-
hiragana three
What was the best anything that you read in 2025? Japanese signage. I’ve never been a great student of language. In grade school, having started elementary in a town that was apparently not following the provincial French language requirements for the curriculum, we moved and my new school dropped me into learning our second national
-
the japan files
What excited you most in 2025? It turns out there are two subtly different terms for non-Asian people who find themselves with an interest in Japan: one can be a japanophile …or one can be a weeaboo (or weeb). Both are similar terms, but like anything we do in this crazy culture of ours one
-
japanese, part four
Sayonara, but not forever. My class is done. My flash cards have just one more flash or so left in them. And I’ve definitely got Google Translate loaded up on my phone. As it is looking, forty-eight hours or so after writing this I’ll be sound asleep in Tokyo… y’know with the math on time
-
japanese, part three
I am approaching fifty, but attending an introductory language class kinda makes me feel like I’m in kindergarten again. We count in unison, ask each other our names and ages, play games identifying colours, and get stickers for good work. I also have the least interesting origin story of the bunch, I’ve concluded. Everyone else
-
japanese, part two
How’s it going? Hajimemashita はじめまして。 Yesterday was oddly milestone-ish for my language learning. Not only did I hit the two hundred consecutive days in Duolingo, but my second night at my in person language classes went a lot better than the first. Bank on that also in the last couple weeks we have secured tickets