Friday, 2 May 2008

2008 New Years Resolutions (Finally!)

Yeah, I think my New Years Resolution will be 1024 x 768. Budaboom!

Sorry, bad graphic designer joke.

Seriously though I have made several New Years Resolutions but just haven't really been in the mood to write about them. Before I share though, let's reflect on my 2007 resolutions.

Get to a conversational level in Japanese. Failed though I'm getting closer!
Work out at the gym six days a week. NA I quit the gym but am kicking arse with my next resolution, Make Yoga Today a part of my daily regime. Success! Have been doing Yoga Today almost daily and my body is so different than it was when I started. Seriously I can't recommend this program enough!
Work to live. Don't live to work. 50 / 50 Had a better year. Pass-ish.
Get my sites to a point where I can make at least US$300 a month. Failed Have increased my earnings slightly, especially within the last few months but not exactly in the US$300 a month range. ;)
Relax more. SUCCESS! Just in general I feel a lot more relaxed and pleased with myself since this time last year.

Oooo... didn't do that well did I? Well let's see how I do with my New Years Resolutions for 2008!!!

Get to conversational level in Japan and learn the 2000 or so basic kanji.

Take the Level 2 Japanese Fluency Test. I don't expect to pass it but I'm determined to try to at least see what it's like.

Continue to do Yoga Today daily.

Learn how to surf! Have been wanting to do this for years but have just been putting it off! 2008 is the year!

Learn how to dance! Was really inspired by the swing dance party in Hyde Park in Sydney during the Sydney Festival in January and have decided to start taking lessons! Even found a school in Tokyo! Will start next month sometime.

Learn the shamisen! Am determined to learn how to play this Japanese guitar! Really want to learn the Okinawan sanshin but the odds of finding a teacher in Tokyo is pretty rare.

Learn capoeria! Dance and martial arts! A school near where I live! Sounds good to me!

Save money! Currently I'm aiming to save about 50,000 yen a month (about 500 dollars). I'll really need luck with this one!

More domestic travel! Am determined to get to Osaka, Fukuoka and Sendai!

Quite a few resolutions, huh? This is the year of self improvement. I wonder how I'll do?

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Labels: Capoeria in Japan, fitness, japan, Japanese, new year, Shamisen Lessons in Japan, Surfing in Japan, Swing Dance in Japan, Yoga Today

Thursday, 6 March 2008

How to Speak Japanese

Love this hillarious clip from a very underrated film called, Scary Movie 4 which parodies the American remake of Juon, The Grudge. Funny stuff on how to speak Japanese. Anyone can do it!

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Labels: Japanese, movies

Sunday, 2 December 2007

Taiwanese Nada Souou Video and Lyrics

Looking through my site stats for the past few months I've been amazed that over 80% of visitors to my site have come from Yahoo or Google searches involving BEGIN's song, Nada SouSou (Tears for You).

To give the public more of what they want I'm going to do a series of Nada SouSou posts on the different language versions including the music videos (if available), singer information and lyrics (if I can find them).

First up is the Taiwanese version which I had posted in the original Nada SouSou post. YouTube has since removed that video so here's the new link, Nada SouSou Taiwanese Version

The singer's name is 蔡淳佳 which can be read as Joi Chua or Cai Chun Jia. In Taiwanese the title is "陪我看日出" though I can't tell you if the meaning was kept.

Does anyone have the lyrics? If so please let me know. I would love to post them.

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Labels: Chinese, English, Japanese, Music, Nada SouSou

Wednesday, 14 November 2007

A New Look Phase 1

As you can probably tell, my blog is going through a few big changes right now. That's right! After years (literally) of talking about a new layout I'm finally doing it!

What you see now is kind of a rough draft of what the finished layout will look like. Things will be where you see them but the colours will all change as will several other things.

A word of warning, several of the links on the menus on the right are broken right now but don't worry, I'll have them fixed soon enough!

Besides working on this layout, I've been really busy with my Japanese study! Almost all of my free time has been devoted to Kanji and now more advanced conversation study. The thing is though that I'm really liking it!

I'm flying through the Kanji thanks to this book and the full Japanese Teach Yourself book is everything I'd hoped it would be.

I'll pass Level 2, easy!

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Labels: blog, Japanese

Thursday, 25 October 2007

Continuing My Japanese

Since deciding to aim for the Level 2 Japanese Fluency Test, I've kicked my Japanese studying into overdrive and am finally about to finish my Teach Yourself Beginner's Japanese book which has been a godsend. If you're thinking of starting Japanese this book is brilliant. It teaches you the basics but still challenges you at the same time and by the end of the book you can get by in most basic situations using the Japanese you have learnt.

I've already purchased the follow-up book in the series, Teach Yourself Japanese book which has been sitting in my bookcase unused for over a year now and I'll finally be ripping that open the week after next as I finish Beginner's! I can't wait to get started on this one as it covers speculation and making longer, more natural sentences.

I also have the Teach Yourself Beginner's Japanese Script book and used that to teach myself the Katakana and Hiragana (only about thirty letters or so in each alphabet) but since deciding to take the Level 2 test which requires knowledge 2000 kanji I've been looking for a faster and more comprehensive approach and luckily came across this post in a blog that I just subscribed to last week!

The author is starting to study the kanji herself and has recommended James W. Heisig's Remembering the Kanji I which looked so amazing that I ordered my copy last night! The whole book will teach me the meanings and stroke order of about 2000 kanji... and that's it. It doesn't teach the sounds (Onyomi & Kunyomi) at all! Ah, but that's the charm! You see once those 2000 kanji actually mean something to me in English (after I've learnt their meanings) then I use the second book, James W. Heisig's Remembering the Kanji II to teach me the Chinese and Japanese readings and how to really use them.

This process is apparently controversial but said by a lot of people to be incredibly fast and completely possible to do within a year (or maybe less!). I'm very excited about this and can't wait to get started!

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Labels: japan, Japanese

Sunday, 14 October 2007

The Japanese Language Proficiency Test

Well that's a shock. One of my aims for the rest of this year was to take the annual Japanese Language Proficiency Test which is held every December. I knew the application deadline for the test was a few months before the actual text so I did a Google search to see if I could find out when it was. Imagine my frustration when I found out on the official site that this year the deadline was on the 11th of September! I've missed it! So now if I want to do it again I have to wait until December 2008!!!

Bugger.

On the plus side, this gives me more time to study and perhaps challenge a higher level. This year I was going to take the Level 3 test as I knew there was no way I was up to the Level 2 but now with an extra year and a half to study I might as well start studying for the Level 2. Why not, hey?

If you don't know what the test is, Wikipedia has all the basic info. It's pretty much a test to measure non-native speakers' Japanese language level.

The lowest Level is 4 (pretty basic) and the highest is 1 (higher than a native speaker).

It pretty much covers vocab, grammar, listening, and kanji. In contrast to pass Level 4 you need to know about 100 kanji but to pass Level 1 you need a whopping 2000 or so memorised.

Missing out this year is kind of a load off. Just one less thing to think about in December with my Birthday, Christmas, trip to Australia, Heather's wedding, Chris's wedding and other things I'm kind of looking on the bright side right now.

Those reading this right now that are taking the test this year, good luck!

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Labels: japan, Japanese

Saturday, 25 August 2007

Nada SouSou : Japanese, English and Chinese Versions

After writing the recent post about the song, Jupiter being used in an Australian commercial I remembered how I had heard another famous Japanese song, Nada SouSou being played in The Body Shop in Shibuya though... in English. I'd been after any info about this English version for ages before it finally occurred to me to search for it on YouTube. Duh!

Not only did I find the Japanese and English versions (sung by a New Zealander no less!) but also a beautiful Chinese version! I simply love Chinese music. There's something in the way the language is used in music that always impresses me.

Here's the original Japanese version, Nada SouSou written by the group Begin lyrics by Ryoko Moriyama and sung by Rimi Natsukawa. Feed and Email Readers click here for the clip:

Anyway, here's the English version, Tears For You sung by, Hayley Westenra. Feed and Email Readers:

And now the Chinese version, Joi Chua Cai Chun Jia sung by Tsai Joi. Feed and Email:

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Labels: Chinese, English, Japanese, Music, Nada SouSou

Tuesday, 21 August 2007

"We wish England was Australia... or Jupiter?"

Just saw a new Australian commercial for Bundagerg Rum (Click here to view it) that has a lot of British people singing a song called "We wish England was Australia" which sounded REALLY familiar! It wasn't long until it ocurred to me that the song is actually to the tune of a Japanese hit that was released around the time I first came to Japan 3-4 years ago called Jupiter by Ayaka Hirahara.

Funnily enough I saw this song being used on a tv commercial when I was in Shanghai too.

It's a beautiful song which is why it's probably used so much. I just find it interesting that if I'd never come to Japan I would be completely ignorant of this bit of trivia.

Here's the song. Feeders and Email Readers Click here.

And Now watch the Rum ad! Haha.

And because I love it so much here's a stunning tv live performance that's well worth a watch. Email and Feeders

Labels: Australia, China, English, Japanese, Music

Sunday, 28 January 2007

It's an Australia Day Miracle!

After leaving Chris' place after a night of Australia Day drinking I realised I was more hungover than previously thought and had to stop for an hour or so on the way to the station to get rid of everything I had drunk and eaten within the last 24 hours.

What really surprised me was that on my second chunder chuck up a policeman on hid bicycle stopped next to me an asked me in genuine way (a very rare thing) if I was okay. I said I was fine and that he shouldn't worry. He asked if I had drunk too much alcohol to which I replied "Just a little." We both laughed and he told me that the koban (police box) was just around the corner if I needed help.

I just couldn't help but feel happy about this. It was in such contrast to my experience earlier last year in Soka when after coughing up blood and feeling as if I was about to pass out, went to a koban, explained my situation and they simply pointed me in the general direction of the hospital and told me it would be a 15 minute walk. It wasn't until a few minutes later on my way to that general direction and about 10 metres from the koban I collapsed did they think that they should call an ambulance and help me.

(On a side note, a taxi driver also refused to take me to the hospital because I was sick.)

Anyway, back to yesterday, over the next hour or so, several people expressed genuine concern for me and really wanted to know if I would be alright. Despite the occasional Exorcist style projectile vomit I didn't think I looked that unhealthy. But then again I did have that rolled out of bed hairstyle on me.

This experience completely renewed my faith in the Japanese people and made the prospect of staying here for a few more years all the more comforting.

Labels: japan, Japanese, Japanese Social Issues

Saturday, 20 January 2007

Who Am I?

I just remembered that my archives (bottom of the page)were broken so I went and fixed them all. Now you can go back and explore my whole time in Japan and the countdown to me coming here!

I can't believe how fast these last few years have gone. Seriously. Come March, I'll be starting my fourth year in Japan! Gah!

It's interesting how much I've changed. I was talking to Lisa yesterday at work and we were saying how even though we were open minded back in Australia, being in Japan has made us so much more aware of certain issues such as racism, sexual equality and education.

A good example is how the general population in Australia thinks it's acceptable to put down American and America as if it's our God given right. Hell, I think most Australians (including myself a few years back) used to enjoy the odd American joke.

Part of this is due to several factors but the main one being that not that many Americans make their way to Australia. Some for holidays but definitly not to live.

But after being in Japan and working and even become friends with some kick arse guys and gals from the states I realised what a racist prick I had been and can seriously see myself now back in Sydney and defending Americans next time one of those jokes is thrown around at a party.

Having said that though, George Bush is still a tool.

I've also become more proactive in social issues, having seen first hand a society were only 2% seem to stand up for themselves and refuse to discuss important issues like safe sex, STDs, rape, national politics and religion out of "politeness".

Before coming to Japan I would be the last person to watch the news, let alone international news but after being exposed to the Japanese government's utter stupidity when dealing with the Yasakuni Shrine and their complete denial of the Rape on Nanking I find myself actually bringing several issues up and even starting conversations about these issues whether anyone is interested or not.

Who am I now? I guess I'm still growing.

I know it's a cliché, but it's true what they say. You don't stop growing when you grow up.

Labels: blog, japan, Japanese, Japanese Social Issues, Rape of Nanking, Yasakuni Shrine

Tuesday, 2 January 2007

Resolutions

Well it's that time of year again and I think my resolutions are pretty much the same as last year's but with a few new ones thrown in.

Get to a conversational level in Japanese.

Work out at the gym six days a week.

Make Yoga Today a part of my daily regime.

Work to live. Don't live to work.

Get my sites to a point where I can make at least US$300 a month (currently in the US$45 range) via GoogleAdsense, Revver, EmailCash.com.au and other programs. US$1000 a month would be dandy but I think US$300 is a bit more realistic.

Relax more.

Labels: fitness, internet, Japanese, new year, work