Hello again

Am I really reviving this blog?

I know it has been awhile. But, not much was happening for me. Or I was too involved in everyday life that when the time to rest came, I wouldn’t do much. It was one of the main reasons why I privatized this blog. I didn’t like seeing inactive on the web like so many blogs.

But I have a reason to revive it. I don’t know how consistent I will be. Or how well written it will be. I will try to just write what comes in my mind and only correct the grammatical errors (to the best of my abilities haha). Maybe a change of style will help me keep this blog alive.

I am currently on my fifth day in Japan! I am doing a one-semester study abroad to improve my Japanese. I hope I get to learn new Japanese and become more comfortable with the language.

To be honest, I’m personally not living the famous honeymoon phase. Maybe because I keep thinking about what I need for my nest I mean home. Maybe it’s because I have already been in Japan. Maybe because I bawled my eyes out on the way to the airport realizing I was going to be away from home for so long and I’ll have to make my own “responsible adult” decisions and I kinda know what I’m getting into but not really. And my pink-coloured glasses got slapped out of my face when I was having my first conversation in Japanese and based my understanding on less than 10% of what the other said. But I’m here to reach a 100%, right?… Maybe closer to 50%.

I have been buying only basic items at the moment. Except for this adorable cushion from a cute shop I wish I could bring back to Canada (only the cushion but I wouldn’t mind the whole shop too)! So simple but makes me feel at home somehow. Maybe because it’s the first home interior thing I bought.

I feared everything would be crazy expensive and that I would cringe at every price I would see but it’s not so bad. I thought I was being delusional but talking to my parents confirmed my impression. Canadian lifestyle prepared me well for living in the expensive Tokyo apparently. I jumped a bit when I saw grapes at ¥1,200 the package and thought, “Well it’s not on sale so it makes sense…” So everything is average price for me. Yeah for coming from an expensive city… I guess I need to know how to read flyers in Japanese.

And the Internet is such a steal! What the… Canada! I swear mobile companies are bleeding us! D:<

I already had my hermit day, so I’ll try exploring the area tomorrow before we jump on the school preparation wagon again.

Thanks for reading!

Living in Japan—Week 1

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Drama impressions : Mariage, not dating

Hello all!

Credits to the drama website

I have just finished watching 연애 말고 결혼 (Marriage, not dating). I know it is not a recent drama, but I tend to watch series that ended so I know where I am doing to.

I thought I would talk a bit about the series because I LOVED it. I watched whenever I didn’t feel too guilty about it. But, towards the end, I just became obsessed. It didn’t help that I downloaded one of the songs, Love Lane, and keep listening to it for a while because it is a sweet reminder of the cute moment between the characters.

The main couple 주장미(Joo JangMi) and 공기태(Gong GiTae) is adorable in their messed up way. Even if it is obvious since the beginning that they would end together, I still didn’t see how they could become a couple. At the end, they stay true to themselves and have the weirdest yet most adorable love declaration. 공기태 pretty summarized his frustration about loving 주장미. In general, I thought their relationship is somewhat believable. A lot of arguments, some misunderstandings but, overall you just have to communicate to make your couple survive.

The actor I would hop into a new drama would be 연우진 (Yeon WooJin). His acting as공기태 was enjoyable and helped to remind that공기태 is not essentially bad. Adding a bit of comedy to the character made him more likeable (as he was not likeable in the beginning to my opinion). With the comedy, he was more in a ridiculous mindset from which he was slowly getting out of.

A theme of the drama that I found interesting was the mother/son relationship. A central relation of the drama was between 공기태 and his mother,신봉향(Gong BongHyang). I love how in the end 신봉향and 주장미 are able to get along because they love the same man. Should we see that a mother has to break up with her son when he is marrying someone else? Are we constantly surrounded by Oedipus complex in our relations with others? Becoming the daughter-in-law and allowing one in her life was신봉향’s struggle during the drama. She was finally released from her daughter-in-law duties by the end the drama. (Sidenotes : the loveable Grandma was actually holding her hostage somehow by keeping her grandson emotionally close to her.)

Overall, I really liked the drama! Towards the end, I had to watch all the episodes in a row because I could not understand how they would become a couple. In the end, they stayed the same and became a couple that compliments each other.

I highly recommend this drama for those who want a (somewhat) lighthearted story.

남 일인듯 남 일 아닌 밀당 전문 로맨스 [연애 말고 결혼] 매주 금,토 저녁 8시 40분 방송

Dual learning

Hello to all!

My latest study update does not have much to fill it up. Only a few points I have been noticing.

First, the Pomodoro method is awesome! It helps seeing the amount of work you can put in one day. Rather than tackling a list of assignments to do (which I tend to always make too long), I set a few Pomodoro sessions during the day. (When I actually set myself to accomplish those sessions) I find that I am working more than I thought. I am still on the testing grounds since I am still evaluating how many sessions it takes me to finish a task. But, for future planning, it will help to know long I can make my task lists.

Second, Talk To Me In Korean is amazing. I have been listening to the lessons podcasts on my way to and back from school. It is a bit difficult to bust out a textbook in the metro, so I like to have the convenience of listening to the lessons on my nifty MP3 player. I was able to finish level 1 in a week. But, I was falling asleep during rides last week, so level 2 is far from done.

Third, for the notes after listening to the podcasts, I have tried to incorporate more Japanese into them. It is a good review of basic Japanese. There are so many basic elements I seem to forget about since I am always thriving to improvement. Going back basic is always a good start over.

Challenges for next week: Write two Japanese blog posts, Complete Level 2 of TTMIK, finish first reading of the story in short story book, Korean post on Lang-8 (?)

またね~

Japanese August Part 2

Continuation of the previous post. Click here for my first weekend.

Second Weekend: Matsuri Japon

This activity is becoming one of my regular it was my third time participating and I am already waiting for the fourth time.

Matsuri Japon

This year was even more magically with so many people coming in. I couldn’t participate as much as I would have liked to. I do have to spend so time with the family. But overall, it was an amazing experience and I can’t wait to live it again next year ^^

Matsuri Japon gives you the possibility to experiment one of those famous Japanese festivals outside of Japan. Personally, I find it a nice way to end summer. A last celebration before the end of the summer.

Every time, I don’t use the Japanese potential I should have. But, the shyness overcomes me. Next year, there is always next year.

The event seems to be growing every year. I’ll make sure to take pictures next time. The night view was beautiful with all the lanterns lighted up. There is a good selection of pictures on the Facebook page of the event.

I can only say また来年！

Japanese August

Even if I was on vacation from work, I ended up having two busy weeks. There was two Japan related events in August. Two weekends following each other. So, my weekend were really busy. Which was nice. Maybe when (if) I get the “Monday through Friday 9 to 5 job” I will fill my weekend like that. Makes life more eventful. The following weeks seem boring compared to these two ><

First Weekend : Otakuthon 2015 – 10e

Otakuthon Homepage

This event is Montreal’s manga/anime/games convention. And, it was its 10th edition this year. I remember going to the first edition when it was in a few classes of a university. Now, it takes place in the convention center. It grew so much in 10 years.

I decided to volunteer this year. I could not find a reason to go by myself for myself. So, I thought the motivation of being somewhat needed and useful would be a good reason to go. Even if I went everyday for volunteer duty (it is a 3-day event), I browsed through the convention for less than 10 hours maybe. That was enough mingling with the crowd for me.

I made a few purchases.

On my first in the exhibition section, I bought a beautiful poster of Madoka and the French version of Tokyo Ghoul. Got to encourage the fellow translators. Pretty much, the first volumes for the popular series were a rarity so I was happy to find this one.

I also got a Will Graham pin from Hannibal because I love that show. (If you know that show, you can notice I have a preference for rather dark stories)

On the second excursion, I bought two more books from Tokyo Ghoul

And an alcapa… Because… ¬-¬

I picked up some titles of few series I would like to watch/read whenever I find the time.

My second weekend of August was a bit more traditional. Coming up in part 2!

Little update

Hello!

Did I really say that I would update at least once a month with my favourites updates?

=_= Diligence is really not my second name. I admit, I dropped out again on studying Japanese or Korean. I do small bits such as studying a few kanji from my kanji review book.

Lately, I have been devouring manga. Translated that is. So, not much Japanese practice. However, it reminded me of that otaku side I have not let out lately. I read Deadmen Wonderland. The story reminded me a bit of Guilty Crown with the apocalyptic event and a lone boy discovering he has this special power. And, a cute girl just keep following him around.

I downloaded the MangaRock app on my tablet. When I don’t work early the next day (or too early…), I ended up reading all night. This is bad! >< I limit my reading at home. What I read is not always PG-13 ^^u I would probably take too long break.

I have had a hard time watching anime or drama lately. I am able to do a marathon of maybe three episodes max. But, I can go through a whole manga series nonstop. It’s just my neck that hurts after a while. Maybe I am more in a reading stage. Or I am getting a video overdose because of all time on YouTube. I wouldn’t mind lately go of YouTube. When I watch my historic list, it always makes me cringe to see how long it is.

Less videos more reading! More language reading! Yeah, a YouTube withdrawal would be necessary.

I have implemented the Pomodoro technique to my studies. It has helped me a lot to focus on required tasks. I am still trying to make it a habit. I just love how much I seem to accomplish in only two cycles.

I have this project idea that I seem to focus on when I should focus on the present. I still don’t know why I look so much into it. But, I see a possibility and keep want to write it on my calendar. I still make sure I have an affirmation to believe on before fully investing myself into this.

Reading takes a lot of work

But I don’t mind.

Reading Japanese is hard. It is like going into the unknown and walking blindly into a text. Reading a sentence is pretty much :

〇〇の中で、〇〇静かに〇〇を〇〇う。

〇〇 are words to look up. Time to dive in dictionary. But, I don’t mind. Part of studying to become a translator has brought me to rekindle with the love for diving into dictionaries. Sometimes, I forget I am supposed to be writing something.

I was talking with my language partner about reading 浅野敦子’s series NO. 6. He said that reading Asano-sensei’s works was difficult for Japanese people too but knowing the meaning of kanji helps to read. I remember the Chinese classmate in my Japanese class who, when reading texts, could understand the meaning and only and to look up the reading. I remembered being envious. “Man, I wish I could at least understand too.” But, they had this extra learning in their past they can make use of now. I just have a lot of catching up to do.

For my searches, I mostly use this app. This app has been really useful. I love that you can look up kanji by radicals or by components. A trick to learn kanji is to not see them as a complex drawing but as a grouping of several simpler drawings.

Reading in Japanese is dragging because I still don’t know most of the grammar. Well, I was at that stage in English one day. Progress is always possible.