Who am I

This reminds me of a rather inane English lesson video put out by the world famous TESOL instructor, Hayami Yu. In her promotional video, she uses this phrase as a point of departure to learn English. Now I ask you, what kind of a sentence is "Who am I?" I figure if you don’t know who you are, then learning English should be the least of your concerns. I mean really, how many times are you going to ask this question in your life? It seems to me that it would be used only in very specific situations, like…this one…now.

My name is Onigiriman. I do not deviate from this moniker on any Xanga page. There are a few people who call me by other designations: 先生 (a number of people), 教授 (Taku), DAD! (Fooky). Why? Perhaps they feel that some of what I say is meaningful? Profound? Well, I’m flattered, but I’m just an おやじ with a new toy, a Weblog. だから、Cut it out, 頼むから、やめてくれない？And lets forget the さん business as well. Showing respect to people in person is a necessary behaviorial practice we should all strive to maintain, but on a blog site, I find it rather unnecessary, particularly since I am here semi incognito. I mean, haven’t you seen my profile pix? In the clearest pic of me to date, I was sporting an afro! And just to set the record straight, it WAS a wig. Just treat me like another blogger. (Anyone want to see the afro again, please raise you hand.)

The Fruit of Midsummer
The BGM playing now is a song by KUWATA Keisuke is a classic and was used as the theme song for the movie “Inamura Jane”. The movie is about a group of four young people who live in Inamuragasaki by Shōnan Beach. They surf—when surfing was still young in Japan—waiting for a legendary wave called Inamura Jane. “Manatsu no Kajitsu” (the fruit of midsummer) is a love song about the memories of a summer past and the sadness it evokes. The sense of the song might be grasped by this rough translation of the first stanza and chorus:A sad season filled with tears—it sees a dream embraced by someone—the feeling of wanting to cry can’tbe put into words—a cold rain will fall again tonight—letting out sighs I can’t hold back—even now, summer cruises in my heart—Saying I love you 24/7—taking me into a dream—the heart and soul I can’t forget—I can’t voice—erasing the names we wrote in the sand—where will the tears return?—a passing love and roll—love just as it is.

Some who visit me may be interested inthe Japanese lyrics, which I include below, complete with furigana. Try singing along with it—when you’re alone of course.

真夏(まなつ)の果実(かじつ)
涙(なみだ)があふれる　悲(かな)しい季節(きせつ)は　/　誰(だれ)かに抱(だ)かれた夢(ゆめ)を見る
泣(な)きたい気持(きも)ちは言葉(ことば)に出来ない　/　今夜(こんや)も冷(つめ)たい雨(あめ)が降(ふ)る
こらえきれなくて　ため息(いき)ばかり　/　今もこの胸(むね)に　夏(なつ)は巡(めぐ)る

＊四六時中(しろくじちゅう)も好きと言って　/　夢の中へ連(つ)れて行って
　忘(わす)れられない Heart & Soul　/　声(こえ)にならない
　砂(すな)に書いた名前(なまえ)消(け)して　/　波(なみ)はどこへ帰(かえ)るのか
　通(とお)り過(す)ぎ行(ゆ)く Love & Roll　/　愛(あい)をそのままに

マイナス100度(ど)の太陽(たいよう)みたいに　/　身体(からだ)を湿(しめ)らす恋(こい)をして
めまいがしそうな真夏(まなつ)の果実(かじつ)は　/　今でも心(こころ)に咲(さ)いている
遠(とお)く離(はな)れても　黄昏時(たそがれとき)は　/　熱(あつ)い面影(おもかげ)が胸(むね)に迫(せま)る

＊四六時中(しろくじちゅう)も好きと言って　/　夢の中へ連(つ)れて行って
　忘(わす)れられない Heart & Soul　/　夜(よる)が待てない
　砂(すな)に書いた名前消(け)して　/　波(なみ)はどこへ帰るのか
　通(とお)り過(す)ぎ行(ゆ)く Love & Roll　/　愛(あい)をそのままに

　こんな夜(よる)は涙(なみだ)見せずに　/　また逢(あ)えると言って欲(ほ)しい
　忘(わす)れられない Heart & Soul　/　涙(なみだ)の果実(かじつ)よ