Why transcribing my last name to Chinese is a bad idea

My last name is Niklas Utterbäck.  People's victory Otter mountain stream, if you will. It is a good name. I like it very much. Except translating if to a naturally sounding Japanese name is a bit of a hassle.

Our teacher showed us different ways to translate our names, direct translation of the meaning, changing to kanji with the same pronounciation and the like.

I tried switching my name by looking for character with similar pronounciation and got some nice and flattering results for Niklas. Long time protector of virtue and peace or something like that. If I translated the meaning of Niklas, Victorious people, I got 勝人, commonly pronounced as katsuhito. But in Japan there are more ways of saying it:

Kachiji

Kachito

Kachine

Kachihiko

Kachifumi

Toji

Toto

Tone

Tohiko

Tofumi

Yoshiji

Yoshito

Yoshine

Yoshihiko

Yoshifumi

It depends on how you want it to sound.

When it came to Utterbäck it became much more difficult. Translating by meaning becomes 獺川, usogawa. Which isn't that bad, except it also sounds like you're saying "A river of lies".

Translating by changing to similar sounding characters was no improvement either. 生手留便来、 uterubenku. In Chinese it becomes something like "A novice/beginner came and left a poop".

I got to work on that translation.

Second class, second teacher

I had my second class today. We met a different teacher who will teach us kanji. He as well is new to KAI Japanese Language School, but he has been a teacher for over twenty years. He was also incredibly energetic and spoke very fast. I had no problems understanding what he said, I actually felt very comfortable being able to listen to him speaking as I was skimming through the textbooks and handouts. It felt like I had progressed pretty far just these few days in Japan.

We also did a second self presentation and I managed to say more than just grunts and whispers drenched in frog croaks. What a difference having a cold and not having a cold does to ones' communication skills.

Another lesson I have learned, smile when you're out walking. Smile a sincere smile. Even if no one seems to look at you they will look when you look away and if they see you smile they will be more relaxed and will dare to sit next to you in the train. I think for many foreigners Japanese people can seem very distant or maybe even too shy to sit next to you, but if you show a friendly smile everything will turn out nice.

Expenses

• Nothing new

First class, course books and late microwave dinner

When I was first interviewed while still living in Sweden the teacher told me that my conversation skills were pretty high, but since I still had some problems with kanji she suggested that I start on the fourth level in their eight level system. I have constantly been worrying that it would still be too difficult or that my kanji knowledge would be completely in the toilet, but as usual all my fears and worries were unwarranted. 

I had my first class today. We'll be seven students in my class this term, two Italians, one Chinese, one Korean, one American born Taiwanese and two Swedes. All of us were newcomers to the language level except the other Swede. He had already been here for nine months and was insanely homesick. I wonder if I will feel the same? I try to keep an open mind and let whatever happens happen.

We also got to buy our school books during first class as our teacher introduced us to how the classes would be split up. She was an incredibly energetic, fast talking, speed reading woman. The pressure is on me, but in a good way. We practiced spead reading, information searching in blocks of text and some reading. The four hours flew by so fast I barely noticed it was ten past five.

One of my classmates showed me a different train station close by that meant I could skip switching trains in Shinjuku. She also reminded me that it is best to buy the commuter pass as soon as possible to save money. I choose two stations and pay for one, three or six months. The longer periods of time I pay for the more I will be able to save. The pass also lets me stop at any station between my chosen stations for free. If I choose the six month pass I will at most pay half price on all train rides during that period of time and that does not include using the pass during weekends or more than once per day.

It looks like this and you can read more on the Tokyo Metro homepage.

A pretty painless trip back I swung by the grocery store and bought a microwave dinner composed of Carbonara some Japanese sauce on top and grapefuit something called Hyouketsu(氷結). Most likely cider. 6% alcohol and 4,2% fruit juice. You can get both for 300 yen.

Expenses

• Schoolbooks 6890 yen
• Microwave carbonara and cider 300 yen

Fulfilling a lifelong dream

The reason for this blog is to write about the prices of things in Japan to hopefully remove the myth that Japan is incredibly expensive and to show stuff I find interesting.

Ever since I saw my first anime at age eleven I have felt a strong connection with Japan but it hasn't been until now at almost age 30 that I decided to finally go there. I have had doubts and fears going through my mind, always thinking that I will just fail, it is a waste of time and I must focus on a career based education because "that's what everyone else is doing".

But now, just a couple of weeks shy of my thirtieth birthday I am here, in Tokyo, for at least a year and I don't regret it one bit!

I enrolled at KAI Japanese Language School via Go!Go!Nihon. They also helped me finding a place to stay. I got lots of options what kind of place I want to live in, such a price, distance to school, apartment, shared house or even shared room. I finally settled for a private room with BORDERLESS HOUSE.

If you or anyone you know is interested in either go to Japan, study Japanese or even find a place for a longterm stay without studying, Go!Go!Nihon will gladly help you out. If you have any questions or doubts, just go to their page and send them a message. 

I flew with Cathay Pacific Airways from Copenhagen to Tokyo. Two transfers in London and Hong Kong. The staff was ver friendly, polite and professional. And I even got lots of leg space on all three flights!

I arrived 21 hours later at Haneda Airport tired but otherwise fine. The only setback was that my luggage was left in Hong Kong when I arrived, but that airport staff were all very nice and arranged for it to be sent to my home for the next year. It arrived in less than a day!

I spent the first night at Hotel JAL City Haneda Tokyo since my arrival was later than the moving in time at BORDERLESS HOUSE. Also very nice staff and a great bed to crash in after sitting in an airplane for so long. The room felt really fresh, the AC was already turned on and I even got to wear a night gown! Don't knock it until you've tried it!

I thought that since I am here to study Japanese I might as well get acclimatized to hearing the language every day so I turned on the TV and watched president Obama talk about the government shutdown in the US until I fell asleep ten minutes later.

I woke up already at 8 in the morning despite being incredibly tired, but who can sleep when they are about to embark on a lifelong dream? I unveiled the curtains and even the kind of rainy and grey weather couldn't bring me down. And the fact that I enjoy rain.

I had been in contact with the landlord and staff from BORDERLESS HOUSE and they had arranged for one of them to pick me up at 12 o' clock near Korakuen train station and show me the way to the house. I arrived a little early and was glad that my luggage was left in Hong Kong for the time being, I still felt tired from the jetlag and carrying that around would've just given me a headache. I walked around the station for a while and there is apparently a very small amusement park close to the station. There are a few restaurants, a Moomin Cafe, a roller coaster and even a log ride attraction!

Mizuki, the staff member showed up shortly afterwards and showed me to my room and helped to settle in.
I still haven't taken any pictures of the room, but will as soon as I have cleaned up and put everything in order. Some of the other housemates showed us around the area, where to buy food and how to get to the different train stations.

After slowly realizing that this is where I will stay for the following year I ordered takeout: an appleburger from Firehouse!

Expenses

• Appleburger 1300 yen
• Udon soup 440 yen