Rocking in Hakata

Sometimes I get into trouble for using a word that popped up in my dictionary. Many of you have had similar experiences, I’m sure. Idiomatically it may hold another meaning. Or perhaps it’s archaic language. Or it could be recycled outdated language that has taken on a new meaning in the vernacular. Any way you look at it, cross referenced lookups are a good thing. Cover your butt before you say something awkward.

This comes to mind today since I tried to explain why, in academic English writing, we do not use “Jesus Christ!” as an interjection, exclamation, or expressive expletive. I don’t know if my student wrote it or if their teacher wrote it in her stead, but I do know that it’s in the dictionary. They have fallen into the same snare that I do on occasion. Both “Jesus Christ!” and “Oh my God!” are popular in the writing here. Actually, in katakana English they’re used in conversations that can be overheard by foreign people. I can only assume that taking the Lord’s name in vain in academic or semi-formal English is the result of a strange act of incidental corroboration between Hollywood, comedians who use foreign bits and pieces in their routines*, and the goobers who write the dictionaries.

It’s really odd how Japanese language works with politeness levels, gendered speech patterns, fixed (set) phrases and the like, but lacks any genuinely “bad” or “curse” words in the Western meaning. Similarly, it’s strange how English language operates on the same basic diction for most settings (verbs and whatnot are the same) regardless of formality – adjusted by body language and tone, there are rude words to be avoided, and an assortment of relatively fluid set interactions, and yet we distinguish between academic writing and the common tongue so clearly.

The differentiation between acceptable and unacceptable language is different in Japanese and in English. Is it because in Japanese you worry more about to whom you’re speaking, whereas in English the formality comes primarily from the purpose of the piece / setting in which it is to be said? I dunno. In Japan, at a formal dinner the rules of seniority guide the usage of verbs. Honorifics and humble forms, polite and casual can be mixed in the conversation. In English, I feel like at a formal dinner everyone’s level of conversation rises. In the same way, at a diner everyone’s formality drops and we’re all just folk. It is curious indeed. But I obviously find these things entertaining. Correcting them is challenging at times, but it’s fun to reflect upon it all. Anybody got any insights?

*Puchi Bruce, I’m looking at you and your ilk, bro. On the other hand, I’m relieved you didn’t introduce your namesake’s real catchphrase. Would have been hilarious to correct, but oh-so-wrong.

Deas Customary Drivel

Or, actually, money in my mouth. Anyone care to join me in eating ¥10,000? I received a few of these as omiyage from one of the teachers and instantly thought about sharing it with the world. Plus, I was bored and stuff. Enjoy.

Deas Culinary, Customary Drivel, Media, Video

So, obviously I’m behind on the blog. Working on it! Also working on getting a camera and whatnot. But enough of that. Just wanted to drop a jot about my activities today. Yaaaay. (By the way, my speeches went well at the Matsuyama Orientation. I will however say that I was filmed doing the mating dance of the Tancho-tzuru cranes in Hokkaido at a welcome party – available on Facebook for your viewing pleasure – and got in at 5 am the next night. Crazy weekend. Also scootered all the way into Imabari for the first time. Milestone. This self-referential exceedingly long parenthetical expression will cease and desist….now.)

For any other JETs currently beating themselves about the head and neck for filing taxes late, I feel your pain. But not nearly as much as I feel my own pain. The pain of your 8802’s and 6166’s, your 4868’s, your 2555-EZ’s, 1040’s, and possible Publication 970’s. And that’s just Federal taxes. State taxes are just as bad. Sigh. I’ll be phoning the IRS and the SC Department of Revenue again tonight, to make sure all my ducks are in order. The good thing is that, as near as I can tell, if I owe $0, and there’s a 5% penalty for each month you delayed (up to a 25% total), no matter how big that percentage gets it’s still zero…hahaha. I think. I’m laughing now. Whatever.

The other thing rattling around my brain is the strange approach to speech contests and whatnot here. I cannot stand the faux-achievement of the Japanese style school competition. Basically, a student writes something (in JAPANESE) for an English competition. Then they turn it in. Then the teacher reads it, cleans it up a bit (in JAPANESE), and reprints it. Then the teacher translates it into English. -wait, what?- Yes, the TEACHER does the translation. You tell me how that helps the kid’s English ability. Anyway, the teacher translates it, and the kid’s job is to read it. (Only read it if it’s for a recitation competition, but memorize it if it’s for a speech competition.) So…we’re judging the kid’s ability to pronounce a page full of words (s)he didn’t write. Uncool. I was asked by a teacher today to do the translation, and, understanding that it’s just the wacky system, I did it. However, my translation was too perfect. Flawless. Spot on. She knew that it would be far above the grammatical toolbox of a high school student. She asked me to dumb it down a bit. I asked why, thinking it was standard practice. The response? The rules say that the kid must translate it, and they’d see through this in a second. Does that make me an accomplice to a school kid crime? Hmmm. Still, everyone knows this is common practice. It’s just another example of the classically Japanese “official” and “officially unofficial” stances on things. Oh well, gotta go with the flow.

Deas Customary Drivel

Yaaaay for fireworks! Yay for girls in yukata! Yay for crazy racist yakuza carnies! Yay for old drunk men giggling themselves silly over the whole spectacle! Yay for the しま祭り in 伯方! (Yes, they actually called it that, verbatim. The usage of the English word “in” gives it a certain je ne sais quois, no?)

2007しま祭り　in　はかた

伯方町地区で開催される夏の大イベント「しま祭り　in　はかた」のフィナーレを飾る花火大会。色とりどりの美しい花火が夏の夜空を飾ります。打ち上げ場所までの距離が近いので、目の前で打ち上がる花火は迫力満点です。また当日は、キャラクターショー・マジックショーや屋外コンサートなど多彩なイベントも行われます。

2007 Shimamatsuri (Island Festival) in Hakata

The finale to the big summer event “Shimamatsuri in Hakata,” hosted by the town of Hakata, will be a fireworks display. Myriad colors and shapes will fill the night summer sky. The launchpad for the fireworks is quite close to the viewing location, so you have the rare opportunity to experience fireworks rising and exploding right in front of your eyes. Other attractions taking place on the same day are character shows, a magic show, and a concert.

I found descriptions of this event all over the net. JR’s おでかけネット, Yahoo Local Events, じゃらん, the Shimanami Shimap site, and おいでや！ all had blurbs about it (with the last being a journal entry by staffers). My favorite site, though, was しまなみ Sketchbook, once again. It’s the site I first turned to when I wanted to see where I’d be living in Japan. It has loads of photo galleries – a few killer panoramic shots included, so it didn’t really surprise me that it had pages dedicated to the 2005 はかた夏祭り as well as the 2006 しま祭り in 伯方. (I guess the event name recently changed.) I’ll check back after a while to see if it gets updated with coverage of the 2007 event. For now, enjoy one of the longest videos I’ve put online so far.

Deas Customary Drivel, Media, Video

Here’s a sneak peek of the Shimamatsuri in Hakata. I’ll be posting a gargantuan video tomorrow. For now, enjoy these 8 shots. They may be the last photos for a long time. My camera finally broke after 4 years of heavy abuse. I am officially shopping. All suggestions welcome.

Deas Customary Drivel, Media, Photos

Following a strategy that other folks (ahem, Clay) have been known to use, I purposefully took my scooter out for a spin last weekend and got lost. It was great. I decided to follow an old side road in the mountainous central area of my island. I was originally looking for what a sign called the “Firefly Village” and a place called Donde Pond. They turned out to be right by the road, but almost invisible when headed toward them. I wound up scooting right past them and up farther into the mountains. I discovered a wildlife preservation, a mysterious tourism facility, a killer view, and lots of hairpin turns. In short, awesome scooter adventure. I’m definitely going to repeat it. My goal is to hit all the non-residential / non-industrial backroads on my island before I go. Can’t wait until my next chunk of free time so I can go get lost again.

Deas Customary Drivel, Media, Photos, Video