Goodbye... for now

Well, I suppose this is goodbye. My M COM 320 course is complete, the exam is next week, assignments are done, I've had my fun.

Its interesting to me that, as students, we can be so preoccupied and weighed down with something one week, and the next week the associated stress and pressure is completely gone. I'm speaking of the sweet release that comes after finals are done and one is between semesters.

Its an amazing phenomenon, one that I don't think exists in any other sphere.

Its not cake all roses though, because to even enjoy the sweet release of break and no expectations there must be great strive and discomfort to begin with.

I suppose thats life: we need the good and the bad together to appreciate what we have.

Its just a shame that its taken final projects, essays, and exams to figure that out.

But I digress. I suppose I may return here one day, I'm sure by then I'll have an even greater appreciation for the good times.

A successful blog...

I recall how I reacted when I heard that I would have to keep up a blog for this class. In short, it was a bout of mild discontent. Deep in my bones I've felt that blog should only be written by those with something to say, and I did not think I had anything to say.

And, I still feel that way. BUT, I did learn tricks that will come in handy if I ever decide to take another crack at making a blog.

1) Advertise

I suppose it would be ideal if I could pay for advertising, but what I'm talking about here simple sharing on Facebook or other social media. No one will simply stumble upon a blog, it must be thrust upon them... or something like that.

2) Stick to relevant content

I started with good intentions on this blog, but eventually I copped out and deviated from the original purpose: Japanese (this post itself is a copout actually). Part of the problem was I didn't have any readers, but if I did I would want to stay loyal to them and post content that got them interested in the first place.

3) Pick a topic that you care about enough to write about for a looooong time

Whatever the topic, it needs to be deep enough and interesting enough (to you and to readers) to write about for an extended period of time. 

Next time I make a blog, I'll be ready.

Blogging

I admit, I have never felt like I have so little to say than when I am struggling to come up with a topic for one of these posts. I suppose this is a good sign that I should not try to run a blog... though it may also be an indication that a lack of readership contributes to a lack of motivation.



I suppose this picture really sums up the whole experience.

Seriously though, writing a blog that no one reads is discouraging. I have always valued communication and dialogue. I enjoy discussing and sharing ideas with friends and associates, as such communication can broaden the views and knowledge of everyone involved. And I actually feel that blogging can do the very same thing... as long as people are reading and responding.

So, I suppose the real conclusion here is that I need to (a) write things worth talking about and (b) advertise that I've written them, because otherwise no one will ever know they exist.

The Stressed Helping the Stressed

This week, I was tasked by a professor to "go find someone more stressed than you and help them." I can't help but think that it is an attempt to keep us from thinking about the stress his class is causing all of us...

But seriously, I get the point, there is always someone who is more stressed, someone who has more on their plate than we do.

And so, I searched, though I did not have to look far.

I work in a computer lab. It mostly involves minor trouble shooting and refilling the printer paper. The other day though, an obviously frazzled student rushed into the lab, clearly at the end of his rope, asking for assistance. He had an extremely important assignment due that he needed to print and he left his card at home so he was unable to do so. We aren't supposed to use our administrative privileges to print other student's documents for free... but I did just that.

I thought about how I would feel in that situation and how happy it would make me if someone went out of their way to help me.

Eiffel Tower Lights

As everyone should be aware, there was a horrid attack in Paris on November 13. With it we are again given a reminder of the good and the bad of social media.

The Good
- Usually the internet is most united when decrying some event or something someone said that is considered unacceptable. But never is it more united than when expressing condolences for terrible events like the one in Paris. Facebook profile pictures around the world have a French Flag overlay, images and expressions of "pray for France" are abounding. It is good to see so many people united in their concern for something.

The Bad
- I don't know if this is bad per say, but it is worth noting. There is an idea traveling around that the Eiffel Tower shut off its lights out of mourning and respect for those killed in the terrorist attacks. While this is a sweet thought, it is likely untrue. The Eiffel Tower's light are shut off every night to conserve power anyway. What is true is that the eiffel tower replica in Las Vegas shut off its lights to show respect. That structure actually is lit up every night. I mean, it is Vegas after all.

Electric Cars and Misled Moral Superiority

Electric Cars and Misled Moral Superiority

It is no question that electric vehicles are here to stay. Surely most people have witnessed an angular Chevy Volt hum by or a sleek Tesla Model S glide up to a stop light. Electric vehicles are coming out in all shapes and sizes, and new developments in battery charge and storage are making these vehicles more functional than ever. But where they really shine, is their apparent moral superiority; heavily subsidized due to a lack of tailpipe emissions, they are championed by environmental advocates and politicians as the way forward in caring for the environment. However, what people general fail to consider are the environmental impacts of manufacturing an electric vehicle. Before a vehicle even leaves the dealership, it has already had a profound impact on the environment that outweighs any benefits from the zero-tailpipe emissions.

The best way to illustrate the overall impact of an electric vehicle is to start at the very beginning of the manufacturing process, not to focus on what does or does not come out of its tailpipe. Every piece of metal in any car started out in the ground. Nickel, copper, steel, whatever the type, has to be mined and refined, traveling around the globe before reaching any of its various final forms. Processing the materials involved in any type of vehicle’s production is environmentally damaging, though electric vehicles (EVs) require materials that make them more even damaging. Such materials include neodymium and aluminum.

Neodymium

Neodymium is a rare earth metal primarily used in making magnets. These magnets are found in everything from computer hard drives to the motors that power electric cars. To understand the damaging effects of neodymium mining, one has only to look up images of the city of Baotou and its adjacent lake. Baotou is located in Mongolia, and the mines just north of Baotou are estimated to contain 70 percent of the world’s rare earth mineral reserves (Maughan). The pictures need to be seen to be believed, but the images of the lake where refineries pump a torrent of thick, black chemical waste can only described as a monochromatic hell on earth.

Aluminum

            Electric cars are naturally quite heavy. For example, the Nissan Leaf’s battery pack alone weighs close to seven hundred pounds. A lighter car means extended battery life, so to offset the heavy batteries, the Nissan Leaf uses aluminum in its doors and hood (Zehner). Aluminum is generally mined and produced in Australia, Brazil, and China. There are heavy environmental impacts associated with each stage of aluminum production, most notably greenhouse gas emissions. These gases result from both the electrical consumption by smelters and the byproducts of processing. In short, the unique greenhouse gases produced include perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur dioxide, and carbon dioxide. Sulfur dioxide is a primary ingredient in acid rain, and PFCs are estimated by the EPA to be 9,200 times more harmful than carbon dioxide in terms of their affect on global warming (Aluminum). Aluminum strip mining also devastates the landscape, destroying all native vegetation in the mining region.

A Contradiction

            Governing bodies such as the United Nations view emission reduction, specifically that of vehicles, as an important way to combat climate change. The country that has embraced the UN’s goals with the most gusto is Norway. Norway currently has the highest percentage of EVs in the world and grants the highest tax break for EVs at over $18,000, compared to about $6,000 in the United States (Jolley). The country is proud of the strides that have been made, spending millions of dollars on said tax breaks and on infrastructure, all with the purpose of encouraging citizens to make the switch to electric. Sadly, this pride is not based on the measurable results, which estimate that Norway’s EV program has only cut one-tenth of 1 percent of carbon dioxide emissions (Jolley). On top of that, a Norwegian study found that “electric vehicles consistently perform worse or on par with modern internal combustion engine vehicles, despite virtually zero direct emission during operation” (Hawkins). This study focused on the life-cycle impacts of EVs, not merely their tailpipe emission.

Conclusion

            In using EVs, we are not reducing environmental impact but are simply relocating it. The air in California or Norway might be slightly cleaner because there are more electric cars whirring about, but it is places like Baotou, Mongolia, that are paying the price. Unfortunately, normal consumers as well as policy makers have not taken this fact into consideration. As stated by Mr. Lunde, the deputy climate minister in Norway, “If you buy an electric, at least you’re safe. There are no emissions” (Jolley). Based on empirical evidence, Mr. Lunde, along with so many others, could not be more wrong.  As we can see from the unique materials required to manufacture EVs and their devastating environmental impact, the moral superiority of electric vehicles is a grossly misled notion. 

           

Works Cited

"Aluminum." Enviroliteracy.org. The Environmental Literacy Council, n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2015.

Hawkins, Troy R., Bhawna Singh, Guillaume Majeau-Bettez, and Anders Hammer Strømman. "Comparative Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Conventional and Electric Vehicles." Journal of Industrial Ecology (2013): 53-64. Yale University, 4 Oct. 2012. Web. 7 Nov. 2015.

Jolley, David. "Norway's Electric Embrace." The New York Times 19 Oct. 2015: 1-2. Print.

Maughan, Tim. "The Dystopian Lake Filled by the World's Tech Lust." Bbc.com. BBC, 2 Apr. 2015. Web. 7 Nov. 2015.

Zehner, Ozzie. "Unclean at Any Speed." Spectrum.ieee.org. IEEE-SA, 30 June 2013. Web. 7 Nov. 2015.

Respect Your Parents. They graduated school without Google or Wikipedia

It was a more simple time. No Pinterest, no Facebook, no Instagram, no pressure to have an impressive social media life (just an impressive real life). People cooked nice meals or made cool things for the simple joy of doing so and not because it would get a heck ton of likes on MyFace or InstaTube. 

My angelic mother embodied this. One Halloween she set out to create homemade felt skittle costumes for her equally angelic children. She didn't go to a how-to blog or get inspiration from anyone else. She bought a packet of skittles, painstakingly measured every element, and created perfectly proportional felt-skittle wonder costumes. They looked amazing. They won costume contests. They were perfect. 

The beauty here is that she did this without the internet and without seeking any outside praise. Instead of seeking to create a viral post, she just wanted to make her kids happy. There was no one to impress, just a mother making something wonderful for the sake of doing so. 

Yes, it was a more simple time indeed. 

Reading Japanese

Today I want to discuss the importance of reading in Japanese.

I have a language professor who is fond of emphasizing the importance of reading Japanese. Hardly a class goes by where he does not state that, "If you can learn to read Japanese and exercise that skill often, you will never forget this language."

Reading in general, regardless of the language, helps create lasting neurological connections in your brain. In Japanese, reading is a fantastic way to learn new words and Kanji. Really, I'm convinced that it is the only way to learn the language. Obviously, you do not want to neglect the spoken language, but to internalize Japanese, you need to do your time and grind through sentences, paragraphs, pages, and books of unfamiliar words and characters.

That's Japanese, a grind. No shortcut or detour is an adequate substitute for hours of reading and forcing your brain to internalize it. Find a book or short story that is at your level and get to work!

Giving Candy to Stranger

So it wasn't actually candy, it was a Cliff Bar. I might as well have been a stranger offering candy though, because contrary to what I expected, people are not always flattered when you try to give them something for free.

I had an inkling that giving something to a stranger might prove somewhat difficult. I read once about a teacher who gave each of her students five one-dollar bills and charged them with giving away all five in five attempts (one dollar per attempt). Contrary to the student's expectations, it was very difficult to even give away one of the bills. People are often distrusting of strangers offering something for free, and in that case were more inclined to reject the offering.

So, with that in mind, I set out to give away a Cliff Bar. I figured that BYU students waiting in line for a test at the testing center would be more inclined to accept the free gift (considering their somewhat dire position), so that is where is started.

In short, I did give away the Cliff Bar, and it was awkward, but I hope it made the person happy. I'd like to think it did; I know I would be excited to get a free Cliff Bar.

Japanese Customs

'Customs' is a scary word. Either it refers to the stone-faced, merciless process you have to through to leave or enter a country, or the traditions and behavior associated with a particular region or culture. Either way, it is intimidating, mysterious, and if you don't act in the expected manner, bad things happen.

I can't really help much getting across the border, but I can give some tips about Japanese customs!

As usual, I couldn't possibly list all of the things you need to know, but I can at least give you some pointers. And by pointers, I really mean a pointer: DO NOT NEGLECT AN UNDERSTANDING AND APPLICATION OF JAPANESE CUSTOMS.

Seriously. Take your shoes off when you enter people's homes, learn the proper salutations, learn the ins and outs, the dos and don'ts. Will you get into trouble if you make a mistake? No, the Japanese are very forgiving. Will they be impressed by your knowledge and effort? DEFINITELY. 

Sensei means more than just teacher

If you were to ask an American what three Japanese words they know, they would likely say konichiwa, domo (arigato mister roboto), and sensei. If you then asked them what sensei means, they would likely say teacher, and they would be right! But to say sensei means teacher is like saying Porsche is just a car maker, or the grand canyon is a rock formation; correct, yet a complete understatement.

Sensei is used to refer to doctors, lawyers, CPA, and politicians, clergymen, and other positions of authority. It is also used to refer to someone who has achieved mastery in in an art or some other skill: novelist, artist, and martial arts, to name a few.

The point is, Japanese culture holds the position of teacher at a much higher level than in the US. To be a teacher is to be one who is a holder of and deserving of great respect. US society does not hold their teachers to such high regard as a doctor, but in japan they are one in the same.

My point is, while US culture isn't going to change any time soon, you can start to respect your teachers from this moment onward a lot more. It is no wonder they deserve so much respect, after all a good teacher can change your life.

Which brings up another point. Of course not all teachers have an equal impact; regardless of respect, some teachers are average, and some are... not so good. Regardless, in Japanese you refer to them by saying 'I was their pupil,' their 教え子 (oshiego). When referring to a past teacher who you feel indebted to, who really changed your life, there is a different word. You say you were their 恩師 (onshi). It is beautiful to me that the distinction exists in Japan, and I feel it truly reflects how much respect they reserve for their teachers. Hopefully it inspires you to show a little more respect for the teachers in your life.

I Hope You Like History

Some people don't like to study history. Personally, I find it fascinating, engaging, empowering, and absolutely necessary. You can learn a lot about a country just studying it's history. A little historical knowledge can give you a huge leg up when it comes to understanding the culture and interacting with people. 

When it comes to Japan and learning Japanese, you will need all the help you can get. Seriously. Take some time to learn a little bit about Japanese history. Memorize the names of notable people. Learn why they are significant. In doing so, you will be studying the same things the Japanese study. You will begin to understand why they are the way you are. You will also be able to impress them with how much you know. Anyone is flattered when they can see you have put time and effort into understanding their way of life. You may even find some things that you yourself find beautiful and interesting. Japanese history, like any history, is full of events to be ashamed of. But, it is also full of worthwhile stories, ways of thinking, and insights. You may even learn something that will change your life.

The Three Tenants of Keigo: Sonkeigo, Kenjougo, and Teineigo

Like a lot of things in the Japanese language, this is a topic that really cannot be explained in one post. Perhaps I will come back to it in the future because it is SO IMPORTANT. For now, I just want to introduce the idea so that you can be aware, especially because no one bothered to tell me about this when I started learning the language even though it is far too important to neglect.

Social standing is of supreme importance in Japan. Social standing in this case however is not just how much money you make or what kind of car you drive. Rather, it has everything to do with your age, job position, and title. Depending on your relationship to someone else, you will use different words and expression, while failing to do so is considered extremely rude. The language used in respect these relationships is called “Keigo.” It is one of the defining characteristics of Japanese, and to master it means you have obtained fluency.

In the way of making you aware and familiar of what Keigo entails, I will go over the three categories of Keigo.

1. Sonkeigo – honorific language. This is the umbrella term for language used to show honor and respect to someone who would be considered above you. This can be a wide range of people, including upperclassman, teachers, professionals, adults, etc.
2. Kenjougo – humble language. Kenjougo is used in the same situations as Sonkeigo, only instead of showing respect by talking the listener up, you are showing respect by talking yourself down. It no way is it derogatory to yourself; it is simple showing respect to the relationship you have to your listener.
3. Teineigo – polite language. This language does not necessarily related to your social standing, but rather refers to language that shows general politeness.

Great, now you know what the three categories are called, but of course that does not mean you can effectively use them. In time I will give dedicated explanations to each category. For now, knowing that they exist is good enough.

Japanese People Love You

My last post was perhaps a little rough around the edges. I just really did not want to sugarcoat the challenge of learning Japanese. Hopefully today is a bit of a pick-me-up for you.

One aspect of language learning that can be quite intimidating is a native speaker’s attitude towards those trying to learn their language. Forgive me for relying on generalizations, but on one end of the spectrum you have the French, whose love of language results in a fair amount of snootiness towards those who do not speak their language properly. Luckily for you, the Japanese are on the other end of the spectrum. While they too love their language, they realize how hard their language is to learn for a foreigner and are enamored by any attempts from foreigners to even form a cohesive sentence.

In general, Japanese people are patient enough to listen to you and figure out what it is you are trying to say, all the while trying to be as helpful and encouraging as possible. They are quick to tell you how good you are at the language and offer compliments. Whether or not their assessment is accurate is beside the point. It feels much better to have someone cheering you on in such an overwhelming endeavor than it is to have them beating you down.

So take heart, there are at least 120 million people out there who are cheering you on.

Understanding What You're Up Against

It is only fair to inform you what you have gotten yourself into attempting to learn Japanese as a native English speaker. In no way will it be easy, and in every way it will melt your mind. I've compiled a list of  three reasons why Japanese is, speaking bluntly, so freakin' difficult. 

1) English and Japanese are not related. They aren't even distant cousins. Lacking common language roots, you will not find comfortingly similar words, sentence structure, grammar, sounds, or anything between the two languages. Learning Japanese is not like learning Spanish or any other Latin-based language. There is absolutely no framework in your brain to build upon. In learning Japanese, you are starting from scratch. Just think of how different western culture is from Japanese culture. The major difference is definitely reflected in their languages as well. Get ready for many hours of skull splitting headaches as you try to wrap your mind around this Japanese.

2) The alphabet. The English alphabet is cute, isn't it? Twenty-six beautiful simple letters all wonderfully packaged into a cake-and-ice-cream song that all the frolicking happy children can master before they even start school. To juxtapose the ease of our alphabet with the mind-numbing scope of the Japanese alphabet (and it isn't even really an alphabet) is comical. The Japanese "alphabet" consists of 46 characters, called Hiragana. To call them letters is inaccurate, since each character represents it's own unique sound. It does not stop there though. There is another set of 46 characters, called Katakana, used for foreign words assimilated in the Japanese language (we will cover these later). Learn all 92 of these characters however, and all you have is the reading comprehension of a 1st grader, because to actually read Japanese, you need to master Kanji. Oh yes, Kanji: the monster that will haunt your every step as you tackle Japanese. Kanji, specifically Japanese Kanji, is the collection of characters that the Japanese borrowed from China a very long time ago, simplified (slightly), and twisted for their own devices. In order be able to read and understand just the newspapers Japan, you will need to have mastery of 2,136 unique characters. Not only that, each character has a different reading depending on the Kanji and Hiragana it is paired with. Learning Kanji is so difficult and involved that in order to attain this basic level of fluency, Japanese children study it from Kindergarten all the way through high school. What is truly dumbfounding is that Japan has one of the highest literacy rates in the world at about 99%.

3) The difference between written and spoken Japanese. All languages in one form or another has differences in their speaking and writing. The Japanese language laughs at these differences. The difference in kanji, words, and grammar used in writing is mind-boggling. It is truly frustrating too in that if you on study Japanese through reading (a good method for language learning in most cases), your language proficiency will be as lop-sided as a 3-wheeled-car. Spoken and written Japanese, while sharing basic similarities, operate so differently that they could almost be considered two unique languages.

I’ll admit, there are still more reasons why Japanese is such a major undertaking for a foreigner (or even a Japanese person), but this list will do for now.

One cannot possibly hope for victory if they do not know their enemy. Hopefully you now have a more comprehensive idea as to what exactly you are trying to accomplish in learning Japanese.