You're close to right. Hokkaido also should be excluded. The word is only applied to the Sea of Japan side of the main island. Anyways, the term is old and hardly heard anymore. By the way, nice picture, EVIL HEART.

The example is correct, and also the explanation is correct. When ばかり connects to a past form, it means the subject just did the verb. On the other hand, when it connects to a ーて form or a simple form, it means the subject do nothing but the verb, which have a somewhat negative connotation. There are always exceptions, but most of cases can be applied to this. Then get back to the baby sentence. The meaning of it is that the baby was nothing but crying. If one wants to say the baby had just cried -- she was in the state right after crying --, then it will be… 赤ちゃんは泣いたばかりでした。Honestly, it seems a little unnatural, because we often use 直後 or other expressions instead in written Japanese. However, in colloquial Japanese, the use is fine. Anyway, I think you maybe misunderstood the conjugation of 泣く. 泣く is the simple form so that 泣くばかりでした is the almost same as 泣いてばかりでした. 私はごはんを食べたばかりです：I've just finished eating. 私はごはんを食べてばかりです：I do nothing but eating. 私はごはんを食べたばかりでした。: I had just finished eating.* 私はごはんを食べてばかりでした：I used to do nothing but eating. *As I mentioned, it is unnatural in written Japanese.

Let me add my two cents. 終える: put an end x 終わる: come to an end Generally, the subject of 終える is the one who puts an end to something, even though the subject phrase is often omitted. On the other hand, the subject of 終わる is the thing coming to an end. 舞台を終える : the subject is omitted, but it should be someone who works for the play like an actor or director. 舞台が終わる: the subject is the play. It just describes the fact that the play finishes.

It's the colloquial way of しておく. The closest expression is something like 'have it done'. See the examples bellow. Set your mind x Have your mind set. While the former sounds urgent, the latter sounds doing so for some occasion coming. In this way, しておく eludes the state of preparation.

日本に行くことを楽しみにしているけど、やっぱり怖いんだ。

二ヶ月後に日本に行くのをすごく楽しみにしている！でも行ったことのない国に行くのはやっぱり怖いもんだね。人がいっぱいいる大きな都市に慣れてないのに日本に着いたらまず東京にいくんだ。その上、北アメリカ人なので文化の不一致がないか心配してる。うっかりとしたミスで人に失礼するのは嫌だ 。

(*1) 東京にいる間に特に食べてみたほうがいい食べ物はあるかなあ。これを読んでる日本の人 (*2)、何を勧める？

そうだ！他にも質問がある。耳のピアスがいっぱいあって日本の高校に行ったらダメだとわかってますけど、目で見えないピアスをしたら大丈夫かなあ？どう思う？

 

*1: I think you translated 'anway', but most of the time, those colloquial words/phrases don't need to do so, especially in writing.

*2: Calling for people with their nationalities sometimes comes off a bit rude. You'd better Insert の between, and make the phrase to be adjective + noun; 日本人=Japanese / 日本の人=Japanese people/person

 

It's up to each school and their discipline. My high school allowed us to wear a nose piercing, which was definitely exceptional though. Invisible piercing is like the one made of silicon, right? Then I think quite a few schools overlook.

 

I used to live in Canada, and I could have most of Japanese dishes there, but honestly, it was so rare I had the same tastes as of authentic Japanese food. I think it'd be fun for you to have compare those differences.

好きな本を説明してみます (*1)。　*辞書抜き*

私の好きな小説は「アメリカン・ゴッズ」と言います。（ゴッズの意味は神々）この本の主人公はシャドウといいます。刑務所からから出所したばかりです (*2)。

出所の数日前に、シャドウの妻が自動車事故で亡くなりました。葬式に行く途中、怪しい人に会いました。その人はミスター・ウェンズデイといいます。（funeralを日本語でなんと言うか思い出せない）

ミスター・ウェンズデイがシャドウに仕事をオファーしますが、変な感想があります??。　仕事の中で、シャドウとミスター・ウェンズデイは一緒に色々な国の神々を訪ねます。すぐに、昔の神と現代の神が争いを始めます (*3)。　(喧嘩は言葉として弱過ぎるけれど、他にもっと良い言葉を知らない）

ジャンルはファンタジーだそうですが、魔法など他のファンタジーの要素は、あまりありません。読みながら、アメリカの田舎と有名なところを体験できます。

*1: if you suggest others to describe their favorite novels, するようにしよう／してみよう are fine.

*2: if he had broken out of jail, 逃げ出す would be correct. However, in my understanding, he was properly released out of prison, wasn't he?

*3: 争い includes all the fight from a quarrel to a armed conflict.

Hi, Mable!

 

こんにちは

初めまして (*1)。エリックです。よろしくお願いします。

六ヶ月前から日本語を勉強しています (*2)。まだ上手じゃありません (*3)。文法は大変ですね。

一緒に勉強できることを楽しみにしています。

 

*1: 始 is the Kanji for initiation. When you mean first, it should be 初.

*2: The time tense of the correction is the present perfect. You can also apply the past tense; 六ヶ月前に日本語の勉強を始めました。

*3: Even when there are kanjis, sometimes we prefer hiragana/kana to use like this time.

*4: It depends on to whom you wrote. If you meant to tell this to someone you've already learn together, then もっと is fine.

 

Well done. All the best.