こんにちは.
KONNICHIWA.
Welcome to my blog, where I'll be recording the trials and tribulations of my Japanese-learning!
I'm a first year PhD student at Princeton University in the Comparative Literature department. I came here because I wanted to work on Arabic and Hebrew literature–– both of which I've studied intensively before–– yet here I am now dedicating myself, or at least trying to, to a new language much further afield than any of my others. I'm okay with that, though–– I love languages, and literature(s), and I don't think I could limit myself to one region or even family terribly long. I've felt for some time that I ought to add another language to my repertoire, and even tried to do so twice in college (alas, to no avail). At Princeton I'm forcing the matter and diving headfirst into kawaii music, zen koans, honorifics of every shape and size, and everything else that can only be said in Japanese.
A little more about me: I'm from the Jersey Shore (not exactly near Snookie, unfortunately), and only last May finished my BA in Written Arts and Middle Eastern Studies at Bard College. Last August I headed to Japan for a two-week entry-level romp through the country and its wonders, and from that adventure I am still drawing the inspiration and energy needed to actually learn another notoriously-difficult language. I have a habit of reading books only about or written in the language of the country I'm in while I'm traveling; in Japan I read Tanizaki Janichiro's incredible modernist novel "Sasameyuki," the kanji of which I have stolen for my blog (細雪). "Sasameyuki" means "lightly falling snow," and might refer as much to wintry effervescence as to my soon-to-be inability to remember any word or stroke in Japanese, but Edward Seidensticker (the translator) renamed the novel "The Makioka Sisters" at his own Western whim. Naturally the original title is what speaks most to me, and I hope to you too. (Apparently Tanizaki also wanted to hint at Japan's famous sakuras or cherry blossoms with the title; if you read the book, and you absolutely should, you'll find out why).
As a title for a blog it works as well as any other. Yet it also serves as a reminder of the long road I've doomed myself to follow, for I own a copy of Sasameyuki in the original, and my undertaking to learn Japanese is at least in part in effort to be able to some day to return to that text in its original language, without Seidensticker's ornate mediating. We'll see how realistic a goal that is in due time, but for now–– time to learn how to write in hiragana!!!!!
(Writing is the most fun part of all this, right?)
喉から手が出る <– Google says that means "my hand is coming out of my throat," lol how appropriate
じゃまた!
I’m Ryo Shikata. I’m from Kyoto in Japan. I go to Ritsumeikan university everyday. I study business administration and English in there. And I’m 18 years old. So I’m still minor. I have a junior sister. I have a dog, so I like dogs. His name is Ren. The kind of dog is toy poodle. I like listening to music. Especially, I like Japanese rock music. I like 04 Limited Sazabys best. If you like this kind of music, please listen to this music.
ReplyDeleteあなたはどんなおんがくがすきですか。
"Sasameyuki" is indeed a great novel, one of all traditional Japanese novels making you feel the beauty of light and delicate sentiments. That being said, I sometimes feel the way in expressing the sentiments is too narcissistic and sentimentalism, which though unsurprisingly inherent in Japanese culture.
ReplyDeleteI also have friends from Bard College, a great school for artistic majors.
Hello!! My name is Masaya Mizumura. I’m 18 years old. I’m from Yokohama of Japan. I’m a Ritsumeikan university student. My hobby is watching movies, soccer game, listening to music and playing soccer game. I like learning English because I want to speak English very well in the future and make friends with foreign people!! I’m glad to talk with you :)
ReplyDeleteこんにちは わたしのなまえは、みずむら まさやです
よろしく！