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So, day one of textfugu. Hi everyone!
I first started learning Japanese an embarrassingly long time ago but I gradually forgot most of it (I stopped because my friends dropped out, I didn’t like the teacher and so I gradually gave up). I tried restarting learning two years ago (another teacher that was bad – c’mon – 2 hour lessons where all you spend time doing is re-hashing the lesson before?).
I had my first visit to Japan last year and really enjoyed everything, including faint memories of my Japanese! I tried occasionally speaking Japanese but generally received pitying looks and an English menu in the restaurants ;-). So, here’s to me trying to build up my Japanese, and this time I’m trying self-taught means in order to avoid my bad luck with teachers!
My goal right now is to chat to my Japanese friends living in London and to be able to have a conversation next time in Japan without looking like a complete idiot. Okay, without looking like more of an idiot. I started to put down a goal of manga/anime but although that’s interesting, it’s more interesting to me to be able to chat with friends, so that’s the key goal.
Anyhow, hi!
Hi Nick,
Welcome to the forums! Hopefully this will be the attempt that will stick. :) Where did you go in Japan? What was your favorite part of your trip? It’s awesome that you’ve had the opportunity to travel there.
Good luck with your studies!
~Cassandraこんにちは Nick! I’m also from London… it’s nice to see some more UK people here :D Good luck with your Japanese!
Hey Nick, welcome to TextFugu! What brought you to Japan in the first place?
Why we went to japan is a long story ;-). I’ve got a blog post about it (http://woodhill.wordpress.com/2011/04/27/japan-2011/). The quick summary is that a volunteering effort went wrong and so we decided to use our tickets on a *very* brief holiday instead. The favourite part of the trip? I think that it would be one of two things: the very first night in Tokyo – feeling the reality by being in a wonderfully traditional ryokan (and the reality of the first night minor tremor). It was so great to just *be* there and it made that first night feel fantastic. Coming in joint first place is a more touristy thing and that’s wandering around Gion in the evening – I love that area of Kyoto.
Wow that first ryokan looks amazing! Exactly the sort of place I want to stay in when I eventually visit!
I’m kinda jealous that you could climb the scaffolding at Himeji. When I was there in August 2010, we could only look on from the ground. That said, did you go and look at all the peripheral buildings? Were they still open? Though not quite so awesome as the main keep, they were still quite interesting in their own right.
Many, but not all, of all the buildings were open. For example the really long building of the pricess (I forget the proper name now). And they had an armour exhibition in one of the buildings that I think was special – just while they are renovating – although I’m not totally sure.
Bah, I meant to say “princess” of course.
Cool! Thanks for posting the link to your blog post. I enjoyed seeing the photos. :)
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