In Japanese class, we're on the "Travel" chapter, which means we're learning words like 新幹線 (shinkansen), 旅館 (ryokan), and 温泉 (onsen). I'm surprised that my classmates need an English equivalent for these words; they are as much a part of my English vocabulary as sushi and anime. The word that really seems to give the class trouble is 見物 (kenbutsu) -- sightseeing. When 先生 (sensei) asks "If you went to New York, did you do any sightseeing?", they reply with, "I went to a play." or "I went shopping." or "I ate at an expensive restaurant."
"What is it with my class?" I ask JQS. "Is it a cultural thing? A generational thing? They don't seem to have any concept of sightseeing. What's your concept of sightseeing?"
"Sitting on a bus for four hours. Getting out to have your picture snapped in front of wherever. Buying some souvenirs. Then getting back on the bus."
"Ah. Like our trip to Nikko."
"Yeah."
"So maybe sightseeing is a foreign concept to American youth these days. I just wish they'd prepare a little more for class. They show up and wonder 'What are we doing today?' If they read the syllabus, we'd get more practicing in."
"Mom. They probably have other classes to worry about. It's not like you, just studying for the fun of it. God. You take it beyond the realm of hobby. For you, studying Japanese is a lifestyle choice."
Posted by M Sinclair Stevens
February 01, 2004
Share Your Thoughts
Speaking of seeing the sights, we we're driving through our neighborhood and saw that one of our neighbors had just landscaped the front yard. I exclaimed, "Wow! That's a really well-designed site!" AJM replied, "You've been spending too much time on web-design."