Kana-a-Week: u

Roman: u

Sound: oo

My Description: A shepherd's crook with a dink and/or a kissing duck bill over it.

Notes: Pretty easy, but unfortunately the practice sheet gives about three different versions, so I had no idea which one to master. Is there a special dip before you begin the crook (as shown here)? Does it start with a handle, or just swoop up and then down? And what's with the dink above? Just a dink, or a duck bill? So confusing...

Kana-a-Week: i

Roman: i

Sound: ee

My Description: Two bad attempts at back-to-back bird beaks (which this picture does not do justice).

Notes: And I thought last week's was bad. This picture makes it look easy, but it's hard to get the angles just so.

I would like to note that I just found the ACMT Japanese Club Blog, which although it was short-lived informed me I have been learning the very difficult "typed" version of Kana, instead of the handwritten version. I am extremely miffed with my practice pad for misleading me, and shall in future let myself be a little lax with how perfect my pretzels need to be.

Saturn Apartments 1-2

English Title: Saturn Apartments
Japanese Title: Dosei Mansion
Author: Hisae Iwaoka
English Publisher: VIZ Signature
Volume(s) Reviewed: 1-2
Genre: Manga; Young Adult Sci-Fi
Rated: Teen (thematic elements)

Summary: Far in the future, humankind has evacuated the earth in order to preserve it. Humans now reside in a gigantic structure that forms a ring around the earth, 35 kilometers up in the sky. The society of the ring is highly stratified: the higher the floor, the greater the status. Mitsu, the lowly son of a window washer, has just graduated junior high. His father assumed dead on the job, Mitsu takes on his father's occupation. As he struggles with the transition to working life, Mitsu's job treats him to an outsider's view into the living-room dioramas of the Saturn Apartments.

Art: Full black & white; somewhat simple, sometimes cutesy but mostly just passable. (I'm more one for "cuter" art. ;)
Story: Simple and slow (a good slow, mind you), but fun and engaging. A good, quiet read.
Characters: Simple and homey, yet realistic and interesting.

Comments: It's an interesting premise, something straight out of Doctor Who, except it doesn't need rescuing - yet. It's a very calm read, but has its gasp moments - they do have a highly dangerous job. I am definitely curious to see what happens to Mitsu - will he ever make it down to Earth to find his father?

Favorite Bit: A cat in space! In a spacesuit!

Recommend?: Definitely

Kana-a-Week: a

Roman: a

Sound: ah

My Description: A wonky "t" and a backwards, tipsy "e" make a pretzel

Notes: Getting the loops on the "e" just right were very difficult, and I'm still not sure if I've got it quite right.

Kana-a-Week Introduction

To begin learning how to read and write Japanese (one of the hardest languages in the world), I purchased the Kana-a-Day Practice Pad, on the advice that Kana is much easier, and one must start with Kana before tackling the daunting Kanji. I was weary, because Kana is all squiggles and pretzels, and I am much better suited to the sharp lines of Kanji. But "they" insisted, and so I start with Kana.

My first Kana was "a," which is none of than A PRETZEL. *sob* Even after a week of practice, I have no hope of mastering it. Easier my foot...

However, I am determined to learn Japanese, so I press on. Instead of "a-day," though, I am doing one a week, so I can better learn the strokes and hope to retain them better. Every week I shall post on the previous week's Kana, with my take on it and my notes on my attempts to "master" it.

I Love Japan

Ever since I discovered my first manga all those years ago at my local library (Ranma 1/2, I believe), I have been fascinated by all things Japanese. While ahead of America in many ways (especially technologically), Japan still clings to its traditions, creating a magnificent mixture of old and new that I can't learn enough about.

I have started this blog to talk about the things that excite me from this amazing country, and chronicle my slow but sure steps to travel to my beloved Japan - and hopefully, one day, move there, where I feel I belong.

Now, if I can only acquire a taste for fish...