thedrifter
08-10-08, 06:25 AM
Pacific Spotlight: Sgt. Gabriel Nunez
Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Monday, August 11, 2008
Gabriel, you’ve been reading Japanese manga since you were 13. How did that happen?
I had some Chinese friends in seventh and eighth grade who would bring "Dragon Ball Z" comics to school. We all liked the drawings but none of us could read Japanese, so I learned from my older brother’s Japanese textbooks after he had dropped out of that class.
That’s cool. And now you can read and speak the language?
Ellie
Yes. I graduated high school with honors in Japanese, and now I am fluent in both reading and writing. If I don’t know the word, I will look it up.
Why is manga so popular in Japan?
Because unlike Saturday morning cartoons in the States, manga has really strong character development and continuing story lines.
What is your favorite manga?
I like "One Piece." It’s a fantasy story line about the pirate era. The main character is seeking to be king of the whole sea, but there is so much to it. I’ve been reading it since I was 13.
Are the Japanese shocked when they realize you speak their language?
When I speak, a lot of Japanese assume I have memorized a few common phrases and speak English to me so that I do not embarrass myself. But when I start to read random things in Japanese, that’s when they become really surprised.
Any funny examples of this?
I went to a restaurant on Okinawa and the waiter started speaking English. She was struggling a little, so I did not want to be rude and stop her. But after a while I started speaking Japanese to help her, and she asked: "Why didn’t you just speak Japanese from the beginning?"
Have the Marines ever used your Japanese skills?
I was the 3rd Marine Division translator for Maj. Gen. Miller when we went to Camp Naha to speak to the Japanese Self-Defense Force. I was never utilized, but I did travel to serve that purpose just in case. I also went to a martial-arts conference in Japan with five Marines where I spent four days translating the martial-arts moves to them. That was a blast.
Do you get paid to speak Japanese?
Actually, the Marines pay me $650 extra a month for my Japanese and Spanish proficiency. That’s pretty nice, especially with two children.
You are also a black belt in mixed martial arts, right?
Yes, and I also teach Aki Goshen-jutsu and am a black belt in Aikido. I have been doing martial arts since I was 3.
Do you have any other hobbies?
I also teach break dancing and capoeira at the youth center here on Saturdays.
Cool. Can you do the worm and the dolphin?
I’ve never heard of the dolphin. It’s probably called something else now. But I can do the worm, flares, cherry drops, windmills and other moves.
What’s your best move? Describe it.
I like the windmill. It’s like a head spin, but you’re spinning at an angle on your head and shoulders.
Sounds like it defies physics.
It actually looks like it, but it’s more about technique.
Ellie
Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Monday, August 11, 2008
Gabriel, you’ve been reading Japanese manga since you were 13. How did that happen?
I had some Chinese friends in seventh and eighth grade who would bring "Dragon Ball Z" comics to school. We all liked the drawings but none of us could read Japanese, so I learned from my older brother’s Japanese textbooks after he had dropped out of that class.
That’s cool. And now you can read and speak the language?
Ellie
Yes. I graduated high school with honors in Japanese, and now I am fluent in both reading and writing. If I don’t know the word, I will look it up.
Why is manga so popular in Japan?
Because unlike Saturday morning cartoons in the States, manga has really strong character development and continuing story lines.
What is your favorite manga?
I like "One Piece." It’s a fantasy story line about the pirate era. The main character is seeking to be king of the whole sea, but there is so much to it. I’ve been reading it since I was 13.
Are the Japanese shocked when they realize you speak their language?
When I speak, a lot of Japanese assume I have memorized a few common phrases and speak English to me so that I do not embarrass myself. But when I start to read random things in Japanese, that’s when they become really surprised.
Any funny examples of this?
I went to a restaurant on Okinawa and the waiter started speaking English. She was struggling a little, so I did not want to be rude and stop her. But after a while I started speaking Japanese to help her, and she asked: "Why didn’t you just speak Japanese from the beginning?"
Have the Marines ever used your Japanese skills?
I was the 3rd Marine Division translator for Maj. Gen. Miller when we went to Camp Naha to speak to the Japanese Self-Defense Force. I was never utilized, but I did travel to serve that purpose just in case. I also went to a martial-arts conference in Japan with five Marines where I spent four days translating the martial-arts moves to them. That was a blast.
Do you get paid to speak Japanese?
Actually, the Marines pay me $650 extra a month for my Japanese and Spanish proficiency. That’s pretty nice, especially with two children.
You are also a black belt in mixed martial arts, right?
Yes, and I also teach Aki Goshen-jutsu and am a black belt in Aikido. I have been doing martial arts since I was 3.
Do you have any other hobbies?
I also teach break dancing and capoeira at the youth center here on Saturdays.
Cool. Can you do the worm and the dolphin?
I’ve never heard of the dolphin. It’s probably called something else now. But I can do the worm, flares, cherry drops, windmills and other moves.
What’s your best move? Describe it.
I like the windmill. It’s like a head spin, but you’re spinning at an angle on your head and shoulders.
Sounds like it defies physics.
It actually looks like it, but it’s more about technique.
Ellie