July 24, 2008
How many marines are you going to get today?
Please listen to this mp3 while you read the text.
"Marine Day" is a national holiday that was created quite recently. It's purpose is to show Japan's pride as a seafaring nation. In Japanese, "Umi no hi" can be literally translated into many different things in English. For example, "Sea Day," or "Ocean Day." But for some strange reason, people seem inclined to call it "Marine Day." Now, as an American, just hearing the very sound of the words "Marine Day" will invoke fits of giggling. A 'marine' is a US soldier who serves on a ship. In my hometown of North Kakilacky (an affectionate term for 'North Carolina'), marines are known for their crew cuts, womanizing, physical fitness and their notoriously foul tempers when drunk. So, as an American, when I hear "Marine Day," all I can think of is a holiday where people try to get a date with an attractive American seafaring soldier. I vote to officially change it to "Ocean Day." It's a lot more easy to understand, wouldn't you agree?
On-page MP3 version of this article
The End ^_^
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