Congratulations Team Canada!!!

Hockey Gold!  

Is Winter Over Yet?

私は　あたたかい　どこに　行きたいです。　トロントは　冬に　さむいです。　ハワイ　へ　行きたいです、　それから　かいがんに　さんぽしたいです、そして　つめたい　こうちゃ　を　のみたいです、そして　いちぼつ　を　見たいです、　が　ここに　トロントです。　うみ　では　ありません、　そして　とても　さむい　です。

I want to go to a warm place. Winter in Toronto is cold.  I want to go to Hawaii and walk along the beach, drink iced tea and watch the sunset, however, here I am in Toronto where there is no ocean and totally cold.

２０１０年０２月２０日

Last night I had to cram writing my journal plus my homework.  I had to gather all my thoughts for the past five days and put them down on paper, not such an easy task to do last night as I was coming from a two day workshop which had tons of brainstorming sessions - at least in English (^_^).  At the end of each day I had huge headaches that all I wanted was blessed silence and total darkness.  Last night I had to force myself to write - at least I finished it.

So anyway, the workshop itself was interesting.  It was about finding out your workstyle preferences.  Each of us have four colours in us, your dominant colour would be your most preferred workstyle.  My dominant colour is Blue - I am a Cool Blue.  We were all given our profiles based on the questionnaire that we had to complete prior to the workshop.  I won't go into detail.....anyway, as per my profile, some of the barriers of communicating with me, DO NOT: Stand or sit close to me:  I swear it was written on it, I think I am going to put a sign up on my workstation:  "She Bites!"  Taken literally I found it quite amusing, however, when I thought about it - it does ring some truth.  This was a really cool workshop, I mean, I do know myself but actually having it put to words and reading it was somehow a revelation:  "Ah so that's how it is!" 

Five Days Off!

今日はから　水曜日間で　私の　休み　です。　五日　私は　しごと　行きません。　が　いそかしい
です。　私は　サーミーの　あたらしい　学校　で　行きます。　ろれから　サーミの　プレズント　を　
かきます。　それから　サーミは　ともだちに　あげる　プレズント　を　かきます。　ろれから　ケーキー　を　かきます。　サーミの　０２月１７日　たんじょうび　です。

I am off from today to Wednesday.  I do not have to go to work for five days, however, I will be busy.  I am going to Samantha's new school, after that, I will buy Samantha's present, give-aways, and cake.  It is Samantha's birthday on February 17.

 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　へ　　へ
 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　の　　の
                                                               　　　　　　　　　も
 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ノ

Orange Days

私は　はじめて　オランジデイズ　を　見ました。　ドラマ　に　つまぶきさとし　と　しばさきこう　です。　今まで　ものがたり　は　おもしろい　です。　私　好き　ハッピエンド　です。　ものがたり　は　ハッピエンド　ですか？

I have just started watching Orange Days.  The drama stars Tsumabuki Satoshi and Shibasaki Kou.  So far, the story is interesting.  I like happy endings.  Will this story have a happy ending?

......about this entry......

Learning Japanese is fun.  Watching animes can be called part of my education (^_^).....I have not quite made it to reading mangas as yet.  Watching Japanese dramas are quite entertaining too - when would I be able to say that watching "teleseryes" is educational (^_^). 

I have been putting off watching this show - Orange Days, the storyline seemed too much of a drama to me, however, there are a lot of good reviews of this show that I said - ok  ok I'll give it a try. The first episode got me into the story right away.  It is a drama about a girl who used to play the violin but gradually began to lose her hearing, then she met the boy.....and so on and so forth....so anyway, by this time I actually only have two more episodes left til the end of story - so is it going to be a happy ending?  We shall see........

Raw Chicken Sushi - Tori Sushi

私は　とりすし　を　インタネト　で　けんさく　しました。ふつう　の　では　ありません。　とりすし　を　
たべません　でした　みらいに　たべません。　なまの　とりすし　を　きみよう　たべます．　私は　
とりにく　を　すき　つくます。

What I mean to say above is.....

I searched the internet  about tori sushi.  It is not common.  I have not eaten tori sushi nor am I going to eat it in the future.  Eating raw chicken is strange.  I prefer my chicken meat cooked.

.......yeah yeah my sentences are choppy - still as I say - what the heck this is my blog (^_^)

How this entry came about.....

When I heard about tori sushi, it made me curious because even our sensei hasn't tried it.  So I searched the net....wouldn't you know it some people have actually tried it - all I can say is - ewww.  I've always been one to say that before you say ewwww - give it a try first - if you don't like it fine, if you do then good.  But the very idea of eating raw chicken just makes my stomach queasy.  I will eat raw seafood - but to me any animal that lives on land should be cooked before eaten.  However, I do eat raw eggs - given time they would eventually become chickens - so does that mean I've tried raw chicken?

２０１０年０２月１１日

I am going to start writing my にき here, first in Japanese and then what I mean to say in English and after that - ALL of the things that I really want to say but am unable to form sentences for....ah really, it is so frustrating when I am unable to express myself and just settle on having to say it in simpler terms.  The message doesn't come across in the same way obviously - but I am challenged everyday.  Everyday I would think of something to talk about, mull over it, how do I say this, what do I want to say - though I could go on and on about it in English - a four line paragraph would be it in Japanese - maybe a four line paragraph is even taking it too far (^_^).  It would take me a whole day to "perfect" my entry.  Always with a notepad and my iPhone - the best investment by far on my iPhone apps - Oxford Beginner's English-Japanese dictionary which enables me to search in English and Kana.  I would jot down thoughts randomly and arrange it at the end of the day.  In my mind, I try to translate my everyday activities in Japanese - so if you see me lost in thought - well, I probably am lost inside the word search.

Nothing sophisticated in my entries as yet - I'm only currently at Beginner Level 2, though as I progress in my learning it will be interesting to read back my "where-I-was-and-where-I-am-now".

So anyway, I'm going to start writing the entries on my next post.

２０１０年０２月０６日

What shall I call these tidbits that I learn in class..... apparently the Japanese are fond of drinking especially after a hard day's work.  It is such the normal practice that after 10:00pm the first car is dedicated as a "Women Only" car - get it? (~ _^)  We were humourously discussing some of the differences - mind you these are light hearted conversations and is in no way meant to offend anyone.  Canadians would normally trod to the fitness centre after a hard day's work (as if they weren't already working themselves hard enough during the day) however Japanese would go drinking - yay way to go!  It is okay for Canadians to refuse a drink however a Japanese refusing a drink is "unbelievable!" and get poured a drink anyway - morale of the story just drink and be merry (^_^).

Hmmmm......so am I really learning Japanese in class....はいはい, since there's no class next Saturday, that means we have to write 2 weeks worth in our journals PLUS a てがみ for sensei.

がんばって！

My First Conversation Club Meet

I was looking forward to attending the conversation club, wondering how it was going to be for one whole hour of NO ENGLISH, considering I can put all my knowledge of Japanese in my pockets - but since it's winter time - my jacket pockets included =)  Armed with my written down questions plus my mini electronic dictionary there I bravely went.  There were four of my classmates plus two native Japanese speakers seated at our table and we actually had a pretty good conversation going.  As the conversation was going there were times that I totally forget to use correct grammar as long as I can convey what I mean and this means gestures - yeah like charades - and pretty much broken Japanese:  "Hanami sakura ichiban doko desu ka?"  - that's just an example.  It was muzukashii however really fun and challenging.  I would definitely do this again!