Our trip is three days away...We asked Hiromi if she would like us to bring her anything, and she requested Java Dave's Coffee Beans - Hazelnut, French Vanilla, Chocolate. Also, Jif extra crunchy peanut butter. Charles and I are going over all the little supplies we think we might need. We got an antibiotic prescription filled, and also we are stocking up on all the general medicines that a person might want in the middle of the night.

One of my favorite japanese words is "daijyobu" Here is the kanji for it: 大丈夫
It is used in the phrase "daijyobu deska?" I have heard this phrase often in television and among conversations with Japanese speakers. It means "Are you okay?" I like the Kanji for diejyobu because it is three pictures, and while together the pictures mean "ok", separately they have individual meanings.

大 Dai (pronounced like "die"), means "big".
丈 Jyo (pronounced like "Joe") means "length,"
夫 Bu　(pronounced like "boo") means "husband" or "man."

So in the world of literal thinkers, when you say "Daijyobu deska?" it sounds like you are asking "Are you a big long man?" Of course that's not what it means to japanese speakers. It means "Are you okay?" But to me, adding a symbolic subtext to a language makes it more interesting.

Many of the Kanji that are put together for bigger words do make sense. For instance, chikatetsu is the subway. This word also has three kanji. 地下鉄

地　Chi (pronounced like "chee" in cheetos) means ground, earth, dirt.
下　ka (rhymes with "spa"), means below, or down,　
鉄　tetsu (figure it out) means iron.

So "iron under the ground" is the subway. Neat. 　
Daijyobu, that's enough for today!