Melinda Heal & Pineapple on a Stick
Melinda Heal, a double degree Visual Arts and Asian Studies student, writes to us from the midpoint of her Year in Japan at Kyoto Seika Arts University about her life in Japan, with photos included for those all you skeptics out there. More of Melinda’s photos can be seen on her flickr page.
“What’s this thing you call Year-in-Japan really like?”, I hear you ask. True, it may be that we come here for academic pursuits but being here is also one big cultural experience.
My name is Melinda and I am currently studying on the Year-in-Japan program in Kyoto. As an ANU double degree student taking Visual Arts and Asian Studies, I have had the amazing opportunity of studying at Kyoto Seika Arts University in the north of Kyoto since April until next February.
Classes have been great and to learn new things in a new environment in Japanese has been so valuable but learning outside the classroom has also been a blast! From learning how to make takoyaki (octopus balls), how to eat zaru-soba (cold noodles), how to behave in a Japanese home, how to use underground bicycle parking…I am constantly amazed and in awe of all that is the Japanese lifestyle and culture.
Congratulations to Dr. Royall Tyler, former head of the Japan Centre, recently awarded the Order of the Rising Sun by the Japanese government!
Dr. Tyler was awarded the Order in recognition of his tremendous contributions to the study and translation of Japanese literature, including his recent translation of The Tale of Genji. This award comes on the heels of a 2007 Japan Foundation award for his achievements in promoting the understanding of Japanese literature and culture outside of Japan through his research, teaching and translations. The Order of the Rising Sun is the 3rd highest honor the Japanese government can bestow upon non-Japanese nationals.
The faculty and staff at the Japan Centre are delighted, and not a little proud, to see our colleague’s achievements recognised with this richly deserved award.
The official press release from the Japanese government may be read here: royalltyler
In semester one of 2008 students in Dr. Carol Hayes‘ Advanced Japanese class were given the task of rewriting or continuing some of the most famous works in modern Japanese literature such as Natsume Sôseki’s I Am a Cat, Kawabata Yasunari’s The Izu Dancer, Tanizaki Junichirô’s Tattoo and several others. You can see the fruits of their labours here:
Students in Mark Gibeau & Mari Miki’s 2007 Written Japanese D class composed tanka, a form of traditional Japanese poetry in 5-7-5-7-7 format, as part of their class assignment. Enjoy!