Road to Fluency

I just celebrated my 27th birthday. A lot of people I work with (who are older than I am) say "O you got plenty of time, you're still young." But when is young not young anymore? Is there a cutoff? A deadline?

"The Road to Fluency is Dark and Full of Verb Conjugations." For the last 2 years or so, I've been trying to learn Japanese from scratch (OK not scratch, I knew Chinese and English, which was a start). Learning a new language is tough, and I can see why it takes years of practice, years of training, and no breaks. Your brain doesn't just simply memorize words, it has to use them. That was my first mistake of learning japanese: I tried to rote-memorize all the words I needed to know in Japanese. NOT SO FAST, my language-learning friend! It doesn't quite work out like that. Language is, like almost anything else, best learned through practical usage. Saying a complete sentence in a foreign language, going through the motions of learning, requires a lot more than memorizing what each word in English means in Japanese. If you only did that, you would have no idea where the words should go in order, where to put the stress on the words, how to connect sentences together, idioms that have no meaning in other languages but are full of culture in their native languages, etc. So many different elements to learning a new language than just "How do you say _____ in (Insert Foreign Language)?"

And you can't just get away with only 1 hour or 2 hours per day, or going on and off once in a while. Learning a language, if one wants to be serious about it, has to be an every-day sort of affair. Always thinking about it, always being immersed in the language, that's the best. It's really an involved affair, and really tough if you're working on other pursuits (like practicing law, for example). It is a full-time job that allows for no moonlighting.

One of the underrated, hidden ways of learning language, I've found, AFTER learning the basics of the language and all the grammatical rules, putting in the work, is to watch a TV show/movie/news in the new language with subtitles IN BOTH YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE. Improved my Japanese in leaps and bounds, plus you will actually want to do it as opposed to dreading language practice and having to take breaks all the time. Your brain is not only visually seeing the words on paper (reading practice) but getting the audio listening practice. But you don't want to watch shows that are high on action (crime drama, for instance) and short (or too basic) on dialogue. You want a comedy or drama that has a lot of speaking and high vocabulary (watch a variety of different shows for diverse sets of words) meant for native speakers so you know you're not just getting flush.

Some great TV shows for Japanese are:
1.) Hanzawa Naoki: The Game of Thrones of Japan, EVERYBODY in Japan in 2013.
2.) Legal High: A legal drama/comedy. Hilarious even for Westerners and has very high-tech vocabulary with idioms, cultural references, and rarely-used words. And the characters talk really fast, but it's not for the faint of heart but absolutely helpful for people wishing to be fluent in Japanese due to
3.) Sailor Zombie - inspired by the hit manga Sailor Moon (almost everything in Japan is inspired by Mangas)


The most difficult thing about learning language for me: the different verb forms and verb conjugations. I come from 2 languages whose verb forms are not that hard, with the verbs not needing to be altered dramatically or in 13 different ways (although English requires "had," "have," and different rules too, just not as many), but it seems like all the other languages in the world have a million ways to conjugate verbs based with potential, causative, past tense, future tense, past perfect (for French), etc., etc., etc. FEAR THE VERB CONJUGATIONS!

Ultimately, language is about hearing and trying over and over and over again. I've gotten depressed and resigned and excited (due to feeling like I'm improving) and everywhere in between, but no one gets worse at language, and hopefully it's like riding a bike: One day I wake up and I just get it, everythign comes to me naturally, and I never forget it again. Be ready to put in some work on the road to fluency, though.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

Wallet, Keys, or Phone?

Welcome to our newest edition of the smash hit game show, Wallet, Keys, or Phone! In this edition, you pick which item you can't do without and would least like to have taken from you/ lost on the train/ stolen. Let's ask our first contestant!

Most people nowadays, like myself, carry 3 essential things with them at all times: wallet, keys, phone. Obviously there's probably other things depending on the person like a briefcase or headphones or separate Blackberry, whatever, but those 3 are the "Core Items" in anyone's pocket at any time, I would say. And I can't imagine losing any one of them. In one corner, The Wallet is the key to your finances, with your identity, your credit cards, and cold hard cash. Next are The Keys are your ticket to getting anywhere, whether it be into your own home or transportation to and from other places (car keys, etc.) And finally, last but not least, the Cell Phone contains all of one's contacts, the ability to get in touch with everyone that you know, and almost more importantly nowadays, the INTERNET. Information. Connectivity. Knowing things. The ultimate product. It's a very, very difficult choice, I think.

I really just thought of it recently when I (for the umpteenth time) forgot my cell phone in my car and had to go back and get it, but I think the dichotomy between the Holy Trinity of personal items is fascinating. Surely nowadays one can recover any and all of their personal items pretty quickly by taking the necessary steps, and a replacement will be given quickly (and cash can always be replaced, depending on the amount), but which item one would LEAST want to lose reflects a lot about one's personality, I think, especially at a crossroads in life like I am. (Forget the nuances of how easy it is to recover one's wallet, or how much financial damage one would incur if one loses one item over another, this is a strictly philosophical discussion!)

Choosing the Wallet would reveal a preference towards one's financial security, to being able to purchase things readily and a preference for worldy possessions. For people in their late-20's like me (urgh am I in my late-20's now? That's frustrating), this would be starting a savings account, thinking about retirement already, and chasing the mighty dollar. Stable job, stable career, steady cash flow, maybe even a new house! Real life example: If you're without your wallet (or purse) you can't buy things, you don't have any method to pay for things. That's a very scary feeling for some.

Choosing the Keys, however, entails a sense of travel, to get out into the world and see things, to be on the move and have a means of transportation. It's not just being a tourist or vacations, however, it's the sense of always being on the move, still surprising oneself with where one might go on a day to day business, wanting to move to new locations all the time and have new experiences. Those are the keys. Real life parallel: If you lose your keys, there's no way of retracing your steps quickly, no way of getting around for awhile at least, you're stuck, immobile. Some people can't stand that.

Choosing the Cell Phone (and let's be honest, everyone has a smartphone now) entails a sense of belonging with others, having other people's information and being able to contact them at any time, to have friends, to be in touch with loved ones/ liked ones, to be socially connected to Facebook, group texts, whatever is the rage. Human beings are social animals, and for some they can't stand the feeling of not connecting with others. In a broader context, this could mean for a late-20 year old settling down and having the marriage talk, and/or building relationships with people, professional or social. Real life example: can't call your friend to pick you up, or don't have anyone to call.


I think I just came up with a new personality test! The Wallet-Keys-Phone Test! Move over Meyers-Briggs and Big 5 and whatever tests are out there now, this is the Next Big Thing! For the record, I think I would choose keys, because I hate not being able to have access to my car or my house (I sometimes live in my house too), but it's very very close and I haven't thought of a definitive answer or anything.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

The Tim Lincecum/ Buyer's Remorse Theory

"O man I want that tie!" "I want to go to that concert so bad!" "I am so excited for the series premiere of _____ show!" "Finally, "Who do I want to add to my fantasy baseball team? Tim Lincecum!"

The above are quotes many have uttered right before making an indulgent purchase or engaging in a worthless experience, right before getting a dud of a product/ service or having a bad time, and buyer's remorse sets in. Tim Lincecum is the ultimate Buyer's Remorse player in fantasy baseball. He is very tempting and juicy due to his strikeout potential (pretty much 9 K/9 every year) and past success (former Cy Young, no-hitter last year) and with that in mind he's always an attractive candidate. However, nowadays anytime you pick him up, he is prone to giving up lots of baserunners, inflating one's ERA and WHIP, not getting a W, not getting that many strikeouts due to not going deep into games (this is when one realizes that the high K/9 rate is not so impressive when the pitcher it's tied to goes nowhere near 9 innings), and in general just does damage. It's generally better NOT to even use him, having an open bench on the roster. When watching Lincecum, "Team cancer" (not to make light of cancer, a very serious condition) or "saboteur" come to mind each time he undergos his funky delivery, winds up as if he's still in Cy Young form, whisks back his signature long hair covering his always-boyish face............and throws a 90 MPH meatball right down the middle that someone hammers.

Again, fantasy baseball can teach one a lot about life (sensing a theme here with some of these posts?) In life, there are many things that are negatives. If time is the most valuable resource (and I posit that it is due to opportunity costs and the infinite supply of it for each and every human being) you don't want to waste that resource on trivial pursuits (unlike Trivial Pursuit the Board Game, which is actually a pretty fun time). The worst feeling in the world is spending money for something you really wanted, not getting what you expected, getting a bad experience, and realizing you could have used the time spent on that endeavor on something else. It leaves one empty inside and is probably how the phrase "Could I get my [insert amount of time here] back?" origniated. Going to a movie that one could have watched in the comfort of one's home comes to mind. Certain dates I've gone on with girls who are good people but just not for me comes to mind. Going to certain baseball games that are over in the first inning after certain pitchers (like Tim Lincecum) give up 5 runs comes to mind.

The lesson here? In fantasy baseball and life, one realizes sometimes no matter how tempting something is, one has to assess the risks/alternatives and just say no. If something has a 1% chance of making you feel really good but about a 75% chance of being a negative experience  (reserving 24% for being neutral/wishy-washy/not sure how you feel about it), then don't do that activity. Buyer's remorse is very real, and by this point (I'm guessing and hoping if you're reading this blog you're at least in your mid-twenties, otherwise all this talk about fantasy baseball/internet dating/dressing for success/ game of thrones will be lost on you) you should know what makes you happy, what won't be so fun........carpe diem (Latin for seize the day), but also caveat emptor (something you learn in Contracts/ law school/being screwed by a shady business man has "buyer beware.")

This is not to say try new things. DO try new things, but not things you know will not satisfy you and just waste time. Try a bit of Tom Kohler, try a bit of Brian Dozier. Just know that there's a chance they will do more damage to your team than good. Kind of like Tim Lincecum.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan

The Aaron Harang Theory

Often in fantasy sports one hears the phrase “he is who he is.” This comes about when a player has performed for 5 (I’m just making up a number here, but 5 sounds about right) at or about the same skill level, with similar production (think Brandon Phillips 18 homers every year for the last 5 years) that hasn’t been limited disproportionately by injury or missed time. That’s when we get enough of a sample size on a player to know that that player “is who he is.” Aaron Harang is a perfect example of a major league player who “is who he is.” He is a serviceable pitcher who eats inning for a major league club, possibly 200, with a bearable ERA and WHIP (4.00 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) and limited strikeout potential and manageable number of walks. He is the Panda Express of lunch options. You’re not gonna get excited about it, but it’s cheap and it’s there, and it gets the job done. So when Harang got off to a sub-1.00 ERA and sub-1.00 WHIP and 3-0 start (with a 7 IP no-hitter throw in there), the fantasy community responded with a yawn, because “he is who he is.” Aaron Harang did not add a crazy screwball over the offseason, he did not add 5 MPH to his fastball, and he did not procure a special genie lamp that allows him to summon a genie that grants him 3 wishes. Harang promptly got lit up in his next start to the tune of 9ER, and the fantasy community realized “he is who he is.” This does not apply to fast starters Dee Gordon, Charlie Blackmon, Jesse Chavez, Jose Abreu, etc., to name a few. We do not know who these players are, and they very well may have added a much skill over the offseason, so their fast starts are not to be trusted, but they’re not to be distrusted neither: hence the beauty of owning a player like that: the sexiness, the hype, the excitement when they do well, the disappointment when they flounder in the dust.

There are other players who probably have slowly but surely fit into the Aaron Harang theory that some owners are just in denial about: We know who Jay Bruce is. He is a former top prospect who got massive appeal from the fantasy masses in his “breakout” 30 HR campaign leaving fantasy community yearning for more. 4 years later, though, he is not getting any better. One more year of upper-mediocre production but not elite levels and we’ll have to accept that we know who Justin Upton is and that he’s not going to be the fantasy superstar everyone thought he would be.

Taking it to a TV level, Unfortunately Game of Thrones is what it is. It’s not really a knock on GoT, really any show in its 4^th season of 7 is going to be like this. (except once-in-a-lifetime shows like Breaking Bad that kept taking it to another level over the course of the series) At this point, the fourth season (seventh season) you know what Game of Thrones is. Unlike other shows, it won’t suffer a sharp decline caused by writers leaving or decreasing popularity; the show  is probably the most popular of all TV shows right now and will thrive until its 7^th season. But it also won’t get any better. There’s no “next gear” that it’s going to get to, there’s no more evolving. For the next 3 seasons we will get a barrage of skipping around, flipping back, and general joggling of various story lines that it’ll make one’s Iphone apps look limited. There’s always the supposed payoff in the future, the gold at the end of the rainbow, when the “Ice” and “Fire” of the Song of Ice and Fire unite and we get the final battle that culminates the series and brings it all together, but until then we know where it’s headed. The show could actually be a lot more if would just encorporate more magic, more excitement, more battle scenes, more action instead of the monotonous tea party dialogue it hits slowly. It will have the breathtaking (pun intended) moments like earlier in the season leaving everyone gasping for air, but it’ll leave plenty of time (3 episodes since where it seems like nothing has happened) for everyone to catch their breath. It’ll describe more battles being played out and strategies taking fruit than it will actually show them, and it will forever tease us with things that might come in the future, like a certain epic ABC drama a few years ago teasing the ending which would explain everything, that never came. (GoT’s version of that is an aging writer who hasn’t finished the series and is getting stalled repeatedly in finishing the books). I, for one, have seen this movie before. We know what Game of Thrones is. It’s not Aaron Harang (of the TV series world, that would be like “The Bachelor 26” or “Everybody Loves Raymond” reruns), but it sure seems like Jay Bruce.

 

Fantasize on,

 

Robert Yan

Looking Good

I’ve never been someone who was the most fashionable, the most stylish, (Japanese for stylish = kakko ii) had the best hair, had the best smile, or had girls flock to me. When I first arrived in America from China, my parents dressed me in an all-yellow outfit and sent me to the wolves (literally) in 2^nd grade…….I was called a “banana” for that day and a long time after that, and not because I am “yellow on the outside and white on the inside.” It was not fun. I have noticed as I grow older that no matter what one’s naturally given talents, they can shift their outer appearance with some nice tricks. 

So here goes, a VERY rudimentary guy to looking good (i.e. this is like blinking for really stylish people, but for former semi-slobs like me this could be a nice beginner's course) 

1.)    Have proper posture. Not a big one for me, I finally realized that posture makes one looks confident, and more importantly it makes one FEEL more confident. Every time you get up to walk, remember to stand up straight (have internal reminders), and when sitting don’t slouch and often do a “penguin maneuver” to get the shoulder muscles straightened out. Someone once told me that when I was hunched over a bit, I looked like I was "up to something." I don't want to give that impression. 

2.)    Be conscious of what you look like. I think that’s the No. 1 thing. For a long time I didn’t really care, took the “who cares what other people think” approach. This does not work well in the dating world, nor in the business world, and especially not in the interviewing world. In each of those scenarios a snap decision is made, in interviewing it’s like 2.5 seconds, in dating it’s like 5 seconds (time to see the whole profile), and in the business world there could be really high standards in landing a client depending on how well one dresses. I’ve never been a big fan of mirrors, but they do come in handy.

3.)    Wear concealer. A bit of a cheap trick that doesn’t really work for serious acne or other skin conditions, but concealer does work. I don’t know if there’s a stigmatism to males wearing it or anything, but it’s certainly effective.

4.)    Wear shirts that fit. Shoes don’t really matter, socks can be concealed into the legs, and pants/slacks can’t be outrageous (there’s a whole “how tight can your jeans be” analysis there, but shirts are the big one…….they can’t be too baggy. It just makes one’s appearance look slovenly, bloated, etc. I’ve gone too many days with a guy in my office telling me my shirts are too baggy, and wearing the right shirt (with the right color) definitely provides a boost.

5.)    Black socks. I buy more black socks than white socks at this point in my life.

6.)    Watch- probably going to be my next purchase. I’ve always had nostalgia for the old stopwatches that I used at camp, waterproof, $19.95 armitron, but nice watches definitely get a lot of compliments.

7.)    Wear an undershirt. May be my own personal preference, but seeing someone dripping sweat through their shirt at work is depressing and somewhat revolting, even for me, who is the lowest maintenance possible. Seems counterintuitive especially in the summer to wear another layer underneath, but definitely helps to soak up whatever it is one gives off, and preserves the actual shirt a bit from the wear and tear.

8.)    Fancy haircut. I used to get haircuts from my dad all the time. Not the greatest. Some people have great hair; I don’t, so I need to go to a professional to at least make it presentable.

9.)    Beards are terrible. I do not understand the recent beard craze. I could never grow my beard out like that (physically impossible for me, I don’t grow much hair in the first place) but also somewhat ugly. If I were fashion czar of the world, first order of business is to ban massive beards.

10.) Hand crème. Not only does it help moisture, helps another part of the body smell good. Smells are very memorable. 

NBA Playoffs: A Game of Thrones

The 2 major viewing events right now are Game of Thrones and the NBA Playoffs. Both have been very good, but the parallels don’t end there: Although GoT dazzles its viewers with arcane magic, fiery dragons, and various other visual effects in the ultimate battle for the Iron Throne and power, the NBA counters with various defensive spider monkeys like Tony Allen or sharpshooting snipers like Mike Dunleavy/ Kyle Korver to Kings (Lebron) to kings-in-waiting (Kevin Durant), allowing the NBA playoffs to have just as much, if not more, intrigue than Game of Thrones.

1.)    A defending champion- amongst the chaos and calamity that has been the NBA’s first round this season, the 2-time champion Miami Heat stood apart from the masses with their 4-0 dismantling of the fledgling Charlotte Bobcats, who went out with more of a purr than a roar. Like the swift derisive orders of current King Joffrey Baratheon (as of 2 episodes ago), LeBron and his court (Wade, Bosh) repelled the uprising, which really had little chance and was equipped with short blades, not heavy weaponry needed to seize the crown. The Champion Heat can now watch from their ivory tower as others battle for what the Heat already have.

2.)    Surprise upstart young warriors: GoT every season introduces a young gallant warrior with visions of grandeur and wild ambitions who are ultimately misguided into oblivion: the Washington Wizards are those guys this season. They’ve jumped out to a 3-1 lead on the older Bulls with young guys John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Trevor Ariza (relatively young) and seem on the verge of making serious noise with a legitimate claim in the East much like Renly Baratheon’s brief run against his more seasoned brother, or Prince Oberyn of Martell who has come to the Lannister party to avenge his family members for past crimes, or in the Wizards’ case, avenge years of suffering and mediocrity.

3.)    Behind-the-scenes chess players: Described by some as “one of the most dangerous men in Westeros,” Littlefinger sure doesn’t appear to be at first glance, and he doesn’t have the bloodlines (translation: NBA Championship talent) to be king, but Greg Popovich somehow manipulates the use of regular season rosters, defying old age, and crafty lineups to be a true threat in the West even when using castoff free agents like Marco Belinelli, Patty Mills, and Matt Bonner. Alternative comparison: Vyras, the Spider.

4.)    Distraction that overshadows the entire TV series: Unfortunately amidst a great playoff season the overwhelming story that hits home to every cross-section of America is the Donald Sterling racism outburst that has forced the NBA as of today to ban Sterling from the NBA. A huge story that anyone is talking about right now even in non-sports shows like talk shows, news programs. Kinda like the outrage that GoT produces every season, it seems, including this season when Jamie Lannister seemingly raped his sister Queen Cersei in the same room as their dead son. Nudity and violence being the other themes surrounding GoT previously.

5.)    The pitiful: Theon Greyjoy, once proud and mighty warrior conquering Winterfell for the Greyjoys, is now relegated to the duty of cleaning up after the guy who captured, tortured, and castrated him (Yes, you read that correctly, castrated), not even looking like the same person. The Indiana Pacers are the East’s No. 1 seed in name only and are in danger of being eliminated. Certainly not the same team everyone saw early in the season.

6.)    The leader of men: Jon Snow is quickly turning into a leader of men and building “sweat equity” with the fellas over on the wall. Same as the Grizzlies, a solid group of grizzled veterans willing to sacrifice for each other. Jon Snow does not lie, and neither do the Grizzlies: They don’t bluff.

7.)    The Threat: A new power is emerging in a land faraway from Westeros, as Daeneryus Targaryen is gathering troops, utilizing advisors, and gaining momentum behind the backs of her 3 dragons. Portland, aka Rip City, once enslaved by the contracts of Brandon Roy and Greg Oden, now riding the young core of Damion Lillard, Nicholas Batum, and LaMarcus Aldridge towards greater things.

8.)    The Rightful Heir: Stannis Baratheon still is intent on pressing his claim to the Iron Throne, and led by some shaky but up-til now shaky advice (Melisandre = Scott Brooks), the Oklahoma Thunder are on the same path to inherit their place in basketball lore. Despite all the adversity and going through a tough stretch with Memphis and the winner of Clippers-Warriors, the Thunder are still the general consensus to come out of the West and possibly dethrone Miami.

Should be a great rest of the playoffs, and matches almost exactly with GoT . GoT season finale scheduled for June 15……..around when the Finals should be happening.

Speaking of which, Game of Thrones is being released in Japan, a testament of its expansive reach and popularity. 皇位 ゲーム, or kioi no gamu. There’s even a Feudalistic Japan Version of Game of Thrones floating out on the internet, which is a really cool concept. 

Fantasize on, 

Robert Yan 

The Myth that is the "Playoff Push"

Easter usually marks the start of one of the more underrated periods in sports: The NBA Playoffs. From late April to mid-June, the NBA playoffs are played almost every night, prompting TNT to have a “40 games, 40 nights” segment. The NBA Playoffs lack the urgency and do-or-die mentality that every game of the NCAA tournament has, but I would say the Opening Round matches the NCAA’s opening in intrigue and the number of exciting matchups occurring, as well as the intensity when Game 6 and Game 7 arrive.

Watch out for Memphis, btw, already 1 game in the bag against OKC and they were basically in playoff mode for 2 months just trying to make it in. Got the bruisers to do it.

I’ve always wondered if games are performed “at a higher level” during the playoffs. Sports commentators and media outlets certainly make it seem so with comments like “the intensity is ratcheting up,” and “going into playoff mode,” but I tend to think not. In my experience, just because you want it more, doesn’t mean you get better results. In fact, wanting it more sometimes leads to pressing, which leads to bad decisions, which leads to bad play. The lack of lackadaisical plays due to not caring about a certain game, or not needing that win that badly, may cancel out a lot of that pressing, but I’m not particularly sure being in the playoffs always means an uptick in skill. It certainly didn’t look like it for the Chicago Bulls in Games 1 and 2 in their opening series against Washington, as they looked slow, offensively challenged, and tired (due to them sticking to only a 7-man rotation) something that was NOT the case during the regular season, when they won almost 50 games.

Accordingly, I don’t think certain guys are “clutch” or are “playoff guys” who perform better during the playoffs. That’s all for dramatic effect with the media and conferring awards to players and elevating players to legendary status for the good of the game. It’s like what Billy Beane said in Moneyball, “the baseball regular season is a grind for 162 games. The playoffs is just luck.” I tend to agree.

Certainly in dodgeball, there’s no “special drink that I drink for max performance during must-win situations like the magic juice in Space Jam, and I’ve had lots of games where I do worse during the playoff games than the regular season games. This may be partially due to other players “turning it up” for the playoffs, but it seems like random variation to me.

Observations about the baseball regular season so far:

Lot of closer chaos. LOT of closers getting lit up, even established ones like Trevor Rosenthal and Joe Nathan.  There already have been and will be even more deposed closers, even more so than in previous years, and unless you’re in a league with an low innings minimum (where you can just use the “elite” closers to try to win ERA, WHIP, and SAVES, I gotta think closers take a step back due to their inability to contribute much other than 1 category, especially given the downside of drafting a lemon.

Albert Pujols’s successful run to 500 homers kind of just snuck up on the MLB, and it passed and went without too much brouhaha, to my surprise. It might have just been ESPN and other news outlets weren’t ready for Albert to hit 8 homers so quickly, but it’s going to be a while for another slugger to achieve that landmark again.

3.5 weeks is not too early to start reassessing what’s happening. Chris Colabello, though, might as well be named Chris Shelton (2007 April World-beater, out of baseball by the end of that year). DON’T BUY DON’T BUY. Charlie Blackmon, the No. 1 fantasy player in the world right now, might be pretty solid (not No. 1 status obviously), but an everyday outfield job in Coors Field does wonders for one’s Batting avg, Homers, runs, etc., etc.

Lot of shades of 2006. Bobby Abreu is starting in RF for the Mets today, . Kyle Farnsworth is closing. Franky Rodriguez is leading the league in saves. Pujols leading the league in homers, and Justin Morneau is MASHING the ball. I need to check if George Bush is still President. 

Fantasize on, 

Robert Yan