Thursday, June 28, 2012

Songs, Spider-Man, and... Sendai?

See the alliteration there?  Pretty nice, right?

Anyway, I have come to the conclusion that it's nearly impossible to translate a song from English to Japanese and have it retain its original meaning (and I assume the same is true when going from Japanese to English).  An excellent example is the song "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver (I actually hear the Japanese version of this song every morning that I go to Hashi middle school).  There is actually a well-known anime movie called "Whispers of the Heart" (a Miyazaki film) in which one of the characters tries to come up with a Japanese version of the song (and succeeds).  The Japanese version of the song is called "Country Road" and the most famous version is sung by a woman with a very lovely voice; it's very different from the John Denver version!  Here are the original lyrics, and here is the Japanese version with a translation back into English.  I'd say that the most obvious difference is that there is no mention of West Virginia; I suppose that not many people in Japan know where West Virginia is though...  Still, I'd say that the original version uses very colorful language while the Japanese version is... a bit bland.

When I was visiting Shiroharu Elementary this week I got to listen to the kids sing the Japanese version of the song "Do-Re-Mi" from "the Sound of Music." Here's the original, and here's the Japanese version.  Since this one doesn't have a translation, I'll attempt it below:

"Do" is the "Do" in "Donuts"
"Re" is the "Re" in "Remon"      (Remon = Lemon)
"Mi" is the "Mi" in "minna"         (minna = everyone)
"Fa" is the "Fa" in "Faito"          (Faito = Fight)
"So," the blue "sora"                  (sora = sky)
"Ra" is the "Ra" in "Rappa"       (Rappa = Wrapper)
"Shi," is "shiawase"                   (shiawase = happiness)
Now let's sing!
Ran Ran Ran!                            (sounds like "Ron")

[repeat above]

[sing various combinations of notes]

At any time
Construct a line
Everyone (having) fun
Hold you fighting (spirit)
Look at the sky
Ran Ra Ra Ra…
A song of happiness
Now let's sing!
Do Re Mi Fa So Ra Shi Do So Do!

It's difficult since in Japanese they don't have the "La" and "Ti" sounds...

Anyway, I don't think I mentioned before but I'm really looking forward to seeing "the Avengers" movie that came out in the US last month.  It doesn't come out in Japan until mid-August so I still have a while to wait.  But, maybe to make up for that Marvel decided to release the Amazing Spider-Man (Ameijingu Supaidaaman) movie in Japan first so I saw it on Sunday.  Since I'm probably one of the first Americans to see it (well, maybe in the first 1,000 or something) I decided that I'd give a small review here - don't worry there aren't any spoilers!  In short: it was good.  I liked it better than the one from 10 years ago; the plot made more sense and it wasn't completely random that Peter became Spider-Man.  There was also a bit of a mystery-feel at the beginning which I liked.  The characters seemed realistic and were funny (the aunt and uncle were pretty great).  I was also able to understand why the bad-guy ended up doing what he did.  The scenes with Peter and Gwen (the same actress who played Olive in "Easy A") were cute, slightly awkward, and very well acted; I think the actors are going out in real life so that probably helped.  The subway scene with the shirt was funny as was the scene with Gwen and her father in the hallway (you'll see if you watch it).  I give it 8/10.  I also consider it to be a "two-year movie"; if you have heard about how storms are ranked this might make sense...  You see, if a storm comes through that is the same intensity as storms seen on average once a year then it is a "one-year storm."  A strong storm that you'd see on average once every five years is a "five-year storm," and so on.  For movies, if I want to watch it on average once a year then it's a "one-year movie," if I think it's OK then it might be a "ten-year movie."  When I saw "How to Train Your Dragon" for the first time I got a bit obsessed with it so it was a "once-a-month movie" for a little while, haha.  Of course, like the storms, my system is not 100% accurate; it is possible to have a 100-year storm two years in a row (since it's based on probability) and it is possible that I will watch the Amazing Spider-Man again before two years have passed (since it's based on how I will feel).

In other news, I'll be going to Sendai tomorrow in order to fill out the paperwork at the Driving Center.  I think I'll try to sign up to take the practical test at the end of July...

That's all for today~

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Getting a Japanese Driver's License - part 1 of (?)

Obtaining a driver's license in Japan is neither easy nor convenient.  In my prefecture there is only one place to go to apply for a license, the city of Sendai (2 hours away by car or 2.5 hours away by bus).  I remember complaining that the DMV was too far away in Massachusetts, and it was only 30 minutes away...  Of course, the Sendai equivalent of the DMV (the Miyagi Prefecture Driver's License Test Center) is only open on weekdays during working hours so I'll have to take at least two days off to go there if I'm extremely lucky.

Why two days?  Well:

1.  The first day you go you aren't allowed to take any sort of assessment, you are there to fill out the paperwork and sign up for your practical test.  If you ask me, having this as an online form (or even as a form that could be sent in by mail) would make more sense.

2.  The second time you go you take a 10 question, multiple-choice "rules of the road" quiz (luckily offered in English), have an eye exam, and have a go at the driving test.

3.  Once you fail the practical test, you re-signup to take it again.

4.  Repeat steps 2-3 as necessary until you pass (the only difference is that you don't have to take the multiple-choice quiz again).

Now you know why this post is "part 1 of (?)."  Of all the JETs I know, I have heard of only two who passed on their first try (one of whom was my roommate who passed last week).  Most JETs take the test three or four times before passing.

It's times like these that I wish I were Canadian.  Natalie (one of the JETs from Kesennuma) didn't have to take the practical exam at all since Japan and Canada have an agreement where it's much easier for Japanese people to get Canadian licenses and vice versa.  So, Natalie still had to go to Sendai to fill out the paperwork (about 3 hours away from Kesennuma), and she had to take the eye exam,  but after that she was done.  Please, America, arrange a similar agreement with Japan!  Or even just Massachusetts and Japan!

Anyway, the only license requirement I've fulfilled so far is that I got an official translation of my US license from the JAF (Japan Automobile Federation - they are similar to America's AAA).  I decided to spend the additional 380 yen and send it in the mail instead of going to them in person (spending 3,380 yen in total ~$42).  I probably saved a lot of time doing it that way since their Sendai office is a long walk away from the nearest bus stop.  What I received in return was a sheet of paper translating the key components of my license like name, state, date of birth, and the type of vehicles I'm allowed to drive.  Aren't most of those pretty obvious just from looking at the license though?  They basically just "translated" words from English to katakana; Massachusetts became マサチューセッツ (Masachuusettsu), and America became アメリカ (Amerika).

Now that I think of it, I guess I have fulfilled one other requirement- getting a license-sized photograph taken.  This is actually much easier to obtain than a similar photo in the US.  I simply went to an automated photo-booth that can take license or passport-sized photos.  The photo-booth was even located within Minamisanriku, not far away from Hashi middle school.  It was very convenient.  My picture came out pretty well but it doesn't matter because, paradoxically, it won't be used as a license photo.  The photo will simply be used for identification purposes and will be attached to the forms I fill out in Sendai.  When I finally pass the practical exam they will take their own photo of me which will appear on my license.  Well, there goes another 700 yen... I did get nine photos out of it though, maybe I'll get to keep the ones that aren't used...

I'm beginning to seriously worry about the driving test since whether you pass or fail seems so random and it has the potential to waste so much of my time.  Even though it is called a "practical" driving test, I have heard others say that it doesn't measure your practical driving ability, just your ability to follow testing procedures.  The test occurs on a closed course and you must use one of their vehicles (all retired taxis which are much larger than my k-car).  The course contains some difficult situations that hardly ever appear in real life, the most difficult of which is probably the "crank."  The crank consists of two 90 degree turns on a narrow stretch of road and also has high curbs and hanging poles that simulate walls.  Bumping a curve is allowed up to three times, though if you go all the way over one or if you tap one of the poles then you automatically fail. 

Like I said, I still haven't taken the test yet but I am strongly considering taking a couple of hour-long lessons at a nearby driving school just to mentally prepare myself for it.  If you want to know more about the procedures, then have a look at this hilarious forum post from a JET in Tokyo.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

More Driving in Japan

I posted about driving in Japan last November but I didn't mention all of the differences that I've noticed so I've decided to update!  The good news is that I now automatically go to the proper (right-handed) side of the car when I'm the one driving, which saves time.  I still hit the windshield wiper lever instead of the blinkers sometimes when I get flustered though.  At least the brake and gas pedals are in the same relative locations as they are in the US or else I probably wouldn't be able to drive at all...

Maybe you've seen this on TV before, but the traffic signals in Japan usually do not dangle vertically as they do in America, they are horizontal and are built right into the metal of the traffic light post over the road (which is probably safer during storms with strong wind).  The red light is on the right, yellow is in the middle, and green/blue is on the left.  I say green/blue since it's definitely not a solid green but most of the time the difference isn't really noticeable to me.  One time when I was driving back home at night I saw some blinking/spinning warning lights ahead indicating a part of the road undergoing construction.  I stopped, wondering when it would be safe to go (there was no construction worker to tell me and I couldn't see where the construction ended due to a bend in the road).  Then I noticed that there was a circular blue light staring me in the face.  It was one of those portable traffic lights, and apparently it was my turn to go...

Speaking of construction workers, I've noticed that there are three different methods that are used for telling you when it's safe to drive around construction sites.  During the day, a construction worker employee (not a police officer with white gloves) will have a red flag and a green flag.  When the worker waves or holds up the red flag it means "stop," once you do come to a complete stop the worker will bow to you (I usually bow my head in return).  When it's time to go, the person will wave the green flag vigorously.  In the evening the colors of the flags change.  Neon orange means "stop" while neon yellow means "go."  Finally, at night the workers use two glowing orange batons to tell you what to do.  Holding them up, or in a crossed "X" means "stop," while moving them in a large circular motion means "go."  It can be a little confusing so I try to be extra cautious in the evening and at night.

One other big difference I've noticed about driving in Japan is that stop-lines are usually much farther away from their corresponding intersections than they are in the US.  In Japan the roads are more narrow so when a truck or bus makes a turn they are often in the opposite lane for several meters before straightening out; so the corresponding stop-lines need to be several meters away from the intersection for safety.

Police officers are very nice in Japan.  When they're cruising around town they are required to have their red lights flashing so you always see them coming (luckily they don't have to have their sirens going).  I have never seen officers lying in wait in speed traps, in fact I have only seen people being pulled over by the police twice (and one time was a mandatory breathalyzer test for everyone going down the road so it doesn't really count).  I haven't been pulled over since I've been here.  Also, if you're walking around a city and get lost you are encouraged to go to a koban (small police station, also called a police box) and ask an officer for directions; it's their job to help!

One last thing I've noticed about Japanese roads is that there is a distinct lack of road-kill.  Maybe I'm just too used to seeing squirrels every five feet in MA but I swear I've only seen a couple of cases of road-kill since I've been here.  I think they do have squirrel-like creatures around but they are quite rare.  There aren't any chipmunk equivalents that I've seen, and tanuki (raccoon-like creatures, also called raccoon-dogs) are pretty rare as well. 

Anyway, the car I share with my roommate has been doing well.  I mentioned before that it's a k-car (small car) but I didn't tell you that it's a Mitsubishi MiniCar; at least, I thought it was but when I looked again recently I realized that it is actually a "MINICA" (see below).

... it's clear from the shape of the sticker that it's not missing a letter either...

Anyway, a couple of weekends ago we finally got around to changing the winter tires back to summer tires and of course the car shop lady convinced us to buy new ones... but who knows when they were last replaced anyway and this way we'll be able to tell them next year that we really don't need new ones.  We also had the oil changed, which the car appreciated I think.  Now we don't have to do anything until August when the inspection is due.  In Japan older cars like ours are checked every two years and during the checkup we will have to leave the car with the inspectors for up to a week (they will give us a rental to drive during that time).  The inspection process is supposedly pretty intense and since our car is older it will probably be expensive to get all of its components up to a passing level.  So, I'll be saving up 100,000 yen ($1,270) for my half of the cost to put aside for the testing and repairs just in case, but hopefully it won't be quite that expensive...

In other news, I've started the process of obtaining a Japanese Driver's License.  I'll give more details next time!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Accents, Handwriting, and Other Misunderstandings

I never considered myself to have a particularly strong accent, and most of the time fellow native speakers can understand me easily.  But I realized during one of my third-year middle school classes that several vowel sounds that should be separate all sound the same to me.  We were going over the different vowel sounds and symbols that appear in dictionaries so that you know how to properly say a given word and so I was saying examples of the sounds off of a worksheet.  The sheet claimed that the vowel sounds in dog, soft, and wash are different from those in ball, daughter, and walk which are also different from arm, father, and heart; but I couldn't hear any difference between them!  After school I looked it up and learned that many Americans pronounce the vowels in the first two groups the same and that many New Englanders pronounce the latter two groups the same as well.  The example given online compared the words "caught" and "cot" (which are homophones for me).  Strangely, if I imagine my mom saying "caught" and "cot" then I can see how they are different since the former has more of a "w" sound in it (my mom has a bit of a New York accent though so that may be the reason).  Anyway, I guess I should be glad that I don't have more of an accent (or a strong Boston accent) since that could make communication more difficult.  I think we're safe at least until I start telling stories by the water bubbler about wicked pahking spots near Fenway Pahk or how my cah got stuck in the breakdown lane after going through a rotary... haha.

Anyway, is it just me or are there numerous "correct" ways to write block letters in English?  Two textbooks told me two different ways to write capital "I" and when I asked my roommate she wrote it one way while I wrote it the other.  I asked my brother about it and he wrote it the same as me but his friend wrote it with the same stroke order but in the opposite direction (with each stroke right to left, probably because he's left handed).  It's a bit frustrating since stroke-order is so important in Japan when writing kanji so some kids are very focused on it for English class as well.  And have you seen the "correct" way to write "M"?  It's ridiculous and time-consuming.  I see now why my third grade teacher always told me that script is faster than block; if you're doing block letters correctly it takes forever! 

I caught (cot?) one of the English teachers telling the students that there were no earthquakes in America (he said it in Japanese but I knew enough to understand) so I was quick to point out that they do occur in the US (like in California).  Of course they aren't nearly as common as they are in Japan, but whatever.  Meanwhile in one of the first-year classes they were learning the grammar pattern "Are you from ~ ?" --> "Yes, I am."/"No, I'm not." so I was quizzing them before class.  I decided to throw a new word in so I asked, "Are you from Asia?"  One girl said that she wasn't but seemed unsure so the other teacher told them what "Asia" was in Japanese.  All the students looked really confused, finally another student gave the only other possible answer, "Yes, I am?" and the whole class was surprised to learn that he was right.  The other teacher said that indeed Japan is in Asia and about half the students were flabbergasted...  But really, what other continent would make sense?

In kanji news, I was excited to discover that the characters for "ankle" (足首) combine the kanji for foot 足 and neck 首... isn't that awesome!  Similarly the kanji for "wrist" (手首) combines hand 手 and neck 首.  I love it when things make sense!

I had a pretty epic misunderstanding a couple of Fridays ago.  On the way into the school building I saw a long row of shiny new shovels, picks, hoes, and other gardening/construction-type supplies.  Later I saw on the schedule that the last two periods of the day had been marked off with some kanji that I couldn't read so I asked the new English teacher about it before class.
"Oh, how do I explain it in English..." she said.
"Does it have to do with gardening?" I asked (thinking of the shovels).
"Not really, but it does have to do with food..."
But then the bell rang and we had to go to class.  I didn't get another chance to ask so by the time 5th period rolled around I still had no idea what was going on.  Was I supposed to go somewhere or do something during that time?  One of the teachers saw me sitting at my desk looking confused so she told me to go with her to where the third year students were.  They were outside the dojo/gymnasium listening to an older gentleman explain something to them but I arrived just as the speech was ending.  Behind the third year students (on the paved road under the overhang of the gymnasium) were the gardening supplies from earlier and a small dump-truck which had previously dumped a long swath of dirt along a chalked section of the pavement that was about as wide as a car.  There were also some kanji written with the chalk but they were partially obscured by the dirt and I probably couldn't read them anyway.  Once I saw the dirt I was sure that there was going to be some gardening or planting.  I thought it was strange that the dirt had been left on the pavement though.
Anyway, once the speech ended the students split into a couple of smaller groups and headed for the supplies.  About half of the students grabbed shovels and headed for the dirt.  Paradoxically, they started shoveling the dirt back into the dump-truck.  I was very confused.  Why would they put it back into the truck?  Was it delivered to the wrong area?  I thought that the dirt looked pretty rocky as well... maybe it wasn't going to be used for gardening at all?  I saw a nearby teacher and attempted to ask her why the students were shoveling the dirt.  She gave me an explanation in Japanese and I couldn't get most of it but I heard the words for food and road.  The conclusion that I drew was that the road we were on was the one used by the food-vehicles to get lunches to the school and that the truck had mistakenly delivered the dirt there so it had to be moved.
I said, "So, it was a mistake?"
The teacher laughed good-naturedly and said something else.  Suddenly it all came together (for real).  I realized that earlier the teacher had said something about food, roads,... and earthquakes.  The chalk-road represented a road in an area that had been hit by a big earthquake such that a lot of debris (the dirt) was blocking the road.  The students were practicing moving debris off of roads so that food vehicles (and other emergency vehicles) could make it through.
After figuring it out I felt proud (but also a little embarrassed).  Some of the other groups were lighting fires using sticks and digging holes.  I helped out with digging the holes (which were about a foot in diameter and a foot and a half deep) so I felt sure that they would be used for planting trees or bushes.  But once time was up, the instructor gave the word and all the students filled in their holes... I found out later that they really had planted a tree earlier but I guess since there was only one everyone else just practiced digging holes for planting trees...

And now for some lunchtime Q & A:

Q1: Is your hair blonde?
A1: ...No, it's brown.
Comment: A teacher asked me that actually.  Just for the record: Not all foreigners have blonde hair!

Q2: How many boyfriends do you have?
A2: Ummm, you mean right now?  One... sort of.
Comment: I hope he meant, "Do you have a boyfriend?"

Q3: Do you have 'Mario' in America?
A3: Yes, we do!
Comment: You can imagine the subsequent questions about Luigi, Peach, Kirby, etc.

Q4: What games do kids play outside?
A4: Hide and seek and tag are popular.
Comment: I had to act out the games a bit but the kids understood.  There are equivalents to both games in Japan.

Q5: Do you want to play dodgeball with us during recess?
A5: Yes!
Comment: Japanese-style dodgeball is crazy.

And, just because I can, here's a view from nearby Tatsugane Mountain:


That's all for now!