I find it interesting that "nanka" sounds like "nani" which means "what", even though this connection is technically incorrect. Regardless, it interests me that many English speakers use "what" as a filler as well ("So, what, is that bear gonna eat me?"). To semi-misquote the saying, the more things change...
Or perhaps I'm overthinking this.................
Anyway, I thought I'd toss in some scenarios that had me thinking "maji de?!" as examples......
Sit?? Here??.......... Ok...... I guess....
I'm not sure if I've mentioned it, but about a 15min train ride away (5 of which is waiting to change trains) is a free Japanese class offered by volunteers at a local community centre.
Obviously happy to have more students, they print new posters every year. And new posters mean a new picture is needed. And, for no apparent reason, I was picked to be one of the ones to sit in the chair at the front.
If I'm honest, I quite like the class. The people there are very nice and, having established "regular" instructors, it's become more like a hangout for me; a place I go to for two hours most Sunday mornings and (attempt to) chat with them in Japanese.
The thing I never figured out, however, is why they insist on printing nearly the entire poster in Japanese. The only non-Japanese on that poster amounts to, "For foreigners", "Japanese language class", "Let's speak Japanese", and a list of various students' nationalities.
Most critically, the day upon which the classes occur is written in Japanese. I know they put effort into it and printed a lot of posters, so perhaps it's a bit too late now. But the next time, I'll make sure to get a word in heh.....
PS- I was given a name tag in my very first class that I've "conveniently" forgotten to bring to every class since. So they gave me another one to wear in the picture. It said "Tanaka" on it...... hence why it's been digitally erased from the picture haha......
Dr. WHO?!?
I don't mean the Dr. on a certain popular British TV show. I'm talking about Dr. Seuss.
See, I found a copy of One Fish Two Fish in an English class and, upon showing it to one of my 11 year old students, she promptly replied, "The fish are scary looking!!" (in Japanese, of course hah)"Maji de?!", I thought (in English actually, but you get my drift heh...).
Looking at it again, I suppose the fish are a touch freaky but being so tied into Western culture, many accept it as is. And, as you might have figured out from my other posts, it's these different cultural perspectives that interest me the most.
PS- She found the "One fish" particularly unattractive heh...
PPS- I've added those "letter tests" in order to post comments to see if it'll stop the comment spam. Just to let you know =)...
6 comments:
Wow, am I the first one the do the letter test? Maji de?? I hope I pass.
1) Congratulation to be in the first row of the poster, you must have a Camera face, (like father like son??) Ha Ha.
2) Why are all the faces Asian on the poster, do you have white people in your class?
Dad
1) I dunno about being photogenic, but they wanted students up front. Pretty much everyone in the back are teachers.
2) This sort of related to question one- this class was the first class of the year, so not many people showed up.
But there are white people, Indian people. We had a Kenyan and a girl from Kazakhstan come once. Once only though.
haha, now you may become slightly more famous
Geoffrey
P.S. karen is coming to toronto tomorrow
Geoffrey
I wasn't famous to begin with haha...... but hey, as the saying goes here, if you're not in the picture, you weren't there heh....
I think Dr. Seuss is an exception in the American culture. American narrative is based on family/moral/Christian values (be just and fear not). In this sense Dr. Seuss is a refreshing deviation.
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