Josei10

I took me a long time to admit to anybody how seriously in debt I was (and still am!!).

I owed about £50,000 in February 07 (from various credit cards, overdrafts and loans). I had actually guesstimated it too be about £40,000 – bad enough, but not as bad as £50,000. This is the first time I’ve sat down and actually calculated it, and feel very ashamed to admit the amount.

So far I have managed to reduce it to just over £46,000. There’s still a long way to go and life is pretty restrictive but at least I’m doing something pro-active.

I was forced to admit my money troubles when I had trouble paying an increase in rent. I had actually got to a point where my outgoings exceeded my income and I didn’t know what else to do. I pretty much had a breakdown and eventually had to admit I needed help. I also had to tell my parents just how bad my debt was – it was difficult, really awful and so shameful.

I am very lucky that they are able to help me out. I’m living with my parents and they don’t charge me rent. They also lent me some money for a while so I could reduce the amount of money I had to pay monthly – and so now I can live within my means and stop adding to my debt!!

I am eternally grateful to them and I’m actually getting teary-eyed thinking about how great they have been. To be the age I am now and to have to ask my parents for help is awful – I eventually want to be in a position where I can repay them (money and otherwise) someday.

I have gone back to studying with the aim of improving my life and giving myself a more prosperous future. I feel great for doing it and know I have made my parents happy. I hope all this will one day help me repay my parents and my debts.

I spent most of my teens and early twenties never really knowing what I wanted to do – seriously wanted to do – with the rest of my life. The obvious things that I want are to be happy, healthy, keep laughing and travel like crazy!! Well, I’ve been doing that for a long while now with not much serious thought of the future.

Last year I decided to learn Japanese because I’ve always wanted to learn another language and I love the history and culture of Japan. I have also found since I’ve started learning that I love the sound of Japanese and the writing system is just beautiful. So now I’ve found a passion!!

I am also doing a degree in Social Sciences and Economics – which I also started last year. I’ve always regretted not going to Uni straight from school, but I do believe better late than never and I’m kicking myself for taking so long to get round to it!!

I shall be finished my degree in 2010, and hopefully I will pass the JLPT level 2 in December 2009 or maybe 2010. I also work 40 odd hours a week – so I hope these are manageable goals!!

I don’t really know what I will do when I’m finished (except relax and not study for a while!!) but I would love to work in, live in and experience Japan.

I’ve just got a bit of a thing about being old(ish) and starting a new/different life in my thirties while others are doing it in their twenties!! But then, who says that isn’t possible and I wont make a success of it?? All I know is, I won’t let my hard work go to waste – and I’m determined not to let my fears ruin any opportunities that might come my way :-D

I’ve been studying Japanese for just over a year now. I passed JLPT 4 last December and I plan to take (and pass) JLPT 3 this year at the SOAS. I plan to take level 2 in 2008 even though I feel it may be pushing it a bit and I may fail it – but that is ok because I have always planned to take it in 2009 to give myself more time to prepare and I feel the one in 2008 will be a good practise one to see how I do!!