The Return of Video to Japanesepod101.com
Wednesday, January 18th, 2006We have amassed some really good video footage that is scheduled to be editted very soon, so Mou chotto matte kudasai. I actually got footage of a Japanese cab and of how the door opens. You don’t want to miss this one. So just a little longer.
Posted by JapanesePod101.com in General Announcements |
January 18th, 2006 at 6:43 pm
Hi! I just wanted to say, thank you very much for doing these podcasts for everyone. I couldn’t get through on your email address so I thought I’ll post it here. I’ve found the podcasts more friendly in tone and more useful in their slower pace and attention than the CDs which accompany many textbooks. It’s also worth mentioning that, because I bought most of my books second hand, I don’t have the accompanying CDs, so things like this Podcast are a life saver! Thanks again Peter, Natsuko and Kazunori!
January 18th, 2006 at 6:57 pm
Hey,
Thanks for the great Podcast! I’ve just started listening, but I’ll catch up soon, I hope! I’m looking forward to more video as well
I did have one question. In the comments for “Lesson 20 - Looks of Disbelief”, Natsuko mentions that お元気ですか is one of the most useful phrases in Japanese. I’ve heard from a number of people that this phrase is actually not used very often. I was under the impression that you would only use it when you were truly interested in how someone was doing whom you had not seen for a very long time.
I came across this link just the other day that seems to confirm it:
http://home.att.net/~keiichiro/gokai/jpn/howru.html
(There is a link to the English version at the bottom.) I am not saying that anyone is wrong, rather I am just pointing out an inconsistency that I am curious about. What do you think? By the way, that’s a great page from what I’ve seen, so check out the other articles, as well
Thanks again for the great show!
January 18th, 2006 at 7:33 pm
Adam-san, thank you for posting, for the supportive comments and for listening! Posts like yours really help us keep our energy levels up for the show! どうもありがとうございます！Please keep them coming.
ネイザンさん、Thank you for the great post. Yes, you have an excellent point! The article was very interesting, and the portion about it only being used when you haven’t seen someone for a long time is spot on. However, the subtle nuiances in Japanese are extremely difficult to grasp, and the nice thing about this phrase is you can never be wrong. Actually, I should say too wrong, as using this with close friends and associates has the opposite nuiance of creating distance, and actually maybe inappropriate. But, I believe the reason that this is taught is that, it is one of the safest bets, as it is good for all situations, and since these are introductory classes it seems the best option.
Which greeting to use in which situation is something learned through studying, usage and experience, something I sometimes even have trouble with.
Greetings in Japanese would be excellent material for a Seinfeld show. I can just see George saying:
“Do you know Bob-san? We’ve been friends for 10 years and he still greets me with, “0-genki desu ka?”
Jerry: “Yes, a bit okashii(strange), isn’t it.
Elaine: “Did you try asking him to drop the O?”
Kramer: “He always says, “Osu” to me
In the future, we’ll do a lot more situational stuff to work out the differences, but I think like many people who try to teach this language the reason they wind up going with, “O-genki desu ka?” is it is the safest bet. Better to be too polite, than rub someone the wrong way.
Hope this was helpful.
Peter
January 18th, 2006 at 10:53 pm
:smile::lol
GO JAPANESEPOD101!
SANSEI!!
January 18th, 2006 at 11:07 pm
U.J.-san! Arigatou Gozaimasu! Keep the posts coming. They really give us tremendous energy!
Ganbatte Kudasai!
Peter
January 31st, 2006 at 7:59 pm
The camera work on the cab video was very good. I like the zooming in and hold technique.
April 19th, 2006 at 3:44 pm
I just wanted to drop you guys a line a tell you I love this Podcast i was listening to another cast and was not understanding anything so as i was searching for another cast I came across yours and it has been a blessing .