Nagoya Hostels

Nagoya Guesthouse Otohaya

http://www.hostels.com/hostels/nagoya/nagoya-guesthouse-otohaya/47774
http://www.otohaya.com/eng/ - their English does not seem so good.
2.3 mile along main road. Late check-in with notice. Bike rental for 7 hours(?)
$225/$306 common vs private
map from guesthouse to PT:
http://bit.ly/jnrOd9

Oshu Plaza
slightly closer and more expensive (32 vs 28/ night)
http://goo.gl/maps/3zt3
note that it is not along a major road (highway?) to get to PT

Hostel Ann - http://hostelann.com/eng_index.aspx
1.9 miles away
map http://goo.gl/maps/GHXN
$32 night, late check in, all day bike.
I think that we will be staying at Hostel Ann

name suffixes

I've been quite recently. I have never been a great note-taker. I was suggested to add this part:

さん

This is the standard “name-ender.” You pretty much can’t go wrong with this one. If you’re not sure, use さん.

〜くん（君）

This name-ender is mostly used on younger men (even younger adults). When you’re an equal with someone, or higher rank than someone (this could be age, position, etc), and you’re talking to a guy, くん is a viable option. Then again, if you’re meeting someone for the first time or you don’t know someone very well, it’s always safer to stick with さん, even if you are older / higher ranking than someone. You’ll also see くん being thrown around to kids and boyfriends, too (because girlfriends are our bosses, you know?).

I would never use this since I hate rank, but hey, I bend over to talk to toddlers so I am not towering over.

〜ちゃん

This is mainly for girls or young children. It’s pretty affectionate in a “you’re my kid / little sis” kind of way. You’ll also see it being used with people who have known each other for a really long time (or just know each other really well). When using ちゃん, a lot of times names will be shortened too. For example, my name (こういち) is shortened to こう so that people can say こうちゃん. As a rule of thumb, you’ll usually want to shorten someone’s name to one or two syllables. Basically, you just need to choose something that sounds good. There are lots of set shortenings as well – you’ll just have to see enough of them to be able to do this easily yourself.

I could say Ro-chan or Robin-chan to my son.

〜せんせい（先生）

せんせい means “teacher,” so whenever you’re talking to your teacher you’d attach this to their name (preferably their last name). Maybe you’d call me こういちせんせい? You’ll also hear せんせい being used with doctors as well, maybe because they think they’re all that.

〜せんぱい（先輩）

This is somewhat similar to せんせい, except it’s for peers who are higher (level, rank, grade, what-have-you). You might add this to the end of someone’s name who is a grade or two ahead of you in school, or more skilled at you in some kind of trade, like woodworking, for example. Don’t confuse this one with せんせい. This is more like a hierarchy / relationship between students and people who are not the teacher.

Getting discouraged on learning vocabulary. Learning grammar and Kanji is going fine.

I finally got to make a sensible statement in Japanese! This morning, Susan said to the cat "you little monkey" I said いいえ さあ じゃありません.ねこ です.
This means "No, it is not a monkey. It is a cat." *pleased*

Checklist for Season 1 part 1

Here is a list of what I need to do to finish the first third of textfugu season 1 (of four). It boils down to finsihing one more worksheet (easy concept, just using desu). I liked doing the combo worksheet because my yo and re were not so good. To go beyond this point you need to subscibe, it is $20/month or $120 forever. I think I will do the forever at the end of this month.

1. Teaching Yourself Japanese

Figure out why you’re learning Japanese and write it down d'uh - going to Japan and its been "fun" and gaining respect for humans who speak all languages not just English

Say “hello” in the TextFugu Forums - to do when I have a question

Think of (and prevent) future excuses that can hold you back - I spend my whole life working on this crap

Set up a study area not really possible

Tell someone you’re studying Japanese to keep you accountable told many

Create a Japanese Language Learning Log QED

2. The Japanese “Alphabets”

Know what “romaji” is and how it’s used done

Know what hiragana is and how it’s used done

Know what katakana is and how it’s used done

Know what kanji is and (generally) how it’s used done

Know what the four Japanese alphabets are (can you name them?) done

3. Japanese Pronunciation With Hiragana

Download: Hiragana Chart (PDF) done

Know what the “magical hiragana pattern” is and know how to pronounce the first five hiragana characters done

Be able to recognize the “weird hiragana exceptions” done

Know how to pronounce all the main hiragana characters done

Know how to pronounce the dakuten hiragana characters (and know what dakuten are) done

Know how to pronounce the “combination hiragana” characters done

4. Reading And Writing Hiragana

Know how to piece various hiragana characters together to form simple words done

Download and install Anki done

List: Hiragana With Audio (Anki)done

Know how to read all the hiragana characters done

Know how to write all the hiragana characters done

Understand how long vowels work done

Understand how small “tsu” works done

5. Studying Your Passion

Download: Passion Chart (PDF) done

Research your “Passion Words” in Japanese and write them down on your “Passion Chart” (above) done (what a pain!)

Know how to use Jisho.org done

Create a “Passion Study List” on Anki done

6. Japanese Grammar With Yoda

Know how Yoda talks, you must. done

Be able to pronounce です properly done

Know how to form _____です sentences done

Download: です Practice + Hiragana Worksheet (PDF) done

Be able to complete the です Practice + Hiragana Worksheet do 4-14

I have made some progress, I feel pretty good about Hiragana both reading and writing. I need to do the worksheet on combos but the nice thing about combos is that the second kana is small so you know it is a combo, then you just sound it out kinda.
I made my passion list of words about hiking and climbing. I have found it hard to learn these. I have iwayama (mountain) and sandoo (trail) kyanpingu (camping) and ryukkusakku (backpack). I hope I can increase my learning rate.
I am also poised to start learning two-stroke kanji radicals.
はい - hai! yes
いいえ - iie - no
です it is
じゃありません it is not

か interrogative at the end of sentence

さくらですか?

いいえ,さくら じゃありません
みかんです
Is it a cherry blossom?
No, it is not.
It is a tangerine

I can recognize all 46 Hiragana kana, the 25 Datuken and 36 combinations! Now I need to learn some vocab and grammer!

New goal: attend Japanese-English conversation starting Sunday April 17. I should have Hiragana down by then as well as a vocabulary of 20 words about my passion hiking and climbing, as well as some sense of grammar.