Tuesday, June 28, 2011

日常生活 Everyday Life at JAPANESE LANGUAGE ACADEMY

文化クラス CULTURE CLASSES

After a short break, the Academy launched into the first of it's many culture classes. Here, our minds will be picked apart by anything and everything Japan: history, customs, and, most importantly, food. Cullison-sensei began the night with an aesthetically pleasing Powerpoint presentation, complete with pictures and instructional videos on food preparation in Japan.
Japanese food can be divided into several main categories, ranging from grilled (yakimono), to steamed (nabemono), to pickled (tsukemono), to deep fried (agemono). Some popular dishes:

• Tempura- deep fried vegetables in a light batter

• Gyoza-Chinese dumplings usually filled with pork and vegetables

• Miso soup- soup made from highly concentrated soy beans, usually containing several solid ingredients

• Bento- combination meal served in a decorative wooden box

• Teriyaki- grilled or broiled meat or vegetables glazed with sweetened soy sauce

Each requires a complex amount of preparation and skill, with knives moving in a blur or a stomach of steel. However, not only are the foods themselves important but also presentation and refinement. Many rules govern these gracious people to a nearly uncanny level. Did you know that chopsticks stuck vertically into food are a sign of bad luck or that mismatched chopsticks are considered rude? In America, no one thinks twice when silverware points the wrong way. These classes have made us think about the way we, as Americans, may appear to worlds with a greater focus on harmony and eloquence. Grace can be found in the simplest of acts, including meals, and the Japanese have been fortunate enough to harness such power for a greater perspective on life.

-Jillian


言語クラスLanguage Class


Here at the Governor’s Japanese Academy, language classes have begun with a running start. The beginning level classes have spent their four hours of instructional time learning to read and write hiragana (the simpler Japanese characters). An example of hiragana is えんぴつ which translates to pencil in English. These classes are also being introduced to the language through simple phrases and greetings. The intermediate classes are busy learning a lot of kanji (characters in the Japanese writing system)! 飛行機 is an example of kanji and it means airplane in Japanese. Today, the intermediate classes worked on editing letters that they began writing about themselves and even played charades in Japanese! The advanced classes read a story titled ikkyu-san. They also learned a song in Japanese sign language and then worked on sentence structure. With the use of packets, flashcards, and whiteboards, the learning is going ahead at full steam!

-Katelyn　


会社 COMPANIES

At the Japanese academy, we are all divided into “companies.” Each company is put in charge of a task that we will all take part in when the time comes. Some groups were put in charge of things like parties, the closing ceremony, and some were put in charge of taking pictures and updating the blog. Each company will also be put against one another in challenges and games. We’ll be doing a points system like in the Harry Potter movies. For example; if someone in the group does something wrong, points are taken away and if we succeed in challenges and do well then we gain points. At the end the company that wins gets a prize (they won’t tell us what yet). Today we made headbands to wear during our challenges and come up with names for our companies in Japanese. They were all very creative and each had their own little something for each person. We hope to use these activities to build a sense of unity with our fellow students.

-Tori


鉢巻 Hachimaki

In the afternoon, we divided into our companies and designed hachimaki (鉢巻), or stylized Japanese headbands. Traditionally, hachimaki are used to symbolize perseverance, power, and endurance, and are worn during dances, sports activities, and studying. Japanese people believe that when it is worn, the headband brings a sense of focus. “Kiai wo ireru” (気合いを入れる) is a common phrase meaning to motivate oneself, or to raise one’s fighting spirit.

Each group created their hachimaki using a white cloth, and materials such as fabric paints, glitter, and markers. Most created slogans in Kanji that they painted on their hachimaki, including “kuroi nekkutai samurai”, meaning “black neck-tie samurais” and “nesshin” (熱心), meaning enthusiasm. One group coined the term “denja” (電者), a combination of “den” from electricity and “sha” meaning person. Another group combined “on”, meaning sound, and “gei” for art. Symbols used included Godzilla, ninjas, and swords.

-Lizzi

ラジオ体操 　RADIO EXERCISE

Every morning, before we start any activities, we do ラジオ体操 「たいそう」(rajio taisou).ラジオたいそう is a callisthenic that is incorporated with a song. The exercise is done in counts of eight. ラジオたいそうconsists of simple stretches that helps prepare our bodies for the long, jam-packed day ahead of us. At 7:45, everyone comes together as a group to exercise outside in front of the dormitory. All the 先生(sensei) line up across the front to show us all how to do the stretches. Many of the stretches consist of stretching upward with our arms. Once we are done, we come together and talk about our schedule for the day. After that, we head to the O’Hill Dining Hall for breakfast.

8:00 Breakfast
9:00 Language Class
11:00 Study Hall
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Language Class
3:00 Crafts
5:10 Dinner
6:00 Culture Class
7:30 Company meeting/projects
9:00 Nightly Meeting



-Joshua


カフェテリアの食物 Cafeteria Food
There is a saying that goes “we are what we eat”; fortunately UVA provides wide range and variety of food. It does not matter if one is a vegan, vegetarian, or even meatetarian (?) because UVA launched a new initiative that helps students both broaden their nutritional horizons and balance their meals. Plus, all three meals are all-you-can-eat at every dining hall at every meal. However, there are some complaints. One of the most popular complaints is that meals are too redundant; nonetheless, the fact that UVA offers several diverse dining halls that provide different food based on their themes mitigates the problem. Additionally, despite the standard repetition, the dining hall does offer a good number of options, as well as the opportunity to chat with friends and have lively group meals.

-Kevin
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