Turning Japanese

It is very likely that I will be taking my JLPT this year. Probably in KL, there are very strong rumours that a band I follow will be playing the day before the exam. Even without these rumours, I will probably still go to KL. I have friends there. It'll be nice to hang out.

I need a break anyway.

I've just updated my Japanese blog. I do it once a week. I promised my Japanese teacher that I will present her a journal entry every class so that's why I do it. It's ok but it's still very hard for me to do. Thinking in Japanese is still kinda hard. I really do want to become fluent so I really hope this will work.

There is no other way for me to practise in a real life situation. I need more opportunities to use Japanese, preferably in a real situation. Class is ok but it's only 90 minutes a week. Hardly enough.

I wish there were more hours in the day. Look at the time now. I have to work tomorrow.

Speaking of work, big event next week. I will be working on Sunday. Not really looking forward to it but the extra money will come in handy.

Overall, this year's been pretty good so far. I really hope it will end well, now that the final quarter has started.

Some time ago, I consciously decided to further reduce the potential for drama in my daily life. It's been working. It's unfortunate but there are certain types of people who are best avoided.  Not to be antisocial or anything but some people are best kept at arms' length. Troublesome people are only worth the trouble when they mean something.

I suddenly wish I was this clinical years ago. Could've saved myself (and my friends) a lot of headache.

Gosh, look at the time!

Oyasumi!

A Challenge

It's still quite hard.

I just updated my Japanese blog. I still find it hard to blog and think in Japanese. I know quite a lot of grammar, my vocab has gotten better but still...

I suppose there really is no other way to learn a language besides constant repetition and practice.

Learning a language, this is something that most of us never really think about and probably take for granted, having learnt all the languages we know from childhood through the natural ways.

When you're an adult, it's quite different. This I now know.

Months ago, I stated on my FB wall that my attitudes towards people with poor English have softened. It really has. If you don't learn it from childhood and in school it really can be a major challenge, especially if you have no environment to immerse yourself into.

Immersion. I wish there were more Japanese people around here for me to talk to. Without this, it will take sheer brute force to improve.

I took up Japanese to challenge myself and to figure out if Ole Rusty here in my head is still functioning. It still works, that much I know at the moment.

But I admit, I never realized the magnitude of the actual challenge. To be fair I set the bar pretty high but still, a bigger challenge than I could imagine.

And I haven't even talked about studying kanji yet! I do want to though, really I do. I know some already and it has opened up a whole new world, mentally speaking.

It's a major challenge. But I've also come to really relish the experience. It's fun and it's been helpful in so many ways.

I hope I get better at it and not disappoint my teacher. And maybe, I can help her improve her English along the way.

It's the least I can do for her, she's been great. They all have been, really.

Time for bed!

Restart

Oops. I guess I still can't find the drama needed for good posting.

I'm thinking about creating another blog strictly for Japanese practice. I might even do it tonight.

Lately, I've been really going at it. It's a big, big challenge. It's gotten to that point where the novelty has worn off and it's all serious work. I have to remind myself to back off a bit and enjoy the experience.

I have enjoyed it up to this point. Being crap at something isn't usually something to be happy about but in this case, I think it's a good personal experience.

I'm really crap at it. My Japanese sucks, much worse than my guitar playing :-p

I sometimes worry that I might piss my teacher off with my apparent inability to progress. There IS progress to be fair. Just not fast enough for my taste.

Well, one has to start from somewhere I guess.

Now, how would I rewrite all this in Japanese?

Checking In

Wow. It's been more than 1 year! Talk about procrastinating.

So many things have changed ne? The interface looks different. I'm going to have to re-explore everything again..

Anyway, just checking in. Not unlike a land owner going back to kampung to check on a piece of abandoned land, overgrown with weeds and random wild fruit trees.

So many things have changed...

So, hello again world!

And should I change the theme? It's kinda boring at the moment...