LANGUAGE CORNER
Japanese Unheard Word - KY
The English letters ‘KY’ are used as a shorthand for the Japanese phrase 空気が読めない“kūki ga yomenai”, meaning “can’t read the room,” or more literally, “can’t read the air.” You can say a person is KY if they are socially awkward or inappropriate.Japan has a very high context culture, which means that a lot of social interactions involve suggesting things indirectly, inferring implied meaning, and not speaking frankly or saying things outright.
If this is at odds with your own cultural background, you might find Japanese conversation a little challenging to navigate at first! In the meantime, you may, unfortunately, be a little on the KY side as far as natives are concerned.
Japanese Calendar
Obon - 13th to 16th of August
Obon (お盆) is an annual Buddhist event commemorating one's ancestors, whose spirits are believed to temporarily return to this world in order to visit their relatives during Obon.
Traditionally, lanterns are hung in front of houses to guide the ancestors' spirits, obon dances (bon odori) are performed, graves are visited and food offerings are made at house altars. At the end of Obon, floating lanterns are put into rivers, lakes and seas in order to guide the spirits back into their world. The customs followed vary strongly from region to region.
Obon is observed around the 15th day of the 7th month of the year, which is July according to the solar calendar; however, it roughly corresponds to August according to the formerly used lunar calendar. As a result, Obon is observed mainly from August 13 to 16, although in some areas it is also observed in mid-July.
Aomori Nebuta Matsuri - 2nd-7th August
Aomori Nebuta Matsuri (青森ねぶた祭) is one of the three biggest festivals in the Tohoku region. During the festival, over 20 spectacular nebuta, massive lantern floats based on kabuki or mythical stories, are paraded through the city. On the final night, the nebuta are placed in boats and ferried around Aomori Bay as fireworks light up the night sky to conclude the festival.
"Nebuta" refers to the float of a brave warrior-figure which is carried through the center of the city, while dancers wearing a unique type of costume called haneto (ハネト) dance around in time with the chant rasserā (ラッセラー) (shortened dialectal version of "irasshai", calling visitors and customers to watch or join).
French unheard word:
‘Ça me prend la tête’ is an expression used very often mostly by young people. It literally means ‘This takes me the head’, meaning ‘This annoys me / I don’t like that’.
French Calendar
Assumption Day – 15 August
Many of France’s national holidays are rooted in the Catholic Church’s calendar, and Assumption Day, celebrated annually on August 15, is one of them. Parades, fireworks, and bonfires are held throughout the country commemorating the end of summer. Those adhering to the religious aspect of the day often make pilgrimages to the French city of Lourdes, where special celebrations are held to commemorate the ascension of Mary into heaven.
Fête (Festival) des Tuileries 2023 – End June till Mid-August
The children of Paris enjoy every year, an amusing fair that is built in summer days. The fair which is called – The Festival of the Tuileries, takes place from the last week of June until the second half of August.
In the fair, the children can find stands of food and candies, various attractions such as wall climbing, marksmanship, trampolines, antique merry-go-round from 1900 with wooden horses, colliding cars, and much more.
American Film Festival – 1 to 10 September
The American Film Festival has taken place in Deauville every year in late summer since 1975. A selection of a hundred or so cinematographic works from the United States is presented to the many film fans who gather there: from big Hollywood productions to independent cinema, from feature films to short films through television.
Screenings at the American Film Festival take place at the International Centre in Deauville, the Lucien Barrière casino and Le Mony cinema. A jury rewards the best productions and honours remarkable figures of American cinema. Events are also organised in the festival village, so visitors can gain a better understanding of American film culture.
The Bol d’Or – 15-17 September
Created in 1922, the Bol d'Or is an international endurance competition for motorcyclists and is held once a year in September. Since its inception, the race has taken place on many legendary racetracks such as Fontainebleau, Montlhéry and Le Mans. It was on the Paul Ricard racetrack at Le Castellet in Var that the race really made a name for itself.
The Bol d'Or Village is also an opportunity for leading manufacturers like Yamaha, BMW and Suzuki, and also the official shops and equipment suppliers, to showcase their products and accessories.