Konnichiwa...

I have decide to start learning Japanese.  Partly because I have always had a fascination with Japanese culture - the kimono, the fabrics, the martial arts (I studied kendo and Iai Justsu for a year a while back) and now mostly because I want to be able to speak to my sister in law in her native tongue so she doesn't have to do all the hard work of translating to English!

Speaking more than one language is something I have always had a huge amount of admiration and respect for in others and decided it was time I gave it a go myself!
I speak a little German which I learned in School, and phrases just pop into my head every now and again - it is strange what sticks with you.  The lyrics to O Tanenbaum and giving directions to the Krankenhaus and what not...

So I have enrolled at University and have started my breakthrough, beginners Japanese course.  When I signed up, either through my own naiive assumption (because the class is in the evening), or through lack of information, little did I realise that this is NOT actually a night couse per se.  I have actually managed to get myself on a proper Degree module... hmm.  I did feel a little bit overwhelmed when the tutor mentioned that we should be putting in a good 18 hours a week of study...  OK so I work full time and cannot possibly devote the same time a full time student can. The Tutor recognised this and basically said - just go with it and do your best!

At the end of the day this is not somethign I have chosen to do for qualifications or credit,  it is purely because I want to learn, so I figure marks and passing exams won't matter all that much anyway.  I am going to give it my best however and trust that I am actually more disciplined than I was when I was at Uni myself (seriously the 18 year olds in the class just seem so... young and unfocussed!) 

So currently I am learning my Kana, which is what the scripts are collectively called.  I started studying the Hirgana before the course started, and I have now moved to Katakana.

By the end of the course I should be able to discuss basic things like where I am from, what I do etc but most of the time is really spent learning to read the language and rules of grammar and apparently we even start to learn some of the Kanji -dum dum duuummm!!! (that was my ominous sound effect of doom btw)
So wish me luck!

Sayoonara!