Jitensha（自転車）

私は自分の自転車にマンディという名前を付けました。

Watashi wa jibun no jitensha ni “Mandy” toiu namae o tsukemashita.

I named my bicycle “Mandy”.

One of the first things I noticed in Japan during my stay was their excellent transportation system. Their trains and buses arrive and leave right on time. I barely experienced any traffic jam. Their buses only stop in proper bus stops. Every vehicle parks in proper parking lots.

Japan’s transportation system had made traveling from one place to another very convenient for me; except for one minor problem. Every time that I have to go to a place that is far from any train or bus station, I would either need to walk or ride an expensive taxi cab. trying to save money, I most of the time walk. In a way, I knew this was good for my health but it can get really tiring and time-consuming at times. So, to solve the problem, I bought a bicycle.

That portable red beauty on the picture above is my bicycle I named “Mandy”. Since i bought her I was able to travel farther and faster and it also helped me save money by not having to ride trains or buses anymore for locations that can be reached through bicycle. Mandy also helped me get fit. I never remember my belly to be as flat!

自転車（Jitensha) is the Japanese for bicycle. The word 自転車 jitensha can be used as follows:

自転車に乗ります。

Jitensha ni norimasu.

Ride a bicycle.

In stating your mode of transportation in going a certain place, you can use the following pattern.

<mode of transportation>で<place>へ行きます。

<mode of transportation> de <place> e ikimasu.

 

ex:

(私は)自転車でスーパーへ行きます。

(Watashi wa) jitensha de sūpā e ikimasu.

I am going to supermarket by bicycle.

 

(私は)電車で東京ドームへ行きます。

(Watashi wa) densha de Tokyo do-mu e ikimasu.

I am going to Tokyo dome by train.

 

Planning to navigate Japanese streets through a Mandy of your own?

Make your exploration more fun by learning the basics of the Japanese Language.

Join our

BASIC JAPANESE FOR TRAVELERS WORKSHOP

 

Saturday, May 2017

Makati area

 

Avail our early bird promo of Php 650 until March 31, 2017 only.

 

Reserve your seat by filling up our online form on the link below.

https://goo.gl/forms/y66cOOBGckxHYUii1

 

 

Thunder Dolphin and Big-O

I was never a fan of heights, but my younger self was thirsting for adventures, so she threw caution to the wind and rode the THUNDER DOLPHIN-a roller coaster at the Tokyo Dome Amusement Park.

I remember how both scared and excited I was back then. The trail of the roller coaster was something I haven’t seen before. It passes through a hole in the LaQua building and the centerless ferris wheel called the Big-O. The course itself was enough for me to give it a go. I might have gotten a little too excited I forgot to buckle of my seat tight enough that by the time we were at the “dive”, I’ve lost the feel of my own seat as the roller coaster plummeted down. I was shocked, dead scared and had very little time to contemplate what to do with the situation. It felt like I was free-falling.

Luckily (and obviously), I didn’t die. They say that “what cannot kill you will make you a stronger person.” Well, this experience sure did, but still, no more roller coasters for me since then.

The nearest train station from Tokyo Dome is the Suidōbashi Station. The train network in Japan looks like spaghetti of different colors when you look at the map. If you’re a first time traveller, you may use the following Japanese sentence in asking train station staff for direction as you may need to change train from time to time. The train station staff  could also teach you which train could get you to your desired location faster.

水道橋駅にある東京ドームシティに行きたいのですが、どう行けばいいですか。

Suidōbashi  eki ni aru TOKYO DOME CITY ni ikitai no desu ga, dō ikeba ii desu ka.

I would like to go to TOKYO DOME CITY in Suidobashi  station. How should I go there?

You may also remember this pattern in case you are going somewhere else.

「train station」駅にある「place」に行きたいのですが、どう行けばいいですか。

「train station」eki ni aru「place」ni ikitai no desu ga, dō ikeba ii desu ka.

Arm youself with the basic of the Japanese language with our

BASIC JAPANESE FOR TRAVELERS WORKSHOP

happening on May 2017 in Makati area.

Avail our early bird promo of Php 650 until March 31, 2017 only.

Reserve your seat by filling up our online form on the link below.

https://goo.gl/forms/y66cOOBGckxHYUii1

Japanese workshop for Travellers

Nihongo Seminar Manila presents BASIC JAPANESE FOR TRAVELLERS.

This is a 2-3 hours workshop designed for travellers who wish to go to Japan armed with the basic Japanese conversational skills that they can use during their stay in Japan.

In this workshop you will learn:

・Japanese greetings

・self-introduction

・asking for directions

・shopping-related questions (how much? what size?, etc.)

・many more

The seminar will be held in Makati area on a Saturday of May 2017. The exact date and venue will be announced.

For reservation, sign up on our online registration form below by clicking “REGISTER HERE”.

REGISTER HERE

or copy paste the following link:

https://goo.gl/forms/y66cOOBGckxHYUii1

For more information, email us on nihongoseminarmanila@gmail.com.

 

My Story

My ultimate dream when I was a child was to go to Japan. Before my 22nd birthday, I was able to make it happen.

It was 2008 when I first went to Japan. The company I used to work with sent me to a technical training program in Nagoya, portions of which I spent at a training center where all I had to do was study Japanese, meet new friends from different countries and eat my hearts out at an every-day-every-meal buffet provided at the training center during weekdays. It was like living a dream for straight 6 weeks! My weekdays were filled with fun times of studying, eating sumptuous food, and meeting people.

But there weekends were a little different. There were no classes, no buffet meals, no teachers to guide me on what to say or where to go or how to read signs. Weekends were the time when we were allowed to go out: go to supermarkets on our own, do sightseeing, eat at restaurants and the like. It was all days of adventures and discoveries. But not armed with the basic Japanese language skills to survive, it also came to me as a challenge.

I remember the first time that I went to McDonald’s in Japan. I was shocked that the menu was different from the ones that we have in the Philippines. Their burgers were bigger and their ketchup did not come from plastic packs but in small plastic containers making it easy to dip your french fries into.

With my Japanese skills being in a yes-or-no level at that time, I just pointed at the meal of my choice at the crew. The crew then asked series of questions, all of which I did not understand. I had little money with me then. I thought the crew was just asking if I want to upgrade my meal so I answered “no” to all of her questions. When I got my order, I ended up with a lonely burger without fries and drinks. Turned out, the crew was asking if I want a set meal or not and I said “no”.

Going to a place where you have very little knowledge of the language they use could be quite an adventure, but it is always better to arm yourself with at least the basics of the language like asking for directions, placing your orders in restaurants and so on.

Having experienced this myself, I’ve decided to put up a workshop to help people going to Japan—especially travelers—to make it easier and more fun for them to navigate the streets  of Japan by teaching them the basics of the Language.

In this site, I will document my progress, market my products and projects, and give you a peek on my adventures a few years back when I reached my childhood dream. I hope that this could help you in a way or at least entertain you with the stories of adventures that my 22 year old self went through.

I love telling stories, so brace yourself in a story-filled learning through this site. I hope one day you can also join one of my workshops so you can say “hi” to me in person.

PS: that red portable bicycle in the picture is my bicycle named “Mandy”. Together we explore sideways, alleys and corners in the places that I stayed in Japan. It was quite an adventure. I can still remember the wind in my face, the drumming in my chest and the smile stretching my lips as I navigate city after city with my Mandy. I hope I can make you feel that same feeling as you learn the basics of the Japanese Language from me through my stories.

Thank you for visiting! Enjoy your stay!