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Japanese 101

June 2, 2009 — Leave a comment

The most basic 101 you’ll read of Japanese. Why? Well, because I’m writing it, and I am pretty sure I don’t cover the basics… but I try my best to, so if I can do it – you all can. The basic stuff that is~~~

My background? Let’s see… when I was little (maybe 5 years old) I heard Sukiyaki. Hahaha – that’s my only memory of Japanese then. Then… because of some friends I did my venture with JPop without much success. However, I always sort of liked Japanese… after all TNP (Television Nacional del Peru) always showed NHK educational-dubbed programs.

In 2006 I did a crash course (is that how it’s called?) of Japanese. That means, I studied a month of Japanese and basic grammar… then stopped. And came back to it after getting all Japanese cinema crazy, haven’t stopped since then.

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I was unsure on what to talk about before going to bed (I’m trying to post once a day, have you noticed? hahaha) – And I was between discussing this topic, and the news of Peru deciding to use the Japanese system of Digital TV [Eng Google Translate] (does that mean I could… somehow get WOWOW??), instead of the European one~~~

Anyway!!! I decided to rant~

[Original Spanish Article] Sorry, any English media DON’T CARE so you’ll have to do with a Google Translate.

I think it’s amazing that an illiterate person who is over 25 years old and Peruvian is legible to work in congress. Baffles me! And I’m sure it baffles many others…

I am in no way calling the congresswoman illiterate, because she reads and writes. Not AT the level that someone who supposedly legislates and works on writing and reviewing law should be, but writes nonetheless.

As congresswoman Martha Hildebrant (a linguist, who could probably insult me and I wouldn’t understand) – Actually, I think I would feel honored to be insulted by her… kinda like Lainey dreaming of Gwyneth being a bitch towards her hahaha – Anyway, as Hildebrant points out~~ people (regular, other congressmen and the media) have completely distorted the article written by the newspaper. They did not mock Supa’s quechua ancestry (that’d be more like mocking us Chinese descendants saying things like “lico alo” when we speak perfectly well. thankyouverymuch. Assholes!) But they did point out that Supa’s Spanish is of the level of someone in primary school, hence the reference to the Coquito books (popular ABC books for children).

And as Hildrebrant also points out in the pseudo-video (because it’s just an audio) is that all congressmen, as public figures, are exposed to being criticized in the labor they do.

As one user states in a comment,

I am a Peruvian from Puno, Quechua-speaker and southern, and I don’t feel remotely humiliated [referencing how the congresswoman feels], au contraire I feel pity for our representative being almost illiterate.

I say this because she’s a congresswoman representing the state, and should be in the position of being criticized or interviewed, but when you’re illiterate – you can’t even do that. She’s fragile and helpless, she doesn’t waste time to play victim and that’s the nature of ignorance. There isn’t the capacity to reflect, they think that everyone is against them or discriminating against them.

All talk on corruption, being honest, pure and holy – that’s simply poppycock.

Why don’t we put virgins in congress already! Geez~~~

Now, if you really wanna support literacy through all economic-social barriers, check out some about The Big Read project… maybe someday Peruvian’s will have a non-illiterate-congress.

Esta es la traducción de inglés -> español del artículo que escribí para YAM 003 titulado “Too Foreign for your Own Good. Please Sing in English” en el que hablo de los más recientes lanzamientos de artistas de no habla inglesa estrenando material en el idioma para entrar en el mercado.

Como el artículo es un poco largo, pueden leerlo después del break.

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Subtitles Vs. Fansubs

September 12, 2008 — 4 Comments

The amount of films that are not in a language I can speak have increased at least 90% this year… thanks to the internet of course, otherwise I will be waiting for them to either arrive at the cinema, hit the small screen on satellite or cable, or just by finding some Region 1 distributor… but none of that!

Anyway, because of this reason, I have been focusing a lot on subtitles, and I finally have 3 films that I saw with fansubs and now I watched with the subtitles on the dvd. And the results are in… 3-0 in favor of fansubbing.

It’s not because the subtitles on the dvd are bad… they just lack on something. A little UMPH… a little personality… a little common sense?

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Time to blog the secret pinyin tool!

About two months ago, I found the nifties Japanese tool… an add-on called Rikaichan. Well, last night, when I was trying to look for the lyrics for the Olympic Song and ended up finding nothing~~ I searched for a tool that works just like Rikaichan, but for Chinese.

It’s called Perapera-kun by Justin Kovalchuk, and works just exactly like Rikaichan~~~ And it’s so easy to get! You only head over to the Firefox site (just click on the link over there), and add it. Of course, hoping that you are using Firefox~~~ And if you’re not, what the heck are you waiting for??? You don’t even need to add any dictionaries, but it works fine… I haven’t tried it with names or hard articles, but it’s still a helpful tool… I wonder how good it is with names~~~

I know I’ve heard that one before… maybe in school? Maybe just talking among friends… but one thing is for sure, that a good story can be understood even with a language barrier.

Has any of you watch a film in a language that doesn’t resemble yours? I’m not talking about me watching La Vie en Rose with Swedish subtitles… though that was a challenge, but let’s face it~~ French, Spanish…. kinda helped a little bit, non?

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I am NOT against dubbing… I have read that some people with viewing difficulties prefer watching dubbed films, and I respect that. This is why I’m titling this “Only-Dubbed,” I don’t have a problem with dubbing a movie, but what bothers me is not having the option of watching the subtitled version of it.

Case and point, Continue Reading…

I just found the most awesome tool for all Jap noobs (and lazy peeps) out there like me.

Rikaichan by polarcloud is a Firefox Add-on that lets you check out the meaning of a word in Japanese by just hovering over it. [9Mb Video Sample] – it’s just so easy to install… and that’s why Firefox uber kicks IE’s blue butt. Just install the first main extension, install ONE of the dictionaries, and if you wish to install the name dictionaries. The dictionary install were the heavy stuff, the NameDic being 11Mb, but it’s okay…

Hope you enjoy this useful tool!.

I just got an email from performer Alyssa Collins with a link to a song you all can purchase on iTunes. It’s called the Hiragana Song, and includes all lyrics in romaji and English explaining to little kids the sound of the A – I- U – E – O (which is not normal if you speak English).

You can preview the song here… though it’s quite a long preview, haha. It also has the lyrics!

Too funny a video.

Hallo!

Ich heiße Victoria~
In case you didn’t know, she’s called Victoria…
Ja. x’D

Wie geht es Ihnen?
Bin gut. x’D Ja. x””’D

I think Victoria might be mashing her German with some Spanish, and says she’s intelligent x’D

Ja! Hahaha. Poor, Geri. She’s getting confused too. x’D

Bra-bra is… bustenhalter!

Hahaha… anyway – too much language geekyness. If I keep at it, I might end up adding a German category. *tsk tsk*