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DIY JAPANESE

So last semester I picked up Beginner level Japanese at my university when I realised they offered free language classes. I am a japanese culture junkie, as well as a language enthusiast. But I just couldn't gather enough energy in the week to continue the class, what with all the other writing classes and the work they were demanding of me, plus I had a part time job that required a lot of energy and patience; teaching spoilt rich A.D.H.D. kids to play tennis.

I was really down about dropping the class but then dropping it meant I could start back attending Japanese Cultural Society meetings which were stupidly held the same time as the class. But, just as I was about to go in last week to watch Battle Royale with the anime addicts, and was getting excited about our trip to Hare and Tortoise, a popular japanese food chain in London, the shifts were determined for this job I applied to. I had foolishly confirmed that I could work Tuesday evenings, the same evening all this Japan-ness was taking place. Don't blame me, I need the money and therefore took all the shifts I could think of. So I sighed and stuck to my Japanese Word a Day application on Facebook.

The Word of the day at the time was 'suki', along with the phrase 'suki desu', meaning 'I like it.' And that same day was when I found out that one of my favourite artists won record of the year at this year's Grammy's. Ya, that artist that Natalie Cole said should not have won because of how it will affect her recovery from drug addiction? GOOD GUESS! Amy Winehouse! Well, I love her, and I think Natalie is right but what can you do at this point?

Anyway! So in response to that, I changed my facebook status to 'Watashi wa Amy Winehouse ga daisuki desu!'- this means I love Amy Winehouse. And ever since, my facebook wall posts have been more and more like this:

"kara! haha you are so japanese."
""You know I'm no good" ga dai suki desu."
"tomodachi, konnichiwa! nihongo ga hanashimasu ka?!"

I was like, well hurrah! people think I speak Japanese, while I casually teach myself in the confines of my room, one word at a time. So, I thought, I might as well actually pretend that I speak it, which has sprung forth an extremely late, but new 2008 resolution; to teach myself to have proper conversations with a japanese speaker.

My friend Alex, who moved to Japan nearly two years ago and teaches English there sent me this website that he swore by in preparation for moving there. He was the one who sent that last facebook wall post up there, which I totally didn't know what it meant at first, tried to play it off like I did by searching a Japanese phrase website and I bloody well answered him back in japanese too! So today, I was forced to learn how to say 'My japanese is bad'- 'watashi no nihongo wa heta desu', as well as my word-a-day (kikitai, if you must know, meaning 'want to hear or listen to').

This website is run by a guy Khatzumoto(he is not Japanese) who taught himself to speak japanese in 18 months.
"I learned Japanese in 18 months by having fun. In June 2004, at the ripe old age of 21, all post-pubescent and supposedly past my mental/linguistic prime, I started learning Japanese. By September 2005, I had learned enough to read technical material, conduct business correspondence and job interviews in Japanese. By the next month, I landed a job as a software engineer at a large Japanese company in Tokyo (yay!)."

It is actually possible to do this. I have already been doing it with the help of the ever popular Facebook. But sometimes their phrases can get repetitive. So, time to search for more help. Khatzumoto has tons of useful tips. Check it out if you always wanted to learn a cool foreign language, or always wanted to express how cute that japanese guy in your class is with bleached fringe in his eyes(Alex tells you how to say that below), or if you just plan to do business with guys bowing in immaculate suits! It's a really refreshing website also because he's fun to follow, being young and totally UNLIKE a dull Japanese professor who isn't up to date with the times.

AND NOW, Here are my friend Alex's top five most useful phrases he's come across since living in Japan, which I begged him for on his wall after telling him how much I sucked:

Useful phrase # 1 - Sumimasen - Sorry!
Useful phrase # 2 - (place or thing) wa doko desu ka? - Used to ask directions.
Useful phrase # 3 - Nihongo ga sukoshi wakarimasu. - I understand little Japanese.
Useful phrase # 4 - (name)-san wa kawaii ne! - Used for telling someone they're cute.
Useful phrase # 5 - (object) ga arimasu ka? - Used for asking a store clerk or salesman if they sell a particular item.

I'M GETTING PAID TO DO YOGA

I mentioned a while back that I applied for a job at a yoga centre. Well I went over there today for a quick chat with the manager and was told I would be starting working on Tuesdays and Fridays. I originally applied for receptionist work and was told I was going to be a helping hand. But it didn't exactly come to me in those words. She said "Okay Kara, so usually receptionists are helping hand first then they move up once they get a feel of the place and what bikram yoga is all about. So, what you're basically going to be doing is spraying the mats before and after classes with lavender and rose water, because they tend to get really sweaty, and then you sit in on the actual classes, so you're going to need to bring your yoga gear."

I can't say I wasn't thrilled but 'SAY WHAT?' This isn't sitting behind a desk on Facebook and taking calls. I'm glad I took it up though. I get a chance to learn this beneficially amazing artform(never done bikram, but I practise Hatha) for free! The place is well set up and although very steamy, as it should be, it is such a relaxed atmosphere, and I only made it to the lobby. The benefits are great, a ten day pass as of now just for showing up, anyone who shows up I think, and well, once I get started I am pretty much getting paid to detox, strengthen and flexify myself! And I can still go for free whenever I'm not working. This centre is really great. Check it our here. It's based in Fulham but there's another one opening in Balham soon.

I made sure before I got to the interview I did a little research on Bikram yoga. So, in case you were interested in getting started:

Bikram yoga is a popular type of yoga that was created by Bikram Choudhury. The Bikram yoga practice consists of a sequence of 26 postures, which are each held for approximately 20 to 30 seconds. The room temperature in which Bikram yoga is practiced should be approximately 105°F and 60% humidity. The heated room is beneficial for warming up the muscles to allow a deeper stretch and to detoxify the body. I got this from my Teach Yourself Visually Yoga book, which is the way I learnt yoga. Yes, if you don't want to go sweating it out with a bunch of half naked strangers, you can do it in the privacy of your own own.

Did I mention my depression and how well it had lifted my mood and my thinking? I am telling you, yoga is the real deal. And with results in body and mind in a mere three weeks? Can't go wrong people. Become a friend of Bikram Yoga; or yoga period! I'll keep you all posted on how my work there progresses.

On a sidenote, those Teach Yourself Visually books aren't half bad. They're so many of them on the most unlikely DIY things. You may not even have to get a degree anymore: Digital Photography, Adobe Photoshop 7, Drawing, Handspinning, Poker(!), Wireless Networking, Jewelry Making and Beading, Golf, MacBook, Calculus, Chess, Weight training, Dog Training(!!!). Yeah, a sign for me to stop.

The picture isn't to scare you away. Trust me, you'll be able to do this in like a week of practising.

HAPPY ASH WEDNESDAY!: LENT ANYONE?

And so here we are again in that Lenten time of the year, for you devout Christians and Catholics out there. I now like to think of myself as secular and a non-practising Catholic but I always like a good challenge. About 4 years ago for Lent, my friends dared me to cut out meat, and I did, and I thought that it was so easy and liberating after a while that I ended up cutting it out altogether. Still do. I've been happily Pesco-vegetarian up til now, and counting.

My friends have put up some interesting status updates on facebook about Lent. Here are a couple:

SJW gave up using facebook for Lent...sooooo...yeah...leave a message! xoxo

DSP shall do the fecking impossible by going 40 days alcohol-free...starting NOW!

...and THIS JUST IN! We have confirmation that my carnivorous Filipino ex has given up meat. He says he'll try but there is no 'try' in the word 'lent' so we all know what THAT means!

And what have I given up you ask? Well, most of you are probably going to have your toes writhing in your ankle boots for this one. That would be...shopping. 40 days no shopping. Somehow I feel kind of comforted, because just two days ago I bought a bunch of great staples, and I think I have MORE than enough clothes. In fact, EVERYTIME I shop I think that I have more than enough clothes. Well, I guess it's time to put that to the test. Time to see where my creativity in mixing/matching/layering/accessorizing comes in. I think Daddy, the money dealer, will be very proud of me. Wish me pots of gold luck!

What are you giving up, huh?

Le PEOPLE SPEAK

It's just about 8am here in London. I was bored so I started answering one of those personal surveys on Facebook. They show some of the responses from others on the side while I type in my response. I thought I'd share some of the questions and answers I found:

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST TURN ON? Wouldn't you like to know (Jaime)

BIGGEST REGRET? Listening to my friends' promises to get me DVB sunglasses, and not buying them myself (Anton)

MY PLACE OR YOURS? Wherever there's tea (Claire)

LEAST FAVOURITE SONG IN THE WORLD? That one by the guy with the high voice that gives me seizures. I forget the name of the band but you know what I'm talking about. (Thomas)-- uhhh no?

AS PRESIDENT OF THE USA, WHAT WOULD BE THE FIRST 3 THINGS YOU WOULD ENACT? 1)Kick out all mexicans 2)kick out all mexicans 3) kick out all mexicans (Nick)-- for the record, I did not laugh at this and I did not make these up. I am simply the messenger

WHAT KIND OF DRUGS HAVE YOU TRIED? Facebook (Yacine)

DO YOU BELIEVE IN GOD? Who doesnt? (Felicia) --poor girl needs to get a rude awakening

IF YOU WERE GAY, WHO WOULD YOU HOOK UP WITH FIRST? Lindsay Lohan (Anton) --note the masculine name. Also, he clearly wants to contract something

HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR MEN? Just like I like my apple ibooks: thin, shiny and 12" (Annick) --love this!

SEX OR LOVEMAKING? Love making is soo last century! (Anton)