This expression has invoked laughs and mocking by my international friends here. Sure it sounds kind of stupid in English and reminds some people of "Last Tango In Paris" among those who have seen this erotic Marlon Brandon-vehicle. But I assure you that we use this Dutch expression in Belgium ("met uw gat in de boter vallen") quite often, even though it might be rather colloquial ;) A better English equivalent than the aforementioned sexually suggestive one is "to catch a lucky break (unexpectedly)."
I'm boring enrichening you with this useless fascinating piece of trivia, because recently I have fallen with my ass in the butter: I'm going to Tokyo tomorrow for three days. Moreover, my Shinkansen-ticket and accommodation in the third most expensive capital of 2006 will be largely paid for!
On Sunday I was recovering from a drinking streak that lasted close to a week. This involved wandering the streets of Kyoto in the middle of the night stupifyingly drunk having absolutely no idea where the hell I was going, and falling in the bushes with my bike while intoxicated cutting my chin in the process. The reason, if there was any, for this embarrassing behavior is the fact that school started again this week. I guess I wanted to celebrate the last days of worriless splendor. Anyway, Kendall and I were taking it easy on Sunday, playing our newly favorite PS2-game "Winning Eleven 9" and watching multiple episodes on DVD of the politically educating series "The West Wing", which Kendall has gotten me hooked on.
Around 20:23 I got a phone call from my dear Australian friend Natalie. I was tired, but in the minute that would follow my heart rate reached new heights. "I have good news.", Natalie said excitedly after which she teasingly paused for a while, forcing me to inquire after what that good news might be then. As it turned out our mutual friends from the most disputed country on earth called Israel had two spare Shinkansen-tickets for Tokyo and back, and hotel largely paid for. Natalie and I could go with them! Heart rate: 120. Needless to say I immediately told her I'd be going with. Amazing! ;D Talk of parties and bars was being thrown around. The four of us would have the BEST time. But wait!... Next week I would have numerous procedures in order to fully complete my registration as a Master's student at Doshisha University. Did I have something important to do at uni which would prohibit me from taking this extraordinary opportunity?... I didn't think so... But then again, my memory on significant things, usually regarding administrative paperwork, is inexplicably short, not to say strongly deficient at times...
Afterwards I called up my tutor (a Korean Ph.D-student) to ask if I'd be able to go. I'm sure I would get locked up for murder, if someone at uni told me I couldn't go, because of some redundant, administrative formality. Luckily, I was and still am in the clear ;) Bring on the butter!
Thank you Efrat and Erez!
Some contemporary trivia:
I had my entrance ceremony for Graduate School yesterday. I've entered the Master's course of "Media Studies" and got inundated with books, papers and information. The speeches of the various sensei, some quite ominous, seemed endless and my hungry stomach got tested to its limits.
I think it must be some election soon. The Kyoto-streets are flooded with announcement cars polluting the spring-air with their noisy, political propaganda. Some of them have cute women inside with white gloves waving from the window and eager to make eye contact; do a man's sexual urges dominate his rational decision? Maybe for some of us...
The sakura (= Japanese cherry blossoms) are in full bloom at the moment leaving no Japanese unmoved. Parks are filled with picnicking crowds doing "hanami" (literally "flower-watching"), which is one of the much beloved past-time activities here and part of the core of Japanese culture. Only one question occupies me at the sight of this: Why do they always use a blue sail to sit on?
Speaking of this pink flower; Kendall was recently able to display some of his fine writing skills in "The Japan Times". Here's the online version of the article. But, wasn't I supposed to be the one studying journalism? Congratulations Kendall! ;)
And to finish off, I'll leave you with this video about the "candirú" which I happened to watch this morning. I'd rather have butter in my ass than a problem with this tiny fish.
On Sunday I was recovering from a drinking streak that lasted close to a week. This involved wandering the streets of Kyoto in the middle of the night stupifyingly drunk having absolutely no idea where the hell I was going, and falling in the bushes with my bike while intoxicated cutting my chin in the process. The reason, if there was any, for this embarrassing behavior is the fact that school started again this week. I guess I wanted to celebrate the last days of worriless splendor. Anyway, Kendall and I were taking it easy on Sunday, playing our newly favorite PS2-game "Winning Eleven 9" and watching multiple episodes on DVD of the politically educating series "The West Wing", which Kendall has gotten me hooked on.
Around 20:23 I got a phone call from my dear Australian friend Natalie. I was tired, but in the minute that would follow my heart rate reached new heights. "I have good news.", Natalie said excitedly after which she teasingly paused for a while, forcing me to inquire after what that good news might be then. As it turned out our mutual friends from the most disputed country on earth called Israel had two spare Shinkansen-tickets for Tokyo and back, and hotel largely paid for. Natalie and I could go with them! Heart rate: 120. Needless to say I immediately told her I'd be going with. Amazing! ;D Talk of parties and bars was being thrown around. The four of us would have the BEST time. But wait!... Next week I would have numerous procedures in order to fully complete my registration as a Master's student at Doshisha University. Did I have something important to do at uni which would prohibit me from taking this extraordinary opportunity?... I didn't think so... But then again, my memory on significant things, usually regarding administrative paperwork, is inexplicably short, not to say strongly deficient at times...
Afterwards I called up my tutor (a Korean Ph.D-student) to ask if I'd be able to go. I'm sure I would get locked up for murder, if someone at uni told me I couldn't go, because of some redundant, administrative formality. Luckily, I was and still am in the clear ;) Bring on the butter!
Thank you Efrat and Erez!
Some contemporary trivia:
I had my entrance ceremony for Graduate School yesterday. I've entered the Master's course of "Media Studies" and got inundated with books, papers and information. The speeches of the various sensei, some quite ominous, seemed endless and my hungry stomach got tested to its limits.
I think it must be some election soon. The Kyoto-streets are flooded with announcement cars polluting the spring-air with their noisy, political propaganda. Some of them have cute women inside with white gloves waving from the window and eager to make eye contact; do a man's sexual urges dominate his rational decision? Maybe for some of us...
The sakura (= Japanese cherry blossoms) are in full bloom at the moment leaving no Japanese unmoved. Parks are filled with picnicking crowds doing "hanami" (literally "flower-watching"), which is one of the much beloved past-time activities here and part of the core of Japanese culture. Only one question occupies me at the sight of this: Why do they always use a blue sail to sit on?
Speaking of this pink flower; Kendall was recently able to display some of his fine writing skills in "The Japan Times". Here's the online version of the article. But, wasn't I supposed to be the one studying journalism? Congratulations Kendall! ;)
And to finish off, I'll leave you with this video about the "candirú" which I happened to watch this morning. I'd rather have butter in my ass than a problem with this tiny fish.
