CLASS #8 Wedings

1.Since Japanese weddings are expensive, do you think having a massive wedding like Korea or UAE is a good idea? Why?

In my opinion, it is a good thing if the person who have a wedding has enough money to do it. Wedding is a important thing in our life (for women), and it is worth doing. I'm longing to have a massive wedding...haha


2. What do you think about eloping? Is it a good idea or romantic? Why?

Umm..it is a difficult question. In the world of TV or drama, it may be romantic. It sounds lovely because it means that the person throws away everything for her/him lover. But I think it is just romantic. I don't want to do it because I want my/my husband's parents to bless us!!


3. Have you ever thought about having a wedding in a foreign location like Hawaii? Would you do it? Why?Or Why not?

No, I haven't thought it before. Wedding in a foreign location is very expensive, and I cannot invite many friends.


4.What is your ideal wedding?

My ideal wedding is...as I said at question 1, I'm longing to have a massive wedding. I want wear many dressses, and cut a big cake with my husband!lol But also, I'm interested in a small wedding with our family and close friends. Anyway, I want to have a wedding which matchs well for me.


5.What would you definitely do, wear or go to on that big day? Why is that important?

I will go to a beauty-treatment clinic before that big day, and prepare a beautiful dresses or jewelry. These things are very important to me because it is the greatest event in my life!!


6. Have you ever been to a foreigner's wedding? What was your impression?

No, I haven't..I really want to experience it.

CLASS #7 Superstitions

1.Do you think it is important to talk about superstitions in cross culture communication class? Why?

Yes, I do. Many superstitions shows their country's history, ways of thinking and the national character. It is useful to know these knowledge through superstitions.


2.Is communication affected by superstitions?

Yes, sometimes it is. For example, many mother train their children with superstitions. My mother often used to say "If you lie, you will be a thief someday." like this when I was a child. Some superstitions apper in my communication still now.


3.Do you believe in superstitions? If yes, what superstitions do you believe?Why do you do, use, or believe in them?

I think I don't believe in superstitions very much, but I'm sure I recall many superstitions in spite of myself. If I see a hearse, I will hide my thumb!!

CLASS #6 Time

1. Please explain a time proverb in your culture.

In my opinion, Japan is a country which is very strict about time because it is famous that Japanese trains come to the station on time. That's why, our culture has many proverbs about time. People in the old days may have wanted to show the importance of time with these proverbs.


2. What do the following proverbs mean:
a. Time is money.

It means: Time is important, and you should not waste it.


b. A stitch in time saves nine.

It means: Do the best you can before it is too late.


c. There's no time like the present.

It means: This is your chance! You should do now.


d.Let's meet at 4. If I'm not there by 5, leave without me at 6, and I'll be there at 7.

Sorry...I don't have an idea about it..

CLASS #3 The Languages of Clothes

1. Do you judge people according to what they wear? Why?

Umm..I have never thought like that, but I may do. If someone who I meet the first time wears very conspicuous clothes, I will think she/he is outgoing or talkative person. It is just my way of thinking, but I think that outward appearances show their identity.

2. Do you think Japanese society puts an importance on clothing when judging other people from another country?

Yes, I agree. Clothes, outward appearance and first impression are considered very important in many situations in Japan. I think that Japanese society pays attention too much on like this issue.

3. What colors are you wearing now? Do they reflect your mood?

I'm in my room, so I wear pyjamas. Yeah, they reflect my mood because I feel so relaxed.

1. What are some subjects that you will never discuss with a friend?

I discuss with my best friend about anything like friends, boyfriend, family etc.

2. Do you have different friends for different parts of your life? If so, how are they different to you? Do you talk about different things? Go to different places? Give me some examples.

Yes, I have friends at my university, high school, junior high school and part time job place. Friends at university and high school are very valuable because I spend much time with them, and they are very close. I often go out with them, but I seldom go out with friends at junior high school. Friends at part time job place are very nice, and I sometimes have lunch or dinner with them, but I don't talk about serious things with them.

CLASS #2 Death and Funerals

1. Reflecting about today's class:Today we discussed the Japanese concept of "wrapping". Do you agree with the web site's description?What do you do that can be called "wrapping"? Give examples and reasons for your actions.

It is exactly true. Japanese love wrapping. We especially do that when we give someone a present for the special day like midyear present (otyu-gen). In my case, I of course do that when I give my friends or boy friend a present and even though when I return something to someone. Wrapping makes everyone good feeling, and it is important to show my feeling.


1.Death and Funerals:
a. Do you have any international friends or a host family? If so, how would you express your condolences to them if a family member died? If not, then how would you express condolences to an American host family if their Grandmother died?

Yes, I do. Bur I have never experience such as this situation. If I need to express my condolences to my friend, I will say "I was shocked to hear of the death of your... I cannot tell you how sorry I am to hear of your great loss. In deepest sympathy,"

b. Have you ever been to a foreign funeral?

No, I have not.


2. The language of Clothes (preparation for next weeks topic):
a.Why are Japanese designer label crazy? Why is what you wear so important?

I don't know Japanese designer label crazy or not. But I'm sure why is what I wear so important because I express my feeling and identity. Also it makes me confidently. Clothes are parts of my life.

b.What does “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” mean to you?

It means that it is not certain to judge something by appearance. We should be careful to judge something and pay attention to substance.

CLASS #1 Fall 2009

a. Where do you go when you die?

In my opinion, we go to Heaven if we don't do bad things before we die.
If we do something bad, we go to Hell.


b. Explain why do Japanese have death memorial services 1 month, 1 year, 3 years, 7 years, etc. after a person's death?

Japanese have death memorial sercices to remember the deceased with family, relatives and friends and to hope the deceased's hapiness at Heaven. And also, it is good oppotunity that Japanese think ourselves over once more. This cycle (1 month, 1 year, 3 years, 7 years, etc) comes from the teachimgs of Chinese Confucianism.

Working with different cultures and special guests

When I heard Ms. Yano's speech, I thought that just to be able to speak English is not enough as a skill for job. And I also thought that there are not perfectly atmosphere for women to work in Japan yet.



And then, which country does have well-regulated atmosphere more than Japan?I searched on Internet and found that Holland is a great country for women to work.



Work-haring is now popular in Holland, and people can work only 3 or 4 times a week wheh their children is young. Moreover, there is not treatment discrimination between part-time and full-fledged employee. Of course men can do work-haring, so husband and wife take off work on different day of the weekdays, and take care of their children in relays.


I think that it is the most important thing to cooperate each other if we want to achieve a good balance between child-care and business.I wish Japan could adopt the same idea..

CLASS #12 Dating Practice

I made a graph of what I need for my future husband.

umm...how can I get married to a good man like this?! lol

CLASS #7 Names and Addresses

1.Are feelings, emotions and facial expressions universal across borders, happy, sad, etc..?

My opinon is yes. That's why we manage to get through and understand others feelings without words when we go abroad. But there may be some differences how much they express their feelings. I think Japanese sometimes make no sign as cimpared with American.


2. Try to name as many feelings as possible in Japanese. ( 10 minimum) Then, write the English translation.

・幸せな happy
・悲しい sad
・寂しい lonely
・嬉しい glad
・怖い fearful
・イライラする irritated
・興奮する excited
・おもしろい interesting
・つまらない bored
・好き like
・嫌い hate
・落ち込む depressed
・安心する relieved
・きれいな beautiful

I came up with many negative words steadily...omg



3. Are there any feelings in Japanese that cannot be translated into English?

I have no idea...but if there are some, I somehow catch the basic meaning.

CLASS #6 Greetings

1. How do you greet members of your family? (mother, father, older brother, younger brother, grandparents, etc.)

In the morning, I just say "ohayo-" to all of my family. I sometimes play the fool and say "oha-" because I want to start a day by good smile.


2. How do you greet people that are important in society?

I look people in the eye, smile, make a bow and say "ohayougozaimasu". I think that Eye-contact is very important and indispensable when we greet someone.


3. Do you greet people from the opposite sex in a different way?

I'm not aware of doing so, but I may do like with a high-pitched voice.


4. Do you hug anyone? If yes, who and when. If no, why not?

Yes,I do. I always hug my best friend when I meet her at university. I think that It's natural for us to hug insted of greeting.

CLASS #4 World Religions

How do you greet people in your life?

In the morning, I usually greet my family or friend with "ohayou(gozaimasu)" . in the afternoon and evening, I say "konnnichiwa", but sometimes say "ohayou" to people I meet for the first time in the day.

Is it different for different people? How so and why?

Yes, it is. People use many different way of greeting case by case or with individual. I think that the differences are depend on their living environment which they have had. And also, the differences depends on each culture or religion.

Do you touch people when you talk to them? Why? Or Why not?

I sometimes do, but just for close friends. In my view, it is normal to talk as touching my friends, but I don't mean doing it in particular. If I am touched by someone who I don't know well, I don't feel comfortable.

CLASS #3 Buddhism

I am Buddhisim, but I'm not religious, so I don't know the details.

Last class is the first time to experience the Buddhism, and it was very interestion for me.

Looking back my life, there are many things affected by Buddhism.

For example...

1. say "Itadakimasu" and "Gochisousama" with my hands together-I didn't think it's affected by Buddhism. I think we do it to show the feeling of gratitude or it may be natural to do it.
2. apologgize to a person for something with my hands together-It's kind of same as 1, but of course I have different feelings. I'm not sure, but I do it to show my sincerity.
3. visit a person's grave especially on July 20th-I don't do this not often, but on July 20th (or around the day) I visit my grandfather's grave every year. When we do it, we offer flowers and sweets and wash the grave to respect and think about our ancestor.
4. offer a rice and a glass of water at a altar-I don't have a altar at my house, but my grandmother does, and offers them at a altar twice a day (before eating breakfast and dinner). It prorobably means that we need to serve a meal to our ancestor before we eat.
5. flower arrangement-to learn flower arrangement was very neccesary thing for girls in old days. I don't know the details, but one of my teacher told me that flower arrangement has strong connection with Buddhism.

CLASS #2 Assignment

As the homework, I read this article.

"Men. Women. Talk. Talk. Talk. Talk. Talk. Hear? No."

from The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/19/garden/men-women-talk-talk-talk-talk-talk-hear-no.html?scp=4&sq=cross%20culture%20communication&st=cse

I think that it says...

One woman, Dr. Tannen who is 45-year-old, teaches in the School of Language and Linguistics at georgetown University in Washington has written some books about the problem of communication across cultural, class and ethnic divides.

In one book, she argues that boys and girls grow up speaking different languages and continue to do so as adults. She also suggests that conversation between men and women can be involved with cross-cultural-communication. It's like women speak and hear a language of connection and intimacy, men do a language of statue and independence.

Men and women has different senses of values of communication. Both of them should have conversational style "rapport talk" each other, then they can get along with more.

CLASS #1 Nice to meet you all!

Hiya :)

I'm Blackcherry.

Please send any comments or messages to my blog.

♥