Dorm Initiation

Sorry for being so out of it; we had our first set of classes this week. But more on that another time.

"My, Alexandra, what an interesting outfit. Did your luggage get lost on the plane and you had to borrow this from the first high schooler you saw?" No, not quite. It is part of group bonding.

Allow me to introduce you to some basic Japanese facts. First, Japanese is its own, distinct, language. The written form was taken from the Chinese character system in about 600 BC, but the spoken language is from Japan. 100%. Or, nowadays, 60%. 50%? Why are we unsure? Well, Japanese has been watered down over the past century by English, Portuguese, German, Russian, and other languages. They have borrowed words for new ideas or tools like "compu-ta-" or "di-bui-di" and "sandaru" (those would be computer, DVD, and sandal). Word like this can be helpful to denote that something comes from abroad or is relatively new. But some words just creep into Japanese and replace the Japanese words almost entirely. Take bo-ru (bowl), for example. The ancient Japanese had bowls, and we know that they had words for the different types of bowls. But suddenly, the word of choice for modern speakers is a Japanization of a foreign word. Why? It sounds cool, foreigners understand what you mean, and ... uh.... that's it.

But as we all know, words hold special meaning, so some can't just be thrown around willy-nilly! Which brings us to today's discussion: initiation. According to an online dictionary site that I chose because of the cool-looking phonetics: (-nsh-shn) n.

1. a. The act or an instance of initiating.

b. The process of being initiated.

c. The condition of being initiated.

2. A ceremony, ritual, test, or period of instruction with which a new member is admitted to an organization or office or to knowledge.

3. The condition of being knowledgeable.

Thank you, internet source. Now didn't that sound nifty! Well, my dorm actually has such an initiation for all newly added members in the spring and fall terms. It involves spending a week dressed as the dorm theme (which is chosen by the members) and to then give a dance presentation at the end of the week on bakayama (lit. "stupid mountain" the nickname for the little hills that occupy the main campus green). To be honest, the Japanese made a slight naming mistake for this "ceremony, ritual, test, or period." Because when they say "initiation" what they really mean is "group embarrassment that might somehow unite the harassed individuals into friendship and unity." Also, instead of using a Japanese word that means "initiation", the Japanese prefer to just spell it out: inishiaishon. Add that to your next Mad-Gab game.
Our dorm theme: Japanese "gals", school girls, and geeks. Make it end now....