I was told that Oni meant Devil, by a woman whose name was Onimatsu. Go figure. Anyway, I think Nina dealt with the trauma in a very Japanese way - always looking forward. Always looking for the good.
We never did Setsubun for my daughter, but I can tell you that she would have run to Papa first chance, soybeans ain't nothing.
@Dax893 Apparently, over half of the kids burst into tears when the Oni (Sensei) came out. I don't know what their point is in scaring the kids that much. If I had been there, I probably would have jumped to Nina's rescue, too. ha ha
im rewatching almost all of your vids,,hahaha again and again~(my fave is 'Nina talks to the people') but i just realized in this vid nina called you otousan and her mom okaasan instead of papa and mama.so cute:')
Hi Sir Geof, i'm one of nina's fan. I've watched all of her videos here in youtube. I think this is my first time to comment because I'm shy. -_-.. Thank you Geof san for sharing your memories with nina to everybody here in youtube. Every time I feel sad, I watch nina's video to cheer me up. I hope someday, I will have a daughter as kawaii and genki as nina. To nina-chan, I'm your number 1 fan! I wish you all the best in life. Stay sweet baby girl. ^_^
@icecreampillowify Thanks for commenting! Having Nina has been a great blessing for us, as I'm sure you can tell. I wish you all the best in having a beautiful daughter of your own some day!
I cant believe how big girl she is already! :) I remember how small she was when I started to watch your videos for the first time. But she have grown up to be so sweet and smart. Your amazing Nina! :)
Nina has a wonderful imagination, and her drawing and story were adorable! I always love listening to her descriptions of situations on your adventures. Geof-you are an awesome Father. It's clear Nina adores you as much as you do her, and her life is so enriched for that relationship. I am looking forward to watching Nina grow. She is destined to do something wonderful. She's bright, beautiful, confident and so well spoken! I wish all of you all the best-and thank you again for sharing her!
@grommie959 Thanks for such a flattering compliment! We appreciate it! We, of course, feel like Nina is a special kid, but I'm sure all parents feel that way about their own child. I think we are just lucky, in that for whatever reason (being older parents etc.) we are able to make Nina the focus of our lives, and just being together doing simple things as a family is what we all love most. It's sad that a lot of families don't seem to have (or make) the time to just be together like that.
i love how she drew the tears as big as her eyes. hehe. :) kids' drawings, including nina's are so incredibly cute!
i've now watched all your videos so far and have probably spammed you with a lot of comments, and for that i'm sorry. :S it all started when my sister sent a link of "the mochi song". i think i'll miss watching nina now.
anyway, you've got a very nice collection of videos right here, and i hope it stays until nina is old enough to reminisce and see these all for herself! :D
@sheila37 That's OK. I appreciate all your comments because you make specific comments, rather than just, she is cute or something.
Yes, kids drawings are revealing. I wouldn't say that Nina is particularly skillful in drawing. She draws very quickly and does not worry about accuracy, but she does capture something. I thought the big tears were hilarious as well.
@geofg aw thanks. :) i try not to just write those sort of comments because if so, i would really be spamming EVERY single video of yours. haha.
well, i think her drawings are getting better! in the earlier videos i couldn't quite make out what she drew, but now i can. maybe i've just attuned to her drawing style? :D
I love Nina's drawing!! So i guess there was more then one oni at her school then!! That mut be scary. When i was working in a preschool, some parents had asked us all not to do the oni event for the following year because the kids are too scared to go to school!!!! I thought it was crazy-!! of course i didnt say it like that, but it took some time to convince parents that we are not doing it to scare the kids, its earning the culture and understading the tradition!!!!!! its important, isnt it.
@steivewonderful2007 Yeah, when Nina found out that the oni still come every year at her elementary school she started crying again. I guess they are trying to teach the kids perseverance and self-reliance and overcoming obstacles etc., but it does seem kind of harsh.
Nina is so cute! I can't stop watching your videos. They're so well-made and the stars in it are so great :) I'm really impressed with her ability to communicate her thoughts and feelings so well at such a young age! It's definitely not easy for a lot of kids... heck, even for some adults. haha.
hi i have recently become obsessed with watching your videos with nina :) i know you've heard this many times before but she is so sweet and you and your wife are wonderful parents! I also couldn't help but notice all the awesome pictures that you've taken of her. I read in one of your comments that you have a canon rebel dslr but what kind of lens do you use?
Hi! Im a Swedish guy that lived in Japan for about 3 years but had to go back home last June, and am now doing a long distance relationship with my girlfriend who I met a year and a half before I left Japan. I just wanted to say that watching your beatiful daughter makes me excited for the future, makes me dream that one day we can also have a cute kid like Nina, talking japanese with his/her mom and swedish with me. Thanks for all the cute videos. // Mattias (whos also scared of oni!)
@fyrkant Hey, Mattias! Long distance relationships are tough. Will you move back to Japan some day? Or will your girlfriend move to Sweden? There are many nice things about an international marriage, like being able to learn about another language and culture, but there are also many challenges, especially when you have children, like deciding where to live and which language to make the main one etc. If both partners are commited to making it work, though, it can be great. Good luck!
@geofg Nothing is really set in stone yet, but my girlfriend wants to try out how it is living in sweden (she's only visited for a couple of weeks), so that's the next thing on the plan. But it will take some time before she can get here, so I'm coming over for a three month stay now at the end of February. I do understand the challenges, but feel that the positive things with an international marriage wins by a landslide! 頑張って行きます！諦めない！:)
@geofg Nothing is really set in stone yet, but my girlfriend wants to try out how it is living in sweden (she's only visited for a couple of weeks), so that's the next thing on the plan. But it will take some time before she can get here, so I'm coming over for a three month stay now at the end of February. I do understand the challenges, but feel that the positive things with an international marriage wins by a landslide! 頑張って行きます！諦めない！:)
Hey. I am from Germany. My name is Kim.You studied Japanese right? Someday i want to study Japanese too. And it's my wish to live in Japan. But i think that it isn't easy to learn it on university, or? Next year i want to do an exchange trip to Japan and Nina helps me a bit to learn japanese. :D
@Preity568 It helps to study Japanese before you come here, but of course, it is easier when you are here because you have a chance to see and hear Japanese all around you. Good luck with your studies!
Hi there! I am from Latvia, my name's Victoria. I study Japanese langauge in university, it's my first year now. I had some period in my life now, when I started to hesitate why am I learning Japanese and what am going to do when I graduate. Your little beautiful girl reminded me why am I doing it all and what path I chose. Give my best whishes to Nina! She is so cute! P.S.: and she has a beautiful smile! ^^
@GazeCarsa Hi, Victoria! Learning Japanese is really hard, especially the first couple years. And, I imagine it must be even harder if you are not living in Japan. At some point, though, it kind of clicks and it starts to get easier. Hang with it. Do you think you will live in Japan some day?
@geofg Oh, it is hard, but not so hard I expected it to be at first. I think, it's because I really like Japanese and I like learning it!
Well, I really would like to. I like the culture and that Japanese harmony sense. And their sense of live. I read a lot of books and some information in the Internet. But of course I cannot know everything right from the books, I must visit Japan for that. And it's my dream to come there someday.
Just discovered your videos Nina is so adorable and a super smart little girl. It's so neat hearing a her speak japanese and english so well. I am korean and my husband is american, we don't have any children yet so I'm always excited to see little ones who are from a similar background. I don't speak korean since I was adopted at 5 mths old and been in america my whole life. But if/when we have children you have totally inspired me to get them started at a young age learning to speak korean.
@hisoue1505 Thanks for the comment. I agree that having a child will be a good excuse for you to get in touch with your Korean roots. Have you ever been to visit Korea?
Oh my goodness, it's been years since me and my little sister last seen a video about Nina. SHES GROWN SO MUCH! Awee, Nina is increasing her cuteness within seconds :D so adorable!
It still strikes me as amazing that your conversations don't miss a beat even though it's spoken in different languages. XD The last part, where Nina's drawing was shown, was absolutely funny! Her drawing of herself crying is so adorable. She's good in drawing too, huh. :) My little brother still draws stickmen, so she's got talent! :D There's also a cute backstory to this video. :) So funny! Informative too. :)
@HisakiNami Yeah, I love the drawing Nina did of her self with the tears on her cheeks, too. I don't know that her drawings are particularly skillful, but they are definitely funny and have personality in them. Anyway, thanks for the comment!
Hi!.. i don't know how to get this message directly to you but i hope you get this.
First of all, Nina you are so cute! adorable! and a genius! I love your videos.
It was my birthday on the 9th, i was wondering if nina can sing me a birthday song in japanese and english? Then i can post it on my Facebook and Tumblr.
@kuite Thanks for the message! With Nina, we like to just film her being herself and we don't really take requests to have her do make videos for others etc. I hope you understand. Happy birthday to you, though! And, thanks again!
Maybe I'm misunderstanding what she said (definitely possible) but that struck me as funny. Like foreigners wouldn't have whites to their eyes! Haha, so cute.
@geofg Good to know! I don't have much confidence in my Japanese, so I'm always worrying that I'm not catching the nuances/non-literal meanings of things people say.
wow, got a little artist on your hands =) hopefully she'll always be as creative and imaginative and hopefully her creative side flourishes as she grows up
@mattthorn Yes, it's definitely the eyes! So, what does your 18 year old do now? Is he or she living in Japan? Any advice from one parent of a ハーフ to another?
@geofg Advice? God, no. The best laid plans, etc., etc. Do you know the Japanese proverbs, 「親がいなくても、子は育つ」 (The child grows with or without the parent) and 「子は親の背中を見て育つ」 (The child grows watching the parent's back)? Well, they may seem mutually exclusive, but they're both true. Love her, feed her, and get out of her way. (^_-)
@mattthorn Yeah, that's more or less my philosophy as well. My wife reads books on parenting and reads blogs etc. but I tend to just wing it. People often comment on these videos of Nina's as to what great parents we are etc, but I pretty much do like you say and just let her be Nina.
Linguistics Attack!: I can't help giggling at Nina's use of watashitachi and mama and papa and nina and what not... It's really dorky but its great to see her idea of "identity" and "self" develop ...especially in terms of mama and papa.
@kemushichan Ah, Loretta, ever the linguist! BTW, have you kept in touch with the Japanese couple whose child you interviewed in America? I wonder how they are doing?
@geofg yes! They're actually both professors at my ol' Alma Mater (William and Mary), the father in History and the mother in Japanese language, so their daughter is certainly getting an intense language experience!!!
sometimes I wonder why not only Japanese but most of Asian culture like to scare kids with monsters and ghosts... I don't think in America they do these stuff?? don't you think?
@dandorf We have holloween and make fun of it. In the old days of Europe, there were lots of monster stories. The Grimm stories are very very grim.
But the point of a monster story is not that there are monsters, but that the monsters can be beaten. I think this is the source of the japanese custom here. Every kid knows there are oni, but in school they learn how to chase them away.
It is an important part of growing up, facing monsters and defeating them.
@MealyTeddy ha ha I know what you mean. It has been very difficult for me, too. But, Nina was born and lives in Japan and is immersed in Japanese every day so naturally it is easier for her.
I love when she speaks Japanese! Aw, poor Nina, to be so scared, but this day sounds like it would be too scary for some young children. Is this Nina's first Setsubun at Daycare?Such a good idea to draw and write it as a thank you story for sensei. This also made Nina feel better too, I think?Like some other commentors here, I too recently looked again at several older vids...so enjoyable and so fun watching Nina just get smarter and sweeter.....
@mohjoh1947 I think it was her third Setsubun at the daycare. She cries every time, as do many of the other kids. It seems like a harsh custom, but I guess it's a sort of rite of passage in Japan. I agree that drawing a picture of the day and giving it to her Sensei was therapeutic for her.
^___^ She's grown up a lot but her unguarded and candid way of telling her story reminded me that Nina, despite being ridiculously awesome and witty for her age, is still a child. :3
Thanks for sharing another moment with us!
PS :: i'm suddenly reminded of that old video of Nina's where she drew pictures of shohei and yuri. :P her drawing skills have leveled up quite a bit!
@PBnJem Yeah, we forget she's only five sometimes, too. She has always been so verbal and can seem very mature, but her reading/writing, etc. is actually at the same level as her peers. Some people differentiate between IQ and EQ (emotional quotient). I'd say Nina's IQ is average, but her EQ is fairly high.
@exodus87 I think "petack" is the sound of something being stuck to something else, as though the Oni's eyes had been slapped onto their faces, petack!
And it's amazing how children notice the eyes first thing. My daughter was a lot like Nina in that respect.
Dax893 1 month ago
I was told that Oni meant Devil, by a woman whose name was Onimatsu. Go figure. Anyway, I think Nina dealt with the trauma in a very Japanese way - always looking forward. Always looking for the good.
We never did Setsubun for my daughter, but I can tell you that she would have run to Papa first chance, soybeans ain't nothing.
Dax893 1 month ago
@Dax893 Apparently, over half of the kids burst into tears when the Oni (Sensei) came out. I don't know what their point is in scaring the kids that much. If I had been there, I probably would have jumped to Nina's rescue, too. ha ha
geofg 1 month ago
so precious! I´m 32 and no kids. I think it´s time I try for a Nina.
megansalt 7 months ago
I have a lot of Nina's video . she is so pretty cute girl :D
tell her I love her . and I wish she could reply my comment :p
1810chacha 10 months ago
@1810chacha OK, I'll tell her!
geofg 9 months ago
I love it when speaks japanese, it's so cute!!! she made me want to learn japanese
rosilazawi 11 months ago
im rewatching almost all of your vids,,hahaha again and again~(my fave is 'Nina talks to the people') but i just realized in this vid nina called you otousan and her mom okaasan instead of papa and mama.so cute:')
meZATY 11 months ago
D'aww cuteness overload!!! Too precious! I hope to have a family as amazing as yours one day. ^^
Imagineim 11 months ago
Wow, that sounds like a traumatizing holiday lol
tamaramacrae1990 1 year ago 2
Her japanese sounds just like a japanese grown up (almost) It's so cute to hear her speak like that in japanese :D
I'm studying japanese so that's why I think it's funny :P
All the best to Nina and the family :)
Sunkan86 1 year ago
Nina is so awesome! ^^ What a sweet family! Thanks for sharing with us! (*^_^*) You seem like great parents to a great girl!
NeoRaye 1 year ago
Hi Sir Geof, i'm one of nina's fan. I've watched all of her videos here in youtube. I think this is my first time to comment because I'm shy. -_-.. Thank you Geof san for sharing your memories with nina to everybody here in youtube. Every time I feel sad, I watch nina's video to cheer me up. I hope someday, I will have a daughter as kawaii and genki as nina. To nina-chan, I'm your number 1 fan! I wish you all the best in life. Stay sweet baby girl. ^_^
icecreampillowify 1 year ago 4
@icecreampillowify Thanks for commenting! Having Nina has been a great blessing for us, as I'm sure you can tell. I wish you all the best in having a beautiful daughter of your own some day!
geofg 1 year ago
I cant believe how big girl she is already! :) I remember how small she was when I started to watch your videos for the first time. But she have grown up to be so sweet and smart. Your amazing Nina! :)
TerachiShinya 1 year ago 2
@TerachiShinya Thanks! Even for us, she is growing up quickly, and we see her every day.
geofg 1 year ago
her description of the ogres actually scared me. lol. no wonder she cried, i think i would've cried too if i were her!
vanbelle 1 year ago 5
@vanbelle Yes, it's their horrible ogre eyes!
geofg 1 year ago
Nina has a wonderful imagination, and her drawing and story were adorable! I always love listening to her descriptions of situations on your adventures. Geof-you are an awesome Father. It's clear Nina adores you as much as you do her, and her life is so enriched for that relationship. I am looking forward to watching Nina grow. She is destined to do something wonderful. She's bright, beautiful, confident and so well spoken! I wish all of you all the best-and thank you again for sharing her!
grommie959 1 year ago 2
@grommie959 Thanks for such a flattering compliment! We appreciate it! We, of course, feel like Nina is a special kid, but I'm sure all parents feel that way about their own child. I think we are just lucky, in that for whatever reason (being older parents etc.) we are able to make Nina the focus of our lives, and just being together doing simple things as a family is what we all love most. It's sad that a lot of families don't seem to have (or make) the time to just be together like that.
geofg 1 year ago
i love how she drew the tears as big as her eyes. hehe. :) kids' drawings, including nina's are so incredibly cute!
i've now watched all your videos so far and have probably spammed you with a lot of comments, and for that i'm sorry. :S it all started when my sister sent a link of "the mochi song". i think i'll miss watching nina now.
anyway, you've got a very nice collection of videos right here, and i hope it stays until nina is old enough to reminisce and see these all for herself! :D
sheila37 1 year ago
@sheila37 That's OK. I appreciate all your comments because you make specific comments, rather than just, she is cute or something.
Yes, kids drawings are revealing. I wouldn't say that Nina is particularly skillful in drawing. She draws very quickly and does not worry about accuracy, but she does capture something. I thought the big tears were hilarious as well.
geofg 1 year ago
@geofg aw thanks. :) i try not to just write those sort of comments because if so, i would really be spamming EVERY single video of yours. haha.
well, i think her drawings are getting better! in the earlier videos i couldn't quite make out what she drew, but now i can. maybe i've just attuned to her drawing style? :D
sheila37 1 year ago
too...cute........can't.....stant it!
shirobator 1 year ago
I JUST WANT TO SQUISH THEM CHEEKS! SO CUTE! ADORABLE AND SMART! :D :D YOU'RE SO LUCKY!
deathmask1007 1 year ago
its so nice that Nina can speak both english and japanese.. and she's so cute!
HyukieCheongmu 1 year ago
Nina speaks very fluent nihongo, I envy her... She's so cute too.
philipgripo 1 year ago
i love her hair! its great, just sits like that, lol.
ohaipercy 1 year ago
she is so cute :) may god bless her for her parents
alawi0juventus 1 year ago
so, it's like all the kids in japan are scared to go to school on that day >_<
j0inolryt 1 year ago
@j0inolryt Yeah, it's kinda harsh. ha ha
geofg 1 year ago
I love Nina's drawing!! So i guess there was more then one oni at her school then!! That mut be scary. When i was working in a preschool, some parents had asked us all not to do the oni event for the following year because the kids are too scared to go to school!!!! I thought it was crazy-!! of course i didnt say it like that, but it took some time to convince parents that we are not doing it to scare the kids, its earning the culture and understading the tradition!!!!!! its important, isnt it.
steivewonderful2007 1 year ago
@steivewonderful2007 Yeah, when Nina found out that the oni still come every year at her elementary school she started crying again. I guess they are trying to teach the kids perseverance and self-reliance and overcoming obstacles etc., but it does seem kind of harsh.
geofg 1 year ago
yes it is! even the plastic oni mask is scary even for me.....
steivewonderful2007 1 year ago
Nina is so cute! I can't stop watching your videos. They're so well-made and the stars in it are so great :) I'm really impressed with her ability to communicate her thoughts and feelings so well at such a young age! It's definitely not easy for a lot of kids... heck, even for some adults. haha.
bemoreunique 1 year ago
@bemoreunique Thanks a lot! Nina has always been a good communicator so that has made it easier for us as parents.
geofg 1 year ago
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO YOU ALL :)
I miss Nina :D
oNANAo 1 year ago
hi i have recently become obsessed with watching your videos with nina :) i know you've heard this many times before but she is so sweet and you and your wife are wonderful parents! I also couldn't help but notice all the awesome pictures that you've taken of her. I read in one of your comments that you have a canon rebel dslr but what kind of lens do you use?
ricebuni 1 year ago
@ricebuni Thank you! I have an L Series EF 24-70 lens I use for most of my photos.
geofg 1 year ago
Hi! Im a Swedish guy that lived in Japan for about 3 years but had to go back home last June, and am now doing a long distance relationship with my girlfriend who I met a year and a half before I left Japan. I just wanted to say that watching your beatiful daughter makes me excited for the future, makes me dream that one day we can also have a cute kid like Nina, talking japanese with his/her mom and swedish with me. Thanks for all the cute videos. // Mattias (whos also scared of oni!)
fyrkant 1 year ago
@fyrkant Hey, Mattias! Long distance relationships are tough. Will you move back to Japan some day? Or will your girlfriend move to Sweden? There are many nice things about an international marriage, like being able to learn about another language and culture, but there are also many challenges, especially when you have children, like deciding where to live and which language to make the main one etc. If both partners are commited to making it work, though, it can be great. Good luck!
geofg 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@geofg Nothing is really set in stone yet, but my girlfriend wants to try out how it is living in sweden (she's only visited for a couple of weeks), so that's the next thing on the plan. But it will take some time before she can get here, so I'm coming over for a three month stay now at the end of February. I do understand the challenges, but feel that the positive things with an international marriage wins by a landslide! 頑張って行きます！諦めない！:)
fyrkant 1 year ago
@geofg Nothing is really set in stone yet, but my girlfriend wants to try out how it is living in sweden (she's only visited for a couple of weeks), so that's the next thing on the plan. But it will take some time before she can get here, so I'm coming over for a three month stay now at the end of February. I do understand the challenges, but feel that the positive things with an international marriage wins by a landslide! 頑張って行きます！諦めない！:)
fyrkant 1 year ago
@fyrkant OK, best of luck to you guys!
geofg 1 year ago
Hey. I am from Germany. My name is Kim.You studied Japanese right? Someday i want to study Japanese too. And it's my wish to live in Japan. But i think that it isn't easy to learn it on university, or? Next year i want to do an exchange trip to Japan and Nina helps me a bit to learn japanese. :D
Preity568 1 year ago
@Preity568 It helps to study Japanese before you come here, but of course, it is easier when you are here because you have a chance to see and hear Japanese all around you. Good luck with your studies!
geofg 1 year ago
@geofg Thanks (:
Preity568 1 year ago
haha so cute, Nina is just adorable ^_^
vanillacaffelatte 1 year ago
Hi there! I am from Latvia, my name's Victoria. I study Japanese langauge in university, it's my first year now. I had some period in my life now, when I started to hesitate why am I learning Japanese and what am going to do when I graduate. Your little beautiful girl reminded me why am I doing it all and what path I chose. Give my best whishes to Nina! She is so cute! P.S.: and she has a beautiful smile! ^^
GazeCarsa 1 year ago
@GazeCarsa Hi, Victoria! Learning Japanese is really hard, especially the first couple years. And, I imagine it must be even harder if you are not living in Japan. At some point, though, it kind of clicks and it starts to get easier. Hang with it. Do you think you will live in Japan some day?
geofg 1 year ago
@geofg Oh, it is hard, but not so hard I expected it to be at first. I think, it's because I really like Japanese and I like learning it!
Well, I really would like to. I like the culture and that Japanese harmony sense. And their sense of live. I read a lot of books and some information in the Internet. But of course I cannot know everything right from the books, I must visit Japan for that. And it's my dream to come there someday.
P.S.:I had a dream about your Nina tonight! ^^
GazeCarsa 1 year ago
Nina should watch Shrek :)
mafehermelie 1 year ago
kawaii
yamy00yamy 1 year ago
Just discovered your videos Nina is so adorable and a super smart little girl. It's so neat hearing a her speak japanese and english so well. I am korean and my husband is american, we don't have any children yet so I'm always excited to see little ones who are from a similar background. I don't speak korean since I was adopted at 5 mths old and been in america my whole life. But if/when we have children you have totally inspired me to get them started at a young age learning to speak korean.
hisoue1505 1 year ago
@hisoue1505 Thanks for the comment. I agree that having a child will be a good excuse for you to get in touch with your Korean roots. Have you ever been to visit Korea?
geofg 1 year ago
@geofg No I haven't but it's definately on the bucket list. My husband wants to go just as much as I do. We'll see.
hisoue1505 1 year ago
i learn a lot of Japanese word from nina... thanks geofg!
dianaluvrose 1 year ago
@dianaluvrose She teaches me Japanese, too.
geofg 1 year ago
Oh my goodness, it's been years since me and my little sister last seen a video about Nina. SHES GROWN SO MUCH! Awee, Nina is increasing her cuteness within seconds :D so adorable!
AreYoohJen 1 year ago
Konnichiwa
altwib2 1 year ago
Haaah it's really great, she's good at story telling, - I want a kid that can speak Japanese and English fluently too! いい両親ですね (;
SamJonesCSSM 1 year ago
Goshhhhhh I love her!! -3
paangz 1 year ago
She'll be a beautiful woman.
You're so lucky to have daughter like her.
I really would like to see Nina
she inspire me to practice my English for posting
and also inspire me to start learning Japanese.
tissnadi 1 year ago
@tissnadi Thanks for the message! Your English seems fine to me!
geofg 1 year ago
It still strikes me as amazing that your conversations don't miss a beat even though it's spoken in different languages. XD The last part, where Nina's drawing was shown, was absolutely funny! Her drawing of herself crying is so adorable. She's good in drawing too, huh. :) My little brother still draws stickmen, so she's got talent! :D There's also a cute backstory to this video. :) So funny! Informative too. :)
HisakiNami 1 year ago
@HisakiNami Yeah, I love the drawing Nina did of her self with the tears on her cheeks, too. I don't know that her drawings are particularly skillful, but they are definitely funny and have personality in them. Anyway, thanks for the comment!
geofg 1 year ago
Hi!.. i don't know how to get this message directly to you but i hope you get this.
First of all, Nina you are so cute! adorable! and a genius! I love your videos.
It was my birthday on the 9th, i was wondering if nina can sing me a birthday song in japanese and english? Then i can post it on my Facebook and Tumblr.
Nina and family all of you are gorgeous!
kuite 1 year ago
@kuite By the way I am Febrariska, 22 yeards old and i live in Qatar. :D I love you nina!
kuite 1 year ago
@kuite Thanks for the message! With Nina, we like to just film her being herself and we don't really take requests to have her do make videos for others etc. I hope you understand. Happy birthday to you, though! And, thanks again!
geofg 1 year ago
「お父さんも白でしょう」
あたりまえじゃん！
Maybe I'm misunderstanding what she said (definitely possible) but that struck me as funny. Like foreigners wouldn't have whites to their eyes! Haha, so cute.
moshimoshiumeboshi 1 year ago
@moshimoshiumeboshi No, you are not misunderstanding. I thought that was pretty funny, too!
geofg 1 year ago
@geofg Good to know! I don't have much confidence in my Japanese, so I'm always worrying that I'm not catching the nuances/non-literal meanings of things people say.
moshimoshiumeboshi 1 year ago
OMG!!! can we just share her custody??? lol I want a daughter like yours!!! She's the sweetest thing!!!
oyecomovamiritmo 1 year ago
@oyecomovamiritmo ha ha Thanks!
geofg 1 year ago
oh it's so hard to get over how adorable and witty she is! :)
carllin87 1 year ago
wow, got a little artist on your hands =) hopefully she'll always be as creative and imaginative and hopefully her creative side flourishes as she grows up
ohnousernameavailabl 1 year ago
@ohnousernameavailabl Yeah, I hope so too. We will keep encouraging her to indulge her creative side.
geofg 1 year ago
Nina is getting better and better with her drawing and writing. I'd love to have Nina in my classroom. I'm sure she is a very good student.
prae29 1 year ago
@prae29 She loves to please the teacher, that's for sure.
geofg 1 year ago
haha she is so greatful and such a sweetheart ^_______^
gettingblur 1 year ago
Adorable! 可愛いね！鬼マジ怖いもんな。 It's the yellow eyes!!
mattthorn 1 year ago
@mattthorn Yes, it's definitely the eyes! So, what does your 18 year old do now? Is he or she living in Japan? Any advice from one parent of a ハーフ to another?
geofg 1 year ago
@geofg Advice? God, no. The best laid plans, etc., etc. Do you know the Japanese proverbs, 「親がいなくても、子は育つ」 (The child grows with or without the parent) and 「子は親の背中を見て育つ」 (The child grows watching the parent's back)? Well, they may seem mutually exclusive, but they're both true. Love her, feed her, and get out of her way. (^_-)
mattthorn 1 year ago
@mattthorn Yeah, that's more or less my philosophy as well. My wife reads books on parenting and reads blogs etc. but I tend to just wing it. People often comment on these videos of Nina's as to what great parents we are etc, but I pretty much do like you say and just let her be Nina.
geofg 1 year ago
I love to listen Nina, more when she speaks japanese
the end "finished" is so cute ^^
qendu 1 year ago
I really like Nina *-* . And her japanese is very good. I wish i can speak japanese better too. xD . The ,, owaaooh " was very funny xD
Preity568 1 year ago
DId Nina get to thought beans at the oni?
TheSomethingWitty 1 year ago
@TheSomethingWitty She did throw some beans, but then she ran to the Sensei crying!
geofg 1 year ago
I bet if Nina did that scary face of hers with the eyes rolling over, those ogres would run in terror. :D
Archronos1 1 year ago
@Archronos1 That's right! I'll have to suggest to her to break out her scary face next time.
geofg 1 year ago
woaaaaa..nina talking very fast..
MsFesty 1 year ago
にいなちゃんとっても可愛いですね(○・v・)
最近こちらのチャンネルを発見し、色々見させてもらったのですがファンになりました。
英語のリスニング出来てて凄いです♪
ta9yamomomo 1 year ago
@ta9yamomomo メッセージありがとうございました！
geofg 1 year ago
SHe's so cute when you let her speak Japanese in the videos!! THank you Geof! - from California
purplesomeone 1 year ago
Linguistics Attack!: I can't help giggling at Nina's use of watashitachi and mama and papa and nina and what not... It's really dorky but its great to see her idea of "identity" and "self" develop ...especially in terms of mama and papa.
kemushichan 1 year ago
@kemushichan Ah, Loretta, ever the linguist! BTW, have you kept in touch with the Japanese couple whose child you interviewed in America? I wonder how they are doing?
geofg 1 year ago
@geofg yes! They're actually both professors at my ol' Alma Mater (William and Mary), the father in History and the mother in Japanese language, so their daughter is certainly getting an intense language experience!!!
kemushichan 1 year ago
How very polite and thoughtful of Nina. The oni are indeed very scary, even for adults!
MeriiKiyo 1 year ago
Awww sounds like her school may have gone a little over the top with their costumes.
kichan 1 year ago
@kichan The Oni sound pretty scary alright.
geofg 1 year ago
Nina wa totemo kawaii desunee <3
Hahaha Im in Japanese 1 right now, wait a couple years and ill be able to say so much more about this adorable girl(:
Ilove Nina she is just too cute!
BoomItsMeg 1 year ago
@BoomItsMeg Nihongo de ganbatte ne!
geofg 1 year ago
And let's not forget how strong even the oni underwear is (watch?v=ao3YhnN9nWM).
Are your American ears hearing a /k/ that isn't there? ぺたっ peta(t) :-)
languageandhumor 1 year ago
@languageandhumor I had forgotten all about the oni underwear.
「ぺたっ」か。ha ha I guess I should have taken the energy to ask my wife what exactly she was saying.
geofg 1 year ago
sometimes I wonder why not only Japanese but most of Asian culture like to scare kids with monsters and ghosts... I don't think in America they do these stuff?? don't you think?
dandorf 1 year ago
@dandorf We have holloween and make fun of it. In the old days of Europe, there were lots of monster stories. The Grimm stories are very very grim.
But the point of a monster story is not that there are monsters, but that the monsters can be beaten. I think this is the source of the japanese custom here. Every kid knows there are oni, but in school they learn how to chase them away.
It is an important part of growing up, facing monsters and defeating them.
zoodensha 1 year ago
@zoodensha Yes, that sounds about right to me!
geofg 1 year ago
I love Nina's drawing.
I love kids drawing, it tells many things.
She's very good in explaining things isn't she?
I think she really likes her sensei,she drew miss sakano protecting her,smiling. she must be a really nice person hahaha
amazinglyalien 1 year ago
@amazinglyalien ha ha Yes, Ms. Sakano is a very nice Sensei who always looks out for Nina!
geofg 1 year ago
she's so cute in this video!! =]
smartsambo 1 year ago
I used to think Oni meant demon.
Mugensenpai 1 year ago 5
@Mugensenpai Yeah, that's one of the definitions, I think.
geofg 1 year ago
'petack'..haha
xoOnatalieOox 1 year ago
Oh I am so jealous of her... >___<' I learn very hard japanese but she is totally better than me XD
MealyTeddy 1 year ago 7
@MealyTeddy ha ha I know what you mean. It has been very difficult for me, too. But, Nina was born and lives in Japan and is immersed in Japanese every day so naturally it is easier for her.
geofg 1 year ago
hh.. she's wearing her favorite Nina PJs again. lol
LingoLcreates 1 year ago
she is fast talking
kawaai
asoooma222 1 year ago
I love when she speaks Japanese! Aw, poor Nina, to be so scared, but this day sounds like it would be too scary for some young children. Is this Nina's first Setsubun at Daycare?Such a good idea to draw and write it as a thank you story for sensei. This also made Nina feel better too, I think?Like some other commentors here, I too recently looked again at several older vids...so enjoyable and so fun watching Nina just get smarter and sweeter.....
mohjoh1947 1 year ago
@mohjoh1947 I think it was her third Setsubun at the daycare. She cries every time, as do many of the other kids. It seems like a harsh custom, but I guess it's a sort of rite of passage in Japan. I agree that drawing a picture of the day and giving it to her Sensei was therapeutic for her.
geofg 1 year ago
Very cool. Creepy music!! XD
MochiMegan 1 year ago
Oh, wow... I was watching your earlier videos of her speaking Japanese (mostly the mud in the face one), and she is amazing!
JouninAkisa 1 year ago
@JouninAkisa XD That's because she lives in Japan XD
luvmaya 1 year ago
she is a cute lady kawaiiiiiiii:*:*:*:*:*thx nina for giving me a piece of sunshine today
getinthelight 1 year ago 2
^___^ She's grown up a lot but her unguarded and candid way of telling her story reminded me that Nina, despite being ridiculously awesome and witty for her age, is still a child. :3
Thanks for sharing another moment with us!
PS :: i'm suddenly reminded of that old video of Nina's where she drew pictures of shohei and yuri. :P her drawing skills have leveled up quite a bit!
PBnJem 1 year ago
@PBnJem Yeah, we forget she's only five sometimes, too. She has always been so verbal and can seem very mature, but her reading/writing, etc. is actually at the same level as her peers. Some people differentiate between IQ and EQ (emotional quotient). I'd say Nina's IQ is average, but her EQ is fairly high.
geofg 1 year ago
"petack!"
cute :D
topxnajwa 1 year ago
What is 'petack'? does she mean 'black'? it is funny when she said "petack!"
exodus87 1 year ago
@exodus87 I think "petack" is the sound of something being stuck to something else, as though the Oni's eyes had been slapped onto their faces, petack!
geofg 1 year ago
The Oni are scary! :o0
roxanneworld11 1 year ago
Well done Nina :)
Proofz1 1 year ago
aw Nina is so cute shes a little strong girl but the Oni are just too scary, when shes bigger she can kick their butts haha
NightdarkLP 1 year ago
@NightdarkLP Yeah, I'm tempted to go with her to daycare next year and tell those Oni to pick on someone their own size.
geofg 1 year ago
:-)
ahmadluqman 1 year ago
FIRST!
wheeesian 1 year ago
私たち…
お父さん…
she used to call her self Nina and called you Papa...
oh Nina... :)
Soh12Beatbox 1 year ago 14
@Soh12Beatbox ha ha She still uses "Nina" and "Papa" when she's speaking English.
geofg 1 year ago
she can speak Japanese very well.
pavolpi 1 year ago