Learning Japanese

Ahh yes the Japanese language (日本語), so mysterious so daunting and seemingly impossible. Many people ask me, "Your in Japan right? Do you speak any Japanese?". To which I reply (sukoshi) すこし which means "a little". Hmm the topic of the Japanese language can help me shed some light on why I chose to come to Yamagata prefecture. You see back when I was just a bum sitting around on a futon eating chips and wiping the grease from them on my shirt, I decided I want to go to Japan and learn Japanese. So then I started thinking if I go to Tokyo I might not actually learn Japanese I will probably just meet a bunch of other foreigners and hang out with them, and just speak English all the time. Then I decided my best bet to learn Japanese was to go to a smaller city far from Tokyo. A city with not a lot of gaijin, some place where I could really interact with the Japanese locals. That place was to be Yamagata city. At first I imagined my time in Yamagata to be some dream like existence where I am like doing all this cool stuff; like maybe playing against Godzilla in a game of pogs.

But then I started thinking of the other side of things. What if my life was like that of Frankenstein; where I am like viewed as like some kind of monster. And my life is that of an outcast, and it all culminates into a rainy night where the people of Yamagata are outside my apartment with torches shouting "kill the monster" (in Japanese of course). Having lived here for a month I find I haven't really learned too much Japanese I spend most of my time riding my bike around the city trying to find out what things are fun to do. And as far of my fears of just hanging out with foreigners, well they have manifested themselves here in Yamagata, as the only Japanese I know are from drunken forays into the night, which does not a good friend make here in Japan. Many of you reading this are probably thinking "Ohh shizzie he had a strizoke in his brizzain and now he's throwing in the towel!". In fact many of my friends are like "done with Japan yet? can I expect to see you at this party next week?". I guess everyone expects me to just give up and return to America. Take note of what I am about to say, America still sucks hahaha. I still chose my peaceful life in Japan (no matter how boring and uneventful it can be sometimes) to life in America.

Let me also say that I am not saying that I hated my life in America, I have a lot of really good friends back home that I miss. I just wish they were here in Japan with me, as opposed to be being back in America with them. Actually I think one of my friends who recently graduated is going to try and come to Japan to do the same thing I am doing. If he makes it over here that would be awesome I am hoping that he does it and everything works out. You know who you are Gordon (you mark ass trick). So I have definitely strayed from the original topic which was Japanese language, so let me return to that.

I am giving up on learning Japanese! Haha, but wait don't misunderstand me I am still going to learn conversational Japanese; however I am not going to go out of my way to learn grammar and Kanji and all of that stuff. Hey I am still American and I will exercise my right to be lazy as it is written in the 69th Amendment, "every American has the right to excessive laziness". Also I am going to just let things happen from now on, as I sit here and type this I have decided I want to return to my care free days, those are the days I miss most. Being young and eating hot dogs right out of the package and eating Cap'n Crunch by candle light as I watched Angry Beavers. I am done trying to chase the ladies, I am just going to make some friends ^_^! I think this is the best choice sorry ladies, you will just have to wait, because I am stapling my wang to my leg for now. And now I will take my rest and prepare for my first day of not caring. But I will still care at work, I can't be to carefree I will lose my job.