Intermediate Japanese Book Club // Now Reading: セーラー服と機関銃

Sorry, that earlier post was a mistake (I didn’t realize someone else had logged into this computer with a wanikani account! Yikes!) Please add me on this one as this is my account!

It’s funny, though–I used to read faster, but I also used to be able to zone out so hard while reading that I wouldn’t even hear people yelling to get my attention until the third try or so. After years of getting in trouble for doing this in class, it was replaced by the far less pleasant ability to hear my name spoken from across the room and automatically panic as my attention is yanked away from whatever I am doing.

Maybe the intense concentration needed to read Japanese can bring back that zoned-out state? That would be awesome.

No worries! EDIT: You’ve been added!

I still get that zoned-out state… even my Mom has to say my name a few times to snap me out.

@AnimeCanuck and @Caracal: I know that feeling too. But only when reading in English. Unfortunately I find it really rare when reading Japanese. Any English around me whatsoever filters in all too easily and completely distracts me.

Still, it’s part of the magic of books. Reminds me somehow of a great quote (if you’ve heard him speak, it’s best to read it in his voice in your head) from one of the greatest of 'umans:

“A book is made from a tree. It is an assemblage of flat, flexible parts (still called ‘leaves’) imprinted with dark pigmented squiggles. One glance at it and you hear the voice of another person – perhaps someone dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, the author is speaking, clearly and silently, inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people, citizens of distant epochs, who never knew one another. Books break the shackles of time, proof that humans can work magic.” - Carl Sagan

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Oh, I cannot do that with Japanese. Not yet. So far, all my Japanese reading I do aloud, like a 7 year old - which is appropriate, because idigtech’s charts tell me that’s about how much Joyo kanji I know, anyway. XD Although, I still use voices when I can… (my parents read to me in different voices, so it seems natural).

And lately if I catch people speaking in Japanese while I’m trying to read (in English!) I’ll catch myself being distracted doing my best to listen and understand them as much as I can. This has happened to me both on the Subway and in Starbucks (but it’s rare - I live in Canada, yet in a very multi-cultural city: Toronto).

That’s a lovely quote. I’ve never heard Sagan, though.

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Do you have Netflix? I’m pretty sure his series Cosmos is on there. It’s probably a little dated now, but his enthusiasm is infectious. I don’t know why he’s not more famous - a wonderful man.

Yay! My book was shipped! =D
Arriving 30 Aug - 28 Sep… Well, sometimes they come faster… has hope

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What did the problem end up being?

I think reading Japanese out loud is a fantastic way to practice! You get reading and speaking at the same time. If it wouldn’t bother people around me, I would read every bit of Japanese that I see (or write) out loud :grin:

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This is what I do. If I don’t want to be obnoxious in public or in a group, I just silently mouth it to myself. Even though your pronunciation may not be 100%, it helps get the words in your mouth so you don’t freeze up when you have to talk to people.

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I do it too, both when reading and when doing my reviews here on WaniKani. Good thing here, we get to hear a native say it after words, so I repeat it again after hearing it :wink:

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I shoul start practicing my speaking soon, too. I’m so afraid of ending up in a situation where I have to speak Japanese for some reason since I’ve already told a lot of people I know that I’m studying it. What if they go to Japan and want bring me along because I know Japanese, only to hear me say “I can’t speak it”?. :joy: I don’t really have any excuses for not practicing other than “I don’t want to”.

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Greetings everyone; long time lurker
I ordered the book via Amazon Prime, should be in time with the start date
I don’t really care if I’m added to the top post but if it’s obligatory - someone count me in, please.
Thanks and looking forward to the discussion!

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It’s as Caracal suspected — the Kindle device/app wasn’t registered to the right region. I had to go through the device manager under Amazon’s user settings and change the Kindle to say it was a Japanese device. After that I didn’t have any issues purchasing with a US card.

Hi,

How Can I add my name? I didn’t find any option to edit the post :frowning:

I have the Kindle version of the book.

Thanks

I added you. I can’t remember what the forum criteria are for being qualified to edit wikis.

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Oh, that Carl Sagan. For some reason, I was thinking of a philosopher… It’s been a long while, but yeah he’s really enthusiastic.

Could you add me as well!
Thank you so much!!

I can add ya with my ~*~recently acquired editing powers~*~

Do you have the book, or is it in transit?

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