Hello Mrs. Meiki!!
I know I am done with this class and have already returned to America, but I wanted to make a post again (and I'm sure you don't check old journals anymore, but I wanted to write anyway! :) )
I just wanted to say that I loved this class and it was SO much fun and you're an awesome teacher. Thanks! I hope to visit Hiroshima again sometime in May if I can, so I will be crashing your class. haha
Thanks again! :)
（大学生を読んでいるなら、この授業で頑張ってね！凄い楽しくて面白いよ！）
Monday, October 6, 2008
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Personal Spaces
1. You're talking to a co-worker . How close do you stand?
About 3-4 feet away, depending on the co-worker.
2. You're talking to a friend. Do you touch each other?
No... I'm not really a touchy person unless I'm really really good friends with you. I dont mind if my friends make physical contact with me while talking, but I usually dont touch my friends.
3. Look at the diagram of a waiting room. Where do you sit when you enter?
I would actually sit right near the entrance, I like the open space next to me, even if it IS a doorway
4. You're in a crowded elevator. Where do you look?
I hate elevators.. I try to look up, to maybe the ceiling or something. If the elevator is really crowded, I dont want my face being close to anyone elses
5. You're standing in line. How close do you stand to the person in front?
one-person gap. sorta like the "two car-length distances" with driving, I do a one person-length gap with people
6. You get on the bus. There is an empty row of seats at the back, and an empty seat close by.
I wouldn't sit near the back because I would get motion sickness, so would go to the empty seat
7. You're in library and there's an empty seat beside you. Do you want to stop someone sitting there ? If so, how?
I wouldn't want someone sitting next to me because it would just be distracting. But I wouldn't want to put my bag there cause someone might take it if I wasn't paying attention, so I would maybe hang my coat or something over the chair or place books on it
8. You're going to the beach. Do you like to see lots of people or very few?
I would like to go the a beach where there are lots of people just so I know the beach is good and safe. There is a reason that beach is popular, right? :)
9. When you're talking to someone, do you look them in the eye?
I'm really shy, so this is sometimes difficult for me, but I always try my hardest to look people in the eyes when speaking to them.
10.You're on a train. Do you talk to the other passenger?
Not really... I usually try to keep to myself on the train. If someone talks to me, though, I wont be rude and ignore them, I would talk back and maybe have a conversation with them.
About 3-4 feet away, depending on the co-worker.
2. You're talking to a friend. Do you touch each other?
No... I'm not really a touchy person unless I'm really really good friends with you. I dont mind if my friends make physical contact with me while talking, but I usually dont touch my friends.
3. Look at the diagram of a waiting room. Where do you sit when you enter?
I would actually sit right near the entrance, I like the open space next to me, even if it IS a doorway
4. You're in a crowded elevator. Where do you look?
I hate elevators.. I try to look up, to maybe the ceiling or something. If the elevator is really crowded, I dont want my face being close to anyone elses
5. You're standing in line. How close do you stand to the person in front?
one-person gap. sorta like the "two car-length distances" with driving, I do a one person-length gap with people
6. You get on the bus. There is an empty row of seats at the back, and an empty seat close by.
I wouldn't sit near the back because I would get motion sickness, so would go to the empty seat
7. You're in library and there's an empty seat beside you. Do you want to stop someone sitting there ? If so, how?
I wouldn't want someone sitting next to me because it would just be distracting. But I wouldn't want to put my bag there cause someone might take it if I wasn't paying attention, so I would maybe hang my coat or something over the chair or place books on it
8. You're going to the beach. Do you like to see lots of people or very few?
I would like to go the a beach where there are lots of people just so I know the beach is good and safe. There is a reason that beach is popular, right? :)
9. When you're talking to someone, do you look them in the eye?
I'm really shy, so this is sometimes difficult for me, but I always try my hardest to look people in the eyes when speaking to them.
10.You're on a train. Do you talk to the other passenger?
Not really... I usually try to keep to myself on the train. If someone talks to me, though, I wont be rude and ignore them, I would talk back and maybe have a conversation with them.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Politics
(I just want to first say thank you to Mrs. Meiki and this class! This was by far my favorite class and i'm going to miss attending on monday afternoons. But thank you so much for the great experience; I'll miss you!)
If I could work for the United Nations, the job that I would like to do would involve gender issues. There was a job vacancy listed under employment as a "Gender Affairs Officer".
The reason why I would be a gender affairs officer is that because this world is becoming more and more equal, there are so many women in this world who are abused, mistreated, uneducated, and looked down upon by the countries and cultures they live in (and not all mistreatment is always physical, sometimes discrimination can be more of a social problem or custom that not many people can clearly notice without looking closer). So I would want to help create a more equal and safe world for women. A woman should be able to read a book or walk outside alone without having to worry about being beaten or abused.
If I could work for the United Nations, the job that I would like to do would involve gender issues. There was a job vacancy listed under employment as a "Gender Affairs Officer".
The reason why I would be a gender affairs officer is that because this world is becoming more and more equal, there are so many women in this world who are abused, mistreated, uneducated, and looked down upon by the countries and cultures they live in (and not all mistreatment is always physical, sometimes discrimination can be more of a social problem or custom that not many people can clearly notice without looking closer). So I would want to help create a more equal and safe world for women. A woman should be able to read a book or walk outside alone without having to worry about being beaten or abused.
Workplace
I took the workplace questionaire, and these were the results that I got:
Your score is 36 on a scale of 0 to 100 = Preference for Tolerance for Ambiguity
Your score indicates that you have a moderate Tolerance for Ambiguity and might be willing to give up job security for more opportunity. In countries/cultures with a Tolerance for Ambiguity, conflict in organizations is perceived as natural, and rules may be broken for pragmatic reasons. If you work in countries/cultures with a Need for Certainty, such as Japan, France, and Greece, you might react by creating a micro-environment that would shield you from the burden of what you might perceive as excessive structures, rules, and regulations. In countries with a high Need for Certainty, loyalty to an employer is seen as an advantage; a specialist career is preferred over a career in management.
I think I would work best in the USA, due to the low score I recieved! I like the flexibility and less-strict working style.
Your score is 36 on a scale of 0 to 100 = Preference for Tolerance for Ambiguity
Your score indicates that you have a moderate Tolerance for Ambiguity and might be willing to give up job security for more opportunity. In countries/cultures with a Tolerance for Ambiguity, conflict in organizations is perceived as natural, and rules may be broken for pragmatic reasons. If you work in countries/cultures with a Need for Certainty, such as Japan, France, and Greece, you might react by creating a micro-environment that would shield you from the burden of what you might perceive as excessive structures, rules, and regulations. In countries with a high Need for Certainty, loyalty to an employer is seen as an advantage; a specialist career is preferred over a career in management.
I think I would work best in the USA, due to the low score I recieved! I like the flexibility and less-strict working style.
Lesson 11, Dating Issues
I was having a lot of problems with my computer and didn't know how to create a pie chart... so I will instead list my percentages here!
My Ideal Partner:
1. Personality- 50% (includes interests, hobbies, being able to click, etc)
2. Looks- 30%
3. Humor- 10% (have to be able to laugh!)
4. Ambition- 10%
But I think what's most important is just 'clicking'. If it doesn't 'click', percentages are pointless.
My Ideal Partner:
1. Personality- 50% (includes interests, hobbies, being able to click, etc)
2. Looks- 30%
3. Humor- 10% (have to be able to laugh!)
4. Ambition- 10%
But I think what's most important is just 'clicking'. If it doesn't 'click', percentages are pointless.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Homeworks 4 and 5
4) Your homework is to write about the student you talked to today. Describe their answers to the topics you discussed.
My partner was a friend of mine, so I already knew her pretty well. But was nice to read some of her answers to the topics on the worksheet; I learned some new things about her that I didn't know before :)
5) 1.Are feelings emotions and facial expressions universal across borders, happy, sad, etc..?2. Try to name as many feelings as possible in Japanese. ( 10 minimum) Now write the English translation.3. Are there any feelings in Japanese that cannot be translated into English?
I think that some emotions are pretty universal, like happy and sad. I think every langauge, as different as they may be to one another, has a basic word for happy and sad. Facial expressions though, I'm no so sure of. Smiling is the universal sign of happiness, but in my case, even though Im happy I may not smile a lot. So some people may interpret that Im upset about something
Emotions... 嬉しい、悲しい、眠い、楽天、いらいら、怒る、驚いている、心配、安心、がっかり (Happy, sad, sleepy, optimistic, annoyed, angry, surprised, worried, relieved, disappointed...? I hope haha)
Im still learning... not sure about this last part. めんどくさい？
My partner was a friend of mine, so I already knew her pretty well. But was nice to read some of her answers to the topics on the worksheet; I learned some new things about her that I didn't know before :)
5) 1.Are feelings emotions and facial expressions universal across borders, happy, sad, etc..?2. Try to name as many feelings as possible in Japanese. ( 10 minimum) Now write the English translation.3. Are there any feelings in Japanese that cannot be translated into English?
I think that some emotions are pretty universal, like happy and sad. I think every langauge, as different as they may be to one another, has a basic word for happy and sad. Facial expressions though, I'm no so sure of. Smiling is the universal sign of happiness, but in my case, even though Im happy I may not smile a lot. So some people may interpret that Im upset about something
Emotions... 嬉しい、悲しい、眠い、楽天、いらいら、怒る、驚いている、心配、安心、がっかり (Happy, sad, sleepy, optimistic, annoyed, angry, surprised, worried, relieved, disappointed...? I hope haha)
Im still learning... not sure about this last part. めんどくさい？
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Homeworks 1, 2, & 3
Hello everybody! :) Hope everyone is doing great~
Homework #1- Buddhism
How is your daily life affected by Buddhism? What do you do and why do you do it?
Well, my life really isn't affected by Buddhism because I'm not Buddhist, I'm Christian. One thing that I do that confuses my friends is when an ambulance drives by, I always do the sign of the cross for the person in the ambulance (like a little prayer).
Homework #2
How do you greet people in your life? Is is different for different people? How so and why? Do you touch people when you talk to them? Why? Or Why not?
I greet people depending on how much I know them or how close I am to them. I don't really hug very much, but I always hug my family when I see them. When I meet a guy for the first time I usually shake his hand, but don't usually shake women's hands.. I'm not really a touchy kind of person, so I don't like touching or vise versa when talking to people (unless i'm good friends with them). If I hug you, its rare and means you're a good friend haha
Homework #3
From Text:
a) How do you greet members of your family?
Hug them or kiss them on the cheek. Or both.
b) Are the customs the same all over your country?
I think so... people often hug their family members
c) How do you greet people who are important in society?
A firm handshake while looking them in the eye and smiling
d) Do you greet people of the opposite sex in a different way?
No, not really.
e) How do people greet someone they've just met?
Usually with a handshake and saying 'nice/please to meet you"
f) Do you hug members of your family?
Yes
Homework #1- Buddhism
How is your daily life affected by Buddhism? What do you do and why do you do it?
Well, my life really isn't affected by Buddhism because I'm not Buddhist, I'm Christian. One thing that I do that confuses my friends is when an ambulance drives by, I always do the sign of the cross for the person in the ambulance (like a little prayer).
Homework #2
How do you greet people in your life? Is is different for different people? How so and why? Do you touch people when you talk to them? Why? Or Why not?
I greet people depending on how much I know them or how close I am to them. I don't really hug very much, but I always hug my family when I see them. When I meet a guy for the first time I usually shake his hand, but don't usually shake women's hands.. I'm not really a touchy kind of person, so I don't like touching or vise versa when talking to people (unless i'm good friends with them). If I hug you, its rare and means you're a good friend haha
Homework #3
From Text:
a) How do you greet members of your family?
Hug them or kiss them on the cheek. Or both.
b) Are the customs the same all over your country?
I think so... people often hug their family members
c) How do you greet people who are important in society?
A firm handshake while looking them in the eye and smiling
d) Do you greet people of the opposite sex in a different way?
No, not really.
e) How do people greet someone they've just met?
Usually with a handshake and saying 'nice/please to meet you"
f) Do you hug members of your family?
Yes
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Homework #11- Men and Women
明けましておめでとう～！:)
Do you agree or disagree with the author (who is Japanese). Please explain why in your blog.
I'm not really sure if I'm in a position where I can agree or disagree with the author. I really have no idea how Japanese men's minds work, and I haven't really spent any time with Japanese guys here, so I don't know much about them. So I honestly can't say that I agree or disagree... considering that the author is a Japanese woman and has more experience dealing with Japanese men than I do, I guess I would have to agree because she would naturally know better than me! haha, this is a difficult post...
But in my opinion, I think the guys are being a little selfish and childish. If they are worried about spending too much money on their girlfriends, maybe the girls they are dating (who may be demanding gifts), aren't right for them and they should find someone else who isn't so greedy. And as for the men saying they are annoyed because their girlfriends 'expect them to call', that is just plain laziness...
Do you agree or disagree with the author (who is Japanese). Please explain why in your blog.
I'm not really sure if I'm in a position where I can agree or disagree with the author. I really have no idea how Japanese men's minds work, and I haven't really spent any time with Japanese guys here, so I don't know much about them. So I honestly can't say that I agree or disagree... considering that the author is a Japanese woman and has more experience dealing with Japanese men than I do, I guess I would have to agree because she would naturally know better than me! haha, this is a difficult post...
But in my opinion, I think the guys are being a little selfish and childish. If they are worried about spending too much money on their girlfriends, maybe the girls they are dating (who may be demanding gifts), aren't right for them and they should find someone else who isn't so greedy. And as for the men saying they are annoyed because their girlfriends 'expect them to call', that is just plain laziness...
Homework #10- Table Manners
Have you ever eaten in a foreign restaurant? Where? What did you eat? Did you make any mistakes? Please explain your experience. Did you learn anything?
When I was in high school, I went to a local Japanese restaraunt with a few of my friends (this was long before I studied any Japanese language or culture). So I ordered some food, I forget what, but rice came with my meal. When I was eating, I took a break from eating my rice to get a drink, but left my hashi in the rice... well, at that point, I didn't know yet that this is a really bad thing to do. So when I realized the restaraunt owner giving me strange looks, I was sort of confused. It wasn't until later that I realized what I did, and I was so embarrased and felt really stupid...
When I was in high school, I went to a local Japanese restaraunt with a few of my friends (this was long before I studied any Japanese language or culture). So I ordered some food, I forget what, but rice came with my meal. When I was eating, I took a break from eating my rice to get a drink, but left my hashi in the rice... well, at that point, I didn't know yet that this is a really bad thing to do. So when I realized the restaraunt owner giving me strange looks, I was sort of confused. It wasn't until later that I realized what I did, and I was so embarrased and felt really stupid...
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