japinoy.com vox

What: The Japinoy.com Eyeball v1.5 and Christmas Party
When: December 9, 2007 (Sunday) 3PM-5PM
Where: Music21, Jupiter St., Makati City

I now confirm our Christmas Party on Dec 9 (Sun) for Japinoy.com! Some call it the Japinoy 1.5th anniversary, we'll have our celebration in Music21. Like our 1st anniversary, the time will be from 3PM-5PM. We will also have games, trivia, and of course singing! The fee will be P120. This will include food and your first drink (no alcohols and smoking please).

Please confirm your attendance and I hope you can come. Let me know if you have problem with the date and time.
Posted by Wigent
For more information, please visit: http://www.japinoy.com/forums/t/2018.aspx

*** Warning: This post contains spoilers ***

Shiiba Ayumu and Shinozuka Yuko are good friends in junior high school. Yuko (Shii-chan), being the smarter and more responsible girl, is always ready to lend a hand to her friend.

   
Ayumu and Shii-chan, best friends                                             

She has always longed to enter Nishi High School and Ayumu, not wanting to be apart from her friend, promised to study hard for the entrance exam. When the results came out, Ayumu passed but Shii-chan did not. Enraged, Shii-chan blamed Ayumu and said she never wanted to see her again.

That same night, Shii-chan attempted suicide, and Ayumu felt she was to blame. At Nishi Kou, Ayumu vowed never to make friends again so she will not have to hurt anyone anymore.

Ayumu's pre-exam present for Shii-chan

Read the rest of this entry at www.Japinoy.com

Err...weird. I got some email notifications of PMs from vox, asking me all sorts of things about the Nihongo lessons for Japinoy.com. I apologize for the delay as I don't check this blog nor my inbox regularly.

I am really sorry, but I do not have much time to reply in detail to each person so I will post here as much info as I can.

How many lessons are included? This batch of lessons will run until 12 lessons. First 2 weeks will be Hiragana and Katakana writing. There will be a meet-up on November 24th for those who would like us to correct their handwriting. We might also introduce the greetings and common expressions during this meet-up. Venue is still undecided.

What happens after lesson 12? After the 12 lessons, there will be a break of a few weeks so the registered members can rest from studying and practice their Nihongo online (via Japinoy.com)

How much is this? Lessons are free -- but limited to active Japinoy.com members only.

Why is it limited? The reason the lessons are exclusive for active members is to benefit the site in general with regard to increase in activity AND gain membership loyalty.

We had bad experiences from people who sign up to take advantage of what Japinoy has (that other sites don't) -- like those asking about Visa and Legal matters. They take advantage by asking all sorts of things and then never coming back after they got what they wanted. Worse, some a$$es ask questions, and post the answers in other forums, pretending they came up with the answers by themselves! You know who you are, idiots. Instant karma's going to get you.

What are other plans for the lessons? I am sure there are plans for more Nihongo lessons, but we don't know when this will happen. There will be another set of basic lessons (similar to the current lessons) but the schedule is not yet decided. Also for active members only, sorry.

WARNING: This post contains spoilers. 

Kuitan Episode 1 - Gluttonous Detective! Eat the evidence at the scene?

The aptly named Holmes Agency is a struggling detective office wanting of clients. Their 'biggest' client of the day is a bratty elementary school boy with a missing cat.

Left: Takano Seiya aka Kuitan, on his nth meal on the plane

Their prayer for a bigger case came a few hours later, courtesy of their connections with the Minato Police: a murder of a business man. 'Balikbayan' detective Takano Seiya, just fresh out of the plane, finds himself rushing to the scene of the crime with Ryosuke and Kyoko, his colleagues at Holmes Agency.

Left: Yummy sushi from the Usagi Sushi shop

The three managed to sneak into the house to take a peek into the crime scene. While Ryousuke and Kyoko appeared disgusted at seeing the dead body, Kuitan has his eyes on something else: a box of sushi left on the coffee table. Ryousuke and Kyoko can only watch in horror as Kuitan struts into the living room, kneels in front of the table and eat the sushi (but not before saying 'Itadakimasu', of course!). The official investigators turned around just in time to see him gobble up their evidence.

Read more on this episode at www.Japinoy.com - Kuitan (Eating Detective) 喰いタン

Nyahahaha, they look so cute together!

Kuitan (Eating Detective)
Date aired: July - Sept 2007
Number of episodes: 9
Average Ratings: 17.38%
Dorama Theme: Kesshou (B'z)
Starring:
Higashiyama Noriyuki - Takano Seiya (Kuitan)
Morita Go - Noda Ryousuke
Ichikawa Mikako - Idemizu Kyoko
Suga Kenta - Kindaichi/Kaneda Hajime
Kyono Kotomi - Ogata Momo
Sano Shiro - Igarashi
Synopsis: Kuitan is about Takano Seiya, a brilliant and highly recommended detective with an uncanny way of solving mysteries: through his tastebuds and seemingly bottomless stomach. His unsatiable appetite for food earned him the monicker 'Kuitan', short for 'Kuishinbou Tantei' or 'Gluttonous Detective'. Takano is not just a glutton - he is a connossieur who appreciates and respects food in all its stages: from the farm to the kitchen to the table. This is the reason why he insists on saying 'Itadakimasu' and 'Gochisousama deshita' properly, and hates to see food go to waste. Together with Noda, Kyoko and Kindaichi, Takano eats his way through the most puzzling cases that is sure to leave you craving -- for more dorama action and food! Mmm...Oishii! - Summary by www.Japinoy.com

What: Japinoy.com free Nihongo Lessons
When: Every Saturday starting on November 3, 2007 (tentative); Either: 9AM-12NN or 1PM-3PM
Where: To be decided (Suggestions are most welcome)
Who: Expected attendees are Nihongo beginners who are active Japinoy.com members. (at least 16 years old)

Details: The Japinoy.com free Nihongo lessons is expected to commence on November. The expected participants are beginners of Nihongo. The lessons will be based on a book (tentative: Nihongo Shoho). Photocopies will be provided every week. Photocopy cost to be incurred by the participants.

We are currently looking for a venue for this activity. We need a place that can accommodate a maximum of 15 or a minimum of six students. Of course the place has to be free. Japinoy.com can only provide the lessons and will not shell out cash. Participants are also expected to bring their own water, food and other materials.

This activity is open only to active members of www.Japinoy.com. In order to enroll, a member should have earned a minimum of 300 points. Points are earned by making post in any thread in the Japinoy.com forums. One post can have different corresponding points. Post points differ on the post quality.

When the classes start, a participant needs to make 80 points a week. Copied news articles or content from other sites are not counted.

(There is still time to make the 300 points to be enrolled. It’s only September now. Japinoy.com team members are automatically enrolled in the class if they want to.)

Lessons include: basic Nihongo grammar, Kanji and Kana writiting, and vocabulary.

Enrollment is not yet open for the moment. We still have to finalize some issues. Note that any of the details here may change in the coming weeks (e.g., book that will be used, maximum number of students, points required).

(The Kanji above reads: Huge Success)

Woohoo! This year's Open House of the Nihongo Center/PIJLC was the best ever! Since the first time I attended the Open House in 2004, this is the first time I encountered such a big crowd at school. Tons of activities for the visitors too like Origami, aikido, sumo (!), film showing, kimono no kitsuke (kimono wearing), free Nihongo class, trivia contest, karaoke contest, cosplay contest and many more.

(Left) Here is a pic of moeru-san and hirodayuy-san (both Japinoy.com members) in their yukata (summer kimono). Looking good, guys! Mr. and Mrs. Yakuza? But something is missing in this pic...Oh, right. Falling hearts. Oh-kay, moving on... I wasn't able to go around much to the different rooms and activities (or even watch 'Howl's Moving Castle) because Keli-sensei asked me to assist with the Kimono room, which I gladly did. The last time I wore a yukata was December last year, for the company's Christmas party, and all I could remember was how to tie an obi (Not Wan Kenobi) in the 'chou musubi' style (butterfly obi, which in my opinion, looks more of a ribbon than a butterfly). There are so many other ways of tying an obi, but I never bothered to learn all of them. At the Open House, there were also the 'instant obi', those that you just clip on the back. Convenient. ^_^

I did promise to visit the Tea Ceremony room, because my friends Masaki-san and Sasaki-san were there with Yamaura-sensei. I never got the chance to visit though. They never visited my room either, so I guess we're even

(Right) Spitz-san, moeru-san and hirodayuy-san enjoying the experience of 'Sadou' or the way of the tea.They were able to experience hands on how tea ceremony is done: from entering the room through the small entrance, to how to make tea (the frothier, the better, eh?), and to how to properly drink it. Sugoku omoshirokatta!

One of the crowd-drawing events was the sumo competition, headed by JOCV volunteer, Niimi-sensei (who is about to go home to Japan soon. NCF will miss you, sensei!). Visitors and students participated in the competition; there were hilarious moments like one contestant running away from his opponent. Eventually, it was a trainee from IHI who won the competition. Yokozuna!

This Open House is a once-in-a-year event that I vow never to miss, ever. It is not everyday that you get to drink tea the way Japanese people did many years before.Or wear what they wear. Or speak as they speak. It is not everyday that common Filipinos like us experience traditional Japanese culture. It was fun and educational at the same time. Nerdy of me to say that, but it's true. XD

We will have our Open House this year at the Samaploc Campus
@ 825 R. Papa Street Morayta, Sampaloc, Manila.
We had it at the Makati campus last year and it was sooo much FUN!

The Sampaloc Campus will be open for anyone who wants to see the inside of the building, sample our Nihongo teaching or join the Japanese activities we have in store!

Japinoy.com will be sponsoring the film showing at the Open House. We'd love to see  you there next week!

For further inquiries pls call 735-3179.
So bring your family & friends and have a fun-filled Japanese experience!

Open House Details

WHEN:
September 22, 2007 (SAT)
10:00am ~ 5:00pm

WHERE
3F Philippines-Japan Friendship Center
825 R. Papa Street Morayta Sampaloc, Manila
(Directly across FEU GYM & PSBA)

ACTIVITIES
Experience Japanese traditional and pop culture first hand with demonstrations and exhibitions like tea ceremony, kimono wearing, aikido demonstration, sushi making, origami and so much more!