This came in my mail a few days back.

Lunch with my Japanese sensei(s) (teachers) together with other students and conversing in Japanese! That’s pretty cool. I decided to join in. Calling up my classmates from my Japanese class, the three of us turned up at the lunch.

We met Yoko-sensei (My sensei for Japanese Basic A/101) & Chishiho-sensei (My sensei for Japanese Basic B/102) outside the cafeteria before proceeding in. There were 3 other students from the Intermediate A/Basic 103 class (All males) , and Makoto-kun, who’s our guest.

Sidenote: When we take Japanese language as our enrichment programme, We start from Basic A/103 followed by Basic B, thereafter Intermediate A, B and finally Advanced A, B.

Int A Guys: “あの　先生、 ゲストはどこにですか？”

Chishiho-sensei: ”あら、それわまことーくん。”

Int A Guys: ”女ことじゃない？”

Chishiho-sensei: ”女ことじゃないて。”

Int A Guys: ”ああ。そか、残念ですようね。”
The guys from Int A reckoned that Makoto was a girl till Chishiho-sensei introduced him. We had a good laugh at that.

Makoto-kun is actually (half) Japanese I think. He is in Advanced B. Makoto-kun’s Japanese is rather fluent. He had home-stayed in Osaka, Japan with a family and is still in good contact with them. A Int-A dude asked for Makoto-kun’s email address.
We (They) talked about lots of stuff, from Makoto-kun’s homestay to the number of years our sensei has been in Singapore. Makoto-kun did most of the talking and I listened to their conversation quietly. I was able to understand most of their conversation, despite being in Basic B. It’s probably the watching of J-dramas/Anime and reading of ‘Someday’s Dreamer”. Vocabulary is utmost one of the most essential thing to know in order to converse properly in Japanese I reckon. That would add a lot more flavour in the conversation.

I asked Yoko-sensei about what qualifications are needed when studying in Japan. She replied that if you’re taking a diploma of the same level as you are at now, you will need to study Japanese in Japan for a year. That is what I recall. I will have to check with Chishiho-sensei about this, and ask if she has Makoto-kun’s email address.

We ended the session at about 10 minutes to 2pm and I headed back to my block for my afternoon classes.

A Rube Goldberg machine or device is any exceedingly complex apparatus that performs a very simple task in a very indirect and convoluted way. Rube devised such pataphysical devices. The best examples of his machines have an anticipation factor: the fact that something so wacky is happening can only be topped by it happening in a suspenseful manner. A Rube Goldberg machine usually has at least ten steps. One story about Rube Goldberg holds that, while sleep-walking barefoot in a cactus field, he screamed out an idea about a self-operating napkin.

Source: Wikipedia

Rube Goldberg’s Machines uses complex apparatus to complete a simple task. Many of these machinese have been used in the media and games.

One fine example would be the 1990 film Home Alone and its three sequels include many scenes where the protagonist, Kevin (Macaulay Culkin), employs Goldberg-esque devices to trap and/or slow down the progress of burglars attempting to ransack his home.

Another would be Hapland <Link> , the picture above is a screenshot of Hapland 1. It is a game involving steps to light up the torch. Effect and Consequence as I like to call it.
Rube Goldberg <Link>

Rube Goldberg Machine Contest <Link>

The best of Pitagora Suicchi <Link>

Hapland 2 <Link>

Hapland 3 <Link>