Finally..

We’re sick! We’ve been trying to avoid it–using hand sanitizer up the wazoo–but it finally happened. Both Phoenix and I are sniffling and coughing and not feeling that good at all! Just when I thought I was going to get a couple of nice days off from school to rest and chillax, here I am feeling like death on a stick!

Starsquid over at チョコチョコ has issued somewhat of a challenge! In “Confessions of a study-book-shopaholic” he lists the humongous amount of Japanese study books that he has. OH MY! What a list! So, now I’m sort of tempted to dig out all of mine and give them some serious air time in a 本のチャレンジ!! I doubt I’ll win, but looking at my bookshelf, I can perhaps at least come a little close!!!  So, my friends, check back later for the post!!! It will be quite amusing, if nothing else!

That being said, I am going to get ready, have my coffee and head off to the doctor. Schools and busses must be contacted and so on and so on. Who said being sick was a cop out? They’re wrong!!!

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군만두 and grammar

I made 군만두 (goon mandu) for the first time yesterday. They are fried (and part-steamed) Korean dumplings filled with all sorts of yummy stuff. I was surprised how well they turned out. I should have taken my own photo, but here from the web is a photo of ones that look very similar…

Yummacious! Really! With some dipping sauce (soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, sliced green onion etc etc)… mmmm….

And on to grammar:

~ても

“even if, although”  – used when that which is expressed in the main clause is not what is expected from the content of the dependent clause. (huh? what? eh???)

私は雨が降っても行く

I’ll go even if it rains

私は寒くても出かける

I’ll go out even if it is cold

To me, it seems almost the same as saying “despite” (though I’m sure there’s a different phrase for that in Japanese.. ^.^)

Some more examples:

中山さんは本を買っても読まない

Mr. Nakayama doesn’t read books even if he buys them

私は四時間歩いても疲れなかった

I didn’t get tired although I walked for four hours

〜てもいいですか？

^ this is an idiomatic expression used to request permission to do something.

ても can also mean “no matter what, who or where”

だれに話しても = no matter who someone talks to

何を話しても = no matter what someone talks about

どこで話しても = no matter where someone talks

It seemed a little confusing to me at first, but it is pretty easy to use this formation in every day speech. It comes quite naturally, since in English we often say “although x I still y” or “even if x I will still y”

That being said, I am going to go finish my coffee and play some pointless video games. I studied so hard for my linguistics exam (and got a 92%!!) so I feel justified in my slacking!! ^^;

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인사

Greetings, in both Korean and Japanese, are very different to those in English. For example, usually we just say “hello!” or “How are you?” or “Nice to see you” no matter the time of day or the person we’re speaking to. In both Japanese and Korean there are many more rules about what to say and to whom.

For example, in Japanese greetings are largely dependent on the time of day:

おはようございます = good morning

こんにちは = good afternoon (said after about 11am)

こんばんは = good evening (said after about 4pm)

as well as the “level” of the person you’re talking to.

おはよう = to a friend or one of lesser standing (a senior to a junior)

おはようございます = to anyone of higher standing (boss, teacher etc)

Korean too has different ways of addressing people.

안녕하세요? = are you well? can be said to anyone, usually those of higher standing.

안녕= only to friends or those of lesser standing.

Neither language specifically addresses “you”. Often they omit “you” and “I” when it’s (supposedly) obvious. However, sometimes in conversation this can present problems. If you don’t know whether the person is of higher standing or not (are they a professor or are they a graduate student?) the best thing to do is simply opt for polite (but not overly so) address until you can discern where they lie on the “politeness-spectrum”.

And something completely unrelated:

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Sushi, Sake, and Mochi

Wow, what a feast! We went to Jungle Jims here and ended up buying a lot of yummy food (and drink!)

The 酒 is Hakushika and is YUMMY!!

From the website:

“Hakushika means “white deer.” This brand name comes from the mystic legend of a white deer with spiritual powers in China… Once upon a time, Emperor Hsüan-tsung (712-756) found a white deer straying into the lotus garden of his palace. It had a copper medal at the base of its antler. The words engraved on the medal proved that this beautiful animal had been alive over a thousand years. Emperor Hsüan-tsung was so delighted at this good omen as to give a feast and he cherished the white deer as a holy animal. According to this tradition, White deer—Hakushika—has been recognized as a symbol of longevity of a thousand years. We named our sake Hakushika after this auspicious holy animal with a wish that our sake should be always synonymous with life energy flow, longevity and good omen.”

We also had 鰻のすし and 大福餅… so now I am sooo …. full!!! 「食べ過ぎだよ！」

So, there really won’t be much else in this post ^^;   I am just too full and sleepy now!!

@_@

また明日ね

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マギー先生 and grammar

I saw a cute video today:

I found it while checking out マギー先生. It’s sooo cute. My dog often sleeps like that too! Anyway, back to business. I posted a question regarding how to thank a professor, for example (on the Maggie Sensei site) and got an amazingly in depth reply. It’s certainly VERY helpful. I love the site so much that I am going to print out a flier and stick it outside the 100/200 level class room this week. I think everyone can benefit from a site like this. Other education sites I’ve seen aren’t as… responsive (maybe since the site is relatively new), or they take themselves too seriously (or they cost a fortune and perhaps don’t deliver!) In fact, I find that sites tend to be for the complete beginner or aimed at upper intermediate/advanced students. It’s good to finally find a site that does a little of both. Some of the lessons I know already and can nod my head and feel smug (muhaha) but then some of the others are challenging and hard work for me to understand (which I like occasionally)!!

Random Grammar:

Question word + 〜ても

Question words such as 何、いつ、だれ、どこ、何度、followed by て-form and も indicate “no matter what/when/who/where/ how often, etc.

富士山は、いつ見てもきれいです。

Mt. Fuji is beautiful no matter when we look at it

何を食べても太らない人がうやらましいです。

I envy people who never get fat no matter what they eat.

東京の町は、どこへ行っても人で込んでいます。

Tokyo is crowded with people no matter where you go.

^.^

それでは、また。

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チョコチョコ

A comment I got today sent me to one of the nicest blogs I’ve seen in a while:

I haven’t really had a chance to browse through it, but I really like what I’ve seen so far and will be spending some quality time checking it out tomorrow…

But for now, I have to get to bed!

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土曜日

おはよう、ここでちょと寒いね。やっぱり秋が大好きだけど、夏休みは終る。

Today… I am feeling a little overwhelmed. I have my whole dining table full of books. Japanese books and papers… and not an idea where to start. I’ve been watching the J-Drama 「アイシテル」and it’s very sad. I love it though. It’s really helping me focus on spoken Japanese–something I’m not very good at yet. Eesh. There’s a lot I’m not good at yet… LOL

I don’t know what to do with myself today. Probably nothing. I feel so blah. Mixed excited and nervous for school starting. I looked at the workbook for Intermediate Japanese yesterday, and it’s a little… confusing (just like the main text). The audio CD really helps though. I guess we’ll get used to it in the class. I wish I’d get my disbursement back–then I could sign up for the ３きゅう。

Okay, well… more coffee is needed and an action plan…

それでは、またね。

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私の日

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ワッカ

I found a new website, wacca.fm. It’s awesome. It has many cool Japanese bands who offer music to download. Some of it is Creative Commons licensed, which means you can use it in videos on YouTube, for example, without getting copyright violation. As the site itself says:

I have started downloading their podcast directly to iTunes and it’s SuperAwesome. =D Lots of shiny new music every week!! It’s great (and legal). I find that J-music is hard to find anywhere really. So this site fills me with random joy!!

I have been going over the new Intermediate Japanese textbook and it’s a little confusing in the layout (but most of it is in Japanese and the grammar points are limited to a sentence or two of explanation (unlike the page or half a page in Genki) and a couple of example sentences. I think I like it better–since it really taxes my brain. I also discovered that renshuu.org have the book–so I can study the lessons over there. That makes everything so much easier. A place with kanji and grammar quizzes that I can utilize without having to create those lists myself. Of course, one of the ways I study (especially kanji) is written repetition… so I’ll still be writing plenty!!!

できるかどうかわからないが、精一杯がんばろう。

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くそ！

Tonight I am very upset about my school. It’s podunk at best and I’m having a hard time getting the classes I need. I feel so stuck and so limited. I bounce around Japanese programs and find it so… off-putting. I really need consistency. I’d love to get into the Japanese program at OSU, but that depends on my husbands business and how that does and whether we can sell our house and move to Columbus. All in all, the options are limited and I’m frustrated. I was so excited for school – until I realized that only my Japanese class counts this semester (towards my foci) and that there aren’t enough classes to complete an area focus in Japanese. It’s so annoying.

I think I’m going to try and study myself… then take the JLPT exams and see how I can do. They’re more important for jobs etc, and if I can just get enough to graduate then I can go into an MA. Except if I can get JLPT 2 maybe I won’t need an MA to get a job. I was planning to take JLPT 3 in December, but I’m a little… unsure. I should register for it soon though. I’m just scared of failing. It seems so hard… yet I know people who’ve completed it with no knowledge of Japanese at ALL.

I should do okay, I hope!!

I was browsing YouTube also, and the number of people on there who are fluent is rather intimidating. I feel such a loser idiot for even trying, especially at my age. Most of em on there seem to have become fluent in their late teens early twenties (a lot of them are still in that age group and those who aren’t have been living in Japan for 10 years plus). I feel so doomed.

*sigh*

>.<

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