10/27/15
下でにほんごのもうあります。
Today was an exceptionally good day. This morning when I went to my research lab I ended up talking to another lab member for a good hour. Maybe it’s a little silly to be happy because of such a simple thing but It was nice because normally the lab is really quiet. Everyone usually looks so serious that I usually sneak in and out without saying a word.
Since my Japanese isn’t very good yet and his English isn’t that great either, we communicated via a hodge podge of Japanglish. But today in particular the words left my mouth easier. Like when you don’t have to think as hard, translating, and forming grammar patterns in your head before you spit them out.
Right now the trees are changing colors in Japan. It’s really pretty and they have a special word for it: こうよう(kouyou)
After that I went to a Japanese conversation class called Nihongo no Mori (日本語のもり) that I’ve been frequenting since I’ve came here. How it works is you get paired up with a volunteer who you’ll talk to for a good two hours. I think this may be my favorite class, it’s kind of hard to find people who are not only willing to talk to you but also keep in mind that you’re not a native speaker. Things like speaking slowly, using not slang, saying things in different ways, throwing in some English here and there, waiting patiently as I look up a word on my phone, things like that.
Today however, was their 13th year anniversary and instead of the usual 2 hours, the conversation was 1 hour long and then we had a party. The senseis put together a bunch of gifts and we did amidakuji (あみだくじ) which is a ladder lottery game to decide who gets what fit.
I was pretty lucky and got one of the larger bags. Inside was a peanuts Halloween diorama, soybean waffle snack, dish cloths, natto snacks, and natto. For those of you who don’t know, natto (納豆) is a fermented soybean type food that people usually eat with rice. Most foreigners dislike the taste, but I’ve grown up with it since my parents have occasionally kept some in the fridge since we left Japan 16 years ago. Anyway, the senseis are just some of the nicest people I’ve met and I’m so lucky to have found this class.
My big win.
Then on my way to the bus stop home, I found a cat. I’m not sure if it was someone’s pet but I went closer because… it’s so cute. It’s probably dangerous to touch random cats in the streets but when I got closer it started rubbing its body and walking around me in circles and I couldn’t help it… I ended up spending a few minutes petting it, and boy does it have the loudest purr I’ve ever heard a cat have. I honestly thought that it might of swallowed a bull frog.
Two cats, one bag.
After a while another cat appeared. It didn’t look like it wanted to be petted so I left it alone. I ended up naming the cats Kokononeko-chan and Sokononeko-chan. Which approximately translates to “the cat over here” and “the cat over there.”
今日はいい日だ。今朝、けんきゅうしつに行ってとなりの人を一時間しゃべった。けんきゅしつにはたいてい静かだ。みんなまじめだ。よく入って出て何も話さない。それでほかの人としゃべりして、うれしくなった。
私の日本語まだ上手じゃないで、彼の英語もあまりはなせない。そして英語と日本語どちも使った
、ちょうとおかしかった。でも今日話しやすい、どしてもわかんない。
あとで「日本語のもり」の会話教室に行った。日本語で二時間ぐらい色々な会話をして、とても楽しい。私が大好きい。先生たちはゆっくり話すし、スラングを使わないし、時々英語でせつめいするし、とてもやさしい。
でも今日は記念日だ。そして一時間だけ会話してしまって、パーティをさんかした。先生たちはプレゼントをじゅんびしておいた。学生たちはあみだくじでプレゼントをえらんでもらった。私のプレセントがすごく大きい。ピーナッツのハローワークのクラフトとか、枝豆のおかしとか、なっとうとか、色々な物がはいていた。
納豆が食べられる？そう。食べられる。子供の時日本で住んでいた。そしていつも母父なっとうが書いてくる。
うちにかえっていたとき、猫が二つ見た。しばらく猫と遊んだ。「ここの猫ちゃん」と「そこの猫ちゃん」名前をつけた。
日本人じゃありませんので、もしかしてまちがえました。正しいの教えて下さい。
Bonus cat pictures （ボナス猫の写真）：
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