Binardさんのlecture: すげい！

     As an English major, and simply as a lover of language and literature, the events held for Arthur Binardさん this past week were very engaging. His “Nuclear Poetry and Atomic Fireballs” lecture was perhaps a little scattered, as I sometimes, I felt like Binardさん was meandering through thoughts without much direction. But I greatly connected with his analysis of the language we use in describing nuclear warfare. I once read a book called Language in Thought and Action by S.I. Hayakawa and Alan R. Hayakawa. 

In the book, there is a discussion of how we use “signs,” words, to represent the “signified,” or the meanings of words—what they represent. But sometimes, the “signs” we use can come to control how we interpret the “signified.” Our means of expressing thought can alter the way we think. Such an idea is incredibly fascinating to me. And I could not help but consider the Hayakawas' work as Binardさん contrasted “mushroom-cloud” and “ピッカ (pikka),” regarding how the words engender different feelings in the speaker's mind, consciously or otherwise. The difference in perspective of a blooming column of cloud from a high altitude versus a bright, encompassing flash is huge. I found Binardさん's illustration of our society's mental distance from nuclear war through our very language insightful.

     As a necessary note, the よみきかせ was also a very enjoyable event. Binardさん was very funny and I loved listening to him speak on his thought process while translating, such as with his translation of The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse. His experiences from working in Japan have made me all the more interested in translation work.

     Alright, that's me for now.

じゃあ、また。

カイパー

Language Immersion Tool: The Let's Play (実況プレイ)

こんばんわ！

With some free reign on this post, I thought I would take some time to discuss a language immersion tool I stumbled quite recently: the "Let's Play".

For those who do not know, a "Let's Play" is the common designation given to a video series wherein someone plays a game. That's it. A "Let's Play" video is literally a video of someone playing a game. Please, hold your dismay until I finish.

The Friendzone- a Polaris show on YouTube

Most "Let's Plays" are watched, I think, for the personalities behind the microphone, not to vicariously experience a game through another person. Sometimes the latter is the case, but rarely. Nothing compares to playing a game yourself. But there are people out in the world who are just fun, humorous to listen to and even endearing. Think of "Let's Plays" as akin to talk-shows, but with B-reel footage of random videogames. One of my favorite "Let's Players" is Jesse Cox, a very funny man who just loves people and games and likes to entertain.

Why is any of this relevant? Because in a "Let's Play," the videomaker is talking as much as they're playing the game (in most cases). What does this mean for a language student? That a "Let's Play" video is a pretty adequate way to listen to a native speaker of the language you're trying to learn. If you find the right person making a "Let's Play," you can access a whole list of videos, each with plenty of regular, everyday speech to listen to. As an aid, the "Let's Play" seems like a great way to get some more exposure to a language, especially if you enjoy gaming. Common syntax, pronunciation, particle usage--these are the elements of language you can pick up on. While "Let's Plays" are not a magical boost for comprehension, I do think they present a fun way to get in some extra exposure.

Currently, I've found this energetic guy by the name of だいだら. Check him out!  He doesn't talk terribly fast, so I find that sometimes I can pick up words and particles. だいだら plays a lot of Nintendo games, but also a fair amount of other Japanese-developed titles and some Western creations.

Splatoon- a Nintendo game that is popular for "Let's Plays"

I got the idea from two sites:
An article on "Talk Amongst Yourselves" of Kotaku

A post on the "Learn Japanese" subreddit


Alright, that's me for now.
ありがとう　ございます。　
じゃあ、　また。

カイパー

ぼくのまいにちのせいかつ

こんいちは！　それは　ぼくのまいにちのせいかつ　です。

ぼくは　まいにち　ごぜん　はちじに　おきます。　いつも　コーヒーを　のみます。　あさ　オーシャグで　にほんごのじゅぎょうに　いきます。　ひる　ぶんがくのじゅぎょうに　いきます。　そして、　にほんのれきしのじゅぎょうにも　いきます。　よく　がくしょくで　しちじに　ばんごはんを　たべます。　つぎ、　りょうで　べんきょうします。　たいてい　ごぜん　じゅうにじに　はなしを　かきます。　いちじに　ねます。

<3 にちじょう <3

ありがとう　ございます。　じゃあ、　また。

カイパー

じこしょうかい For Two

こんばんわ！はじめまして。

ぼくわ　カイパーです。アメリカジンです。ノタルダメの　だいがくの　にねんせいです。ぼくの　せんこうわ　えいご　と　にほんごですよ。

どうぞ　よろしく。

　And now that I have given my じこしょうかい, I would like to introduce an individual from Japan that I greatly admire: ひでたか　みやざき (or, per Japanese custom, みやざき　ひでたか).

みやざきさま <3

　みやざきさま is known as the creative director—and now President—at FromSoftware, a Japanese game studio that may be called both popular and infamous in the gaming world. FromSoftware is the company responsible for the Souls series—composed of Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, Dark Souls II, and the soon-to-be-released Dark Souls III. Why both popular and infamous? The games in the Souls franchise are widely recognized as some of the most challenging games to be released in the past ten or so years. The games combine scarce checkpoints for saving progress with tactical combat and harsh boss fights to ensure that every death is both punishing and encouraging—they are designed in a way so that you can pick yourself up, brush the dust from your shoulders, and jump once more into the breach. Death is a learning experience, not a failure. Really, I think FromSoftware and みやざきさま present some valuable lessons for real life.

　But while I enjoy the combat of the FromSoftware games, and exploring the worlds they create, finding secret passages and marveling at fantastical vistas, there is one element that I enjoy above all else: FromSoftware's and みやざきさま's unique approach to storytelling.

    In an interview with IGN, “Inside the Mind of Bloodborne and Dark Souls' Creator,” みやざきさま offers some insight into his creative approach to games. As a child, みやざきさま loved to read. However, being young, he could not often pick up on all the threads of the story he was reading. Without half the story, みやざきさま says, “my imagination would help fill in the other half, and that imagination element would just blow up.”

　As a huge fan of Bloodborne, the latest FromSoftware game, I can attest to such an idea of vague, half-known narratives. みやざきさま　envisioned a rich, grotesque, horrific world, but does not reveal the world fully to players. The effect is like walking through an art museum where someone has set up fog machines. You can guess at the subjects of hazy paintings and jump at looming sculptures, but you never know exactly how everything looks. And while some may call this “lazy” storytelling, I applaud it. I feel like a true participant in Bloodborne's world as I piece together its history.

　And thus, みやざきさま. A creative mind that deserves all the success he has received.

じゃあ、また。

カイパー

*link to the IGN interview: “Inside the Mind of Bloodborne and Dark Souls' Creator – IGN First”