Saturday 15 December 2007

Osaka ... Okinawa ... sounds (kinda) the same, looks (kinda) the same, feels (kinda) the same ...

My brother just left Australia for Japan. He'll be visiting Tokyo and Osaka.

Whenever I hear Osaka, I usually say, "Oh, where Mr Miyagi came from!"

This is embarrassing for two reasons.

Number one because it gives away that I watched the Karate Kid, enough to remember Mr Miyagi and have a vague recollection of some of the dialogue.

Number two, because Mr Miyagi actually came from Okinawa.

Well, they sound the same to me. They start with O's and end in a's and have k's in them, what else do you expect? They are also supposedly Japanese-ish, well that's what people get from the screen promotions.

I would be extremely humiliated if it weren't for the fact that I remember the old dictum - there's always someone more embarrassing than you. There was a much older man than me who believed that all real karate was taught to students by waxing cars and painting fences by short Japanese men. And other stuff was fake. He was very sincere in his convictions, and I'm sure he believed there were little Mr Miyagis in backyards all over the world looking out for bashed up young boys and ready to teach them the Way of the Catching Flies with Chopsticks.

Considering karate lessons don't exactly always come cheaply, if you could get a little band of car-waxers, fence painters and floor sanders for it ... nice job being a karate instructor ...

P.S. The pictures below are pure indulgence.


10 comments:

JahTeh said...

I loved the Karate Kid and the follow-ups but it's a secret along with my love affair with "The Goonies".

Maria said...

My secret is that I've tried catching a fly with chopsticks nd failed.

Maria said...

That reminds me of the Goonies episode where they combine it with Karate and take up the Lancashire martial art, Eckythump and go about hitting people with black puddings.

Hmmm.

I'm revealing too many secrets.

JahTeh said...

Maria! That was the Goodies. 'The Goonies' was an American film about kids, pirates and a happy ending. The Eckythump episode was brilliant, I loved the Goodies too.

Maria said...

Damn! Now I'm revealing far too much. You can see how this whole Okinawa/Osaka thing got started, can't you?

What's a d and an n between friends, I say?

Maria said...

Sadly, I think I came from the Goofies.

Shelley said...

Oh good, another adult who loves the Goonies. Truly an awesome flick. I wonder why I don't own it on dvd yet..

Maria said...

If you've been a good girl , nailpolishblues, just sit tight, put out the milk and bikkies tonight, and a stocking and repeat over and over "I DO believe ... I Do believe ..."

(in the Goonies and Santa)

I wish you the very best in your enterprise.

Shelley said...

I'd take The Goodies too. Preferably every episode unedited. I believe we missed out on rather a lot and I'd like to catch up. Also, Kitten Kong - oh yeah.

If Santa has sense he'll be a) a whole lot less fictional than I'd previously credited and b) sensible if he stayed away from my flat. I remain sick and have a desire to share it.

Maria said...

That's the Christmas spirit, nails!