Chapter 3...

こんばんは！Ok, so, I'm not sure if anyone else is in the same boat but I am sooooo confused in Japanese right now, でも、I am trying so hard to teach myself and study a lot to be really prepared for tomorrow. However, the class just got significantly harder! Chapter 1, PERFECT. Chapter 2, I understood all the concepts, but the カタカナ is still a bit challenging, but I'm sure with some practice I will get better. Chapter 3, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! The sentences are really complex, the vocab is intense (note to more romajii), kanjii is much harder than hiragana and katakana to write, AND word order is confusing. BUT, I am determined to do well in this class and try really hard! So, if that means spending long hours studying alone or with my パートナー　（エンシソサン）、HI MELANIE, then so be it. IF ANYONE HAS ANY TIPS ON LEARNING CHAPTER 3 MATERIALS, TELL ME! (I am attending the session with さとうせんせい　tomorrow (あした）　）

On a lighter note, I LOVED デファジオ　and ワシングトンさん presentation! Did everyone realize that チェンさん used the "sweat drop" in his skit....VERY COOL AND POPULAR!

Ok, I am going to study now (わたしはいまうちでにほんごをべんきょうします。）I think that's right......　

カタカナれんしゅう (Katakana Practice)

こんにちは！Ok, so no matter how skilled you are in にほんご, カタカナ is still pretty stressful and difficult! Especially since the words are not direct translations from English, as サトせんせい said, "カタカナはえいごじゃあありません！”　"KATAKANA IS NOT ENGLISH!" So, there are a couple of things you can do to help you memorize カタカナbetter!

いち：　パートナーとれんしゅうして！Practice with a partner! For example, エンシソさん (Enciso-san) and I had a dictation study/party session! It can be really really fun and you learn faster because it is just like the quizzes but outside of class! The more we practiced, the more we laughed at "プープール" ("purple" which turned out to be パープル　not the hilarious プープール), and the faster we got at reading and writing!

に：　よんで！よんで！よんで！かいて！かいて！かいて！Read and write! You know the sheet サトせんせい gave us in class about ファイブガイズ　（Five Guys)?　That is actually REALLY helpful! It tests and builds on your ability to read faster and fluently!

さん：　WATCH ANIME! Ok, not just anime, but watch Japanese cartoons, or anime, or J-Dramas (shout out to Enciso-san), or listen to Japanese music! You start to pick up little words here and there that they borrow. FOR EXAMPLE, I just watched an episode of an anime and the guy kept saying "ボイ”　as in "Boy" and わかりました　I understood!

Soooooo, I HOPE this インフォメーション　has been helpful...if you still can't read that, it seems that you should practice more...HAHAHAHAHAHA, I'm kidding, I am still learning at a slow pace and I follow my own advice to the utmost. For example, I am going to go do the Japanese homework due tomorrow!!!

じゃあまた！
　　　　　　　　　ヤメンハマ

Self-Introduction

　　　　　はじめまして。わたしはヤーメンハマです。ばあじにあのあなんだるからきました。でも、わたしはしりあじんです。わたしわばあじにあだいがくのがくせえですか。いちねんせえいです。じゅうはっさいです。せんもんはけんちくがくです。わたしのでんわばんごうはななぜろさんのさんよんさんのぜろにさんはち。

　　わたしのおとうさんわだいがくのきょうしです。ごじゅっさいです。しりあじんです。わたしのおかあさんはかいしゃいんです。よんじゅうよんさいです。しりあのだますくすからきました。わたしのおねえさんはだいがくせいです。せんもんはがいこうです。よねんせいです。のじゅういっさいです。わたしのおとうとはじゅうにさいです。ばあじにあのあなんだるからきました。どうぞよろしくおねがいします。

WHY JAPANESE? Hi everyone! So, since this is our FIRST blog entry, I guess I have to tell you guys why I love Japanese so much! When I grow up, yes I still consider myself a child, I would grab any opportunity to work in either New York, Dubai, or Tokyo as an architect (if you didn’t know my major was architecture from the hiragana above shame shame…). Anyways, I can speak Spanish and English to work in New York. I was born and raised for three years in Syria, so I can speak Arabic for Dubai (which is the United Arab Emirates fyi….). SO, if I want to work in Tokyo some day I HAVE TO KNOW SOME JAPANESE!

ANIME!!! Now, for the less formal reason why I love Japanese so much. ANIME!!! Yes, my best friend got me hooked on Anime about a year ago and I can’t give it up. Yes, I know the world would be a better place without my addiction, but I say a person’s gotta live! Maybe someday, I can watch Japanese kids’ cartoons and Anime without subtitles…or maybe I can just listen for the words I know WHILE using subtitles (yeah that’s better).

JAPANESE INTERESTS: Ok, so what kind of Japanese stuff do I like??? Well, besides anime, I love love love Japanese food!!! The most stereotypical being Sushi!!! Wait, I can write that now!!! すし！すし！すし！すし！But, I hate wasabi….ewwwwww…..Also, my favorite videogame is sooooo cool and popular in Japan. If you don’t know by name, I use the phrase “cool and popular” to describe almost anything I like….for example, “My Japanese class friends are soooo cool and popular” (just like that). Back to my videogame…KINGDOM HEARTS (I & II). Best game ever…please play it…also, I don’t know but I think DDR came out in Japan first…if so, YES I love DDR as well. And, my favorite Japanese singer is…UTADA HIKARU!!! She even has some English songs….Okay, that’s all for now. Jaa mata!!!