Japanese is getting way easier. That being said, it’s still really hard. I’ve been hanging out in the track room after practice reading comics and talking instead of going home right away. I can more easily listen to conversation and I don’t always feel completely lost. I realized that these kids don’t get together very often on the weekends, except at practice. This is the time they chill and hang out together, so I’ve been doing that with them. I think the concept of friends and relationships is different here. I no longer expect or obsess about making a best friend right away, because I know that 10 months isn’t enough time to develop the same kind of relationship that I had back home. Especially when the first half is just getting used to the language. But spending time in the track room after practice has helped a lot. Reading comics is very interesting and I’m getting much faster. It gives me something to talk about with the other kids. I can always pick my head up and listen to what is being said, or ask a question or just relax. I don’t feel any pressure when I’m in that room, it’s a nice feeling. I can be quiet and not feel awkward, or talk and not feel like I’m butting in. Despite my frustrations with track before, I’m coming to really enjoy the time I spend with those kids. I don’t think I’ll switch clubs for while. At least not in winter because almost all the sports stop except for track, baseball, soccer, basketball, and a few others.
Lunch is more fun too. Lunch used to be this time where I felt isolated at school. Everyone around me was talking and having fun and I would sit and be quiet and feel cut off. But I started sitting with the kids on the soccer team more often. I think it shows how much I’ve learned that I can speak and understand more easily. Group conversations are still the most difficult part of Japanese, but it’s getting easier. I can follow along a lot of the time. Even if I don’t understand everything that’s being said, I can usually grasp the main idea. I know what subject is being addressed. It makes listening more interesting and more rewarding. It makes it easier to speak too, because I can say something relevant as opposed to changing the topic. So lunch has become fun and something to look forward to, as opposed to something I have to muddle through every day.
School is still tough. Math has gotten much harder. We started a new unit this week. No more geometry, now we’re on word problems. Needless to say, I can’t do them. I can’t read Japanese; I don’t know what the problem is asking. Math is impossible to understand now. It has joined the ranks of history and social studies. I hope we get through this unit soon. I much prefer being able to do problems than just watching the board. In calligraphy we’re making stamps. It’s really cool. I’ve made two and I’m on my third. We make a print on special paper. The designs are kanji or kana. I’m writing my name in Japanese. Then we transfer the print to a block of soft stone. Then we take a small metal tool and scrape the stone away around the print. The result is a raised letter or kanji in a block of stone. Then you can dip it in special stamp ink and print your name. It’s very very cool. I’m going to come home with handmade stamps of my Japanese name. In gym we’re running. This whole month all we do is race every day. Eight time we run 4 kilometers. I’d rather be playing basketball, but running is a close second. After the run, it takes me about 15 minutes, is free time. So I’ve been playing tennis. I like tennis. I should play more. Maybe I’ll take some lessons or something. It’s a fun sport, and I’m not terrible. Except I can’t serve at all.
This weekend is another weekend alone. I’ve gotten used to it, sort of. I’d still prefer to be hanging out with people, but being on my own isn’t terrible. I’ll probably go to the library today and study, read the paper, and write letters. I’ve accepted that I might not make good friends, at least for a while. I figure I’m probably about halfway in terms of being fluent at Japanese. Once that falls it can only get easier. I don’t think I’m being left out. I don’t think that there are tons of people getting together and just not inviting me. I think that this is the way it is in Japan. The high school environment is much more academically focused. It’s not as conducive to socializing as the U.S. high schools are. I’m sure it will come eventually. Until then I’m okay reading and watching movies. Not a terrible life. And it gives me time to get better at reading Japanese. My goal for this year was to be able to read the newspaper. That may be a bit ambitious, but I’d really like to be able to read the comic books (manga) and understand them. Too much studying and I burn out though. That’s what happened this week. I just haven’t been interested in learning kanji. It’s so much memorizing, and hardly any critical thinking. So I’ll take this break and I’m sure when I come back to my kanji cards I’ll find them fun again.
This week has been great getting all my presents in the mail. Thanks to everyone who sent me something, especially my mom, Dad, Becky, and Louisa. Luke, I haven’t gotten yours yet, but I’m looking forward to it. And thanks to everyone who posted on my blog, or facebook wall. Love you all.
2 comments:
Did you know that the generally accepted measure for fluency, at least in Europe, is being able to read a newspaper in the language? You should totally be able to do it by the end.
It's good to here that things are taking a turn for the better. If you are interested in tennis, don't forget to show people Eric and Scott tennis. It will be a global phenomenon in a couple years, watch.
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