So... I have to take a foreign language.

[Nutmeg1621]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I have to take a 101 and 102 lvl foreign language to graduate. My school offers German, Russian, Spanish, French, Chinese, and Latin. The school offers a proficiency certificate if you complete up to 104 and can pass a written and verbal test in Spanish, French, and German. I don't want to take spanish or french (everyone takes spanish and french). I don't really know what I want to take.

I'm interested in Italian but they don't offer it, and I am very interested in Asian culture and language but I am not sure if I want to take Chinese. I know that Latin will help me with medical terminology and it is related to my minor. I read on ratemyprofessor that my school has an excellent German professor, so maybe it might be worth it taking German and possibly getting the certificate of proficiency in German to boost my application. Any advice?

 

[Schaden Freud]

I have to take a 101 and 102 lvl foreign language to graduate. My school offers German, Russian, Spanish, French, Chinese, and Latin. The school offers a proficiency certificate if you complete up to 104 and can pass a written and verbal test in Spanish, French, and German. I don't want to take spanish or french (everyone takes spanish and french). I don't really know what I want to take.

I'm interested in Italian but they don't offer it, and I am very interested in Asian culture and language but I am not sure if I want to take Chinese. I know that Latin will help me with medical terminology and it is related to my minor. I read on ratemyprofessor that my school has an excellent German professor, so maybe it might be worth it taking German and possibly getting the certificate of proficiency in German to boost my application. Any advice?

I've taken French, Spanish, Latin and German and German was by far my favorite. It's an extremely accessible language and follows very logical and intuitive rules. I've also noted that the people taking German tend to be a lot more interesting than those in Spanish classes (most of whom are just taking it as the default easiest option).

 

[LizzyM]

I have to take a 101 and 102 lvl foreign language to graduate. My school offers German, Russian, Spanish, French, Chinese, and Latin. The school offers a proficiency certificate if you complete up to 104 and can pass a written and verbal test in Spanish, French, and German. I don't want to take spanish or french (everyone takes spanish and french). I don't really know what I want to take.

I'm interested in Italian but they don't offer it, and I am very interested in Asian culture and language but I am not sure if I want to take Chinese. I know that Latin will help me with medical terminology and it is related to my minor. I read on ratemyprofessor that my school has an excellent German professor, so maybe it might be worth it taking German and possibly getting the certificate of proficiency in German to boost my application. Any advice?

Maybe Latin will help with Latin terminology but maybe not. e.g. Acetabulum means literally vinegar bowl - what part of the anatomy is it? It is good for vocabulary building and understanding the intricacies of grammar. Plus you get to read cool historic texts in their original language. If that sounds fun, go for it.

100-150 years ago every top American doc did year or two of training in German and/or Austria but that ship has sailed. I doubt that many adcom members would give a boost to an applicant with a certificate of proficiency in German.

Chinese would be a challenge and it is a rather unusual language to study in college. However, you'd be surprised how many applicants have studied Chinese.


So many people take Spanish because there are so many Spanish speaking, non-English speaking people in this hemisphere and in the US. The same might be said for French if you look North (to Francophone Canada) rather than South. Those are languages that some people might use frequently (every day) in the future in communicating with non-English speaking people in North America. The same can't be said for your other options. If you are interested in Italian, then French or Spanish are going to get you pretty close at least in terms of grammar etc.

 

[Nutmeg1621]

Yeah I understand what you are saying. I took basic Spanish in highschool and I just wasn't very interested in it. Plus with so many people taking Spanish it shouldn't be very hard to find a translator. I live in the DC region and there are also a lot of people who speak French. I don't like France (no offense to anyone who is French.)

I did live in Germany for 3 years, though I don't know the language very well. It is interesting to me and I think that with the rave reviews that the professor recieved it might be worth taking German.

My step father took 4 semesters of Latin so he could help me with that. The only reasoning for me taking that is I thought it would help with medical terminology but apparently not.

Chinese is very interesting to me but I fear that it will be hard and drop my GPA.

Ugh. I don't know.

If I did take spanish do you think the proficiency certificate in that would boost my application?


Thanks again.

Edit: I forgot to mention there are a lot of Asian people here too.

 

[MeowMix]

If you're thinking about practicing almost anywhere in the US, Spanish will be useful. Find a translator? Sure, if you're at a big-city clinic or hospital with the facilities and resources (it's expensive!). But in my experience, MDs who don't speak Spanish are at a disadvantage; the doctors I work with really appreciate my ability to translate for them (and I don't even speak that much Spanish). It takes a while to get to a proficiency level where you can really understand what your patients are saying, so it's great that your school is requiring it; don't imagine you'll have the time to pick it up during med school.

In some US communities, Russian, Chinese, and other specific languages are very useful (e.g. French for working with African patients). German will be near-useless (I have never, ever, wished I had German proficiency in a clinical setting). The most universally useful is Spanish. One of our adcom members thinks that within a few years, Spanish will become a de facto requirement for med school applications at many schools. So if you want something to help your application, learn to speak it (skip the literature courses, focus on spoken proficiency).

 

[Anastasis]

I took Greek as an undergrad and you would be surprised how much those dead languages really do help. Most things I can figure out just from the roots.

Spanish may be very common but it's also very useful.

Those are my only observations, sorry I couldn't be of more help.

 

[stiffany]

Hmm...So I think the first question is are you taking these classes just for the requirement or do you also want to get something out of them that's useful later?

If you want to be able to talk to the most people in the world and plan on doing a lot of Asian traveling or living in say Toronto, San Francisco, and other places with Chinese enclaves, take Mandarin (or if you ever find yourself interested in world economies since there's a big boom in the Chinese-US market). That being said, recognize that Mandarin is a very hard language for native English speakers to learn relative to the romance languages thanks to the unfamilar sounds, complicated written characters, etcetera. (Check out http://www.nvtc.gov/lotw/months/november/learningExpectations.html for a ranking of language proficiency difficulty for English speakers learning new languages)

If you want to be able to speak to most of the people in the US or if you're interested in traveling around Central America or South America ever, I'd recommend Spanish. While French is spoken in Quebec, Spanish is much more prevalent in urban (and rural) clinics around the nation whether you encounter Puerto Ricans (common in the NE), Mexicans (South), Salvadorians, or any latin cultural group in between. Plus, Spanish is easier to learn than the other six languages that hit the top six most spoken languages in the world list (aside from English, #2 and Spanish, #4: Chinese #1, Hindi, #3, Arabic, #5, and Russian, #6. For comparison, French comes in at #10 (although that could be useful if you wanted to do Francophone African research/clinic work), German at 12, Italian at 24

 

[r0b0tafflicti0n]

If you're thinking about practicing almost anywhere in the US, Spanish will be useful. Find a translator? Sure, if you're at a big-city clinic or hospital with the facilities and resources (it's expensive!). But in my experience, MDs who don't speak Spanish are at a disadvantage; the doctors I work with really appreciate my ability to translate for them (and I don't even speak that much Spanish). It takes a while to get to a proficiency level where you can really understand what your patients are saying, so it's great that your school is requiring it; don't imagine you'll have the time to pick it up during med school.

In some US communities, Russian, Chinese, and other specific languages are very useful (e.g. French for working with African patients). German will be near-useless (I have never, ever, wished I had German proficiency in a clinical setting). The most universally useful is Spanish. One of our adcom members thinks that within a few years, Spanish will become a de facto requirement for med school applications at many schools. So if you want something to help your application, learn to speak it (skip the literature courses, focus on spoken proficiency).

Agreed. There are some hospitals in Chicago where it's VERY hard to get a residency if you're not biligual (Spanish/English). Polish is helpful here as well.

 

[Nutmeg1621]

Thanks for all of the information. That website is great I was trying to find that information yesterday.

I guess the answer is pretty clear. The language with the biggest advantage is Spanish.

 

[OSUdoc08]

I have to take a 101 and 102 lvl foreign language to graduate. My school offers German, Russian, Spanish, French, Chinese, and Latin. The school offers a proficiency certificate if you complete up to 104 and can pass a written and verbal test in Spanish, French, and German. I don't want to take spanish or french (everyone takes spanish and french). I don't really know what I want to take.

I'm interested in Italian but they don't offer it, and I am very interested in Asian culture and language but I am not sure if I want to take Chinese. I know that Latin will help me with medical terminology and it is related to my minor. I read on ratemyprofessor that my school has an excellent German professor, so maybe it might be worth it taking German and possibly getting the certificate of proficiency in German to boost my application. Any advice?

If you are practicing medicine in the U.S., you need to take Spanish. Do yourself a favor, and take something you will actually use.

 

[Carmenita79]

Yeah I understand what you are saying. I took basic Spanish in highschool and I just wasn't very interested in it. Plus with so many people taking Spanish it shouldn't be very hard to find a translator. I live in the DC region and there are also a lot of people who speak French. I don't like France (no offense to anyone who is French.)

True, but it would make your life easier to be able to communicate yourself.
I already speak Spanish, so if I were in your shoes I'd choose Russian.
Where I live, there are TONS of Non-English Russain speakers and Spanish seakers. I work in a free clinic that is 33% English speakers, 33% Russian, 33% Spanish. Granted, that is probably not the demographic across the country.

 

[NonTradMed]

I took latin in high school and I think it sometimes helps to decipher unfamiliar names because I understand the etymology of the language. However, as others have state, if you wanted to USE the language you will be studying, Spanish is your best bet simply because of the sheer number of people who speaks Spanish as their first language. I took Chinese in college but since I was a native speaker, it was a breeze. For english speakers, it's much harder. I would NOT suggest Chinese unless you have a background in it or are keen on using it later (like going to Asia or practicing in NYC or San Fran).

 

[dnw826]

I'm a snob, I guess. I know French, and some German. Next year I am taking Latin and Greek and I will finish up with more German and French. I love languages. And French and German are very easy to learn, IMHO.

 

[tulane06]

If you are interested in German, take German. Many medical schools offer a course in Medical Spanish, so you can learn what you need to know at that point. Don't put yourself through something that you don't find interesting.

 

[PurpleHaze]

I took four years of Latin. It doesn't help that much with medical terminology. So don't take it, if that's the only reason you might be interested in it.

 

[Ombatay]

I say take spanish, even though the medical school of your choice may have a medical spanish program. Fluency is the key here. I took a base of spanish in high school, but in college "german seemed more interesting to me." Well the only time my german ever comes in handy is when I'm drinking with my friends who also speak broken german. (What can I say, I'm a dork when I'm inebriated as well.) Now I'm wishing I'd brushed up on my spanish in college. Even contemplating that rosetta stone software to burn some time over the summer. Any thoughts on those?

Being very proficient in spanish will not only make you a better doctor, it does have the potential to open doors for you.

 

[LizzyM]

I say take spanish, even though the medical school of your choice may have a medical spanish program. Fluency is the key here. I took a base of spanish in high school, but in college "german seemed more interesting to me." Well the only time my german ever comes in handy is when I'm drinking with my friends who also speak broken german. (What can I say, I'm a dork when I'm inebriated as well.) Now I'm wishing I'd brushed up on my spanish in college. Even contemplating that rosetta stone software to burn some time over the summer. Any thoughts on those?

Being very proficient in spanish will not only make you a better doctor, it does have the potential to open doors for you.

In addition to learning the language (grammar/vocabulary), your goal should be to learn about the culture and customs. Non-verbal cues, etc vary by ethnic group and this is something else that college courses usually teach. (e.g. when joining or leaving a group of friends or associates, is it customary to greet or bid farewell to each one individually?)

 

[MeowMix]

Many medical schools offer a course in Medical Spanish, so you can learn what you need to know at that point. Don't put yourself through something that you don't find interesting.

A course in medical Spanish will enable you to say things like "Hello, how are you? how you feels? you has pain in stomach? more bad? when you start? many pain? you eating drugs?"

That's the kind of Spanish I hear from people after they take a beginner-level course. Would you feel you were being heard, if your doctor spoke to you that way? It's a start, but if you really want to be of service to people, you'll need a lot more than that, including the above-mentioned social niceties and non-verbal cues.

Also, you will have a lot of higher priorities during med school, which count for a lot more on your transcript. Regardless of good intentions, most people do not keep up with their Spanish courses during the school year.

 

[MeowMix]

Even contemplating that rosetta stone software to burn some time over the summer. Any thoughts on those?

For the money and time spent, you would learn way faster and way more by going to Mexico for 2 weeks, getting some lessons at your level (average price about $10/hour), and staying with a host family. In 2-3 weeks, your fluency would be hugely improved and you would learn an immense amount of important cultural stuff.

 

[j-med]

I'm interested in Italian but they don't offer it, and I am very interested in Asian culture and language but I am not sure if I want to take Chinese. Any advice?

what are your thoughts on chinese? pros/cons?
if you're interested in Asian culture, that language may be a very good place to start, plus with its development now, it may really come in handy later

 

[Wookey]

I have to take a 101 and 102 lvl foreign language to graduate. My school offers German, Russian, Spanish, French, Chinese, and Latin. The school offers a proficiency certificate if you complete up to 104 and can pass a written and verbal test in Spanish, French, and German. I don't want to take spanish or french (everyone takes spanish and french). I don't really know what I want to take.

I'm interested in Italian but they don't offer it, and I am very interested in Asian culture and language but I am not sure if I want to take Chinese. I know that Latin will help me with medical terminology and it is related to my minor. I read on ratemyprofessor that my school has an excellent German professor, so maybe it might be worth it taking German and possibly getting the certificate of proficiency in German to boost my application. Any advice?

Spanish will be indispensible in your career and will also look great on your app for med school and residency.

 

[Messerschmitts]

Hey everyone. I'm a native speaker of Mandarin, and I have to warn you that while learning it will be exceptionally rewarding, it will be exceptionally difficult. Everything you've learned about how hard it is to learn Mandarin for native English speakers is true. You almost have to un-learn all the things you've taken for granted on how languages operate. Mandarin should be attempted by people who are very interested in Chinese culture/language, and look forward to a linguistic challenge.

I minored in German in college, because I wanted to be cool and different. I can tell you that it's been completely useless since I graduated from college. Other than showing off my German to tourists I run into, there has never been a situation where I "had" to use my German (Germans you meet in America mostly speak at least passable English). However, I don't regret it at all. I absolutely loved learning German, it's just a fun language. Right now I'm learning Spanish on my own, just because I figure I kind of have to, for my medical career (especially in California). Everyone says Spanish is one of the easiest foreign languages to learn for an English speaker. I disagree. I found German to be more logical, easier, and simply more fun to learn than Spanish. I am not enjoying Spanish very much. I plan to learn just enough Spanish to squeak by with my patients, then go back to reading Goethe. 😉

However, I cannot in good conscience tell you to learn German instead of Spanish. That was my personal choice. Any sane pre-med would take Spanish. It's the "right" thing to do. The question you have to ask yourself is, do you like doing the "right" thing? 😛

 

[MossPoh]

I'm a double major..one of them being German literature. I've taken French, Spanish, and a bit of Russian outside of that. If you look at the ratings German is a bit longer for an english speaker to become "proficient" at than french or spanish. (Spanish and Dutch of all languages are the easiest for native english speakers to learn on average) I really did like French....after doing German and Russian it was like a piece of cake for that first semester.....While German DOES have rules to follow by..once you get down into there are about 20 rules or situations that negate that suppossed rule. Then there is that extra gender along with a case system (although the case system isn't nearly as bad as Russian which is 6 cases I think, or even more extreme Estonian(14), or I think Norwegian or Swedish or something has like 16....) That being said..if you have a good professor for any language it can make all the difference. I started out just doing this as a requirement and now I am in frickin Berlin at Humboldt Universitaet zu Berlin in literature science courses....I don't regret taking German but I'd say the access to it in the US is a bit more limited than french or spanish. Also, it is frustrating because unless you are in East Germany pretty much every person our age has already had 6+ years of English. I have to keep talking in German till they give up with the English. Heh...if you have any questions about German I can defintley help you out...I am hungover on a few too many german beers right now..hence the reason my post is all over the place and doesn't make much sense.

ps...Messer...Haven't you had enough Goethe in undergrad? lol I can't escape that guy.

 

[Messerschmitts]

ps...Messer...Haven't you had enough Goethe in undergrad? lol I can't escape that guy.

Man kann nie genug Goethe lesen! Ha ha, es war nur ein Witz. Ich könnte auch vielleicht Heine oder Lessing benutzen, aber sie sind nicht so berühmt wie Goethe. Ich brauchte nur einen stereotypischen deutschen Autor.

On the topic of German's difficulty vis a vis Spanish, now that I've thought about it, I think you're right, German grammar is objectively more complicated/complex than Spanish. But I think the pragmatics and general 'internal logic' of German is easier than Spanish for English speakers. For example, I found the Spanish way of omitting pronouns (because the verb already makes it clear who's speaking) to be utterly bizarre and difficult to swallow for a long time.

 

[biggoron42]

However, I cannot in good conscience tell you to learn German instead of Spanish. That was my personal choice. Any sane pre-med would take Spanish. It's the "right" thing to do. The question you have to ask yourself is, do you like doing the "right" thing? 😛

hahaha i love it. this is the exact same reason i took 2 years of german even though i have no german blood and know it wont be of any use (would have done russian, but learning new alphabets is a turnoff for me). but i really enjoy the culture now, and i think im a better person because of it.

 

[bubbleyum]

this shoul've been a poll, lol.

i vote for spanish!
i am korean, but i must look hispanic or something, because so far i have been asked 6 times if i can translate for spanish at the er i volunteer in on saturdays.
"you, can you come over here and translate for this spanish patient??!!" hah.

 

[Angelyka]

I was also wondering about this. My university requires 3 semesters in a foriegn language. I chose spanish and I have already take 2 classes. I am going to take the third in the fall. I want to become proficient enough in it to be able to communicate with patients. How many courses after the 3rd one should I take? Should I minor in it? 😕

 

[LizzyM]

I was also wondering about this. My university requires 3 semesters in a foriegn language. I chose spanish and I have already take 2 classes. I am going to take the third in the fall. I want to become proficient enough in it to be able to communicate with patients. How many courses after the 3rd one should I take? Should I minor in it? 😕

It depends on the courses required for a minor. If the focus is on reading literature or writing and grammar, you won't gain fluency.

If at all possible, go somewhere in the Spanish speaking world where you are very unlikely to meet English speaking people. Immerse yourself in daily life, do a volunteer thing or just travel around with local transportation (buses). If you have a Spanish language TV station at home, get hooked on a telenovela (Spanish language soap opera) to help develop your ear. If there is a free clinic that serves a Spanish speaking population, do a stint there as a volunteer and specifically try to help Spanish speaking people even if in the beginning it is mostly gestures as you direct them to the restroom, etc.

 

[Anastasis]

It depends on the courses required for a minor. If the focus is on reading literature or writing and grammar, you won't gain fluency.

If at all possible, go somewhere in the Spanish speaking world where you are very unlikely to meet English speaking people. Immerse yourself in daily life, do a volunteer thing or just travel around with local transportation (buses). If you have a Spanish language TV station at home, get hooked on a telenovela (Spanish language soap opera) to help develop your ear. If there is a free clinic that serves a Spanish speaking population, do a stint there as a volunteer and specifically try to help Spanish speaking people even if in the beginning it is mostly gestures as you direct them to the restroom, etc.

This is just about the best advice ever. I haven't taken any Spanish on the collegiate level but the Spanish I have learned from the clinic at least gets my point accross (even if the grammar/pronunciation isn't the greatest sometimes)

 

[OSUdoc08]

I was also wondering about this. My university requires 3 semesters in a foriegn language. I chose spanish and I have already take 2 classes. I am going to take the third in the fall. I want to become proficient enough in it to be able to communicate with patients. How many courses after the 3rd one should I take? Should I minor in it? 😕

I would encourage this. I wish I had.

 

[j-med]

i am korean, but i must look hispanic or something.

that's pretty odd for them to think that. are you mixed heritage or something?

 

[bubbleyum]

that's pretty odd for them to think that. are you mixed heritage or something?

no, i'm 100% korean. wierd huh? i've actually been called "mexican" a couple of times running in the park too (by homeless men hanging out on the benches, lol.) i asked the data processing guy at the hospital after like the 5th time i was asked to translate spanish, "do i look hispanic or something?" and he replied "yeah, sometimes... maybe something about your eyes." 😕 my brother is told he does not look korean either. but he gets a lot of "you look japanese." (now all the non-asian people who think all japanese/chinese/korean people look alike will be like, huh what's the difference? www.alllooksame.com) funny.

ahhhh. it's late and i am typing random gibberishness...

 

[Dave_D]

For example, I found the Spanish way of omitting pronouns (because the verb already makes it clear who's speaking) to be utterly bizarre and difficult to swallow for a long time.

Actually they do that in Italian as well.(At least that's what the book said in an Italian class I took.)

 

[red dot]

I have to take a 101 and 102 lvl foreign language to graduate. My school offers German, Russian, Spanish, French, Chinese, and Latin. The school offers a proficiency certificate if you complete up to 104 and can pass a written and verbal test in Spanish, French, and German. I don't want to take spanish or french (everyone takes spanish and french). I don't really know what I want to take.

I'm interested in Italian but they don't offer it, and I am very interested in Asian culture and language but I am not sure if I want to take Chinese. I know that Latin will help me with medical terminology and it is related to my minor. I read on ratemyprofessor that my school has an excellent German professor, so maybe it might be worth it taking German and possibly getting the certificate of proficiency in German to boost my application. Any advice?

i think italian is sexxxy. go with that. spanish is most useful though. chinese can be difficult in that it is in no way related to any of the other languages you've listed which are derived from latin/greek. you'll have to learn how to speak with a different grammar system in your head as well as learn to read and write without any cognates to help you out. 😉

 

[red dot]

(now all the non-asian people who think all japanese/chinese/korean people look alike will be like, huh what's the difference? www.alllooksame.com)

i took that quiz a few years ago and soooo failed it.

 

[j-med]

i took that quiz a few years ago and soooo failed it.

haha.. i just totally failed it...

Score: "5 out of 18."
Reported comment: "Hopeless"

 

[Nutmeg1621]

haha.. i just totally failed it...

Score: "5 out of 18."
Reported comment: "Hopeless"

I got the same score. Someone explain the differences since the test didn't.

That was fun.

 

[MossPoh]

Man kann nie genug Goethe lesen! Ha ha, es war nur ein Witz. Ich könnte auch vielleicht Heine oder Lessing benutzen, aber sie sind nicht so berühmt wie Goethe. Ich brauchte nur einen stereotypischen deutschen Autor.

On the topic of German's difficulty vis a vis Spanish, now that I've thought about it, I think you're right, German grammar is objectively more complicated/complex than Spanish. But I think the pragmatics and general 'internal logic' of German is easier than Spanish for English speakers. For example, I found the Spanish way of omitting pronouns (because the verb already makes it clear who's speaking) to be utterly bizarre and difficult to swallow for a long time.

Yea.. I mean every language is different for every person. Realistically whatever language you take now will probably be forgetten by the time you get to use it consistently. While spanish would be the wise choice..after 4 or so years of rarely if ever using it you are only slightly ahead of step 1 again...I can say that because I have had friends that have not spoken their MOTHER tounge for a year or two and already forget mass amounts of words for a bit....that and my french is completley gone after about 6 months since I got caught up in other stuff. I can still read it alright but that is about as far as it goes. ...Side note to messerschmitt..read any more modern stuff? I read another one of Böll's books which was pretty good for a class book but I defintley recommend something fun like Herr Lehmann or any book by Wladimir Kaminer...highly recommend them. Nice easy FUN german reads....It is nice to not have a dictionary out sometimes..or good ol dict.leo.org

 

[Anastasis]

8/18 better than average.

 

[novawildcat]

Asian languages in general are very difficult to learn. The way that you say things determine the meaning of what you are talking about.


I was required to take 2 full years of a foreign language in college. I took spanish. Learned zilch. It really is pointless to start learning an entirely new language in college. You can't even learn a new language by only going to class 3 times a week for 50 minutes. You really just have to live in a country that speaks that language you are studying or only speak and hear that new language 24/7. It is much much easier to learn languages as a small child. They really should be teaching different language to our kids in preschool and gradeschools.

 

[biggoron42]

Wladimir Kaminer...highly recommend them. Nice easy FUN german reads....It is nice to not have a dictionary out sometimes..or good ol dict.leo.org

yep, we've read some of Kaminer's stories in class. pretty good and easy to understand as well.

and you make a really good point about forgetting languages after four years. it is especially true if you are only doing a couple of intro classes and not doing study abroad or summer immersion programs that really hit the language home.

 

[bubbleyum]

I got the same score. Someone explain the differences since the test didn't.

That was fun.

don't feel bad, ppl! i am korean and when i first took it (over 5 years ago), i got "might as well toss a coin" har har har.

the problem is that most of the volunteers who got their pictures taken for the game were fellow designer friends, with their artsy fashion and dyed haircuts etc. so i got thrown a little, cause sometimes that type of stuff just makes people think you look japanese.