SNL--Mocking おたく

カテ　ペレさん　は　おたく　です。”ハローキティ" は　すきです。　パラパラはダンスをします. にほんごがあまりわかりません。 I thought it was funny how they attempted to have accents by adding the same sound to the end of all words and attempted to imitate anime.  I really hope I don't seem like this when I take Japanese, and I'm hoping it's different because I'm actually attempting to learn the language (albeit slowly and moderately poorly, but still).  The exaggerated bows and pretending to be shy for girls was very spot-on.A friend sent me this link as a reprieve from studying for my final in this class, and it made me smile.　

Composition 3 (さくぶん三）

ニ十ねんごのわたしはニューヨークにいます。ちいさいニューヨークのアパートがあります。わたしのアパートはにわのちかくにあります。アパートのなかにコンピユーターやえがあります。ニューヨクはたかいですがとてもたのしいです。

ジャーナリストです。しごとがすきです。わたしはともだちとつまがいます。しゅうまつにあそびたいです。ひまですから、とようびにかいものします。いっしゅうかんにいっかいりょうしんにでんわをかけます。マンハッタンをさんぽしたいです。ニューヨークがいちばんきれいです。わたしの人をうれしいがほしいです。

Katakana Analysis Final Draft

ユニクロ was the first word I thought of that was clearly in カタカナ that couldn't be categorized as a loanword.  It's the name of the Japanese clothing store Uniqlo, which is essentially the Japanese equivalent of the Gap (sidenote: bought $10 jeans there on Saturday!)  The name is written in カタカナ because it's a store, and store names are usually written in カタカナ.  Additionally, カタカナworks well with ユニクロ's logo, because it is based off of squares, and the katakana in ユニクロ has a highly geometric effect.  After interacting with a native Japanese speaker, I now realize that ユニクロ is an abbreviated way of saying "unique clothing", which is a foreign phrase.  I should have recognized this to begin with, but it's good that I've learned this now.

A confusing katakana word that I found is ゴミ, or the Japanese word for "trash".  It's not a foreign word, so it's peculiar that it's pretty much always written in カタカナ.  My best guess is that it is since ゴ ミ falls under the category of words that are used for emphasis.  I ended up doing research online, and there was an explanation that referred to a sense of Japanese pride--essentially, Japanese people would prefer to act as though trash is not of Japanese origin, and therefore they use カタカナ to separate it from their native culture.  Additionally, if you search online there is a scathing てがみ that someone wrote to a にほんごのしんぶん that stated that "gomi" is supposed to be written in hiragana, and newspapers only write it in katakana for the shock value.  It's certainly an interesting insight into Japanese culture!

When textbooks explain katakana, the ones that I've read-- most notably Kana de Manga, a relic of my middle school days-- they explain it as the alphabet that is used for generally foreign words.  This neglects to mention the many, many exceptions there appear to be to this general rule.  For instance, according to more thorough sources, certain non-foreign medical terms are written in katakana.  Additionally, some non-foreign company names are written in katakana.

おなかがすきました！

あしたはきんろうかんしゃの日。わたしはりょうしんとおとうとにひとりあります。ははのたべものをたべましょう！　いってまいります。

カタカナ Final Literary Works

I have intentionally allowed my syllabic structure to break from the traditional senryu structure in my first two senryus.  In ”ゴミ”, the middle line is longer than traditional because the emphasis on negating the presence of ”ゴミ” outweighs the desire to follow traditional hiragana/katakana rules, so this statement in my poem also break the traditional structure in order to emphatically negate.

Because the last poem focuses on being tired and wanting to rest, the intellectual integrity of the speaker is compromised.  This lends itself to a sloppy structure to mirror the mental state of the narrator.

”ゴミ”

にほんには

ゴミがありません。

いこくです。


"Trash"
In Japan,
There isn't any trash.
It's foreign.

”きんろうかんしゃのひ”

いそがしいです

でもいまココ

やすみます。


"Thanksgiving"
I'm busy.
But now, here,
I rest.

”すごいですね”

ユニクロは

よくたかいです

がすきです。

"Wow"

Uniqlo is

very expensive

but I like it.

と川柳（せんりゅう）(Katakana Literary Works)

”ゴミ”

にほんは

ゴミじゃありません。

からのです。

”きんろうかんしゃのひ”

いそがしい

でした。いま、ココ

やすみます。

”すごいですね”

ユニクロは

よくたかいです

がすきです。

さくぶん に

やまださんへ、

こんにちは。ロウェルケイトリンです。コロンビアだいがくのがくせいです。コロンビアだいがくはきれいなだいがくです。コロンビアだいがくんおクラスはむずかしいですが、おもしろいです。ニューヨークはあまりしずかじゃありません。いま、コロンビアだいがくはさむいです。まいばん、へんきょうします。わたしのへやはあまりきれいじゃありません。しち月ここのかににほんへいきます。

よろしくおねがいします。

ロウェルケイトリン

Katakana Analysis Draft

ユニクロ was the first word I thought of that was clearly in カタカナ that couldn't be categorized as a loanword.  It's the name of the Japanese clothing store Uniqlo, which is essentially the Japanese equivalent of the Gap (sidenote: bought $10 jeans there on Saturday!)  The name is written in カタカナ because it's a store, and store names are usually written in カタカナ.  Additionally, カタカナworks well with ユニクロ's logo, because it is based off of squares, and the katakana in ユニクロ has a highly geometric effect.

A confusing katakana word that I found is ゴミ, or the Japanese word for "trash".  It's not a foreign word, so it's peculiar that it's pretty much always written in カタカナ.  My best guess is that it is since ゴミ falls under the category of words that are used for emphasis.  I ended up doing research online, and there was an explanation that referred to a sense of Japanese pride--essentially, Japanese people would prefer to act as though trash is not of Japanese origin, and therefore they use カタカナ to separate it from their native culture.  Additionally, if you search online there is a scathing てがみ that someone wrote to a にほんごのしんぶん that stated that "gomi" is supposed to be written in hiragana, and newspapers only write it in katakana for the shock value.  It's certainly an interesting insight into Japanese culture!

ニホン の ファッション！

これは　Victorian Maiden の　ドレス (dress) です。いくらですか。　にまんはっせんきゅうひゃくえんです！　Gothic Lolita Bible を　よみました。　I think it would be so interesting to be able to visit Japan and shop for clothes in Japan.  When I was in early high school, I bought some Japanese fashion magazines from Kinokuniya that were written in Japanese.  I couldn't read any of it, but I thought the frilly, extravagant dresses were the best thing ever.  I always wanted to buy one, but I was too nervous to buy something that expensive online (not to mention I couldn't really read the sites that sold them!)  このくろいドレスはたかいです！

キョトフ！

キョトフはにほんのレストランです。せんしゅうわたしはそこにたべた。Kyotofu, as always, was delicious.  I had sake-infused mac and cheese for my dinner, and I had sweet tofu for my dessert.  The sweet tofu has the consistency of a pudding that holds its form, and you pour a sweet syrup over it before you eat it.  I've spent a good deal of time searching for a recipe to make it on my own, but I've been unable to find one (let alone one in English).  In the bathroom, there was writing on the wall that was in Japanese.  I felt slightly satisfied that I could read some of the hiragana, although I had no idea what it meant.  きようごぜんさんじにねます！あしゃたにやすみません！

First Impressions: Japanese

I chose to study Japanese because I have always wanted to visit Japan.  I really love cooking Japanese cuisine.  In addition, Japanese fashion greatly interests me.  I have a few Japanese fashion magazines at my house, but they're all in Japanese, so I was never able to read them.  Finally, I adore Japanese architecture as well as Japanese gardens.  I am excited about being able to understand (or at least attempt to understand) Japanese recipes, books, and other media in its native language.  Also, this is my first time learning a language that is not written using the Latin alphabet.  I thought it would be an adventure.

It seems like most everyone in my Japanese class either has a background in which they are fluent in another Asian language, or that they have studied Japanese in some capacity before this class.  Many people in the class already knew hiragana before we learned it, so I feel slightly behind some of the time, even when I learn material as it's presented.  Overall, although this class has been an immense amount of work, I'm enjoying how quickly I feel as though I'm learning bits of Japanese!

みなさん、こんにちは！

ロイル　ケイトリン　です。アメリカじん　です。まいね　から　きました。じゅはっさい　です。いち　ねん　せい　です。コロンビア　だいがく　の　がくせい　です。わたし　の　せんせい　の　おなまえ　は　まつもとせんせい　です。