If you are a Japanese learner like me, you may find the following two rikai tools useful for your net reading.

1) Rikai.com

There are several tools from rikai.com, but the one I use most is Japanese to English. Simply copy and paste the link of the Japanese page you want to read there, and it will come out with a page that show up the hiragana under the kanji wherever you move your mouse on. It’s simpler than it sounds like, just have a try.

Also for Japanese English-learner, a page translate English to Japanese might be useful too.

2) rikaichan firefox plugin

If you found the “copy and paste” is a hassle, try to install this rikaichan into your firefox. It will add an option to your right-click menu. Once it’s activated, it does the same job as rikai.com.

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I know I should really focus on my revision now, but I just can’t concentrate and feel like doing something else that may waste more time and make myself feel worse so I can push myself to work harder later. So here comes this post.

I found an interesting Japanese SNS-like site called KoToNoHa. If you are a Japanese learners, I’m sure you will like it too! It’s like a forum basically, but the difference is that you can only post a short question with a “Yes or No” (or “agree or not”) answers. Followers can choose either a circle (agree) or a cross (disagree) and leave a short comment. It’s not complicated at all, but what makes it so interesting is some topic that people posted, like “Have you worked more than 20 hours a day?” or “Are the students sit at the back of classroom are generally bad students?“. I posted one “Are you Japanese learner?“, and got one reply saying “yes, since I was born”, and “No, I’m a Japanese user”. LoL!

It might not be a very appropriate time to post about any SNS related sites during revision periods, but for Japanese learners, you may want it as an excuse to escape from revisions. You can learn quite a lot Japanese slangs that can’t found not in textbook. But don’t blame me if you fail your exam though.

OK, back to reading!!

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(C) RichardHong.com // in a food store, Chinatown, Newcastle, UK

Got this photo when I went to Newcastle with Jenn and her sister. Japanese products can just make you smile (or laugh) without any warning. Guess by the time I have my 101 birthday, this mayonnaise won’t be suitable anymore! I won’t let my wife have it neither when she is pregnant in future, because technically it is not suitable for the baby under age 0.

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Investment:

1. Two months preparation

2. £50 application fee

3. about £70 travel to London

4. nervousness in the exam room

Return:

1. A piece of stunning ikkyu (level 1) certificate

2. The moment enjoyment when opened the envelop

3. One more sparkling line in CV

4. Confidence and motivation on further studies

Hmmm…I think I made a good ROI (Return on Investment) :) Here I need to thank my friends who gave me advices and also bought me some textbooks from Japan.

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I’ve been extremely busy since last week, because several things are going on at the same time and they are equally import to me!

Japanese exam

It’s on 3rd December. I’m going down to London on 2nd, hopefully I can stay in my friend’s place for one night.

The annoying thing about this exam is that it’s only once a year. So if I fell this one, next year won’t be a option because it’s likely that I need it for my job application. Also, I am ambitious enough to apply for ikkyu (top level), and I’m telling you it’s even difficult for Japanese people. Most of the grammar required in the exam is rarely used in daily life, or maybe only in written or formal Japanese. I doubt no all the Japanese can pass this exam, it’s pretty tough I have to say. However, it does make a difference when employer see this qualification, so I will give it a go. Also, I’ve paid £50 for the exam and £40 for the train, in a investment sense, I need to make a return!

I’ve made a schedule of learning and revising, but sticking to it is another story. That’s my problem and I had been trying to solve it since I learned how to make a schedule.

Anglo-Japanese Society

Several events are under planning at the moment.

The Annual Japanese Banquet is going to be held on 30th November. We are going to have it in Hild and Bede College like in our first year. Jon and I went down this morning to check out the room and it looks quite decent. We are going to have a Teikyo Band and also Karaoke. Of course, Japanese food is also essential. Hopefully everything will be closely follow the schedule.

We are going to paint ball game this Saturday. Actually there is a little problem on transport, but we have kinda solved it already. It’s going to be fun, it’s also my first time to play paint ball, looking forwards.

And regular football and film night events still going on as well.

Although my role is to organise execs to be in charge in difference events, but I still have to know what’s going on in details. It’s very hard but I found it very challenging, and I am quite enjoying it. Every time when we have a meeting or making decision, I really feel a lot of things learned in the management class came to practise. And I realise more communication skill and management is essential in many aspect. Learning by doing, that’s the way!

Regular class

Don’t blame me to be too realistic, but the mass amount of tuition fee does push me to learn what I suppose to learn. Luckily I am enjoying this year’s modules, all of them, it’s unusual for an uni student. So I’m lucky.

Jenn #

My dad was always busy and my mum often complain he is ‘work to work’. I feel so too but I totally understand him. However, although I’m extremely busy right now, I don’t want to be categorised into “workaholic type”. Just spending time with who I like to be with is also important, even just chatting and catching up with each other about what have done today.

My life is busy, but I’m enjoying it :)

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Everytime when I talk about my degree to new people I met, nine out of ten will ask me “Why do you come to UK to study Japanese?”. Why nine out of ten? Because there are still people don’t have a clear idea of the difference of China and Japan, or Asia. Anyway, I think it’s time to write down the reasons of “Why I am studying Japanese in UK”.

Want something different

Before I came to UK, my plan was to study one year English and then go to a university to do a business degree (mainly on management), like many other Chinese students will do here. But after soon I arrived here, I found out there are so many other Chinese students were doing the same thing. When I visited some universities and saw their class of business, more than half of the students there were Chinese. It’s almost like a mini Chinatown. And when they came out of the classroom, Chinese is the language they use to discuss their homework. I don’t say this is bad or something, but this is just not the thing I want when I come to another country to study a university degree. So from that point, I started considering some courses that more than just Business, and something less popular to Chinese students here.

In my application to Durham, I chose Asian studies and Management. But then in the telephone interview with professor of Durham University, he suggested me “Why don’t you consider taking another language, say Japanese, it would be better for you in your career in future if you are interested in Asia and also business”. Japanese? I did read a lot Japanese comics when I was little and quite interested in Japanese culture, but never thought that I would take it seriously as a university degree, it’s a big thing to me! So I replied to the professor that I need some times to think about it.

I talked to my parents about that. After I told them my thoughts, they were very supported. Plus if I take that course, I can go to Japan for one year as an exchange student from Durham, which it’s a great opportunity for me.

I was only 18 at that time. When I was in China my parents made most important decisions for me (but of course with the respect to my opinions), but this time, they couldn’t made decisions for me anymore, I had to do it myself. So after a few days considerations, I decided to take the offer from Durham. I was going to study something only came into my mind in a few days time for four years, that was pretty crazy.

Good choice?

I have been studying Japanese for three years now, plus had one year great experience in Japan. Looking back to what I have learned and experienced, I think I made a good choice.

My original will was to study Management, however, from what I have studied in class and worked with other people, I found that management is a subject that needs more practical experiences. Especially “globalisation” becoming a popular term nowadays, the understanding of another culture is essential for business. The year abroad experience in Japan gives me a huge advantage in this aspect. Not only the Japanese cultures I learnt, but more significantly my ability to adopt another new culture.
In term of career prospect, I’ve got one more language advantage aside from management studies. However, whether it’s useful or not still depends the coming year – whether I can get a prospective job or not.

Making choice right, not making the right choice

Often when people making choices, the first question is “Am I making a right choice?”. I did too. But now, I realise that “Whether I can make the choice right” is more important.

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I just read this post from Trump blog about “Matsui’s Apology“. First of all, you may ask about the Trump blog as Donload Rrump’s blog? Yes, it’s Donald Trump, the big boss in “The Apprentices“. He has a blog too, but I am not sure whether it’s written by him though.

Anyway, in his article he tired to quote the story of “Matsui’s apology” to address a point that loyalty and apologies are important to team works or to organisations. I agree with that, but he might not quite understand the Japanese style of apology. One typical example here is the expression “Sumimasen (すみません)” in Japanese can both mean “Thank you” and “Sorry”. Say if you are walking in the street and crash on someone accidentally, “Sumimasen” can be used as “Sorry”. But if someone you barely know give you a present or offering you something, when you accept it you can use “Sumimasen” as “Thank you”, which imply “I am sorry to let you buy me a present”.

My housemate Arata was the president of AJS last year. It’s interesting when I received newsletter from her, seven out of ten I could see “I am sorry to…” at the begging, for example “I am sorry to fill out your inbox again” or “I am sorry to inform you within such a short time”. Although she had been living in England for more than 7 years, I can still tell she is very Japanese from this aspect.

I heard a story before about this Japanese style apology as well. A Japanese tourist drove a car in America and had a accident. When he came out to the car the first thing he said was “Oh, I am so sorry”. Unfortunally that was in America, so once you apology then must be your fault. So of course that Japanese guy suffered a loss by apologying first, even though it was the American guy’s car crashed into his.

When I was in Japan I experienced this kind of polite apologies a lot, especially in shops or any services industries. Maybe Donload Trump is making a good point there, but the example he used is not persuaded, because Japanese perceive the word “sorry” differently to westerners do in a lot of aspects.

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