Caitlin Learning Japanese

 This weekend I watched Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away. I loved this movie. It was interesting, but very special. It was good practice to listen to the movie in Japanese-- and I could even pick out some lines that I understood, but I also found it culturally educational. Many of the characters in Spirited Away are based on yokai-- the topic I wrote about last week. The movie holds heavy themes with Japanese folklore, and although there is a unique plot, the movie offers a beginning to learning about Japanese culture and yokai. I hope in the future to watch more Studio Ghibli and expand my Japanese listening skills. 

きのう, I learned about the kappa (河童) during Jeopardy. Kappa means river child, and these creatures are humanoid, turtle-esque creatures that live in the river. The kappa have little dishes on their head. The kappa are told to lure people towards these bodies of water and then pull them under in order to drown them. The kappa are very mischevious and love cucumbers. These creatures are part of yokai-- supernatural beings in Japanese mythology. Other yokai ( 妖怪)  include tanuki, kitsune, onimaru, yuki onna, amabie, jorogumo, onimaru, and oni. These creatures are all magical and hold status within Japanese culture. You can see statues, paintings, and images of these yokai in various places in Japan. Including shrines, musuems, and older buildings. 

 This week I watched more cooking videos! I learned how to make Japanese soufflé pancakes! This was very trendy a few months ago, and I thought I would give it a try. I watched a video in Japanese and listened while making something おいしい!! Making these soufflé pancakes was not too different from making normal pancakes, yet the texture is quite different. Attached below is the video I watched. It was really fun to follow along. The chef is very competent in his field, and it was fun to watch him cook. I also enjoyed listening to more cooking subjects in Japanese! Let me know in the comments what you guys think and if I should one day make something for the class :))) Also, let me know if you have ever had Japanese soufflé pancakes! 

 This week I watched a lot of cooking videos. One recipe that really stood out to me was okonomiyaki,  お好み焼き.  This dish consists of flour, eggs, cabbage, and sometimes other additions. This dish is very popular in Osaka, Japan. It is one of the city's most famous and delicious foods. When I visited Osaka, I was sure to try some okonomiyaki, and it was very good (おいしい です!) It is also somewhat simple to make, which is good! It is a savory pancake and is very good festival/ street food. Let me know in the comments if you have ever eaten, made, or want to try it!

みなさん! I recently found this show on Netflix. It is a similar concept to American shows like Love Island, Love Is Blind, The Bachelor, and more. I have never seen a romance/ dating show made outside of the US, so it is really interesting to see how different cultures navigate such a unique experience. Although a lot of reality TV shows are very fake and scripted, meaning that these episodes could all be made up, I still believe watching this show is helpful for comprehension! It also gives a peek into more Japanese cultural norms, expectations, slang, and how native speakers talk on a regular, and sometimes informal, basis. I will not spoil too much in case any of you want to watch the show, but basically, there are a few men and women who live together in a house, and they see if they want to pursue someone romantically while they are there. It is a little unnatural if you think about it, but sometimes that is just what TV is like. Overall, let me know what you guys think of this! ...