1.  I am bored and have no classes or planning to do this afternoon.
2.  Thoughts immediately then go to my Thanksgiving trip to California.
3.  I am a compulsive list-maker.
4.  The lists will be edited as I get closer to the actual trip.


Things to Eat in California:

1. Burritos.
2. Nachos.
3. In'n'Out Burger.
4. Grand Lux and/or Cheesecake Factory.  (Same difference, really, since Cheesecake Factory owns the former.)
5. Korean food besides kimchi and kalbi.
6. Chicago deep dish pizza.
7. Turkey.
8. Stuffing.
9. Mashed potatoes.
10. Pumpkin pie.
11. Trashy super market white cake with SUGAR FROSTING.
12. Quizno's.
13. Ben and Jerry's.  (This should comprise of many, many flavors.)
14. Hot dog.

Things to Purchase in California:

1. 2-3 pairs of work-suitable pants.
2. 4-5 tops that are not t-shirts.
3. 1-2 dresses.
4. 2-3 covering tops.
5. New Clinique foundation.  (I'm pretty sure I'm now lighter than my current foundation as I have received minimal amounts of sun in the last 2 years.)
6. Omiyage/souvenirs for my students.
7. Omiyage/souvenirs for my teachers.

Funnily enough, I haven't actually read this book (though I'm thinking about ordering it).  Instead, I was reading a review of Nora and Delia Ephron's stage show inspired by the book, and it got me thinking - what are the things I remember wearing as a kid the most?  The awful things, the awesome things, and just the things I wore at important times?  Here are the first three of mine:

Outfit #1: My Birthday Suit
One of the first things I remember wearing is nothing at all.  You know those stories of kids who adore being naked?  Well, this might come as a shock to those of you who knew me in high school and college, when changing in the open was expected in locker rooms and I refused to do it, but I was one of those kids.  My outfit of choice at home until I was around three?  Nothing but my underwear and this white stone choker necklace Olivia and I had been given matching set of.  Also, my hairstyle until the third grade consisted of a barrette clipping back my then-completely straight hair (it would become naturally wavy and start to curl later in life) from my side part to one side.  There are unfortunately pictures and everything of this, of me playing with a fully-clothed Olivia - clearly extremely happy with the fact that I am not fully clothed.  One time my mother and I were looking at that picture at home, the summer after I graduated from high school, and she laughed so hard tears were coming to her eyes.  She said she always thought I looked like some strange South Pacific Asian native child in those pictures.

Sometimes I comfort myself with the other fact that part of this was because Olivia and I would play a favorite game where I was her dog, and I had insisted to my mother that dogs don't wear clothes.  But I know that was an excuse.  The story to counter this is that one day my mom and aunt took me shopping in some Korean department store, pushing me around in the cart.  They turn around for a second to look at something on a nearby rack, and after not even half a minute, they hear laughter from the people around them.  They turn around and there I am, stark naked in the shopping cart, dancing to department store music (I had originally been in the child-seat part of the cart, but even then I was a sort of acrobatic, climbing sort of kid, so I'd maneuvered myself into the big area).  Another unfortunate fact is that I figured out how to undo buttons at a young age.

Outfit #2: Embracing My Heritage
Like all Korean kids (even halfies like me), I had a hanbok.  Being on the scrawny side of the spectrum when I was little, I was able to wear it for a relatively long time without outgrowing it anywhere but the legs, and that was slowly.  It was green-topped and red-skirted, as is pretty common for little girls to have.  It was shiny and satiny, and I think it bespoke an early sense of style from the bright colors on it...later in life that was something that always attracted me.

My mom said it was interesting, because I enjoyed wearing it more than Olivia did.  Olivia preferred the western, poofy, white, Glinda-esque dress my parents bought her when she was little and had to do a piano recital at her preschool (yes, preschool...it was in Korea).  I was attracted to the bright colors...and more importantly, I had probably already developed a personality attribute that's stuck with me for a long time, even when I tried my best to counter it in middle and high school (when it finally occurred to me that I was already different without even trying thanks to being mixed race), and that was my desire to be different.  It probably stemmed from wanting to be different from Olivia, since I was the second child (and eventually the middle child).  Even though my parents were very careful to try to keep me away from feeling neglected or forgotten like most middle children, I think it's inevitable for any middle child to develop at least a small complex.  So when Olivia chose the frills and white, I chose the Christmas colors in a style that other kids (when we moved back to the States) didn't wear.

Outfit #3: Matchy-matchy...Sort of
Though my parents did their best to make sure that I knew I was as special as my older sister, they still supported the idea of buying matching clothing.  It wasn't as often as some other sets of siblings, but the Toro girls certainly had their share.  Later, this would be curbed, my mother says, by me, who liked having the same things as Olivia, but always wanted a different color.

When we lived in Mexico, even though I'm pretty sure it didn't rain often, my parents bought us expensive, matching, plastic, cloth-lined hooded raincoats.  Olivia's was purple with yellow snap-buttons, and I had insisted on the white with pink snap-buttons.  They had come with matching hard lunchboxes in the cartoon construction worker style - Olivia's was purple with yellow snaps and mine was white with pink snaps.  At the time we bought them, which was around 1990, they were considered kind of cool - they could hold cold packs in their lids thanks to special holder and were large enough to hold pretty much any lunch.  Though I can't remember it, I think this purchase was made due to Olivia's necessity and my wanting to have one, too - and my parents were the type to try their best not to let me feel left out (I was one of those kids who got a present from my parents on my sister's birthday until I was four or five...both my parents are oldest children from families with two of their sex and one of the opposite, so the fact that their family was not like that made their whole child-rearing experience even more of an experiment than other parents, I think).  I didn't actually use the lunchbox until I was 6 and started first grade.  We'd moved to Virginia by that time, where it rains a good deal more, so I got to use the raincoat that the other kids didn't have and sometimes got to use the lunchbox the other kids didn't have.

2 Signs Japan is now showing rejection symptoms to me:

1.  I got into a car accident.  It was my fault, my car came the worst off, and yes, I'm totally fine.  The guy yelled at me, I was extremely embarrassed, and I need to purchase a new car (which is thankfully easy and pretty cheap in Japan because of the shakken system rendering any used car five years or older almost worthless).

2.  For the first time ever, my autumn allergies are rivaling my springtime allergies.  I'm going on my third autumn here right now, and I have NEVER had to deal with autumn allergies here.

I feel like I'm the new kidney given to Japan and after a month or so of functioning fine the greater body is showing signs of rejecting me completely.

But don't think that I'm hating it here or anything, guys.  I'm still enjoying my last year here, most definitely.  I love my students and really like my job, and I'm happy and well-fed (though I'm trying to curb this part in an effort to look less like a beached whale).  I get to go home for Thanksgiving this year and see some of my absolute favorite people in the world.  For the first time perhaps ever, I got a haircut I really, REALLY like thoroughly, including the drying/styling after the beautician did (usually I like the cut, but the beautician is totally unused to my hair and kind of half-asses it).  Also, my hair is a color I like more...it gets too light in the summer from the dye and I always think I must look unnatural with lighter hair.  Ah!  And my birthday's coming up - my last birthday to be celebrated in Japan!  I'm turning two dozen years old, haha.  24.  Sheesh, I feel old.  I'm going to be in my mid-twenties in just 10 days!

Anyway, that's about it.  Sorry for the lackluster update...but I'll at least try to be more frequent now!

This article makes me really happy!

"Shinkansen" is the high-speed rail system in Japan, or the "bullet train" system made famous by the Nagano Olympics in 1998.  While they are still slower than flying to locations when you compare actual flight times versus rail times, once you add in check-in time, etc., high speed rail is about the same time (depending on the distance you're traveling, of course).  Think about it - since I was a kid, I'd had it drilled into my head that you should arrive at the airport approximately 2-3 hours before your flight is scheduled to depart.  So even the very short time it takes to fly from Chicago to Washington, D.C., (approximately 1:45), it in fact takes 4:15.  In Japan, the same distance is covered in about 6:30 - but the entire time you are on the transport vehicle, having a kind of ridiculously smooth ride, and you are most likely to arrive in the central station of the city, not an airport situated 30-60 minutes from your destination within the city.

But there are differences in these forms of travel.  In comparison to some high-speed trains in Europe, Japanese shinkansen don't offer luggage check-in - you must be able to roll/carry your bag onto the train and fit it somehow within your seating area, either in the small overhead racks they have or around/under your seat.

The other difference is that the due to the Japanese culture and relative lack of crime, there is no security check (though there are security guards looking for any strange behavior around the train platforms, etc.) - no x-ray for bags, no metal detectors, nothing.  When I took EuroStar trains between Paris and London, I believe there were security checkpoints, but they were minimal and very quickly done (though that might be because it was Europe and not the U.S.).

Another difference is the transportation industry costs in Japan vs. the ones in the States.  A shinkansen ticket is almost always of a comparable price to that of a plane ticket to the same destination - and that doesn't mean it's cheap.  For example, a flight from Sendai to Hiroshima (comparable to the distance between Chicago and Washington, DC), is around $250-$290 at any given time.  A shinkansen from Sendai to Hiroshima has about the same cost - $250.  However, in the States, companies like JetBlue, Southwest, etc., offer prices as low as $60 sometimes for flights from Chicago to Washington, DC.  So if this railway idea is to be successful, this means that AmTrak has to be able to offer prices comparable to these airlines, if not better.  Which is another problem, because in all other countries, railway ticket costs are constant, they don't fluctuate over time the way airline ticket prices do.

While I'm excited about the prospects of bullet train travel in the U.S. (it really is pretty great - smooth, comfortable, easy, fast, energy efficient, and really, really reliable), I'm worried about whether we can carry it off with the same efficiency as other countries, and if the proposed system can combat the American way of always seeking the cheapest cost to yourself.  Ah well.  I'm still enthusiastic and excited for it!

...That's Japanese for "long time, no see", in case you were wondering.

Anyway...I haven't posted in a long time...but I really wanted to post this because I think it's important to talk about it and the great shame that ideas like this are still present in our country.  The fact that she is an elected official and has the gall to say such a thing about a country built upon people coming to the nation with diversity, ranging from ethnicity to education to ideas, is mind-boggling.  She said "you and your citizens".  Can we analyze that comment for a moment?  If they're voting in the United States, they are UNITED STATES CITIZENS.  Meaning they are her FELLOW citizens.  Then let's talk about the fact that she is telling Asian-Americans that they should have names that are easier for "Americans to deal with".  So she's saying that these Asian-Americans, who are eligible to vote either through official naturalization or birth, are not "real" Americans.

Not only is she not being asked to say any names or read any, she is arguing on behalf of voter identification legislation, meaning that NOBODY has to worry about saying those names unless they personally meet citizens with "difficult" names - the only thing that happens in voter identification is they check your name against your driver's license/passport/I.D....they just have to check spellings, in other words and perhaps type it out again in some official document.  Meaning the people who work in voter identification offices only have to be able to read and type.  NOT be fluent in any other sort of language.  This woman is absolutely ridiculous and entirely racist.

EDIT//
So, after more evidence, I have to be fair and say that she really wasn't being very racist, though there is a certain American ignorance/arrogance in her tone.  The article I posted above gave a rather unfair, completely antagonistic slant to it.  They were actually discussing the transliteration of naturalized citizens' names and the problems that arise with this - from the fact that naturalization documents are sometimes lost or put into tediously-reopened safekeeping places, to the fact that upon naturalization names are transliterated one way, but over time the individual might change the way they transliterate their name because they discover there is an easier way to romanize their name and have people read it more closely to the proper pronunciation, to the fact that many Asian-Americans will adopt western names/nicknames in order to fit in and have an easier time in social situations.  So the problem arises when a person goes to vote and runs into one of the following problems: 1) they do not have the naturalization document or 2) the name on their I.D. (the adopted name and/or newly spelled romanized name) does not match that of the one on their naturalization papers.  In some states this means the voter could be completely turned away from the poll station, for something as small as the lack of a hyphen.

Basically, I was a bit too harsh on Betty Brown because her quotes were taken completely out of context by people who don't completely understand the situation themselves.  From what I can tell, she is not saying Asian-Americans should change their names...what she IS saying is that they ought to just pick a way to romanize and stick with it...so the only thing she's guilty of is ignorance of interculture translation.

I've been sporadically sick for the past couple of weeks now, but this week's been the worst by far and I'm on my third sick day (I think by tomorrow I should be fine, though).  All of the ALTs in my town have been down with similar maladies, so I figure it's just something I need to get through before I enjoy my winter.

Anyway, in an effort to stave off boredom today, I stole a meme from my older sister's blog.  In an effort to be humorous, I'll include all of my foreign music, too, and will translate their titles as best I can and include clips and lyrics translations when I can find them.

Hoppípolla (Jumping Puddles), Sigur Rós (hmm)

Tagged by the oldest Toro sister.  Heh.  Admittedly, I left out all foreign and instrumental music I listen to (which is actually quite a lot...I hadn't realized how many Craig Armstrong pieces, Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese songs, and movie soundtracks I'd stockpiled), but here goes!  By the way, I'd say there about three of these that I'm very embarrassed about, haha.  Oh well.

Step 1: Put your music player on random.
Step 2: Post the first line from the first 25 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing the song.
Step 3: Post and let everyone you know guess what song and artist the lines come from.
Step 4: Strike out the songs when someone guesses correctly (No lyric hunting! That is cheating!)

1. "I hate the world today."
2. "Hey, Jude, don't make it bad."  guessed by starrcandi , "Hey Jude", by The Beatles
3. "Christmas, Christmas time is near..."
4. "When we got to Boston..."
5. "Give me a kiss to build a dream on..."
6. "If there's a God, he's laughing at us and our football team."
7. "Take me to the place where the white boys dance."
8. "Looking around the house..."
9. "Say you were split, split in fragments..."
10. "Quit acting so friendly..."
11. "A brand new baby was born yesterday, just in time."
12. "'So, here's a riddle to guess if you can,' sing the bells of Notre Dame..."  guessed by Matt, "The Bells of Notre Dame (Reprise)", by Alan Menken, sung by Paul Kandel
13. "Kiss me too fiercely, hold me too tight..."
14. "Was it all in real-time?"
15. "If it weren't for your maturity, none of this would have happened."
16. "Is there anybody out there that wakes up with the bitter taste?"
17. "Oh, the first flush of youth was upon you when our eyes first met..."
18. "Memories consume, like opening the wound..."
19. "Baby, please try to forgive me..."
20. "I took my love, and I took it down."  guessed by starrcandi , "Landslide", by Stevie Nicks
21. "You, you were a friend..."
22. "So far away, come on, I'll take you far away."
23. "Hello, can I say that there's something wrong with this place?"
24. "Sara-spelled-without-an-H was getting bored..."
25. "Can anybody find me somebody to love?"  guessed by starrcandi , "Somebody to Love", by Queen

I read this article while at work today and thought it was interesting.  Chiune Sugihara was a Japanese diplomat in Lithuania during World War II and helped thousands of Jews escape Europe through issuing handwritten visas.

I love history.  There's so much we don't know.

I don't really understand how people can vote for Proposition 8.  The U.S. Constitution says that there is a freedom of religion within our nation and a separation of church and state - which then gives way to the fact that the U.S. government cannot deny a church its right to turn people away.  That being said, this means that it is absolutely no government's right (federal, state, or local) to make any ruling based on religious beliefs.  Therefore, the Constitution says all Americans are to receive equal rights - this should include the entrance of marital unions, at least on a governmental level.  That should be that.  Then it is left in the hands of religious leaders of churches whether or not to allow gay marriages to take place in their places of worship or not.  It should be completely out of the government's hands.  Doesn't that mean that Proposition 8 is illegal on a federal level?  If people are voting for Proposition 8 because of religious beliefs, I think that's wrong.

But I guess, like in abortion, you can't control voters' trains of thought, nor who votes.  It's so frustrating.

I feel really silly, but what might be only the second time in my life, I cried with happiness.  Obama's the United States President-elect.

In a really weird way, I almost physically feel like I was part of something that just helped a glass ceiling shatter.  I can feel the shards cascading around my head, surging upward in one of those Willy Wonka elevators, haha.  I guess that's what Obama represents to me, too.  I support his causes and a lot of his policies, and more than anything, while it didn't make me vote for him, I'm impossibly happy that our country is finally ready to pick a president without regard to the color of his skin.  Because that hits home for me harder than I ever thought it would.

I'm not a Republican - I don't think I ever really was one.  I'm more conservative, and like it or not, I believe there is a difference.  But this website made me smile.  I really wish more people would read some of the stuff there.  It's not a terribly flashy website, but it's certainly honest.  And I feel like it's full of swing voters like myself - and it makes me feel far less alone.  Maybe it's my own more moderate standpoint talking, but I really like what they all have to say. :)

I'm absolutely livid with people claiming that Colin Powell is endorsing Obama because of race.

1.  You are now insulting the intelligence of a political figure whom most Americans have trouble finding huge fault with, except that he is more of a backstage guy than a front runner.

2.  You are insulting someone who has experience in politics and work in the government, who is well-educated.

So it's not that Colin Powell is intelligent or thinks for himself?  It's not that Colin Powell has experience as a KNOWN more moderate conservative and has decided that this year's Democratic candidate simply speaks more to what he thinks should be done in the country?

No, no.  It's because Barack Obama is black, and Colin Powell is black, and Colin Powell sticks to his own color.  Because he doesn't know much about Obama but he sure sees him on TV a lot and since he looks like him, that should be his candidate!

Hell, that's why I'm with Obama.  I don't have much, but I'm part black down my dad's line somewhere.  If Rosie Perez was running for president, I'd totally vote for her.  She's even CLOSER to my color.  Oh wait!  Even better!  Jennifer Lopez!  Or how about Margaret Cho?  She's Korean, like me!  Or maybe that guy from Heroes - he's not Korean, but he's Asian, so that's close enough, right?

You listen to me, you racist, bigoted jerks claiming that Colin Powell is now enacting some sort of twisted reverse discrimination, I used to be a conservative.  I would still be one if it weren't for the fact that many of the policies that McCain supports are things I do not, and the fact that many of the policies Obama supports are things I do.  I was educated in Department of Defense schools, an international school, a highly-ranked high school in an advanced studies program, and I went to one of the best universities in the country, where I majored in International Studies.  Sorry to be an academic snob all of the sudden, but that's the truth.  Thank you for insulting me and every other minority in the country that supports Obama.  I'm sure you're really winning the favor of the few minority voters you had on your side to begin with, too.

So this year's election has given me two slaps in the face.  First, the Republicans think that by picking a woman, any woman (particularly an inexperienced one who they might be able to mold easier), they can win the hearts of female moderate swing voters - and that we'll forget the fact that McCain voted against the law that would have helped end gender-based pay discrimination.  Now I'm being told that I vote based on my vision, and not my intelligence.  Thank you very much.  I think I may have just ended my time in calling myself a moderate conservative.  Now I'm probably a moderate liberal.

Jackasses.

It must be the strain of living away from the States and home, but just like I did for my birthday, I actually have specific things I wish I could get for Christmas (but am 99.9% unlikely to receive - they're expensive, after all).  For my birthday I asked for new Nintendo DS games...not that there aren't DS games in Japan...but that would mean attempting to decipher some kanji, which wouldn't exactly work for me, haha.

There are only two things I want for Christmas.  The first is this.  I feel way dorky for asking for it, but my music is taking up a bit too much space on my computer and I want something to save the Asian dramas and movies I watch without having to delete stuff periodically.  It's a freaking terabyte!!!  Of course, I might be able to find something similar here if I go to Akihabara...but to be honest, Akihabara is just a little scary.  It's mainly men there, and they're mainly otaku (anime/manga nerds) there.  I'm not even kidding!  Maybe I can see what's around the big electronics stores near my town, though...

The second thing I want is something I never thought I'd want.  Uggs.  I've always thought those traditional Uggs were a bit ugly, so I'd never really wanted them.  But those!  THOSE!  In either "Espresso" or "Mocha"!  ...Well, mostly "Mocha"!  But look at that price!  I mean, it could be worse for boots, but that's still pretty bad.  I think I might have to give up on those.  Or save up myself to get them.  My only question is if Uggs can fit very wide calves, because that's what I've got.  Well, I say that like I'll end up buying them, which I shouldn't.  Sometimes it's things like this that remind that in a slightly smaller part of my brain, I'm still like more like a regular girl, haha.

1.  I have a victory of sorts in my second-year classes.  In my old set of schools, second-year boys were the most difficult for me.  At my new junior high school, there are only 3, haha.  Taito has improved in English class noticeably and now, despite a slight speech impediment, always says hello to me with a big smile on his face!  And whenever we're in English class, he actually tries to answer some of the easier questions, which he didn't do before!

One of the other boys, Tetsuya, was friendly to me from the start, since he's just a regularly good-natured kid.

The last boy, though, was the smartest of the three (which unfortunately doesn't mean exactly a lot...).  He was very wary of me all the time.  Last week, I don't know what happened but now he talks to me during lunch and laughs and jokes around.  I don't know what I did, but now Hirosato likes me/is okay with me!

2.  After reading this article, is it just me or is Prince William fighting a receding hairline?  As well as what may or may not be male pattern baldness on the crown of his head, haha.  I suppose that doesn't matter - he's still quite handsome in the face and very well spoken.  What I think is really funny is that I (who am a rather harsh judge of male beauty) used to say that Prince Harry was not only unfortunate-looking when compared to his brother, but when compared to the rest of the world as well.  I'm not going to take that back, because he was kind of an awkward-looking kid, but now he looks very handsome, haha.  I'm sure it helps that he's no longer a gawky 15-year-old (he's around my age and the last time I showed any interest in following the British princes was when I was 15, haha) and has filled out quite a bit.  I don't know...I think I actually might like Harry more now, haha.  Though I think I remember him being a bit of a dumb teenager what with weed and drinking and stuff, right?  Ah well.  I've switched over, haha.

...Of course, this might just be my secret redhead fetish coming out, haha.

This blog had me literally almost dying for trying to hold my laughter in at work.  My older sister posted it to her blog and my younger sister posted it to her Facebook profile, and the three of us decided that it is the most accurate portrayal of a typical Korean mother.  Go and read and learn if you don't know much about Korean mother culture, or go laugh yourself silly if you have one yourself.  It's a spin-off of the blog "Stuff White People Like", which is fun, but for me (and perhaps second-generation Asian-Americans everywhere), I had a ridiculous amount of fun reading about each.  It's also pleasant to find out that my sisters and I aren't alone...and our mother isn't completely insane.  Just Korean.

( just korean )

*sigh*

And you know, I feel the same as the author.  Admittedly, there was a point in time when I was extremely bitter and resentful about how I was brought up by my mother.  But now...I don't know...this is my twisted love letter to her, haha.

It's my birthday!  :Dv
//EDIT: I can't believe it. Sarah Palin might be the stupidest presidential running mate EVER. But you know, I guess you can't blame just her. What the heck is the McCain campaign thinking, sending her to interviews without even a script to parrot?

You know what the most amazing thing about my new schools is?

I don't have bad days.

Ever.

EVER.

That is the most surprising, pleasant, crazy, wonderful thing that I've realized.

Which isn't to say that every day was complete and utter crap at my old schools.  I loved every elementary school day I taught at my old schools.  I loved any day with my new first-years, and I loved any day when I taught class 3-4.

But at my new schools...every day is actually good.  Really good.  For the first time in over a year, I feel job satisfaction.  Not to knock my stint at Governor's School or anything, but while it was okay and I enjoyed most of it, it didn't make me ecstatically happy.  Being an RA just wasn't my thing.

So what is my thing?

( smiles are 0 yen at McAnnie's )

Do you ever find yourself watching Project Runway and start to feel your self esteem in your brain power suddenly skyrocket?

I mean, sure, I don't have their sewing or design talent, but damn - I thought a high school education was compuslsory in the United States.

Non-Japan Stuff:

You know, I consider myself a political moderate who every once in a while shows a tendency towards the conservative side of things.  But you know what...after this past week my vote is most definitely going to Obama.  I mean, it was never really in question, but you know...I wanted to wait and see more of what was said and see the debates and stuff to let that seal the deal for me.  But nope.  I'm not waiting for that.  McCain's campaign has made me feel repulsed and completely insulted now.  I don't think it could be more obvious that he's attempting to get the female swing voter population to go towards his side...AFTER he stopped a bill that would have stopped pay discrimination.  I'm thoroughly disgusted.

Japan Stuff:

I bought a yukata.  It's a summer form of kimono - it's lighter, less layers, and airier.  I didn't buy a fancy one, but just a cheaper one.  It's off-white with very dark bluish-purple flower/fern patterns down it, and then it has a purple obi.  Yukata are very cheap at the end of the summer season.  I wonder if it works the same way for kimono...?

PS:  So my parents should have been farmers...

I saw the new Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli film, "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea" (that's what the Japanese translates to, anyway, haha).  It's supposed to be Miyazaki's take on the "The Little Mermaid" story.  I feel like if you take "Lilo & Stitch", "My Neighbor Totoro", and "Howl's Moving Castle" and mix them together, you have this film...and that's a GOOD thing!  It's adoooooorable.  It's completely comprehensible, even if you have no real understanding of Japanese.  It's a film definitely made for small children.  "Spirited Away"/"Sen to Chihiro" is clearly a film meant for the entire family specifically, and while "Ponyo" can of course be seen by the whole family, its obvious target is young children.  It's interesting to see how Ghibli's artwork has evolved a bit over the years - this film is much more in the "Howl's Moving Castle" style, which I think other Ghibli fans will understand what I mean when I say that.

We follow Sousuke, a precocious, polite, obviously bright boy of around 5 years old and his little life on the island where he lives with a person we assume is his extremely loving stepmother Risa (they never make it clear about her, which I think is a wonderful thing because it makes it negligible whether she's the biological mother or not - her love for Sousuke is real no matter what) and his absent sea captain father (he's not completely absent - just always at work).  The movie begins with a young fish playing in the sea, escaping her underwater magical caretaker, and eventually getting stranded in the shallows by the island.  Sousuke is playing by his somewhat secluded house by the sea, where he meets the unconscious fish, who he names "Ponyo".  And from there begins their lighthearted, small, sweet adventure.  (And one thing that you'll notice during the movie is that Sousuke's life starts out as completely normal, but it gradually becomes increasingly more fantastical, down to the people he associates with and the things that seem commonplace.)

The movie's nothing as grandiose as "Princess Mononoke", "Spirited Away", or "Howl's Moving Castle" in terms of storyline - it's closer to "My Neighbor Totoro" in terms of that, but it's nevertheless completely adorable and memorable.  Like most of Ghibli's movies, this one centers on love as the main driving theme.

( your princess is in another castle )