ぐんかんじま： Battleship Island.

ぐんかんじま literally means "Battleship Island," and is the nickname for　はしま　Island, not that far from ながさき。It is nicknamed ぐんかんじま　because its shape resembles that of a battleship.

What's   おもしろい　about ぐんかんじま、is that it is an island that has been completely uninhabited for almost 40 years. It was abandoned because it was once home to a coal plantation. でも、because of the introduction of petroleum, people abandoned the island as it was no longer necessary. Many of the people who worked the factories were かんこくじん　prisoners of war, and several died on the island. だから、many people believe ぐんかんじま　to be ゆうれい（幽霊）「haunted」。

If any of you have seen the movie "Inception," it reminds me a lot of the world of Cobb's limbo. One of the coolest things is that lots of the photographs of this mysterious island came from a photographer who accessed the island illegally. Although it is sometimes open to the public, people can only see a very limited area. He was very adventurous, but I would not suggest mimicking his courage (or foolishness). Because of the bad and unpredictable weather on the island, it is possible to get effectively stranded if you don't know how to get around the place--which pretty much everyone doesn't, since no one lives there.

 

If you want to see 　もっと　しゃしん　(more pictures), linkが　あります：　ぐんかんじま　photos.

１０月２６日 (October 26)

きょうのあさ、たつまき　けいほうが　(tornado warning)　ありました。だから、だい４かのテストが　ありませんでした。でも、あしたに　テストが　あります。こんばんに、わたしは　もうすこし　にほんごを　べんきょします。

また　きょう、ぼくは　日本語会話テーブルに　いきました！　It was a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed the practice in listening (and attempted speaking) I got with more advanced Japanese speakers. I was disappointed that not too many people from our class went; I encourage you guys to go to the next one! It was almost frightening trying to muster up the courage to say SOMEthing.

But hey, that's how you learn right?

わたしのあきやすみ

せんしゅうのきんよびに、わたしは　カリフォリニアのうちにかえりました。わたしのたんじょうびは　にちように　あった　(It was my birthday on Sunday).  いま、ぼくは　じゅうしちさい　です。わたしのうちに　パーティが　ありました。わたしのともだちは　きました。

げつようび、すいようび、と　もくようび、わたしは　こうこうに　いきました。きにょうびに、バルーボールゲームを　みました。のち、「Parnormal Activity 2」を　みました。どようびに、わたしのともだちは　ぼくのうちに　ねました。きょう　わたしは　ノートルダム大学に　きました。いま、しゅくだいをします！


ぼくのうちは　あたらしい　です。うちも　大きい　です。ごへやが　あります、そして　よんバスルームが　あります。わたしのそふ　とそぼはが　います。

Holidays

Christmas!

Backyard

Post #7: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination.

So since there's no specific assignment for this week's blog, I've decided to pick topics that aren't entirely japanese related (but will try to include what ever  にほんご　I can.

I love J.K. Rowling. I won't even get into how much I love Harry Potter. If you haven't heard Rowling's Harvard Commencement speech, I suggest you check it out--it's brilliant. It's 　にじゅっぷん　long though, so you'll need some free time. I would just like to share one of my favorite quotes from it:

"Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and therefore the fount of all invention and innovation. In its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity, it is the power that enables us to empathize with humans whose experiences we have never shared."

If you watch J-Dramas, you might have seen the series One Litre of Tears. But even if you've never seen the drama or movie version, I strongly suggest reading the actual diary written by Aya Kito. It basically chronicles her experiences throughout contracting the spinocerebellar degeneration disease. She has heartbreakingly beautiful insight. I actually did cry reading it. I don't have the actual textual version, but I read it electronically; you can probably find it online too.

Anyways, it's midterm week everybody. Good luck, but don't worry about them so much. If anybody wants to have a study group for Japanese, Intro to American Politics, Discovering Astronomy, Calculus (10250), or Professor Peri Arnold's Seminar (POLS-13181), let me know!

おやすみなさい！

Post #6: October 7, 2010.

きょう、にほんごじゅぎょう　いきませんでした。 =(. I hate it because I feel like I've been doing a lot better recently. Anyways, きのうのばん、 I had stayed up until ごぜんしちじに finishing a paper because on かようび my せんせい moved the due date to earlier. ぼくは　ねました straight through my alarms and my roommate decided to shut them off without waking me.

でも it will be fine. I finished my paper and now I'm pretty much done with work. ごぜん　じゅうにじごろ　ねます、which will give me some sleep that I really need. Most likely, あした　あさごはんをたべます！=)

On a side note, I am very excited to go back home to California. 「カリフォリニア　かえります。」It will be a good feeling to celebrate my birthday (October 17th) back with my family and friends! The principal from my high school has asked me to visit. I will be dropping by some classes, telling students about my college experience, and encouraging them to consider applying to ノートルダムのだいがく。

わたしのともだちが　あります。

Post #5: October 5, 2010.

きょうのあさ、ぼくは　はちじに　おきました。This is important because I hardly ever wake up that early! そして、はちじはんごろ　シャワーあびました。Usually I don't have the time to shower in the morning, so I shower at night. I miss showering in the morning.

I am really enjoying trying to think in Japanese, even when I'm alone. I have been watching dramas still and I get excited when I can identify a few familiar phrases, or when I'm able to read out a sign in Japanese, even if I don't know the meaning.

Right now, I'm in the middle of re-watching a good drama, Taiyou no Uta.


たいようのうた　ってなんですか？