Random Thoughts 5 - READ RULES IN FIRST POST

But unless you go and follow them to make sure they do what they said they needed it for or did it for them, you never know And I doubt most people would do that.
(Dec. 06, 2014  1:15 AM)Dual Wrote:
(Dec. 06, 2014  1:10 AM)Echizen Wrote: I didn't mean if they needed it for drugs or alcohol. Like money for a phone or something.
I mean, if they're on the streets, a phone shouldn't be their primary concern. If it is, then there are more deserving people for my money.

I think he meant so they can call family/friends through a street phone. (or atleast that's what I think it's called)
EDIT: Streetphone I mean, just remembered.
Payphones? We don't have those anymore Tongue_out there's two at a gas station near me, but they're both broken.
Speaking of payphones...


There's another one of these too, ha ha.
I feel weird. My grandmother died last night and although I should be upset, the only thought really on my mind is しょうがない。Don't get me wrong, I am upset about it, but I have yet to actually break down. Maybe it's just that it hasn't really hit me yet (I haven't seen the body), or perhaps it's because I'm an adult now, and I understand that it happens to everyone eventually (Hence why I've been thinking しょうがない). We've kind of been expecting it for a while now though. She was put in the hospital a few years back for heart problems and we were told she would probably only last a few more years.

I feel pretty bad for my grandfather, he's a wreck. He was just admitted to the hospital this morning, it seems like we may have a double funeral.
(Dec. 06, 2014  6:54 PM)Aɴɢʀʏ Fᴀᴄᴇ Wrote: Speaking of payphones...


There's another one of these too, ha ha.

"The guy that invented Cleveland" lol

Sorry for your loss wizard.
(Dec. 06, 2014  6:54 PM)Aɴɢʀʏ Fᴀᴄᴇ Wrote: Speaking of payphones...
That's hilarious. Wish there was a video like that for my city lol
(Dec. 06, 2014  7:21 PM)Wizard Wrote: I feel weird. My grandmother died last night and although I should be upset, the only thought really on my mind is しょうがない。Don't get me wrong, I am upset about it, but I have yet to actually break down. Maybe it's just that it hasn't really hit me yet (I haven't seen the body), or perhaps it's because I'm an adult now, and I understand that it happens to everyone eventually (Hence why I've been thinking しょうがない). We've kind of been expecting it for a while now though. She was put in the hospital a few years back for heart problems and we were told she would probably only last a few more years.

I feel pretty bad for my grandfather, he's a wreck. He was just admitted to the hospital this morning, it seems like we may have a double funeral.


I'm really sorry for your loss, Wizard. You really don't have to feel weird. Either you have yet to fully percieve it, because it's only one day after she passed away, or you had already accepted that possibility deep inside your heart. When my grandfather died seven years ago, I didn't break down until the funeral was over, too, and I wasn't even an adult that time but not even fifteen. Although I really hope that you are already over it. In any case, you're not weird at all, dude, it's always strange when a family member dies.

Also, my best wishes for your grandfather. I really hope you won't lose both of your grandparents... One is already enough pain. And I wish you steady nerves for your grandmother's funeral. 元気出して!
(Dec. 06, 2014  10:01 PM)~Stoney~ Wrote: Also, my best wishes for your grandfather. I really hope you won't lose both of your grandparents... One is already enough pain. And I wish you steady nerves for your grandmother's funeral. 元気出して!

ありがとうございます。My grandfather was released from the hospital this afternoon. He seems fine, he's just a little messed up, but it's easy to see why.
(Dec. 06, 2014  11:07 PM)Wizard Wrote:
(Dec. 06, 2014  10:01 PM)~Stoney~ Wrote: Also, my best wishes for your grandfather. I really hope you won't lose both of your grandparents... One is already enough pain. And I wish you steady nerves for your grandmother's funeral. 元気出して!

ありがとうございます。My grandfather was released from the hospital this afternoon. He seems fine, he's just a little messed up, but it's easy to see why.

I'm really glad to read that. Smile
十分な!これらは、翻訳するのは難しいです!
Thanks Google Translate. Sorry for the loss, Wizard. The deep feelings may take a while to sink in. About last year I started feeling sad my last grandparent on my dads side died, and I barely started feeling the sadness. About the Japanese letters, they might have another meaning to it. Apparently the word Can't is its own letter.
(Dec. 06, 2014  11:33 PM)OwnageDerp Wrote: 十分な!これらは、翻訳するのは難しいです!

せいかこどは大切。

What that says and what you think it says are two completely different things. XD If you actually have any interest in learning Japanese I could give you some links to the resources I use.

(Dec. 06, 2014  11:33 PM)OwnageDerp Wrote: 十分な!これらは、翻訳するのは難しいです!
Sorry for the loss, Wizard. The deep feelings may take a while to sink in. About last year I started feeling sad my last grandparent on my dads side died, and I barely started feeling the sadness. About the Japanese letters, they might have another meaning to it. Apparently the word Can't is its own letter.

It happens, it's all a part of life.

(Dec. 06, 2014  11:33 PM)OwnageDerp Wrote: About the Japanese letters, they might have another meaning to it. Apparently the word Can't is its own letter.
They don't have letters in Japanese, but rather they have characters. They have three alphabets: hiragana, katakana and kanji. Hiragana are the written forms of the sounds used to make Japanese words, and are comparable to the roman alphabet that we use in the English language. Katakana is similar but is used for foreign words and sometimes names. Kanji come from the Chinese alphabet and each character is its own word.

The term しようがない (Short for しかたがない (Shikata ga nai) simple means "It can't be helped" or is sometimes translated as "No way" or "Oh well," and it is at the root of Japanese culture. Whenever something happens in Japan they usually say しようがない (Pronounced as "Shouganai") and move on because they know better days will come. Remember the 3/11 earthquakes? I remember seeing on the news that rather than complain about the event, they all just seemed to gather their things and their families and move on. It's because they're alll used to that しようがない culture.
(Dec. 07, 2014  2:30 AM)Wizard Wrote:
(Dec. 06, 2014  11:33 PM)OwnageDerp Wrote: 十分な!これらは、翻訳するのは難しいです!

せいかこどは大切。

What that says and what you think it says are two completely different things. XD If you actually have any interest in learning Japanese I could give you some links to the resources I use.

(Dec. 06, 2014  11:33 PM)OwnageDerp Wrote: 十分な!これらは、翻訳するのは難しいです!
Sorry for the loss, Wizard. The deep feelings may take a while to sink in. About last year I started feeling sad my last grandparent on my dads side died, and I barely started feeling the sadness. About the Japanese letters, they might have another meaning to it. Apparently the word Can't is its own letter.

It happens, it's all a part of life.

(Dec. 06, 2014  11:33 PM)OwnageDerp Wrote: About the Japanese letters, they might have another meaning to it. Apparently the word Can't is its own letter.
They don't have letters in Japanese, but rather they have characters. They have three alphabets: hiragana, katakana and kanji. Hiragana are the written forms of the sounds used to make Japanese words, and are comparable to the roman alphabet that we use in the English language. Katakana is similar but is used for foreign words and sometimes names. Kanji come from the Chinese alphabet and each character is its own word.

The term しようがない (Short for しかたがない (Shikata ga nai) simple means "It can't be helped" or is sometimes translated as "No way" or "Oh well," and it is at the root of Japanese culture. Whenever something happens in Japan they usually say しようがない (Pronounced as "Shouganai") and move on because they know better days will come. Remember the 3/11 earthquakes? I remember seeing on the news that rather than complain about the event, they all just seemed to gather their things and their families and move on. It's because they're alll used to that しようがない culture.

Never question online translators. Never.
Today I had a dental procedure done and for some reason, the dentist just couldn't get my lower left jaw to freeze. So she gave me a couple more injections and still - no numbness! Finally she did get it to freeze but she also hit one of the nerves that was connected to my eyes or something!

Long story short, three injections and a throbbing jaw later, I've also got a lopsided face and an eye that just wouldn't blink! It was like the whole left side of my face was paralyzed. It's wearing off slowly though. Now this was a one-of-a-kind experience Unsmith

Would you recommend roseta stone? I've been using that, and I feel like I've been making progress, but then again I could be learning incorrectly. I learn languages pretty easily (My only talent besides Beyblade xD).
(Dec. 07, 2014  3:32 AM)FlyingWaffle Wrote: Would you recommend roseta stone? I've been using that, and I feel like I've been making progress, but then again I could be learning incorrectly. I learn languages pretty easily (My only talent besides Beyblade xD).

I haven't used Roseta Stone, so I can't say anything for myself, but I have heard some pretty poor things about it. I actually recommend some textbooks (Genki is nice), and a pen, lol. Just make sure you're getting listening practice as well.
Thomas Jefferson learned Spanish by reading books written in Spanish and having a English version and reading it too. I thought that was interesting. I once used a Chinese-English dictionary to learn. Shénme? hehe I think that's right.
(Dec. 07, 2014  4:53 AM)Echizen Wrote: I thought that was interesting. I once used a Chinese-English dictionary to learn. Shénme? hehe I think that's right.

Lol. You can learn from books by yourself easily, you just have to make sure you get listening practice so that you're pronouncing stuff correctly. You don't want to turn out like my pen pal (She can write in English at a level that is at least equivalent to an American of her age, but she can't speak or listen to it to save her life)
(Dec. 07, 2014  3:47 AM)Wizard Wrote:
(Dec. 07, 2014  3:32 AM)FlyingWaffle Wrote: Would you recommend roseta stone? I've been using that, and I feel like I've been making progress, but then again I could be learning incorrectly. I learn languages pretty easily (My only talent besides Beyblade xD).

I haven't used Roseta Stone, so I can't say anything for myself, but I have heard some pretty poor things about it. I actually recommend some textbooks (Genki is nice), and a pen, lol. Just make sure you're getting listening practice as well.


I'd recommend "minna no nihongo", a really EXCELLENT textbook, and "minna no nihongo" grammar and translations. I've been using it for 2 years in my Japanese class now and all I can say is: とてもいいですね!Joyful_3 you can also use it very well to study by yourself.
(Dec. 07, 2014  3:47 AM)Wizard Wrote:
(Dec. 07, 2014  3:32 AM)FlyingWaffle Wrote: Would you recommend roseta stone? I've been using that, and I feel like I've been making progress, but then again I could be learning incorrectly. I learn languages pretty easily (My only talent besides Beyblade xD).

I haven't used Roseta Stone, so I can't say anything for myself, but I have heard some pretty poor things about it. I actually recommend some textbooks (Genki is nice), and a pen, lol. Just make sure you're getting listening practice as well.

How would you recommend one gets listening and pronunciation practise?
(Dec. 07, 2014  10:17 AM)FlyingWaffle Wrote:
(Dec. 07, 2014  3:47 AM)Wizard Wrote:
(Dec. 07, 2014  3:32 AM)FlyingWaffle Wrote: Would you recommend roseta stone? I've been using that, and I feel like I've been making progress, but then again I could be learning incorrectly. I learn languages pretty easily (My only talent besides Beyblade xD).

I haven't used Roseta Stone, so I can't say anything for myself, but I have heard some pretty poor things about it. I actually recommend some textbooks (Genki is nice), and a pen, lol. Just make sure you're getting listening practice as well.

How would you recommend one gets listening and pronunciation practise?

Minna no nihongo comes with a CD... Wink
(Dec. 07, 2014  12:07 PM)~Stoney~ Wrote:
(Dec. 07, 2014  10:17 AM)FlyingWaffle Wrote:
(Dec. 07, 2014  3:47 AM)Wizard Wrote: I haven't used Roseta Stone, so I can't say anything for myself, but I have heard some pretty poor things about it. I actually recommend some textbooks (Genki is nice), and a pen, lol. Just make sure you're getting listening practice as well.

How would you recommend one gets listening and pronunciation practise?

Minna no nihongo comes with a CD... Wink

Could you give me an order in which to read the books? There seems to be dozens of them, and I can't tell which is first, second, etc.
(Dec. 07, 2014  12:51 PM)FlyingWaffle Wrote:
(Dec. 07, 2014  12:07 PM)~Stoney~ Wrote:
(Dec. 07, 2014  10:17 AM)FlyingWaffle Wrote: How would you recommend one gets listening and pronunciation practise?

Minna no nihongo comes with a CD... Wink

Could you give me an order in which to read the books? There seems to be dozens of them, and I can't tell which is first, second, etc.

Sure. Just start with vol. 1 text book and grammar book:

text book:
http://www.amazon.de/Minna-no-Nihongo-Sh...+nihongo+1

grammar book:
www.amazon.de/Minna-Nihongo-Translation-Grammatical-Notes/dp/4883191079/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1417957624&sr=8-5&keywords=minna+no+nihongo+1

You go through the single lessons reading the text book and the grammar book simultaneously. In each lessen there´s also listening and pronounciation practice, which is on this CD:
http://www.amazon.de/Minna-No-Nihongo-Cd...hongo+1+cd

I´d recommend reading the grammar of the lesson in the grammar book first, then try to translate the text in the book, which is at the beginning of each chapter, and than do the grammar, listening, ..., exercises in the text book.

When you have finished vol. 1 (which I´m about to now it took two yearsJoyful_2 ), you can proceed with vol. 2 the same way.

text book:
http://www.amazon.de/Minna-no-Nihongo-Sh...+nihongo+2

grammar book:
http://www.amazon.de/Minna-No-Nihongo-Tr...ranslation

CD:
http://www.amazon.de/Minna-No-Nihongo-Cd...hongo+2+cd

You've been a huge help! I bought both this and Genki. When they get here, I shall study hard core (as much as school and practise allows >_>) and relay which one I think is better (might take a few months <_<).
(Dec. 07, 2014  3:55 PM)FlyingWaffle Wrote:
(Dec. 07, 2014  2:19 PM)~Stoney~ Wrote:
(Dec. 07, 2014  12:51 PM)FlyingWaffle Wrote: Could you give me an order in which to read the books? There seems to be dozens of them, and I can't tell which is first, second, etc.

Sure. Just start with vol. 1 text book and grammar book:

text book:
http://www.amazon.de/Minna-no-Nihongo-Sh...+nihongo+1

grammar book:
www.amazon.de/Minna-Nihongo-Translation-Grammatical-Notes/dp/4883191079/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1417957624&sr=8-5&keywords=minna+no+nihongo+1

You go through the single lessons reading the text book and the grammar book simultaneously. In each lessen there´s also listening and pronounciation practice, which is on this CD:
http://www.amazon.de/Minna-No-Nihongo-Cd...hongo+1+cd

I´d recommend reading the grammar of the lesson in the grammar book first, then try to translate the text in the book, which is at the beginning of each chapter, and than do the grammar, listening, ..., exercises in the text book.

When you have finished vol. 1 (which I´m about to now it took two yearsJoyful_2 ), you can proceed with vol. 2 the same way.

text book:
http://www.amazon.de/Minna-no-Nihongo-Sh...+nihongo+2

grammar book:
http://www.amazon.de/Minna-No-Nihongo-Tr...ranslation

CD:
http://www.amazon.de/Minna-No-Nihongo-Cd...hongo+2+cd

You've been a huge help! I bought both this and Genki. When they get here, I shall study hard core (as much as school and practise allows >_>) and relay which one I think is better (might take a few months <_<).

You're very welcome. Smile I hope you will be successful with those books. Maybe we can chat in Japanese in a few months? Wink