Onigiriman

Yesterday, I wrote about interpreting for Musubichan--protected post: Whonose, you are on my protected list. (If you re a regular reader and a subscriber, leave me a message telling me you want to be added. I think you have to be a Xanga member.)--but I moved the comment here.

I had the chance to hone my interpreting skills. Musubichan had not watched Heroes last season, so we watched a few episodes. Unfortunately, there are no subtitles so I am doing simultaneous translation for three hours straight on Friday and Sunday. I love my wife, but I swear, I am exhausted. Watching TV was not so relaxing.

Well, KENSHIRO commented:

I don't understand -- perhaps I haven't been reading your blog long enough, or I've missed a detail somewhere (probably the latter), but does M understand English? I don't understand why you had to interpret Heroes.

This is a perfectly legitimate comment, I think. Firstly, Kenshiro has been a reader for quite a while--Thanks for being so loyal. So perhaps you may have missed a detail, but then, maybe I haven't really written about it as it is rarely germaine to my ramblings. Anyway, Musubichan's English is not very good. She tries hard and she can comprehend much more than she used to. But TV shows and movies can be difficult to understand. They speak at regular speed and do not wait for the listener to respond. So I end up interpretting.

Now this has nothing to do with M's intelligence or effort. I'm not sure what it is, but many Japanese are simply unable to master English. I know a ton of them. My mother never really mastered English. Nor did most of my relatives who came to the US after they became adults. Of course, this is not for all Japanese. Most Japanese who have gone to school in the US have mastered a level of English, but I've known more than a couple of graduate students who could understand English in their respective fields but significantly less--speaking or listening--in conversations that deviate from their speciatly.

M didn't go to a college in the US and her first extended stay in the US was after she married me, and she was already 40. I don't know what it is. I can't explain it. I know a lot of people who go to foreign lands and master the language to a degree, but for some reason, English for Japanese is a tough nut to crack.

Anybody have a familiar experience? Or know the reason for this?

Okay, this is my first VOX entry. As if i didn'thave enough blogs... Let's see now. I started at Xanga, made about three more blogs on Xanga, including Musubichan, Jakuren and another secret one where i vent my anger. I also have a few accounts at Blogspot, and one at Live Journal. I even have dead accounts at MyDiary and Tabula (sp?)...

You'd think I was addicted, and i was for a while, but i have a new addiction that is keeping me from writing as i should.... J-dorama. Fuck! I consumes all my time and i have precious little of it as it is. Oh well.

I set this account up because a student on mine sent me an invitation and I thought I'd smear my spit on it--in Japanese that would be 唾をつける, which is similar to wild animals pissing on the edge of what they consider to be their territory. I am possessive fo my screen name and it bugs me when I see Onigiriman being used by others. How dare they!

Anyway, I don't know how much longer I'll be here, probably not long...