#japanese goals january 2023 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tokidokitokyo · 1 year

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2023年1月31日

Welcome to my first study log update of the year! The year is still fresh and I'm happy to report that my motivation is still high. I find that making these study logs to track my progress I can maintain my motivation throughout the year, even during times where life and work get really busy and I think I won't have as much time for study. So, let's start this off!

今年の初勉強記録へようこそ！新年はまだ新鮮のに勉強のモチベーションはまだ高くて頑張っています。この勉強記録を作るのは勉強のモチベーションの一つになります。一年中に書くと、モチベーションが下がったり、忙しくなったりするときでもやる気が出ます。それで、今から1月の記録を始めます！

My 2023 Goals Progress

I laid out some broad goals for my Japanese study in my 2023 Japanese Language Goals post. This is my first report on the progress I've made on these goals during the month of January!

1. Read one page a day of 日本の歴史366 (にほんのれきし366) everyday in 2023.

Since it's only a page to read, and the subject is history, I make time to read the page (and look up the vocabulary I don't know ^^) every day.

2. Finish 日本語総まとめ N3 (にほんごそうまとめ N3) workbooks.

The JLPT N3 workbooks I am using are a bit more involved, so I can't do the work daily, but when I do have the time (about once a week or so) I sit down and go through the Vocabulary, Kanji, Grammar, and Listening workbooks all at once.

3. Review and learn the first 6 levels of the 常用漢字 (じょうようかんじ), specifically the 教育漢字 (きょういくかんじ) up to grade 6.

Lately, I have been focusing more on new kanji rather than kanji review of the 常用漢字, but in February I will return my focus to the grade 2 kanji I was reviewing previously.

4. Read at least one book every two months.

I think I might have taken on too much in January, as I have been trying to finish up a book I started in December, then I picked up a new book and a new manga in the beginning of this year. I am going through the new book page-by-page and recording any words or I don't know, which is taking up a lot of time. I doubt I will finish it this month, but once I am done with it I think I will have learned a lot of new vocabulary.

5. Improve my speaking and writing by finding a tutor.

I have put this goal on hold because of work, but when things calm down in April I plan to search for a tutor and make a weekly tutoring schedule. I plan to use italki because it is the most popular platform.

6. Study Japanese for at least 10 minutes a day.

This goal has been a habit of mine since the beginning of 2022, and I am glad to see that I have been keeping up with it so far in 2023. I have a basic tracker set up in Notion, and this inspires me to do something every day so that I have something to record. I've also picked up a heat map tracker from No zero days in 2023 langblr challenge which provides another visual method for tracking my daily study.

These methods help me to be very mindful with my studying, which is what 2023 is all about for me!

January Study Log

Reading - I have started off strong with reading, although I've probably taken on more reading material than I have time for. Books I am currently reading:

コンビニ人間 - finishing from December (22% done)

満月珈琲店の星詠み - started Jan. 1st (15% done)

花野井くんと恋の病 (manga) - started Jan. 1st (30% done)

Vocabulary & Kanji - A lot of my vocab & kanji comes from my reading and making a vocab/kanji list from the 満月珈琲店 book I'm reading, but I also try to do vocabulary & kanji flash cards on a daily basis.

Vocabulary & Kanji flash cards (renshuu.org)

言葉で遊ぼう (Japanese wordle)

Listening - Primarily conversational listening with family and friends, or TV/movies, but with some 総まとめ workbook listening sprinkled in. I'd like to do some focused JLPT listening practice soon!

Grammar - Grammar videos are one of the best ways for me to study since they are about 15 minutes each and I take hand-written notes. This month I finished up the Nihongo no Mori JLPT N3 grammar videos!

日本語の森 N3

Going Forward in February

I would like to build upon the momentum I created this month, and while I'd like to continue with the routine I have right now, I would like to add in a few other things to try to mix things up and keep studying interesting.

Continue with the six primary goals I made at the beginning of 2023

Try focusing on a different skill category each month (January has been focused primarily on Reading - I'd like to focus on Listening in February)

Try out a new app - I've downloaded a few different apps that I would like to try out in some detail

Refocus my kanji study on 常用漢字

I hope your language learning journey in 2023 is everything you want it to be! Best of luck everyone ^.^

皆さん、2023年の勉強を努力しましょうね！とても生産的な一年になりますように ^.^

#日本語 #japanese #japanese language #japanese langblr #japanese studyblr #langblr #studyblr #日本語の日記 #japanese diary #japanese goals 2023 #japanese studyspo #tokidokitokyo #tdtphoto #my photo #japanese goals january 2023

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moonshinemagpie · 2 months

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Movies I Watched in February

Once upon a time I only watched 3 movies a year and all of them were bad. Then I learned about Real Culture (TM), and now my life is better.

mini movie reviews from January

February's movies:

mini reviews:

Youth in Fury (1960): Masahiro Shinoda is one of my favorite directors, but I prefer his experimental stuff. Grade: C

Cría Cuervos (1976): A slightly surreal Spanish classic about childhood trauma and how we misinterpret/misremember our own experiences. Makes you feel exactly like you're back in the saddest moment of your own childhood, which, honestly, blows. Do not recommend. Grade: C

Upgraded (2024): This is not a romcom. This is a movie about a woman achieving her career goals, and a guy happens to be in like 30 minutes of it. I thought I was watching for Archie Renaux, but my bi soul must stan Camila Mendes. Grade: B

Dorian Gray (2009): Ben Barnes stars as Dorian Gray. He is very pretty, and that's really all I have to say about it. Grade: B

Viva Cuba (2005): My first Cuban film! I thought, "If I were a Spanish teacher, I'd show this to my students," but oops all the reviews online are from kids who had to watch this in class and hated it because everything that happens to you at school sucks, including all movies, but I really liked it actually. Grade: B+

Saltburn (2023): You all don't talk enough about what unironically classist conservative bullshit this movie is. Read or watch anything that inspired it instead. Grade: a middle finger

The Men of Tread on the Tiger's Tail (1945): A Kurosawa film. This was set where I used to live in Japan and I didn't know until I watched it. Wild. Grade: A

Death of a Cyclist (1955): Spanish film. One of those stories that feels like you know it already because now the narrative is a classic. Grade: A.

The Bodyguard (1992): A big dumb blond man falls for Whitney Houston?? I love this???? I love him? I love her? He eats a nectarine while beating the shit out of another man? It's a mess and I swooned and I love it!!! We don't make romance films like this anymore (see: Upgrade). Grade: A+

The Executioner (1963): Takes place during Franco's Spain. A look at a reluctant executioner that feels, wow, oomph, very very relevant to a post-COVID world. Heavy themes with light storytelling. I REALLY liked this. Grade: A+

The Two Towers/The Return of the King: You don't need me to review LoTR.

Double Suicide (1969): Masahiro Shinoda, you dirty dog, you did it again. I ^%$^*$%^*ing loved this. Wild, experimental film that combines Japanese theater with cinema. It made me feel more alive for having seen it. Grade: A+

p.s. ignore the numbering of the list. tumblr formatting is a butt.

Going Forward:

I really loved the Japanese New Wave and Spanish films I saw this month. Now I want to see more experimental Japanese stuff, dive into Indian cinema, and watch more swoony romantic movies that might get close to making me feel the way The Bodyguard did (like I had injected the best parts of AO3 directly into my veins). I also want to find where the cinematic lesbians are.

Onwards!

#films #movies #cinema #masahiro shinoda #anna's movie adventures #list challenges

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machiroads · 4 months

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Machi's 2023 Year In Review

'23 was a bit of a wild one. A toast to the last twelve months (both in fandom and IRL) under the cut.

Fic

Here's what went out the door in '23:

Naruhata Noir

I started posting NN in December '22, about a month after finishing 9L. At one point last year I joked about finishing the entire thing in the week between Christmas and New years. Evidently, this did not happen for a variety of reasons:

A) A series of events occurring in my personal life that do not merit further detail that I will herein refer to as "the conga line of nonsense". That kicked off during last year's holiday season and bled into like...May. Which leads directly into:

B) Tears of the Kingdom came out. And;

C) A general loss of motivation in the project.

During the aforementioned Conga Line of Nonsense, I had a goal of finishing before TotK came out, but I only managed to cobble together another 4 chapters between January and May. After somehow managing weekly to biweekly chapters for 9L, NN was much more sporadic, and at one point I had people asking me if I was still alive. Which. sucked, since I generally strive to be a somewhat reliable person.

Once the TotK hyperfixation hit, I managed maaaaaaybe another 2 chapters before I finally got bored of grinding monsters to upgrade outfits. I did manage to meet the third self-imposed deadline of finishing before going to Japan for 2 weeks, so at least that's one W.

In addition to the distractions of Life, NN was more challenging to write for a few main reasons:

Aizawa is not the narrator. Look, I'm mature enough to acknowledge that he is Blorbo From My Shows, and everything I write wants to revolve around him. Taking a step back from that and trying to get into another character's head after spending 8 solid months on 9L was an adjustment. It took me a bit of time to find Shinsou's voice.

Most of the relationship dynamics in this fic are non-canonical, and pulled directly out of my ass. Shinsou's relationships with the Hottas are central to the back half of the fic, and his relationship with Mirko also becomes prominent at times. NONE OF THESE CHARACTERS HAVE EVER INTERACTED IN REAL LIFE I'M JUST SMASHING DOLLS TOGETHER LIKE I DID AS A 7 YEAR OLD.

Trying to parallel something I already wrote several months ago is hard. I wanted NN to make sense on its own, but also follow the relevant bits from 9L. This was next to impossible to accomplish without sounding clunky. Almost from the very beginning of the fic, the outsider's perspective of Aizawa's first steps, I felt the urge to change the dialogue because the story that I wanted to tell from Shinsou's perspective was different from the one I wanted to tell from Aizawa's perspective. I locked myself into that rigidity for a while, until I finally decided just to say fuck it at the end and modify the 9L dialogue slightly because the story had taken on a life of its own.

Erasermic took a major backseat in this one, but I still needed to scratch the itch, and I think that's why I ended up writing 2 emic one shots in between chapters.

I don't think a direct parallel spin-off is something I would try writing again, and the fic was probably a lot longer than it needed to be, but at the end of the day, I'm satisfied with the way it turned out, and I'm happy I was actually able to finish it this year.

Here's a collage of my inspo for Aizawa's apartment cobbled together from google maps and japanese real estate websites.

Being No One, Going Nowhere

The first of the 3 one shots that I put out this year, and a proof of concept that I can slap together 3k in a day and a half fever dream and call it a fic.

This one in particular was instigated by one of @o0fyuu0o's tweets that refused to leave me alone. And maybe also the two broken arms story from reddit, but you know, like, less incesty.

Mic was extremely pathetic in this one, which is immensely fun to write. Just a pathetic little meow meow. Sopping wet cat of a man.

College AU was fun to write, emboldened in part by @kyurilin's fic Stray. After being married to canon-verse for both 9L and NN, this was an exercise in just making shit up, and also living vicariously through the memories of the house I lived in for the better part of 2 years as an undergrad. I graduated 7 years ago and it is still crystallized in my memory.

A Tumultuous Sea, You and Me

I've been nursing a healthy crush on Pirate!Aizawa (or Paizawa, as the kids on JP Twit call him) since the Volume 35 character page came out in June '22. Paizawa even killed a 2 year long art block, that's how powerful he is. (Look!)

I do not remember what exactly spurned this one on, but it also got written in the span of about 2 days. I think I reread The Art of Drowning at some point this year, but I do not remember if it was during the writing frenzy, or sometime before it.

Aizawa gets to hold the meow meow card again in this one. His 2 sentence rivalry with Vlad is one of the best things I've ever written.

Of the 2 days I spent writing this, I probably spent 75% of that researching pirate ships. I used almost none of it, and have forgotten almost all of it by this point.

I feel like everyone that dips their toes into the realm of merpeople has a different interpretation on it, but I wanted to spend approximately 0 minutes on worldbuilding, so it's just kind of a chill coexistence between the pirates and the mermaids in this one lol. People were intrigued by said "worldbuilding" however and wanted more, but I think I've scratched the mer-pirate itch for now haha.

1966 Ford Nutstang GT350 Shelby

@kyurilin made a tumblr post that misspelled "mustang" as "nustang" and I skim-read it and saw "nutstang" and was like "you know what would be a terribad nickname for the car? Nutstang." At which point I immediately informed her, which led down the rabbit hole of a very loose RP (as it often does) and I decided YOU KNOW WHAT? I SHOULD JUST TURN THIS INTO A CRACK FIC.

At which point I had to sort of construct a loose plot around the entire bonkers concept. Nemuri held a key role in the pseudo-RP, but I ended up wanting to keep the fic tight and her role was mostly cut. But rest assured she is there in spirit, though, judging.

The plush nutsack is just a bastardization of a kangaroo ballsack coinpurse I saw in a Crap Souvenirs From Around The World calendar I had many years back that has imprinted on my memory. At no point did I seek out visual reference for it, and neither should you. It is up to the reader's imagination.

On the topic of bastardizations, the reappearing nutsack plotline is borrowed from the drawfee gnome saga.

Mic yelling GOOD MORNING and Aizawa banging his head on the underside of his desk is S tier slapstick.

PEOPLE MADE ART????

Some wonderful listeners readers are still making art for 9L, and we have been blessed with two beautiful new pieces this year:

Mic and Eri's selfie, from @kaleidoscopedrawsjpg

The Only One Bed scene, from @guiltyfixations

@obsessed-dragon also drew the photo of Shinsou holding Miso from Naruhata Noir, and Black Spider Eyes drew Aizawa dangling out the window from Tumultuous Sea.

Every time a piece of art drops on my dash, or I see my fic being recommended to other people, my brain does a lil short circuit and I have to go get up and walk around for a bit. I'm not sure words can express how much it means to me that people have enjoyed my writing enough to recommend it to other people, or sit down and create something of their own based off of it. It's humbling, and I'm truly grateful for every kind word or "sketch I should have maybe spent a little longer on" hahaha

Stats!

Look, I'm an engineer. I can't resist the thrall of Microsoft Excel. So here's A Chart.

I value Bookmarks the highest of all the stats that AO3 spits out. Views are pointless (skewed higher in the context of multi-chap fics). Kudos are an indicator of how many people read and liked enough to leave a kudos, but bookmarks are my indicator of how many people liked it enough to keep it around to read again, or recommend to others.

The bookmark-to-kudos ratio is (in my unscientific opinion) a measure of how many people loved the work vs how many people just liked it.

From the chart above, we can propose the following conclusions:

9L is still, far and away, the most popular, and most well-loved thing I've ever written. I'm fine with that.

The Nutstang fic was a certified cult classic, with a bookmark-to-kudos ratio of almost 0.3, second to only 9L.

NN is at a respectable ratio of 0.24 (middle of the pack), but in terms of number of kudos, is not that far ahead the mer-pirate fic. NN was not tagged as erasermic, so I do think this checks out in terms of sheer exposure.

Still Cooking:

FFXII AU

I started this one in March during the conga line of personal life nonsense. I somehow lured in Robbirdthe8th and @o0fyuu0o and @obsessed-dragon and got a solid month of drafting done before I was like "maybe I should work on NN again" and then it sat dormant until like. October.

It's up to almost 30k across 3 partially written chapters already, and I outlined 9 chapters. It is almost certainly overambitious, and I will almost certainly run into the same motivation issue I had with NN because it's a rooftop 4 fic and not just erasermic, and it has a demographic of approximately four people as an AU of a game that came out in uh........2006.

I thought I'd get at least some of it out in '23 but I'm taking it easy and just writing when inspiration strikes at the moment.

Fortuneteller AU

I started this one maybe a week-ish ago, in my quest for a pitch for the erasermic zine (surprise! they haven't made official announcements yet, but I'll be in it. this is an easter egg for those of you who made it this far). It's going to end up far too long for the 3k word limit for that, so I'm just co-opting it for another one-shot. Taisho era urban fantasy dabbling in some Violet Evergarden/FMA-esque post-war themes. Mic with pince nez. Aizawa in hakama. Gratuitous amateur tarot. It has gripped me by the throat.

More from the Nine Lives Extended Universe (canon-willing)

I've got 3 more spin-offs to 9L simmering, just waiting for canon to figure out its business. These are:

When The Battle's Lost and Won

A final battle post-mortem in 4 parts (if 3baka all make it out alive that is). Every few chapters of canon that come out, something gets added or tossed. Extremely fluid at this point, but there are some good quality blurbs and bullet points in there.

Kintsugi

The erasermic epilogue to 9L, from Mic's perspective. An exploration of their relationship beyond the final battle, with an overarching theme that I've borrowed from a Dorktown documentary on former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dave Stieb: Not at all, and then all at once.

This one's just pure body worship, punctuated by an extremely casual marriage proposal. A lot of people still comment on 9L like "THIS CAN'T BE IT, WHERE'S THE REST OF IT?", so I hope this will satisfy those looking for some closure from a relatively open ending.

The Way of the Househero

With the impending graduation of the hell class, and a body that doesn't quite move the way it used to, Aizawa has a bit of an existential crisis and semi-retires so he can be a full-time parent to Eri while figuring out what's next for him. Mostly slice of life. No real plot to this one yet, mostly just vignettes. Aizawa finally gets cats of his own, makes mom friends, and becomes more of a knife slut (only its in the kitchen now instead of on the streets).

IRL

Painting

Every room in my home is painted some sort of bland pastel, and this year we managed to purge pastels from four rooms: my home office, our living room / dining room, and our bedroom. I am enormously pleased with how each of these have turned out.

Gardening

We moved to this house in January '22, and last year was mostly seeing what came up in the garden. This year we cleared out a lot of the decorative shrubs in our backyard (turns out you can hock shrubs on facebook marketplace), and planted a veggie garden. The extent of my gardening experience prior to this year was mowing the lawn as a teenager, so this year was a continuous learning experience, and likely will be for many more years to come.

We had some big wins (potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, cherries, squash, dear god the squash), and some losses (apples that were infested with tent caterpillars, arugula that bolted, and lettuce that got eaten by bunnies to name a few).

In addition to veggies, we also did a lot of general cleanup around the rest of the yard, including clearing out some invasive species and thinning out some partially dead shrubs. We mostly let the yard do its own thing last year, and the previous owner of our home died about 6 months before we moved in, so it was probably neglected for a while. I cut out a blackberry cane that was as long as our driveway. I bought a wood chipper and a compost aerator and am learning the art and science of turning yard trash into yard treasure. (I have not peed on my compost pile yet, as recommended by /r/composting. Maybe some day.)

I also adopted a clipping from my sister-in-law's monstera, which has done quite well (except for the parts my cat has taken a mild interest in nibbling on from time to time)

Travel

Probably too much travel this year ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

3 Weddings (4 if you count the one in December '22 that's included in the Conga Line of Nonsense). Got covid at 2 of them. Invited to a fifth next year. Wishing everyone of marriageable age I know IRL a very elope

Trips for work to Winnipeg and Calgary (to which I have never been before, but are both underwhelming). Also got to fly on a floatplane for the first time, which is noisy, but the views are unbeatable

I turned 30 this year, and after the Conga Line of Nonsense, I said fuck it, we're going back to Japan for my birthday. 2 weeks, 8 cities. L: Shimanami Kaido cycle (still somehow 30 degrees in September x full sun x forgot sunscreen x 80km = pain) (my husband has proofread this and insists that this is not an L but agree to disagree) W: Hokkaido (beautiful scenery, incredible food, not 30 degrees in September lmao)

Anyways

If you made it this far, thanks for reading, and thanks for your love in '23. I hope to provide you with more of the same nonsense in '24. Let me know if you want a spinoff cats + gardening + DIY blog, since that's just my life now. Happy new year 🍾

#Machiwrites #long boi under the cut

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japanwords · 1 year

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一日一歩 (ichi-nichi-ip-po)

“one step at a time"

一 = one 日 = day 一 = one 歩 = step

I decided to write this classic Japanese 4-character idiom because it’s January and many people are thinking about their goals and resolutions for the upcoming year.

At the moment I’m reading “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. This book says that instead of setting large unfocussed goals, we should instead take small, regular steps in the right direction to reach our desired outcome.

What’s your desired outcome? What small, regular steps will you take?

****************************************************************

The above artwork is for sale at my Etsy shop!

Tumblr users get 15% off this artwork (and all other artworks from my store) with this code: TUMBLRCODE15

Just enter it when you go to checkout.

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For more information on Japanese calligraphy, check out my site:

#japan #japanese art #japanese calligraphy #japanese langugage #japanese langblr #kanji #idiom #4-character idiom #書道 #calligraphy #asian art #inspirational quotes #inspiring quotes

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projectmokyuu · 1 year

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Casting Call for "Green Jasper Diviners" | Project Mokyuu: Magia Record Fandub

Auditions for “Green Jasper Diviners” and Main Story have officially opened!

Included in this audition cycle are: Shizuka Tokime, Sunao Toki, Chiharu Hiroe, Mifuyu Azusa, Momoko Togame, Rena Minami, Kaede Akino, as well as various NPCs!

Meet the Tokime Clan, a secretive group living in a remote village in the Japanese countryside. Chiharu discovers she’s part of the clan and is summoned to take part in the mysterious Diviners ceremony. She quickly finds out, though, that things are not as idyllic as they seem. Will she and her new friends be able to escape the tides of fate, or will they drown in the dark secrets of the village?

Since main story requires us casting a lot of characters, we have also included in this casting call some of the characters needed for Arc 2 main story. This includes the previously mentioned Mifuyu, Momoko, Rena, and Kaede.

The deadline for auditions is Decemebr 22nd 2022! If you're interested in voicing one of these characters, please submit your audition at the link provided! Voice actors who have already been casted in other roles are also allowed to audition in this cycle, as long as you're able to distinguish the character voices.

Casting decisions will be announced January 1st, 2023.

Project Mokyuu is a fan dubbing project for Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story, a mobile game spin-off of the critically acclaimed 2011 dark magical girl anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

With a dedicated team, Project Mokyuu aims to make Magia Record's Arc 2 content easily accessible with the help of Magia Union Translations by producing a high-quality English fan-dub for Magia Record. Interested in helping out? Join our Discord server to find out how you can help us in our goal of dubbing Magia Record!

#magiarecord #magireco #mifuyu azusa #madoka magica #fandub #voice acting

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cvt2dvm · 2 months

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Studyblr Intro

Hello Hello!

I'm currently studying for my Veterinary Technician Associates Degree & License and Certified Canine Athlete Specialist (CCAS) certification. I grew up in Vet Med, and am working towards my DVM through a non-traditional path to take over the family practice with minimal student debt.

About Me

Name: Elizabeth (She/Her)

Country: USA

Age: 23

Education: Starting my First Year of CVT Studies after getting my first Associate of Applied Science in Cabinetmaking and Wood Technology

Path: I'm studying for a Veterinary Technology Associates Degree, which will then be followed by a Veterinary Technologist Bachelor's Degree and 6 further night courses at my local community college to meet the criteria to apply to Vet School.

Pets: Olive (Bombay Cat, 9.5 Years, found in the garden, her grandmother is now the clinic reception cat that her breeder had turned loose after a divorce), Chewbacca (Terrier Mix, 7 Years, Born in Rescue and adopted, Addison's Disease, retired service dog and groundhog hunter), Roland (Marshall's Ferret, 3 years, Dumped on my Porch), and Phobos (Belgian Malinois, 18 Months, Rehomed from a bomb dog program at 7 months, Current Multi-Purpose Working Dog in Service, SAR, and Protection Sports)*

Post Schedule: Monday (Original Work and Study Posts), Wednesday (Reblogs), and Friday (Lifestyle) mornings at 07:00 EST, Case Studies on Wednesday Nights at 19:00 EST, Bite Club Content on Saturday at 12:00 EST, and Religious content Sunday Evenings at 20:00 EST.

I am also studying my 4th Language, Japanese currently. English is my first language. I'm conversational in both; Irish (Gaeilge) and Polish (Polski), and my working dog is trained in Greek, which I'll study more in-depth after Japanese fluency.

Disabled: Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome & Hemiplegic Migraines resulting from Post Concussive Syndrome

Goals

Balance my 60hr work weeks with Church, Sport, Fitness, and Educational commitments

Maintain an average of at least 90% in all courses.

Interests

Dog sports, particularly PSA (Protection Sports Association), Nose Work, Mondio Ring, and Dock Diving. I also used to Barn hunt, and hunt small game with my terrier until his retirement.

Fox Hunting, Eventing, & Dressage, but currently away from Equestrian pursuits after the death of my heart horse in January 2023.

Carnivorous Exotics medicine, especially falcons and ferrets, nutrition, and Canine rehabilitation and sports medicine.

Fiber arts, especially knitting, drop-spindle spinning, and hand quilting.

Homesteading/Off-Grid Living

Eco-Conscious Living with a Paleo-Based diet (although I still consume raw & fermented dairy, and I'll post what my version of dirty paleo looks like later)

Hunting, Fishing, Hiking, etc

Fitness for both canine and human athletes

Reverted Episcopalian with universalist leanings, and I thoroughly enjoy liturgical, scriptural, and world religion knowledge sharing, conversation, and debate.

Women's Rights and Women's Gun Rights, & DV Victim Advocacy

Harm Reduction and Addiction Recovery Support

Assisting in developing Girl's, Women's, Youth, Young Adult, and Recovery ministries with my Church community, and Serving on the breakfast ministry.

That's all folks! I look forward to connecting with you all.

*Not All Dogs are suited for multi-purpose work, especially Service and Protection work, it is of utmost importance to consult your veterinarian, trainer, and decoy about your dog's suitability to do both, and it is important to understand that by having a dog that does both you risk loss of function in one or both of these working disciplines with your K9.

As an aside, all images have Alt Text available, all images are my original work, Adobe Lightroom Preset is Pretty In Pink by Addie Overla nee Woost, and additional editing of Photos is Original and unassisted by A.I. Captured On Samsung Galaxy Devices.

#studyspo #studyblr introduction #studyblr #study motivation #study aesthetic #vet med #veterinary #pets #Christian Studyblr #Christian Blogger #Dog Sports #dogblr #vetblr #working dogs #vet tech #Feminine Academia #Pink Academia #photoset #my photos

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tomorrowxtogether · 1 year

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[Notice] TOMORROW X TOGETHER '2023 SEASON’S GREETINGS' Release announcement

TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s DAY BY DAY, “2023 SEASON’S GREETINGS” is released!

TOMORROW X TOGETHER “2023 SEASON’S GREETINGS” closely captures a day of the members being professional as artists and being themselves in their everyday lives. In a desk calendar, diary and photobook for MOA, you will find the members in various looks filling up the angles and relaxing in a comfortable mood after work. Through the Digital Code Card, you will see the making-of footage at the studio, the goals they set for 2023 and the members revealing their true feelings through an anonymous chat. There also are a photo pack that comes in two different versions, a poster book, a folding poster calendar, a memo pad and a random photo card set to complete the full package. For every moment of MOA in 2023, TOMORROW X TOGETHER “2023 SEASON’S GREETINGS” will be available for pre-order starting from December 6 and released officially on January 17 . *This product is made of paper certified by Forest Stewardship Council and printed with biodegradable soy ink. [Weverse Shop - USA] • PRE-ORDER DATE : From 11AM, Tuesday, December 06, 2022 (KST) *WHILE SUPPLIES LAST* • RELEASE DATE: Tuesday, January 17, 2023 (PST)

*OUT BOX (Size: 198x260x42mm) Note: This outbox is designed to protect the product, and exchange or refund due to stains or damage that may occur during the distribution process is not available. [SPECIFICATION] 1. DESK CALENDAR Size: 252x172mm, 13months (World ver.) 2. DIARY Size: 160x230mm, 92pages 3. PHOTOBOOK Size: 160x230mm, 60pages 4. DIGITAL CODE CARD CARD Size: 54x86mm [144p], [270p], [360p], [480p SD], [720p HD], [1080p FHD] SUBTITLES : KOREAN, ENGLISH, JAPANESE, CHINESE DURATION : About 54 mins 5. POSTER BOOK Size: 152x210mm, 10pcs 6. PHOTO PACK ENVELOPE Size: 120x165mm LIVE PHOTO SET Size: 102x152mm, 7ea FILM PHOTO SET Size: 117x70mm, 5ea 7. FOLDING POSTER CALENDAR Size: 310x450mm, 1ea 8. MEMO PAD Size: 80x120mm, 60sheets 9. RANDOM PHOTOCARD SET Size: 54x86mm, 5ea 1set (RANDOM 1set of 3set)

#txt #tomorrow x together #221201 #weverse #notice #soobin #yeonjun #beomgyu #taehyun #hueningkai #2023 SEASONS GREETINGS #SEASONS GREETINGS #DAY BY DAY

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pixelgrotto · 5 months

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Adventure Paths & Strategy Guides

Those of you who keep track of this blog may have noticed that my updates have dried up since September. I have a good reason for this, because I got a new fulltime job writing for Rock Paper Shotgun. Yep, that's right - after originally starting Pixel Grotto back in 2013 because I couldn't get a job working at a video game media outlet, finally my path has come full circle. It only took a decade!

This turn of events coincides with a lot of other stuff in my life. In the past year, I've gotten married, moved from the US to the UK with my wife, and been freelancing in the tabletop RPG space all the while. In fact, my first published TTRPG work is now out in the wild in the form of Pathfinder Adventure Path #198 - With No Breath To Cry. Go grab a PDF (or physical copy) if you can, since I wrote some creepy lore about a new demon vaguely influenced by Chinese yaoguai and Japanese yokai, not to mention all sorts of Asian horror movies. I'm actually more pleased with my contributions to Pathfinder Adventure Path #199, but that doesn't come out until January. Keep your eyes peeled for it though!

Needless to say, this has probably been the most hectic and life-changing year I've gone through since 2018, when I moved from Hong Kong back to the US. And as 2023 comes to a close, I'm feeling reflective. I compare myself with others a lot, and much of my life has been spent looking at the accomplishments of people around me and feeling like I don't measure up. While I still do this to varying degrees, I suppose I can finally acknowledge that two of the goals I've always had - 1) to work in the gaming industry to some capacity, and 2) to see my writing published - have manifested in 2023. If I could venture back to 2013 when I started this blog (with a post about eating dumplings while playing Final Fantasy XII, no less) and tell my old self what he'd be up to a decade later, younger Jeremy would be chuffed.

That's another thing of note: as of this past October, Pixel Grotto turned a decade old. Technically, the site is even older than that, since prior to Pixel Grotto, I used this Tumblr for a blog dubbed Aqua Headphones that was sort of a mixture of personal ramblings combined with reblogs of whatever I found cool on the internet at the time. Since then, I've written an awful lot about video games, which led to writing about tabletop games, which led to working in both fields in a professional capacity.

It's surreal to examine my goals and observe how they unfolded in unusual ways. My original desire to work in games media came from the childhood magazines that I loved - Computer Gaming World and Electronic Gaming Monthly - and when those went the way of the dodo, I became a journalist with the sly hope that maybe one day I'd get a job working at Kotaku or something. But I finally got my gaming gig not at an American site, but a British one. And I'm writing guides, which is not something I initially envisioned myself doing. It's tricky work where we often have the chase the reins of the most popular franchises (I now know more about Modern Warfare 3 guns than I ever imagined I would), but it's also fun, since it reminds me of days spent perusing GameFAQs and leafing through physical strategy guides, several of which I still own. Versus Books' Final Fantasy VII and Ocarina of Time Perfect Guides remain on my shelf alongside Prima's Quest for Glory guides and Peter Spear's The King's Quest Companion...and while I can't do my current work in the same format of these gems (many of which were "novelizations," a style of guide writing I really miss), it does feel trippy to be following in their footsteps.

I could say the same thing about getting my words published. As a kid, I forever wanted to pen the next great fantasy novel. And while I've got more than a few discarded novel drafts sitting on my hard drive, the field of fantasy fiction isn't the one that's bearing my first printed work. Instead, it's modules and supplementary books in the fantasy tabletop gaming space - a space that has let me develop and externalize some of the plots and characters that have been gestating in my head since childhood. To a certain extent, that childhood desire to be the next great Tolkien has lessened as a result of this, and I can't say I'm displeased. I'm also happy that my first published work has been in a Pathfinder Adventure Path, because once again thinking about magazines, Adventure Paths remain one of the few remaining publications in the TTRPG space that bear some resemblance to old issues of Dragon magazine, and the nostalgia makes me happy.

I don't like to spend much time on this blog talking about myself, because there are always new ways to incite comparison to others and activate the inferiority complex in my brain. But at the end of a very long 2023 and on the tenth anniversary of the name "Pixel Grotto," I feel like it's necessary. As we move on to year eleven, I'll continue to make posts as long as my schedule permits it - after all, I can't let this blog fall to the wayside seeing as how its existence contributed a great deal to the opportunities that I now enjoy!

#pixel grotto #musings

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nyappyforeverbr · 1 year

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【Interview】Miku (An Cafe) × ClubZy ONLINE │Part #1

In February of that year, 2023, Miku was interviewed by the ClubZy Online team. ClubZy is a Japanese magazine specializing in visual-kei artists managed by Visual-kei Oyaji/Seiichi Hoshiko. The editor in chief of the magazine is Hakuei (Penicillin).

To access the interview, it was necessary to pay a contribution/subscription fee on the ClubZy no Nico channel (Japanese live broadcast platform), Cafekko Sara signed and sent us the interview!

After starting their hiatus in January 2019, AN CAFE made a 'live comeback' at [OSAKA MUSE 35th Anniversary Event “OUR CANVAS”] held last June/2022. After such a surprise, they celebrated their 20th anniversary this year by performing at Zepp Haneda on January 5th and 6th, 2023. In addition, it was also announced that they will be performing live in Tokyo and Osaka in August this year, surely many readers are creating expectations for the full resumption of activities. We caught up with Miku (Vo.) to talk about An Cafe's past, present and future!

Interview: Takayuki Murakami Photo: Susumu Miyawaki

- On January 5th and 6th, you got together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of “Reiwa from First NYAPPY o(≧∀≦)o” at Zepp Haneda. Miku: The reason why we decided to do this live was because the members reunited before the 20th anniversary. When we went out to eat, everyone probably had the word “20th anniversary” flashing in their heads, but no matter what they did, they couldn't say “Let's do this together” to each other. We talked privately, but we didn't talk about An Cafe. I totally understand that feeling. I didn't leave because I wanted to, so remembering that makes me sad. I wonder if the others felt embarrassed. So, although not everyone mentioned it, last June there was an anniversary event for Osaka MUSE, An Cafe was invited. I got a message from the team about what it was going to look like, and right away I thought, "Oh! I can see some light." After talking with Teruki, he summoned the members. Everyone kindly agreed to do a live in June. And that. We started talking about doing a 20th birthday and we made it happen in January.

- Osaka MUSE's anniversary event was held at the ideal time. This time the title was "First NYAPPY o(≧∀≦)o in Reiwa". What was the concept?

Miku: The concept might have been different for everyone... No, it's the same. I wonder if it was. Anyway, to satisfy the fans, I did my best by delivering the best live with the feeling of thinking it's an important date. That's why we had fun, more than that, I had a strong desire to make the audience have fun.

-Was the set list also decided with that in mind?

Miku: For the set list, first of all, we have about 140 songs if you align them with Excel. So I surprised myself by saying, “Wow, there are so many songs!” Like (laughs). All songs are important to me, but from there I chose the most important ones. There were still about 50 songs left, that's right. I thought this was not applicable but this time it was 2 days wasn't it? 2 days of An Cafe. Generally, we only change a few songs in streams for days in a row. But this time, for the first time, I changed the songs almost completely. Thanks to that, I was able to include more.

-The fans were happy to be able to listen to several songs. In other words, Miku thought of the set list by himself, was that it?

Miku: Yes. If I “decided” and suggested it to everyone; they accepted my proposal.

-After all, everyone was looking at the same goal. So what did you feel when you performed live?

Miku: It's still a dream, and it really is like a dream. I can not explain. It was very funny. It was extraordinary, it's like a dream, still.

-There are many things I thought about after watching the show. I felt strongly that An Cafe's live performance was extraordinary.

Miku: The extraordinary space is the synergy between the band and the audience. Members are what make An Cafe great. Honestly, I don't think I'm good, but when I go on stage I can shine. Fans too, when everyone comes together, everyone can shine. A special space is created. Therefore, our role as an artist is to give our fans dreams, but they also make us dream. I feel like I'm being taken care of.

-Certainly, the audience's reaction was beautiful, and the live atmosphere, the feeling was excellent. And during An Cafe's concert there are many attractive parts, first of all, the music is good, the melody has a sparkle. It's amazing how exciting it is.

Miku: I'm glad you realize that. Maybe it's because I'm a shadow. I have a very sociable personality and I really like folk songs. Usually, the members compose the songs, but I'm the one who decides the melody line myself. That's why, while it's bright and poppy, it's also full of melancholy. I feel like we managed to convey that in the song.

-If the melody is lively, bright or heavy, I feel it is in good taste.

Miku: I think the reason why we like visual-kei is that it has some shadows and is dark. I think the members really prefer dark songs. But An Cafe has the image of a brilliant band, doesn't it? It's about trying to reconcile the band's image with our tastes, and even if we want to do something brilliant, there will be some minor tastes.

-It's hard to mix light and dark well, but An Cafe is good at it. In addition to being able to enjoy many high quality songs, I thought it was good to have a place to show the instrumental formation, which is typical of the band.

Miku: In An Cafe, there is a section that focuses on the musical ensemble called "Etcetera", and I think this is a very important scene in live performance. So I definitely wanted to do that this time around, so I included it in the set list.

-That is great. Do you leave the etcetera content to the instrument team?

Miku: Yes. I think Teruki is the main and leading actor. I usually don't participate. When I entered the studio, they said, "Miku-kun, it's okay if you're late."

-The default is to come into the studio later, see what you think and give the OK.

Miku: No, it's like watching for the first time during the live.

-What? Don't you check in the studio?

Miku: They don't (laughs). I try to snoop around during the final rehearsal which is held on stage, but after the studio rehearsals they only do the actual performance. So I don't know what they're going to do until the day of the show (laughs). But etcetera's content is always good, and I trust all the members.

-It's also nice to see Miku leaving the stage when Etcetera enters. Without appealing to the public by saying, "I'm going to be gone for a while", I could feel the importance of the members from the fact that they were gone so quickly.

Miku: That was good (laughs). I have no problem leaving the stage. I've been doing this since we started doing etcetera. ~ x ~

to be continued...

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mjohnso · 1 year

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Quarterly Debut Review: Q1 2023

Quarterly Debut Reviews are a new supplementary series to my biannual Periodic Rookie Group Reports, which as the title indicates will be published quarterly. Each installment will cover three rookie groups that debuted over the past three months, one from each month. For this first installment, I covered MAVE: (January), HAWW (February), and Delight (March).

As always, a full list of rookie groups that have debuted thus far in 2023 is available here: 2023 Rookie Groups Debuts

January / MAVE: Debut: January 5, 2023 Debut Song: “Pandora”

As with the debut of every virtual idol group, MAVE:’s debut was greeted with what I refer to as The Question: “Will they eventually render human idols obsolete and thereby replace them?” Treating it as a simple yes/no question, I would say no, probably not. But if I consider this a more open-ended question, I would have a different answer arguing that this is the wrong question to be asking. That is, rather than asking if they will replace idols, it is more salient to ask if Metaverse Entertainment even intends to.

At least in the case of Kakao Entertainment, which partnered with Metaverse Entertainment (itself a subsidiary of the gaming company Netmarble F&C) to create the group, I would say no. Instead, I suspect their interest in creating a virtual idol group stems from the same reason they set about acquiring SM Entertainment earlier this year. Much as the that acquisition of gives them access to SM’s stable of talent to feature in original content for Kakao branded platforms and apps, so can the same be said about virtual idols like MAVE:. Kakao has already given us an idea of how this might look with the group. A month after their debut, they announced a MAVE webtoon that would be published through Kakao Webtoon and Kakao Page.

This is not the extent of their plans for a group like MAVE. It is likely they will take a page from Japanese VTubers like Kizuna Ai or anime idols from media mix projects, whose status as fictional characters allows them to appear across a range of properties. This is all to say that it would not be surprising if in the future MAVE: branches out into television shows and video games, all delivered through Kakao’s suite of apps.

February / HAWW Debut: February 23, 2023 Debut Song: “How Are You”

Even as the rest of the industry has made strides toward recovering from the shock of the pandemic, boy group debuts have remained a stubborn exception. Their numbers dropped 39% from 2019 to 2021, slipping to a low of 22 groups total for 2021 and 2022. Hence why the debut of every new boy group in 2023 takes on such outsized importance. Each holds the possibility that they will be the one to herald or mark the reversal of this downward trend.

Unfortunately, HAWW is no such herald. Their debut was not part of a wave as much as a trickle; they were the only boy group to debut in February. They were the fifth boy group to debut in 2023 out of a total of seven boy groups that debuted during the first quarter of the year. For the sake of comparison, eleven girl groups debuted in total over the first quarter, with four girl groups debuting in February alone.

Yet of all the few boy groups that have debuted thus far, HAWW is the perfect group to offer as a chaser to such dour news. Casting the members as what amounts to emotional support k-pop boys, the group describes themselves as a “healing group” that seeks to soothe listeners through their music. Their debut song, “How Are You” is very much in service to this goal. Lyrically, it addresses a significant other asking how their day went, although it keeps the identity of said significant other vague. It could be anyone, including the listener, which is the point. Their music is not meant for just a small group or those willing to buy into their lore or multi-month debut rollout but for everyone.

March / Delight Debut: March 31, 2023 Debut Song: “Neverland”

Condolences to that YouTuber commenter who pleaded with Rainbow E&M to please stop debuting new groups—three years on, they show no indication of stopping soon. This is because the groups under the Future Idol Asia umbrella are not being debuted and promoted as traditional girl groups. Their existence is purely taxonomic. Groups are the most efficient way to organize and present the greatest number of trainees at the Future Idol Asia showcase, the centerpiece of the Future Idol Asia project (For more about the Future Idol Asia project, see Periodic Rookie Groups Report No. 20).

Understanding this is the nature of the Future Idol Asia groups explains the aesthetic choices of these groups, like their budget music videos. As it would not make financial sense to sink money into expensive music videos with elaborate sets or effects for temporary groups, they tend to recycle the same formula: photo rental studio + choreography version inter-cut with close-up shots + maximum two outfit changes.

That applies to the naming conventions for the groups well. Their names tend towards the unoriginal and SEO-averse. Many of the Future Idol Asia groups share their names with the title of at least one k-pop song (Memoria and “Memoria,” Black Rose and “Black Rose,” and Dream Girl and “Dream Girl” and “Dream Girls”). In this respect, Delight is an especially unfortunate choice for a group. In 2013, another girl group debuted with that same name, and despite disbanding in 2015, still crowds them out of YouTube search results. Key and Rolling Quartz have released songs titled “Delight,” while CSR, Baekhyun, and Daesung have released albums with that name. Meanwhile, the name of SF9’s 2022 tour was Live Fantasy #4 [Delight]. This does raise the question of why bother naming the groups at all, although I suspect it is partly because Delight sounds better than Group #22. It may also have something to do with the fact that while Rainbow E&M is not chiefly marketing to a general audience, they are trying to sell these trainees to outside agencies. Names decrease the chances that an agency will confuse one group for, but also individuates them, clearly dividing one group from another.

#kpop #quarterly-review #future-idol-asia #mave #rookies

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detectivenyx · 1 year

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Goals for 2023

again, i don’t want to set strict resolutions since failure to meet them would likely be incredibly depressing. instead, i’ve been trying to set yearly themes instead.

this was inspired by this video, which explains things better than i can at this time. put very simply, i pick a theme and keep it in mind as i progress throughout the year.

this year, i’ve decided to go with the following:

Year of Education

i’ve felt pretty stagnant as of late since leaving university - i’ve not been able to find work in my fields of study, as they are usually unwilling to take on apprentices - even in games design, most studios have writers and artists, and instead want a programmer, the one thing i’ve never been able to do.

i’ve been considering going back to university and aiming to do my Master’s degree. part of this is a little extra time to stall while i figure out what i want to do with my life (it would give me another 2 years), part of this is i miss the campus and its whole vibe. the degree i’m considering is an art degree, and let’s just say the art world has certainly become very Interesting as of late, which i imagine will very much shape the course. (provided i’m accepted)

but alongside academic pursuits, i’ve had duolingo on my phone for about 6 months now and have been making my way through the Japanese course. i’m nowhere near fluent, in fact i still can barely speak it at all, but it’s enough that i want to practice outside of duolingo. it’s had me even considering my english wording more, and just how much i took my prowess in it for granted. i think i understand the language structure of sentences a bit better.

this is, of course, also returning to my desire to make my own clothes - and i’d actually like to make my own support garments. i’m eyeing up a local busk and bone supplier to try making my own corset in Q1 2023, as well as make a ballgown out of an absolutely beautiful (though uh, scratchy and painful) organza for my upcoming 24th birthday. education can be a pursuit into better making my own clothes!

those are all currently educational pursuits i intend to continue into 2023, but what ‘year of education’ means in January 2023 could be entirely different to even June 2023 or December 2023. whatever ‘education’ means throughout 2023, i’m going to aim to make choices that improve my education.

to close off, im about to go do another ice skating session in cosplay - which may become an annual thing? i don’t know. but i better grab everything i need for that. happy new year!

#goals for 2023 #- nyx (they/she)

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tokidokitokyo · 2 months

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Photo by Samuel Berner on Unsplash

2024年1月31日

It's been a while since I've done a goals update, but here I am! I'd like to do a quick comparison between how last year ended up and how things are going this year. Then, I'd like to preview what I'd like to do in February.

お久しぶりです！最近日記を書いてなくて、今月は去年と今年目的をまとめてアップデートしようと思います。それから、2月の目的の話をするつもりです。

2023 Wrap Up

In 2023, I spent the most time with Vocabulary, Kanji, and Listening and the least time in Grammar and Writing. I started off strong with Reading in January, but gradually that fell by the wayside over the course of the year as I got busier with life things. I focused on Listening the most in the last few months of the year, and August was the month I spent my time mostly evenly divided amongst the 7 main areas of study. I tried a lot of new things, like new apps and daily reading goals, but as usual I didn't have enough time to do everything I wanted to do.

I most wish that I could have kept up with the daily history reading (日本の歴史366) but I am glad that I stopped trying to vocabulary mine with novels (I just don't have the time for that, and reading is easier without doing that).

2023 Successes

Studied lots of kanji

Lots of speaking and listening practice with Japanese mom friends

Finished the Sou-matome N3 workbook series

Began teaching my son hiragana (and he recognises some characters!)

2023 Challenges

Less writing than I'd hoped

Not a good time to find a tutor

Not much reading progress on the novels I've started

Need to work on grammar more consistently

So with that said... let's move on to 2024!

January 2024

Now January is over and 2024 is in full swing, but let's take a quick look at what I did in January.

In January, I spent the most time Reading! Starting the year off strong with novels, I made a point to read each day before bed, even if it was only a few pages. I also spent a lot of time Listening to podcasts, dramas, and shows.

I did very little Grammar or Writing practice, but the year is still young. I also focused a lot less on Kanji than I would have liked to in January.

February Goals

For February, I'd like to continue with Reading but also focus more on Kanji, Grammar, and Writing. I get lots of practice with Speaking and Listening thanks to the moms at my son's Japanese preschool, and I continue to pick up Vocabulary when I research words or read novels.

So, my February goals will be:

Read daily

Write sentences once a week

Review kanji flashcards daily

Review 1-2 grammar points weekly

Learn 1-2 new grammar points weekly

How are your goals for 2024 going?

Is there anything in particular that you want to focus on this year?

Best of luck with your studies!

皆さんを応援しています！

#日本語 #japanese #japanese language #japanese langblr #japanese studyblr #langblr #studyblr #日本語の日記 #japanese diary #japanese goals #japanese goals 2024 #tokidokitokyo #japanese studyspo #japanese goals january 2024 #my photo #tdtphoto

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alexbkrieger13 · 1 year

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🥹 First big interview with Maika. So precious!

The super talent who will be the best in the world: "I love Hammarby"

She is determined to be the best in the world, she gets upset if she leaves a game without a goal and she is said to sleep with a soccer ball. And she already loves Hammarby. Meet Allsvenskan's new star shot - Maika Hamano, 18.

She looks with wide eyes at the mobile phone that teammate Ellen Wangerheim shows and suddenly exclaims:

- Wow!

Despite the fact that Maika Hamano has already seen pictures of Hammarby's supporters from the record match against AIK at Tele2 Arena in autumn 2021, she gets really excited.

- AIK? Is it against AIK?

Without the undersigned or Wangerheim mentioning the black and yellow competitor's name, Hamano asks the question. She has obviously picked up on the rivalry.

- I've seen it on Youtube, says the new acquisition and smiles.

The 18-year-old has been a Bajen player for less than a month when Football Channel meets her but she already seems to be enjoying being in green and white. And that despite the fact that she only knows a few words in English.

Hamano was bought by Chelsea in January, loaned directly to Hammarby and beams when she talks about the move to Europe and Sweden. This is her chance to take the next step towards becoming the best player in the world. Therefore, she is not afraid to move away from home as a young person with language challenges.

- I thought I wanted to follow what my heart told me.

***

There is no doubt that Maika Hamano is something out of the ordinary. The teammates in Hammarby say it, the leaders in Hammarby say it and the award as the U20 WC's best player in 2022 gossips about it.

Football also means a lot to Hamano. Very much.

In her first two matches in Bajen, the Japanese scored four goals and when the team then went to Spain for a training camp, she got to experience the feeling of going goalless from a match with Hammarby for the first time. It was a 2-1 victory against Brann, but after the final whistle the 18-year-old was sad.

When the teammates asked why, they got the answer: "No goal". Hamano was simply self-critical and disappointed in his own effort. Even after an intervention in the 3-1 loss against Vålerenga a few days later, she had to be comforted by teammates.

Her will to succeed is extraordinary and it is even said that she sleeps with a soccer ball by her side. Have you heard it before about a talent? Yes, presumably. But in Hamano's case, it seems to be very true.

"In principle, yes," confirms press contact Marcus Bolldén in a text message.

"Her best friend she herself usually says".

In Hammarby, the belief in the new acquisition is enormous.

- She's amazing. I see that she will become one of the world's best players in the future, a player that will be talked about and written about a lot.

The words come from sports manager Johan Lager. He is completely convinced that the 18-year-old whirlwind will take the Allsvenskan by storm.

- She is playable all the time and she orients herself. She has a good eye for the game, a great technique and is good with both feet.

Stock continues:

- She will be a player worth paying to go and watch in the women's league.

Since the transfers that brought Jonna Andersson and Adelina Engman to Hammarby, the club has a relationship with Chelsea. That contact led to the green-whites being able to win the battle for Hamano's signature for 2023.

- We were first asked by all the clubs if we wanted to borrow Maika. We had looked at other players so it was quite a rush for us to make a decision on the matter. We thought: "Should we cancel the other negotiations for Maika?", says the sporting director.

- We immediately saw that it was a fantastic player and agreed that we believe that it is a player that makes us better here and now. It's a loan over a year so there's no reason for us to just train the player and let her go. But if she becomes a starting player who can make an impact already this year, it can benefit us, and then we realized that it is worth it. So far we are more than satisfied.

How do you solve the language for her? - She is amazing. She is so positive and happy. She is a lovely person. She enters the group and modern aids like Google Translate and other apps are good. Then we have two interpreters who meet her every week and spend a little time with her.

Can you get some reports? - Yes, and then they can sit down with her and interpret the tactics as well. She is football smart, so with a tactical board, some English and body language, she and Pablo (Piñones-Arce, coach) find each other well.

But there is much that is new for Hamano in Hammarby. For example, the mentioned supporter culture.

- For her, I think it's a bit difficult to grasp. She reacted a bit when we had supporters in Marbella (at Bajen's training camp). She asked: "Are there fans?".

Another new acquisition, Lotta Ökvist, lived next door to Hamano at the aforementioned camp. She describes her as "the best neighbor in the world" because suddenly there could be a knock on the door. Hamano then stood outside and was all one big smile.

- She is an incredibly talented and lovely girl. She is very skilled in terms of football but she contributes a lot to the group off the field as well. She spreads energy, says Ökvist.

- When we talk to her, we use a little English, a little sign and a lot of laughter. I think she feels at home. She has said that Swedish people are kind.

Otherwise, one of the people who has come closest to Japanese in Hammarby is Ellen Wangerheim, the same age. They lived together in Spain and when Futbollkanalen interviews Hamano, Wangerheim is there as support and some kind of interpreter.

It is clear that Hamano feels safe in her teammate's company and she says that the two clicked immediately. She describes that their first meeting consisted of Wangerheim greeting her and welcoming her into the community with a big smile.

- Ellen is very, very kind and a very good person, says Hamano.

Wangerheim:

- It's so lovely. She spreads a lot of energy and a lot of joy. She really wants to learn the language and is very interested in everything. She is also a very good soccer player. So on the field it will be easy to communicate because she is so talented.

The teammate explains that they use different translation tools when needed to communicate.

- But we try to get her to understand before we resort to it. And she wants to learn. She always says: "New word, new word". So she wants to learn and it's a lot of fun to teach her because she wants so much.

Only during the interview itself does Hamano show that she wants to learn new English words. Sometimes she answers directly with expressions she can, but often she writes down what she wants to answer in an app and then reads out the answer she gets.

When she runs into patrol, she gets frustrated with herself, but she doesn't give up and in the end, she always makes herself understood.

- My teammates are my English teachers, she explains.

- Everyone here is my teacher. They are very kind.

All of Hamano's answers have one thing in common: she delivers them with a big smile on her face.

When asked how she feels in Hammarby, for example, she shines and says:

- I like Hammarby!

- My teammates here are very kind, she continues.

What do you know about Sweden? - Meatballs!

Have you tasted? - Yes. That tasted good.

- Sweden is a country with a lot of joy. Everyone is happy. Everyone just smiles.

As mentioned, Hamano's international breakthrough came during the U20 World Cup last year. Japan went to the final, Hamano came second in the shooting league and was named the best player of the tournament.

- It was fun, says Hamano and then reads out the translation she found in her app:

- I got to experience something that was beyond my imagination. It was like a party, one big carnival.

And that she has high hopes for her own career - that is quite clear.

- Yes, I will become the world's best player.

That's the dream? - Yes. And to win the World Cup with Japan.

The goal for the year in Hammarby is in line with the overall ambitions.

- I love this team and I aim for us to win the series, she says without hesitation.

When the interview ends, Hamano politely thanks her and then wants to prove that she also learned a little Swedish. She adds:

- Thanks so much!

She then feels the wind at her back and in an attempt to show her love for her new club she exclaims, again in Swedish:

- I love you!

Ellen Wangerheim breaks in:

- Hammarby, Maika!

Hamano replies:

- Ah. I love Hammarby!

Then she joins Wangerheim and tries, with great curiosity, to learn Hammarby's marching song "Just today I am strong". She repeats word for word what comes out of her teammate's mouth.

It would not be surprising if she sings along to the classic anthem at the premiere at Tele2 Arena at the end of March.

#what a sweetheart #Maika Hamano #hammarby women

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kayahforde-cs · 3 months

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Hayao Miyazaki, a worldwide known and valued animator, filmmaker and producer, is famous for his ethereal and comforting movies which often depict themes of nature and spirituality. If one has never heard of the animator’s name, surely they have heard of the company that houses some of the most famous animated movies - Studio Ghibli, founded in 1985. Indeed, even the Pixar chief, John Lasseter, claims Miyazaki to be “one of the greatest filmmakers of our time”. Although their origins are from Japan, Studio Ghibli movies are loved by children and adults alike, all around the world.

Movies from Studio Ghibli include: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984)*, Princess Mononoke (1997), and Spirited Away (2001). I cannot mention these three movies without noting the importance of nature (particularly in Princess Mononoke) and spirituality (most present in Spirited Away). Although Miyazaki makes direct links to the Japanese landscape and culture in his movies (Havis, 2020), he still uses Western traditions and mythologies (Cavallaro, 2006). Having known this information, I decided to delve into his practice and thought processes in relation to both my academic and practical work. Miyazaki (1996) believes that ‘we all come from forest’, and this belief oftentimes drives his ambitions and inspiration to create movies that heavily reference the natural world (and the ruining of it), rather than the metropolis we are all used to.

According to The Guardian (Rose, 2023), Miyazaki is often compared to Walt Disney, even though his movies are not exactly ‘straightforward tales of good v evil’ as MIiyazaki’s end goal is for people to mull over the past few hours they have spent watching the movie, and achieve a ‘deeper understanding’ of what message the movie was trying to communicate. Miyazaki’s films are often more conceptual, such as the theme of resilience and embracing change through Chihiro working in the bathhouse to turn her parents from pigs to humans in Spirited Away. Other determined female protagonists include Nausicaa, in which Miyazaki (2011) states ‘Why did the lead character have to be female? Well, it doesn’t look truthful if the guy has power like that! Women are able to straddle both the real world and the otherworld’.

However, Renae (2020) mentions how female characters are at the centre of Miyazaki’s movies, and these young girls are who lead us (the audience) down a path of self discovery, and they’re often in search for freedom and ‘the self’. This is very unlike the stories being put out at the time. Here, these young girls often encounter animals or spiritual beings that will eventually lead them to their final goal.

Furthermore, his use of female protagonists in his work also informs my practical response to this research project - my animation will include a female protagonist that experiences spiritual enlightenment at the end. She endures a lot of the heavy burdens that come with living in the metropolis (albeit my project not focusing on ‘Modernity’). She is led to the forest by a spirit (whom I label as Mother Nature), which - almost like in Alice in Wonderland - is like stepping into a new world for her.

Despite my project not necessarily being catered towards children (unlike that of some of Miyazaki’s movies), my animation will still be immersive and friendly enough to accommodate a younger audience as well as a mature one.

*Note: Despite Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984) being made before the founding of Studio Ghibli (1985), it is still claimed to be the title of the first Ghibli movie.

Bibliography

Cavallaro, D. (2006) The Anime Art of Hayao Miyazaki. North Carolina: McFarland & Company.

Havis, J. (2020) Hayao Miyazaki’s movies: why are they so special?. Available at: https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3104354/hayao-miyazaki-beginners-who-studio-ghibli-founder-and?campaign=3104354&module=perpetual_scroll_0&pgtype=article (Accessed: 30 January 2024)

Jolin, D. (2011) Miyazaki on Miyazaki: The Animation Genius On his Movies. Available at: https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/hayao-miyazaki/ (Accessed: 30 January 2024).

Mayumi, K., Solomon, B., Chang, J. (2005) ‘The ecological and consumption themes of the films of Hayao Miyazaki’, Ecological Economics, 54 (issue), pp. 2-3.

Renae, J. (2020) Ecofeminism and Spirituality in the Realm of Miyazaki. Available at: https://medium.com/@jsmnrn/ecofeminism-and-spirituality-in-the-realm-of-miyazaki-3f9409736aa7 (Accessed 14 April 2024)

Rose, S. (2023) ‘I’m really serious this time!’: have Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli made their final masterpiece?. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/dec/09/boy-and-the-heron-final-studio-ghibli-film-hayao-miyazaki (Accessed: 30 January 2024).

Spirited Away movie trailer (2001): https://youtu.be/ByXuk9QqQkk?si=bpYf5y1qyE6KBwI2

youtube

#Youtube

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