I’ve been teaching myself Japanese for the past year. At first, it was more of a vanity thing and to impress girls. But, as time went on, I came to realize that I love the language and culture more that I knew. So I’ve immersed myself in all things Japanese. Its even safe to say, that I’ve thought and pondered to myself a few times in Japanese. I take that as a really good sign that my language comprehension is progressing. I’ve set myself up with a method that I call: “Actively Learning.” Everyday I am learning something new in Japanese. I listen to J-Wave, watch the news and KeyHole TV and eat with “Hashi” just about whenever I can. I’ve immersed myself in the language as much as I can. I’ve found that “active learning” is helping to keep me on the path to my future success with fully understanding Japanese. Its taken me a long time and tons of times of wanting to give up, to get to the point where I am today. After a year of learning and comprehending, I can finally say that I can casually speak the language. I’ve ordered my food and drink in Japanese and can recognize kanji and kanji radicals and even watch doramas and anime without the subs on. I’m really proud of myself and I won’t stop until I reach every top that I come across. I think I made a big improvement when I wrote my first “Uta” in Japanese. I’m not 100% sure of the translation but I’d like to share it anyway. Its called: “Aki no Nici”
Watashi wa suteppu shimasen
deshita natto wa ichou
to no gaikan wo tsuuchi
odoroki ga hiroga ruka
anata no kao ni desu ka?
Aki no setto to shite
kaze no koto sou hiki
wo mo tara shita chikadu
ku watashi ni watashi wa
suteppu shimasen deshita
natto ni wa ichou to no
gaikan wo tsuuchi odoroku
no wa anata no kao ni
hiroga ruka desu ka?
Sorekara watashi no shita
de anata ni kisu nagare
ruka sakura to egao wo mise ta
Did I not step
on the ginkgo nuts,
and notice the look
of surprise that spread
across your face?
As the autumn set
wind swept about you
and brought you
closer to me,
did I not step
on the ginkgo nuts
and notice the look
of surprise that
spread across your face?
Then,
I kissed you under
the flowing sakura,
and you smiled.
This is a shining achievement for me. I think that it takes more than just book reading and a few classes a week to learn a language progressively. I hope everyone tries “Actively Learning” a language.
