Earlier today, I sat and listened to the song “Let it Go” in Japanese (I’m a sucker for Disney films.) I followed along as best I could, but couldn’t keep up. It’s just been too long since I used the language to handle the pace. The last time I had a chance to speak the language was with friends in my class, back in fall of 2012, so it’s been something like a year and a half since then. It still flows off my tongue well enough, but the speed with which “dareni mo” is sung is too much for a rusty tongue.
It’s a real shame, too, because I love the way the language sounds and feels. Say it: “iru no sabishiku nai wa.” Once I get to Tokyo, I hope to get my fluency back. Whether that’s because I’m in a classroom teaching students how to speak English, or in a coffee shop writing my next novel, I’m not sure yet. I haven’t fully decided what I’m going to do once I arrive. I’m tossing around a lot of ideas in my head; do I go to Thailand or Vietnam instead? Living on the beach for $200 a month sounds pretty appealing, especially since I’ve sat at my desk and kept my feet planted on top of my router every day since winter hit. Seriously, I don’t know what WoW Cable puts in this thing, but it’s like a space heater.
Either way, I figure I have time to decide. I welcome the indecision; knowing what each day will bring is a bit boring, in my opinion. There is comfort in routine, sure, but at the same time, there’s no better feeling than waking up in a city foreign to you, with no knowledge of where you are or how to get around. Getting lost is fun.
By the way, this is my first post since restarting the blog. As for what happened to its previous iteration, well, that’s a long, strange story. Apparently it was hacked. I checked one day, and the entire site was in Turkish — and when I translated it through Google, the body text seemed to be viagra ads. Ah well, things happen. Here’s to the future!
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