こんばんは！

21 days is what it takes to make a habit, right? At least that's what studies say.

Well, here is to trying.

I really don't have to much to add today, except this.

I know 70 Kanji! Woot! When I say know, I mean the meaning, the kunyomi, the onyomi, stroke order, and everything else I can think of to learn about it. Granted, they are very basic, but at this rate, I MIGHT be able to take the JLPT 5 test in November, IF I can find a place around me that offers the test.

Now, I just need to learn how to use them...

I did figure this one out myself.

I know the Kanji for train. And I figured it out by myself, lol. Yes, I patted myself on the back. No, I did not break out the champagne. I am saving that for particles.

So, this was what I did.

I already knew that densha or でんしゃ meant train. (Thank you Cloud Rider, which are the lyrics through which I learned densha and ありがとうございます、Ars Magna  for dancing to it. Here is the video if anyone is interested. Good grief, the talent.)

So, in my studying, I came across 車, which means car. The kunyomi is くるま, or kuruma. But the ONYOMI, which I knew from other lessons, when you have two kanji together, you almost always use the onyomi. The ONYOMI is しゃ, or sha. Hmmm, Sha... No matter.

Then, the switch that turned on the light, and I kinda find it hysterical, light... electricity... you will see.

The next day, I came across this kanji. 電 That one I will never forget. Electricity. It doesn't hurt that it only has one reading. Onyomi. The onyomi is でん or den. Den... den... NO... It CAN'T be!

Den... sha...

Yes, it was.

Densha = 電車 = train.

Holy crap!

I know that this is a very simple and basic kanji. I know that the others will probably NOT be that easy to figure out, but it was very inspirational anyway.

What are your light bulb moments?

こんにちは！

げんきですか？
はい！げんきです！

I am trying to write more and more in にほんご。

That the way to get better at it, right? And that's what this blog is about, sort of.

Today, I thought I would share the motivating factor with me learning this language. And yes, it is a silly reason, but has led to a deeper reason.

I am a writer, my writing blog is here.

I was using my son's computer on day while he was away, and my boyfriend was on mine. Much to my dismay, there was nothing on his computer to facilitate my writing, so, I dove into Youtube.

Hours later, I was watching an interview with my then, and now, favorite dance group. Ars Magna. (This is the video they are best known for. They have many many more.) It was entirely in Japanese, as one might expect. I wished that I knew how to speak it, as it is beautiful and I really REALLY wanted to know what was being said, as everyone was laughing and even Izumi smiled.

And it hit me.

This is 2015. I have the internet. Why not learn? Oh, but it will be so hard... I have heard that. And to borrow words from John F. Kennedy, "Not because it is easy, but because it is hard." Not exactly what he said, or meant. Can't really compare landing on the moon the learning a language, but in the same vein, why not do it?

I have time. Or, if it is something that I care about, then I will make time.

And I do care.

I care passionately.

Because the desire to learn to listen to an interview or two (or 300), pales in comparison to the things I have learned about a place I have always wanted to visit.

And I will go.

And I will be able to speak the native language.

I will be able to show respect to a culture that has always fascinated me.

So, no matter the reason, you CAN do it! The mind in a tremendous thing. Use it to it's fullest potential!

Hello!
こんにちは！

I have started this as a diary of sorts into my learning of what I consider to be one of the most beautiful languages in the world.

I started this journey a couple of months ago. Maybe as long as three months. I feel as if I should have marked the day in some way, but I didn't. And I know that I will regret it as I look back in maybe 9 months and want to celebrate the distance I have traveled. Oh well.

So, to date, I can read the Hiragana, or ひらがな really well. Still not as fast as I would like, especially once I run into something like しょ or ちゅ or the worst... りゅ. I tend to have to pause a bit more and flip it around in my head. But it will get there.

The カタカナ , Katakana, I can read as well, but not as fast. I haven't used that one as much. Though that is about to change.

One of the things that I do to help the Kana stick in my head is find romaji lyrics to my favorite Japanese songs and then transcribe then into the Kana. Well, in addition to using them to help learn the songs, which in turn, I THINK helps with pronunciation.

I have about 150 words in my vocabulary, which isn't a lot, but it grows everyday. It would be more, but I am at a crossroads. Focus on Kanji, or new vocabulary?

I am pretty proud of my Kanji knowledge. I know about 120 on sight and know what they mean. And of those, I know the Kunyomi and Onyomi of about 50 of them.

I am hoping to make friends with those on this journey as well, and to be inspired and to inspire others. Maybe we can trade tips on remembering or things that worked for them.

What do you find to be your most difficult challenge? For me, for what ever reason, it is particles. Not wa, or は (in this case). That one is easy enough. But others give me fits. I find Kanji easier than keeping the particles straight in my head.

Please feel free to comment! But what ever you do, enjoy your journey into the language!