fandomhigh | Entries tagged with japanese

"Well, it seems like we're getting close to the actual end of the semester," Yukari pointed out. You know, as opposed to the false one she thought had been about a month ago, but whatever, nevermind, she was totally here the whole time! "So I guess that means I should probably give you some kind of final project or something. So, today, we've going to be focusing on words and phrases that revolve around school and the classroom!

"As usual," she continued, because, really, this method had been working out so far and was pretty easy, so why not stick to it?, "we'll go over them, I'll talk a little about some context, and then you guys'll work with each other to practice and get used to using them, and then, for next week, I know a speech isn't' technically conversational, but I'd like you all to put together a presentation using mostly your conversational Japanese that you've learned in this class to convince me why I shouldn't give you a big final exam. If you're convincing, you won't have to take it! But if you aren't? Better get those pencils sharpened, because I will ask my much more difficult colleague back in Tokyo to write it again for me!

"And in the meantime....let's learn some classroom words!"

It might have made sense to do those earlier in the semester, but, well, there was food and, like, dating stuff to go over first! Those were clearly more important.

id_kill_him

Yukari took a moment, leaning on the desk at the front of the classroom, to look at her lesson plan and her vocabulary sheets, and then she looked at her students.

"You know," she said, "I don't really feel like teaching today."

She didn't really feel like teaching any day, but that was beside the point.

"So," she decided, shrugging, "I'm not going to. It's a free period today. Do whatever you want. I know I sure am."

And what she wanted was to sit down, hunch over her phone at her desk, and work on harvesting some crops on her little mobile farming sim game.

id_kill_him

"Well!" stated Yukari, with a scoff and maybe the faintest hint of a smirk on her face as she stood in the front of the classroom again finally. "It's nice of you all to finally show up for a change!"

Because, when in doubt, gaslight and insist that it was everyone else who was the problem! It was the Yukari Tanizaki way!

"So, we've probably got a lot to catch up on, and I was thinking, since it's spring, today, we'll focus on words and phrases associated with spring time and popular springtime activities in Japan. And, after we go over the vocabulary and contexts, you can partner up with a friend and practice trying to use them in a conversational way. Which follows the same formula we've been doing for the past few weeks, which you'd know if you were actually here.

"Naturally, then," she whipped toward the board so she didn't have to deal with any protests or arguments about the finer details there since she couldn't see anyone with her back to them, "we'll start with sakura...."

id_kill_him

Guess who really didn't want to teach today?

Guess who ready to do the bare minimum and was only here because it was almost White Day and she wanted to see if any of her students had paid attention during the Valentine's Day lesson and had brought her chocolate or gifts?

If you guessed Yukari, good job! You get a gold star, and probably a warning not to get too cocky about it.

"So, sometimes," she announced, standing proudly in front of a TV screen with a remote control in her hand, "foreigners have a real hard time communicating even with each other in Japan! So much so that they sort of made a movie about it! So that's what we're going to do today, we're going to watch this movie and think about the effectiveness of knowing how to communicate in a foreign culture and then write an essay about that for next week!"

Essays that she was probably not going to read, so the important lesson here was just don't even bother.

"Any questions before we begin? No? Then get comfortable and don't let me catch you sleeping or else you'll have to write lines in katakana on the board as punishment!"

id_kill_him

All of her exploits around the vehicles scattered throughout the Astrotorium had, unfortunately, not satiated Yukari's need for speed, but rather had only made it more potent. What did that have to do with the fact that she'd eschewed all the desks in the room to the side and brought in some beanbag chairs and a couple of stations with video games and screens (boy oh boy, did she love the seemingly endless plethora of resources this school had!)? Well, you were about to find out!

"Driving in Japan," she stated, "is not nearly as common as driving here in the United States, especially inside the city, where biking, walking, and public transportation are all pretty popular, but driving is a lot of fun, and I'm personally a big fan of it and try to do it whenever I possibly can back home!"

Despite all the violations and bans and not even having a car and yet somehow always managing to convince her parents to let her borrow theirs!

"So, today," she said, "we're going to learn some words and phrases around driving, some general information about driving in Japan, and, even more importantly, we're going to talk about drifting and words associated with it!"

Because that was definitely going to come up a lot in your every day associations with using Japanese, right?

"Then, finally, we're going to put that knowledge to work by playing racing video games for the rest of the day, so let's make this short and sweet and get to the good stuff!"

id_kill_him

Class would be meeting that day in the computer lab! Very exciting, no? Well, Yukari was clearly pretty stoked about it, because she was mostly just hoping for a good way to come out of a major video game fugue state over the past week to scrounge up a lesson plan for this week, only to come up with the perfect solution.

"Video games!" she started happily. "Are a big part of Japanese culture, and also, no matter what anyone else may tell you, are an excellent source of learning information! Now, a lot of educational games can be pretty lame, but they can also be very helpful! Which is why today, we are going to experience the world of learning through video games as I introduce you all to a good way to learn vocabulary and even some of the Katakana writing style in an RPG form! Now, I know this is conversational Japanese, so knowing Katakana is not part of the lesson plan, but it could still be helpful and useful, especially since Katakana is the style used when dealing with a lot of foreign words! And, clearly, the best part about video games is that they help you forget about the real world, so that makes an RPG even better by putting you in a different world entirely...while learning!"

Totally legit and helpful lesson plan! Definitely not an excuse to just play video games all period!

"So I'll just show you how to get the game started up and running and then you all can just have fun and start picking up all sorts of helpful things!"

id_kill_him

When the students came into the classroom that day, they would find their teacher there, actually, unlike last week. They would also each find a small bag of chocolates on each of their desk, along with that week's vocabulary and phrases list.

"Today," Yukari said, with nary a moment to address the lack of class last week, "is Valentine's Day, which is a very stupid holiday filled with a lot of ridiculous notions about love and feelings that we don't need to go into, but it is an opportunity for us to delve into love and romantic culture in Japan, and words and phrases that could be used on the dating scene, if you give into that sort of nonsense.

"We'll start," she said, "by explaining that, if you're used to Valentine's Day in the Western world, you might be surprised to hear that they do things a little different in Japan. In Japan, Valentine's Day is strictly when women and girls give gifts, especially chocolate, to all sorts of people, not even those with which they have a romantic relationship with, while White Day, which is a month later on March 14th, is when the men reciprocate in kind. Which means," here she gave a bit of a chuckle, wagging a finger at the class, "I'm expecting all of you men in the class to reciprocate in kind and if I don't see a lot of chocolate around March 14th, it's probably not going to look good for your grades!

"Now, there are different types of chocolate based on your relationship to who you're giving it to, and I've included a list of the types in your information for today. This chocolate I've given you is obviously giri choco, because anything else would be highly inappropriate for a classroom setting. And, of course, I have some jiko choco, which is the most important kind of Valentine's Day chocolate there is.

"So," she said, winding down to a conclusion as she dipped into her much-larger-than-the-others bag of chocolate on her own desk and started to unwrap one, "Valetine's Day chocolate is a very important cultural milestone in Japan, and now we'll start to talk about other Japanese dating customs, important phrases to use when romantically interested and things to say on a date, as well. And when we're done with that, you'll all pair up and practice as if you're on a date, and hopefully not wind up with a drink in your face."

That's how most of Yukari's dates would probably end.

If she actually went on dates.

(She'd definitely be doing the drink-throwing).

id_kill_him

Yukari had been standing at her desk at the front of the classroom with her stack of vocabulary lists and worksheets for a while now, getting increasingly more irritated and annoyed that none of her students were showing up.

"Where are they?" she murmured,peevishly checking her watch, and confirming with the clock on the wall, a hand on her hip and her foot tapping on the floor impatiently.

Had she missed something? Was it a holiday she didn't know about?

After about fifteen minutes, she finally threw up her hands with frustration. "Fine, then!" she announced to no one but the squirrels in the empty room. "I guess no one's coming to class today! Fine by me!"

The squirrels in the room exchanged a confused look and a chittering discussion before scurrying up to Yukari as she left, holding up one of their notebooks with something scribbled on it.

"Eh?" she asked, blinking down at the squirrels, and reaching for the notebook to read.

"Eh??!?" This one was much more shocked, surprised, and offended, and the squirrels went scattering as she angrily threw the notebook right back at them. "Whaddya mean, it's Thursday?? And you didn't even tell me THIS WHOLE TIME???"

But that did explain why no one was showing up! She was sort of wondering what did happen to her Wednesday now.

id_kill_him

"Konnichiwa, minasa~an!" Yukari greeted the class brightly, looking incredibly pleased with a stack of papers in her arms; she slipped one off the top of the stack and brandished it proudly. "We're having a pop quiz today!"

Weren't you just so excited? Actually, some of you might actually be, because Yukari got some really nerdy vibes from some of you, but that was neither here nor there.

"So far, we've covered all sorts of things already, like greetings and table manners and social events, so that's plenty of material to go over again and reinforce with a test! And just so you know," Yukari continued, as she went around to pass out the tests to the students, "the questions were made for me by an old associate of mine back in Tokyo named Ishikawa. A lot of my students would complain about how much more challenging his questions were than mine, but since some of you are already pretty familiar with Japanese, I had to make sure they were good! So if you find them hard, don't blame me! Blame my former colleague or your fellow students who are throwing off the grading curve!"

Because, obviously, she was blameless! And, to further cushion her exempt status, she added, "I'll also be taking the quiz myself, so it's fair all around! Ganbatte ne, minasan! Kimi nara dekiru yo!"

id_kill_him

"Now," said Yukari, without much preamble and clearly just planning on getting right on ahead with the lesson, "I've been here in America for a few weeks now, and I have to admit, when it comes to things to do around there? There doesn't seem to be much so far! There was that party I went to, and there's that bar with the guy who doesn't seem to like shirts, and I know the other bar has karaoke, so I've definitely been meaning to hit that up, but just haven't gotten around to it yet," for some weird reason; hi, the weird reason was video games, "but the island itself? Not much of a night life, huh? But there's plenty of places that do have more things to do, and all sorts of bar and all-you-can-eat buffets and parties, so, today, we're talking about how to make plans to go out and have a good time...in Japanese!"

Well, you weren't teaching Conversational Esperanto, Yukari.

And, naturally, this was when Yukari whipped out the worksheets and vocabulary sheets for everyone and went through some of the details and the pronounciation and contexts, as was generally the way things had been going in the class so far, and once she'd gone over everything, she turned to the class with a pleased grin.

"And now," she said, "that you have the tools to make plans and have a good time, I'd like you all to pair up and practice by making plans with each other! One rule, though, all you actual already Japanese speakers cannot pair up with each other, because that's not fair, find a newbie and help them out, because that's one of the best ways for a newbie to learn!"

It also passed some of the teaching onto someone else, and Yukari was definitely all about that!

"Shitsumon wa? Let's get started!"

id_kill_him

"Konnichiwa, minasan!" Yukari greeted cheerfully. "Did you all remember to bring food for us to enjoy this week, as we discuss Japanese food etiquette and phrases? I sure hope so!"

If you didn't, you couldn't really be blamed, because she never actually said it directly to the class, unless you were Arden, in which case, if you did forget and deprived Yukari of the barbeque she'd been looking forward to all week, well, then, things might not get pretty.

She was definitely waiting to see who brought food and what was available before getting started, though, before lifting up a little bit of whatever looked the most delicious and declaring, "Itadakimasu!" and then taking a bite.

"Now," she continued, perhaps before that bite was completely finished being chewed and swallowed, "itadakimasu is a very common and traditional thing to say before eating in Japan! There is no real direct translation into English, but the closest thing would probably be 'I humbly receive.' It's generally a phrase expressing gratitude for the food you're about to eat, so, in this case, it's very accurate, because I am grateful for all this delicious food! If I were serving the food, I would offer it with a meshiagare, which is sorta like the French bon apetite! And when you finish a meal, you say gochisousama deshita, which means 'it was a feast' and shows gratitude and a compliment to the chef, as well as the person feeding you!"

There was another bite of food swiped up, and then Yukari started handing out a few more vocabulary sheets, and a few other worksheets as well.

"These are, of course, the very beginnings of the basics," she explained, "but we'll go over these words, the pronunciation, and the proper social contexts for each today, and, of course, if you have any questions or would like to elaborate on anything, well...." Here, she gave a chuckle, though there was a slightly add edge to it, "there are plenty of other experts in the class who can help you out as well!"

You wanna be in her class about basic Japanese while already knowing Japanese? Well, get ready to put that to use, then, because Yukari was very lazy and if she had an opportunity to foist her work on someone else, well...

"So, let's start at the top, and repeat after me..."

id_kill_him

It was a very good thing that Yukari's class was in the latter part of the day, because she had pretty much spent the last few days since arriving on this island getting herself set up in her new apartment, which also meant setting up her gaming systems, which then also meant wasting almost all her time playing video games well into the night while drinking a bunch of American beers that she had to try, which meant that she barely woke up in time and only realized she needed to be in class a few hours before it, when she blearily asked herself the million dollar questions, "What time is it? What day is it??"

Which was fine! She'd taught on way less than that before! And while teaching adults and peers was considerably more intimidating than teaching a bunch of high schoolers that she could easily lord over in her superiority, the fact that she only had to teach one class a week was pretty freaking sweet, if you asked her! No more of this every day at hours no one should be awake at for her! She could really get used to this whole college professor thing!

So, as it was, despite only remembering about her class a few mere hours ago, she was bright-eyed and eager to get started when class time actually came.

"Konnichiwa!" she started brightly. "O-genki desu ka! E yōkoso Kaiwa-tekina nihongo! Namae wa Yukari-sensei desu! And if you understood all of that, congratulations! You're already on the right foot to a great semester!

"Either that," she continued brightly, "or you're a ringer and already know the language and are just taking this class to show off! But, either way, welcome, everyone, to Conversational Japanese. My name is Yukari Tanizaki, and I will be your instructor for the semester! In this class, we will be learning some of the most basic elements of Conversational Japanese to hopefully allow you to speak the language comfortably enough to hold a conversation! And since this is the first class, it makes sense to start with the very basics: greetings and how to introduce yourself, as well as how to address others, because in Japan, it is often proper to use honorifics to address other people. For example, I am your teacher, and so you could call me -sensei. You are my students, and if we were still in high school, I might call you -chan or -kun, but since we are all, presumably, adults here, it would be more appropriate to use -san, as that is more honorable and dignified."

So keep that in mind if she ever did call you one of those first honorifics!

"But I'm getting ahead of myself. I am going to pass out a list of phrases and pronunciations for you and we're going to go over each one, and then I would like you to be able to construct and introduction that is the equivalent of Appropriate Greeting, My name is.... and then followed by some little interesting thing to know about yourself. That doesn't have to be in Japanese. Again, because this is a beginner's class, and if you're coming at at me with Konnichiwa, namae wa BILL desu! Piza o taberu no ga suki!, you're probably just here to show off and screw up the grading curve!"

And possibly make her look bad!

Which she didn't need! She was going to do just fine with that all her own!

"Now, then, let's get started with the very first word on the sheet...."

sake_shinigami

Blessed as he was to have been able to be untouched once more by this particular bout of Fandomness, Shunsui wasn't exactly sure what the current...offspring situation would be in classroom that day, but he brought a little extra tea and hot cocoa in the event that it was still going on and his students found themselves with wee little sproglings of his own.

That, he didn't mind. Other people's children were delightful and he actually didn't mind children, as long as that particular descriptor of other people's was firmly in place.

There were also a few sweet pastries and treats from the bakery to be had today, as well, since it would tie into their word of the week nicely.

"Konnichiwa, ducklings ♥!" he started once it was time for class and it looked as though it was going to be business as usual after all. "Welcome back ♥! I hope your weekend wasn't too much of a trial, but, with that in mind, we are going to do an easy word today, once that I'm sure most people can relate to, and gives us an excuse to nosh a bit on some doughnuts and cupcakes today &hearts. Today's word is:

kuchisabishii
口寂しい
(lonely mouth)

"Directly translated, kuchisabishii means 'lonely mouth,' though it does not, in fact, relate to one who has had the misfortune of not nearly enough kisses, but rather, it related to food and the tendencies some have to eat--" or, in some cases, drink, but this was a classroom!--"merely because we are bored, rather than out of actual hunger. That occasion when you mindlessly graze while perhaps watchihng television or doing little else. It can also relate to stress eating, when we distract ourselves from what may be causing us undue worry through the satisfaction of food. Now, many of our words have emphasized the Japanese appreciation of mindfulness, but kuchisabishii is a word that shed light on the exact opposite and the habits one might fall into when one gives in to such idle mindlessness ♥. Or perhaps there's a particular food that you crave when you are more idle or 'mouth lonley,' as it were. That also falls into the concept of kuchisabishii.

"So today? Let us enjoy a few snacks and drinks to stave off our own mouth loneliness, and we can think about times throughout the week when we find ourselves idly snacking out of lack of anythihng else to do ♥. Are there any foods you fall to in your own kuchisabishii? Or perhaps you possess a higher resolve than most and are fairly unfamiliar with it in your own lives. Have some tea, and let's discuss ♥."

sake_shinigami

If there was something in the air that week, then Shunsui mostly didn't notice it, mostly because any effect it had on him was prettty much exactly the same as he usually was on any given day, though there was no denying something about the week had influenced which phrase to cover in this week's class. Sitting at his usual spot with a distant, beatific smile, it might be a moment longer, too, before his mind wandered out of where it had been drifting in consideration of possibilities for the day ahead of him and into the actual classroom where he currently sat.

"Ah ♥." His smile tilted a little as he remembered why he was there. "Yes. Class time~ ♥. Konnichiwa, ducklings~ ♥. Ohayō gozaimasu~~ ♥. Today, we're going to talk about koi. Not the fish, but love. Most specifically, koi no yokan:

koi no yokan
恋の予感
(the feeling that you will soon fall in love with someone you've just met)

"Koi no yokan: the feeling that you will soon fall in love with someone you've just met. You may be thinking, 'ah, but Kyōraku-san! Isn't that essentially just love at first sight?' Ara ara, ducklings, it may seem that way, but there are little nuances and differences that make koi no yokan different ♥. 'Love at first sight' is actually hitomebore in Japanese, and suggests that you have immediately fallen for someone upon that first instance of meeting, which, considering how many beautiful people there are in the world, can sometimes be a frequently occuring occasion on the daily ♥ ♥ ♥. But with koi no yokan, that initial immediate love may not necessarily be there at first, but instead, there is a feeling deep inside that even though you do not know this person at all, there is a tug in your chest, a knowledge of inevitability, that this person is someone you will come to love eventually. It isn't there yet; it may need to be cultivated, fostered, cared for, like a newly budding plant or a shy little kitten, but the seed of love is there and it only needs time to germinate ♥.

"And since koi no yokan is a feeling, something to be experienced, it won't do us any good to sit around in a classroom all day discussing it. So I won't keep you today, not when you could be out there harboring your own koi no yokan with some new lovely stranger out there ♥."

On this week. Of all weeks. It could very well be a great week for koi no yokan indeed!

"So, go, go, go ♥." He gestured his hands in the air as if brushing them away. "Fly off, little ducklings, seek out those seeds of love in the spirit of koi no yokan, and you can report back to me next week on if you were able to do anything to inspire those seeds to grow into vibrant blossoms ♥!"

sake_shinigami

"Konnichiwa, ducklings ♥!" As one might expect, everything was as it typically was for the class that day, the little circle in the center of the classroom and Shunsui ready with a few hot drinks and a word on a board, ready to be explained and disucssed. Anything more involved would, obviously, be unfathomable. "Today, we're going to be talking about a word that I have often found useful as an outlook in life," and as an excuse, "to not let one be too bogged down by every day annoyances and irritations," and responsibilities, "and that word is shouganai:

shouganai
しょうがない
(It is what it is)

"It is what it is. Shouganai." Shunsui sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes, throwing a blithe hand into the air, in an expression of defeated exasperation. "It cannot be helped. The reluctant acceptance that one must suffer through unfortunate, unavoidable circumstances like, say...mandatory meetings," just to use a completely random example!, "or say a terribly boring class assignment. It's accepting the responsibility on your shoulders begrudgingly, because you know it simply must be done. Or perhaps you've just missed an important portal," also a completely random example, truly!, "and couldn't make it to said meeting, and so now your boss is upset with you, but really, what more can you tell him except," he shrugged, a lazy smile appearing on his face, "shouganai, sensei~ ♥.

"Shoganai is typically used as an expression to acknowledge that there are certain situations that are out of our control: getting caught in the rain without an umbrella, spilling your sake on your favorite robe, you forgot your wallet at home. It is a way of reminding oneself, and...perhaps those around them...that there are many things in the universe that could go wrong, and there is no use in getting too upset over them. After all, it cannot be helped ♥. It is what it is. We accept it and move on rather than getting worked up over something that cannot be changed ♥.

"And so," he smiled again softly, "today, we'll talk about some shouganai experiences we may have had in the past that perhaps we didn't handle as well as we could have. Or perhaps a situation where your approach was very fitting for shouganai and how it either helped or hurt the situation. And, of course, this week, I'd love for you to be aware of shouganai moments, like when a pen runs out of ink or perhaps the Squishy flavors are all incredibly questionable or Apu-san is waking you up from a particular good nap with a question about beans ♥."

He took a sip of his tea.

"Hajimemasu. Let's begin ♥."

sake_shinigami

Well, this week, the classroom was back to its normal set-up with the discussion circle in the middle and the offerings of tea and cocoa, and the teacher was back as well, though he was looking as though he was perhaps even more in need of a nap than even last week, where such napping had left him completely forgetting he even had a class. Still, he gave the students a smile and had another word for them to discover written on a small board.

"Konnichiwa, ducklings ♥," he greeted them in the usual playful tones, though the vaneer was not as smooth as usual. "Apologies for last week, it seemed I couldn't be bothered to bring myself in, but hopefully you were able to enjoy the free time, and let's just say ♥," he threw in a wink, "we were merely ahead of the game in preparing ourselves to deflect precisely the thing that this week's word relates to, and this week's word is karoshi:

karoshi
過労死
(death from overworking)

"Now," said Shunsui, his voice now quite a bit more grave, "this is actually a more recent word in the Japanese vocabulary, coined in the 1970s in response to the country's increasingly extreme emphasis on work and the intense culture therein that caused a staggering amount of suicides, heart failures, strokes, and other stress-related deaths. How the same culture that was able to produce ideas such as shinrinyoku, komorebi, and yugen could also produce something such as karoshi is deeply indicative of a grave imbalance.

"So that is what we'll be talking about today. Are there similar concepts and ideals in your own cultures that might drive a person to karoshi? How can one perhaps counter such oppresive effects, and does it not show the perils inevitable in working too hard, especially when they slip into your life and taint every aspect of it with like some black disease?"

...god, Shunsui, you were forced to go to one meeting this weekend. Dramatic much?

But he did have a smile for the girls. "Let's discuss, shall we ♥?"

sake_shinigami

The usual classroom was empty.

Well, there were desks and the like, in their usual rows, because there was no teacher there to move them all aside and create a little circle of pillows at the center of the room instead. There was no teacher and there was no word written on a board that afternoon, there was no hot beverages to enjoy, or even a note on the door regarding the fact that there was nothing.

Because the teacher of this particular class was feeling much too chill and lazy and content to bother with something like getting out of bed that day.

Honestly, even without the influence of any little mood gems or the like, the fact that this didn't happen more often was actaully a little astonishing.

sake_shinigami

"Konnichiwa, ducklings~~ ♥!" Shunsui greeted the class in the classroom that afternoon not sitting in the usual circle this time, but standing. "Now, don't get too comfortable right away, we'll not be staying in the classroom today, but instead, taking a little trip to highlight this week's word, which, hopefully, weather permitting, should tie in very nicely with last week's word ♥. Allow me to explain..."

With that, he gestured to the board where he had the word, the kanji, and the definition written on it:

shinrinyoku
森林浴
(forest bathing)

"The act of shinrinyoku, or forest bathing, is that of taking a walk through the forest for the restorative and theraputic benefits that one such act can produce, mostly, of course, through the komorebi ♥." Here, he threw the students a little knowing wink. See? How could anyone argue it was barely a class, when he was connecting lessons and everything? "After all, science has actually proven that walking through nature has benefits to your health and happiness, but why let all the scientists have the fun, when we can just go out and experience shinrinyoku ourselfs, neh ♥?

"And it's a lovely day for it, too," he added ~~unless the weather forecast is a LIE~~, "but still a bit chill, so if you need to run get an extra jacket before we forest bath, please do so, there's no rush." It was literally the whole assignmen for the day, after all. "And then we're off to the woods ♥."

sake_shinigami

There was a note on the door of the classroom that afternoon (in both English and Japanese, of course) directing the students to meet at the Danger Shop today, and, when they got there, they'd find themselves in a bright, verdant forest with tall, tall trees looming overhead, their canopy letting the light fall in dappled specks on the forest floor, seeming to dance when one moved through them. On one of the trees was a sign, and on that sign, the word for the day:

komorebi
木漏れ日
(sunlight as it filters through trees)

Did Shunsui utilized the Danger Shop simply to provide a demonstrative setting for a word? Yes. Yes, he did. And the students would him him sitting underneath a particularly dappled section of the forest floor with an invitation for them to join him.

"Konnichiwa, ducklings ♥," he greeted, as usual, "have a seat, enjoy the simple tranquil beauty of today's word, komorebi, which is simply a word, constructed of the kanji for tree, shine through, and sun, that means..the light shining through the tress ♥. A simple word, but who doesn't love something that can so wonderfully encapsulate a vision and feeling of such beauty, neh ♥?

"As I'm sure you expected," he continued, "I wanted to use today to talk about Japan and any particularly interesting or unique experiences that might have been had that could perhaps tie into something learned in the class, or perhaps there was something that sparked your imagination to learn more about, and we can cover in a future class. But I also figured, no point in just sitting in a classroom to do so when we could be here and adding another word to our lexicon ♥. So! Let's hear your stories if you have them, and bask in komorebi while we do. Or we can just simply do the latter, if you prefer, to ease our way back into all of our rigerous and demanding learning ♥."

sake_shinigami

"Konnichiwaaaaa, ducklings ♥!" Shunsui greeted the class with a particular brightness that Monday, as they got settled into their usual spots, to help themselves to the usual warm beverages, where they'd find a small print-out waiting for them, because technology really could be wonderful, especially there were people around that could help Shunsui actually use it.

"Now I'm sure you're already quite aware," he said, "but the school trip is next week and a little bird has chirped in my ear that this class, in particular, might have a bit of an advantage for it, neh ♥? Though I doubt mu and haragei and tashinamu are likely to come up in regular conversation, this is an exploration of Japanese language, so it seemed an excellent opportunity to go over a plethora of phrases that might be useful to you during your visit."

( Cut because sometimes, Shunsui actually does teach! Wow! )

"These are, of course, just a drop in the water in a sea of an ocean of basic Japanese communication, but, they are a very good start and will hopefully be useful to you on your trip, ducklings ♥. We'll spend the rest of the class practicing using the phrases, and you have the sheets to take with you, and of course, if there's anything else you'd like to know that you would find helpful, I'm all ears ♥. I'm looking forward to seeing you two positively thrive in this environment, and very interesting to see what you may pick up on to tell me about when we return to class again in two weeks ♥."

sake_shinigami

"Konnichiwa, ducklings ♥!" Shunsui, of course, had his usual pleased smile and comfortable spot in the circle when it was time for them to gather around. "Today, we should have an easy class," as if any of them had been particularly taxing thus far!, "because we are going to be talking about nothing. Or, rather, no-thing ♥, because today, we are talking about mu ♥!"

mu
無
no-thing, no-mind

"Not to be confused, of course, with ma," a nod to Astrid-chan on that one, "which deals with nothing specifically in the sense of negative space, mu is a much broader concept of nothing and no thing. Derived from Buddhist philosophy and koans where the answer is either impossible to determine or not what one might expect, or that the answer, since this is Buddhism, simply does not matter. It is...a mu-ot point ♥."

Yes, he was terribly proud of that one.

"The idea is that, if someone were to ask what the sound of one hand clapping is or whether or not a dog has Buddha's nature, the answer is simply mu. To some, they may immediately think that this means there is no sound of one hand clapping and a dog does not have Buddha's nature, and in a sense, that may be true. But to an enlightened mind, there is also the suggestion that such an answer merely does not exist, that making such distinctions is already setting one along the wrong path of thinking, by trying to find meaning where there is none. Suggesting that the answer is mu is like saying that neither yes nor no is the correct answer to a question; the answer is entirely something else beyond our usual black-and-white way of regarding things.

"It is...not the most easy concept to grasp unless one is in the habit of thinking that way; after all, it has its roots in Zen, which can take many full lifetimes to master, and perhaps not even then! It is used as a concept meant to break through the conceptual fog of the world we precieve around us, to break down the barriers of perception, and sometimes spark Enlightenment. It's own nature is counterintuitive to its understanding; one cannot understand mu through rational, logical study and consideration! Understanding mu by traditional logic is often described as 'trying to smash one's fist through an iron wall'....so I certainly don't expect any of us here today to become masterful of it today ♥! But I would perhaps like to discuss it if you have your own thoughts and ideas and questions surrounding it, and then perhaps spend some time ruminating on it, and maybe experience a bit of mu for ourselves ♥."

And he actually did intend to meditate on the concept rather than napping, thank you.

"Hopefully," he added with a smile, "with less wall-smashing ♥."

sake_shinigami

"Welcome back, ducklings ♥," Shunsui greeted them from his spot on in the circle, gesturing for the students to join him and help themselves to partake in the usual offerings of hot cocoa or tea. "No trips or elaborate set-ups today; today, we will mostly be discussing, which is ironic, as the word we will be discussing today focuses heavily on non-verbal communication. Because of that, allow me to waste no more words than necessary and get right into it:

haragei
腹芸
visceral, indirect, non-verbal communication

"Directly translated, haragei actually means 'art of the stomach,' though that does not mean I am looking to have my next class about cooking ♥. In fact, the concept is more along the lines of what we call in English as a gut reaction, but, again, not quite. It is like a sixth sense, but specifically with communication. It is when two people...or sometimes more...can communicate and exchange thoughts and feelings with eachother 'belly to belly'...that is, from a deep sense deep within their cores without the use of words. The Japanese tend to rely heavily on non-verbal clues and emotional context when communicating with each other, sometimes favoring them over words in anything from conversations with friends to dealing with new business associates or enemies on the field ♥."

That got a particular grin out of Shunsui, because how many times had he been in battles where someone was being accused of talking too much? Or conversely never enough?

"Facial expressions, timing, small sounds, and even silence can all convey various messages, mask true emotions, and influence where a conversation may go, and it is all haragei, the art of the stomach ♥. Well-placed silences can show approval of an idea as well as wanting to avoid a direct confrontation over it. A small hissing sound," which he demonstrated in a clearly indecisive fashion, "to indicate one's discomfort or uncertainty. A nod, a gesture of a hand," his own hand swept in the air briefly, "the minute increase of a smile or the shrug of a shoulder ♥. We can say so much without ever uttering a single word, and that is haragei ♥.

"And as you can surely guess," Shunsui smiled, dipping his head for a moment, and letting a small silence settle in to suggest that he didn't necessarily need to use words to tell them what he was about to, because they were fair clever and could see this coming, no doubt, "I'd like you to try and use elements of haragei in your interactions this week, or at least be aware of some of your own personal ways of expressing it. And, until then, let's try and see if we can think of other examples of haragei in use, in your own cultures and experiences, as well ♥."

sake_shinigami

"Well, now, ducklings ♥," Shunsui greeted the class with a faint chuckle as they came in; the desks were not pushed aside like usual, though, and Shunsui was standing, "as you can see, we'll not be getting too comfortable today, as I have a portal scheduled for us in just a bit so that we can better explore today's word in real time, but, well, you see..."

He was in a good mood about it only because, while he'd woken up before the crack of dawn yet again this morning, despite the affect having moved on, he was absolutely able to sneak in a good long well deserved nap before class, which seemed to set things back to normal for him.

"I spent an awful lot of time in the woods this weekend, training, but also meditating, which brought to mind the word and concept for today ♥. And that concept is that of yugen:"

He turned with a flow of his robes that he had rather missed all weekend, a tilt back of his hat, and he wrote carefully on the board:

yugen
幽玄
an awareness of the universe that triggers feelings too deep and mysterious for words

"To watch the sun sink behind a flower clad hill, to wander the great depths of a huge forest with no intention to return, to stand on the shore as a boat disappears over the horizon to find distant lands, the flight of a bird lost among the clouds ♥. These are all examples of yugen, but what do they have in common? Yugen often means deep, mysterious, and profound. It is the vastness of the world around us that is too great to truly grasp beyond one's' emotional appreciation and wonder of it. It is something that cannot be fully expressed: poetry and art can only merely suggest the true nature of yugen, never completely capture it, it must be felt. It must be experienced ♥.

"The odds of experiencing true yugen in a classroom are very rare indeed, and so we will be traveling today to place where we may not only experience it, but, perhaps, maybe we may find at least a few words that will attempt to describe it ♥."

sake_shinigami

In their cozy little classroom that week, Shunsui sat this time on his cushion with a small pile of what looked like broken pottery in front of him, as well as a few other things, and the usual offering of tea or cocoa, whichever one his two bright little students might wish to indulge in that afternoon, and he waited for them to get get settled before beginning.

"Konnichiwa, ducklings ♥," he said, "I hope you had a chance to find some example of sabi to share today, but if not, that's all well and good, because we have a lot to do with class today ♥! We're still on the topic of beauty, and, in a way, today's word is a companion to sabi, and, actually, today's word will be two words because we'll be learning another one along with it! But first: wabi:

侘
wabi
(a flawed detail that creates an elegant whole)

"Some might believe that beauty is perfection, but the reality is that very few things in this world....or any other...can acheive true perfection, and the idea of wabi embraces the imperfections in the world and sees them as beautiful ♥. A chip in a well-loved teacup, a delicate scar on a warrior's face, a charmingly placed mole. Some people prefer the well-worn and clearly loved feel of a favorite chair or a borrowed book with dog-eared pages over the sleek and shiny newness of something that has not had so much experience. The idea that beautiful, distinctive, aesthetic flaws that distinguish the spirit of the moment in which the object was created or used from all other moments in eternity is at the center of wabi; these flaws make something unique; there is no other thing like it in the universe, and therein lies its beauty ♥.

"With that in mind, we are also going to be talking about something else today, and that is the art of kintsugi:

金継ぎ
kintsugi
(golden joinery)

"Now, this can also tie in with mottainai, a feeling of regret for when something is wasted, but kintsugi is an art where one repairs broken pottery or other vessels with a precious metal, such as gold or silver, to bind the broken pieces back together and make a newer, stronger, and most certainly more beautiful with respect to its wabi as a result. No other piece will ever be like it, and it has become more precious in the mending of its otherwise irreprable flaws. So I figured today would be a good day to create our own kintsugi pieces with a few of the broken vessels I have here, and I have the traditional gold laquer used to bind the pieces, and we'll see what new, flawed beauty we can create from these otherwise broken, cracked pieces, and while we work, we can share examples of sabi we may have found last week. Any questions before we begin ♥?"

sake_shinigami

Shunsui was far less impressed with his eight year old self this time around than he was the last time; this time around, he had apparently decided that what was in all those jugs around the apartment were clearly some sort of poison and dumped it all down the sink, before eating all of the food in the fridge and then doing nothing but lazing about the apartment all weekend. That last part, at least, he could approve of, and he did actually take care of Nanao-chan VII, so it wasn't a complete loss. It did still feel like a tragedy having to lose all that booze, though...

The ordeal still worked nicely for Shunsui having a newfound appreciation for his older, wiser self, and made it exceptionally easy for him to decide which word the class would be discussing that afternoon.

"Konnichiwa, ducklings ♥!" he greeted the girls once they were settled in the usual circle, with the offering of hot drinks available to them if they so desired. "Welcome back ♥. Today, we'll start with this week's word before getting into our various topics of discussion, both about last week's assignment and about this week's word in general. Now, I don't know how the two of you may have fared over the weekend, but it would seem that we had another one of those events that may put today's word in a particular potent light. Today, we will learn about sabi:

寂
sabi
(beauty that stems from age)

"If this weekend did, in fact, affect you, perhaps this morning you awoken with a particular appreciation for some of the benefits of age, and sabi is a concept that embraces how much the years can improve something ♥! Granted, I may be incredibly biased with regards to something that places one's age in a positive light, but there is no denying that some things truly do improve as time passes on. Directly translated, the word originally meant lonely, but has developed to also refer to a patina or an ancient look. Obviously, this may refer to a certain grace and wisdom that radiates off of a person who has experienced life longer than others. It may refer to a rock, perhaps, that has stood the test of time and gathered an attractive or interesting collection of moss or lichen that gives it a sort of indescribable sabi that only time and nature could give it ♥. The aging of a fine wine or a tea, or the patina that builds on a piece of art: a statue worn down from many hands touching it in reverence or prayer, or the rust on a metal wall. There is a great appreciation for tradition and ancestors in Japan, so to find something that is ancient and old and find the beauty of it because of what time has done to it is a deeply honored perspective that I'm sure it won't take any stretch of the imagination for two bright young artists such as yourselves to appreciate ♥."

Here, he had to give a small chuckle, a duck of his head.

"Again, though, as something ancient and old, I would say that, neh ♥?

"So, today, let us talk about what where we might find sabi, and, since you both have your various media you like to express yourself in creatively, I'll propose that, for next week, you try to find the sabi in things around you, and come back with an example to share. Just as I hope you'll share anything you may have done in regards to tashinamu from last week, as well ♥."

sake_shinigami

Shunsui had a very good feeling about this semester's class! Not had it been placed in the fourth period so he didn't even have to get up early for his class this semester, but there were only two students, and those two students just so happened to be his own employees! His own little Turtle & Canary, as it were. Kame-chan and kanaria-chan! (Was Astrid Kanaria-chan based soley on her blonde hair? Yes, pretty much. He was a simple man). So he suspected his Mondays were going to be a deightful breeze.

And the classroom, of course, was set up with the desks all pushed aside and a circle of pillows at the center of the room instead, with offerings of hot cocoa and tea for the girls and a small whiteboard for him to write on. With it being just the three of them, it made far more sense than the formality of desks and a blackboard!

"Ohayō gozaimasu, ducklings~~ ♥!" he started cheerfully, although it was very clearly not morning, and since this was part language, part culture class, he would definitely give either of them extra credit for pointing that out. "Welcome to my little class on Japanese culture based around untranslatable...or at least difficult to make a direct translation of...words ♥! Since we all know each other from work, we can likely skip the introductions and just move along to our first word and concept, neh ♥? One that one might argue is rather the opposite of work, which we pursue for the very specific reward of monetary compensation."

This is when he lifted the whiteboard to show them exactly that, neatly written with the kanji, then the English romanization, and the pronounciation:

嗜む, たしなむ
tashinamu
(to privately dedicate oneself to a cause or project)

"Now," he ventured, "this is an example of how context in Japanese can make a world of difference, because directly translated, tashinamu means 'to have a taste for,' 'to be fond of,' or, and here is where the cultural context of it comes in, 'to have a hobby.' More specifically, a hobby that one enjoys immensely and dedicates a good deal of their time to, simply for the sake of that hobby, with no expectation of reward or recognition ♥. Tashinamu is something you do merely because you enjoy doing it, a pursuit just for yourself and the pleasure derived from that pursuit. It can most certainly be something enjoyed in your spare, private time, such as tending to bonsai, or something that can be shared with others, such as helping to keep a local park clean in your spare time or volunteering for a cause. One could argue that the alturistic nature of these things are the benefit, that one gets good feeling from doing good things, but in the spirit of tashinamu, that is enough ♥.

"We will now be exploring this idea two-fold for today's class, ducklings ♥. First, perhaps we will do a little bit of getting-to-know each other, because I would like to discuss and explore things in your life that might be considered tashinamu: what do you like to do that you do merely for the enjoyment of it ♥? I mentioned bonsai; I am not as passionate about it as some that I know, but it is something I like to indulge in for no reason other than it makes me happy. I might make a case for the art of a good nap in this respect, as well! And I'm sure you ducklings have something you're passionate about, as well...let us share the happiness that those things bring to us with each other ♥!

"And, secondly, regarding the other aspect of tashinamu, I would like for each of you to think of a private cause you can dedicate yourselves to throughout the week, something to do, for yourself or for others, that you do just for the sake of the thing itself. Expect no reward or recognition, just a personal sense of satisfaction for having done it, and we can discuss it next week, neh ♥?" He chuckled lightly. "Even I shall try to contribute my own tashinamu for the discussion ♥."

"Now which of you would like to go first ♥?"

konoha-flash.livejournal.com

Yondaime was grim faced as he came into the classroom with stacks of papers and started to hand them out. “Here is your final. You have until the end of class to finish. Let me remind you that you cannot use notes except for you hiragana and katakana charts,” he explained and moved back to sit at his desk. “Go ahead and begin.”

( The Test )

[~~PLz to wait for~~ OCD is up!]

konoha-flash.livejournal.com

Yondaime sat on his desk at the front of the room, looking relaxed as he normally did. "Today's going to be a review for you all to go over what we've done this term since next week is your final. It's covering a little bit of everything from the begining. So I want you all to study what we've covered. Work with each other as much as you want, the only notes you're allowed to have are your hiragana and Katakana charts."

[~~Wait for OCD~~]

konoha-flash.livejournal.com

There was a note of all of the students to meet Yondaime at the Danger shop and he waited there for them all. “Good morning,” he smiled sheepishly. “I hope that you are all prepared to be traumatized. Today we’re taking another break from language to dive into a little more of Japanese culture and learn about Love Hotels.” He paused not believing that he actually said that.

“Most young people in Japan live with their parents until they get married, which can make it difficult to be close to the person you love and so a lot of young couples use what are called love hotels. They can be rented by the hour or all night and come with decorations ranging from a normal hotel to the extreme like the Hello Kitty Bondage room.” He wasn’t blushing shush.

“The Japanese are very big on discretions and so when you get to the room, you’d find everything automated from the room service menu that in some hotels provides more than just food, pay stations on the television, karaoke and other amenities depending on the room rented. Also in most hotels you won’t ever see a person working there except for maybe the maids who come in to clean up the room when you’re done. Most check in is completely automated or the clerk is behind a frosted glass window. They don’t check ID either, if you’re old enough to pay then you’re old enough to play. Or at least that’s how the Japanese see it.”

“In the Danger Shop, it’s set up like a love hotel in Japan, so go a head and explore. Just know that you won’t get any of the dirty channels on the T.V. so don’t even try.”

[~~Plz to wait for OCD~~. Links are NWS OMG]

konoha-flash.livejournal.com

Taking a deep breath Yondaime passed out this week’s packet of phrases and words. “This week is similar to last in that we’re continuing on with informal speech and slang. This is more conversational type slang for going out to a party or a bar of some sort and possibly picking up a date,” he threw the students a smirk. “Not that I expect you to be doing any of that… going to a bar, I mean.”

“A lot of the phrases seem rather tame compared to how American’s do it, but politeness is a huge thing in Japan and so speaking like this to someone you don’t know is really ballsy. I’d just like you all to practice these sayings; they may or may not be on the final. I’m going to be going around asking if you did what I asked last week.”

( “The )

[[~~Please to be waiting for the~~ OCD is up!]]

konoha-flash.livejournal.com

Yondaime smiled from the front of the class as he passed out this week's sheets to everyone. "Hi all, sorry about me being gone last week, there was a family situation at home. But this week we're continuing on with slang that Deadpool should have given you a small taste of last week."

"Informal Japanese or slang is much easier than what you've learned so far. There is very little use of particles, and no 'desu's to be seen. The list that I've given you is a basic list for greeting and asking people how they are. I think compaired to the formal list it's amazingly easy," he grinned. "Today's class just practise the list from this week and last, your homework is to confuse someone by speaking Japanese at them. Other than that I hope you all have a good day off tomorrow."

( Slang List )

mouthy-merc.livejournal.com

Deadpool glanced around the class ~~if there was one~~, wondering just how bad the sickness was getting with the students.

"Professor Yondaime had... personal business to attend to off island so I'll be teaching today!" He grinned cheerfully. "According to his notes, today you're learning insults!"

( Cut for naughty words )

"Now, I hope you use these insults for good instead of evil." If that was even possible.

konoha-flash.livejournal.com

Yondaime smiled sheepishly at everyone as he came into class late and started handing out massive packets to everyone. “Good Morning, today we’re going to be studying Kanji. Kanji…” He paused. “Is a way of writing short hand, but not at the same time, since one kanji symbol can have several different meanings depending on what context it is used in. Thankfully, since this is just a short term class, we’re not going to have to worry about any of that.”

“One thing that I’m going to really be picky on with kanji, that I wasn’t with hiragana, is stroke order. Stoke order is how you write each line and in what order, believe it or not, it will effect how the kanji looks. Weird, I know. In the packets, you’ll find the kanji, stroke order, meanings, and examples of it in use. This is all just a reference for you all, there’s a packet to write out the different kanji and stoke order that I’d like by the end of class. Other than that, I’m turning you all loose to work alone or with each other. So don’t destroy anything.”

[Ugh, bad day.]

konoha-flash.livejournal.com

Yondaime sat at the front of the class, wearing a pirate costume, with a large bowl of candy for the students when they came in. Deadpool had said it was tradition.

Though, Deadpool had also been the one to force him into the pirate costume again….

“Since today is a holiday in this world, we’re going to take it mostly pretty easy. I’m just going to give you all a quick lesson on some of the ghosts and ghouls in Japan. Or at least the ones that are similar to what is in my world,” he explained and moved to sit on his desk. “And I’m also going to give you a brief lesson on the word ‘shi’. Which if you all have been paying attention know can mean the number four.”

Yondaime grabbed a handful of candy and started tossing random pieces at students. “So the word ‘shi’ has several meanings and traditionally when saying ‘four’ you use the word ‘yon. The reasoning behind this is that ‘shi’ can also mean death Even though the kanji to write ‘death’ and ‘four’ are very different, but that’s another lesson. Just like the number thirteen is bad luck here, in Japan and my world the number four is.” The irony that he was the fourth Hokage was not lost on him.

“Some building makers and hotels there even go so far as to not have a floor labeled as ‘four’, or hotel rooms with that number,” he shrugged and tossed some more candy.

Bribery was a wonderful thing.

“Now as far as ghosts go where I’m from and the Japanese culture, for the most part we don’t have a fear of dead people. In fact most people will have small shrines to family members who have departed in their homes, or will do yearly visits to the cemeteries to remember their death. There are of course a few spirits that are restless and cause trouble, but nothing overly bad, unless…” The blond paused for effect. “…Unless they become possessed by demons. There is a demon for just about everything in Japan. Dog demons, water demons, fox demons, cat demons, half demons, spider demons, tofu demons, frog demons, they’re all over the place.”

There was a flash of smoke behind Yondaime as a frog as tall as the room appeared. “Frog demons?” It chuckled in mock threat.

Yondaime just smirked. “Yes, frog demons Gamakichi,” he chuckled. “Everyone this is Gamakichi, one of a family of spirit frogs that has assisted me through the years. He’s not a demon, but he knows quite a bit about them and you all are free to talk to him and ask him questions.”

[[~~Wait for the~~ OCD is up!]]

mouthy-merc.livejournal.com

Coming in late to class was not the usual teacher, no it was the husband instead. Looking slightly frazzled about having to deal with children. Again.

And no lesson plan thanks to Max. Damn adorable fox.

"Hello kiddies! Professor Yondaime has come down with a cold again and is kinda gross right now so I was kicked over here to teach you guys... stuff." He coughed. "Not sure what so, we'll just learn some fun new curse words in Japanese! I mean, come on. Like kids don't want to learn swears!"

Passing out an informative sheet of paper that had somehow been made ahead of time in order to be available for the kids, Deadpool grinned. "Just think of this as a way to curse the weekend and all the visitors, mmmkay?"

[[ooc: ~~Wait for the~~ OCD is up!]]

tricksy-spy.livejournal.com

Aly waited for all the students to come into the class before standing up to start.

"I'm sorry to say Yondaime is a bit under the weather today so you have me instead," she said with a grin for the class. "For those of you who don't know me, I'm Aly, and I usually teach explosives or spying or something like that. Sadly, I don't actually speak Japanese. My world has a language pretty close, but since you all are just learning, we won't get into that. Instead I have a move for you - the Septuplet Swordsman ~~Seven Samurai~~ that Arashi picked out."

"I'm pretty sure it's subtitled so try only to pay attention to them if you're having a hard time understanding the language. Other than that, have a fantastic break and I'm sure you'll have Arashi and real instruction again week after next."

[OOC: Mmm, OCD ~~coming~~ up!]

konoha-flash.livejournal.com

Yondaime breathed a sigh of relief as he came into the class and pulled out a new packet from the several anti-fox bags as he started to pass them out to the class, once they were all there.

( Cut for crazy mercness. )

konoha-flash.livejournal.com

Yondaime didn’t look happy again as everyone came into the class room. The class however, would probably be delighted not to see the usual stack of worksheets on the teacher’s desk and a large theater screen behind him where the white board normally was.

“Unfortunately a ~~soon to be dead~~wee tiny fox thought that our worksheets for today were no good and so she decided to add them to her litter box. Hence today we are watching a movie; Spirited Afar. It’s a pretty good movie that shows a lot of how Japanese society deals with spirituality honorifics and other such things.” Yondaime paused and ran a hand through his hair looking very tired. “Most importantly it is in Japanese, with subtitles, but I want all of you to listen closely to how they are pronouncing things.”

[The worksheets and real class for today got trashed -_-; I’m trying to fix it, but it won’t be until next week.]

konoha-flash.livejournal.com

Once everyone was seated Yondaime wandered into class late, with an eye patch over his left eye and looking very, very annoyed. “Arr…” he said lamely.

( Pirate vs. Ninja )

[Worksheets | ~~Plz to wait for OCD~~]

konoha-flash.livejournal.com

"Ohaiyou gozaimasu minna-san," Yondaime smiled from the front of class. "Good morning everyone," he repeated. "Welcome to the second week of class, I’m glad to see that I haven’t scared most of you off."

( Continuing on )

[Week 1 Worksheets|Syllabus]

~~[Please wait for OCD!]~~

konoha-flash.livejournal.com

“Hello everyone,” Yondaime smiled from the front of the class. “Welcome to Beginning Japanese. We’ve got a lot to cover in the fifteen weeks that we have together so I apologize for jumping right into it.” He paused to hand out a large packet to everyone, moving with lightening speed through the room ( before continuing. )

[~~Plz Wait for the OCD~~Have fun?]

[Syllabus and roster]

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