Week 5
Episode: 12
Time Count: 21:13
Participation
Will you be listening along with us this week?
- I’m listening along
- I’m listening to this episode after the club has finished
- I have finished this part
0
voters
5 Likes
I like how even with the difficult episodes I can understand at least a little bit.
Episode 12
N2, so I’m reading the description first and just seeing how much I get from it.
(00:00) So, they’re starting with saying you use a dating app (or "matching appli"cation) when you want to get married to someone. Because it’s quicker to meet people on there. Anyway, that’s what this episode is about.
(01:25) First, about photos people use. Tinder is a popular dating app in Japan, but it is more for one night stands? Photos are completely different in Japan compared to other countries. Outside Japan, they have picture of themselves to look pretty or cool. Also lots of pictures with cars or in restaurants. In Japan, men have really zoomed up close pictures of their faces. They are saying they don’t understand (???) when they can only see the face. Also, photos of ramen or of meat. I think one was saying like 3 or 4 ramen photos. きんにく= muscles, they are talking about whether or not they like muscles. They think they are more popular outside Japan. Now talking about photos of hanging out with your friends, which is what one of them most wants to see. Apparently it’s difficult to be a woman because the ramen pictures are difficult.
(07:45) Now talking about the profile description. They do not use a photo of themselves on stuff like facebook or line. Now clarifying by profile they don’t mean a photo, but words. Includes name or maybe a nickname. I looked up 長男 and that kanji was the only result, I guess if a guy is 長男 they will specify that in their profile. They will also include whether or not they are looking to get married. Lots of talking about various things in the profile but I don’t know most the words. One of the things is convenient, another is important. I think job and salary(?) were mentioned. It’s very important whether they have a cat and whether they want children. I think also discussing what their choices would be. Now I think they’re discussing whether the guy would help out with chores or raising the kids? Helping with something at any rate.
(41:50) Now the red flag guys. That’s not literally, but yeah. きび is talking about her friend, where the guy was touching her without permission. And seems to have been pressuring her for more. Now talking about a dangerous person. やまむ is saying it’s just the men who are dangerous, women are more likely to expect to not pay??? About 4-5 years ago, やまむ met a guy at the same university as her, but I did not understand the part where she said what he did. きび mentioning her friend has encountered 3 bad men in the past year.
5 Likes
Week 6
Episode: 13 and 14
Time Count: 17:11 + 12:11
Participation
Will you be listening along with us this week?
- I’m listening along
- I’m listening to this episode after the club has finished
- I have finished this part
0
voters
3 Likes
ep13
Read only the title, will see if I can pick up on what the smaller topics are.
(00:00) Today’s topic was a request.
(00:44) First topic is something about family. きび I think is talking about being a student and going abroad with her mother. But then it seems like she assumed people were 学生 when actually they were お母さん？ I think they are now talking about foreign dramas and how the families talk to each other and in Japan they don’t tell each other they love each other. That like it’s only would be said if there was something serious like you were dying. Now about people living on their own and not wanting to talk to their mums? Japanese people show they love each other by giving presents on certain days. A lot of people in Japan think family is important.
(06:00) Something about parents and primary school. That they take their kids to school in car. In Japan if the route is dangerous or far away, something something. きび said she had to walk 30 minutes to school, and on Friday went with her friends. Now talking about how kids overseas not wanting their mothers to take them to school is childish? In Japan the parents would only take a literal baby. Talking about taking the trains alone. I’m thinking the UK is more like Japan here than like America as even though I was driven to and from school, that’s mostly because I had to be specifically taught how to walk home as a teenager. Most my classmates walked or got the bus, and I remember one getting the train because she didn’t want to change school when her family moved.
(10:18) Children sleeping on their own. By this they mean kids having their own bedrooms. (much more dependant on how much space is in the house). Though they are talking about the whole family sleeping in one room I think, which would be more weird here. Other one is saying she had a bed but her parents would always leave their bedroom door open? Now talking about feeling lonely if you woke up before your parents. Now talking about how people overseas don’t take baths together, they take showers on their own. Not quite understanding the onsen comparisons. One mentioned her mum would be embarrased.
(16:05) Saying in general Japanese people are a bit more shy. And the things children do on their own is different.
3 Likes
I caught up on last week and this week’s podcasts this week while driving to work.
My comprehension still varies a lot. Sometimes I follow long sections fairly easily, sometimes I’m completely lost!
Episode 13 was really interesting, thinking about things that overseas people find surprising about Japanese culture. The obvious one was in there shared naked bathing!
Episode 14, I could have done with stopping the car to translate the episode title. I went back to the start and still couldn’t understand what the topic title meant, even listening to their description. Turns out it was 反抗期 (rebellious phase).
4 Likes
I had the same experience with that episode 
I listened to the entire episode in the car without figuring out what it meant. I listened a second time after looking up 反抗期 and it made much more sense! Another fun new vocabulary in Ep. 14: 中二病 (behaving in a way characteristic of teenagers going through puberty, esp. by being overly self-conscious; 2nd year of junior high sickness)
4 Likes
Week 7
Episode: 15, 16 and 17
Time Count: 5:33 + 9:32 + 13:29
Participation
Will you be listening along with us this week?
- I’m listening along
- I’m listening to this episode after the club has finished
- I have finished this part
0
voters
3 Likes
I’ve lost track a bit of where we are up to. I think we missed a weekly participation poll this week? Have listened to 18 and will try and get to 19 and 20 in next couple of days.
Also have 6 hours of my (English language) audiobook to finish next week before a bookclub meet up, and only 4 hours of commuting!
5 Likes
You’re completely right, thanks for checking. I was totally convinced I had posted last weekend, but I didn’t. I’ll post links to the (delayed) week 8 now and for week 9 soon too.
5 Likes
Week 8
Episode: 18, 19 and 20
Time Count: 16:20 + 7:55 + 18:49
Participation
Will you be listening along with us this week?
- I’m listening along
- I’m listening to this episode after the club has finished
- I have finished this part
0
voters
Sorry everyone, I missed this one so this post is quite delayed.
4 Likes
Week 9
Episode: 21 and 22
Time Count: 19:45 + 20:15
Participation
Will you be listening along with us this week?
- I’m listening along
- I’m listening to this episode after the club has finished
- I have finished this part
0
voters
And here is week 9 - making sure I post this one on time 
I think this is one of our longest weeks so far.
6 Likes
Just finished relistening to Episode 21. Another fantastic podcast from the girls. I so appreciate them heading into difficult-to-discuss territory - as the title 痴漢に気を付けましょうindicates, it’s an episode about gropers, panty thieves & flashers. Really should be part of every girls and boys guide to travelling and living in a foreign country. Useful vocabulary for us learners too. Some very funny stories in it as well:
お父さんが 「あれ、タイツないなぁ」
Kibi hangs out the washing and someone (the girls presume a panty snatcher) steals the black tights she hung out - turns out they stole her father’s tights. The girls have a good laugh about that
6 Likes
Just listened to Episode 8-11. I’m really loving this series, it feels like I’m getting a lot out of shadowing what they say.
I hadn’t heard of some of their superstitions, like the superstition of no one wanting to be in the middle of a 3-person picture because they “die faster”? But it seems like the sneezing is a sign someone is talking behind your back is a common superstition between America and Japan. Interesting!
6 Likes
Week 10
Episode: 23
Time Count: 30:02 - just one long episode this time!
Participation
Will you be listening along with us this week?
- I’m listening along
- I’m listening to this episode after the club has finished
- I have finished this part
0
voters
Already week 10, our last week 
thanks for everyone who joined, and I hope you continue following the girls - see you guys soon at episode 119? 
(PS. Don’t know if anyone is actually interested in continuing the club in a semi-structured/informal way, but I’m open for any thoughts/ideas)
7 Likes
Thanks for organising this one! I’ll definitely continue, but since the episode lengths are varied, I prefer to listen at my own pace. I’m all in if we decide to start an informal club though!
6 Likes
Episode 23 - I was 3-4 minutes into this podcast before I realised it was about 美容院 not 病院! I thought they were describing a very strange way of selecting which hospital to go to! RP was good fun!
Thanks Snowwater for running the club and introducing us to this podcast. I’ve enjoyed listening to these two ladies. There’s always something so much nicer about a couple of people interacting in a podcast rather than a solo performance.
I’d like to listen to more, but I don’t think I have enough time to listen along with the next club and continue this one. I will try and listen to some more. Would be happy to be in an informal club to note a few thoughts now and again or read others’ thoughts.
6 Likes
Episode 18
(00:00) They’re continuing the school series. やまむ says she went to an all-girls high school.
(1:05) First theme is explaining the difference between やまむ’s all-girls school and きび’s public school. きび says she would get embarrassed at the guy’s hearing the stomach rumble during quiet studying time. Something about eating in front of the guys also being embarrassing? Even if she wanted to eat like grilled chicken, she would get udon, though not quite getting the reason. These two also go around smelling people. Now やまむ talks about her girl school. きび said something about にもつ, I don’t understand why it would be surprising to have a school bag so I’m really not getting it. Now talking about wearing trousers, or do they mean actual pants? I think they’re talking about accidentally seeing someone’s underwear. やまむ is glad she went to a girls school so the boys couldn’t see her pants. They both had a teacher who had anime and manga stuff, and the students liked this teacher. People could borrow stuff from them? Now valentine’s day. きび has a lot to say about this, her school had a dance.
(8:25) Next theme is… the same as the previous? I checked the text, first theme was やまむ asking きび questions (質問 not 説明) and second theme they are swapping. Now it makes sense why きび spoke more in the first half. Anyway, back to listening. Talking about rumours. I don’t understand the rumours. When it was hot, something about a skirt flying around, ゆまむ was not embarassed because there were no guys around. きび is asking if there was a lot of bullying. やまむ describes some of the girls acting more like boys and acting bad (I think). Something about people having bags from other schools? Their boyfriend’s bags? やまむ is saying there weren’t any boys at her school, but they were at the cram school. I think she’s saying the boys were bad at communicating, or that the girls were bad at communicating to boys due to embarrassment. きび asks if any of the teachers were men (I think no), or young (yes). Some of the teachers were おとこぽい. Like, her drama teacher was かっこいい. Asking if やまむ had a senpai she idolised. Didn’t really understand her answer.
(15:25) Asking if they were reborn, which school they would go to. Both said the public school. やまむ thinks it sounds fun, きび didn’t want to… something.
5 Likes
episode 22
(00:00) きび says she likes the hospital and wants やまむ to go with her? Which, no? I caught 虫歯 so they’ve moved onto the dentist. In Japan, hospitals have good service. They’re talking about hospitals and pharmacies.
(01:55) Topic one: where do you go when you have a cold? (answer: nowhere be a hermit) きび says there are a lot of small hospitals near where she lives. やまむ talks about going when she was a child. Seems Japanese people go to the hospital often. (maybe less hospital and more like their gp equivalent?) One of them mentions going even though they are not ill? やまむ has allergies, so she received a test for them. Every spring, きび does something. やまむ talks about a time her ears could not hear well, and she thought she might be sick, so she went to the doctors. I think she’s saying she just needed the wax removed. しょうにか is an illness. Something about girls hitting puberty earlier than boys affects which is more likely to get しょうにか. The medicine for it is sweet. Now they are talking about a woman’s illness. (why only women?) I missed きび’s answer, but やまむ had it in high school. Talking about names of hospitals, やまむ went to a Heart Clinic which sounded like a scary place but wasn’t. When きび was in middle school she kept breaking her bike. Now switching to pharmacies, which are convenient in Japan.
- changed my mind on the only watching half the episode, but am pausing to have a break. (was 15m of break)
(11:20) Second topic, things you often buy at the pharmacy. TOOTHPASTE! Icecream does not fit, neither does eggs. Mushrooms are cheaper at the pharmacy than the supermarker? I almost feel like I’m misunderstanding what they mean by ドラッグストア. They sell food cheaper than you can get it at the supermarket. Whereas きび says the pharmacy is in the supermarket??? Asking, is there anything the pharmacy does not sell? The answer is things like pens or paper or dog food. They (do?) have toilet paper and baby stuff. Talking about what they recently bought. やまむ bought bread and something for her friend who had a baby. きび bought something to stop the kitchen sink being smelly. Now they are talking about the medicine they sell. If you have a fever or a cough, they tell you to go to the hospital instead. まおうとう is a thing they are talking about.
(19:30) Summary. ドラッグストアは便利。
Lookups:
しょうにか = pediatrics (children medicine (not an illness))
まおうとう = ??? can’t find
ドラッグストア = drugstore = pharmacy (had to double check I didn’t autocorrect the american wrong)
4 Likes