Hi all, it's quickly approaching my favorite time of year...Christmas! Being in Asia, the season is a bit less festive than in North America. Okay, a LOT less festive. Although there seems to be no shortage of twinkly lights on the outside of some houses. The homes I've seen with Christmas lights are literally draped with them. The blinking and twinkling is too frenetic for these human eyes.
Being the Christmas lover that I am, the lack of it in Asia is depressing. Sure, they have Christmas trees and even carols but something of the holiday spirit is missing. I suppose it's something that just can't be reproduced. I can picture the malls back home being covered with X-Mas periphernalia and carols lilting out at every corner. In Japan, the malls are decked out but in a somewhat stilted fashion. Kind of like my Japanese (or Korean) writing.
Determined to celebrate Christmas despite my location I duly visited the novelty and 100 yen stores to compile a small list of Christmas decorations. The fake tree I got makes Charlie Brown's look enormous. Still, it's been laddered with lights and ornaments that are slightly too large for it. It also keeps falling over but that's alright, we'll just prop it against the wall.
Hope you're all doing well.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Being illiterate - Kanji Part 2
I thought I would try to update this thing more regularly. Which means I'll go through a spurt where I update every two or three days, and then sink back into lethargy where I don't update at all. This is one of the former periods.
I was thinking last night about my inability to read here. In China, I didn't even attempt it since every character was so alien to me. In Korea, learning to read was relatively easy and I was reading at a pseudo-decent speed by the time I left. In Japan, with the 3 different writing systems, one is tricked into thinking he/she can read but then some kanji is tossed in to throw everything off. I think the worst part of kanji is that each character can have a Chinese and Japanese pronunciation. When do you use which? Who knows, I think it's something you learn over time. The native Japanese can't explain why they use a certain pronunciation.
The interesting (strange?) thing about this country is that children in elementary/middle school can, of course, speak their language but have a hard time reading all the signs they see around them. You have to have a high school education to really be able to get around and read everything you want (signs, comic books, novels etc.) That struck me as odd. Being raised as an English speaker, I learned to read in elementary school and by the time I entered junior high I had no problem reading signs or books. Not so here, an elementary graduate can probably only read about 50% of the kanji they see.
The breakdown, as I can understand it, goes as such:
Elementary students are taught kyoiku kanji, equaling 1006 characters.
Middle school students are taught joyo kanji, (an addtional 939 characters.)
On top of this there is jinmeiyo kanji, those used in registering names. Lord knows, when this is taught. I would guess throughout junior high, high school, university and right on until DEATH (possibly kanji continues to torture the Japanese soul into the afterlife). I take this to mean that elementary school students are unable to read the official writing of names. I assume they are taught to read at least their own names.
My official thoughts on kanji are: it's way too complicated and I have no desire to learn it. What with the ten different meanings any one kanji could have depending on context, nuance and blah blah blah. Where would I use it after I leave this country? I watch Will study diligently pretty much every night and sometimes the vague thought that I should learn it too crosses my mind but the thought leaves as quickly as it came and I'm left in happy oblivion. Am I lazy you ask? Most definitely! Disrespectful? Probably. Actually, being here makes me realize that I should've studied Korean harder while I was there. My bad.
This is the illiterate, mute gaijin signing off for now. This post is bit longer than I intended.
I was thinking last night about my inability to read here. In China, I didn't even attempt it since every character was so alien to me. In Korea, learning to read was relatively easy and I was reading at a pseudo-decent speed by the time I left. In Japan, with the 3 different writing systems, one is tricked into thinking he/she can read but then some kanji is tossed in to throw everything off. I think the worst part of kanji is that each character can have a Chinese and Japanese pronunciation. When do you use which? Who knows, I think it's something you learn over time. The native Japanese can't explain why they use a certain pronunciation.
The interesting (strange?) thing about this country is that children in elementary/middle school can, of course, speak their language but have a hard time reading all the signs they see around them. You have to have a high school education to really be able to get around and read everything you want (signs, comic books, novels etc.) That struck me as odd. Being raised as an English speaker, I learned to read in elementary school and by the time I entered junior high I had no problem reading signs or books. Not so here, an elementary graduate can probably only read about 50% of the kanji they see.
The breakdown, as I can understand it, goes as such:
Elementary students are taught kyoiku kanji, equaling 1006 characters.
Middle school students are taught joyo kanji, (an addtional 939 characters.)
On top of this there is jinmeiyo kanji, those used in registering names. Lord knows, when this is taught. I would guess throughout junior high, high school, university and right on until DEATH (possibly kanji continues to torture the Japanese soul into the afterlife). I take this to mean that elementary school students are unable to read the official writing of names. I assume they are taught to read at least their own names.
My official thoughts on kanji are: it's way too complicated and I have no desire to learn it. What with the ten different meanings any one kanji could have depending on context, nuance and blah blah blah. Where would I use it after I leave this country? I watch Will study diligently pretty much every night and sometimes the vague thought that I should learn it too crosses my mind but the thought leaves as quickly as it came and I'm left in happy oblivion. Am I lazy you ask? Most definitely! Disrespectful? Probably. Actually, being here makes me realize that I should've studied Korean harder while I was there. My bad.
This is the illiterate, mute gaijin signing off for now. This post is bit longer than I intended.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Japan life - Autumn
Finally I can stop carping about the intense heat and go straight into carping about the intense cold. Well, ok, not really intense but building up to there I think. Japanese houses don't really do much to keep the heat in. I've taken to pestering my students to help me figure out which option says "heat" on the air-conditioner/heater remote. When in my house I bundle up attractively in track pants, t-shirt and some sort of hoodie (hoody?). I'm afraid to get out of bed in the mornings because I don't want my bare feet to touch the cold wooden floor. I miss the "ondol" heating system in Korea (where the entire floor is heated).
On Monday, on my usual drive to work, I spent half of the drive behind a white sedan. While this in itself isn't anything interesting the antics the driver was going through were. He spent that entire half hour slapping and/or hitting himself. And I mean the entire half hour. The slapping and hitting were pretty much continuous. At one point I actually saw him ball his hand into a fist and then, ram himself with it. In the rare 2 seconds he wasn't doing this, he would run his hand through his hair. I don't know, maybe there was a bee or wasp in the car with him. Or maybe he has some strange driving rituals. Who knows?
Anyhoo, I hope this post find all of you who read it well! Cheers!
On Monday, on my usual drive to work, I spent half of the drive behind a white sedan. While this in itself isn't anything interesting the antics the driver was going through were. He spent that entire half hour slapping and/or hitting himself. And I mean the entire half hour. The slapping and hitting were pretty much continuous. At one point I actually saw him ball his hand into a fist and then, ram himself with it. In the rare 2 seconds he wasn't doing this, he would run his hand through his hair. I don't know, maybe there was a bee or wasp in the car with him. Or maybe he has some strange driving rituals. Who knows?
Anyhoo, I hope this post find all of you who read it well! Cheers!
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
More about me
Hey, my week is off to yet another inauspicious start. I locked the keys in the car for the 2nd time in two weeks. (I've never done this back in Canada!!) I paid an exorbitant fee to have someone come and break into my car for me (a hundred dollars, stupidity is expensive), trudged into work and flopped down to plan lessons. The day actually went well teaching wise but then when I was back in the car, I promptly nearly ran over an innocent cyclist. At that point I just about got out and walked home but figured that would be completely irrational.
But, I have hope that the week will end more positively than in started. In the meantime, while I'm at this laptop I'm going to list things I often see on other people's blog/journal sites. That being, inane senseless trivia about myself.
Currently reading: Some book called Playing Away. About a selfish idiot who knowingly cheats on a loving, faithful husband. Also in the middle of Things My Girlfriend and I have Argued About.
Listening to: Nikka Costa, a new discovery for me though she's been around for awhile. Great great stuff if you like soul mixed with funk.
Watching: Office Space. I don't think I paid proper attention the first time I watched it. Damn funny film.
Eating: These strange amalgamations of fortune-cookie type cookie mixed with soy nuts. Bizarre but tasty. Also eating these chocolate filled things with pictures of koala's on them. They're called "Ko-a-ra no machi"
Drinking: Apple juice. Sorry, not very interesting or inspiring.
Useful Japanese phrase of the week: Mochikairi de onegai shimasu. Or just mochikairi. It means "take out" (as in food).
Annoying occurence of the week: Aside from the repeat performance of locking my keys in the car, I was visited by Jehovah's Witnesses. The main lady rattled off in Japanese for a while before I made it clear I didn't understand her. Undeterred, she pulled out an English version of her handy Jehovah's Witness manual which I rejected. These people are equally annoying no matter what country you're in.
Admiring: My heat lamp. It's toasty if starting to scald my face.
Pondering: How to not lock my keys in the car ever again.
Alright this is too much even for me. Take care y'all.
But, I have hope that the week will end more positively than in started. In the meantime, while I'm at this laptop I'm going to list things I often see on other people's blog/journal sites. That being, inane senseless trivia about myself.
Currently reading: Some book called Playing Away. About a selfish idiot who knowingly cheats on a loving, faithful husband. Also in the middle of Things My Girlfriend and I have Argued About.
Listening to: Nikka Costa, a new discovery for me though she's been around for awhile. Great great stuff if you like soul mixed with funk.
Watching: Office Space. I don't think I paid proper attention the first time I watched it. Damn funny film.
Eating: These strange amalgamations of fortune-cookie type cookie mixed with soy nuts. Bizarre but tasty. Also eating these chocolate filled things with pictures of koala's on them. They're called "Ko-a-ra no machi"
Drinking: Apple juice. Sorry, not very interesting or inspiring.
Useful Japanese phrase of the week: Mochikairi de onegai shimasu. Or just mochikairi. It means "take out" (as in food).
Annoying occurence of the week: Aside from the repeat performance of locking my keys in the car, I was visited by Jehovah's Witnesses. The main lady rattled off in Japanese for a while before I made it clear I didn't understand her. Undeterred, she pulled out an English version of her handy Jehovah's Witness manual which I rejected. These people are equally annoying no matter what country you're in.
Admiring: My heat lamp. It's toasty if starting to scald my face.
Pondering: How to not lock my keys in the car ever again.
Alright this is too much even for me. Take care y'all.
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