Hello everyone my name is Sean. I am very much a beginner to learning Japanese, hence why I have decided to join your ranks. I was trying to learn through Genki, but it wasn’t engaging and is obviously geared toward classrooms which is no good for me, as I am trying to learn on my own in my spare time.
My desire to learn Japanese stems from a life-long dream of visiting Japan some day. I am very much a nerd, and grew up on a lot of anime and video games, so Japan was always on my radar. For a long time, I gave up on that dream and accepted the mediocrity of my adult life. I am quite the introvert and have an almost non-existent social life, nor do I have a wife or any children. Now please, I am not asking for anyone’s sympathy because I accept responsibility for who I have become and I’m not really all that sad about it. However, seeing as I am almost 30 years old and don’t have a lot on my plate so to speak, I would like to see if visiting Japan can get me out of my shell and help me to develop the confidence I need to make and sustain relationships with other people. The way I see it is this: If I can learn enough Japanese to get me through a journey through Japan, then my experience will be a lot more personal than just an American tourist buying a prepaid package and running around with a bunch of gaijin.
I intend to at least know enough to be able to ask for most (if not all) of the things that I need (food, lodging, directions etcetera) and hopefully a little extra so that maybe I can make a few friends along the way. If any of you are planning a visit to Japan, or already have, and would like to share your advice or exploits with me, I would love to hear from you!
Take care everyone, and good luck!