Memo to Self...

Monday, September 10, 2001

Hello hello hello to all! It's my two class, long wait day, so I thought I'd get this done. Well, really, I wanted to get this done, 'cause I won't be home until later this evening, and I'll have Japanese notes to post then.

On another note, doing Japanese homework and self-learning the kanji can be...dare I say it? almost fun. We have to draw our family tree and then describe our family members--which one should never do in pen, NEVER!--and after a few sheets of paper, I think I finally got the tree done. I'm putting off doing the descriptions until a little before class, 'cause that way I can review vocab. Anyhoo, I went to title it "my family" and realized I had no clue what the word for "family" was. Turns out it's made up of two (strange) kanji--"house" and "tribe." I think this makes elegant sense. :)

Okay, okay, Spanish:
We took a quiz. I forgot that "producir" gets a "j" in the preterite, so I messed that one...and I found that writing irregular forms in the nosotros is strangely unnerving. "imos"? "emos"? AHH! (It's "imos" if you didn't want to scroll down and check *g*). Also, I forgot the "i" in my vosotros. I should note those forms here really quick, so....
Vosotros forms!
hee hee that sounds like a superhero band..
Present -ar: áis
Present -er: éis
Present -ir: ís
Preterite -ar: asteis
Preterite -er/-ir: isteis
Imperfect -ar: abais
Imperfect -er/-ir: íais
Basically, it's just adding an "i" or "is" to the tu form. It doesn't stem change, either, and most students aren't taught it since they're not gonna use it unless they go to Spain. But it's good to have up here, since I can earn extra credit for knowing it.

After the quiz, we went through some preterite and imperfect exercises, first out loud, then in groups. My little group may have been a minority, but we argued and argued over some of those pret/imperfect uses. La señora helped us and empathized with us, and it seems that like "wa" and "ga" in Japanese, the use of preterite and imperfect is something that'll vary from person to person. Someone needs to go dig up the sacred scrolls or enshrined stones which have the exact usages, because the disciples who first brought these grammar concepts unto the people really botched things. Ah vel...asi es la vida.

In other notes, Ki is back, Ki is back! (well, has been back. Her return is a preterite usage, I do believe.) In honor of her, I write a little poem:

Bounce bounce bounce
Does the genki Ki
She makes me smile

Write write write
Urges the serious Ki
She is my muse

Through the keys we share lives
Even with distance
She's an incredible friend

*blush blush blush*
Is the reddening Ty
But it had to be said somewhere, neh?


Okay, I'm gonna end this post before I go back and edit and write MORE about Ki and then I'll have to write one about mi amante and Starrynight and things'll just be MESSY. :) Ta ta!