Big in Japan - Katakana

Well, after learning Hiragana, it is time for the Katakana, the other basic Japanese language syllabary. It has the same sounds as the Hiragana,but in modern Japanese it is used for foreign words, foreign names, etc. In Japanese there are many foreign words (which sound like a very bad English ) for instance 'uniform', 'tennis', 'hotel, 'taxi', 'omelet','toilet', hm practically every modern thing...The Japanese have actually stopped using some Japanese words that have originally existed and have replaced them with foreign words...For instance today in our textbook such borrowed word for 'lion' caught my attention...While there has been perfectly established word for lion with kanji too in use for many centuries, why would Japanese want to use such a weird sounding new borrowed word?
All those borrowed words sound extremely weird and it will be a challenge to memorize since they are in fact a very bad misrepresentation (in their greater part if not all) of English words.
So actually this trade in the modern development of the Japanese language shows some very interesting sides of the wish to copy, imitate or in the best case and intention study the West.

Actually the Katakana has a very different origin than the use for it today. It was indeed used for transliteration of foreign texts (we must always keep in mind that Buddhist texts are foreign to China, Japan and Korea for instance, and while Japanese monks used mostly Chinese translations of Buddhist texts, they are still foreign)or for showing how a character should be read by Buddhist monks who would write katakana symbolls to indicated reading adding them to the original texts as little signs above or on the sides of a character. So, again, that's another instance of huge cultural influence that Buddhism had which prompted the development of the language (the same is true for the classical Chinese language also as a result of the translation of the Buddhist texts).
Both Hiragana and the Katakana have actually developed from Kanji (Chinese characters), and while Hiragana has evolved from the cursive writing of Chinese characters, Kitakana signs are parts of several characters, taken only as phonetic indications for reading.

It is of course very interesting for me to think about these intercultural exchanges and influences between India (as the country of origin of the Buddhist ideas, philosophy and religion,and China and Japan which embraced it) the bridge for which was Buddhism, which undoubtedly prompted the development and the flourishing of those east Asian cultures. It is not exaggerated to say that Chinese and Japanese classical cultures will be nothing without the introduction and influence of Buddhism. Or at least will not be what they are.

As I said, I'm taking an intensive Japanese course. In one week we had to learn both the Hiragana and the Katakana syllabary. It's like learning to read two alphabets really very fast...Hm, actually I have to get back to memorizing the two really very 'Big in Japan' kanas now...Interestingly we have a different teacher each day of the week (overall 5 teachers for the basic Japanese language class, and three additional teachers for three other classes, so totally 8). It is interesting, since all of them are completely different as style of teaching, approach and (I guess)as personalty. Additionally this semester I'll also audit an introductory class about Japanese Classical Literature (taught in English). It's actually very busy. With each day having several hours of classes, homework to do, and at least two hours commuting.