HG

ハードゲイ（HG)がすきです。 このビデオはたのしいです。 ハードゲイ は モーニングムスメ と　ことば（word） ゲームをしますから。どちらもゆうめいです。　このゲームはむずかしいです！
*Skip to 2:20 to start watching the word game



ハードゲイ　の　theme うた　は Livin' la Vida Loca。 :)

HG's frequent pelvic thrusts and outrageous behavior made me hesitant to post one of his actual video sketches, so I just decided on a show appearance.　

どれにほんのビデオをみますか。　なににほん　テレビばんぐみ(tv program) を、しっていますか。

Katakana Analysis

From cjvlang.com

From conbinibento.com

• タバコ : tabacco, cigarette
  

The search for katakana words turned up the first image of a sign using おタバコ. Initially, I thought that perhaps it was used for emphasis, since it was a public sign, but that didn't really answer why that same word is listed in hiragana with Minna no Nihongo. Aren't you supposed to write it in a specific way? I remembered that there was a series of "Smoking Safety" signs in Japan, so I looked up what they used to write tobacco with...hiragana. Now I'm confused. When we asked Hamada sensei why it was written in different ways, he emphasized that you are capable of writing katakana words in hiragana, and that it is basically up to you. So although I got the idea that tobacco was common enough to write in hiragana, there are no rules dictating that it must be written in a certain way. I suppose this particular katakana use would be categorized as a loanword (falling in/out of favor as foreign), emphasis, and asserting that the katakana/hiragana "rules" are not as rigid as I thought.

From subway.co.jp

• アボカド : avocado
  

The search for katakana continued and I found this fun little subway advertisement. Obviously, katakana is used for a loanword in this case. Interestingly enough, the advertisement also demonstrated onomatopoeia (\ドーン!/), as well as katakana's flexibility: あぼかどううううん　doesn't have the same look as アボカドーーーーン.

• プリクラ : purikura
  

As a purikura fan, I immediately thought of it as a katakana word. I remembered this particular picture because I could read and understand it. プリクラのメッカ....Mecca of purikura! According to Wikipedia, "purikura is the shortened form of the registered trademark Purinto Kurabu (プリント倶楽部),. The term derives from the English print club." The idea I got from Minna no Nihongo is that katakana is used for loanwords (things not of Japanese origin), and basically things that were not created until approximately the last 50 years. I am hesitant to classify this as a loanword, because that is not the english term used for photobooth- I have never heard "print club" used. Purikura is a pretty recent invention, so it falls into the additional categories we created in the group: short forms, new inventions (technology), (Japanese interpretation of a) loanword. It could also be for the purpose of giving the word a connotation of something modern and "cool"/クー. See クー, シーシーレモン as examples.

Each textbook has different katakana explanations because it is so flexible and open to interpretation. They all seem to agree that it is used for foreign and loan words, but they seen to also focus on different aspects of the language. Yookoso and Japanese for Busy People directly mention katakana can be used for emphasis and onomatopoeia, so they provide an understanding of katakana in a greater context of contemporary uses in writing and television. The accepted katakana explanation is ultimately a matter of author preference.

The Pillows

金曜日（きんようび）　に　コロンビア　だいがく　で　エンジニアの　career fair　へ　いきました。おもしろかったです。がくせい　が　おおかったです。　いろいろ　な　かいしゃいん　に　あいました。 たくさん　かいしゃ に　レジメ(resume)　を　あげました。　しごと　を　ください！

それから　としょかん　で　べんきょうしました。I like to listen to music when I study.　としょかん　で (Ipod で)　おんがく　を　ききました。わたし　の　「べんきょう　playlist」　は　にほんご　の　うた　が　すこし　あります。。。

The Pillows　が　すき　です。ここ　に　いつつ　（５つ）　の　うた　が　あります。ひとつ　の　うた　は　えいご　で　です。








Note: (In case the file names are confusing.) FLCL is the anime that features some of the songs.
どんな　おんがく　が　すき　ですか。 「べんきょう　playlist」　が　ありますか。Favorite Japanese songs?

のみましょう！

M2Mはコロンビアだいがくのちかくにあります。にほんののみものはM2Mにたくさんあります。(クー もM2Mにあります。）　でものみものをさんぼんだけかいました。たくさんににほんののみものがM2Mにあります。

のみものをさんぼん

シーシーレモン: ビタミンC、レモン７０個分

(すみません！The bottle is empty in the picture. ぜんぶをのみました。おいしいですから。）

このマグネットはむりょうです。「スイーツ　マグネット」　Yay わかります！

シーシーレモンCM

カルピスウォーター: Non-carbonated soft drink, Refreshingly sweet and tangy!

たくさんのあじです。

Pocari Sweat: With the appropriate density and electrolytes, close to that of human body fluid, it can be easily absorbed into the body.

このなまえがすきです！

のみましょう！

*Mmmmkay...this post came out a bit like an advertisement, but I wanted to use grammar we have just learned (counters!). Besides, I couldn't keep that Simpsons commercial to myself.

Japonés

One hundred Japanese syllables were presented to ten Spanish-speaking listeners. They were instructed to listen to and to transcribe the sounds using their own Spanish alphabetic symbols. All five vowels were identified with high accuracy, whether presented alone (96%), with another vowel (97. 5%), or paired with consonants (94%).

When I heard Japanese for the first time, I noticed that the pronunciation seemed to be pretty similar to Spanish. This is nothing new, I've heard the same observation from other people. Both languages pronounce vowels the same way and words are generally spoken as written. I usually switch into my Spanish when reading/speaking Japanese, but I don't want to speak with an accent. This is where those language lab pronunciation drills should come in handy. (Say "rara...", "rarara...", "rararara..." ) The similarities are pretty helpful as mnemonic devices and a basic reminder to pronounce words a certain way. Sometimes, I even find myself thinking in English and Spanish to remember new Japanese vocabulary.

I grew up speaking English and Spanish, but I never really chose to learn a language. It would be exciting to realize that I am thinking in a new language, but we'll see where the future takes my Japanese language education. Here is a sample of words that sound alike, with the dual meaning the word has for me:

　　　　　　Spanish Spelling　　　　Spanish Definition

• パン　　　　　pan 　　　　　　　　　 bread *Same thing すごい!
  

• かさ　　　　　casa　　　　　　　　　 house

• から　　　　　cara 　　　　　　　　 face

• で　　　　　　　 de 　　　　　　of, from, about

• に　　　　　　　 ni　　　　　　　　　　　 nor

• なか　　　　　 naca 　　　　　　 foolish (Mexican slang word)

「おとうさん」はだれですか。

As long as I'm writing about いぬ...

Churrito はにほんにかぞくがいます。 (゜∇ ゜)ブヒャヒャヒャヒャ
このビデオをみってください。



Confused? This one sort of explains things.


にほんの commercialsがすきです。

わたしのいぬ

いぬがいます。Churrito（チュリート）です。　「Churro」 (チューロ）はスペインのディザート(dessert)です。 「-ito」は　スペインごで　じゅうあい(term of endearment)です。　チュリートはしろいいぬです。　ミニアメリカンエスキモ(Mini American Eskimo)のいぬです。　いまTexasにいます。わたしのいもうとからemailでしゃしんをもらいました。　

せんせんしゅうチュリートのたんじょうびでした。

Vetはチュリートにたんじょうびカードをあげました。

わたしのいぬはかわいいですね！