Weekend Trips: Mikatagoko, Obama (the town)

One of the great things about studying at Yamasa for us was the proximity to new places.  We live very close to Tokyo-which is wonderful-but we love traveling and exploring other parts of Japan. 

Yamasa offers fantastic weekend trip opportunities.  We took advantage of one over night trip and two day trips during our time there.  Unfortunately for us, the first trip-the overnight one-included lots of traffic which resulted in cutting about half the original itinerary.  (One of the later days trips made up for what we missed.)

The first place we visited on our overnight trip was a National Park in Fukui Ken called Wakasa Bay Quasi.  According to the sign, these are “Wetlands of International Importance” and serve as breeding grounds for several types of invaluable fish. 

Map of the Mikatagoko area.

One of the attractions is at the top of one of the mountains.  We rode a lift to the top where we had an fantastic view and saw some interesting attractions:

The lift.

You could buy a lock, etch a message on it (usually a romantic one), and then lock it on the railing. 

There were virtually thousands of locks on the railings!

Little clay discs you could buy, write a messgae on and hurl over the railing into the forest.

Karl throwing his wish.

Kabuto Mushi-all of my elementary students are obsessed with these beetles.

Kabuto mushi eating a sugar jelly.

Map and view from the top.

Our second stop for the day was a brief drive through the little coastal town of Obama in Fukui Ken.  When President Obama was elected in the United States four years ago, this little town suddenly experienced world-wide fame. 

Our day ended back in Kyoto.  We had a full kaiseki meal at a restaurant in the Gion district.  During the summer the restaurants along the Shirakawa River set up special decks that float above the river.  This provides a cool relief from the oppressive humidity of the Kyoto summer. 

The dinner was delicious.

Yamasa: Take 2

Here’s a question:  Am I the only one who feels that no matter how much I study and practice a new language, I just will never learn enough?

When we moved to Japan two years ago (I know, right!?  Two years already!), I knew next to no Japanese at all. 

That was daunting.  I feel slightly less daunted now…but it took basically the full two years to reach this point. 

Yikes.

Last year we invested two weeks of our extremely hot and sweaty summer to studying Japanese at this wonderful place called the Yamasa Institute.  Though I feel my Japanese skills significantly improved during our two weeks stay, I found myself wishing I could stay much longer. I felt (and still feel) that I had just barely scratched the surface of understanding. 

Yamasa is a language school specifically designed for foreigners to come to Japan and study Japanese.  A variety of courses are offered.  We did the SILAC program last year and are signed up for it again this year.  All courses offered are intense immersion classes-almost no English (or any other language) is spoken. 

Besides the primary classes, private and smaller classes are also offered.  This year in addition to the SILAC course-which is around 23 class periods per week-we are signed up for  three CALL seminar classes per week.  Also, instead of staying in the dorms or apartments, we have signed up for a homestay.

I am hoping that with all of the classes, the homestay, and the studying, that my Japanese will significantly level-up during our four week stay. 

It’s time to get my Japanese game on! 

Studying Japanese?

I confess.  I am a self-proclaimed nerd.  I love school.  I excelled in my class work.  I thrived in that type of learning environment. 

Now I am trying desperately to learn Japanese, but primarily by self-study.  And it is totally different ball game. I miss having the structure of a classroom with deadlines to be met and exams for which to study.

Spending two weeks at Yamasa Institute this past August was like a throw back to college.  I loved it.  It improved my Japanese to the point at which I finally feel more comfortable self-studying.  I no longer feel like I am completely floundering…wondering if I am going in the right direction.

I have also recently come across some really incredible study materials.  Let me share them with you:

1.  Download the “Anki” flashcard program.  There is a wealth of resources in the form of flashcard decks all ready for you to download.  The program is specifically designed to help you retain the information you are trying to learn.

2.  Are you trying to learn the Kanji characters?  It’s a pretty daunting task.  I recently discovered a book called “Heisig’s Remember the Kanji.”  Book one covers how to write the kanji as well as the English meaning while book two gets into the readings for the kanji.  There is also a book three, but I don’t know much about it.  This approach to learning Kanji works really well for some people’s learning styles, but not all.

3.  Podcasts.  If you have an iPod or any other way of accessing podcasts, search for Japanese language learning podcasts.  There are lots of them.  The one I primarily listen too is called “Learn Japanese Pod.”  They are fun to listen too and also other cultural notes in addition to just language points. Trying to learn the kana?  Play this!

Do you have any tried and true way of studying languages?  If so, do tell!

People-This is Real Ramen

It's been awhile.  Sorry about that.  Karl and I are in the midst of a two week intensive Japanese course and are out of town. 

August is our "summer break."  It is proving to be very busy, however.  I will be taking part in some English camps starting next week so it'll be a while yet before I get back to semi regular blogging.

That being said, lets get on to...ramen.

Ramen.

I loved ramen as a kid.  I love ramen now.  But the difference is now I know what real ramen is.  And it is de-licious.  None of this dried noodle, sustenance of poor college students, business.  I am talking about honest-to-goodness Japanese ramen.  From a tiny ramen shop.  In the middle of Japan.

This is usagi ramen.  (rabbit ramen) Thick, fresh noodles.  Bamboo shoots.  Nori sheets.  Soft boiled egg.  Slices of rabbit meat.

The little shop is in a tiny little modest building.  But it one of those places.  Locals line up out the door at lunch time.  There is almost always a wait.

And it is so worth it.

The Count

What is one of the absolute first things you learn when studying a foreign language?

That’s right.  Numbers.

I learned to count in Spanish.  Easy.  I learned to count in German.  Easy.

I learned to count in Japanese…

一、二、三、四、五、六、七、八、九、十

ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, shichi, hachi, kyu, jyu

No problem.

But wait!…there’s more. 

You know how in English when you count something you simply say the number and then whatever the item you are counting?  For example: Three apples. (ah, ah, ah, ah!) 

Then there is Japanese counting.  In short, it’s a nightmare.  If The Count from Sesame Street existed in Japan-he would be insane.

There is a different way to counting everything.  How can that be, you ask?

I’ll give you an example:  You are at a restaurant.  You order some yakitori.  (delicious)  Instinct says, “四やきとりおねがします。”  (yon yakitori onegashimasu-Four yakitori please.)  But no.  What you should say is,  “やきとり四本おねがします。” (yakitori yonhon onegashimasu-Four yakitori please.)

Explanation: Because of the shape of yakitori, you have to use the counter for cylindrical objects.  One is “ee pone,”  two “ni hone,”  three “san bone,” four “yon hone,” five “go hone,” six “rope pone,” seven “nana hone.”  Etc. 

Nightmare.

There are different counters for flat things, people, small animals, big animals, machines, etc. etc. etc.

The list is endless.

Sigh…