Kobe Weekend, Day 1

Sorry for the extended lack of posts! I’ve been a busier-than-usual bee the last couple weeks. I mean, of course the whole earthquake/tsunami/power plant situation has been a mess. Fortunately where I am we’re not suffering any direct backlash or fallout. Things have been changed to help deal with the situation. Our farewell party for the teachers retiring/moving to different schools has been postponed indefinitely, and many stores are keeping lights and such off after certain times to save electricity.  But life goes on, and due to such I had an extended weekend trip in Kobe last week!

A bit of background:  In 2008, I did a study abroad program in Kobe that lasted about 5 weeks. Now, 5 weeks isn’t really all that much, but it was long enough for me to find one of the longest-running friendships with someone who doesn’t live within my immediate vicinity I’ve ever had. It was during that trip that I met Yuri, one of the language partners assigned to me and my classmates by Shoin University, who hosted us.

After the semester in Kobe, Yuri came to visit us in Philadelphia and Delaware. Since then, though, we haven’t been on the same side of the planet. That has changed, however, since I am now living not only in the same hemisphere, but the same country that she is! Ergo, a trip to go visit her was more that warranted (and over-due).

As such, I arrived at the Sannomiya bus terminal around 11 a.m. last Saturday. Yuri was there to meet me, and the girls’ time began! One of the first things we did was head out for a bit of lunch.  At my suggestion, we decided to indulge in ramen. If you’re used to the instant, cup noodle-variety of ramen, the real stuff is NOTHING like that.  I really dislike instant ramen, but I have a fondness for genuine ramen.

Mine came with shredded daikon and carrot, dried shrimp, chicken meatballs, and half a boiled egg. The broth was spiked with yuzu, a uniquely Japanese citrus fruit.

After lunch, we wandered around Rokkomichi, the neighborhood where we stayed in 2008. So many memories!

The dorm where we stayed oh-so-long ago.

I never ate here, but I was amused by the menu-on-the-window and the fact that one of the gelato flavors was, apparently, "Cheese! Cheese! Cheese!"

Back in 2008, I got many laughs out of "7 and iHoldings." So I deemed it picture-worthy.

It's cherry blossom time right around now! That be the lovely and incomparable Yuri-chan. I snuck the picture while she was preoccupied taking her own picture, haha.

We walked around for hours, just enjoying the wonderful weather and reminiscing. It was fantastic

So, that night we had temaki sushi (hamd rolls) with Yuri's family. 'Twas delicious, but I didn't take pictures because that'd have been a tad awkward. So feel free to use your imagination. Don't worry; there will be plenty of sushi porn on my day three post. That shall come soon, assuming blogspot doesn't get cranky on me and refuse to let me upload pictures (again).

Ja, mata kondo ne.

Is that a question or an order?

I was just talking about this with a friend of mine, and I realized that it's actually a very relevant point of communication in language and merits a post. However, if you're not so linguistically inclined you might want to skip this one.

I'm sure many people have heard the term "semantics" before. Usually in the context of dismissing an argument for it just being "semantics." In that case, it means mere manipulation through word choice, without any significant change in meaning.

To me, someone who's stupidly geeky about all things linguistic, semantics are important. Two sentences can have essentially the same meaning, but one might be far and away a better choice for conversational fluidity and effectiveness. What do I mean by that? Well, take a look at this example:

Two roommates are in the kitchen. Roommate A  is cooking dinner. She turns to Roommate B and says "Could you take out the trash?" Roommate B says "Sure thing," and all is right in the world.

But what if Roommate A had said, "Take out the trash, please." Does the addition of "please" really do away with the fact that that statement feels like an order? Most people would probably feel at least a little put off being addressed that way. It's undeniably bossy.

Still, in the first situation, Roommate B would only have said "No" if she were looking for a fight. Why? Because, although "Could you take out the trash?" looks like a question, it's not. It's a request, albeit a very polite one.

"Could you take out the trash?" and "Take out the trash, please" both have essentially the same meaning, but the former is far better-suited to the situation than the latter. Is this "merely" semantics? Not to me. Pretending both phrases are equal in every situation is like pretending your thumbnail and a screwdriver can undo a screw with equal efficacy. Can they both get the job done? Sure. Will one option probably leave you in a fair bit of pain with a torn-up opposable digit? Yeeee-ap.  In short, phrasing counts. Like, a lot.

So what does this have to do with English/Japanese communication break-down? Well, in Japanese, when requesting something of someone, the most common grammar to use takes exactly that form: a request. Those who know some Japanese probably know the "XYZ-kudasai" grammar. It translates most neatly into "Please XYZ", or "Please give me XYZ." In Japanese, this is perfectly acceptable. There's nothing awkward about asking something of someone this way.

The problem comes when these Japanese-speaking people decide to ask something of someone in English. What does that handy-dandy phrase become when translated? An uninentionally bossy-sounding order.

Here's an example. I was talking to a Japanese woman, who asked me how to ask for a discount in English. Now, first and foremost, asking for discounts isn't really part of American consumer culture. That aside, she thought she should say "Discount, please." Does this not sound like something someone would say only when they felt assured they would get that discount? It reminded me of ordering in a restaurant. If you say "Water, please", you're not really asking, you're ordering. She, accustomed to the "XYZ-kudasai" format, was unaware of the semantics of that literal translation in English. Needless to say, I informed her forthwith.

It may seem like a trivial point, but this kind of nuance, and lack of knowledge about it, can really serve to hinder communication between speakers of different languages. It's subtle enough that the listener doesn't really stop and think that maybe the speaker doesn't mean it that way; to them it just sounds haughty. The end result being a bad taste in the mouth and a disinclination to engage in further discourse.

So what's the take home point of this? English teachers - tell your students about the "Could you XYZ?" request pattern. It will stand them in good stead. Also, semantics count. When learning foreign languages, ask about context, ask about nuance, ask, ask, ask. Do not assume. Find and use the freakin' screwdriver. You will save yourself a lot of heartache.

日本人の読者へ、
これぐらい分かってもらいたいですよ。「何々ください」か「何々してください」は英語で「Blah blah, please.」だとしても、実はその言い方が命令に聞こえます。もっと曖昧で、丁寧な聞き方は、「Could you...?」か「Could I have.....?」。この語句に「please」を付けてもいいですが、「please」だけでは、レストランで何かを注文するみたいになってしまいます。つまり、後輩に話している時でも、「Could you...?」という言葉のほうがいいですよ。「何々,please.」よりずっと優しい言葉なんですから。

I hope this helps those of you learning Japanese both in asking in Japanese, and understanding the actual intention of Japanese people who speak English. Chances are they don't realize they sound bossy, so give them the benefit of the doubt.

Phew, that was long-winded. My fingers are tired, haha.

Anyway, mata kondo.

'Till next time.

I doubt there's anyone who hasn't heard....

...but Japan was hit by the largest earthquake on record, resulting in a severe tsunami, on Friday, March 11th, 2011. The affected region was much farther north than I am. Here's a map to show how far away from it I was lucky enough to be.

So don't worry about me; I'm fine where I am. We didn't really get a whole lot in the way of backlash, thank goodness. But please, don't let my safety lessen the sense of devastation this disaster has caused. I met lots of ALTs at orientation who were headed to that region, not to mention all the Japanese citizens who have been unaccounted for, displaced, and killed. Right now Japan is in the global limelight. I can only hope that the generous aid offered by other countries and Japan's own resilience prove enough to counteract this unforeseeable event.

'Till next time.

What do you like Japanese food? Okonomiyaki!

The title is a reference to the common mistake my first years make when they ask me questions. The pattern "What XYZ do you like?" often comes out as, "What do you like XYZ?"

So yeah, okonomiyaki! I bet you're wondering how that's pronounced. For the record, like this: OH-koh-noh-mee-YAH-kee.

What is okonomiyaki? Some sources describe it as a "Japanese pizza." I don't like that comparison, as I think it gives the wrong impression. I would liken it much more to a large, flour-y omelet. Okonomiyaki at its core is made with whole eggs, flour, and cabbage. Shredded cabbage is mixed into the egg and flour, creating a thick batter. Lots of times, bits of seafood like octopus and shrimp are also mixed into the batter. Then, you plop it down onto a skillet or griddle ( a Japanese flat-top griddle is called a "teppan yaki"). While the first side cooks, you press your toppings of choice into the exposed, uncooked side. After a while you flip it, and after it's done, remove it to your plate or whatever you're serving it on. Usually you put on some additional toppings at this point, namely okonomiyaki sauce (sweet brown sauce), mayonnaise, green seaweed flakes, and maybe some benishouga (red pickled ginger).  Among additions I've seen are pork, squid, other seafood,  cheese, beef, potato, and so on. The list of possibilities pretty much goes on forever.

Enough explanation? Picture time!

This is a standard okonomiyaki from the conbini (convenience store). It has bonito flakes, seaweed powder, okonomiyaki sauce, and mayo.

This variation has other veggies like carrots and corn (actually corn is a GRAIN... just saying), and some yakisoba cooked into it. 

This version has "negi" (scallions) in the batter and on top. This style also sits the whole "patty" in a bit of broth, effectively making it an umami sponge. It tastes fine, but my preferences run towards non-soggy food in general. Hence why I don't care for soupy rice either. 

This is okonomiyaki cooking on the "teppan yaki" I mentioned earlier. This is a fairly common DYI-ish kind of restaurant. They bring you the ingredients in a bowl, and you mix 'em up and plop 'em onto the griddle yourself. It's a nice engaging style of dining.

There are many "yaki" foods, as you will see as I cover them. I already mentioned yakisoba, and that will get its own post as well. 

Oh right! Etymology time. So, the "yaki" part of "okonomiyaki" comes from the verb "yaku", which equates to many different things in English, such as "to grill", "to sautee", "to barbecue", "to bake", etc. Which meaning it refers to changes according to context and possible other verby affixes you can add. In this case, I'd say it means "to pan fry", or "sautee" if you're feeling swanky. The "okonomi" part basically means "to your liking" or  "to your preference." The idea is essentially that this is a basic dish with endless possible toppings and additions, so you can put whatever you like in it.

Okonomiyaki is part of real Japanese comfort food; old style home cookin'. It reminds me a lot of the extensive omelet menu at those 24-hour style diners in the states. You can get just about anything in them. And no, I have not yet tried making a mini-okonomiyaki and eating it on a bun like a burger... but I really want to. We shall see!

It's not my fault. I'm sorry anyway.

First, a pretty picture of a scene I see most every day coming over the bridge, home from work:

And on to something I've been thinking about.

Pretty much everyone knows that moving from one culture to another brings with it some misunderstandings. A lot of the time, the misunderstandings are due simply to a lack of semantic or contextual comprehension. Those are easy, relatively speaking. A simple explanation of  "what I meant was....", and problem solved!

Other times, though, the misunderstanding stems from a deeper, more deeply embedded cultural difference. One of those differences is in regards to apologizing. Allow me an anecdotal example. When I was in one of my earlier college Japanese classes, the subject of social niceties came up. A girl asked the teacher, "So what do you say when someone sneezes?" The teacher answered, "Well, nothing really. In fact, the person who sneezed would probably just apologize or something." The girl said in an affronted tone, "But it wasn't their fault! Why do they need to say sorry?!"

This is the American perception of the purpose of an apology. To us Yanks (I can't speak with any knowledge of other Anglophone countries), to apologize is to admit to some kind of fault, personal failing, or wrong-doing.

In Japanese society, however, apologies serve a different purpose. They really don't have anything to do with admitting guilt. Instead, apologies are a kind of social styptic powder. In other words, when any kind of interruption, disruption, disappointment, etc. occurs, an apology can be used to smooth things over and halt negative feelings from gaining ground. Personal responsibility doesn't necessarily enter into the equation at all. What's more, apologizing is a signal to people that, regardless of whether an apology is warranted, you're thinking about other people's feelings.

Here's another situation. You're late to a meeting because there was a severe traffic jam. You get to the building where you promised to meet. You run inside and take the stairs two by two. You stumble up to the group and begin apologizing profusely, between breaths. This would be a common approach taken by a Japanese person, but an American would more likely start by going into a detailed explanation of the traffic situation. They'd probably finish with a statement to the effect of "It wasn't my fault; there's nothing I could do." The group, if they were Japanese, would be put off by that kind of approach. Why? Because from the Japanese perspective, the American would simply be covering his or her ass, with no regard to fixing the rift that was made. They're not worried about assigning blame. They just want to make sure relations are preserved.

When I said styptic powder, this is what I meant. If you accidentally cut yourself, you wouldn't refuse to bandage the wound because it "wasn't your fault." Whether it's your fault or not, it's still bleeding, and it needs to be treated. That's the approach Japanese society takes to apologizing. It's not about blame, it's about preventing negative feelings from gushing all over the place and making things unhygienic and sticky. Er, so to speak.

What does this mean? If you're going to be around Japanese people for any amount of time, be prepared to apologize a lot, and don't let it feel like you're shouldering some kind personal responsibility. It's just like... a cultural Tums. To ease that dang cultural heartburn that happens when you sneeze and distract someone from what they were doing. Yeah, a different metaphor would probably work better, but you get it right?

Anyway, it's late and I've run out of soapbox steam. Time to turn in!

Mata kondo.

Ok, so... Onigiri!

I decided to do a food post rather than an "about my city" post. I was just feeling more food-ish.

So Japanese Food, episode 1! Today's featured food is "onigiri."

Onigiri are balls of short-grain Japanese rice. They usually contain some kind of filling, and are often wrapped in seaweed. Ok, here we go, food porn time.

This is an onigiri filled with grilled seasoned beef.

This one contains salted salmon.

These are a trio with a different wrapping and filling presentation. They have various styles of fried shrimp.

This is another trio. This style has the flavoring mixed into the rice. It has bits of veggies and konnyaku.

This is what I call "uber onigiri." They call it "musubi sando" in Japanese. Musubi is an alternate name for onigiri, and "sando" is an abbreviation for "sandwich." This steroidal specimen is filled with fried chicken, mayo and a sweet sauce.

The crucial factor in onigiri is shaped, plain rice. If it is seasoned with salt, sugar, and vinegar, it stops being onigiri and becomes sushi (sushi actually refers simply to vinegar-seasoned rice, and I will make a post allll about sushi). Other common fillings for onigiri include tuna salad, konbu seaweed, umeboshi (salted cured plums), katsuo (skipjack tuna flakes), spicy cod roe or salmon roe (ikura), sweet egg omelette, sweet barbecued eel (unagi), and more.

There are onigiri versions of other rice-based dishes, like omu-raisu (omelette rice, also with a post to come!). An omu-raisu onigiri would have ketchup and chicken flavored rice wrapped in a sheet of egg, for example. 

And for the interested, the etymology of the name(s). "O" is an honorable prefix in Japanese, often added before words to make them more official-y. "Nigiri" is a noun version of the verb "nigiru," which means "to grab" or "to clutch." Similarly, "musubi" is the noun form of the verb "musubu," which means "to wrap." "Musubi" can also be prefixed with "o". So there's your Japanese lesson for the day! 

And more food pics for your viewing pleasure (^.^)

Japanese and JET

My history learning Japanese goes pretty far back. It certainly feels like I’ve been studying languages in some form or another all my life. I took French all through high school and got pretty good at it, too. The French teacher used to lavish praise on my accent. 

So how did this lead me to JET? It’s actually pretty interesting. Well, to a linguistics geek like me. As anyone who has learned a decent amount of another language knows, you find out more about your native language than you’d ever expect in the course of foreign language study.  It certainly was the case for me.  French may be quite similar to English, but English and Japanese are worlds apart in most ways. In order to really be able to understand the differences, I had to pick English grammar, morphology, syntax, etc. apart as well. I had to learn the functions of things like participles, clauses, tenses so that I could then apply those terms to what I was studying in Japanese. 

I found I liked the ins and outs,  and the technical aspects of English so much, that the idea of teaching English as a second or foreign language appealed to me.  When I learned about the JET program, it seemed to be a perfect marriage of opportunities: I would have the chance both to teach English, and continue learning Japanese.  

In order to give myself every advantage in the selection process (which has over time gotten more and more picky, I hear), I decided to major in East Asian Studies (with Japanese as the language), and to minor in Linguistics. I still don’t find much as satisfying as drawing a grammar tree for a sentence.  In addition,  I also went through an intensive TESOL certification course in New York in 2009. It’s called the CELTA, and I highly recommend it for anyone who has an interest in teaching English.

Evidently those preparations were sufficient, since I am now here in the land of the rising sun.  Still, I know lots of people get chosen who haven’t gone to the trouble of tailoring their education to suit being an ALT (alternate language teacher). But for me, since it really is what I’d call my passion, the effort seemed warranted. Since I figure I’ll continue doing work within this field when I go back to the states, it’ll stand me in good stead in the long run.

But for now, I’m feeling quite content where I am, in the city of Anan, in the prefecture of Tokushima in Japan. And on that note, I think I will make my next post about this city of mine, my daily life, my school, and whatever else seems pertinent.

Here's some pictures of stuff around Anan just to whet your appetites!

Mata kondo.