#5 Jee-Poppu!

こんにちは！与那嶺です。

This week I listened a lot to music, specially J-Pop.

I already knew some songs from Fujii Kaze (Japanese singer-songwriter), but listening to this album was something else. 'Prema' proved to me once again that he is a musical genius. His songs are very unique when compared to the "common" J-Pop music, mixing jazz, various acoustic instruments, electronic beats, and well-constructed harmonies. His voice is also really good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf2krp4Gl9E

Some of my favorite songs from the album are 'Casket Girl', 'Love Like This', 'Prema', 'It Ain't Over', and 'You'. Also, the word 'Prema' means "love" or "affection" often referring to a higher, divine, or selfless form of love rather than mere selfish desire. That word choice for the title connects deeply with Fujii Kaze's message of kindness, devotion, and a deep, concentrated sense of positive regard for others or for the divine.

Other than the album songs, I really enjoy his songs 'Hana' and 'masshiro (pure white)' too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfPkl7lol7g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwgL4C2WaU8

Well, that's it for this week!

Thanks a lot for reading and see you next time! :)

じゃあ、また！

与那嶺。

University of Notre Dame - September 28, 2025.

#4 A Day In My Life

こんにちは！　与那嶺です。

まいにちごぜんはちじはんにおきます。

くじごろにあさごはんをたべます。

それから、クラス (class) にいきます。

じゅうにじごろに south しょくどうでひるごはんをたべます。

それから、クラス (class) にいきます。げつようびとかようびとすいようびともくようびにごごさんじはんににほんごのクラスにいきます。

            

クラスのあととしょかんにいきます。としょかんでしゅくだいとべんきょうします。

それから、しちじはんごろにともだちと north しょくどうでばんごはんをたべます。それから、としょかんでべんきょうします。たくさんべんきょうです。

よくべんきょうのあとジム (gym) をします。

ごご十じはんごろにりょうにかえります。I take a shower. それから、relax with friends. ときどきアニメをみます。

じゅうにじごろにねます。

まいにちみずをのみます。

まいにちおんがくをききます。POPとJ-POPがだいすきです！

やすみのひはどようびです。

Well, that's it for this week!

Thanks a lot for reading and see you next time! :)

じゃあ、また！

与那嶺。

University of Notre Dame - September 22, 2025.

#3 Hobbies!!

こんにちは！

与那嶺です。しゅみはおんがくとアニメとスポーツとびじゅつです。

わたしは POP がだいすきです！ Some of my favorite artists are Ed Sheeran, Niall Horan, Billie Eilish and, lately, Justin Bieber! I've been listening a lot to his latest album "SWAG", specially these songs: "DAISIES", "YUKON", "THINGS YOU DO", "BUTTERFLIES", "SPEED DEMON" AND "WITCHYA".

わたしはアニメがすきです！ One of my favorite anime is 鬼滅の刃 (Demon Slayer), and there's a new movie on theaters right now! I'm looking very forward to watching it (I heard very good things about its animation, not to mention the cliffhanger that the last season left all of us watching on).

わたしは野球 (baseball) がだいすきです！ I started playing baseball when I was ななさい and stopped when I was じゅうごさい。I've travelled to 日本のえどがわ to play for the U-12 Brazilian National Team in 2018. I've also been to アメリカの North Carolina and ペルの Lima to play with my Brazilian team.

わたしはびょうが (drawing) がすきです！ I enjoy drawing a lot! It gives me peace and helps me be more centered. The pandemic was the period when I got most engaged in this hobby.

Well, that's it for this week!

Thanks a lot for reading and see you next time! :)

じゃあ、また！

与那嶺。

University of Notre Dame - September 15, 2025.

#2 Me & Anime

(A) Self-introduction in にほんご。

こんにちは！

はじめまして。わたしのなまえは与那嶺です。

じゅうはっさいです。

ノオテルダムのだいがくです。

いちねんせいです。

せんこうはしんりがくです。

しゅっしんはブラジルのサンパウロです。

どうぞよろしくおねがいします。

(B) Pop Culture: アニメ

I like watching anime and I had heard a lot about this one, so I tried watching "Dan Da Dan". Although there are some 'strange'/'funny' scenes and interactions, the overall plot is very interesting: common Japanese people get entangled with some powerful 'yokai' (supernatural beings, spirits and monsters that can range from mischievous to malevolent) and they have to adapt to each other.

This weekend I watched S2:E2-E4 (season 2; episodes 2, 3 and 4). Besides the story, the animation also gets really good in these series of episodes, with a lot of fighting scenes and great use of color too. I really enjoyed my weekend!

While watching the anime, I recognized some of the words and phrases! I would then check in the subtitles if my listening understanding was correct and it was! That's a good way to see progress in the Japanese language, because it's practical and funny! (not a test...)

Also, I delved more deeply into the Japanese cultural tradition of spiritual beings such as 'yokai' and their interaction with the daily life of Japanese people: how they relate physical phenomena to the activity of monsters and bad luck to mischievous spirits.

Well, that's it for this week!

Thanks a lot for reading and see you next time! :)

じゃあ、また！

与那嶺

University of Notre Dame - September 7, 2025.