初めての日本旅行

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僕の日本旅行について書くで日本語の練習をしにします。最初の旅行は２０１１年です。ある夜、ジョールという高校のクラスメートは僕たちが一緒に日本の旅行のことを提案しました。２０１１の東北地震が起こったばかりだったから、日本の方の航空券は値段が低いでした。僕は簡単に説得されて、突然に二時間後僕たちの航空券は買ってしまいました。空港に行って、飛行機を乗りて、１０時間後大阪に着きました。

日本はきれいな国とかポップカルチャーは面白いとか日本生活は賑やかなと知っていましたけど、大阪に着いた時あのようなワクワクのは期待しませんでした。

今でも、あの最初の気持ちはまだ覚えっています。僕はあの最初の日から日本が大好きだと気付きました。

久しぶりだったので、旅行のスケジュールはもう覚えませんが、大阪の後東京に行ったと思います。僕の思い出によって、東京は大阪よりあまり賑やかだと思いました。僕の感激は、東京人が大阪人よりもっと忙しくて、生活はストレスが多いでした。今でも、その意見を持っています。

観光のため東京を足で歩き回ってあと、僕たちは喉がかわいので、バーに行くにしました。僕はイギリス風のバーにあまり行きたくなかったが、ジョールは「HUB 」を提案しました。バーの中に、二人の若い日本人男性を会いました。一緒にテーブルで座って、ビール飲みました。すぐに、僕たちは酔ってしまって、グラス４杯「stairway to heaven」というカクテルを注文しました。カクテルは本当に強いでした。愚かなことにあのカクテルを二杯に注文しました。

バーからタクシーまでジョールはほとんど歩けませんでした。次の日は二日酔いでベッドで泊まりました。

最終の日、僕たちは、僕の大学時代の「よし」という会った日本人をお台場で会いました。お台場でビールを飲んで、フェリーでお台場から浅草まで行きました。よしは僕たちに神社で祈る方法を教えてくれました。その後、浅草から新宿の歌舞伎町に行って、しゃぶしゃぶレストランで食べました。あの時は、飛行機を飛んだ時から耳がちょっと気が悪かったから、よしに薬を頼みました。よしは彼の鞄から薬をくれて、薬のおかげで耳の痛みが早く消えました。

よしは親切な人です。僕たちは２００５にいくつかの幸せの日が過ごしました。２００５から２０１１まで長い時間が過ぎました。それらの年には、よしなくて、寂しかったでした。

日本語はもう出来るかどうか知らない

久しぶりです。日本語をしゃべる時と書く時から、一年間とか、二年間だと思います。日本語興味は少し消えちゃった。

理由は分からない。N3級を完成させたがったけど、時間とモチベーションはなかった。

ここで日本語でもっと書いたら、 進歩しるかもしれません。日本語で話したり書いたりするのはもっと簡単になるかもしれません。

明日トピックに決めって、何か日本語で書くにします！

第五: J-CULT THURSJAY!

ゲスの極み乙女

Gesu no Kiwami Otome

"Girl at the height of rudeness"

One of my good friends, who is still living in Japan, has just sent me a link to an awesome song by this band. The song, 私以外私じゃない "Not a me other than me", was released this month (I think), and I have not been able to stop listening to it. You know, it's one of those songs that is just as good as the very first time you heard it. A real banger! Well, more of a real bopper.

I love all aspects of the song, especially how the song gets all jazzy at the end. The music video, accompanies it perfectly, once again incorporating the image of old traditional Japan with images of Japan today - oh, and there's a slightly 70s disco look thrown in there as well. AND some coke bottles on the stage. From having a look and a listen at their other tracks, it seems like a lot of their songs have this interesting mix of musical styles.

Each of the band members, including Enon Kawatani from Indigo la End, enjoyed having a jam together, so they formed Gesu no Kiwami Otome in 2012. Here is their latest song: 私以外私じゃない.Once you've checked that out, have a look at the music video to one of their earlier songs ドレスの脱ぎ方 ("How to take off a dress").

My JLPT | 僕の日本語能力試験

As I have mentioned in some previous posts, I have been wanting to sit for the JLPT exam for a long time - in fact, I have wanted to sit for it ever since I studied Japanese at university. I remember after first year, some of my teachers said it would be a great exam for us to do to test our Japanese and also to gain a certificate. When my classmates sat for it and passed, I felt a little upset with myself that I hadn't also, but in those early days, my Japanese was quite weak compared to my classmates, so I probably would have failed. 

What is the JLPT, you may ask? It's the Japanese Language Proficiency Test - an exam which anyone can do to check ones level of Japanese proficiency and to gain an internationally recognised certificate which may help when finding work in and out of Japan.

My main reason for wanting to sit the test was to prove to myself what level I had achieved since my time at university. After uni, I took a break from studying Japanese as I felt it was too hard and that I wasn't getting anywhere with it. I would study so hard, and then at the end of the day, I would get so upset that I could barely string a proper sentence together. 

Little by little, my enthusiasm for learning Japanese increased. I became re-inspired by watching Japanese films, by listening to Japanese music, and also by watching YouTube videos of other people practicing their Japanese. Some of the vloggers were so good at Japanese, I felt as though improving my fluency was actually a possibility.

After deciding that I might be able to sit for the N3 exam, I bought the nihongo no somatome text books and spent one year studying. Nothing was sticking in my memory as I desperately tried to hold on to the week-by-week structure of the textbooks. I almost gave up, thinking that N3 may have been too advanced for me.

Then, I stumbled across the JET Programme on the net, and realising I may actually be eligible to apply, I got my papers together, sent them off, and WHAM! I was asked to an interview. Off I went - a year's adventure in Japan began - not just for me, but for my Japanese! 

I knuckled down before I left, revising and studying Japanese as much as I could. I noticed I had improved a little, until I arrived in Japan and realised how much of a learning curve was awaiting me. When people spoke to me, I found it so hard to understand them. It was like I had been thrown into a forest of foreign words. 

A few weeks later, something clicked. I could understand quite a lot of what was being said. I could read more than I thought I would be able to. I could pick up words and phrases quite quickly. However, I could barely speak with others, and my frustration continued to grow. This frustration made me want to stop studying altogether.

I decided I needed to push myself. Me and some of my friends decided we should all sit for the JLPT. Before we could get out of it, we sent off our money - 6,000 yen - or something like that. From that moment on, I spent whatever free time I had studying Japanese.

On the day of the test, I was so nervous. I wasn't sure if I had studied enough. I remember feeling as though I had concentrated mostly on vocabulary and kanji and had neglected grammar and listening practice. 

I sat down at my desk. My test sheet arrived. The clock started. I recognised most of the kanji! I knew or figured out the vocabulary questions! I understood the majority of the listening section - or so I thought... Then, grammar and reading came. The last three sections were so difficult. 

As I left the exam room, I was not so confident that I had passed.　I had studied so hard and spent such a long time believing that I would be able to pass N3. Had I studied in vain? You find out if I passed if you read a previous entry.

What would I do if I could go back?

I would buy the practice test to find out which sections I needed to work on. I thought I had studied vocabulary too much, but it turns out my vocabulary was still lacking somewhat. I also really should have focussed more on reading practice.

Has the JLPT exam helped me? 

I needed to know what level I was at, and once I knew, I felt much better. Studying a language on your own is great, but after a while, you need some kind of proof that you have learned things and improved your knowledge of the language. I am so glad I did the JLPT to give myself some closure.

I wrote this to remind myself of my experience. If anyone reading this finds it interesting, or wants to know more about my experience, let me know. :)