Preparing for Departure

It’s morning at Laura’s house. I am not yet as mentally excited as I will soon be, but adrenaline is already racing uncalled for through my body. I slept poorly, but not in a miserable way. I woke up early, at 8:30, and decided to finish Rosetta Stone. I worked through the morning, pausing only for brief walks around the house (the adrenaline, remember), a cookie, and a glass of milk. I checked on Laura once or twice, as she was sleeping so long and soundly that I worried about her a bit. Yesterday I had stomach aches, and I was worried she might have them now. But she was fine. I kept working on Rosetta Stone.

When Laura woke up, I organized my suitcase, double checked that I had my important documents, my gifts for Mayumi and Mitsuki, and index cards – things I worry about forgetting. I charged my iPod and put it away. I also erased some files from my computer to free up room (I have to get my external hard drive working properly when I return), and emptied all of my memory cards onto the computer. I’m going to Japan with 18 gb of memory. Yikes.

I’m proud of how lightly we packed

And I keep learning Japanese, right up until the last minute:


Shatsu wa yogorete imasu – the shirt is dirty

Doushite te o aratte imasu ka – why are you washing your hands

Yogorete imasu kara aratte imasu –I am washing because they are dirty.

Ryourishite imasu kara daidokoro ni imasu – He is in the kitchen because he is cooking

Doushite okaasan wa inu o aratte imasu ka – why is mom washing the dog

Nodo ga kawaite imasu kara mizu o nonde imasu – I am drinking water because I am thirsty.

Otoko no hito wa ha o migaite imasu – the man is brushing his teeth

Onna no ko tachi wa kami o tokashite imasu – the girls are brushing their hair

Watashi wa hirugohan no mae ni te o araimasu – I wash my hands before lunch

Watashi wa asagohan no ato ni ha o migakimasu. – I brush my teeth after breakfast

Neko wa makkura no ue ni arimasu – The cat is on top of the pillow.

Pinku no moufu wa kirei desu – the pink blanket is pretty

Kirei desu kara – because they are clean

Otoko no ko wa ima de nete imasu – the boy is sleeping in the living room

Hana o nanbon kate imasu ka? – how many flowers are you buying?

Karera wa sekken de te o aratte imasu – they are washing their hands with soap

Kanojo wa sangurasu o irimasu – she needs sunglasses

Utte imasu – is selling

Kaimono o shite imasu – to be shopping

Kowareta terebi – broken tv

Ga hoshii desu – wants

Megane – glasses

Hoshiku arimasen – does not want

Watashi wa atarashii terebi ga irimasu – I need a new tv

Doushite atarashii terebi ga irimasuka – why do you need a new tv?

Watashi no furui terebi wa kowarete imasu kara – because my old tv is broken.

Doko de keeke o kaimasuka? – where do you buy cake?

Kowareta terebi – broken tv

Supaa wa hashi no chikaku ni arimasu – the supermarket is of the vicinity of the bridge

Kusuriya – pharmacy

Sumimasen, kusuriya wa doko desu ka? – excuse me, where is the pharmacy

Watashi wa hon ga hoshii desu – I want to buy a book

Suki dewa arimasen – doesn’t like

Tenisu o shite imasu – playing tennis

Kono onna no ko wa tenisu no suru no ga suki dewa arimasen – this girl doesn’t like to play tennis

Kanojo wa hon o yomu no ga suki desu – she likes to read books

Nani o suru no ga suki desu ka? – what do you like to do?

Onnanoko wa otousan yori ookii keeki o motte imasu – The girl has a bigger cake than her father

Onnanoko wa okaasan yori takusan no orenji o motte imasu – the girl has more oranges than her mother.

Onna no hito wa musukosan hodo takusan no juusu o motte imasen – the woman does not have as much juice than her son.

Dochira no doobutsu ga ookii desu ka – which animal is big

Kochira no doubutsu ga ookii desu – this animal is big

Dochira no kudamono ga akai desu ka – which fruit is red

Kochira no kudamono ga akai desu – this fruit is red

Ookii shatsu ga chairo desu – the big shirt is brown

Watashi wa koohii yori ocha no hou ga suki desu – I like tea better than coffee

Watashi wa sakkaa yori tenisu no hou ga suki desu – I like tennis better than coffee.

Watashi wa juusu yori gyuunyuu no hou ga suki desu. – I like milk better than juice.

Dochira no kutsu ga suki desu ka – which shoes do you like?

Watashi wa midori no kutsu yori aoi kutsu no hou ga suki desu – I like the green shoes better than the blue shoes.

Eiga no chiketto wa kyuu pondo desu – the movie ticket is 9 pounds.

Ninjin wa ikura desu ka? – How much are the carrots?

Boushi wa kooto yori yasui desu – the hat is cheaper than the coat

Haratte imasu – is using

Haraimasu - use

Omoi – heavy

Karui – light

Hayai – fast

Osoi – slow

My books are heavy – watashi no hon wa omoi desu

His books are heavier – kare no hon wa motto omoi desu

This camera is small – kono kamera wa chiisai desu.

This camera is smaller – Kono kamera was motto chiisai desu.

This camera is the smallest – kono kamera ga ichiban chiisai desu.

Toshi o totta – elderly

Osanai – very young, child

Motto takusan - more

Ichiban takusan – the most

Osara wa arimasuka – do you have plates

Kinzoku to kami to ki no osara ga arimasu – we have metal, paper, and wooden plates.

Dono osara ga irimasuka – which plate do you need

Watashi no kazoku wa kyoo koen de hirugohan o tabemasu kara, karui osara ga irimasu – because my family is eating in the park today, I need light plates.

Ki no osara wa kinzoku no osara yori karui desu ga, kami no osara ga ichiban karui desu. – although wooden plates are lighter than metal plates, paper plates are lightest.

Sukunai – less

Chigau – different

Onaji – the same

Onaji iro – the same colour

Chigau iro – different colored

Ookisa – size

Onaji ookisa – same size

Chigau ookisa – different size

Ookisugimasu – too big

Chiisasugimasu – too small

Choudo ii desu – the right size

Coudo ii desu ka? – does it fit, is it the right size?

Subete – all

Suwatte imasu – to frown

Kodomotachi wa minna suwatte imasu – all the children are frowning

Kodomotachi wa minna suwatte imasen – none of the children are frowning.

Nanbonka – some

Nanbonka no hana wa purasuchikku desu – some of the flowers are plastic.

Hana wa subete kami desu – all of the flowers are paper.

Watashitachi no shatsu wa subete onaji desu ga, subete chigau iro desu – our shirts are all the same size, but they are all different colors.

Ichiban - best