Konban wa

[x_sunfire]

I have been told that I ought to do some sort of public introduction on this system. My name is Yoshida Shiro, but I go by Shiro. I come from Tokyo, where I have lived my entire life. My father, before he died, was a diplomat to this country, and my cousin Harada Keniuchio, who raised me after that, is a well known businessman back home. He runs Silver Samurai, Inc., if anyone has heard of it.

I have the power to fire blasts of heat, to fly, and shield myself from most heat and radiation. (Angelo, did I spell that correctly?) I also am adept at karate and kendo, which I practice with the bokken O-Harada-sama gave me. But the katana he gave to me is by far one of the most beautiful things in this world.

I apologize if my English sounds a bit stiff and forced. I have yet to learn how to speak more clearly and casually. Although I suppose that by spending enough time with Angelo and Alex, I'll be speaking as poorly as the rest of you.

Comments

[x-kitten.livejournal.com]

Hello and welcome. I'm Kitty Pryde, local welcome wagon and occasional wunderkind. Hope you like the Mansion so far, and feel free to ask if you need anything. Most of us are glad to help.

Although I suppose that by spending enough time with Angelo and Alex, I'll be speaking as poorly as the rest of you.

Most likely, yes. Alternatively, you'll be speaking as naturally as the rest of us.

[x-sanfuaiyaa.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Kitty. "Most of us"? Who's excluded from this group?

Is it a trade-off in English? Either speak gramatically properly but sound forced, or talk like a slob but sound like a natural speaker. Do any Americans actually speak their own language the right way?

Yes and no.

[x-tarot.livejournal.com]

I do not know if Japanese has a formal and informal .. I think the word is tense.

Most of the Americans I know now speak very informally, even to some adults. It came as a bit of a shock to me. Homework is still done formally, and it seems to depend on the person as well. I am never going to get used to using the same words to say things to teachers as I do for my classmates.

Professor Xaiver speaks very correctly, but does not sound forced. He sounds .. like a professor who thinks a lot. Intellectual is what the dictionary online suggested. Doctor McCoy also speaks very formally much of the time, and he is definitly not forced sounding. This might be because he is blue and funny though.

It changes from person to person and it depends on what they are doing at the time.

Alison is getting me a book on American Slang, and some copies for the library as well. It might help you too.

My English language teacher at my old school would have her head spinning if she heard me saying some of the things that Jamie and Doug say often - and these are not bad words, they just have funny meanings.

Doug sometimes gives little explanations about why they say things they do as well. You might want to ask him, language is what Doug does.

[x-kitten.livejournal.com]

The snarky ones. You'll meet them soon enough.

Either speak gramatically properly but sound forced, or talk like a slob but sound like a natural speaker.

Pretty much. (As a side note, "speak gramatically properly" is not proper gramar. Try "Either speak with proper grammar but...", "Either speak properly but...", or "Either speak gramatically but...")

Doesn't Japanese have abriviations, contractions, and slang?

[x-polarisstar.livejournal.com]

Welcome to the Funny Farm, Shiro. I'm Lorna, the girl who you will see accosting Alex at random points throughout any given day--the green hair is a dead-giveaway. Aside from the ones where I tend to feed people, don't believe any rumors you hear. Especially the ones that involve dresses.

And don't worry about your English, be it poor, formal or what have you. Language is about communication--so long as we understand one another it's served its purpose.

[x-sanfuaiyaa.livejournal.com]

"The girl whom you will see accosting Alex" is what you meant to type, I'm sure. Since "you" is the subject of the sentence, the other nominal must be an object. "Who," however, is a subject, and therefore does not belong in your sentence.

"Funny Farm"? I'm not too familiar with that term. Doesn't that refer to a place where the authorities lock up insane people?

[x-polarisstar.livejournal.com]

Whom is indeed grammatically correct; however, since you understood what I meant, my point about language and communication stands.

And yes, Funny Farm is slang for a mental institution. In this case, I'm using the term so I can draw a humorous comparison between the inhabitants of said mental institution and the students and faculty of this school.

In other words, I was making a joke. ;-)

Konnichi wa

[x-foliate.livejournal.com]

Hey there, Shiro. It’s good to see a new face around here. I’m Paige, the girl who when she isn’t out horseback riding has her nose stuck in a book. I’m not too difficult to spot.

Your mutation sounds very much like my brother’s. His name is Sam; tall, blonde young man who speaks in an atrocious accent. ;)

I would love to book out the gym with you for a little sparring one of these days, if you wouldn’t mind. I’m sure you’ll “kick my butt” as we say, but I figure we both fight very by the book and I wouldn’t mind picking up some better technique.

(also, my other partners seem to refuse to spar with me anymore and Angelo just outright refused from the beginning. ;))

Can’t wait to meet you in person.

Re: Konnichi wa

[x-sanfuaiyaa.livejournal.com]

A spar? I would enjoy that very much. Angelo says that we have to be supervised, though. A fight outside or in the gym whenever we want is apparently frowned upon. How do we reserve a time and place? And will anyone with at least a little bit of talent be monitoring us? I do not want someone who does not know the first thing about hand-to-hand combat watching us, because he will not understand or appreciate it.

Re: Konnichi wa

[x-dazzler.livejournal.com]

Many of the adults here have some hand to hand knowledge, in varying degrees. If Scott or Ororo (for example) are too busy with other tasks to supervise, I'm sure I can help out.

We, by the way, should probably meet soon. Let me know when you feel you've settled in enough and we can talk, yes?

I suppose this is the place for introductions, then....

[x-rahne.livejournal.com]

Welcome. :) I'm Rahne Sinclair. Er... to recognize me, look for a smallish girl with red hair, or else a wolf.

If my accent gives you any trouble, tell me so and I'll try to be clearer.

Re: I suppose this is the place for introductions, then....

[x-sanfuaiyaa.livejournal.com]

Hello, Rahne. You have an accent? Are you not American either?

Re: I suppose this is the place for introductions, then....

[x-rahne.livejournal.com]

I'm from Scotland.

[x-skin.livejournal.com]

(Angelo, did I spell that correctly?)

Yes, that's right. And your katana is beautiful... Any chance I could borrow it, if I persuade the professors to let me learn?

[x-sanfuaiyaa.livejournal.com]

No. You may admire it, but no gai jin may put their hand on it. For that matter, no one but myself and the smith may touch it.

[x-cypher.livejournal.com]

(begin translation Nihongo-to-English)

Hello, Shiro. Welcome to the mansion. I am Doug, and as Marie-Ange explained, my talent is to speak and understand languages. I look forward to meeting you and learning more about Japanese slang and culture.

(end translation Nihongo-to-English)

[x-sanfuaiyaa.livejournal.com]

[[Written in Japanese (because I don't know enough to actually write it myself):]]

Oh, somebody here speaks Japanese, too? How well do you speak it? Have you ever visited the country?

[x-cypher.livejournal.com]

[[Written in Japanese]]

I'm not really sure how well I speak Japanese, since I have never tried to before. As everyone has been telling you, my mutant ability is to speak and understand any language. I can speak to Piotr in Russian, Marie-Ange in French, Angelo in Spanish, Haroun in Arabic, and so on. I do not really know any slang or anything like that. No, I have never been to Japan, but would love to learn more about Japanese culture from you, if you are willing.

[x-pyromaniac.livejournal.com]

I have the power to fire blasts of heat, to fly, and shield myself from most heat and radiation

Wonder how that would work with my power. The name's John Allerdyce, but some call me Pyro. Just another mutie living in the institution Xavier built.

Welcome to the Madhouse, Shiro.

[x-sanfuaiyaa.livejournal.com]

What do you do?

[x-pyromaniac.livejournal.com]

If the picture there didn't give you a clue. Here's another....

Fire.

[x-crowdofone.livejournal.com]

Hey, welcome to America. I'm Jamie, you've probably seen me around by now (and if you see me around a weird amount, I'm not following you, it's my mutation, I clone myself.)

So what do you do for fun? Besides flying and martial arts, I mean.

[x-sanfuaiyaa.livejournal.com]

What do I do? I suppose what other people my age do. I enjoy the television, comic books, listening to music . . . all Japanese, of course. I've never found "Batman" to be nearly as entertaining as "Inuyasha" (which is a horrible manga and anime to begin with, anyway).

[x-plosive.livejournal.com]

Hi, Shiro! Welcome to the manor. I'm Tabitha. :) I've actually got somewhat of a similar power to yours--I can conjure up lttle balls of energy with my hands.

[x-coldhands.livejournal.com]

Hey Shiro. I'm Bobby. I'm really tempted to make a bad pun about giving you the 'cold' shoulder, but I'll refrain. My power is ice--although lately, it seems to be more ice cream. I could try to make some green tea ice cream, some time...or if you have any other requests, I'm always up for a challenge. ;)