Apparently I have a thing for frogs. I've posted about them here and also here.
I made a recording of frog noises back during rainy season in Gyoda, but never got around to posting it. It's a noise that I find strangely compelling. Perhaps, along with the sound of squealing cicadas and the smell of damp tatami, it serves as a reminder of Japanese days past.
That recording you may find here: Gyoda Frogs
Contrast it with a recording I just made a few days ago in Massachusetts. These frogs are much bigger than their rice field compatriots, making them much easier to see. Don't let recording levels fool you; they actually manage to be quieter than the frogs in Japan.
Enjoy the natural ambiance here: Massachusetts Frogs Recording
Now if only I can get close enough for an adequate recording of the rather-elusive "peeper frogs."
UPDATE: I got a recording of the peepers! Oh joy, right?
Check them out: Massachusetts Peepers Recording
This won't be new for anyone who's been reading for a while.
I've finally gotten some space on my server freed up, so I can host some direct downloads of my two most recent DJ mixes. This is for those of you who couldn't or don't know how to use BitTorrent.
I recorded my best yet DJ set a few weeks ago, and finally got around to making a tracklist and a torrent. So if you're one of those who is savvy to BitTorrent, please give the set a download and a listen. I personally think it's a fantastic set, and those who have listened to it tend to agree it's my best. Without further ado, the torrent link is below.
BITTORRENT: Neurotic - Girls vs. Boys
Enjoy!
I finished digitizing my translation of the first chapter of Keroro Gunsou. As previously stated, I'll be stopping here. I hope you enjoyed the run.
I did notice that my blanking out of the Japanese looks pretty crappy. Blame it on the LCD on my notebook, which apparently doesn't show contrast very well. I had no idea it looked that bad. But oh well, you get the idea!
If you're just joining this little experiment now, please make sure to read the "how to read " instructions, since the whole comic is in Japanese format (Right to left, up to down).
I know it's been heinously long, but I had pretty much lost interest in translating any more of the Keroro Gunsou comic. The reason is that after more searching, I found on an obscure Amazon page that there is indeed another translation out there ... one that is official. In that regard, I decided to call it quits.
But I had all this material I'd already translated! Plus, the pages I read of the translation I wasn't impressed with. I mean there's not much to work with, but in areas I thought my translation was better. I also thought that if people were really interested in what I've done, they'd go and get the comic anyway.
After I've completed posting this first chapter, I'll call it quits for fear of angering the copyright gods who seem to want everyone's nuts lately. Until then, please enjoy Keroro Gunsou. If you really like it, go buy it.
Once again, please enjoy.
Note: Last post left off at page 9, so naturally this post starts at page 10.
I've finally gotten around to recording my most recent DJ mix creation. I have to say, I think it's the best one I've done. It was a pain to get all the levels and the recording done, but it's out there now. This marks the 5th mix I've recorded and "distributed."
Anyway, here's hoping you like it. I've got a BitTorrent (link below) going for some high-quality mp3s. There is also a low-quality full-set mp3 for you to check out.
Enjoy!
BITTORRENT: Neurotic - Never Too Late
UPDATE: If you want to get to the torrent, it may or may not be seeding. It depends on whether or not my computer is turned on. If you want it and you can't seem to connect to the torrent, either email me or comment here.
UPDATE #2: I've encoded a full-set version of the mix, available for direct download here. If you take a listen and decide you want a better-sounding version, just contact me. Get it below.
DIRECT DOWNLOAD (average quality): Neurotic - Never Too Late (128KBPS mp3 file, zipped)
Last week I posted with my first six (five ,really) pages of my translation of the popular Japanese comic Keroro Gunsou. I've added three more pages. This week starts out at page 7.
It's hard to find good places to stop until my next posting, so page counts will vary each time I make an addition. There's also a lot of prepwork to be done to get everything looking decent enough, so please have patience!
Mail me if you are looking for the original Japanese scans for comparison or study. Or of course if you really like the comic, go and buy it!
Notes:
- It's in your best interest to remember that "Gero" means "ribbit." Keroro Gunsou says it quite a bit.
- Shiiiinnn indicates a long silence.
Enjoy!
This past week I had a horrible cold in which my voice mysteriously got horrible. But you never got to hear what it sounded like at its apex.
To tide you over before my next Keroro Gunsou segment, here are some audio files of my horrible voice.
Enjoy!
Note: If you have a lot of bass in your audio system, turn it down before you listen to these. Some weird bass artifact found its way into the recordings.
There's a comic series here in Japan that's very popular with children ... and me. It's called ケロロ軍曹(Keroro Gunsou: Frog Sargeant) and actually only became popular as an animated television series. Both are hilarious, cute, and generally awesome. A perfect combination, I thought one day long ago, for learning Japanese.
Unfortunately the language used is more difficult than I expected, because the frog character (hereby referred to as Gunsou or Keroro) speaks in kinda old military-speak. But I've been making slow progress when I have time to be sitting for long periods of time with two dictionaries and a notebook. A quick web search reveals that since there is already substantial fan work being done on translating the animated series, no one seems to have bothered with the printed comic. I prefer the book and I need to learn to read, so why not?
Notes:
- I left the scans in Japanese format, which means you need to read right-to-left and up-to-down. The first two pictures in the gallery are "instructions" pictures. If you're not familiar with the Japanese reading style, make sure you check out those two pictures. They should help a lot. Above each picture you get a detailed description of what to do.
- I also left all Japanese sound-effects intact. I translated them literally and placed the translation next to them. Hence you get some strange effects like my thus-far personal favorite, "Bafusuu," which mysteriously represents the sound of bedsheets being ripped from a bed.
- Quick and dirty pronounciation tip for above-mentioned sounds: Consider that the vowel sounds in Japanese syllables are typically long. Thus the A in "Ka" sounds like the A in "Car" rather than "Cat." If you have any real questions about it (can't imagine you would) you can comment or mail me.
Here you are, the first six pages which just gets to introduce you to the main characters. Enjoy!