今日クラスははじめました。岡村先生はあっていました。

Because I don't remember everything I've learned and have to think about what to say I'm going to say the rest in English

We went over the syllabus and expectations for the class as well as doing introductions. We set up Padlet which is new to me,

Okamura Sensei handed out some materials we will be using for the class such as reusable water paper- I'm thinking of getting one for myself to practice at home- brushes, paperweight, etc.

I'd like to try and write in 日本語　as much as possible。

木曜日，いちばれふでのてんはならいました。

とても楽しいです。楽しいすぎるだ。私は左利きから，ふでのもちかたがへんでした。墨がどうつくりかたを見った。

どうぶつのグルー使いますから，私はびっくりった。

私はあまり勉強しなかた。でも, 大丈夫だと思います。

で，岡村先生は学生が番号をあげました。

私は9番です。かんたん思い出すから，9番はアニメの文字をおもいうかべます。

で，象形文字の漢字を習いました。たくさんを思い出しました。水書きセットがあまり使わなかった。

かわいいですね。でも、じゃあくです。アニメは魔法少女まどか☆マギカです。

日，月，山，魚，木，かんたんに覚えした。

鳥，馬，羊，もっと勉強しなければいけません。

今週、自然の漢字を習いします。

私たちは研究します。

私は風と月が研究だ。

風は虫の漢字があります。

月は象形文字と自然の漢字です。

私はふつのことを思い出しました。

1，月読, かみの名前は月の漢字があります。

2，アニメ鬼滅の刃はブレースがあります。　“月はきれいですね。” ラブコンセッションそうです。

I do want to say I am not so sure about the latter since all I have to go on was other videos found on YouTube that go on about trivia facts or detail about the anime and manga. And the internet is the internet and with a more freely used (debatable nowadays) platform where people can say and post anything info can be, well you know why you're told not to use Wikipedia as an official source. I cannot say the latter is an actual thing in Japan, so unless this can be confirmed as another subtle message with certain context, take what I said about the latter with salt.

私のかきちらしは授業にありました。

火曜日lに学課を見て 木曜日に水書きセットが練習して。日常そうです。

花と，風と，天と，空と，虹と，星 を書きまた。

私は風が研究てから，練習やさしいでした。

あまり宇と宙書きなかった。たぶん来週。

So we started class with our quiz over the nature kanji

I did study I did a lot but forgot the part of vocabulary for them

(Tf I was going about how practicing 風 was and then I forgot the on reading and any word including the kanji…)

Then I did my presentation on the kanji 海. I feel confident in what I did overall though some parts I feel like could’ve used a bit more research.

The presentations on 森 and 秋 were great as well

Then we began on to the next lesson of kanji regarding emotions

日　風　水　雷　and even 蛇.

But then we got to the emotion kanji and the 喜怒哀楽 and I had to pause. Because I had just read the part of the Demon Slayer manga where this word was mentioned and thought at first it was an amalgamation of the names of the demons featured, as this one was clones with emotions and then I saw this in the class and that they also have the corresponding kanji detail I even drew those kanji in some of my art before

Okay now I won’t keep bringing up demon slayer for hopefully some time (it’s one of my hyperfixations right now and with the movie coming out tomorrow I can’t stop thinking about it lol) maybe I can find other things I can relate these lessons too even

Kahootで遊びました。私は五番でした。大丈夫，楽しかった

先生は確認を手伝った。

In case anyone wants to see it again or try it out

動きと動作の漢字を習ってした。

(Great movie worth seeing in theaters I knew what was gonna happen from reading the manga and seeing it beautifully animated was its own experience happy to go watch it)

二十四漢字を習った。　そうです，二十四漢字。　九漢字を練習したから，私は嬉しいだ。

踊, 跳, 走, 泳, 打, 話, 読, 書, 開

Some I remember like 話

走　書　開 泳　others are new/ need to study again

(Ran short on time to write everything in 日本語 I try to think and look up the words trying to write things down best I can)

As if learning the kanji as it is now (which I think it’s mostly 楷書 if that’s the one used in learning Japanese language right now correct me if I’m wrong) learning using the brush, the different stroke paths and how they can connect is a new challenge on top of that.

I find it different how the stroke patterns start in a slight opposite direction which made some of my strokes weird- though that can be chalked to beginner skill issue lol

Then we just wrote whatever kanji we could think of this time

I feel like now the more kanji I do I don’t even bother as much with the stroke order as like with similar stroke path and order I'm seeing kanji for the parts for the whole, I still need to refer to them though but I feel like not as often until it’s stuff I’m learning and double checking myself

🎶　篆書　

てんしょ

Tensho

　　隷書　

れいしょ

Reisho

　　草書　

そうしょ

Sōsho

　　行(書)　

ぎょ(しょ)

Gyo(sho)

　　楷書新しいよ。

かいしょあたらしいよ。

Kaisho atarashi-yo。🎵

Though it didn’t really prepare me for matching the names with the images of script if only lol

Among the kanji we practiced with the radicals and kind of radicals in mind are 海　遠　歯 and 城

部首: 氵　辵 辶　歯　and　土, respectfully

Now we moved on to this week’s topic: balance and space in regards to how to align and space writings and particles to make it all look neat and orderly. Then we learned about 色 or colors.

I can’t remember where I learned it initially but I remember learning already how 青 was used for both the colors blue and green before green got 緑.

Some of the colors their kanji also happens to be their own radicals it seems. Though 青 looks like the radical is 靑 with 円 instead of 月 at the bottom.

There was also the bit on birth month colors and mine 六月　which happens to be 憧葛 which for now I assume is a vine-green which is cool

Then we went over our midterm project of putting our names in Kanji, as well as some rules and customs when it comes to names like what’s not allowed like Kirakira names which I remember it being in headlines recently about name rules in Japan.

For my name I want to try and keep it how I was using it up until now ガビー　but I shall be flexible. As for my family name, I want to find a balance for something easy but also a bit of a hassle out of spite- I have some beef with my dad and his side of my family so while I don’t want to do anything outright terrible but I want to do a little jab at them lol.

Okamura Sensei says I can still use those kanji for this project but I ought to consider different kanji for the kanji if I were ever to go to Japan and have my name put in kanji.

Also while I said in the last reflection that I wanted try and make a subtle jab with my last name, I looked and saw there isn’t much kanji for some of the phrasing and then some to arrange it all together so I’m not going to go forward with that.

Again it was the first half of our midterm; the calligraphy name project. Those who presented today did very well with their takes on their names; some incorporated the meanings of their names as they are, some took more creative approaches. And for the art portion there were a lot of different and clever and creative ideas like Leander scanning his physical calligraphy and clipping it over a starry image which was nice. Leo even took a more 3D approach creating a flower branch with origami. They were all unique and nice.

I and the rest of the class did our Kanji name Presentations and they were all great too

I liked how mine turned out and getting to see what everyone else did.

Everyone’s artworks were unique and amazing along with the kanji they chose for their names were well thought out

We watched a video going through about 40 which part of me was thinking how do people sit through this all (not terrible but after while attention can fray) but also people can sit through things so. Then we did some too like being free and the 4 seasons and the one for ghosts was also amusing.

We also practiced a bit too. I feel like it’s like having a knowing of the kanji and how it’s written then how it can be worked around to looks more like gyosho and sosho.

I was ready to start brainstorming a whole 12 page (at least) calendar and then come class time we got the little example of what to do lol I’m more used to calendar books than the one paper but honestly that’s more of a relief to know we don’t need to do so much lol.

Also when I first read the instructions and saw the kanji 午 I was a bit confused because I thought it was for cow 牛 but now looking it up they’re similar (kinda like with cat and another kanji lol), but also looking the kanji up a bit 午 is the kanji used for the horse when referring to the Zodiac sign and also even the kanji for noon.

I already have a good idea of what I want to do and just practiced some of the writing styles and even did some sketching. I also started putting together some of the stuff for PowerPoint presentation as I’m putting in the part of the ideas and what I’m going for.

I still am have issue with putting calendar together, but I think I’ll be alright, I’ll figure it out

As for the class I worked on practicing drawing horses and poses and even drawing out my idea which is coming out very well and maybe even use that drawing as part of my final results.

Other than that just chatting and giving some advice/ suggestions I hope are helpful.

I still need to figure out how I’m going to put calendar together. I want to see if I can request access to adobe software but idk if it’ll work but I think I can do this even if it doesn’t.

We had our final projects and everyone’s was wonderful. I loved getting to see what everyone did and their presentations going with what they did, why, and how. Everyone was unique and different in their creative approaches and overall it was very colorful (in a good way) and interesting.

I felt confident in what I presented, it may not have exactly all I had envisioned but I am satisfied with my work as it is.

I hope everyone had a good time in this class. I sure did, it gave me more insight on kanji and understanding it more. And maybe more appreciation (I don’t like kanji when it’s super long but then it also at times becomes quicker and easier than writing something out in hiragana lol) it was also very fun learning brushstrokes and getting to both apply my art skills to the class and what I learned from this to my art.

Thank you for all the comments and hope we all have a good break.