Returning to the changes of the Japanese language and the language of youth in Japan an often familiar word used by Japanese youth is the word 「超」chou. Chou is often used to express “very” as in 「チョー気持ちいい」(It) feels great! It is not only used for positive expressions but for negative ones as well, for example: 「超むかつく」It’s really disgusting. It is even used with English words like: チョーベリーグ/チョーベリーバwhich are short forms of チョーベリーグッドandチョーベリーバッド. These words have become popularized by the youth throughout Japan. The use of Chou as in 超特急、超満員follows the pattern of preceding the noun and adds emphasis to the noun it attaches to. Moreover, chou is even attached to i-adjectives as in 超美しいcertain dictionaries introduce chou such that it adds excessive stress or emphasis. It seems that among the youth that the term has very broad meaning. It appears that the term chou is in fact a dialect from Shizuoka prefecture, which was brought into Tokyo and spread throughout Japan.

「賞味」と「笑味」の使い分け。

「賞味」：こんなにおいしいものが出来たので、ぜひ味わって！と、

「笑味」：食べ物を贈る時に、つまらない物ですが受け取ってく ださい。

「賞味」,「笑味」are both read “shoumi”,賞味 is used in “please be sure to try it” go shoumi kudasai. 笑味is used when giving food to someone

笑味 is used when offering someone food. [go shoumi kudasai] “It’s nothing much but please accept it”

I’m a thoughtful sort of person. I like to think things over before coming to a conclusion. I am not loud or persuasive.

But China changed me.

I had been living in China for three years and felt comfortable in the language and culture. I have also lived in Japan, France and Canada for a long time and I realized how I somehow change personalities when I switch speaking languages. I notice when I speak English I may sound like any other English Canadian but I know deep down that I am not English nor Canadian, English is just a neutral language of business with lack of stimulus, culture or emotion. French spoken in France I find is very “clean”

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