二十ねんごのわたし

二十ねんごわたしはゆうめいです。アイドルかしゅですから。けんがさんげんあります。けんがいちばんみなみカリフォルニアにあります。けんがにばんパリにあります。そしてけんがさんばんとうきょうにあります。しんせつしゅじんとむすめがさんにんとしそくがふたりあります。おかねがたくさんありますが、わたしはチャリティーにあげます。わたしはいんきょです。そしてまいにちはまへいきます。りょうりがすきですから、ともだちとばんごはんのパーティーをします。わたしのせいかつはかんたんです。

アイドルかしゅ＝pop idol

けん＝house

むすめ＝daughter

しそく＝son

チャリティー＝charity

いんきょ＝retired person

はま＝beach

せんしゅうのもくよびはサンクスギビングデーでした。りょうしんとひこきでインディアナへいきました。おばあさんがいます。おいしいたべものがありました。そして、りんごのジュースをしました。わたしはたくさんべんきょしました。こんしゅうのげつようびともくようびしけんがふたつありますから。てんきはとてもさむいでした。ニューヨークのあきはとてもむずかしいですが、ゆきすきです。きょうにほんごのしけんがあります。べんきょしましょう！

せんりゅう

迂愚の王 　　　　　　Ignorant king

エデプスレクス 　　　　Oedipus Rex

家族割る 　　　　　　Family destroyed

時計やの 　　　　　　Watch　store

ボスは時間が 　　　　　Owner has

ありません 　　　　　No time

はじめての 　　　　　 First time

ひこうきで 　　　　　　On a plane

クラッシュした 　　　Went under

はじめまして！

やまださんへ、

はじめまして。わたしはキーリーです。コロンビアだいがくの一ねんせいです。せんこうはフランスごですが、べんごしにになりたいです。コロンビアだいがくはゆうめいです。みんながくせいはいそがしです。そしてしゅくだはあまりやさしくないですが、だいがくはたのしいです。８じはんにおきます。そしてごご３じにねます。７月１６日ににほんへいきます。よろしくおねがいします。

キーリー

Katakana Analysis

When I started taking Japanese, I knew that hiragana, katakana, and kanji were used, but I only vaguely knew the functions of each. Katakana, I was told, was for words that originally came from English but were then translated for Japanese use. It was not until I did further research that I found out all the different functions of katakana, the most popular being: loan words, onomatopoeia, and emphasis. I have included some examples of these, but I have also developed a few categories of my own.

1) Naruto: In this page from Naruto, one of the more common forms of katakana makes its appearance. "ウオオエ" or "uooe" is used as onomatopoeia for what appears to be a whooshing noise or strong wind. The second katakana word, "ズン" or "zun" is commonly used in manga for when something is really heavy, or in this case, when someone's foot stomped really hard and broke concrete.

2) Marukai: This is the home page of the Japanese market Marukai. On the right hand side, one of the links is for "サプリメントビタミン” or "supplemental vitamins." Katakana in this case is used as a loan word. It is probable that the compound noun "supplemental" does not exist in traditional Japanese. This is probably why katakana is used instead of kanji or hiragana.

3) RIP Slyme-Dandelion: This Japanese music video contains of katakana used for emphasis, and used for one of my categories--fashion. Often times, English is used in Japanese media because it is considered cool or trendy. Although this is a song, if the lyrics were written out, several of the words would be in katakana rather than hiragana or kanji. During the chorus, the group sings "だれもがみんあフラワ." It is obvious that the Japanese word for flower is はんあ, but フラワ is used, not only for emphasis, but also because using katakana is just fashionable. Additionally, because this is a rap song, using English words gives the musicians more words to choose from when writing their songs.

Katakana is explained different ways by different textbooks because there are so many different reasons why katakana is used. Some books are more specific than others, but almost all explanation of why katakana is employed include that it is used for foreign names, loan words, and onomatopoeia. The other cases, such as emphasis or for fashion, are so subjective that it would be difficult to definitively categorize some words. Some people may think that Japan should do away with so many different types of script, but by analyzing the purpose of each different one, anyone can see why each element of the Japanese language is indispensable. Katakana is here to stay.

Equinox!

When we were talking about the ridiculous number of holidays Japan celebrates, Vernal Equinox Day (しゅんぶんのひ) and Autumnal Equinox Day (しゅうぶんのひ) came up, and very few people knew about the whole たまご trick. It is true that on these days, you can stand a たまご on its pointed end, and it will stand. Since we are nowhere near one of the Equinox Days, I posted a youtube clip so that people could see it anyway. ^_^ たのひんでみなさん！

ちいよび

おとといはんきんまちのOriental Gardenにいきました。あおまめとえびとうしとすぶたをたべました。きのはたしはくじからじゅいちじまでDoge Gymにバレーボールしました。きょおばけがくをべんきょしました。いまはたしはねます。おやすみ！

Why?

Although I am half-Japanese, I cannot speak it at all. Well, after the first six days of class I can barely make a sentence. My paternal grandmother, Kiyoko Fujitaki, was born in California in 1925, but moved back to Japan during the war. During the war, she was withdrawn from school and forced to work in a factory. Soon after the war ended, my grandmother returned to Southern California where she was set up on a blind date with my grandfather, Kenichi Nakamoto. They settled down in San Gabriel, California, and had my father, Kenneth Kenji, and my aunt, Jane Shizue. Neither my father nor my aunt were taught Japanese. My grandmother kept our culture alive by feeding us Japanese food or taking us to festivals like Obon. One thing, however, that I always regretted was not being able to talk to my grandmother in English. Sure, she is fluent in English, but I know how proud it would make her if I could speak it as well. Being a grandmother, especially an Asian one, she tends to gossip and brag about her grandchildren a lot.

I am excited to learn more about my heritage. I want to be able to go to Japan to visit relatives and actually be able to have a conversation with them. Nothing would make me happier than be able to watch a Hayao Miyazaki film in Japanese. Even after a week, however, I can tell that learning this language is not going to be as easy a feat as I had previously thought.

While it is arguably my most difficult class this semester, it is also the most fun thus far. I have trouble understanding sentence structure and trying to choose which particle to put where. I am not able to easily read hiragana yet, but I am practicing everyday. It is difficult feeling so limited. There are so many things that I want to say, but I just don't know how to translate it yet. I feel that I will have reached a turning point when I am able to not just think in English and translate into Japanese, but actually think in Japanese as well.

Wish me luck.

わたしKeeleyです

こんにちは。わたしはKeeleyです。Barnardのだいがくせいです。いちねんせいです。Claremontからきました。Americaじんです。ども。じゃあ、また。