Sorry for my short hiatus. I went back home to visit my family in October and had a wonderful time. Then, since I've been back to Japan it's been non-stop activity. I'll be done with my Japanese language classes in December then I won't have to take another class again until March (thank goodness!) it'll feel good to take a break from the constant demands of school. Since I do my school online, it makes it hard to want to sign into the computer for blog writing.
Other than that, life has been pretty routine. Although it takes longer to develop a routine living in Japan, it definitely happens and life rolls forward. You don't notice anymore that you're driving on the "wrong" side of the road or that all the signs are in Japanese. You don't run out to the 7-11 to try interesting Japanese foods because to be honest, you've tried them all. Shopping in a Japanese store isn't a novelty, you start to realize they have things you can use that you can't find on the American base (such a decently bound index cards). You consider it a good day when you see it's 300 yen for a plate of yakitori and a side of rice at the corner store.
Anyway, I guess what I'm saying is every day is the same and it's a good thing because it's good to have routine. As of now, we have a little over a year left in Japan. In this upcoming year, we have a lot of travel planned as we try to hit the spots we still haven't seen, like Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Hakone, etc.
Yesterday, John and I went to a Travel Fair on base. There were tons of hotels, travel agencies, and cities represented. They had a lot of tourist information (and free stuff!). The free stuff in Japan is amazing. Sometimes it's a pen, but we also scored a coffee table photo book, two coffee tumblers, a dish cloth, tons of gorgeous postcards, candy, and cookies. We also picked up a lot of information about travelling around Japan, and think we may try to drive somewhere for Thanksgiving.
Well, that's all for now, sorry so boring, but hey, life can't be excitement 24/7, otherwise I'd be broke!
Looking forward to hearing about your Thanksgiving adventures.
ReplyDeleteHave you found your Japanese classes to be helpful for your time in Yokosuka?
ReplyDeleteYes, incredibly helpful. Despite what you may hear, few Japanese are fluent in English. They may know a few words, but talking and being understood can become quite the chore. Knowing some Japanese helps to meet in the middle so that the conversation goes more smoothly. It's also certainly helped when I visit places that don't have American bases (like Nagano) where many people don't know or use any English.
ReplyDeleteSo how fluent are you? I took 3 terms of Italian when we lived in Italy and didn't feel comfortable at all. I am debating if I want to go thru UMUC for the college credit or if I should hire a Japanese tutor..hmmm..btw, I saw you the other day at the commissary. I almost said "hi I read your blog" lol but didn't want to be creepy.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteYou said you were taking Japanese classes in Yokosuka? I am looking for a Japanese School around the base to enroll because my husband is in the Navy.
Thanks
@Tiff: You should have said hi...although I was probably in "let me get out of here" mode. The commissary is not my favorite place. I'm not very fluent, but I know ton of words and some grammar structures. I know enough to order food, tell a cab driver how to get to my house, and make some small talk. I get really nervous speaking, though.
ReplyDelete@Pam: I take my Japanese classes through UMUC which has a branch on Yokosuka base. They offer several beginning level Japanese classes for college credit. They also have Japanese classes at the community center on base. Some are free and some are $25/month.
Honestly, I think it depends on how you learn. I found the community center classes to be not very helpful because they were teaching you words and phrases and not the grammar behind them. UMUC is more challenging as they are college classes, but I learn better when I'm tested and quizzed.
I find that my patience is much lower when I go to base, especially the past few days. Screaming kids and a clutter of people are not my idea of easy shopping. Thanks for the info on the classes!
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