1. Are feelings emotions and facial expressions universal across borders, happy, sad, etc..?
I think feelings, emotions, and especially how we express those emotions are very cultural. We may tend to think that we all feel the same, but all you have to do is watch a movie from a different country to see that people don't show emotion in the same ways. Some cultures, Italian comes to mind, are very physical and show their emotions openly with their body. Other cultures, Japanese and Finnish, tend to use more subtle facial expressions and gestures. So sometimes I think it can be difficult to understand how a person from another culture is feeling if you don't know much about their culture.
2. Try to name as many feelings as possible in Japanese. ( 10 minimum) Now write the English translation.
3. Are there any feelings in Japanese that cannot be translated into English?
Rather than answer these questions, I'm going to get a little more specific and talk about the difficulty translating a word/concept between Japanese and English: "LOVE".
If you look up "love" in the dictionary it will probably translate it as either 愛 or 恋. Neither of these words really matches the concept very well. In English, love has a very broad meaning. It can be used to express pleasure with someone or something. It can be a romantic feeling, but at the same time, it can be a more complex (not romantic) attachment between two people. It can be between lovers, friends, or family members. You can love your pet, your boss, you can love people you haven't even met. Its a very diverse word.
At the same time 愛 and 恋 don't translate into English well either. If you look them up they will likely be translated simply as "love" but they are quite distinct emotions. 愛 for example represents a stronger, deeper emotional bond. It can be between lovers, as well as between family members, and in some cases treasured objects. 恋 on the other hand, represents a deep, but usually temporary emotional state. With 恋 it is usually an initial reaction, an almost obsessive and uncontrollable feeling. This can turn into 愛, but it can also simply disappear.
These seem to be such simple emotions, but when we think about them they are really much more complex and connected with our culture than we imagine.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Class #5 Names
1. How do you choose a child's given name in your family?
I think in most families, the parents usually choose a name which they like (and that they both can agree on). Sometimes, though, families have traditional names. It is common in some families to give children the name of past relatives, such as grand parents, aunts and uncles, etc. For example, my sister was named after our great great grandmother, and I am named after my father (although we have different middle names).
3. Does your given name or your family name mean anything?
My given name comes from an old German word meaning "angry or violent wolf." I think this is kind of funny because it doesn't describe me at all. It is a very rare name in America, but much more common in northern European countries (Norway, Sweden, Germany). My family name comes from an old Norwegian tradition. In Norway a child's last name was the a combination of the father's given name + son or daughter. My family name, Siverson, means that somewhere in the past I had a relative named Siver, and he had a son. But in America we keep a single family name, so when my family came to America we kept the name Siverson.
7. How do you know if names are boys' names, girls' names, or both?
This is a difficult question, because usually it is easy to tell the difference between male and female names, but it is difficult to explain why. The only way I can explain it is that there are some names that are traditionally girls' names and some names that are traditionally boys' names. But some names can be either, and these are usually very confusing.
I think in most families, the parents usually choose a name which they like (and that they both can agree on). Sometimes, though, families have traditional names. It is common in some families to give children the name of past relatives, such as grand parents, aunts and uncles, etc. For example, my sister was named after our great great grandmother, and I am named after my father (although we have different middle names).
3. Does your given name or your family name mean anything?
My given name comes from an old German word meaning "angry or violent wolf." I think this is kind of funny because it doesn't describe me at all. It is a very rare name in America, but much more common in northern European countries (Norway, Sweden, Germany). My family name comes from an old Norwegian tradition. In Norway a child's last name was the a combination of the father's given name + son or daughter. My family name, Siverson, means that somewhere in the past I had a relative named Siver, and he had a son. But in America we keep a single family name, so when my family came to America we kept the name Siverson.
7. How do you know if names are boys' names, girls' names, or both?
This is a difficult question, because usually it is easy to tell the difference between male and female names, but it is difficult to explain why. The only way I can explain it is that there are some names that are traditionally girls' names and some names that are traditionally boys' names. But some names can be either, and these are usually very confusing.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Class #4
I though the presentation by the speaker was really interesting. Her perspective, as someone who converted to Islam, was really fascinating. I think, sometimes, those who have grown up in a particular religion don't understand or appreciate it as much as those who have come to it out of their own interest. I think I learned a lot.
Moving on:
1. How do you greet people in your life? Is it different for different people? Why?
How I greet people really depends on different things, for example how well I know the person, how long its been since I have seen them, and what sort of social situation it is. I might greet my friends with a "hey, whats up" and a wave of the hand, or a nod of the head, but I wouldn't do that to my boss. In America we have more formal greetings as well, although I think they're not as complicated as in Japan. As I said earlier, I think greetings really depend on what your relationship with the other person is.
2. Do you touch people when you talk to them? Why? Or Why not?
I don't usually touch people when I talk to them, although there are people I know who do. I might shake a person's hand, or give them a hug, but I'm not what we would call a "touchy-feely" type of person, and it actually makes me a bit uncomfortable when other people do it. I think, though, that there are many people who like to make a physical connection when they talk with people. Its a good way to keep someone's attention, too.
Moving on:
1. How do you greet people in your life? Is it different for different people? Why?
How I greet people really depends on different things, for example how well I know the person, how long its been since I have seen them, and what sort of social situation it is. I might greet my friends with a "hey, whats up" and a wave of the hand, or a nod of the head, but I wouldn't do that to my boss. In America we have more formal greetings as well, although I think they're not as complicated as in Japan. As I said earlier, I think greetings really depend on what your relationship with the other person is.
2. Do you touch people when you talk to them? Why? Or Why not?
I don't usually touch people when I talk to them, although there are people I know who do. I might shake a person's hand, or give them a hug, but I'm not what we would call a "touchy-feely" type of person, and it actually makes me a bit uncomfortable when other people do it. I think, though, that there are many people who like to make a physical connection when they talk with people. Its a good way to keep someone's attention, too.
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