Multilingual...ism

I find it harder and harder to be learning more than one language at once. Prime example? Japanese and French.

As you may have known, the English sentence order is SVO (Subject-verb-object). For instance, "I hid an Easter egg." The subject, in most cases, comes first in the sentence (I), then comes the verb (hid), then the object (an Easter egg). However, in Japanese, the sentence order is SVO. Which means instead of saying "I hid an Easter egg," you'd be saying "I an Easter egg hid".

Sometimes, when speaking in French, I get an irresistible urge to put my verbs at the end of my sentences. God forbid I speak to a French native anytime soon! They'd think I was Yoda!

I found a very helpful person on Youtube who specializes in this exact type of problem: kemushichan. In particular, this video of hers deals with those who are learning several languages at once. (She even happens to mention my own situation in the video!) Watch the video, and look at her channel-- she might help you with some of the problems that YOU are having!

My Japanese Progress!

Lately, since it's summer vacation, I have been able to do a LOT more Japanese. Particularly, I have been trying to learn more kanji to correspond with new adjectives and verbs I've been memorizing.

But, it turns out that I have an unexpected problem. Since it's spring break, most would take a break from all of their studies, educational or otherwise. I, however... am way too obsessed to take any sort of break.

Exactly how obsessed? I mean, "Learn 5 kanji every day", "finish 2 chapters of 'Japanese for Dummies'" obsessed. By the way, recently I've been using this extremely useful website called smart.fm, which helps you with learning various things using flashcard-like quizzes. It's extremely addictive, and it even features some exercises from Tofugu.com's Koichi-ben. Check it-- it's in the sidebar.

This blog post from Tofugu.com helped me a lot to budget my time wisely and to not overwork myself. It's also useful for those who find themselves not able to study enough. Perhaps it'd help you, whether or not you are studying Japanese!

Enjoy,

JPOtaku

Starting over...

Okay, so I am now safely assuming that no one right now is reading this, and that in order for this post to even be made known, I'd have to e-mail it to my closest friends. It's fine! fresh start, right? ^.^

So, みんな, It's been a solid 5 months since I've posted here. After a while, I was a bit reluctant to post here, because I thought that I'd neglected this blog for so long that I should delete it, give up on my account, and deny that the entire experience had ever even happened.

But, why should I do that? I've been through so much so far, and my Japanese studies have been so exciting! I still feel like there's a part of me that just wants to document all of this, so I can just look back 20 years from now, when I'm a big CEO in Japan (schoolmates will get this), and look back on all of my fun times.

So, to... I suppose... regulate my posts here, I'm going to start a new series, called "HOLY CRAP". It's going to be, basically, an abridged version of all things Japanese, which have been obsessed over by 1) me, 2) my friends, 3) the entire nation of Japan, 4) USA. In addition to that, I'm going to continue the list of books I put in my Japanese Box. But... now, it's sort of a Japanese... Bag. At least the bag is biodegradable!! (Yeah, ik, Brooklyn Gardener!!)

Finally, thanks to whoever will read this! I hope you will enjoy my first edition of "HOLY CRAP"!!

--JPOtaku

Quick update:

Unfortunately, I STILL can't find enough time to post on this blog weekly! But, so as to not completely be a slacker, here's something I watch sometimes on Saturdays-- you know, Mixed Bag day. :D

It's a Japanese children's show called "Chi's Sweet Home". Though I have heard over and over that listening to un-dubbed animes will not help you improve your Japanese speaking skills as most people think, It is still MUCH cuter than most North American children shows (*coughCailloucough*). So, simply... enjoy!

--JP Otaku

P.S. Enjoy Inauguration Day! 

I am, in fact, still alive...

Thanks for checking in, though!

I personally think that the best excuse for not holding up one's end of a daily dedication is "homework" or "school". But, in this case, the dog didn't eat my homework. My homework ate... my time. *forced guffaw*

But, I am not here for excuses! I am here to give a nutshell edition of how I have been following my schedule for the past week or so, to take the place of my slightly longer explanation of part I of my Japanese Box. (I should give it a better name.)

First of all, writing and speaking on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays have been going exceptionally well. The only trouble I am having so far is what to review on Sundays' "Review Day". I find myself not being able to absorb information by just looking over them two times; in fact I probably am an auditory learner. I ended up just turning back to pages I had done on Monday, etc. and re-writing my notes on those days (which didn't help much at all).

 I also have trouble creating quizzes and tests for myself! If I know the material already on the test-- well, first of all, it takes away the authenticity of being able to have not studied some of the material (which is something I do often-- it's all a part of the fun), and secondly, it's not much of a review if I wrote the questions and answered them myself as well, unless I wrote the test a month in advance! Which would mean, I'd have to start planning for the test as soon as I begin a new unit. (I wonder if that's what real teachers do. In fact-- I should ask them.)

I used to have great fun creating Hiragana and Katakana quizzes for myself, which was much easier because I could structure the quiz without having known any of the characters yet:

Yeah, it's not such a great picture. 

Sorry...

But, as you can well imagine, I used lots of creativity and variety in my quizzes.

Just how creative do you think one can get with learning this kind of material? :(

Beside that, I have been doing pretty well with this new schedule! P.S. I am LOVING the book "Kanji Pictographix", which is a book that helps you easily memorize well over 1,000 Kanji pictographs, as well as both the Kana syllabaries. If you are looking into the study of Japanese writing, I highly recommend this book!

Have a great week!

--JP Otaku

My Japanese Schedule!

Just for reference. ;)

Mondays: Japanese-- Writing

• Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji
  
• Translating romaji into traditional Japanese
• Writing in Japanese in journal

Tuesdays: No Class

Wednesdays: Japanese-- Speaking

• Practice writing Japanese sentences using correct Japanese word order, grammar, and proper particles.
• Learn new words and phrases from Japanese in 10 minutes a Day.
• Listen to Japanese Youtube videos, songs, or anime.
• Observe rules of Japanese from textbooks.

Thursdays: No Class

Fridays: Japanese-- Speaking

• Practice writing Japanese sentences using correct Japanese word order, grammar, and proper particles.
• Learn new words and phrases from various workbooks and textbooks.
• Observe rules of Japanese from textbooks.

Saturdays: Mixed bag

• Study rules of Japanese, learn new Japanese words and phrases.

-AND/OR-

• Review Hiragana and Katakana, review Monday's Kanji. Translate romaji Japanese into traditional Japanese writing. Write in Japanese in journal.

-AND/OR-

• Watch a bunch of animes or read a bunch of mangas.

Sundays: Review

• Review material learned in the past week.

Dear *anyone who is learning Japanese, or any other language*, I STRONGLY recommend you create a schedule like this for yourself if you want to further your studies. I have learned the hard way that studying on impulse never tends to work out. If you do create a schedule, and if you follow the schedule religiously, you find that it slips in neatly with the rest of your week, and you can comfortably learn as much as you want while following a self-determined regimen. While keeping this in mind, PLEASE do not over-exert yourself! Learning too much material at one time will inevitably end up in you forgetting the material altogether. Repetition is key in this case, so make sure to review what you have learned responsibly.

Thanks!

--JP Otaku

About Japanese... umm....

I've been on it like skin on grapes! :D

Now, obviously, 3 months of absence is WAAAY too long to be catching you up on it all. So, what I'll do is, I'll mention the most important steps I've made, and just add in the rest.

First of all, I made a JAPANESE BOX! It's FULL (quite literally) of almost every single book I have ever bought pertaining to Japan, learning Japanese, things related to Japan, mangas in English that were translated from Japanese, notebooks in which I have written in or about Japanese, and much, much more. (Please stop drooling. ;D) 

Now, to make this box, all I had to do was to pretty much cut the flaps off of a cardboard box. Right now it is quite heavy, and as I am typing this it is in the same position as when I first took the picture. Now it might not be pretty, but I will of course decorate it by covering it with paper or something to that effect.

What purpose does the box serve? Well, of course, it puts all of my books straight in my face, so I'll never have to go looking around for them like a treasure hunt. But, it also gives me an inventory of the different types of books that I have, so I won't have to impulsively buy any book that I feel the need to buy at that exact moment. It also is a very effective inspiration, because it is just exciting to know how many books that are in there that I've gotten over the years. I have books in there that are 5 years old, and others that I have just gotten last week. That kind of visible persistence would spur anyone to get up and do what they most would like to do.

I should prolly go over what's IN the box! To do this, I will break up the types of books into four categories: 

1) Books about learning Japanese;

2) Small books about learning about Japanese;

3) Workbooks on learning Japanese;

4) Books about Japanese culture;

5) Books in Japanese;

6) Japanese entertainment-type books.

I'll post each of these categories after another. Thanks for reading, and cya tomorrow! :D

The inevitable DIARY DISORDER

Hello, *the two people who might actually have stumbled on this blog looking for something else completely unrelated and have probably stopped reading by now*. It's so nice to see you again.

I have recently come down with what's typical for me as a writer, which I like to call "The Diary Disorder". Being an aspiring scientist, I looked up this fictional illness on Wikipedia and came up with this definition:

"The Diary Disorder is the common term for the Latin "diarium inordinarius", which means a disease inflicted at birth upon individuals such as JP Otaku which precludes them from keeping a journal or diary with routine entries...".

I'll tell you the reason why I'm not able to keep this darned blog satisfied for as long as I've had it. *sneer*

First of all, it's the frame of mind. I've realized when keeping a material diary, I create such a connection between myself and the "diary" being, that after a while when I begin to resent writing down my feelings, and I reassure myself by saying, "Oh, the diary already knows what happened today; I'll just skip it for now." Then, one thing leads to another, and I end up sending telekinetic messages to it. I get tired of recapturing the moments of weeks before when I had forgotten to write in my journal, and eventually, the diary ends up in a box somewhere.

Second of all, so much things have been happening that when I do forget to write in my diary, I expect myself to make a comeback a few days later with this mind-blowing post with so much rich information in it that the "diary" being would never want to put it down. Then I start contemplating the delivery of this information, down to chronology and enough segues to make the story flow easily. However, as you may have guessed, the beautifully crafted story never MAKES it to the diary, and remains swirling around in my head, which is what ZeFrank appropriately calls "brain crack". (Watch ZeFrank. Now.)

Third of all, school's started. But, that's barely an excuse, so...

For the record, a lot of things HAVE been going on recently, and I plan to recount them on this blog, and rid myself forever of this brain crack. I will be posting very soon (and with PHOTOS!) but if I do end up leaving the blog empty for weeks at a time, at least you know a little about my condition. :D

Lastly, I HAVE been following up on my Japanese, but as I've said, I will tell you about it soon! I am very excited to be able to post it all in one place, so please stay tuned!

--JP Otaku

P.S. Recently, I've been informed that the word "otaku" may not have as much of a positive meaning in Japan than it does in America. Heh... So, please, use your discretion. :)

As my sleepy eyes adjust to the blinding light of my computer screen...

Dear readers (yes, I'm talking to you two),

School has been amazingly eventful and endlessly interesting. For the past 2 weeks or so I have been getting at most 6 hours of sleep.  I come to school mostly running on empty and mainly getting frustratingly tired in the middle of the day. But, that's just a part of school. It's all in good fun.

As for Japan (日本は),  I have been working as hard as I could on my kanji, but mainly I just don't have time except on weekends. However, I have learned 12 so far, but the next 12 just haven't been sinking in. My current method is to learn 12 kanji per week, but what I thought I'd do was do 2 kanji every 2 days, so as to reinforce a small amount of information over a long period of time, and cover half the alloted amount in one week. I have to say that this is a BIT different than learning hiragana or katakana, and I'm a bit unused to it. But I'm almost 100% sure I'll be able to learn 250 by the end of this year in school. I'm very excited about it!

What am I being for Halloween, you say? Something Japan related, silly. Use your brain.

I'm kidding! No-- come back!!!

I'm so upset that I haven't been able to post as much as I wanted to on this blog! I'll have to update at least once a week. I'll try to make that my goal.

Besides that, have a great week everyone, and a great Halloween!!!

In the absence of event...

Bonjour, dear Blogger dot com.

It has been.... how long?

Fine, thank you; and how are you?

No, seriously. How are you.

For the remainder of the summer, things have been upsettingly uneventful and drab, but school has been anything besides that. 

School! 

School is probably the best place to socialize and meet friends (Yes, that's right-- it's NOT eHarmony), but probably not the best place to learn. Wow, how has our society evolved? School is not the best place to learn anymore!

I enjoy and miss teaching myself Japanese, and now that I have FINISHED KATAKANA *all clap* and probably need more time and concentration to learn Kanji, I highly doubt that any more will be learned during the functional school year. My goal is to learn one Kanji a day, which is pretty exciting and fun. I also need to work on my speech and comprehension of grammar. My homework as of present is to listen and memorize Japanese songs. Though it may all seem fun and games, learning Japanese songs is probably the best way for a teenager to really learn and get familiarized with the sounds and manners of speech in the Japanese language while appreciating the modern music of Japanese society.

With school, curriculum is completely out of my control. You see, I believe that all school assignments are supposed to be fairly simple to a studious and knowledgeable child, but I highly doubt that any work can me custom made to conform to a child's learning speeds. IF it takes me an extra day to learn one set of Katakana, I rest myself and take that extra day. However in school, matters are as rigid as a new Nike sneaker.

For now, school is fun... at most times. But the worst part for me is coming home physically and mentally exhausted. I suppose all I can do is try to put myself in the teacher's shoes-- as I can do well, because at most points it was difficult to both learn AND teach Japanese... and I realize that they have more work than I. Not only do they have to make sure we are learning and are NOT miserable, but it is their job to do so, as well as other nooks and crannies. So I'll enjoy this time while I have it.

Yes, this is the serious side of JP Otaku.

SIDE NOTE: One thing you might not know-- (No, I hate that. you DON'T know, because I have never TOLD you.) One thing you don't know about me is that I am terribly and somewhat ridiculously afraid of insects and arachnids of any kinds (for some reason, I'm more sympathetic with rodents). This morning, in the middle or taking a shower, I saw a ladybug in the bathtub beside the drain. I got out, and looked carefully at it. I don't know, but it's something about how creepy all of their dots look from a distance, or how quickly they take flight when their outer shell splits in half and their wings emerge... I turned off the water and tried to drown it in a small amount of dishwashing soap. When it was on its back and I could see its legs struggling to put itself upright, I washed it down the drain with a bit of water. I am a horrible, horrible person.

Musings

....................................

What sound does a rabbit make? Do you ever remember singing about a rabbit in "Old MacDonald Had a Farm"?

.....

If the bank Washington Mutual took up the RIDICULOUS nickname "Wa-Mu", will Massachusetts soon call itself "Ma-Chu"? Did the bank call itself "Wa-Mu" to be written easier by the Japanese? (Of course I'd think so.)

.....

Did I just risk losing the two loyal readers I had by going off on a spontaneous 3-week hiatus?

.....

Did cuisinecuisine.com have to be so very literal about the fact that it is MORE than just cuisine?

.....

WHO would spend a thousand dollars on an iPhone app that says nothing but "I Am Rich"?

.....

MY word, isn't Michael Phelps lucky??

.....

With Federer, Serena and Venus out of the Open, who should a non-tennis-enthusiast root for?

.....

What is all that weird stuff on my bottle of "Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap"?

....................................

Ehh, I suppose that ends it. I have been thinking a lot this week, and its been due to my excitement for the future: a new year of school, finishing Katakana (Yes! Finishing it! I have 3 more days to complete it) and working hard until all I can look forward to is more gaps in the middle of the day where there isn't much to do than sit around and think about things. Have a great week, everyone. :D

Just say Nobama!

Hello everyone, I'm JP Otaku with yet another post!

Don't get me wrong, I'm still bored out of my mind and body, but I recently read this article which both intrigued me and showed me what really goes on in the minds of Japanese elites.

Hmm, you're still looking at the title, aren't you. Well, in a previous post, I mentioned that I am not comfortable sharing my political standpoint. I do not have any personal grief against either Senator Obama or Senator McCain. I believe that, if given a choice between the two, the pressure would crush my rib cage. Let's just say, I'm glad I'm not old enough to vote just yet.

Go ahead and read the article, and I'm pretty sure that depending on your views, you will either ROTFLOL, or take the matter into serious consideration.

(I dare you to comment)

I should stop being selfish.

Blogs-- okay, they're not only about me, or else I wouldn't be posting on the internet! No, I have been selfish for the past few days, in the sense that I have been gone the entire time, and I don't really have much of interest to say. Look at me, right now, at 11:40 pm writing this (or whatever the weird clock at blogger.com says)! But then again, I have to try as hard as possible to keep you all reading. (Gambatte!)

So, due to the "Summer Hiatus" of the channel ABC, there have been a multitude of new shows premiering, which include "Wipeout", "Opportunity Knocks", "The Goode Family", "Life on Mars", "High School Musical: Get In The Picture", etc. etc., you get the point. Among this truckload is one show I've seen called "I Survived a Japanese Game Show", yet another series, with the Japanese twist I so admire. Not being too crazy over the ABC network, I initially took this sweet and tantalizing premiere with a grain of salt. However, when I saw it just tonight, it blew my mind! Not to... advertise it or anything, I don't get paid for it... but... okay, I'll just tell you about my experience. (I'm not quite sure what a plot-spoiler really is or isn't, so if you want a brief synopsis, please read the next few paragraphs on the show. If not, I would not be surprised! Hahaha!)

"I Survived a Japanese Game Show" begins as a normal, run-of-the-mill reality show, quite reminiscent of "Real World" or "The Mole", where each contestant starts out in a bus, at the beginning of their adventure. However, the host of the show must have "overlooked" the purpose of the show, and told each bright and excited, yet unknowing contestant that they had, that whole time, been traveling to an airport, and were on their way to Japan. At that point, each of them began the expected enthusiastic wails, which consisted of "Konnichiwa, baby!" or "Sushiii!" and even quick, animated traditional Japanese bows. After their long, tiring trip to Tokyo, the lot breathed in the fast-paced air around them, and bathed in the lights of surrounding skyscrapers, yet still not quite sure of the basis of their arrival.

When they reached their traditional Japanese style house, they were shocked into learning to sleep on futons and using remote-controlled toilets. However, the biggest shock came to them when they journeyed to a "popular" television studio the next day, and were introduced to the purpose of the show--- they were meant to be the guinea pigs of Japan! Why not laugh in other people's expense, especially when they are made to eat as much clay-like substance off of their teammates' heads in as short time as possible? Who wouldn't make fun of people who are put in an extremely uncomfortable situation, especially when everyone around them who could possibly help them does not speak their language?

Okay, so laughing at the expense of others makes up more than half of modern television shows. Oh-- and you say that's why you're sick of modern media? Well, I'm dreadfully sorry.

If anything, watch "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" as a way to learn a thing or two about Japanese culture-- because, believe me, the show does not come up short on the culture aspect. Dropping people in an unfamiliar setting and watching them squirm is one of the best ways for a person to learn to adapt to their surroundings.

In conclusion-- it's a pretty good show. Though it at some times definitely follows the patterns of most reality shows on ABC (heck, even on MTV), hey? What else can you expect from an on-a-whim series on ABC? I'm not asking for an epic show here, nor should you expect one. But, I'm sure you'll enjoy most of it, a comedy while learning things you've never known before. I give you my blessing. Go ahead. (Also, in the sidebar, I've given you a link of a Youtube video which is the prime example of why you should be afraid of Japanese game shows. VERY afraid. It is also not for the squeamish... so, viewer discretion, blah blah.)

Anyway, a quick ironic thought: The show "Wipeout" on ABC is quite, QUITE similar to the show "MXC" (Most Extreme Elimination Challenge) which was aired on Spike. MXC, in turn, was the redubbing to the JAPANESE GAME SHOW, called "Takeshi's Castle", which connects to "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" once again! So,what's with this, ABC? Have I been getting through to you, or what?!

Also, before I end this novel, I'd like to tell you about a website that I heard of, called "expertvillage.com", which is a nice little youtube-like website which teaches you how to do... anything you want! Why yes, a DIYoutube. This is one of the implements I use to learn Japanese phrases, characters, the whole schmear. However, you can look ahead to find your own interests. See for yourself!

Welcome to the (Carless) beginning

Hello, it's Japan Otaku again with another post on my new blog! Why, it still smells new as well.

I'll tell you about some of my interest-- no, I don't have the car.

I'm telling you, I don't have the car!

Okay, anyways, I'd like to share some of my interests with you. I really like the country Japan. In particular, I like the culture. Having lived in USA all of my life, I don't get exposed to a lot of culture that often. I've done a lot of studying on Japan, and... well, I enjoy learning about their lifestyles! Not only am I learning about certain customs of Japan, but I am learning to speak and write in Japanese.  Many of us take advantage of Asian culture, and I want to embrace it. So, I am here to say, pick up that sushi you're eating, and embrace it! Take in the wonderful scents of that teriyaki chicken! And before you turn the channel on your television from the anime "Inuyasha" in the small hours of the morning, take a second to understand the long winded, convoluted story that others have taken so much time to think up. And I KNOW you understand what I'm talking about.

Now that I've succeeded in making everything awkward, how about I tell you about some of my other interests? I play the violin, as well as the piano (and maybe the oboe soon!!!), and I take French and Latin classes. I enjoy watching "This American Life", which can be seen on Showtime (however, I do not receive this channel, so I listen to the radio edition of the show on thisamericanlife.org). Right now I am reading "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (instead of watching the movie!! I've heard that people who have been following the movies since the 1980's find this a slight disappointment)... and I'm also reading Hana-Kimi, an anime. If you have found anything on this post that interests you, please don't forget to comment! Thanks for reading, and I'll see you soon :)

Welcome to the Super Party!

Hello! You've reached the From NY to JP blog. By now, you've realized that this is not actually a super party... but don't run away just yet! I may have lured you in using fresh baked cookies and promised you a brand new car, but even though you won't be getting those, you just might enjoy this blog if you just stick around. 

Actually, this is kind of weird.

I've always found reasons to purchase diaries in the store, but once I got one, I realized that I don't actually WANT to write my memories down all in one place. Memories, for me, are meant to be kept in my head, and uncovered at the most delightful and unexpected times. Writing them all down seemed... odd, like it was an exercise for people who aren't able to properly express their feelings. Now, I am beginning to see that when people express their thoughts in different mediums, it helps them to not only feel open to new experiences, but it helps them share their interests with others, which is why I am here!

In later posts, I will explain my interests, and hobbies.

You can stop edging away now.

Yeah, maybe later I'll get you that car, but you'll have to stick around...