I just put up 5 more episodes, so we can keep listening until the beginning of February. Thanks for listening to this podcast with me!
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Week 5 - 629
Listened to this earlier this week. I loved that not only had Layla discovered the joys of a cup of Yorkshire tea, that she had even (horrors) discovered the pleasure of milk in your tea!
I’m sure she meant to mention having a chocolate digestive biscuit with it but she must have forgotten to include that.
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Ep 632
ugh, I have the same problem with ending phone calls and not being able to quickly. Bike bells are supposed to warn people you’re approaching them, so it’s not clear why that’s rude. Didn’t really understand the restaurant part. Or anything after that. Just got bits and pieces.
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Because it’s Japan! 
Week 6 - episode 649
I was happy in this episode as they talked about 紅白歌合戦 and I already knew about this from when it came up in a italki lesson once. New Year’s Eve singing competition on Japanese TV - Kōhaku Uta Gassen - Wikipedia
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Episode 647
I didn’t know that history about Okinawa, that was interesting. Maybe once I’ve mastered Japanese I can tackle Ryukyu-go before the last native speaker die out.
Both those volcanoes sound interesting to visit. Not 100% convinced I want to hire a car in Japan, but they do drive on the correct side of the road which perhaps makes it a bit easier for Brits.
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Episode 644
The aizuchi section was fun listening. I’m pleased that she greets people she passes in the rural area she lives with an おはようございます, although I presume where she’s living in Australia that will be a g’day!
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649
notes:
From the episode title, it’s about new years
She spent 20m exchanging new years greetings with people
first is the bit before new years. about 8 days holiday both companies and school. something to do with making mochi and smacking it around. but she’s been busy the past few years with her kids and stuff so she hasn’t done this for a while.
ah, she’s going through the days one by one to say what each is for. Next is 30th which is a big cleaning day. clean the whole house more through than normal. this also happens like on the last day of school, they do an 大掃除 for the school.
31st, おおみそか is a very busy day. Grandparents are most busy and kids don’t have a lot to do. There’s a tv program for the things of the year. something about will red win or white win? This thing is available on youtube to watch.
eating soba is a tradition meal for the year end. soba are noodles, but her granny did soba made of mochi paste instead. She made it with her granny. こな I think is flour so more detail on recipe maybe.
saying thanks to the old year and welcome the new one for 挨拶. and there’s lots of variations to say to different types of people you know, like coworkers get letters sent through post.
she’s talking about how men refuse to help with the cooking. she does talk about this being she’s not sure why it’s decided I think?
there is tea and 梅干し for breakfast on new years day. she likes that it is tasty, but is weird for thinking it so.
Grandparents give 10,000 yen to kids. おじさん and おばさん aren’t grandparents, they’re the aunts and uncles and various people, and I’ve definitely mixed that up. hence the getting many more 万円 and there kids talk about how many they got.
gather everyone up for the busiest part, and the women have to cook and there’s a lot of preparation to do.
for (after?) lunch, they drink sake. her dad doesn’t like sake so he doesn’t drink it, but I think the others are trying to get him to drink anyway so he hides in the toilet and that’s what’s pitiable
people drink into the evening and get red faced from how drunk they are.
there are two things that can be used (for… something) and either is fine.
also combo breaker
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640
She really wants us to rent a car in Japan and drive up a smelly volcano. I think I might have to rethink my next Japan itinerary!
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I’m behind, catching up on some of these! For 649, I understood some things a bit differently, but I would say even though I’m enjoying the podcast it’s still above my level so if I have anything wrong here, someone please correct me!
649
I don’t think she has kids, she was saying that she hasn’t made mochi in a while because her grandparents are getting older. I had to look up the word she used here, I didn’t know it - 高齢 こうれい - advanced age; old age.
And I don’t think she said men refuse to help, what I understood was that normally women cook in general, but for breakfast on New Years’ Day, they have a tradition where the men of the family cook it. And I think she was saying that she’s not sure why or when it was decided like you said, and I think she even said she asked her grandma - but she’s still not sure if it’s something that’s just a tradition in her family, or if it’s something specific to the region she’s from. I believe she said that it takes the men a while to cook the breakfast, since they’re not used to cooking in general.
I think the two things that can be used were just two onomatopoeia that can both be used to mean super exhausted - クタクタに疲れる and ヘトヘトに疲れる
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