Another Way to Learn Japanese

So, after working through the last list of books to learn Japanese, I figured it was quite a bit difficult. Yeah, you'll be speaking just fine, but you probably won't stick with it. I didn't. I realized whether you have a foolproof method or not, nothing matters if you won't do it. Something more friendly was needed...

So, here is a method that will teach you the same things, but make it easier on you and you'll probably learn faster:

Recommended: The Sanseido Daily Concise Dictionary - (ISBN4-385-10880-3). This dictionary is small and will serve you well from the moment you learn hiragana to when you've become advanced in Japanese. There is no sense in having to buy multiple dictionaries at different levels...

1. Either Kana Pict-o-Graphix (A small, convenient book) or Remembering the Kana (A quite famous learning material)

2. Japanese for Busy People I (Get the kana version so that by the end of book I, you can read it well (ISBN: 9784770030092) along with Basic Kanji Volume 1

3. Japanese for Busy People II along with Basic Kanji Volume 2 (By the end of here, you will know 500+ kanji)

4. Japanese for Busy People III along with Intermediate Kanji I (<-- When you are almost done with these, you may want to just order a manga you are interested in from Japan. See section 5)

5. Intermediate Kanji II with Learn Japanese the Fast and Fun Way (It is a big book you can work through quickly if you already know a lot of the vocab from the previous series. It is all in romaji, but if you learn every line rather than do it as they tell you to with just the highlighted words, your vocabulary will become VERY solid. I mean, what text books teach you how to talk about car trouble?). This would be a good time to also read a manga you like in Japanese. Don't worry, you'll be able to do it :) (By the end of this, you will know 1000+ kanji)

Optional: A "Clean up". As no series is perfect, if you have the Japanese for College Students Series or the Genki series, go through those books at the rate of about a chapter a day or every 2 days leaving one day a week to review and another to rest and simply digest the information. (JFCS has 30 chapters in all) There will always be things that one series teaches that another misses. So, people sometimes recommend you work with multiple series. It will be fast as you should already know a good 80%-90% of what is in these texts. This is optional because the next set of the books will fix any disparities.

6. An Integrated Approach to Learning Intermediate Japanese and Remembering the Kanji I (You can do a lesson a day now since you already know half the book. Also, for a lot of the characters, you will now have 2 ways to make sure they are ingrained in your memory. This book just teaches how to write and recognize a total of 2000+ characters.)

7. Authentic Japanese: Progressing from Intermediate to Advanced and Remembering the Kanji II (This book teaches how to read the 2000+ characters you learned in Remembering the Kanji I)

8. Remembering the Kanji III - 1,000+ more characters you may occasionally run into if you plan to read truly advanced texts (How to write them, readings, and meanings)

Yay! Take a Japanese Foreign Language Exam ^.^ (Offered once a year in Chicago in December for $50)

Notes:

• Don't look at this whole list. It may overwhelm you. Concentrate on one number at a time. It isn't a lot to just see about 2 books each time you have to work with, and not even both on the same day.
  
• Take a class. For $250 for the first class and $225 for each subsequent class, you can get through Japanese for Busy People I-III and Basic Kanji I. These materials are included in the class price. The classes are 8 weeks long and held at the Japan America Society of Chicago. There are 7 classes in total, and by the end, you will be reading articles from a Japanese newspaper and conversing in Japanese. The class is taught by a native.
  
• To be honest, I write these schedules for myself as a plan. You see, research is one of my hobbies. For those of you who know me, I like to push myself and learn as much as I can as fast as I can. I don't know if everyone has the time or desire to follow such a rigorous arrangement, but the books are still just as effective if you take one at a time.
• I like clear progression, meaning follow this and you will definitely, without a doubt, be able to do the next number on the list smoothly.
• I like things as easy as possible, so the things like the "Clean Up" and going back to the Learn Japanese the Fast and Fun Way even after you know some kanji for the sake of the vocab may seem demeaning, but tackling the those two texts with no previous experience proved to be quite daunting. JFCS is such a boring series with no opportunities to practice in the text. LJTFAFW is not boring, but big. And it feels like you'll never get through it, though it is the same length as others. It bothered me that I was learning Japanese, but even after working with that book for hours, I couldn't write or read anything. So, why not satisfy your natural need to see accomplishment first? Then there is no pressure from feeling like you aren't doing anything and you can just enjoy the amount of new vocabulary.
• This is not written 100% from experience. I am a researcher. I compile the experiences of other people into tangible plans. This is a compilation of what MANY other people who now hold advanced degrees in Japanese or levels of certification on the Japanese Foreign Language exam have stated enabled them to reach that level. Some of this IS from personal experience, but also backed up from the experience and advice of the aforementioned.
  

Regarding the First Lesson: You can learn 5 characters a day. There are loads of practice sheets online you can print out, but I like to use this book with them to make sure the characters stick in my memory)

Here is a sample schedule for number 2:

JFBP: Japanese for Busy People
BKB: Basic Kanji Book

Day 1: JFBP I: Chapter 1
Day 2: JFBP I: Chapter 2
Day 3: JFBP I: Chapter 3
Day 4: BKB I: Chapter 1
Day 5: JFBP I: Chapter 4
Day 6: Review Material from Days 1-5
Day 7: Rest
Day 8: BKB I: Chapter 2
Day 9: JFBP I: Chapter 5
Day 10: BKB I: Chapter 3
Day 11: JFBP I: Chapter 6
Day 12: BKB I: Chapter 4
Day 13: Review Material from Days 1-5 and Days 8-12
Day 14: Rest


A Second Sample Schedule:

Days 1-5: JFBP I Chapters 1-5, one a day
Day 6: Review Chs. 1-5
Day 7: Rest
Days 8-12: JFBP I Chapters 6-10, one a day
Day 13: Review Chs. 1-10
Day 14: Rest

(Fast forward to after you finish JFBP I)

(Restarted Day Count)

Days 1-4: BKB I Chapters 1-4, one a day
Day 5: Review JFBP I Chapters 1-25
Day 6: BKB I review chapters 1-4
Day 7: Rest
Days 8-11: BKB I Chapters 5-8, one a day
Day 12: Review JFBP I Chapters 1-25
Day 13: BKB I review Chapters 5-8
Day 14: Rest
Days 15-18: BKB I Chapters 9-12, one a day
Day 19: Review JFBP I Chapters 1-25
Day 20: Rest

...and so on. If you start to feel braindead, just read over the material 2 times and call it quits that day. You'll be pleasantly surprised at what you have retained by the following day. As silly as it sounds, you may benefit from watching Chi's New Home. It has VERY basic Japanese with VERY easy to hear syllables as it is made for little kids. Still, for those of you who took Spanish in high school, it is about the difficulty of the La Catrina series (if you saw that).

My Future Pet

Today, I decided I want a pet chicken:

http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Day-Old-Baby-Chicks/White-Silkie-Bantam-p250.aspx

Isn't it cute ^.^

I Am What I Eat: What am I?

Hi! I haven't written anything in a while. After making 55 posts, I guess you could say I ran out of things to say. So, Keisha gave me an idea. She said I should just write about what is on my mind. And so I shall:

But first, please be aware: this is what is on my mind. My thoughts. I am quite opinionated. If you disagree, then feel free to read and laugh.

Why is there so much cancer in this country? I watched an advertisement that said there are 10 million people in the U.S. with cancer. Naturally, we know about smoking and whatnot, but my mom has been blaming it on our food. At first, I sorta just pushed that thought away, but then one of those internet sites (MSN or Yahoo! or something) came out with this list of things that are in our everyday foods that have been known to cause cancer. And we eat them...

Did you know that the flour on our markets is banned in several places around the world? Everything except the King Arthur flour has bromate, which is used to increase the volume of the product, but has been proven to cause cancer. Why the heck are we allowed to buy it and eat it? So, in this country that loves pancakes, biscuits, rolls, fried chicken (breaded), etc., we are eating cancer causers!? And this is legal!? Sigh... it makes money... So, my family now buys the more expensive King Arthur flour now... Did you know that in California, items with bromate in them are required to disclose on the packaging that it may cause cancer?

Another fascinating one is the coloring in meats. Ya know that stuff they put in the meat to make hotdogs, beef, bacon, etc. red? That's bad for you too T.T More cancer connections... sigh... So I don't eat bacon or hotdogs anymore. (Besides, what's in a hotdog anyhow?)

And BHT... another cancer-causer. But here's the kicker... it is found in one of my favorite cereals: Frosted Flakes. T.T I haven't eaten a bowl since I found out...

And we all know McDonald's isn't healthy, but have you seen the video of the 4-year old cheeseburger?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IGtDPG4UfI

So, I don't eat McDonald's anymore.

The list of what we shouldn't eat is so long... And I'm sure you've heard about the various recalls, problems, etc. with American produce. It's a cryin' shame when you can't trust a vegetable.

And remember the taste of bread 35 years ago? Well, I'm 21, so I wouldn't, but I keep hearing about it over and over again. Apparently store bread used to be delicious and is now a lot of emptiness in comparison to the past.

I think I'm frustrated. Living in Spain, I've tasted a "real" melon. Nothing in the United States could compare to the sweetness of the fruit in that country. Even their soft drinks tasted better. In Portugal and Spain, did you know the fruit sodas contain real nectar? Why do we get the crap? The same Fanta here does not in any way compare to the Fanta there. Does our pop have any real anything in it? After living there, I drank a lot more water and occasionally a soft drink. Since I've been back, I can't stand the taste of American soft drinks. To me, they taste thick, fake, and don't quench my thirst like a good 'ol glass of water.

I saw this video on YouTube about this guy who was going to try the 4-year burger experiment with McDonalds, Wendy's, and Burger King. In his video, he said that he stopped eating fast food years ago and now it smells revolting. Currently, when I am hungry, I love the smell of it. I wonder... if I stop eating it for a few months, will I lose my occasional craving for McDonald's french fries or Wendy's boneless buffalo wings like I now find the soft drinks disgusting?

Have we grown up eating this junk and made our bodies used to it? Given the chance, if we separated from it for a while, would we naturally crave fruit over cookies?

These last few weeks as I have been trying to pay more attention to making sure what I consume, when I do go to fast food restaurants, I go in instead of use the drive thru and watch as much as I can how my food is made. Today, I went to Arby's. I got a buffalo chicken sandwich and some curly fries. After I ordered, I watched as they submerged my fries in grease. I watched as they sizzled, then we brought up dripping. Then, I watched as they placed them in the cardboard container and into a bag. I watched as their motto, "Never fried, never greasy" became stained from the contents inside.

Want to know another kicker? Know those 550 calorie meals at Applebee's? How much fat do you think is in them? Take a guess! What do you think? 10? 20? 30? My mom got one and my sister looked it up on the iPhone app Daily Burn. 45 grams of fat. Yes, I said 45. I don't know how they fit 45 grams of fat in shrimp and pasta, but they did it. I didn't believe it, so I looked it up elsewhere. And yep, 45 grams of fat. And they advertise it like it's a diet meal... That is almost the equivalent of a Big Mac and a medium fry (48 grams). T.T Have they no shame?

Oh, and I was very depressed to find out that my favorite sub at Subway (meatball marinara) was twenty-something grams of fat for a 6-inch sub... I figured, hey, it's Subway. Can't be that bad, right? Wrong. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!

And don't get me started on Friday's... I chose a chicken sandwich that wasn't even breaded. 1,540 calories.

ACK! I QUIT!!!! I QUIT I QUIT I QUIT!

And when American's go out places, why do we always have to get something to eat? Doesn't anyone bring food? Yeah, it may be considered tacky to bring a bagged lunch or a cooler or something, but I think I'm going to start doing that anyhow...

Perhaps it is because the Chicago-dweller is always rushing. We do rush a lot... I can't say keeping away from all this stuff will surely help, I've never taken a health class that wasn't mandatory... but I'm frustrated by the scars on my skin from breakouts and the fact that I go places and order things I think are healthy and then look on the scale and see the number moving in the wrong direction. Why not, eh? People who major in this area advocate eliminating a lot of this stuff.

What if we really don't like this? What if our bodies genuinely detest it?

I'm not against fat in itself, I mean my ancestors ate lard and were "fit as a fiddle", but they were active. American society now is not active... I guess I just wonder if cravings would automatically change...

A friend of mine, a former trainer, told me that our bodies don't understand everything we put in it and have to decide what to do with these foreign objects. He said we are meant to eat the simple things. I had never thought about the possibility of confusing my own body or having have to make educated guesses as to what it does with what I consume. Heck, I don't even understand everything I eat...

So, I'm done eating things I don't comprehend. I don't understand burgers that don't mold. I don't understand how to fit 45 grams of fat in pasta and shrimp. I don't understand how to make one hamburger contain enough calories for an entire day.

I don't understand why money is more important than integrity.

This isn't a very coherent post. I don't think it even has a main idea other than food. lol. But, this is what is on my mind.

I like to think my body knows what is good for me. So, I'm, at least for the next 6 months or so, getting off of all this food I don't comprehend, and I'll stick to what I can at least name all the ingredients in (naturally, I'll check out what I don't understand to see if it is just a uselessly-complicated word for something simple and harmless/beneficial) (with the exception of if I have to go to a formal event or something where it would be rude not to partake in the meal). I really want to know if afterward I'll find certain foods I loved before revolting...

Ooh! Idea! This is a way I can use my obento! I can pack lunches that way! No more not being full after restaurant diet meals and no more finding out later that I've used up my entire fat allowance/calorie allowance for the day after one meal. ^.^

Hmm... I think I have nothing more to say... Well, actually I do... one last thing I am debating whether I should mention...

Here goes... I think our veggies and fruits would have much more nutritional value if people left the land alone every 7th year like in ancient times... I mean, look at our lettuce... lettuce, last time I looked, was supposed to be a bit on the greener side... And yes, I know, the $$. The bottom line... I can see it now!... the future of the Food Pyramid is the Food Mountain! Recommended serving size of fruits and vegetables per day... 5 lbs!... Hmm... then vitamins would sell better... "Get the equivalent of 5lbs of veggies in 1 pill!" Nah, I think Americans will buy produce from local farmers much more... eh... we'll see.

Hmm.... I wonder how hard it is to maintain a garden...

Dagorhir

Dagorhir is pretty much medieval fighting with foam weapons. You can use daggers, swords, spears, arrows, and more against one another.

Each weapon has specific specifications in order to make the game as safe as possible. Dagorhir is traditionally played outdoors, and wearing medieval garb is highly encouraged.

The games themselves are fast paced and there are a variety of rules, but after playing a few games, it is pretty easy to catch on and the game becomes pretty fun. ^.^

Cococare Lip Balm

If you are looking for a lip balm that will make your lips soft and protect them from the harsh cold, I recommend Cococare lip balm. You can find it at Walgreens for 99 cents.

Once you use it, you won't want to go back to your old balm. ^.^

Buy Your Manga From Japan

Ever get tired of not being able to read the kana on manga scans? Well, for pretty cheap, you can purchase your own manga straight from Japan. ^.^

At Be Nippon

At Yes Asia

Ethnic Natural Curls

I have dry hair. Like put a mound of anything you want on it and it will be dry the next day. I also have naturally curly, though extremely frizzy hair that is very prone to breakage, so when I decided to go natural, I couldn't just use anything.

I tried some of everything from the gels in the dollar store to $40 products and the stuff in that blue pump at Walmart... After my hair dried, it looked like I was trying to cosplay a poodle... (Look at my Facebook pictures... especially the Dagorhir (ooh... now that is an article to write about...) or the sailing ones.)

(Ahem, Nene... focus!)

I found 2 products that worked for me: Carol's Daughter's Hair Milk and Aveda's Be Curly.

But which is better?

Carol's Daughter sells Hair Milk at $12 for 4oz and $18 for 8oz both online and at Sephora (Which is now located at a lot of JCPenny's). Be Curly has 2 parts which are to be combined at $18 each.

I like the smells of both and neither leaves my hair feeling dry nor do I look like a poodle by the end of the day.

Technically, I do recommend combining the Carol's Daughter Tui Hair Oil ($8.50 for 2oz and $18 for 8oz) with the Hair Milk, but putting on the Tui at night before bed and rinsing it in the morning before applying the Hair Milk. Technically, so they come out the same price.

And, I do like them equally, but one of them stands out way above the other in one aspect: amount of product. The two Be Curly products are 3.4oz and 6.7oz, each for $18. You can use about the same of the Carol's Daughter products as you do with the Be Curly, so the Carol's Daughter lasts longer. You pay for the salon style.