Hey everybody! I decided to try video-recording a blog entry! Here it is:
Hopefully I will be doing more of these. I really need the practice in speaking Japanese, along with the writing component. Here is the script of what I said in the video:
To me, communication is more than being able to tell somebody that his/her shoe is untied, or to hurry up because the train is leaving at 2. Certainly the basic, factual conversations are the basis of communication, but I like to think about its higher purposes. In a way, when I am communicating with somebody, I am trying to open a door for him/her into my brain, into my perception of reality; to let my emotions and opinions be make accessible. Or, (and this is much more difficult) I am trying to explain how a third person feels, or trying to open people up to understanding and RESPECTING the opinions of others, even if they disagree with them. Because I was raised to be considerate, sometimes I feel appalled by the way people feel free to completely disregard the effects of what they do or say to other people. Every human being is entitled to have their own divergent opinions and thoughts. Is that so hard to accept?
I like to believe I am a good enough writer. But becoming articulate in a second language is an enormous challenge. I want to be able to express myself in Japanese just as well as I do in English, but sometimes I wonder if that is even possible. I hope one day at least I will be able to write something like what I'm writing here. Speaking is a whole different level for me though, because I always second-guess myself and hesitant because I don't want to botch the pronunciation. Right now I'm just enjoying the experience of learning, and it's so great when I hear people talking and I recognize some of the things they are saying.
Speaking about communication, sometimes there are things you simply can't express, in any language.
These are all different versions of the same song, the top one is the original though.
わたしのしゅみはうたうことができて、ほんをよんで、えとはいくをかいて、はします。ギータルをひきたいです。いろいろバンスがすきです: The Cure, My Chemical Romance, The White Stripes, The Cranberries, Garbage, They Might Be Giants, Led Zeppelin, The Decemberists, The Agonist, the Dresden Dolls, Neutral Milk Hotel, Nirvana, the Smiths/Morrissey, Pearl Jam, the Smashing Pumpkins, Iron Maiden, the Doors, Thrice, The Used, AFI, Fiona Apple, REM, Bif Naked, mewithoutYou, Regina Spektor, The Killers, Ingrid Michaelson, Anna Nalick, Evanescence, Incubus, The Goo Goo Dolls, Shai Hulud, NY Dolls, Violent Femmes, the B-52's, Patti Smith, Dar Williams, Don McLean, Flogging Molly, The Shins, Tori Amos, Underoath, Simon and Garfunkel, Joan Jett, Rise Against, 30 Seconds to Mars, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, MGMT, Velvet Revolver, Queen, Velvet Underground, Poe, The Rolling Stones, Four Year Strong, Dead Models, Sister Hazel, Mary Ann Farley, Lamb of God, Marylin Manson, Unshin, Guns N Roses, Bullet for My Valentine, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, Vienna Tang, From First to Last, Taking Back Sunday, Paramore, Johnny Cash, Plumtree, Saosin, Kanye West, Tool, Death Cab for Cutie, Utada Hikaru, Depeche Mode, Against Me, Sleater-Kinney, Jimi Hendrix, Titus Andronicus, Big D and the Kids Table, Nickelback, Switchfoot, Cyndi Lauper, Sound Garden, No Doubt, the Sex Pistols, NIN, MSI, the Ramones, Metallica, Train, Rammstein, Muse, She Wants Revenge, Relient K, Sinead O'Connor, Killswitch Engage, Black Sabbath, Avenged Sevenfold, The Clash, Alphaville, the Beatles, Three Days Grace, Tears for Fears, Bob Marley, Seether, Bleeding Through, Simple Plan, Fall Out Boy, Simple Plan, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Linkin Park, Green Day, Coheed and Cambria, Shakira, Christopher Blue, Alkaline Trio, The Juliana Theory, La Roux, Motion City Soundtrack, Alicia Keys, Dropkick Murphys, System of a Down, Men Without Hats, ELO, Something Corporate, Eyes Set to Kill, Counting Crows, and more.
クラシックとジャズがすきです。そしてミュージカルもすきです。
ロックがだいすきです。
おんがくはとてもすごいです！
I am happy to be back from the longer winter break and get started with the new semester. My classes are more interesting this year, in addition to Japanese II, I have University Writing, Science of Psychology, Literature Humanities, General Chemistry II, and Chemistry Lab. I'm hoping to get better grades this time around. -_-
Around finals was a pretty rough time for me, my boyfriend and I broke up and he started dating somebody else almost immediately. I'm still coping with it, I guess. It's been over a month now though, so I'm just trying to look forward. I'm hopeful for this fresh start I've been given this semester. I will post again soon, and in Japanese, I promise. ^^
