メイシーズ の パレード

木曜日にメイシーズ の パレードへいきました。さむかったですが、しゃしんをとりました。ひとがおおかったです。日本人女の人が二人いました。They explained to me what these two balloon character things were. The first one (かいかい) means "itchy" and the second (きき) means "crazy".

川柳

I didn't know that senryu were supposed to be more than one stanza :S

My apologies. I have added two more stanzas.

くもみえる

パリそらくらい

こころきく

くろいふく

たばこのけむり

とおいおと

でもまちで

トラブルがない

こころきく

 The poem is basically about my love with being in Paris, with its attitude, people, and look. I've never been able to translate "trouble" into even my native language, Spanish, so I was glad that the Japanese use katakana for it. "Tabako" has always perplexed me because it's written in hiragana, which underscores the language's historical influences. 

“clouds appear

the sky in paris is dark

i listen to my heart

black clothes

cigarette smoke

distant sounds

but in this city

there are no troubles (for me)

i listen to my heart”

 

Composition 2

やまださんへ

  こんにちは。はじめまして。わたしのなまえはディエゴ・ゾグビィです。コロンビアのカリからきました。じゅうはっさいです。コロンビアだいがくのいちねんせいです。コロンビアだいがくはニューヨークです。

だいがくとまちはにぎらかです。まいにちべんきょうします。そしてときどきとてもいそがしいです。クラスはすこしむずかしいですが、たのしいです。ろくがつじゅうごにちにほんへいきます。

どうぞよろしくおねがいします。

ディエゴ・ゾグビィ

Katakana Analysis Draft

1. チケット (tiketto) This katakana word was used for "ticket" and is from a flier advertising a film festival that Ferguson San brought to class. I think it's interesting that this word was chosen, when there is already a perfectly usable Japanese word for ticket, きっぷ (切符). "tiketto" is thus a loan word that was imported not to make up for a lack of such a word, but to contrast with an already existing word. I feel that often katakana is used even despite there already being a native Japanese word for something in order to draw the reader's attention, as the harsh and crisps lines of katakana contrast with the flowing nature of hiragana and the complexity of kanji, and to make something seem more modern. "kippu" might give the impression of a more formal ticket for a more Japanese event, while "tiketto" has a modern and youthful edge. This can be seen elsewhere, as with the use of ブック instead of ほん (本). It's not so much that the Japanese are scorning their native words for the foreign alternatives, but often these alternatives better suit the situation, which reflects their society's take on westernization.

2. アルバイト(arubaito) This katakana word was used for "part time job" in the beginning of our lessons (アルバイト をします). The reason that I find this particular word so interesting is its origin and use. This word comes from the German word for work, "arbeit". I think it is important to note that not every single loan word in Japanese comes from English, although clearly the majority does. I think the source of a loan word reflects both the impact the outside culture had on Japan and the way Japan took this impact. The Japanese could have chosen to borrow the word for "work" from Polish, Greek, or Hindi, but the fact that they did so from German reflects their historical interactions and impressions with German people in Japan. In this way, katakana can often help us discover more about a word and the way it came into use, such as "pan" meaning bread, which comes from Portuguese, but is interestingly enough not written in katakana.

I think different textbooks portray katakana in various ways depending on the author and the message they hope to get across. The rules for katakana apply to everyone, but its uses are very subjective. Katakana allows for some wiggle room in an otherwise strictly sealed and complex language.