I do not know how to use Japanese characters on my computer. I am running an Ubuntu OS(linux) as a last resort since my computer crashed on me a couple of months ago, and I barely know anything about it. Here's my shot at the phrases in Romaji, and sorry if they're REALLY off :P

What is your favourite colour?
anata wa nani okiniiri iro wo desu ka?

What are your favourite Japanese movies?
anata wa nani okiniiri nihongo eiga desu ka?

Your birthday is coming up!
anata wa tanjo-bi wo chikaku ni desu

What are you doing for your birthday?
anata wa tanjo-bi no suru desu ka?

Do you have a Facebook account?
anata wa akaunto FACEBOOK te iru ka?

Do you play* any sports?
anata wa supotsu wo saisei ka?

What do you do during your spare time?
anata wa nani aki jikan wo suru ka?

Where abouts do you live?
anata wa doko wo raibu ka?

What school do you go to?
anata wa nani gakko wo ni iku ka?

When are you moving back to Japan?
anata wa nihongo wo ido ka?

Do you have a boyfriend?
anata wa boifurendo wo te iru ka?

When can I see you?
anata wa toki wo miru ka?

Are you studying Japanese?

This is from my grammar workbook and I came up with an answer not in the answer key, would it be correct? It's to practice using せいか. I'm wondering if I need to include 'what' is over the budget, or if this is fine.

スミス：小林さん、足が出たせいかこのごろ元気がありませんねえ。
ハリス：ええ、私もちょっと心配していたんですよ。

Let's say I do need to include what's over the budget, would it be correct to say,
「小林さん、旅行が足が出たせいかこのごろ元気がありませんねえ。」

The Smith line sounds plain strange. It actually sounds as if someone had a foot sticking out of something. However, if the budget problem had already been discussed between the two before Smith said that line, then it would be acceptable.

This one is much more reader-friendly. Need to change 旅行が to　旅行で, though.

I have a lot of trouble understanding 〜ておく (in preparation for the future) >_< Please help...

I can understand:
晩ご飯を作っておく。I will make dinner in advance. (I think...)

But... what about sentences like these?
アメリカにいるうちにニューヨークに行っておいたほう がいいよ。
Does it mean, 'It's better to visit NY and see before it's too late'?

忘れないうちに友達に電話しておこう。
Let's call our friend before it's too late and we forget.

:confused: I pretty much replaced 'in advance/in preparation for the future' with 'before it's too late'. Am I on the right track?

Thank you Masaegu :)
My sensei had to always correct my particles >.< ...why is it で and not に-- this has always confused me. Isn't で a particle for action?

I would not say that you were not on the right track, but there are more meanings to 〜ておく than just "in preparation for the future". Then again, it is all related to future.

「 晩ご飯を作っておく。」 has at least two meanings.
1. "I will make dinner now so I can eat as soon as I'm done with homework (or something)."

You don't want to cook when you are tired and hungry so you are making it in advance to eat it later by reheating it.

2. "I will make dinner now because I will not be home when you come home for dinner."

Mom might say this.
___________

「アメリカにいるうちにニューヨークに行っておいたほ う がいいよ。」
This sentence does not mean what you said. It is never too late to see NY, is it?

This sentence means that the addressee is now in the U.S. (possibly from Japan) so it's a good chance to see NY because once he returns home to Japan, it will not be easy to go to NY.

It's saying "Do it now while it's much easier to do it."
___________

「忘れないうちに友達に電話しておこう。」
Again you used "before it's too late" when it doesn't say that.

You've got a call to make. There is no specific time limit for it but you would rather call now than forget about it and fail to call.

うちに is the key phrase here.

One more thing. You translated the last sentence with the subject "we" but the phrase is something that you would say to yourself nearly 100% of the time.

Incurring a deficit is an action.

[quote=masaegu;863042]I would not say that you were not on the right track, but there are more meanings to 〜ておく than just "in preparation for the future". Then again, it is all related to future.

「 晩ご飯を作っておく。」 has at least two meanings.
1. "I will make dinner now so I can eat as soon as I'm done with homework (or something)."

You don't want to cook when you are tired and hungry so you are making it in advance to eat it later by reheating it.

2. "I will make dinner now because I will not be home when you come home for dinner."

Mom might say this.
___________

I think that makes sense to me now :)

Would the difference between
「忘れないうちに友達に電話しよう。」
and
「忘れないうちに友達に電話しておこう。」
be that the first one simply states, 'I should call my friend before I forget.' and the second one is, 'I should call my friend nowbefore I forget?

Oops :o ...does the volitional form (ておこう) in this case mean 'should' or 'probably should'? I tried to look for different volitional form usages... but failed >< so I translated as 'we/let's' because 行こう=let's go?

Brief question on dialogue;
「奥座んな」
What does 「奥」 mean here? The speaker takes a guy into a room with a table and two chairs (placed across from each other; they're going to discuss a business deal). I'm not sure what chair 奥 is referring to :confused: