There are so many topics I could cover under this title, but I think I'll initially address the reason I went to Japan for six weeks- to study Japanese.
It was an interesting experience. I took a one-on-one class for an hour each weekday morning. In four weeks, I completed two textbooks and made my instructor really happy. But it's pretty easy to finish a textbook that has the answers in the back :) I honestly learned the most from the cashiers of Hiroshima. I don't remember much from the textbooks. As usual.
My 2009 trip to Tokyo was strictly tourist. Couldn't really speak any Japanese of value and I didn't mind since Tokyo is pretty English-friendly. But this year, I decided to learn a bit. I stayed in a ウィークリマンション a good distance away from the JR station just so I would be forced to interact with Japanese and not English.
This year, I tried actually listening to what store clerks were saying after the initial いらっしゃいませ!! And I thought my brain would fall out of my head. But I kept listening anyway. I don't know if I started to understand the words or just got in tune with the rhythm of the transactions (it doesn't matter: both equate to 'understanding')- but one day at 7-11 I was asked if I wanted my bento heated and "お願いします" popped out of my mouth before I realized what was happening. I had never understood the question before, relying on the visual cue of the cashier pointing at the microwave. And it was the first time I remember answering in Japanese without thinking about it. Well, well, well.
For six weeks, I kept my mouth shut a lot and my ears open. If I was at home, the TV was on- all day and all night. Didn't matter what the show was- I watched baseball, childrens' shows, cooking shows, news, anything. After about three weeks, this thing started happening in my brain. I could FEEL it starting to adjust and accept Japanese as NORMAL. As for speaking Japanese- well, people are kind to small children and that is pretty much where my language skill level was, so I just ran with it. No one pointed and laughed (in front of me anyway!), and other than a couple "OMGaforeigneristalkingtomewhatdoIdo" people, everyone was really gracious and patient. They couldn't speak English, so my crappy Japanese was all we had. And it was a-okay.
More on this later. And more on my trip, including a few photos.
It was an interesting experience. I took a one-on-one class for an hour each weekday morning. In four weeks, I completed two textbooks and made my instructor really happy. But it's pretty easy to finish a textbook that has the answers in the back :) I honestly learned the most from the cashiers of Hiroshima. I don't remember much from the textbooks. As usual.
My 2009 trip to Tokyo was strictly tourist. Couldn't really speak any Japanese of value and I didn't mind since Tokyo is pretty English-friendly. But this year, I decided to learn a bit. I stayed in a ウィークリマンション a good distance away from the JR station just so I would be forced to interact with Japanese and not English.
This year, I tried actually listening to what store clerks were saying after the initial いらっしゃいませ!! And I thought my brain would fall out of my head. But I kept listening anyway. I don't know if I started to understand the words or just got in tune with the rhythm of the transactions (it doesn't matter: both equate to 'understanding')- but one day at 7-11 I was asked if I wanted my bento heated and "お願いします" popped out of my mouth before I realized what was happening. I had never understood the question before, relying on the visual cue of the cashier pointing at the microwave. And it was the first time I remember answering in Japanese without thinking about it. Well, well, well.
For six weeks, I kept my mouth shut a lot and my ears open. If I was at home, the TV was on- all day and all night. Didn't matter what the show was- I watched baseball, childrens' shows, cooking shows, news, anything. After about three weeks, this thing started happening in my brain. I could FEEL it starting to adjust and accept Japanese as NORMAL. As for speaking Japanese- well, people are kind to small children and that is pretty much where my language skill level was, so I just ran with it. No one pointed and laughed (in front of me anyway!), and other than a couple "OMGaforeigneristalkingtomewhatdoIdo" people, everyone was really gracious and patient. They couldn't speak English, so my crappy Japanese was all we had. And it was a-okay.
More on this later. And more on my trip, including a few photos.
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