Cool ni Ikoze!

So I'll be on another hiatus. Once again going to visit my grandmother in New Mexico. Then I'll be resuming my blogging duties ... FROM JAPAN! I'll be volunteering as well as sightseeing. Maybe see a concert or two? hmmmm? *laughs* but I am really excited to be helping out.

A lot of people and blogs have been talking about the concept of "gamman" which means to endure. I don't really subscribe to the fact that Japan is "enduring" they are surviving and moving on. I hope that with my eyes I can see and feel the strength of the of people of Japan. As always,

立ち上がれ！日本！
(tachi agare! Nippon!)
RISE UP! JAPAN!

Put your guns on!

Hello, there bloggers! It's Lala! お久しぶりです！　It's been a while!

Today I am posting from Anime Expo. (We have a slow day today) I know I haven't posted in a while. For many of us, trying to help heal the scar of this March is still a tough task. Because of the events that have occurred, I am have decided to once again rededicate myself to this blog. I want to still help you all learn Japanese but I would also like to talk more about Japan and about my fandoms. So for now, this is what you can expect out of this blog:

Non-Fandom
Japan info
Travel Japan info
Japanese learning info.

Fandom
access (DA/Hiro solo)
Vocaloid
Sengoku Basara
Video Games

If I have more fandoms I might add them but for now, please enjoy. I will try to keep you up to date on news and stuff. Thanks for the views!

~Lala~

back and alive

おひさしぶり！みんなげんき？

Hello everyone! Its been a while! How are you all? I've been busy with a lot of things so I haven't really had time to update this blog. I think about it more then I actually blog >_<. Anyways I wanted to bring up some topics for discussion. I get a lot of questions about how people can "rate" their Japanese skills. The truth is there are tests that can help you. Today I'm going to talk about them.

JLPT
The first test is one that many people have heard of. Its called the "Japanese Language Proficiency Test" or JLPT for short. Its Japanese name is 日本語能力試験 (nihongo nouryoku shiken) which translates to "Japanese Ability Test" This test is give twice a year in Japan and soon to be twice in the US. Originally the format was there were four levels and they go backwards. Level 4 being the easiest and level 1 being the hardest. Until this year. The levels have been renamed and split apart. They also added a new level. The format now is levels N5 to N1. N3 being the new level. This is a standardized test and multiple choice. You are graded on your ability to read kanji, understand basic vocabulary, reading, conjugating, and listening comprehension. The JLPT is administered in over 50 countries. The new N5 level is for those who have completed at least 1 year of Japanese language learning. Applicants for Japanese citizenship are screened based on JLPT achievements. Until 2003 the JLPT was the standard test given to students who wished to study in Japan
To find out more about the JLPT please visit http://www.jlpt.jp/e/ or http://www.jflalc.org/

Japanese Kanji Aptitude Test. Its Japanese name is 日本漢字能力検定試験, (nihongo kanji nouryoku kentei shiken) thankfully it has a short name "kanji kentei" This test is given to students starting from the 1st grade up. Like the JLPT the levels go backwards. Level 10 being the easiest and level 1 being the hardest. There are "pre-levels" for 2 and 1. The kanji kenti is not as well known as the JLPT and doesn't really have an value as far as work and school go. It does however give you an idea of how much kanji one knows and studying for it is the greatest benefit you can get. You are graded on the on-yomi and kun-yomi (Japanese and Chinese readings) stroke order, and voiced sounds. For more information contact a Japanese teacher who can help you find the nearest test center. http://www.kanken.or.jp/index.php (Japanese only)

BJT
For those who want to enter the Japanese work force, the JLPT is not enough. Many business require that a person take the BJT or Business Japanese Proficiency Test. Known in Japan as "ビジネス日本語能力テスト" (BIZUNESU nihongo nouryoku TESUTO) Offered in only a few countries the BJT is split in to two sections. The first in multiple choice and the second is an oral interview. You are placed in a mock business scenario and must interact as if you were interacting with a customer. The test is given completely in Japanese so having passed at least JLPT N2 would be a pre-requisite.
For more information: http://www.kanken.or.jp/bjt/english/index.html

Last but not least - EJU
The EJU is the "Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students" Which that long of an English name are you scared to see the Japanese name? 日本留学試験 (nihon ryugaku shiken) LOL shortest one yet! Depending on your major you are given certain tests. If you are studying Japanese you have to the the JFL Test. (Think ESL but in Japanese) Others include Maths, Sciences, and Arts. The test is offered in English and Japanese unless you are taking the JFT test. Then its only in Japanese. In Japan you have to take a test before you are allowed into a university. This is for foreign students looking to attend any higher education facility.
For more information: http://www.jasso.go.jp/eju/index_e.html

Well that's all for tonight. I've got US history II homework to finish tomorrow as well as keeping up with Japanese studies of course!

SEE YOU NEXT ROUND!
~Lala~

Kiss me in summer rain

Hello everyone.

Today was our official first day of school. We started it off with a BANG...
from the sky that is. The sky opened up and dropped at least a good 3 inches of rain.
Oddly enough, this is common in Japan. Because Japan is an island nation they are use to suddan rain storms and typhoons so today was part of the norm. What made it bad was that half of us had to be moved to a different building because our classrooms are sperate so we had to walk without umbrellas. So some of us got a free shower. Other than that, the day is going good. I feel good about this school. Steph and I might have gotten placed too low but, in the end I think it`s good for us because we get a chance to improove on our stuff. The teachers are really friendly and I like the teaching style. There are many students from many different places and some speak English and some don`t . In our class there are people from Spain, UK, Hungry, Guiana, China, Korea, and Portugal. We all learned a lot. Well our time is almost up. We hope to have internet in our apartment soon.

See you next round!
-Lala-

Crazy Going Crazy

As promised I will give a little info about Japan's transportation system.

To start out I will only be talking about Tokyo's transportation because otherwise I would be here until the end of time talking about Japanese transportation.

While Tokyo is the world's 10th largest city it is the city with the world's most effective transportation system. Tokyo's transportation involves trains, subways and bus lines that make any part of Tokyo accessible. There are also other modes of transportation such as Street Cars, Monorails, and Ferries.

Trains first came to Japan in the mid 1800's Japan made it's first commuter train line in 1872 and in 1927 Japan opened it's first subway line. The Toei Bus lines came into affect after many of the street cars were damaged in the "Great Kantou Quake" in 1923.

While traveling in Japan many people will refer to JR lines as "the train" JR stands for Japan Rail a previously government owned railway. JR are the most used trains in Japan. Tokyo's famous "Yamanote line" is JR. I myself have to admit that the number of times I rode a train line other than JR inside of Tokyo can be counted on my fingers. My first being the Keisei Skyliner from Narita to Keisei Nippori. Then I changed to JR Yamanote. Many of the private train lines are owned and operated by big name companies. Seibu Line is owned by the Seibu Group which owns the Seibu Department stores, the Prince Hotel chain, and even the Saitama Seibu Lions baseball team. Seibu, Tobu, and Odakyu lines are all train lines that are associated with Department stores around Tokyo.

The next most popular mode of transportation around Tokyo is the Tokyo Subway lines.
Two companies make up the Tokyo subway lines. Tokyo Metro and Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation or Toei (the same as the bus) The Tokyo Subway lines go places that many train lines can't go. Such as popular tourist spots as Roppongi, Ginza, and Asakusa,

The third most used mode in Tokyo is the bus lines. These are used mostly for locals. They mostly go to suburban areas.

Until recently to transfer from one mode to another has been a task. First you would have to buy a train ticket to whatever stop you needed to go to. Then go to another ticket kiosk and buy the ticket for another transportation mode. While many stations offered transfer tickets to another mode it was still a hassle. Then in 2000 the "Passnet" System arrived and transferring among non-JR line trains became a snap. The Passnet system used a magnetic card to subtract your fare on a refillable card. 22 train lines implemented the system. Not to be outdone, in 2001 JR lines introduced the "Suica" system for JR lines. The Suica system uses a smart card that requires no contact between the card and the machine. In 2007 the Passnet system was replaced by the Pasmo system. Changes included an updated technology, and the addition of the Subway and Bus routs. The Pasmo system uses the same technology as the Suica. For a short time the Pasmo and Suica cards became incompatible and would sometimes cancel each other out if a person owned both a Suica and a Pasmo card. Later in 2007 Pasmo and Suica cards became interchangeable and only one card is needed.

While this post talks about the outside differences of Tokyo's transportation methods next post I'll give you a glimpse inside of each of these. See you next round!

~Lala~

Miss me?

I doubt anyone is actually reading this at this point in time but,
お久しぶり！(o hisashi buri) [It's been a long time]
This is a greeting you use with a friend that you haven't seen in a while. When talking with friends you can drop the "O" this is formal "O". For those not familiar with the formal "O" I'll give you a quick run down.

In formal (also known as polite) speech in Japanese to make some words formal you add the sound "O" or "Go" to the front of the word. This makes it a polite word and is usable when talking to others who "outrank" you. This speech is known as 敬語 (kei go) It is often called "Honorific" when talking to someone who out ranks you can speak to them in Honorific form or use the "Humble" form. The humble form can only be used when referring to yourself. It makes you inferior to the person who outranks you. Warning!!!! Use humble form carefully! If used wrong it can be insulting and might get you in trouble!!!!

So, back to what my topic was suppose to be about....

The trip is drawing closer and there are still lots of things that need to be taken care of. We're STILL waiting to hear back on the dorm situation. We haven't been able to contact them so it worries me but I'm sure it will work out.

The airline prices have gone up. The original price we payed was $1100.00 and have risen to $1200.00 I know it's not a lot but it still kinda worries me as usual.

While tuition has been paid, the money hasn't been taken out of people's accounts yet it seems.
So for those who have paid your money, you haven't yet! So keep an eye on your bank accounts.
I worry that people will not know and have spent the money and when time comes to pay, will not have it.

Kanji Kentei is approaching as well. I hope that the people who are taking it have been studying! Do your best!

JAPANESE CLUB MEETING THIS FRIDAY!
We will be discussing things about the trip as well as practice for the JLPT exam which the placement exam for ARC will be based off of. We will also be playing a game. HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE!

You know with all this worrying I do you'd think I would have an ulcer by now...

oh wait I do! >_<

~Lala~

Para Para kinda...

Despite my best attempts I couldn't get my friend to learn Para Para steps. He was amazed at how I could do it. I practiced really hard but then I realized that it's something that you encounter at almost all J-pop concerts. For access there are certain dance moves for some songs. I.E. Moonshine Dance, Lyin' Eyes, Look-a-head, and against the rules. Just to name a few. These steps come about usually to mimic the singer/performer. Many of these moves are made by the fans. I believe in the case of Look-a-head the cross over hand motion is fan made during the chorus. The standard move for a song if there is no moves is the "arm pump" I don't know what it's called. The whole audience in unison does this move. I also was able to help convert someone to access again. It's not hard to do though because DA and Hiro are awesome so it just takes a little push. ^_^

Miss me already?

My friend came from Japan to Vegas. We had a lot of fun. It has also been a busy week so far. My allergies are in high gear right now so it hurts to blink.

In more frightening news, Daisuke has his driver's license now. The roads of Japan are no longer safe for people. *laughs* In all honesty though he's probably a better driver than most people here. I say this because driver's tests in Japan are a lot more strict than here. The roads are a lot more dangerous in Japan because of size. Most people complain when they see a two lane road. Or on some of the "smaller" streets they say "This street is too narrow! It's dangerous!" what they don't know is that Japan's roads are half the width of ours here in America. A typical Japanese residential street has just enough space for one care to pass through. If another car is coming the other direction they play chicken and squeeze by each other before getting out of the way. When my friend's wife was in the car with me she commented that American roads were so big, and couldn't believe that people were allowed to park on the street. I asked if that was not allowed in Japan. (all the times I've been there I've never payed attention to that simple fact) she said "absolutely not!" I remember reading about how if a person did not have proof of a place to park their car, then they would not be allowed to register it or get insurance. So it doesn't surprise me to hear that parking on the roads is prohibited.

... I wonder if Hiro will let Daichan drive his car?

access tour 08'

No theme for the tour yet but here are the dates!

ACCESS SUMMER 2008 TOUR

7/12 - Saitama - Pastel Kazo 6800 yen (doors open at 5:00 live starts at 5:30)
7/17, 7/18 - Tokyo - Nakano Sunplaza 6800 yen (doors open at 6:00 live starts at 6:30)
7/21 - Nagoya - Chuukyou University Culture Center 6800 yen (doors open at 5:00 live starts at 5:30)
7/25 - Osaka - Gran Cube Osaka 6800 yen (doors open at 6:00 live starts at 6:30)

a few things to keep in mind
6800 yen is about 68 dollars. A trick to remembering how much things are in dollar amounts is to drop of the last two numbers. Think of it as 100 yen to the dollar.

When a live start date is posted ALWAYS ADD 10 MINUTES. access NEVER starts their lives (concerts) on time.

"Live" means concert. In Japan when you say the word "concert" it brings up images of orchestras or band or opera not a pop music concert. This comes from the word "Live House" Once again because a "Concert Hall" is for non-pop music, Pop or Jazz or Rock concerts where held in bars or clubs or other places. These places were called "Live Houses" So people would say "Where is the Live House?" Meaning "Where would the group be performing?". It was eventually shortened to "Where is the live?". So today pop and rock concerts are referred to as "Lives" I believe that jazz has joined the ranks of classical music and is referred to as "concert" but I will double check on that.

Another note.
access plays at smaller "Live Houses" some of which are actually "concert halls" Some of Japan's most famous "Live Houses" are "Zepp Houses" Some people know of "Zepp Tokyo" I found (interestingly enough) that some people know of this name from the anime "Gravitation" Zepp Tokyo is a REAL place. There are Zepps scattered all over Japan. Zepp Tokyo, Zepp Osaka, Zepp Fukuoka, ,Zepp Nagoya, Zepp Sapporo and Zepp Sendai. Most "lives" at Zepp are standing room only because the places are relatively small and people stand up for the lives anyways. Many popular overseas artists perform at Zepp.

For more Zepp info check out there web page (Japanese only) http://www.zepp.co.jp/

Hello to everyone!!!

This is Lala!

How are all of you?

Well this is my first post in is what to be a record of my trip to Japan. Until then I'll be spamming you with info about my favorite group "access" and details leading up to the trip and how you can help out!