せんしゅうのしゅうまつ、アニメをみました。アニメのなまえはコードギアス One of the episodes was titled "The Battle of Kyushu", and きゅうしゅう was written in カタカナ：キューシュー。Since きゅうしゅう is an original Japanese city that has its own kanji, I thought it was weird that it was written in カタカナ。Here's my guess -- in this particular episode, the battle of きゅうしゅう was the determining battle that ended the first season of コードギアス。So, maybe because of its significance to the storyline, きゅうしゅう was written in カタカナ as a means of emphasis.
Then, while わたしはだいきゅうかのたんごうをならいました、one of the vocab words was "karaoke", except written in カタカナ：カラオケ。If カラオケis an original Japanese concept, why is it written in カタカナ? じゃあ、since カラオケhas become such an international phenomenon (わたしはニューヨーックにカラオケのバーをたくさんみました) maybe writing it in カラオケ is a way to reflect this international appeal. Of course, すし is just as well known as カラオケ and is not written in カタカナ, so I cannot be too sure.
No wonder why textbooks cannot make up their mind! Since カタカナ is pretty much set in usage for loan words and onomatopoeia, most textbooks have no problem mentioning these purposes. However, regarding the matter of emphasis, カタカナ usage becomes a personal preference, which may be why some textbooks just leave that reason out altogether.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
いちリットレのなみだ
1 litre of Tears
"1 Litre of Tears" is a にほんのドラマ based on the true story about a 15 year old girl dealing with a degenerative disease of the cerebellum (the part of the brain that deals with motor coordination). She starts out as a varsity athlete, but soon she cannot coordinate herself, she cannot walk properly, until she eventually cannot control her breathing. However, her mind stays in tact.
Since we learned dates, one of the songs on the soundtrack of "1 Litre of Tears" is Remioromen's "さんがつここのか". Can you figure out the title?
In this particular scene where the song is played, the girl, あや, informs the boy she has fallen in love with, あそうくん, that it hurts being with him because it only reminds her of her inevitable decay. You can watch the entire drama for free on mysoju.com. I really recommend it. かなしいですけど、 it makes you remember how beautiful life is and what in life really matters. Here is the song.
"1 Litre of Tears" is a にほんのドラマ based on the true story about a 15 year old girl dealing with a degenerative disease of the cerebellum (the part of the brain that deals with motor coordination). She starts out as a varsity athlete, but soon she cannot coordinate herself, she cannot walk properly, until she eventually cannot control her breathing. However, her mind stays in tact.
Since we learned dates, one of the songs on the soundtrack of "1 Litre of Tears" is Remioromen's "さんがつここのか". Can you figure out the title?
In this particular scene where the song is played, the girl, あや, informs the boy she has fallen in love with, あそうくん, that it hurts being with him because it only reminds her of her inevitable decay. You can watch the entire drama for free on mysoju.com. I really recommend it. かなしいですけど、 it makes you remember how beautiful life is and what in life really matters. Here is the song.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
たしかに、ファンの女の子です。 ^_^"
Admittedly, I am a fan girl! ^_^"
ながさきしゅんすけがだいすきですよ！ながさきくんはハンサムなおとこのひとです。それから、ながさきくんはオリンピックせんしゅです―トランポリンおします。さいしょにさすけにみました。ここでかれは！
I love Shunsuke Nagasaki! Nagasaki-kun is a handsome man. And, Nagasaki-kun is an Olympian -- he does the trampoline. I first saw him on Sasuke (Ninja Warrior). Here he is!
そして、にほんごのおんがくおききます！それから、とほしんきもだいすきです！"Mirotic"はさいこうです！
And, I listen to Japanese music. And, I love Tohoshinki! "Mirotic" is the best!
ながさきしゅんすけがだいすきですよ！ながさきくんはハンサムなおとこのひとです。それから、ながさきくんはオリンピックせんしゅです―トランポリンおします。さいしょにさすけにみました。ここでかれは！
I love Shunsuke Nagasaki! Nagasaki-kun is a handsome man. And, Nagasaki-kun is an Olympian -- he does the trampoline. I first saw him on Sasuke (Ninja Warrior). Here he is!
そして、にほんごのおんがくおききます！それから、とほしんきもだいすきです！"Mirotic"はさいこうです！
And, I listen to Japanese music. And, I love Tohoshinki! "Mirotic" is the best!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
It All Started with Dragonball
As a child, I remember my older brother constantly watching Dragon Ball Z. The screaming, the fighting, the characters -- straight up beastliness! As I got older, I became more and more attached to the show and started looking into its cultural nuances. Many things fascinated me: the Japanese definition of a hero compared to the American definition, the intelligence behind manga in general and how it differs from DC/Marvel, etc etc.
Before I knew it, I was dedicating a huge chunk of my time to exploring Japanese culture. During this period, I read a book by Robert C. Christopher titled "The Japanese Mind", and it basically sealed the deal for me. I enjoy learning about Japanese culture so much, and hope to someday be an ambassador to Japan. I began teaching myself kanji, reading Japanese fairy tales, and even watched a few Japanese dramas. Not to mention my favorite boy band is TVXQ! I just really, truly, genuinely enjoy the culture.
So, upon entering college, there was really no choice for me but to continue my journey and take Japanese!
P.S. I still LOVE Dragon Ball!!
Before I knew it, I was dedicating a huge chunk of my time to exploring Japanese culture. During this period, I read a book by Robert C. Christopher titled "The Japanese Mind", and it basically sealed the deal for me. I enjoy learning about Japanese culture so much, and hope to someday be an ambassador to Japan. I began teaching myself kanji, reading Japanese fairy tales, and even watched a few Japanese dramas. Not to mention my favorite boy band is TVXQ! I just really, truly, genuinely enjoy the culture.
So, upon entering college, there was really no choice for me but to continue my journey and take Japanese!
P.S. I still LOVE Dragon Ball!!
ようこそながさきと日本語へ！
Welcome to Nagasaki and Nihongo!
みなさん、こんにちは！
ケオながさきともうします。ニューヨークのコロンビアだいがくのがくせいです。それから、じゅうはっさいです。そして、いちねんせいです。しゅみはテニスとえをかくことです。にほんりょうりがだいすきです。どうぞよろしく！
My name is Kale. I am a student at Columbia University. And, I am 18! And, I am a freshman. My hobbies are tennis and drawing. I also love Japanese food. Nice to meet you!
みなさん、こんにちは！
ケオながさきともうします。ニューヨークのコロンビアだいがくのがくせいです。それから、じゅうはっさいです。そして、いちねんせいです。しゅみはテニスとえをかくことです。にほんりょうりがだいすきです。どうぞよろしく！
My name is Kale. I am a student at Columbia University. And, I am 18! And, I am a freshman. My hobbies are tennis and drawing. I also love Japanese food. Nice to meet you!
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