそ！」

　すぐに分かった。パンク。また、面倒くさい前輪だ。

　「くそ。本当にくそ！」

　しかし、クロスが近かったので、道具も空気入りも使えると思って、押し歩いて。

　店につくとタイヤレバーを借りようと思ったが、販売品しかなかったので、買わされた。金欠なので、ちょっと不満だったが、気持ちよく支払った。

　ここからクロスのすごさが表れた。

　持って行ったインナーチューブが別のサイズのホイール用だった。クロスが求めているサイズを売っていない。おまけ、前輪を外したが、また取りけられない。リカンベントの難しいところの一つ。

　でも、クロスの店長であるトニオさんがその時間を上手く活用して頂いた。

　あっちこっちの自転車屋に電話しまくって、チューブがるところを探していただいた。

　場所を地図上で教えて頂いて歩いた。遠くないはずから歩いて10分のところ自転車屋を探してが見当たらない。

　「この辺にあるはずだ」と思いながら、可愛くて若い女性に声をかけられた。

　「すみません。クロスのものですが。自転車屋を探していますよね。」

　「ええ」

Atelier Fleuve 

　「あの、すみませんが、多分方向が逆だと思います」と礼儀正しく言われた。

　その方がわざわざ考えRooをおっかけて、ちゃんと探していたところまで誘導して頂きました。

　その自転車屋さんはアトリエフルーブでした。珍しいサイズのチューブもスペースをよく食うリカンベント修理できる場所も空気入り貸して頂きました。今度、ゆっくりと店を見ます。

　数分立ったら、タイガー車がちゃんと治って急いで帰ることが出来た。

　とっても感謝しています。さすがに日本人のサービス精神も優しさをさらに実感出来ました。

　天気も良かったので、恵まれた一日となった。サイクリングが最高！

　

Strange Strine, Strine Sports, Strine Strife

No Wonder the Wallabies Were Wallies in RWC2019

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Australia’s rugby team, the Wallabies, were ignominiously dumped from the 2019 Rugby World Cup that Japan is currently hosting (and being lauded for both its organization skills and the rousing performance of its unfancied team).

The Wallabies lost badly to England in a quarter final, mostly because they were not good enough as a team.

But Kangaeroo.com has also discovered another reason for the Wallabies’ woes.

Gorgeous Jindaiji Temple, which supported the Wallabies’ woeful World Cup, is situated in the Tokyo suburb of Chofu, location of the Aussies’ group stage loss against Wales on September 29 that effectively derailed their campaign on the field.

Jindaiji had proudly displayed Wallabies jerseys (alongside a Brave Blossoms team shirt, too, it should be noted) and supported the Australian team as it tried to regain the William Webb Ellis Trophy it last won in 1999.

The temple also displayed a daruma, a doll traditionally used to pray for good luck in Japan, as well as a message wishing the team well. Here is that message, reproduced in full (with spelling and grammatical errors intact):

The conetents the priest preached when he visited the camping place for the match

Daruma is a Japanese style a bringere of good luck which you can find at restaurants, in the houses and so son. This Daruma is representing a monk who was meditating for 9 years. When you think about meditation, you might think it’s static, but actually during meditation we are fighting against and enduring something like weakness or anger or worldly desires. Meditation is not just static, but also conflicting against ourselves. that’s the training of Buddhism and that’s the spirit which Daruma is showing to us. This spirit is exactly like the spirit of Rugby. It’s very dynamic in contrast, but you play desperately for one goal with focused. In Japan, there is a proverb associated with this Daruma. that is “Fall seven times, stand up eight.” It is a saying about never giving up no matter how many times life knocks you down because Daruma always comes back after falling down. The important thing is same in Sports. The high spirits touch people’s hearts. So, like this daruma, attend to the spirit and concentrate on the game and play a good game which touches people. I believe that this Daruma which you team put strong wish will bring good result. Today we want you to put one eye into Daruma. Putting an eyes means that you swear to start the mental training and achieve the goal. This ceremony is for the time which you have strong wish, so please don’t fool around make a wish.

Clearly, then, in spite of rumors of a rift in the Wallabies camp, the reason for such a dismal showing by the two-time champions and reigning runners-up was that they fooled around to make a wish.

At least the Wallabies retained the team’s excellence in selecting players with hyphenated names, the squad’s Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Adam Ashley-Cooper and Dane Haylett-Petty continuing the Australian tradition of picking lads with monikers like Massy-Westropp, Comrie-Thomson, Farr-Jones, Scott-Young, Kenny-Dowall, Waerea-Hargreaves, Tuivasa-Sheck, Asofa-Solomona, Polota-Nau, Feauai-Sautia, Mann-Rea, Paenga-Amosa and Johnson-Holmes.

Strine, Strine Strife

恐怖な国！蛇がワニを、クモがポッサムを食べちゃった！

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　オーストラリアって、怖い動物がたくさんいる国だ！

　そして、この頃、その恐怖な状態の証になるような衝撃的な写真が出てきた。

　まずは、オーストラリア北部にオリーブ・パイソンという蛇が最も怖い動物のひとつであるワニを丸ごと食べている写真が撮られた！

　そして、それだけじゃない！

　今度は、豪州の真上から真下のタスマニア島へ移ろう。

　ある夫婦が旅行から帰ってきたら、まず見たのがこれだ！

　でかいクモがなん夜行性動物であるポッサムを食べていた！信じられる？

　オーストラリアにいると気をつけようね。

The stuff of nightmares! Husband and wife stumble across a spider eating an entire POSSUM

Amazing photographs show the moment a python devours an entire crocodile in a murky swamp

Roo-ing the Day, Strange Strine, Strine Strife

Thwack! Roo Taking No Nonsense From Paraglider

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An Aussie paraglider copped a shellacking from the national symbol recently, going global with a video showing a kangaroo attacking him as he landed near Canberra.

The paraglider offered a warm welcome to the ‘roo only for the mean marsupial to pounce at the intruder and let loose with a couple of decent whacks.

The kangaroo bounded off, leaving the paraglider unharmed except for a case of hurt pride and footage that has not gone viral.

Roo-ing the Day, Strine Sports, Strine Strife, Strine Why Atorkin/Australian Methods of Speech/豪語の話し方

(Costumed) Kangaroo Stars In The “Worst Sports Movie Ever Made”

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Matilda has been described online as “the worst sports movie ever made.” Kindly, as it turns out.
Matilda was a dreadful, alleged comedy about a boxing kangaroo that challenges for the world heavyweight champion title.
The movie was made in 1978, when Muhammad Ali was probably at his most widely popular (and the reigning world champion), and starred Elliot Gould, who was then still not too far off the peak of a career that continues going strong today.

Co-starring was another A-lister, Robert Mitchum, so it’s hard to argue that the cast and circumstances surrounding the movie didn’t pack a punch.

Unfortunately, the kangaroo featured in the film was clearly a bloke in a costume. With demonic eyes.
On top of that, the Australian involvement in the movie was non-existent outside of the kangaroo’s origins. And, as anybody who’s ever heard an American attempt an Australian accent or been to an Outback Steakhouse can attest, Americans don’t really put a lot of weight into authenticity when it comes to Down Under.
Matilda was based on a novel by Paul Gallico, whose research into Australia and kangaroos was so extensive he gave the male marsupial protagonist of his work a female name.
Perhaps Gallico had a portend of the movie’s fate, though, as he was most famous for The Poseidon Adventure, which would be adapted by Hollywood for another disaster movie of a different kind.

Directing Matilda was Daniel Mann, who made some impressive movies over his career.
For 考えRoom.com, though, with its interest in Australia and Japan, perhaps his most interesting movie was The Teahouse of the August Moon, which starred Marlon Brando in yellowface.
All in all, Matilda was a critical and commercial disaster. On the upside, though, it did get some decent movie posters from all over the world, as well as some other decent images, many of which can be viewed in the gallery.