Japan Check In!

OK so I've decided to just post this anyway because I can't upload the photos for some reason and nothing I have done works so without further ado, here is the next JAPAN CHECK-IN!

So the about two weeks ago I had a break from school and got to go see my host family's…. Family? Well basicly I went to see my host mom's parents and brother and all that stuff. They live in a different part of Japan and it took us 8 hours each way to drive there and back. We ended up staying there for about 5 days and, I don’t know how to put this lightly. It was kind of boring. I mean I did have fun when we went to go see a local temple and all that but most of every day was spent just sitting around as my host mom's parents are elderly and just kinda chill. Only problem with that is all they really do is chat and I don’t know enough Japanese to know what they’re talking about and even worse is THEY DIDN'T EVEN HAVE WIFI! How does that even happen? So I spent a week just kinda sleeping and trying to learn japanese but I did get to see what really rural Japan looks like so that was nice. Then after we got back I got back into the groove of school. And wow do I mean a groove. The last two weeks have gone by so fast with me having school, then going to work out, then doing homework, eating dinner, then going to bed to do it all again. My weekends are either helping around the house to clean up or hanging out with the kids that I managed to become friends with. It’s going buy fast but I am also learning TONS of japanese and everyday it comes more naturally. So that's been my last few weeks! If anyone has any questions you can ask them in the comments and I will respond as soon as I can (would love to have something more to do nowadays). CHECK IN SOON GTG DO JAPANESE THINGS NOW BYE

Blog Post 2!

OK so lets get down to it... I've been REALLY busy the past few weeks! Its been super crazy. My school is absolutely huge compared to Post Oak (300 kids just in my grade) and classes are crazy. I understand very little (as everything is in Japanese) but I'm doing my best to understand and get by. I have spent my time after school by checking out all the different clubs the school offers. I have yet to decide which one I want to do though so I need to think about it. 

Oh and last weekend there was a festival in town that was celebrating the samurai armies that used to be in this area (a long long time ago) and at the festival they did a samurai battle reenactment. Not sure my photos are great though because I so blown away. It was totally crazy. I also had a weird snack that was raw pasta covered in like flavored oil of some kind. Was a 8/10.

Also, new favorite food has been found. Its pretty expensive because its a bit rare but its baby bamboo. Literally like the bamboo sapling thing (don't know much about it because language barrier and all) but they cut it in half and grill it with this sauce and its super tasty. Its one of those foods that your not sure if its the food that tastes good or just the sauce but either way its totemo oishii desu (very tasty in Japanese). 

Japan Update #1

Hey everyone! Ok, so this is the first update to my blog and it is a bit late because I have been settling in with my host family after the orientation. Anyhow, hope you enjoy and there will be more updates soon to come!

OK so to start off with, when I first arrived in country I was greeted by the orientation staff and went to the National Youth Center in Tokyo. There was something like 80 of us from like 20 different countries that were at the orientation, so there was a ton of people to meet. I had no internet the whole orientation, had no way to charge my phone and I did pretty much nothing but attend “How not to have culture shock” classes (not really what they were called but pretty much what they were). So anyway, orientation ended

and WOOOHOOO I’m off to my host family in beautiful Kofu, a smaller city a few hours by bus from Tokyo. First off, this place is super pretty (especially this time of year because of the sakura AKA cherry blossoms blooming) and I love the relaxed vibe the whole place gives off. The entire city is surrounded by mountains, including Mt. Fuji, so the entire place just feels safe and all the people reassure that even further. In the last few days me and my host family have just been getting acquainted with one another and we go on little trips every day because I don’t start school until next week (It’s Japanese students spring break right now). Today I went to get a haircut and OH MY GOD IT WAS AMAZING. I honestly can say for certain that I know now what heaven is like. The guy cutting my hair was great but the shampoo and head scrub is what did it for me. So I have short hair now…

I actually think it looks pretty good though! After my haircut I went to lunch at a manga cafe with my host dad as he had said their food was really good and he was not kidding! Well that was my day so far, and I'll be sure to start making a daily journal so I can remember and share all the fun things I do!

Reading Question

1. Explain why the ending of the play proves that it is a comedy, and give specific examples from the play. What would have had to happen instead were this play a tragedy?

When it comes to comedy and tragedies, the defining factor that can be used to differentiate the two is the ending. At the end of a comedy, which Much Ado About Nothing is, there is always one of two things that happen. The first is that a baby can be born or the second, which is the case of this story, there is a marriage. In a tragedy though, there is almost always a death with a funeral. This is very different from Much Ado About Nothing where at the end Claudio and Hero get married which is the main story point of the whole play.

Reading Question

1. Find three examples of dramatic irony in the play. Explain what is going on during these scenes and why you believe that these are examples of dramatic irony. Please include a page number.

In the book Much Ado About Nothing, there are many cases of dramatic irony present. I am going to talk about three of them that really stood out to me. The first example is on page 20, when Hero starts talking to Don Pedro. In this scene, Don Pedro is masked and pretending to be Claudio so that he can pick Hero up for Claudio. The entire audience knows that the person pretending to be Claudio is actually Don Pedro, but Hero is none the wiser. Another example is on page 22, when Benedick is talking to Beatrice. The result is reversed here though, as though Benedick is the one with the mask on, Beatrice knows it is him and it is Benedick that believes that Beatrice knows not who he is. I found this situation a bit more complicated but equally interesting. My third example is on page 48, and is when Claudio learns of Hero being "disloyal" by supposedly having sex with someone else before their wedding. In this situation though, the audience knows that Don John is actually lying and trying to ruin the wedding. I found this scene to be very important to the plot of the play and heavily represents the importance of dramatic irony to the plot of comedy like this.

1. Choose one central character to analyze. Is s/he round or flat? Explain your answer and provide an example from the play (meaning a quote).

The character I have chosen to analyze is Benedick, because his character seems very interesting to me. I believe that he is round as a character seeing as he changes throughout the play. He starts off the play being a man who is very misogynistic and wants to be a bachelor for life, but after he discovers his love for Beatrice he changes as a man. One example of this is in the scene right after he overhears that Beatrice might love him and his reaction to when she is sent to get him for dinner.

BEATRICE
Against my will I am sent to bid you come in to dinner.
BENEDICK
Fair Beatrice, I thank you for your pains.
BEATRICE
I took no more pains for those thanks than you take
pains to thank me: if it had been painful, I would
not have come.
BENEDICK
You take pleasure then in the message?
BEATRICE
Yea, just so much as you may take upon a knife's
point and choke a daw withal. You have no stomach,
signior: fare you well.
EXIT
BENEDICK
Ha! 'Against my will I am sent to bid you come in
to dinner;' there's a double meaning in that 'I took
no more pains for those thanks than you took pains
to thank me.' that's as much as to say, Any pains
that I take for you is as easy as thanks. If I do
not take pity of her, I am a villain; if I do not
love her, I am a Jew. I will go get her picture.

This scene shows that Benedick has a complete reversal of his former beliefs and is instead hitting on Beatrice in the hopes of getting with her and eventually marrying her.

Reading Question

Is't come to this? - Has it come to this?
In faith, hath not the world one man but he will wear his cap with suspicion? - By God, is there not one man in the world that will be suspicious of girls?
Shall I never see a bachelor of three-score again? - Will I never see another 60 year old bachelor?
Go to, i' faith; an thou wilt needs thrust thy neck into a yoke, wear the print of it and sigh away Sundays. - Go ahead and get yourself tied down, make it so that you are chained to your wife and that Sundays are never yours anymore.
 Look Don Pedro is returned to seek you. - Look Don Pedro has come back to get you.