Author Archives: Michael Gakuran

Colour in the Deep Sea

By Michael Gakuran | Published March 24, 2008
Ever wondered why the sky and ocean are blue? But why is water near the coast usually green? And how about animals in the deep, black depths of the sea – what colour are they? Read below for a very basic introduction to bioluminescence, colour and light in the deep sea and find out the […]
Posted in Bioluminescence | 21 Comments

JLPT2 2007 Results

By Michael Gakuran | Published March 16, 2008
I finally got the results for the Japanese Language Proficiency test I took at the end of last year about a week ago. I’ve been busy with essays and making posts on Golden Eggs though, so I hadn’t written about it yet. But, I managed to pass!
Posted in Journal | 8 Comments

The World of Golden Eggs

By Michael Gakuran | Published March 9, 2008
The World of Golden Eggs da yo! Your life is impoverished if you haven’t seen Golden Eggs before! It’s a Japanese animation set in an American Town named ‘Turkey’s Hill’. Each episode is only 15 minutes long and there are animated adverts and parodies of different television shows included.
Posted in Other | 12 Comments

Smash Brothers Brawl!

By Michael Gakuran | Published March 4, 2008
Dairantou Smash Brothers X! I finally got my hands on the Japanese Wii import about a week ago along with Mario Galaxy and the soundtrack I ordered from Club Nintendo. I have to confess, I haven’t even tried Mario Galaxy yet and I’ve spent time unlocking many of Brawl’s secrets ^_^;.
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Hot CROC and Rasputin

By Michael Gakuran | Published February 27, 2008
Hot Caramelised Red Onion Chutney (Hot CROC)! A Somerfield wonder! I mentioned this stuff a while ago during a particularly bad week I had (I didn’t get to eat it then as I dropped and smashed the jar!) But recently I managed to get my hands on it again and so the Welsh Rarebit with […]
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Japanese Speech Contest 2008

By Michael Gakuran | Published February 13, 2008
On 2nd February at Imperial College London, the Third Japanese Speech Contest for University Students took place. Applications had been as far back as November last year, but with the encouraging enthusiasm of my teachers, I took the plunge and submitted my short essay.
Posted in Japan, Journal | 44 Comments

Crying – that lump in your throat

By Michael Gakuran | Published February 11, 2008
What causes that lump in your throat when you cry? Being ‘all choked up’? That tightening sensation that grips you when you are moved to feel strong emotions? This was the question that popped into my head this evening. It’s something I’ve come to expect as normal on those occasions when I feel lachrymose that […]
Posted in Other | 36 Comments

Reading philosophy

By Michael Gakuran | Published February 7, 2008
Who are the philosophers you would no doubt read if only you had the time? How about the philosophers you suspect that everyone has pretended to read, but whom very few have? If you’ve ever thought there’s just too much reading in philosophy, you’ll be pleased to know there’s only one essential philosopher to read. […]
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