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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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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なるほど、良く分かる

I have been a little… crazy lately. But, good things are happening so… =^.^=

I found another great site I want to talk to you about today. “Gimmeaflakeman” on YouTube makes a great series of videos called “Japanese for Morons”. They’re really awesome! I’ve been following him for a very long time (I’ve been on YT since 2006) and I find his lessons very funny and interesting. Right now he’s going over street kanji amongst other things, and that’s something I always have a problem with (reading it in those block print styles used for shop signs etc)… my brain seems unable to process it!!

Now, he also has a website called “Maggie先生” (and Maggie is his extremely cute dog!) The lessons on the site go into much more depth than the videos (of course) and so together they really help in learning. For example, I never knew the difference between ～おきに and ～ごとに. Thanks to Maggie 先生 I can understand now ^.^

I’m actually finding learning by myself is a lot less stressful, even though I am learning something new every day. I have to keep telling myself that I can achieve my dream if I want to… all it takes is hard work-and I’m not afraid of that!

Yeah… so if you see Maggie 先生 or gimmeaflakeman、彼奴に宜しくな！

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