china8chan

I'm playing on the Japanese servers for an online game, because there's no localized servers for it. One mission requires a lot of communication. Some of us foreigners will say ahead of time that we don't understand much, but then they usually ask how much we know anyway...

I really don't know enough to compose my own thoughts on the fly. I know the basic phrases for everything concerning this mission, so I can understand them just fine-- I just can't respond to them.

So, I need a relatively short way to say something like,

"I can mostly understand what's being said, but I can't quickly compose a response in Japanese."

"That made me happier than it (probably) should have." / "That made me feel better then it (probably) should have."

If context would help, this would be said after someone patted the person on the head.

And is it possible to write it in 20 characters or less?

I know there are some PLACES named "Gonishi," but I don't think I've ever heard it as a person's name. After looking around, all I've been able to find is "Konishi," which is not what I'm looking for, unless it can also be read as "Gonishi."

Kanji spellings would be highly appreciated.

And if it's any different, specifically the fear of the SCREEN of a switched-off television.

For some reason, I find them creepy and I know I'm not the only one.

All of this is for a short fictional series I'm writing.

As far as I've heard, the waitresses are the "main attraction" of an Anna Miller's cafe. I'm not sure about how hiring works in Japan, especially for places like these. The two main characters are a native young man and an Irish-American young woman (who is fluent in Japanese). Would they have any trouble getting hired at a place like Anna Miller's? If both of them could not get hired there, what would be a relatively common restaurant/cafe chain that doesn't focus a lot on meats and fish where they wouldn't have trouble? (The young man in the story feels sick around a lot of it.)

Optional: Are there any Anna Miller's established in Kanagawa, Odawara or Kanagawa, Fujisawa? If not, would it be unreasonable to pretend there are for the sake of the story?

http://i.imgur.com/VMRn9.png

^ Like this

I have no idea where to start looking for any kind of patterned fabric, let alone this. I couldn't find it at any of the local stores, so somewhere online would be nice, unless I could order it through some store.

It doesn't have to be exactly like that or in those exact shades, since I'm getting a little desperate here. Just two shades of blue and one white in a slant. (Though, if being specific, the darker blue should be slightly thinner than the lighter blue and the white should be very thin.)

...Though it doesn't really matter, I want this fabric to try and attach it to a hat for a Naoto Shirogane costume.

If yes, what kind of band-aid, where it would be placed and why (Cute/Tough?)

If no... well, why not?

Note that this is for wearing a band-aid when you don't have an actual injury that would call for one. Other things you would want to hide with one are free game, though.

Will provide my own answer upon picking best.

I know there's plenty of terms with the same meaning whose literal translations differ A LOT. So I'm wondering if there's a term for what we call "cold cases." That is, a murder case that has gone unsolved for a very long time, to the point it's "cold."

I'm looking for a mixing program that'll allow me to use 2+ recording devices at the same time. (For recording both input and output audio at the same time.)

If there isn't a good free one, what's a good cheap one?

Terry's Chocolate Oranges. The ones you're supposed to smack against something to break apart into pieces. Do they sell them in Japan? If so, how well-known are they? (Like, if you were to give one to someone random, would they know what do to with it right off?)

Also, if not, are there any snacks similar to them? By similar, I mean snacks that you have to... be violent with.

I used to play just a little bit about four years ago. (Really only a little. I hardly knew how anything worked.) I lost my password and only recovered it recently, and find myself completely lost in what to do and how to do anything.

So, I'm looking for someone to be my personal guide. Someone who has been playing for a while and can answer most questions about the game. I'd also like to be able to add you on MSN so we can speak easier.

I can't really offer much in return except 10 points on here and maybe a friend.

(Please note that I'm not asking for hand-outs in-game or anything-- I won't ask for items or money or things like that.)

"The name of my sword is Strong Tomorrow."

This would be coming from a warrior giving their sword a name in the midst of battle, which represents the "tomorrow" that they'll always be living strongly.

My mother has told me many times that with all contraceptives, I'd only be able to take them for a few years before being forced to stop for a reason she has yet to explain. She's also very behind the times, as proven time and time again.

I have absolutely no intention of having children in the future, nor do I even plan to have sex in the next couple years. So it's not even mainly to prevent getting pregnant, I just don't believe I have any real need for a monthly period.

I know I should be asking my doctor about it, but I still live with my parents, who insist on being there for every appointment. (It's mostly an embarrassment thing, since if there isn't, my mother will probably just laugh at me after the doctor says so.) As well, we're kind of in a bad place financially at the moment, so scheduling an appointment just to ask about this would be a waste.

I have a meeting with friends coming up that involves a lot of walking, and I'm rather out-of-shape. Remembering the muscle cramps I had last time, I decided to walk for a few hours to at least "wake my legs up."

I only got about half an hour into it before I got a rather harsh pain in my lower abdomen. I stopped and it faded to nothing after eight minutes. If I had to describe the pain, I'd say it felt like someone was repeatedly stomping on my lower abdomen with dull, non-piercing spikes. I've never felt a pain quite like this before.

I've walked for much longer periods of time while being just as out-of-shape, if not more-so, and haven't experienced anything like this before.

I am a 18-year-old female, and my period isn't due for another two weeks, and there isn't any signs of it starting early anyway. Just to rule that out.

I'd eaten about two and a half hours before this walk, so I doubt that's a problem, either.

It's very hot and humid where I live, and I'm not very used to it since I stay indoors a lot. It didn't feel overwhelmingly hot to me, though.

I hadn't been taking vitamins for a while until about a week ago, where I started taking vitamin C and D tablets, a multivitamin, and one kid's sports vitamin daily. (So is it possible I was overdosing or something?) I also take a pill for my acne, but it's never interfered with anything before. (I've taken it with those vitamins before, but it didn't seem to do any wrong.)

So, could this be serious? Should I go to a doctor, or is it something I can fix myself?

(Not sure if this is the right section...)

I'm trying to pick out a screen name for a potential admin job and want to know the first impression of each of these names. (Yes, a lot of them are just different words for fruit.)

So, male, female, or unisex? I'd prefer first thoughts, but both first and second are welcome. (First impression you get by glance, and then by thinking of it for a moment.)

Keyer

Saiger

Yeats

Apricot

Abrikose

Damasco

Caisa

Bricyll

Lampone

Avene

Aviete

Wapiti

This is a very long story, but it's my reason for wanting to know how to fake an asthma attack, so please read it first.

My mother has smoked for nearly 41 years, so I've had nearly 18 years of constant exposure to second-hand smoke. It only started bothering me recently, where I noticed that I get fatigued a little too easily compared to before. I looked up a bit about asthma and I'm pretty sure I'm developing it, since I have quite a few symptoms, some of which I've even had mildly in childhood.

She refuses to quit smoking, and won't even step outside for her cigarettes. (By the time she finishes one, she's usually already got another lit anyway.) She tells me and my father that we're selfish for wanting her to quit since she does the cleaning and house up-keep and such, and just smokes more every time we suggest that she tries to quit or slow down. She knows I'm deeply bothered by it, and she's purposefully lit a cigarette right next to me.

Since I'm almost 18, I don't think I could very well call in and say it's abuse.

Since I'm still under her roof, I have to live by her rules, and she feels deeply insulted and very angry when I try to distance myself from her.

I don't have the money or real-world experience to make it on my own yet (plus I want to go to college, which I wouldn't be able to juggle with living on my own), so I can't simply move out if I don't like it.

Ever since I was very young, I've always wanted to work with vocals. I never had the chance for formal lessons, so I only had a decent voice when I hit 14. I've continued teaching myself to a point where everyone I speak to (besides my mother) says that I should at least try to make it in voice overs. I'm very lucky that my voice is how it is right now, and doesn't sound like a smoker's. However, my voice has sounded worse and worse recently after it had sounded wonderful for a few short months. I find it hard to speak without sounding congested all the time, and I'm very worried. Voice work isn't something that pays the bills, but it's something I've always wanted to do, and that dream may be torn away from me while it was actually within reach.

My mother was actually sympathetic for one night, where she offered me voice lessons. The following day, when I was still very irritated by her smoking, she decided that I should go to a psychiatrist instead. (Which she's threatened me with for all years of my life, but never carried out-- only used as an excuse.)

We don't have the money to see a doctor right now unless it's an emergency, so I can't see if I'm actually developing asthma. I think the only way to get my mother to at least stop smoking as often or not be around me when she smokes is to show her the actual consequences it could have on me. I don't want to wait until I do really have asthma and have a real attack, so I want to learn how to fake it well enough to scare her.

I know I should wheeze and generally make sounds that come from a constricted airway, which I can do. I was also told I should open my eyes wide to compensate for lack of eye dilation. Knowing these two things, what else should I do? How long into close-range exposure should I wait to try this? (I wear a surgical mask to try and filter it out without much success, so how long with one of those, as well?) If there's coughing as well, when should that start? With this as the subject, I can probably cry on command, too, so would that help? Should I grasp at any part of my body? I'm usually sitting down around her, so should I stand up in my "confusion" about this "attack?" (I'm not very convincing when trying to fall from my chair.) What should be "accepted" as a way to calm this "attack?" When and if she takes me to a doctor and they say I'm fine, would it be possible to think it's a "warning sign" that I was really going to develop asthma, or will everyone just call bullshit automatically? Is it even possible for someone to have an early asthma attack before developing full-blown asthma?

I'm sorry if this all sounds selfish and insensitive to those who really have asthma, but I'm running out of choices. I don't want to really develop asthma nor lose my voice, the only thing I've had real confidence in.

The US/EU servers for the online game that I play are being taken down. I plan to join the Japanese servers, but my knowledge of the language is still very small. It's very annoying when there's a foreigner who can't even express basic things, so I don't want to be one of those people. Please help my experience in this game be more comfortable by translating these phrases for me..

---

I speak very [emphasis on very] little Japanese. May I still play with you?

[if answer is positive] Thank you. I hope I won't be a burden.

[if answer is negative] I understand. Sorry for the trouble, please have a nice day.

If it's alright, I would like to attempt to speak with you still. Please use hiragana and simple words.

I have to leave now. Thank you very much for letting me play with you.

I don't know the right words to use (for what I want to say)

---

Also, is there a better way to say "be right back / brb" than 「すぐにもどります」?

What regions are friendly to foreigners? I hear some are very rude while others are very open. Specifically, I'd like to know about places in the Kanagawa prefecture. I hear Tokyo is pretty friendly.

And for the holidays, I know Christmas is the most December-celebrated there. What I'd like to know is if they rush it as much as we do in America. We start playing Christmas carols on the radio and put up Christmas decorations on our houses and for sale, all quite a ways before the holiday, sometimes even before Halloween. (Though with glee I can say they didn't do it quite that much THIS year where I live)

So, does Japan rush it like that, kind of like that, or at all?

Also, do they have an equivalent of Black Friday?

I know there's "intersexual" for those who are both, but what about for those who are.. neither? I'm writing a fantasy story that includes a character who has neither sexual organs and is viewed as neither male or female.

So what would the name for such a person be? Or does "intersexual" still apply to that?