Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Katakana Literary Work

Katakana Literary Works - Haikus
1. 
このクーデター
せいかつくらい
かえります

Coup d'etat 
Life is dark 
Go home

Coup d'etat is in katakana because even though it is a loan word, it is a loan word borrowed not from English, but from French, which makes it more potent and striking. In this haiku, coup d'etat symbolizes the shortness and transience of power and life, so the foreignness of the word shows how power is not permanent. How the word comes from another language also symbolizes the nature of a coup d'etat itself - a sudden deposition of the government/rebellion from another group, enemy, or political group. 

2.
シャシンよを 

りませんです
わすレマス

Picture

Not taken
Forget

The word "shashin," or picture, is written in Katakana because I wanted to "italicize" it using a different alphabet to show how important pictures are to helping humans recall memories. Many times our memories fail us as they become foggy and distant, so we rely on permanent evidence such as photographs to help us. The last three words are written in Katakana because it shows how spotty our memory is - sometimes we mix up different events and people, just like how the Katakana and HIragana is mixed up. Katakana really comes in handy when we need to express emotion and human experience!

3.

スッゴイね
どうしましたか
いいせかい


Amazing
What's the matter?
The world is good


I wrote amazing, or  すごい, is Katakana for emphasis because this haiku is exclaiming how seldom we realize that life and the world is good. We need to be more grateful for all the blessings we have in life, so the Katakana serves to illustrate the shock and surprise we experience. Because contemporary media focuses so much on negative news reports, we are always surprised when we encounter good deeds and the moral nature of humanity. The way the word is written takes the meaning of the word to a whole new level - we can't just express our amazement in a regular alphabetical way but rather, through another alphabet that symbolizes sophistication and complexity. 

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Haiku

The English Haikus below helped me warm up for the Katakana literary works

1.
Airport terminal
Crossroads of sights and colors
Existence is brief

He meets her in this
Cold uncaring beautiful
Swirl of consciousness

Flash of brilliance
A facade of forever
Fade into abyss

2.
Himalayas
Alone in its majesty
Judge of humankind

3.
Peace, impossible?
Excuse, for our folly
History repeats

4.
Rush hour run run run
Shove old lady, spill coffee
Time, an illusion

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Composition 2

山田さん、お元気ですか。はじめまして。
わたしはフィオナ。リアオです。コロンビアだい額の一年生です。台湾からきました。じゅうはっさいです。だいがくのせいかつはとでもいそがしいですそしておもしろいです。宿題はたくさのります。時間がありませんから、やすめません。べんけようします。ここはもう少し寒いです、そしてとてもきれいです。町の生活葉とてもすてきです。8月14日ににほんへいきます。じゃ、また。どぞおよろしくおねがいします。
10ガ30日 フィオナ。リアオ