August 16, 2007

Hello Community Members,

It's back to work today for all of us at JOI. We've just enjoyed the three-day Obon holiday (August 13 through 15). Even though the dog days of summer are still in full swing here in Fukuoka, we're all feeling recharged and ready for lots of online Japanese lessons!

Speaking of summer, last week's issue touched on Japanese ways of coping with the heat, but I'd like to share a few more observations.

Despite the humid summer that visits most of Japan, apparently more than 50% percent of Japanese homes do not have air conditioning. I would hazard a guess those un-air-conditioned houses are designed in the traditional Japanese architectural style. The layout of Japanese tatami rooms, with their full-size doors with built-in mosquito nets (網戸, amido, literally "net door") and the lack of furniture, seems a little puzzling in the winter, but in summer, it really begins to make sense. You can open up the multiple doors and windows, and no matter which direction the wind is blowing, you can have fresh air waft through the entire house without bringing any mosquitoes in.

Mosquitoes, so tersely known in Japanese as 蚊 (ka), are the big drawback to summer in Japan. If you don't mind sharing your space with chemical insect killers, you can't go wrong with the numerous "knock 'em dead" domestic insecticides.

For our workspace, we use the アースノーマット (aasu-no matto) products. (This can be read as "Earth-No-Mat"—I have no idea what it means!) You place the Earth-No-Mats in the corner of a room and plug them into the wall. Then, at a flick of a switch, they release a completely undetectable gas, lethal to any mosquito within 10 meters. Oh yes, the gas is (supposed to be) totally harmless to humans. But for my home, this silent assassin seems a little too cruel and risky, especially since I'm trying to raise children in the same area. So we opt for something a tad more organic, and traditional: the mosquito coil. Mosquito coils are not subtle. You light the ends and they release a thin pillar of smoke that slowly fills up the room with a musty odor. The idea is simple: mosquitoes don't like smoke— in fact, most bugs stay away from even a hint of fire.

Coils were very popular in Japan before the advent of modern solutions for fending off mosquitoes. Perhaps because of the greater environmental awareness recently, there has been a resurgence in the traditional methods of coping with summer. First, more and more people have found the fashion of mimicking foreign architecture to be impractical in dealing with the range of temperatures, humidity, and climates found throughout Japan. Plus, air conditioners are thought to cause more problems than they solve, the increase of summer colds and physical exhaustion being blamed in part on A/C.

The art and science of staying cool and insect-free can get quite complicated. Or not—my advice for the summer: Take a lot of showers!

New JLPT 3 Class Starts Today

This is an exciting time at our online Japanese school. Starting today, Hidaka-sensei starts a new JLPT Level 3 preparation class. If you're planning to take this test of Japanese language proficiency (level 3 is one level up from beginner level 4; more info here)— or if you just want to get comprehensive coverage of Beginner 2 grammar, vocabulary, Kanji, and reading comprehension—this class is a great way to accelerate your study. If you've already passed level 3, don't forget about our JLPT Level 2 class. The JLPT isn't far off!

HIDAKA Mitsuko

New Classrooms

This week, we also kick off all-new classroom software. The new software lets you and your teacher talk and listen at the same time, plus it requires no installation—enter the classroom right from your web browser. We're looking forward to an all-around improvement in the classroom experience. If you have questions, please contact us here. If you're a current JOI student, by now you've probably heard enough from us about the new classrooms. But I can't pass up this final reminder: If you haven't completed the one-time classroom setup, please log in www.joi-reservations.com and click the link at the top of your Current Reservations page.)

Support Tips

	Are you hearing echoes in the classroom? Because the new classrooms let you and your teacher talk at the same time, you may hear echoes (or cause echoes) if your microphone isn't adjusted properly. We have several new FAQs to deal with the topic: If you hear echoes or noise when you talk, please read this FAQ. If you hear echoes or noise when someone else talks, please read this FAQ. If someone else hears echoes when you talk, please read this FAQ.
	Is your voice cutting in and out in the classroom? Your Internet connection may be a little slow—try this FAQ for ways to improve your voice quality.
	Are the voices of other users breaking up in the classroom? Again, it might be your Internet connection. One great way to solve this problem is to turn off your video reception, as described in this FAQ.
	Don't forget about the weekly lesson blog! It's a free way to learn about Japanese culture and learn a few words and phrases along the way.

Thanks, everyone, for helping make JOI a great online Japanese school! I hope you're having fun learning Japanese online.

If you have other questions, be sure to check out the FAQs, or if you don't find an answer there, write me at support@japonin.com.

Regards,
 
Moses
JOI Support