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Comment on What is your pet peeve with language acquisition? in ~humanities.languages
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Comment on What is your pet peeve with language acquisition? in ~humanities.languages
Sheep Link ParentReal talk, yes you can have two wa's! You can even have three wa's and beyond! There's no actual rule saying you can't do this! It's tricky to explain because most people don't delve too deep into...and I was like you can have two was? That's not a thing in anything else I've read anywhere.
Real talk, yes you can have two wa's! You can even have three wa's and beyond! There's no actual rule saying you can't do this!
It's tricky to explain because most people don't delve too deep into the nitty gritty of grammar in general, let alone Japanese grammar. One key thing that tends to get overlooked is that "topic" and "subject" are two distinct grammatical functions in Japanese and have distinct rules. "wa" is just a topic marker. "ga" is what's the actual subject marker (and if the two overlap, which happens extremely often, then "wa" typically takes precedence except in stuff like subordinate clauses).
The concept of "topic" is quite unusual for a lot of learners so that's where confusion often stems from. But there is no rule in Japanese grammar saying you can't introduce more than one topic in the same sentence. What happens in practice when you do this is that you tend to create a contrasting effect with the second topic you've introduced.
In your example 今日は私は you introduce the topic "today" and signal to the listener you're going to talk about today, but then you move to yourself afterward as a main focus which puts extra emphasis on yourself by virtue of topic contrast. And if you introduced a third topic it would be even more contrasting, and so on.
For a more practical example, take the sentence: 太郎はテニスは出来ます.
You might think it's not correct, that there should be a が in that second spot. And yes, you could put a が there and then the topic, the thing you're talking about, is just "Taro." But if you use は instead you put extra emphasis on "tennis," as that now becomes the main topic, and thus the focus of the sentence. Sort of becomes like "Taro, when it comes to TENNIS, oh he can really play." (obviously exaggerated for emphasis)
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Comment on What is your pet peeve with language acquisition? in ~humanities.languages
Sheep (edited )Link ParentI never regretted learning how to read Japanese but I always describe it as an uphill battle that never really ends. You have to accept that you will suck for quite a while and even when you know...I never regretted learning how to read Japanese but I always describe it as an uphill battle that never really ends. You have to accept that you will suck for quite a while and even when you know how to read 99% of stuff in your day-to-day life you will still run into things you can't read (which, to reiterate, also applies to natives. The only difference is they've been grinding kanji since they were kids while you're playing catch up). But if you're consistent in your studying you can get to a point where you're reading a considerable amount of Japanese unassisted after a year or two. Then at that point you're also accustomed to adding flashcards for new words and won't even flinch at it (which is how most people study Japanese, and for good reason). If you like reading then you'll be fine, as the best way to learn is to just read and read and read some more.
Knowing Japanese unlocks a vast world of excellent literature, an internet community and culture that is gigantic but still very much insular, and the country itself is also so much more fun to visit when you know how to read the things around you and can fully appreciate them.
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Comment on What is your pet peeve with language acquisition? in ~humanities.languages
Sheep (edited )LinkJapanese: the absolute hellscape that is every kanji having multiple different readings. And if anyone ever tells you there are rules for it and you start developing a sense for them as you go, no...Japanese: the absolute hellscape that is every kanji having multiple different readings. And if anyone ever tells you there are rules for it and you start developing a sense for them as you go, no there are not. It's all vibes-based and the "rules" only work until they inevitably don't which is all the freaking time (yes I know about kanji groups with specific sound radicals that all read the same. There are still exceptions within those, even if it's just the random dakuten in some words. The best "rule" you'll ever get in Japanese kanji readings is "it's probably this one").
Kanji started as Chinese characters that were assigned Japanese readings based on the vibes at the time. They were more or less retrofitted into an already centuries-old language that works very differently from Chinese, and then just left there until present day. Those are all the ingredients for an inconsistent system. Any semblance of rules that may have been attempted has long been broken multiple times. Korean also dealt with this problem, but they ultimately invented an alphabet that works for the language and solved it. Japanese just kinda shrugged it off and continued tacking things on and here we are.
The only "sense" you develop while learning to read Japanese is sheer muscle memory from repeating words in context enough times that they become ingrained. Whatever patterns you find will be broken at some point. It's pure, unadulterated memorization. Even native Japanese people read kanji wrong all the time when they encounter them in a word they're less familiar with. And the only reason it doesn't happen more often is because Japanese text can include the reading of a kanji right above it, which you can bet you're going to see for more irregular words because even people who write in Japanese know a meaningful portion of their audience probably won't know how to read certain words.
Take 土 for example. You spend the majority of the time reading it as "do" or "to" and you think to yourself "wow, this is so easy" and then you run into 土産 and you're like, surely, surely it starts with "do/to." But then, to your dismay, you discover it's "mi" and also that the word means "souvenir" which is very common so you actually need to memorize this ridiculously arbitrary reading because you want to say that in your next trip to Japan you went to a "miyageya" to get some "miyage" for your friends and family. Now multiply that situation by hundreds of kanji, with some kanji having multiple exceptions. [insert joke about 生 having 100 different readings, half of which you have to memorize].
The worst offender is people's names (and Japanese names in general). Attempting to read one is often an exercise in futility. If you're not speaking to someone and only communicating via text, you'll have to ask the person how to read their name half the time if you don't wanna risk mispronouncing it in case you do speak about or to them. Even if the name uses common kanji, usually it's a "it's probably this name, but I should ask in case it's that one." Like how 亜純 has a 50/50 chance of being "Ami" or "Azumi." I'm still not fully convinced that Japanese movie credits are not some secret inside joke/game to see if ordinary people can read them besides the people credited /s.
I want to end by emphasizing that I enjoy reading in Japanese. I have learned the language for years and keep learning every day. I'm the nerd that digs into kanji etymology out of curiosity. There's not a day I don't read at least one book page in Japanese, and as a result the frequency of reading mistakes I make has always gone down over time (because, again, all you ever do to learn Japanese vocabulary is hit your head against the wall enough times until the words stick). I could also write much, much longer rambles about the beauties of the language and its unique systems. But my God, I will never get over this eternal pain point (I think it really hit me when I began learning Chinese too and was flabbergasted that I only needed to memorize one reading per character. Felt like bliss in comparison) And honestly, learning about the history of kanji has sometimes only made me even more upset about it because it's like a series of train wrecks that everybody watched happen without doing anything and now everyone's in too deep to admit we should have turned back several crashes ago. There might be other languages with similar scenarios, but to me, Japanese text is text that actively fights you for daring to try to read it. It's beautifully brutal.
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Comment on Ed Sheeran concerts at Robert Kraft stadiums cancelled over weather in ~music
Sheep LinkI don't care if the weather was just the more convenient public-facing excuse. The sheer schadenfreude of seeing Ed Sheeran doubling down on "not taking sides" and further harming his reputation,...I don't care if the weather was just the more convenient public-facing excuse.
The sheer schadenfreude of seeing Ed Sheeran doubling down on "not taking sides" and further harming his reputation, only to then not have the concerts in the end and come out with nothing, is something straight out of the annals of karmic justice.
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Comment on Kakao Entertainment to shut down Tapas webtoon platform in ~comics
Sheep LinkTerrible, terrible day for webcomic artists. I think Tapas didn't even inform anyone this was happening. People found out first via the press, not from Tapas themselves. Like how terrible can you...Terrible, terrible day for webcomic artists.
I think Tapas didn't even inform anyone this was happening. People found out first via the press, not from Tapas themselves. Like how terrible can you be?
This leaves Webtoons completely unchecked, as there is no other big central webtoon platform to my knowledge.
I really think decentralization is key moving forward (artists hosting their own stuff), but I know that artists struggle to make themselves seen without a bigger platform, so I won't pretend it's an easy problem to solve.
Really not looking forward to the Webtoons monopoly.
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Comment on European Commission will maintain its ban on new oil and gas drilling in the Arctic, despite fierce pressure from oil-rich Norway to drop the ban in ~enviro
Sheep Link ParentGenuine question, wouldn't such an operation take many years, even decades, to go online? The article quotes 2045, which is pretty significant. All for a percentage of oil that, again according to...Genuine question, wouldn't such an operation take many years, even decades, to go online? The article quotes 2045, which is pretty significant. All for a percentage of oil that, again according to the article, doesn't seem to move the needle much. That doesn't seem very short term to me.
2 decades of investment to set up a drilling operation to then maybe start investing in more decades of renewables? As a layman it feels like we should just spend those 2 decades on renewables from the get go, which also addresses energy independence.
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Comment on LG smart TVs caught logging audio with screen off and snooping on local devices in ~tech
Sheep Link ParentI think it's just pure inertia. People don't want to change anything if they perceive they can handle/tolerate what they already have. Change is an unknown, unknown means potential stress they...I think it's just pure inertia. People don't want to change anything if they perceive they can handle/tolerate what they already have.
Change is an unknown, unknown means potential stress they don't know how to handle, so best to just keep things as is.
Unless the person is a tinkerer by nature or is eager to learn new things, I've come to learn there's really not much you can do.
My mom hates using Microsoft Word and PowerPoint because she doesn't understand how One Drive functions (or what it even is) and those programs are constantly trying to shove you to save on One Drive without your consent, so she often "loses" her files and calls me all anxious. But if I so much as suggest she try a different software that doesn't do that, she absolutely refuses.
Its unfortunate but the constant barrage of ads everywhere has mostly desensitized people to them. Ad block users will always remain a minority.
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Comment on 1Password wades into a right-wing mess after funding a Linux project in ~tech
Sheep Link ParentKeepass and its derivatives. It's been around for ages and has always been fully offline. Just need to sync a single database file between your devices, which you can do with whatever solution you...Keepass and its derivatives. It's been around for ages and has always been fully offline. Just need to sync a single database file between your devices, which you can do with whatever solution you prefer.
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Comment on EU packaging regulations land another blow to an already precarious tabletop industry in ~games.tabletop
Sheep Link ParentFelt the same way about the implementation of customs tax on every import outside the EU a couple months back. Screw you if the item you want isn't available anywhere in the EU, everybody pays...Felt the same way about the implementation of customs tax on every import outside the EU a couple months back. Screw you if the item you want isn't available anywhere in the EU, everybody pays because somebody's aunt wants to buy plastic trash from Temu. Just complete lack of vision, everybody gets the short end of the stick.
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Comment on What are your current pain points with Linux? in ~tech
Sheep (edited )LinkStarted using CachyOS earlier this year, going on about 6 months now (no dual booting, just Linux). Main things that have caused friction are: My elgato XLR interface works inconsistently. Very...Started using CachyOS earlier this year, going on about 6 months now (no dual booting, just Linux).
Main things that have caused friction are:
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My elgato XLR interface works inconsistently. Very often the system just stops detecting mic input, I try to figure it out, and usually unplugging and plugging again fixes it but sometimes a restart is required. I know this is most likely Elgato's fault but I didn't want to throw away my expensive hardware for no reason. Could also be Vesktop being finicky but at this point I'm used to just "turning it off and on again."
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WiFi did not work at all on my system (WiFi card wasn't detected) until I discovered a solution where I had to unplug my PC completely and hold the power button for a while to discharge residual electricity, which caused the motherboard to somehow detect it on boot again. This is the most "voodoo black magic" thing I've ever done with a computer problem and it baffles me that it was necessary (and also that it somehow worked). Thankfully it was a very quick and easy thing to do.
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Can't play Hell Divers with friends. It is what it is.
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I still like Word and Excel better than libreoffice but I can live with the latter for most applications. I still miss being able to boot up Photoshop for random stuff. There is simply no alternative for PS on Linux. Photopea is about as much as you can get and it doesn't come close still.
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Installing a Japanese IME (the thing you need to convert your keyboard inputs into Japanese characters) or any IME for that matter (Chinese and Korean will run into the same issue) should not be as complicated as it is on Linux. On Windows as soon as I choose Japanese in the language settings it installs everything and I can immediately start typing. On Linux, choosing Japanese as a language or keyboard is not enough. I had to install 2 or 3 different pieces of software and the keyboard input configuration was a bit confusing (because your IME settings live separately from your keyboard settings, at least on KDE). It worked fine once I configured it but why oh why is there no set-it-and-forget-it option for users that don't use the Latin alphabet? This is the kind of basic essential thing that I feel should be shipped with the kernel and not be dependent on external software. Most users want to just type on their keyboards, not to tinker with settings...
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USB wake from sleep was completely borked on my PC. I'd press the sleep button and it would just put itself in a weird half-asleep state with the fans/motherboard still running and there was no way out of it besides a hard shut down by holding the power button. Thankfully disabling the feature entirely solved the issue. Could be one of my devices and I did ponder disabling wake from sleep on just the one device, but I honestly didn't need the feature. Still, it was scary to see my computer never going to sleep until I figured out this was the cause.
I want to end by saying none of this makes me want to go back to Windows. Yes they are real pain points and annoyed me to deal with, but I could make just as long, if not a longer list of things that drove me mad on Windows. I could also easily make a list of things that I have loved since being on Linux, so it goes both ways.
Switching to Linux has also taught me a lot more about troubleshooting my own machine and made me confident about it. I've even started using terminal software which I thought would never happen before but Linux kinda forces you to open it at some point. And just the general relief in knowing that if something is wrong, there is at least usually a way to diagnose the issue, if not outright fix it, whereas on Windows you're basically praying things work all the time and are often out of luck when they don't.
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Comment on How to find a new calling in life? in ~life
Sheep Link ParentThis is something I've thought about and you're right that ultimately it matters a lot more that you can just do something to safely have a roof over your head. Though I want to stress that, where...This is something I've thought about and you're right that ultimately it matters a lot more that you can just do something to safely have a roof over your head.
Though I want to stress that, where I live, without a university degree or something equivalent you basically can't do any decent paying jobs and are essentially guaranteed to live with or near minimum wage forever (not enough to afford rent in most places). It's absolutely ridiculous but it's the reality I live in. So that's what's driving me to want to go back to uni as well, not necessarily just "finding a new calling."
I do really appreciate the perspective though. You're not the only one who commented here with something like that and I think I do need to shift gears a bit to "what matters more is to just do something I can maintain without going nuts" rather than focus so much on passion.
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Comment on How to find a new calling in life? in ~life
Sheep Link ParentNo but I took a few of the ones you linked and they helped a bit to quantify what I more or less figured I already felt, so thank you.No but I took a few of the ones you linked and they helped a bit to quantify what I more or less figured I already felt, so thank you.
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Comment on How to find a new calling in life? in ~life
Sheep Link ParentSorry if I made it seem like McDonald's was an easy job. I'm aware it's not. I just meant that it's easy to start for most people and, crucially, usually doesn't give you a lot of leverage as far...Sorry if I made it seem like McDonald's was an easy job. I'm aware it's not. I just meant that it's easy to start for most people and, crucially, usually doesn't give you a lot of leverage as far career progression goes. It's ungrateful work that should be paid a lot better.
I actually had an interview there yesterday and I'm keenly aware that there's a higher chance of me not liking the job than not, and I probably won't last, but when times are tough you do what you have to do.
Also, have you considered looking into local/regional/national government work for translators?
I have tried looking into government jobs but it's difficult to get into anything and as far as I've seen there's nothing for translation specifically, just a lot of administrative work. The most difficult part being that those jobs always require experience or a certificate in something, and all the results are public so they can't just give you the job without a valid reason.
One thing being a translator taught me is that nobody is ever looking for translators, you have to desperately beg everyone for a job. And that's getting more true in the age of AI.
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Comment on How to find a new calling in life? in ~life
Sheep (edited )Link ParentThat does help and it lines up a bit with how I already feel. I think the anxiety I have stems not from the fact that I don't understand how people get into the jobs they have, but the fact that I...That does help and it lines up a bit with how I already feel. I think the anxiety I have stems not from the fact that I don't understand how people get into the jobs they have, but the fact that I landed in a job that ultimately "trapped" me in place, didn't let me meet new people (irl. I have met a lot of people online), and thus heavily reduced those "lucky" opportunities that many folks run into. Part of it was out of my control, since I had a lot of undiagnosed conditions (especially crippling ADHD) that I've only learned about and began treating this past year, but part of it was also me not investing whatever free time I had into others.
It might be possible to enroll in a few classes, I'll have to take a look. Thank you for the book recommendations.
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Comment on How to find a new calling in life? in ~life
Sheep Link ParentYeah, AI is an aspect that has complicated everything further. I mean it ruined my field over the last years so I'm more keenly aware of it than many. It's why I kinda put something like...Yeah, AI is an aspect that has complicated everything further. I mean it ruined my field over the last years so I'm more keenly aware of it than many.
It's why I kinda put something like mechanical engineering above computer science at the moment, even if the latter usually has a higher wage ceiling. I'm so afraid AI will only get better and better and take on everything it can possibly get its fingers on, so at least picking an area with a strong component on real world elements seems like a good idea.
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Comment on How to find a new calling in life? in ~life
Sheep Link ParentYou're not wrong. I sometimes forget that I have some soft skills that came bundled with this job. Though I will say it's really hard to express the existence and development of those in my CV...You're not wrong. I sometimes forget that I have some soft skills that came bundled with this job. Though I will say it's really hard to express the existence and development of those in my CV because companies here are always looking at your education/experience and expecting you to specifically be from their field first and foremost.
I'll be sure to make a list, though.
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Comment on How to find a new calling in life? in ~life
Sheep Link ParentThis is a perspective I hadn't considered much. I've been so focused on looking at what people in these areas do that I forgot to even consider the people themselves, which does indeed matter a...This is a perspective I hadn't considered much. I've been so focused on looking at what people in these areas do that I forgot to even consider the people themselves, which does indeed matter a lot to me because, if there's one thing translation taught me it's that working fully remote feels very isolating. I might not have been giving that part as much weight as I should.
I think it's time I reach out to more people outside of my immediate friends and acquaintances to get a better idea on that.
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How to find a new calling in life?
I've been having a bit of a midlife crisis (well, I'm 31 so technically not there yet but...) and was hoping maybe some kind folks on Tildes could give me some perspective. Apologies in advance...
I've been having a bit of a midlife crisis (well, I'm 31 so technically not there yet but...) and was hoping maybe some kind folks on Tildes could give me some perspective. Apologies in advance for the long-winded post.
I currently work my "dream" job. I put that in quotes because I'm a freelance translator which, as you might expect, has not been the best place to be at for the last couple of years. Nonetheless, it was the job I wanted to do when I got into university 7 years ago so it's what I'd say is the only "calling" I've had.
Because I've only ever done this, I feel like I missed out on opportunities and soft skills that a person might typically develop early in their career at more typical jobs. I was fortunate to have an accommodating family who really let me try as hard as I could in the translation field until I could succeed, which unfortunately I haven't as much as I wanted to.
Because of all this, I've now been looking for non-specialized jobs anyone can do in order to at least have a more stable income. But I feel like just working at say a McDonald's or other less skilled jobs won't get me very far in life. Yes I can do translation on the side as a supplement and maybe one day I'll get lucky enough to score a well-paying client (I know it's possible but just haven't had the chance yet), but that's a lot of ifs for comfort. At the moment I can't even focus on paying my bills, let alone try to have a life outside my job or a partner or basically anything, and that's what also sorta torpedo'd the intense anxiety I've been having.
So I've been pondering seriously going back to university to get another degree, as some of my friends and acquaintances have done. The problem is I just don't know how to even go about finding something that can give me a better professional life and that I connect with in some capacity. I've been so sheltered and non-diversified for 7 years that now I have very little to connect with.
I thankfully live in a country where university is not a big financial investment, so that's not an issue. But as I've been warned by others (and agree myself), jumping into a degree when I only have nebulous ideas about my future in it is a good way to ensure I burn myself out and waste my time. I can't just pick a degree because "it'll pay well." It has to be something I can actually concentrate on and feel the drive to work toward. Otherwise I'll probably be back on this road again, just in a different way (low end skilled work is as poorly paid as unskilled work where I live).
I've been eyeing typical big engineering degrees like computer science and mechanical engineering. Looking at jobs they can provide makes them sound somewhat interesting (robots are cool, right?), but it still all feels very nebulous, like nothing fully clicks. It's like I can't find something that's more guaranteed to pay well and where I also feel "this is where I want to be."
I'm also constantly worried about "what if I choose wrong" and wondering if I won't be good enough or stand out and just set myself up for another bad career. The choice paralysis is very real. And reading testimonials online, no matter for what field, just makes things feel more bleak (I should probably stop that), though there is occasionally some positivity.
The way I describe my mental state right now is "I want a job that will let me not have to worry about surviving 24/7, but I don't know what that might look like." It could be working at McDonald's or some menial office job and then doing translation on the side (AKA the only "calling" I've ever fully clicked with), it could be becoming an engineer, or maybe it's something else entirely I haven't found yet. I don't know.
I also know that sometimes all it takes is to try something out to see if you like it, so I'm not ruling the possibility that maybe I'll just click with a degree after I get into it, but until I have that opportunity I'd like ask fellow Tildeans: how would you go about finding a new calling in life in a situation like this?
I know there's no silver bullet answer and that nobody can decide my life for me, but I feel as though I'm missing the tools to make that decision for myself.
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Comment on Japan tried to build an operating system for the entire world, then the US government intervened in ~tech
Sheep Link ParentIt's not just that. It's also the fact the UI designers in Japan get no say. Whatever the client wants the client must get (and usually they want to show everything because their company and their...It's not just that. It's also the fact the UI designers in Japan get no say. Whatever the client wants the client must get (and usually they want to show everything because their company and their products are always the greatest, and maybe graphic design is their passion). That's why you get pages crammed with basically everything the site has to offer.
I've heard someone say that Japanese UI design is what other countries would have if the client always had it their way and could never be contradicted.
I also agree that Western-centric businesses tend to oversimplify to the point that most websites look and feel the same, but I do find the information density and cramped navigation of Japanese sites quite annoying to use as well (and I can read Japanese). They're both unpleasant extremes.
Yes.
In general yes (obviously not blanket rule, exceptions exist, yadda yadda). Whichever topic comes last is the topic of the sentence. So if you list multiple topics you typically end up adding emphasis to whichever topic appears last, often by virtue of it contrasting with the topic(s) that came before.