Hello, I have finally decided to join TextFugu and really get started on my long-time goal of learning to speak Japanese. I hope to spend at least a year in the near-ish future teaching English in Japan, and want to be able to participate in life when I’m there, ideally continuing my Karate studies and being able to watch Noh and Kabuki plays (I’m a recovering Theater major). I’m a very visual learner, so I’m excited to have a textbook format to work with, as tapes have failed me miserably in the past.