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Back with a passion

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I finished Japanese language school on Sept. 20, 2013. I spent time job hunting (after squandering a month doing nothing really), had lots of interviews, met with various recruiters, and took a job in Chiba. I moved on Jan. 7, 2014. 2013年9月20日に日本語学校から卒業しました。1ヶ月あとは就職が始まりました。面接が多くて、リクルーターに会って、千葉県で仕事を見つけました。2014年1月7日に引っ越しました。

I then bought some furniture, a TV, and spent about three weeks getting used to my new home and job. 家具とテレビを買って、周辺に馴染んで仕事になれました。

It’s just about the end of January, which marks about four months of not studying Japanese. Sure, I’ve been reviewing various things, but I haven’t been actively trying to learn anything new. I need to do that now. 1月はほとんど終わりますね。4ヶ月ぐらい新しい日本語のことを勉強していません。やばい！すぐに続かなければなりません！

My goals this year: Pay off my student loan debt, newly acquired (see above) credit card debt, pass JLPT N2, and improve my reading speed (in both English and Japanese). 今年の目的は：奨学金を払い戻すし、クレジットカードを払い戻すし、日本語能力試験2級に合格するし、速く読めるように練習します。

Let’s see how it goes! 頑張りましょう！

Japan

Baseball in Japan

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I’ve never really liked sports. I greatly dislike American football and basketball. I’m not into hockey, soccer or most other major sports. But I can watch and enjoy baseball. I don’t know why. Many people say baseball is one of the most boring.

Unfortunately, the Hawks were sucking this night. July 1, 2013

I’ve been to maybe 6 or so Major League games in the U.S… and now two games of professional baseball in Japan. First thing I noticed: Teams are often associated with their sponsors. Take for example the Hawks. They’re from Fukuoka, but Softbank is the sponsor or owner (too lazy to look it up right now). Anyway, people may say “Fukuoka Hawks,” “Softbank Hawks,” or some combination of the two. Continue reading Baseball in Japan →

Japan

ねぇ、知ってる？

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ねぇ、知ってる？ – 豆しば’s catchphrase

A few weeks ago I was discussing Japanese “cuteness” with Rachel at a small cafe in Tokyo. While there, the topic of acceptance of cute things in Japanese society came up.

I never thought about it, but it’s something I think I enjoy. And I’m not talking about girls, guys, or things like that. I’m talking about mascots, characters, icons, etc. A perfect example is 豆しば (Mameshiba) seen in the picture above.

Mameshiba is a cute bean (literally a bean) that pops up in the most bizarre times to instill some random knowledge on its listeners. Check the video below for a collection of commercials featuring him.. her… it? Continue reading ねぇ、知ってる？ →

Japan, Travel

お花見, or Cherry blossom viewing season

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March and April here were cherry blossom viewing season, or as it’s known in Japan, お花見. It’s an excuse for people around the country to relax, go to a nearby park, drink and be merry with friends and family. You don’t really need a reason to do that, but it’s a good reason if you’re always busy. You’re pretty much expected to go to at least one of these parties each year.

The sakura, or cherry blossoms, bloom at different times throughout the country depending on the weather and location. This year they bloomed earlier than had been originally predicted, thanks to some warmer than average weather.

I went to three parties this year:

  • The first was with some classmates. It was a small gathering that also served as someone’s going away party. We ate at a restaurant prior to going, so we ate some snacks and a few people had beer. It was held at Yoyogi Park in Tokyo.
  • The next party was with my host dad’s friend’s company. We were invited to tag along. Food included sushi, wraps, pizza and beer. This was at a park in Yokohama.
  • The third party was party was also held at Yoyogi Park. This one was a gathering of people in Japan who create YouTube videos. This one ended earlier due to rain, so it was moved to the Tobacco and Salt Museum… while we waited for a nearby pub to open up.

It’s always a fun experience, and I recommend everyone try to take part in one of these parties.

Random

私の珍しい体験

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In level 4A of my school, I had to write about a strange experience that happened to me… real or made up. This is partly true, but not completely.

 

ふみきりで止まらないで下さい

私の大学はナコドチェス市にあります。その町は小さくて静(しず)かで、人々は三万人ぐらいです。私は2001～2005年までに大学に通っていました。

ある日、食堂(しょくどう)で晩御飯を食べている時、珍しい伝説を聞きました。友達は「ね、聞いた？真夜中、警察署の近くの鉄道で車が止まったら、車がひとりでに動く。」と言っていました。「うそ！」と思いました。

ナコドチェスで生まれた学生に聞きました。返事は同じですけど、もっと説明してくれました。もし、鉄道のふみきりで止まったら、10分後、車がスーッと動きます。しかも、動いている時、子供のしくしく泣く声が聞こえます。さらに、車の後ろに手のあとがのこります。

伝説によると、昔、そこで、家族（お父さんとお母さんと子供3人）の車が止まってしまいました。列車は車にぶつかって、皆が亡くなりました。すごく悲劇的でした。

その時から、そこでは見えない幽霊が出ます。今、他人を守るためにいつも車を押します。でも、その鉄道のふみきれの近くには警察署がありますから、ふみきりで車を止めることは難しいです。

ナコドチェスは色々な伝説があります。例えば、大学の寮(りょう)で幽霊もいます。昔、あの寮は私立病院(しりつびょういん)でしたから。別の時、もっと教えてあげます。

Japan

Recap of Japanese life from January – April 2013

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Here’s a hastily edited video to show you a bit of my life the past few months. From January until about the end of April. There was snow, cherry blossom season, a KFC colonel dressed as Goku from Dragonball Z, a YouTube party, and some other stuff. A bit of 6 minutes long.

In the next post will come pictures! But for now, just this one video. And yes, I realize there’s not much Cherry blossom/花見 stuff in that video. I’ll work on something much better for that soon.

Bringing the word to the people, rain or shine