September 2015 Part 2

Earlier this week, posting something on Facebook got a former officemate commenting about how much she could relate to my post. That and with her complaining about how little time I have for friends. It was just too cute to pass up so I made sure to meet up with her. [I very rarely post anything sentimental these days but I just missed someone so bad. He was someone I just met in one of my travels and we would chat every now and then on Facebook. Then late last year he asked me out on a movie date. Dunno if that qualifies as a romantic date though but he paid for our tickets.]

We met up in Shangrila Mall. The original plan was to watch a movie because Cine Europa was on and has just ended yesterday. Who would have thought that many Filipinos are getting interested in foreign films other than the ones from Hollywood. While I am happy about it I am also bothered that there will come a point in time wherein it would be difficult to grab tickets because of the crowd.

And for the first time in my life I didn't get one because I got stuck in the toilet. Times when I have to use the toilet I hate being female. It sucks having to wait for women who take so long inside the toilet. I wonder what they do inside? One can relieve herself in less than a minute!

Because I wasn't able to get a ticket, K and I agreed to just have our late lunch. Our choice was Johnny Rockets in the East Wing. Everytime I pass by that resto I would always make a mental note to save up to have a taste of their burgers. But then imagine my disappointment when, ordering their Grand Canyon, I discovered that it wasn't so grand at all. The bacon was not fried to a crisp and was badly sliced too thickly and was hard to chew. The patty had nothing special in it. The bun was soggy. I felt pitiful eating that junk and I couldn't help but miss my favorite burger place. And it's ridiculous to spend P645 for that burger. But anyway, lesson learned. I will never drop by that place anymore. Even the fries are pitifully lacking in flavor compared to Wendy's! Sigh. That's money down the drain. Seriously.

Johny Rockets' not so grand Canyon

We did a bit of window shopping with me checking out stores selling baking stuff. It's been a dream to bake and that dream got revived when I got Nestlé Professional mixes for making panna cotta, crème brûlée, and chocolate mousse. My first attempt was a flop and people at home didn´t like it. Bruised my ego big time but then again they never really appreciate anything I do so that´s no surprise. Will just make desserts for others then.

Then off we head to K´s place. MRT was down due to technical problems. ON A SATURDAY, I have to emphasize. Seriously, what the heck is the MRTA doing??? So we took the bus and for the first time in my life I was happy not to spend over an hour in EDSA.

We swam a bit that night then off we went inside the sauna room where we talked a bit about life in general but mostly focusing on love life. Because at this age, both of us are a bit preoccupied about finding a decent guy who can be with us in this lifetime. (Ugh! That's a somewhat gross topic when you write about it but it's the truth...) When a girl entered, we stopped talking for a while. LOL.

That night, we watched 時をかける少女 the animated version. It's a drama comedy about a girl who suddenly could turn back time. Every time she did, there's always at least one negative incidental consequence (love that phrase which I conjured up just weeks ago when we had visitors at the office LOL!). And if there's one thing she learned, it's that "time waits for no one". Makoto has always been boyish and was upset when a friend asked her out. Trying to evade his feelings, she turned back time many times. Yet in the end, realizing the sacrifices made by Chiaki who turned out to be the original time traveler, she accepted his feelings. Except theirs is not a happy ending because they belong to different time periods. (Awwwww)

Then more chatting. We seem to have the same view that girls who flirt get boys faster than decent girls do. Just whatever happens to boys these days? I'm not playing self-righteous here but I do believe that I am brought up with principles. I don't even let boys pay for everything when I go out with them. Do boys really need girls who depend on them? Can't they stand independent, strong-willed girls? Are boys really that insecure to ever want to have an achiever for a lover? [As a drifter, I question if I am an achiever sometimes but then again looking back, having hurdled a lot of difficulties and having faced a lot of challenges, I can confidently say that I've leveled up a lot. In that respect I can say that yes I am an achiever. People will have different notions of what it means to be an achiever. I may not be my own boss, I may not have won an important award, but I've come to the point wherein I can proudly say that I am proud to be me.]

The following day was a Sunday and we woke up before 6AM to attend the earliest Sunday mass. Then off we went to Legaspi Sunday market to have a taste of their offerings. I got to taste those awesome Polish dumplings and even talked to the Polish guy who was manning the kiosk. Very friendly guy. When I remarked that Polish is one of the most difficult languages to learn, he agreed and even let me guess how a word is pronounced. I did poorly, obviously. [And I wondered if maybe I should pursue a degree in linguistics...]

There were too many foods we wanted to try but prices are on the expensive side. A meal costs P150 on average. I wanted to eat laksa, roast duck, oyster omelette, and lasagna. In the end we settled for 6 pieces of assorted Polish dumplings. (Our fave was the one with truffle oil. I superrrrr LOVE it!) We also had takoyaki which disappoint for its lack of real squid inside. The liter of carabao's milk I bought was sad to say, a letdown. I've had better carabao's milk at a cheaper price, too. But we both agreed to go back there for the things we weren't able to eat. [Right now I drool at the thought of oyster omelette. Sigh! To think I just ate one last Friday when my sister treated me to Sincerity in Banawe which by the way, deserves a blog entry, too!]

takoyaki

Polish dumplings and Vietnamese spring rolls

We went back to her place feeling drowsy from eating [and because we had little sleep]. Since we're both feeling sleepy, we slept on the roofdeck while in the poolside. LOL. The cool breeze was wonderful but when it was time for a swim it felt cold. It was wonderful to be in the water again, though. I love how I could already swim short distances. Will just have to build up my stamina and breathing techniques. Then sauna again. I love it when I sweat a lot.

After everything we went out in search of Japanese food but all Japanese restos close from 2PM onwards til 5PM. So we bought some groceries at the Japanese store. It was my chance to buy my favorite curry noodles but I fought the urge because I was on a budget and I chose to buy some canned goods and curry powder instead. A Booksale visit was also part of the itinerary as well as eating at my favorite Thai kiosk at Makati Cinema Square. I super miss that place. It was where I first fell in love with pad thai. Too bad they don't have tom yum.

beef wanton noodles

my favorite eatery in MCS

It rained hard on the way home. It was a wonderful experience nevertheless, to catch up with a dear friend and to just relax on a weekend. 

-------------

Despite the many bad luck I encountered, I felt lucky because I got a crush's cellphone number. He's way older than me and I think he's mature. [Okaaaay this feels like something written by a highschool student. Ugh! Pardon my giddiness.]

Math for Fun 001

So here I am taking a break from solving Math problems. For the past few hours I have been answering some geometry problems on my own. There really isn't a reason why I do this, it's just that lately I am starting to feel like I'm not as mathematical as my former self, though I still have confidence in being logical so  even though I already forgot half of my math lessons in school, I still get to solve problems though not as easily as I could have because I have to analyze each part to come up with an answer.

And again this proves that in math, one does not need to memorize a plethora of formulas. One simply should understand the basic axioms and work out solutions to more complex problems. :)

Yeah, that and probably because of my desire to learn calculus on my own. My practical side would like to know if my mind can support such a topic. Again, I think there's this fear implanted in me because most people I know hate math, most people I know do not get calculus even though most of these graduated from courses requiring calculus...

And yes, I'm bored. I just want to learn something new.

From Multiply 014: Why EL?

To all the people who ask me why I took EL instead of courses requiring Math and Science skills, here is my late response to you.

It doesn’t only take root from my love of languages. It’s more like an addiction to knowledge and my twisted idea of being as unique as I can in this boring world.

Bacon once said that the conquest of learning can be achieved through languages. I find this very true, being someone who’s not satisfied with the limited amount of books translated into English. At least if I get to master a lot of languages, I can delve deeper into different subjects especially those which are controversial like for example, the Bible. I’ve long been wanting with all my heart to read the original Bible, the scrolls themselves in Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek. As a human being who believes in the existence of a Supreme Being, I have the right to know and to scrutinize my faith, starting from the tangible resources which are available in the world, i.e. the authentic texts.

Right now, as I have learned a little Latin (a dead language which drags a lot of people to death…just kidding) I feel like continuing it on my own if my school won’t offer higher Latin courses. (Thanks to Umberto Eco for motivating me to learn that dead language, thanks also to my childhood fascination with mythology, in this case, Roman mythology, I didn’t feel forced at all to attend classes coz I have a goal after Latin 10--- to read Pliny’s accounts and Vergil’s Aenid in Latin. That is, if I find the means and the time.) Latin, I believe, shall be a great help once I find books on the Christian doctrine written in Latin. (I’d also like to read St. Jerome’s Vulgate Bible.)

There, I’ve answered the question with my primary reason, that is, because of my insatiable thirst for knowledge.

Second, I wanted to take up something different in college. I wanted my college life to be livelier. (But it’s still hellish not having enough time to read novels, watch anime and going on gimmicks because of my duty in the office, darn it! I’m living such a dull life!) So instead of pursuing Mathematics or Physics or Microbiology, (I hate Bio but I know microbiologists make oodles of money hahaha!!!) I ended up choosing EL before the UPCAT. I got the result of the entrance exam after finishing one year’s study of EL (and GE subjects) and I felt like I did the right choice because my grades are as follows:

Language Proficiency- 99

Reading Comprehension- 98

Math- 98

Science- 95

And I didn’t have one bit of regret because I can proudly say that I’m multilingual now. (I speak Filipino, English, Chinese (Fookien and Mandarin), Japanese (no formal training so don’t expect much, please), Spanish and French.) I mean, if I go to any country, I have the means to survive. (I’d like to learn Swahili next haha. Just to mingle with Africans but I’m still looking for a way to do it…)

I don’t know if people really are impressed when they learn I’m an EL student but here are the usual reactions:

1.    “Wow, e di magaling ka magSpanish?”
2.    “Sige nga magSpanish ka nga.”
(When I ask them what they want me to say, they’d reply “anything” which is kinda difficult so they’d ask me to translate “I am beautiful”, Beieve it or not, 99% asked me to translate that sentence!!! And I’d say “Yo soy fea” hahaha!!! BAHALA SILA!!!)
3.    “That’s interesting!!!”
4.    “Wow, e di pupunta ka sa Europe na?”
(You bet I am, that is, if I have a scholarship. I want to continue my studies there. And when I’m there, ligaré con los chorvos HAHAHA!!!)

Third, a minor reason actually, is so I can go around the world without the need of interpreters. And people will marvel at me for being able to speak Chinese, too, which BTW, is considered as one of the most difficult languages in the world. I guess, I’d feel a sense of pride, too.

But the biggest reason why I chose EL and never shifted to other courses is because I’m enjoying the discovery of grammar rules, how I can connect words from one language to the other, etc.

And I want to make something crystal clear. I’m an EL student but it doesn’t mean that I don’t like the Filipino language. People may think that EL students are kinda elitists because they prefer Euro languages over Filipino. The Chinese are known to be ethnocentric thus they look down on the Filipino language. But it’s the language I grew up with (er, together with Chinese and English books) and the language I can use in my daily life especially here in my own country.

Kinda ironic coz I write in English. But if you know me, I rarely speak English, Filipino still is my preferred language in conversations.


Sep 27, '08 11:50 PM
for Miracle's network

Before 2012 Ends

Before 2012 ends, there are lots of things I have yet to do. Out of graduate school and I find myself leaning more towards movies and J-dramas, and spending less time with books. In just a few months I think I have become a screensucker and I find myself thanking the internet for classics I can read online.

When I finished my course in archaeology, I told myself that I would start leafing through the pages of my books as I have accumulated more than 300 books and am now having problems concerning space since I share a bedroom with my sisters and it disgusts them to see books everywhere from my so-called Garbage Island to my bed.

After years of focusing on too much non-fiction, I developed a short-lived thirst for fiction and so I planned to read all of Margaret Atwood and Robertson Davies' books in my collection, especially after reading the first's Lady Oracle and the second's The Papers of Samuel Marchbanks. Both authors are Canadians and I guess theirs would have to be my introduction to Canadian literature.

Other books I plan to read before 2012 ends are:

R. Davies' The Cunning Man, What's Bred in the Bone, The Lyre of Orpheus, The Deptford Trilogy, Leaven of Malice, A Mixture of Frailties

M. Atwood's Handmaid's Tale, Life before Men, The Robber Bride, The Edible Woman

Because this year 2012 is a special year in that the Phantom of the Opera will be staged in Manila, I also plan to read Gaston Leroux's novel of the same title from which the musical is based.

In addition, because  The Hobbit will be shown in theaters this December, I also told myself to read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and if I were lucky enough to find a cheap copy of The Hobbit I would also gladly read it. All these before watching the movie.

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) will have its opening concert on September 21 (Friday) at the Philamlife Auditorium. (Click here and here for more information) To show my support for our own wonderful musicians, I have made it a point to attend at least the opening concert. (And also because I just miss Philamlife Auditorium that much.)

If I still have money and time, then I would no doubt go see The Seagull (Ang Tagak) (Sept. 19-Oct. 7), a play by Anton Chekov, staged by Dulaang UP and directed by the great Tony Mabesa, with Filipino translation by Rolando Tinio.

On my birthday this December, I would love to cook for my family. This is to showcase my cooking skills (if indeed I gained any... LOL). Menu would be a mix of Italian and Mexican. There will be nachos and home-made salsa. I will also prepare a new pasta dish never been tasted by the world (yes, it will be a new invention by yours truly). If chance permits, I would buy salmon and grill it. For dessert I would just ask my sisters to buy a cake from Conti's. (Thinking about all these make me drool...)

And of course, I'd like to go out more with my close friends since it's been a long time since we did something meaningful together. Eating out would be the best option. Or perhaps we can go hang out at some karaoke bar and goof around as in the old days, this time by trying hard to be wonderful music artists, or in my case, being a rockstar wannabe.

Concerning travels, I would love to go to the Visayan region and visit the lovely beaches which I hear seem like paradise on earth.

Last but not the least, I would be very happy if I were to be able to take the JLPT this year. I shall only allow myself IF AND ONLY IF I can finish studying my materials. As of the present, I am stuck with Japanese for Today with six more lessons to go. At this rate, I doubt if I will be able to study my other materials. Maybe I'll just take the exam next year at the latest.

Less than 130 days to go...

日本語の勉強: Japanese Verbs

While I find studying Japanese fun, I do admit that I'm somewhat stressed when it comes to conjugating Japanese verbs. The book I use as main textbook, Japanese for Today, may offer sufficient reading material of various topics, but it sadly lacks explanations on verb conjugations, leaving me a bit frustrated because sometimes I have to do research on the internet before I can proceed to my lessons.

I currently am on lesson 17 and I must say that I am already having a hard time with all the verb endings one has to know by heart. It is still a good thing that I am already familiar with most verb endings, having encountered them in songs. I have just survived lesson 16 which is all about the passive and causative verbs. Really I suck at verb conjugations. Now, I am absorbing the six verbs associated with giving and receiving.

I have yet to review my kanji but hopefully by the end of this month, I will have reviewed at least half of the list I made. My strategy is noting down in index cards all kanji that I encounter and write the pronunciation in hiragana to also increase my reading speed. I rarely put in the English equivalent since most Kanji have the same meaning as the Chinese words they originate from. Then on my spare time, I review my index cards to refresh my memory.

I have also resumed watching J-Drama. At present,  うぬぼれ刑事  and 未来講師めぐる make me laugh out loud. うぬぼれ刑事 tells the story of a detective who falls for a woman criminal. 未来講師めぐる on the other haand, is about a female English teacher who can see the future of other people when she is full. Watching J-Drama not only is a stress-reliever, but also allows my ears to get accustomed to others speak in Japanese since I really do not have anyone to converse with in the language.

Target for this month includes studying up to at least lesson 24. Also, I have begun to study the lyrics of some Japanese songs to increase my vocabulary. X-Japan was initially part of this project since I love their X Ballad Collection but then again I will have to change to other bands/ singers because the lyrics of most X-Japan songs contain stanzas in English. For the time being, B'z, Chage and Aska, Kamiki Aya, Shibasaki Koh, HITOMI, Kalafina, Do As Infinity, and Onitsuka Chihiro shall accomapny me in my study. Or better yet, now is probably the best time to get to know other singers. For instance I have discovered Tanimura Shinji who sang Fuushi Hanaden, the ending theme for the anime version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

All this to prepare for the JLPT this December!!! 

Science, Math, and Chaos

Taking up an STS (Science, Technology, and Society) course in college has a profound effect on my life. Not only was I able to learn many new things about science, I learned to appreciate the role of science in our  everyday life. STS let me see that science indeed plays a vital role in addressing the problems the world faces today. In highschool, I used to think of science as the reason why everything got extra complicated in this world. The advent of new technologies contributed to increasing social fragmentation, not to mention destruction of the environment. But the very reason why I shunned science was because I really didn't believe anything I learned in high school- I always thought something was amiss, like all those theories do not really mirror phenomena in reality. So in college, while I considered to take up Mathematics, I decided to pursue foreign languages instead, with my love for literature and etymologies prevailed over mathematical abstractions. (Or perhaps blame it to the fact that I wasn't much informed about possible careers after studying Mathematics in college... It came too late.)

In STS class, which I took three years ago, the students are lucky to listen to lectures by different professionals, from engineers and scientists to historians, forensic experts, and archaeologists. The topics are diverse but the main point is that one cannot escape science as it pervades every aspect of our reality. In particular, I was very much inspired by the lecture given by Amador Muriel. He talked about turbulence and quantum theory, though mostly he just talked about himself which made me view him as an egocentric, self-centered old man who keeps on enumerating his achievements and how he survived in the West although he came from a poor family in a Third World Country. Despite my aversion to all those self-praise talk, I must say that I honestly admire this man for his struggles, how he made it big despite his poor origins. Another is that in enumerating his numerous mentors, one can say that he takes pride in his academic pedigree and as such gives credit to and rightly acknowledges the people who have contributed to who he is now.

Back in college, my friends know me as a spendthrift who only buys books from Booksale and who seldom gets the required readings. But when he announced that his book is now available, I didn't think twice. I just had to have the book. The book isn't that expensive, which is a good thing, and students could get autographs right then and there. I bought his book "Folding Water: The Search for a Quantum Theory of Turbulence" which was co-authored by Ninotchka Rosca. I almost never had the book autographed because of students suddenly flocked to him like moths to a flame. I braved the crowd. He asked me what I am studying and I answered, "European Languages." He wrote a short note on the first page of the book:

"Melo:

              Look up to the

       allusions to

       Europe.

                   A. Muriel"

It was the first time I got a book signed by the author. It instantly became one of my prized books. And when I read it from cover to cover, I was more than sure that never shall this book go out of my collection. It's more detailed compared to the lecture and I wasn't at all surprised that this book is also a memoir in addition to its being a book on quantum mechanics meant for the layperson.

Not long after, I got interested in chaos theory. Reading short articles online increased my appetite for chaos. At that time, I described my life as chaotic. I was a lost kid in a jungle of civilization. Suddenly everything I know crumbles, it feels like being a witness to widescale destruction a la Inception (yes, that movie by Christopher Nolan where scenes of crumbling edifices are many) and I didn't know where to start from.

One day as if by chance, I found a book at Booksale which costs just P75. The title of the book is "Chaos: Making a New Science", authored by James Gleick. I knew I had to buy it. As soon as I got home, I read the book and was enlightened as to why I became averse to science in high school. In high school, we were taught that this happens assuming this is the case. In short, it was highly idealistic. But chaos, as Gleick writes, "poses problems that defy accepted ways of working in science." Moreover, high school science lacked the interdependence of disciplines and thus provided an unrealistic view of phenomena. Physics for example was isolated from biology and chemistry. Each subject was compartmentalized. Chaos on the other hand, brings together different disciplines in an attempt to investigate global nature of systems. When a child, who yearns to make sense of the world around her and who sees the intricate web of relations of things, is made to study a subject without reference to other disciplines, she quickly loses interest. I do not know if this holds true to others but it does to me.

Gleick's book is meant for the layperson. It traces the beginnings of the study of chaotic systems and chaos itself. It narrates the development of such subject as other disciplines like mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology advanced, or the other way around. Gleick also briefly sketched the important contributors to chaotology (study of chaos), from Lorenz to Mandelbrot, to Feigenbaum and Libchaber, to the scholars of Santa Cruz. I also appreciated how the book attempts to enumerate the many applications and relations of chaotology in other dsiciplines including economics, philosophy, art, and literature.

Reading the book made me wonder what if I took up Mathematics instead of foreign languages. Then maybe I would be very good at working with computers. Then maybe I would be dabbling in chaos. Then maybe I would be able to offer an explanation as to why my life is chaotic.

Why Learn a Foreign Language

Languages play an important role in our daily life as it serves as a communicative tool that facilitates interaction with other people. We acquire language skills since infancy and as we grow older these language skills are developed in such a way that it allows us to express complex ideas and to convey abstract ideas.

Knowing a language allows us to engage with people who speak the same language. Knowing a language allows us to access information written in that same language. Knowing a language allows us to appreciate more the culture to which that language is part of.

Imagine knowing more than one language. Imagine then overcoming language barriers to read poetry in its original language, to have access to information in other languages! Indeed, at present when information is almost everywhere and linguistic differences are the only things that keep you from getting that much needed information, there is a need for multilinguals. Nowadays, knowing one's mother tongue is not enough, and even fluency in English is not enough. Learning another foreign language is always a plus as it widens your horizons and opens more career opportunities.

I have been fortunate to have been exposed to Fookien, Tagalog, English, and Mandarin since childhood. Since I love reading, I discovered one of the advantages of knowing Chinese as this allowed me to read manga translated into Chinese, like Ranma 1/2, Dragonball, Mojacko, and Doraemon. As a young adolescent infatuated with anything Japanese due to the anime boom in the '90s, I started picking up simple Japanese phrases and words until I decided to study the language by myself. In college I took up European Languages with the main goal of being able to read untranslated Spanish and French literature. I would have loved to learn Russian, Italian, Portuguese, and German, but there's always the problem of time constraint. Instead now I'm back to studying Japanese seeing how useful it will be in the near future.


Autodidactic's Tips on Learning a Foreign Language: Learning a Foreign Language by Self-Study

Autodidactic's Tips on Learning a Foreign Language: Learning a Foreign Language by Self-Study

Studying a foreign language does not mean you have to enroll in a language school in order to learn. While interacting with other fellow learners would be an advantage of language-learning in the classroom, there are also disadvantages. One disadvantage of enrolling in a language course is that one has to adjust to the class schedule which means that you have to sacrifice other activities (i.e. work) just to learn. Another is the costly fees usually associated with language schools.

I have just recently resumed my self-study of Nihonggo. I started to study Japanese in 2003, after buying two books: "Japanese for Today" and "Everyday Japanese". My goals then were just to be able to read Japanese and to make myself familiar with Japanese words, thus my studies were done in a highly undisciplined manner, opening the books only when I felt like it. I went on hiatus in 2006 when I entered college and by that time, I knew how to read and write hiragana, had little knowledge of katakana, was already familiar with a lot of Kanji, and could already understand simple sentences. 

Now, I have resolved to continue my self-study of the Japanese language. I still use the same books, but the difference is that now I include online materials.

Here are some tips to help you learn a foreign language all by yourself:

Image:  http://learnworldlanguages.com/

1. Before anything else, ask yourself why you want to study a particular language.

This will be your motivation for studying a foreign language. Are you planning to work, live, or stay in a country where that language is spoken? Or do you want to gain a thorough understanding of a culture through its language? In my case, I want to study Japanese to achieve fluency in order to be able to translate texts. Keep in mind that there is no right nor wrong answer to this question but that knowing your motivations will keep you more focused and will help you design your own curriculum.

2. Set goals.

Have a realistic goal in mind. What do you want to achieve? In my case, I want to be able to translate simple stories and to watch movies without subtitles after two months of self-study.

3. Use a main reference material but prepare supplements.

Buy a book which suits your level. To be on the safe side, choose one that is appropriate for beginners and which contains conversations, grammar explanations, and exercise drills. Make this your main reference material, but do not limit yourself to this one particular book. Supplement this songs, videos, dictionaries, and other grammar books. In my case, I watch anime and listen to Japanese songs.

4. Read children's books.

Reading children's books in the language you are studying helps, too, since sentence structures are fairly simple and you will not be overwhelmed and discouraged. Besides, it is a good way to build your vocabulary. Oh, and when you read, READ ALOUD!

5. Make studying a habit.

I know this is hard especially when it gets frustrating, but a lack of discipline would get you nowhere. Sometimes it's just in how you manage your time. Twenty minutes of study everyday is sure to bring much improvement.

In my case, I study almost everyday but without a definite schedule. Sometimes I study for three hours and sometimes just half an hour. 

6. When stumped or uncertain, RESEARCH!

Suddenly having difficulty with a topic? Research online! Or research on ways to cope with that difficulty. Chances are other learners also experience what you're going through.

To share some of my experiences, I found verb conjugations in Japanese difficult since the book I use does not explain in depth how to conjugate verbs. So I did a research on the internet and found useful information.

7. Take notes.

Notes are not just taken in class, they are also helpful when doing a self-study. Taking down notes not only increases chances of remembering words or grammar formulas, it also lets you practice writing non-romanized languages. Also, you may bring your notes with you everywhere so you may review what you have learned while in the bus or waiting for someone.

In my case, I create lists of kanji and foreign words (in katakana) as I encounter them. 

8. Immersion!

There is no quicker way than travelling to the country where your target language is spoken. Once there, interact with locals. Speak no English. Speak the language no matter how awkward or stupid you may sound. 

No budget? Search for online language communities or online forums and befriend a native speaker with whom you can practice your target language.

9. Face the mirror and talk to yourself.

This may make you look like a crazy idiot but it does work as it helps in making your tongue accustomed to producing sounds in the target language which may not be found in your own language. It also helps you come up with what to say faster.

With these tips, I'm sure you would be learning any foreign language in no time! 

How to Do Well in School

Schools are once again brimming with students. After two months of blissful summer vacation with no homework to do, students are once again thrust into the busy world of the academe. Suddenly with lots of things to do, some find themselves lost and thrown into confusion.

While I do not really consider myself a model student because I hardly study for exams, I am proud to say that I have always done well in my studies. Here are my personal tips on how to do well in school:

1. READ. Students should read the required readings before going to class so that they will be ready for discussions and fruitful sharing of ideas inside the classroom. In college I was often guilty of not doing this. Believe me, it feels like being out of place when your classmates are talking about something you don't have the slightest idea about. Sometimes financial problems are part of the reason (i.e. my being extra stingy and reluctant to buy the required readings to save money) but instead of complaining, I look for other books of the same topic. This not only equips me with additional and/or complementary knowledge but also offers new perspectives which may not have been covered in the required readings--- which is great during class discussions.

2. EAT SNACKS. It may sound trivial but snacks are a good way to lessen the distraction while in class. Who can give his complete attention to his teacher when his stomach is grumbling? Make sure you always have biscuits or crackers with you since mental efforts cause one to go hungry quickly.

3. BEFRIEND. It is always helpful to have at least a friend in class whom you can rely on when you suddenly have to be absent due to sickness or emergency. Make sure to get his number and ask him to update you about the happenings in the class. Ask if there are homeworks, quizzes, or projects to be submitted the next meeting. Be discreet though and never ever become a friendly user. (What's a friendly user? Well, someone who acts friendly towards another person ONLY because he can get something from that "friendship".)

4. HAVE ENOUGH SLEEP. One of the many things I regretted during my college years is that I easily fall asleep in class which of course translates to being mentally absent and therefore, getting zero new knowledge as I step out of the classroom. No, class was SELDOM boring and uninteresting. It's just that I was used to staying up late at night, watching anime...

5. TAKE GOOD NOTES. Sometimes, giving your full attention to a lecture simply is not enough. You have to have good note-taking skills. One requirement is the ability to write fast. Another major thing to consider is the ability to listen, understand, AND write all at the same time. Having good notes come in handy when you forget something important in a lecture. And it sure does become helpful during exam week.

6. HAVE FUN. I guess in whatever we do, the most important thing to achieve success is to have fun. Develop a love for learning and learning will reward you handsomely. Do not just do it for the grades, learn and study to gain knowledge and wisdom. Remember that whatever you learn may be useful in the future. It always pays to be knowledgeable and skilled at many things. And looking back, the reason why I landed in the honor roll was because I enjoyed , and still enjoy, learning new things.