Learning Language
The style of this blog was a little changed, since the God, awfully, told me to do so.
However, it might be further changed, though "Every form in reality is empty, and emptiness is the true form" as Zen Buddhism teaches.
CHAPTER I: Literacy Rates of Grown-ups
Those who are rich should help those who are poor.
Those who can read and write should help those who cannot.
Accordingly, Europeans/Americans should help Arabs and Africans in addition to Brazilians and Papuans.
Accordingly, European/American Christians should help Muslims and Hindus in the world.
(Click to enlarge.)Learning Chinese characters is not so easy. It was more difficult than today before WWII and for 4000 years since Chinese characters were invented in China. It is because Chinese characters are essentially ideograms unlike alphabets which are phonograms, though Chinese characters can be used simply for expressing a sound of, say, a foreign word.
Accordingly, Japanese in the late 9th century modified some specific Chinese letters by simplifying them so as to use the simplified forms as a kind of alphabets. Those new characters are called "kana" or "hira-kana" and "kata-kana" according to types.
The invention of kana letters helped diffusion of reading and writing among Japanese people. As a result the literacy rate in Japan came to surpass the rate in China. In Japan even children of farmers were taught reading and writing since the days of 1000 years ago.
But, in China, except very rich families, no children of farmers were taught reading and writing, since Chinese characters are so complicated and the number of the characters to learn for practical purposes is too many.
Even today Chinese use 8,000 Chinese letters in daily life or in the society.
Japanese use 4,000 Chinese (kanji) letters (plus scores of the kanas and the Roman/English alphabets) in daily life or in the society, though Chinese letters are called "kanji" in Japan. There are some or minor differences in format of some letters commonly used in China and Japan. Their meanings ca be a little different between Japan and China.
So, it is said that in the 18th century Japanese citizens living around the capital Edo (presently Tokyo), including farmers, could read and write at a rate of 70%, since all the samurai could read and write. Even in a remote and local farming village in Japan in the 18th century, 20% of residents are believed to have been literate.
At the time, the literacy rate was 20% in London and 10% in Paris.
The issue at point here is not fundamental superiority of the Japanese culture over that in England and France (except Christianity-related aspects), but the mystery that Chinese never try to invent phonograms or alphabetical letters.
Yet, China today uses Chinese characters significantly modified and simplified so that even children can learn and use. But, too much simplified kanji letters Chinese use sometimes puzzle Japanese to identify them with their original forms.
But why have Chinese elites left kanji characters in difficult forms? Because, the difficulty of learning letters protected their interest and position. Rich elites in China in 4000 years till the end of WWII wanted poor people and farmers to be illiterate.
Accordingly, revolution occurred in China in the early 20th century.
CHAPTER II: Japanese in New Zealand
When the big earthquake hit Christchurch, the third largest city of New Zealand, there were about 3,500 Japanese tourists, students, businessmen, residents, and so on in the city, truly surprisingly.
In 2010, the number of Japanese who visited New Zealand was 87,735.
Japanese people like New Zealand, since the country looks so peaceful. It is regraded as a suitable place for learning English in a real English-spoken environment.
The climate of New Zealand resembles Japan's somehow, though it is in the south hemisphere. Its shape of the land roughly looks like Japan's, though Japan is larger by 20% or so.
Yet, something might be wrong for so many Japanese youths go to New Zealand to learn spoken English, since 20 or so Japanese students seem to be victimized in Christchurch.
*** *** *** ***
There have been 52 Japanese in Libya till very recently, including staff members of the Japanese Embassy.
Two years ago a Japanese tourist visiting Tripoli posted to his blog some pictures he took in the capital of Libya. He wrote that Tripoli was in a construction boom; they tore down old buildings to build new ones. Most of cars running were made by IVECO, an Italian car maker.
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/safekuro/folder/1023130.html
Indeed, no one could predict that Libya was to undergo a revolution in early 2011.
Yet, the Koran should be read since this year is 2011:
The Koran
Ta Ha
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
[20.11] So when he came to it, a voice was uttered: O Musa:
[20.12] Surely I am your Lord, therefore put off your shoes; surely you are in the sacred valley, Tuwa,
[20.13] And I have chosen you, so listen to what is revealed:
[20.14] Surely I am Allah, there is no god but I, therefore serve Me and keep up prayer for My remembrance:
[20.15] Surely the hour is coming-- I am about to make it manifest-- so that every soul may be rewarded as it strives:
[20.16] Therefore let not him who believes not in it and follows his low desires turn you away from it so that you should perish;
[20.17] And what is this in your right hand, O Musa!
[20.18] He said: This is my staff: I recline on it and I beat the leaves with it to make them fall upon my sheep, and I have other uses for it.
[20.19] He said: Cast it down, O Musa!
[20.20] So he cast it down; and lo! it was a serpent running.
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/k/koran/koran-idx?type=DIV0&byte=480576
Any serious religions should be respected as a legacy of mankind.
Indeed, after mankind has disappeared in this universe, say, 100 million years later, some soul from another planet that would discover the earth and the past existence of mankind must say, "Religion is the only legacy of mankind worth notice!"
Eternity is in religion rather than in a future super-computer.
Joh 2:23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
Joh 2:24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,
Joh 2:25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.