Know your Temps: Densetsu

[PolloDiablo]

seiken densetsu or zelda no densetsu?

 

[Densetsu]

Boobs man or ass man?
I have neither boobs nor an ass. I'm a man, man! What you said is an oxymoron.

The game you've spent the most time playing is?
The most time? Recently it would be Blood of Bahamut only because I'm helping to translate it. But in terms of games that I play just to play, probably Skyrim. I love that game, but it's a real time-drainer D: The first time I played it, I spent 2 hours (real-life hours, not game hours) chopping wood in the town of Riverwood just to earn some gold. After a while I was like "What the fuck am I doing!? "

What is the most inspirational song you ever heard?
I don't know...I've never felt spiritually, psychologically or mentally uplifted by any song before. Though some songs have struck a chord in me because I could understand and empathize with what was being said in the lyrics. I prefer instrumentals because they're less distracting when you're trying to think.

Any quirks that you don't like about yourself?
I check, double-check, triple-check and sometimes quadruple-check everything I do before I consider the task done to a satisfactory level. I'm paranoid that I'll get something wrong. Maybe it's a slight form of OCD, but it's not so bad that it interferes with my daily life. If anything it just slows me down a bit. But I think for the career I'm going into, you kind of have to be that way so I guess it works out.

What is your greatest regret?
It's hard to say. I do have some deep regrets, but I'm quite happy with the way my life has turned out so far. For example, I regret not dating that hot Vietnamese girl in high school, but if I did, I don't know if I would have met that other girl who eventually became my awesome fiancee. The mistakes I've made have built me into the person I am today. I just learn from them and try not to dwell on what's been done if it can't be changed. Regret (or dwelling on your regrets) makes you bitter. And nobody likes a bitter ninja.

What fascinates you the most?
Probably the biochemistry behind life. Did you know that there's a university course that spends an entire semester covering everything that happens in just the first few minutes that the egg is fertilized by the sperm?

Spoiler: Mind = Blown

=

What do you do for a living?
I don't make enough money to consider what I do "a living." I'm a poor student living off loans and I'm USD $140,000 in debt (so far). I work in the admissions office of my school (5-8 hours a week), processing applications for incoming medical students. The pay is alright--it's enough to cover bills. Ninjas have to pay bills too. When they don't, they're just douchebags who are abusing their ninja powers.

Are you good at what you do?
You mean studying? I'm alright. Some people might see me as really smart, but I see myself as hard-working and efficient. If I were to go by what my grades say, I'm pretty average when it comes to studying and taking tests. But when you're in a class of 140 students and EVERYONE is scoring in the 90-percent range on every exam, it's easy to be average or below average in a class like that.

Your desired career?
Ninja Doctor. Probably internal medicine or family practice.

Favorite sport?
To watch, or to play? I don't watch sports too often, but I love to play basketball and American football. I'd like to get into rugby, but I don't know enough people around here who play it. I recently got into golf. It's surprisingly a really fun game once you learn how to drive the ball. I don't know if you could consider golf a "sport," though. I mean, would you consider a golfer an "athlete?"

A movie you'll never forget?
There are a lot of movies I'll never forget. Off the top of my head I can think of The Green Mile. It left out some key parts from the book, though.

If humans could develop 'powers', how would they go about doing so?
Science.

Do you think if we truly believed in magic, we would be able to harness it?
See my answer to the question above.

What do you hold dearest to you?
My family.

What do you think will happen to us when we die?
We return to the Lifestream.

Do you believe time bears it all away; the hatred, the sorrow, the regret?
Definitely.

What makes you happy?
Sitting in front of the TV with my fiancee eating homemade blueberry muffins right out of the oven with her. Ninja blueberry muffins.

What is your dream?
Just to finish school, get a job, start a family, raise good kids and have a happy home. I'll have to leave the ninja lifestyle behind me at some point if I want to settle down. Or, I could be like Dr. McNinja. It's like having cake...and eating it, too!

What do you think is your reason for living?
If I were a cold, calculating machine, I'd say it's simply to disperse my genetic material as far and wide as possible, and nothing more. Well, I guess ninjas ARE cold and calculating

Your philosophy on life?
This is my philosophy. It's also the secret to life. But you must be a ninja to understand it.

How many of my questions have already been asked?
Don't know. I lost count at about 150.

Do you think i should read this entire thread?
If you want to.

Do you feel contented with my questions?
Yeah.

What do you want from me?!?
I want the theory of everything that unites classical physics and quantum physics into a single mathematical formula. And the patent for the process of achieving cold fusion. Give them to me, NAO!!!

If you could time travel with your nonphysical consciousness only, to other people's minds... which three people would you go to visit for 24-hour periods of time?
(Rules: You can only talk to them but you cannot control their bodies -- They will hear you as if it is their own voice in their head. Otherwise you are only an observer.)

Spoiler: Long Answer

Oh man, I could have so much fun with this one. I don't even know where I would begin. For starters I could change the world by making a few subconscious suggestions to key people in this article. Namely, Gavrilo Princip in 1914, and the admissions chair of the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna in 1905.

For Princip, I'd put it into his mind that "I can get a sandwich later. Right now I'm too pissed off to eat."

For the admissions chair at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna looking over applications, I'd whisper "Hey, this Adolph guy's drawings aren't bad. Not bad at all!"

I would also love to spend 24 hours in the mind of Leonardo da Vinci and study his thought processes. I would have "influenced" his drawings and writings to be more accurate predictions of the technology we have today, just to freak people the hell out in the present. I also would like to know if any of that da Vinci secret stuff was real, or just overblown speculation.

Really, I can only pick three people? Y u so mean D:

seiken densetsu or zelda no densetsu?
I totally forgot to mention Zelda no Densetsu in the story behind my username. Come to think of it, Densetsu was one of the first Japanese words I ever learned. But to answer your question, both "Densetsus" hold a special place in my heart. I can't pick between one or the other.

 

[Flame]

who do you need to ask to change your username.

 

[Vulpes Abnocto]

who do you need to ask to change your username.

Any Supervisor, such as [member='Toni Plutonij'], [member='Dice'], [member='mthrnite'], or [member='tj_cool'].

 

[exangel]

Really, I can only pick three people? Y u so mean D:

Let's say Ninjas have a certain affinity for mental time travel.
Which seven people? (Any more than that and your living brains would explooooode. So you could do an 8th but you'd die )

Spoiler: Original question

If you could time travel with your nonphysical consciousness only, to other people's minds... which three people would you go to visit for 24-hour periods of time?
(Rules: You can only talk to them but you cannot control their bodies -- They will hear you as if it is their own voice in their head. Otherwise you are only an observer.)

 

[Densetsu]

Really, I can only pick three people? Y u so mean D:

Let's say Ninjas have a certain affinity for mental time travel.
Which seven people? (Any more than that and your living brains would explooooode. So you could do an 8th but you'd die )

Spoiler: Original question

If you could time travel with your nonphysical consciousness only, to other people's minds... which three people would you go to visit for 24-hour periods of time?
(Rules: You can only talk to them but you cannot control their bodies -- They will hear you as if it is their own voice in their head. Otherwise you are only an observer.)

So in addition to the three I already mentioned:

4. First, I'd spend a day in Bill Gates' mind gleaning whatever ideas and thoughts I can.
5. Then I'd go back to a time when Steve Jobs was still alive, spend a day in his mind and do the same thing.
6. Finally, I'd go back to Hawaii in 1974, and put those ideas into my dad's head
7. Costello, so I can know everything he knows, change all his passwords and become the king god of GBAtemp

Spoiler

[titleensetsu, on 13 February 2012 - 03:21 PM, said:]Scratch Costello, I'd project my consciousness into Toni Plutonij, and somehow try to persuade him to post a video of him "riding the bull." If I'm already the richest person in the world after #4, #5 and #6, all I'd want after that is to enjoy life's simple pleasures

8. (Yes, I know, I'd die, but...) I'd wait until I was already old and on my deathbed, then travel into the mind of whoever the US President will be at the time. I'd die knowing all of the United States' most sensitive, classified secrets. Yeah, go out like a ninja

 

[Black-Ice]

Identity Fraud: Densetsu
Downloading text...

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

QUICK ONE BEFORE THIS GETS CLOSED.

What do you think is the easiest way to start learning Japanese? I have been interested in doing so but have no idea where to start. A friend of mine offered to give me his Rosetta Stone Japanese set but I'm not sure how well that'd work...anything you recommend?

 

[Hyro-Sama]

How did you learn Japanese?
Where did you train to become a Ninja?
Can you train me?

 

[Densetsu]

Identity Fraud: Densetsu
Downloading text...

Spoiler

[titleensetsu says:]

QUICK ONE BEFORE THIS GETS CLOSED.
OH NOEZ! Ok

What do you think is the easiest way to start learning Japanese? I have been interested in doing so but have no idea where to start. A friend of mine offered to give me his Rosetta Stone Japanese set but I'm not sure how well that'd work...anything you recommend?

Spoiler: Long Answer

It really depends on your learning style, and what you're comfortable with. If you don't know what methods you're comfortable with, the safest recommendation I can make is to start with a basic Japanese textbook and just do some good old-fashioned book learnin'. The three textbooks I consistently hear about that are being used in universities are the Genki series, the Minna no Nihongo series, and the Nakama series. For independent learning I hear the Japanese for Busy People series is pretty good. I can only speak for Genki and Minna no Nihongo because those are the two I've used. Genki is better for younger students (high school through college), and Minna no Nihongo is more useful if you're living in Japan. I have the Japanese for Busy People books (given to me by a friend who didn't need them anymore), but by the time I acquired them I had no need for them. Flipping through them I can say they're comparable in content to the ones I have used.

Of course, the method you choose is also highly dependent on your goals. Do you just want to be able to read manga, play games and watch anime in Japanese? If that's the case, add Japanese the Manga Way to your repertoire after you've gone through the basics. I have this book and I can't recommend it enough, especially for people who are into manga. The manga themselves aren't from very popular sources; for copyright reasons, you're not going to find the usual Shōnen Jump manga, etc. in the book, but the grammar you learn from the book is immediately applicable to whatever manga you do like to read. Once you feel you're brave enough to try real manga, let me know. I have a great method for practicing that I can show you. As far as I know, very few people have caught on to this method, but it's freakin' awesome.

If you want to learn how to speak, Pimsleur is a bare-bones, no-bullshit way to learn by audio. You can throw them onto your MP3 player and listen to them all day.

All of these resources can be ninja'd, if you know what I mean

The last thing I can recommend is to create an account on The Japanese Page and become an active member there. Great community, with lots of members who have infinitely more knowledge than myself.

But yeah, give the Rosetta Stone a try and see if that works for you. You'll have to experiment with different things until you figure out what works.

I probably should be writing all of this in The Nihongo FAQ

How did you learn Japanese?

Spoiler: My Japanese Background

(Quoted from The Nihongo FAQ)

I started out just like any aspiring Japanese language learner might--I was exposed to anime, manga and Japanese food by friends throughout my adolescent and teen years. I didn't actually start learning Japanese until I started university, however. I studied it for 4 years, and graduated with a minor in the Japanese language. I would have majored in it, but at the time my university's Japanese Language Department was nowhere near as large as it is now and they didn't offer a major in Japanese until recently. After graduating from university, I moved to Japan where I lived and worked for 3 years on the JET Programme.

I lived in a really small town out in the Japanese countryside, and it was not foreigner-friendly. I say that in the sense that it wasn't geared towards tourism and foreigners, so everything was in Japanese and there was no English to be found. The people were extremely friendly to me, but they spoke absolutely no English. All the restaurants in my town were little mom-and-pop businesses with handwritten menus in kanji and no pictures. My job required me to interact with coworkers in Japanese, talk on the phone in Japanese, read memos in Japanese, etc. I soon realized that if I didn't learn to read, and do it quickly, I wouldn't last in this little town. Sure, I had a minor in Japanese, but prior to graduating from university I had no intentions of ever living in Japan so I never took my studies as seriously as I should have. So I basically had to learn everything over again (and even unlearn a lot things since spoken Japanese is nothing like textbook Japanese).

The only English exposure I had in this kind of environment was when I went home and surfed the Internet. I listened to the radio in Japanese, I watched Japanese TV, and made Japanese friends. I also made friends with non-Japanese people from other countries (Taiwan, Italy, Brazil, etc.), and our only common language was Japanese. Needless to say, I learned Japanese very fast in this environment. I kind of had to--it was sink or swim. In fact, I learned more Japanese in my first 3 months in Japan than I did in 4 years of undergraduate study.

Within a year I started translating correspondence for the board of education where I was employed, and within two years I was doing translation projects for the municipal city hall (local government translations). I also picked up Japanese calligraphy and started writing haiku in Japanese.

I'm not a "professional" translator, but I was involved in a lot of professional translations when I lived there. The only Japanese certification I have is that I've passed Level 1 (now called N1) of the JLPT.

Although I don't live in Japan anymore, I do a number of things to keep up my Japanese. I write a Japanese blog on mixi (sorry, it requires a Japanese cell phone to register). I keep in touch with Japanese friends via e-mail. I read manga only in the original Japanese. I read novels in Japanese as well. I watch Japanese clips on YouTube and stream Japanese radio. I play Japanese games on the DS and on the PS3 (I created a Japanese PSN account to download Japanese demos). Currently I'm a medical student and I am a volunteer medical translator/interpreter at the hospital. So lately (for the past year) I have been focusing my Japanese study efforts on learning clinical jargon.

That all said, I still have a hard time calling myself "fluent" in Japanese even though I can certainly get by, and even thrive in Japan with my language ability. I'm sure there are 'Tempers around here who are much more proficient than I am. In total, I have been learning Japanese for 13 years, and I continue to study it.

Where did you train to become a Ninja?
In the hidden misty mountain village of Kamiishizu.

Can you train me?
I currently have an apprentice, and I can only take on one apprentice at a time. See my answer to Gundam Eclipse's question.

 

[SinHarvest24]

What do you think you're best known for in the minds of others?

 

[Densetsu]

What do you think you're best known for in the minds of others?

Spoiler: Long Answer

In real life, or here on the 'Temp? If on the 'Temp, I guess I'm best known for...being a ninja? I don't know, some people here probably have a much worse opinion of me. Comes with the moderating position, I guess.

If you're talking about real life, I think people know me for being precise and meticulous with everything I do.

 

[Vulpes Abnocto]

Densetsu, it's been great getting to know you better. Thank you for answering our questions. (even the redundant ones)

Now lets take a glance at our next participant, Shinigami357!