Tuesday, September 27, 2011

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!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

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。