The wonders of Argentina

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Sandrine

So, the following Friday and Monday were feriados (holidays). Friday was the “100th anniversary of an important figure” (the answer I got when I asked), so it was a one-time thing, and Monday was Día de la Bandera (Flag Day), which was actually last Thursday, but they decided to put the holiday on Monday (strange, right?). So, my roommates and I embarked on what we thought would be a 17-hour bus ride (it was actually 18) to Puerto Iguazú. I slept most of the ride, so it wasn’t bad at all. When we got there Saturday afternoon, we were determined to make the most of our time, so walked about 2 miles to Hito Tres Fronteras, pictured below.

View from Hito Tres Fronteras

Although this may look like a sunset landscape, if you checked out the link above, you’d know that it’s more than just that.

Taking in the beauty while reppin’ ND dorms (back of shirt)

Standing at the edge of Argentina, I am, indeed, overlooking Brazil (on the right) and Paraguay (on the left). It felt like the Cumberland Gap (where Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia meet), but better.

Given that both countries were this close, you are probably wondering if I went there. Well, let me tell you about it. The following day, we had plans to visit the Cataratas del Iguazú (Iguazú waterfalls). The waterfalls are on the border between Argentina and Brazil, so we could visit them from either side. Because we wanted to go to Brazil, we considered going to that side. Remember that I’m from Mauritius? So, I went online to check whether I needed a visa for Brazil, and according to visaHQ, I did. However, we had talked to a bunch of people back in Buenos Aires who had told me I did not need a visa because Brazil had lifted the visa requirements for all countries due to the Rio 2016 Olympics (Lies! The visa requirement is only lifted for the US, Canada, Australia and Japan). Someone even told us that there was a 50km (~31 miles) grace period for non-visa holders (More lies!). You see where this is going, right? So when we got to the hostel in Iguazú, I asked the lady at the reception desk whether I needed a visa, she said no, but that she was not certain, and that I should ask before I buy my bus ticket there and that they’ll know for sure. We head to the bus station, and before making the purchase, I asked the lady whether I needed a visa, since I’m from Mauritius. “No, you only need your passport,” she assured me (all in Spanish). Therefore, I get on the bus, out of Argentina, and into Brazil. Right after we passed the border, the bus driver collects all of our passports to get them stamped, and guess what? Yes, he comes back with mine, and says “Necesitas visa” (You need a visa). At this point, I laugh to myself and get off the bus. My roommates, with whom I became really good friends, refuse to go without me, and get off too. Together, we wait on the border for the driver to pick us up on his way back (I can now cross off getting deported from my bucket list).

After that, we went back to Argentina and checked out the falls from that side. We hiked about 10 miles that day, and I saw the most beautiful sight ever.

I tried picturing the beauty with some panos, but the real thing is so much more grandiose

At sunset, we took a boat trip in the river and under the waterfalls, and although scary, it was also exhilarating!

I was soaking and cold, but it was so worth it

On the ride back, we met a couple who had been to the US before. The woman who did not speak any English told us how she thought Americans were positive because she kept seeing ‘exit’ everywhere, and believed it had something to do with being successful (in Spanish, success = éxito).

That night, at the hostel, I met a French girl and a German, whose name was Hanz (doesn’t get more German) and who spoke about 5 languages.

The next day, we walked around downtown Iguazú, before getting on the bus back. On the way back, the DVD system was working so I got to watch a movie, all in Spanish, and it felt great ’cause I understood everything! We were also stopped by the police in the middle of the night who checked the bus for Paraguayans trying to enter Argentina illegally, and also for human trafficking, I was told. I’m not exactly sure how they do that, but they went through my stuff extensively, and I’m inclined to think it was due to my skin colour since no one else was searched that thoroughly.

I got back home the next day, ready for my last week in Buenos Aires!

Inbound to La Belle Province

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Garrett

Montreal, admittedly, does not seem that foreign. Just less than fifty miles separates the city from the border of the United States. I won’t have to reset my watch when I arrive. The length of my flights to the city do not warrant even a meal, so given the short lengths of my layovers, I will in all likelihood arrive exhausted and hungry.

For being so close, however, Montreal represents almost an entirely different world. Only Paris has a greater francophone population than Montreal. The Québécois, however, speak a distinctive dialect of French rife with peculiarities unique to French Canada. Though I have studied some French in the past, many years have passed since I have actively spoken the language with any regularity. Over the past few months, I have read in French to familiarize myself with the language, as well as listened to news reports from Montreal and presentations in French to get an ear for the language, but I know that I still have much progress to make.

In truth, knowing what to expect from my experience in Montreal poses a challenge, since I have no idea how much confidence I should have in my language skills. While I find the structure of my program encouraging, the placement test that I took in preparation for my placement in the curriculum will either boost my morale or disappoint me. Part of me hopes that the assessment of my skills will fall below my own estimation, as this will provide incentive for me to improve, if only to prove to myself that I can do it. But in any case, I know that I can look forward to having better language skills at the end of the summer.

But as excited as that prospect makes me, I am more so for the opportunity to learn more about the culture of Quebec. Growing up in the United States, we learn very little about Canada, much less French Canada. I have always had a passing interest in the country, but until now I had few opportunities to seriously study it. Now that my academic interests have turned northward as well, I have read a good deal about the province of Quebec’s history, but have had almost no opportunities to experience it firsthand. Now, only a few days before I depart for Montreal for six weeks, I am beyond enthusiastic to take everything I can in about the culture and the people; even more so because I will have the ability to do it firsthand, and in their own language. I expect this will represent one of the greatest learning opportunities I have ever experienced.

I anticipate learning a great deal about Canada, Quebec, and their cultures, but also about the United States and my own country. As our neighbors, the people I will interact with while abroad possess unique insight into our own culture and politics, as they have many opportunities for exposure. Being originally from Louisiana, the idea of living so close to the United States, while outside of it both in terms of international boundaries as well as cultural boundaries, fascinates me, and I cannot wait to see what I will learn through the conversations I will have, about what brings both the United States and Canada together as well as separates them.

In any case, as I make my final preparations before departure, I am excited and curious, but not terribly nervous. I am excited to explore this quiet and unobtrusive corner of le monde francophone, and anxious to begin my novel experience of learning French so close to home, yet so far away!

Garrett at the Citadelle in Quebec City, during his only brief trip to Quebec in 2013.

Garrett at the Citadelle in Quebec City, during his brief visit to Quebec in 2013.

Morogoro- Wiki Nne

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Casey

This week has been full of Swahili studying! As I’ve delved deeper into grammar concepts, I’m grappling to understand the concepts at the speed we move. It has been difficult, but also exciting to conceptually—I’m not yet there in conversation—have reached a point where I can’t equate what I’m learning to anything I’ve learned before. What has been the most trying for me is verb construction. The Swahili verb can contain far more within in it than an English verb does. Besides the tense, the subject and object of the sentence, relative particles, and a prefix indicating “when” can all be denoted within the verb. The root verb can be changed in prepositional, causative, passive, reciprocal, and stative forms depending upon the suffix. I find this concept really logical, but it also makes keeping up with vocabulary difficult when a verb has a negative subject prefix and is in prepositional-passive form! It has been great to work through these concepts, but I think I am going to focus more on conversation practice with my teacher the next two weeks.

This weekend has been a pleasant, and needed, break from verb constructions! On Saturday I traveled into town again with some of the other students. We restaurant-hopped a bit, first finding a coffee shop before grabbing lunch. I don’t drink coffee, but everyone else was thrilled to have non-instant coffee. It was relaxing to sit and read at the coffee shop for a while. Then we made our way to a great restaurant at the New Acropol Hotel. The hotel is owned by a British woman and has a definite colonial feel. That sounds like an odd description, but many tourist spots in Kenya and Tanzania that were opened during colonial times are decorated in similar manners. This gave the restaurant a particular ambience, and I loved looking at the different artwork throughout the building. The food was delicious and I enjoyed a pizza after hardly eating cheese for the last month!

New Acropol Hotel

This morning, I went to mass with another student. We walked about twenty minutes to the Church, arriving at 8:50 for the 9:00 service. When we arrived, the 7:00 service was still going on! Everyone at the Church was wonderful, answering questions and welcoming us. Mass was difficult to understand, especially with noise from the generator that went on throughout the service since the power had gone out. One of the really wonderful things about the Catholic mass, though, is its universality. I was able to follow and pray along with the parishioners because I knew where we were in the mass, even though I didn’t know what exactly was being said. If I’d had a little more foresight, I also could’ve looked up the readings for the day. It’s a pretty special feeling of community to know that during mass, for the most part, all Catholics around the world are saying the same prayers and sharing in the same service. I think attending church in another language can be discouraging in less structured environments, and know I was a bit discouraged from attending the Lutheran Swahili service on campus, because of the language barrier. However, that disappears a lot when you have this universal structure. I had never really appreciated that before about Catholicism. However, earlier I said “for the most part” because the Swahili service definitely had its differences from masses I attend at home. I knew that it would be longer, but I had guessed that the homily would be much longer. In fact, the homily was typical to the length of a homily in the states. There was a lot more singing and a few different moments of shared prayer. Following mass, the other student who is Korean and I discussed the service while comparing it to ours at home. Stella’s church in Korea seemed to be much more similar to mass in the states and the points the Swahili mass diverged were similar for us. I think this has been my favorite cultural experience since I’ve been in Morogoro.

The Church of the Body and Blood of Christ

Morogoro- Wiki Tatu

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Casey

I’m posting this about a week late, but connecting to Internet and, further, uploading pictures can be a bit tricky here:

I am continuing to become comfortable with the routine here and I have really enjoyed my time so far. It’s exciting to focus so deeply on one topic. While I am learning a lot in class, I also feel that I’m constantly learning from the other students, and as I process my surroundings. This has been the first week in Swahili that I am learning that have proven difficult to me particularly because the concepts cannot be correlated to another English concept. Of course, there are a lot of different parts of Swahili that are this way, but this week sentence structures that have especially challenged me to move past translating back and forth from English as I seek to grasp the concept.

This week has been exciting and new in a lot of other ways, as well! Getting to know the other students and being surrounded by so many different cultures, has allowed for many opportunities to hear different perspectives. The U.S. election is always a point of interest. Unsurprisingly everyone is averse to Trump, and eager to hear an American opinion on the election. What has been fascinating is that the interest delves further than intrigue at the array of unique candidates, but contains consideration for how it will affect the international scene. I hadn’t quite grasped the global importance of this election prior to this exposure. When the shooting in Orlando occurred, I was able to talk with a woman here from Dunblane, Scotland. Dunblane is a small town where a mass shooting at a school occurred in 1996. As a direct result, stricter gun laws were introduced in the UK. From her remarks, these laws were quite popular and have proven successful. This perspective was powerful, particularly from someone who coped with the effects of a mass shooting in her hometown. It also has been intriguing to hear about Brexit from citizens of the UK. Leading up to the referendum, the vote was incredibly important to them and a big point of discussion. There was a bit of disbelief at the result and continued conversation of how it would all proceed. Hearing unfamiliar perspectives about an array of issues has been compelling and allowed me to reflect on these matters through new angles.

Over the weekend, I went into town with a few other students, studied, and did laundry. In town we got a bite to eat and ran some errands. Navigating Morogoro with other unfamiliar faces was really helpful in grasping the town. I finished the afternoon with a fair understanding of how to get around. It was also enjoyable to get a nice meal and pick up some groceries. One of my favorite parts was finding a bookstore with a great selection of Swahili and English books. I will definitely be revisiting to pick up a short novel in Swahili. It was a great way to spend Saturday, especially after a few days without power during the week. I spent Sunday studying and doing laundry. Washing my clothes has proved one of the most difficult tasks since I’ve been in Tanzania. I had previously been using the wrong kind of detergent, so Sunday was my first day of successful washing and drying, but it’s exhausting rinsing and ringing out your clothes. My forearms were sore Monday! I have new respect for people who always wash their clothes by hand. While doing laundry isn’t exactly fun, it’s been a lesson in humility and simplicity. These past few weeks I have been able to consider value in time-efficient items like a washing machine or dishwasher, but I have also reflected on the implications of goods and activities we consider everyday. Principally, that they use vast amounts of energy. I hope this can be a chance for me to learn how to better balance these, seemingly, divergent forms of efficiency.

Patterned kitenge bedding

Fun little scorpion in my room!

Germany, Britain, and the European Union

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Jay

As part of my time in Germany this summer I am trying to learn about the country’s political situation along with the language. While the acceptance over the past year of over a million refugees is the major event shaping German politics currently, Britain’s recent referendum on its membership in the European Union (EU)–which is not unrelated to the matter of refugees and immigration–also has received significant scrutiny here and likely has serious consequences for the country. As one of Britain’s strongest allies on the continent, and as one of the EU’s leading nation’s, Germany’s perspective on the UK’s referendum decision to leave the EU highlights some of the central issues at stake in this major development.

Britain’s EU referendum (often referred to using the neologism “Brexit”) is a difficult phenomena to summarize. A motley cast of political actors are allegedly involved: fear-mongers, technocrats, cosmopolitans, a disaffected British working class, immigrants, racists, nationalists, the young, the old, Little Englanders, Europeans, patriots, economists, globalists, and a politician nicknamed “BoJo.” In spite of this carnivalesque scene, however, there are two basic takes on the British referendum that can be illustrated by way of reference–since we are talking about Britain–to a pair of famous Monty Python scenes. On one hand, Britain sounds like the leader of the People’s Front of Judea from Life of Brian, naively and pompously asking, in spite of a long list of benefits, “What have the Romans ever done for us?” Understood in this spirit, the vote to leave the EU is a foolhardy, small-minded, even ethnically motivated repudiation of the broader human flourishing brought about by its membership in the EU. On the other hand, Britain’s choice also recalls the anarcho-syndicalist peasant in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, who tells King Arthur that “Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses,” and when threatened by the monarch cries out, “Help, I’m being repressed!” If the peasant’s perspective is taken as a guide to Britain’s decision, it becomes a matter of a democratic country reclaiming its national sovereignty back from an elite bureaucracy out of touch with the lives of the people. Both of these examples are too simple to stand on their own, but taken together I think they illustrate well the questions animating Britain’s EU referendum decision: what sovereign powers and privileges should nations in a supranational organization like the EU possess, at what point should the inevitable limits of a political relationship be considered as ground for terminating that relationship?

For those who consider the EU a self-evident good, a glorious international project built on free trade and free movement, it would be good to turn away from Britain towards the continent and remember the national interests that drove the formation of the EU’s predecessor organizations, for example, France’s desire for a political platform to spread their interests across Europe, and Germany’s concern to establish a new role for itself post WWII. Along with recognizing the persistence and even dominance of national agendas in the EU supposedly supranational framework, liberal critics of Britain’s referendum decision should also take into account arguments in favor of Brexit coming from the left, which question the ability of the EU to be a working against inequality or to be reformed democratically. The EU is not the institution many, especially Americans, perhaps, imagine it to be, and I think Rachel Donadio of the New York Times is right to say that the referendum “signaled the definitive end of the era of transnational optimism.”

The again, the EU is probably not exactly what Britons voting to leave imagine it to be either. Just as the anarcho-syndicalist peasant, however justified in his grievances, probably overestimates the nature of King Arthur’s hegemonic power, so too Britain may overestimate the EU as a monolithic institution. Thinking about the continent again, specifically Germany, is helpful here. While it is true that some leaders in the EU such as the President of its executive branch, Jean-Claude Juncker, wish move towards a superstate model where national powers are transfered to the EU, the current attitude towards Brexit, led by Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, is that elected national leaders should negotiate the terms of Britain’s departure, not EU officials. Germany takes this stance to a great extent out of self-interest: with the EU’s largest population and strongest economy, Germany can maintain its position of strength and influence by advocating for the autonomy for EU nation states, emphasizing cooperation rather than integration. Britain’s decision to leave the EU is a great loss for Germany, which shares with the UK a more democratic and capitalist outlook that its other major ally (and rival), France. And while French President François Hollande has pushed for Britain to make a quick exit, Merkel has cautioned Europeans leaders to “avoid drawing quick and simple conclusions that could further divide Europe.”

Europe is already, of course, quite divided, and this state is both a cause and consequence of Britain’s referendum: Perhaps the biggest mistake made by both Brexiters and European Unionists is to imagine the EU as a monolithic political entity. Living in Germany this summer makes me a little more aware of the country’s unique place in European politics. In some ways Germany and its recent open borders to refugees represents a major characteristic of the European project some British voters are wary of. Then again, Germany is much like Britain in that it maintains a strong interest in its own national sovereignty. It is therefore somewhat in the middle of Europe politically, as it is in the middle of Europe geographically. Whether the middle can hold together remains to be seen.

2nd Week in München

Posted on July 2, 2016 by Kevin

Finally there has been acouple days this week with no rain so I was free to explore the city and get a feel for what the summer life in München is really like. Its amazing how alittle sun and warmer weather completely changes the atmosphere of a place. As I walked through the old karlplatz (inner city) I was amazed by just how alive and vibrant the atmosphere is here, not just because of the sheer number of people, but all the festivals, live music, and performances going on make the city center a hub for Bayerisch culture and celebration. If you make it to Marienplatz (nearby square) around 12pm or 5pm you can also see the glockenspiel play. This always draws large amounts of tourists and there are almost always some really cool street performances going on nearby.

When you get tired of the pavement, buildings and crowded downtown, you can walk ten minutes to the Englishergarten the central park of München. It never ceases to amaze me just how large the parks are in Germany, the Englishergarten is so large that you can be inside it and not see any buildings whatsoever (it’s in the middle of the city). Another plus is that the river Isar (eisbock) goes through the park. In this there are places for surfing, swimming, or just lazing down the river in an inter tube. I could not believe the beauty of this park when I went to visit it on a sunny warm day. There are massive fields of sunbathers, people playing volleyball, Fußball, or throwing Frisbee’s. Music is played everywhere, and whenever you get too hot, you’re always welcome to jump into the Isar and let it carry you to a different part of the park. Also, if you work up an appetite, there is a biergarten in the middle of the park that can seat over 7000 people and always has great traditional Bayerisch food and drink.

This weekend we made use of the good weather and made a trip out to Chiemsee one of the lakes around München. From this lake you get a clear view of the alps and have ample opportunity for enjoying good food, boat rides on the lake, and gorgeous scenery. It is only an hour outside the city via train so I would recommend this to anyone as a day trip with friends, its well worth the 7 euro train ticket for the day.

Class things, so I am still the only American that I know of here in the München CDC which has been awesome for getting to know people from other cultures and practicing my German. The classes also have gotten very difficult, we have covered (in theory) all of the grammatical structures of German and have a good base vocabulary so now we are learning how to same things in a more academic or educated manner. This has caused endless amounts of frustration, because I am able to say most of what I would ever want to, but now I have to relearn how to say something in a different way so that I can sound more formal. Naturally the formal way of saying something is much more complicated than the casual way. It also requires verb noun combinations that make almost no sense if literally translated to English, so this has proved difficult. I am continually asking “why is this verb needed here” or “why is this noun here”. The difference between what is said is minute also, for example, it could be the difference between saying “can I ask you a question” and “may I pose a question to you”.

Pro-Tip of the week! This will save you endless amounts of embarrassment!

-When jumping in the Isar make sure that your swim suit is tied very tightly, the river is actually very quick and will take your shorts if you are fighting the current, and although it is perfectly legal to be naked in the Englischer garten (there is always a section of naked people) I am guessing that most prefer not to join them. Until next time!

Radolfzell: Week Six and Seven

Posted on July 2, 2016 by Hye Sim

The past two weeks have been a bit of a blur. We have begun new material, much of which is a bit new to me. Although I have general knowledge of most German grammar, we are now learning more in depth grammar. It is interesting to see how much my writing has improved when I look back at homework assignments from the first week. I can definitely write longer and more complex sentences, and I have greatly improved my vocabulary. There are always new words to learn, however, but I am always interested in the logical formation of German words. My speaking has gotten quite a bit better as well, but I hope to continue to improve. My accent has improved greatly, and almost everyone can understand me when I speak in German now. I am a little worried about forgetting my German when I come back to the USA, because it is only getting better now by speaking every day.

I have asked about slang words, which I surprisingly have not heard used quite often. For the most part, the slang words I have asked about are well known by both young and old people. Apparently, it has been a recent thing to say things are “cool”, which is an English word but widely recognized by both younger and older people. “Sauer” is also a slang expression; literally, “sauer” means “sour” or “acidic”, but colloquially it is used like the word “angry”. This is an expression used by both older and younger people, and everyone understands what it means. The last slang word I learned and asked about was a little more controversial. Recently in the German language, younger people have used “geil” to express that something is “awesome”. But the tradition meaning of “geil” is “horny”. When I asked younger people about “geil”, they did not seem shocked or upset and explained that it was like “cool”. But for older people, they were shocked, although they explained later they knew the more modern use of the word. For older people, the slang word “geil” was more associated with the sexual meaning, because that is how it was used for most of their lives. Only for the younger generation is the word not automatically associated with a rather crude word. One person explained that in the future, the new meaning of “geil” will completely replace the old one.

This past week, I went with a group of students to Hohentwiel in Singen. It is an old castle on the top of a steep hill. Despite the rigorous walk, it was quite beautiful at the top. Everything was very green and sunny. All of the tops of the buildings were covered with plants and you could actually go up on the roofs of the buildings, because parts of the walls were worn down. We spent the afternoon walking around the castle and it was incredible to see the history of the place.

It’s a Small World

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Anna

Recently, I visited the Compagnonnage Museum in Tours. Compagnonnage is when artisans travel around the country, learning regional techniques and honing their abilities before becoming masters of their trades. After this, they complete a chef d’oeuvre, showing off their talent in a creative way. Tours has a museum with a vast collection of such works, ranging from ornately carved sabots to sugar pagodas. Although there were some works that were completed at a normal scale or bigger than normal, most of them were miniatures.

The museum housed pieces created by artisans of all kinds, but my favorite section was definitely the one on carpentry. Many of their chefs d’oeuvre incorporated unusual architectural forms, such as cones intersecting with spheres or other cones. There was something graceful yet oddly whimsical about many of the works. This was a chance for the artisans to show off their skill, so the results were often incredibly striking.

A carpenter’s chef d’oeuvre

Today was my last day of class. I can’t believe my time in Tours is already practically over. My five weeks went by far too fast, but at the same time I’ve come to feel very much at home here. I’m leaving this weekend, so I’ll be putting up my last post shortly after that. A la prochaine!

Moscow Initial Impressions – 1

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Weronika

The last week in Moscow has been full of adventures, both practical and cultural. As soon as I arrived in the airport, my education abroad began with seeking out a taxi. Luckily, I did some research before boarding my plane and learned that my trip should cost about 2000 rubles, so I was not taken advantage of by the taxi drivers waiting beyond Customs advertising fares of 6000 RUB. One especially adamant driver followed me through half the airport, systematically lowering his fare until I accepted for the price of 1800 RUB, or about 30 USD. Unlike in the US, Russian taxi companies rarely use meters. Instead, you must establish the price before leaving your destination. This was my first encounter with Russians in Moscow, and I was very proud of being able to haggle with my taxi driver in only slightly broken Russian.

The following day, Saturday, involved finding a place to exchange more USD to RUB. I had only exchanged enough to get me through the previous day, because I knew the rates at the airport would be far less advantageous than elsewhere in the city. After finding a shop not far from where I was staying, I took my rubles to the metro to buy a pass. Moscow’s metro is as efficient as it is elegant. The trains come every 2 minutes (~1 minute during peak hours). Each station has its own ornamentation and they range from crisp and modern to opulent and historic. As one rides the escalators down 200 ft, the décor comes into view and can only be described as breathtaking. During WWII, these stations were used as bombproof shelters for the residents of Moscow. Having never lived in a city before, I was apprehensive of my ability to navigate the metro, but the signs in the station as well as one very useful app allowed me to catch on to the workings of this form of transportation very quickly.

After becoming acquainted with the campus of Moscow Humanities University (Московский гуманитарный университет) on Monday, I began my classes on Tuesday. My class has two students, including myself. The other student is a heritage speaker of Russian, so it’s safe to say the environment is challenging. We conduct class entirely in Russian, and have discussed Lermontov and Pushkin’s poetry this week. I feel my listening comprehension improving drastically as I hear the language’s natural flow both in class and around me. I hope that speaking proficiency will follow not far behind.

Пока for now!

A Thing Called Life in Japan- 3

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Joshua

Time wears on at a breakneck pace–as is always the case when dealing with workloads, social relationships, and daily adventures but nonetheless surprising for this.
I have just under a month left in Japan and the conflicted feelings are coming on strong. On one hand, I love this country and its people and its language and do not want to halt my immersion. However, I also will be happy when I finally get some time with my family back home in the U.S., country with a significant amount of issues but also that is my undeniable home.

At this point in my summer immersion experience, I find myself thinking a lot about values: what have I anticipated, what have I mistaken, what have I overlooked. Learning Japanese at an accelerated pace while also having daily interactions with native speakers and the Japanese lifestyle has been a constant process of learning things that are new while also striving to maintain the old. Perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of language immersion is that one cannot only focus on the “next chapter.” Every day may demand a varied amount of vocabulary and grammar (some learned, some not), a challenge that, slowly but surely, encourages those mental connections that turn conjugation tables and kanji lists into Japanese.

Certainly, such a challenging task of retaining the old while developing the new is most emphasized by kanji. For me, personally, kanji are a stumbling block on the path to fluency. I love kanji; I love studying such an extensive collection of symbols, each one representing not just different sounds, but concepts. For example, 花, one reading of which is はな, or hana, meaning “flower.” Sometimes, kanji form a set of sounds in a larger word, but they still retain some integral symbolism, such as 国, or くに, or kuni, “country,” which can be used in 国際的, or こくさいてき, or kokusaiteki, “international.”
So kanji are interesting and deserve my time. But they are also incredibly challenging to memorize, especially as I must constantly study new collections of them.
But while I have been struggling, I have come to find out that even native Japanese speakers can have kanji trouble.
It is a rather unique social issue: as more and more people (especially young people) are using technology for communication, kanji skills are weakening. Though I should clarify that reading kanji is not the issue, it s writing. Over the past weeks I have talked my host family, with students from the local Kanazawa Daigaku (University), and even with the summer program instructors, and all report that at one time or another they forget how to write kanji. As technology develops more and more, and tools like autofill become more fine-tuned, the need to follow stroke-orders (the, ah, “right” way to write kanji), or even to ever write by hand at all, disappears. By typing in the base syllabic components of a word (i.e. hana for 花) the kanji pops up and the brain can move on.

In the U.S., for example, it is an issue that is difficult to relate to. Once the alphabet is learned, it’s learned. People may forget words throughout their life, but not the means to express those words in writing. But in Japan, that is gradually becoming problem to investigate. As said, reading recognition is not the problem–it is writing. An issue akin to losing one’s tongue when one tries to speak, perhaps.
What learning about this issue has done is emphasize in my own mind the extreme importance of kanji acquirement and practice, especially at this early stage in my language-learning process. Kanji, was they would appear, are always going to be difficult and will always require upkeep, especially as a foreigner. Writing the same symbol several times over is nonetheless exhaustive, but maybe now I can appreciate the importance of the exercise.

Outside of kanji, a lot of my focus recently has been placed in conversation skills and vocabulary (as I have already written about, where creativity meets the need for new material). The days that I have an opportunity to speak with students from the local university are usually the accent marks to my weeks. Last weekend, I joined in with an event hosted by a university club that facilitates international interaction. We all made bread dough together and bake said dough over a fire. The experience was fun, but was made special because of one student I met in particular: he is a mechanical engineering student but, as he told me, he has a passion for English. We talked in English and Japanese together for an afternoon, each encouraging the other. Experiences like the one we shared are a demonstration of the beauty of language. We are both people who want to navigate in foreign spheres, discovering the undeniably human beneath layers of unique culture, systems, beliefs, ways of life.

Until next time.
Joshua Kuiper
カイパーヨシュア

SLA Profiles (2016)

Monthly Archives: July 2016