GENKI-GENKI! Growing Up in Japan with Debbie Akachan September-October 2006 A. Sonogo minasan wa ogenki de irasshaimasu deshou ka? Kumusta na po ang ating mga patronizers at minamahal na readers ng Jeepney Press? In a few weeks, we will be experiencing the cool balmy autumn air. Haay, salamat.   Talking about autumn brings back memories of the beautiful maple (momiji) trees in Kyoto, Nikko, Karuizawa, Akita and Aomori. And of course, Hokkaido! Awesome, romantic, spectacular ang autumn foliage (kouyou) dito sa Japan.   My dear kababayans, this is the right time of the year for you to get out from your lunggas and breathe. De-stress. Huwag na isipin ang ating mga trabaho, ang ating mga napaka-imposibleng bosses. Mag-enjoy while we're here. Huwag ninyong tularan yung iba nating kababayan na kung kailan sila ay pauwi na, they realize how much they did not get to see and enjoy the beauties of Japan. What is all work for? Correction : Not to send money to our children. We owe something to ourselves. Paano na ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo? We live only once, and life is horribly short. While there is time, sige, enjoy. Chance na natin na nakapunta ng Japan. Na makapagtrabaho dito sa Japan. So while we should never forget our obligations, we never should also forget what feeds our bodies and our souls.   B. There are autumn holidays in Japan. Among them, November 3rd, which is Culture Day (bunka-no-hi). It was the birthday of the Emperor Meiji. (Dito kasi po sa Japan yung mga birthdays ng mga dating emperors ay ginagawang national holidays. They do celebrate and declare as national holidays the birthday of the current emperor, but on top of that, also the birthdays of the past ones. In the case of the latter, they assign a different name for that day. They don't call it anymore as the birthday of the past emperor. And as we know, unlike presidents, past emperors in Japan have all passed away. Their terms do no have expiration dates. It is also the day the present Japanese Constitution was officially announced in 1946. The Order of Culture Awards ceremony for people who are outstanding contributors to Japanese culture and society is held in the Imperial Palace on this day. This award is given by no other than the Emperor himself!   Another autumn holiday is November 15th, which is called shichi-go-san (7-5-3). This is not a national holiday but a traditional festival for children who are seven, five, and three years old. Families visit shrines and pray for their children's health. This is the day when you see the children put on their best clothes such as kimonos, dresses, and suits. You should try visiting Meiji Shrine on this day. Ang gagara ng mga kimonos ng mga bata. Siempre, in most cases, care of ni ojiisan at ni obaasan ang pambili ng mga mamahaling kimonos. They buy chitose-ame (long stick white candies). These candy sticks represent longevity.   My children had the opportunity of visiting Japan around this time of the year. They had pictures with these Japanese kids dressed up in their kimonos. The Japanese kids, generous as they can be, gave their chitose-ame to my daughter of 1. Ang cute ng gesture, di ba?   Finally, there is November 23rd, which is Labor Thanksgiving Day or kinro kansha no hi,  which is a national holiday. C. The Japanese are such deep lovers of nature. They might not be openly passionate, but their romantic character is displayed in the way they devote and appreciate nature. They feel it with all their senses.   You might think that the momiji is simply for watching. Chigaimasu yo. In Japan, the maple leaf is fried, tempura-style, and served during the autumn season. A westerner who traveled to Kyoto commented that the fried momiji didn't have any taste except for its fried taste, and the sauce it was dipped in. "I wouldn't spend my last 500 yen on a plate of it," he remarked. The poor guy missed the point. It isn't the momiji. It is the ceremony of partaking in the autumn season by. "Eating a part of it, by tasting it."   "Experiencing autumn by tasting it, by eating it." Mahirap yata intindihin, ano po?   Soredewa, mata. July-August 2006 Issue Take 1 Hajimemashite. Debbie Aka-Chan desu. Dozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu. First few lines that newcomers in Japan should remember, if they want to be conceived polite and proper. Kaya po, mga kababayan natin dito sa Japan, paki-memorize na lang po ito. Ulitin po natin. Hajimemashite. (Pangalan po natin) desu. Dozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu. If they want something more polite and more things to say about yourself, then you can add that you’re from our beautiful country. Let’s take it away, baby! Hajimemashite. Firipin no (pangalan po natin) desu. Dozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu. If you want to survive in Japan and wish to live a happy life here, learn Japanese. Think Japanese and behave like the Japanese. It might sound an impossible dream, kung tayo po ay may konting katandaan na. But you’ll be perfectly fine. Kahit hindi po tayo Monbusho iskolar, kaya natin yan. Friend of mine named Marissa---wow, you should hear her speak in Japanese. It’s smooth and flawless. Her Japanese is very polite and she knows her manners when she speaks in the language. I always enjoy talking with her in that language. I almost forget that we’re both Pinoys! She is not a Monbusho iskolar. Hindi po lahat ng Monbusho iskolar na Pinoy ay marunong mag-Hapon. Hindi po lahat ng marunong magsalita ng Hapon ay magaling. Hindi po lahat ng marunong magsalita ay marunong magbasa. At lalung-lalo na, hindi po lahat ng marunong magsalita ay marunong magsulat! Kaya mga kababayan ko, hindi pa ho huli ang lahat. Magsipag-aral po tayong lahat. Kaya natin ito! Habang may hininga pa, may buhay. At habang may buhay, may pag-asa. Sa salitang Hapon, “ishi ga areba, michi ga aru.” In English, if there’s a will, there’s a way. Find that way, my dear friends. If you don’t find it, then carve it. Take 2 First day at Nihongo Gakko gave me the shockers. Class size was extremely small. Lilima lang po kami sa aming classroom, kaya kita-kits po talaga kung sinu-sino ang hindi nag-aaral o nag-moony-moony lang sa umaga. Right in front of me was my teacher, very strict-looking in his black-rimmed specs. Pero sanay po tayo sa mga terror teachers sa Universidad ng Pilipinas. Ba’t tayo matatakot, aber? Ang Pinoy matatakot? But wait, what did I say again? What am I hearing? What is this man in front of me saying? “Hey, Miss, are you the interpreter here?” I sought help from the young Japanese lady beside me. The chinky-eyed lady just smiled back.  “Oh, JC! What am I gonna do? Is this going to be it for the rest of my dear life here at Nihongo Gakko? Hey, Miss, aren’t you the assistant or the interpreter? Good gracious….Help!” Kinakabahan na ako. Nag-umpisa nang tumulo ang aking mga pawis sa kili-kili. Am I in the right place? Was I ever right in choosing Japan? The scene is glass-clear inside my head. OMG, TG, I survived that first day. And now, aa to iu ma de,  I am on my 30th year in Japan! (You should be able to guess my age by now…) It turned out that our dear Nihongo teacher used the direct method (chokusetsu houhou) to teach us the language. Ibig sabihin po, gagamitin nila ang Nihongo para turuan tayo ng Nihongo. Hirap intindihin, ano po? They use Nihongo to teach Nihongo. No translations. No interpretations. Even the materials were all in Nihongo! Dada nang dada si sensei sa salitang Hapon, siempre si Baby Debbie, wakaranai, not even a teeny-weeny bit. I opened my mouth, feeling like a helpless babe. Or was I making a fool out of myself? Three months passed. I was now learning bits by starting my conversation with the endless “Watashi wa…” Gambariya or TH po si Debbie. Hindi siya sumusukol. But still... “Hora, Debbie Chan! Nihongo de kangaenasai!” my sensei hollered back at me every time it became apparent to him that I was translating things inside my head. Fact is, if you do mental translation, hindi na spontaneous and impromptu ang conversation. It takes time for the words to travel from the mind to the mouth and back! Take 3 During a conversation in Japanese, you will notice that there are frequent interjections. Common expressions are “hai,” “ee” or “uun.” All these mean “yes.” But beware, they do not necessarily convey agreement on the part of the listener. Don’t fall into this trap of thinking that because you hear a “hai” from the other party, then he or she has agreed. The reality is that your Japanese counterpart is only saying that he or she understands your suggestions or is actively listening. These interjections are called aizuchi. Their function in a conversation is to constantly reassure the speaker that the listerner is paying attention and is involved in the discussion. Kaya po, in a telephone conversation, when I don’t hear the aizuchi from the other party, I get wary. Is she still on the other end of the line? Is she with me? Maaa, dou deshou? Komarimasu ne! Other aizuchis that are among my favorites: “sou desu ne,” “sou desu ka,” “hontou,” “hontou ni.” And there is one aizuchi that doesn’t have a sound: nodding. Hanggang sa susunod po na isyu ng Jeepney Press. Ingat po tayong lahat. Hinay-hinay lang. Ilabas na ang lahat ng ating mga sleeveless, backless, neckless, frontless…oops…bawal pala! Happy summer! Soredewa, mata. About Baby Debbie: She is irresistibly cute and cuddly. She can be masungit and difficult, but she’d rather be sweet. She has lived in Japan for a good 30 years or so of her life. (Ibig sabihin, more than 30 years old na po siya. But she’s still so much a darling. She’s still so much a babe!)