hello <3
when I was a rotund little baby, my older cousin gave me the nickname “ghelgheli”, which I would impressionistically translate from Persian as “roly-poly”. this is my study log! come say hi ![]()
Bio 
I chose the title for the rhyme scheme, but this isn’t just a study log: I mean to use it both to report my progress in Japanese and as a diary of sorts. I could never keep a diary of my own, I think because I felt discouraged that nobody would ever read it! No such problem here. I often share my thoughts on things I’ve read and the goings-on in my life, and I’d love to hear from you all as well :]
—Gamer—I love books—film nerd—amateur photographer—aggressively unemployed—possessed of a useless PhD—always listening to music—been known to write—
The Story So Far...
As an undergraduate I took almost two years of Japanese, dropping it in my final semester out of some kind of ennui (I still feel bad about this!). Subsequently, I had a lost decade of my own that I’m only just now getting out of. On September 17th, 2025, I resumed Japanese study and I’m intending to maintain an intensive pace. I’ve studied numerous languages piecemeal over the years and I’m tired of saying I kinda know a bit of a bunch of different languages.
In terms of my long-term goals, practically speaking, I would like to: become an advanced enough reader to comfortably read any manga (my target is Planetes) or book and browse any website smoothly (I like to collect magazines and photography and these are often for sale on Japanese-only websites); develop my writing enough that I can comfortably discuss media in Japanese (I use Letterboxd and would like to write reviews in Japanese); and become a fluent listener and productive conversationalist. Theoretically speaking, I want to pass JLPT N2 at least, and N1 eventually.
I’d estimate my grammar at ~N3, vocab ~N4, and kanji N5. I can comfortably understand much of what’s said in less-abstract anime, but reading is still a slog.
Past Weekly Reports
2025
11/03/2025-11/09/2025
11/10/2025-11/16/2025
11/17/2025-11/23/2025
11/24/2025-11/30/2025
12/01/2025-12/07/2025
12/08/2025-12/14/2025
12/15/2025-12/21/2025
12/22/2025-12/28/2025
12/29/2025-01/04/2026
01/05/2026-01/11/2026
01/12/2026-01/18/2026
01/19/2026-01/25/2026
01/26/2026-02/01/2026
Library 
Top Shelf:
Completed:
- やがて君になる
- 少女終末旅行
- 血の轍
- ハピネス
- 惡の華
- ぼくは麻理の中
- おかえりアリス
- スイートプールサイド
- リリ
Reading:
- ホリミヤ (Vol 2)
- はなにあらし (Vol 3)
- 付き合ってあげてもいいかな (Vol 3)
- ギャルと恐竜 (Vol 2)
Current Inventory 
Vocab (incl. kanji):
- WaniKani
- Bunpro
- Anki (currently Core2K and deck of vocabulary mined using Yomitan)
Grammar:
- Bunpro
- (occasionally) A Dictionary of Japanese Grammar
Reading:
Listening:
Youtubers, with the approximate levels I think their content mainly corresponds to:
- Ken-san Okaeri (N5-N3)
- Japanese with Shun (N5-N3)
- Nihongo Con Teppei (N5-N3)
- Japanese Super Immersion (N5-N2)
- Okkei Japanese (N4-N2)
- Sayuri Saying (N4-N2)
- Speak Japanese Naturally (N4-N2)
- Miku Real Japanese (N4-N2)
- Daily Japanese with Naoko (N4-N2)
- Bite Size Japanese (N3-N2)
- Wasabi (N3-N2)
- MAI (N3-N1)
- YUYU (N3-N1)
(favourites in bold)
Writing:
- LangCorrect and crossposting occasionally to Hellotalk
Speaking:
- for the moment I just talk to myself sometimes

Schedule 
- ≥7hrs listening weekly
- read daily
- ≥3 LangCorrect posts weekly
- 20-30 new vocabulary words daily, mostly via Yomitan mining
2026 Goals 
- January:
Bunpro N3 Grammar (01/09/2026)
Bunpro N4 Vocabulary (01/14/2026)
Bunpro N4 Practice Test (01/17/2026) - March:
WaniKani Lvl 21 by my birthday (3/10) - April:
Bunpro N2 Grammar
Anki Core 2k - May:
Bunpro N3 Vocab
Bunpro N3 Practice Test - June:
WaniKani Lvl 30 - July:
Bunpro N1 Grammar - September:
WaniKani Lvl 40 - October:
Bunpro N2 Vocab
Bunpro N2 Practice Test - December:
WaniKani Lvl 50
JLPT N2 …?
Historical Milestones
9/18/2025: Started WaniKani & Bunpro
9/23/2025: Bunpro N5 Grammar ![]()
10/23/2025: Bunpro N4 Grammar ![]()
11/5/2025: Bunpro N5 Vocab ![]()
11/14/2025: Bunpro N5 Practice Test ![]()





























