For a week I've been dying to find a good site for listening to Japanese news. I don't know why I suddenly had this kick. I lived in Japan for years and never had I listened to Japanese news. Now, I'm far away, I realize that I missed something in my life.
I found NHK World http://www.nhk.or.jp/rj/podcast/ which broadcasts news in 18 different languages (including Chinese and Persian) but I cannot find the link for the Japanese news. When I go to homepage of NHK, they only news they have are video clips and Japanese lessons. I don't like to watch video clips because the video card of my mini-laptop is not good enough.
And then I found a relatively good site on Japanese Internet Radio http://www.multilingualbooks.com/online-radio-japanese.html#about which has links to NHK in Japane, MBS, and Yomiuri news. But the problem is that it is only updated twice daily. And the clips are mostly less than 10 minutes each.
And finally, I came across Radio Tower http://www.radiotower.com/country-JP.html which virtually transforms your computer into a radio so u can listen to the actual station as if you are in that country.
I still do tune in to JapanesePod101 but recently I've been getting annoyed with their lack of updates and fairly lame topics. For instance, they make uninteresting series about a certain Wasabi Ninja. Plus, I find their upper intermediate lessons to be too easy. I am pleased that I didn't push through my subscription and waste E15/month.
Clearly, ChinesePod is much better when it comes to the frequency of lessons, topics,, stratification of levels ranging from total newbie to 100% Chinese media, and the general method of teaching. In fact, thanks to the great team of Ken Caroll and Jenny Chu, I have successfully progressed from a complete beginner to middle elementary. I took an online Chinese test to gauge my level and I am quite surprised at how much I have learned in a few months for a few minutes a day.
Anyway, maybe it is just a phase and the fact that Dublin's April is so friggin' cold doesn't help either. I have made plans for a weekend trip on countryside of Galway or Sligo but because the weather is still very much unpredictable, with occasional rain and HALE, I figure it is better to forego of that plan until May or June.
Some updates with my life in Ireland this month: Last Thursday I attended Mike Scott's introductory talk to Pairings Applications to Crypto. For someone who is sure to quit her Math career in a few months, I would say that I really enjoyed it and appreciate how amazing Crypto really is. To be honest, how I wish I could still work as a Cryptographer in the future. I truly believe that Pairings will be the main basis of some of our technologies 10 years from now.
For instance, Mike Scott had discussed about the possibilities of cars talking to each other -- don't get this wrong, it's not whimsical talk -- it would be to avoid major accidents like collisions and to ease down traffic congestions and maybe even to save fuel. Can u imagine that a seeminlgy harmless Mathematical idea could solve this problem? Yes it is possible, and that this would be a very cheap technology which can easily be installed by major car manufacturers on their new products. That is why I am working hard right now just to be able to learn as much about Pairings because in the future I won't have access to this education anymore.
Oh well. That is the trade off one choses in his/her life.
Currently listening to: RadioTower.com
Currently feeling: 色々
