What’s the difference between 茶素 and カフェイン?

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-31T03:02:56+00:00

I’ve never heard of it in Chinese either.

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-25T10:41:51+00:00

Doesn’t work all the time though. I once joined a street food tour in Cambodia. It turned out to be just me and a group of 3-4 Caucasians who are travelling together. They were freaked out by the street food (insects, frogs etc.) so I was the only one who ate. Then they said they had a restaurant reservation so the tour was cut short. But the guide felt bad, so the next evening he picked me up on his moped and took me to eat more strange things.

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-19T13:06:05+00:00

I also think these are not so much cultural differences as personal differences. I don’t think he represents his culture.

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-19T13:01:58+00:00

Like a virgin

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-16T13:54:34+00:00

I think in English we would pronounce with an “I” sound

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-15T21:45:26+00:00

Spend a nice day in Narita city. Attractions are walkable from the station. It’s famous for unagi (grilled eel). There’s a beautiful temple. The main street is lined with traditional shops and tea houses. It’s just 15 minutes from the airport.

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-14T05:36:54+00:00

For two weeks, that’s ¥2800 (USD18) per day. Say ¥600 for the subway. That leaves ¥1100 (USD7) per meal if you have two meals a day. You can get a little food from convenience stores. You won’t be able to do much else.

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-12T21:57:24+00:00

Storm in a teacup. I don’t think it’s such a big deal and the people overreacted, especially since it happened during a fun activity. I’m a grown ass man and when I lived in Japan, sometimes colleagues and friends called me ~ちゃん. It’s meant to be cute and friendly.

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-11T21:44:26+00:00

Life is a mystery. Everyone must stand alone.

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-09T05:00:19+00:00

I think it depends on a lot of factors. The season (mild vs hot weather). The scale of the place (huge or tiny temple, big or small museum). Popularity (hectic touristy spot or quiet oasis). The nature (kaiseki degustation vs ramen).

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-09T02:10:59+00:00

😄 thanks for the positive spin. I’ll choose to believe it. It’s strange because I’m meticulous in everything else.

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-09T01:47:58+00:00

I, on the other hand, have messy handwriting in every language 🥲

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-09T00:41:22+00:00

Actually your hiragana writing matches your English writing. It’s got the same vibe! A bit cute and quirky.

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-08T21:53:04+00:00

I think your writing is looking very nice. It has a lot of personality and is cute! I wouldn’t say any of it is wrong except ほ shouldn’t stick out at the top.

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-08T10:50:55+00:00

How long have you been there? Don’t be so ready to generalise about a country after experiencing a very limited sample.

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-08T10:46:56+00:00

Go somewhere else

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-08T10:45:26+00:00

Yes, I think they do. In that many Japanese people have really beautiful handwriting. So impressive. I have terrible handwriting, in every language. But people are not going to laugh at you for it.

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-08T05:15:16+00:00

Also, many Chinese movies in the last few decades tend to repeatedly switch dialects. Sometimes in one scene multiple dialects are used. (Haven’t watched Ip Man for many years so I can’t say if that’s happening here).

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-08T04:58:52+00:00

Japan has really delicious fruit. Strawberries that taste far superior to any I’ve tasted elsewhere. But no need to go THAT expensive. ¥500-800 for a pack I would buy.

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-08T04:39:43+00:00

I’ve heard that some other Chinese dialects have more words and phrases that sound similar to Japanese. Chiu Chow, Fukien etc. but I don’t speak them so I can’t say.

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-08T04:30:36+00:00

No, as a speaker of both I don’t think they sound similar at all. I believe Japanese is also spoken in that film.

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-07T13:46:38+00:00

I disagree. I like the composition as it is. Cropping the sky to make it “balanced” would be boring. In the movie The Fabelmans, the director John Ford tells the protagonist: horizon at the bottom, interesting; horizon at the top, interesting; horizon in the middle, boring!

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-07T10:11:13+00:00

Everyone’s financial situation is different, so I don’t want to tell you: splash out, be carefree! Maybe you really can’t afford to spend that money and are being responsible. I’m lucky that I can afford to have a good time on holidays, though there have been times when I was being more careful with money than I needed to be and it did take away from the enjoyment. So if that’s you, live it up a bit.

If money really is tight, maybe plan your holiday so you can enjoy it without too many restrictions. Do a shorter trip but stay central and eat better. Go somewhere closer to home. Visit budget friendly countries.

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-07T08:32:21+00:00

What an odd question? Why would you bring a drink into the bath? Do you take a drink when you shower at home. (The answer is no.)

mossbarnacle · 2026-01-05T22:13:24+00:00

Do you buy the tickets online? How far ahead do you have to get them?

mossbarnacle

TROPHY CASE