hey all,
So as of today, I have been in Japan exactly one year. I've been thinking back on my time here a bit, and I think I've learned a lot. I've been learning about Japanese people, history, culture, food, society, and how to live here. I've been learning about myself, what I expect of myself, my job and the people in my life. I've learned how to sport climb, and have started learning a few new climbing techniques. I've learned a little about yoga.
I've learned a little Japanese. I try to stay modest about this; but I think considering the short amount of time I've lived here, and the relatively small amount of time that I devote exclusively to Japanese study, I've made really amazing gains so far. It doesn't help that Japanese people have a habit of praising anyone who can say a few words in Japanese as being really fluent, and that my girlfriend and her friends/family say the same things. But really, there are still lots of times when I just can't understand what someone is saying to me, and I can audibly hear them switch into I'm-talking-to-a-not-so-bright-child mode. This can be useful, actually, because it does let me understand what they're saying, but it can be frustrating. I actually started reading a book in Japanese today. It is a translation of A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin, which I have read so many times that I can still follow the main points, despite only being able to really understand 30% or less of the actual text. I think the 70% that I currently don't understand will be a good source of vocabulary, grammar, and pointers on how to use certain constructions.
Cheers,
