a day in the life....

スピチのフイドバク

2008-04-29T01:34:00.000-07:00

わたしはともだちのスピチはいいとおもいます、　でも、わたしのはちょと。　私は時々はやくはなしました、が時々おそいはなしました。　私はすぴちをたくさんれんしゅをしました、でも、ちょとうスティジフライトもありますよ。
私の日本語のクラスはいいとおもいますが、大変です。そして、毎日、たくさんしゅくだいがありますから、ほかのクラスの勉強するときはちさいになります。

2008-04-11T12:40:00.001-07:00

speech post

https://cms.mail.virginia.edu/Session/657456-BWVJPFA8APH8hGkOMuC2-kmbcobh/MessagePart/INBOX/27593-02-B/DM100057.WMA

2008-03-28T13:56:00.001-07:00

私は高校の後で、たくさんおもしろいけいけんとかわったことがありました。　私は中国にいたとき、おもしろいたべものがたくさんたべた。どしてですか？このオポトニティはいまにここですから。そして、わたしはいぬやスネクをたべました。　私はおもしろいところにいくのがほうおもしろいたべものをたべたよりいいとおもいます。　私はあにといしょうにマラシャに行ったとき、まちやうみにいったところはとてもきれいなところ。　マラシャ人はとてもやすいいから、私はまらしゃにすむつもりです。

2008-03-17T09:02:00.001-07:00

私はせがいの事の中で、いちばんすきの事がりょこうです。私葉子どもの時からよくかぞくとりょこうをしました。お母さんのかぞくはかんこくにすんでいますから、ときどき行きました。ヌーヨクもときどきに行きました。私はりょこうはおもしろくて、たのしいと思う。かいこくは新しいところにみにいきます。

高校の後、私はすぐ大学に来ませんでした。私は九かげつ、りょこうをしました。

兄は中国に住んでいましたから、私は中国に行きました。私はまだ中国語をべんきょしませんでしたから、私のせいがつはちょとうたいへんでした。でも、まいにちよくなりました。

私はあにとちゅごくにともだちをあいました。この友だちはマラシヤからきました。友だちはマラシヤへ帰りましたの前，「私のうち二見に来ますよ」と言いました。私とあには父母に「マラシヤに行ってもいですか」と聞きました、が父母葉「あのりょこうはたかいから、いいえ中国で、中国語をべんきょしますよ。これはりょこううのときじゃない」と言っていました。

でも、私と兄は、「これはいちばんのりょこうですね」と思うから、いきますをきめました。

マラシヤで、友だちときれいなところに行きました。うみでさかなとおよぎました。買い物をたくさんしました。まだ父母とこのりょこうを話しません。でも、父母のおみあげを買いました。それから、このりょこうをはなしますのとき，私は「お母さん、お父さん,ごめんなさい。でも、おみあげおどうぞ」と言います。

はる休み

2008-03-14T15:35:00.000-07:00

私ははる休みはとてもおもしろいだたと思います。私は友だちといしょうにフロイダへいきました。土曜日はうんどんするのがはじめました。　大学からフロイダ間で十三じかんぐらいかかりました。　

日本人はおもしろいですよね。。。http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=2559

日本語の会社員

2008-02-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

今兄は日本語の会社員です。東京でＣＩＴＩＧＲＯＵＰについでいます。あにはとてもげんきなひとがおしごとはたいへんですよ。　それからひまなときじゃありません。
去年、兄が大学生から、よくにでんわをかけていました。　今、あには日本に住んでいますから、でんわをかけませんがＳＫＹＰＥをします。　スカイプはコムピュタの電話です。なにもおかねをつかいません。
東京の会社員はとても電車にのりますからべんりです。　私は電車にのるのが大好きですがここにありません。ちさいまちですから。　でも、アメリカの電車はきれいじゃありませにょ！日本のでんｓひゃはよくてきれいなでんしゃですよね。　私は日本はとてもよくて、きれいな国だと思います。シンガポアもきれいなくいですよ。

日本語ーどして

2008-02-08T23:52:00.000-08:00

私はこの日本語のクラスにいくのがだいすきだようとおもっています。　毎晩、たくさん日本語のしゅくだいはあって、べんきょします。　わたしはにほんごのかんじとあたらしフォムをべんきょするのはたいへんだよ。　でも、毎日のクラスがとてもおもしろくて、つまらない。　　私はこどものときに、にほんにすんでいました。　でも、日本語を弁居しませんでした。　アメリカのｓひょがこうにいきましたから。　　今わたしのあにはにほんにすんでいますからにほんごのかいしあにつとめています。　私はにほんにいて、あにおあいます。でも、ひこきのきっぷはたかいだよ。　じゃ、月曜日に目のサガリがありますから、大学のクラスへいきません。　

2008-01-24T16:18:00.000-08:00

わたしのふゆやすみ。私の街は友達がたくさんいまｓから、やすみはたのしかたです。私の個々せいのときのともだちもうちにかえって、あいました。私はともだちといしょにバーでおさけおのみましたがわたしはたくさんおあけをのみませんでしたから私はたくさんも酒を飲みますの時、げんきじゃありません。　
きれいな山がわたしのまちのなんとうですからかぞくといきました。　　あの山は寒くて、静かな山です。
ふゆやすみのときにいしゃにあいました。私の目がよくありませんから。だたら、今ほんをよんでいますはたいへんです。

ok, switching to english for the end of my blog.
Basically, I had surgery on my right eye on monday, and I'm getting the left one doen in 2 1/2 weeks. It's pretty frustrating right now because my vision isn't good at all. It's really hard to focus on things up close, so all those hiragana under the new kanji? yeah, impossible to see. I feel like I'm 80 years old because i am having reading problems. Luckily most of my teachers are pretty understanding, and I have some friends who have even offered to read to me (thanks zhou san). I just hope that they heal quickly and i don't too far behind. Kawaii sensei made the point that if I can work extra hard in the LL, then not being able to rely on my eyes to help me with the new words might actually make me learn this stuff even better. One can only hope...

2007-12-10T12:39:00.000-08:00

So, my speech wasn't entirely true. I was shy when I was younger. But I did have friends. But I was shy. In fact, public speaking used to be extremely difficult for me. My voice would go monotone. I would play with my hair, my pocket, my paper. My hands would shake. I would pick a spot on the wall and stare at it the whole time. However, two things changed that The first thing, was doing a pageant a few years ago. It helped me think about public speaking, as acting instead. And I love to act. The second was pledging AKPsi, the coed business frat. After doing to much intense public speaking there, especially on the spot, I've learned to deal with the pressure. I think that everyone did a great job. I could tell a few people were nervous, but they still carried it through.
I liked doing speeches. I think writing it out helps to organize your thoughts, and speaking it outloud means you need to separate your thoughts with pauses and hand motions. After practicing so much, it gets ingrained into your mind where ideas stop and start. For me, I was able to think straight in Japanese, without first putting it in English.
The oral interview was a bit frustrating for me, because I kept on trying to say things that I didn't know how to say. For example, I started to talk abotu the sports I did in high school, and then realized, how on earth do you explain what Crew is, in Japanese. It's motivation to keep learning though until i can explain everything i want.

I think speeches and the oral interview were a good way to end the semester. Now, if only there wasn't a final as well....Good luck minasan!

Peer Editing

2007-11-29T19:53:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, a blog in english again. It almost seems too easy to convey m thoughts as soon as they come to mind, as opposed to trying to find a way with the Japanese we currently know.

so, thoughts on peer editing. I think it's a pretty beneficial thing. For one, although our first drafts were not graded, you would want to put a little bit of effort into it, if anything of our respect for the people who read your work. I was in a creative writing class last semester, and there was one guy whose stories never made sense, and it actually made me angry enough to through the papers on the ground a few times. It was extremely frustrating.

Peer editing also lets you see where you compare to your peers. And it's comforting to know that maybe even when you feel left behind, in truth, we are all still making mistakes. And in this class, I feel comfortable making mistakes (even accidentally calling Sato Sensei a yasai...) because the laughter is never malicious. At least it doesn't seem that way to me...

By editing other papers yourself, it forces you to have a critical eye. Instead of just passively reading through, you actually have to think about the particles and word order, and conjugations. Even writing can be passive sometimes, because, at least I, get caught up in where I am trying to take the idea or using words, I forget to pay attention to detail. So by peer editing, you train yourself to have a more critical eye.

Like I said in class, there are some downsides, such as we sometimes make the same mistakes, so we might not catch each others, and in that sense, having a professor edit your paper can be more helpful.

Another thing I liked about this process, not the peer editing part, was that we've taken plenty of time to write and rewrite this speech, so that I feel everyting time I look at my speech, i have a fresh view. And I will get new ideas with a fresh perspective.

All in all, thumbs up.

TAKE TWO!

2007-11-29T06:20:00.001-08:00

ジャネットマッカーテイのこどもの時　　　

私はこどもの時にしずかなこどもでした。私のかぞくは日本にいました。でも、私は日本語をあまり話しませんでしたから、日本ごのともだちがいませんでした。私は日本語のかっこうにいきました。まい日がっこうにいて、先生をわかりませんでした。よくじゃありませんでした。

私はともだちがいませんでしたから、よく本をよみました。　だから私は本がだいすきでした。　食べ物を食べて、本をよみました。　私のおにいさんのスポーツゲームにいて、本をよみました。　私もおふろにはいて、本をよみました。　でも私は一人でから、つまらなかったです。

だから私はいぬが大すきでした。ともだちがいません。でもいぬはいいともだちですよね。　だから私はおかあさんにいぬをくださいをききました。でもお母さんはいぬをかいませんでした。東京のうちでいぬはちょとうから。　だから、おかあさんは金のさかなをかいました。　でも金のさかなはいいともだちじゃありません。　私は金のさかなとこえんにいてはいけませんでしたから。　それから金のさかなといしょにおそんではいけません。

あとで私のかぞくはアメリカにきましたから、おかあさんはいぬをかいました。　　私はいぬとこえんにいて、あそんで、よかたでした。　今、私はしすかじゃありませんから、たくさんともだちがいます。　でもいぬをわすれませんから私のひとつのともだちでした。　（５８０）

2007-11-26T12:26:00.000-08:00

If anyone needs to smile about the difficulties and trials of learning japanese, check this out

http://pepper.idge.net/japanese/

ahhh, as we settle into the last 2 weeks of class, what a marvelous opportunity it is to look back on all that I've learned. And actually, well, pat on the back to us, because I can say we are quite competent for a 101 class. I mean, we can make jokes and laugh at each other, and understand some of the fine subtleties that japanese offers. In truth, these last 6 lessons have packed quite a bit. I've began to really care about mary and sue, and I'm a little worried about robert. I mean, he just had a three day weekend, why is he so tired that he is falling asleep in class? And, I've looked at chapter 7, and there is a picture of Mary smoking a cigarette. Although from what I learned about her high school days, she's always been a rebel child.

I kind of wish that I had started japanese 2 years ago as a first year. That way, by the time I graduated, there would be a very good chance that I would be pretty competent in the language. Where, if I keep going with it, the best I can do is really 2 years of college japanese.

I guess the idea of leaving college kinda sucks in a way. Because although you will continue (hopefully) to learn as you go along whatever career path you choose, it's nothing like college, where you can learn completely different topics at the same time. For instance, what job is going to have me still learning Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, and random other stuff, like religion and history and whatnot. sighhhhhhh. (I don't want to grow up)

I'm looking forward to winter break. I think my brother picked up some Doraemon dvd's while he was in china a few years ago, so I'll consider it "working on my japanese" if I watch those. Also, my mom is pretty decent at Japanese, so I'm sure I'll be hearing a lot of "Ohayogozaimasu" at 8 in the morning when she attempts to wake me up. haha. 8 in the morning. that's so hayai.

Maybe we should have a countdown until the last days of 101, and then have a party. In my portuguese class, we are speeding along at the moment because my prof really wants to spend the last few days watching a movie. Could Sato-sensei be convinced to do the same? After all, who wouldn't want to watch Totoro for the twentieth time? (and I'm not exaggerating)

私のこどもの時

2007-11-16T17:15:00.000-08:00

私のこどもの時。

私はこどもの時にしずかなこどもでした。私のかぞくはにほんにいました。でも、私は日本語を話しませんでしたから、にほんごのともだちがいませんでした。わたしはにほんごのがっこうにいきました。まいにちがっこうにいて、先生をわかりませんでした。よくじゃありませんでした。

私はともだちがいませんから、よく本およみました。　　私は本がだいすきでした。　食べ物を食べて、ほんをよみました。　わたしのおにいさんおスポーツゲームにいて、本をよみました。私はおふろにはいて、本およみました。　私は一人でから、つまらないでした。

だからわたしはいのガス気でした。友達がいません、でもいぬはいいともだちですよね。　でもお母さんはいぬおかいませんでした。とうきょうのうちでいぬはちょとうから。　でも、金のさかなをかいました。　わたしはわかりませんでした。　わたしは金おさかなとこえんにいてはいけませんでした。　それから金のさかなといしょにおそんではいけません。

あとでわたしのかぞくはアメリカにいましたから、おかあさんはわたしにいぬをかいました。　　わたしにあたらしいともだちにあいました。わたしはいぬとこえんにいて、あそんで、よかたでした。　今、私はしすかじゃありませんから、たくさんともだちがいます。　でもいぬをわすれませんからわたしのひとつのともだちでした。

???????????????????????????????

2007-11-09T11:16:00.000-08:00

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

みんあさんこんにちは

2007-11-01T23:33:00.000-07:00

みんあさん、こんにちは。こんしゅまつのブログはちょとむすかしです。えいごのかきますがすきです。でも私はにほんごのがくせいです。だからにほんごをたくさんかきます。たくさんはなします。たくさんべんきょします。私はまいにちのこんばんのはちじくらいおかあさんとはなします。よくでんわおします。でもＥＭＡＩＬもします。私のおかあさんはにほんごおはなします。だからいしょうににほんごをはなします。おとおさんもにほんごをはなします。でも私とおとおさんいしょうにＰＯＲＴＵＧＵＥＳＥをべんきょうします。

私はお母さんとにほんごおはなしますかだいすきです。　わたしのにほんごのクラスがすきです。まいにちクラスでにほんごをはなします、とてもむしかしです。でもええＣＨＡＬＬＥＮＧＥですよね。わたしはにほんごのクラスがあります。だからひまじゃありません。　にほんごのテストとしゅくだいとクイズがたくさなります。だからまいばんにほんごをべんきょうします。わたしはにほんごのクラスがすきです。だから先生とがくせいはとてもおもしろいです。たくさんあたらしいともだちをあいました。
わたしの二じのクラスにもあたらしいともだちをあいました。　あれはにきやがなクラスです。
ことしきらいなクラスがぜんぜなりますん。　ことしはわたしのさんねんです。わたしはバジニヤがだいすきです。でもいちねんせいのときにあまりすきじゃありません。とてもあつかったですまだ。

2007-10-25T00:29:00.000-07:00

ok, so i just posted my japanese post, and it was pretty frustrating. There are so many things I don't know how to say yet! And of course the proper word in chinese will pop into my head, but that doesn't do too much good. Oh well, I'm just relaxing now and listening to some portuguese music. The main reason I desire to learn portuguese is that it sounds beautiful. It really does-I highly encourage everyone to check it out sometime. In fact, here is a song my prof sent for us to listen to. It's worth checking out http://people.virginia.edu/~dth/Velha-Infancia.html

Here is an awesome video I felt was necessary to share with anyone who is interested in Japan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeudflWWr7c

ok, now the topic of last week. what makes a good blog? well, it should captivate the audience. No one wants to be bored. It should have variety-aka adding pictures, music, and videos. It should be visually appealing, or atleast not be hard to read. For example, I'm sure some people spent a ton of time perfecting their background picture, but it can make the text hard to read!

I prefer to write for myself, and not anyone who i think, or hope reads my writing. Its the only way I can really explore who i am and what I think. However, this is not the blog for that. Still, introspective thought can make a blog more interesting, as well as the fact that it helps you see how far you have come. At the end of the semester, when I look back on my entries about the thousands of homework assignments I did, I will feel accomplished, because I will remember that frustration and stress, and know that I came out of it alive. Well, the alive part can still be debated.

So the COD came out next week. I wonder how many of my classmates are going to continue with 102? Language classes are great because I really enjoy the bond that gets built between classmates. So, I will be a little sad to not have class with everyone now-we do see each other everyday. But...change is inevitable.

maybe if i have another attack of insomniacism, I will post again. but for now, it is 342am, and i still have a LOT of classical chinese homework to do. peace out homies

わたしはにほんごおかきます

2007-10-25T00:11:00.000-07:00

こんにちは。いまごぜんんさんじです。でも、わたしはねません。どうして?あし
たさんのクラスがあります、だからべんきょうしますね。きょうのてんきはええ
です。とてもでひどりはrainをすきじゃない、でもわたしわoregonからきました。
だからrainはとてもすきですよ。when it rains,わたしはちゃおのみます。いま
わたしはかんごくのちゃおのみます。でもちゅごくのちゃものみます。わたし
は2005におにさんとちゅうごくえいきました。わたしのおにさんはわたしのいい
ともだちです。いま、おにさんはときょにいます。

2007-10-18T22:11:00.000-07:00

I think Japanese is beating out my other languages. When I tried to answer a question at dinner tonight in chinese, my brain immediately went to Japanese first. Then to Portuguese. But Portuguese is close enough to Spanish, which can be similar to English, so it's simple enough to come up with an appropriate word. My mind is all mixed up.

I really want to just take a personal day, and relax. Wake up when my body decides to. And watch all my movies in my different languages, and pretend that counts as studying. My friend Natalia brought me Monsters Inc. back from Brazil, where she is from, and Portuguese is a language option. I have a few Japanese movies. Well, only Totoro is with me, but back home I have the entire Doraemon series, which is something I grew up on.
We talked about childhood times today, and what we used to do. Although this was just to get us to use the past tense, it got me thinking about my childhood, especially the part that happened in Japan.
I went to an International school where we learned in English, and in my house we spoke English. All my friends spoke English. So, how was it that i used to watch my japanese cartoons and understand everything? I watched Sailor Moon and Doraemon, and with my brother, Dragon Ball and Slam Dunk.

I guess another question would be whether or not I really did understand it all. Maybe my brain was still at that point in life where it could easily fill in the gaps so that I could comprehend those cartoons. Maybe I just made up what I didn't get. But on the other hand, what if I did understand it all. If I did, where did that japanese knowledge go? I feel like I can "hear" japanese easier than I can "chinese". Is that because more complex things are discuessed in chinese? or could i have (hopefully) retained some of that japanese knowledge of a 5 year old?

2007-10-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

This week has been pretty intense, and it was only 3 days long. But between a midterm, japanese skit, japanese test, and another midterm coming up on monday, I've felt like I have no time in the world. I'm not really complaining tho, because I had a lot of fun working on my skit with my group, and this feeling that I actually know what is going on in Japanese class is awesome. I'm not sure if it's because at a really young age I lived in Japan, therefore it sounds right to my ears, but it just makes sense. But, of course, we are still working with relatively simple sentences, and there are really only so many things that we could say. I think I anticipate what is about to be said a lot, so right now that helps, but later on when I am expecting one thing, but hear another, it leaves me at like, what? wait, one more time? That happens in chinese a lot actually. Ijust think that the person is about to say one thing, and then get a little confused. Well, I really want to do better on this test then I have on the previous. I was having such a bad day last time, and really wasn't feeling well, so I kind of just wrote what I could and got out of there. Today I"m feeling good. Got more than 4 hours of sleep last night, which breaks my pattern for the last few days, and I'm feeling good.

For every day that you feel like you just don't get it, there has to be a day that you do, right? I took one of my midterms yesterday, and when I was done, felt pretty good about it. That's how tests are supposed to go. crossing my fingers about this one...

oh the mistakes we will make

2007-10-03T14:59:00.000-07:00

do you ever have those days where school just kind of kicks you in the butt? yeah, that was yesterday.
I guess for every day that you get the concepts right away, there has to be a day where things don't come so easily, you stumble over simple phrases, and you realize that you spilled coffee on your shirt on top of it all.

For me,Japanese is one of those classes that is only 1/4 of the credits I am taking, but takes up 60% of my homework/study time. Unfortunately, I'm also taking Chinese 401, and that is exactly the same way. Besides that, Classical Chinese takes a decent amount, and so does Portuguese. Especially because its not a regular intro to Portuguese class, but Intensive, which means we are doing a whole year's work in one semester. So where does that leave me? At about a 70% deficit.
Of course, I shouldn't complain. Not because it's annoying and doesn't serve a purpose, but because the majority of students at UVa are in the same boat. I guess that's what I get for coming to one of the top ranked State Universities in the country. My favorite quote about UVa is, "The University of Virginia, where your best hasn't been good enough since 1819."

I really am enjoying Japanese tho. My mom speaks pretty well, and it's cure to hear how excited she gets when I call home and we have broken conversations. It mostly goes that she says something something something, and I answer with, aa, something wa nandesuka? and she explains, and we go on from there. Lucky for me, after those mini-lessons, she hands over the phone to my dad where the similar thing happens in Portuguese and Chinese.
Languages are fun. I wonder if I inherited that?

So, the other day in class, I made a small language mistake.
I was in a dialog with Sato Sensei about what time I woke up in the morning. That day I got up at 1030. We discussed and verified that fact, and then I asked her what time she got up. She got up at 7.
"At 7?" I asked.
"Yes, at 7" she replied.
"Oh, 7, is it" I verified
"7 it is", she (re?)verified.
So at that point I felt like mixing it up with a new vocab we learned. hmm, how do you say early, I thought to myself. ahh, yes, I remember now.
"Yasai desune" I said. hmmm, that sounded...not quite right.

oh whoops. wrong word. I def just called Sato Sensei a vegetable.....

Language mistakes happen all the time. A few years ago I would have been very self conscious, but it's happened so much that it just rolls off me now. I def. said some inappropriate things during my Korean class first year.

It reminded me of something my brother told me. He used to take Japaneses in college as well. one day during Japanese class, one of his classmates wanted to say, "there are seven people in my family".
he said, "My family is carrots".

2007-09-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

so, i forgot my password and login name, and spent way too much time trying every possible combination. oddly enough by trying every combination of names and passwords that I have used since i was in 7th grade, I came across 2 previous blogs i was part of-one that i only posted one entry the day before i graduated high school, and one that was a 6-way blog between my best friends from high school and i. That lasted 2 years. oh, good memories....
sorry about that tangent. now onto what this is supposed to be about-Japanese

So I really enjoy coming to class and seeing everyone each day. I've had classes in the past that I just dread going to, whether it's because the prof is boring, or I feel like I can't grasp the concepts. But Japanese is fun. And the people in my class crack me up. In a good way for sure. In language classes I feel like you can't help but get to know the people pretty well, because not only do you see each other every day, but you actually are supposed to interact during drills and whatnot.
This new chapter is much more technical than the other ones. I've been going off straight up intuition for a lot of class so far, but I feel like that is about to stop right....now.
So, I made a really good friend this summer who did the JET program, and really enjoyed it. It is a very tempting concept. But then there is the whole-get a career after college thing that also seems like a good idea. If I could find a job that involved traveling around east asia, and had a creative aspect to it, that would be pretty awesome.

any good movies?

2007-09-20T19:38:00.000-07:00

My Portuguese teacher sends us a few songs to check out each week. He says by listening to music, and singing along, it helps to "get the accent" as well as other things. I live in the Shea house, so there is a plethora of chinese around me whenever I want it. It's great, because it's as immersed as I can get without going abroad, (which I would like to do, possibly next fall?).
So, if anyone has any favorite japanese music, I would really appreciate some recommendations. And that goes for movies as well. I am a HUGE fan of Totoro, Spirited Away, etc. But I am looking to explore some more serious movies as well.

so, random story. My brother went to japan on rotary exchange right after he graduated from high school. One day at some coffee shop he ended up talking to some guy, just practicing his japanese. Well, they ended up being friends. The guy he met is the lead singer for the Japanese group, Ellegarden, I don't know if anyone has heard of them or not. I think his name is takashi....? Anyhow, on one of their albulms, he wrote a song about my brother-it's called A Song For James.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzYG7rQx_Ds

I think that's pretty sweet. Kinda jealous. Who wouldn't want a song written about them?

2007-09-15T17:37:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite pictures taken in Beijing. from left to right goes my brother, myself, and our two good friends, Seng and Jeen. I took a year off after I graduated from high school and did some pretty crazy things. Ask if you want to know. One of them would def include moving to live with my brother in beijing for 3 months when my whole chinese vocabulary consisted of "ni hao" and counting to 10-not even with the correct tones. However, it was one of the best times of my life, and this is one of my favorite pictures. my brother is now working in Tokyo....maybe i will go visit him in the near future....and with what I already have learned in class, I will hopefully be able to strike up a conversation with a cute boy and ask him for his number.....

if you really want to know...

2007-09-14T21:10:00.000-07:00

class website: http://uvajapanese102.blogspot.com/

Well, I've been doing the xanga thing for quite a while, so I don't see how this will be too different. Except that my classmates are being made to read my inner thoughts and comment on them, so perhaps I should keep them school appropriate. Now here's the question everyone asks. Why are you taking Japanese? Well that my friend, is a long and complicated question.

When I was super young, my family moved to Tokyo. I picked up Japanese before I really knew English, aka, my family would speak to me in english, and I would respond in japanese. We moved back to the states after 2 years, where I promptly lost all Japanese skills I had, and learned how to speak English. Of course to complicate matters, we moved back to Tokyo, but this time I went to Seisen International School, which is taught in English. Although we lived in Japan, I don't think my japanese skills went beyond being able to watch cartoons without being confused. After 2nd grade, we left Tokyo, and I haven't been back since, although I would love to revisit it with the perspectives I have now.

So I have an innate love for Japan and the culture and all that good stuff. And my brother just started working in Tokyo for Citigroup, and I hope to visit him.

So, languages. yes, they are fun. I'm only taking language classes this semester actually. My schedule consists of Chinese 401, Chinese 583 (Into to Classical), Japanese 101, and Portuguese 111. I feel like I am drowning in my chinese 401 class. I feel like Japanese is a lot of fun, and I get it. I feel like Portuguese is rough somedays, and good other days, but I like all my classes nonetheless. So, that's it for now. see you all in class on monday, have a great weekend.