School Clubs
Well...
Today was my day to check out the different clubs I was interested in joining and trying to find out more about them. Let me tell you, I'm obviously getting way too used to the amount of english that is spoken at my school because walking into those clubs was a huge shocker.
First, let me start with a rundown of some of the clubs I wanted to maybe join:
Art Club
Art "seeing" Club (like going to museums and stuff)
Volleyball club
Walking club (hiking and stuff)
and some others...
well...let'
s just say. It was awkward and I severely frustrated myself. Everytime I walked into a room everyone just sort of stared at me and my mind would go blank. So I'd ask (in clumsy english no less) if this was whatever club I was looking for. The art club people seemed a little cold but they did give me a flier with all the info on it. Still, there's some sort of fee or something so I'm thinking I'll just do art on my own.
Walking club meets on fridays so that's good. I've heard they are friendly so great!
The art seeing club was just confusing. While everyone seemed friendly and receptive I don't know if they understood me and I couldnt understand them. I'm going to try again next monday for sure though, because they all seemed really nice. I can do it! Still...it's slightly depressing when you're mind goes blank and you can think of no japanese whatsoever. I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to teach English in Japan if I always freeze when a room full of japanese kids is staring at me.
Oh. And volleyball meets on wednesday. Apparently a lot of their team just graduated and they are very enthusiastic about beginners. So maybe I'll try out some volleyball.
Unfortunatly my school doesnt offer Judo which was to be my martial art of choice. I'm not sure what to do about this. I'm thinking of researching "kempo", because this is offered as a club. We'll see.
Basically, I need to better prepare myself mentally for encounters with large numbers of Japanese speakers.
Bah!
Peace^.^
3 Comments:
Kempo or Kenpo
The Kanji (拳法) can be transliterated into English as either "Kempo" or "Kenpo". The first character "Ken" means "fist", while the second one "ho" means "law". However, the current standard for translating Japanese into English is the Hepburn romanization method for creating Romaji, where the "Ken" would become "Kem" when it precedes an "h" sound, and the "h" takes on a "p" sound. Thus, "Kenho" becomes "Kempo". The common reference to "Kenpo" comes from the book that James Mitose produced in 1953 entitled What is Self-Defense? Kenpo JiuJitsu as a textbook on martial arts and due to a spelling mistake by the printers who printed an N instead of M the spelling of kenpo came about. In English, it is correct to use either term, though their particular usages have become somewhat stylized. The term stayed with his students, and when William Chow and Edmund Parker went to create their own Kempo schools, they took the "Kenpo" name with them.
Both "Kempo" and "Kenpo" are acceptable forms of transliterating the Japanese name however, and regardless of how you spell it in English, the Japanese spelling with Kana would not change. It should be noted that a syllable final "n" in Japanese will naturally assimilate with a "p" "b" or "h/f" character and will be pronounced as an "m". This is a natural transformation, and a similar transformation can also be seen in the distinction between the different pronunciations of "thin" vs "think". When pronouncing "kenpo" vs "kempo" even an English speaker will not actually produce a truly different pronunciation as this transformation is a completely natural habit, and unconscious action of all humans to assimilate the nasal to be an "m". (As a perfect example take the English word "impure", which comes from the negation "in" and root "pure".) Thus, the writing of an "n" as opposed to an "m" in this case is entirely synthetic.
[edit]
Kempo in the West
In the West, Kempo is mostly known as a mixed style that combines a heritage in Chinese martial arts, especially Shaolin, with Karate (and sometimes called 'Kenpo Karate'), often mixed with elements of other Japanese arts like Jujutsu and Aikijujutsu. In Japan, Kempo can refer to a large number of different (and mostly unrelated) systems of martial arts, mostly stemming from families in the feudal period - the term Kempo being used as an abbreviation, since the names are long.
Some practitioners follow that Kempo uses much of the same path as Chinese martial arts, but in order to shorten the amount of time to train a person, methods from Karate were used as the basis to quickly allow a person to learn the basics, and techniques. Whereas it often takes 10 to 20 years of continuous effort to master one form of kung fu, Kempo practitioners often can be black belted in around 3 to 5 years, depending on the instructor and system. Today the "style" of kempo/kenpo has become diverse. It has evolved into hybrid versions of jujitsu (kempo / kenpo Jujitsu).
From Wikkipedia. Sounds like fun!
LOve Dad!
No wonder your Dad wins at triva!
A rough start, but I bet you'll do fine if you try again. I see -- as usual -- that you'll be loaded down with activities once again. That's the Jessica I know and love!
xoxo
Mom
Wow jessica, do you ever slow down? Guess Im not one to talk... do volleyball, that sounds cool! And dont give up on art club, unless the fee is just too expensive, you know you'll win them over quick, your too loveable not to! I miss you twin! Smoochies...
Post a Comment
<< Home