Names

Kelly Sorensen   ケリー・ソレンセン (ke-ri-i-so-re-n-se-n)

Celia Morrison  セリア・モリソン　　(se-ri-a-mo-ri-so-n)

Doug Hickey  ダグ・ヒッキー　　(da-gu-hi-k-ki-i)    Douglas = ダグラス(da-gu-ra-su)

Michelle Thiry  ミシェル・ティリ　(mi-she-ru-tee-ri)

Brendan Phillips  ブレンダン・フィリップス　(bu-re-n-da-n-fi-ri-p-pu-su)

Jeffry Lubin   ジェフリ・ルビン　(je-hu-ri-i-ru-bi-n)

Nicole McCain  二コール・マケイン　(ni-ko-o-ru-ma-ke-i-n)

Richie Schulz  リッチー・シュルツ (ri-t-chi-i-shu-ru-tsu)  Richard = リチャード(ri-cha-a-do)

Matt Krueger  マット・クルーガー　(ma-t-to-ku-ru-u-ga-a)  Matthew = マシュー(ma-shu-u)

Ally Lu  アリー・ルー　(a-ri-i-ru-u)

Scarllet Li スカレット・リー　(su-ka-re-t-to/ri-i)

Assignments for Friday, April 4

This is what is due by Friday, April 4:

For class:
*do the online tutorial, Modules 3, 4, 5 and 6.  Make sure that you can articulate the main points made by the tutorial.
*try to memorize the phrases that we went over in class last Friday.
*read the stapled handout that I distributed at the first class, if you haven't done so already.

On your individual blog:
*by noon Friday, post your itinerary on your individual blog.  Make it informative and attractive by using images, links, etc.  The main components should be:
--a main objective: museum, store, tourist or historical site, temple, shrine, neighborhood, etc. and a description of what you would want to do there
--a place to eat (please avoid something as "easy" as  a museum cafe; you should be able to find something near the main objective
--some information about transportation access.  You don't know where you will be starting from, but you should know if there is a train or subway station nearby, or if you need to take a bus, etc.
--finally, I was hoping that you would share any resources that you found to be particularly useful.  For example, does Trip Advisor have a lot of information about Tokyo, Kyoto, etc.?  Are there Japan-specific sites that you would recommend?

AGENDA FOR APRIL 4'S CLASS:
*go over the tutorial sections that were assigned
*take a quick look at the itineraries
*practice the phrases learned last week, and go over some new ones
*talk about the handout I gave everyone (this is the stapled one that I wrote)

COMING UP LATER:
*finishing the tutorial
*reading and discussing the photocopied book
*discussion of research topics

Language Resources

Pronunciation guide:

http://japanese.about.com/library/blhiraganaaudio.htm

Usagi-chan's hiragana and katakana writing tutorial:

http://www.csus.edu/indiv/s/sheaa/projects/genki/index.html

Japanese phrases and other language-related materials:

http://japanese.about.com/

All Students: Itineraries

For all students in the class, please put your ideas down about a half-day or longer

itinerary in Sendai, Kyoto, or Tokyo (Hiroshima is pretty much set with no significant free time). 

Your itinerary should include one attraction/venue, at least one meal, transportation information,

and other details, including expenses.  So, one could do a visit to the Ghibli museum, plus

perhaps dinner in Kichijoji (the largest station nearby) and an evening activity.  Please look at the previous

itineraries and do not duplicate any of them.  Tourist sites, entertainment venues, shopping, museums,

etc. are all possibilities.

If, however, someone is interested in doing Hiroshima, perhaps you can come up with a half-day or slightly longer itinerary of what to do at the Peace Memorial Museum and Park.

Please post by noon Friday, March 28.  Please note that the project itself will go on your individual blog.

JSSP: First ideas about a research topic

EDITED TO ADD:  This project is assigned to all students in EAS 398.  


For Summer Program participants: please post your thoughts about possible research topics as replies to this post.  For your reference, here are some of the thoughts I presented at class regarding possible bioethics projects:

*come up with topic for course project and post on course blog

*think about how you will do the research topic

(bioethics topics: war crimes, abortion, medical practices, brain death, GMOs, suicide, aging, Fukushima)

**war crimes can include:

                --medical “experimentation”

                --chemical/biological weapons

                --mass bombings of civilian populations?  (perhaps not bioethics, but certainly ethics)

                --sexual enslavement? (ditto)

Other topics that were mentioned include:

*business

*anime culture

*hollidays/cultural practices/art/views of foreigners (need to find one topic)

*diet/food culture or environment

*Shinto

Try to see if you can make some progress towards identifying a particular, feasible project, and put it in a reply to this post.

The deadline for posting is 9 am Friday, which will give Dr. Sorensen and me an opportunity to discuss the topics.   Needless to say, you are encouraged to contact Dr. Sorensen or me to discuss your thoughts.

After you have set your topic, your research will be posted on your individual blog.

Web Tutorial: "At Home in Japan"

It is a requirement of this course to take the tutorial, "At Home in Japan."  It can be found here:

http://athome.nealrc.org/

Welcome!

This blog has been created for the Spring 2014 Japan Pre-Departure course.  This course blog will contain links and other relevant information for the course and for your study abroad experience.  If you have something to share with the class, please feel free to post.  Only members of the class will be able to post.  As of this time, however, I am thinking of having the blog visible to anyone who has the URL.