Language Study

I’m studying language, Japanese language that is. It’s hard. I have never had any formal language classes nor have I learned hiragana or katakana, the characters used in Japan. I’m surrounded by this language, though, and I can pick out words as I sit on the bus or in a restaurant, and it’s satisfying to know that I’m picking up a little bit.

 

If I could read these characters, I could read my fortune!

One of my students this year came over with Mononucleosis. He didn’t spread it around or anything, thank the goddess, but he did require several trips to the doctor’s office at the local university hospital. I took him on five different occasions, ad he was finally given a clean bill of health. He had more Japanese than I do, but we managed to take taxis and get through all the reception areas in the hospital. They did provide an interpreter, but I think we would have been fine.

 

Or these shop signs, some of which are in interesting English. I can read those. :)

To make a long story short, he bought me a gift to show his appreciation. It’s a calligraphy-paintbrush-pen. It’s the coolest writing tool I’ve ever seen, and it came from Japan. I’m using it to practice my Japanese characters, and the brush really makes it fun because they look so cool and authentic with the brush!

 

This is not my photo. It's from an add for the pen my student gave me.

I don’t know how much language I’ll pick up over the next year, but I do know that since last year, I’ve doubled my meek and minimal vocabulary. Thank you Pimsler’s. I listen to their tapes on my drives to Portland or my drives to Seattle. Unfortunately my drives to work are only about ten minutes long, so I don’t get much studying done during the week.

 

I just ordered a tall and left it at that. Needless to say, it was delicious!

When I return home this year, I’m determined to keep up the habit of opening my Japanese textbook and studying vocabulary and sentence structures. Sound dry and boring? So desu ne! You’re right, but I will be returning to Japan in 2015, and I’ll have more to say, and I’ll be able to read the train signs—I hope!

This actually says, Tokyo. See I learned something!