Learn about JapanesePod101.com’s newest members! In addition, we give an update on all the week’s news, and this week we had a lot. We’ll tell you about our newests features, informal conversation bonus tracks plus accompanying PDFs! Furthermore, find out more about our newest feature, Kanji Close-up. And lastly, lots more praise for our sugoi listeners!
This entry was posted on Sunday, February 19th, 2006 at 4:35 am and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
35 Responses to “News #8 - Our Newest Member…”
japanesepod101.com says:
February 19th, 2006 at 4:41 am
Mina-san, as always thank for the great support! None of this is possible without you!
Honou ni arigatou gozaimasu! 
If you have the time, please say hello to Takase-san! She really, really loves her work. Last week on Friday night she stayed until 11:30 even though she had to wake up at 5:00 am the next day!! She is one of the unsung heroes of JPod101, so if you have the time please say hi!
よろしくおねがいします！
tony says:
February 19th, 2006 at 4:54 am
Takase-san Arigantou gozaimasu!! Hi everyone! Great podcasts this week! Thanks everyone for working hard, you are doing a wonderful job! I wish there were more hours in the day in which to study
mata ne
-tony
Jonas says:
February 19th, 2006 at 5:14 am
My news for today: Headache! Really sucked 
But I’m all better now! Saw the new stargate sg1 and battlestar galactica.
Tony-san: and we wish we had more hours in the day to make these episodes! hehe. 30 or so would be good… *dreams of 30 hour days*
Takase-san: otsukaresama deshita! Mata ashita!
Jonas
Peter says:
February 19th, 2006 at 5:49 am
Takase-san, otsukare sama deshita! Thank you as always!
Tony-san, thanks for the great post as always! Thanks for listening!
Jonas-san, was wondering where you were. You too! Otsukare! You really caught the train at full speed! 
Jonas says:
February 19th, 2006 at 5:54 am
Peter-san: yeah, I was hit with a migraine this morning. Really sucked… and I’m out of medicine. Got to buy more *waiting for paycheck* 
J
Nathan says:
February 19th, 2006 at 6:03 am
JP101のみなさん、
誠にありがとうございます！！
たかせさん、
こんにちは。たかせさんは縁の下の力持ちですね。
本当にありがとうございます。
Thanks for mentioning me again! I really can’t do enough, because I do realize how hard you are all working and I can see each day the incredible service that you provide us all only gets better! I’m about half-way across the Pacific, Peter-san. I never learned to swim too well
Jonas-san, I hope you feel better soon!
Marcos says:
February 19th, 2006 at 7:24 am
Hello again friends!
Thanks again for remembering my name Sakura -san and Peter -san. I have been kind of busy with college,but I am always downloading the podcasts and studying I have been really impressed with the lessons. I agree with Sakura -san that Peter -san has blood type B because he is always asking me to keep talking to the TV I dont know about my blood type either 
I hope you get better,Jonas -san. Thanks again 
See you
Gevorg says:
February 19th, 2006 at 7:48 am
Hi There Everyone !
Long Time No See ! I’ve been ill all week long, so I couldn’t leave any posts or something…. But I’m doing better now ^^.
Your lessons were (As Always) wonderfull ! I listen to them while doing homework. It’s very relaxing to hear you talk. Anyways just wanted to drop by and leave a message ^^ !
See you !
Gevorg
(P.S.: Takase-San rules !!)
Gevorg says:
February 19th, 2006 at 7:50 am
Oh yeah, I also wanted to say; I’m happy to Announce that I officially learned my 100th Kanji yesterday ! Whoohoo !
Nathan says:
February 19th, 2006 at 9:03 am
Gevorg-san,
おめでとうございます！ Learning kanji is fun! You also reminded me of a good link for those out there interested in kanji (and grammar as well). There are a number of mailing lists here covering different levels of kanji (by grade level) and grammar (by JLPT level) each day. I think these are great for daily exposure to new kanji and grammar. Check it out:
Athara says:
February 19th, 2006 at 9:14 am
Welcome Takase-san! You’re work is greatly appreciated!
I would like to extend my gratitude to the whole team! You’re hard work is quite clear in the podcast and website. This is really quality stuff. I am very confident in this product. You’re long hours go a long way. Trust me. Keep up the good work! *hugs*
Matt says:
February 19th, 2006 at 12:03 pm
Woot! I was mentioned!
I look forward to helping with whatever you have planned.
Alexander says:
February 19th, 2006 at 1:25 pm
Very good podcast
Something scares me though… There are many new members in Jpod101 now, so I hope the usual ones won’t disappear, like Natsuko, Sakura and Kazunori.
Also, I have to say that I think Jpod101 is becoming better than even Chinesepod, since Chinesepod may be very professional, but it doesn’t have the same sense of family, like Jpod101. What do you think?
Oh, and one last note. These days, I’m helping some of my friends by teaching them Japanese (as much as I can, anyway), and the lesson, about which I asked about the “yokuNAI DESU” really changed a bit of my theories in Japanese, so I’m glad I’m getting better at it, and if my students won’t be so lazy, might be I’d be able to hook them up to Jpod101 also
Alexander says:
February 19th, 2006 at 1:28 pm
Oh, and I talked so much, I forgot to say a big welcome to Takase-san! Keep up the good work
jay says:
February 19th, 2006 at 1:28 pm
Takase-san! ganbatte! (my first japanese in a post.. scary)
Hatsumi-san! hi!
Kaze-san! To impress people with my accent I shall do an impression of your accent
Peter, you are such a nice guy! Just keep doing what you are doing. You have a wonderful welcoming supportive manner. But yes, get one of the girls to give you a kakoii name like Buraa-Pi or Schwa-chan. I still like Pii-gu! 
Natsuko, sakura: aikawarazu entertaining! haha. (my great japanglish mix)
アルフォンソ says:
February 19th, 2006 at 1:35 pm
私の名前を言ってくださってありがとうございます。
先週はいそがしいです、本当にいそがしかったです。
がんばって下さい！
jay says:
February 19th, 2006 at 1:45 pm
oh and arigato gozaimasu for the New Zealand pronounciation! 
It’s a funny feeling when, from all the way over here sitting at my keyboard at work, I can influence things to happen (like get my name on a podcast ). It’s a great feeling actually. thank you
It’s exactly what you are doing From in japan, from just using your brains and hard work and humour you are ‘touching’ a lot of people, you are helping and entertaining them.
Be proud! I know you are but of course being in the japanese culture you may downplay or hide it
JP says:
February 19th, 2006 at 3:54 pm
Hi guys,
Peter, you sound to have a stuffy nose?!
You guys need some rest, WE NEED YOU!!!
Jonas says:
February 19th, 2006 at 4:45 pm
JP-san: Peter is suffering from a bit of pollen allergies But he sounds better today So don`t worry!
Jonas
JP says:
February 19th, 2006 at 5:12 pm
Hi Jonas,
I also heard that most of the gaijins (new to japan) are prone to these allergies. While they stay longer, they become immune to it. Am I right about that?
Jonas says:
February 19th, 2006 at 5:52 pm
JP-san: Peter told me he has been in Japan for 7 
years! So I don`t know about that. I`ve only stayed here for a bit under 2 years, but I never had those problems. Japanese people are also bothered with pollen allergies (花粉症、かふんしょう、kafunshou. Flower dust symptoms/illness), and thats why you see many japanese wearing masks, espesially around springtime.
I guess you got it or you dont…
Jonas
jay says:
February 19th, 2006 at 6:21 pm
hayfever (花粉症, pollen allergies) are, as Jonas said, something you either have or you don’t! Just like any other allergies
I also read that with the higher temperatures, earlier summers, and higher pollution, pollen gets trapped in the air easier and so people nowadays are getting worse hayfever. it makes your face a combination of 
, , and 
. (the last one looks like he is about to sneeze)
花粉症, flower dust illness! I love it I recognise the flower kanji! hana right? that’s all i know about that
Nathan says:
February 19th, 2006 at 8:54 pm
JP-san,
I think it’s just like moving into any completely new environment. Your body has to deal with germs, etc. that it may not have necessarily encountered before. This is why some people may be more susceptible to things like colds and allergies when still new to a place. Our amazing bodies specialize in adaptation, though, so they grow used to it in most cases. Of course, there are individual characteristics to factor into the equation as well.
Jay-san,
You’re right! 花 can mean “flower” and the single kanji is normally read はな, or “hana”. It’s one of the many kanji whose pieces can tell the story of its meaning, too. The top part is the “grass” radical, 艸 (くさかんむり), and the bottom part is 化, which can have the meaning of “change” or “transform”. Now imagine flowers hidden in the grass, and then suddenly they blossom… it’s as if the grass transforms into flowers!
A fun compound that uses 花 is 花火: はなび, or “hanabi”. The first kanji means “flower” and the second means “fire”. Imagine a huge fiery flower blossoming in the sky and you’ve got… that’s right - fireworks!
Note that the grass radical (艸) looks a bit different when used on top - some radicals are written a bit different when used as the kanji alone. Here is a great article about radicals for anyone interested:
http://japanese.about.com/library/weekly/aa070101a.htm
And for those willing to venture into a Japanese-only site, here is a great one that has animations of the radicals in their different positions!
Nathan says:
February 19th, 2006 at 9:26 pm
Jay-san,
I just saw your comment about the Chinese zodiac (干支, or “eto”) on the last post. Here’s a quick little article about the general subject:
http://asnic.utexas.edu/asnic/countries/china/czod.html
Here is a site with some basic information about the twelve signs, and the romanization of the Japanese names of the animals represented:
http://japanese.about.com/library/weekly/aa100498.htm
As for the official kanji of each sign, they are as follows (with the Japanese kanji representing the animal in parenthesis):
子 - The Rat (鼠)
丑 - The Ox (牛)
寅 - The Tiger (虎)
卯 - The Rabbit (兎)
辰 - The Dragon (竜)
巳 - The Snake (蛇)
午 - The Horse (馬)
未 - The Sheep (羊)
申 - The Monkey (猿)
酉 - The Rooster (鶏)
戌 - The Dog (犬)
亥 - The Boar (猪)
Hope that helps!
Nathan says:
February 19th, 2006 at 9:39 pm
Once again, for those willing to check out a Japanese-only site, here is a great one with lots of info about the subject, and even recipies for the different signs!
I’d also like to mention that there’s an anime called フルーツバスケット, or Fruits Basket, whose central theme revolves around the Chinese zodiac. It’s incredibly cute, really funny, and it’s one of my favorite! You can find more information here:
(Japanese) http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/fruits_basket/
(English) http://www.fruits-basket.com/
セツ-Seth says:
February 19th, 2006 at 10:04 pm
Hey everyone,
Thanks again for another great episode. I really enjoy your commentary, news, and lessons. Can’t wait until tomorrow…
セツ - 摂
monkeyjay says:
February 19th, 2006 at 10:34 pm
nathan: sweet thanks! I can’t see the kanji on the computer I am at right now but i will check it out at work I really appreciate the ’stories’ of the kanji. There is no way I can forget those now.
Oh and I know ABOUT the animal signs, I was just interested in the japanese words etc thank you so much for your help you are awesome!
Ps. monkeys rule
Nathan says:
February 19th, 2006 at 10:58 pm
Jay-san,
Haha, monkeyjay… I like it!
No problem! I’m glad I could help. You should be able to find the romanized names at the about.com site, and then you can check the kanji out at work later. I agree, monkeys (saru) rule, but I’m a dog (inu) myself
Most kanji tell a story, and it’s a great way to remember them! And not only does it help you remember the meaning, but how to write them as well! For instance, 持つ (もつ, “motsu”) and 待つ (まつ, “matsu”) look really similar. However, on the left we have 手 (hand) for “motsu” which means “to hold/to possess”, and 彳 (linger) for “matsu” which means “to wait”. Once we realize this, we can not only remember which is which, but how to write the character (after initially learning it, of course)!
Also, I have a comment awaiting moderation for some reason, but in case it isn’t approved, I mentioned the anime フルーツバスケット, or Fruits Basket. It revolves around the theme of the Chinese zodiac, and it’s one of my favorite! If you don’t mind a cute comedy anime, you should check it out
Prem says:
February 19th, 2006 at 11:43 pm
Hello Peter and Sakura,
Thanks for mentioning the my name.
I felt honoured. Yes I am patient
enough till you come up with some
snaps related thing. Till that time
I will make continue to click some
more useful daily life kanjis and
make sure that I describe them.
The Blood type episode was too informative.
Peter, your and mine blood group must be same,
I too don`t know about my blood group
But after thsi episode I will make sure
to get it checked. My wife also enjoyed
this episode.
Keep up the good work.
Prem
monkeyjay says:
February 20th, 2006 at 12:27 am
Nathan, my girlfriend, and flatmate, are absolute dogs. I mean.. dog signs. So I know I like them a lot
Annnd for valentines day a couple years back I bought my girlfriend the fruits basket dvds, (I was not into anime at all) and she forced me to watch them. I thought it was really awesome, haha. I found out my blood type was A, but the description sounds nothing like me oh well .. I think I comment too much.
Steve says:
February 20th, 2006 at 1:13 am
Hello everyone.
Thanks for mentioning my name again It is really nice to hear my name said in a Japanese style.
I never did get round to burning the podcasts on to disc…Maybe next weekend.
Nathan-san. I have always liked the way the Japanese call Fireworks Hanabi. I’ve said it before and I will say it again…I just love Kanji…ok, I can only read a little Kanji….but it is so beautiful.
Peter-san….I also suffer with hayfever…it will soon be that season. I hope you recover soon.
O-genki de
Steve
Peter says:
February 20th, 2006 at 8:24 am
Nathan-san, please sign up for swimming lessons! I’ll wire you the money!
Marcos-san, as always the pleasure is ours! Funny! B! My parents actually said the same thing! One of these days, I ll get to the bottom of this.
Gevorg-san, great to hear you’re doing better! We missed you! BTW, nice site! Just checked it out, very cool! Great job on the Kanji! We’re going to have a lot more for you. 頑張ってください！
Athara-san, thank you! We would like to thank you too! Thanks for the posts and participating! Remember, you great listeners make this site great! Keep up the great work!
Matt-san, thanks for the posts! Yes, I think we can do something pretty cool! Just need a bit more time.
Alexander-san, thanks! Don’t worry, the original members our the base! But we want to bring you a variety of voices, and have lots of 3 person conversations! One major flaw in teaching is the conversations are always just 2 people, so once you’re in a group discussion!! So we try to change that! Please keep the feedback coming!
Jay-san, you’ve almost got me convinced. Pii-gu it is!
アルフォンソさん、謎謎（なぞなぞ）を見てください！気に入ると思います！
Jay-san, glad you liked it! It was the least we could do! Thank you for listening!
JP-san, you got me! Today should be the last day.
Jonas-san, nice to hear you’re feeling better! And, actually the first few years I was immune, so watch out!
Athara-san, we were hoping one of our listeners saw him! He should show up one of these days.
Jay-san, yeah it is bad!
Nathan-san, always great to hear from you! Thanks for the Kanji lesson! The grass radical was awesome!!
Sorry about the moderation, but when you post of 3 links on one comment it gets flagged.
セツさん、毎度ありがとう！Thanks for listening.
Monkeyjay-san, very nice name!
Prem-san, thank you! We haven’t forgotten, still working on it. Please give our regards to your wife! Thanks for listening!
Steve-san, wouldn’t be a news show without you! Yes, the hay fever is bad!!!
Nathan says:
February 20th, 2006 at 10:03 am
Jay-san,
It seems like you get along with dogs well! I think you might like this little Japanese children’s story about a particular mischievous monkey:
http://www.his.atr.jp/~ray/stories/sarukani.html
Grab the dictionary and try reading it without looking at the English, first!
Steve-san,
I agree! The image of a fiery flower is a great one! And there are so many! We both share the same feelings for kanji By the way, if you’re a fan of Beat Takeshi (Takeshi Kitano), he has a great movie called 花火. It’s a mixture of bloody violence, hilarious comedy, and a love story to boot. I definitely recommend it!
Peter-san,
Can you believe I can’t float?! Seriously! It’s like a parlour trick that my friends always demand… they love to see me lay on the bottom of the pool And speaking of swimming lessons… one of the FUNNIEST scenes from any anime that I’ve ever seen is in Goldenboy, when he’s trying to become a swimming teacher. I don’t suppose you’ve seen it? If not, I’ll have to figure out a way to get that to you
jay says:
February 20th, 2006 at 1:04 pm
Nathan that monkey story freaked me out haha. he was a jerk poor little baby crabs
I’m mischievous but not mean! what would be the word for that?
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