The Total Language Immersion Experience...or So You Thought You Could Speak Japanese

Before coming to Japan for the first time, I'd taken about three years of Japanese and gotten A's in all my courses: I was always at the top of my class, received high scores on tests, and was all-around doing very well ...or so I thought. And then I came to Japan, where I realized that I could barely speak Japanese.

Everyone spoke so fast; I couldn't figure out how to say the things I wanted to say and when I did, I made mistakes that I knew were wrong even as I said them; and there were so many kanji EVERYWHERE.

I guess this is what they mean by total language immersion.

Anyway, after about half a year, I feel way more confident in my Japanese abilities. My listening comprehension has gone through the roof; I can even watch ドラマ now without English subtitles (though I still like watching with Japanese subtitles on). I can understand much more kanji than I did a year ago: even when I don't remember the exact reading for a kanji, I usually comprehend the meaning. And I've lost a lot of my shyness when it comes to conversing with others (especially when drinking, haha) and hesitate a lot less when speaking.

Don't get me wrong, though, I still have so far to go in my learning. When I leave Japan in a few months, I won't have daily interaction with native speakers, so all my learning will go back to classroom and independent study. But I won't give up! My goal is to someday get so fluent that people get surprised 「あっ！日本人じゃないの？？」 Haha, a girl can dream, right?

Kimono!! ...or $3000 that I Really, Really Wish I Had

 
 

(Photo: Kimonorific!)

Before I came to Japan, I didn't have much interest in kimono. Really. I mean, sure, I thought they looked pretty but I didn't have any particular interest in them. However, with this year's 成人式 (seijinshiki, Coming of Age Day), seeing all the girls in their beautiful winter kimono made me feel that I really wanted to try it as well. When I talked to my friend Kozue about it, she said she would take me to a department store and try some on!

So we went today and it was really wonderful fun. <3 I wish they weren't so very expensive, haha... I'll never be able to afford one of these. In the pictures to the left, you can see me in the sample kimono they have in the store: the sleeves are way too long and the obi too wide!! But it didn't make any difference at the time because I was too excited～