Singing in the Class

Lesson was not as boring as usual, and when I say that I mean that I didn’t fall asleep. We learnt a new verb mode today: the volitional. That is things like “let’s go” and “shall I?” We have learnt it before, but in the polite form. This time we are learning it in the plain form, which is more useful since one can combine it with other grammatical structures to make sentences that are more complicated. Not sure exactly what these are going to be yet, as that is probably for tomorrow’s lesson. I doubt it’s that exciting, though.

We also learnt a song in Japanese using this new form. It is “If you’re happy and you know it”; it has the same tune at least and the same basic meaning.

shiawasenara te o tatakou (if you are happy, clap your hands)
shiawasenara te o tatakou (if you are happy, clap your hand)
shiawasenara taidode shimesouyo (if you are happy, show your attitude!)
hora minna de te o tatakou (look! everybody clap your hands)

The next verses replace “te o tatakou” with “uinku shiyou,” (wink) “ashi narasou,” (make sound with your feet) and finally “kata tatakou” (slap your shoulder). Don’t you just love singing in class? Anyway, the point of the song is that every line ends in the volitional mode.

In the afternoon, most of us hung around in the international office waiting for the bus. I did my homework, what little of it there was, and then spent the rest of the time being bored. One of Kanashima-san’s friends came in with her baby who is only 11 months old. That provided a little light entertainment for us all. His name is Nishiki, though I cannot remember which kanji it is written with. It could mean “west tree,” but it doesn’t! I can’t decide whether it is odd to have a naming system wherein (1) seeing a name doesn’t necessarily tell you the pronunciation and, (2) hearing a name doesn’t necessarily mean you can write it down. I suppose that it is the same in English, though to a much lesser extent. Point (2) is definitely true, e.g. Katherine, Kathryn, Catherine, etc. I suppose an example of (1) would be Louis, though perhaps that’s only the children called that at my mother’s school who will have problems.