授業Classes

I've been here a week already, and yet I haven't talked about some really basic things. You know, classes, host family, Doshisha University, Kyoto, Joyo... Now is as good a time as any to start fixing that, and I'll start with my classes. I would go for Doshisha first, but I want to take better pictures before I get around to that.

一週間日本にいますけど、とても基本的なことをまだ話してない。例えば、授業や僕のホストファミリーや同志社大学や京都市や城陽市．．．今はこんな事を話し始める。まず、僕の授業。同志社のことを最初になるのに、前にもっといい写真を撮りたい。

Anyway, here at KCJS, everyone has Japanese class in the morning. I can't speak for how it compares to other universities, but it's certainly harder than Brandeis's Japanese classes were. (I hear that Columbia's Japanese classes are even harder...) There are five classes, A class through E class; E is theoretically a fifth-year level. I'm in B class.

京都アメリカ大学コンソーシアムで、誰でも朝に日本語の授業があります。この授業も他の大学の授業もどちらの方が難しいか知らないけど、ブランダイスより難しい。（コロムビアの学生によると、この大学の授業の方が難しいそう。）日本語の授業が五つあります、AクラスからEクラスまで。Eクラスは日本語の五年生の授業だ。僕はBクラスにいます。

The class meets for about two hours every day. In true Brandeis style, it starts at 9:10 and runs until 10:00, at which point we get a break. Most of the time that break is just ten minutes, and we start up again at 10:10, but occasionally we have the time from 10:00 to 11:00 off and we have class again from 11:10 to 12:00. What can I say, I didn't create the schedule.

平日に、毎日授業が二時間くらいあります。ブランダイス的に、九時十分に始まって、十時に休みがあります。たいてい、その休みは十分だけ。でも、時々授業は十一時十分から十二時まであります。まあ、予定を作る人はコンソーシアムのスタッフ。僕じゃない。

So far, in B class, we've been learning new grammar and doing reading practice. Unfamiliar kanji are everywhere in the reading practice, but it doesn't look like there's going to be any active kanji teaching. We can learn them on our own though, if we're so inclined. Our teacher is an interesting guy; he's fairly young and certainly likes having fun. Although sometimes, the E class teacher comes in and takes over; she's also a great teacher, although much more strict.

Bクラスで、新しい文法を習って、読む練習をする。この練習に、知らない漢字が多いけど、漢字の練習があまりないみたいだ。したかったら、漢字の独学が出来る。先生は面白い方ですね。若くて、楽しみが好きだと思う。時々、Eクラスの先生に来て、教えます。この先生はいい先生だけど、ちょっと厳しい。

After Japanese class is over, we have time off for lunch. Then in the afternoon, there are several classes taught in English covering Japanese culture and history. Every student picks two of them to take. I chose a class on Japanese religions and a class on the history of the city of Kyoto.

日本語の授業が終わったら、昼休みがあります。午後に、色々な日本の文化や歴史の授業があります。その授業は、英語の授業だ。誰でも午後の授業が二つ取っている。僕の選んだ授業は日本の宗教と京都の歴史の授業だ。

The Japanese Religions class looks interesting. I mean, there's not much to say, it's a class on a specific part of Japanese culture that I wouldn't be able to take at Brandeis. Right now we're covering Shinto, and we'll get into Buddhism later. Oh, and we get to take field trips. We're in Kyoto, surrounded by temples and shrines, we practically have to go out and see them in person. The history of Kyoto class is also going to be kind of interesting. I can't really explain it all that well, actually. Certainly, I'll know a lot more about the city I'm studying abroad in by the time it's over.

日本の宗教の授業は面白そう。それだけ言えるかも知れない。ブランダイスにその授業がないから、取りたい。今、神道のことを勉強してる。その後、仏教を勉強します。そして、見学旅行があります。京都にいるし、寺や神社がたくさんあるから、見学はたぶん必要ね。京都の歴史の授業も面白そう。うまく説明できないけど、この授業の終わりに、僕はたくさん京都のことを知っているはずだ。

I mean, I'd be happy just to be in Kyoto, and not have to worry about homework (like the reading practice I should be doing right now...) But since I have to have classes, I'm glad that I get to take good ones.

とにかく、ただ京都にいるだけはいいし、宿題とか授業とか心配しなければよかったのに、授業があります。だから、楽しい授業の方がいいだと思う。