Rather out of the blue, I got a nice phone-call from Mei, one of my friends from back in Birmingham who graduated and is now studying at Waseda University up in Tokyo (Or something like that). Anyway, we were speaking in Japanese, and I realised I was finding it pretty hard to speak in "Standard" Japanese, bits of Kansai-ben kept slipping in, which isn't really a problem when speaking to native Japanese people, but non-Kansai (Ie, Kyoto, Kobe, Osaka) foreigners tend to find it more difficult. Aside from being mildly annoying the the above conversation, I'm rather taken aback with the realisation that I may be stuck with effectively the Japanese equivalent of a Liverpool accent... while this may be amusing, I have a feeling it may come back to bite me someday in the future...
Still, at least I won't sound like 99.9% of other foreign Japanese speakers :-)
So, Sean arrives on Saturday afternoon! Looking forward to it, think it will be interesting for both of us; he gets to see Japan, I get to find out about all the odd stuff which I'm now pretty used to now.
A quick, tourist friendly Japanese phrasebook for you all (potentially with a slight Kansai-accent):
Hello: こんにちは Konn-nee chi wa
Nice to meet you: おっぱいを見せて Op-pai o me-se-te
Nice weather don't you think?: ちんぽがないんだよ Chin-po ga nai-nn da yo
Thank you very much for this: てめえ、きもいやん te-mei, ki-moi yan
If you have any Japanese friends try these out, I'm sure they'll be very impressed.
On a more mundane note, I've been sorting out my modules for next term, with the rather annoying obligation to take science courses this time around. At least I'm allowed to keep physics to a minimum :-). I was flicking through the Earth and Planetary Science course list and came across the truly bizarre "Teachers advice" section of 2nd year Rocky Stone Studies(That's what the course title reads as! Its 岩石学 if anybody thinks they can translate better), which reads as "煮ても焼いても食えない[etc]", or in English, "Even though these rocks have been cooked and grilled, don't eat them." Words to live by I guess...
Oh, and I have to credit Lilly (and Facebook newsfeed) for bringing this to my attention, but check this group out. I would be EXTREMELY surprised if any of the photos were staged. Trust me...
http://www.facebook.com/yumchaaa?v=feed&story_fbid=110035052354189#!/group.php?gid=25380231345&ref=ts
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Monday, 29 March 2010
Philippines Photos
My photo's from the Philippines are over on my Photobucket account now.
http://s913.photobucket.com/albums/ac337/thomasarnot/The%20Philippines%20March%2010/
By the way, WHAT THE F*CK IS UP WITH THIS FRIKKIN BLIZZARD!!!!!
http://s913.photobucket.com/albums/ac337/thomasarnot/The%20Philippines%20March%2010/
By the way, WHAT THE F*CK IS UP WITH THIS FRIKKIN BLIZZARD!!!!!
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Back to normality. Well, Japan at least...
So, I survived the Philippines. In contrast to the dire predictions of the British Foreign Office website, I was not kidnapped, blown-up, robbed, drugged or consumed by some tropical flesh-eating disease (that I know about yet). For the last few days we wandered around the jungle a bit, found some natural bubbling mud pools and went over to see the volcano at Tagaytay, which seemed really tiny and a little bit over-hyped until you realise that the massive hill you stand on to look at the cone down below is actually the caldera rim... Apparently the volcano still erupts from time to time so we weren't allowed onto it. Oh, and we went to what is said to be the best restaurant in the Philippines for a very nice lunch.
Oh, and I was skimming through the international tv channels at one point (The NHK World rather annoyingly broadcasts in English for some reason...). Turns out the Korean one (Arirang) really does televise Starcraft matches... I thought they were just making that up!
Incidentally I also survived the dinner party with the Japanese researchers. They said I had a funny Kansai accent even when I was actively trying to speak standard Japanese.
I caught the two Japanese guys sitting next to me on the plane talking about me. Nothing insulting or anything, and I was impressed that they were inventive enough to talk about me as 白人 (white person) instead of Gaijin which I guess they figured I would know. The death-stare they gave me when I started prominently reading the Japanese newspaper next to them was pretty funny :-)
So, Japan again! I got to go in another special passport line for re-entry visa holders, which was practically empty so I actually got through passport control faster than half the Japanese people :-) I know it sounds really really stupid, but I also was struck (again) by how mono-racial Japan is... good to be back though. I guess it's because of being away, but I kinda realise now how precious the time I have here is. At the end of April I'll have been here 6 months, so that's just slightly over the half-way point, so I've been feeling very motivated to go do stuff each day and make the most of everything (God, that sounds cheesy).
Unfortunately, the weather seems to have other ideas, and has pretty consistently been rather wet and miserable since I got back (and not even in the "It's raining but by god is it impressive rain" like it was in the Philippines.). Rather reminds me of Scotland to be honest...
And Sean arrives a week today! Should probably book his hotel soonish maybe...
Oh, and I was skimming through the international tv channels at one point (The NHK World rather annoyingly broadcasts in English for some reason...). Turns out the Korean one (Arirang) really does televise Starcraft matches... I thought they were just making that up!
Incidentally I also survived the dinner party with the Japanese researchers. They said I had a funny Kansai accent even when I was actively trying to speak standard Japanese.
I caught the two Japanese guys sitting next to me on the plane talking about me. Nothing insulting or anything, and I was impressed that they were inventive enough to talk about me as 白人 (white person) instead of Gaijin which I guess they figured I would know. The death-stare they gave me when I started prominently reading the Japanese newspaper next to them was pretty funny :-)
So, Japan again! I got to go in another special passport line for re-entry visa holders, which was practically empty so I actually got through passport control faster than half the Japanese people :-) I know it sounds really really stupid, but I also was struck (again) by how mono-racial Japan is... good to be back though. I guess it's because of being away, but I kinda realise now how precious the time I have here is. At the end of April I'll have been here 6 months, so that's just slightly over the half-way point, so I've been feeling very motivated to go do stuff each day and make the most of everything (God, that sounds cheesy).
Unfortunately, the weather seems to have other ideas, and has pretty consistently been rather wet and miserable since I got back (and not even in the "It's raining but by god is it impressive rain" like it was in the Philippines.). Rather reminds me of Scotland to be honest...
And Sean arrives a week today! Should probably book his hotel soonish maybe...
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
The Philippines, Part 2
Still alive down here :-)
Went up to the Batad rice terraces at Banaue, up in the middle of the mountains of northern Luzon. Basically the Ifagao tribe (former headhunters) terraced an entire valley or five and farmed them for the last 2000 years (in between beheading the odd Spanish/Japanese soldier who had the misfortune of wandering round). Apparently if all the terraces were put end to end, they would reach half way round the globe... I'll put up some pictures at some point. I have to say it was probably about the most remote place I've ever been too... 10 hour drive north of Manila, way up in the mountains (Although for much less effort you could just look at the back of a 1000 peso bill, which has a photo on it.)
On a side note, while we were wandering around the Ifagao village we ran into some elderly Japanese tourists from Fukuoka (whom could be seen a mile off by their 100% stereotypical Japanese tourist gear) whom I chatted with. The actually spoke pretty good English, and had been to Scotland (Skye of all places!)
Speaking of Japan, I entirely coincidentally ran into another exchange student from Kobe in a restaurant near our inn in Banaue!
Went back to Manila as well with my cousin who went off to her museum group and left me with the driver (called Rolly), so I went to the American War Cemetery, which is the largest American burial ground outside of the States. Around 17,000 US and Filipino soldiers who died in the Philippines are buried there, and another 30,000 missing in action are listed on the walls of the central monument. Pretty sobering stuff...
World War II really has had a massive impact on the Philippines. By the end of the war, Manila was the second most destroyed city in the world after Warsaw. Basically, the Japanese refused to leave the city, even though they had no chance of defending it, so the Americans pretty much bombed the place to the ground, and since then the place has never really recovered.
Happier things; met up with cousin again to have lunch at the Peninsula hotel in central Manila, where I had a very nice Margarita and some noodles. The Peninsula hotel is somewhat infamous for a rather amusing coup attempt a few years back, where some imprisoned Filipino generals walked out of their courthouse (having been on trial for a coup attempt the week before), along with the people who were supposed to be guarding them (obviously the pride of the Philippines), at which point they saunter into the 5-star hotel ("We'll take that suite up the top") and set about taking over the country. For about 30 minutes that is, until the government took it upon themselves to do a little "redecorating" by driving a tank into the lobby... it's fixed now.
Amusingly, when we got to the hotel they checked under the car and in the boot for bombs etc, and would only let us through after this. On the other hand, you could just drive straight out the other side when you left. I guess they figure any terrorists wouldn't be so ungentlemanly as to just drive in the exit...
Oh, and corruption in politics is so rampant here that it's just a joke. All senators and representatives have the same license-plate on their cars ("8") so are basically above the law. Also, the current president (Gloria Arroyo) is the daughter of a former president, and the current candidates to replace her include the son of Corazon Aquino (another former president), who's running mate is the grandson of another president, along with an impeached former president, back for some more... they like to keep things in the family here it seems...
Finally, my cousins have invited ALL of the Japanese staff here at the institute to dinner tonight to "test" me on my Japanese... gulp...
Oh, and I checked online and the Cherry-blossom bloom reaches Kobe the day after I get back :-). Which is a public holiday, so will be absolutely mobbed :-( Oh well...
Thursday, 11 March 2010
The Philippines, Part 1
So, I made it down here to the Tropics, leaving behind Japan's rain (mostly) for 12 days. I'm in Los Banos, about 1.5 hours south of Manila, staying with my cousins who live in the International Rice Research Institute compound, somewhat ironically half-way up another mountain. The jungle is literally 3 metres from my window, so it's more than a little bit different from Kobe/Osaka's urban sprawl.
Flew down here with Thai Airways (direct from Osaka to Manila), who were very good, although going by the rate at which they were handing out the Brandy I was A) pretty surprised that the Japanese weren't on the floor by the time we reached the Philippines and B) thinking Thai parties must be pretty awesome...
Airport security in the Philippines seems to be pretty interesting. They had a tank (honestly) parked outside the terminal, but at the same time my cousin was able to walk right up to the gate to meet me (I.E, past customs, baggage and immigration...). Oh, and I got to go in the diplomatic line for passport control (since they work for an international agency).
Went to Central Manilla the other day, seems a bit like a dirtier and (slightly) more chaotic version of Osaka to be honest. Minus all the Japanese people of course... Oh, and they certainly seem to love chocolate brownies here...
Second day; MY GOD CAN IT RAIN HERE... not so much chucking it down as grabbing it by the scruff of the neck, powering its face into the dirt and stamping on it down. Ironically everyone has said they haven't had rain in the last 3 months before now... consider it a present from Japan, where it's most likely still raining I expect. Speaking of Japan, my entire room back there is about the size of my bed here :-)
Oh, and Janet arranged for one of the Japanese people here to meet us for coffee to "test me on my Japanese"... she found my Kansai-ness quite funny and said she's get one of the other Osakans to drop by.
Off to Bananue tomorrow! (Which is apparently a 12 hour drive away but is very nice, so I've heard...)
Monday, 8 March 2010
After Thoughts
Hehe, title-pun, geddit?
I know... I might be going a bit blog mad lately. Sorry. If you're still reading all of these, Otsukare-sama ("O honourable tired person". Doesn't translate very well into English...)
So I got some freaky Japanese doll thing for my cousins from a little shop not that far from my halls (In Mikage/Sumiyoshi, basically where people who work in Osaka/Kobe/The Yakuza sleep. No joke about the Yakuza by the way. They keep the neighbourhood very clean.). Anyway, while down there, the shopkeeper randomly surprised me with "Are you a French person?" Eh? No... "Oh, really, you have very French hair..."
So, Anyway...
I know... I might be going a bit blog mad lately. Sorry. If you're still reading all of these, Otsukare-sama ("O honourable tired person". Doesn't translate very well into English...)
So I got some freaky Japanese doll thing for my cousins from a little shop not that far from my halls (In Mikage/Sumiyoshi, basically where people who work in Osaka/Kobe/The Yakuza sleep. No joke about the Yakuza by the way. They keep the neighbourhood very clean.). Anyway, while down there, the shopkeeper randomly surprised me with "Are you a French person?" Eh? No... "Oh, really, you have very French hair..."
So, Anyway...
Saturday, 6 March 2010
Some thoughts...
Oh the horror! I forgot to mention this last time (and to be honest that post was long enough already; sorry about that), but I found out that Japanese kids DON'T WATCH DISNEY MOVIES!!!!! Back when Yoo and I were over in Kyoto station for some reason they were playing "A whole New World" (In Japanese, which was really weird... they changed the words as well), and Yoo didn't have a clue what it was :-O. He'd never seen Aladdin or any of the others :-(
Somebody recently said to me that my knowing English, German (somewhat shaky these days...) and Japanese was impressive. This was told to me by a non-native English speaker, who also speaks Japanese. Similar stuff has been mentioned to me by a couple of other Non-native English speakers, all of whom were themselves upwards of tri-lingual. Maybe I'm just being overly-sensitive, but every time I hear this I keep thinking "You mean, impressive for a native-English speaker"....
If you'll forgive the jump into linguistics, someone pointed out to me recently that the English language actually uses a writing system (I.e, the Roman letters you're currently reading) which comes form a different language family from the language it's self. Explains some of our more "creative" spellings... I wonder why nobody though that squeezing a writing system which didn't actually match the target language's phonology wouldn't have a few problems...
On the other hand, Japanese phonology and writing system match perfectly. Every sound in the Japanese language has a symbol to represent it. Unfortunately, Japanese phonology is itself at the same time strictly defined and somewhat limited, which I guess explains the problems native-Japanese speakers have when they learn other languages.
Off to the Philippines on Wednesday, so I'm going to go find a Japanese-y present for my cousins. Unfortunately, since they're about 40 I don't think they'll be that interested in a giant Hello Kitty or Rirakkuma... shame...
Somebody recently said to me that my knowing English, German (somewhat shaky these days...) and Japanese was impressive. This was told to me by a non-native English speaker, who also speaks Japanese. Similar stuff has been mentioned to me by a couple of other Non-native English speakers, all of whom were themselves upwards of tri-lingual. Maybe I'm just being overly-sensitive, but every time I hear this I keep thinking "You mean, impressive for a native-English speaker"....
If you'll forgive the jump into linguistics, someone pointed out to me recently that the English language actually uses a writing system (I.e, the Roman letters you're currently reading) which comes form a different language family from the language it's self. Explains some of our more "creative" spellings... I wonder why nobody though that squeezing a writing system which didn't actually match the target language's phonology wouldn't have a few problems...
On the other hand, Japanese phonology and writing system match perfectly. Every sound in the Japanese language has a symbol to represent it. Unfortunately, Japanese phonology is itself at the same time strictly defined and somewhat limited, which I guess explains the problems native-Japanese speakers have when they learn other languages.
Off to the Philippines on Wednesday, so I'm going to go find a Japanese-y present for my cousins. Unfortunately, since they're about 40 I don't think they'll be that interested in a giant Hello Kitty or Rirakkuma... shame...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
The One and a half Gaijin, all Kansai-ben adventure.
Met up with Yoo (陽), who I suppose I could joke is my stand in for 陽, who is currently in Tokyo. Although there's the small fact that 陽 is a girl and about half the size of 陽. 陽 is also less inclined towards using words like 俺(Ore) and 行かへん（Ikahen). That said both 陽 and 陽 both speak in Kansai-ben, though after speaking to 陽 for about 5 hours straight I don't get stuck in Kansai-ben mode for the next 2 hours, which happens if I hang around with 陽.
If your computer can't read Japanese characters, I've very sorry, but you just missed a hilarious little joke about how I have two friends who's names are written exactly the same way just pronounced as Yoo (who's a guy) and Minami (who's a girl).
On the subject of Japanese name-based silliness, I've also got a friend called Yu (優） (who is a girl) and one of my new pupils is also called Yu but is a boy (I don't actually know how you write his name in Kanji but it'll be different. ).
The plan was to meet up in Kyoto (Incidentally, Yoo assures me that he does actually live in Kyoto-prefecture. I am yet to be entirely convinced of this...). Anyway, the plan was to meet up in Kyoto and head up to Lake Biwa, which is, depending on who you ask, either very beautiful or a toxic bog that makes the Clyde look inviting (A little Glasgow reference there). I was personally hoping to steer us in the direction of the "Ninja village" Wikitravel talks about, or if not the hilltop-temples at Mount Hiei, but we ended up going for some noodles in Kyoto before heading down to Osaka.In effect I ended up doing the Kei-han-shin triangle in a day... If Tanaka-sensei was following us she would probably have had fun watching me adapt dialects. I pass on attempts at Kyoto-dialect though, it's hard :-(
Anyway, apparently I seem to magnify Yoo's slightly foreign appearance (Half-German. I'm tempted to nickname him Asuka but I don't think he'd take it well... 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン reference there - I admit to deliberately writing that in Japanese to hide it's slight geekyness... In protest however, has anyone met a Japanese person who didn't like it? Apart from Yume, who it scared the crap out of apparently. And it is basically their version of Star Wars...) I guess at this point I do now have to admit to watching Neon Genesis Evangelion recently...
Back to the point (again), basically the whole day was for me a nice holiday from being what I will generously refer to as "exotically weird one" (Also know as: THE GAIJIN) and for Yoo an never-ending stream of "Here is your English menu" and "Are you a lost English-speaking tourist whom I can assist?". Not to mention the fascinating spectacle it seemed to be for two apparent foreigners to be chatting in Kansai-ben Japanese...
Amusing aside: My complete inability to navigate Osaka having been documented previously, I gave Chris (Exchange student from Sheffield) a call while on the train with Yoo (I know, rebel. Don't worry, I did that "cover-hand-with-mouth-thing-that-makes-it-ok). Conversation as follows:
Me (To Chris, in English): Hey, can you recommend anything in Osaka?
Chris (In English): Yea, the castle's pretty cool. Shinsaibashi is also good.
Me (To Yoo, in Japanese): Hey, have you been to the Osaka castle before?
Chris (In Japanese): Yea, it's pretty cool
Yoo (At the same time, also in Japanese): Yea, ages ago
Me (To Chris, in Japanese): I wasn't talking to you!
Yoo(In Japanese): Oh, sorry..
Me (To Yoo, accidentally in English): No, not you sorry...
Yoo(In Japanese): Eh? Wat?
Me (To Yoo, in Japanese): Never mind
Chris (In English): Oh, I get it, your friend's Japanese!
(Head explodes)
Speaking of head-pain, I very nearly knocked myself out on one of the stupidly low doors in my halls :-( Worst bit is that's about the 4th time I've done that on that door...
Went on to Osaka castle, which is distinctly un-authentic given the interior elevator (Himeji is better), then for some (more) noodles in Shinsaibashi, where the shopkeeper rather amusingly said he was really surprised that I ordered something written in Kanji (月見定食, which was very nice) on the menu, and that he expected me to order something written in phonetics. I'm honestly really not sure how to take that...
Gold star of happiness also goes to random Hankyu Men's (Department store. No, I didn't buy anything) shopkeeper-girl, who randomly started talking to me in Japanese without any encouragement :-)
Philippines in a week! :-) :-)
If your computer can't read Japanese characters, I've very sorry, but you just missed a hilarious little joke about how I have two friends who's names are written exactly the same way just pronounced as Yoo (who's a guy) and Minami (who's a girl).
On the subject of Japanese name-based silliness, I've also got a friend called Yu (優） (who is a girl) and one of my new pupils is also called Yu but is a boy (I don't actually know how you write his name in Kanji but it'll be different. ).
The plan was to meet up in Kyoto (Incidentally, Yoo assures me that he does actually live in Kyoto-prefecture. I am yet to be entirely convinced of this...). Anyway, the plan was to meet up in Kyoto and head up to Lake Biwa, which is, depending on who you ask, either very beautiful or a toxic bog that makes the Clyde look inviting (A little Glasgow reference there). I was personally hoping to steer us in the direction of the "Ninja village" Wikitravel talks about, or if not the hilltop-temples at Mount Hiei, but we ended up going for some noodles in Kyoto before heading down to Osaka.In effect I ended up doing the Kei-han-shin triangle in a day... If Tanaka-sensei was following us she would probably have had fun watching me adapt dialects. I pass on attempts at Kyoto-dialect though, it's hard :-(
Anyway, apparently I seem to magnify Yoo's slightly foreign appearance (Half-German. I'm tempted to nickname him Asuka but I don't think he'd take it well... 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン reference there - I admit to deliberately writing that in Japanese to hide it's slight geekyness... In protest however, has anyone met a Japanese person who didn't like it? Apart from Yume, who it scared the crap out of apparently. And it is basically their version of Star Wars...) I guess at this point I do now have to admit to watching Neon Genesis Evangelion recently...
Back to the point (again), basically the whole day was for me a nice holiday from being what I will generously refer to as "exotically weird one" (Also know as: THE GAIJIN) and for Yoo an never-ending stream of "Here is your English menu" and "Are you a lost English-speaking tourist whom I can assist?". Not to mention the fascinating spectacle it seemed to be for two apparent foreigners to be chatting in Kansai-ben Japanese...
Amusing aside: My complete inability to navigate Osaka having been documented previously, I gave Chris (Exchange student from Sheffield) a call while on the train with Yoo (I know, rebel. Don't worry, I did that "cover-hand-with-mouth-thing-that-makes-it-ok). Conversation as follows:
Me (To Chris, in English): Hey, can you recommend anything in Osaka?
Chris (In English): Yea, the castle's pretty cool. Shinsaibashi is also good.
Me (To Yoo, in Japanese): Hey, have you been to the Osaka castle before?
Chris (In Japanese): Yea, it's pretty cool
Yoo (At the same time, also in Japanese): Yea, ages ago
Me (To Chris, in Japanese): I wasn't talking to you!
Yoo(In Japanese): Oh, sorry..
Me (To Yoo, accidentally in English): No, not you sorry...
Yoo(In Japanese): Eh? Wat?
Me (To Yoo, in Japanese): Never mind
Chris (In English): Oh, I get it, your friend's Japanese!
(Head explodes)
Speaking of head-pain, I very nearly knocked myself out on one of the stupidly low doors in my halls :-( Worst bit is that's about the 4th time I've done that on that door...
Went on to Osaka castle, which is distinctly un-authentic given the interior elevator (Himeji is better), then for some (more) noodles in Shinsaibashi, where the shopkeeper rather amusingly said he was really surprised that I ordered something written in Kanji (月見定食, which was very nice) on the menu, and that he expected me to order something written in phonetics. I'm honestly really not sure how to take that...
Gold star of happiness also goes to random Hankyu Men's (Department store. No, I didn't buy anything) shopkeeper-girl, who randomly started talking to me in Japanese without any encouragement :-)
Philippines in a week! :-) :-)
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