2008年5月18日

今週の漢字: 書く

Write:
For this week, I’m just going to free write. Err… I mean type. So here we go…

I am currently listening to an American radio station. It’s Z100 broadcasted in the NY tri-state area. I occasionally listen to this station when I am free, but I’ve been listening to a mix of American stations, Hong Kong stations, and of course Japanese stations. It has been very interesting to listen to the different stations.

I feel that I am losing a lot of English vocabulary that used to be readily accessible in my conscious. I think that it is repressed into my subconscious as I just can’t seem to pull out more difficult vocabulary. I can say that probably my studying of many different languages contributes to this problem. I still read The New York Times regularly, but it’s not really enough to keep more difficult vocabulary in the foreground of my mind.

With languages, I have been researching and practicing a bit more Cantonese. I noticed that I seem to have a mix of dialects? I’m not completely sure, because I don’t talk to too many people about my studies. I have my reasons, but it’s been a recent discovery that fascinates me. Actually, the main thing I am trying to practice with Cantonese is using conjunctions, so I can say complex sentences rather than the simplest type of sentences that I am most comfortable saying. Of course a lot of the simple sentences have stuck with me since I was a little. I was one of those children who refused to go to Chinese school. I don’t regret anything, but I don’t like it when people think that I regret not learning Chinese… any dialect. I didn’t have that care to learn when I was younger. I guess I can understand why people in my position might fall into regret. I am not that kind of person though.

Okay, so enough about languages right now. I am content with my current position. I am a bit more forthcoming when it comes to explaining my future plans. Before leaving America, I had the intention that I would stay in Japan for three years and kept an open mind for an additional 2 years. I still feel this way, but I am actually articulating this plan now when people ask instead of keeping an air of ambiguity. I love keeping people on their toes though. I guess it’s about time that I just let it all out. Maybe that’s why this free writing—err… typing—is so good. I wonder what would happen if criminals were forced to write exactly what’s on their mind. Well, I suppose they just wouldn’t write anything self-incriminating. Okay, that was a strange tangent.

On that digression, I am finished with my free typing in English. It’s time for doing it in French. Stay tuned next week for another update!

En français:
C’est plus difficile qu’en anglais. Je suis content avec mes étudiants. Ils sont très drôles quand je leur parle après la classe. Quelque personnes sont drôles dans la classe aussi, mais ils sont spéciaux. J’aime les étudiants qu’ont beaucoup d’énergie. Quand il y a silence dans ma classe, il n’est pas bon pour moi. Il est imperatif que les étudiants participent. Je crois que ce soit le même en autres pays.

今週の聖書の詩: “Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.”
- Hebrews 6:7-8 (NIV)

Don’t be like the land producing thorns and thistles. Don’t fall away from the Lord. If you stray away a little bit, I hope there are people to keep you in check. Listen to the Lord and place all your worries on Him. Let Him guide!

今週の写真: Kyoto – Night 1: We continued walking around Kyoto at night and ate at an お好み焼き (おこのみやき - okonomiyaki; some people translate this as Japanese pizza, but it’s not exactly) restaurant located in restaurant alley. I was happy to see that Kyoto is a bustling city, but it can be attributed to all the tourists traveling for Golden week. I wonder if there’s a difference during the off-peak season.













1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"It is more difficult than English. I am content with my students. They are very funny when I speak to them after class. Some people are funny in class, but they are special. I love the students have a lot of energy. When there is silence in my class, it is not good for me. It is imperative that students participate. I think this is the same in other countries."

Ahh...that's an omelet(te) that's really edible-looking.

For once a food pic that doesn't cause involuntary emesis.

(lol, btw)

-curtiss