Today’s FIFA World Cup post, in friendship with Multicultural Kids Blogs, is brought to you by the letter “L”, for language.

 

Language, my friends, bridges gaps, repairs seams, & cheers on friends as they make their mark on the world.

Language colors the words to a song. Your language tells where you were born, tells people to stop and go.

Your language is the music box to your soul. (I swear, I really AM this cheesy. I could write for Hallmark with my eyes closed). It’s what Queen Ursula was after. In it are all the nuances that make you YOU. Dialect, accent, tone. The history of 1st words you ever learned.

Today I sat observing a Japanese class at a nearby language school in Tokyo. (I’ll be starting there soon, so language and my desperate need is showing up in what I’m writing, of late). I was taken aback when the sensei led me in; what a raucous party. It was part MTV Spring Break and part United Nations. They were making jokes with the teacher, answering questions, practicing one-on-one, but with loud laughter running all over the walls. Fun, fine. Normal. Until I realized, rather learned, that not one of them speaks English. They are from Uzbekistan, Kazakstan, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Mexico, …it is their new language, this Japanese, that is the only option, and also the route to knowing these warm people, these new friends.

It hit me–learning this language is for a broader picture. It is deciding to go “all in” within your community, to lay down roots and not just flail. Not stay suspended in our own abilities and our own bubble. We need community. We need to grow our voice. Sometimes that looks like cheering.

So, dear ones. In honor of Language, in honor of Japan playing Greece, Thursday 7 pm, here is a little Japanese primer.

Pronunciation cheat sheet:

*When you see an “i”, pronounce it with a Spanish “i”, or “ee”.

* When you see an “e”, pronounce it like “cafe”. (So “sake”, the alcohol, is pronounced “sakai”, like “cafe”.

 

Of course, the above sign says, “GO!”, but it is so common to hear this word:

GANBATTE! がんばって–Translated, “Do your best! Go for it!” (And a whole host of like directives)

You see this with GANBATTE KUDASAI! , the addition of “please”, for a more polite feel.

So someone will encourage another with a hearty, “ganbatte kudasai!” and the recipient will reply, “Gambattemasu!” (I will do my best!)

Or if it is a team effort, everyone will chant, “GANBATTEMASHOU!” (like “ganbahteemashow“. We will do it!!!)

For “Don’t give up,” try, “AKIRAMENAIDE.”

OMEDETOU! おめでとうございます。–Translates to, “Congratulations!”

To be more polite, you’d add, “Gozaimasu” for “Omedetou gozaimasu!”

Maybe you already know “KONICHIWA”? Good afternoon, but also spoken at the first time you see someone that day.

 

Phrases and Idioms:

“What a small world!”, like if your friend knows someone you know, say, “SEKAI WA SEMAI”, literally “The world is narrow”.

“Let’s watch the soccer game tonight!” translates to, “Kon’ya wa terebi de sakka (socccer) minyo yo.”

 

Here is a pretty goofy/cute video with more Japanese sports vocabulary. Only the names of sports, actually.

Here is a fantastic primer of Japan National facts in the form of a fun video! You’ll learn some facts & hear Japanese language.

 

Also, a word to the wise, keep your eyes on Keisuke Honda. The whole world is watching #4.

In other recent developments, my daughter has now relinquished her Samurai Blue shirt. “Not girly enough”, she surmised.

I’ll try a little cutting and tailoring to perhaps better fit her temperment. Maybe I’ll have that ready by the next World Cup. In lieu of the shirt, I guess we’ll know her or her team by her voice, by her sweet & strong cheer.

All best,

Melissa

 

My family’s World Cup Experience, scribed for Multicultural Kids’ Blogs! 

Starting Thursday, thirty-two nations will come together for FIFA World Cup 2014, in hot hot Brazil. 

It is a chance, of course, to see favorite players, the world’s best. Soccer is definitely our family’s cup of mate. My husband is a soccer player, so what if he’s unofficially retired at 35? Soccer love is eternal. He will forever be the handsome soccer player I snagged, the guy with the great quads. (Being that I’m American, I call it soccer, not futball). 

Now that we have little ones, now that we live in Tokyo, now that we all naturally want to root for our countries, for our heritage, the FIFA World Cup holds such meaning and great opportunity for teaching. 

 

This tee-pee works as our family’s net. Let’s hope Elmo is a solid keeper. 

Just two days ago, our daughter, Kariin, sidled up to her papa, just as he settled into his swiveling office chair. It was the final sendoff match for US against Nigeria. She saw our American flag, saw Nigeria’s waving, and then the songs started. “What are those songs?” 

Aha! What a teaching moment and the games haven’t even started! My guy told her about national anthems and how each country has one. The players and fans all sing it. He promised to teach her ours. “Am I a little bit American?” She sometimes thinks she’s just a bit, or maybe not reeeeally American, since we live here in Tokyo. Since she is also Japanese and speaks the language. 

 

What an opportunity for her to learn her song, to step into her nationality. She can cheer for each team, each of her countries, can sing each song boldly, with the loud spunk of all her three and a half years. I ran off to fetch her double passports and show her, prove to her that the eagle, stars, and stripes, along with all the writing, validate her Americanism. We look at both passports and within a minute, she is remembering, grinning, “I am both!” 

Now, for the Anthems. This is a nice little grouping of national anthems, featuring You Tube clips and musical assessments from singers and songwriters in the biz. The writer of this article and compilation assesses that throughout the course of The FIFA World Cup, “Thirty-two national anthems played a total of 128 times over the course of the tournament”…comes out to be roughly three hours and twenty minutes of anthem-singing. Holy Moly Anthemoly. What a chance to teach our kiddos their anthem, or anthems, depending on how many countries and nations they represent! That’s how I felt, anyway, before actually showing my daughter a couple of patriotic songs. She thought it was boring and wondered if we might watch a Frozen song instead.

Back to my enthusiastic, teacher-tirade: A country’s melody and lyrics can say a lot, as well as spur on our players. It is about feeling part of your heritage, feeling the right to hold your head up and sing. Of course, nothing is stopping any of us from learning the other teams’ national anthems. Heck, all those hours of anthems may put dozens of them in our heads, all at once. We’ll be sining “God Save the Queen to the tune of Nigeria’s anthem, whistling Ireland’s tune during the coin toss, and then ending with …”and the hooooome of the brave.”

Let’s not go nuts.

If you and your fam are interested in something modern, something with a beat, look no further. Here are some pretty serious videos all vying to be your favorite FIFA World Cup Anthem” for 2014.

There is the Pepsi-made song, something from Samsung, & those yoghurt people at Activia, to name a few.

Coca-Cola did something pretty darn awesome, taking one song, The World is Ours, & bringing it to local artists to contribute their local sound to weave more than thirty versions into the whole.

Presenting, Ole Ola, the “official FIFA party song”! The samba dancers are of course, racy, just a heads-up, parents. I thought my girl would be totally blown away. Nope. “Boring”, she sighed. “When is Frozen coming on?”

I’m looking forward to seeing my daughter step into greater clarity and pride as she cheers on two nations, as she cheers on a world coming together to play a game. I’ll tell her Queen Elsa is due to make an appearance at half-time. 

Peace Out Soccer Fans,

Melibelle